Chapter Thirty-Eight
In Potions that day, Hermione sat near Ed, Al, and Terry so she wouldn't be by Harry or Ron. Al turned to her as she slammed her bag down on the table by her cauldron.
"What's wrong, Hermione," Al asked, softly.
Hermione looked at Al's deep golden eyes that were filled with concern and looked back to her cauldron, her cheeks going red.
"Nothing," Hermione lied.
Harry, who was watching the exchange, was shocked to see Ron's reaction: Ron's ears were red and he had a jealous look on his face. Harry didn't even think that Ron was watching. And why should Ron get jealous if he was with Lavender? Al put an arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"It'll be okay, Hermione," Al comforted.
Hermione could do nothing but nod. Her heart was pounding as fast as a hummingbird's wings. Yes, she liked Ron, but how could she not like Alphonse? He was kind, considerate, and extremely good-looking to boot. She knew that Katie liked him as did the new transfer. Heck, all of the girls in the school liked both Elric brothers but knew that Ed was not 'on the market' at all. Even though she didn't like Ed and Al using different instructions than the original book instructions, she knew that they were smarter than Harry in Potions and that Ed had written in his book as well anyway.
Al let go of Hermione as soon as Slughorn entered the room. Al sent a glare at the snickering Slytherins and then looked at Slughorn as he started speaking. Hermione let out a sigh.
"Settle down, settle down, please," Slughorn ordered. "Quickly, now, lots of work to get through this afternoon! Golpalott's Third Law…who can tell me -?"
"Gallbladder's law says that an antidote for a blended poison is like an antidote for all of the different poisons," Ed replied before Slughorn could give anyone a chance to raise their hands.
Harry grinned at Ed's nickname for Golpalott. Slughorn burst out laughing.
"Exactly, dear boy!" Slughorn beamed. "Fifteen points to Gryffindor, including for cheek! Now, if we accept Golpalott's Third Law as true…"
Nobody except for Ed, Al, and Hermione followed what Slughorn said next.
"…which means, of course, that assuming we have achieved correct identification of the potion's ingredients by Scarpin's Revelaspell, our primary aim is not the relatively simple one of selecting antidotes to those ingredients in and of themselves, but to find that added component that will, by an alchemical process," continued Slughorn, pausing at the looks of glee plastered on Ed and Al's faces and then laughing. "Yes, I'm sure you'll love this project, Edward, Alphonse! And so," he continued, "I want each of you to come and take one of these phials from my desk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of the lesson. Good luck, and don't forget your protective gloves!"
Ed and Al had left to go to Slughorn's desk before Hermione even left the table and were back just as Hermione got her phial. Both boys emptied their phials into their cauldrons and went to concocting antidotes for the poisons. As everyone else struggled, including Hermione, Ed and Al seemed to be the only ones to be doing very well in making the antidotes. When Slughorn called that there were two minutes left, Ed looked up to see Harry darting to the store cupboard and getting something. Ed shrugged and looked back down at his antidote and checked to see if there was anything that he should add. When Slughorn came around, he sniffed at Ernie's and then tried not to gag at Ron's failed attempt. When he got to Ed and Al, he beamed.
"Bravo, Elric brothers, bravo!" Slughorn boasted. "I knew you would be able to make the antidotes!"
Ed and Al grinned at each other. Hermione flushed with jealousy and awe of Ed and Al both being able to make antidotes.
"Twenty points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn awarded.
Ed and Al high-fived each other. The Slytherins glared at Ed and Al. Then Slughorn went to Harry who had showed off the bezoar. Slughorn laughed and praised Harry.
"But Harry, you do need to know how to mix antidotes like the Elrics," Slughorn pointed out.
Ed and Al shared matching grins of smugness. When the bell rang, Slughorn called for everyone to pack up and awarded Gryffindor ten more points. Ed and Al were the first ones to clean up.
"Good luck, Harry, you'll need it," Ed snickered.
Then Ed and Al left the room. Hermione and Ron left a moment later. When Harry told Ed, Al, Hermione, Ron, and Winry (who was doodling in a chair next to Ed when Harry had told Ed and Al), they weren't at all sympathetic. Winry hit Ed lightly on the head with her wrench when Ed had burst out laughing at Harry's disastrous tale. Harry frowned.
"Sorry, Harry, but I couldn't help it," Ed grinned. "But I did tell you that you should have made out a plan when asking Slug-butt for the memory."
"Even though Edward is an idiot," Winry started, giving Ed a glare and then looking back at Harry, "he's right. You had to wait for a certain time to ask."
"It would be best if you make him believe that you don't care about the memory anymore," Al advised.
"Well, you're more helpful than Ron and Hermione," Harry muttered, looking darkly at Hermione (who was talking with Ginny) and at Ron (who was trying to finish his homework by himself at another table).
Ed, Al, and Winry all looked at Ron and Hermione as well.
"Well, you are right about not giving Ron a bezoar, though," Winry said.
Harry looked at Winry in shock.
"Ed and Al told me about what happened in your class today," Winry explained.
"Why do you say that?" Harry asked.
"Because it would have been suspicious," Winry replied. "It would be ridiculous if more than one person in the class had done that. And besides, not everyone can be geniuses."
"Aw, thanks, Winry," Ed grinned, putting an arm around Winry's waist and pulling her close to him. "I always knew you thought I was a genius."
Winry blushed and giggled as Al rolled his eyes. Harry looked away as Winry and Ed kissed. Even though it was a little (okay a LOT) shocking, he didn't think it was right to look at Ed and Winry during their affectionate moment. But Harry was the only one who thought this since everyone else in the common room looked at Ed and Winry in shock. After breaking the kiss, Winry threatened everyone who was watching with bodily harm and eternal detention if they didn't stop looking and go back to what they were previously doing. After everyone who was staring returned to what they were doing, Winry looked back at Harry.
"Anyway," Winry continued, Ed draping his arm over her shoulders, "if Edward wasn't such an Alchemical genius as Alphonse is, then he would have done the same thing anyway too."
"Though, Harry, I don't think you should expect any invitations to the dinners," Al advised.
"What makes you say that?" Harry asked.
Al grinned and shrugged. Harry brooded the next few days over what to do next about Slughorn. He decided that, for the time being, he would let Slughorn think that he had forgotten all about Horcruxes; it was surely best to lull him into a false sense of security before returning to the attack. Ed, Al, and Winry didn't bother to try to dissuade him because they knew that Harry wouldn't listen to them. While Harry wondered why Slughorn didn't send any dinner invitations out, Ed had gone to Dumbledore's office one evening while Winry did her homework and Al was at Quidditch practice. Ed hesitated at the door, wondering if he should knock or not. He decided not to knock and opened the door. It was Dumbledore who called the meeting with him anyway.
"Oh, I didn't know you were busy," Ed said.
Snape was in the room with Dumbledore. Dumbledore was sitting calmly at his desk while Snape was standing in front of it with an angry look on his face.
"I could come back later if you want me to," Ed offered.
"No, it's all right," Dumbledore brushed off. "Severus was just leaving. We'll continue our conversation later, Severus."
Snape frowned but gave a curt nod and left the room. Ed watched as Snape left angrily and shrugged.
"Thank you for coming, Edward," Dumbledore thanked.
"Don't mention it," Ed wove off as he went to Dumbledore's desk and sat down in a chair in front of it.
Ed crossed his legs. He had, as always after classes had ended, changed into different clothes. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and the red sweater that Mrs. Weasley had made for him for Christmas. His hair was up in a ponytail, and he was wearing his trademark boots.
"You sure have grown, Edward," Dumbledore commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed asked.
"You're going to get married in a few months and then you'll be -," Dumbledore started.
"Isn't it my old man's job to get sentimental?" Ed interrupted. "Just tell me what you want. I've gotta finish my homework."
Dumbledore chuckled.
"I would have thought that you would be finished with it by now," Dumbledore commented.
"What do you want to talk about?" Ed asked.
"Has Fuhrer Bradley told you anything over the holidays?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, he knows that Winry and I are in the Order," Ed replied. "Thanks to that freak, Father knows every-freakin'-thing. And now, Harry knows Selim's identity as Pride because he followed Snake and Mal-fart."
"Professor Snape and Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore corrected with a smile.
Ed shrugged.
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened to your hand?" Ed asked. "Dad and Snape know."
"You called your father 'Dad'," Dumbledore noticed.
Ed didn't say anything.
"Edward, when I tell Harry how my hand got…damaged, I will send Dobby to get you so you will be able to know," Dumbledore promised.
"And that's when Harry gets the memory from Slughorn, right?" Ed assumed.
"Yes, Edward," Dumbledore replied.
"You know, I could get the memory," Ed grinned.
"I know very well that you are capable of getting that memory, Edward," Dumbledore acknowledged. "But this task I have set is for Harry to complete."
Ed didn't say anything, his bottom lip turning into a pout as he looked away to the window.
"I know that you are bored, Edward, but you must know that being here is the best thing for yourself, Alphonse, and Winry," Dumbledore insisted.
"We can take care of ourselves," Ed muttered.
"Edward, you have got to trust me and the others," Dumbledore implored. "We know what we are doing and who we are going up against."
"All right, all right," Ed grumbled. "But tell me this: is what happened to your hand due to a curse from a Horcrux?"
Dumbledore didn't say anything.
"I thought so," Ed muttered.
"Do you know a lot about Horcruxes?" Dumbledore asked.
"Only the sentence from the book in the Restricted Section," Ed replied.
Then Ed stood from the chair. Ed went to the door and put a hand on the door knob. He turned and looked at Dumbledore.
"You've gotta tell Harry soon, Dumbledore," Ed warned. "He's getting close to figuring out the plan."
"Whose plan?" Dumbledore asked.
"He thinks it's all from Voldemort and Father's sick heads," Ed replied.
"Good," Dumbledore said. "That's exactly how he should think it. Don't tell him, Edward."
Ed frowned.
"Listen, old man, he already knows that I'm high in the Order," Ed explained. "He'll know something's up when…You're planning on that, aren't you?"
Dumbledore just smiled. Ed shook his head.
"Don't you get tired of having secrets?" Ed asked. "I hate keeping secrets."
"Sometimes, Edward, secrets are what hold things together," Dumbledore said.
"Before or after everything falls apart?" Ed asked.
Dumbledore didn't say anything.
"I'll never understand you old geezers," Ed muttered as he left the room.
After Ed had shut the door, the portrait of Phineas Black spoke up.
"Mr. Elric is more mature than that Potter boy," Phineas commented. "Why don't you entrust the task to him instead of Potter?"
"Because it's Harry that's got to do it," Dumbledore replied.
"You do know that Mr. Elric knows more than he lets on, right?" Phineas asked.
"Oh, I know," Dumbledore answered. "You have nothing to worry about. Edward is to be trusted."
In the common room, Winry couldn't concentrate on her homework as she had started to doodle on the parchment that she was supposed to be writing her 24 inch essay for Transfiguration. Hermione, who was sitting at the same table, stopped working on her essay from Defense Against the Dark Arts and looked at Winry.
"I'm sure that Edward is okay, Winry," Hermione said. "He's just going to meet with Dumbledore."
"Hm?" Winry asked, looking up at Hermione. "I'm not worried about Edward going to Dumbledore's office."
"What is on your mind then?" Hermione asked.
"It's stupid," Winry muttered, looking back down at her parchment and frowning.
Winry had drawn a picture of Ed only in his boxers with auto-mail arm and leg intact. Hermione looked down at the picture before Winry could cover it up.
"I told you it was stupid," Winry muttered.
"Aren't you happy that Edward has his arm and leg back?" Hermione asked.
"You wouldn't understand," Winry replied.
"Just try, Winry," Hermione insisted.
Winry sighed.
"I'm happy that Edward gotten his arm and leg back, but…," Winry started, sighing again, her face red. "I just miss the cold touch of his leg next to mine."
Hermione got a look on her face. Winry suddenly frowned.
"Well, you did ask," Winry snapped.
"Have you ever thought of telling Edward how you feel?" Hermione asked, ignoring Winry's attitude.
"Hermione, you do not understand guys at all," Winry scoffed. "Especially guys like Edward."
"And you do?" Hermione asked, skeptically.
Before Winry could say anything, she happened to see over Hermione's shoulder that Ed was coming through the portrait hole. Winry hastily cleared the parchment of the sketch. Ed came over to them and sat by Winry.
"How was the meeting with Dumbledore?" Winry asked.
Ed shrugged his shoulders.
"Eh, same old, same old," Ed replied. "Where's that little brat?"
"Selim is with his friends by the fireplace," Hermione replied. "They're helping each other with their homework."
"Hm," Ed said, looking over at the fireplace.
He saw that Selim was indeed with a group of fellow first years.
"Edward?" Winry asked.
"Huh?" Ed asked, looking back at Winry.
"It's nothing, never mind," Winry replied.
"Are you sure?" Ed asked.
"Yeah," Winry said. "I'm just tired."
Ed put a hand on Winry's head and rubbed it, making Winry blush. Hermione bent down over her homework. While she thought the exchange sweet, she didn't want to intrude on the private moment.
"Why don't you take a break and go to bed then?" Ed suggested.
"I need to finish my homework," Winry said.
"You can finish it in a heartbeat during one of your breaks tomorrow," Ed wove off.
"I guess you're right," Winry conceded.
Ed laughed and took his hand off of Winry's head and wrapped an arm around Winry's shoulders.
"You know, you've gotten pale," Winry observed. "You look like a vampire."
"Except that I can't read your mind or anything," Ed joked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Winry asked.
"Well, if you're gonna be a vampire, you have to have some cool powers to counteract the blood lust," Ed pointed out.
Winry chuckled.
"I guess you're right," Winry said. "Good night, Edward."
"Night," Ed replied.
They smiled at each other and then Winry gathered her things and kissed Ed and then went up to the seventh year girls' dorm. Ed watched as Winry left and then stretched himself. A few moments later, Ed got his things that were on the table together and went up to the sixth year boys' dormitory.