A/N: Updates will be on Thursday and Monday

In Times of Trouble

Chapter One

In Preparation

Resembool

Elric House

Ten Am

Edward, Winry, Yuery, William, Maes, Riza, and Thaddeus arrived on the first train of the day in a private car, with Jean Havoc and Rebecca Catalina as guards. Winry's due date was in two weeks, though she claimed the new baby was coming sooner than that. Edward took this to mean it was time to take the family to the house.

Winry and Edward had agreed any children they had needed to be born in this house because of the charms placed on the grounds that hid the birth of anyone with magical blood. He didn't want wizards bothering his children, and his wife was nearly as concerned as he was over it.

Roy would arrive next week, officially on family vacation, and would be able to stay for two weeks, at which point his wife and youngest son would return to Central, meanwhile the other would remain here for at least three months.

Granny met them at the house instead of the train station, which was now normal for Resembool. Both young parents were tired when they arrived, though Riza and the guards seemed fine. Everyone greeted Granny happily, but Winry excused herself rather quickly to head up to their room. She wanted to lay down for a while.

"She says the baby will be here tomorrow." Edward said with a tired smile and he helped his sons out of their shoes so they could go play. Granny nodded, as she turned to Riza, wordlessly asking to hold Tad.

Riza handed off her son to help move the luggage further into the house, but was waved off by Jean and Rebecca, so she sat next to Granny and her son.

"He can call me Granny." Pinako said decisively. "He's Ed and Al's brother after all. He doesn't have any other Grannies anyway."

"No, well, Izumi Curtis is also claiming him, but otherwise no." Riza said with a small smile, touched that the older woman was including them into her family like this.

"It's settled then." Granny said as she handed back the small baby. "Well, dinner doesn't make itself, and I had to push off a few days work to tend to Winry and the baby so I need to get what I can done until she needs me."

"Oh. Okay." Riza said with a smile. She had gotten used to Pinako's way of showing affection when they lived near her during the Ishbal Project.

"Ji Mu. I can watch him for a bit if you need anything." Edward offered from his place on the floor next to his sons. He was listing sideways however, in such a way that suggested he would be falling asleep soon.

"Why don't you go lay down Edward. I have Rebecca and Jean here to help me if necessary and you're dead on your feet."

"Oh. Okay. But don't leave Jean in charge of them. He lost babysitting privileges." Edward said as he struggled to his feet.

"That was years ago, are you ever going to get over it?" Jean asked with a frown.

"Nope. You ignored my son. When your whole job was to watch my son." Edward said before heading toward the stairs without further comment.

"I feel like there's a story here, but I don't know that I want to know it." Rebecca said.

"No, you really don't." Riza said. "Edward never lets anything go, especially if it involves his sons. That's all you need to know about it."

"I still say he overreacted." Jean said stubbornly. "I mean, really, Yuery should have been sleeping on his own."

"…Jean. You are not to watch the children without Rebecca." Riza said, annoyed at Jean's continued defense. This was an ongoing debate among the team whenever Mustang and Ed were absent, but it had died down after they moved to Central, so she thought. "Rebecca, the reason Edward still against Jean babysitting was that Jean placed the child in a separate room to sleep, ignoring the child's cried until he quieted. This is in direct conflict with Edward's parenting style."

"Jean, you can't tell other people how to raise their kids! Edward gave you instructions, I have to assume, I've watched them for him while he ran paperwork to the next room. If you ignored the instructions, he has every right to refuse to allow you to babysit again."

"He lets the kid sleep in his bed! You can't tell me you would let Tad sleep in your bed, we all saw how you trained Hayete." Jean said, still defending himself.

"Tad sleeps in a crib. Next to my bed. Though Roy frequently allows Tad to join him for a little while in the morning before they head off to collect the boys. Regardless. How others choose to raise their children isn't the subject. It's your inability to follow instructions. When Roy was watching Yuery frequently, Yuery slept like Tad in the crib next to the bed. YOU put him in a different room altogether, which was in direct conflict. You also used Yuery as a prop to get women's phone numbers."

"I can tell I'm not getting by point across. I think I'll go check into the dorms. I'll be back for my shift." Jean said before leaving.

"He knows he was wrong; he just refuses to admit it." Riza said, before turning her attention to the children and Rebecca nodded. Rebecca decided to just stay out of the argument, since she could see where both sides were coming from.

Central

Snape's rented house

noon

Snape had tried to come up with a better solution, but nothing he could think of would effectively hide Narcissa and Draco without trapping them inside somewhere. Edward had been sharing part of what Flamel had written to hopefully find an answer to the horcruxes. So far, they had found nothing useful, perhaps in the unabridged books Roy had. Regardless, Flamel had given him the solution to his other problem.

The entire continent was under a charm. Unless one knew it was here, they couldn't find it. It was the last place Lucius would think to look for his wife. So, Severus had offered Narcissa a place to stay in exchange for a vow of silence about anything she may learn regarding Amestris, Harry Potter, or Severus' private actions. She had agreed.

Severus had told her to only pack what she needed, and to ensure that Lucius would not realize right away that she was leaving for good. He then arranged new identities for them both and moved them into his house. He admitted to himself it was nice to have someone else there again. He had grown used to having other people around, and found he preferred it.

The guest room, formally Lupin's room, was converted into a room for Draco. Narcissa had taken over Lupin's study, which was now a bedroom. There was still a small chance they could get caught, though he was fairly certain Lucius had not pieced together Takeshi Zhao's motivations and Edward Elric's.

Once they had been shown around the small house, Narcissa set about unpacking their things and Severus made them a light brunch. A few minutes later they were sitting around his small, battered table. After everyone's plates were filled Severus cleared his throat.

"Since this will be your home for the foreseeable future, and even if you chose to return to Lucius you would not be able to pass on any of this with the vow you have taken, I feel it is for the best that I fill you in on some background here." Severus said and she nodded. "First of all, the term Muggle does not exist here. They simply do not bother with such things. Magic is not a secret here. Though it was for a while. It was also made illegal under the former leader's reign. The leader before the current one announced publicly the existence of magic and lifting the ban. Now the current leader's second son has opened a school that teaches all kids."

"Wizards live openly among Muggles. What about the Statue of Secrecy?" Narcissa asked, confused.

"Technically, Cselkcess is under a Charm. It has been for at least four or five hundred years. The Muggles are hidden with the Wizards." Snape said. "It's complex. It buckled slightly once, four years ago, roughly. At that time, the area became known to the Ministry. Though there were a few in the Ministry who were already aware of it. Dumbledore was also aware. Until that incident, all who knew had been informed by one man, Nicolas Flamel. Now, more than that know."

"How do you know all this?"

"You took a vow before I was able to bring you. I myself have taken a similar vow. The one I made the deal with has given me permission to say limited things. You will meet the leader of this country this afternoon. Be honest in any questions he asks…he will be able to tell if you lie, and it will reflect badly upon us both." Snape said. "When I applied to allow you to come here, I informed them that you were trying to get yourself and your son out of a dangerous situation. Just…tell them what they want to know."

"Do you trust them?" She asked, slightly frightened over the situation she found herself in. She couldn't turn back now, not without risking the safety of her son. However, she was concerned this person she had to speak to would not take her seriously, or worse, would judge her unworthy of help after being so involved with Death Eaters, and he would refuse to allow them to stay. Where then would she go to keep her son safe.

"I do. I have spent a great deal of time here, how much I cannot say, but I am allowed to say I know the leaders of this country well, and they are fair and honest men. Dangerous men to have as enemies, but fair and honest." Severus said solemnly "As I said, be honest with them. They will not judge you nearly as harshly as you are judging yourself."

"Very well. It seems I have no choice." Narcissa said with a sigh. "Are you sure no one will discover my location?"

"On the contrary, I am certain your location will be known to several people including Dumbledore. However, unless there's a spy I am unaware of no one will reveal that information to your husband."

"I'm sorry I put you in the middle of all this. I know Lucius was your friend as well."

"He stopped being my friend a long time ago. He just doesn't know it." Severus said with the wave of his hand. "We need to leave soon if we wish to catch the fuhrer before he leaves for the day."

Narcissa nodded silently, before disappearing deeper into the house to dress her son and herself before the meeting. Severus sighed. He didn't blame her for being nervous. He understood what she stood to lose.

Central Command

Early Afternoon

Fuhrer's Office

Narcissa was nervous. She was also raised to believe nervousness was a sign of weakness, especially when speaking to anyone of authority. She was a Black after all, by birth. This, unfortunately, translated into a tendency to act snobbish. She normally did not care if that was how she came across, however should interview go poorly it could end in disaster for her son.

Severus came with her and tried to assure her that everything would be fine provided she was honest. He kept little Draco in the outer office with him as she was shown into the Fuhrer's office far too quickly for her nerves. At least, she noted, they had things to entertain Draco while he waited. He was coloring with a large basket of crayons when she was shown in.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting exactly, but it surprised her to be greeted by a man so young. He couldn't have been more than thirty by her estimate. She hid her surprise quickly, but the man had clearly noticed it by his brief smirk. This was not the best way to start this interview. "Please have a seat Madame." The man said as he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. Once she sat, he did as well now sitting across from her with a slight frown. A large pile of paperwork sitting beside him. "My name is Fuhrer Roy Mustang. I have heard a great deal about your situation from Severus Snape when he petitioned to bring you and your son here. I would like to hear your story from you, however."

"Are you a Muggle?" she asked suddenly. She was not revealing anything about magic to a muggle no matter who he was or what Severus said about it.

"…I have heard this term in passing. It is not one we use in this country. Further I should warn you right now that prejudice is heavily frowned upon under this administration and does not provide you any favors in this interview. I am an alchemist. Flame is my military name, should you so desire you could go to any library open to the public and read about my career. That however is not was this interview is for, again, tell your version of your story. Why do you need to hide under our protection?"

"I meant no offense, sir. I only meant to ensure that you would have an understanding of the story I need to tell." Narcissa backtracked. She needed to tread lightly. Alchemists were rare, the most powerful kinds of magic according to her parents. It would end poorly to offend this man in more ways than she originally knew.

He frowned at her response, staring directly into her eyes before he finally responded. "Lying will not help you either Madame. I will allow that one to pass as you were attempting to remove offense however that was your one pass."

"I married Lucius straight out of school. For a long time, we were happy. Very happy. Then he became more and more involved with… certain people. Around the time I became pregnant with my son, any kindness he still harbored in his heart was gone, taken by that damned mark. As time passed, I grew…used to the way things were and most of the time he behaves like he always did. I was content to stay where I was, I know he loves us both, and I think I still love him. Then the rumor began. The Dark Lord survived. He may still be out there somewhere. Lucius… well no, he still didn't change. I did. I realized, if he is still alive. If he comes back. They will make my son one of them. I can not let them turn my baby into a killer."

"I see." Mustang said with a frown on his face as he thought over everything she had said. "Can you live here, among non-magic users, without treating them poorly?"

"I…I can, yes."

"You will keep this land secret should you change your mind about making this place your home?"

"Yes."

"Severus mentioned that you wished to change your name as well as your son's while you are here?"

Narcissa nodded wordlessly while he dug around in his files. "Ah, here it is. You are now, per your request, Cecilia and Drake Black. I expect you to remain either housed with Snape or near him for at least the first year."

"Thank you, sir." Narcissa, no Cecilia said as she stood, glancing around the room for the first time. She smiled at the toys scattered discreetly in the corners of the room, clearly the man had children. He noticed her glancing around "I can show myself out."

"It's no problem. I hope this works out for you here." Mustang said as he walked her back out of his office where she was greeted by Severus and Draco- Drake. Severus looked up with a small smile, before helping the boy clean up after himself.

They made their way slowly out of the impressively large building. "Does the Fuhrer often have visitors with young children?" she wondered out loud as they made their way passed the gates.

"His grandsons and sons are often in the office with him." Severus said, surprised he had been able to answer. He knew Edward had granted him permission to inform her of certain things that would allow her easier passage into the country. He wasn't expecting to be able to answer questions directly about the First Family, however. "Lieutenant Fuhrer Elric is his eldest son. They rule the country together, it has been the same family since the Incident where the Fuhrer at the time and his son were killed."

"I see. He must be older than he appears then." She said. Severus nodded, having reached the end of free information apparently.

"Come, let us find something for lunch, I know you were too nervous to eat before the interview." Severus said. "From now on, I will call you Cissy all of the time, instead of just in private. That will encourage other to as well, and you will retain your identity even as you have shed it."

"Thank you, Severus. For everything. I don't know what I would have done if you had not stepped in to help me." Cissy replied.

"Nonsense. You are the closest friend I have." He said with a smile. "Plus, I couldn't just leave my godson to suffer, could I?"

"Can we have ice cream?" Drake asked from between them, as he looked up at the grown-ups.

"Only if you eat all of your lunch." Severus said. "I am taking you to try a new food, which is fairly popular here, so I need you to be a good boy and eat it."

"Okay." Drake said with a small pout. He didn't understand what was happening, but he did know that when Sev promised him something, he kept his promise. So, he would try to eat all of the food so he could have ice cream. Then he would ask Mommy again when they were going home, because he didn't want to upset everyone, but his Daddy had promised to take him somewhere special this weekend and if he wasn't home how was Daddy supposed to take him?

He had tried to explain that to Mommy when she packed up for them and they traveled this morning to the shopping place and then came here. She said that they had to go away and that SHE would take him somewhere special this weekend instead. Which sounded fun, but he still wanted to see what Daddy had planned.

Malfoy Manor

Lucius was livid. He had returned home after his meeting at the Ministry to find his wife and son gone and the shaking house elves incapable of telling him where they had gone. This was completely unacceptable. She could not just take his son and disappear.

He had never mistreated either of them, sure at times he was hard on them, but that was out of necessity. How dare she betray him! He kicked past the trembling elves and stormed into his study in a rage. It was then he realized that the elf had been trying to inform him of a guest, because sitting in front of his fireplace like she belonged there was an old woman. He growled under his breath. He was not in the mood to deal with company.

She must have heard him come in, which given how hard he had slammed the door was unsurprising and stood to greet him. He frowned in her direction before walking over to the bar. He poured himself a large brandy and gulped it all down before pouring a second and sitting in his other chair.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. My name is Dante Flamel. I have come to check on you when I heard your situation. "the woman said as Lucius downed the second glass nearly as quickly.

"Do you know where my family is?" he asked as he slammed down the glass.

"No, I have a general idea of where they may be, and that they were taken." She said. Dante couldn't say much, but what she could say she would for the maximum damage. She would have her revenge. She would tear apart everything he built. She would take down anyone and everyone that stood in her way. The world, in time, would thank her for it.

Lucius, meanwhile, was in no shape to speak to be honest so he just sat there and waited for whatever came next because if someone had kidnapped his family as this woman implied, he would make them suffer in ways they didn't know were possible.