In Times of Trouble
Chapter Twelve
Meanwhile at Home
Fuhrer's Mansion
Fuhrer's Suite
Roy and Edward had left to Central Command just after breakfast. Riza and Winry were with the children as the boys began their morning lessons and the babies laid in the playpen and cradle. At six, almost seven months old, Tad was learning to move now whereas his smaller niece was just beginning to hold her head up so they kept them separate when they weren't right next to them so that Tad wouldn't accidentally roll onto Trisha.
Yuery was copying out the passages in his primer, while William practiced his letters and Maes colored. Winry was moving back and forth between the boys to help where she was needed, and Riza was keeping an eye on the babies while she filled out paperwork. "Did you and Edward ever settle the school debate?" Riza asked as Winry corrected William's 's' and moved onto Maes.
"No. He's being stubborn on it." Winry said with a sigh. "He doesn't want to put the boys in danger, and I agree with him on that, but Yuery needs to spend time with other children his age at some point. Even if he just goes to a play group, that doesn't change the fact that we at least need to hire a tutor. I'm returning to work soon, you already have, and the boys' lessons are time consuming."
"We can arrange security for them, if necessary. The Central Academy is a perfectly safe school, however. Gracia is sending her girls there. Most of the Generals children attend. As do most of the alchemists. So, he wouldn't stand out either." Riza replied.
"Yes, he would and we both know it so there's no point in lying. He is still a member of the First Family, and he is ahead of his peers in most subjects." Winry said. "He started before the majority of kids. At least he isn't like Ed and is willing to redo lessons."
"Was Edward bad in school then?"
"Edward was terrible in school! He was reading at a university level by the time we started primary. He was always so bored in class, and by the time we were eight he wasn't bothering to attend anymore. Then he ran off for alchemy training and just never went back." Winry said with a sigh. "Yuery is more like Alphonse. Sure, like Edward, he already knew all of the material, but he was willing to sit in class and do the coursework."
"Edward always has been stubborn. Though, if he was telling it correctly, you weren't the best student either." Riza said with amusement.
"No." Winry said with a smile. "I was somewhere between Ed and Al on it. I already knew it all, and more often than not I brought in my own work to do instead. Unlike Ed though, I didn't go out of my way to point out to our teacher that I was ignoring her lectures."
"Well, I think Yuery would enjoy school at any rate. He may read above level, but he does enjoy working on the early primers. Plus, he doesn't have the desperate drive Edward worked with most of his life." Riza replied.
"I want to go to school." Yuery said without looking up from his work. "Then I can learn more things. I haven't had any angry spills in forever."
"Sweetheart, I agree you can go if we talk Daddy into it, but you broke all the lights in the library last week. We still need to work on your anger." Winry said as she ruffled his hair.
"I want to go too." William said, looking up only briefly before returning to his page, sticking the tip of his tongue out in concentration.
"Okay. I will talk to Edward again. If the school isn't a good fit for him, we can always remove him and hire the tutor." Winry said. Riza nodded and returned to her own work. "We still have months to go on it anyway. The new year doesn't start until September, right?"
"Yes, this term still has a few weeks left, and he shouldn't begin this late in the term." Riza agreed.
"Well then, I have plenty of time to wear Ed down on it." Winry said with a smile.
Yuery smiled, when Mommy talked to Daddy in that voice, Daddy usually agreed to let Mommy win the argument. He was excited about the idea of school. He would learn many new things, and there would be more kids. He hoped Daddy agreed. Yuery nodded to himself as he decided to tell Daddy he wanted to go to school.
Snape's house
Just as the Fuhrer's family across town, Severus had Drake sitting at the table while the boy practiced in a primer. He would be attending the mentioned academy starting the next semester, but until then Severus was making sure the boy knew the material.
Cissy was busy in the other room, organizing and cleaning Drake's room and then the living room. She wasn't fond of lessons so excused herself more often than not. Severus didn't mind teaching the boy tough. He was a pleasant enough student, excited to learn. He hadn't had any lessons before arriving, but he was picking up quickly.
Severus' biggest concern was actually that he and Yuery would be in the same year of the same school. It was going to be impossible to prevent their meeting. He would have to talk to the Elrics about it later. It wasn't important right now though it was still months away. For now, he needed to catch the boy up to his peers.
Cissy returned to the kitchen to begin lunch. Severus finished the rest of the lesson then sent Drake off to go play before clearing off the table and setting it for the meal. "I was thinking. Perhaps after lunch, I can show you where the closest park is. So far, the two of you haven't gone further than the shops without me, but I want you to have more freedom. It was the point of hiding you here instead of a safe house in England."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Cissy replied, before frowning as she remembered something. "What does 'Ishbalan' mean?"
"I'm sorry?" Severus asked, having missed the question.
"Ishbalan. One of the neighbors, in a rather rude tone actually, asked if Drake and I were part- Ishbalan, and before I could answer said something about our hair being the right color. I didn't really know what to say because I didn't know what it meant."
"Which neighbor? Rude how?" Severus asked, before answering. "Ishbalan is a race of people who live just inside Amestris. There was a war a few years ago between them, and some people still hold anger."
"She was quite hostile about it. The new one, they moved into the corner house last week. I didn't catch her name. She saw us as we were headed to the shop and demanded to know if we were part-Ishbalan, then demanded I make sure my son didn't touch anything on her property including her fence."
"I see. I'll take care of it." Severus said. "We'll have to hold the park until tomorrow I think."
Severus then called Drake back into the room. As they ate, he thought about the best move. He was trying to keep them all without notice, however, he wasn't going to just let someone say hateful things to them either.
He also needed to warn the authorities because this woman was willing to be hateful to a small boy for having such pale blond hair, she likely was just as bad or worse to Ishbalans. This was not behavior that was tolerated in Central.
Severus decided to visit the neighbor in question, if that didn't resolve the issue then he would alert Mustang and Elric to a possible issue. After they had finished their lunch, and Drake had wandered off to play again, Severus asked Cissy to step out with him long enough to point out the right house, just to be sure he wasn't arguing with the wrong neighbor.
She pointed to the house on the corner, three down from his own before heading back inside to stay with Drake. Severus sighed as he headed down the walk. So many times, as a child he had suffered the hatred of adults. His mother would do her best to defend him, but that eventually turned into trying to prevent his father from finding out. Severus didn't want Drake to have to grow up like that, with people talking badly about him over things he couldn't control.
He knocked on the door and waited. Eventually, a short portly woman with brown hair and eyes answered. Behind her, he could hear at least two children playing. She frowned at him for a moment as if trying to determine if they had met. They hadn't.
He cleared his throat. "Good afternoon madam. If I might have a few minutes of your time? I live three housed down, you see."
"I see." The woman said her face pinched before yelling over her shoulder. "Eric, watch your sisters a minute please." And stepping out onto the porch.
"It is my understanding that you had words with Cissy the other day?" Severus said, trying to remain polite.
"When we moved to this neighborhood, I had no idea we would be dealing with Ishvalan trash. I just warned her and her kid to stay away from us decent people." The woman said snidely. "I wouldn't expect you to understand since you clearly don't see the problem."
"There we can agree ma'am. I don't see the problem. Ishbalans are no better or worse than anyone else and the law says they can live wherever they please." Severus said as he frowned. "Not that it is relevant to Cissy and Drake in any case, as they are not Ishbalan. Not that I would be ashamed if they were."
"Oh please, you expect me to believe that after seeing their hair?" the woman said. "I don't care the law changed to please a bunch of busybodies like you. Decent folk know their kind can't be trusted."
"Are you really so dense that you cannot tell the difference between light blond and white?" Severus said with an angry scowl. "I have met Ishbalan madam, something I doubt very much you can say, and I have no idea what you think you mean by the comments. I expect you to treat my family with the same respect you give everyone in this neighborhood, though given the statements you have made today, perhaps I should demand you treat all of your neighbors better."
"Who are you to demand anything from me? Get off my property and keep those filthy monstrosities away from my house and children." The woman said before stepping back inside and slammed her door.
Severus took a moment to breathe deeply in an attempt to calm himself before walking back toward the house. He knew there had been a lot of anti-Ishbalan campaigning during and following the war. He had read it in the back issued newspapers. He also knew logically that Mustang's restoration effort wasn't going to erase all of the propaganda overnight. It just hadn't really occurred to him that he would ever be forced to encounter this next door.
It was too similar to how his neighbors hated him as a child, for being the son of the town drunk and his strange, unknown wife. It wasn't the same. No where close to the same. But it brought back up the shame and pain. He couldn't just allow this to continue. He could easily convince most that Drake and Cissy were a case of mistaken identity, however, what about the people who actually are Ishbalan? No, he needed to at least talk to them about this. Though, he wasn't certain if he should make an official appointment or just stop in.
Central Command
Fuhrer's Office
Roy had been attempting to fill out paperwork when Edward came into his office without knocking. Roy set down his pen in relief. In all honesty he had been hoping for some sort of distraction, though since the children were at the mansion today, he wasn't sure what it could be. Before he could greet Edward, his son started pacing the floor angrily clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Al is going to have to make contact with Dumbledore. As much as I wish that man would suddenly just drop out of existence, I don't want to see him murdered so Al needs to warn him that Dante has her sights on him." Edward begins, before dropping dramatically into the chair. "I know that sounds stupid, but I can't just let someone be killed!"
"Of course, you can't. Warning him is the right thing to do. I'm sure Al can handle it well." Roy soothed. "Alphonse is quite talented as diplomacy."
"Well, of course he is. Al's perfect and we all know it." Ed said with a casual wave though he meant it sincerely. "I just hope this doesn't start the next round of Yuery arguing."
"He won't get the boy. He won't get anywhere near the boy. I won't let that happen." Roy said fiercely. "I will destroy everything about him first."
"I know Dad. Thank you." Ed said. "Now, I brought my morning work with me, and if you don't mind, I'm gonna do it in here. I don't want to be alone with my thoughts right now."
They worked in silence for nearly an hour, before Roy decided it was pointless for Ed to be in here for company if Roy wasn't providing company. He fished around for a subject a minute. "I hear Winry is pushing that you register Yuery to the Fall Semester."
"Yeah, I'm on the fence on it. After everything that's been happening, I'm not sure it's safe to send him, but I don't want to keep him locked away forever either." Edward said as he signed yet another file.
"Well, there are always tutors and playgroups." Roy said in response as he filled out a form to add to a file. "Why look at me like that?"
"I kinda assumed you'd side with Win. I mean you're the one always telling me to not hover." Ed said with a huff.
"There's a world of difference in allowing his family to help and sending him off to strangers." Roy said with a sniff. "Everything that's gone wrong can't measure up to the one-on-one needs of Yuery."
Kain Fuery stepped in with a knock and a sack full of sandwiches. "Sorry to interrupt, I thought you might be hungry. We just got back from lunch."
"Kain! Help me out here as an unbiased third party." Ed said as Fuery set down the bag on the coffee table and his bosses moved to the couches.
"Um, okay?" Fuery asked uncertainly.
"Do you think putting Yuery in school is a good idea?" Ed asked as he pulled a sandwich from the bag. "We seem divided on it."
Kain hated when they asked him questions like this. Which boss was going to be upset by his answer? On top of which, he didn't have any children or younger siblings, so he had nothing to go on beyond his own school experience which was a long time ago now. Both men were looking at him expectantly as they chewed, and it was more than a little creepy. He sighed audibly before deciding to go with the honest answer. "I'm sorry sirs, I don't know. I have no experience with city schools."
"Thank you, Fuery. We're sorry for putting you on the spot." Mustang said.
"I should ask some people with kids, I guess. Breda had no opinion either." Ed said with a sigh.
Kain slipped back out of the office, thankful to have avoided having to take a side this time. He had just sat back down when the wizard walked into the office. Fuery sighed but waved him through. They weren't working at the moment, and he didn't think he could handle another round of 'let's ask Kain' today.
Severus came in with a short knock, waiting long enough to be greeted. The two men were eating their lunch, which made him feel both better and worse about interrupting. Better, because he wasn't interrupting their work, but worse because he could possibly ruin their lunch considering how they felt about this issue.
"Severus! Is everything alright?" Edward asked half standing.
"No, but it has nothing to do your situations." Severus said. "It is my understanding that anti-Ishbalan sentiment is something you would like brought to your attention."
"It is, yes." Roy said as Ed sat back down. "Where did you hear about it?"
"I may be overreacting. My new neighbor, has had some terrible racist things to say about Ishbalans and those who support them." Severus said. "She mistakenly assumed thanks to the shade of blond of my houseguests' hair that they were mixed race and let her feelings on the subject be known. In front of the child. I went over a little while to clear the matter up and received a firsthand account of her feelings on the subject."
"We can have her watched, to be sure she isn't part of a bigger group. As far as Drake and Cissy are concerned…I will talk to this woman myself." Roy said as he wiped his hands.
"No offense Dad but let me handle this. Between your workload and your fame, I'm the better idea." Edward said. "Besides, I'm still famous myself. Maybe that will be enough to scare her into leaving you guys alone."
"Very well. Thank you, Edward. Will you be returning after or heading home?" Roy asked.
"I'm thinking I'll head home. I got through everything that needed to be done today. You might as well keep those files; someone would have brought them to you tomorrow anyway." Edward said, and Roy sighed before adding the stack to his to do piles.
Roy called out as they started to leave the room, that Ed should take Breda with him. After all he had now been reassigned as Ed's adjutant since Havoc's promotion to command of the Resembool base. Ed rolled his eyes but agreed as he waved.
Breda was already in the office, in search of his wayward commander. Fuery was happily chatting with him, and the rest of the staff were pretending to be busy. Ed recognized the sighs of fake busy versus real busy, but he wasn't going to be bother with it today. He was going to go interview all involved parties, then write a reprimand to the woman for hate speech should it be necessary then he was going to head home, hopefully not late.