I wake up to white lights flooding through thick, murky curtains. I have sunken into the mattress of the bed and tried to bury myself beneath the covers. As I remember all of the stupid items on the list Dumbledore gave us, and the fact that we need to find an actual store with clothes that normal people wear, I flop the blankets away.

While sitting up and stretching like a cat, I yawn happily after having a good night's sleep. I rub my eyes lightly and blink while looking around. There is no Envy anywhere in sight, which I don't mind at all. The less I see him, the better.

Shrugging, I decide to take a much needed shower and crawl out of bed, slinking into the bathroom on slow legs. What I'm going to wear afterwards is a mystery, but I'll solve it later.

The water is warm causing steam to rise to the ceiling and fog the mirror above the sink. The soap smells like fire crackers, but does not smell burnt somehow. I avoid pondering on more tiny bottles of free soap, and concentrate on the actually cleaning process.

Thirty glorious minutes later and I glisten from the water and squeak with cleanliness. I grab a fluffy, white towel that hangs on the rack next to the shower and wrap it tightly around my waist. My hair clings to my shoulders and cheeks. I shake my head like a wet dog and then wring out any excess water from my blond locks.

Now to figure out my dilemma of the clothes, but before I can even decide on what to do, a loud knock issues from the bathroom door. Envy walks in seconds later. "Need some clothes, pipsqueak?"

I jump three feet in the air and gasp in surprise. Envy begins to laugh at me. "What the FUCK!" I yell raising a fist in anger while avoiding all eye contact that is possible. He waves his hand in dismissal, "Calm down, just thought you'd like something to wear, unless you want to walk around in that cheap lil' towel?" I raise my eyebrow, he actually bought me clothes?

"It's not your usual attire," he shrugs and says in a wavering voice, "They don't really make much of the leather pants. It's pretty much jeans here." He reveals a pair of light blue boxers, a black tank top, jeans, and a light gray jacket that seems to be fuzzy on the inside. "Er, thanks," I say in a tone that is less than grateful and grab the clothes. "Glad you're so appreciative," Envy grumbles and turns away from me.

Without removing the towel, I slip the boxers on beneath it, and then I toss the soaked towel to the floor. I put on the rest of my clothes with Envy standing in the doorway with his back facing me. I wasn't sure whether to full on kick him out, but in the end I just let him stand there.

"Why did you go out and buy clothes?" I ask.

"Because you needed some, duh," he says in a tone that makes it seem like this is the most obvious thing in the world.

"When did you start caring what I've needed?" Curiosity is etched in my voice.

"Don't be an idiot," he growls and then starts speaking in a lighter tone, "I've always cared. Now hurry up, we need to start buying those damn supplies. We have three fucking school years to learn in less than a week."

Harry is a third year, which means we had to be, too. We'll be packing our brains tight with a lot of mumbo jumbo magic in about a week. This doesn't sound fun at all, I'm not really warming up to the magic idea. I'm actually worried about whether Envy can even read a book.

"Ya sure you can really handle all that information?" I question with skepticism all over my face.

"You would not happen to be questioning my intellectuality, now would you 'Chibi?" he raises an eyebrow and frowns.

I don't answer; instead I grab my hair and pull it back to begin braiding it. It's still damp slightly, but I don't mind. When my hair is finally in it's usually form, I turn back to Envy, "Let's go but the goddamn supplies already." And I take the lead as we head out of our room.


It is warm out today with the sun sitting high in the sky. Despite the temperature, I'm wearing all the new clothes Envy bought me just to cover my automail. Envy is sporting tight black pants and a tight, black v-neck that reaches just above his belly button. His green hair is pulled back with its usual band. Damn him straight to hell.

We have already bought everything we need, except a wand. We dropped off the bags earlier since there were so many. Tom wasn't too pleased about having to help us through the barriers so much, but that okay. The customer is always right, right?

I am now watching Envy sloppily eat a chocolate ice cream cone while I merely drink some iced tea.

The ice cream dribbles down his chin and the side of the cone. Unconsciously, I grab a napkin and reach to wipe of his face, but I realize what I am doing and stop halfway there. Envy stops in mid-lick, and lowers the cone to stare in my face in confusion. I look at the stone ground and slowly begin to lower my hand, but before it can move very far, Envy's hand latches onto my wrist. I looked up shocked and see that he is also surprised, but he quickly recovers and begins to glide his hand toward my face. He stares happily at me, a glint in his eyes that is almost pleasant, and pulls my hand that is still clutching the napkin to his chin. He is gentle when he urges me to wipe away the substance that obstructs his face. Eventually he removes his hand from assisting me, but let's me continue.

His chin is already clean, but I still wipe face lightly. Envy had closed his eyes after a few seconds and leaned into my hand with a contented sigh. I cough lightly to let him know I am going to stop, which causes his eyes to snap open, "Uh, we still need to figure out where to buy a wand…" I set the napkin back down, prop my elbow on the edge of the table and place my chin in my open palm. I focus my eyes up at the bright sky in wonder, just so I don't have to look at the monster in front of me.

"Alright," he answers with slight caution. Out of the bottom corners of my eye, I see him stand and toss away the trash that was scattered on the table. What I notice next is the boy a few tables away watching me while eating a cup of vanilla ice cream. He has untidy jet black hair and lively green eyes. The scar, which Dumbledore described in little detail, gives me the indication that he is the boy I am here to protect; Harry Potter. I decide walking around at three in the afternoon, searching for a wand shop, doesn't sound fun and that we should ask for directions. This is really just an excuse to talk to him, but whatever. So I walk over to him with a determined look.

"Excuse me," I say when I reach his table, "You wouldn't happen to have directions to Olivander's, would you? My friend and I seem to be a bit lost." He smiles, "Yes, but why don't you and your friend sit down until I'm finished with my ice cream?"

I nod and look at Envy. He seems to understand and gracefully maneuvers between chairs and tables to reach us. "This kid's going to show us where to buy a wand," I say. Envy's gaze fall on the green eyed boy in front of me and the boy takes this as the time he needs to introduce himself.

"Hi," said the boy while extending his hand, "I'm Harry Potter." See? I was right, I knew it.

"I'm Edward Elric," I take his hand to shake it. "And this is Envy." Envy gives a slight nod to Harry. The look on his face tells me that Envy intimidates him slightly, poor kid.

"Are you both going to be first years at Hogwarts?" asks Harry as we begin to sit down in some spare seats around the table.

"Ed could be a first year, right runt?" Envy says while smirking.

"Shut up palm tree," I reply through gritted teeth.

"At least palm trees are tall," he shoots back.

"So you admit it now?" I ask. He mumbles something incoherent like shut the fuck up, or something along those lines. I laugh and turn back to Harry who seemed confused at how we insult each other.

"Third years, actually, we're transfer students." I said as I try to ignore the feeling Envy's stare is giving me, like he wants to stab me repeatedly just with his vicious purple eyes.

"Sure was a hell of a time getting in to that damn place," Envy says while nudging me with his elbow and grinning.

I just roll my eyes.

"We've never had a transfer student. Where did you guys go to school before?" asks a curious Harry. What kind of school never has transfer students? Aren't there exchange programs?

"We're from all over the place, here and there. You know, aloof," Envy said and shrug at this like it's nothing.

"Oh, really, that's cool. Have you ever been to Egypt? My friend, Ron, went this summer, with his family." Harry says with the faintest hint of jealousy in his voice.

"No," replies Envy thoughtfully,"but we should. Shouldn't we Ed?" Envy asks with hope etched in his voice.

"I don't know, Mr. Aloof-pants, should we?" I say sarcastically.

"Yes," he says without hesitation. I shake my head; Envy is such an odd one.

"So," I begin, "What's Hogwarts like?"

"Oh, it's great," Said Harry who looks away and up to the sky with the sound of admiration in his voice. "It's just like a real home should be, at least for me, anyways."

"You sound like you really like the place," said Envy with the slightest hint of sarcasm. This causes Harry to look at him questionably.

"Of course I do. I shouldn't even really be here, though it's been great. I ran off from that godforsaken place if have to stay out throughout the summer," says Harry in a dismal voice.

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, I kind of blew my aunt up like a balloon, "Harry answers timidly, "but it wasn't really much of a difference if you ask me."

For a few seconds I stare, before realizing he's serious and busting out laughing, along with Envy.

"Oh, that's rich!" Envy gasps out. I'm still giggly when I clutch my sides from a lack of air. Harry grins with pride.

"She deserved it though, talking about my parents like they were scum," He said with some left over anger in his voice.

"Eh, don't let the fat ones get to you, man," I say lightly.

"Right, well," Harry says and looks at his watch, "Ah, it's almost four, we better get going."

I notice Harry never did finish his ice cream, but I guess it doesn't matter. He scoops up his trash, and deposits it in the waste in. He gestures for us to follow suit, which we do.

Envy and I stand sluggishly, sighing the whole time. As Harry disappears into the crowd, we walk closely behind.

Harry is leading us with a little trouble of trying to weave through the many witches and wizards alike. I evade people with ease; they are merely blurs as I focus on keeping up with Harry. Envy, with his usual fluent movements, is not far behind me.

Eventually we arrive at a small bleak shop that reads Olivander's. He informs us this is the place, and bids us good bye along with a 'see you later.'

I open the wooden door, which caused a small bell somewhere inside the shop to tinker, and gesture for Envy to go first.

"How very gentlemen of you, pipsqueak," says a smirking Envy as he glides past me and into the dark shop.

The air is thick, dusty piles of thin boxes litter the floor, and very little light floods through unclean windows. We see wands, but no one to sell them.

"Hello?" I call through the empty shop. So where is this guy, anyway?

I turn to Envy, who has the same troubled expression I do.

"Hello," says a soft voice. I jump and look forward, straight into a set of silvery, pale eyes. An old man stood there. He moved ever –so-slightly closer with slow movements that seemed to creak like an old clock.

"Uh, hi, we just…needed a new wand…" I say uncertainly while trying hard to look away from the ghostly blue eyes, but finding it difficult.

"Ah, yes, yes. I see you're not first years, though," he says as he observes us.

"No," I said slowly, "We're not. We're third years."

"Hm, yes, I thought so," Mr. Ollivander had now moved very close, "Mr…?"

"Edward, Edward Elric. And this is Envy." I answer slowly, with caution.

He moved on to Envy, giving him a piercing stare, advancing to look straight into his purple eyes with his reflecting, moon-like one.

"Curious…curious…you say you're thirteen? Your eyes tell me you are much, much older…" he says more to himself than us. "Which are you wand arms?"

I stick out my right hand, while Envy, his left. Mr. Ollivander takes out two measuring tapes and lets them measure on their own. He studies how it measures before saying, "No two Ollivander wands are the same, you see, just as no magical creature is the same. They have a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. The wand chooses the wizard, and you, of course, will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

Mr. Ollivander was now sifting through the many boxes pilled all over the floors, taking some along as he went. "Let's try these," Mr. Ollivander says as he returns from the maze of boxed wands. "Your wand may be tricky, Mr. Elric. Your wand arm isn't actually an arm, after all…"

This guy just keeps getting weirder and weirder. How did he know? Maybe he can feel the metal. I try to hide the surprised expression on my face.

He is carrying two slim boxes when he retreats from the boxes to stand back in front of us. He opens one and hands it to me, "11 inches, mahogany, and dragon heartstring, nice and thick. Good for transfiguration and dueling." I take it with care.

He opens the second box, which is a bit darker and smaller, and hands it to Envy. "9 inches, Ebony, and phoenix tail feather, strong but light. Works wonders with charms."

Mr. Ollivander then looks at us expectantly while waiting. "Well, give it a wave."

Envy and I sway our wrists at the same time. A tingly feeling crawls up my arm and courses through my fingers. Golden sparks fly out of both wand ends, but as they collide together, its meshes and makes a rainbow of colors. My jaw drops; seeing magic is not the same as feeling it.

"Not as tricky as I imagined, it seems," Mr. Ollivander said. He placed the wands back in their boxes, and put them in a bag.

We paid 17 gold galleons for the wands and Mr. Ollivander bowed us from his shop.


Back in our room, after we have just eaten dinner, Envy and I begin to read up on the first year books.

"I wonder how that guy knew about my arm…" I say aloud.

Envy looks up from the charms book he was reading to answer, "He was weird as hell. Who cares how he knew." Envy turns back to his book. I stare at him for another few seconds, before closing my eyes and sighing.

"I really hate you," I mumble.

"Do not," Envy replies softly.

"I do."

"You don't."

"I know!" I say while rubbing my eyes with the bottom of my palms. "I know," I say in a softer tone.

That night we go to sleep at 11, after going through half the first year books. They were pretty interesting, but extremely confusing. Going back on equivalent exchange seems like such a betrayal to the alchemy I practically dedicated my life to.

I fall asleep to the same words, "Good night Edo," and dream about green-haired bastards with cocky smiles and dangerous weapons for arms.

Alright, so there. Review, okay? 4 chapters out and less than ten reviews. I feel like this is such a waste. ):

Prove me wrong? c: otherwise, who knows when the next chapter'll come out...