Chapter IV

Cherry Syndrome

A sigh.

"This house is always so…well grim."

"Perhaps that's the reason behind the name Lupin."

"Oh well whose getting snippy now Severus?"

"When did I ever give you the right to use my first name?"

"Everyone else does."

"I think I just caught a glimpse as to why you were a Marauder at school. Brains were not their strength."

"Bitter are we?"

"Hardly."

"Come on, even just a bit is fine."

There was a pause as the two men gathered their thoughts. The teasing smile slipped from Remus Lupin's face when he saw his former colleague turn to him. Snape's face was stony and completely serious. Before the question was asked Remus knew what it was.

"Why did you call me here Lupin?"

Well the circumstances dictated that he knew that was coming. No one else calls a private meeting at a time such as theirs.

"I have my theories that you know something." He questioned calmly. His face betrayed no emotions. "You know something about Sirius's disappearance." Yet another silence followed this accusation. Then a smile followed, and then an answer.

"And why would I do that?"

"You are so close to Dumbledore. If he knew anything, I assumed he would tell you." There was a tinge of desperation now. Remus crossed the room and stepped in front of Snape, looking directly into his eye.

"You assumed wrong. As far as I am aware Blacks disappearance has nothing to do with Voldemort. In other words it is not worth us bothering." He replied flatly. Remus glared bitterly at his words. He reached for Snape's collar and viciously tugged their faces together.

"Don't say that. He had just cleared his name. Sirius had no reason to go into hiding….Something must have happened to him."

"You may think that Lupin but no one has so much as breathed a word of Sirius Black. Nobody cares. But here's a word of advice. The last place he was seen was the Veil. If you do not know what that is then I can't help you" With a persistent glare he dug his long fingernails deeply into the flesh on the back of Lupin's hands. The other man drew his hand back not losing his reproachful look. Black was the only friend Lupin had left. He was probably not willing to lose more. Snape knew that friendship and loneliness were enough to drive anyone mad. And now Remus Lupin was once again experiencing it firsthand.

It was August twenty seventh, three days before The Hogwarts Express left Platform 9 ¾. It was the middle of the day. And it was raining.

Yes, three sentences were all Harry needed to summarize the day. Right now it was turning out to be rather miserable weather but he wanted to go shopping either way. Earlier that day his letter of supplies needed had arrived from Hogwarts. The moment he had picked it out of the letter box, had it ripped from his hands and then replaced he had immediately leaped out of the house and down the road. He ran up to the Elric's house and banged joyfully at the door. They had promised to take him shopping as a reward for his work over the past week.

However truth be told Harry did not feel like he had learnt much. He had been keen to learn the first couple of days but it had slowly dawned on him that not much would be happening. Harry had to first master the beginners steps. Those were having the Laws of Alchemy drummed into his head. After seven days of lessons he now knew them inside out. He banged on the door again.

"Edward, Al I got my letter!" He yelled through the thick wood of the oak door. Slow steps could be heard plodding their way towards the front door. Voice accompanied the steps as they grumbled.

"Shut up. Geez don't get so excited about a bloody shopping list." That was undoubtedly Edward. Harry thought. The term opposites attract was probably based on the Elric brothers. In the short time Harry had known them (Just under two weeks) he had already managed to figure out all their personality traits.

First there was Alphonse, he was quiet, motherly, friendly and owned just a hint of mystery. Edward possessed the mysterious trait just as much as his brother however it was accompanied with a loud mouth, stubborn attitude and impatience….So yes, that voice was definitely Edward's. The front door swung open. Bingo.

"It's seven in the morning Harry, what if we'd been asleep." Edward moaned. He obviously had not though. There was no visible trace of sleep on him. Other than perhaps the unruly hair, but that had proven to be Edward's way to vent frustration.

"You don't sleep." Harry replied, inviting himself into the house. Alphonse was in the kitchen and he smiled at him in greeting. Edward sighed.

"Every human needs to sleep Harry." He reasoned logically. Harry did not look at him.

'Exactly' he thought sullenly. When it came to his list of descriptions for the Elrics, "Human" was something he had scratched…. almost scratched. It was a bit unfair of him to completely brand the brothers as odd without proof.

"Harry do you want coffee?" So he'd wait for some.

"Yes, please!"

That was all the significant information needed to conclude how Harry Potter had ended up on a train to the centre of London on August 27th. He was headed to Diagon Alley with Edward and Alphonse Elric. The trip was not too long but in Alphonse's opinion it was long enough to quiz him.

Harry frowned.

"So if I practice a lot I will be able to do it without a transmutation circle?"

"No."

"But there is a technique that will let me do it?

"Nope,"

"So its impossible for me to learn to do it without one?

"Um…well."

"Brother, you can't tell him that."

"Watch me Al." Edward turned to him. "There is one way to do it but it means breaking every Alchemic rule in existence. That is why it is so rare to come across someone who doesn't use a transmutation circle,"

Harry noticed the opportunity and of course being as trained as he was took it.

"But you don't use a circle Edward, neither does Alphonse." Unfortunately for Harry, the Elrics were just as alert as he was. They immediately caught on.

"And that's a no go subject Harry but thanks for showing interest."

Harry groaned.

"At least tell me something. This is annoying."

By now they had reached the battered entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry looked around the room and smiled as a wave of nostalgia swept through him. The Leaky Cauldron had been his introduction to the wizarding world. The snake in the zoo and Hagrid had been a start but this was the first real place.

"It hasn't changed at all." Alphonse murmured.

"You've been here before?" Harry asked. Alphonse smiled with the same familiar feeling as Harry had had just a moment ago.

"Many times." Edward grinned at Harry.

"Now you know something about us." Harry frowned recalling their former conversation. He had been distracted too easily.

"How much contact have you actually had with the Magic World?" He queried. The Elrics knew so much and yet still claimed not to be part of it.

Harry was not able to ponder this thought any further. A gasp grasped his attention. It was one of the haggard witches who were curled up at the bar. Her pale fingers were gripped around a glass of firewhiskey and were shaking from either amazement or horror. Her wide eyes were darting from the brothers to Harry's face and back again. He tensed at the familiar reaction. The "Famous Harry Potter" flu had been spreading like wild fire since last spring. Dumbledore had of course made sure all the credit went to Harry so that the ninja could get away without too much commotion. To the people he was now even more of a hero than ever and Harry still was not used to it.

The witch was now turning in her chair and readying herself to speak. Harry braced himself and sure enough the admiring gasp followed soon after.

"Edward Elric is that you?"

Wait…what? That was not the name he had been expecting. "My name is Mahala Gibbins. I've heard so much about you." The lady gave a weak smile that glowed with admiration.

"Gibbins….did your grandfather work at the library by any chance?" Edward asked not faltering at all. Harry blinked. The witch in front of them looked sixty years old at youngest and Edward claimed to know her grandfather.

After they had exchanged a few friendly words Edward bid the witch goodbye and continued his way to the back of the Inn.

"How old are you really Edward?" Harry tried again. Edward sighed.

"I'm a lot older than I look." A bitter smile crossed his face as he glanced at his brother. "I guess I take after my father in that sense. Now come on there's someone waiting for you." Alphonse was the one to leisurely tap the bricks on the crumbling wall. The gate slowly began to appear and there was someone standing beyond the gate.

"Harry!" A huge grin spread across his face as he recognized the person beyond the wall. Her face was in an ever dreamy state. Her blonde hair was tumbling down her back in all sorts of bizarre angles and the bottle corks were aligned as always perfectly in place. Ah it had been a while.

"Hello Luna, have a nice summer?" She smiled in return and pulled out a postcard and handed it to him. Harry glanced down at the bold letters printed on it. She seemed to enjoy printing her cryptic messages onto letters. It was a lovely picture of the busy streets of Rome and on the other side…two words. Keep trying.

Harry's smiled grew even wider if it was even possible. All the assurance he needed was there.

"It was lovely thank you."

Now Edward Elric was not a genius. Nor was he completely aware of everything. Because if he was he would have noticed that the Leaky Cauldron was just a tad bit warmer than usual. He would have also noticed that the witch he was talking to was in fact closer to him than he thought. Because the moment he left the back exit of the Inn someone else had walked in from the front. Someone who had sat down and offered to buy her yet another drink. He would have noticed that this person who was making small talk with Mahala Gibbin looked amazingly like an acquaintance.

Yes, if Edward Elric was completely aware of everything he would know that exactly three minutes after he left the Leaky Cauldron a man who looked exactly identical to Colonel Roy Mustang walked through the front doors.

I know I don't deserve it but please pity me and review!