Chapter XIII
Cherry Syndrome
A five week jump saw much change within Hogwarts. The students had taken time to settle and the auburn leaves were beginning to fall in the early October air. More change was brought about by Edward and Alphonse who as the time passed had found a charm to successfully mask the Philosopher's Stone. However that was not before Harry and his friends began to ask questions. One night during their weekly Alchemy classes, the trio had cornered them for an interrogation round. Nothing but the presence of the stone had been given away, however the brothers were now in a split decision.
"I'm just saying, Brother that perhaps they should know of its effects so that they know never to use it." Alphonse insisted. It was a Thursday and the Elric brothers were walking towards the Great Hall for dinner. Having not seen one another for most of the week, they took the small time to discuss the matter that had been looming over them since the previous class.
"Al, knowing about human transmutation is what put us into the position we were in in the first place. Harry has no parent's either. What if he reacts the same way we did?" Edward replied, shaking his head.
"He won't. If we tell him how they're made, no one in their right mind would want to use it." Alphonse argued.
"And yet they were used over and over again in Ishval." Edward sighed. Alphonse's faith in humanity was something that always separated him from his brother. It was one of the qualities Edward wished he could have sustained over the years but knew would have been impossible. Edward halted when he realised that his brother was no longer at his side. Instead, turning around revealed that Alphonse was a few paces behind him, rooted to the spot with a frown on his face.
"You shouldn't compare Harry to those monsters from the military. That's not fair." Alphonse stated with determination that made Edward do a double take. It did not make him waver though.
"And what about the Colonel? He's living proof that desperation can make people do the wickedest things." He refuted. "If he's still living that is." It was obvious that Edward's quiet murmur had not escaped Alphonse by the funny look that suddenly crossed the boy's face.
"Brother, the circumstances are completely different. Harry still has people who care about him and he is not half as helpless as we were. Just trust him a little, if we tell them the dangers of the stone then there is nothing to worry about. Besides, there's no way they will be able to reach the right skill level to perform such a transmutation anyway. And no matter what, the stone is with you. There's no need to worry, it's completely safe." Alphonse assured his brother soothingly. Edward smiled slightly at his brother in surrender.
"Fine, I'll get a lesson plan ready…but you better be right Al." He said as both continued their way to the Great Hall.
"More often than you are Brother, surely." Alphonse said smiling and falling into step with Edward. Edward scoffed.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we? I am still the almighty, genius, Fullmetal Alchemist." He said with a grin on his face. That one really did have Alphonse laughing.
One thing was clear, the cupboard was working, somewhat. Draco picked up the half eaten apple out of the cupboard curiously and eyed the bite marks. It was exactly the same one he had placed there, down to the very bruise and someone had held it in their hands on the other side.
So the plan was working….why did that not comfort him?
"Hey Edward, I've been meaning to ask. How are you classes going? Killed any students yet?" Edward frowned at the person who posed the question and swiftly removed the goblet that was keeping him from speaking.
"I would do no such thing Mu...Roy. Besides, how I conduct my class is hardly any of your business." He snapped, hoping silently that the harshness would distract from his slip up. It did not.
"Still having trouble with my name there Blondie? You'd think that for a young genius such as yourself it would be an easy change. But then again, child prodigies are meant to be socially awkward too." Roy mused, enjoying the look of complete outrage that was slowly crossing his colleague's face.
"I am NOT socially awkward. My students adore me," Edward insisted, hitting his hand to the table to underline his point. "And don't ever call me Blondie again." He threatened and for once it was completely justified. A month had seen little change in the relationship between Roy and Edward. The physical abuse may have dropped to a minimum. However the verbal was still alive and kicking. The two Ministry workers had settled into a comfortable, extremely loose friendship, if you could even call it that. Which Edward did not, of course. He insisted on it being a professional partnership and nothing more, which in its own way could be misinterpreted too. No one dared say this to the man's face, though.
"I did actually notice some girls holding you back earlier this morning. What was that about? Secret admirers?" Roy teased, artfully choosing to ignore Ed's comment.
"No, I maintain a completely professional relationship with my students, unlike someone I know." Edward countered with a roll of his eyes. Whilst he was speaking, Roy watched him reach into his cloak and withdraw a surprisingly….cutesy chocolate box. "These are for you." Edward tossed it to him unceremoniously. Now, if Roy's eyebrows were raised before, they shot past his hairline at this.
"Edward…you're giving me chocolates?" He said cautiously. "I wasn't aware that you bent that way." The question, however, would be in how sincere the slight twitch of the man's lips was. This lost its importance, though, as soon as Edward opened his mouth in reply.
"No you twat, they were from the girls you saw me talking to this morning. It was about you. They were pleading with me to give them to you. The chocolates didn't seem spiked so I surrendered myself to position of messenger." Edward muttered darkly. Roy blinked and returned his gaze to the chocolates in front of him.
"Well that's fine then isn't it?" Roy grinned causing Edward to raise an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. The blonde realised that he would regret this, though as the grin on Roy's lips widened.
"I mean, I'm pretty sure Hermes was tiny too. All you need is the boots now." Roy was not sure whether Edward understood the allusion or not. But the smug expression on his face slowly disappeared as the outraged one appeared on Edward's. "Now Edward….I'm pretty sure I recall you saying you weren't going to assault me anymo…."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING TINY YOU BASTARD?"
Edward's shout rendered the buzzing student body silent as they all turned to see another one of the showdowns between the two eccentric professors. They were slowly but surely becoming increasingly rare but still retained their amusement. Edward was on his feet, glowering murder upon Roy who was poised casually against the teacher's table. The students were listening raptly. The teachers were murmuring that someone ought to stop them and Dumbledore was beaming with something that was probably the nostalgia of being young and brash.
But no one was moving. It was obvious that Edward was struggling with his pride and the need to honour the agreement he had made with himself. So things stayed silent. Chance (or misfortune) had it that the heavy doors of the Great Hall chose this particular moment to creek open, revealing the student behind them.
Draco Malfoy was shocked to discover that upon his arrival, every head in the room turned to focus on him. He had thought that as per usual, the chatter would continue and no one would pay him heed. Instead, he found the school staring back at him and his feet were forgotten. Draco let his eyes trail to the teacher's table, hopefully seeking out Snape and an explanation. But he was faced with the sight of the new Magic Theory teacher and Hogwarts Supervisor on his feet, staring him down.
"Mr. Malfoy how nice of you to grace us with your presence."
Draco's expression dropped. Professor Elric was in a bad mood.
"I'm sorry Professor, I was not aware that I was being expected." He sneered. The clever thing would have been to apologize and scamper to his seat but the Malfoy pride would not have that. At least, that was what he would blame the snide remark on. The expression on the teacher's face darkened as he retaliated.
"Well let's hope you can make it on time tomorrow night when you honour me with detention Mr. Malfoy." Edward snapped. Malfoy's eyes widened at the drastic actions but he remained silent. The room spoke for him as it came to life once more. Members of the Slytherin table began to word their opposition. They were once more silenced when Snape rose slowly and dramatically to his feet.
"Professor Elric I do not see this as a suitable punishment for not arriving to dinner on time." Snape drawled, his eyes never leaving Edward. "I believe that perhaps, instead of kicking the cat. You should spend time working through your ridiculously, childish bickering with Professor Mustang." Roy's eyes widened and he held his hands up in the surrender position.
"Woah, please don't bring me into this."
If Edward was angry before, he was livid now. The glare across his face deepened by the double and his clenched knuckles turned white with pressure.
"Professor Snape, with all due respect, what I am doing is not kicking the cat. It is merely administering punishment where I see fit. Malfoy's attitude has been lacking recently and you can view this as the final straw if you so wish." Edward forced out. The slow pace he was talking at made it obvious to everyone how much he was trying to contain himself. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would agree with my opinion." Edward finished, making all heads turn to face the headmaster. Until then, Dumbledore had remained completely silent, with the ever present twinkle in his eyes. But on cue, he exchanged a look with Snape, before facing forward again.
"I believe that if Professor Elric sees Mr. Malfoy's attitude as a long standing problem. Then the correct course of action would be to punish him accordingly." The headmaster stated calmly.
"But Professor Dumbledore…" Snape began. He was ready to defend the boy. He had been charged with his protection after all. However, he was cut short by the very subject of the conversation.
"It's ok, Professor Snape. I will attend detention." Draco muttered. Snape sighed.
"If you insist Headmaster. You too, Mr. Malfoy." A murmur rippled through the student body. Dumbledore took the chance to speak.
"Well now that the matter has been solved, let us return to the feast." He was received with cheers as the hall became animated once more. A small smile spread across Edward's face in triumph, until Dumbledore leaned across the table and ushered him closer. Roy followed suit, as Edward leaned forward curiously.
"Perhaps you and Professor Mustang could settle your disputes outside of meal times in future." The Headmaster suggested and leaned back when he saw fit. That would be when the self-deprecating laugh escaped Roy and the humiliated blush graced Edward's cheeks.
"Yes Professor Dumbledore." They both mumbled, refusing to look at each other.
"Harry, I'm telling you, hanging onto that book is a bad idea." Harry stopped his rapt study of the book in front of him to look curiously at Hermione.
"And why is that?" He asked. Hermione sighed and dropped into the seat beside him.
"Well first off, it's cheating." She began.
"You're just jealous that he's getting better marks than you now." Ron scoffed. "And that he's invited to join the Slug club now. Slughorn adores him now." Unlike his friends, Ron was passing his time by lying on the sofa tossing a ball into the air. The first Quidditch match was rapidly approaching and this meant Ron was on edge. It also meant he was harsher. Hermione frowned at him but it went unnoticed by the redhead.
"Ronald, this is not about Harry being better than me. If anything I'm glad that he's taken interest in the subject. What I'm worried about is that we don't know anything about this Half Blood Prince." Hermione snapped as she made a grab for the book. "And I'll have you know that he's invited me too." She added, trying to sound nonchalant but obviously wanting to rub it in. The smile though was replaced by a pleasant smile when Alphonse dropped into the seat beside her.
"Are you talking about the Slug club? I've been invited too." He said sweetly. Hermione brightened while Ron on the other hand scowled darkly. He sat up to stare at all of them incredulously.
"Have ALL of you been invited? He hasn't said a word to me." Without waiting for an answer, Ron lay back down again. "Even Ginny is going." He grumbled. Harry looked up from his book.
"Ginny?" He asked, ignoring the funny look Alphonse gave him. Ron nodded passively.
"Oh yeah, apparently she's brilliant. Proper wizz kid." Harry made a sound of acknowledgement but otherwise showed no sign that he had heard him. The group fell into silence as they all continued about their business. Alphonse allowed this to continue for a moment before he closed the book and cleared his throat to get the trio's attention.
"So I spoke to my brother." He began. Already, Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned forward attentively, knowing exactly what would be coming next. "We will teach you about this stone. Nothing practical though." Alphonse rushed, before they could interrupt them. "Not that any of you are at the level to do anything with the stone, but just in case." He reasoned, hoping his eyes could convey how serious he was.
"Why nothing practical?" Hermione whined. She out of all three was most eager to learn about the mechanics of a Philosophers Stone from another world. Alphonse sighed.
"Hermione, the stone that Edward has is different from the one you dealt with in your first year. I won't tell you anything now, but you must know that it is incredibly dangerous. We will teach you of that in class, I promise. But in return you must promise me something." Alphonse leaned forward and the trio followed suit. They were suddenly inches from one another. None of them dared to take their eyes off the usually calm boy. "You must promise me that if given the chance, no matter how desperate a situation you find yourselves in. You will never resort to using the stone." He stated clearly, inspecting every face, one by one.
A moment of utter silence passed amongst the group.
"We promise."
The familiar feeling of the corridors of Hogwarts at night put his nerves on edge. Harry was almost proud of himself for having lasted an entire month, without so much as considering sneaking out of his dorm at night. However, nothing lasts forever. He had not said anything, but Malfoy's exhibit at dinner earlier had got him curious. Malfoy could clearly not be trusted. Especially if he was crawling the empty corridors on his own. Harry could not believe that no one else saw it. Time and time again he has tried raising the subject with either Edward or even Dumbledore, but every time he would be brushed off.
So if no one was going to listen to him, he would simply have to take matters into his own hands. Safely enveloped by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry made his way towards the dungeons. He knew it was farfetched, but Malfoy had not appeared in his dorm on the Marauder's Map. Even if he could not find them, chances were that Malfoy was probably out tonight as well. And if this meant catching him red handed then Harry would risk it.
Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map for one final check. He was surprised to find that his and Malfoy's names were not the only ones out of place. It was nearing two 'o' clock in the morning, and both the names Roy Mustang and Edward Elric were placed comfortably in the library.
"So why didn't you stop me?" Roy looked up from his work to find Edward stood over him in demanding. Roy balanced his quill on the jar of ink, abandoning his work in favour of folding his arms attentively.
"Come again?"
"Giving Malfoy detention was completely irrational of me. Usually you'd be all over that. Why not?" Edward demanded once more. He had not meant to follow this question up with Roy. However, the thought had not left him alone.
"Well it may have been to avoid being assaulted." Roy provided, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Or it may have been because I believe you. Something about Mr. Malfoy is off."
Edward rose an eyebrow.
"So…you're helping me?" He questioned hesitantly. Roy's face dropped, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course I am. We're on the same side after all." He smiled. "Now fancy having a chat?" Roy gently pushed the seat opposite him out with his foot, prompting Edward to join him. With a sigh, Edward lowered himself into the seat. Roy returned to scribbling away at his report, only glancing up every now and then to check that the blonde was still there.
"So I've been thinking of passing an Educational Degree." Edward said conversationally as he pulled out a folder with his own work. Roy's quill stopped.
"Why? You know what Umbridge did last year. The students will hate us for it." Roy asked incredulously.
"I'm not suggesting anything drastic, just a couple of ground rules." For once in his life, Edward was sounding reasonable to Roy.
"Examples?" Roy urged, raising an eyebrow. What almost looked like a pout graced Edward's features.
"Examples being: A ban on chocolate and any such beverage that can be given as a gift." He snapped. Roy snorted.
"That's hardly fair Edward. Who are we to prevent the students from loving?" He smiled, going back to his work. "Are you just upset that no one has given you any yet?" Roy teased. It was a shame that Roy missed the blush.
"I am NOT upset. Why would I want any anyway?" Edward snapped, fidgeting in his seat. "I'm just annoyed at all the students who are poisoning their classmates when they should be focusing on work."
The sniggering did not cease there.
"Oh Edward, who knew you were such a prude?" He looked back up again to see murder in the young man's eyes. In an act to calm him down, Roy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small candy from the box the blonde had given him before. "Tell you what? Here I'll give you this." Edward's eyes widened as the sweet was dropped into his palms and a friendly smile spread across Roy's lips. "There you go. Now you're not unpopular anymore." Silence passed between the two and Roy returned to his work. After a while, Edward slowly rose to his feet.
"I'm going to bed." He mumbled walking away with his hands shoved into his pockets. Roy grinned and shouted after him.
"Good Night!"
Edward hummed in reply but did not stop until he was out of sight. When he had rounded the corner out of the library, he stopped and held out the hand holding the sweet in front of him. A small huff escaped his lips before his replaced the hand, along with the candy in his pocket.
"As if I would be happy from getting a present from a guy."
Oh yeah I'm back and I broke my 3000 word goal!I realised that compared to Anbu Pair, this was going incredibly slowly hence the 5 week skip.
Tthank you for reading and please review. I'm going to eat now
Ps. This was actually finished within a WEEK of the other chapter but for some reason FF won't let me edit my stories...wwwwwhhhy D: