Jabbing the lance in the dementor's midriff was not a good idea. It did not even stop it. In fact, it only riled the thing more. The dementor ignored the presence of a very chemically stable alloy lance in its stomach and approached Edward, causing the lance to sink deeper until it protruded out of the dementor's back with a squelch.
Edward's eyes widened as the scaly fingers caressed his chin lazily. They tightened their grip and Edward was on the ground again. The fingers were lifting his chin upwards. He could feel a third hand- was there more than one dementor?- parting his lips open.
Chapped lips latched over his.
Oh no, this was not how his first kiss was going to be.
Edward felt a strange tugging sensation from the back of his throat and felt himself lean into the dementor's mouth.
Then for the first time ever, he heard his brother in his vision.
"ED!" Al screamed. It was a sound so primal Edward felt as if someone had physically slapped him in his face. He never forgot that voice. The voice that screamed at him for help as his brother's body and soul was taken away by the gate.
"AL!"
Then nothing.
The pounding inside his head would not stop. Edward groaned as he held his automail palm against his head to ease the pain. Sometimes, automail do come in handy, especially when you really need an ice pack.
"Ow ow ow!" Edward hissed as he tried to sit up and another wave of blows struck him inside his head.
"Hey, boy!"
Edward turned his head carefully and saw Black beside him. Black helped him to sit up.
They were no longer outside next to the lake. The room was dark, smelly and cramped with reinforced windows and a steel door. Either someone had moved them from the lake or Edward was inside the dementor's stomach. Edward hoped it was not the latter.
"They brought us into the castle," Black whispered. His face was gaunt and his eyes were wild. Black's fingers were trembling violently and he kept grasping at something in the air. His frail frame quaked with madness.
"Why?"
"THE KISS!" Black snarled and Edward flinched. However, Black did not seem to notice. His mouth was foaming.
"What?" Edward said, outraged. "But we're both innocent! Pettigrew-"
"Snape told them! Said I used the Confundus Charm. Fudge was there. He thinks you're involved too. There's going to be an inquisition. Then the Kiss."
"We've got to go!" Edward said.
"No where! No where to go!"
"Snap out of it!" Edward growled, looking over his shoulder at the steel door. He was half expecting the dementors to break in immediately. Black was still muttering incoherently. With a grunt of frustration, Edward hit Black with his right hand. Flesh connected with flesh with a resounding slap.
Black stopped shivering and his eyes cleared a little.
"Ok, we have to get out of here. Can you change to a dog? I'm going to get us out of here and it will raise suspicion if a tall dark man followed me around."
"Can't. Too weak." Black gasped. His grimy hands rubbed his cheek ruefully where Edward had hit him.
"Great," Edward muttered. "We have to get out of here fast before the dementors come in. Now, follow me."
Black's eyes unfocussed when Edward mentioned the dementors, but he nodded determinedly.
Edward stood up slowly, ignoring the incessant screaming in his head. He moved to the window and clapped his hands.
The steel door groaned open and at once, the room was filled with purple lights and the air turned frosty.
Edward lost his balance and his legs buckled under him.
Fudge entered the room, accompanied by two dementors. He looked unsettled standing next to them but there was a silver seal close to him, warding the dementors away. The green bowler hat on top of his head took on an ominous shade of purple.
Fudge moved straight towards Edward and the dementors followed close behind. Black moved as far away from the dementors as he could until he was pressed up against the wall.
"Edward Elric," Fudge whispered, his voice dangerously low. "You came to this school in the third year, with no evidence of magical training. Our records show that your parents are not one of us. They were muggles. So why did you appear out of nowhere just when Black escaped from Azkaban? Why did you enroll in the very school Black wanted to infiltrate to kill Harry Potter? What were you doing in the shack with that criminal?"
"I can explain," Edward said. His voice sounded weak. The purple lights were disorientating him.
"Do tell," Fudge said.
"I'm not one of you people. I was hired by Lucius Malfoy to guard his son. I came to this school as an undercover agent. Black and Malfoy are related by blood. Malfoy must have betrayed Black. He must have told everyone that Black was one of Moldewart's strongest supporters and the killer of Harry's parents. It wasn't him. It was Peter Pettigrew! That's why Black is after Draco. And that's why I'm here to protect-"
"Enough!" Fudge roared. Edward stopped talking. "What sort of hogwash is this? Do you even understand what you are saying?"
"You have to believe me! Give a call to Lucius Malfoy. He will tell you the truth!"
"You do understand that if everything you told me is a lie, you would be sentenced to the dementor's Kiss, do you?"
"Just call him, old man!" Edward snarled when the purple lights were starting to blind him.
Fudge's face contorted momentarily with rage but he took a deep breath and his expression cleared. He waved his stick and ripped an opening in the air. Green baubles of light drifted out of the opening and they condensed, forming Lucius Malfoy's elongated face.
Malfoy's expression was severe. His elegant eyebrows narrowed as he met Edward's eyes.
"Lucius," Fudge addressed the green face and the face turned to glance appraisingly at the minister. "I was just told by this young man who calls himself Edward Elric. He claims that you hired him to protect your son against Black. Lucius, is this true?"
Malfoy turned his piercing gaze towards Edward. Edward felt his heart sink at the scathing look and braced himself for the blow.
"Of course not. Hogwash."