DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Four

When Ed got to his and Al's room, he shut the door behind him and locked it so Kreacher wouldn't be able to come in. He saw that Al was already dressed in pajamas and sitting on his bed with a distant look in his eyes.

"Al?" Ed asked.

Al blinked and looked at Ed.

"Yeah, Brother?" Al asked, looking at Ed.

"Are you all right?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I'm all right," Al said.

"Are you sure?" Ed asked.

"I'm sure," Al assured.

"You've been acting kinda out there lately," Ed said. "You sure you're not goin' through puberty or something?"

"It's not puberty, Brother," Al scowled.

"Then why - ?" Ed started.

"I don't know, Ed," Al snapped. "I told you and Teacher and everyone else: I don't know why I'm… different. Maybe it's because my body was in the Gate for too long. Maybe I just became a freak."

"Hey, Al, you're not a freak, okay?" Ed said. "Don't say that about yourself. You're just still getting used to your body, all right? It'll be okay, Al. Just get some sleep."

Al nodded.

"I still get a cat, don't I?" Al asked.

Ed snickered.

"Yeah, Al, you still get a cat," Ed said. "Let's get some sleep."

"Okay," Al said. "Brother?"

"Yeah, Al?" Ed asked.

"Is it normal to...?" Al started.

"Is it normal to what, Al?" Ed prompted.

"Never mind," Al shrugged. "It's nothing."

Ed was silent for a moment.

"Are you sure?" Ed asked.

Al nodded.

"Okay," Ed said. "Good night, Al."

"Good night, Ed," Al said.

A few moments later, they were both asleep. The next day, Ed, Al, and Winry helped get rid of the doxies and helped cleaning out the cabinets in the drawing room. During the next few days, all they ever did was 'clean' to help make the house habitable. At dinner on Wednesday evening, Mrs. Weasley brought up Harry's hearing.

"I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "I want you to wash your hair tonight too. A good first impression can work wonders."

Ed, Winry, Al, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny all stopped talking and looked over at Harry.

"Yeah, that's if Harry can keep his hair flat," Ed remarked.

Mrs. Weasley sent Ed a glare.

"How am I getting there, Mrs. Weasley?" Harry asked.

"Arthur's taking you to work with him," Mrs. Weasley said gently to Harry.

Mr. Weasley smiled encouragingly at Harry across the table.

"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," Mr. Weasley said.

"Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Sirius to go with you, and I must say I -," Mrs. Weasley started.

" - think he's quite right," Sirius completed through clenched teeth.

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"When did Dumbledore tell you that?" Harry asked, staring at Sirius.

"He came last night while you were asleep," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Oh," Harry said.

"How are you going to pay for your school supplies, Alphonse?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to meet Teacher at Diagon Alley when the booklists finally come in," Al answered. "She doesn't want the military paying for my things like how they're paying for Brother's things."

"So, they're still paying for Ed's school stuff?" Ron asked. "Why?"

"Because I'm still with them even though I've been given time off to finish school," Ed said. "There's nothing else I can do."

"There are a lot of things you can do, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "You can do anything you put your mind to."

Ed smiled.

"Thanks," Ed said, softly.

Mrs. Weasley did a double-take but smiled at Ed. Fred laughed and ruffled Ed's hair.

"Aw, is ickle Eddie-kins getting emotional?" Fred joked.

"STOP IT!" Ed yelled, pushing Fred away. "And stop messing with my hair! And don't call me that!"

"You afwaid Fwed will mess it up?" George joked.

"I said, stop it!" Ed complained.

Sirius and Harry and everyone else were laughing.

"All right, boys," Mrs. Weasley said. "That's enough."

"You better sleep with one eye open," Ed threatened.

"Ooh, we're so afraid," Fred teased.

Ed scowled as he took his hair out of his braid. Mrs. Weasley frowned.

"Edward, don't mess with your hair at the table," Mrs. Weasley said.

"It'll only be a second, Mrs. Weasley," Ed said, as he re-braided his hair. "There."

"How long have you let your hair grow out?" Bill asked.

"Ever since I was eleven, I think," Ed answered. "Somewhere around there."

"I think you might need a haircut," Mrs. Weasley said.

"No thanks," Ed said. "I like it long…so does Winry."

Ed grinned at Winry, and she blushed as she looked away.

"Hey," Fred and George said together.

"But still, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Give him a break, Molly," Sirius said. "If he wants it long, let him keep it long."

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"Dad has long hair," Al said.

"Al…," Ed warned.

"Sorry, Brother," Al apologized.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Ed said.

The next day was Harry's hearing, and of course, Harry was cleared. When the booklists finally arrived, it was the last day of the summer holidays. Ed, Al, and Winry were in drawing room and each reading a book when Hermione came to them with their booklists.

"About time," Ed said, getting his letter from Hermione.

Hermione gave Al and Winry's theirs. Al, Winry, and Ed opened their letters and looked at the lists.

"Aren't you going to open yours?" Ed asked Hermione without looking at her.

"I already did," Hermione beamed.

Ed looked at Hermione.

"You look like you made Supreme Ruler of the Universe," Ed remarked.

Al and Winry looked at Hermione as well.

"What happened?" Al asked.

"I got made Prefect," Hermione said.

"And that means something because…?" Ed asked.

"It means that I get authority over the other students," Hermione practically bubbled.

"Oh, that," Ed said. "Congrats."

Hermione frowned for a moment and then happily ran off to tell Harry and Ron. Ed rolled his eyes.

"What's a Prefect?" Al asked.

"It's where you get to tell other students what to do," Ed explained.

"Oh," Al said. "Do I have to get a hat and a Monster Book of Monsters? The book sounds scary."

"Ah, don't worry about the book," Ed said. "We hardly used them. And the hats are stupid. No one really wears them except for the stuck up assholes."

"Okay," Al said.

"I guess Professor Dumbledore finally found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Winry said.

"Guess so," Ed said. "Defense Magical Theory…I don't like the sound of that."

"Why not?" Al asked.

"Because it says 'theory'," Ed said.

"Oh, I get what you mean," Al said. "You're afraid that we won't practice the spells."

"Bingo," Ed said.

"Don't worry," Winry said. "I'm sure you're just overreacting."

"If you say so," Ed said. "But don't say I didn't tell you so because -."

"Be quiet," Winry said.

Mrs. Weasley came in a moment later, her arms full with laundered clothes.

"You three had better start packing," Mrs. Weasley said.

"We're already packed," Al said. "The booklists have arrived."

"That's what Ginny told me," Mrs. Weasley said. "Well, this afternoon we all can go to Diagon Alley to get the supplies and your robes, Alphonse. And Edward, you've grown so much. We need to get you some new robes as well."

Ed smirked.

"Well, I've better take these to Harry and Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said.

As soon as Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot, Ed turned to Winry.

"It seems that you get to marry me after all," Ed said, grinning.

"Who said I said that I'd marry you?" Winry asked.

"Let me get this straight," Ed said, "as kids, you said that you wouldn't marry me because I was shorter than you. But now since I've grown to be half a foot taller than you, you're saying that you won't marry me?!"

Sirius, who just walked in, stopped in his tracks.

"Am I interrupting something?" Sirius asked, grinning slightly.

Ed and Winry looked at Sirius and blushed, realizing that he had heard their argument. Al was chuckling to himself.

"If I am, I'll leave so you can propose to Winry in private, Ed," Sirius said, still grinning.

Ed threw his book at Sirius.

"GET OUT!" Ed yelled.

Sirius chuckled and ducked the book as he left.

"Asshole," Ed muttered.

At noon, Ed, Al, and Winry went with Mrs. Weasley to Diagon Alley where they met up with Izumi.

"Hi, boys, Winry," Izumi greeted. "How is everything going?"

"Good," Al said.

"I'm glad," Izumi said. "If it's all right with you, Molly, I'll take Alphonse with me to get his things, and Ed and Winry can go with you. I'm sure you'll need help carrying things."

"That sounds good," Mrs. Weasley agreed. "We can meet at the Leaky Cauldron after we're finished?"

"Yes, we can," Izumi said. "Edward, behave."

"Yes, Ma'am," Ed obeyed.

"See you in a bit, Edward!" Izumi beamed.

Ed groaned as he and Winry went with Mrs. Weasley.

'Women…,' Ed thought. 'I'll never understand them.'