DISCLAIMER: I OWN NEITHER HARRY POTTER NOR FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST!

Chapter Twenty-One

January passed and February arrived. Ed's birthday came and went and before anyone knew it, the Hogsmeade weekend was near. Harry would be going with Cho while Ron and Ginny had to stay behind for Quidditch practice. Al would be staying behind so he would be able to work on his O.W.L. homework. Hermione turned to Harry and Ed after she got an owl on Valentine's day morning.

"Listen, Edward, Harry," Hermione started, looking at Ed and Harry. "This is really important… Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

"Why?" Ed asked suspiciously.

"I dunno," Harry answered Hermione. "Cho might be expecting me to spend the whole day with her. We never said what we were going to do."

"She might want to make out with you," Ed snickered. "That's what - OW! Damn it, Winry! I was only -!"

Winry had hit Ed on the head with one of the wrenches that he had got for her for Christmas.

"Bring Cho along if you must," Hermione told Harry urgently. "But will you come?"

"You didn't say what for," Ed grumbled.

Hermione looked at Ed.

"I haven't got time to tell you now, I've got to answer this quickly," Hermione answered.

"I guess I'll come," Harry replied.

"I suppose so," Ed grumbled.

"Great," Hermione said.

Then she left the Great Hall.

"She's acting strange," Al commented.

"Sure is," Ed agreed.

"Well, I've got to get back to the common room," Al said.

He drank the rest of his coffee and stood up. Al was wearing a green long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He also had on a pair of sneakers.

"Have a good time at Hogsmeade, Brother," Al bade.

Then Al went back to the Gryffindor common room. Ed finished his breakfast and stood.

"Come on, Winry," Ed said. "Time's a-wastin'."

Winry stood and left with Ed. A few minutes later, Harry and Cho were walking to Hogsmeade a few feet behind Ed and Winry.

"They look sweet together," Cho commented.

Harry didn't say anything as he looked at Ed and Winry. Winry was saying something to Ed, and Ed had his arms crossed as he had a scowl on his face.

"Don't you think so?" Cho asked.

"They always argue," Harry finally replied. "You should hear them. They're like Ron and Hermione."

"That's just their way of showing affection towards each other," Cho explained to a clueless Harry.

'If you say so,' Harry thought.

Ed and Winry entered Hogsmeade about ten minutes later, Harry and Cho behind them. A moment later Winry was dragging a protesting Ed into the Madam Puddifoot's coffee shop.

"Winry!" Ed protested. "LET ME GO!"

"No!" Winry snapped. "You are coming in here with me!"

"NO!" Ed yelled.

But Winry pulled Ed in and made him sit at a table. Ed slouched in his seat and crossed his arms. Madam Puddifoot went to Ed and Winry.

"What can I get you dears?" Madam Puddifoot asked.

"Beer," Ed remarked.

"Edward," Winry scolded, then turning to a chuckling Madam Puddifoot, "We'll have coffee."

Then Madam Puddifoot left.

"If you think we're makin' out here, then you're mistaken," Ed told Winry in a low voice.

"I don't want to make out here," Winry scoffed. "I just want to have a coffee."

"We can have coffee back at Hogwarts," Ed retorted. "This is a make-out place."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Winry scoffed.

"Look around, Winry," Ed said. "Everyone's suckin' faces."

Winry looked around and turned red as she saw classmates making out.

"Well, we already ordered coffee, so tough luck," Winry stated.

As Madam Puddifoot came with their coffees, Harry and Cho came into the shop. Winry thanked Madam Puddifoot as Ed took a drink of his coffee.

"Not bad," Ed commented. "Although a bit of cognac in it wouldn't hurt."

"You're too young to be drinking," Winry scolded.

"The drinking age in Amestris is sixteen," Ed told Winry.

"How did you know that?" Winry asked.

"Sig told me and Al," Ed answered. "He let us have some beer. Al didn't like the taste."

"Can you hold your alcohol?" Winry asked.

"Yeah, I can hold it okay," Ed replied. "Why?"

Winry shook her head and leaned forward, putting her elbows onto the table and putting her chin on her clasped fingers. Ed blushed as Winry smiled at him.

"What?" Ed asked.

"Nothing," Winry answered. "I just like having dates with you, that's all."

Ed's face turned even more red as he looked away.

"You mean forcin' me to come to this place," Ed muttered.

Winry chuckled.

"You know, Ed," Winry started, "you'll appreciate dates more when we're older."

"I'm seventeen, don't you think that's older?" Ed asked, looking back at Winry.

"I mean when we're in our twenties, Edward," Winry clarified, folding her arms onto the table and gripping her coffee cup.

Ed took a drink of his coffee.

"I might be busy with the military then, Winry," Ed said, putting his coffee cup down.

"Are you still planning to stay with the military then?" Winry wanted to know.

"I don't know, Winry," Ed replied. "I mean, there's nothing else I could do, is there? Besides, Al wants me to get my arm and leg back. He feels bad for not being able to recover them along with his body."

"But it's not his fault," Winry reasoned. "And besides, your auto-mail saved your life last year during the first task."

"That's true," Ed agreed, then laughing.

"What's so funny?" Winry asked.

"I was just rememberin' how everybody was freakin' out," Ed said, chuckling. "They all thought that I was some sort of alien or something since my shoulder didn't gush out blood or anything."

"They also stared after it was revealed that you have auto-mail," Winry pointed out. "I know that it's inconvenient sometimes, but don't you think it would be better to keep your auto-mail and to quit the military?"

"What else could I do?" Ed asked.

"Work here," Winry suggested. "You could be an Auror. You're good in stealth and almost everything. And I could be a Healer specializing in making Auto-mail for people who have lost their limbs."

"What about the people back in Amestris, Winry?" Ed asked. "Especially in Resembool? Granny isn't gonna live forever."

"I know," Winry said, looking down at her hands.

Ed grabbed hold of Winry's hands and Winry looked up at Ed.

"Winry, your hands are for helping people," Ed said. "Whatever we chose to do, you have to help people, okay?"

Winry smiled at Ed. Winry kissed Ed full on the lips. Ed blushed, his eyes widening, then closed his eyes and returned the kiss full force. It was then that Harry looked over at them.

'Oh, great, even they're kissing,' Harry thought, frowning. 'And here I thought that Ed wasn't for showing his feelings in public.'

A moment later, Cho told Harry that Roger Davies (who was making out with his girlfriend at the table next to them) had asked her out a couple of weeks back but had turned him down. Then Cho told Harry about going to the coffee shop with Cedric the year before.

"I've been meaning to ask you for ages," Cho started, her voice high. "Did Cedric - did he m-m-mention me at all before he died?"

This was the very last subject on earth Harry wanted to discuss, and least of all with Cho.

"Well - no-," Harry replied quietly. "There - there wasn't time for him to say anything. Erm…so…d'you…d'you get to see a lot of Quidditch in the holidays? You support the Tornadoes, right?"

But it was no use, Cho was starting to cry. Ed and Winry stopped kissing and let go of each other's hands, blushing. They looked at Harry and Cho.

"Look," Harry said desperately to Cho, leaning in so that nobody else could overhear, "let's not talk about Cedric right now…Let's talk about something else…"

Ed and Winry, who could still hear Harry, both winced. Harry had said the wrong thing.

"I thought," Cho cried, tears spattering down onto the table. "I thought you'd u-u-understand! I need to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too! I mean, you saw it happen, d-didn't you?"

"Well - I have talked about it," Harry whispered, "to Ron and Hermione and -"

"Oh, you'll talk to Hermione Granger!" Cho shrilled. "But you won't talk to me! I bet Edward talked to Winry about it since they're an item! P-perhaps it would be best if we just…just p-paid and you went and met up with Hermione G-Granger, like you obviously want to!"

Ed and Winry felt too embarrassed to stay any longer, so Ed put a Galleon onto the table and left with Winry. They hurried to the Three Broomsticks and went inside. They went to the table where Hermione was sitting with two unlikely people: Luna Lovegood and none other than Rita Skeeter, ex-journalist on the Daily Prophet and one of Hermione's least favorite people in the world.

"You're early!" Hermione exclaimed. "I thought you would be longer!"

"Yeah, well," Ed said, sitting down.

Winry sat down as well.

"So, if it isn't the wonder couple," Rita Skeeter remarked. "How is it with the military, Edward? Are you having fun being a spy?"

"Can it, Roach," Ed snapped.

Then Harry came over a few moments later. Harry sat down by Hermione. After talking about Cho, Rita brought about how Harry might have been feeling about the Daily Prophet writing trash about him.

"He feels angry, of course," Hermione snapped. "Because he and Edward have told the Minister of Magic the truth and the Minister's too much of an idiot to believe them."

"So, you both actually stick to it, do you," Rita asked, lowering her glass and subjecting Ed and Harry to a piercing stare while her finger strayed longingly to the clasp of the crocodile bag, "that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back? You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore's been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the only witnesses -?"

"We weren't the only witnesses, roach," Ed snarled. "There were a dozen or so Death Eaters there as well. I can give you their names."

"I'd love to hear them," Rita breathed, now fumbling in her bag.

She recited the beginning of an article she had in mind and then stopped talking a moment later with the Quick-Quotes quill in her hand. Rita then looked at Hermione.

"But of course," Rita said, lowering her quill as she glared daggers at Hermione, "Little Miss Perfect wouldn't want that story out there, would she?"

"As a matter of fact," Hermione said sweetly, "that's exactly what Little Miss Perfect does want."

"You want me to report what they say about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Rita asked Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Yes, I do," Hermione answered. "The true story. All the facts. Exactly as Harry and Edward report them. They will give you all the details, they will tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters they saw there, they'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now - oh, get a grip on yourself," she added contemptuously, throwing a napkin across the table, for at the sound of Voldemort's name, Rita had jumped so badly that she had slopped half her glass of fire whiskey down herself.

Rita blotted the front of her grubbly raincoat, still staring at Hermione.

"The Prophet wouldn't print it," Rita said boldly. "In case you haven't noticed, nobody believes their cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks they're delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from that angle -"

"We don't need anymore stories about how Edward and Harry are going crazy!" Winry snapped. "Just because Cornelius Fudge is leaning on the Daily Prophet, it doesn't mean that you always need to write like that! The truth needs to be revealed!"

"The Daily Prophet doesn't care about the truth, you silly girl," Rita said coldly. "It exists to sell itself."

"My dad thinks it's an awful paper," Luna chipped in. "He publishes important stories that he thinks the public needs to know. He doesn't care about making money."

Rita looked disparagingly at Luna.

"I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter?" Rita asked. "Like 'Twenty-Five Ways to Mingle with Muggles' and the dates of the next Bring-and-Fly Sale?"

"No," Luna answered. "He's the editor of The Quibbler."

"I could manure my garden with the contents of that rag," Rita snorted.

"Well, this is your chance to raise the tone of it a bit, isn't it?" Hermione asked Rita pleasantly. "Luna says her father's quite happy to take Edward and Harry's interview. That's who'll be publishing it."

Rita burst out in laughter.

"The Quibbler!" Rita cackled. "You think people will take them seriously if they're published in The Quibbler?"

"Some people won't," Hermione replied in a level voice. "But the Daily Prophet's version of the Azkaban breakout had some gaping holes in it. I think a lot of people will be wondering whether there isn't a better explanation of what happened, and if there's an alternative story available, even if it is published in an unusual magazine, I think they might be rather keen to read it."

"All right, let's say for a moment I'll do it," Rita supposed. "What kind of fee am I going to get?"

"I don't think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine," Luna said. "They do it because it's an honor, and, of course, to see their names in print."

Rita looked appalled.

"I'm supposed to do this for free?" Rita rounded on Hermione.

"Well, yes," Hermione answered, taking a sip of her drink. "Otherwise, as you very well know, I will inform the authorities that you are an unregistered Animagus. Of course, the Prophet might give you rather a lot for an insider's account of life in Azkaban…"

Ed snickered.

"I don't suppose I've got any choice, have I?" Rita asked, her voice shaking slightly.

She opened her crocodile bag once more, withdrew a piece of parchment, and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill.

"Daddy will be pleased," Luna said brightly.

"Okay, Harry, Edward?" Hermione asked, turning to Ed and Harry. "Ready to tell the public the truth?"

"I suppose," Harry answered.

"That magazine isn't published in Amestris, is it?" Ed asked.

"Only in the rural areas," Luna reassured. "Your Fuhrer won't get a hold of one."

"Go ahead, Edward," Winry encouraged. "People need to know from you as well."

"I guess," Ed relented.

"Fire away, then, Rita," Hermione said serenely, fishing a cherry out of the bottom of her glass.