Cerulean Silver vs. Amber Gold
by hikaranko
Summary: Ed has been put on his stupidest assignment yet: babysitting. Well, that's not what everyone else would call it, but to Edward Elric, it's exactly like babysitting. But there's a lot more to this assignment than what's on file... FMA/HP crossover. kinda sorta may possibly be AU with HBP release and with FMA. rated T for language.
Disclaimer: I, just like everyone else, do NOT own either Fullmetal Alchemist or Harry Potter. It would so rock if I did, but I don't. That's life. It's unfair to us all.
Author's Note: i'm surprised to be getting such a great response over the last few chapters! XD i'm glad you're all enjoying it! there's more coming, so get ready for it. :D
who else can't believe it's already May?
Chapter 7
A "Friendly" Game of Poker
Zabini groaned inwardly as he stared at the words written in the textbook. Edward glanced up from his book just in time to see the Slytherin scratch his head in frustration. Actually, most of the Slytherins had been doing that very same thing for some time now as they did their homework. Or rather, as they tried to do their homework. Draco seemed to be doing just fine on his own, even if he did have his mental blocks every now and again. Pansy was also fine, though she was getting help from a few other Slytherin girls on the other side of the common room. Crabbe and Goyle were helping one another and not getting anywhere while Zabini seemed to have been trapped on the same two pages of his book for the past half hour.
The first day of classes was officially over and they had just come back from eating dinner in the Great Hall. The Slytherin common room was filled with students of all years struggling with their homework. Or at least, it was. Over the last hour or so, some had given up and went back to the dormitories to sleep or find some other way to kill time while the rest remained, Draco and the gang among them. Ed stayed in the common room only to fulfill his mission duties and kept himself busy with another of his books.
"Done yet?" Ed asked Zabini, even though he already knew the answer.
He just looked over at Ed with an exasperated expression on his face. Ed smiled innocently, turning to the next page of his book. Zabini squinted at the book in Ed's hands, which was entitled 'The Complexity of Numerology.
"What are you doing?"
"Some light reading," Ed answered offhandedly.
"That?" Zabini pointed at Ed's book. "You call that... light reading?"
The young alchemist just shrugged his shoulders.
"Where's your homework gone?"
"Oh, I finished that hours ago," said Ed, waving one hand dismissively. "Not like it was hard or anything."
A few Slytherins around the room within earshot cast a few amazed glances in Ed's direction. Edward just ignored them and continued with his reading. A smile slowly crept onto Zabini's face and he tapped Crabbe and Goyle lightly on the shoulder. All three Slytherins grinned evilly, standing up and walking over to join Ed on the couch.
"So it was easy, eh, Elric?"
Ed shot them an annoyed glance, considering kicking them off the couch. "What'd I just say?"
They leaned toward him slightly, lowering their voices. "Mind giving us a few pointers, then?"
The book in Ed's hands was slowly lowered into his lap. He raised an eyebrow at the looks on their faces and then rolled his eyes. 'Here we go.'
"Well?" Crabbe/Goyle urged.
"Well what?" Ed said, determined to get back to his reading.
"Are you going to help us?"
"Show us how it's done, Elric!"
An oddly hopeful (or maybe even desperate) look was on all of the Slytherins' faces, Crabbe and Goyle in particular. Ed just stared them straight in the eye for a long, silent moment and then turned back to his book.
"No."
They looked disappointed. "Aw, why not?"
"Why should I help any of you?" he snorted.
"We're your fellow Slytherins!" said Crabbe/Goyle.
"We're mates!"
"Come on, Elric," Zabini insisted. "Share the knowledge."
Ed was really getting annoyed now. A part of him wanted very much to transmute their clothes to wrap around their faces, just to shut them up. He still hadn't been able to prank Zabini for plotting this abuse of his brilliant mind. No one uses Edward Elric. Then, suddenly, he felt like a light bulb had lit up over his head. He did his best not to grin as he shut his book and put it on the table.
"Okay then," he said slowly. Their eyes seemed to light up. "But on one condition."
They looked to one another, puzzled. "What's that?"
Slowly, Ed rose to his feet, his eyes hidden by his long bangs. It was unnecessarily dramatic, but Ed relished in the effect he had created as Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle watched him intently. He then flashed them an almost wicked grin.
"A poker game."
Crabbe and Goyle stared at him dumbly. "Poker?"
"Poker?" Zabini echoed, raising an eyebrow. "What's poker?"
"I've heard of that before," Draco chimed in from where he was working on his Arithmancy essay. Everyone looked over at him as he raised his grey eyes from the parchment. "Muggle game, isn't it?"
"A Muggle game?" Zabini looked at both Ed and Draco incredulously. "How do you two know of a Muggle game?"
Ed had no idea what he was talking about, but thankfully, Draco did. The white-blonde rolled his eyes as though he didn't enjoy recalling the memory.
"Muggle studies class," he muttered.
"Same," Ed lied.
Glancing at the perplexed expressions on the faces of his friends and followers, Draco turned away from his essay with an exasperated sigh. He took on a thoughtful look for a moment, choosing his words carefully before speaking.
"Poker is a card game. Basically, you get five cards each. Certain combinations of cards are better than others, and the person who has the stronger combination wins..."
He continued to explain the basics and rules of poker to them. The three Slytherins nodded their heads as they listened. Zabini seemed to understand perfectly, but Crabbe and Goyle were confused as ever. In spite of the simplistic terms that Draco had used in his explanation, none of it seemed to stick in their dim minds. Ed was impressed that Draco knew so much about poker, but it was somewhat hard to believe that something so trivial had been taught in a class. When the explanation was finished, Ed cleared his throat loudly, bringing everyone's attention back on him.
"These are the conditions," he announced. "If I win, you guys leave me alone and do your work yourselves. In the unlikely event that you win, I'll help you three with your homework." Ed's grin grew. "Deal?"
Zabini grinned back. "Alright. But I'll play for all three of us. That fine by you?"
The young blonde shrugged. "Sounds fair enough."
Crabbe and Goyle looked rather relieved to hear that and patted Zabini heartily on the back. Only Draco understood that Ed had insulted them with that comment, insinuating that the three of them combined were hardly worth him alone, and smirked. He brought his essay over to where Ed and his lackeys were playing, having decided to watch the game. It promised to be interesting. This certainly wasn't something that happened everyday.
"Right then!" Zabini said, enthusiastically rubbing his hands together. "Let's get started!"
The alchemist grinned again.
"I'll change two."
Ed grabbed two cards and put them into his hand. He groaned inwardly, disappointed with the hand that he had. Winning a game of poker against Zabini should have been easy, but it seemed like he was just as natural with poker as Al was. Ed shifted his gaze from his junk hand of cards to Zabini, who was also looking at his cards intently. He seemed to be deep in thought.
A small crowd of Slytherins had gathered to watch, their homework now abandoned on the floor and on desks. Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be completely dumbfounded, their eyes wide and their mouths hanging slightly agape. Draco had finally finished his essay and was also watching the game from the couch, lounging casually on his side with his head propped up by his arm.
"Hurry up already," Ed muttered, annoyed.
"Right," Zabini said. "Changing two as well."
He reached over, picked up two cards and inserted them into his hand. An excited glint could be seen in his dark eyes at which Ed scowled. He looked back down at his cards.
"Say Elric, what say we double the bet?"
Ed didn't look up. "Whatever you say."
Zabini smirked as he laid down his cards, revealing three of a kind and a pair. "Sorry, Elric. Full house."
The other Slytherins looked impressed, some of them applauding the feat. Though Crabbe and Goyle didn't understand what was going on, they started to congratulate Zabini. The boy leaned back, a smug look on his face. Ed looked at the cards that were spread out on the table with a frown.
"You're good, Zabini."
This caused another ripple of excitement and more congratulations and praise was sent in Zabini's direction. However, Ed was undeterred as he adjusted his hold on his cards.
"But... you're just not good enough."
Everyone stopped talking, turning to look at Ed with their eyes wide. Zabini's face fell slowly as Ed laid his cards out on the table. One by one, the cards were revealed to be a ten, a Jack, a Queen, a King, and an Ace, all in spades.
"Royal straight flush."
Draco raised an astonished eyebrow then smirked as a realization dawned on him. Everyone else yelled out in surprise, throwing their hands up into the air. Zabini's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped visibly. Crabbe and Goyle looked at one another, then over at their representative.
"Did... we lose?"
"Of course you lost," Draco muttered as he sat up straight on the couch. "A royal flush is the best hand you can get in poker, you gits."
Zabini groaned, leaning back and running his hands through his hair. Ed just grinned as he gathered the cards and shuffled them once.
"Best two out of three," Zabini haggled, springing back.
"No can do," Ed told him with a shake of his head. "We made a deal, remember? Equivalent exchange, after all."
"What the bloody hell's that supposed to mean?" he snapped, rising to his feet to leave. "Equivalent exchange my ass."
As everyone left the common room, heading back to the dorms now that the show was over, Ed shuffled the cards in his hands and considered playing solitaire for a little while. Draco was the last one left. He stood up from the couch and walked over to Ed. The young alchemist flicked his braid over his shoulder as he turned to look at Draco.
"What else have you got up your sleeve, Elric?"
Ed flinched ever so slightly at the words. "I don't know what you're talking about," he answered, feigning innocence.
Draco reached over and grabbed Ed's left arm. He rolled the sleeve up and several cards fell to the stone floor. He smirked, looking at all the aces of spades that had been tucked away in his robes and finally released Ed's wrist. Ed stared at the cards on the floor.
"How did those get there?" he said, his voice awkwardly high.
"You're lucky Zabini didn't notice," Malfoy said as he walked away, grabbing his parchment. "But next time, try to be more discreet." He paused before ascending the stairs to the dorm. "On the other hand... Nice going. Looks like there's a little Slytherin in you after all."
Ed jumped up and stomped one foot on the ground. "WHO DID YOU SAY WAS SMALL LIKE A GRAIN OF RICE AND DOESN'T SHOW UP IN YOUR EYES?"
Draco smirked again and disappeared up the stairs. Ed waited for the sound of his footsteps to fade away and then hung his head.
"I can't believe I got caught," he mumbled to himself.
He sighed again as he gathered all the cards (including the ones on the floor) and tucked them away. Ed turned to look at the fire for a moment before what Draco had told him began to sink in. His face twisted in disappointment and he began to scratch his head furiously with both hands.
"GAH! I DON'T WANNA BE SLYTHERIN!"
The next week of school passed without much trouble... except for Edward having problems with his Transfiguration class. The idea of being able to turn living things into inanimate objects and vice versa was unnerving for an alchemist such as himself. During the last class, he had vehemently protested against transfiguring a tiny mouse into a tall vase, refusing to do anything to another living being. When McGonagall asked why, Ed just gave her an insolent shake of his head and folded his arms over his chest stubbornly. He had wound up with a detention.
Charms class was a bit unsettling to Ed as well, simply because of all the required wand work. No matter how many times he used magic, he still insisted on finding a logical explanation to how it worked. He continued to pour over his books during their breaks, searching for answers to his questions. He had yet to find any.
Apart from that, Ed was starting to get used to his surroundings. Hogwarts was definitely a very bizarre place. Sometimes the paintings would start talking to Ed as he walked by and the ghosts that just wandered about the halls aimlessly still made him nervous. It was as though everything that he no longer believed in existed here, and it really had Ed rattled for the first few days. But he was slowly starting to get used to it, having reduced his reaction from a shocked jump backward to an eye twitch.
As Ed followed Draco and his friends to dinner, they were stopped in the entrance way by Professor Slughorn.
"Mr. Zabini, Mr. Elric!" he greeted them eagerly, puffing out his enormous belly and twiddling with his moustache. "Just who I've been hoping to see. I was hoping to catch you before dinner! What do you say to a spot of supper tonight in my rooms instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars, I've got McLaggen coming and the charming Melinda Bobbin -"
"Sorry, sir," Ed interrupted politely, "but I've got detention with Professor McGonagall."
"Oh dear, that's too bad," Slughorn frowned. He then turned to Blaise. "How about you, Mr. Zabini?"
"Oh, uh, I..." Zabini took a step back, frantically searching his mind for some kind of excuse and failing miserably. "Um... Sure. I suppose I can-"
"Excellent!" the professor boomed. "Yes, well then, I'll see you there!"
He then bustled out of the Hall. Zabini groaned, saying something angrily under his breath. Draco screwed up his face as he watched Slughorn walk away. He then turned on Zabini and glared, which was returned with a dumbfounded look. With a loud snort, Draco turned on his heel and stormed into the Great Hall. Pansy looked between everyone for a few confused moments before chasing after Draco. Ed and Blaise were left behind, a confused expression on Blaise's face.
"Don't know what his problem is," Zabini sighed. "I'd give anything to trade places with him. Like I really want to have supper with that arse Slughorn."
Ed shrugged his shoulders and slowly entered the Great Hall. Before he got too far he turned back around, a mocking grin plastered across his face as he waved with false enthusiasm.
"Have fun!"
He then left Zabini fuming in the entrance way behind him.
Author's Note: hehehe... i was compelled to do the poker stuff because of episode 10 of FMA, the one that starts out with Ed and Al playing poker... i don't know much about poker, but i tried. (sweatdrop) anyways, yeah...really short chapter, this one... HOORAY FOR TRANSITION CHAPTERS :P