Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 78

Next he knew, Padfoot stood on his chest and earnestly licked his cheeks with his great wet sloppy tounge. Ed vainly attempted to hold the dog back with his left arm, but Padfoot wiggled around it easily enough. Ed was careful not to use his right against the friendly animal.

"Pftw!! Vhat IS it vith de big dogs and dem liking de knocking me ober? Pttw!!"

With a laugh, Harry pulled Padfoot away. Ed couldn't help but grin as the dog managed to half-drag Harry about as well as keeping himself pinned to the ground.

'Smart dog.' Ed thought, and got a nose full of dog slobber from the lolling tongue. "Ugh! uber Gross!! Dog flavored snot!! ARRGH!!!"

That began the rarest of things of rare things: Ed actually acted his age.

He wrested playfully with the dog and Harry both. Always careful not to use the automail on either one. This was not sparring, afterall, and Ed knew that Harry was not the most physical type. The rough housing they did there in the room made such a great racket, (Ed banged the wardrobe hard against the wall no less than five times righting his footing; Harry at least seven) that it wasn't long before Ed noticed they were being watched from the door with amused eyes. Hermione and Ginny were looking in from the doorway.

Pop!Pop!

Ed looked up from the ground to the eyes of the twins, who had appeared on either side of him, Padfoot on his chest, 'pinning' him once again. Harry had both hands on Padfoot's rump, trying to cleverly roll the beast to his back --somehow-- Ed supposed. As he watched, Ron poked his head around Ginny.

"This the guy you were so.."

"..Scared spitless of Ron..?" FredandGeorge said.

Harry was surprised that Ed decided to join them for dinner, considering he had been curled into that tight ball on the bed most of the day. Ed's eyes were no longer that disturbing muddy brown he had seen that morning, but they were also far from that blazing molten gold he had glimpsed in the drawing room.

They did have more life in them at least, especially after the imprompteau wrestling with Padfoot.

Ed, picking at the food before him, was wearing a dark t-shirt, over which he had a light colored long sleeved button-up shirt he had grabbed after the twins had let them know dinner was served. No gloves were on his hands, which let Harry see the fake limb in use. Moving so naturally it was almost eerie; Harry had to constantly remind himself not to stare.

Sirius, as himself, entered the kitchen and joined them at the table. He grinned at Ed and nodded, then sat next to Harry as was his habit. Harry had to admit the Sirius made a such great dog; able to timely distract Ed from doing whatever it was that made his eyes go so dull and utterly lifeless. He was sure Ed would have gone into another staring trance had Padfoot NOT knocked him to the ground when he did. All because of the barest mentioning of what happened to his brother.

'Whatever happened, Ed hasn't managed to move past it.' Harry thought. 'like Cedric with me, I suppose.'

Harry thought of the graveyard, remembering Cedric falling, dead, right before his eyes. Just because Voldemort thought Cedric unworthy of living in the same world he clawed his way back to.

Harry remembered the great cauldron; the wound he recieved on his arm; the strange ritual he had been forced to both witness and take part in, tied as he was to a gravestone; and finally the red inhuman eyes of Voldemort himself as he pulled himself up from the black rim. Alive. Whole.

'And now, no one but my friends believe me Voldemort is back.' Harry thought, and rubbed his burning scar. Ed glanced at him from that movement, and Harry saw him frown slightly. 'I'm not sure Ed even knows just how dangerous Voldemort is.'

Hermione was chattering away about Hogwarts to Ron, and Ron changed it to be about Quiddich. Soon, a heated arguement with Ginny over the 'proper' use of bludgers and feints began. Harry listened half-smiling, looking forward to the new school year ahead. Then Hermione asked the question that made Harry blink.

"So..um. Ed..I wanted to ask you..uh..have you decided to join us? At Hogwarts?"

Ed swallowed and looked over at her.

"I..saw you had a welcome letter. Not that many people get one, you see and uh..."

"You...vread...my mail..?"

"Ran into it when we cleaned up there. Completely unintentional..I swear..honest..!"

Ed pushed back from the table, and stood up.

"Ed..? I'm sorry..I.."

"I am SCIENTIST, Hermione. Dhe whole idea of tings dhat cannot be explained.." Ed leaned on his fist on the table. "Magic..Vhy vhould I..?"

"To learn ABOUT it, of course...and you'd be with us..least I think..um..we're the nearly the same age.."

Ed took his plate and went to the kitchen, shaking his head slightly as he went. Harry could've sworn he heard him muttering in his language the entire way.

"Way to go, 'ione." Ron said to her. "Now he's gonna be testy with everyone again."

"Shut up." Hermione said, and folded her arms. "..Had to try at least."

"You just want someone in the library with you." Ron muttered.

"That was admirable Hermione." Lupin said.

I have to let you know that even Dumbledore himself tried." Sirius said. "I was there. Ed turned him down. I must say he seems a little less offended at the idea, though. So..maybe.." Sirius shrugged and forked a potato.

"Really?" Hermione said hopefully.

"Yes..he didn't leave dents in the table this time." Lupin said with a smile.

Harry raised his eyebrows. Then lifted his plate for a look. He glanced across and saw the twins, and even Ron, doing the same.

Ed spent the remainder of the night sorting through his papers, notes, and books. He allowed Hermione, Harry and Ron to assist, but Harry didn't think they were much help at all. By the time Hermione was ushered off to bed by , they had at least gone through most of the books. The subjects ranged from chemistry and physics, to things that Harry hadn't even heard of, (Except, of course that 'Al-khimia' book that Ed had said he purchased from an old book store for the fun of it.) There were a great variety of languages represented as well.

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