It takes Ed all of three days, filled with heated internal debate about his own values, to decide that if Sirius is willing to break a promise, Ed should have no qualms about doing the same — even if he can't quite shake the feeling that he's betraying Sirius' trust in him by doing so.
* * * * *
"Professor, do you have time this week to discuss some of the material you covered? I didn't really get it the first time," Ed says.
Lupin stops organizing the papers on his desk to give Ed a bemused look. "You didn't… 'get' it?"
There isn't any material Ed hasn't "got" for the entire year in DADA, let alone any of his other classes, and end-of-year exams are in ten days. Ed can see the way the gears in Lupin's brain turn, can almost practically see the steam spilling out of his ears as he tries to figure out what Ed is playing at, which makes sense. Ever since their detentions together had ended, they'd politely avoided each other for obvious reasons.
"Yes, I didn't understand it and would like to consult you on the matter." He wields his politeness as a weapon, making it incredibly difficult for Lupin to turn him down without a good reason.
The professor looks alarmed, maybe even scared. His eyes wander to the left of Ed's face, taking in the last of the students lingering in the classroom.
"It's about the new material," Ed clarifies. It's not about werewolves.
Lupin picks up on the hint, thankfully. "Ah, I see," he says, relaxing minutely. "I suppose I'd be able to make time tomorrow afternoon, if that would work for you?"
"That's fine, Professor," Ed answers brusquely. "I'll see you then."
He leaves as abruptly as he had approached and Lupin is left with less than twenty-four hours to fret about what Ed could possibly want from him.
* * * * *
Ed is already waiting rather impatiently for Lupin in his empty classroom, pacing the length of the room with all of the frustration of a caged animal. He's tried to work out an explanation for everything that had transpired since Ed had first caught Sirius, but every reasonable truth and fact about the matter sounds insane, even to Ed, which is why he decides he'll just have to improvise.
You're the fucking Fullmetal Alchemist, you can do this.
When Lupin walks in and spots him wrestling with his agitation, he pauses. "Edward?"
"Oh, good, you're here." Ed has enough of a sense of humor left in him to gesture to the front row. There's a trace of a smirk on his lips as he says, "Please take a seat."
The tension in Lupin's shoulders fades and the corners of his mouth turn upwards ever so slightly. "I do hope you weren't asking for a moment of my time simply to get revenge for the detentions."
"That's not really my style," Ed says. He can feel his ports throb, not painfully, but almost as if they're reminding him of their existence. "But this is going to be a fucking mess, I'm telling you that right now."
"What did you want to talk about?"
Ed runs his tongue along the front of his teeth, an irritated twitch to his eye. "This is about Sirius Black."
The effect is immediate: Lupin turns rigid in his seat and his hands curl into fists, which Ed decides is done more to hide Lupin's trembling than it is about anger. That's a good sign, at the very least.
"What," Lupin says after a few moments of tense silence, "about Sirius Black?" His tone is polite, disinterested, but in too calm of a manner to be anything but fake.
Ed internally applauds the man for having an incredible amount of self-control, especially considering the influences he had growing up. (Sirius could stand to learn something from his friends.)
"Just. Just listen to everything I have to say before running off, okay?" He glares at Lupin, who takes a moment to consider Ed's words before nodding slightly. "Great. Good, this is good. Probably." A grimace. "Maybe. Fuck."
At first, Ed can't seem to get the right combination of words out no matter what he tries, because he isn't about to explain how he just "happened" to know that Sirius could turn into a dog or that he'd been looking for the man well before their detentions together had ended. But then he reaches a point where he stops trying to pull a Mustang and says the plain truth of the situation; he tries (and fails) to be objective about the events leading up to now, where Ed is missing both a dog and a rat.
Lupin, for the most part, doesn't visibly react to anything Ed says; not when he explains the truth behind the Potters' deaths, not when he clarifies that he'd been hiding Sirius in the castle, and not when he mentions he'd been involved in the creation of a new plan.
"— and he said he'd listen to reason even though that was a fucking lie, because now he's fucked off to who-knows-where —"
"He what?" It's the first time Lupin has said anything since Ed had started ranting about Sirius' sudden disappearance.
Ed scowls at the memory of the empty Room of Requirement. "He fucking left when I told him not to do that!"
"That… that sounds like something he'd do," Lupin mutters to himself, pressing a hand to his temple. He almost looks worse than he does in the days leading up to the full moon. "And you haven't seen him since?"
Ed wants to slam his head against a desk. Or the wall. Or maybe he should throw himself out a window and end his dealings with wizards forever. "Why the hell do you think I'm talking to you?"
"Yes, you're right." Lupin takes a moment to visibly compose himself, keeping his face carefully blank, although Ed notes the way his fingers twitch slightly. "You have to realize that this is a lot of information to process, Edward. Even if… even if Si–. Bl–." Lupin struggles to choose a name to call his old friend. Eventually he decides. "Even if… Black were telling the truth—"
Ed stops him with an irritated flick of his hand. "I believe him, I'm just also of the opinion that he's short-sighted as hell in regard to all of this talk about avenging the Potters and whatever else."
"You believe him," Lupin repeats, his forehead wrinkling with concern. "Si–, Black has always been rather masterful in his ability to, ah, 'bullshit', as you called it. Isn't there a possibility that he was able to conjure up some believable lie in order to take advantage of you?"
"You haven't gone racing to tell Dumbledore so I'm inclined to believe whatever act this is."
"It's not an act," Lupin objects. "Black is dangerous, he, he's a wanted criminal, he's—"
"Are you really going to pretend you doubt him when it's been fucking obvious from the start that you don't think him capable of betraying his friends?"
At this point, Ed would have to be an idiot to not have noticed the way Sirius talks about Lupin or the way Lupin now tiptoes around talking about Sirius. They were once the best of friends and Ed is not nearly dumb enough to miss the wistful manner in which Sirius would reminisce about small moments by Lupin's side and the bright way he'd smile when referring to him as Moony.
The familiarity, the genuine care for another person's wellbeing, the simple amount of attention given in how Sirius describes Lupin: it's all there in the way Lupin talks about Sirius too. There's the hesitation to refer to him by his given name, despite the way that name rolls off Lupin's tongue so naturally in comparison to the stilted emphasis on his use of "Black". It's in the bitter fondness Lupin reveals in his muttered commentary, the fact that he still remembers and thinks about what Sirius is like and what he might do.
"I can't really say whether I think him capable or not, but—"
Ed cuts him off again, bluntly. "You know he wouldn't tell me you were a werewolf —" Lupin flinches "— until I figured it out on my own and told him? He's still keeping secrets for you, twelve years later, even when he thinks that you don't give two shits about him anymore."
"I can't say I'm surprised." Lupin's voice is subdued. "He's always been incredibly protective of his friends."
"Yeah." Ed collapses into a chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk in front of him, manners be damned. "He's… he's a good person. Or I guess he tries to be a good person, and I think that's what makes a person good to begin with. The trying to be."
"He's always tried," Lupin says softly, "but didn't manage to think through many of his decisions. I suppose it isn't farfetched that he'd get caught up in something like this, but… to think Peter… the fourth Marauder I mean. To think Peter could have done this to James. To Sirius." He takes a deep breath, his nostrils flaring. There's a fury in every line of his body, a tightness to him that he's never displayed before. "It's unforgiveable."
"Sirius said similar things about the Rat Bastard's loyalties and is now completely ready to murder him over it."
Lupin gapes. "He's going to do what?"
"He wants to kill the Rat Bastard and I've told him a thousand times that's one of his top ten dumbest ideas, but the stubborn idiot wouldn't listen to me and we had a god-damn plan but that didn't stop him from running off to do who-knows-what without even telling me about it in the first place—"
"Are you joking?"
"I'm really not. Sirius is going to do something fucking stupid if he hasn't already and I'm pretty sure he's going to get executed or something when he gets caught."
"When? Not if?"
"When, because the bastard sucks at planning. You already know this, don't act surprised."
"It's been a long time since I've considered myself to be knowledgeable about Sirius Black," Lupin says wryly. There's an anxious twitch to his fingers, which he drums absentmindedly against the desk.
"Well, he hasn't changed all that much," Ed shoots back, "which is why I'm asking for your help."
"I don't think there's much I can do for you if you don't know where he is," Lupin points out.
"I need the map," Ed says impatiently. "I doubt Sirius left the school grounds and we can probably track—"
"How do you know about the map?" Lupin interrupts, unable to curb his curiosity.
Ed is reminded of the way Sirius had demanded to know the same thing when he'd discovered the map is still in circulation. He snorts. "Who do you think had it before Potter?"
It's not hard to guess, because if Ed knows about it, he'd have learned that information from someone who trusts him enough to talk about it and Ed has more fingers on one hand than he does friends. (If he discounts the automail as real fingers, he can technically say he has more fingers in total than he does friends.)
"The Weasley twins, of course," Lupin murmurs, more to himself than anything. He shakes his head slightly, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "You were saying?"
Ed rubs his right shoulder absentmindedly. "We need to find Sirius."
Lupin suppresses a sigh, weariness evident in his features, before walking behind his desk and producing the innocently blank parchment from one of his drawers.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he says quietly.
The words are a declaration that clash horribly with the way Lupin appears resigned, weighed down by the information Ed all but forced upon him. Ed would feel terrible about passing such a burden on, but he's watched Sirius lie to himself about wanting Lupin back in his life, about telling his last living friend the truth, about reuniting with someone he clearly holds dear, especially after a decade of solitude.
And if Lupin's response is anything to go off of, the werewolf isn't in much better shape; he's clearly lacking in reliable social relationships, most likely due to his condition, and his reaction about Sirius in general makes Ed think he's done the right thing to involve him, even if it is a bit late in the game to do so.
"Will you come with me?" Ed asks as the ink spreads across the parchment, detailing the inside of the castle.
Lupin traces the neat lines of ink with a fingertip, focusing on the disappearing footprints all over the map with an intensity Ed knows is completely unnecessary. "I'm not certain he'd like to see me."
It takes Ed a moment to really think about what Lupin has said before whipping around to face him. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Edward, it's–"
"Ed," he interrupts. "Just call me Ed."
"Alright then. Ed," Lupin corrects himself. "It's, it's been a long time since I've seen him. And I can't say our last meeting was on… good terms."
"You still care about him, don't you?"
"Of course," Lupin answers immediately. He hesitates, as if debating something, before he sighs and continues. "I've tormented myself over my inability to hate Sirius for his betrayal, thought constantly that I was doing James and Lily a disservice by remembering him fondly, even when I tried very hard not to." He scans the map for Sirius' footprints. "I thought about him every day."
"Then come with me to find the dumb bastard and tell him that. He misses you, I know he does for a fact, and I know you miss him. You guys are socially stunted to the point that I'm pretty concerned you don't have any other friends." It's the kind of bluntness Ed normally reserves for people he likes and it brings a small smile to Lupin's worry-ridden face.
"I'm not sure how to feel about being referred to as 'socially stunted' by you."
Ed rolls his eyes. "Fuck off, I have more friends than you do."
(He startles himself with how easily the admission comes to him.)
Lupin's smile fades. "You said he didn't want me to know the truth."
"That's because he's got self-esteem issues," Ed says.
He laughs weakly. "Sirius Black. Having low self-esteem? That sounds quite impossible."
"Prison will do that to you."
They stand silently over the map, with Lupin eyeing the lower floors of the castle as Ed surveys the rest.
"Is he… is he okay? What, er, what is he like? Now, I mean."
"He's not okay," Ed says, matter-of-fact. "He's definitely affected by his time in Azkaban, but he's still the same idiot who decided Moony was an appropriate nickname for a werewolf."
That startles a laugh out of Lupin. The corners of Ed's mouth turn up in response.
"He's childish and impatient and so fucking hot-headed it's impossible to reason with him sometimes," Ed continues. "But he's kind, in an awkward, socially incompetent way, and he cares about his friends, like you said before. He talks about you a lot."
"He does?"
"Oh yeah, it was hard keeping a straight face in your class when I was imagining you tripping down three flights of stairs because you wouldn't stop reading those corny romance books."
Lupin turns slightly pink. "He said that, did he?"
Ed smirks. "He's said a lot. To think that a Hogwarts professor was involved in so much mischief during his time as a student… always knew you were a right bastard underneath this frumpy coat."
"This coat is in perfectly good condition," Lupin says, completely ignoring the point.
Before Ed can repeat the important message that Remus Lupin is a right bastard, Lupin speaks. "There he is." He reaches out and taps a pair of footprints pacing the length of the Forbidden Forest, never venturing too far in.
"God fucking damn it, he's looking for the bike," Ed grits out.
"The bike?" Lupin's confused expression morphs into one of horror. "You don't mean—"
"I'll explain on the way there. C'mon, we got to go find our idiot."
* * * * *
With the map in hand, Lupin and Ed avoid any witnesses as they slip out of the castle and hurry towards the forest. Ed explains the original plan as they walk and then clarifies that, yes, "the bike" refers to Sirius' flying motorbike.
"I should have destroyed that thing when I had the chance," Lupin says ruefully. "Sirius always did think riding it made him look 'cool'."
Ed snorts. "Sirius is the very opposite of cool."
"I'm surprised you've managed to form such an accurate opinion of him in so short of a time," Lupin says with a smile.
"I'm full of surprises."
"Yes, I'm beginning to understand that," Lupin says. They're almost at Hagrid's hut. "How are we going to go about this?"
"Well, I'm pretty much going to strangle him to death the second I get my hands on him, so maybe you should go first."
Lupin sighs. "Why am I having flashbacks of my teenage years?"
"Suck it up, old man, he's your friend, your problem."
"He's your friend too, by the sound of it."
"Sure," Ed cuts him off, "But he was your friends first, so you're going first."
Lupin has the sense to stay quiet, picking his way across the forest floor while referencing the map every so often.
"We're almost there," he says softly. He turns to face Ed. "I suppose I'll be going first."
Ed gives him a shit-eating grin and a thumbs-up before waving him off.
They're deep enough in the forest that the trees block out most natural light and the visibility is limited to roughly three feet in front of a person's nose. Ed lingers behind a tree and waits for any indication from Lupin that he should approach.
There's no sound in the forest except for the occasional crunch of Lupin's feet against the twigs and fallen leaves. Ed dislikes the unnatural stillness of his surroundings; weren't forests supposed to be filled with animals and whatnot? Where are the birds? Or even the sound of the wind?
He doesn't have much longer to ruminate on the eerie silence.
"Moo-, Moony?!"
"Hullo, Sirius," Lupin says. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"
"What, wait, how? I'm, er, I guess?" Awkward silence. "Why aren't you running away or something?"
"I was informed by a concerned party that I'd find you here."
That's Ed's cue. He wanders out from his hiding spot and approaches the voices.
Sirius and Lupin are standing five feet apart (because they're not gay), staring each other down, because they clearly don't know what else to do. As soon as Ed appears behind Lupin, Sirius splutters, pointing between the two of them as he scrambles to piece together what exactly has changed since he left the Room of Requirements. "You, you, fuck, you fucking told him! Why the fuck would you do that!"
Ed stalks over and grabs the front of Sirius' robes and the man immediately wraps his hands around Ed's wrists.
"Why would I do that? What about you?" Ed snarls, shaking Sirius furiously. "What the hell were you thinking?"
The outrage at Ed's "betrayal" is overcome by a look of pure guilt as Sirius seems to remember his own actions. "I, uh, I w-, wasn't?"
"Damn straight you weren't," Ed says. "If you ever do anything like this again, I'll shave you bald, you hear me?"
Sirius yelps, putting one hand protectively against the top of his head. "You wouldn't dare, brat!"
"Fucking try me, you bastard!" Ed shakes him once more for good measure before letting Sirius go.
Sirius collapses in a heap on the floor and stays there, lifting his arm over his eyes. The three of them don't move, waiting on Sirius to get up off the ground.
"Sorry," he says, still covering his eyes, still on the ground. It's quiet but sincere. "I got impatient."
"I figured," Ed says, irritated, but no longer as angry as he'd once been. "Did you manage to do anything useful?"
"…no."
"I might just murder you and bury your dumb ass out here and no one will find out what happened to—"
"Perhaps this isn't the best time," Lupin says, reminding both Sirius and Ed of his presence. "You said Peter is still unaccounted for."
"How much did you tell him, you little brat," Sirius mutters, heaving himself off the floor, but refusing to make eye contact with his childhood friend.
Neither man can look at each other and Ed doesn't have the patience to watch them dance around each other.
"What, you guys aren't going to kiss and make up?"
Sirius and Lupin jerk their heads in Ed's general direction.
"NO!" Sirius shouts at the same time that Lupin bursts into laughter.
Ed holds up both hands in a defensive gesture. "Alright, alright, calm the fuck down."
"You calm down," Sirius snaps. "Can you believe this kid?"
"He's been a pain in my ass all year long," Lupin replies, deadpan.
Ed snorts. "Did I hear that correctly? Remus Lupin badmouthing his students? I'm reporting you to McGonagall for hurting my feelings."
Lupin smiles at the thought. "I assure you, no one will believe it, especially coming from you."
He's the first to crack, laughing so hard he almost cries over the mental image of Ed telling on him on the basis of hurt feelings, and it's infectious, because soon Sirius joins in, the sound of his laughter free and unburdened. Ed breathes easier as he can feel the tension from before ebbing away.
"You two can catch up later," Ed says eventually, returning his attention to their mutual problem before Sirius and Lupin can slip back into strained silence. "We need to readjust the original plan thanks to someone here. I won't name names."
Sirius scowls. "I said I was sorry!"
"I said I won't name names," Ed says in his best impersonation of Mustang's "get-fucked" voice.
Lupin snorts.
"Like I said. Change of plans." Ed thinks about what Lupin's involvement could mean. "Have you seen the Rat Bastard on the map?"
The man shakes his head. "I wasn't looking for him." He offers the parchment to Ed, who takes it and spread it out on top of a nearby boulder. "Pettigrew," Lupin adds, remembering Ed didn't know the full name.
"He should be somewhere in the Gryffindor dormitory," Ed says, scanning the page. "There!"
"Where?" Sirius leans in and then immediately glowers at the name "Peter Pettigrew" wandering about in one of the bedrooms.
"How do you suppose we catch him? He'll definitely run if he sees either me or Sirius."
Ed might cry at Lupin's display of common sense. "Thank every higher power in existence for people who understand rational thinking."
"HEY!"
Ed ignores the outburst from Sirius. "I could sneak into the Gryffindor dorms. It's risky, especially given my fucked-up reputation, but it's easier to get away with than if either of you attempt it."
"How will you get in?" Lupin asks.
"Genius over there got a list of passwords into the dorm."
Lupin gives Ed a pitying look. "How did you manage to endure his presence for this long?"
"I liked you two better when you didn't know you both knew me," Sirius grumbles. "And it wasn't that dumb, Moony, I swear I wasn't going to do anything—"
"Stupid? Reckless? Thoughtless?" Lupin supplies for him.
"He definitely was," Ed confirms.
"I hate you both," Sirius announces.
"Sure you do," Ed snorts. "Anyways. I can get the rat, but now that we have Lupin, maybe we can finally exonerate you and you can meet your godson."
Sirius instantly becomes uncomfortable. "I don't… that's probably not a great idea."
"Why not?" Lupin is genuinely surprised. "Don't you want to be able to live your life? To meet Harry?"
Sirius doesn't respond.
"Why is it a bad idea? Isn't that what you wanted?" Ed prods the man, who half-heartedly bats his fingers away.
"I didn't really prepare myself for that possibility," Sirius says in a small voice. "I didn't ever think I'd get to be free and it seemed useless getting my hopes up."
Okay, that is way out of my comfort zone.
Ed elbows Lupin and makes a face that screams talk-to-him-NOW.
Lupin nods and walks over to sit by Sirius' side. The other man instantly leans in so that their shoulders are pressed together. "I can understand that mentality." His voice is quiet, gentle the way it had been whenever he had tried to talk about boggarts with Ed. "Did you know that I hadn't ever hoped to have acquaintances, let alone friends, after becoming a werewolf? That was a few years before I was eleven, so I wasn't —"
It's far too intimate for Ed to feel comfortable, listening on as old friends spill secrets and share feelings he shouldn't be privy to. He retreats into the forest, putting enough distance between them that he can't quite make out what they're saying, even if he can imagine the way the conversation will go.
He's known Sirius would still have issues — he'll probably have issues for the rest of his life — and he thinks he can understand it perhaps better than anyone else, but it isn't his place to say anything about it. Maybe with time, Ed might be able to have that conversation, but right now, stuck in a reality that isn't his own, wielding limbs that aren't quite his, he knows that he can't.
He can't stand the thought of being vulnerable ever again.
"Kid?"
Ed blinks and comes face-to-face with Sirius, who's peering back at him. "Lupin changed your mind that fast?"
"It's been nearly half an hour," Sirius points out, "but yeah, he did." His brow furrows with concern. "You alright?"
"Yeah. I'm good. Fine."
Lupin hovers a few feet away, the exasperation written all over his face. "The classic Elric response."
Ed doesn't get a chance to retort, because Sirius suddenly smiles gleefully and rounds on him. "Your name is Elric?"
"No," Ed says, glaring at Lupin. "It's not."
"Moony knows your name! Doesn't this mean I get to know your name too?" Sirius looks at him with hopeful eyes, the slightest pout gracing his lips.
"No," Ed replies, an evil smirk twisting his features. He snorts at the unique blend of dismay and irritation radiating off of Sirius in near-visible waves. Ed allows Sirius to suffer for another minute before speaking again. "I'm Ed," he says, grin spreading across his face, "Edward Elric."
"I think 'brat' suits you better," Sirius replies, eyes twinkling with mischievous humor.
"Fuck off," Ed growls.
"Children," Lupin says, "please behave."
* * * * *
The new and improved plan is simple: Lupin will invite Harry to the Shrieking Shack (under the guise of telling him more about his parents, which is not technically a lie), where Sirius will be waiting. Ed will fetch Pettigrew and bring him to the Shack beforehand, preferably without crossing paths with Harry. Ideally, Lupin and Sirius will explain the truth behind the deaths of Harry's parents with Pettigrew as both proof and witness and then they will all collectively report to Dumbledore as the first step in establishing Sirius' innocence.
Simple enough.
"Again, why don't we all just take the Rat Bastard and go to Dumbledore from the beginning, then let Harry know after?" Ed is sprawled on the forest floor, tearing dried leaves apart as they talk out their next moves.
"Because," Lupin answers, "Dumbledore may question my motives before I can properly explain what's going on and I'm not keen on dealing with the consequences of bringing a 'threat' onto school grounds."
"You really don't think one of the 'greatest wizards of our time' will listen to reason?"
Lupin purses his lips. "I'm afraid the Headmaster is difficult to understand at times and rather particular about how he does things. In regard to Sirius, he's already made up his mind on the matter."
"Dumbledore wanted to be James and Lily's Secret Keeper, but James asked me to do it," Sirius says gloomily. "I don't think he'd be happy to see me at all, whether we had Wormtail to prove it or not."
Ed understands the complexity of the situation and the careful consideration that they'll have to use moving forward. He is, after all, a State alchemist, and he's more than experienced when it comes to dealing with superiors who have to have things their way. "Alright then. We'll go with the Harry-first option."
"Besides," Lupin says cheerfully, "it might be better for Sirius to explain himself without outside influences pressuring either him or Harry."
"Good point," Ed agrees. "When should we do this though? The year is almost over."
End-of-year exams are taking place in little more than a week. The window of opportunity to communicate with Harry and Dumbledore is rapidly closing.
"Tomorrow?" Sirius suggests.
"I could do that," Ed nods. "I'll just sneak into the Gryffindor common room late tonight."
"Are you two serious?" Lupin stares at them like they've swapped heads.
"No, he's Sirius."
"No, I'm Sirius."
Ed and Sirius exchange looks and grin at the timing.
"You know what I meant. Are you joking?"
"No?"
"Harry has exams in nine days, we should be considerate of his study plans," Lupin explains.
"That's not important," Sirius says.
At the same time, Ed declares, "Exams mean nothing."
Lupin lets out a long-suffering sigh. "What did I expect from people who never study."
Sirius laughs. "You don't study either?"
Ed and Sirius high-five over their shared lack of concern in academic matters, while Lupin slips his wand out of his coat pocket.
He charms their eyebrows off in the next ten seconds.
"What the fuck," Ed says, turning to face Lupin. He covers his forehead with his hand. "Give them back!"
Lupin smiles politely. "Oh, they'll grow back soon."
"Ugh," Sirius groans, "I didn't miss this at all."
"You mean he's done this before?"
"Kid, Moony is the king of magical minor inconveniences. He uses his evil powers to punish people he thinks deserves it."
"Be grateful this isn't permanent," Lupin replies, still all smiles. "I'll ask Harry to meet with me after exams are over. Do not bother him before then."
"The full moon's the night of exams," Ed points out. "Won't that be a problem?"
"As long as we accomplish everything in a timely manner, it won't be a problem at all."
"And," Sirius adds, "you won't be alone."
Lupin smiles at the implication and Sirius grins back, but that just drags a laugh out of the werewolf. "You look odd without your eyebrows," he says.
"Whose fault is that," Ed grumbles. He squints. "How long is it going to take to grow back?"
"At least twenty-four hours," Lupin says, laughing again.
"Fuck you," Sirius and Ed say at the same time.
Lupin keeps laughing.
* * * * *
"You've been rather tense lately. Are you worried about exams?"
That startles an abrupt laugh out of Ed, whose last concern at the moment is what kind of nonsense grade he'll be receiving on his magic examinations. "Fuck no," he says. "Why, should I be worried?"
Blaise raises an eyebrow in a look that screams of cool indifference. "I think it won't matter in your case."
"You know me so well," Ed says, snorting. "I'm obviously like this because of exams."
"I'll have you know that Draco is intolerable leading up to exams," Blaise sniffs. "He's irritable to start with, but he's completely insufferable after reviewing a year's worth of material in twelve different subjects non-stop."
"Yeah, well, Draco needed to pull the wand out of his ass long before exams started."
Blaise exhales slightly through his nose, which Ed has learned is an indication of amusement and probably the closest to a laugh he's ever gotten from the Slytherin.
"I suppose Draco is rather uptight…"
Ed scoffs and turns his attention back to the blank parchment in front of him, trying to remember what exactly Snape said the essay should be about. (The asshole required the essays to be at least three feet of parchment paper! Also, why the fuck are wizards measuring the length of their essays! Ed digresses.) "Draco is a bastard."
"Bastard," Blaise repeats, testing the word out, forcing his mouth to create the unfamiliar sounds. "I think I've heard this one a fair amount."
Ever since that incident near Christmas, Ed has slowly become loose-lipped around Blaise when it comes to Amestrian and often adds his snide remarks without thinking much about it. Blaise, for the most part, takes to the foreign language like a vampire to blood, savoring in the smooth, sharp sounds of the foreign tongue as Ed rants.
He asks clarification questions occasionally, usually pointing out certain objects or requesting specific phrases he'd like to know. The first complete sentence Blaise ever pieces together on his own is, "You are annoying," in the rudest phrasing possible; Ed almost gets mad about how aggressive it sounds, but one, he knows how hard connotation is to learn, two, it's hilarious hearing prim and proper Blaise Zabini swear like a soldier when their CO isn't around and three, there's a really small part of him that likes someone bothering to learn what he's saying under his breath at all.
They aren't really at a point where they can have conversations — Ed is pretty sure Blaise won't ever be capable of it, given the lack of materials there are to formally learn the language — but Blaise will occasionally throw in an insult or point at something and name it in accented Amestrian and it's bittersweet, really, how much it reminds Ed that home is waiting for him, even if he might possibly be at home here too.
"Bastard," Ed says again, emphasizing the initial consonant. "You're a bastard."
"Rude," Blaise sniffs. "Although I'm only eighty percent certain what you just called me."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Ed replies, returning his attention to his blank essay paper.
Blaise gives him a withering look before opening his textbook once more. "Fucking idiot."
Ed smiles in spite of himself and doesn't bother to hide it, since the bastard won't see it anyways.
* * * * *
"Ed, could I, er, could I ask you something?"
Ed is sitting on the floor of an empty classroom, surrounded by every book he owns as he attempts to multitask. (He really shouldn't have procrastinated all of this essay-writing.)
"You can ask me anything, Neville," Ed replies, not looking up as he scribbles the last few inches of his potions essay.
"It's… it's about the summer."
Ed can't really tell why Neville sounds so hesitant. "What about the summer?" He finally looks up.
Neville is picking at a loose thread on his robe and he's focused on the task as if it were his mission in life to unravel the entire thing by hand.
"What about the summer?" Ed repeats uneasily.
"Do you. Are you… er, I was wondering" — Neville takes a deep breath — "if you had a place to stay."
Ed furrows his brow. "Why are you asking about—"
"Because you, you said, about your parents, you know, before Christmas?"
Shit. Ed almost forgot he'd revealed that tidbit of information to the other boy.
"I do. Have a place to stay, I mean." He's hesitant to explain much more than that; he'd love to tell Neville exactly where he'll be so he can assuage any fears of his potential homelessness, but there isn't an easy explanation of how Ed received an invitation to live with Sirius Black, wanted criminal.
Neville smiles, his face radiating genuine warmth. "That's great! Really, I'm, well, I'm really glad to hear that." He scowls suddenly. "Wait, you aren't lying to me right?"
"No, I wouldn't lie," Ed says, snorting. "What would be the point of that?"
"It's absolutely the kind of thing you would do," Neville accuses. "Lie so people don't worry about you."
"I'm not lying, Nev, I have a place to stay. A friend — an old friend, not from Hogwarts — is letting me live with him."
Neville is smiling again.
When Ed blinks, he sees Al smiling at him, his body no longer an armor, for a moment before the image disappears.
"Will you be going to the World Cup?"
"Hm?"
"The World Cup," Neville repeats. "It's the biggest event of the summer."
"Quidditch?"
Neville gapes. "Yeah, quidditch. Wow, where exactly were you raised?" His eyes grow wide and his lips tremble. "Sorry, I didn't mean—"
"Middle of fucking nowhere," Ed says nonchalantly. "Born and raised in the countryside, surrounded by Muggles."
"Oh," Neville says softly. And then he's grinning, his smile so wide Ed's certain it must hurt his cheeks. "Is it nice there?"
"It has its charms," Ed concedes. He tries to smile, but ends up grimacing and Neville notices immediately.
"We don't have to talk about it," the Gryffindor says.
"It's fine," Ed says. "I don't mind."
Baby steps, he thinks to himself.
Neville chews on his lower lip. "You're certain?"
Ed nods and squeezes his thigh, right above his automail. "I'm sure."
Neville drops to the floor and tucks his knees under his chin. "Then I'd like to hear about it. Where you grew up, what it was like there. I've heard small towns have a lot of hot gossip."
"Oh, you have no idea."
Ed goes off, doing his best to describe Resembool without the bad memories that linger there, answering Neville's questions and talking about the way the seasons change and the smell of the air and the color of the grass. The other boy sits and listens intently as Ed starts to open up about his life pre-Hogwarts.
By the end of it, Ed has even mentioned Al.
And he doesn't regret it at all.
* * * * *
Everything is going according to plan for once.
Exams are so easy for Ed that it's laughable; he finishes everything in record time. His final opportunity to upset the Ravenclaws for that school year comes to an end as he turns in his work a half hour early and slips out of the Great Hall. (They glare and groan and mutter under their breaths as he waves goodbye cheerily like the asshole he is.)
He's absolutely certain he's the only student to be wandering the halls, so he bolts up to the portrait guarding the Gryffindor common room with Crookshank's list in hand.
"Cabbages," he says.
The lady in the portrait eyes him suspiciously, but can't refuse him entry when he knows the password.
He checks the map before walking inside, watching Pettigrew's footsteps for any sudden movement. And it's all too easy to sneak into the room and snatch an unsuspecting rat lying on top of a discarded pair of pants beneath one of the beds.
The rat squeaks, writhing in Ed's grip, as Ed hurries out of the castle, racing to the Shrieking Shack. He's not at all worried by the prospect of it escaping, seeing as he's clenched his automail tightly around it.
It's finally fucking happening!
Sirius is waiting inside the shack, biting his fingernails and occasionally running a hand through his hair. His head snaps up to face the door when Ed bursts through.
"Do you have him?"
Ed wheezes, one hand on his knee, the other holding out the wriggling, panicked rodent.
"Fuck, this is actually happening," Sirius whispers.
"No murder," Ed reminds him, still catching his breath. "When does Lupin get here?"
"Soon, I hope."
Ed groans. "I don't want to be seen with you guys. Too many questions." He makes as if to hand Pettigrew over to Sirius, who immediately stops him.
"I don't trust myself with him," Sirius mutters darkly.
"Fine," Ed says. He pulls his wand out of his pocket. "Stupefy."
The rat goes limp.
"Take him," Ed insists, holding him out to Sirius. "You might not trust yourself, but I trust you. So, hurry up and take him and let me hide before Potter shows up."
Sirius slowly extends a hand and gingerly accepts the stunned rodent. He wrinkles his nose. "I really don't like this."
"Do what you must to fucking deal with it. Lupin'll get here soon. You thought about what you want to say to Potter?"
"Of course," Sirius says, instantly nervous once more. "I have it all planned out."
"Right," Ed says, dubiously. "I'm sure you'll be fine, just no murder and no talking like you belong in a Shakespearian tragedy, okay?"
There's a blank look. "Who's Shakespeare?"
"He's—, you know what, doesn't matter — no dramatics, okay?"
"Alright, alright, Merlin, who killed your owl and ate it?"
Ed flips him off, before retreating behind a closet door. "I'll be watching, so don't fuck up unless you want me to punch you. And I will, I definitely deserve to do it after all I've put up with."
"Shut up, brat, just go hide."
Everything's going to plan for once.
Until it doesn't.
* * * * *
The first complication becomes pretty fucking obvious when Lupin and Harry are not the only people to walk in through the door. Ron, with his unmistakable red hair and height, and Hermione, with her dark complexion and coiled hair, would be impossible to miss standing next to Harry Potter.
"Shit," Ed breathes. "Holy fucking shit."
"What did you want to show me, professor?" Harry glances around the run-down building.
Lupin clears his throat. "I know you've asked me a lot about your parents and I know you've heard things about–, about Sirius Black."
Ed can just barely make out what's happening from his hiding spot behind the busted closet door.
Harry's face scrunches as he thinks. "He got my parents murdered," he says bluntly.
Lupin flinches as something creaks loudly.
That has to be Sirius, Ed thinks.
"Yes, well, I asked you to meet with me, because I thought you deserved to know the truth," Lupin says weakly.
"What does that mean exactly?" Hermione says, slowly reaching for her wand.
Ron edges himself forward so he's slightly in front of Harry.
Lupin raises both hands to show he means no harm. "This is going to be hard to hear, but you must understand, Harry, I want you to give him a chance."
"Who?"
Sirius emerges from behind a broken cabinet, dressed in his rags, fingers wrapped around what looks like a dead rat.
"Me."
Second complication.
Ed slaps a hand to his forehead. Literally one of the rules was no fucking theatrics!
Harry and Hermione gasp, while Ron shouts. "You! You're, you, you're SIRIUS BLACK! WAIT, THAT'S MY RAT!"
All three of them yank out their wands and it's impossible to miss the way their hands tremble or how they huddle together as if to shield one another. Ed is suddenly overwhelmed with bitterness that no matter where you go, alternate reality or not, children can and will be forced to grow up before they're ready.
"It's not what you think!" Lupin yells, throwing himself between the two parties, his arms extended out to both sides. "He's not a murderer!"
"He bloody well murdered my rat!"
"The bastard isn't dead," Sirius snarls. "He's stunned." He shakes the limp body with annoyance. "Someone wake him up."
The Golden Trio stare at the escaped convict with fearful eyes, glancing every so often at the rat in his hand.
"Why do you hate Scabbers?" Hermione asks in a wavering voice.
"Oh, right," Sirius says, as if one of the most important parts of the story had simply escaped him. "This isn't a rat."
"What?" Harry says scathingly.
"'S not a rat," Sirius croaks. He coughs, in an attempt to clear his throat, but still sounds nervous as he continues. "It's Peter. Peter Pettigrew?"
"That's impossible," Hermione says. Her wand arm drops slightly. "You killed Pettigrew."
"Didn't kill him." Sirius wisely chooses to change his tone and sounds far less aggressive than he had initially. "He's an Animagus."
When Sirius receives nothing but suspicious glares, he groans. "This isn't nearly as simple as I thought it would be. Moony, you should tell them—"
"Moony?" Ron interrupts, scandalized. "Like the map? Is that you?"
"You've been in league with him? All this time?" Harry shouts and once again, three wands are pointed at the existing Marauders.
"How could you?" Hermione says, her voice cutting and furious. "Harry trusted you! I, I trusted you."
"Merlin's pants, Sirius, I thought E–, you said you knew what you were going to say," Lupin groans.
"I thought I did!"
"Don't ignore us," Ron snaps.
"We're not," Sirius says. "We're also not 'in league with one another' if that sort of thing matters to you."
"This is a hot mess," Ed mutters. He almost feels the urge to walk into the room and reveal himself just so he can smack some sense into everyone present.
He doesn't, of course, because he'd rather not deal with the Golden Trio and their prying when he doesn't have to, but he is barely able to tolerate the amount of miscommunication happening.
It's at this moment Hermione reveals she knows Lupin is a werewolf and Sirius' face twists into a hellish expression as Lupin pales, standing utterly still.
As a Muggle-raised wizard, Harry doesn't appear bothered by the revelation, but Ron's mouth drops in horror and his eyes are wide with fear.
"Ah," Lupin laughs weakly, "was it the essay that tipped you off?"
For the first time since the shit-show started, Sirius moves from his corner of the room, grabs Lupin by the collar of his robes, and pulls him behind him. "Back off, that has nothing to do with this!"
It visibly startles the three kids that escaped convict, presumed Death Eater, Sirius Black stands protectively in front of Remus Lupin, a werewolf.
They're startled once more when Pettigrew wakes up in Sirius' clutches and immediately freaks out, wriggling and squeaking like his life is on the line.
"Scabbers!"
"Shit!" Sirius curses.
Third complication: the rat bites down on Sirius' fingers, hard, shocking him into dropping it.
"Catch him!" Lupin shouts as he, Sirius, and Ron attempt to grab the rodent as it scuttles away.
They're all unsuccessful and it looks as if it'll be able to slip under the crack of a busted door and disappear forever.
At least it would have, had Edward Elric not been standing behind said door.
He kicks the already broken door down and emerges, holding the frightened rat in his right hand and pins both Sirius and Lupin with a glare.
"You're in so much fucking trouble."
* * * * *
"— I fucking told you to be prepared, I fucking said maybe doing it this way wasn't a great idea, but no, no one wants to listen to Ed and his genius ideas, instead we're going to fuck around and get nothing done! You dumb —"
Ed has been berating Sirius and Lupin for at least five minutes now, waving his arms as he yells at them, all while still holding the Rat Bastard.
At least the adults have the common sense to look chastised.
"— and did I or did I NOT say that I didn't want to be involved with this trainwreck, but that wasn't an option anymore either, was it!"
"Edward?" someone behind him says in a small voice.
"What?" he snarls, turning to face the three Gryffindors, who recoil upon seeing the anger on his face.
"Wh-why, er, what are you doing here?"
This is exactly the kind of crap Ed didn't want to be bothered with on the last day of the school year. He's managed to avoid notice (generally speaking) the entire year, just for everything to blow up in his face on the last possible day.
Perfect. Just perfect.
"These two idiots—" he jerks a thumb behind him "— are trying to let Potter know the truth about his parents and failing miserably." He holds up the rat and squeezes it maliciously. "This little bastard right here has been in hiding for twelve years after murdering twelve Muggles and blaming one of his friends. Isn't that right, you piece of shit?"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stare at him like he is unhinged. He probably is, a little bit. This entire misunderstanding has been going on for far too long in Fullmetal-Alchemist-time. If Ed were back in Amestris, he would've had the issue resolved in an hour or so after finding Sirius.
He digs his wand out and prods the Rat Bastard with the tip. Muttering the Latin enchantment between gritted teeth, Ed prepares himself to see yet another animal-to-human transmutation that he absolutely doesn't want to see.
It's just as gruesome as he remembers.
He drops the Rat Bastard immediately when he grows too large for his skin and both of his hands curl into fists as the rat explodes into a rather small, twitchy man, missing a finger on one hand.
"Bloody hell," Ron breathes, gaping at his former pet. "Have I been sleeping with a man in my bed for the last three years?"
"Is that really your first concern?" Hermione hisses, poking Ron in the side.
Pettigrew looks around the room with large, beady eyes before settling on Harry, who's standing stiffly in front of the exit.
He lunges, as if to escape, but Ed is on top of him the second he moves, twisting the man's arms behind him and pressing his face into the dusty floorboards. "I don't fucking think so, asshole. You've got a lot of explaining to do." Ed turns to Sirius and Lupin. "Well?"
It would appear that Sirius, as hot-headed and impulsive as he is, has managed to reign himself in enough to provide Harry with a pre-planned confession of sorts explaining the events leading up to his parents' deaths and his intended involvement in Harry's life.
Or that would be the plan, but Sirius doesn't really ever follow those, does he?
"I'm, I. Well, technically, er, I, it's complicated," Sirius settles on, explaining absolutely nothing.
There's an uncomfortably long silence in which no one says anything, because they're all waiting for Sirius to expand on what he's already said. The only thing that could (and does) make things worse is the sound of Peter's desperate wails and pleading.
"He's your godfather," Lupin says when he finally realizes Sirius is too nervous and awkward to say it himself.
"My what?"
"He was your parents' Secret-Keeper and he was supposed to take care of you should anything happen to Lily and James," Lupin continues.
Sirius stares at his feet with a completely unnecessary determination.
Ed scowls. This idiot.
There's more blustering around the issue and more semi-accusative questions from Harry and his friends, particularly from a protective Ron, who's pulled himself back from the hysteria of "how have I been sleeping at night with a grown man loose in my bedroom?", and a ruthless Hermione, who's trying to make sense of every little detail. Harry, for the most part, seems to be stuck on the fact that he has a godfather who actually wants to get to know him and isn't actually a murderer.
(What that says about Harry's life outside of school makes Ed feel bitter all over again.)
Occasionally, Sirius and Lupin will demand Pettigrew for answers, which he initially refuses to give, until Ed threatens to break an arm or two (to the alarm of everyone else in the room). A then appropriately terrified Pettigrew squeals, revealing his role in leading Riddle to the Potters twelve years prior and killing the twelve Muggles Sirius was accused of murdering.
Pettigrew continues to plead and beg for forgiveness throughout the whole thing.
"Shut up," Ed says, whacking the man on the back of his head.
That draws everyone's attention back to him, unfortunately.
"How exactly are you involved with this?" Hermione asks, scrutinizing Ed with fearsome eyes. Both Sirius and Lupin had been careful to exclude Ed from their explanations, even though he'd already been seen by the three people he needed to avoid in the first place.
Ed shrugs. "Doesn't matter, does it?"
"Doesn't matter, he says," Ron grumbles, shaking his head. "Can't believe Fred and George trust you."
"It. Doesn't. Matter." Ed glares at Ron, who immediately stops talking. "If you're all done talking, you should probably deal with him." He looks pointedly at Pettigrew, who hasn't said anything useful since the entire confession.
"We should probably go to Dumbledore," Harry says. He's watching Pettigrew fight against Ed's unrelenting grip with something that might be pity, or maybe it's bitterness, in his eyes.
"Great idea," Ed says. "Maybe the only great idea to have come from this group in the last hour."
"Hey, this worked out a lot better than my original plan would have," Sirius points out.
"That's because you're a fucking idiot," Ed retorts. "And I'm also going to chalk up your inability to have a casual conversation with your own godson to the fact that you've been in jail for twelve fucking years, but you should know that this was uncomfortable as hell to watch and I'm never going to let you forget it," he says.
"Brat," Sirius says, sticking out his tongue.
"Man-child," Ed snaps back.
"Do you two know each other?" Harry's eyes travel back and forth between Ed and Sirius. There's a slight scowl on his face that Ed determines stems from jealousy and he doesn't know if he should address it. He decides not to — that's a job for the godfather.
"No," Ed says, obviously a lie.
"Yeah," Sirius says.
"Let's just get the Rat Bastard back to the castle, alright? It's getting late." Ed raises an eyebrow at Lupin, who quickly catches on.
"Yes, we should be heading back," Lupin says. "Ed, are you certain you want to take him? You'll most likely be involved in the questioning that's sure to follow."
Yeah, he really doesn't want to do that.
"Don't lose him this time," Ed warns, forcing Pettigrew onto his feet, arms still twisted behind his back.
Lupin is the one to grab Pettigrew from Ed, shaking his head subtly at Sirius.
They all leave the Shack in varying degrees of anger, shock, and confusion and emerge from the base of the Whomping Willow.
"Well, this is my cue to leave," Ed says, addressing the group. He salutes lazily, a mockery of what a proper salute should be. "G'luck with Dumbledore."
"You're just going to leave?" Harry asks, eyebrows raised so high they're basically at his hairline.
"Uh, yeah? I'm not going to go with you, if that's what you're asking."
"You didn't explain anything!" Hermione glowers. "You've never even spoken to us before today and it turns out you knew all of, that this was all happening and we thought Harry was going to be killed. You could've said something, don't you think?"
"I don't think," Ed deadpans. "That must be the source of the problem."
"Now I'm irritated," Ron says. "Mate, we deserve to know what you—"
"Don't care if you deserve to know or not," Ed interrupts. "Not my problem. Ask them if you want, they can tell you." He gestures carelessly at the adults, who are waiting (impatiently on Sirius' part) for the kids to stop chatting. "My work here is done. See you around."
He walks off briskly before Harry and his friends can object, heading straight for his bed and passing out, exhausted.
It's the first time he sleeps more than a few hours interrupted the entire year.
* * * * *
Early in the morning, the moon still hanging low and full in the sky, Ed trudges out to where he'd hid the motorbike.
While he waits for Sirius to show up at the agreed upon time, Ed replays every moment of the earlier confrontation and second guesses his every move. He'd tried to stay out of it, because even though he did know what was going on and what needed to be done, it really wasn't his business to speak for anyone or explain anything. He's technically a passerby and he plans to remain one, no matter what Harry and his friends think of or want from him.
He knows he's not going to be able to avoid the Golden Trio forever, which is unfortunate, but probably unavoidable, seeing as he still needs the invisibility cloak from Harry at some time in the foreseeable future.
It takes roughly an hour, but Sirius finally arrives, dirty and tired, but wholeheartedly pleased with himself.
"Lupin doing okay?" Ed asks first and Sirius nods happily.
"I think he's probably doing better than he has been in years."
"And how'd things turn out with Dumbledore?"
"Good enough. I'm not allowed to take Harry in yet, because there's a load of paperwork and other useless formalities that are required for me to clear my name, but as of right now, Wormtail's in custody and I should be free to go."
Ed is pretty sure the entire ordeal was much more complicated than Sirius' summarization implies, but he lets it go — he did say it wasn't his problem.
"Then why are you still taking the motorbike?"
Sirius shrugs. "It's mine and it's cool?"
Ed makes a face.
"Alright, technically, I'm free to go, but it's not common knowledge yet that I'm not a murderer and it'd be better for me not to get caught by dementors or something on my way out." His elation dims slightly. "I'm still stuck at Grimmauld Place for now, but you're going to come, aren't you?" He turns hopeful eyes towards Ed.
Ed grins. "Someone has to keep you in line."
"Brat," Sirius says fondly. "I'll see you soon?" He reaches out to ruffle Ed's hair against his will and Ed just barely tolerates it.
"Bastard," Ed says, but he's still grinning. "Leave already, you're going to get caught."
"Rude! I'll never be caught!" Sirius sticks out his tongue, but starts the engine and readies himself to depart anyway.
"You better not die before I show up tomorrow," Ed warns.
"Don't worry, mum, I'll be fine!"
Ed lets out an outraged string of curses, but the sound of the engine drowns him out. Sirius takes off on the motorbike, the sound of his laughter lingering as Ed watches the bike rapidly speed off the ground and into the night sky.
"Flying motorbike," he grumbles to himself. "What a fucking joke."