Fullmetal Wizard | Chapter 54

The gold eyes were the most startling of all to Harry. The difference in them.

'Nowhere near as...piercing...as the real Ed.' Harry thought, as he tilted his head slightly while looking.

"Well done." Hermione breathed, looking down quickly. Harry could've sworn he could see her growing blush in the dark.

"Right." Tonks said in Ed's voice. It too, had a difference to it, though Harry couldn't figure what it was, beyond the lack of accent. "Ho..I suppose I should being talking like him..vright?"

Harry nodded, and even managed a little smile. He adjusted his hold on the envelopes and stuffed them into a pocket in Ed's jacket. He grabbed ahold of the book in his lap, and stood.

"Wotcher. I'll lead." Tonks-as-Ed said, and walked out in front. Even that movement was off. Harry couldn't place exactly WHAT it was that was off as she lead the way out of the dark alley.

"I vant dem back." Ed said loud and firm.

"Your Engwish has improved, but I'm afraid I still can't understand your mumbling." The roommate said. "Try speaking a bit louder next time. Who's your friend?"

"NOW." Ed nearly yelled.

"Introductions first. You tell me this something..and just maybe I'll tell you where I have them stashed."

Ed narrowed his eyes.

"You are FAR too serious for your own good, y'know."

"And you are having far too less respect for other people's stuff." Ed retorted. "I vreally should break at least vone arm for dat. It vill be good ting for your rememoring. vhere are dey?"

"Not answering 'til you introduce us. I know how much you like to live by your..what was that phrase? Ah yes. 'Equivalent Exchange'."

Ed took a few steps towards his roommate, head lowered, and scowling. "How 'bout I vreak bones instead..you..!"

"Ed..!" Tonks said.

"Stay out of dis." He growled through gritted teeth.

His roommate smiled, and entered... a fight stance, Ed supposed. One arm held ridiculously high above his head, the other out in front, palm flat and facing him. Then there was the low, wide-legged..well.. squat. Ed smirked when he looked at it, and held back a chuckle.

"And I had such high hopes for you, Eddie. To think a nerdy recluse like you actually got yourself a girlfriend! That's where you were staying these past 2 weeks, right? Her flat? And you didn't think share her existence with the rest of us?? Oh..how you wound me..!"

Ed ignored him, and instead tilted his head slightly. He smirked wider.

"Vat kind of kata is DAT supposed to be?"

"What?!? Bruce Lee's!!"

Ed couldn't hold his chuckle back anymore. He felt both his shoulders shaking from it. He walked forward in a deceptively relaxed way.

"You are vatching vay too much tee vee, Jon. Amazing you can be holding balance long with dat ting." He chuckled, and shook his head. Jon wobbled. He watched his roommate frown. Then he reached out his ungloved left hand for Jon's arm..the unguarded one out front...grabbed it in a firm hold, leaned back ever so slightly, turned, and HEAVED in one smooth motion.

Jon issued a single, "EEP!" when he realised he was in air, and an definite "OOMPH! when he hit the floor with a loud slap of flesh against tile. Jon looked up at Ed from where he had landed, ungracefully, on his back, and pushed his glasses back up his nose with his middle finger. Ed simply shifted his weight back to being deceptively relaxed.

"It's exactly like how he looked." Jon insisted, lower lip sticking out. And he picked himself up off the floor rather gingerly.

'Except the man had way more muscle control than you do..' Ed thought, but smirked anyway.

"Dat so....Come."

"..."

"I'll go vreal eeeeazy on you dis time. Come." Ed quickly shifted his palm slightly for the flexing of the fingers required for the "bring it" gesture. Then went right back to his relaxed stance.

"Ahem...Not in front of the lady." Jon said. "Even I have SOME..hm.. dignity."

Jon blinked and folded his arms across his chest. Now standing straight, he looked down his nose in an exaggerated, dignified manner. Ed finally broke his stance after a few moments. His shoulders shaking with his surpressed laughter, smirk on his face.

"Pity dat. Here I vas looking forvard to making you go trew vall. Dat vould be meeting equivalence, I tink, for such stupidity."

"Could it be? YOU..of all people..laughing?!?" Jon looked at Ed with widened dark eyes, eyebrows approaching his hairline. "Who are YOU, stranger? And what have you done with our dear old Eddie?"

Ed raised an eyebrow, and frowned. The shaking of supressed laughter in his shoulders abruptly stopped.

"I...vhat. Did you do. To my spares?"

Jon blinked, and cleared his throat. Then he jerked his head in Tonks direction. Ed blinked, sighed, and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Tonks, dis is Jon Fuery. Jon..dis is Tonks."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Wotcher."

"See..that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Jon said innocently.

"Shut it." Ed growled. "Now tell me vhere dey are."

Harry wasn't really sure what he was expecting with four Aurors on the hunt for Ed, but one thing was certain: It was surprisingly easy to get into the hostel. Tonks-as-Ed entered the doors first, followed closely by Harry, Hermione, and Ron, and lastly by Lupin. Harry felt his nerves twitching at every sound of the large crowd surrounding them in what looked like a lobby area; he had a firm grip his wand hidden beneath Ed's folded trenchcoat.

:::

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