Chapter Fifteen: Just a Normal Day

As he was reading a letter sent from his girlfriend in Amestris, he thought of the expressions he had seen on her face. Determined, fearful, happy, embarrassed, sad, angry, longing… Blinking, he backtracked and belatedly realized that he had seen at least three of those expressions on his subordinate’s face: the ones he would least expect to see in someone such as him. But why…?

Roy reached the stunning conclusion as he slipped between the soft sheets of his bed, half an hour later.

Edward Elric was in love.

…

The next morning was very much the same as the last: more gossip had been spread - mostly about Edward Elric and his being held back in class, not to mention the days he had been out - there was more sunny weather, and the alarm clocks were still rudely awakening the slumbering students.

One such victim of these alarm clocks was Ed himself. Not only did the shrill noise awaken him, but he received a bucket of cold water poured over him at the same time, alongside a whack on the head. Cursing, the blond jumped awake and out of bed before hopping back under the covers, deciding he’d rather not have his automail or—he shuddered—cat features noticed by his roommates. However, this invoked further the wrath of his attacker: his bedsheets were soaked in seconds by more of the frigid water, making the poor chimera shiver from the temperature and wetness. He didn’t like water, damnit!

Cringing in fear and anticipating another waterfall to hit him, he lay there for a few minutes before poking his head out from beneath and taking a moment to survey the scene.

All the other boys were awake now, a couple of them already dressed. Ron and Harry seemed to be struggling with something small off to the side, but he couldn’t see as their hands smothered whatever it was. No one looked to have been trying to wake him up so cruelly; the bucket lay on its side, resting innocently on the floor. Just as Ed was about to speak, Ron beat him to it.

“Blimey, mate, these things can be ferocious,” he said in awe. Apparently, the thing he had been wrestling with was now static, and Harry held it now. It was the alarm clock Ed had wrecked prior to the catnip incident.

Revenge was always sweet, and Ed had taken the toll.

Quickly, he pulled the drapery around his bed closed, accepting the robes and towel given to him by an anonymous hand. What a dismal start to the day. He’d barely finished dressing as the last person left, and then pulled on his gloves and shoes. There wasn’t much time before his first class, so he rushed down to the Great Hall with the hopes that there would be something left for him to eat.

Luckily, there were still pieces of buttered toast, which were promptly licked clean of their topping before being chomped on while Ed made his way to his first class of the day, alchemy. Honestly, it was bad enough having Roy as a teacher for one day of the week, but twice in a row? Yet another boring lesson for him. It really was curious how he had alchemy as his first subject on both Thursday and Friday, while none of his other classes appeared to be at the same time for two days in a row. Unless, of course, Roy had planned it all out—bore the genius student before keeping him for the rest of the day to teach him every other subject in the school. At least it wasn’t so bad; he did, after all, get to stay with Roy for all that time, even during lunch. At that time, the Colonel would leave only to return in five minutes with stacks of food on glinting silver plates, allowing them both to eat as the two of them studied in silence. In fact, it was almost like a day-long date.

Edward’s eyes widened a fraction as he considered the thought, settling down in his seat and wiping any remnants of breakfast away with the back of his hand. Could it be that Roy returned his feelings? The man had seemed much nicer to him yesterday, and had helped demonstrate certain spells that were crucial to learning many subjects. He’d also been able to gain Ed access to the restricted section of the castle’s vast library, which was a blessing for the chimera’s need to restore himself—and for his hunger for knowledge. Even with the tutoring he was receiving, Roy couldn’t teach him everything; there were also a few books on alchemy to be found.

The professor entered the room at exactly nine o’clock, tapping Harry on the shoulder, motioning for the boy to follow him. Harry left the table he'd been sharing with Ed and did as requested. Ron and Hermione, also at that table, looked on in pity; Mustang wasn’t an overly nice professor, and the punishment for missing a detention … who could know what would happen?

As the alchemist gave Harry a hushed talk—or lecture—Edward fixed his hair into a more reasonable mess than it had been. He undid the scruffy ponytail, reorganizing his hair into a braid, and paid careful attention to tightening it enough to hold his extra set of ears down for the class. If he was lucky, Roy would pull him out for private lessons again and allow him to rest up a bit more. He’d been out of the hospital wing for over twenty-four hours, but his body still felt too sluggish to be normal. And it would also mean more time to learn about Roy …

Said professor had finished lecturing a certain young wizard, sending him back to his seat with final words that the whole class was made to hear. “And no slacking. Despite it being the weekend, I still expect you to finish it.” Walking to the front of the room, he flicked his wand at a stack of papers, which went flying around the room, one sheet per student in attendance. The strange thing was not only the content of the page, but the fact that it was on paper—as in, not the standard parchment of the castle. And all of the letters on it had been typed.

“Professor,” Draco started, “what exactly are you trying to teach us, here? To memorize a bunch of letters?” He received a smirk from the direction of the professor, and a glare from someone at a table of Gryffindors off to his left.

“For your information, Malfoy,” Roy said, casting an amused look at the confused students, “that chart you have there is the periodic table of elements, containing a complete list of the elements from the world we live in. From hydrogen to gold, and helium to uranium, they’re on there—and you need to know them. The table shows both the complete name and abbreviation of each element, as well as the numerical code for each, and it would be ideal for you to memorize them along with the extra information included on the chart as quickly as you can to facilitate your comprehension in this class. That being said, I should inform you that I will be testing you on your knowledge of the chart in two weeks. And if you tire of that, I have another thing you must learn to do. It may seem tedious, but you must learn how to,” he turned and drew on the board, “draw simple shapes perfectly.” Standing back, he showcased the image of a triangle inside of a square, surrounded by a circle.

“I would suggest you not ask why, as you shall find that out in the near future. For now, practice and learn; you have the rest of the class period for this.”

Beckoning Edward to come forth, he led the youth to a table off to the side and ignored the talking behind him, placing a hand on Ed’s left shoulder. “Why don’t you read up a bit and practice some potions and charms? I’ve got a bit of paperwork to catch up on, and a few letters to write, so I’ll help you a bit once I’m done.” At the affirmative nod, he turned back to his own desk and began placing his signature on the pages that deserved it.

As he began his work off to the side, Ed couldn't help but be stunned at the fact that Roy was actually willingly doing his paperwork.

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Gigantic apologies for the wait, but I do admit that it was due to my laziness. However, reading all of your reviews was enough to motivate me to write some more. You’re all amazing! 170 reviews?! I love you all! –hands out cookies and eggnog and candy canes-

Beta: FHT

FHT's Note to the Readers: I wouldn't advise taking that eggnog from her; it's been sitting in the fridge since last December. Take my word for it, I know. But you can have my specially-ordered, expertly-made EdNog for the cool price of 700 sens—get it while it's short!