Gold and Emerald

Ed and Harry found themselves in Diagonally and Ed could feel Harry’s excitement at the surprise right away visit to his earliest memories of the first time he had seen magic. It was wonderful and caused butterflies that form in his stomach and looked like the kid they were supposed to be, even if they were taller than most people their age. Harry zoomed around looking through windows and shops before he realized he didn’t have any money on him, (You did this on purpose didn’t you.) 

Ed couldn’t help but laugh, (I was just waiting for you to notice) Harry pouted as he pulled Ed to the front seat and threw himself back, (Since you wanna be funny YOU get the money.) Harry huffed as Ed sighed and he walked into the bank and skipped the line, the small bit of his golden hair that was hanging out the hat catching the attention of the goblins and the other witches and wizards causing whispers. 

“Heir Peverell.'' A simple greeting from the scowling goblin caused Ed to smile, ‘I just need some money from my vault, I need a magically charmed sack or item.’ He signed as the goblin considered, “Wait here for a moment, Heir Peverell” The goblin walked off nonchalantly as he left Ed to the raging whispers of the clients behind him. 

“Who does he think he is…?”

“Did it say PEVERELL?”

“Look at his hair!” 

“He looks quite young to be alone without his guardian…” 

“Do you think he’s going to Hogwarts?” 

“Obviously, who wouldn’t go to Hogwarts!”

“What did he do with his hands? Did he do nonverbal communication magic?” 

“No, you UNEDUCATED MUTT it was sign language he’s probably deaf or something similar…”

“He’s disabled?” 

“Poor child having to suffer so…” 

“Couldn’t that be healed? Unless he was born with it, that thing…” 

“I think you shouldn’t talk about a CHILD like that. 

“What it’s not like he can hear-” 

They all jumbled together as he snapped his head towards them and glared at them with golden eyes glowing slightly at the whispers that had stopped to a halt. The goblin came back, coming down as he handed a sack that was weightless, “Here you are.” Ed smiled, ‘Thank you Axefang’ Ed then left waving behind him as he went into an alley to quickly swap with Harry who leapt at the opportunity. 

Ed could feel himself pushed to the side and he didn’t struggle but also didn’t leave as Harry took a lead and went around the shops, (You are allowed to splurge and even buy what we already have unless it is books, you already have those books and more at home) Harry chuckled, (Okay sounds good! Now I’m going to get a new wardrobe!) Ed sighed as he smiled, (Actually… I think I would also like some new clothes…) Harry first went to get equipment that they hadn’t thought of even touching when he was with Ed, and the moment he got his hands on those lovely crystal phials he couldn’t help but feel like a kid again. 

Harry left the uniforms, clothes, and wand for the last things on the list, mainly because Harry didn’t want to run into anyone he knew and he felt uncomfortable with the old guy at the wand shop. Ed suggested that they go to a wand shop back home but Harry felt that he had to get a wand here because then it wouldn’t feel right which Ed understood. (Since we won’t be leaving anytime soon, how about we go to knockturn alley for something more private and custom-made?) Harry thought about it for a moment before giving in and nodding. (I’m glad you’re not as attached to the wand shop as I thought you were) 

Ed chided, (More like disturbingly knowing, it was more the display of magic that made it special but the guy running it was kind of creepy…) Ed could feel the anxiety in the pit of his stomach and he didn’t feel like prying out the answers from him. (Okay before we do that let’s get those clothes we were talking about) Harry gladly hopped on that topic, (Oh yeah! I totally want to look like a rich prick!) Ed laughed at Harry’s sarcastic enthusiasticness, even though he liked to dress up he still made jokes about them.

 (Okay, okay you know we could always just get some fabric and we can make some alchemized clothes ourselves) Harry hummed in thought, (Yes, we could… but the alchemy way is not always the best way Ed. Besides, I like the handmade feel of tailored clothes, so no.) Ed sighed, (Fine, fine let’s get the fitting over with then) Harry smiled, (Sounds good to me!) he practically skipped into a nice tailor shop as the bell at the top of the door rang with his entry.

He took off his hat and hung it on the rack as his dark raven hair fell down, he just knew it was a mess since it was stuffed in the hat. He ran his hands through his hair, preening his hair slightly as he assumed his eyes were probably gold if there wasn’t even a strand of gold in his hair. As he was thinking the voice of an older woman's voice that sounded motherly, if you could even describe someone’s voice as such, caught his attention, “Oh hello! Welcome, how can I help you, young man?” Harry thought for a moment before trying, ‘Do you know how to sign?’ the woman gave a complicated look to his hands as he sighed. 

He digs his hand into his bag searching for a small notebook as he takes out a fountain pen in his pocket, [I need a whole new wardrobe, I’m mute that is why I was using sign language my bad for assuming] the woman audibly gasped and she looked at him as if he was a kicked puppy. “Oh poor thing! How did it happen-?” he snapped his fingers making a fire lit with a loud crackle before burning out. It made her halt with her meaningless pity and he quickly wrote, [I know what I want, just not where to find it.] 

She only needed a moment to see how her behavior made him snap, “Of course, sorry, what are you thinking about? Would you like to look at our catalog?” he nodded as she went to the back for a moment, he looked around to find soft decorations and such and found a loveseat near the window.

 He took a seat as she brought it, and he mouthed “thank you” as he looked over it, (Most of it is silks and such but I’ve found my favor for embroidered pieces, personally.) Harry said to start a conversation, (I like practical stuff, padded joints, surprisingly gloves even without my automail, and… long coats) Harry couldn’t help but smirk, (Of course, you were always wearing that bright red coat in all those memories when you were younger) 

Ed chuckled softly, (Yeah I was… what someone in this time would call edgy…) Harry snorted. (Go ahead and pick what you want so I can get what I want) Ed rolled his eyes as he snapped his fingers to get the woman’s attention, “Did you find what you’re looking for?” he nodded pointing at a few designs that he liked. He then held up 4 fingers, “You want 4 of each?” he nodded, “Could you point at them one more time?” 

He repeated the motion as she nodded, “Okay could you write them down and I’ll get the measuring tape” he complied as she walked away and he wrote them down, (Oh get those red trench coats and black polyester shirt I can fix them up later- oh and those white gloves with the black embroidery on them I can made it into an alchemical symbol- Oo or a Flamel!) Harry hummed as he wrote down Ed’s order. 

She came back with measuring tape, “Alright could you stand for me so I can take your measurements?” they nodded as he left the notebook on the seat and stood on the riser. They waited as she took his measurements but once it was done he fraid away from her touch and snatched the notebook writing, [Thank you, I’ll be back for my clothes later] she nodded, “Of course! They’ll be ready in a few hours, see you till then!” she waved when they took their hat off the rack and placed it on top of their head not bothering to stuff it back in as they left going towards Knockturn alley where they would get their wand, they went to the nicer buildings that seemed to have magic leaking from it. 

They decided to investigate, they walked in and saw a lanky man with a stiff mustache behind him was a wall of woods and cores on display. “Hello and welcome, you seem a little young to be here alone…?” His eyes swept around them as if searching for anyone with a sharp look they reciprocated with narrowed eyes, his bellowing voice, and his eyes seemed to be lingering on his hands as if expecting something. He decided to take the chance, ‘You know sign language?’ He signed sharply and the man seemed shocked, meaning he knew sign language. 

“Yes I do, are you perhaps deaf?” he signed as he spoke which made Harry disorientated for a quick moment before he shook his head, ‘No I am mute I can’t speak but I can hear’ The man gave a hum, “I see. You came here for a wand?” the man continued to sign as he spoke. It must be a habit, ‘My magic is difficult to tame, I am in need of a custom wand.’ Ed took the lead making this as professional sounding as he could, “Interesting, then take your pick, and when you find something that pulls to you” his signs were quick trying to catch up with his words and a bit shaky as if he didn’t have practice. 

He moved back as he took out a tray full of wood, “Take your pick quickly” he said and signed again, Ed and Harry reached out and they both felt a pull in two places. He paused before picking them both up, “Interesting, beech and holly… that is not something that I have seen. I will bring out the wand cores stay put” he signed quickly as he spoke and ducked into the back. 

Now they are not concentrated by the feeling of magic pulling on them Harry couldn’t help but run his hand across them. It was nice and it was even a reflex to touch them, (Okay, that was a little weird… I swear I didn’t have these back then) Ed said off-handedly and Harry couldn’t help but snort in amusement at this old man saying “Back then” even though he’s 32 year old but he’s sure that being in the body of an 11-year-old does something to the mind even if there are mentally older. 

(I’m sure you had irrational tendencies when you were younger) Harry replied to the other as they leaned back to move or something, something to distract him from waiting. (Of course I had those tendencies, and sometimes it didn’t even have a building collapsing) Ed said in a smug tone, Harry was now curious but he didn’t have time to hear Ed’s stories. Memories were out of the question since they both preferred word of mouth to the feeling of memories being violated, even if they had spent a couple of years together memories were a private affair. It solely determined if the other party was comfortable and even then they usually only shared an image to get their story in order. 

Before Harry could replay the man came back with a larger tray, “Here we are… unicorn hair, phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, acromantula silk, augurey tail feather, basilisk fang, billywig stinger, boomslang venom, chimera scale fragment, demiguise hair, doxy wing, rumpet fairy wings, hippogriff feather, jackalope antler, kelpie hair, rougarou hair, thunderbird feather, veela hair, and thestral tail hair” his brows furrowed ever slightly at the signs of some of the names that seemed to be made up signs that are not in most books. They must be familiar names that the guy knows and not common knowledge, ‘Thank you.’ 

He signed blandly as he reached over to the cores feeling the same two tugs of a feeling that pulled almost desperately. He reached out for two cores, a thunderbird feather and kelpie hair. It was a strange mix definitely but that didn’t stop the wand maker from getting a giddy smile on his face as if he was a kid with a hundred bucks in a candy shop. “I’ll get right on it, this will take a while to tame into a good wand…. This will take about 2 weeks if I’m lucky but you will definitely have enough time before Hogwarts I promise you” he signed as he spoke barely keeping his hands away from the cores and woods in front of him. 

‘I will take your word for it.’ they pulled out 30 galleons on the table, ‘This is my down payment, once it is done I will give you the rest of it.’ he reveled in the pleasure of seeing the man’s mouth gape at the galleons on his table and twitched slightly like it was a scam. They smirked as he gulped, “Do I want to even know who you are?” the man didn’t even sign as they laughed, ‘That information might just put you in a state of shock’ the man sighed, “I thought so, then I’ll just call you brat.” he sounded so out of it Harry couldn’t help but pity the man so he simply nodded as he headed out the shop. 

“Come back in two weeks! Same time!” he yelled as they nodded again and their hand headed towards the hat rack but nothing was there as he realized that his hat was on his head the whole time. He grimaced at the manners he ignored even though they had worked so hard on it. They sighed as they looked up to see the sun setting, just how long did they spend in the shop? It didn’t feel that long… (You should get those clothes we ordered) Ed reminded Harry whose thoughts were wandering the longer he got lost in the west sky that turned into hues of reds, oranges, and yellows while the sky of the east were shadows of blue and purple as a black blanket that teased the very edge of the east. 

Harry nodded, (Right let’s go pick them up and then go home I’m tired) he huffed as he spotted a strand of dark raven hair hanging in front of his face as he tucked it behind his ear. The shop had a single light on with the sign reading closed but he knew it was him she was waiting for so he let himself in. 

He snapped his fingers and then put his hat on the rack as he heard footsteps, “Ah Mister- actually I never got your name stranger, mind sharing?” They smirked, (She has some spunk! It would be funny to see her face after we say fuckin’ Peverell) Ed snickered and Harry couldn’t help but grin at the thought but when he reached for the notebook he simply wrote. [just call me Sir Elric since it's my mother's maiden name] he didn’t want to get that much attention right now so he will tell half-truths for now. 

“Ah okay then, Sir Elric your clothes are ready for pick up” he waved her wand carrying 4 boxes in the air and set them in front of him, “Everything is in these boxes right here” he smiled and mouthed “Thank you” and she smiled back, “You are welcomed any time if you wish we could have these delivered to your place of residence?” he shook his head, “Alright then enjoy our product Sir Elric” he nodded and waved his finger as the boxes popped away and she gaped and gasped. “Ah, I understand now Sir Elric have a good evening” Though he was sure she misunderstood something he didn’t bother to correct her as he took his hat off the rack and walked out. 

He walked down the pavement as he looked to the sky watching as the blanket of the night covered the sky in the darkest shadow of dusk, then he noticed a sign that gave him so much nostalgia that it nearly drowned him. The Leaky Caldron, his very first step into the wizarding world. (You don’t need me to take you home right? You can handle your own emotions?) he nodded as he walked in, (Okay I’ll trust you, if not then I’ll take the lead just in case) he walked up to the bar with a notebook in his hand as he wrote, [Could I get a butterbeer?] he watched as Tom read the note and nodded, “Very well then” Harry took out a single galleon as the drink came and placed right in front of him. 

He took the cup and left the galleon, “H-hey wait! I think-!” Ton was cut off by the words of magic that had willed in front of him, /Keep it to buy a new cup/ and then the magic faded away in front of him as the boy with golden eyes and raven hair vanished as if he apparated. However, that was impossible. He was too young, he was between the age of 11 and 13 years old that was for sure. There was no way that someone that young could- should even attempt apparition, yet he went without even a creak of the wood coming. 

Tom was going to think about this for a while and contemplate, but even if he only saw the boy for a minute at most he was sure that he had that recognizable raven hair of a Potter. However, it couldn’t have been one from the Potter couple; it just didn’t match up with their faces. Maybe the child was a cousin or a long-lost Potter, he wondered if the boy was the actual lost twin of Dahlia Potter. 

As Tom wondered, Harry and Ed got back home, back to Iceland, back to their countryside cottage that welcomed them home as the humm of the butterbeer seeped into their bones. The night was quiet, instead of their evening routine they decided to have a break for the night in favor of relaxing and ruminating in nostalgia as they both finished their butterbeer and went to bed for the night. Today was hectic, nostalgic, fun, and exciting which cemented the first step to their goal.