Title: Part 3. Hostel ErrandsMuggle side.
Ed's head was alternating between a pounding pain and a kind of sick swirling swim by the time he reached the third level, and he let his right shoulder housing lean against the wall a moment in the stairwell; The move he hoped was masked as letting a large group of guests past on their way down. He blinked, and looked over his left shoulder.
'Tonks...still with me..?' He thought.
He saw that she stood right behind him. Bright dark eyes and angry red, short spiked hair. Dark, trenchcoat-like, um, outerwear. Tshirt and jeans beneath that. At the moment, she was watching the other guests make their way past. Her wand was out of sight, likely in a handy pocket.
He took a deep breath, willing his focus back, and turned away.
"You alright?" He stiffened as he heard Tonks voice.
"Fine." He breathed...He scowled at himself; he knew this was too much too soon, especially with a concussion as bad as he had. His voice didn't even sound at all convincing to his even his ears. He had no choice but to finish what he started now.
"My place dis vay." As he opened the door to the third level, the burn at his neck began to throb in time with his head. He absently rubbed the bandage that covered it with his now gloveless left hand, and gritted his teeth.
The hall was deserted, and he walked briskly to his assigned area in the open design. His area was little more than a single bed with a metal box that passed as a nightstand beside it, located beneath a twin bed bunked above it. He went straight to the box and opened the door; He drew out a rather large faded green knapsack and shook it out. Satisified it was still somewhat servicable, he tossed it to the bed and got to his feet.
He was startled slightly when he noticed Tonks standing just too close for his comfort, yet not standing under the bunk with him. He met her eyes, and she moved aside wordlessly.
He walked towards the open closet next. It had been a "walk-in closet" at one time, but the door had been removed, and a series of lockers had been placed, and bolted inside when..he supposed..whatever this building had been was converted over to being a hostel. His assigned, and rather large, locker was located in the back, against the far wall, along with a smaller ones that contained his clothes, books, and papers. Those he packed quickly into the knapsack on the single bed easily enough.
"What the SHIT?!?" Ed swore in Amestrian when he looked at the lock on the big locker. A quick clap and touch broke it open, but he knew what'd he'd find within already. He kicked the door hard with his left foot. The locker issued a quite loud, satisfying, but empty BANG!, one that left a deep dent on the metal door. It nowhere near dimmed his flaring temper, amplified as it was by his pounding head.
"Something wrong?" He heard Tonks ask in English. He willed his temper down with some difficulty before answering.
"No. Somevone is having a funny with me." Ed grumbled loudly. "My roommate most likely, the lock picking..." He paused. He found English such an inadequate languge when needing to swear..! "tch!...jerk!!!"
Ed stalked out of the closet, and scanned the room with his golden eyes.
'There..the corner.' He thought, looking up at a tiny spot in the ceiling. He headed to it and stopped just below.
"What are you...?"
Ed made what he had learned was a very rude jesture with his both his hands, directed at the spot in the ceiling. He then turned his head to regard Tonks.
"Dat spot up dere..?" Ed jerked his chin. "Iz camera. Vone of my roommates is techno-geek. Iz his design. He'll be here soon as he sees..."
"...That really you, Eddie?" A laughing voice from the hall called.
Ed scowled, turned about, and folded his arms across his chest.
"Wow. Black really does something for YOU." His roommate approached, dressed in black jeans and black tshirt. He had a shock of black hair, too pale skin, and a pair of round and incredibly thick, black framed glasses that made his dark almond shaped eyes appear far too big for his head. "It's a good look. You should keep it."
"I think I got 'stupified' just as Ed was doing something big down there. He was somehow making a tunnel, using just his hands. I woke up as it sealed itself back up." Tonks said.
Harry felt a chunk of ice in pit of his stomach.
"You mean...Ed's all alone?" Ron said.
Harry blinked. One thought flashing in his mind. 'Ed's alone.'
"Wait." Harry said, thinking out loud more than anything else. "What if...What if we went in after him? They're looking for a Muggle, not.."
"Harry. You can't. What if there are..other things after you..?" Hermione said. "Muggles can't.."
"I'm not saying I'm going it alone!" Harry looked desperately to their two guardians in the dark alley.
Lupin spoke low, quiet. "...Tonks..Could you take Ed's form?
"I'm following you." Tonks said thoughtfully. "This could work, especially since there's that confusion of if he's a wizard or not. Auror or not, I know I can't be the only one .."
Then she closed her eyes and screwed up her face in concentration. Before their eyes, her body shrunk, shifted, became, most definitely, male in nature. Long black hair, as Ed had the last they all seen him, fell over the wide, though small, masculine shoulders. Even her clothes adjusted in the transformation..Long sleeved off-white shirt, black gloves on both hands, brown vest, brown long pants. Even the metal chain that went from belt loop to front pocket. She opened her eyes, and relaxed Ed's face. "How'd I do?"
:::
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