He looked to Heriome and Ron, both sitting near his own seat. Hermione was watching the dark outside the windows. Ron just looked bored out of his mind.
"So." Harry said, and looked at Ron. "Whacha figure?"
"'bout what?" Ron said.
Harry glanced back at the sleeping Ed.
"He's bloody scary. That's what." Ron said. "Even without that wandless stuff he does. That punch he gave Lupin--I had a clear view, and I couldn't tell it was coming...what jinx does that?"
"Then there's that blade..."
"Yeah..like he's used it before." Ron said with a shiver. "And often."
"Think he's from..I dunno..Durmstrang..or something? I mean he sounds just like.. "
"Definitely not. He says he's a Muggle. Whats more, I believe him." Hermione said. "..um..I admit it doesn't make sense. Think about it: He was so upset over the 'obliviate' thing and y'know, its really got me thinking now. It's like with the House Elves... "
"Oh don't start with spew again.." Ron said, and rolled his eyes.
"It's S.P.E.W!! I'm just saying that there's things in the wizarding..."
"Shh..talk later..not here.." Lupin said softly, barely moving his jaw. Harry glanced at him and noticed what was sure to be a huge and ugly bruise in a few hours. Harry didn't know much about werewolves, but he did know that they tended to heal fast.
Harry sighed, folded his arms, and hooked the back his neck on the seat.
'Maybe Ed has the right idea...'
Harry wasn't sure if he dozed off or not, but next thing he knew Lupin was shaking his shoulder. They all filed off the bus..Ed and Tonks taking the very end. Harry saw that Ed's head was hung so low, and he was dragging his feet so much, that he appeared to be still very much asleep.
'Maybe its the knapsack?' Harry thought, remembering well just how heavy his own trunk got when packing for Hogwarts.
Then he got an idea..
"Hey Ed." Harry said.
"Huh?"
"I think I know a way to find out if you're a Muggle or not."
"Shut it." Ed said irritably. "I have no need to prove vhat I am to you or anybody else."
"Just..um.."
Harry wondered briefly how 'Muggle deterrents' on the Black House worked. Were they the usual 'appointment' ones, or were there more nasty ones?
"Just follow us.."
Ed snorted.
"Like I have choice." Ed said. "I don't know vhere stoopid place is. Dey blindfolded me."
"Like we're going to do now." Tonks said brightly.
"Can't we hold up on that? It IS one way to be sure." Harry said, pleading.
"With the security measures in place, it would be hardly fair. He hasn't even gotten cleared by Dumbledore." Lupin said. "Yet."
"Yet?" Harry asked.
Lupin rubbed at his jaw.
"It's..private." Lupin said. "I won't go into it."
"Too tired to argue. Can ve get to dis damned place alvready?" Ed whined. Harry blinked. Ed, whining?
"Right." Tonks said. "Put this on."
Ed yawned hugely and put the blindfold on without complaint. Then, he rubbed at the bandage at his neck with his left, living hand.
"Tsst." Ed said "Dis' stoOopid."
'Well. No complaint other than that.' Harry thought.
Tonks put Ed's left hand on her shoulder, and lead him the rest of the way, across the street, up the steps, and finally through the dark time-ravaged door attacked to an old house that seemed to inflate between numbers 11 and 13.
The headache had dulled on the bus ride over to a kind of state that wasn't quite pain, nor was it completely comfortable. The burn on his neck was another matter. He mentally pushed that small agony back to a tolerable level easily enough through long practice. Ed was surprised at himself when he found actually didn't mind the motherly Mrs. Weasley fussing over him after he removed his blindfold.
"Oh Edward my dear..! No wonder they lost track of you!!" Mrs Weasley said. "What a difference that hair color makes...Well!..you look peakish. Come on."
"uh.." Was all he managed before he was nearly bodily dragged to the kitchen table. Ed looked to Harry, Ron, and Heriome for some semblance of help, but found they were mutely following along instead. As if they knew better than to fight the woman. So, thus defeated, he sat at the wooden table in mostly a daze while Mrs. Weasley dished up snacks for all.
He didn't even notice Sirius removing the bandage at the front of his neck, and quickly applying a thick layer the strange cream. That is, until said cream actually came in contact with the burn.
"Tssst..!" Ed said and flinched away.
"Come now..you've been all day without a treatment." Sirius said. "It wouldn't be nearly this bad if you'd just..."
Ed snorted, and blinked a slow blink. Not really wanting to hear what the man had to say.
"Varn me first." Ed said. "Den I vill not be flinching."
"Didn't you see me..? I was right here the whole time." Sirius said.
Ed shrugged, and blinked another slow blink. He held back a yawn by refusing to let is jaw open.
"Ah..that explains it." Sirius said with a bark of a laugh. "Exhausted yourself, did you?"
"Don't know.. " Ed muttered, and bit back another yawn. "..vhat you are talking about."
Sirius chuckled and finished with the cream application. True to his word, Ed did not flinch, even when he was aware of the wand pointing straight at his so very vulerable neck. Soon after, Mrs. Weasley emerged from the kitchen with a tray laden with sandwiches balanced precariously on her wand. Ed found didn't have the energy to blink at the sight, or even to reach out for a sandwich for himself. He was aware of many hands reaching hungrily for the tray, seemingly all at once.
:::
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