Stay Dead Damn It
Natasha Romanoff was the best, it would be a lie to say otherwise. The best to come from the KGB Black Widow program before being recruited to SHIELD. As Clint Barton had been sent to assassinate her and hadn't, recruiting didn't count in her mind, she had never failed nor had she been bested. That was why when Nick Fury the director of SHIELD assigned her to assassinate a twenty-six-year-old man with scruffy raven coloured hair and emerald eyes she never questioned the orders. The mission had been simple she had flown to the United Kingdom the man was extremely hard to follow but had a predicable routine, it took less than a week before she put a bullet in the back of the man's skull and fled the country.
It was therefore an extremely unwelcome twenty third birthday gift from Director Fury to learn she had failed. The man, a Harry Potter was alive and well, not just well but moving to the states. Natasha was sure she had killed him but she never failed so she tried again. This time she poisoned him, she watched him drink the spiked glass in the airport lounge and was more than a little upset to see Fury the next day asking why Mr Potter had recently bought a property in New York. Strangely though nobody could find quite where it was, nobody seemed to remember, Natasha was sure she had seen an address on the forms but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it was. She'd swallowed her pride and asked Fury for more details on her target, why were they even trying to kill him? Normally she never needed this, she was a weapon they pointed her at a target and fired, a weapon doesn't need to know the motives of the user and in Natasha's line of work it was far more comforting to hide behind the reasoning of world safety.
The few more details she got were that he was some kind of terrorist he had abnormal abilities and according to a Mr Malfoy a government advisor he was guilty of treason. Apparently Potter had killed the rightful leader of a government division and put in his own man, the public were so scared of him that nothing was reported. Malfoy had moved to America and feeling safe from Potter had contacted SHIELD through the US government. Natasha wasn't sure how much she trusted this intelligence but Fury told her that it was a hit ordered by the American government not him, Potter's powers, whatever they were, made it a SHIELD matter. The chat told her that Fury was not happy with being told what to do but her objective remained.
She ended up finding Potter in a small bar a few weeks later. She still had no clue where he lived so this was her best shot. The bar wasn't busy but there were still too many people around for her just to shoot him. Instead she sat down next to him. She knew she was beautiful her red hair drew attention like she was a lamp and they were flies and while she was proud to say she'd never needed to sleep with a target their willingness to sleep with her made it rather easy to isolate them before she killed them. Potter, she discovered was rather well mannered, he was making her job harder by being a gentleman, she caught him glancing at her a few times but he had a level of restraint that meant he wasn't going to make this easy. Those emerald eyes were enchanting but they gave away a shyness that meant she would have to take the lead on this. Potter didn't strike her as the terrorist type but then again, if he did he probably would have been caught by now. It was refreshing to Natasha to meet a man who seemed so nice, normally in her line of work the men she got close to were egotistical slime balls. She was a master at lies but Potter somehow seemed better, she never picked up any lies nor did she learn any information other than he was in between jobs and had recently moved. Everything about him seemed rather genuine but she could tell he was holding back, whether it was the murderous past or shyness she couldn't tell.
Potter got up to leave just after eleven. Still too many people for a clean hit, she asked for his phone number but he told her he didn't own one, something about him not working well with electronics. She watched him leave and started to follow him. Strangely he made her job easier by turning in to a dark alley near the bar. She pulled out her pistol as she followed quickly. She was rushing so wasn't quite as quiet as she hoped, Potter must have heard her as he turned to her, seeing the gun pointed at him she would have sworn he sighed in resignation and rolled his eyes as she shot him twice in the chest. She was sure she had hit his heart and he wouldn't be back again. She reported to Fury on her way to her apartment that the job was done. She fell asleep wondering why Potter never tried to fight, to run, even to plead for his life, definitely he was strange but never mind she had finally closed that case.
Or so she thought. Fury was less than impressed when surveillance cameras caught Potter shopping a week later. Natasha was livid. She grabbed her coat and headed towards Potter's location without a clear plan. She never failed and yet this man was not dead. She eventually found him in the food court with a treacle tart. As she stormed up to him he leant back in his chair looking to the sky for a moment before gesturing her to sit down opposite him. Natasha still wasn't quite sure what she was going to do, she had been filling out equipment requisition forms for Budapest before she came here, she had no equipment other than a couple of knives and a pistol, nothing that could be used in public. She sat in the offered chair and glared. Potter finished his dessert and invited her back to his place to talk. He didn't seem happy about it and Natasha would normally never agree to go to an un-scouted location without an extraction team ready but nothing about this case was normal, not even for a SHIELD agent.
She followed Potter back to a relatively quiet street. About half way down Potter told her to look away, Natasha knew she wasn't thinking straight when she looked back the way they came relying on the fact that so far Potter had shown no signs of hostility. Potter told her his address and that she could turn around, she would have sworn the house they were standing in front of hadn't been there a minute ago but never mind Potter was opening the door, she had to focus, be aware for traps and at some point stick one of her knives in him.
Potter led her into a nicely furnished home and gestured to a living room that seemed larger than a house this size should have. She sat while Potter left to put the kettle on, the whole time she kept a hand on her pistol just in case he came back with a weapon. Instead he came back with a couple of mugs and a teapot all on a tray. He sank into a wingback armchair and poured himself some tea adding a dash of milk the whole time ignoring Natasha's presence.
"So, I guess your name isn't actually Natalie?" Potter asked at last. Natasha was a well-trained interrogator and would never have started with such a casual question even if it was just to start a conversation.
"No. Who are you?" Natasha asked. Potter smiled as he relaxed into his chair cupping his hands around the tea.
"Are you sure you don't want some tea?" he asked, Natasha may have been willing to follow a target into an unsecured location but drinking something she hadn't made herself was too much. She sent a look of scorn as an answer. "Never mind, constant vigilance and all that."
Not sure quite how to respond to that Natasha continued to stare hoping that making Potter uncomfortable would make him talk.
"You know, I had a headmaster once who did the same thing. He used to make a statement and wait until you felt the need to talk. Lucky for you I'm feeling curious, I think I can answer a few questions if you'll answer mine. I'll start, my name is Harry James Potter born July thirty first nineteen eighty, the first and only child of James and Lily Potter. Now who are you?"
Natasha knew this was her target, someone she'd been ordered to kill for almost a year now and between attempts she'd killed plenty of others but she felt the need to have this conversation. "Natalia Romanoff, call me Natasha. What are you?"
"I'm a person Natasha, why did you shoot me?"
"Why aren't you dead?"
"It's my turn Natasha."
She sighed, "I was told to. My turn."
"Yes indeed it is your turn but that was a waste, who told you to?"
Natasha was confused for a moment. "It was a statement not a question. You have to answer mine."
"Ah, details. It's strange to deal with people who care about them. My whole life its felt like people ignore little details like facts and just go with their own interpretation. So amuse me, what do you think?" Harry asked with a smile as he sipped at his tea.
"I think I have killed you three times now and yet here you are?" She let the statement hang as a clear question.
"So London was you?" she nodded feeling no guilt. "then there was last night, when was the third?"
"You were poisoned in the airport lounge before you came here."
"Oh, didn't even notice that. I did sleep rather heavily on the plane if that makes you feel better."
Natasha was trained too well to show shock but she was definitely feeling it.
"Are you going to keep trying?" Harry asked with an exasperated tone.
"I have a job to do." Natasha replied curtly.
"Will you at least tell me who wants me dead?" Harry asked.
"Classified."
"I thought the government liked me at the moment." Harry voiced as he put his tea down.
"Seeing as you put them in place I'd expect them to."
"Ah, well I'd argue I had nothing to do with that put people keep giving me credit for it. What will it take for you to leave me alone?"
"I have a job to do."
"You've said that already, can you give me details. When you kill me this time will you leave me be?"
"Will you stay dead?"
"Probably not but at least you tried. Can you just tell people you killed me?"
"I've done that before, then you show up and make me look like an amateur."
"I apologise, I don't mean to make you look bad, would you like me to write your boss a note to say how hard you've tried?" Natasha rolled her eyes. "I'll take that as a no. How about I stay away for a while, would that help? I've always wanted to see Asia; I could do a grand tour for a few years?"
"I can't leave a known terrorist wander free." Natasha replied.
"A terrorist, I have never been called that before, deranged, mad, attention seeking, undesirable number one, and a few others." Harry said counting them off his fingers. "But never a terrorist. Who would even think I was a terrorist?"
"That's what I was told. I suppose I could just have you detained."
Harry shook his head, "I suppose I could try telling you I'm not a terrorist, in fact I have twice been involved in putting down terrorist uprisings even if other people give me more credit than I deserve."
"Mr Potter I think I'm going to have to take you to the detention centre."
"On whose authority. I might as well know who is trying to shaft me?"
"You're under arrest under the jurisdiction of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
"That's a mouthful. Say, what happens if I don't recognise your organisation and think this is an elaborate kidnapping attempt."
"It doesn't matter SHIELD is above the government, we have jurisdiction wherever we need to protect the world." Natasha replied sharply levelling a sharp glare at the Englishman.
"Ah, greater good types, I don't suppose you'll leave me alone if I promise not to do anything evil?"
"No, I have orders to kill you, failing that I suppose having you arrested will have to do."
"Can I speak to anyone from my lot so I don't disappear without a trace into whatever hell hole you want to imprison me. How do you even keep finding me?"
"You keep showing up on CCTV and no I won't allow you to escape." She wasn't quite sure what he muttered but it sounded like "Bloody muggles." Whatever that meant.
"Natasha, you're a lovely young woman but I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, feel free to stop by for a cup of tea anytime though."
Harry stood, Natasha was rather confused. What was with this guy, he seemed to think he couldn't be killed and past evidence was suggesting that might just be true, but the way he seemed to be willing just to ignore SHIELD was strange. She had a job to do so she too stood.
"You're going to have to come with me Mr Potter."
"Harry, please and no I don't think I will. Please come back next week if your orders are the same and I'll try and be more accommodating." Natasha wasn't quite sure what to do but she had his address, if needs be she could come back with a full team to capture Potter.
The next day she was summoned into Fury's office. The moment she arrived she could tell he was angry. Angry even for him. Apparently the Malfoy person who put them onto Potter was considered a war criminal and had bought his was to and advisory position. Potter was instead a national hero back across the pond. The attempts made on Potter's life had made the British consider their contribution to SHIELD, something Fury felt was unacceptable. Natasha therefore was to find Potter and apologise, do whatever was needed to ensure SHIELD could continue to operate at its current budget.
Potter seemed rather surprised to see here on his doorstep an hour or so later. She was invited in and sat in the same chair as the day before while again Potter left to make tea. Potter repeated the ritual of making tea in silence before anything was said and again Natasha turned down her own cup.
"Well this is a pleasant surprise. Honestly when I said you were welcome anytime I meant it but I didn't expect you to visit so soon." He said at last breaking the silence.
"Cut the crap Potter. We both know why I'm here." Normally Natasha kept emotion out of her voice but an apology was a waste of her time. She was trained to kill, not to play nice.
"Harry please, and I'm afraid I don't follow."
"You spoke to some people who contacted some people who contacted some others and so on. Bottom line is we were going after the wrong person on bogus intel. Now the British government is considering its position with regards to SHIELD funding and my boss says that's unacceptable. I need to know what you want to make this whole mess go away."
"Oh, I'll speak to Kingsley after we're done and tell him his reaction is a tad extreme. I'm sorry they made you come over here. Does this mean you're done trying to kill me?"
"For now." Natasha replied making Harry smile. She stood up to leave and noted that Harry seemed surprised.
"You're leaving already?" He asked,
"You speak to your people and I can get back to my job. I don't see the need to be here."
"Oh, I haven't even finished my tea. I'll show you out but please, feel free to drop by at any time you feel like you need a break. I don't get too much company especially from beautiful young redheads" Potter replied before muttering under his breath "at least not anymore." Not willing to ask what he meant by that but pleased with the compliment she left to tell Fury that the problem should be resolved.
Natasha was assigned a mission abroad and had left the country by the end of the week. She didn't think about the emerald eyed brit for a couple of months until she found herself back from a particularly draining mission. Clint's wife Laura was pregnant with their first child and so was way out of the way. The only thing that awaited her was her empty flat. As she left the building she remembered the offer from Potter.
Potter seemed happy to see her if a little surprised.
"Natasha, it's been too long. Come in, come in." she found herself sat in the same chair as her previous visits. "So what brings you to my humble abode, am I in trouble or you needing a release?"
Natasha wasn't quite sure how to respond. She didn't really know why she was here. She had been recruited to the KGB young, and defected aged fourteen. From that moment on she'd only really spent time with Clint and his wife. Otherwise alone or on missions. "I guess I just felt the need for something different." She answered.
"I can understand that, have you eaten?" She shook her head and Potter got up and lead her through to the kitchen. It had a big old fashioned stove and a small table where she sat while he worked. "So Natasha, assuming you want to avoid work tell me, do you have any hobbies or interests?"
Natasha woke the next morning in a strange bed. As she regained consciousness she observed her surroundings. She was alone, fully clothed in a well-furnished bedroom. As she got up she played back the previous evening in her mind. She had found it surprisingly therapeutic, dinner was surprisingly good. Someone must have taught that Englishman how to cook. She remembered surprisingly easy chat were they were both content to avoid talking about her work or either of their pasts. She had learnt he was the only surviving member of a rich family and the heir of another which made him really rather wealthy. He was taking advantage of that to avoid people, quite why she wasn't sure but she remembered when she first spoke to him in the bar, shortly before she shot him that there was a slight shyness to him. He had told her that he spent the majority of his time in his library making up for his less than stellar efforts in school, she wasn't sure how a house this size had its own library but she had been enjoying herself too much to question it.
As she left the room she could smell bacon being cooked, that food of gods, following her nose down to the kitchen she found Harry with his back to her as she slid into a chair at the table content to watch him work. She had surprised herself how much she had relaxed the previous night. Sometimes with the way she had lived her life it was hard to remember that she was still human after all and last night had gone a large way to removing the weight she always carried around.
Harry spotted her as he turned around to get some cups for tea, he couldn't suppress the slight jump when he saw her. "I was going to check on you in a bit. I hope you slept alright. I moved you from the sofa after you fell asleep, I hope don't mind."
She must really have relaxed then. She was an extremely light sleeper, a necessity in her occupation. For someone to have carried her up to the bedroom she must have really fast asleep. "No I slept great thank you."
"Good, I assume you have time for breakfast, or else some of this is going to waste." Natasha should really be off, she was wearing the same outfit as yesterday and she had work at some point. She wasn't quite sure what the time was, she hadn't seen anything electronic in the house, not even a clock. She knew there must be as at some point Harry had said he thought this house was one of the safest in the city. She was about to say she would leave but as she saw Harry pull the plates out her will crumbled. Normally her breakfast was a protein bar and some fruit, this was a treat.
"I think I have time, just." She replied. This was the best agent on SHIELD's books, someone trained to endure the harshest conditions she'd had her body mutilated by the Russian government to make her a better agent and yet she found herself crumbling in the face of a good breakfast following a good night's sleep. As Harry loaded the plates with hash browns, eggs, bacon, sausages and beans she thought back about how easy conversation had been last night. It was remarkable how little he seemed to care that she had tried to kill him.
Natasha was late to work that day. Fury was less than impressed but her track record was such that she had a little bit of leniency, after all her only failure was Harry and if she had succeeded then SHIELD might have been in a bit of trouble.
"Care to explain where you have been agent Romanoff?" Fury asked when she reported to his office for her latest assignment. She should have known that breakfast had lasted too long. She and Potter hadn't spoken much as they make their way through the mountains of food prepared but it had been a great way to start the day. This was proof to her nothing good came without a price.
"I was having some personal and lost track of time, sir."
Over the next few months she found herself at Harry's home more and more. Harry was always pleased to see her and the fact he always fed her was a great reason to come back were she not to enjoy his company. The fact she did was a bonus. She'd stayed over more than she'd left and gone as far as to keep a set of clothes at Harry's. She was sure by now that something was off about the house now as she was sure it was bigger on the inside but both Harry and her had secrets. One of the reasons they were getting on so well was that neither pried, it was an unspoken pact that on day when they felt ready they would share.
Natasha had mentioned Harry to Clint who seemed rather surprised that she was so close to someone. She had ended up giving directions to Clint one morning when she had stayed at Harry's and was running late, she had found him wandering the street outside apparently unable to find the house. When she asked Harry about it at a later date he had smiled mysteriously and reminded her that his house was defended better than most. Eventually Clint and Harry had met at the christening of Clint's first child, Cooper. She was named the boy's godmother and had felt the need to invite Harry. It was definitely an interesting meeting. Though they had hit it off surprisingly well Clint was the closest thing to a big brother Natasha had and he seemed to think Harry and Natasha were in a relationship. It wasn't until the journey home that she looked at the relationship from an objective point of view that she realised how easily people could assume that. After all these days she did spend more time at his home than hers.
It wasn't until she returned from one particularly disturbing mission that anything that could be considered romantic happened. Some insane man had been experimenting on children in a way that made her ill. Being the professional she was her training had carried her through the mission but when she got back to Harry's she had almost broken out in tears. She woke the next morning on Harry's sofa safely wrapped in his arms. He was awake and hadn't realised she was awake, she felt him press a gentle kiss to the top of her head, in a sudden moment she couldn't quite explain as he moved back she had reached back and pulled his face to hers and his lips to hers. From that night on she stayed in his room, nothing happened there but sleeping, kissing and cuddling which was a relief to Natasha, she may have been trained to use her beauty to isolate a target but she had never actually slept with anyone, assassins tend not to meet that many people. That and she was scared to tell Harry she had been sterilised meant she was more than content with what they had.
At some point Harry had keyed Clint into whatever super security system he had and whenever he was in New York Clint had started to use what had once been Natasha's room. With the spies living out of the house it became clearer that they were all keeping secrets. Natasha has still never been into the library and she could have sworn she saw some owls dropping letters off one morning.
In two-thousand and nine a big event happened, Natasha had had her first official failure. She had been protecting a Nigerian scientist but he had been shot, through her. Clint had rushed to tell Harry that Natasha was in hospital. Harry had told Clint he would make his own way there and had somehow arrived well before Clint.
Harry had rushed to the room where Natasha was recovering somehow bypassing all security. She was confused but relieved when he burst into her room. She had no idea how he'd managed to access her room but he was definitely a welcome sight as he rushed to her side and took her hand.
"Clint said you'd been shot. How is it?"
"It hurts, the doctor's say I'll be fine and can come home soon."
Harry sunk in to room's only chair and pulled it close to her. "This probably isn't the best time for this but when Clint told me what happened, well I just couldn't stop thinking about life without you. I miss you every time you go away but the idea you might never come back, that was not okay."
"Harry, you're rambling, I'll be fine." She interrupted.
"Nat, what I'm saying is I don't know how I could keep going without you in my life, I want you in it, all of it. What I'm saying is Natalia Alianovna Romanoff will you marry me?" He asked pulling out a box containing a simple engagement ring.
Natasha was stunned. Sure she knew Harry was a big part of her life and sure they were had been in some kind of relationship for a while now. He might even be closer to her than Clint by now but wow. "Harry, I love you, it's time for the secrets to come out now isn't it?"
"I think so, I'm ready to let you in. I hope there is nothing that wants to make you leave."
"It's not you I'm worried about, some of my secrets are huge."
"I love you Natasha, I don't think there is anything that can change that, I love how adorable the deadliest woman in the world is in my arms in the morning, I love everything about you and I doubt anything can change my mind. Together we can cope."
Natasha Romanoff was checked out of the hospital wearing a discrete ring.
When she was home it was secret time. Not sure how to do this they ended up tossing a coin to decide who would reveal first. They had already agreed that once they got started they would have to keep going, therefore they couldn't take turns.
Harry got first. Natasha was meant to be resting so all this happened in their bedroom, with Natasha slumped up against the headboard, there was no point Harry warning her to sit down.
Harry was possibly more nervous now than when he proposed she noted. He seemed to be playing with a stick she had seen a few times lying around the house. "Well," he started, "you know how SHIELD tracks strange people?" she nodded wondering where this was going. "They're not doing a great job," he continued smiling slightly. "There are a whole type of people SHIELD don't track, hidden from the world but there is a few million of us around the world."
"Harry, what do you mean?" Natasha said playing with her ring. Just seeing this made Harry smile again.
"Magic is real, I'm a wizard. Before you say bullshit I'll show you." Harry waved the stick and turned the chest at the end of the bed into a dog which he then levitated next to Natasha. Who was speechless. "Please say something."
"I honestly can't tell if I'm amazed or terrified. It's incredible but if SHIELD can miss millions of wizards what else could they have missed?"
"Nat, about me though, are you okay?"
"You're still Harry aren't you?"
"Of course."
"Then I still love you, but this is crazy, what else can you do?"
"Lots, and we'll have the rest of our lives to find out. Now though history time, this time no gaps and proper explanations."
Harry went on to tell her how he was orphaned at the age of one as part of a war, how he survived a curse that had never before been survived and at the same time stopping the man who had murdered his parents and been terrorising the wizarding world for the past decade. How he had been placed with his Aunt and Uncle who had made him live in a cupboard until he was eleven when he was reintroduced into the wizarding world. How from the moment he re-entered he was famous for something he didn't remember and had cost him his parents. How the whole world had expected great things from him, how he had been clueless and yet struggled on, how at age eleven he faced his parent's murder as a parasite but proving that he still lived. How aged twelve he had to save his best friends sister from a sixty-foot snake that could kill with a look and was controlled by a memory of Voldemort, the evil wizard. At age thirteen he had discovered that his godfather was innocent of the crimes he had been imprisoned for. How there were immortal beasts that forced you to relieve your worst memories, how Harry was forced to relieve his mother's murder, beasts that could suck out your very soul. Aged fourteen he faced down a dragon, saved a friend from under a lake before being kidnapped and used to resurrect the man who killed his parents. How he had escaped with the body of a fellow competitor only for the wizarding government to deny everything. Launch a slander campaign and one of government sent the soul sucking beasts after him in what could be considered an assassination attempt, especially when the only known defence against them is beyond most witches and wizards. That witch had then become a useless teacher who squeezed the life out of the school. How he had been lured into a trap to save his godfather, only to cause his death. Later to learn that from the moment he had been born he had been destined to fight, it was always going to come down to him against Voldemort. How the next year he was slowly introduced to the secrets that gave Voldemort immortality. How the head teacher who was considered the wisest and most powerful of the aged died without giving Harry any training to stop the monster. In Harry's seventh year he hadn't returned to school as Voldemort had seized control of the government and the school. How he and his two best friends had trekked aimlessly around the country trying to remove the objects that kept Voldemort alive. How it had culminated in one final battle. How he had lost friends all around him until a ceasefire where he walked alone to his death after discovering that he carried within him one of the things that kept Voldemort alive. How he had, for the second time in his life been struck with the killing curse. How he fought and was able to kill Voldemort through a series of luck circumstances. How at the same time his girlfriend, the same girl he saved in his second year was struck down by a Bellatrix LeStrange only for the girl's mother to avenger her moments later. How Harry had become more famous than ever, how people expected him to solve all their problems, how that led him to become an auror, a dark wizard catcher before the pressure and fame got to him and he fled to the states where he had been living since.
To say Natasha was stunned was an understatement. It was strangely comforting to be able to relate the story to the scars that adorned her fiancé's body. The two lightning bolts and the oval burn, the round scar on his arm from a giant snake bite, the scrape on his shoulder from the tail of a dragon. It would be unfair to say who had had the more screwed up life but it was definitely a close thing.
She then told him how the government had taken her at a young age and trained her to be a killer. How by age fourteen she was so dangerous Nick Fury had sent Clint to kill her but he found himself unable to kill someone he deemed a child even if she never thought of herself as such. Instead she had defected and had been working for SHIELD ever since. She was in tears when she confessed what they had done to ensure she never had any distractions. She was terrified he'd reject her knowing they could never have children. Harry had simply held her and reminded her magic was real and that there might be a chance after all.
Harry had then explained the story of the three brothers, how he had united the three hallows and become the master of death, which was how he was effectively immortal, at least for now. It was an exhausting but therapeutic time for them both, to open themselves completely and share all of the darkness within them and let it be purged by the love they held for each other. They spent the rest of the night with Natasha leaning against Harry's chest as she questioned him about all the things he could do with magic. She learnt that he studied hard in the library to become great so no child would ever be left the responsibility of stopping a dark lord ever again.
The next morning Natasha was feeling well enough to be up and about but she still had time of before SHIELD expected her back. For the first time she entered the library and was now unsurprised to find it full of spell books. It was the most clearly magical room in the house as its vast size showed the clear use of the extension charms Harry had told her about. Harry was able to contact his two closest friends from home and wanted to introduce them to Natasha. He also explained to her the way the house was hidden to all those who didn't know the secret. The charm was apparently weakened by the fact the secret keeper lived within the house but apparently it was still strong enough.
Harry had begun to openly use magic around the house whenever Clint wasn't around but it was still shocking to Natasha sometimes to find the washing up doing itself or other oddities. What made her nervous though was meeting Ron and Hermione, Harry's best friends. When they arrived she was surprised how normal they looked. A bushy haired woman of average height and a lanky ginger man with a prominent nose. Through SHIELD she generally dealt with killers, dictators and the occasional scientist. She never had played hostess before, especially when she was being herself. She wasn't sure if Harry had told them much about her, how would they react learning he was engaged to a professional killer? She was introduced to little Rose the three-year-old child who was very excited to see her god father. Natasha felt a slight touch of depression when she considered that she might well never have her own child.
On the last night of her the Weasley's stay Harry and Hermione left for a few minutes for a chat When they came back Hermione asked for a blood sample, apparently she was more than willing to look into magical remedies for Natasha's condition. With the new hope Natasha was in fantastic spirits when she returned to SHIELD.
The next few months were some of the best of her life. She did however feel at times Harry could be over protective, she hadn't told him but she was sure she had spotted signs he was following her on missions invisibly and doing his best to keep her safe. She soon accepted it, it was nice to feel safe, only Clint ever gave her that level of security before and she knew that she would worry about Harry were he to openly go back into magical combat.
The wedding was in two thousand and nine, it was small as the wanted to marry as Natalia Alianovna Romanoff and Harry Potter, neither of which could marry publically. A small private ceremony was held and Clint gave Natasha away. They were honeymooning while Tony Stark revealed himself as Iron Man. It was a happily married Natasha that took up an undercover position within Stark industries in an attempt to analyse Stark's suitability to the Avengers program.
In May of twenty twelve when New York was attacked Natasha was the only avenger to recognise the strange shields that seemed to defend her and the others from blasts that they missed. In the aftermath hundreds of the Chirauri bodies showed damage that didn't suit the weapons of any of the avengers and Natasha knew her husband had been doing all he could to keep them safe.
It was after two years of research that Hermione Granger found a cure for Natasha and it was shortly after that that the Potters had their first child. Nick Fury had also revealed he had known about magic from the moment the government told him to stop trying to kill Harry, he had also known Harry was following around Natasha to keep her and everyone else safe, it was why he never tried to recruit Harry into the Avengers, he knew Harry was already there.
As their first child grew up Harry and Natasha moved back to the United Kingdom so their offspring could enjoy Hogwarts. They had done their best to prepare the child for the fame it would have just from its family but not it was up to the next generation to cope.
Harry Potter, master of Death died mere hours after his wife. Harry greeted Death as an old friend as he was lead to the next great adventure where he would be reunited with his wife, after all, just because he couldn't die doesn't mean he couldn't merely continue to live beyond the veil.