Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! I hope you are liking it so far! Thank you to those that left me comments! Just a fair warning, no Loki yet in this chapter…he comes in a bit later! I have to set up the scenario first! Also, I am looking for a Beta Reader. If you are interested, please PM me with your information. Also, the songs that I recommend for each chapter are not necessarily what I base the chapter off of. Sometimes they are just songs that I feel fit the tone or mood, or they are mentioned in the chapter. If a chapter is based on a song, I will let you know so you can listen to it while you read! That's all I have, so read on!

Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to those at Marvel Studios, Warner Brothers, or J.K. Rowling. The title, "Wolves without Teeth" comes from the song of the same title by the fantastic Of Monsters and Men. The cover photo is a mashup I created from photos found on Google. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

Full Summary: In the age old fight of good versus evil, two souls converge in a battle to stop the end of all worlds. With the universe crumbling around them, Loki and Hermione find themselves connected by more than just their magical abilities. A myth becomes reality when an old foe comes tearing through the realms seeking revenge upon those who wronged him. What will happen when Loki and Hermione discover there's much more to their connection than meets the eye? Will they be forced to sacrifice everything they've ever wanted in order to save the nine realms or will love prevail?

Wolves without Teeth
Pairing: Hermione Granger/Loki Laufeyson
Rating: M (Rated Mature for adult language, violence, and sexual situations)
Chapter One:
Autumn
Song Recommendations: "Sleeping with a Friend" by Neon Trees, "Get Hurt" by The Gaslight Anthem, "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift, "The Things we Lost in the Fire" by Bastille

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"Perhaps, I want the old days back again and they'll never come back,
and I am haunted by the memory of them…"

-Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind
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Autumn

Hermione yawned as the clock on the kitchen wall struck 1am. She really needed to get to bed—6am would be here before she knew it. Stretching, her back cracked audibly, causing Hermione to cringe. The warm oak table was covered in piles and piles of notebooks of research for both work and the lab. Deciding she had better end her night, and get that much needed sleep, Hermione waved her wand to clear away the mess as she stood from the table. With folders in her arms, Hermione extinguished the lights and headed towards her bedroom down the hall.

Just as she was opening her door, Ron's creaked open as well. He appeared, hair rumpled and eyes drowsy with sleep wearing gray sleep pants and nothing else. "'Mione?" He mumbled while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Are you just going to bed now?" Ron squinted in the light of the hallway, looking utterly confused.

With a sigh, Hermione admitted, "Yes." Readjusting the folders in her arms she continued, "I'm sorry if I woke you." She moved to scurry into the room.

"S'okay. I had to use the loo anyway." He shuffled towards the bathroom door.

"Night, Ron." He nodded and shut the door, so Hermione entered her own and did the same, placing her armful of folders on the desk against the wall. Luckily, she was already in comfortable clothes because she fell into her unmade bed, pulled the soft, purple comforter over herself, and went right to sleep.

Five short hours later, Hermione's alarm went off and she began her normal morning routine: shower, get dressed, tackle her hair, maybe attempt some make-up, coffee, feed her cat, Raven, and Ron's owl, Pig, before scarfing down a quick bowl of cereal or some toast. Today she settled on the toast. As she spread some strawberry jam over the crunchy surface, she overheard Ron talking on his cell phone in his room. He must have left the door open.

"Up late again last night."

"Not sure. I had gone to bed already."

"I know. She's overdoing it a bit."

"Okay, I'll see you at lunch."

"Bye."

Agitated, Hermione shoved away her half eaten toast in favor of the last, barely warm, dregs of her coffee. After finishing her morning brew, she banished the mug to the sink and awaited Ron's arrival into the kitchen, where he would devour two or three bowls of cereal before heading to work at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He had been working there since after they had lost the baby and broken up.

Originally, Ron and Hermione had not lived together at all. In fact, they had never even been married, or engaged. One day, Hermione had discovered she was pregnant…then, less than a month later, she wasn't. It had been too difficult for either of them to deal with. Ron quit the Auror Department in favor of working at the joke shop where he could laugh and relax a bit. Hermione, well, she threw herself into her work with the Magical Law Enforcement Department. Eventually, they both decided to end the relationship seeing as they were slowly drifting too far apart.

After years of struggling to regain their friendship, they had decided to move in together to save on the cost of rent. Ron had been dating Pansy Parkinson for a few years, and Hermione had her own share of boyfriends, so it wasn't that big of an issue. At times, Hermione felt Pansy resented her, but honestly there was nothing going on between her and Ron. The thought made her cringe now just thinking about it. In fact, Hermione hoped that Ron planned on proposing to Pansy sometime soon because the woman was being ridiculously patient with him. Not to mention, she was head over heels in love with the man. How on Earth Ron and Pansy had fallen in love, Hermione would never truly understand. If it wasn't for Draco, the pair never would have hooked up though.

It was with crossed arms, and a deep scowl on her face, that Hermione greeted Ron as he entered the little half kitchen of their shared flat that morning. Ron had just opened his mouth to say good morning when he spotted her face. He grimaced and flinched back, his own face going pale. "I'm guessing you overheard me talking to Harry just now?"

Hermione leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "What do you think?"

Scratching the back of his head, Ron smiled sheepishly as he began to prepare his breakfast. "Look, I'm sorry we didn't come to you, but we're just so worried." Hermione's narrowed eyes followed him as he poured cereal and milk into a bowl, grabbed a spoon from the drawer, and settled himself across the table from her. "We've all noticed how hard you are working yourself. You get up extra early, work all day, spend all evening at the lab, and then come home and work some more. You barely make time for eating and haven't hung out with any of us more than once or twice since June. We just think you need a break or something." Ron stopped to take a breath and Hermione pushed back her chair, causing it to grate angrily on the hardwood floor.

Tears prickled her eyes as she clenched and unclenched her fists, feeling her nails dig into the palms of her hands. "If you all were so worried, why didn't you just come to me? I hate that you all talked behind my back!" She stomped out of the room, ignoring Ron's disgruntled yelp of protest. She grabbed her leather briefcase by the door and turned to glare back at Ron in the kitchen doorway. "I am your friend, Ronald! Friends don't go behind each other's backs!" She grabbed the handle of the door, flung it open, and slammed it behind her before Apparating to the Ministry. Hermione didn't care if she upset Ron—he had upset her first. They all knew how busy she was right now.

Still upset, but no longer near crying, Hermione decided to stop in the small café near the Atrium before heading upstairs. With a large caramel latte in hand, Hermione exited the lift ten minutes later and made for her office.

It was no surprise to see that Harry was leaning against her closed door. Shaking her head and straightening her back indignantly, Hermione walked briskly towards her so-called best friend. "If you're here to apologize, Harry Potter, it had better be a good one."

Harry looked a bit sheepish as he attempted a small smile while he waited on her to open the door. A second later, he followed inside and shut the door quietly as not to anger Hermione's inner lion anymore than it already was. Hermione continued her lashing, "I don't have much time either. We have a Department meeting in twenty so let's make this quick shall we?" She placed her briefcase down not too softly upon the desk before following suit with the latte. Hermione then proceeded to place her hands on her hips and glare at Harry with one eyebrow quirked.

Harry stayed by the door, leaning against it almost as if he were trying to draw strength to get through this conversation. "'Mione, I know Ron already talked to you this morning, and you're not too happy with all of us, but—" He paused trying to find the best way to phrase his next words. "But, we just don't want to see you broken again."

"That was different." Hermione sniffed, looking away and taking a swig of her latte before gingerly sitting down in her luxury chair.

"The cause was different, yes, but the signs are the same." Sighing, Harry pushed away from the door, his face saddened, and walked a bit closer, now certain Hermione wouldn't blow up at him anymore. "Draco is worried too."

Hermione had been mid sip when this news was shared, causing her to nearly choke. "What?! You talked to Draco about me too?"

"He came to us," Harry admitted.

This statement caused Hermione to place the cup right down on top of the desk as she sunk back further into the chair—a chair that Draco had purchased for her, coincidentally, when she had made him Second in Command of the MLE. They had an interesting friendship and relationship.

Hermione and Draco had both been hired by Kingsley around the same time and had been thrust together as partners immediately. Oh the fights they had raged. Some members of the Auror and MLE departments joked that the entire Ministry would have been blown to bits if they had ever used their wands during one of their verbal battles. Eventually, the fights became few and far between as they slowly developed some sort of truce, and later, a friendship. It had been Draco who'd discovered Hermione crumpled on the bathroom floor of the Ministry loo the day she'd found out she'd lost the baby. He had been surprisingly considerate towards her during the entire ordeal. When things ended between her and Ron, Hermione found herself drawn towards Draco's companionship. Before either of them realized what was happening, they were dating—attending Ministry and Malfoy galas weekly, as well as spending time with Harry, Ginny, and their friends from all houses.

It was as if overnight the barrier separating Slytherin and Gryffindor fell apart. During this time Ron and Pansy also started to see one another. By late 2005, Draco and Hermione had become the most envied couple in the Magical world, behind Harry and Ginny of course. Everyone was placing bets on when Draco was going to ask Hermione to marry him, and whether or not Hermione would take his last name. Unfortunately, their love story came to a devastating end when Narcissa discovered a document while clearing out her late husband's study. This document stated that Draco was betrothed to an heir within the Greengrass family. Seeing as Daphne had already been married, that left Astoria.

Thus, Hermione and Draco were forced to end their love filled relationship with one another because, at the time, the Pureblood Laws were still in full effect. The two were beyond heartbroken. Draco had to return the ring he'd recently purchased and Hermione had to move out of Malfoy Manor where she had been staying since they began seeing each other officially. Draco did everything he could to try and find a loophole in the betrothal document, as did Hermione. In the end, though, Draco was married to Astoria and Hermione threw herself head first into her work. She travelled all over the world researching Pureblood Laws, interviewing many witches and wizards, and holding many trials. By the time 2010 rolled around, all the remaining Pureblood Laws were fully eradicated, Hermione had been hospitalized five times due to exhaustion, and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was four years old.

Even after all those years, Hermione still found her heart aching for what could never be. This was why she was so surprised and remorseful to hear that Draco was worried about her. "What did he say?" She curled her hands in her lap and watched as Harry shrugged one shoulder.

"Just that you've been distant lately and he fears you're on the verge of exhaustion again." Harry shook his hair out of his eyes anxiously as he watched Hermione for signs of duress.

She had to admit, she did feel a bit run down lately. Glancing at her calendar, Hermione realized with a start that her thirty sixth birthday was coming up on Saturday. If Draco had felt the need to talk to Harry, then things definitely were getting out of hand. Pushing the cup of now cooling latte back and forth between her hands, Hermione took a deep breath and blinked back at her friend. "Maybe I am working a bit too hard. I'll take the weekend off from the lab. Why don't we all go out for my birthday? Leaky Cauldron? Neville might even be able to come." She was rambling, but she suddenly felt so horrible for worrying her friends that she needed to try and remedy the situation.

A large grin that reminded her of Sirius broke out on Harry's face. "Sounds like a brilliant plan, 'Mione. I'll call everyone, okay? You won't have to plan a thing!" He made his way back towards the door and opened it. "I'll talk to you later!"

"Bye, Harry," Hermione mumbled with a smile of her own and watched as he left the office. Alone finally, Hermione used her wand to reheat her latte and shut the door. She had a meeting to get to in about five minutes, a meeting where she would be forced to see Draco. After that conversation, she wasn't sure she was strong enough to look him in the eye today.

Hermione's heart still broke a bit each time they were together, and from the sad look in his eyes, he was remorseful as well. However, Draco had grown to love Astoria. It was a different kind of love than the heated, heart pounding kind he had shared with Hermione, but it was enough that he didn't break the betrothal contract, divorce Astoria, and come back to her arms. It would never be the same even if he did, and Hermione knew that.

Grabbing meeting agendas, Hermione pushed her feelings aside for now and gulped down more latte before leaving the sanctuary of her office. "Keep Calm and Carry On," Hermione told herself. That was what she had to do. She would put on her brave face for the meeting, help Jane at the lab today and tomorrow, and then celebrate her birthday with her very best friends. Her friends were her friends for a reason—after everything they had been through, there were no other people in the universe that knew her better. Well, except for her parents, but they had decided to stay in Australia after she returned their memories. Hermione knew that, somewhere out there, her soulmate was waiting for her. Right now, she had work to do. Love could wait.

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Hermione had to admit, taking the weekend off to celebrate with her friends had been a bloody brilliant idea. At least that's what she kept telling herself as she sipped her cosmopolitan and watched Luna and Rolf "Shake it Off" to some random song Ginny had chosen on the Muggle jukebox. Hannah had wanted to get away from the Leaky Cauldron for the night, and Hermione couldn't blame her, so their group had found some Muggle bar to celebrate at. It was well after ten and everyone was a bit sloshed at this point. Hermione had lost count of how many drinks her friends had purchased, shoving them into her hand and insisting she drink up. Ron had devoured his own weight in jalapeno poppers while Pansy looked on in disgust, Neville egging him on in the background. Ginny and Harry stayed by her side, making sure she ate enough food to keep up with the alcohol she consumed. Overall, the evening had been quite the success.

Draco and Astoria had politely declined the offer of an evening out, and Hermione was glad for that. Smiling with contentment, Hermione wrapped her arms around her midsection as a slow song came on the jukebox and all the couples joined one another on the dancefloor for a dance together. It was times like this where Hermione really noticed just how lonely she could feel sometimes. For the most part, she went day to day without worrying too much about her single status. Especially lately with all the work and research she was doing.

Watching as Harry twirled Ginny, his eyes sparkling with mischief and her laughter echoing over the love song coursing through the bar, Hermione couldn't help but wish that her soulmate would find her sooner rather than later. Sipping her cosmopolitan, she nearly fell off the rickety old bar stool when a familiar voice spoke next to her.

"Disgusting isn't it?"

Rubbing her chest to help ease the alcohol down her throat, Hermione blinked rapidly and turned to face the person who spoke. Darcy was seated on the stool next to her, arms crossed and a frown on her face. She smiled at Hermione briefly before gesturing back at the dancefloor. "All those perfect couples and here we are, two smart beautiful women sipping drinks by ourselves." Confused, Hermione shifted back and forth getting comfortable once more.

"Hello, Darcy, what are you doing here?"

Shrugging, Darcy took a gulp of her pint before answering. "I wanted to go out since we took the weekend off too. Jane and I went to dinner and thought about going to a movie but decided against it. We were going to go home when Thor showed up and said we should come here instead." Darcy scowled across the room and Hermione followed her gaze, spotting Jane and Thor dancing quite close in a dark corner. She suspected it was so no one would notice them and want Thor's autograph or something. Even while she looked on, Thor leaned down and captured his girlfriend's lips in a sensual kiss. Hermione averted her eyes, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment.

"I'm going to vomit," Darcy joked as she gestured for the bartender to get her and Hermione a refill. Once their drinks were both refreshed, she playfully punched Hermione on the shoulder. "So how come you're sitting here all by yourself watching your friends dance and have a good time?"

Smiling sadly, Hermione took a deep breath as she rubbed her shoulder. "Well, it's my birthday today. We've been celebrating all evening. Unfortunately, I'm the ninth wheel. I've been single for about six months now." She traced the rim of her glass gingerly with the tip of her finger, her red nail polish shimmering in the light as she ignored Darcy's prying gaze. "Too busy, I guess." She sighed in frustration and pushed aside the half empty glass, suddenly feeling drunker than she had intended to get.

"I know that feeling.—being the odd one out, I mean. Ian and I were together for a while before we both realized the only reason we were together was because he saved me from being killed by Aliens once." Hermione cracked a smile and gave a small chuckle.

"That's a pretty good reason."

"Yeah, if there was any real chemistry or common interests. No, it was never going to work and I knew that." Darcy glared across the dance floor as the jukebox played yet another slow song. "Happy birthday, by the way. I had no idea." She smirked at Hermione meeting her gaze and toasting her with the pint in her hand.

"Thank you. I'm 36…which isn't really a big deal in the Wizarding world with our longer life expectancies and all that, but I still feel old." She giggled, feeling the effects of the alcohol settling in. Darcy grinned and pushed the glass she had set aside closer.

"Well, drink up, birthday girl. It's not every day I get to party with a witch, after all!" Hermione drank the remaining pinkish liquid and they ordered another round. The bar was filling up as the night went on and when the songs switched back to fast paced music, Darcy and Hermione joined the others on the dance floor. Jane and Thor had disappeared, probably to find someplace more private which meant Hermione still had not met the Asgardian in person.

More drinks were consumed, Darcy was introduced to all of Hermione's friends, and they began to share stories with her of their lives. By the time two in the morning rolled around, it was like Darcy had been a part of their crew all along. Luna, Rolf, Harry, Ginny, Hannah, and Neville said their goodbyes and found a place to floo home. Pansy and Darcy joined Ron and Hermione back at their flat where they consumed a few more beverages before finally calling it a night.

It was around four in the morning when Pansy and Ron finally slunk off to bed. Hermione used magic to extend the couch for Darcy where she actually ended up sprawling across as well. With a wave of her wand, Hermione extinguished the lights. The two women were quiet for some time and Hermione actually thought Darcy had fallen asleep. Darcy turned on her side and nudged Hermione with her foot. "Hey," she whispered. "Did you and Ron used to date?"

Forcing her eyes open, Hermione groaned and ran a hand through her tangled mane. "Yes…we've had a...complicated relationship."

"Pansy despises that you live together, you know that right?"

Laughing quietly, Hermione turned on her side, pulling some blanket up onto her body. "Oh, I know. I think Ron is going to propose to her soon. They've been dating for about nine years now. Ron and I, we dated after the War—" Darcy grabbed her arm.

"What war?"

"Ugh, I'll tell you about it another time. It's a long, horrible story to be honest." She sighed and closed her eyes once more trying to block the memories of war from her mind-flashes of green light, scars on her arm, and dead friends.

"You better…anyways sorry for interrupting." Darcy rolled onto her side as well so they were now facing each other. Hermione tried to make out her new friend's face in the darkness, but it was difficult. If it wasn't for the alcohol still in her system, Hermione doubted she would be sharing so much with someone she had only known for such a short time.

"It's alright. Ron and I dated for about five and a half years. We probably would have gotten married if I hadn't gotten pregnant and lost the baby." Tucking her legs up closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, Hermione ignored Darcy's sharp intake of breath at the harsh reality of what happened. "We couldn't cope, so we ended things and went our separate ways. We both started dating other people. Ron found someone he could keep, and well, I didn't."

Hermione went on to explain what had happened between her and Draco and the handful of other men she'd dated since then. By the time the sun had started to rise, both were beyond exhausted and the buzz they'd had was wearing off. Darcy had been kind enough to ignore the few times Hermione had started to cry, and even shared a few of her own dating horror stories. It made Hermione feel better knowing she wasn't alone when it came to difficult relationship issues. In fact, it was a relief to finally have someone she could talk to without feeling the need to hold back. A tightness she hadn't know was suffocating her finally released from her chest, allowing her to relax and be comfortable with someone for the first time in years.

"Darcy, can I ask you a question I'm not sure you're allowed to answer?" The sun was nearly up at this point, and both women were struggling to stay conscious. Darcy hummed and plopped onto her back, stretching her tight limbs loose. She nodded and sat up against the squished pillow behind her back.

"Sure! You weren't supposed to tell me you're a witch. I guess it's fair if I tell you something secret too."

Hermione struggled to a sitting position, a pounding beginning behind her eyes from the copious amounts of alcohol she'd allowed herself to drink. A Hangover Potion would definitely be on the agenda later today. Darcy seemed unsure but determined to be a good friend, and Hermione didn't want to abuse that—but she really needed to know what happened in New Mexico, so she asked. "Can you tell me about New Mexico? What happened?"

Darcy laughed loudly and then made a grimace as she realized she might wake up Ron and Pansy. "Oops!" She whispered before covering her mouth causing Hermione to giggle. "Sorry, that's it? You want to know about New Mexico?" When Hermione merely nodded, the woman rolled her eyes with a smirk. "That's when Thor came to us. Jane hit him with her van when he fell out of the sky—I mean the Bifrost—it was crazy! He ended up beating up the entire staff at the hospital before Jane hit him, again, with the van. He was quite the spoiled brat back then. As it turns out, his brother, Loki, tricked him into attacking Jotunheim. Odin didn't know any better and banished Thor here, casting out Mjolnir into the desert as well. It wasn't until Loki sent this huge fire robot thing that Thor was able to call his hammer to himself. He sacrificed himself for Jane and all of us. It was amazing. No wonder Jane fell head over heels for him…anyone would have. In the end, Thor returned to Asgard to stop Loki from doing any more harm, where he destroyed the Bifrost, and was stuck until Loki showed back up in New York."

Hermione sat rapt with attention. For so long she had wanted to know what had happened before the New York invasion. She remembered sitting in front of the television with Ron, Harry, and Ginny wondering what the hell was going on. All their lives they had thought witches and wizards were the only oddities in the universe, but then Aliens had come pouring from the sky and changed all of that. The Europe community of the Wizarding world had gone into seclusion for months after that for fear that they would be discovered by that government group, S.H.I.E.L.D. It had made life rather difficult. Then, just as they had been comfortable venturing out into the Muggle world again, Aliens had come right to their front door. The Greenwich invasion had been the last straw for many Witches and Wizards. Hermione, on the other hand, had been thrilled for the chance to see some of these otherworldly creatures. She'd been tracking the Convergence for some time at that point and was not surprised at what had happened.

Now, Hermione fought off the fatigue that threatened to overtake her as Darcy dove into the information about the New York invasion, and then the one in Greenwich as well. Hermione was fascinated by the details Darcy had to share about how Jane was sucked into another universe, used as host by the Aether, and helped Thor save the world once more. She fell asleep, curled up across from Darcy, listening to the tales and thinking of a green eyed Trickser God who played a role in not just New Mexico, but New York and Greenwich as well. The last coherent thought she had was that she wished he hadn't died on Svartalfheim fighting to protect Thor and Jane. She very much wished that she had a chance to study the magical abilities Loki had possessed. It felt almost as if he was her missing link in figuring out how to combine Magic with Astrophysics.

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Hours later it seemed, Hermione was lightly shaken awake by Ron. The sun was fully up and she could feel Darcy still sleeping next to her. It was through bleary eyes that Hermione tried to decipher what was happening.

Ron asked her if she and Darcy wanted to go to brunch, but she declined lying back down and falling back to sleep almost immediately, not even hearing the door close behind Pansy and her flat mate. When her body had finally had enough sleep, Hermione found that Darcy had gone, but left her cell number and a note to text her later. Apparently, Jane had called wanting her to come into the lab for a few hours to attempt some experiment.

Even though Hermione had promised to take the weekend off, the urge to visit the lab grew and grew as she shrunk the couch back to size and headed to the bathroom for a shower. That urge became worse as Hermione tried to condition the tangles from her matted hair. It became a persistent knocking in her mind as she dressed in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. The knocking turned into a buzzing in her blood as she struggled to gulp down a Hangover Potion before munching on a bowl of leftover macaroni and cheese. By the time she'd pulled on her boots and grabbed her magically enhanced bag, Hermione knew she couldn't resist the pull to go to the lab. Something was telling her that she needed to be there, and she never ignored her intuition. Her intuition had saved her, Ron, and Harry's arses enough times that she knew not to mess with it. Quickly texting Darcy that she was coming to the lab, Hermione found a secluded area before Apparating to the yard behind Jane's mother's house. The lab was located in the basement, hidden from prying eyes, also known as S.H.I.E.L.D.

Quickly stepping out from behind the tree she'd arrived at, Hermione walked to the side entrance and entered the code onto the lock pad. Smiling when it clicked, she opened the door and entered the cheery yellow kitchen of Dr. Foster. Hermione could hear people talking downstairs, so she opened the little basement door and shuffled down the darkened steps.

"Hermione!" Darcy cheered when she reached the bottom. "You decided to come after all! I hope you brought me some of that magical potion for this blinding headache I've got!"

Laughing heartily, Hermione dug in her bag until she found the correct little vial and handed it over to her vibrant friend. "Of course, it was my fault you got so sloshed! Hello, Jane, sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night." Jane glanced up from the blueprints she was examining on the lab table.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry I didn't know it was your birthday. Happy belated by the way." She went back to work and Hermione turned to Darcy, raising her eyebrows as she dropped her bag on a chair. Darcy rolled hers in return before downing the deep red liquid, not even questioning what it was made of. She pulled a face at the taste and tossed the now empty vial back to Hermione who vanished it away.

"That was disgusting, Hermione."

Shrugging, Hermione giggled. "It's a Hangover Potion, what did you expect?"

Shuddering, Darcy shot back, "More beer," to which they both had a laugh.

It was then time to go to work, so Darcy went to the computer in the corner and started doing some calculations Jane had wanted evaluated while Hermione combed through the few Asgardian books Thor had been able to snag for Jane during his last visit home. After nearly an hour of working in silence, save the crinkling of paper, turning of pages, the occasional scratch of quill to paper, and the tap-tap-tap of the computer keys, their quaint silence was disrupted when the upstairs door was thrown open. All three women jumped, Darcy knocking over a stack of file folders.

Jane barely had time to shoot her a glare when Thor burst down the stairs, throwing his traveling cloak hood back off his head. Hermione didn't even have time to admire the way his hair had bounced gloriously or the fact that his chiseled chest was outlined perfectly in his simple, white t-shirt, before he strutted forward, took Jane into his arms, and placed a kiss upon her lips. She did smirk when Darcy made a gagging sound, to which Jane showed her a not so decent finger.

"You're back early." Jane stated when Thor had placed her back down, as he had been holding her up to kiss her properly.

"Indeed, my trip to Asgard has been enlightening." Thor turned, nodded hello to Darcy who waggled her fingers back jokingly while winking, before turning his attention to Hermione who stood holding her notebook to her chest, eyes wide and unblinking. He cracked a large grin before striding over towards her, hand extended in front of him. "You must be Hermione Granger. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance finally. I have heard much about your advanced magical abilities from Jane and Darcy."

Hermione stood stock still staring up into the Asgardian God's face. It wasn't until Darcy coughed that she squeaked, dropping her notebook and taking the hand that was extended towards her. "Oh, sorry! It's great to finally meet you, Thor. May I call you Thor?" A booming laugh left the large man, as he smiled wider and shook her hand with a tight, warm grip.

"Of course you may, as long as I may call you Hermione."

"Sure. That is fine." She bent down to pick up her fallen notebook, slightly embarrassed, as Thor returned his attention to Jane who had been waiting patiently all day to hear news about his trip. Darcy caught her eyes as she stood once more, smirking. Hermione scowled and mouthed, "Shut up," at her friend who merely rolled her eyes and went back to the computer. She too resumed working, hoping Thor would have some interesting news to share. She was amazed to finally be meeting him, and it was even better because he had literally just returned from Asgard. Hermione could dance she was so excited!

Thor planted himself on a lab stool and got a serious look on his face. "I'm afraid I do not have the best of news to share from my journey home." Jane put down her blueprints and placed a comforting hand on his broad shoulder. He covered it with his own and continued his tale. "Heimdall was not as forthcoming as he usually is. I fear he is being watched closely by my father when I come to visit. My father was unavailable to talk with me, however I am not sure what business he was attending to. Heimdall was closed-lipped, as you would say."

"That doesn't appear too concerning, Thor. You know how much your father disapproves of you living here on Earth with me." Thor nodded, but then drew his eyebrows together as if thinking hard about what Jane had just said.

"It was surprising that my father allowed me to leave Asgard to live here with you. I have never really thought about it before now because I was in such a hurry to return to you." He gently let his knuckles drag against Jane's cheek as she grinned at him. Hermione avoided glancing at Darcy, who no doubt was making a look of fake disgust over the PDA Thor and Jane were exhibiting. Personally, Hermione thought it was sweet that they were so taken with one another. They certainly had gone through a lot to get to this point if what Darcy had told her was even half true. She returned her attention to Thor, wanting to know more information. "I believe I will visit again soon if this unease does not cease." At this point, Thor turned his attentions back to Hermione who felt put on the spot once more. "Heimdall wanted me to let you know, Hermione that you are to be of great assistance to us in the near future. He is glad you stumbled upon Jane and Darcy in that café."

Hermione's blood ran cold at the insinuation of that statement. Before she could speak the thought screaming in her head, Darcy beat her to it. "Sounds like some divine intervention planted us all there that day."

Hermione nodded and clutched her quill tightly in her hand, feeling it begin to bend. "Yes, the right place at the right time…" She trailed off, biting on her lip gingerly as she ran the implications of the situation through her mind.

Jane bobbed her head in agreement before patting Thor on the shoulder and picking her blueprints up once more. "It sounds to me like we might have a situation to deal with in the future, which means we all need to get back to work."

"Yes, we must be prepared for anything. I think I will go contact Steve and Stark and see if they have heard anything strange lately." Jane agreed and then Thor was up the stairs and gone.

"That went well, Hermione." Darcy was laughing at her and she knew it, but Hermione did not care. That buzzing in her blood was back, and she didn't like the feeling it was giving her. Jane caught her eyes across the room, holding them for a moment. It appeared they were both feeling the same sense of foreboding and unease over Heimdall's reluctance to share news of Asgard. Thor was right—they definitely needed to be prepared for anything.

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End Notes: YAY! Another chapter! And with a bit of foreshadowing! I'd like to thank those that reviewed again (eterna-romantica03, Emma3mikan, & Miko Road). I replied to those that did not have their PM feature disabled. Again, please leave me constructive feedback! I am very interested in what you have to say, questions you may have, and any ideas you might have for later chapters! You can also tell me if you catch a spelling or fandom error. Sometimes I miss them on my numerous read-throughs! Until next time!
xx DustNight