Harry watched as the older man with white hair, white beard and eyepatch walked out of the palace towards them. There were three guards walking discretely behind Odin and there were...

"Are those ravens?" Harry whispered to Loki, watching the two birds take off from Odin's shoulder and fly circles that increasingly grew higher.

"Yes," Loki returned, gritting his teeth and not even turning to look at Harry. "They are Hugin and Munin, Odin's ravens. Thought and memory, respectively."

Harry started to rub soothing circles on Loki's lower back where he had wrapped an arm around the god and felt Loki relax a little. As he turned his gaze to Odin, he didn't see Frigga's small but blinding smile directed toward him and Loki.

"You're okay," Harry whispered. "Thor and I won't let Odin do anything."

Loki gave a nervous chuckle as Odin finally reached them and pulled Thor into a hug.

"My son! I am glad to see you," Odin remarked. "I hope your travel to Midgard was successful? You apprehended your brother?"

"Father..." Thor replied hesitantly. "I had hoped I would not be the one to-"

Odin then turned to seemingly look straight at Loki, bypassing Sif, Fandral and Hogun completely.

"Why is he not in cuffs?" Odin inquired, turning to look at Thor.

"My dear, let's take this inside," Frigga calmly interjected, gesturing to the palace and walking over to Odin's side. "The travelers might be hungry."

"Very well. Guards, arrest him," Odin said, pointing at Loki then turning to go back inside at Frigga's side.

"Odin," Frigga started, looking worriedly at Loki and Harry. Thor frowned at Odin and started to walk up to his father.

"Father-"

"No, I don't understand why he has not been restrained yet," Odin remarked. "Did I not send cuffs with you?"

"That is part of the story," Thor started, glancing between the guards who were advancing on Loki and Harry and back to Odin.

At that moment, Harry could swear the lion inside him roared in anger. And he wasn't a were-lion; that was his animagus form, that wasn't suppose to have any say in whatever Harry did. He narrowed his eyes as the guards that were behind Odin and the couple of guards that were behind Frigga started to come closer.

Harry cast a shielding spell in front of him and Loki and watched bemusedly as the guards tried to cross it, only to be bounced back a couple of feet. Harry grinned, shark-like, when the guards tried again. Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun were staring at Loki and Harry; they all gasped at the magic shield that Harry put up.

"Harry..." Loki started, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe I'm not-"

Harry turned to gape at Loki. "Don't finish that sentence, please. You made a big difference in the battle, gave enough forewarning to gather our forces! I AM NOT LETTING YOUR MORON OF A FATHER ARREST YOU!"

Harry was shouting by the last sentence, wanting Odin to hear what he was saying. And it seems he had gained the Alfather's attention; the man had turned around and was... Dare Harry say it? Odin looked like he was close to gaping at him. Frigga had gone from looking rather proud to very amused at Harry's gall, calling the Alfather a moron indeed.

"Yeah, you heard me right! Your son helped us lowly mortals," Harry yelled, seeing the guards start to go around to behind them. Harry snickered and expanded his shield to run in a circle around him and Loki. "He helped us! He didn't... I don't know... try to take over the planet!"

Odin stared at him then turned to watch as the guards proceeded to attempt to cross the shield again, only for the same thing to happen.

"Enough, captain. Stop," Odin called out, beckoning to the guards to come back to them. Thor turned around to beckon to Harry and Loki to come up to the palace steps with them. Harry tentatively whispered the spell to bring the shield down and watched it wink out of existence. "What is your name, Midgardian?"

"Father, this is Harry Potter," Thor said. "The wizard I told you about?"

Odin stared at Harry, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Thor, we're going to the training grounds," Sif called out to the thunder god. Harry could see that she was vaguely uneasy; Merlin, the four of them were fidgeting. No one wanted to be a witness to family drama, if they could help it. Just because it was the family of the Alfather made no difference, apparently. Harry gave a bemused laugh then turned back to watching Odin. "If you want to join us later."

Thor glanced at his four friends then back to Harry and Loki and shook his head. "My friends, I fear this will take a while. Later, perhaps?"

"Of course," Sif replied, glancing a bit wearily at Harry then turned to leave the palace grounds.

"It's good to have you back," Hogun said over to Thor who grinned.

"It's good to be back," Thor replied but at the same time, Harry could see he looked a little crestfallen. His shoulders had drooped the tiniest amount and he was looking in the direction of the palace though it was as if he was looking through it to a place that was farther away in that direction.

Harry turned to look at Loki who turned to look at him. Harry held out a hand, having unwrapped from his partner when he had put up the shield.

"Come on; you can show me your room," Harry teased. "Well, after we get everything settled at least."

Loki finally cracked a smile and chuckled, giving a sigh of relief. "You want to see my room?"

"Of course. I can see where my boyfriend grew up!"

"Very well," Loki replied, still grinning. "If I show you my room, you have to show me yours."

Harry's teasing smile became a grimace and he visibly hunched into himself a little. "You sure? It's nothing special, trust me."

Loki's smile too disappeared and became a frown. "Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like hearing the story of your childhood?"

"You're not," Harry murmured. "It's not... pleasant."

Loki stilled and stared at Harry. "Define not pleasant."

"As in, I didn't get much of a childhood in the first place," Harry replied in a flat tone. "Can we talk about this later? Please?"

"Okay. I should like to know what it was though," Loki urged, taking Harry's hand and entwining their fingers. Harry glanced down at their entangled fingers and then up at Loki and grinned.

"Very well," Harry acknowledged. "Shall we?"

Thor watched as his brother and his brother's... boyfriend entwined their hands and beamed at the two of them. Thor could even feel that Odin had not moved from beside him and was also watching the exchange between Loki and Harry.

"They care for each other..." Odin slowly, if a bit wonderingly said.

"Yes," Thor replied entirely steadily. "It was Harry who protected Loki when he landed on Midgard."

"'Protected'?" Odin repeated. "Why would Loki need protecting?"

As Harry and Loki walked up the steps to stand in front of Thor, Odin, Harry looked between Thor and Odin, a hesitant smile on his face.

"Frigga has gone to make ready the mid-day meal for just the five of us," Odin remarked. "You three can tell your stories while we eat."

"That sounds wonderful to me," Harry responded, grinning.

Loki chuckled. "You would think you hadn't had a big breakfast just this morning."

Harry gasped and looked at Loki, mock offended. "It's been 9 hours since we got up this morning! I am a normal-ass human being who gets hungry after that!"

"Well, and casting a shield that would stop physical intrusions, too," Harry added a bit sheepishly as they entered the palace.

"Wow..." Harry gaped at what he was seeing. There were pillars lining the hallway, which was very long. The pillars themselves were all varying shades of gold and it was beautiful.

Thor chuckled at his amazement and turned back to look ahead.

Harry walked alongside Loki and followed Thor and Odin as they walked further and further into the palace. They walked by the throne room which Harry stared at for a few seconds admittedly. It was a bit... garish, all gold and very high up. But, he supposed if one was called the 'Alfather' and was ruler of the how ever many realms there were, then one deserved a bright and big throne.

After walking past, they turned to the right and headed through a door. There was a smaller hallway that had a couple of doors that led somewhere but the four of them went to the door at the end of the hallway. There were servants and guards bustling around and as they passed, everyone sketched a quick bow.

Harry turned to look at Loki who was looking a bit wistfully back at one of the doors that they had passed. "Your rooms?"

Loki jumped a little then turned to glare at Harry who grinned unrepentantly.

"Yes, that way leads to my rooms," Loki replied. "And yours, if you would like."

Harry's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."