A DISCLAIMER AND A SPECIAL DISCLAIMER
I don't own the characters of Avengers and Harry Potter. This fic was written with the purpose of providing a fun time to everyone.
This story is based on the fics "Man of Iron, Father of Gold" and its sequel "Disparity by Magic", both of which were written by Lunabell Marauder Knyte. This one is written with her blessing and permission.
KINDRED SPIRITS
by
Airshadow
CHAPTER IV
AN INTRODUCTION AND AN OFFER
"One second Miss Black," Kingsley interjected while he stepped away from the table, "I think Mr. Stark, since we now have an agreement, that it is time to make our proper introductions to young Harry."
Tony looked at Mr. Shacklebolt and nodded. He was more than happy that the meeting was over, his over-protecting nature was screaming to see his son soon, and stay at his side. He had to admit that his son had a knack for getting into trouble... Involuntarily, that is. Fury used the intercom one more time and the office's door opened.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
The young wizard with green doe eyes gave a big hug to his dad who ruffled his hair, earning more laughs in the little one.
"Look Champ," Tony said in a fatherly way, "You know how your old man worries about you."
"You aren't old."
"Well, Hare-Bear," replied Tony, "You know that sometimes, we are a little busy with the Hero stuff, you know: Saving the world, fighting the bad guys and things like that." Harry nodded, and Tony continued, "Mr. Shacklebolt, who is a good friend of mine and also cares about you, recommended to me one of his Aurors to help me care you. So Miss Black..."
"Will become part of our family?" Harry said with glee, his small family was growing
"Well... Yes, something like that."
"YAY!" Harry cheered; his overdose of happiness launching a burst of magic made that Sabrina's hair turns violet while Tony and Steve's turned red. Natasha's hair turned blonde and she found herself wearing a white Tutu. On the other hand, Clint had a clown's nose, Bruce's skin became blue and Mr. Fury got a coonskin hat. Loki laughed hysterically, this was much better than 'where do babies come from?' incident, at least till his own hair turned orange. His eyes were shooting daggers towards a very angry Miss Black who had her wand in her hand.
Kingsley looked at her as if he was saying 'Why did you do it?' Sabrina huffed and retorted, "I warned him."
"I'm sorry... I... I..." Harry pouted and almost bursting in tears.
"Oh come on, it's nothing." Kingsley consoled him, talking him in the same way than an uncle would do it to his favorite nephew. The Minister of Magic waved his wand fixing all the mess, even Sabrina and Loki's hair. "You see. Things like this happen all time." Looking to all those present, he added, "Any questions? Yes Harry?"
All adults shuddered when they saw Harry's little hand shoot up; they expected a tough question to answer by the mischievous wizard. Harry, unaware of this unease, innocently asked, "Mr. Shacklebolt, do you and Mr. Fury play baseball?"
"Baseball?" Kingsley repeated a bit surprised, but relieved as the rest of the presents that the issue wasn't so problematic. "I don't know if Mr. Fury does, but I don't. Why do you ask, Harry?"
"Because before daddy came in, he said that he hoped that you two not shoot him a curve ball." Everyone chuckled while Harry looked around, not understanding why the adults were laughing.
"Well, Miss Black," Kingsley spoke when he was able to regain his solemnity and used his wand to summon her dossier, while Tony took Harry's hand and waited for the others "Consider yourself now in active service. Still I have to work with our American counterparts to polish some details regarding our presence here, not to mention all the things that you will have to do while you are performing your duties."
"Constant Vigilance?" Sabrina said almost chuckling.
"Do you still remember it?"
"How could I forget at Moody?" She replied with sadness.
Kingsley looked at her with sorrow while he remembered his friend and mentor. Then he took back the control of his emotions and replied in a professional way, "Don't forget to keep me updated of everything that happens."
"Yes, sir... Ah! One more thing."
Kingsley looked at Sabrina, who added "I think that it would be smart to have someone keep an eye on Professor Trelawney. Who knows, perhaps she might finally hone her inner eye and make another prophecy... Just in case."
The minister of Magic shook his head; but knowing all the circumstances that involved both wars, the advice was worthy.
"Ladies, gents and Harry, farewell." Kingsley said goodbye with a slight nod to the others, then he did a step and disapparated.
"WOW! How he did it?" Harry asked excitedly.
"Magic," Sabrina replied with a smile while Harry smiled back.
"Miss Black, let us help you with your luggage," Steve offered, ever the perfect gentleman, while Clint stepped forward too.
"You are very kind, but there is no need bother," she answered with a gracious smile while she hit three times her trunk with her wand. It levitated few inches from the ground, "You see."
"Enjoying your last moments of magic, Snow White? Someone so self-righteous as you wouldn't like to break The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, now would you?" Loki teased with a wicked grin. It would be fun to see another spellcaster deal a 'normal' life without cast spells.
"How sweet of you, Trickster, but you don't need to worry about me," she replied with a fake sweetness, "You see, I just need the permission from our American colleagues and then I can have free reign over my magic whenever I want... More accurately, most of it. It is why my boss will talk with them in a nearby future, and then I will be able to work with my full potential."
Loki paled, and all those present were silently thankful that he decided shut up.
Everybody started to leave the room. The god of mischief kept close to his good-natured adopted brother, just in case. Tony held Harry's hand while Steve was close. The young wizard was watching amazing how Sabrina's bewitched trunk was following her, and he was wondering when he would be able to do something like that.
Everyone gathered outside Fury's office in order to decide what to do next. Harry asked his dad to go for the promised ice cream; but he also wanted to show the new member of the family where she could get the best ice cream in the world!
Although Tony wanted to please his son, he reminded him that A.) It was almost dinner time, and B.) Miss Black had made a long journey and probably needed to rest.
"Besides, Champ, we have to give Miss Black the 'Welcome Tour', since the tower will become her new home and I need your help to show her the place."
Harry nodded with happiness, his dad was right and he wanted to help. All those present were starting to head towards the docks when a booming voice stopped them, "MISS BLACK, I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOU!"
"Only if you ask it nicely," she replied with a singsong and a fake candid grin. Most of the present dropped their jaws in disbelief while Loki quietly chuckled; that mortal had a lot nerve, not many people would dare to taunt Fury in that way.
"Miss Black, would you be so kind to come to my office?" Fury requested in a much more polite tone, "I need to talk with you."
"You see, it's no so hard."
Not willing to push her luck further, Sabrina waved her wand over her trunk that landed on the floor; then she walked towards Fury's office.
"Hey guys, how about you all go to the shuttle while I wait for Miss Black..." Tony spoke while he gave Harry's hand to Steve. His glance toward the office made sure that most of the present got the message. "We'll be there in few minutes."
Tony followed Sabrina, while the rest of the group headed towards the docks. If the Man of Iron thought he would get to know what the chat was about, he soon was disappointed. The door closed behind the Auror and the walls muffled the sound. Stark decided to wait; if they tried to do something that would directly or indirectly harm Harry, he... He didn't know what he would do, but he would stop it. After few seconds he realized that there was only one way to know what was happening inside that office; and lucky for Tony, in a sense he was a wizard too... a technological one.
- o0o -
"Please, Miss Black, take a seat." Fury spoke, his tone was less intimidating, but still it showed who was in charge there. "Your skills are highly impressive."
"Thank you very much," she dryly replied while she sat down.
"I assume that Mr. Shacklebolt has commissioned you not just to take care of the wellbeing of Harry," Fury spoke in a knowing tone.
"That's right," she replied, "By extension, I'm in charge of protecting his father and godfather as well."
"I presume that you have realized that Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers are part of..."
"The Avengers? Of course."
Fury, who was growing impatient with the impertinence of the young Auror, added, "I also understand that due to your laws, the existence of your magical community should be ignored by the rest of humanity."
"And for your own safety, it's the way that it should be."
"Miss Black," Fury replied seriously, "We are not fully aware about your parallel world and its dangers; because of that, I would like to offer you a position as an external consultant of SHIELD and the Avengers."
"You are very kind... but, I pass." Fury was surprised while Sabrina looked at him sternly and continued talking, "Let me speak clear, Mr. Fury. I'm here under the express order of the Head of the Auror Office and the Minister of Magic. I think that you should know that my loyalty belongs to Kingsley Shacklebolt, and my respects to Mr. Stark. Also, my specific assignment is to protect Harry Potter, now Stark. If it becomes necessary, and with Kingsley's blessing, Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers are included. But I know who my priority is... So if an alien invasion happens, lunatic overlords try to take over the world, or even if an army of flying monkeys attacks New York... That's not my department; call the Avengers."
"Can you define your parameters of the word 'protection', Miss Black?" Fury replied.
"I was ordered ensure the wellbeing of Harry, physically and emotionally; keep Loki at bay and the Death Eaters away. Plus, my kind wants to be sure that Harry won't be used as lab rat or trained as a sort of magical weapon," Sabrina answered undeterred, and then added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, they are waiting for me. Au revoir, Mr Fury."
Sabrina stood up and left the room.
- o0o -
Sabrina left the office and leaned against the door. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. She always had been proud of her discipline and self-control, but people as the Director of SHIELD always got on her nerves. He reminded her of Rufus Scrimgeour. She had the impression that, as with the former Minister of Magic, Fury didn't care about who happened to fall on the road to achieve his goals.
"Frustrated, Miss Black? Fury has that effect in the people." The young Auror jolted with surprised only to see at Tony leaned in the wall close to her. He was smiling in a charming way and added, "Shall we go? Hare-Bear is impatient to take you home and help me to give you the welcome tour."
Sabrina smiled and waved her wand one more time, and used the Locomotus charm to make her trunk follow them.
"What did I do to earn your respect?"
They were halfway to the docks when the millionaire playboy dropped the question. Sabrina blinked astounded, by a second she wondered if Tony was a Legilimens but she discarded it almost immediately, because A.) He was a Muggle and B.) She didn't notice any attempt to invade her mind.
"How did you...?"
"I don't need magic to find it out." Stark said while he pulled from one of his pockets one of his gizmos, while Sabrina made a mental note to use next time Muffliato, or better yet, the Imperturbable Charm. "Besides, I will do everything to protect my boy. So, what I did to earn your respect?"
"At first I thought that you were a rude, arrogant, and selfish Muggle, who didn't care about the others," Sabrina replied with shame and looking at Tony with regret, continued, "I was wrong, and for that I beg your forgiveness, Mr. Stark."
"Well, it isn't the first time that I've gotten that," Tony responded and continued with sadness, "And some ways, it's true. I didn't stop to think how my decision would harm Harry's friends and Miss Weasley."
"It wasn't your decision, Mr. Stark, it was mainly a twist of fate and Ginny's choice," the young Auror comforted him, "I would like to explain it further somewhere more private. The only thing that I can say here is that Harry and you have a second chance to enjoy what you never truly had: A family." After a brief pause, she continued, "Coming back to your question, you aren't what I thought you were. I can see that Harry loves you as a father. Ron, Hermione and Ginny told me that he didn't want leave you when they saw him in the Hospital wing after his kidnapping, and now I see it for first hand why. That says a lot."
"I guess it's time to go home," Tony said with a frank smile, "Besides, Hare-Bear has a knack for running into trouble when I least anticipate it."
"Of course he does," Sabrina chuckled while they started to walk towards the docks, "What do you expect from a member of the Potter and the Stark family?"
