(A/N): Hello! Welcome back guys! Hope your weekend has been solid! I have returned once again with a new chapter that will hopefully delight you!

Shoutouts to xXLarxPhobiaXx, Hp17, Stephanie MRV, Najada, dragongirl92, Adharablack85-2, MissDoeProngsRose, burungmalam, fringeperson, Spinallittleglow, noise95, Nanyin, pangaokao, KEZZ 1, imaginesakura, and Guests for reviewing! You all are the best!

Couple of quick notes before you all get to reading: this chapter is going to have a couple of time jumps going on. Not large ones, no 3 months later or anything, just trying to move along a bit quicker. Hopefully it's not too jarring, but I just wanted you all to be aware. Second thing, there's a lot of strong feelings towards Steve right now and I'm a little concerned. Just in canon, Steve is awkward and a little lost when it comes to dealing with his emotions and people not... well, Bucky basically. I'm not trying to make him out to be a jerk. He's Steve right after he's been defrosted- he's an awkward cinnamon roll right now! Lastly, I know Avengers Endgame has come out and I have seen it. I am not going to spoil it for you all but I will tell you upfront... disregard entirely for this story. None of that will be happening in my story. I have a lot of feelings for that film, a lot of them not great, but I also know a lot of people loved it and that's cool! It's just not gonna be a thing in my story world and I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page there.

Alright, I'm done blathering now. This chapter is unbetaed so all mistakes are on my head.

Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!


"What is the point of learning hand to hand combat?" Mia demanded, heaving herself off the floor. "This is all in our heads, right? It's not going to be helpful out in the real world because my actual body isn't learning anything right now- the muscle memory and increased stamina isn't going to be there."

Her mother stood a few paces away from her, knees slightly bent and hands at the ready, while her father stood off to the side observing them. That was how this worked now, Val did most of the martial arts training while Richard did weapons training.

"Therein lies the benefits of magic," he called to her even as Val moved to strike again. "Your mind will always remember this training and your magic will work automatically to supplement your body until your muscles in this world matches your physical body."

Before Val could knock her down again, Mia jumped and somehow found herself flipping over her mother. Stumbling forwards, she spun around to face Val, who looked as stunned as she was feeling. "What…" Mia stared down at her feet in confusion. "What was that?"

Val turned to look at Richard. "Was that from you?"

Richard frowned. "I believe not." At the look on Val's face, he continued softly, "I warned you that this was a possibility."

"I had hoped you were wrong," Val muttered. "This complicates things."

"What complicates things?" Mia interrupted. "What's going on?"

Sighing, Val straightened up. "You got a bit more than just your dad's powers like we originally thought. Looks like you also got mine."


Hermione sat stiffly in her chair, keeping a close eye on Tony as he wandered around the small office that they had been escorted to at the North American Gringotts Branch located near the MACUSA Headquarters in Manhattan. She would have come by herself, but Tony refused to be left behind. It was actually a relief to have someone else with her though, the support was comforting, and Tony was definitely the better choice for this than Steve- Tony's bored expression didn't waver even when he came face to face with a goblin for the first time.

"So, there's really only one bank in the entire Wizarding World?" Tony asked, studying a paper on the wall listing out Gringotts Banking Policies.

"Yes," Hermione answered, crossing her legs. "The goblins monopolized the banking system in Europe, Northern Africa, and the Americas in the early 1400s. I believe the only reason it took longer for the Middle East and Asia is due to the fact the their Magical communities didn't isolate themselves till later on and therefore the common currency there was what was used."

Tony finally moved over to her and sat down. "What about the rest of Africa?"

"From what I understand, magic can still be used openly in many communities. If an area tried to limit or ban magic, the people there simply move on to another community. It goes back to the fact that, if magical and non-magical people are able to coexist openly and peacefully, there's no need for another form of currency to be used in magical transactions."

"How unusual, for a witch to be so familiar with our history and practices," came a gruff voice from behind them.

Standing up instantly, Hermione waited until the goblin had gone behind his desk and bowed slightly before reseating herself after he had sat.

"I am Farloff, the manager of this Gringotts branch," he introduced himself, unsmiling.

"My name is Mia Stark and this is my brother, Tony," Hermione introduced, keeping her expression blank.

Farloff studied them closely. "Neither of those are wizarding names- what business do you have with Gringotts?"

"I am here about an account I have opened under a different name- my previous name." Hermione pulled out her vault key that she had retrieved from her beaded bag and set it on the desk. "This is to my vault at the main Gringotts Bank Branch in Diagon Alley under the name Hermione Granger."

The goblin stiffened. "Granger?" he repeated.

Hermione smiled faintly. "Yes, Hermione Granger."

"You will need to verify your identity before anything else is done," Farloff quickly told her, pulling something out of his desk.

"I will agree for you to check my magical signature," Hermione told him firmly, having spotted the Blood Quill in his hands. "I know the rules- I know that you can either check my identity using my blood or by my magical signature and I refuse to allow you access to the former."

Farloff seemed almost impressed. "Offering blood is much less taxing and is the preferred method amongst magical folk."

"It's also much more dangerous. My magical signature will dissipate once I will it to. You will have that sample of my blood for as long as you choose."

"Your cautious nature does you credit," the goblin said, but it didn't sound like a compliment. "Very well then."

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, calling forth her magic and allowing it to flow over her skin. This was a very difficult piece of magic, one most individuals she knew were unable to do. It involved calling forth magic without actually casting a spell and holding it in place, covering the skin and giving the caster a colorful aura.

Using a black, metal rod that looked similar to metal detector, Farloff scanned her skin and took a reading of her magic, comparing it to the magic embedded in her key. "A match," he finally stated, looking displeased. "How unexcepted. So, Miss Granger, how can we help you?"

Tony stiffened slightly beside her. "It's Miss Stark, actually."

"That's partially why I'm here," Hermione quickly interrupted, shooting Tony a look. Turning back to Farloff, she continued, "I need to transfer all the money in the account under Hermione Granger and either place it into one with my new name or just exchange it all for American currency. Before that though, I need to know more about the attempts made to access my account in the past decade. The media has given me an idea of what all has occurred, but I would prefer to hear the full, uncensored details from you."

Farloff's expression remained unchanged, but Hermione could almost feel the pulses of anger coming from him. "Beginning in 1999, one year after your disappearance, the Ministry of Magic in Britain declared you legally dead and Ronald Bilius Weasley," the goblin's lip curled as he spat out the name, "began to try and be granted the contents of your vault. He used the claim that, as your fiancé, all your assets should be awarded to him. Harry James Potter backed his claims and Ministry officials also agreed with Weasley's claim."

"But you didn't give him anything," Tony commented.

"Gringotts operates independently of any government control," Farloff sneered. "We have our own rules in place upon the death of a vault owner. The vault either goes to a spouse or is returned to a blood family member- unless there is a will stating otherwise. If no family members can be located in a timely, the vault will be locked down until a blood relative is located."

"I did have a will," Hermione said softly. "In the event of my death, the contents of my vault were to be donated to a variety of charities."

"And if you had actually died, that is what would have occurred."

"You knew she was alive?" Tony demanded, leaning forward.

"Upon a holder's death, their key either goes to their next of kin- spouse or child generally- or return to their Gringotts account manager who would then access their will. If there is no will, the distribution of the vault is left up to the managers discretion. As your key was not returned to Gringotts and there was no body found, we had no reason to believe you dead. We sealed your vault and refused all requests for access to it."

Hermione's stomach clenched. "I'm sure the Ministry did not appreciate that. Are they able to monitor my account? Will they know if I make any withdrawals or close it? And how many times did Ronald try to get into my vault?"

Farloff sat back slightly in his chair. "They have ordered to be informed should there be any changes to your account, but it is up to our discretion to apprise them. If you wish to make a transfer or close the account, I can give you three days at most before the British Ministry is alerted.

"As for how many times Weasley attempted to open you vault: at least once every three months until five years ago. Once we informed him that you had a written will that would go into effect once proof of your death was provided to us, and that no money or mention of him was to be found within said will, he stopped his attempts with us. A reminder that fiancés don't count as next of kin unless written into the will also helped. To this day though, he still discusses it with the media."

She sighed. "Of course; if it involves money or food, Ronald will actually put in a bit of effort."

"I can't believe you were friends with this kid," Tony scoffed.

Hermione stared him down. "You really want to talk about life choices right now?"

Turning back to Farloff, she told him, "I need a new account under the name Mia Stark and all the funds in my old account transferred over before being closed. Anthony Edward Stark, my brother, is to the beneficiary to my new account should I die, with all funds being transferred to a non-magical bank of his choosing."

Tony started. "I don't want your money!" he protested.

Smiling over at him, Hermione said, "I know, and I will change it in the future when I have more of an idea of what I want done. I just feel better doing this for now, just in case."

Half an hour later, Tony and Hermione were preparing to leave the bank. "I must say," Tony commented, glancing around the custom clothing store that was the front for the entrance to Gringotts. "This is not too shoddy of an establishment."

"It is the goblins," Hermione answered lightly, buttoning up her coat. "If they do something, they make sure to do it well. Do you think there will still be press outside waiting for us?"

In the days following the press conference announcing her existence to the world, the press had been relentless. Talk shows discussed her constantly, photographers followed them everywhere, and numerous articles had already been written that could only speculate as to what her existence meant for the future of Stark Industries and why she had stayed hidden for so long. Tony and Pepper had already spoken with her about going on at least one talk show with someone they liked and trusted and doing an article with a magazine they'd worked with in the past.

"Yep. Better put on your sunglasses."

Sliding on her sunglasses and standing up straight with her shoulders back, Tony and Mia Stark strode confidently into the chaotic mess waiting outside for them.


Steve sat on the couch in Hermione's floor of the Tower, trying not to laugh at her exasperated expression as she argued with Pepper. "Why do I need to learn how to walk in three-inch heels?" she demanded. "I won't wear them!"

"Yes, you will," Pepper told her firmly. "This is a necessary skill." It was at times like these that it was obvious just why Pepper was known the only person able to get Tony to do anything- she was impossible to argue with. "As a Stark, you will need to attend gala's and benefits on a regular basis and these are the shoes you will be expected to wear."

"No one told me that before I agreed!"

"Rule number one when it comes to making agreements: always read the fine print. Now, walk."

Hermione groaned and began to toddle around the room. "I look ridiculous." She looked over at Steve. "Don't you have something better to do than watch me suffer?"

"Nope," Steve replied, smirking slightly at her.

"Actually, you do," Pepper corrected, reaching out a hand to help Hermione when she started to wobble. "I left a pair of dress shoes in your size outside your room- go change into them so you can break them in."

"Huh?" asked Steve, bewildered. "Why do I need dress shoes?"

"Because if I go down, I'm taking everybody with me," Hermione muttered.

Pepper made a shooing motion at Steve and he stood, walking slowly to his room.

After Stark had formally introduced Mia Stark to the world, he had given her an entire floor of the Tower to do with as she pleased. Hermione had tried to argue that it was too much, but Stark wouldn't hear of it. So far, the only rooms that saw any use were the kitchen, the living room, Hermione's bedroom, the library/study Stark had created for her, and the room she had given to Steve. Because of her new identity, she wasn't able to stay at the apartment any longer. They still saw each other daily though, Steve dropping by so that could study together or watch the next movie on their list. After the first few times that he had stayed so late that they ended up falling asleep in the living room, Hermione had shown him the room she'd set up for him and Steve had become an unofficial resident of the Tower- much to Stark's disappointment.

Picking up the box waiting outside his door, Steve carried it back into the living room. He'd only been gone for a minute, but Hermione seemed to be getting her feet under her again, walking around with a bit more ease. "Once Steve is ready, we can work on your dancing skills," Pepper announced.

Hermione immediately stumbled. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I don't dance," Steve quickly interjected, pushing the box of shoes away from him as if they were going to climb out of the box on their own and tie themselves to his feet.

"You may be able to force me to attend gala's and benefits, but you cannot make me dance at them," the brunette stubbornly informed Pepper.

"Even Tony dances!" Pepper protested. "Not often, granted, but he still does!"

"That's because Tony is an unapologetic flirt!" Hermione hissed. "He's absolutely head-over-heels for you, that's obvious to anyone with eyes, but he still enjoys making women swoon over him. I, however, don't have that same propensity and therefore will refrain from making a fool of myself on the dance floor."

Pepper still wasn't backing down though. "What if you meet someone you like and they ask you to dance?"

"I doubt I'll find any of the many trust-fund babies that I'll surely encounter at these events all that appealing."

At the look of surprised confusion on Pepper's face, Steve told her, "She's started watching Gilmore Girls recently. I'm apparently not up to that level culture-wise yet though."

"Without me?" Pepper demanded.

"You like Gilmore Girls?" Hermione asked in surprise. "I found it on a list of things to watch and started it after I finished Friends."

Jaw dropping in outrage, Pepper cried, "You finished Friends without me?!"

Hermione blinked at her, attempting to find a proper response. "So, dancing?"

Steve groaned.


"Is Fury still personifying his name?" Hermione asked Clint as they wandered into the training room.

"I've never seen him so upset," Clint groaned, rolling his eyes when he caught sight of Hermione's grin. "I'm still not sure what he's more pissed about: the fact that Stark hacked multiple government agencies in order to legitimize your existence as fully as possible, or the fact that The Supersoldier, America's Golden Boy, was the one who came up with the idea."

"I know! I'm still shocked myself, to be honest." Her laughter echoed around the room and the tightness in Clint's shoulders finally eased a bit. "They are both terrible at coming up with any sort of reasonable backstory though. Steve is far too honest for all this and Tony is far too used to living his life as openly as possible, as shown by his Iron Man announcement. The man may be a vault when it comes to his technology, but he has no problem leaving most of his personal life on display."

"You seem to be doing well with the press," he commented, carefully watching Hermione's stance as she began her stretches. "Caught a bit of your interview on Ellen and the article about you in Vanity Fair."

Hermione flushed. "Having Tony really helped when speaking with Ellen. She also has a way of putting her guests at ease throughout the interview that kept me from becoming too nervous. Pepper insisted on doing the interview with the magazine though- she said it would help me connect with a wider and more diverse audience and further establish myself."

"She's probably right. The pictures in it at least are all over the internet right now- you are well on your way to being America's darling."

Letting out a breath, Hermione admitted, "I'm not sure I thought this through. In hindsight, I don't think this is actually going to help hide me from the Wizarding World."

Clint shrugged. "You'd be surprised how oblivious most people are. I doubt any of your old friends are going to connect Mia Stark with Hermione Granger, and not just because British wizards do everything possible to stay as disconnected as possible from the outside world. No one would expect there to be a connection between Hermione Granger and Tony Stark so, even if they were to see a picture of you, they probably wouldn't even recognize you. It helps that you don't really look the same as before."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Pepper took me to a salon to have my hair done and has been helping me 'move with more grace and confidence'. These training sessions have also caused a change to my appearance."

"It's not a bad thing," he reassured her. "Just looks like you're ready to take on the world, rather than being crushed under the weight of it."

Hermione hummed in thought before abruptly changing the subject, a habit she'd seemingly picked up from Tony. "So, I heard you have a mission coming up. When do you leave?" she asked, pulling her hair up off her neck.

"Friday," answered Clint as he bent over to tighten his laces.

Eyebrows raised in surprise, she said, "So soon? Were you just informed of the plan or are you just now bothering to inform me? Either you or Fury are poor planners and I would prefer to know which one to expect that from going forward."

With a snort, Clint told her, "He gave me a heads-up last week, but a lot of advanced notice isn't really expected in our line of work; it's all about rolling with the punches as they come."

"Ah yes, that thing I'm not doing well with."

He smirked at her. "Yeah, I don't know where you learned the habit of just standing there and taking a hit, but it is not the way to go."

"The bruises covering my body would agree with you." Hermione started bouncing on the balls of her feet, mentally preparing herself for her upcoming laps. She had no issues with the other parts of her training, had even come to enjoy sparring, but she absolutely despised doing laps. While Hermione understood why Clint forced her to do them during their training sessions, a part of her was still suspicious that he was just including them to torment her.

"Yeah, yeah, less whining more running. You're not getting out of it today, Granger." He pointed at her. "And don't think you'll be able to just stop training after I leave- already got Steve to agree to keep an eye on you until a friend of mine gets back from her mission and is able to come work with you."

Hermione's jaw dropped in mock-surprise. "You have friends?" She ran off then, the sound of Clint's laughter echoing behind her.


"I failed everything," Mia moaned, slumped over the counter as Pepper unpacked the breakfast pastries she had brought in with her that morning and began placing them on plates.

"I'm sure you didn't fail everything," Steve reassured her.

"You might have failed everything," Tony piped in, not looking up from his tablet.

"Tony," Pepper warned. At Mia's pitiful moan, she turned back to the younger woman. "You didn't fail your exams," Pepper told her soothingly. "We studied everything together, you passed with flying colors on your practice tests, and you were just saying how easy you found the material. Stop doubting yourself."

"And even if you did fail, at least you're still pretty," offered Tony, finally looking up and smirking at his younger sister. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it thrilled him to be able to call Mia family. He was no longer the only Stark.

Mia sat up straight and glared at Tony. "You know, this wouldn't be so bad if you hadn't made me 21 years old. You get to be the genius older brother who graduated MIT at the age of 17 while I'm the idiot younger sister who couldn't finish schooling at a normal time like everyone else!"

"I was trying to help you out! Now you're old enough to drink. Also, you'll only be considered an idiot if you fail. If you do really well on them, then people will just think you're lazy."

"Not helpful," Steve snapped.

"I'm sorry, why are you still here?" Tony asked. "Don't you have better things to do besides freeload off of me?"

"Not really," the blond man answered with a saccharine smile that had Tony rolling his eyes. The two men weren't friends by any stretch of the word, but they had settled into an uneasy truce for Mia's sake.

"We're going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today and possibly the Met Cloisters if there's enough time before doing a bit of exploring," Mia interrupted, moving away from the counter to slide into a seat between the two men. "Are you still going to be testing the arc reactor this evening?"

"That's the plan," Pepper answered cheerfully, setting the plates down on the table while sliding into the seat opposite Mia.

"Do you want me home tonight to help?" Mia asked, looking at Tony.

He gave her a half-smile. "Nah, we'll be fine on our own. Show Super Soldier here a good time- not too good a time though. Gotta protect that innocence."

Steve groaned. "What exactly do you think people were doing in the 40s?"

"Selling war bonds and dreaming of white picket fences?"

"I think that last part was more the 50s," Pepper told him absentmindedly, biting into a blueberry crepe.

"Yes, in the 40s they were much more interested in living in the moment," Mia said, biting back a grin. "Do what you want today because you never know what might happen tomorrow and all that."

Tony's eyes lit up and he looked at Steve with new interest. "Really? So, does that mean the Paragon of Virtue might not be so virtuous after all?"

"I really don't see how that's any of your business," Steve told him stiffly.

"C'mon now, Rogers, sharing is caring and inquiring minds want to know."

"Inquiring is not the word I would use to describe your mind, Stark."

"Oh, really? And what word would you use?"

Mia and Pepper both groaned. "Could you not?" Pepper asked.

"If you two don't stop right now," Mia warned, "I will lock you both in your rooms and Pepper and I will do everything on our own today."

"Is that so?" Tony challenged, raising an eyebrow at Mia. "You think you can successfully install the arc reactor to the Stark Tower powerline all on your own?"

Refusing to back down, Mia told him, "I can try. It would be tragic if I failed though. Would probably end up destroying your newest toy and then you'd have to waste weeks creating a new one."

Locking eyes for almost a minute, Tony finally gave in with a groan. "Fine, you win. This time."

Smiling brightly, Mia went back to eating her food as Pepper engaged Steve in conversation about what he was most looking forward to seeing at the museum.


Steve was oddly quiet after they had left the museum hours later. "Something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No," he told her, smiling slightly. "Just processing everything we've seen today. It's amazing being able to see how much art has changed over the years."

Hermione just looked at him for a moment before facing forward again. "It's something else, isn't it? You're worried about something."

He sighed. "I can't get anything past you, can I?" She linked her arm with his, keeping him grounded. "S.H.I.E.L.D. dropped off files about my old teammates," Steve finally admitted. "Most of them are already gone, but Peggy's still alive."

"Are you going to call her?" Hermione asked, voice calm. She might not be ready to contact anyone from her old life, but that didn't mean that Steve shouldn't.

"I thought about it, but I don't think I'm ready."

He sounded almost ashamed and Hermione lightly tugged on his arm so that he would look at her. "There's nothing wrong with needing time," she told him firmly. "Do you think less of me because I haven't spoken with anyone from before?"

"Of course not," Steve immediately answered.

"Then stop thinking that it's any different for you."

Steve finally relaxed. "You're right."

"I'm always right," she teased, also relaxing. "Now, where would you like to go next? I, for one, would prefer to stay out of the Tower for as long as possible in order to give Tony and Pepper some space."

"Barton texted me earlier to check in and see how your training was going." Hermione tensed before looking up at Steve from below her eyelashes. "I was a bit confused at first," Steve continued, staring straight ahead as the edges of his lips twitched. "Seeing as how you said that Clint's friend had arrived back from their mission and was working with you."

"Please don't tell Tony," Hermione immediately requested.

Steve snorted. "Why not? I imagine Stark would be proud to hear that you pulled one over on me."

"He most definitely would be except for the fact that I may have also been pulling one over on him as well."

Pausing for a moment, Steve looked down at her before moving them off the crowded sidewalk and into a nearby alleyway. "What does that mean?" he demanded. "What exactly have you been up to?"

Hermione's shoulders hunched. "I needed to pick up some things from the magical side of New York and if Tony knew what I was doing, he would have insisted on coming with me. He may have done well enough with the goblins, but he would shot off like a bullet the moment we stepped through the magical entrance into the shopping area. And there is absolutely no way I could have gone unrecognized while out with him there. The magical world here may ignore most things going on in the non-magical world, but everyone here knows who Iron Man is and if he was with me, they might have recognized me as his mysterious new sister."

Tensioning draining out of his large frame, Steve ran his hand through his hand. "Makes sense. But it's probably not a good idea for you to be off galivanting on your own." Hermione's eyes flashed and Steve lifted his hand up to forestall her protests. "I'm not saying that because I think you're weak or anything like that- I know you can take care of yourself. Thing is, you were just saying a few days ago that you were worried about being found and forced to return to the magical world. This whole plan hinges on the fact that people aren't going to connect Hermione Granger to Mia Stark. You going off on your own into the magical world, hiding your new identity, kind of makes what we did a little pointless, doesn't it?"

Realizing he was right, Hermione's ire instantly dissipated. "You make a fair point."

"I can do that on occasion too. Can you tell me what it was you needed to buy? And why it couldn't have waited? I get not wanting to bring Stark with you, but it sounds like Barton seems to know his way around the magical world and he could have gone with you once he got back."

She desperately wanted to run her fingers through her hair, but she had promised Pepper that she would stop doing that. "I needed to pick up a few books," Hermione finally admitted. "One's on recent events in the Wizarding World. Americans are less likely to censor what exactly is going on in Britain the way the books and newspapers there tend to and right now, I'm really just looking for some honesty."

Offering his arm to Hermione, Steve led them back onto the street. "Did you find anything?"

"I did, some good and some bad." Hermione shifted closer to Steve in an attempt to avoid bumping into anyone. "Britain's standing in the International Confederation of Wizards, which is basically the magical equivalent of the United Nations, declined after Voldemort was finally defeated again. They had already been on shaky ground for quite a while but after that, their influence fell. It's ironic, Magical Britain is viewed as weak and looked down upon by the rest of the magical world while Muggle Britain is considered one of the most powerful countries in the world on the non-magical side of things.

"After the war ended, the Ministry of Magic immediately published their version of what had occurred internationally and was called to speak in front of the ICW. No one knew though that undercover operatives were sent in from the United States, France, Germany, and a joint task force by the Scandinavian's. They had gone into Britain and collected information to submit to the ICW on what had happened during the war before British representatives spoke. Those British representatives were unaware of that and attempted to lie about what had been going on in England; the Death Eaters had apparently closed the border when they took over the Ministry in an attempt to keep any 'Undesirables' from escaping and any aid from being sent. They believed the rest of the world to be unaware of what exactly had been going on. The moment they lied to the ICW, Britain was called out and lost a number of privileges they had gained during the years the Dumbledore led the organization."

"Dumbledore? The headmaster of your school?" Steve asked, frowning. "He was in charge of the ICW and your school? That sounds like a lot- why did he do both instead of one or the other?"

Her lip curled slightly as she answered, "He liked power and enjoyed using his influence to acquire more and more of it. He was in charge of the oldest magical school in Europe, an advisor to the Ministry, and led a body of some of the most powerful and talented wizards and witches across the world."

"If he was so powerful, then why didn't he reach out to other magical communities for assistance fighting Voldemort? Why didn't anyone else help?" He knew that some leaders had issues asking for help but in Steve's opinion, there was nothing wrong with needing back up. So, why had Dumbledore decided recruiting kids was a better way to go than using his connections at the ICW?

"I don't have all the information, only the American perspective of things," Hermione reminded him. "I can't say with absolute surety that this is true, but I do believe it is highly likely.

"A large amount of Dumbledore's affluence came after World War II where he defeated a man by the name of Gellert Grindelwald, who was basically the magical version of Adolf Hitler. Dumbledore became famous throughout the Wizarding World after that, hailed as the most powerful wizard since Merlin and the brightest wizard to exist in centuries. However, not everyone had such a high opinion of Dumbledore. There were rumors floating around about why it had taken him so long to defeat Grindelwald, his reasons for refusing to face the Dark Wizard sooner, and just how he had been able to stop him. They didn't trust Dumbledore so, when he stood before the ICW and announced the return of Voldemort to Britain, many of them thought he was trying to expand his influence even further by creating another Dark Lord for him to defeat. Even once they realized they were wrong though they still couldn't help. The Ministry refused their offers of aid and wouldn't allow them into the country."

"But you said Dumbledore was an advisor to the Ministry, so why didn't he use that influence to get them in?"

It took a moment of Hermione to answer. "Because… because Dumbledore had a plan already set in place and once he'd done so, nothing in the world could change his mind. He liked playing games," she murmured, remembering a corridor of puzzles, a tournament of death, and a treasure hunt for Dark objects. "He liked playing games and after he'd set up the board, he'd play it through to the end, no matter what."

"War isn't a game!" Steve objected.

"It was to him. A chess game, with him the gamemaster and the rest of us as his pieces- all the soldiers expendable except for Harry, his king. Dumbledore forgot that we were people. Or, he didn't forget but just didn't care. I honestly don't know which would be worse at this point."

Pulling them to a stop again, this time in awning of a building, Steve put his hands on her shoulders and bent to meet Hermione's eyes. "You are not expendable," he told her firmly. "You are not a chess piece to be sacrificed on someone else's whim. You are a person and you have the right to exist and make your own choices as much as anyone else."

Hermione blinked at him, unsure of what to say in response to that. Ever since she'd woken up, been able to have that space from Harry, the war, everything, Hermione had replayed every significant moment over and over in her head. She wondered if she had missed anything the first time around, any clues that might have changed all the terrible things that had been done.

She wondered if she'd ever actually had any free will during that time, or if she'd always been hanging Dumbledore's strings.

Eyes sliding away from Steve's too-intense gaze, unable and unwilling to delve into her own fears right then, her focus caught on the name written onto the window behind him. "No," she groaned.

Steve didn't even turn around, just dropped his hands and grinned. "Yes. You need to make up for those missed days of training." He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and moved to unlock the front door of the gym. "Let's go, Granger. Show me what you've got."


"He didn't mean it," came her mom's voice from her bedroom door.

Mia turned to look at her. "Didn't mean what?" she asked dully.

Val walked into the room and sat down next to her daughter. "What he said about control- he didn't mean it the way you thought."

Biting down on her lip, Mia took a deep, shuddering breath. "I just… I'm tired of constantly being told how to properly feel and react to my emotions."

"I get it," Val told her, beginning to run her fingers through Mia's long curls. "I'm the same way. For years, I was told that I needed to control my emotions, that I couldn't let them get the better of me. It took me awhile to realize that my emotions weren't controlling me, they were fueling me."

"Why doesn't Dad get that?" Mia asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Why does he want to change me?"

"Hey," Val said, moving her hand from Mia's hand to tug on one of her arms until she could grab her hand and squeeze it tightly. "He doesn't want to change you. Your dad just grew up differently from us. For him, showing emotion wasn't an option. When he did show any emotion, any at all, it would be used against him and he'd be punished for it. He finally had to learn to always keep his feelings in check, to never show any cracks in his armor."

Mia stared at their joined hands. "I didn't know that," she whispered, feeling badly for how she'd yelled at her father earlier. "That's an awful way to grow up."

"It is," her mother agreed. "Your father loves you, Mia, and everything he's done has been to keep you safe."

Taking a deep breath, Mia stood up and bent over to kiss her mom on the forehead. "I should go apologize to him."

"Someone willingly apologizing to him," Val muttered as she watched Mia leave the room. "He might actually die of shock."


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