Hello all! It is the start of summer, so I hope to get the summer joy into this fic. Please enjoy.
An alarm sounded throughout the mansion, a trilling sound that dislodged the drowsy man from his sleep and causing him to roll out of bed and land in a displeased heap on the carpet.
Tony jolted up suddenly, ignoring his early morning dizziness and bolted from the room.
"Intruder in the workshop, lockdown eminent." Jarvis intoned over the sound of the siren. Tony ran faster, jumping stairs and pounding down corridors in an attempt to see what was happening.
"Who is it Jarvis? Do I need to get the gear?"
"It is highly recommended Sir! There are traces of magic present, a strange energy source that hasn't been seen since New York."
Tony paused for a second, taking in the new information. There was only two people he knew who had magic; one was Thor, but he was with Jane, spending time with her before returning home, and the other…"
"Jarvis, take some readings. Do you know who has decided to call house, or do I need to deploy a suit and send them packing?" Tony was just cresting the waterfall. He blitzed down the stairs in record time, only to see a sight he had dreaded to ever see again through the glass doors.
Tony stopped before the door, looking in to see Loki stood there near his desk, watching Tony with a slight smirk on his face. The alarms were still blaring and the lights were flickering eerily. Loki resembled so much like a phantom, with his pale face and glowing eyes, Tony thought for a second that he was hallucinating. What was the psychopathic god doing here of all places?
Gathering his courage, Tony punched in the code and entered his workshop in his usual, calm and arrogant stride. "Jarvis, turn the alarm off!" Jarvis did as asked, shutting down the alarm and returning the lights back to normal.
Loki simply stood there, his arms behind his back and smiling at the highly nervous man who stopped about five meters away from the crazed god.
"It's a bit early to call, don't you think? Normally I don't expect visitors very often, especially ones that are meant to be dead or locked away." As if revisiting old steps, Tony calmly walked over to the coffee machine situated within his little kitchenette. Jarvis switched it on automatically and the coffee began to brew.
"Want a coffee?" Tony asked, shouting in his head for doing the exact same thing as back at the tower. Hopefully this time Loki would take the drink and not throw him out of a window; Not that there were any suitably placed windows to throw him out of here. Luckily if he needed a suit he could just flick his wrists and the Mark IV will come flying out and attach itself to him.
"A drink would be nice." The softly spoken voice shocked Tony. He expected the god to decline and grab his neck or something and demand secrets, but he went for the non- hostile approach and decided to humour the engineer.
Tony took a deep breath and rummaged around in the cabinet for two glass mugs. He ignored his pounding heart and went about making two coffees, one sweeter than the other. Tony didn't know how the god would like the drink; he just assumed the god would like it sweeter than Tony's black as hell, devils concoction.
Tony added a splash of milk to Loki's and turned around with each hand holding a full mug. Loki was still standing in the same spot, although he was watching the nervous engineer closely. Tony swallowed the bile rising up and threw caution to the wind. He wondered over with purpose.
As he neared Loki, the raven haired man narrowed his eyes slightly. Tony wondered if the god disliked being approached. Usually it was he who approached his prey, honing in to strike in the most efficient and deadly manner. Tony remembered the ominous stride the god took towards him just before being thrown from the window of the tallest building in New York City.
Tony handed the coffee over wordlessly. Loki didn't take it straight away, he watched Tony for a moment more before he reached out and took it slowly and methodically.
Loki sniffed the brew before taking a tentative sip. Tony meanwhile had moved back, taking a few steps away to enlarge the amount of floor space between the two. The last thing Tony wanted was for the god to simply reach over and take him by the jaw again; Tony had had enough enemies grasping him near his jugular for him to be naïve and linger too close to them.
"So, Reindeer games," Tony began bold, forgetting to stifle the nicknames that tumble from his mouth without really thinking about it, "what brings you this side of the world? Asgard not cutting it for you anymore?"
"You may want to rethink how you address me mortal." Loki said nonchalantly as he sipped his beverage. He looked into to the cup at the dark brown liquid as he spoke. "I do not have to be close to maim you!"
Tony started. He almost choked on the coffee, but stopped himself in time. "As I see it, you don't have a weapon on you, unless you hide knives on your person. We are stood within my workshop, and it is easy for me to call a suit to myself. Actually, Jarvis, why did you allow Dynamo here into my home?"
"I am sorry sir, but he suddenly appeared, surrounded by an odd energy reading. It appears he has been in here before, for the energy reading matches the residue energy of the bird, Severus, that Young master Harry brought in."
"That doesn't sound good," Tony pondered, taking another sip of coffee. Sure, the bird was creepy, with weird eyes and an uncanny intelligence. "Tell me more Jarvis."
"It is strange, sir. The energy fluctuates and flows. It is almost reminiscent of a living organism's cardiovascular system, for the energy spikes when in use, but pulses calmly when not in use."
"Your servant is sharp. If I knew he was to pick up these readings I may have been more careful in my approach of this place."
Tony ignored Loki, "You mean to say that Loki has been here before, Jarvis?"
"It is hard to say sir, at least, I can say that he hasn't ever been here in this form." The Ai responded cryptically.
Tony, being the genius that he is, put two and two together in a short, fleeting moment. It was a thought that would have taken a person of average intelligence, like Steve captain spangles, about quadruple the time it took Tony to think it up. It sounded ludicrous.
"You mean to say," Tony started, his coffee long forgotten, even though he was still grasping the mug handle tightly, "that you are that creepy black bird who liked to give me evils every time he saw me?"
"Eloquently put," started Loki, swirling the coffee around inside his mug, peering at the brown mixture instead of looking at an affronted Tony, "but yes, the bird was me, in a form made to conceal myself from all- seeing eyes. You will tell no one of my being here or I will silence you for all eternity."
Tony shuddered. That didn't sound good at all. "If you don't want anyone to see you, why are you here?"
"For a genius you ask the most redundant questions. As you would know how many enemies I have gathered due to my actions on Midgard and Asgard, I have come to the place which is the least threatening to my existence."
"I get it, you are on the run, but hey, why stick with the little raven? If you hurt him, I swear-"
"Peace, man of iron. The boy was simply in the right place at the right time. He healed my wounds and gave me a place to recuperate, for that I am thankful."
"He doesn't know what you are, does he?"
Loki smirked, the green eyes he possessed darker and stranger than Tony's beloved birdy, "I believe he suspects there is something odd about his newest addition to his meagre little park." Loki then made a disgusted face. Tony found the way he wrinkled his nose amusing on such an imposing man, "I hardly get any peace with he and his birds fluttering about like the irksome mortals they are, insects, the lot of them."
"You, uh, enjoying your stay there then?" Tony wasn't asking to be polite, he was asking because he was concerned about Harry's safety. The young man had nothing to do with the events that went on over a year ago, and he wouldn't even know about the fact he was sharing his home to a deranged god of mischief whose only master was himself.
Loki just gave Tony a vicious sneer, although he didn't elaborate, or answer the question. "I am here for a reason, man of Iron. I have no time to dally and talk nonsense!" Loki then waltzed over. Grasped Tony around his wrists so quick that Tony didn't have any time to react, spun him around and slammed him against the desk. "Where is the sceptre?"
Tony gasped in pain. The god was like a marble statue, all hard edges and heavier than he looked. Tony felt vulnerable, the god was stood to the side somewhat so they were not touching, except at the place wrist and hand connected. Tony didn't deem Loki an answer. If Loki wouldn't answer his questions, Tony wouldn't answer Loki's.
"I grow impatient mortal," Loki's grip tightened painfully.
"Jarv…" Tony couldn't speak the full three word sentence before Loki slammed his forehead against the steel surface. Tony's head thundered, his ears ringing. His vision fuzzed for a moment until it settled back down.
"If you call a suit to yourself you may find a certain lack of Raven haired boy in your life." That warning did it. Tony could feel his heart rate speed up with the admission.
"Jarvis, do not deploy."
"That's better. How I failed in my last mission!" Tony could feel the growl of anger run through the god's body at that admission. "You mortals are made to fall in and follow orders like the snivelling ants that you are. Now, where is the sceptre?"
"You mean the glow stick of destiny? I don't have it." Loki placed more pressure onto his arms, twisting them around a little further, causing Tony to grunt in pain.
"You want to play with me mortal? I may not be in a forgiving mood, but I am only too happy to play your meagre little games."
"I aint playing no games Reindeer games. If I had the Sceptre I wouldn't leave it lying around for any old idiot to pick up. That shit is dangerous. I wasn't even allowed to take it back to the tower."
"Ah, so your favoured little organisation has it?" Loki stepped back, allowing Tony to jump away like a frightened springbok, manoeuvring so that there was a table between them now.
"Favoured? You must be joking."
Loki simply smiled, an eerie, cold smile that would have shut up the most spoiled kid in the world and force them to become a nice little modest child. He turned away, walking to the mark on the floor that opens up to reveal the suits lining up beneath the foundations of the house.
"So easy for someone not of this world to enter. It seems you have your work cut out for yourself, man of iron." Loki then shimmered with golden light and vanished.
Tony stood there with his mouth open slightly. The bastard didn't have the right to enter the most guarded part of his home -the heart of the home essentially for Tony - threaten the homeowner, assault him and leave when they wanted.
"Do you plan to tell Master Harry?" Jarvis intoned carefully.
Tony shook his head, "No Jay. Who know what he will do if I told him." Tony then clapped his hands. The screens spurned into life, lighting up this mechanical dungeon with soft blue light. "I want to know where the staff is, who has it and why Loki has need of it once again."
"Of course sir, but…"
"Whats up Jay?"
"…Sir knows that it is against S.H.I.E.L.D regulations for outside sources to enter their servers. You will have director Fury on the case along with possible appearances from agent Barton or Romanoff."
"Oh you have no sense of fun. Let them come. This is a major issue. Reindeer games is hot on the trail and I refuse to allow him to take the trophy home."
"This is a game? Sir?"
Tony typed stuff into the holographic keyboard, "I don't play games Jay. I make them! Now, my little proliferator, do your thing."
"Yes sir."
Harry awoke with a start. He was laying there, dozing, when he swore he noticed a flash of golden light penetrate his eyelids. Harry was too aware for him to believe for a second that he was dreaming. He was about ready to open his eyes.
He blinked a few times before sitting up and looking towards his window. The curtains were drawn, so the golden light could not have come from outside.
He then noticed a slight shift in the bed spread. He looked down to see Severus perched there, calm as a summers day and watching Harry for no apparent reason. He turned away soon enough and flew through the open bedroom door.
Harry rubbed his eyes with his palms and then reached over to the bedside table and placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
Harry wondered over to his wardrobe and extracted a red hoodie to place over his bare chest and made his way downstairs.
Fawkes was there, having a conversation with Severus in their strange bird language. Harry noticed soon after spending time in the owlery that wizards' birds will converse with each other and form friendship bonds. Only wizards' birds had the ability to do so.
Harry fed the two birds before attending to his own needs. He poured himself some cereal and sat down at the kitchen table, his laptop open to the news. He was working his way through the cereal, taking in the newscasts from both the Muggle and Wizarding world. After the war, few muggleborns deemed it wise for the wizarding world to get a foothold in the muggle world.
Browsing wizarding news on the internet was far easier than having to constantly buy a newspaper. There wasn't much going on in the wizarding world, just a news segment highlighting on the fact that cats were catching a bug that caused them to burst into flame, causing them to desire the need to drink petrol to fuel the flames. A town in Yorkshire almost burnt to the ground due to the flaming- moggies.
"All entertaining stuff- though hardly anything on the problems a few years ago." Harry commented, switching tabs to the muggle news.
Breakfast finished up in almost silence. Harry had quite forgotten about the supposed 'golden light' and made himself ready for the day ahead.
Harry needed some new potion ingredients he couldn't grow in is garden. His stock was low before he went to the expo, and now the cupboard was verging on being barren. A few warty willow leaves preserved under a stasis charm, a vial of frog saliva, Boomslang skin and a folded up piece of paper containing Kneazle hairs (donated by a strangely willing Crookshanks.) Harry knew he was going to have to spend a heft amount on ingredients today.
"I could slap myself for allowing my storage to get so low, what was I thinking?" Harry groaned out, his hand unconsciously toying with the jade pendant that Luna insisted he wore.
The insistent woman actually text Harry late at night, stating in exact words 'Take it off and I will charm it with a permanent sticking charm!'
Harry cleaned up his breakfast materials before heading back upstairs to dress himself in casual clothing. Luna would be here soon to care for the park in his absence. The park would open from 10-2 today. Buckbeak was getting his annual check from the Magical Veterinary specialist at three; which luckily Luna agreed to oversee.
Harry had the day off.
Once dressed, Harry returned back downstairs to collect his things. He placed his phone, wallet and a notebook and pen into a messenger bag. He strung it over his shoulders, out of the way of the Mokeskin pouch he kept on his belt at all times. His wand was placed inside the Mokeskin pouch. The hot weather prevented Harry from wearing a holster on his arm due to the absence of sleeves, so he had to take other measures.
As he was leaving through the front door, both Fawkes and Severus flit past and landed on the roof of the jeep.
"Oh, I didn't ask for company!" The young man pouted, expecting a free day all on his Larry lonesome.
Fawkes answered with a warble, his head bobbing resolutely up and down. The bird was amused, Harry could tell. Severus, on the other hand simply watched Harry from his place beside the crimson bird.
Harry ignored the birds until he got behind the steering wheel. He leaned over and opened the passenger door. He waited for about five seconds for the two birds to jump in. They had to jump onto the door frame to get the correct angle to jump onto the seat.
Harry installed black dragonhide onto the seats to prevent tears. Charlie was kind enough to send Harry some shed skin as Harry refused to purchase fresh dragon hide. Harry's love of all things avian extended towards dragons. Dragons played a huge part in Harry's life from the past and he cherished them for the lessons they taught and the memories they created, good or bad.
The two birds stood next to each other on the seat as Harry drove towards Los Angeles. Ordinarily, if Harry was going for a simple errand he would Apparate to the Apparating checkpoint in the town centre. Harry couldn't today because he had so many ingredients to pick up.
Wilma, the lady who owned the Florists/potion shop, had a webpage that allowed Harry to order in any ingredients he needed. Wilma procured the items pretty quickly, but depending on how rare the ingredient were, it could take far longer. The really rare stuff – such as Basilisk venom- she couldn't procure. Harry simply floo called Hermione and Ron if he needed any fangs (they did keep a load from the chamber).
The drive up was quick, Fawkes trilled along to the pop songs Harry tuned the radio in on whilst Severus watched the scenery roll by beyond the glass. There was barely any traffic on the roads, so Harry felt better about the day ahead already.
Harry went to his usual parking spot near the centre of town. Even though he had to pay to park, the parking lot was conveniently close to where Harry needed to go. The town was busy, like usual. The holiday season was in, so that meant many tourists were visiting the town.
Fawkes and Severus flew in the air, keeping their eyes on Harry so that he wouldn't be mobbed by curious people as he traversed through down. Harry took off down an alley just of the main street, which led into a quiet corner which was oddly cobbled instead of tarmacked. There were Californian Sycamore trees dotted around the edge of the cobble cul-de-sac, giving the place a tranquil and attractive look. Right in the middle of the cobble cul-de-sac was a Willow tree, with healthy tapering branches, stood over an interesting fountain depicting a Scottish water Kelpie, Selkie and a water pixie. The Pixie was adorned with a cheeky grin, one hand upon the back of the changing Selkie. The Selkie was in the midst of throwing off its seal skin, making way for a beautifully carved young woman with long hair resembling waves. The Kelpie was stood over the other two, clawed feet high in the air, its mouth open and water gushing out.
The little Florist was set on the left hand side of the street, encompassed by a massive array of blooms showcasing their beautiful and vibrant colours. Severus and Fawkes landed in the Eucalyptus tree, keeping an eye on all who walked past.
Harry entered the Florists. "Wilma, where are you?" Harry called when he couldn't see the mature lady when he first stepped in. She was often hidden by the vast array of plants and gardening paraphernalia that lined the walls of the shop. It resembled deepest, darkest Africa in here, and they weren't even in the Wizards section yet.
"Hold your birds hunny, I'm a little bit tied at the moment!" A voice called from the back. Harry followed the direction the voice came from, walking through a wall painted to look like a field of flowers one would look for somewhere in Switzerland.
Once Harry entered the vastly larger room; which was a circular room with white stone walls. The sun pierced through a beautiful stained glass window, which painted the walls a whole assortment of colours.
Wilma was grappling with what looked like a giant tentacula vine. The vine was an odd shade of red, and swayed like a snake ready to bite. It hissed like a normal tentacula plant.
"No, no, no, I told you before," the blonde haired, dumpy woman scolded, the plant retreating like a kicked puppy, "not to be impatient."
"That's quite rich, coming from you Wilma," Harry laughed as he walked ever closer. Once Harry was within two metres of the woman, vine of the tentacula plant shot out towards Harry, hissing with an excited air.
"Hello Jerry, being a nuisance again?" Harry patted the head of the plant. The plant hissed before retreating back to the main bulk of its body, a plant pot that hosted dozens of smallish, grey-blue leaves that rustled like a rattlesnake's tail.
To a wizard failing Herbology, the plant would have been dead creepy, but to a person who knew a thing or two about plants, they would have known how rare and harmless this species was.
A tentacula plant with the docile nature of a Ball Python, although the energy of a Garter Snake.
"It's a good job you came by. Jerry was being positively clingy." She patted the single head of the plant before turning back to Harry. "I suspect you are here to pick up the new bought?
"Yes please!" Harry smiled.
"Such a polite young man. They are hard come by nowadays." Wilma walked towards the far wall and pulled her wand from her sleeve. The woman wore long sleeves and gloves for protection, so it was easy for her to hide her wand.
"It's funny for a thirty odd year old woman to talk like that!" Harry joked as he followed the woman towards the storage room.
"I talk how I like," Wilma snapped before tapping the wall in a specific point, a tiny little painted cornflower suspended in a sea of white. Only Wilma or one of her regular patrons could find the cornflower in the wall.
The stone wall opened up, revealing a cool and dark storage room on the other side. The two entered the cool room, minding the shelves and cauldrons cluttering the place.
"You really need to organise yourself, it can't be good to walk into Aladdin's cave and expect an avalanche of treasure to fall on you unsuspectingly."
"You really need to shut up!" Wilma said, stopping in front of a lacquered black wooden trunk. "I took the liberty to dump the whole bulk of your order inside here."
"That is really handy, thank you!"
"Due to the fragile nature of some of the items inside you will not be able to minimise the size using a spell. Instead I used a partial levitation charm to decrease the weight, so that it is easier for you when you take it back to that rust bucket you call transport."
"Do I get a discount for your scathing words?"
"No way!" Wilma dragged the trunk out and handed it over to Harry. Indeed, what should have been a pretty heavy trunk was about as heavy as a Pomeranian. "That is the deal my best customers get, Honesty."
"Honest my arse, your honesty includes setting Jerry on difficult customers. That makes Jerry sad you know, he only wants a pat and a hello."
"He gets enough love as it is!" Wilma led Harry back through the hidden cornflower door and back into the spectrum lit room. They carried on, Harry giving Jerry a parting goodbye pat on his head, and back through the hidden door.
Fawkes and Severus were stood on the counter, waiting for Harry. Severus was eyeing the trunk that Harry had brought through whilst Fawkes was getting a scratch from Wilma.
"It is too bad you are not a flower." She cooed.
"I would rather he remained a bird. Flowers generally cannot say anything back."
"Oh Fawkes, your master is being horrible to me, punish him will you!" Wilma pointed at Harry whilst said young man was digging around inside his messenger bag, looking for his wallet.
Harry extracted his wallet and took out a credit card. The contents of the trunk would cost too much to keep as physical money inside his bag.
Once the transaction was done Wilma took proper notice of Severus. "This is the first time you have brought a bird other than Fawkes to this establishment. He must be a special one." She commented.
"I guess he is! I found him in New York, injured and bleeding. Poor guy was being hassled by a bunch of idiots who thought they knew how to deal with birds." Harry felt angry thinking about his meeting with Severus. It was an odd place for a great black hawk to linger around, and Harry often wondered why the bird had ventured so far away from his natural habitat.
"Well, he was lucky to find you hunny, no one better!" She said as she gently gave the bird a stroke along his wing feathers.
Harry thought Severus wasn't going to welcome the touch, but instead he allowed it, although he closed his eyes and pointed his beak in the air, 'I will allow this just once' his demeanour spoke.
"We had best be off," Harry said, placing his wallet back inside his bag and clutching the trunk. "Thanks again Wilma, even if the service wasn't perfect!"
"I live for imperfection, what fun it really is." Wilma shouted to the retreating back, her wand hidden behind the cash register.
Unbeknownst to Harry, the young man left with cornflower blue hair.
What Wilma discovered after Harry left was the fact that every single flower within her shop sang like a canary in the spring.
If you guys have any questions, please feel free to ask, although I will not reveal any possible spoilers for future chapters.