Before I start this chapter, go and check out the fantastic story, 'A Happy Accident: 70 Years,' by the wonderful Njchrispatrick. It is where the inspiration for this story came from. If you notice any similarities between the stories, I do have permission to use them.

"So, you're telling me, that you have magic?" Steve slumped back in the overstuffed armchair he was currently occupying (it was suspiciously similar to those that Albus Dumbledore used to conjure, but Harry wasn't going to admit anything). His hand rested on his forehead, eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Are you sure about it?"

"Am I sure?" Harry laughed out loud. "Yes, I'm sure. I've had it my entire life, and it isn't exactly something that I can get rid of. Not that I want to."

"It's awesome," Natasha chimed in. Her hair had just been cut, so it fell just around her chin. She kept twiddling her fingers in it, which Harry thought was obscenely adorable. Not that he would ever tell her that. "You should see the things he can do."

"And what sort of things can he do?"

Natasha leaned forward, smirking cheekily. Instantly, Harry knew what story she was going to tell. He leaned back, watching and waiting for Steve's reaction.

"A few years ago, when we were with Clint, Harry was in a very bad mood. His temper was so short, you wouldn't believe it. He snapped at the smallest of things. Eventually, Clint's arrows started to annoy him. Do you know what it was about the arrows?"

"Should I be afraid to ask?"

"Yes." She leaned even further forward. "It was how they rattled around inside it. It's not exactly like it was something Clint could stop. Harry, here, didn't care. He completely lost it and ended turning Clint into a sparrow. An actual sparrow! Can you believe that?"

"I'm not sure I can. I've seen some strange things in my time but turning a man into a sparrow is not one of them." Steve saw the devious look shared by the pair opposite him. "No. Don't even think about it. If this is real, I want no part in it."

"Okay, that's fine. I'll show you some other way." Before Natasha could blink, Harry had his wand out and muttered a spell at her. She yelped in surprise, the noise rapidly devolving into an enraged squawk, as what looked like a small goose took her place. "There, is that good enough?"

"That's Natasha?" Steve's voice was incredulous, his eyes wide but unable to deny the proof of what he'd just seen. He seemed thrown off by Harry's nonchalance.

"Yup."

"What type of bird?" The question popped out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Harry stifled a snigger. "A bean goose." The corner of Steve's lips twitched. "I don't know why, but that name just popped into my head. I couldn't resis―ow!" He swatted at the goose currently attacking his leg, hissing and spitting at him. Now, in hindsight, turning Natasha Romanoff, deadly assassin, into a goose perhaps wasn't the brightest idea out there. Best turn her back so she didn't continue to peck and him. If he didn't, his entire body would be covered in countless scratches.

Quickly, he reversed the spell, leaving a very, very irritated Natasha on the couch. Her hair was a flyway mess, and she was crouched in a position that would have been very awkward for someone less flexible than her. Somehow, her arms were crossed, one leg jammed between them. The other was wrapped around her neck. Harry edged away from her, grinning sheepishly as she disentangled herself. Her eyes were alight with righteous fire, so fierce that even Steve was beginning to have second thoughts about facing her. The last time he'd come face to face with that fire, was Peggy...

"Now, why did you have to do that, hmmm?" Natasha's voice was soft, deadly, poisoned velvet and rattlesnake venom rolled into one. "Surely, there were other ways of doing it, without turning me into a bean goose. You know that I hate geese."

"Yeah, but it was funny...OKAY! I get it." Harry rubbed his stinging cheek, glaring at Natasha's hand. Merlin, she hit hard.

"Don't turn me into a bird again, are we understood?"

"Yes." And it was understood. Harry would never make that mistake again, lest he wanted to be permanently injured.

"Good." She turned to Steve. "As Harry just demonstrated through very poorly chosen methods, magic is real. There is a lot more he can do, though. It really is amazing. And very helpful."

"I...see. Could you show me some of the other things that you can do? I have to say, I am quite interested."

"Of course." Harry pointedly ignored Natasha's glare. "One of the handiest things I can do is change my appearance. Very useful for missions." He pointed his wand at himself and uttered the incantation for his usual glamour. A tingly feeling, like a cross between pins and needles and the egg-like feeling of the disillusionment charm, crawled over his skin. By now, he was used to it. This didn't mean it still wasn't uncomfortable, though. In fact, it still made him shiver, on the inside.

With the glamour, he stood at five foot six. His hair was shorter, eyes green and face slightly rounder. Steve's eyebrows migrated up his forehead, quite a feat, considering how low they were.

"That is quite impressive."

"I agree." That was Natasha speaking again. She'd never really gotten over his magical abilities, though they didn't faze her anymore.

Steve grinned. "Show me more."

"Well, this is unfortunate." Harry and Steve, who had been spending the last few weeks together, stood in front of the SHIELD canteen. Somehow, for some reason, the canteen was completely out of food. Everyone was having to go outside for food, which wasn't a problem in itself.

The problem arose when the factor of just how much food Harry and Steve needed to eat. The only places that would facilitate them, at lunchtime, which was peak hunger time, was an all you can eat buffet. Steve was particularly averse to going to one of them, as he didn't trust that the food would be...good enough. It wasn't exactly the type of food. Steve was more than fine with the occasional bad quality food binge. What he wasn't sure about was if it would make him sick.

"What's the worse that could happen?" asked Harry. "We don't really get sick anyway. Plus, I've been there before. The food is really nice."

"I suppose that could work." Right then, Steve's stomach grumbled. Harry smirked. "Alright, let's go, then." Harry nodded in satisfaction and they started walking towards the entrance of SHIELD headquarters, well prepared for the whispers that dragged in their wake. Because Harry wasn't wearing his glamour anymore (it just felt wrong, he couldn't quite identify why), the rumors that swirled around were substantial.

A chilly wind blasted up the street as they pushed outside. Both of them pulled the necks of their sweaters up, trying to avoid the frigid temperatures.

"How far is this place?" Steve glanced down at Harry, eyes full of doubt.

Harry pointed at a small shop. "Right there."

They entered the shop, looking forward to the food.

An hour later, they were kicked out with a broom to their heels, banned for life. After that fiasco, both Steve and Harry swore to never go back to an 'All-You-Can-Eat Buffet' again.

That night, a little Chinese woman with wrinkles as deep as canyons haunted their dreams.

Harry dodged a punch, flipping around and using his hands to block the next attack. The force behind it was immense, incredible, hard for even Harry to hold back. He gritted his teeth and pushed back against it, putting his all into it. Steve, who was the one on the other end of the walloping Harry was currently receiving, pushed back, harder. This led to a stalemate, until Harry swept his leg around, bashing it into Steve's. They both fell to the ground in a pile of limbs.

The training that Steve had been giving Harry was massively helpful. To fight against something with similar strength to him was refreshing. The fact that Steve didn't hold back was another bonus, even though it usually ended up with Harry on the floor, Steve standing over him. For once, they had both fallen down, which was a nice change of pace.

As they untangled the knot they found themselves in, Steve said, "I want to try something."

"Yeah?" Harry stood, smoothing down his shirt and refastening his boot.

"You said that you wanted to be versatile with all sorts of weapons, correct?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I did say that. What is this leading into?"

"Well, there is one type of weapon you haven't tried out." Harry watched as Steve retrieved his iconic shield from its position leaning against a chair. He walked back over and handed it to Harry. "I want to see how you fare with that."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he strapped it onto his right arm. Even now, having only worn it for a second, something felt wrong with it. Harry knew right then and there that this was not the weapon he was going to be fighting with. "I'm really not sure this is a good idea."

"You'll be fine, Harry. You're always telling me to relax. Now it's my turn to tell you."

"Alright, alright. At least show me how to use, it, though. I'm not going into a fight with no knowledge whatsoever."

"Fair enough." Steve showed the basic moves to Harry, who got a steadily increasing feeling of unease about it. It just didn't feel right, fighting with a shield. Sure, he had his wand, which he used, but it was difficult to get it around the shield. Several times, he banged it on the edge of the shield, which in turn made him feel incredibly clumsy. He wasn't usually this uncoordinated.

"This doesn't feel right, at all."

"Just try it. I'll go easy on you."

"Like Hell you will."

Ten minutes later, Harry was lying on the ground, utterly exhausted. "This is not working out. Let me go and get something else." He unstrapped the shield and handed it back to Steve. For a while, he browsed the available weapons on the wall and finally picked out a black metal staff. It was heavy and a good length. Something about it felt right.

"Alright, let's have a go with this."

Another ten minutes later, Harry was grinning like mad, the staff held tightly in his hand. Never before had a weapon felt so right, so...him. Sure, adjustments would need to be made. With some consultation from Hermione, he was sure to find a way to imbue magic capabilities into it, such as a shield and splitting it in half, into two smaller halves, with their own little shields. By the time he was done with it, the staff would be incredible, amazing, marvelous. Harry had to stop himself from carrying on, though he couldn't believe he'd never picked it up before.

"Well, I think I've found my weapon. I can't believe I haven't tried it before!" Harry whirled the staff around, grinning at Steve. "This is great." He then rushed at Steve and they resumed fighting.

Harry gently blew on the cup of green tea he had just prepared for himself, before slipping into the bar stool at his apartment. Steve was standing on the other side of the marble kitchen island, leaning against the stove. His eyes were brighter than Harry had ever seen them, like a lantern that was freshly lit, burning on forevermore. To tell the truth, the man looked happier than Harry had ever seen him.

Harry took a sip of the tea, only to have the scalding liquid sizzle on his tongue. Hastily he swallowed it, placing the cup down and vowing to wait until it cooled down, even though it happened almost every time he drank it. His thoughts didn't need to be on the ideal temperature for drinking tea, though. They needed to be focussed on the reason he'd invited Steve over to his apartment.

In the months he'd known Steve, it had become easier and easier to talk to him. Whereas before, it was something of an effort, now it was simpler than breathing. He was so easy to talk to, so kind and understanding, and so morally upright that it was almost unbelievable. One of the things that Harry liked about him the most was how he listened. He just sat and listened to you talk, never interrupting, just providing an ear.

Harry smiled at Steve, then said, "Steve, there's something that I want to tell you." The said man stood, coming away from his previous perch against the stove. He instead began leaning on the island, fingers steepled.

"Whatever you have to say, I'm here to hear it." And that was exactly what Harry was talking about. That effortless kindness, the type that everyone loved. "I know that I'm here for a reason," Harry smirked. Steve was also uncannily good at seeing people's feelings and knowing just what to say. He was actually quite the detective when he wanted to be. Unless it pertained to romance. In that area, he was utterly clueless. It was hilarious to watch him guess about romance.

"It isn't much, I just wanted to say thank you. For giving me a family. I was happy before, but you've really just...sent it into the stratosphere. These last few months have been magical," Steve chuckled slightly, "and that's because of you."

Steve smiled at Harry, a genuine smile. "Well, if it's that way for you, then it's the same for me. When I woke up, I thought I had nothing, no anchor, nothing familiar at all. Then, you turned up. You've helped me regain my grip on reality, and for that, I thank you." He paused for a second. "Though, it is weird that my son is older than me."

"Yeah, it is kind of weird, isn't it."

"Can we just kind of gloss over that fact?"

"Gladly."

A comfortable silence fell. Harry tested the temperature of his tea and was relieved to see that it was the right temperature. He was just taking a sip, when Steve decided to break the silence in the most untactful way possible by saying, "So, what's going on with you and Romanoff?"

Harry, so shocked at the question, sprayed his tea out of his mouth. Steve stepped out of the way.

Perhaps he wasn't so clueless about romance as he seemed. Or, whatever was happening between him and Nat. He was pretty sure it wasn't a romance, though he wouldn't mind if it was….no, that couldn't be right.

"I'm sorry?"

"Between you and Natasha. There's clearly something going on between you, a blind man could see it."

"I suppose there may be something going on...it's nothing major, though."

Steve smiled a watery smile. "Take my advice. Don't wait too long. If you want to ask her out, do it."

"I...okay."

"But, maybe do it without turning her into a goose, Harry."

"Oi!"

"Rose, give Hugo back his toy or so help me, I will come up there myself and take it from both of you."

A very frustrated Hermione Granger turned away from the stairs, trying not to lose control. She was on her last line, her three children driving her up the wall, her husband exhausted from being extremely overworked with the Aurors and the people in her department at work wouldn't get off her back about a paper that really, in her opinion, wasn't vital. And that was coming from her.

Just as she was about to head upstairs to break up the high pitched scream fight, there was a knock on the door. She didn't even bother hiding her frustration. With heavy footsteps, she stomped over to the door and yanked it open.

"I don't have time for this, please come back another day. Oh, Harry!" Instantly, her mood turned sunny. It had been almost a year since she'd seen Harry. "Do come in." She turned around, yelling at Ron, who was dozing on the couch. "Ron, Harry's here!"

There was a second of silence, before, "Huh? He's already in the lounge!"

"I'm sorry, can I come in?" Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it at 'Harry.'

"Who are you?"

"Okay, this didn't work out as I intended." The voice came from behind her. Hermione whirled around and saw 'Harry' walking towards her, hands up in surrender. "I'm Harry, that," he pointed his wand at the other 'Harry' and muttered a spell, "is Steve Rogers."

"Hi." The newly named Steve spoke, his accent now blatantly American. It took a second for Hermione to compute what Harry just said.

"You found him?"

"He found me."

Hermione launched forward and embraced Steve. "Thank you. Now, tell me everything. Oh, this is going to be good."

She didn't see Harry gesturing wildly at Steve, warning him of what was to come.

Five hours later, they returned to America, Harry with tears of laughter still in his eyes and Steve with his eyes glazed over as a result of Hermione's intense questioning and note-taking.

There was nothing that could scare a man like Hermione Granger in the pursuit of knowledge.

Harry Potter was sitting down in the canteen, enjoying his lunch with Steve, when his phone rang. He picked it up, surprised to hear the voice of Fury on the other end.

"Agent Potter, I want you to go to Calcutta and rendezvous with Agent Romanoff. The Tesseract has been compromised. The Avengers Initiative is being put back into action. Take your staff."

"Yes, sir."

Woohoo, it's done. We're getting into the Avengers now. To plan this, I'm going to be taking a break that will last for around two weeks, to plan and write the next few chapters. See you then.

f you want to, feel free to join my discord server. We discuss fanfiction, there are story updates, and I do take requests. The link is below. It is a bit broken, but I'm sure that if you want to join you will be able to make it.

/Kb9zJgV

Sincerely,
Mariadoria