A/N: Hello again people! Sorry for the delay with getting this chapter up, I had my university friends come to visit this last weekend and I didn't manage to find time to post. We had an awesome time going around Warwick Castle and then a few nearby towns. Time passed way too quickly and they're all gone again... but that means I can post!

Thanks again to everyone who reads my story, and double thanks to any that follow, favourite, or review.


Chapter Forty Nine – Unconventional Methods

"So, are you ready for me to begin separating you from the parasite?" Loki asked the next day as they stood in the empty hall.

Loki's oral lesson had lasted the entire two hours they had had spare the previous afternoon, until he decided that Mateo should start preparing their dinner. Although in some ways Mateo felt that Loki just like to talk to hear his own voice he couldn't deny he had learnt so much in even a few hours from the god. His only regret was that he hadn't had something to write notes on as Loki had spoken, and Mateo was determined to ask for his tutor to source him one, and a pen, so that he could attempt to remember even more.

He hadn't had much time that morning to prepare for what they were about to attempt. They had gone to bed at eight the previous night, and Loki had stormed into his room at six that morning and demanded that he rose. Mateo had practically fallen out of bed to comply quickly, and had barely had time to throw his cloak on before Loki had cast some kind of cleaning charm and marched him back down to the ground floor. They had barely stopped walking when Loki turned sharply and started talking to him.

"Yes sir, however I have some questions that I wouldn't mind answering," Mateo ventured as he scrabbled to get his brain into gear to tackle what they were about to do.

Loki merely raised an eyebrow and waited for the boy to continue, which Mateo did quickly. "We discovered a bit of what this piece of soul could be, and how it came into being. A dark wizard tried to take over the world about 15 years ago, and as a way of cheating death he split his soul into pieces and stored them in some vessels. Apparently I am one of them, but whether I was an intended horcrux or not we don't know. If it is possible will you be able to tell how many pieces Voldemort split his soul into?"

"Perhaps I will be able to tell, we shall see how this works," Loki looked thoughtful. Mateo was now certain that Loki was only running on theory he had read from a book, and at that moment two thoughts popped into his head. One, that he hoped that Asgardian books were detailed enough for this procedure, and he prayed that the god was not thinking of using the piece of Voldemort's soul for his own purposes. "Now prepare yourself, this will not be pleasant."

Mateo barely had time to tense up before Loki stretched an arm out towards him and seemed to freeze the boy's body. Then a green light started to stream forth from Loki's hand, causing Mateo's heartrate to skyrocket in panic. From their extensive research at the Tower Mateo knew what the killing curse looked like, and for the first time he feared that he had made a terrible mistake.

However nothing came of the green light and he remained living as the almost mist twirled around his body. Almost as if it was searching for something the mist seemed to thicken in places before dispersing again. Eventually it coalesced around Mateo's head before seeping into the skin on his forehead.

Up until that point Mateo had not experienced any negative sensation beyond the horrible restriction of being frozen, and the jolt of panic. But as the mist gathered around his forehead the boy was aware of the slow increase of pain focussed mostly around his scar and driving deep into his brain. It started like brain freeze, but soon built to migraine levels and beyond. Mateo really wanted to reach up and rub his head furiously, but Loki's forethought stopped that. He wasn't even able to squint his eyes even a fraction against the pain, which made the situation even more unbearable.

Loki seemed unconcerned as Mateo started to emit small whimpers as the pain continued to increase to the point where it felt like his brain was growing too big for his skull and threatened to explode. The God was more concerned with the black mist that started to seep from the boy's skin, presumably where the scar had been, and began to intermingle with the green mist he had conjured.

For three agonizing minutes Loki stared at the source of the black mist and watched as the stream slowed to a trickle and eventually ceased. What was left was a black mass hovering in the five metre gap between god and human. Whilst Loki was looking at the mist with interest Mateo was having a hard time seeing anything. He had started whimpering in pain and fear after the first minute, and would have happily passed out if Loki's spell hadn't stopped him from doing so. So all he could do was emit distressed noises whilst tears leaked unchecked from his frozen eyes.

The green mist proved its usefulness again by forming a kind of barrier around the black mist, containing it and forcing it to stay where Loki wanted. Although Mateo wasn't aware of the fact it also sustained the spirit within, ensuring it did not die without a host until he was done with it. The black mass writhed in a decidedly unhappy gesture as it tested its boundaries.

"Be still parasite, you are in the presence of a god," Loki spat and felt smug as the morass did cease its motion.

"Who are you that dare call me a parasite?" the mist hissed in an oddly human voice.

"I am Loki Laufeyson, heir to two thrones and two realms, and a god to you dumb apes," he stated. "I am also the one with the power to give you life once more if I deem it a worthwhile investment. Now speak, tell me your name."

"I am Voldemort, the Heir of Slytherin and most powerful wizard alive," the mist spoke again, but in a much more deferential tone than before. Mateo was surprised that Voldemort still had the capacity to be humble.

"I heard from this mortal of how you split your soul to cheat death, that is an ingenious plot," Loki proved his guile and employed his silver tongue to learn more.

"Most magical folk do not have the power or drive to follow the path I have taken," Voldemort said smugly.

"Power is certainly very important," Loki felt he was onto something.

"There are many powerful artefacts in the Wizarding world, but true power lies in immortality," boasted Voldemort.

"I am intrigued by this process through which you gained immortality, it could not have been painless," Loki said conversationally.

"There was little pain on my part, although it did require a sacrifice of another soul to complete the ritual," Voldemort's fragment of soul said carelessly.

"That is convenient, it is certainly easier to get something done when it is not you doing the sacrificing. It certainly was easier the last time I attempted to take over the world by using hypnotised slaves than actually doing the legwork myself," Loki replied in the same conversational and unconcerned tone.

"How did that go?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"Not well, a load of skilled do-gooders thwarted my plan. But I have learnt and will adjust appropriately for the future," Loki sniffed.

"I'm sure I could assist you in your future attempt," Voldemort ventured with an overly carefree tone.

"We could discuss this, however I would prefer to do this face to face. Is there a way of returning you to a body, and do we only need this part of your soul or should I find more?" Loki asked.

"I know of a ritual to give me a new body, but you could just allow me to possess the boy," Voldemort almost wheedled. "I assume that is why you have kept the brat alive?"

"He is still sustaining you, it was necessary to keep him alive whilst we converse. And as to whether you possess him, it depends whether building you a new body is stronger than the boy is. And you didn't answer the second question, should I go find more pieces?" Loki said commandingly.

"My magic is probably stronger than the brat's so a new body may be beneficial. And finding more of my Horcruxes is unnecessary, especially seeing as the original part of my soul is still out there," Voldemort stated with certainty.

"How can you tell your original soul part is out there?" Loki asked curiously, still with a light tone.

"I am still joined to the rest of my soul, even if I am in a corporeal form," Voldemort revealed.

"It must be hard to keep track of them all," Loki said in concern.

"Not at all, there are only seven pieces to track. Well eight with the original part, this one was an accidental addition that ruined the plan…"

"What's wrong?" Loki detected the sudden worry and hesitation in the spirit's voice.

"There's something wrong, one of them is missing!" Voldemort hissed angrily.

"The brat got rid of it, it makes you start to wonder how much you underestimated him?" Loki smiled viciously.

The fragment of Voldemort's soul screamed in rage and started to writhe violently once more in agitation. It tried to hammer its way out of the green mist but the cage remained strong and steadfastly sealed. Loki's stony expression broke into a satisfied smirk as he watched the wisp repetitively hammer on the barrier.

Eventually he became bored of his entertainment and decided to move events along. "Well this has been fascinating, but I have things to do."

"Release me!" Voldemort screeched.

"Sorry but there can only be one ruler of the world, and I'm certainly better qualified for the position," Loki stated coldly. "Goodbye."

At his final word the green bubble wavered slightly before collapsing in on itself. Both black and green mists disappeared into nothingness and Mateo and Loki were left alone once more in the colourless hall. While Loki stared at the recently empty spot in a thoughtful manner Mateo sunk to his knees and gingerly rubbed his forehead. The pain had lessened a bit from the unbearable levels they had been, but was still enough to make him want to curl up in a ball.

"So you are still living," Loki observed.

"Just about, but I wouldn't be surprised if my brain had melted and dripped out of my ear," Mateo said weakly.

"Was that enough information enough for you?"

"More than enough, thank you sir," Mateo said with obvious gratitude. "Salmon for lunch?"

"I thought you were intelligent, you are obviously are in no fit state to do anything right now. Go to your room and rest," Loki ordered.

"I made extra bread last night, it's in the fridge next to the salmon and cream cheese, and the salad," Mateo didn't argue, his head still felt like something was trying to split it in half.

"Here," Loki clenched his hand and once he opened again two white tablets sat on his palm.

"Painkillers?" Mateo asked as he took them and swallowed them dry. He may have had his own at his hip, but he felt that to refuse Loki's may look like he was snubbing the god. If he still wanted to learn from him, Mateo had to stay on his good side.

"Yes, you are very trusting of a murderer," Loki was still surprised the child was willing to follow his orders.

"You've had ample time to kill me already sir, you wouldn't leave it so long unless you had a plan. If that is the case then I'm likely screwed anyway, so why treat you with suspicion when all you've shown me so far is kindness?" Mateo said simply.

Loki did not reply to that, so Mateo gave a respectful dip of his head and wandered off to his room to lie down. He didn't look back, but if he did he would have seen the bemused look on the god's face.

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As Loki had promised as soon as Mateo was feeling up to it they restarted his lessons and built upon the short two hour lesson from the first day. The boy tried as hard as he could and made slow progress each day towards what Loki described as 'basic control a two year old should know.'

It was coming close to the end of the fifth day when Mateo brought up what he wanted to talk about. The change in latitude still had Mateo confused, and the days were almost three times as long as the night. But Mateo had kept careful track of the days to make sure he had ample time to prepare before he gave his proposal. That evening, when Loki was about to leave the kitchen to return to whatever he did alone in the castle, Mateo plucked up the courage and broke the silence.

"Sir, I was hoping to talk to you?" Mateo waited to be given permission to continue.

Loki's typical way of giving that cue was to merely raise an eyebrow. It had taken Mateo a while to realise that Snape and Loki were actually incredibly similar, they both preferred to use facial expressions than words. Both could also be described as psychopathic at times, and no one would dare say that to their faces.

"If you would be willing to have me, I would be honoured if you would continue to teach me for this summer?" Mateo asked respectfully and held his breath.

"What would your father think, fraternising with the enemy," Loki said with mock seriousness.

"Dad is open to logical reasoning, and this is beneficial to me as my control is coming on leaps and bounds because of you. The only thing is I think Dad would probably like some evidence I am still alive," Mateo hesitated.

"We can record a message, you Midgardians have those cameras that can be used and I can drop it off at their fortress," Loki decided.

"Thank you," Mateo smiled hesitantly. "I really appreciate the opportunity to study under you, I can already tell I'm going to learn more in a month from you than years at Hogwarts."

"You are either developing a silver tongue, or are becoming more confident in manipulating people," Loki smirked.

"I'm staying with the silver tongue abilities, there is no way I couldn't pick some talents up off of you sir," Mateo's eyes twinkled with humour as he bowed and turned to wash up.

It hurt Mateo to keep himself away from his father and to be deceiving him, but with the video message sent off he at least could convince himself that Bruce should be reassured a bit at least. But his guilt was easy to ignore with the sessions he had with Loki as they were always intense and the god never allowed his student to slack off.

After a while the two fell into a reasonably comfortable routine, with Loki pushing him as hard as Mateo could manage. Each night he fell into a dead sleep, and rising in the morning became a lesson in determination for the youth. Casting a warming charm on his room before he attempted to get up helped his efforts, as the castle became uncomfortably cold at night.

After the first day Mateo was surprised to find Loki dropping his superior act most of the time, and the human started to actually enjoy spending time with his host. Sure, the entertainment wasn't quite the same as socialising with the Avengers or his father, but the dry sarcastic humour that Loki possessed was surprisingly amusing once Mateo had gotten his head around it. The god definitely had issues, most notably a sense of being wronged by his adoptive family and a serious power complex, but if Mateo was careful to steer the conversation away from dangerous topics Loki could be an impressive storyteller.

Once Loki had realised he didn't need to strut around and assert his dominance over Mateo he also became more tolerable and would willingly be cajoled into telling tales. So in the evenings he regaled the mortal with stories of the nine realms, both things he had seen and experienced, and the myths and tales he remembered from childhood. Mateo noticed that the Jotun seemed to appreciate the stories of wit and intelligence over the stories of strength and glorious warfare. Especially his favourite stories seemed to comprise of the underdog or weaker but more intelligent character winning over the stronger one. The two occasionally traded riddles too, but the cultural differences made many of the riddles impossible to solve for the other party. But they muddled through using the more generic riddles.

Loki had supplied Mateo with many pens and notepads which Mateo set to using immediately after being handed them. When he had the opportunity to, mostly when he was waiting for food to cook, he frantically scribbled down observations, thoughts, hints, and important facts. In no time at all he had filled three books and was making steady progress through the fourth.

Whilst at Hogwarts the teachers seemed to spend an excessive number of lessons ensuring their students understood the theory and the risks of what could go wrong with careless casting. Loki, however, threw Mateo straight into the practical lessons, scoffing at the boy's worry about ill effects of inexperienced work.

"Magic works, or it doesn't," Loki had said in a condescending tone. "Now shut up and light the candle without your wand, and yes, hand gestures are allowed."

And Mateo did, although it took him a few days to accomplish the task. Loki's insults were similar to Snape's brand of teaching so Mateo let them slide as he focussed on the next task.

Another difference to the precise instructions from the professors Loki practically spent every day trying to get Mateo to forget that and to focus on intent and imagining what he wanted to happen. The Asgardian had been taught a more instinctual branch of magic which he insisted was compatible with the kinds of magic that Seidr wielded, if the student was willing enough to master it. With that kind of insult Mateo threw himself into trying to mimic Loki, but try as he might his magic never really acted as instinctually or freely as the god's.

"It isn't hard to do!" Loki said one day in exasperation.

"Maybe not for you, but I'm only an average human," Mateo snapped back.

He was out of breath and sweating without having moved more than a metre in any direction in the last hour. What he had been trying to do was create a localised earthquake, something that Loki had managed to do without even thinking. Again the Jotun had been reiterating the importance of will and imagination, but Mateo obviously lacked the skill.

"Well if you truly want to become a great warrior you need to be more than just an average human," shot back Loki.

"Well what do you suggest, you possess me and fight all my battles for me?" the youth snarled.

When Loki didn't immediately reply Mateo stared at him. "Oh hell no."

"I'm not thinking of possessing you, but there is something we could do."

"Well I'm not too enamoured of how hesitant you seem," Mateo stared at his tutor.

"It's not a decision to take lightly, but I feel that it would be quite beneficial to you," Loki continued to stall.

"Then why are you stalling? What does your idea involve, and what are the risks and benefits?" Mateo asked impatiently.

"The benefits would you wouldn't find grasping diverse magical practices as hard, and you could potentially end up with faster reflexes than every other human. Risks are minimal, there could be some rejection of the procedure but I would be able to counter whatever complications occurred," Loki said without hesitating.

"And what would we have to do?" Mateo pressed.

"A blood transfer," Loki stated, as if it was a simple thing. "It would introduce my DNA to your system and transfer my ability to harness magic, and perhaps some other skills."

"Your entire biology is different to mine, surely I would just reject it and that could kill me," Mateo said, his eyes widening at the thought of such a risky move.

"Like I said, I could quickly counter whatever problems could arise from the procedure."

"How would I absorb your DNA from a blood transfusion? Surely my white blood cells would just destroy it?" the youth asked, pleased that Bruce had taught him quite a lot about biology during their travels.

"Transfers between humans wouldn't have to factor in the consideration of completely different DNA. As an immortal mine cannot be destroyed by your immune system, and actually would attempt to bind to yours to alter it. When introduced to your biology it would likely act like an invading illness, however unlike a common cold you will not be able to fight it off," Loki lectured.

Mateo looked at the god and couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that Loki may still have been keeping something back. With such a serious topic being discussed he forced himself to speak. "What else could happen? You're holding back."

"One side effect of the procedure could be that your physical appearance might change slightly. The ability to manipulate magic lies within a being's DNA, and as you would be absorbing some of mine there might be changes in your looks," the god looked almost sheepish under Mateo's worried stare. "But considering the similarities between us already I doubt there would be many changes."

"We do have the same green eyes," Mateo said slowly.

"Black hair, mine might be straighter but that's not much of a difference," Loki inputted. "You could end up taller and perhaps paler in skin."

"And what about unseen changes? I'm not going to gain a second heart or something?" the student continued to probe.

"There are no organs I possess that would benefit you, or you would likely gain. Your strength could increase without you gaining obscene amounts of muscle, you could likely easily lift an adult once the change has finished," Loki carefully refrained from mentioning other characteristics of an average Jotun.

"And you are sure you will be able to treat any negative side effects of rejection?" Mateo asked slowly as she started to consider the proposal.

"Certain," Loki stated.

"I need to think about this," Mateo said, his gaze turned to the floor.

"Take your time," Loki said in an unexpected show of compassion.

The patience continued for a surprisingly long time, Mateo didn't see the man again until the evening when they were both in the kitchen together for their evening meal. Mateo put a plate of beef stew and still oven warm bread on front of the god before settling at his seat across from him.

"I've been thinking about your proposition," Mateo broke the silence only when they were nearly finished.

As usual Loki didn't reply but merely raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"If you are still up for it I would like to accept, I could do with all the help I can get. And any changes in my appearance surely won't be too great to explain away as more than an effect of puberty."

"Then we shall carry out the procedure once we have finished eating," Loki declared. "I had a feeling you would accept so I have already gathered the necessary equipment. We shall do it in your room."

With the deadline set Mateo had a sudden unexpected bout of nerves as he washed up and followed Loki up to his bedroom. He had spent the last six hours mulling over ever pro and con of the move, and had even gone as far as to write every possible outcome down on paper. Still, the benefits of accepting Loki's offer made the most sense.

His hands shook slightly as he gripped the banister to help his unsteady feet to navigate the many stairs up to his room. Mateo wasn't sure why he felt this way. Admittedly it was a big choice but it was for the best. Perhaps it was Loki's part in leading the attempted Chitauri invasion, but Mateo was terrified of something not being right.

But he didn't want to back out of something that could save him, and might not be offered again. So before he could talk himself out of it Mateo did as instructed and took his shirt off and lay on his bed.

Loki proved to be surprisingly adept at using human medical equipment, as he demonstrated by deftly inserting one into his own arm to withdraw blood. Mateo was not normally squeamish at the sight, but at that moment he chose to look anywhere other than at the slowly filling bag.

"I shall give you two pints to start with and we shall see whether we would need to exchange more," Loki declared as he finished filling the second bag.

Mateo nodded to show his agreement and understanding, but he didn't trust himself to speak. Loki carefully swabbed the crook of Mateo's elbow and rested the cold needle against the fragile skin. "Last chance to back out."

"Do it," Mateo said decisively, and tried not to focus on his fears as the needle slid through his skin.

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To start with Mateo thought that the procedure had failed. After he had been given the blood that Loki had donated he had stayed in his room and tried to calmly read to take his mind off things. He had ended up almost being a hypochondriac for the first evening, as every involuntary twitch and temperature change became a potential symptom of him rejecting the blood. Eventually he had crashed onto his bed and had fallen asleep around midnight, but he did not have a restful night.

His host had decided that they would skip lessons until whatever changes could occur had happened, and Mateo also didn't have to cook their meals. This worked in Mateo's favour as he didn't fancy breakfast the next morning, so he stayed in bed. By lunchtime he could no longer deny that he was starting to run a temperature, although he would have sworn the castle was colder than ever. Loki took one look at him after their meal and sent him to bed to rest, and surprisingly the god appeared not half an hour after Mateo had climbed into bed. The elder carried an armful of books and wasted no time in conjuring a roaring fire in the grate, and a large comfortable chair for himself.

What started out as a slight fever gradually worsened over the following days, And Mateo was unaware of what was going on in the real world. He alternated between unconsciousness and lucid dreaming, unaware of the fact that Loki never left his side.

To his dying breath the god vowed to deny that he carefully mopped the ill child's forehead and trickled soup into his mouth. The days passed and for a short while Loki feared that he had been wrong in his theory, which was another admission he would take to the grave.

The next time Mateo was aware of his surroundings it was dark. A small amount of light came from a large candle burning to his right, but none came from the fireplace. That realisation had Mateo frowning slightly, firstly because one small candle was powerful enough for him to be able to pick out the details of the entire room. Thanks to the operation his father had paid for he had gotten used to having good eyesight, but now it was incredibly good.

Secondly he felt as warm as if he had built a huge fire in his fireplace, whereas there was no warmth to the room at all. Indeed his breath was visibly curling through the air when he exhaled. It took him a little while to register that he had an extra blanket on his bed than he normally had, but the temperature difference couldn't be explained by that one difference.

His sluggish brain took a little longer to acknowledge that his body was sending a variety of signals that he wasn't used to feeling. Under his fingertips Mateo could almost count each thread used to weave his sheets, whilst his arms and legs felt unusually light. He took a deep breath and was surprised at how refreshing the act was.

"So you lived," Loki's voice sounded from across the room.

"You almost sound disappointed," Mateo was surprised by how even and normal his voice sounded. With all the other changes he was expecting his vocal chords to have changed slightly too.

Loki didn't reply but snorted softly. The rustle of cloth followed by gentle tapping of supple boots on floor heralded the god's arrival by Mateo's bed. Mateo watched Loki inspect him before accepting the hand that was offered to him.

"So am I blue?" Mateo asked.

"See for yourself," Loki said as he handed Mateo a silver handheld mirror. A quick wave of his hand had the fireplace and every candle lit.

Mateo hesitated for a second, almost afraid to look in the mirror. But he took another delightful breath and raised the mirror.

"…I'm almost disappointed," Mateo said after a long pause, wryly referencing his first sentence spoken earlier.

Before lying on the bed, however many days ago, Mateo had pictured the worst outcome. But the blue skin and manic eyes had not transferred over from Jotun to human. Although Loki had not mentioned the true appearance of Loki's true race, Thor had not been so restrained two summers ago when they had first started living in the original Avengers Tower.

His eyes were mostly bright green but now there were tiny red lines near the pupil. It was an extremely dark red, and in places it was more like a black, that seemed to bleed out from the pupil like solar flares from the sun. Thankfully the redness wasn't overly noticeable, Mateo had to hold the mirror practically against his nose to see them.

"The eyes?" Mateo asked, and luckily Loki understood.

"Jotun's have red eyes. I'm not sure why yours ended up like they did, rather than being full red. Just be grateful the changes did end up like that. They could have ended up bright blue thanks to my magic colour, and that definitely wouldn't have gone down well with your family."

"A person's magic has a defining colour?" Mateo asked with interest.

"It does, but now is not the time to lecture you about it," Loki stated and Mateo agreed. He turned back to the mirror.

The next change he spotted was that his cheekbones seemed to be sharper and more defined than before. Now his looks were more aristocratic looking than the humble traveller he had been raised as. But with his captivating eyes the change didn't seem out of place.

Finally Mateo tugged his hair forward and looked at it. For the first time in his life he gazed at it triumphantly as it lay flat against his head, without any sign of unruly tendencies. He grinned before sweeping it all back from his face.

"If you spend any more time in front of that mirror people may think you had vain tendencies," Loki's hint had Mateo putting the mirror down on his bedside table hurriedly. "Now, it is just before dawn. What say you to seeing whether we got our intended results?"

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"I'm definitely picking things up quicker now, aren't I?" Mateo grinned as he successfully turned the puddle of water into a solid wooden chair.

It had been a week since he had awoken a changed man, and Mateo hadn't looked back. His learning had come on leaps and bounds since their experimental procedure, and even Loki had been almost impressed. Magic flowed much more easily from his fingers now, and using it became much more instinctual and natural than before. The biggest boost to Mateo's confidence in his decision had come from him not needing his wand for quite a few spells. He could still use it, and indeed the spells he had learnt at Hogwarts did flow easier from his wand rather than just from his hand gestures.

When he wasn't being tutored by Loki Mateo spent the first few days figuring out exactly how much he had changed. He needed less sleep than before, and Mateo wasn't sure how he felt about that. He hadn't been the kind of person that lazed around in bed for hours anyway, but now he happily managed on four hours sleep each night. Initially the extra time each day had confused him, but once he was used to it he happily spent the time reading.

As the god had predicted he was quite a lot stronger, although he hadn't gained any muscle. It was fortunate really, as Mateo would be able to bodily tackle full grown men without having to sacrifice his spot as a seeker. The thought of Hogwarts had Mateo worrying about how much time he had spent with Loki, but he pushed that thought down and carried on experimenting.

Even in the single week since their experiment Mateo had grown two inches. His robes were now ridiculously small for him. Loki had taken one look at him one morning and snorted, presumably in amusement. He had immediately vanished and reappeared half an hour later carrying a bundle of clothes. Mateo didn't hesitate to change, and was pleasantly surprised with Loki's choice for him. Black boots and black jeans with a green shirt were practically the same as he wore in America.

Another change was that he was lighter on his feet than before, something that Clint and Nat may almost say was a good trade off for selling his soul to Loki. And he was definitely quicker than before, his reflexes could probably rival the two assassins already, and Loki said they would only improve with training.

And another change that Mateo was incredibly grateful for was that he no longer felt the cold. Even without the Jotun characteristics coming in to play he had apparently inherited their tolerance to cold. He still felt warmth, and after long days of studying Mateo still enjoyed curling up in front of a fire, but he no longer needed four layers of clothing to walk around the castle. He caught himself happily leaving his room in just his trousers and shirt once, and Mateo smiled to himself at the contrast.

Now that he wasn't so hindered Mateo learnt new spells and a greatly increased rate. Soon he could conjure pure light in his hand, could set fires in grates and to candles, and he had recently learnt to summon a ghostly companion. The last spell had confused Mateo but Loki had explained that it could be useful in repelling dark animals. The memory of the shadowy encounter in the forest had come to Mateo's mind at that moment, and he quickly pooled all his efforts into learning how to do as Loki instructed.

It had surprised him that Loki's summoned companion was a small dragon like creature about the size of a cat. There were significant differences between Midgardian dragons and the one that Loki could conjure, for starters its wings were small and almost like an afterthought. It was hornless and smooth, its body was sinewy and muscles rippled under its skin. Whilst it couldn't likely fly, it moved incredibly fast on all fours, and Mateo wouldn't want to get anywhere near it's large and razor sharp teeth. Initially he had thought that it being ghost-like meant it couldn't harm him, but a quick nip to the ankle proved just how wrong that assumption was.

"His name is Níðhöggr, his namesake chews on the roots of Yggrasil," Loki explained.

Loki and Níðhöggr waited together to watch Mateo strain to try to create some kind of creature. It took a few days of constant effort, and many nights of soul searching before the white mist started to coalesce into some kind of shape. It took a little longer for the shape to consist of more than just four legs holding up an indistinct mass, but eventually it became an animal.

"That's a jackal," Mateo said when he finally realised what his form was.

"A golden jackal, if I am not mistaken. Which I rarely am," Loki declared.

"I was expecting a raven," the boy admitted.

"A jackal would still be a good fit, people do not often realise that they are quite as wily and intelligent as they are. Some of your cultures see them as symbols of good fortune and luck," Loki shrugged. "It's more terrifying than a beaver."

Mateo initially thought that once he had learnt to summon the ghostly companion he would be able to rest for a short while. However Loki was always the hard taskmaster and had him constantly banishing and resummoning his jackal until he could do it as quickly as Loki could. Three days later Mateo would be quite happy to never have to summon up his companion again, but did agree that if it was useful as a distraction then he had to be able to do it fast.

"How come yours can attack people though?" Mateo asked one evening as he watched Níðhöggr chase his jackal. The fox-like ghost ran straight through Loki, whilst the dragon had to round his creator to continue the chase.

"Although your magic is now much more similar to mine we are still wildly different. We might use the same spells and methods, but because you are still first and foremost a Midgardian our spells will always be different," Loki explained.

"So I could probably cast any spell you teach me and I could still pass it off as normal magic?" Mateo asked.

"If there is a Midgardian comparison then your spells would probably easily pass for what others cast. But there are many spells which I will teach you that have no Midgardian equivalent. These you cannot cast with others present without them being alerted to the fact you are more than just human now," Loki warned.

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Mateo had completely lost track of the date, although he was certain that his stay was now coming closer to six months than just the agreed month. But every time he had decided to talk to Loki about returning home the god had played dirty and suggested another interesting trick to cover. Mateo had really tried to leave a few times, but his insatiable desire to learn had him agreeing to learning just one more spell.

That day was no different, Mateo had awoken determined to head home before the sun set once more on the bleak landscape outside. However his resolve wavered when Loki broached the subject of self transfiguration.

"Do you mean just your features, for a disguise?" he asked, already transfixed by the thought.

"If you want to be boring. I was more thinking of the ability to change into an animal at will," Loki said in a conversational tone.

"My Transfiguration teacher can do that, she turns into a cat. What is your form?" Mateo asked eagerly.

"Form? As in singular? Child, I can change into anything I want," Loki smirked.

Without even needing any coercing Loki rapidly shifted from dog, to raven, to serpent, to six legged horse, to something Mateo guessed was a Bilgestein. Mateo had a wide grin permanently etched onto his face as he sat cross legged on the not so cold floor and made notes. Loki happily explained the theory and process at length before ordering Mateo to try.

When he had first arrived at Loki's castle Mateo would have baulked at the thought of plunging head first into attempting to transfigure himself. But seeing as nothing else he had tried had failed he saw no reason to doubt Loki's decision to make him try this.

For the first half a day Mateo stood completely still with a look of complete concentration on his face. Whilst before he may have become frustrated he now remained calm and focussed. Loki wasn't worried about the time it took, he could sense Mateo's magic fluttering around trying to understand and follow the will of its user.

Lunchtime had just passed unobserved by the pair before any external change happened to show as success. It wasn't a grand change, but the hairs on Mateo's arms suddenly lengthened and turned a pale brown. Mateo felt the change and grinned triumphantly but didn't break his concentration.

The sun had just fallen below the horizon when Loki blinked. When his eyes opened a millisecond later he was greeted with the sight of a jackal staring up at him. The creature had an almost human looking grin lingering around its features, and Loki allowed his normally expressionless face to break into a matching smile.

Changing back to a human didn't take Mateo even a tenth of the time to figure out. Whilst the first change had required a day of thinking, it took him just shy of an hour to be back on his own two booted feet.

"Nicely done," Loki said softly.

Mateo almost fell over at that compliment. He had never had a direct word of praise from his tutor all the time he had been there, so he knew Loki was genuinely pleased with his progress.

"And now it is time to return you to your father," Loki announced. "I know you've been meaning to ask to leave for a while."

Mateo looked down in embarrassment. Whilst Loki had given him tips on ways to shield his mind the two had been much more focussed on improving his magic. He felt he had made some decent progress in building rudimentary shields to his mind, but Mateo hadn't tried to fool himself into thinking they were any match for a decent mind reader.

So instead of trying to apologise, Mateo knew the god well enough to know that such a gesture would be scorned, he merely nodded his head in agreement. He had grown a few inches whilst with Loki in the castle, so following him outside once more wasn't as much of a chore as it had been when he had arrived. Loki also had stated with certainty that he would grow even more in the next few months, and Mateo found himself disappointed to not see whether he would end up taller than Loki.

Instead of mulling that thought over he focussed on following Loki to the spot where they had appeared three and a half weeks ago. The stars were out and the temperature had dropped further than usual due to it being a cloudless night, however the changed youth didn't even flinch as the cold air ruffled through his hair.

"Summon your things," Loki ordered.

Mateo quickly gathered his thoughts and focussed on his neat pile of books on his desk. With a soft thump they landed in his hands after a short drop. Although the pile threatened to topple Mateo quickly steadied the topmost books, and just as quickly he shrunk them to fit in his pocket.

"I believe your family is located in one of the metal man's residences other than the tower, I shall send you to their front door. Even if I have it wrong you shall be able to find some way of communicating with them," Loki said dismissively.

"Thank you Loki, for everything. Seriously, I hope you find content in something, or peace with your family," Mateo said.

"I do not need to find peace with them, nor do I need your foolish sentimentalities," Loki scoffed. It seemed that Loki was ready to sever their tentative bond and had already returned to his cold stern self.

"Yes you do," Mate insisted. He wasn't quite so ready to dismiss the man who he had come to respect. "Hopefully I will see you again in another pleasant situation."

"Goodbye brat," Loki smirked and flicked a dismissive hand at Mateo, and the youth found himself sucked into utter darkness.