AN-One of my main goals here is to have the characters all have a chance to speak up and I don't want the Voldemort or Hydra storylines to get lost in the other so chances are Hydra will be popping up in the next chapter. I don't know why Ron and Juniper are bickering again but it did get smoothed over just as quickly.

AN-Thank you so much candinaru25.

AN-Thanks to both Guest reviewers.

gingin1975- Thank you as well. I hope you like the Bucky/Juniper interactions in this chapter

decided to go with flirty Bucky for their first real interactions. I really want at least the 'basic' Avengers to interact with our golden trio. Don't worry I got some ideas for Steve and Juniper bonding. Oh course Bucky may regret it if hes goes into big brother mode as hard as Ron.

CHAPTER FOUR

Tony wasn't sure exactly how long the kid had cried before she'd finally exhausted herself to the point that she'd fallen asleep in his arms. He'd continued to hold her for a bit to make sure she was deeply asleep before standing lifting her into his arms concerned again by how light she was and carried her over to the lounge placing her on it figuring it had to be more comfortable that his arms. He'd just returned to his own chair when Bucky came out carrying a grey blanket which he gently spread over the girl.

Tony glanced at Bucky raising one eyebrow in question. "Making breakfast. Saw you out here." He nodded at Juniper. "Shes got no body fat shes probably always cold." Then he turned and went back inside. Tony glanced between the windows where he could see him moving around the kitchen and the sleeping girl a few times then shrugged. Who knew the Winter Soldier had a mother hen streak.

Tony had his phone out taking care of some business not wanting to leave Juniper alone to wake up in a strange place alone after the night she'd had when she woke. He looked up as she jerked awake sitting up holding the blanket to her chest. He didn't think it was a nightmare though as much as waking up and not immediately recognizing where she was. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked over as if realizing Tony was there and then blushing red as she remembered what had happened the night before.

"Morning Kiddo. You hungry? Buckys got breakfast going." Tony asked not acknowledging her blush.

"I suppose." Juniper said softly swinging her feet to the ground. "I'm sorry...I mean thank you...but I'm sorry."

"Theres nothing to be sorry for. You needed a shoulder and a ear I had both still do. Anytime." Tony answered as Juniper shifted her eyes away refusing to meet his. He stepped closer and put a finger under her chin so that she looked at him. "Juniper don't mistake being human for being weak. What you've already done just what we've heard you are strong but no one can hold it together 24/7. I understand you don't want Ron and Hermione to see you upset but don't think for a second that leaning on me for a little makes you weak or makes me think less of you. Hell I've seen Captain America cry, that idiot in there too." He jerked his thumb towards the kitchen where Bucky was. "Now lets go get pancakes before they all get eaten okay?" He held his hand out to her and she took it letting him help her to her feet following him into the kitchen.

The smell of pancakes, bacon, and eggs was amazing causing her stomach to rumble. She hadn't been suffering as badly as Ron and Hermione from the lack of food but that was mostly because she was more use to it. "Umm Bathroom?" She asked Tony wanting to at least wash her face.

"Down the hall third door on the left." Tony answered pointing. Juniper nodded and turned down the hall stepping into the bathroom closing the door behind her. The bathroom was as nearly as big as the first floor of the Weasley's house. She could imagine her Aunt Petunia turning green in jealousy if she'd seen it. She stepped over to the large double sinks set in the grey marble counter. Juniper pulled her jumper off so as not to get it wet leaving her in only a black camisole and a old pair of Ginny's jeans with a resize spell on them and took a washcloth off the towel rack dampening it and washing her face removing any traces of her crying fit. Before looking in the mirror.

"Pathetic." Juniper accused her reflection. Juniper hated that she was so small always had been 5'1 (and a half!) and struggling to maintain 90 pounds. She'd been told more than once that she looked like her father but she mostly saw that in her messy dark brown almost black curls and glasses. Her eyes her emerald green eyes though where undoubtedly her moms. Her high cheekbones and full lips most likely from some distant Black ancestor as they did resemble Sirius's a bit. She was pale but for some reason Blaise Zambini had asked, accused, her more than once of having some Italian blood in her ancestry somewhere. She wasn't unattractive she knew that although she got called cute more than pretty. Except when she'd gone to the Yule ball in 4th year. Although she gave most of the credit for that to Katie Bell's skill with make-up, and the hour and a half Lavender Brown had put into her hair. At the moment however she looked paler than usual her face thin, dark smudges under her eyes.

And then there where the scars. The lightning bolt scar on her forehead was fine, whatever, she was use to it and had even come to see it as a symbol of her mother's love. But her arms which she'd revealed when she'd taken off the jumper where another story. The words Umbridge had forced her to carve into her right hand, the scar near the bend of her arm that looked more like someone had rammed a pole through it than a snake bite, the burn scar above it from Dragon's fire that had caught her during the first task 4th year. Those she could look at as badges of honor. The creatures who had created those she'd defeated. Including a certain toad who last they'd heard was sitting in Azkaban for allowing the 3 of them to escape the ministry. Then there was the neat line of stiches under the bandage Bruce had applied. She didn't know if they'd be a new one when the stiches dissolved but it hardly seemed to matter. She could if she needed glamour it as she had the others when Bruce was tending to it. Her other arm was another story from Wrist to elbow on the inside of her arm Peter had carved a shape that was suppose to be a dark mark and if you squinted and knew what it was suppose to be you could find it but it looked more like a madman who'd just been having fun carving her up had taken a knife to her. She needed to Kill Peter Pettigrew for a lot of reasons most more important than the scar but it added to it especially as it still burned sometimes and refused to be glamoured. Damn magic knife. She wasn't even going to consider the scars on her back from her Uncle Vernon's belt. There where reasons even beyond her personal temperature running low since fifth year that she never wore short sleeves or anything that would show her back. She pulled her jumper back on tugging the sleeves low enough to cover the back of her hands and looked in the mirror and sighed.

Oh course she had more important things to think about than her scars. She pulled her hair back and braided it quickly not wanting to worry about going upstairs to find her brush but needing it out of her way took a deep breathe. She did her best to put on her Gryffindor mask even though she knew now Tony at least saw right through it. "Make Godric proud girl." she told herself sternly and turned leaving the bathroom to rejoin Tony and Bucky in the kitchen.

"Good morning doll. What do you like on your pancakes?" Bucky asked her.

Juniper gave him what looked a bit like a suspicious look then looked over to Tony. "Is he a morning person?"

Tony snickered. "Not usually hes more like us has trouble sleeping. We tend to shoot morning people on sight around here."

"Thats a sound policy. I approve." Juniper said taking the seat at the breakfast bar Tony nodded at. Before turning her eyes to Bucky who looked amused. She shrugged remembering his question. "Umm syrup?"

"Boring." Bucky said his tone teasing almost flirty. Drawing a surprised look from Tony who'd never know Barnes to tease anyone except occasionally Steve or Sam and had never seen him flirt.

Juniper grinned back brightening slightly. "Gonna broaden my horizons?"

"My pleasure Doll." Bucky answered with a hint of a growl.

"Would you two like me to leave?" Tony asked as the two locked eyes.

"Trick question. Even if we said yes he wouldn't go." Bucky mock whispered to Juniper who suppressed a giggle as he turned back to the plate of pancakes adding syrup, whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries and finished it off by sprinkling powdered sugar on top. He them added bacon and eggs to the plate and placed it in front of Juniper.

"I'm never gonna eat all that you know." She told him.

"I have faith in you." Bucky answered ignoring the glare Tony was shooting him over Juniper's head. Tony didn't know what it was about Juniper that brought out this protective instinct and logically Bucky wasn't truly that much older than her he'd been around 21 when he'd 'died' and been frozen and had only been out of the freezer for a little over 6 months, and Juniper was 17 technically a adult in her world and had been through events that had shot her into adulthood way ahead of schedule but still... If the soldier hurt her he'd blow that metal arm off again he decided. Hopefully it would just be some light flirting between the two.

"No food for me?" Tony asked.

"You know where the plates are." Bucky answered bringing another giggle from Juniper that made Bucky's smile widen as Tony muttered under his breathe about the unfairness of having too serve himself.

Juniper was truthfully a bit surprised to have the handsome ex-assassin flirting with her but definitely not uninterested. Flirting wasn't something she'd done a lot of mostly just with Terry Boot, and Blaise Zambini who'd both flirted with well in Terry's case every girl in school, and in Blaise's everything with a pulse. Cedric hadn't really flirted he'd just been earnest and honest when he'd asked her to the Yule ball if she wasn't going with Ron or one of his brothers. That most of the guys at school had assumed she was with one of the Weasleys boys who she considered brothers more than anything was more than a little annoying and had possibly contributed to her dismal romantic history. That straight forward kindness was part of what she'd liked about Cedric but there was definitely something to be said for Bucky's charming attention.

Juniper picked up her fork and cut into the pancake taking a bite that had her closing her eyes and letting out a small sound of pleasure. Ohh better than treacle tart. When she opened her eyes they locked with Bucky's again a heat burning in his that brought a blush to her face. He leaned across the island that separated them and whispered in her ear. "Getting you to make that sound again is my new life goal." She felt her blush grow hotter at that her mouth going dry her stomach tightening.

"Challenges are good for you." She told him her voice a bit huskier than usual as he leaned back eyes meeting hers again. A cocky grin appeared on his face but whatever he was about to say was interrupted as the kitchen door opened making Juniper jump slightly leaning back not even realized she'd leaned forward.

"There you are." Ron said as he and Hermione entered. "Did you sleep at all?" he asked leaning over her shoulder reaching for one of the strawberries on her pancake. Juniper smacked his hand with her fork.

"Mine." She said ignoring his yelp. "I slept. Now I'm eating. Buckys a really good cook."

"Cook huh?" Ron asked he hadn't missed Juniper's blush or the way the two had been leaning close to each other. He glanced over at Tony who was now sitting at the table which was loaded with food with a plate of his own not looking very happy about whatever the two had been doing. "Hey Tony. Did I tell you about the castration curse we learned in our Care of Magical Creatures class. Comes in handy when guys try to impress your sister with things like, oh say pancakes." He gave Bucky a pointed glare as he joined Tony.

Hermione smacked Ron in the back of the head and sat as well accepting the plate Tony offered her amusement at Ron's comment dancing in his eyes and loading it up with food. "Sounds very useful." Tony agreed.

"Did you ask him?" Hermione asked Juniper glanced over at her friend.

"Not yet." Juniper answered and looked over to Tony. "We got a message from one of our people back in Britain. Lunas a seer and she told us to stay here until we get a sign so we where wondering..."

"You can stay here as long as you want all three of you." Tony broke in not letting on that they'd heard the radio broadcast last night. "Hell Natasha, Clint, and Bruce would kill me if I let their new students escape so easily."

"Language Tony." Steve said as he entered the kitchen. "There are young ladies present." He gave Hermione and Juniper nods. "Good morning."

"Hey at least I wasn't flirting with one of them." Tony protested giving Bucky a look. Juniper couldn't help thinking of the gleeful way Ron would 'tattle' on the Twins to Bill. It was a realization to Juniper. The Avengers weren't just a team they where a family.

Steve glanced over at Bucky pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the counter raising a eyebrow. "Yup." Bucky answered. "And as long as she doesn't protest I'm gonna keep flirting with her."

"No objections here." Juniper chimed in brightly taking another bite of pancake.

Steve shrugged obviously not concerned as long as Juniper didn't object. "We should have a meeting though. Talk about this dark lord your fighting and how we handle him."

"WE don't I do." Juniper answered. "The Death Eaters will fall apart once hes dead. He has generals so to speak but who can step up and take over once hes defeated. Bellatrix is too crazy, Snape doesn't have the charisma to hold it together, no one will follow a werewolf like Fenrir except other wolfs and Malfoy doesn't have the power. Tom was always careful never to give anyone enough to run things without him thats why they mostly went back to their normal lifes when he disappeared the first time."

"Don't downplay the Deatheaters. They are ruthless killers who get off on torture, rape, and murder." Hermione warned. "Most of them don't think of Muggleborns or Muggles as more than animals."

"Don't forget we also have to think of people like Stan Shunpike who aren't really Deatheaters just under the Imperius curse. They have no choice no freewill." Ron offered.

"Yeah but they will still try to kill us. We won't have the chance to rip the mask off every Deatheater and check their eyes during battle." Hermione answered. As Clint, Natasha, and Bruce trailed in joining them at the table leaving the breakfast bar to Bucky, Juniper and Steve.

"Are you really suggesting fighting no holds barred against people who might be mind controlled." Ron asked.

"If someone in a Deatheater mask is about to curse Collin Creevey, or Lavender, or even Ginny what would you do Ron? Hold back just in case its Shunpike or one of the other victims? What if its not? What if its one of the Lestrange brothers? You shoot a Stupefy he deflects it and then kills you and whoever you where trying to save." Hermione replied.

Both turned as once their eyes landing on Juniper. "I agree...with Hermione."

"WHAT?" Ron yelped obviously surprised. "How can you say that Dumbledore..."

"Is dead." Juniper broke in. "As you pointed out yesterday. Because he showed mercy to Snape, to Malfoy. He knew what they where he gave them second chances and he died for it. Mercy has a place Ron but battle is not it. If I had been a little less soft hearted in third year and let Remus, and Sirius take out Peter like they wanted we wouldn't be here."

"Different situation." Ron answered. "Peter was a bloody weak willed traitorous wanker whos hands where covered in your parents, his friends blood he deserved to die yes but they never should have let a 13 year old make that call either way. But he wasn't being mind controlled he was always totally in control of his choices and actions. You don't know what the Imperius is like your immune."

Juniper slammed her hands down on the breakfast bar standing her eyes furious. "You where under the Imperius under classroom conditions for 2 minutes. I had the Dark Lord in my head controlling my actions for 15 minutes during the battle at the ministry. I nearly killed Neville would have if Dumbledore hadn't been there. If I'd had the choice between killing Neville or another innocent controlled or not or dying I would choose death."

"Shes right." Clints voice was low. Ron looked over at him in surprise. "You don't know what its like trying to live with something you did when someone else was in control. You have to carry a weight thats not yours but that doesn't make it lighter." He glanced over at Bucky who like Clint had grown paler and more horrified looking at the trios conversation as they started to understand what the Imperius curse implied and how similar it sounded to what they had gone through Clint with Loki, and Bucky with Hydra.

Juniper shook her head as if shaking off the conversation. "The Deatheaters will be trying to kill us Ron. If your going to hold back when the time comes go home now. I have enough friends blood on my conscience."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I've had your back for 7 years Juni you've saved my life, my sisters life, hell my father's life I'm not going anywhere so stop trying to send me home like a naughty 4 year old anytime I don't whole heartedly agree with every word you say." He stood and crossed to her putting a hand on the back of her neck lightly and leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. "We're in this to the end."

Steve glanced over to Bucky remembering a similar conversation between himself and his best friend after his mother died. Watching Ron and Juniper was a lot like watching himself and Bucky when they where the same age.

"They always make up that quick huh?" Tony asked Hermione.

"Mostly. Well there was once in 4th year but that was a wildly abnormal situation." Hermione answered continuing to eat the toast she'd been buttering as her friends had been arguing knowing nothing real was going to be done until they got it out of their systems.

"Alright if we accept that your the only one who can kill the Dark Lord how do we make that happen? Do you know what the power he knows not from the prophecy is?" Bruce asked his calm voice bringing the energy in the room back down a bit.

"No." Juniper answered sitting back on her stool at the breakfast bar. "Dumbledore seemed to think it was love. Specifically that I feel it and Vold...Tom can't and wouldn't understand what I would be able to accomplish because of it."

"Weaponizing love isn't really a thing outside of fairy tales." Natasha sneered.

"Agreed. Dumbledore was a very wise and powerful man but he did have a tendency to be very sentimental." Hermione said. "Juniper is one of the most powerful witches to be born in several generations but raw power only means so much without the knowledge to direct it. Tom has 70 years more experince in that and his power level is so close to hers it negates any edge it gives her. Personally I think knowledge is that power we know his secret but he hasn't realized it yet."

"What secret?" Steve asked sensing this was the thing they could use to bring down this Tom Riddle.

"Tom Riddle grew up in a orphanage in London during the war. He lived through the bombings there and he ended up with a fear a phobia about dying so he put his brilliant mind to finding a way to beat it. And he found it. The Horcrux ritual its a horrible disguising dark ritual that the wizarding world tried to bury tried to hide but he found it. He dug out the details somewhere and he...did it. It worked. I still don't know the details but the end result is that half the wizard soul is broken off and hidden in a object. He did it seven times." Juniper's voice shook a bit at the end as if the sickened by the though of someone damaging their soul to that degree. "It required murder we know that but there is more to it something..." She shook her head. "I don't want to know. Seven is a magically significant number and they anchored him to earth when he should have died he was weakened but hes regained his power and body now."

"So to kill him and have it stick you have to find these seven objects." Natasha said.

"Four I destroyed the first the diary 2nd year, Dumbledore the Gaunt ring before he died, and we have the Slytherin locket here." She removed the small pouch she'd taken from Hermione the night before from under her sweater.

"They are all dangerous. The diary possessed my sister made her release a basilisk on the school turning several students to stone including Hermione then it tried to drain her life force to come back as 16-year-old Tom Riddle but Juniper stopped him, slayed the Basilisk, and destroyed the diary." Ron interrupted.

"Whats a Basilisk?" Steve asked.

"Big snake." Juniper answered calmly.

"Big..." Hermione started then trailed off. "Juniper a 60 foot snake with one of the most poisonous venoms in the words and eyes that kill you if you look into them can not be described as a 'big snake.'"

Juniper shrugged. "I killed it I can describe it however I want."

"60 feet...you where in 2nd year... 12 she killed a 60 foot snake at 12..." Tony muttered.

Juniper glared at Hermione. "Well now look you went and broke Iron Man. I hope your proud of yourself."

"Doll how did you kill a 60 foot snake at 12?" Bucky asked his voice sounding strained.

"Well I didn't do it alone you know." Juniper said with a sigh. "Fawkes Dumbledore's phoenix was there ripped the snakes eyes out so he couldn't use that death glare on me. Then I just stabbed it through the roof of the mouth and into the brain with Godric Gryffindor's sword when it tried to eat me."

"And got stabbed with one of the fangs." Hermione pointed out.

"Hey that came in handy. Basilisk venom kills Horcruxes as it turns out." Juniper protested.

"It doesn't kill chosen ones?" Clint asked trying to calm the twist of fear in his gut at the obvious reckless attitude of their newest roommate.

"Phoenix tears heal almost anything turns out that includes Basilisk bites usually they'll only do it for heroes and stuff but I guess Fawkes likes me." Juniper replied with a shrug.

"Anyway Dumbledore found the 2nd Horcrux the Gaunt ring in a cursed shack and the ring itself was cursed as well. It got into his head and he put it on which caused his hand to literally start rotting he was able to stop it but his hand was literally dead and black. He was able to destroy the Horcrux with a spell known as Fiendfire." She continued obviously not wanting to talk anymore about the Basilisk she'd fought.

"This one...well lets just say we went through quite a lot to get our hands on it which ended when we got into the ministry itself and Juniper ripped it right off the neck of the evil toad wearing it." Hermione said.

"A actual evil toad?" Tony asked hesitantly.

"Oh course not. One of our old teachers she was evil but only kinda looked like a toad. She was only ever dangerous because they put her in a position of authority over kids." Juniper answered taking to last bite of her pancake which put a pleased look on Bucky's face as she'd finished it.

"Why haven't you destroyed it?" Bruce asked.

"Its not so easy they are hard to destroy. We've tried burning it, blowing it up, freezing and shattering it, smashing it with a rock, even house elf magic. It just repairs itself every time. The only things we know for sure that work are basilisk venom, and fiendfire. We'd have to get back inside Hogwarts to get the venom and fiendfire is a extremely dangerous spell if it gets out of control it'll burn from ocean to ocean thats what really happened in Pompeii." Juniper said with a frown at the pouch as if personally offended that she hadn't been able to destroy it.

"That one is more subtle than the other two. Its whispers in your mind tries to turn you on your friends tries to cause rifts. The longer you hold it the stronger it gets the more of a hold it has on you. We've been passing it around taking turns holding it so it can't get a firm hold on any of us but its still been making us short tempered, a bit careless with the things we say, causing nightmares and jealousy." Hermione added.

"I bet I can handle destroying it." Tony said a smirk twisting his lips. He did love a challenge. "Then we can concentrating on finding the other four."

Juniper was about to add something when Jarvis suddenly spoke up. "Sir Ms. Potts has returned shes on her way up now."

Tony smiled his whole face lighting up. His relationship with Pepper had been a roller coaster ride for years but recently they had been on a really good streak and surprisingly he didn't even miss the swimsuit models and nights out getting hammered between the Avengers, his research, and Pepper he had more than enough in his life to keep his mind busy. In fact he'd been carrying a very expensive special commission engagement ring in his pocket for months just waiting for the right moment. He'd hoped it'd be when she returned from this business trip but since they had guests it would have to wait a bit longer.

It was only moments later that Pepper was entering the kitchen smiling at the other Avengers warmly and the teens in a friendly manner before crossing to Where Tony had stood to greet her kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't know you had company. Oh honey are you alright?"

Tony turned at Pepper's question to see Juniper staring at Pepper her face as white as milk her eyes wide. A glance at Hermione and Ron at the table both also staring at Pepper as if seeing a ghost.

"I...Ah gotta..." Juniper choaked out then turned and nearly ran out of the room. Bucky started to follow her but Natasha who'd already become fond of the girl held up a finger for him to stay and followed instead.

Tony turned to Ron and Hermione. "Alright what are we missing here?"

"I...I'm sorry. Its just." Hermione reached into that fascinating bag of hers and pulled out what was obviously a photo album opening it to one of the first pages and held it up for them to see. "Lily Potter. Juniper's mom."

The similarities where almost spooky. Same light red hair in the same style, same tall willowy build, very similar features oval face, small nose, sweet smile freckles across the cheeks pale complexion highlighted even further as the woman in the picture was wearing a sweater the exact same color as the jacket Pepper was wearing The only real diffrence in the womens appearances was that Lily had the same emerald green eyes as her daughters while Pepper's where a soft brown.

No one had any doubt why Juniper had been shocked to see the woman the question was while Tony went almost as pale as Juniper had at the sight of the picture.

Cambridge university, around 18-years-ago, a brilliant young woman who he'd spent nearly a month with before she'd dropped out to run off with her high school sweetheart. Juniper's birthday was in the end of July. Suddenly a few things seemed to drop into place. Why Juniper's magic had dropped her and her friends here, why her smirk seemed familiar, the way some of her speech patterns seemed similar to his, even the instinctive protectiveness he'd felt for her when Bucky had been flirting with her, and as for the similarity between the picture and Pepper well everyone knew Tony had a type.

"Oh shit Lily Evans."

AN- Yup ummm whos gonna tell Juniper?