The Wand and the Shield.
I don't own Harry Potter or the Avengers. This is a work in progress story and will be until it is marked complete.
Opening her eyes, Hermione looked to her clock that had yet to go off signaling the time she should rise and prepare for another day at the ministry. Another day of trying to get protections in place for House-elves and freedoms for werewolves. Another day of hoping her initiatives would pass in the Wizengamot.
"Let's face it, Hermione," she said to herself. "It is another day of disappointment." Hermione had been working on her initiatives for several years since the war. Nothing ever seemed to change. She wanted to make a difference. She was starting to think she could have made a difference better by catching rogue Deatheaters with Harry.
Entering her office she found the response for yet another proposal. Denied again. Just then a memo floated into her office. It was from her boss wanting to see her.
"Hermione, good to see you. Thank you for coming so promptly." Hermione blinked a little surprised, She always came promptly.
"What can I do for you?" She asked.
"I am lending you out to another department. Muggle affairs. They are swamped working with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office on those thousands of biting toasters someone enchanted."
Hermione knew just what he was talking about someone had enchanted thousands of toasters to bite their owners just before they were sent out to the stores. It had the Muggle Affairs Office working with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office working overtime trying to recover each and every toaster before they are sold to the general muggle populace. "You need me to help recover toasters?" she asked.
'No they are dealing with all of that but there is another problem. There is a muggle just outside the Leaky Cauldron. Asking everyone for help walking by to find the Leaky Cauldron."
"So, I assume he needs to be obliviated?"
"Yes eventually. However, obliviateing him doesn't seem to be working. They have obliviated him three times this week alone but he keeps coming back."
Hermione was intrigued. "He must have something written down somewhere to tell him to keep coming back. The question I have is what is it he is wanting at the Leaky? Has anyone questioned him before obliviateing him?"
"Not to my knowledge, and that is probably what is happening. I want you to go look into it and deal with the problem so it doesn't keep coming back."
'Yes sir."
Hermione stood just inside the wards of the leaky that keep muggles out and watched as a young man around her age kept asking people for help. He was skinny and reminded her of Harry in a way. It was his clothes, they didn't fit him they were way too big for him. Everyone passing by was ignoring him at this point and just kept on walking rather than argue with some guy that a place called the Leaky Cauldron was around there somewhere.
Finally, she stepped out and spoke up.
"Excuse me, sir, I couldn't help but overhear that you are looking for the Leaky Cauldron?"
The young man jumped and turned around to find a lovely young woman right in front of him. She looked into his eyes and Hermione, couldn't hold back her gasp. She wasn't prepared for what she saw there. Aside from being the most gorgeous blue eyes, she had ever seen she could see that this man had known war. His eyes had a haunted look that had become a staple among her friends. One didn't get eyes like that without being in the thick of it. Without being on the front lines.
Hermione blinked and shook her head blushing just a tad because she couldn't help admiring his beautiful blue eyes.
"Miss please don't obligate me, I need help." He said.
Hermione blinked again how did a muggle know about the Obliviate spell even if he said it wrong?
"I am sorry, what can I do to help you?"
He looked at her for the longest time seeming to look down deep into her soul.
"You know about the Leaky Cauldron?"
Hermione sighed and looked around to see if anyone was filming or something trying to get proof of the magical world. Not seeing anything and deciding that she would talk to him some more to see what it was he was wanting. "I do."
"Then I desperately need your help. You see I have been cursed or something."
Hermione straightened up and watched him more closely. He didn't seem to be cursed, at least not obviously.
"Perhaps we should go somewhere more circumspect and talk about it? I know of a coffee shop just around the corner where we could talk." She suggested.
The young man nodded. "I am so sorry Miss. for my bad manners. My name is Steve." He sighed then continued. "Steve Rogers."
"My name is Hermione. Steve, it is nice to meet you. Your name sounds so familiar but I am sure we have never met before. Unless it was a long time ago." She shook her head again why was she acting so strangely? "Shall we?"
"Yes please."
Together they walked down the street and into a coffee shop they each ordered a coffee and sat down at a corner table.
Hermione cautiously cast a muffilato being sure to keep her wand hidden while she did. Next, she turned to Steve who was sitting across from her taking a sip of his coffee. "So, tell me about this curse you have on you."
"There is a reason my name is so familiar to you. I know it is hard to believe given my stature right now but I am Captain America, or I was until I was cursed back into my body before the super serum. I know it sounds crazy but I really am Steve Rogers. I really am Captain America."
Hermione blinked in surprise but deep down she did believe him. His eyes couldn't lie.
"Please you have got to believe me. If you can't help me can you at least get me in contact with someone? He would be quite old now but he once mentioned that Wizards age slower than most people so it is quite possible he is still alive. I saved his life in World War Two and he owes me a life debt. He told me if I ever need help to go to the Leaky Cauldron and ask for him. His name is Charles...Charles Potter."
Hermione's mouth opened in shock and surprise. Harry's grandfather was named Charles Potter. If Charles Potter owed Steve Rogers a life debt, it would be transferred down the line to Harry. If Harry owed a life debt to this man, it could be argued that all magic users owed him a life debt as well. That included her as well. It could be argued that she had saved Harry's life enough that all debts were paid in full but she didn't think so.
She would just have to help this man. As well as inform Harry so he could help him as well. Life debts were nothing to sneeze at in the magical world. Still, he could be lying about it and just looking for proof of magic, she didn't really think that could be true but she had to be very careful about dealing with this man.
Steve was very near to panicking. If this woman didn't believe him or help him he didn't know what he would do. He had nowhere to go and no one who could help him with this. Tony didn't even believe he was the same guy. He thought he was just some whacked-out creep with delusions of grandeur.
"What color was the curse that hit you? Do you remember what was said when the curse was cast?" Hermione decided to question him on his curse. Then, if his answers checked out, she would contact Harry and together they would see about helping to release him from the curse.
At length she decided he was telling the truth, she needed to get him off the streets and maybe transfigure his clothing to fit him. Judging by how much he was swamped by his clothes she needed to make it so his clothing would change back with him once the curse was canceled.
"You indicated that your friends don't recognize you, where have you been staying?"
Steve flushed he was almost out of money and had left the slummy little apartment he had rented the last few days. He was currently homeless and unless things changed drastically he was not even going to be able to afford the coffee he was drinking.
"I'm..."
Understanding dawned in Hermione's eyes. "Hey, it's ok. Let's go explain things to Harry and you can request temporary housing as a part of the life debt payment." Hermione stated as she grabbed the check to pay for both their drinks.
"Wait." Steve blushed. "I should really get that."
Hermione blinked she had the impression that he was hard up for funds, after all, he was still wearing oversized clothing. Her inner feminist wanted to insist he save his money but she thought it must be really emasculating having to admit that he didn't have anywhere to live. If paying for their coffee's made him feel better maybe she should let him?
She handed him the check and watched as his eyes bulged out at the total.
"Should we split the check then?" Hermione asked getting out her wallet.
"No!" Steve jumped up like a lump of hot coal was under him and rushed up to pay the check.
Hermione blinked in surprise and blushed as she thought about him insisting on paying for her half of the check, did that make this a date? Did she want it to be? Her mind flashed to his blue eyes searing deep into her soul and decided she wouldn't mind if it was a date. She would play it cool she decided. If he really was Captain America he was probably old-fashioned it was probably nothing more than that.
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