Disclaimer: All recognisable media, TV, Comics and their characters belong to their rightful owners, which isn't Me, also I make no money from this venture it's freely shared entertainment only. This applies to the entire story, I didn't put this up before, and I should've.
Desert, Iraq
Around 2 in the afternoon, 1st January 2013
Harry looked at the clear blue sky. It was now a new year, and pretty soon he had to start a new school.
The Wizarding world had gone insane, just insane for him. He couldn't put up with any more of their crap if he'd tried and luckily he hadn't had to. God bless his soul, Dumbledore had come through for him in a big way. He'd had a plan all along for Harry's after battle, and while it was a last resort plan given his age, he'd put it into play.
America had welcomed him with open arms for what he'd done and Dumbledore helping that along with his contacts in the ICW. He was due to start at a new school, in America in a few short weeks. The weird part, it was a Muggle school. This wasn't so much a cover as a requirement. America insisted that their wizards could function in the Muggle world. Given his innate power, no one could teach Harry a thing about magic anymore, so they felt he needed to learn more about being a Muggle, or just a Mundane in the US.
So they enrolled him in an area rife with natural magic called Beacon Hills. The lay lines in the area meant that his innate power wouldn't show up quite as badly as it usually did, hiding him slightly as a cover, while making sure he would be able to function in America as a newly minted Dual Nationality American.
Dumbledore had been holding something back from Harry for a while, and now had released it, namely the Flamel fortune. This was not a small amount of money, or holdings and he'd also unlocked his inheritances from the Blacks via Sirius and the Potter's via his father. To say Harry had something to do was putting it mildly; to say he was rich was a ridiculous understatement.
He would be able to focus his entire life on spending it and never succeed in the task, but instead Dumbledore had suggested he turn his mind, and eye to increasing it, and doing what he could for mankind at the same time.
This suited Harry's nebulous plans himself actually, and he even had several computing engineering science labs to his names now, mostly in the Flamel name of 'Cenotaph Holdings'.
This was a company that had been around since the founding fathers in America and longer elsewhere. It was huge, somewhat unheard of though in most areas, but had the clout in political and money matters to make his dreams a reality.
He was due to step in, having been made a legal adult with emancipation in the US of A.
It was all red tape that had disappeared at Dumbledore's thrust, and frankly he'd liked the old man despite the manipulations, but now he adored him for what he'd done. Just having a plan for him for after endeared him to Harry as frankly until recently Harry had not seen a future.
Now one stretched out before him, rather like the desert he was standing in.
When you can fly faster than a jet, you get around, and oddly this area had called to him. His patron wanted him here, now, so he was there, then.
It was beautiful in a stark, hot way. But a cooling spell washed over him even as he began to sweat, and he felt rather fresh as a daisy right then.
Suddenly off to the west there was a mighty explosion, followed swiftly by an explosion of swearing from Harry.
"Not even a day!" he said to the sky, "You don't want me to have much of a peaceful life huh?" he called up, and then into his view was what the world looked to be a flying man, and it was heading right for him.
"Ohhhh fuckkkk" Harry cried, jumping off to the side with not a moment to spare. There was an explosion of parts, sand and billowing dust and Harry let out a pained sigh.
"Oh just wonderful!" he said brushing off his brand new trousers. They were black, as this was his colour; he'd been told, and significantly more expensive than his last pair that had been ruined by blood, his blood.
"Urh… Hello" he said, "I won't ask if you're alright mate, but are you at least breathing."
"Is someone there," a cultured American voice said, "I could do with a hand here!"
Harry looked around, his mind going into hyperdrive, he did quick and dirty conjuration over the next dune, creating a rather good donkey on the fly, then grabbed the water skein he conjured and rushed to the man half buried in the sand. "Take it easy fella," he said, "you just kinda fell out of the sky – trust me, that hurts."
"Uh huh" the man said, a good looking man of early thirties, if that. He had a pencil thin moustache, perfectly quaffed normally Harry would guess, but grizzled currently. "We need to get out of here, they'll be coming."
"Okay mate, take it easy – we'll get you out of …whatever that is you're wearing, and leave, now WHO is chasing you into the sky?"
"The Ten Rings"
"That tells me a whole lot of not much" Harry noted, "Come on, easy now" he said easily hefting the man out of the sand with a long steady hard pull, the strangers suit fell off in shards as he did that. Luckily this left the man rather more ambulatory than he'd previously been. He handed the skein over, "Drink…slow, and easy. You look dehydrated."
"Probably, only had bad coffee to drink for a while now, maybe a month, I dunno lost track of time."
"Those horrendous bastards, bad coffee; How dare they!" Harry said with feeling. That first night Tea hadn't been on the menu with Tempe, in fact she'd given him coffee for the first, but not the last time in his life. It was his new vice, and that along with smoking were his two biggest thrills in life…other than the opposite sex, even if no one had quite caught his eye since Tempe.
The man laughed, "A man after my heart. But you're English" he accused.
"I know, but I pray at the bean altar" he assured him. "Now I'm Harry, and you are?"
"Tony, you can call me Tony, hell if we get out of this alive, you can call me anything you like!"
"Well I have a donkey nearby, why don't we go get her and you can take a ride, the nearest town is east"
"You're a life saver…literally!"
"I'm not the one that learned to fly, well done on that. Please feel free to share how you did that, flying is my element you know."
"Sure, sure, for you and your donkey – anything, I need to call Rhodey."
"That's a funny name for a girl."
Tony laughed, "Not a girl, a big guy, a very tough American colonel, we need his help."
"Sounds like my new best friend."
"What the HELL are you doing out here" Tony suddenly thought to ask.
"Oddly I was just out for a walk, then you nearly fell on me mate; perhaps I should be asking YOU that?"
"You really don't know who I am, do you?"
"Should I Tony?"
"Yes, you really should, weird guy, Harry."
Harry shrugged, "Come on old man, you ain't getting lighter."
"Hey watch it kid" Tony said, happy to be snarking with someone again, anyone really but at least this Englishman seemed capable of the art. They rounded the dune and Tony sighed, "Never have I seen a more beautiful sight."
"You have STRANGE taste in women, that's a donkey and they are not one of god's graceful beauties."
Tony laughed, "We'll take turns – right?"
"Sure" Harry said; patting Tony on the back and stunning him into insensibility at the same time, knocking him clean out with no pain.
"Or, I'll fly the lot of us there instead." He said with a smirk. He picked up the other man, let the donkey go back to magic and then streaked away faster than a F16.
Malibu – California
10:00 - 3rd January 2013
The rear door of the Aircraft lowered slowly, Tony after much annoyance was in a wheel chair, Rhodey, an impressive man Harry felt, hadn't let him out of his sight. And in turn Tony hadn't let Harry out of his.
He seemed rather enamoured with Harry, like a kindred spirits kind of thing when he'd caught him successfully chatting up a much older air stewardess on the Germany stop over. He'd been showing Harry designs on the entire flight on a laptop he'd just brought in the airport and made sing.
This had drawn Harry's attention as he loved anything computerized and they quickly found a common ground in engineering, albeit computer engineering. Harry didn't know much of anything outside of that field, and Tony Stark himself was talking about plugging that gap in his knowledge.
So the flight had been a good one, and since the first words out of Rhodey's mouth had been, 'How was the fun-vee' in a sarcastic but caring tone, Harry had liked him from the off.
Rhodey had a good working knowledge himself, as a pilot and friend of the famous Tony Stark, billionaire, engineer and all around playboy. Of course Harry hadn't the first clue about that until the Germany lay over, when he'd found out the news from that self same stewardess.
He was in the presence of a real genius, and was finding to his shock he was easily keeping up. Even with his new much better self image, Harry still didn't realize how smart he now was. To say he was keeping up with the brilliant if playful billionaire was mild to say the least. In some areas, notably computing he was WAY ahead of him.
"You HAVE to talk to Jarvis" Tony said, "But first, there is something I have to do…come along won't you?" he said to his new best friend.
Rhodey was more concerned by Harry than Tony was, his placement was beyond suspicious and yet he'd come through not only clean, but highly rated by his own government, owning many contracts there in his own country despite Harry being English by birth.
His dual nationality smoothed that one over and he was the new shiny toy of the American government. He'd been told to do anything and everything up to shining his damn shoes to keep Harry happy.
All he really needed to do was crack a few jokes he would anyway with Tony and listen to them getting insanely technical. It was of little wonder to the Colonel now that Harry was a rising star, he had that same feel of insane brilliance to him as did Tony, though he was much more raw than Tony, but that polish would come in time, and perhaps even from Tony himself.
Tony was indeed away with his new friend, who he felt without he would've died in the desert. He had brought Harry's story of him being out for the count the entire journey hook line and sinker, especially since he hadn't really known what day it had been anyway. Saying a day had passed was really not hard to do when you're talking to a man who'd barely seen daylight for a month.
"There she is" Tony suddenly said, waving off a ambulance crew, "Are you kidding me with this?" he asked, heading for what Harry felt was a really gorgeous strawberry blonde. Her eyes were red, and Harry's first thought was girl friend, only to be disabused of that notion as their conversation continued for him to find out she was in effect Tony's Girl-Friday.
Harry was fine with that; it meant he maybe had a shot. Sure she was older, but for her – he didn't care. Her leg's alone made age a non-issue to him; of course the opposite may not be true.
"Thank you" she said as they piled into a Rolls.
Harry darted a look around, "I'm sorry are you talking to me?"
"I am, I wanted to say thank you. From what I hear, we have you to thank for Tony's safe return."
"He really did most of that," Harry said, "I just supplied a donkey"
"And a fine donkey it was, I really am annoyed you sold it and can't remember to whom. She carried me out from deaths door; I could've at least gotten her a job in the states" Tony snarked.
"I told you before, you have odd taste in women," Harry quipped back, "Anyway, she was far too good for you, reprobate."
Tony snorted a laugh.
The near famous Pepper Potts looked between them and rolled her eyes, "Oh god... Tony met another just like him!"
"And in the desert too, apparently he was just out for a walk" Tony interjected.
"Yes, I was, really it was quite beautiful until you spread a metric tonne of scrap over the landscape."
"That scrap saved my life, but alas, only mine" Tony said unusually serious.
"Where to boss" Happy called from the front.
"A hospital" Pepper began.
"No, I want you to do something for me. I craved two things while captive. One is a cheeseburger…the other is."
"I do not want to know."
"She's got your number"
"Not what you think," Tony said smoothly ignoring them both, "I want you to call a press conference, at the plant…now"
"Now?"
"Now"
"But Tony, you're injured"
Harry looked tony over, "He is? I wondered why you were wearing that sling; I thought it was a spiffy new fashion statement."
Pepper snorted this time, then flushed, showing she was natural in her hair colour, "Anyway, are you serious?"
"Yes, cheeseburger first!" he called to Happy.
Tony's Mansion, Malibu- CA
Later
"Well, that was…real" Harry said carefully. "You do realize we're in competition right, and you can't show me anything you want to show me."
"Yes, yes, Pepper filled me in on who you 'really' are. Mr Cenotaph, owner of a company that makes Stark Industries looks small and wearing nappies."
"Single owner, CEO and chairman, and lots of other rather boring titles," Harry said airily waving a hand around, while looking at the beautiful home.
"You're barely out of nappies yourself, how did this happen exactly?"
"I got it in an inheritance, and as much as I'm dying to meet a sentient AI, you cannot in good conscience show me anything."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, no do you WANT to meet Jarvis or what?"
"You'll bet your arse I do, I've made the disclaimer and I think we both know that I won't steal from you anyway." Harry said a slightly fond smile on his face for a man perhaps twice his age in years, but half his mental age in outlook.
But he, and his attitude, were growing on him. His don't give a shit, do what you like attitude reminded him of Tempe, and that was always going to get on his good side, and while he didn't want Tony. He brought a fun new outlook into his life, one that he was thinking of adopting somewhat himself. Tony was a man used to his fame, used to his money and knew how to use both. This was something Harry could really do with learning.
"Come on then, Pepper, be a doll,"
"I'll set you up in a guest room Harry" she said smiling slightly wider for the extremely handsome young man with an honestly beautiful pair of eyes. She had noticed his admiring glances, and frankly if not for his age, and hers, well – she may go there, just for the eyes, ignoring the built body, or the handsome looks or the strangely more mature humour than Tony's. But only just, and growing less distanced the longer around the elder man he spent.
She'd now researched Harry to within an inch of his life, as she would anyone coming into Tony's life. It was part of her job; she was often the first line of personal security, in a way that no one but a woman could be to a man like Tony either.
"Urh…thanks gorgeous" Harry said playfully, tossing her a wink that made her colour slightly. He was impossibly handsome at times, and normally a man would be eviscerated for what Harry got away with, as easily as smiling it away.
Tony rolled his eyes, watching Pepper walk away, "You've got no chance, not with her."
"Oh, I know" Harry said, "But its fun to flirt with a beautiful woman…say – when are you going to get your head out your bum and realize what you have then?"
Tony looked at him, "Why- oh – why do I put up with you again?"
"Must be my winning personality Tony" Harry said with a cheesy grin, making Tony breakdown and laugh.
"Wake up kids, daddies home!" he said walking into a spacious lab/garage, filled with hot rods, classic sports and more techno-wizardry than Harry had ever seen in one place.
"I am drooling all over myself here – I WANT it" Harry said looking around, turning a full circle.
"Good Afternoon sir" a cultured English voice said.
Harry looked up, "Might you be Jarvis," he asked.
"I might, it would depend on who is asking."
"Oh I love it; he's got a sense of humour too! Hey man, I love you already! Now get out here and show me your base code! I promise I'll be gentle."
"Urh…should I remove the mad man sir" Jarvis asked.
Tony was near busting a gut. "Don't tempt me buddy." He said smiling fit to burst. "This is Harry, and he's got a way with computers, which is weird, since he doesn't seem to know much of anything outside of that field."
Harry shrugged, "At the time it was my only focus….but I'm starting to see the light." He said with a grin, "Is that a solid hologram…oh Tony – we should make babies. Can you imagine what they would create and be like?"
"Other than ridiculously handsome," Tony played along.
"Well that's a given."
"Oh dear lord, there's two of them" Jarvis said.
Harry smiled hugely, "Not only has he a sense of humour – he's even FUNNY!" he exalted, "Seriously Mr Jarvis, or is it just Jarvis, can I PLEASE poke around in your insides."
"That would be up to Mr Stark." Jarvis demurred.
"No, that's up to you," Harry shot in before Tony could say anything. "He tells me you're a sentient AI, which means you have rights my friend! And don't forget it. You're as much of a person as this joker here, and a damn site better looking."
"I raise an objection at better looking," Tony said half smiling.
"Shhh you, I'm talking to your brain child, not the future mother of my babies."
"'Kay, now you're starting to worry me."
"Don't worry; I hear it's relatively painless to insert a womb."
"Okay, now I'm scared."
Harry laughed, "But seriously, Can I take a look, and Jarvis- it's up to you, not Tony!"
"I agree" Tony said with a nod, "Time to make a decision for yourself bud, it's your code, your DNA he wants to look at. It's up to you if he does. Say the word and I won't let him near it."
"Then, I regret to say…I'd rather you didn't" Jarvis said slowly, interested to see if they would actually respect his decision.
"Then I won't, which sucks, but I'll live, better really since I know you are proving yourself even more sentient, privacy is a very human trait."
"I'm not sure that's a compliment."
"Oh – I like this guy!"
After Hours, Malibu – CA
00:00 – 6th January 2013
Tony slouched back indolently, his eyes on his new friend, glittering with the stunning intelligence he was gifted with he had noticed something about his friend, and something he felt had to be dealt with.
Harry was well on his way to chatting up women twice his age, real lookers as they all were in this high class club Tony had insisted on bringing him to. But he would get so far, and then somehow without pissing them off, he'd pull out of the engagement he'd created.
He didn't think Harry was gay, not with how his eyes followed Pepper when she was in the room, and who could blame him, but something was wrong, a flash of regret went over the stupidly handsome face of his young friend. Then it cleared like it was never there and he made his way back to Tony and Happy, who was his constant friend, companion, bodyguard and driver.
"Hey fella's" Harry said with a grin, the same grin he always wore, that only now Tony was starting to realize was as big a mask as the one he was designing for the MkII.
"Happy, go for a walk." Tony said his eyes on Harry and unusually serious.
"Right you are Mr Stark!" Happy said, walking away.
Harry waited until the man was gone and turned to Tony, "What's up mate?"
"You are my friend. I've been watching you tonight, I noticed the first night I brought you here, but it was confirmed tonight for me."
"Watching me – that's not at all creepy mate."
"Ha, ha, but no, in fact I'm fairly sure you don't swing that way, and nor do I. I love women, and I think you do as well. But what I want to know is what's stopping you. Frankly 'mate' you play the game better than me even, and I've had a lot more practice. But you never follow through, and trust me my friend even then you could've gone all the way, even though they have no clue who you really are, or just how insanely rich you are; even more so than me. What I want to know is – what are you scared of?"
Harry was unnaturally serious as Tony looked at him the same way, "I owe you my life" he said, "That means I look out for you now…you're hurting... ergo – I try to help."
Harry smiled his face less tense, "You're right in a way. I know very well how far I could've taken that, taken many such women, but honestly I am scared. My first time was…special, and not in the normal soppy crap teenager way, in fact she had no truck with any of that shit and made me think the same way she did. Two years older than me, she was legal for her trade…Porn."
"Shit, even I've never scored one of them"
Harry smiled, "Trust me; it's all that and more than you can imagine. But seriously who the fuck is going to compare for starters!"
"Well that's the dumbest thing I've heard in like…ever" Tony said not pulling punches. "It's not about comparing you idiot. Each and every single woman you'll have will be different. Sure some are more skilled, some are insane, some are boring, but each and every single one of them is unique. It's like…being a collector of fine things, rather than a womaniser, you need to sample each and every dish you can, smoke all the cigars offered even the awful ones, to truly know the ONE!"
"You make it sound like collecting Pokemon"
Tony laughed, "And this reference he knows!" he said rolling his eyes, "But you do see my point. Sure, you hit the jackpot first time out, you lucky bastard, and any man would kill to be in your shoes but I've always suspected that there would be a certain jaded modicum there."
"Not with Tempe, she was new to the trade, loved what she did, and was damn good at it too, probably getting bigger as we speak."
"Something bigger at least," Tony shot back.
Harry laughed, "Perhaps" he hedged, knowing Tempe's thoughts on that matter. "But I Do see what you're saying here. Perhaps I've been foolish."
"You have, but that doesn't deal with the fear. I would guess she hurt you, and badly at that."
Harry nodded, "She had a reason, perhaps it was a good one, and in the end I suppose it helped, but fuck it hurts, even now."
"You loved her then."
"I think she felt the same way."
"So why aren't you together?"
"That wasn't in the cards, from the start. It's just the way she chose to impart a lesson that smarts even now. I'm worried that if I let anyone close, I'll feel that insane pain once more."
"Really had it bad, not an issue I've had. I've really only been the rejecter," Tony said with a smarmy smile. "That being said, I feel your pain all the same. I saw it when you managed to disengage back there; it was on your face. You saved my life, as far as I'm concerned it means you're in mine forever, I owe you, I hurt when you hurt."
"Tony…Wow, urh… I dunno what to say, other than…you're really not my type mate." Harry said with a growing smirk.
Tony grinned, "Anyway, if you want my advice…do you want my advice?"
"I think, I actually do mate" Harry said seriously.
"Get back on the horse, now before you're gun shy for life."
"Holy Mixed Metaphor" Harry snarked, "But … perhaps you're right."
"Her name is Angelica, and she's insanely hot, cover Maxim girl this year, and if you go there you'll ruin my streak." Tony said nodding to a real stunner near the bar, "Now, I do NOT want to see you home tonight – scoot!"
"Thanks" Harry said, smiling, standing, adjusting his hand made shirt, then striding with utter confidence in himself towards a woman with a face that could launch a million boats, or start a war once upon a time.
Tony shook his head, signalling Happy with a prearranged sign, "Are we going?" Happy asked, he was a good man, had been with Tony for so long that he was beyond any reproach as far as Tony was concerned and yet, he himself made Tony check his security status every single year.
"I think we are."
"He's a good kid"
"He's like no kid ever," Tony said looking in the same direction as his driver, "And will be leaving us in a couple of days. Oddly I think I'm going to miss him."
"You do have a jet sir"
"That I do, good point"
Malibu Airport
10th January 2013
"It's just an internal flight I suppose" Harry said looking at Tony, "Did you REALLY have to use your jet to send me there; I was hoping to arrive quietly."
"Make a splash, for crying out loud, you're richer than I am, and yet you don't even OWN a jet."
"I actually probably have one; I just never really looked into it."
"Oh saints preserve me, I will teach you to enjoy your money so help me god!" Tony said smiling widely.
He'd put off his personal project to see off his young friend, who seemed rather reticent to leave in point of fact. Tony hoped this was because he'd made a good impression and it wasn't all nerves on the part of his usually composed and cool young friend.
Tony suddenly smirked, "She's not coming."
Harry looked at him, "She... who?"
"Pepper"
"Oh Tony, I know she's yours." Harry shot back, "Mind you I will miss those legs something fierce."
Tony laughed, "I'll tell her you said that."
"No need, I already did."
"And yet I see no hand print."
Harry smirked, "Actually, she tweaked up her skirt for me at least four inches…dear god what a view!"
"She never did!" Tony said aghast.
"Oh, but she did!" Harry said with a wicked smile, "DAMN if you don't go there soon mate...I will"
"Bastard"
"You know it"
"I did not know she had it in her."
"Oh, but she does" Harry said with feeling, "That and a lot more hidden depths you need to plump fast, before I get fed up with waiting."
"You wouldn't...what am I saying you totally would."
"You know it mate"
Suddenly Harry hugged Tony tightly while exclaiming, "I'll miss you snokums!"
"Get off you loon" Tony said laughing his arse, off, but not before briefly hugging the younger man back. He had quickly wormed his way into Tony's circle, and Tony did not make friends easily. But he had with Harry, his saviour, as insane as he was, as much of a ladies' man, especially now Tony had helped him past his hurdle, and just as bright, and if Tony knew anything it was how intelligent he was so it was no mean feat by itself.
He had made it a personal project to plug the gaps in Harry's knowledge and found someone who got it intuitively as he did, in fact he was much worse, because while Tony could turn his hand to most things, Harry was like that about everything and anything, intuitive, fast, like he had a cheat sheet in his head the entire time, like he was just remembering the whole thing.
It had taken a WEEK, to fill him in on lifetimes of discovery. Jarvis had watched the entire thing, then, in his first real person decision he had opened up his code to a touched Harry, who had been honestly rather emotional. No one but Tony thought of Jarvis as a real person, not even Pepper, who just thought he was a clever machine.
Tony liked Harry, he felt he had found a kindred spirit, and a little brother he could dote on, and take out to corrupt. Of course, this Tempe had done a VERY good job of that long before Tony had happened along to fall on Harry's head, but Tony felt it was his new goal in life to A) Use his suit to right the wrongs of his company, and B) make sure Harry knew what it was to be rich. The younger man was so frugal he barely ever spent money. It was terrible!
"Go on with you, I'm tearing up here" Tony said straight-faced.
"Aww shucks" Harry said with a grin, "But seriously," he said switching off his playful side, "You need – you call. This saving life thing, it goes both ways, some cultures say if you save a life you're responsible for it…I agree, you need help with anything – you call. I'll come unless I literally, physically can't."
"Don't let that happen" Tony said seriously, "Now go…I made sure the special stewardess's are on this flight."
"Oh – now that sounds interesting" Harry said with a grin.
"They do love to dance, around a pole…"
"Oh, see you!" Harry said, moving quickly off.
"Thought he'd never leave" Tony said to himself, and then frowned, he'd just unleashed a ladies' man worse than him on his staff, staff he'd never actually toyed with. He had a feeling he would now never get the chance. If he'd gotten Pepper to do that…nothing was outside of his reach.
"Oh crap!"