Steve took a deep breath, watching Harry closely. Hermione had given him advice last night on how to talk to Bucky and he'd just seen Harry give a first-hand demonstration.

After what seemed like hours but was probably only a few seconds, he heard Harry say the magic words. "You can come out now, Steve."

One last breath, and then he ducked out of the flap. Using where Harry sat in the grass as a boundary, Steve walked forward until his knee brushed Harry's shoulder, Bucky's eyes following his every movement.

"Hello, Buck," he said in a soft voice.

Bucky flinched a bit at the name, but he held Steve's eyes. "Steven," he said lowly.

The silence threatened to become unbearably awkward. There was so much Steve wanted to say, but he could only stand and watch Bucky. His throat so tight the words couldn't escape.

"I think we need beer," Harry said. He glanced up at Steve. "That's normal bloke stuff, right?"

"Normal?" Steve asked, bewildered.

He had no idea what Harry was talking about, but when Steve saw Bucky's face, he thought he might understand. Bucky was watching Harry with a tiny upturn of his lips.

Harry looked at Bucky. "Help me out here; normal and I parted company when I turned eleven."

"Eleven?" Bucky asked in a soft voice. "Why eleven?"

"That was when I learned I could do stuff like this." Harry waved his hand and a few seconds later, three beer bottles floated out of the tent.

Bucky watched the bottles move with raised brows. One bottle kept going while two stopped beside Steve and Harry. When the dark bottle reached him, Bucky gingerly took hold of it.

He turned his head back to Harry. "My grandmother swore magic was real, but I didn't believe her," Bucky said.

Harry toasted Bucky with his bottle. "I wish you'd both stop towering over me, makes a guy self-conscious," Harry said as he leaned back on his elbows. "Sitting in the park, enjoying nature with a beer, works better if you're actually, you know, sitting."

Bucky shared an incredulous look with Steve, but he lowered himself to the ground. "You're not all there, are you?" He asked Harry.

Harry grinned.

Steve sat beside Harry, ignoring the careful distance Bucky kept between them, and opened his beer. They sat in silence and sipped the dark beer. Steve could almost feel the tension bleeding out of Bucky.

He decided a few minutes later, Harry was a genius when he asked, "How much of your memory has returned?" And Bucky didn't tense up.

"I think most of it from before Hydra," Bucky said with a shrug. "The other is spotty."

Harry nodded. "My friend Hermione is the one I mentioned earlier. She can help you so the others don't ambush you."

"With magic?" Bucky asked.

Steve found his voice at last. "Yes. They showed me their method. It was odd but not painful."

Bucky nodded and went back to his beer. Steve wasn't sure what to do, so he looked at Harry. Harry gave him an easy smile and winked at him. Ducking his head and flushing, Steve assumed that meant he was doing fine. He caught Bucky looking at the two of them speculatively, but he said nothing. Harry seemed content to sip his beer and watch the sky.

When he finished his beer, Bucky finally looked at them again. "I'll go with you," he said in a soft voice.

A weight Steve hadn't realized he was carrying lift from his shoulders. The relief left him nearly light-headed.

"Do you need anything from your lodging?" Harry asked.

With a shake of his head, Bucky pointed to a bush a few yards away. "It's all in a bag there."

Harry looked around and when he saw no one in the immediate vicinity, he raised a hand and a black duffle flew through the air, stopping beside Bucky. Harry sat up straight and looked at Bucky.

"I know this whole business is stressful, no matter how much we might wish otherwise," Harry said sad smile. "But I'm determined to give you all the choices and information I can in hopes of making it less stressful."

Bucky looked away again. "Thank you," he said.

"I don't know who the men in suits are, but the whole thing gives me a bad feeling," Harry said honestly. "We can stay the night here; my wards will most likely hold. Or I can take us all back to my house in London. The wards there will hold off an army; if the army could see the house in the first place."

"Wards?" Bucky asked.

Pointing to the blue stones again, Harry said, "A protective barrier." He waved his hand, and all around them a dome flashed blue for a second.

"And the ones here?" Steve asked, curiosity leading.

Harry shrugged. "I only intended to keep people from noticing the tent. They're decent but not intended for defense."

He turned back to Bucky. "No matter what you chose, I promise you'll be safe with me. I'll not let anyone hold you against your will again," Harry said, the resolve clear in his voice.

"Neither will I," Steve said.

He could already see Harry planned to stay awake all night if Bucky wanted to stay here. Steve wouldn't let him keep watch alone.

"Thank you," Bucky said softly. "They bothered me too, just didn't know where else to go. I'd feel better further away from here."

Giving Bucky a soft smile, Harry turned to Steve. "I'll secure the tent. Can you give him a rundown on apparition, the house, and most importantly, Kreacher?"

The reminder of the demented elf made Steve groan. "A warning would be good," he said.

Harry stood, turned away, and ducked back into the tent.

Steve stood, and Bucky was on his feet in an instant. Making his way with care, Steve watched for any signs of discomfort from Bucky.

Bucky rolled his eyes. "I don't think I bite," he said dryly.

He was surrounded by smartasses. Steve gave Bucky a long-suffering look, but before he could speak, Bucky asked, "Magic? How far down the rabbit hole am I going, Stevie?"

"I have no idea," Steve said honestly. "I only found out two days ago. But Harry and his friends seem trustworthy."

"You'll tell me what you know?" Bucky asked.

Steve nodded and resisted the urge to squeeze Bucky's arm. "Harry gave me some books; they've explained a lot."

Bucky gave him a half-smile and Steve explained about magical travel, Harry's hidden house, and the bizarre house-elf. Bucky looked a little overwhelmed, but that seemed an appropriate response to Steve.

They both turned to watch as Harry exited the tent holding his leather messenger bag and Steve's blue duffle. Steve heard Bucky give a sharp gasp as Harry waved his hand and the tent folded itself into a small square. As he walked towards them, he slipped the tent into the bag and slung the bag over his head.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"No," Bucky said with a small grin.

Harry smiled. "Do it anyway?" he asked.

Bucky's grin grew into a genuine smile.

Harry passed over Steve's bag and held out both hands. Steve took Harry's hand at once, but Bucky hesitated. Harry didn't rush him, and with a tentative, shaky hand that nearly broke Steve's heart to see, Bucky reached out.

Once he had both their hands, Harry said, "My headquarters is at 12 Grimmauld Place."

And with a wash of Harry's magic, the world fell away.

When Steve recognized Harry's hallway, he could only assume he was getting used to apparition. Though he was still dizzy, Steve's stomach stayed in place. Bucky, on the other hand, looked almost green, and he hunched over, one hand on his stomach.

Harry released Steve and used both hands to support Bucky. He slid one arm around Bucky's waist, the other under his elbow.

"Focus on the wall," Harry said. "It's not moving and neither are you."

After a moment, Bucky straightened, and Harry immediately let him go. Bucky took a skittish step to the side but didn't otherwise react.

"We should sit down and talk," Harry said as he put his bag down, gesturing for Steve and Bucky to do the same. Harry turned to Bucky. "Inside or outside?"

Bucky glanced around, eyes never staying in one place long. He looked hesitant and Steve hated that look.

"What about the greenhouse?" Steve asked, hoping it would be a decent compromise.

Still looking uneasy, Bucky shrugged, but didn't speak.

"The greenhouse it is," Harry said and led the way to the door.

Steve carefully repressed a sigh when Bucky didn't follow. It was clear Bucky didn't trust him at his back. Pushing aside the hurt, Steve followed Harry and after a moment, he heard the faint sound of steps behind him.

Since Bucky didn't know they were in a townhouse, the garden wasn't a shock to him. He followed behind Steve and Harry like a silent shadow. With only the lights from the garden, the greenhouse was dim, but manageable.

They made their way through the greenhouse, down the rows of plants, until they reached the open area. As they crossed to the sitting area, Harry waved his hand and several small glowing balls of light floated towards the ceiling, flooding the area in gentle light.

"I'll call Kreacher in a minute," Harry said as they all sat down. He once again removed his shoes and tucked his feet in the chair.

"But before I do, what would you like him to call you?" Harry asked Bucky gently. "You definitely don't want to leave it up to him," he said with a sly smile at Steve.

For the first time since they'd landed in the hall, Bucky spoke. "What does he call Steve?" he asked curiously.

Harry flashed Bucky a grin. "I won't ruin the surprise."

"Bucky is fine," he said with reluctance. "I should get used to it, anyway." Bucky raised his head and met Harry's eyes. "You can use it too."

"Thank you, Bucky," Harry said with a soft smile. Steve noticed while Bucky looked away, he hadn't flinched this time. "Kreacher," Harry called.

A moment later, the elf popped into the room. "Kreacher is happy to see Master comes home in one piece. And sees he brought Captain Savage back in one piece too." The wretched little elf actually sounded disappointed.

"Captain Savage," Bucky mouthed at Steve before he bit his lip and turned away, shoulders shaking suspiciously.

"Bucky, allow me to introduce you to Kreacher," Harry said with a suspicious smile of his own. "Kreacher, this is Bucky. I would like you to call him that," Harry said with a hint of command.

"Kreacher understands," the elf said with a bob of his head. "Does Master want more coffee to ruin his sleep?"

"Please and something sweet?"

"There be brownies," Kreacher informed them before he popped out again.

As soon as the elf left, Bucky snickered. "Captain Savage, did you piss in his cornflakes or something?"

Steve slumped down in his chair. "You're all a bunch of smartasses," he muttered with no real heat, looking up at the faint hint of starlight. Steve was treated to the sound of Harry's giggle and Bucky's quieter chuckle, and smiled.

Kreacher popped back in, holding a tray. With a snap of his fingers, a low table appeared between them. He set the tray down and pushed a plate with another of his wonderful lamb sandwiches towards Bucky.

"Mr. Bucky eats the sandwich, then he has coffee and brownies," the elf said in a gentle, chiding voice.

Bucky looked from Kreacher to the sandwich but didn't move.

"Kreacher won't be letting Mr. Bucky skip his meals here," the elf said firmly.

With a cautious glance at Kreacher, Bucky reached for the plate. "Thank you," he mumbled.

Steve tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and swallowed a curse. He didn't want to know what Hydra had done that made Bucky so wary of kindness. He heard Kreacher pop out and once he was sure his emotions wouldn't show, he sat up and accepted the coffee and plated brownie Harry handed him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Bucky almost fall on the sandwich. He clearly hadn't been getting enough to eat. Now that Steve was paying attention, he could see the signs. He wondered how many times his heart could break before it stopped beating.

A glance at Harry showed Steve the other man had his head down, but was watching Bucky from under his lashes. They sat quietly, eating and sipping coffee. When Bucky finished his sandwich, Harry passed over coffee and a brownie. Steve refilled his cup and raised an enquiring brow to Harry. Harry gave him a soft smile and held out his cup.

When the food had vanished, Harry turned to Bucky. "I'd like to bring Hermione here tonight, to make sure there's nothing that needs to be addressed immediately," Harry said. He took a sip of his coffee. "We can also discuss the next few days."

Bucky's brows furrowed in thought as he stared into his coffee cup. Once again, Harry sat quietly, giving Bucky time to think.

Needing to fill the silence and hoping to give Bucky a sense of the woman, Steve turned to Harry. "Hermione said last night you'd known each other since you were eleven and mentioned a twelve-foot troll."

Bucky raised his head a bit, paying attention to the conversation. Harry noticed it as well. He winked at Steve again; this time Steve managed not to blush, though his stomach still fluttered.

"There's a train that takes all the students to school," Harry said with a smile in his voice. "My first year, I met a boy named Ron, and we were instant friends. I met Hermione a few hours later. She was a bossy little thing, all wild hair and brilliance."

"Of course, Ron and I, being eleven-year-old boys, didn't appreciate her," Harry said with a wry grin. "A couple of months later, after a class where Ron struggled and Hermione shone, he told me she was a nightmare." Harry shook his head ruefully. "Of course, she overheard and spent the rest of the day crying in the loo."

Looking away from his cup and at Harry, Bucky was listening intently.

"At dinner that night, there was still no Hermione. But a professor ran in shouting about a troll in the castle." Harry's lips twisted. "After the pandemonium, the professors sent all of us to the dorms while they dealt with the troll."

"And Ron and I, still being eleven-year-old boys, didn't tell a professor about Hermione. We decided to warn her ourselves. We came across the troll just as it entered a room, and had the brilliant idea to lock it in," Harry said.

Steve groaned; he could see where this was going.

Harry nodded. "When we heard the scream, we realized we had locked the troll in the loo with Hermione."

"What did you do?" Bucky asked before Steve did.

"Ran in like the idiots we were," Harry said with amused glee. "I ended up on its back, hanging on for dear life. Ron managed to levitate its club, and he dropped it straight on the troll's thick skull."

Harry set his coffee down and readjusted his legs. "The troll fell over, unconscious, amazingly not on one of us. After Hermione sold the professors a pack of lies, getting us out of trouble, the three of us were the best of friends from that day forward."

"Where is Ron now?" Steve asked. "You haven't mentioned him before."

"Probably at home, unaware I might be interrupting his evening." He gave Steve and Bucky a wide smile. "Ron and Hermione married a week after we finished our exams."

"Go interrupt your friend's evening," Bucky said after a moment.

"You sure?" Harry asked lightly.

"No," Bucky said with a sad smile. "Do it anyway."

After a moment, Harry nodded, pulled a slim phone from his pocket, and dialed. Bucky was staring past Harry into the distance. Steve wished there was more he could do; he felt utterly useless.

"Hermione," Harry greeted. "There was a change of plans." He paused and a moment later sighed. "No one is dead or dying, there isn't even any blood." Another pause. "I solemnly swear I'm not injured. I just need you to come to number twelve, now if you can." And then a few seconds later. "Yes, I found him. We're in the greenhouse."

When Harry disconnected from the call, Steve asked, "I solemnly swear?" It seemed out of place to Steve.

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's become something of a catchphrase between the three of us. To let each other know everything is alright."

Harry waved his hand, and the coffee detritus and table disappeared. "It should only take her a couple of minutes." He hesitated a moment before asking, "Are you alright with Bucky for her too?"

A ghost of a smile passed over Bucky's face. "I'm always okay with ladies calling me Bucky."

There was a crack of sound from the garden, and Bucky tensed, a wary eye on the garden.

"It's Hermione," Harry said. "That's what apparition sounds like when normal people do it."

It took a long moment, but Bucky relaxed back into his chair. They heard the door to the greenhouse open and smart footsteps coming towards them. Just before Hermione appeared, Harry got to his feet, prompting Steve and Bucky to stand as well. As soon as she saw them, Hermione swept her eyes over each of them. Probably looking for injuries, Steve thought.

She walked to Harry's side and slipped her arm through his.

"Hermione, this is Bucky," Harry said easily. "Bucky, this is Hermione Granger."

Hermione smiled. "I'm pleased to meet you, Bucky." Her eyes narrowed for a moment when Bucky looked away.

"Mrs. Granger," Bucky greeted softly.

"Call me Hermione. We might as well be comfortable." She squeezed Harry's arm and then took a seat, leaving Bucky to retake his seat between Steve and Harry.

"In a moment, I'm going to ask Harry to give me his impressions," Hermione said.

Steve frowned but before he could voice a protest, Hermione looked at him and said, "Bucky is already aware of most of what Harry will say, and if he isn't, he needs to know."

She looked over at Bucky. "After all, you can't address a problem you don't know about."

"But before we get to that, I want to verify, I have your consent to treat you?" She asked plainly.

Bucky watched her for a long moment before he nodded. "I agree."

She nodded and asked, "And you're alright with having Captain Rogers and Harry here?"

"Yeah," Bucky said.

"Alright, I'm going to give you the standard Healer's Oath and that will be the formalities out of the way," Hermione said.

When Bucky nodded again, she removed her wand from her sleeve and held it vertically before her. "I, Hermione Granger, swear to treat James 'Bucky' Barnes to the best of my abilities. I swear to make him fully aware of his options and respect his wishes, except in case of imminent danger. I swear to keep his confidences, except where he freely allows. So I swear, may Magic judge me."

Steve and Bucky both jumped at the flash of light that surrounded Hermione for a heartbeat. "The flash signifies magic accepted the oath," she said with a smile.

"If you need a break, just let me know," Hermione said. "Alright, Harry, impressions?"

Harry smiled at Bucky. "To get the obvious out of the way, he's wary and nervous."

Bucky gave a small smirk. "Ya think?"

"Hush you," Harry said with a smile. "He's not comfortable with his name, though it seems he's unlocked his memories on his own."

Hermione looked intrigued but kept quiet.

"His moods are all over the place and he has problems with eye contact," Harry said quietly.

He looked as uncomfortable as Steve felt. It seemed wrong somehow to discuss Bucky like this, even if it didn't appear to upset Bucky.

"But the strongest impression I got," Harry said as he held Bucky's eyes. "Was that he doesn't trust anyone. At all. Most especially not himself."

The smile on Bucky's face was razor-sharp and bitter. "Right on the nose there, Green-Eyes." And Steve's heart wept.

There was a long silence, which Steve was grateful for. If he felt this upset, how much worse was it for Bucky? Harry had lowered his eyes and was staring at his hands as they lay in his lap. Hermione watched Bucky with a quiet intensity.

After several moments, Hermione spoke. "What do you want to see at the end of this?" She asked.

Bucky huffed. "You mean besides getting that look off Stevie's face?"

Hermione glanced at Steve, then back to Bucky. "Yes, besides that."

After a moment, Bucky shrugged. "To be able to trust my own mind," he said wistfully.

"I can work with that," Hermione told him with an earnest smile.

She took a deep breath and gave Bucky the same explanation of Occlumency and Legilimency she had given Steve. Bucky looked about uneasy as Steve had.

Hermione sat quietly and let Bucky think. Steve checked on Harry, who was still staring down but was now fidgeting with the leather cuffs on his wrists. Steve thought he glimpsed something underneath them.

He felt Bucky's eyes on him and turned to the other man. "You said they showed you?"

"Yes," Steve said. "It was disconcerting at first, suddenly not being alone in your head, but once I got a grip on myself, it was fine." He tried to be as honest as he could and to let it show in his eyes.

Bucky looked out over the garden sightlessly with a frown on his face for a long time before he sighed and his shoulders sagged. "Yeah, alright. If I could do it on my own, I'd've made progress by now."

"Tonight, I'm just going to check and make sure there's not an urgent problem. It will also give you a chance to get a feel for it," Hermione said. "You'll always have an awareness of your body. When you're ready, all you need to do is meet my eyes."

Bucky closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. After a couple of steadier breaths, he opened his eyes and without hesitating met Hermione's.

It was weird to sit and watch two people stare at each other, Steve thought after less than a minute. Harry gave him a commiserating smile and went back to fiddling with his cuffs. Steve was sure he saw black lines under them this time. Was Harry hiding tattoos? Before Steve could think about asking, Hermione and Bucky both blinked and looked away from each other.

"Damn," Hermione muttered at the same time Bucky demanded, "What was that?"

"What was what?" Steve asked, needing to know what went wrong.

Harry watched Hermione with a frown.

Hermione held up a quelling hand. "Bucky has a seriously impressive set of barriers," she said. "But there's something wrong with them."

"You can't tell what the problem is?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermione said with a frown. "I couldn't get a good look at the problem. Something in his mind doesn't want me there and kept trying to shunt me away."

Harry turned to Bucky. "Were you actively thinking about keeping her out?"

Bucky, who didn't seem in a hurry to meet anyone's eyes, shook his head. "No, I know I need help." He swallowed hard. "I don't want to keep feeling like this," he said in a whisper.

Steve had to blink back tears, but Harry looked almost sick. Harry swallowed several times and seemed to steel himself.

"My magic isn't easy to push around," Harry said, the words slow to come. Bucky looked up and waited. "If you're willing…" Harry trailed off and looked away.

Bucky turned to Hermione with a confused expression.

"Harry is the most gifted Legilimencer I've ever known, but he'll most likely have to help you lower your barriers to find the problem." Hermione shrugged. "It can be intimate; he will see some of your memories and he's reluctant to invade your privacy."

Harry still hadn't looked up and Steve watched as a familiar expression crept onto Bucky's face. It should be familiar, he'd seen it often enough. Bucky was feeling protective, and Bucky was always at his best when he was protective. It relieved something in Steve to see Bucky's compassion intact.

"Hey, Green-Eyes," Bucky said softly. Harry slowly looked up. "Somebody did that to you? Saw your memories?"

"When I was in school," Harry whispered.

"You didn't want him to?"

"No, he was probably the last person on earth I would have chosen to show my memories to," Harry said with a bitter smile.

Bucky raised an eyebrow. "You want I should beat him up? I have this nifty metal arm; it would hurt a lot."

A softer, sadder smile crossed Harry's face. "He's dead. He died in my arms, giving me the information I needed to kill the monster that murdered my parents."

Steve winced; Harry had said this happened while he was in school?

Bucky just nodded. "After my head is unfucked, you and me should trade war stories. We can invite Stevie, make it a party."

He didn't think either Harry or Bucky noticed the soft, pleased smile on Hermione's face. She glanced at him and mouthed, "Hush, you." Steve realized she saw the same thing he did; two bruised but by God, not broken men, reaching out.

"I'd like that," Harry said with a proper smile.

Bucky smirked. "Come poke around in my head then, so we can get there sooner."

And again, Steve was sitting, watching two people staring into each other's eyes. Hermione scooted her chair closer to Steve's.

"I think they could be good for each other," she said. "There's not a vast number of people who've experienced what they have."

"No," Steve said. "I volunteered to be an experiment and still found it unnerving at times. It has to be so much worse for them."

"I don't imagine Harry has told you, but the 'facility' Mr. Fury told you would treat Bucky is Harry's house in Scotland," Hermione said.

Steve raised a brow. "No, I didn't know."

"Harry loves that house and he's determined to support Luna and I in our practice, so he offered us the space rent-free," she said briskly.

"I doubt you'll spend more than a couple of weeks with," Hermione stuttered for a moment, "our friends, and then you'll head up to Scotland." She gave him a sly smile. "Hope you packed for a chilly Highlands spring."

"I didn't pack for more than a few days," Steve said. "I'll have to find some time to pick up a few things," he glanced at Bucky and added, "For Bucky too, I imagine."

Hermione patted his arm. "I'll set something up," she said. "And I'm going to see if I can clear Harry's schedule a bit. Not only are he and Bucky good for each other, Harry could use the downtime."

Before they could continue, Harry and Bucky were moving again. Bucky collapsed back in his chair, brows lowered and a snarl on his face. Harry jumped to his feet and turned to Hermione.

"They left themselves a back door," Harry spat. "It's a series of random words. That's coming out tonight." His tone was relentless. "I'll be right back," he said over his shoulder as he all but ran out of the room.

"Where is he going?" Hermione grumbled.

"To puke would be my guess," Bucky said in a grim tone. "He doesn't shield himself, does he?"

Hermione followed Harry's progress across the garden. "He's not built for it," Hermione said. "Harry has always been the sword." She looked like she wanted to follow, but rubbed her rounded stomach restlessly instead.

Bucky grunted. "Well, that fucking sucks."

"Very much so," Hermione said.

Steve felt torn between going after Harry and staying with Bucky. Bucky took one look at him and gestured to the door. "Go, I'm pissed, he's hurting."

With one last glance at Bucky, Steve ran to catch Harry.