Gonna be honest. This chapter has been sitting around as it is for awhile now. I opened it up again today to continue it and went "huh", that's kinda a good stopping point. It's been so long since I posted that I might as well give you guys something instead of making you wait longer. Enjoy!

"Are you sure this is the place?" Krista Granger asked her husband from the driver's seat of the family's Volvo.

"Positive," Harlow answered, double checking the map on his phone.

Hermione could understand her parents' doubts. The address Harry's dad had given them led to one of the fancier high-rises in downtown London, the building a gleaming glass example of modern architecture. The kind of place her parents, even with their impressive income, could never hope to afford. Much less the penthouse.

Krista and Harlow's hands found each other's on the center console as they exchanged a look. Hermione knew that look. It was the same look they sharded right before they stepped foot into Diagon Alley for the first time. A look that said their world was about to change.

Hermione's mom had off handily mentioned that she thought she recognized Harry's dads voice after she got off the phone with him. She'd questioned Hermione again about everything Harry had told her about his newfound father before going mute on the subject. Krista had said there was no point in speculating. That they would learn more on Sunday. But Hermione had caught her mother whispering with her father when she thought her daughter wasn't looking.

Following the instructions they'd been given Mrs. Granger parked the card in the underground lot and then herded the family into the building. It took them a minute to be buzzed into the elevator but soon they were on their way, Hermione buzzing with nervous energy.

She'd only seen Harry two days ago but it felt much longer than that to her, possibly a lifetime for her friend. While Harry had assured her he was okay and doing fine when they chatted Hermione needed to see him with her own eyes to believe it. Harry had a very screwed idea of what was acceptable behavior from adults after all. Not to mention the whole thing about the list…

Hermione could admit that last bit scared her. But if this past school year had proven anything it was that she was a brave young woman who would stick by her friends. By her brother. And while Harry's perception of safely was also screwed in this Hermione was willing to believe him. If Harry said things would be okay, they'd be okay.

Hermione had barley been given a chance to exit the lift and take in her new surrounding before she was engulfed in a bear hug.

"Hermione!" Harry whooped extatically as he embraced his best friend.

"It's so good to see you!" Hermione gushed as she returned the gesture. "Well, step back, lets have a look at you."

Hermione was pleased to see that Harry was out of his cousins cast offs and into new good quality fitting clothes. While he was still far too skinny the bags under his eyes seemed to have lessen a slight bit and there was more color on his face than Hermione could ever remember seeing. Combined with the new haircut and jubilant smile the witches first impression was that the change in her friend's life had indeed been a good one.

"I knew it!" Mrs. Grangers triumphantly exclaimed, causing Hermione to shift her attention to the room's other occupants and her jaw to promptly drop.

"What gave me away?" Tony Stark asked from behind Harry, hands in his pockets and trademark smirk on his face.

"Your voice is a very recognizable one Mr. Stark," Krista informed the genius.

Tony's face screwed up.

"Even when I'm being polite?"

"Even when you're being polite," Krista confirmed with a huff of laughter.

Hermione had no idea how her parents were being so calm, even if they had their suspicions. The number two person on the list was right in front of them. And was probably her best friend's dad. Hermione, normally someone good with words, couldn't come up with any that would be appropriate.

"I'm Tony, obviously," Ironman said as he offered the woman his hand. "And this is my fiancé, Stephen."

Hermione barely chocked back an overwhelmed squeal when she caught sight of the doctor, her eyes as big as a headlight as her parents composedly exchanged greeting with the two Avengers.

"And this must be the famous Hermione we've heard so much about," Tony said as he turned his attention to her, offering the preteen his hand. Harrys pleading eyes were what brought Hermione back to herself, shaking herself enough to accept the handshake and offer a weak "yes sir,".

Stephen offered her a warm smile and a wave, forgoing the handshake for obvious reason. Hermione was honestly grateful. She wasn't sure she could take much more right now.

"Is it okay is Hermione and I go to my room to catch up?" Harry asked.

"Fine by me," Tony said, glancing Hermione's parents' way for further confirmation. Upon her dad's nod Harry was eager to take her by the elbow and lead her away from the living space and to what must be his bedroom.

Hermione gingerly sat on the end of the bed, staring off out the window as Harry flopped down on his back next to her. Thankfully the boy was familiar enough with how her mind worked to give her a chance to process.

"That's why you didn't want to talk about your dad over the phone," Hermione finally started, her voice stilted.

"Stephen said it wouldn't be a good idea for you to know before he can set up some wards. In case the ministry tries to come after you or anything."

"Did you just call Dr. Strange by his first name!"

Harry grimaced.

"They don't like it when I use their titles. Tony says it makes him feel old and Stephen says its too formal coming from me. That we're suppose to be trying to figure out how to become a family."

"Mr. Stark doesn't want you to call him dad? He is the one that is your biological dad, right? It's not Strange?"

Harry winced.

"Yeah, it's Tony. And not yet. They're doing their best not to overwhelm me I think, but I get the feeling Tony is hoping I will someday."

They both were silent for a minute.

"Did I just ask you if Ironman wants you to call him dad?" Hermione questioned as she places her head in her hands.

"Wild isn't it." Hermione didn't need to be looking at him to know her best friend was grinning.

"What is your life?"

"I've been asking that question for years."

They both fell into another comfortable silence.

"And the list? You mentioned we don't need to worry about that?" Hermione asked, peeking at Harry from between her fingers.

"As long as Stephen keeps his promise to protect us I think we'll be fine. I haven't seen him use magic yet, but I get the feeling he's far out of the league of anyone at the ministry. Maybe even Dumbledore."

Hermione didn't have a response to that. She had seen brief snippets of Dr. Strange using magic on the news but ever since the visit from the secret keeper she'd been trying to tune anything Avengers related out. But if half the things were true that he'd claimed to have done, which they must be for him to be an Avenger…For the first time in a year the list didn't seem like an axe hanging over her head.

"So, what are they like?" Hermione inquired as she sat up straight, taking the chance to finally take in the room. Not only was it clean and comfortable but it also seemed that within the two days Harry had been here it had been personalized slightly.

The bookcase was filled with many titles Hermione recognized and the cabinet packed with toys. The bedspread was Ravenclaw blue along with a generic poster of a raven hung above the bed. On the bookcase were also newly framed wizard pictures on herself, Draco, Ron, and Harry taken throughout their first year. There was also a few fresh colored polaroid's of Harry and Stark playing come kind of boardgame, and another of Harry and Strange in the kitchen. Hermione couldn't help but notice the album Hagrid had given Harry of Lily and James was notably absent.

"They're nice," Harry shrugged. "Things are still really awkward most of the time. We're suppose to be a family but we don't really know each other. They've gone out of their way to make me feel comfortable and safe. Not that I probably will anytime soon. You know how I feel about adults."

Hermione nodded sadly. She was very familiar with Harry's distrust and even fear of authority figures and how it'd come about.

"So, yeah. Things are good as they can be given the situation. They're trying. I'm trying. I…I think I like them. I don't trust them yet, but I think maybe I can learn to? This situation isn't ideal but I'm happy that if it had to be anyone its Tony and Stephen. They get and accept all the weirdness that is my life without being apart of the wizarding world, you know. And their just really cool people."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically at that last part.

"And Tony was really honest with me when I asked him about mom. His story didn't paint himself in the best light, but he told me anyways."

"And how do you feel about Lily and James?" Hermione asked, grabbing her friends' hand.

"I think they were just people," Harry finally said after a moment of thought. "They weren't the degenerates the Dursleys said they were, nor were they the bigger than life angles the wizarding world makes them out to be. They were just two young people who married too quickly and got in over their heads during a war."

"They made mistakes. But they also chose to stand up to Voldemort when most cowered and gave their lives for me. I don't quite know how to reckon with all that yet other than that they loved me. Tony mentioned my mom left a diary, which is how the Dursleys found him. That might have the answers."

"Are you ready for those answers?"

Harry wavered, picking at his fingernails.

"I want to know, but there's also so much that's going on right now. Lily's dead, Tony's not. I don't think there'll be anything in that dairy that could change my life any more than it already has. And what if Tony thinks I'm ungrateful?"

"No he wouldn't!" Hermione admonished. "If Mr. Stark is as great as you say he is he'll understand. I can be there when you ask if you'd like?"

The look Harry gave her was heartbreaking.

"You would do that? You could barely function being in the same room as him ten minutes ago."

Hermione huffed.

"I was just taken by surprise. I'll be fine next time. I can even be the one to ask if you need me to be."

"You're brilliant, you know that," Harry offered, bright smile back on his face. His eyes were a little wet, but Hermione was wise enough not to mention that.

"Duh, now help me pick out a game."

"I'm kinda sad that Hermione wanted a cat now," Harlow said as he admired Hedwig, who was currently perched on the edge of a dining chair. "She's a beauty and doesn't seem as hard to keep as I thought an owl would be. Would have made keeping in touch easier too."

Tony nodded, agreeing fully. He hadn't really given the reality that there would be an owl in his home much of a second thought until he was living with one. Hedwig was Harry's pet. End of story. His son had enough ripped away from him during his short lifetime. The owl was staying no matter how much of a mess she'd cause.

But Hedwig didn't make a mess. She relived herself outside, hunted for herself, barely shed and made a considerable effort not to damage the furniture. Not to mention she was sweet, letting Tony stroke her and carry her around the penthouse. All in all, Tony was thankful his son hadn't chosen a cat as a companion. Or a toad. Apparently that had been an option, though the genius couldn't come up with a single logical reason why.

"We have so many questions," Krista said as she was settled in the recliner across from Tony, steaming tea in hand (Tony stopping stocking alcohol in his homes in 2016).

"So do we," Stephen said as he sat himself next to Tony, dinner successfully checked on. "Especially about the list."

The Grangers faces hardened.

"What do you know?" Krista asked.

"I was aware wizarding governments went to great lengths to maintain the bubble of superiority their people live in," Stephen said, lips pursed. "I had no idea they were threatening children with death until Harry showed us his copy."

Krista shook her head mournfully.

"Last summer a representative from the school both Hermione and Harry attended knocked on our door," Harlow said. "She explained that Hermione was a witch, all about the hidden wizarding world and that there was a spot reserved for our daughter at the school if she wanted it."

"At the time we were so relieved. We thought Hermione was enhanced like Maximoff and with all the negative media on her the last few years the last thing we wanted to do was bring any attention to Hermione. We weren't thrilled with our daughter being away most of the year but were so thankful that there was an established proven system in place that could help her learn to control her powers in what we thought would be a safe place. No offense."

"None taken," Tony huffed with a self-deprecating smile. He'd be the first to admit between the shady government organizations, the whole civil war thing and all the many amendments to the Accords back in 2017 that the Avengers would be the last people he'd contact if he had a kid showing signs of being enhanced.

Tony was working hard to change that reputation but until a settlement with the rouges could be reached it was slow going. Adding Stephen and Hope Van Dyne to the team, who weren't apart of the civil war, helped but not as much as Tony had hoped it would. With Ross now out of the way Tony was close to getting a deal for Natasha who could hopefully act as a liaison between the Accords committee and the rest.

"Not even a week later someone from the ministry of magic showed up on our doorstep," Harlow continued the story. "He called himself a Secret Keeper. He gave us a few copies of the list and explained that to maintain balance within the community we were forbidden from mentioning of the listed items to any witch or wizard, no matter their origins. If any of the topics were brought up by anyone else we're required to say they were all untrue and conspiracy theories. That no educated muggle believes in them. I think you've read the consequences."

"We have," Tony informed the couple, eyes dangerous as he gripped Stephen's elbow.

"We don't know what you two plan to do with this information but whatever it is we want in on it," Krista met Tony's eyes, leaving no room for argument. "I think it's safe to say you wouldn't let your inclusion on list get in the way of your relationship with your son or his wellbeing, including keeping in touch with his friends. Especially after the year they've been through together we don't want to separate Harry and Hermione. We know Hermione sees Harry as a brother and she's grown much more confident since meeting him. But we will if it means protecting out daughter."

"We understand," Stephen said, scooting forward in his seat. "The reason we asked you here to meet us before introducing ourselves was so I can cast wards on yourselves and home that will protect your family if you're ever targeted. We will also set up an alarm system, both magic and tech, that will alert us if you're ever in trouble."

"We're also planning on taking on the ministry," Tony butted in. "We want Harry to be able to interact with his wizard friends and his mother's world freely without fear. We don't know how we'll do that yet as we're still in the information gathering phase, but we plan to do something by the end of summer. We know Harrys famous enough in the wizarding world that when he doesn't show up for school in the fall it'll cause a stir."

"You don't plan on sending Harry back to Hogwarts?" Harlow asked.

"No," Tony deadpanned. "I've lost almost 12 years with my son. I will not be sending him to boarding school."

"Good," Krista grin was somewhat shark like.

"You're not sending Hermione back?" Stephen asked, eyebrow raised.

The Grangers exchanged a look.

"Has Harry told you anything about the events of the pervious school year?" Harlow asked warily.

"No," Tony said, a sick feeling creeping into his chest.

"Hermione's told us the short version," Krista said, biting her lip as she compensated how to go about sharing the information she had. "A lot of horrible things happened that our children and their two other friends were in the center of. They all ended up hospitalized multiple times and Harry and Draco had a very close call with death."

The sick feeling was seeping into every portion of Tony's body. He'd decided to wait a few months to meet Harry while he got things together. Harry was supposed to be safe at school. Instead, he'd been suffering while Tony had been doing fucking paperwork.

"Go on," Stephen impoldered, grabbing Tony's hand. Krista didn't look like she wanted to but spoke anyways.

"Like I said, I don't think Hermione told us the full version. Harlow and I were hoping to get all four children together and drag the story out of them with all the parents present. All the events were centered around a teacher of theirs that was…possessed by the ghost of the man who murdered Harry's mother."

"Harry asked me yesterday what a demon/spirit hybrid would look like," Stephen breathed shakily, horror evident. Tony stood up and started pacing. Krista and Harlow looked on sympathetically but continued the story, ripping the bandage off.

"We know that for whatever ill-thought-out reason the school was protecting some kind of artifact Voldemort believed could restore his body. And that he had a particular interest in Harry, seeing as he was the cause of his downfall. Are you familiar with that story?"

"Yes," Tony ground out, agitated as he pushed his fingers through his hair.

"Since the events surrounding Voldemort in the school seemed to center around Harry it didn't take the kids long to figure out what was going on, before anyone else did. When they tried to warn the adults, they were brushed off and admonished for looking into things they shouldn't."

Tony whimpered. Stephen grabbed his arm the next time he passed and pulled the shorter man into his arms.

"Around the end of the year the headmaster was summoned away from the school, who was the only thing stopping Voldemort for making his move. The kids knew this was when Voldemort would make his move and with no adults listening to them they decided to try to stop him themselves. They thought that if Voldemort regained his body they were all going to die anyways so they might as well try to put a stop to it before it happened."

"Somewhere along the way of getting through the protections placed on the artifact Ron got seriously injured and Hermione took him back hospital wing and to try to get help once again. Draco and Harry carried on to confront Voldemort. I don't know what happened other than that they somehow beat the ghost back, the possessed teacher died, and both boys came out horribly injured. Harry was in a coma for a few days."

Tony had been victim to enough panic attacks in his life to know when one was coming on.

"I think I need a moment," the man said as he stood suddenly, stopping Stephen when he made to follow. "Alone. I'll be okay. Just, check on dinner please."

Tony didn't wait for a response. He strode to his and Stephens room and pulled his phone off the charger.

"Panic attack Fri," Tony informed the AI in his phone as he slid onto the ground, his back against the bed. FRIDAY, being the amazing program she was, didn't miss a beat. She was well practiced with helping her creator through such episodes. Five minutes later when Tony could think and breath properly again there was only one thing he needed. To see Harry.

I DON'T HATE WANDA! I might be in the minority in this but I just don't have very strong feelings about her. I don't love her nor hate her. She's a cool character, just not my favorite. You do have to admit that she's not very good PR for the Avengers though.

Let me know all your thoughts and reactions! They make my day!