Last time...

"That's it. If you break out into song, or they start cleaning your house, I'm leaving."

Chapter 54

There are times when he forgets how young she is, times when he forgets how vulnerable she truly is. Hera exuded a kind of confidence like a defense mechanism until people just forgot that she wasn't, and it reminded him a lot of his own defense mechanisms. She'd had to learn that mask, because it had been expected of her for so long, she didn't know how to turn it off. There were days when he got to see the vulnerable kid she still was, days when she doubted herself and him, days when she's embarrassed by how much she needed to make sure that he was real. Tony had never really been much of a huger, but on days like those he made an exception.

She'd had to have learned it from the dreams she talked about, or seeing her friends interact with each other, because he highly doubted the Dursleys had ever given her that. Several of her friends that he'd spoken with at that school had quietly mentioned that she clung to them when something bad had happened to them, like she was afraid they would disappear. No wonder she'd been such a mess after the end of her fourth year at that school. Nearly everyone close to her had been threatened in some way or another. A part of him really wanted her to go to a school closer to home, but she'd miss her friends, and he knew how precious a gift true friends were.

That professor of hers had promised to look out for her, though he could not keep things from happening to her as Tony would have hoped he could; something about Potter Luck TM. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin came to visit her often, and rib Snape about being a worry wart. They had all lost their minds at the sight of Hera letting a basilisk climb all over her without a bit of fear. She was calling the World Eater Fen for short, and at some point they'd all watched her play tug of war with him with bemused expressions, while trying to rethink everything they thought they knew about life. Jör pretty much had free reign of the property, coming and going as he pleased, though he mostly hung out all over this branch network Hera was slowly creating throughout the house. If he kept the place free of rats and other vermin, all the better.

If Fen went out with them, it was with a collar attached to the rope that made up Gleipnir; the collar itself glamoured to make him look like a Caucasian Ovtcharka. It almost gave Tony a heart attack to see Hera put her hand in the wolf's mouth the first time, something about the action had become a sign of trust to the wolf. She did this every time she placed the collar on him, and every time she took it off; sometimes it was just a way of greeting for them, or to sooth Fen's nerves. To keep the rope from being misused, she kept it in a place only she could access. If anything, they were fairly certain Jör could dissolve the thing with his venom, something that seemed to give the wolf no small amount of peace.

He couldn't wait for Rhodey to meet them all, and wondered just how much they were going to be able to tell him. The man had been supportive of Tony when he'd first learned of Hera, but had had to go away on another tour before Tony could tell him anything, and he'd not had the chance to visit since. Hera had expressed an interest in getting to know the man, which was a plus, but he didn't think she'd get the chance before she had to go back to school. Speaking of school, he'd asked her to take a placement test, in case he needed to fill in gaps in her education or help her get into an accelerated program. She'd arched her eyebrow at him, knowing the lie for what it was, but had taken it anyway; she didn't need to know that Obadiah was kicking up a fuss about her not having what he considered to be proper records.

It didn't surprise him how smart she was, genius levels, and he still felt like she was holding back her intelligence; but it had made Obadiah that much more sour towards her any time they happened to be in the same room. Tony was tempted to get Snape to look into his godfather's mind just to see what the hell the man was thinking, but decided against it. Just having that thought reminded him that was a power that was abused far more often than not, and Hera had to deal with that enough as it was. She didn't need the suspicion that would bring too. On that note, he was surprised a certain long bearded headmaster hadn't tried sending visitors to make sure Hera would be going back to Hogwarts. With the way the Headmaster had spoken just in the short time he'd known him, Tony felt the man was way too invested in Hera's life, far beyond that of a simple Headmaster; it was certainly something worth thinking about. Maybe he was still reeling from that punch to the face.

They were heading back to London now, though Snape had headed back some time before. There would be a few weeks before school started back up again, and while she had shopped in the local wizarding districts, he knew she would want to stop by Diagon Alley as well. He was really glad that they were flying in one of his private jets, because Hera was the very definition of a nervous flyer, and he wasn't sure first class or coach would survive a nervous Hera on an airplane with public access. Jör had taken to his blanket impression again, calming her somewhat, and he was fairly certain that Hera's hands were permanently lodged in Fen's fur. The famed World Eater didn't seem to mind, which really made Tony wonder how the wolf had ever been labeled as he had been.

"Thank God we've landed." Hera sighed with relief when she felt the wheels touch down, her head thumping into the headrest.

"I still don't understand how you can fly on a broom, a literal stick with twigs between your legs, and be completely fine; but put you in a nice safe luxury airplane, and you're a nervous wreck." Tony commented, with no small wonderment.

"Bloody death tube, you mean." Hera snorted. "At least with a broom, I'm controlling that. You'll understand when you're older."

"I really wish you'd tell me what you mean by that." Tony grumbled.

"Even if I did, which I have, it wouldn't make sense till it's happened, so I won't." Hera reminded him.

After the jet had fully stopped, and they were able to leave, Tony suddenly remembered he'd forgotten something very important. Dudley had wanted to meet her when they landed, and the boy had somehow managed to talk his parents into at least not making snide remarks under their breath while the two got reacquainted. Tony had thought that this was a rather nice good-will gesture on Dudley's part, wanting to make amends, and had agreed to the idea. Unfortunately, he remembers this only after Hera has already started making her way down the steps. He tries to scramble out of the plane after her, and down the steps, but it's already too late.

"Hera!" Dudley calls out, surprising her. Hera, of course, screams at being startled, and promptly disappears. "I don't…I don't understand…Where'd she go?"

"The fr-" Vernon began, but stopped when he saw Tony glare at him.

"I forgot to tell her you wanted to see her." Tony admitted, abashedly, his face and tone softening when he turned his attention back to Dudley. "When she gets startled like that, especially in high stress situations like after flying in an airplane, she…instinctively teleports to somewhere small and hard to get to, in order to feel safe. We should find her passed out in the plane, hopefully, or somewhere close by. You can help me look."

...

"Sorry about Dad." Dudley apologized, keeping his voice low as they walked back up the steps and into the plane.

"Don't apologize for your parents, Kid." Tony insisted, dismissing it. "If I did that, I'd never stop apologizing. We can share awful Dad stories later, if you'd like."

Dudley nodded before taking a look about the plane, trying to gather his thoughts.

"She used to do this when we were really little too, back when I…back when my friends and I would chase her around and beat her up. If we surprised her, she'd always end up in some out of the way place we couldn't reach, and we could never explain how she got there." Dudley admitted, not wanting to look at the man. It was bad enough admitting to the things he'd done when he was in a therapist's office. "She ended up on the roof of the school once."

"Sir, I believe I have located Little Miss." A voice called over the speakers. "There was a low EMP burst located in the direction of the linen closet. I believe, given that her three animal companions are now guarding it, that Little Miss is inside. I remain unharmed."

"Good. Run a diagnostic check, just to be sure." Tony sighed with relief. "Come on, kid. You get to help me try and calm down a few magical animals in the hope we can get to Hera. Don't worry. One of them should remember you."

"That's what worries me." Dudley admitted sheepishly.

Hera sat on a couch in the living room of the Dursley household, shaking like a leaf, and trying not to hyperventilate. Tony had sworn up and down that he wasn't sending her back to the Dursleys, that they were just visiting. He'd forgotten that Dudley had wanted to speak with her, but the Dursleys wouldn't let him come alone, obviously fearing whatever she could do to him. Tony promised Hera that Dudley had gotten his parents to agree to keep their comments to themselves in regards to the things they'd called her, and that he wouldn't allow them to do a single thing to her; they still glared at her from where she could see them in the kitchen, but that was more civil than she'd ever expected them to get. Dudley sat across from her, on the couch on the other side of the coffee table, fidgeting and looking uncomfortable in general.

She's not really sure what he's got to be so nervous about. She's the one reliving Hera Hunting and Find the Freak, being hit with the frying pan, and eating what they give her in the cupboard under the stairs even though she knows there's poison in it. Why did Tony think this was a good idea? Fen hasn't left her side once, and he's glaring at Dudley like he wants to eat him. Oh. That might be why Dudley is fidgeting; Still doesn't answer why Tony thought this was a good idea.

She didn't even have Jör with her, because he'd opted to stay at the new place Tony rented. It was either guard the new place, or eat the family. She wasn't sure if Hedwig had followed or not. Tony was looking distinctly guilty, and obviously debating the merits of his idea. Dudley had yet to say anything, and Hera wasn't sure how long she could do this.

"Hera, I'm sorry." Hera wasn't sure she'd heard it at all, as quietly as the words were spoken. "It's not enough, I know, but…I want to say I didn't know any better, and for a little while that was true, but then I did, and…it was just easier to blame you than it was to accept that my parents weren't good people."

What could she possibly say to that?

"I knew other families didn't keep a kid in a cupboard under the stairs like mine did, and still I didn't think anything about it. It was normal to have two bedrooms. It was acceptable to hurt you. I just didn't understand why I'd been raised to think it was all okay until you left, until you started fighting back, doing anything and everything you could to go to that school." Dudley continued, and Hera was transfixed. Though Tony had told her to expect an apology of some kind, she hadn't. "I started paying attention to the talk at school, and I realized something. There wasn't a single girl at school that didn't wish magic was real, or that unicorns existed, and you actually got to have all that. It made me think. Mum was a little girl once. She must have wanted all the things a lot of girls tend to want, and when she found out it was all real and she couldn't have it, that's when it became bad. She began to hate her sister, and when you showed up, that got transferred to you."

"What am I supposed to do with this, Dudley?" Hera asked, her voice betraying her nerves.

"Nothing. I just…I just wanted you to know." Dudley admitted, fidgeting some more. "I'm trying to be better, and I wanted you to know that I know now I was wrong, that I accept what I did to you wasn't right. I've been talking to therapists, and it's opened my eyes to a lot."

"I don't…" Hera trailed, trying to gather her wits about her, when something about his statement caught her attention. "Wait. You went to therapy? Like 'lay on this leather couch, and tell me about your problems, while I draw squiggles in a notepad' therapy?"

"They're not all like that." Dudley chuckled. "The guy I go to shoots me with a Nerf gun whenever I start talking down about myself."

"Really? That works?" Hera asked in surprise, delighted. "Wonder if I should do that to Tony. Might be fun. He talks down about himself a lot too."

"It makes me think about what I'm going to say before I say it, but sometimes he'll get me with one of those darts, saying I looked like I was thinking bad things about myself." Dudley nodded, still grinning just a touch. "To be fair, I usually am."

"I won't come back, if that's what you're trying for." Hera warned, but Dudley just shook his head no. "What is it then? The wards?"

Dudley shook his head no again.

"You…really just wanted to get this off of your chest then?" Hera asked doubtfully. Dudley nodded. "Dudley, I…I don't know what to do with that."

You told me the best revenge was living well

Fen was looking up at her, his head in her lap.

"I did say that, but…" She admitted. Fen just continued looking at her knowingly. "I can't just forgive him. What do you want me to do?"

Chance. Try

She glared at Dudley, as if the two had intentionally conspired against her. So she was surprised out of it by Fen gently gnawing on her wrist, not breaking the skin.

Chance. Try

"Fen apparently thinks I should give you a chance." Hera grumbled petulantly. "Suppose I should. If I can forgive the man who got Mum killed, I guess I can try to get along with you."

Fen worried on her wrist some more.

"I can't promise more than that, Fen." Hera warned, eyeballing the wolf now. "I'll try and not hold everything against him, okay?"

Fen huffed, but let go of her wrist.

"His fur looks really soft. Does he like being petted?" Dudley asked. Before she can answer, Tony rushed into the room, having been in the kitchen with the Dursleys.

"Hera, Dudley, come this way. Quickly." Tony insisted, urgently.

"What's wrong?" Hera asked, confused. Tony didn't usually sound so…worried.

"The fog is moving weird, and call me paranoid, but I think that means something." Tony admitted. She could hear Vernon's bolstering denial from there, but turned to look out the window, and swore under her breath. "I was right?! I knew it! What are we looking at?"

"Dementors." She whispered.

"What are Dementors?" Dudley asked, even as Tony herded them into the kitchen with the help of Fen.

"They guard the Wizarding Prison of Azkaban." Both Tony and Petunia replied at the same time, Petunia looking like she'd swallowed a lemon at the admission she knew something of the magical world.

"You can't see them, but imagine a sort of floating skeletal figure in a black shroud, and that's about accurate." Hera nodded, looking out the kitchen windows. "They exude this sort of misery about them, a kind of cold that goes beyond bone deep. People start reliving their worst memories. These things feed on happy memories, and in the worst cases, your very soul. The Ministry uses them to guard the worst of the worst, but what I don't understand is what they're doing here now. Tony, call Snape."

"Why is it every time we run into problems, you tell me to call Snape?" Tony asked, already trying to find his phone.

"You mean other than the fact that I'm his apprentice? Remus doesn't know anything about muggle tech, and though Sirius claims to love all things muggle, neither does he. Arthur is…enthusiastic, but doesn't understand how anything works either." Hera reposed. "Snape is the only adult wizard I know with a working phone."

"Here, you talk to him." Tony insisted, dialing the number before handing her his mobile. "Last time I called, he said he was eyes deep in testing your latest potion, and made some very specific threats against my liver. I know it may not seem like it, what with all I put it through, but I like my liver. I'd like to keep it inside my body, if it's all the same to you."