Disclaimers: I am not making any money off of this story so any mistakes are my own. Therefore, I cannot be the owner of the Marvel or Harry Potter universes, that honor goes to their respective creators.
Warning: The early part of this chapter contains some mild-ish language.
A/N Please Read: So a few things to note concerning previous, this and future chapters:
First of all, this story is AU! Some of the characters might be a bit OOC. Keep this in mind, won't you? Thanks.
In this story (and this story alone), MI7 is the muggle cover for the Order of the Phoenix. MI7 is primarily the term used by squibs or the few muggles who know about witches and wizards (i.e. the Queen, muggle Prime Minister, etc.) so that they can talk "freely" about the magical community without breaking the International Statute of Secrecy.
Secondly, in this story, Nick Fury and Kingsley Shacklebolt are cousins. Nick is a Squib who knows about the rise and fall of Lord Voldemort and of hidden communities of magic-producing people that are sporadically located throughout the world largely through his cousin, who keeps him informed on certain international matters.
Coulson does not know about magic. But that is addressed in this chapter. I had a few people question this so I thought I'd address it flat out rather than have you all figure it out later in this chapter. (That is if you even bother getting this far into this abnormally long Author's note.)
Fury will be referring to You-Know-Who as Voldemort and the likes. Being a Squib and removed from the British magical population, and residing in America, he does not have the same fear of the dark wizard as someone like his cousin would.
It is glaringly obvious that Snape has an issue with James Potter in this chapter and his hatred is being transferred from Potter to Tony Stark, even before he meets Tony he is already comparing him to his nemesis. At times I feel that I am perhaps unjustly harsh with Snape. I apologize for this, as Snape will always be the good guy, even when he's acting like a complete jerk.
This chapter is kind of busy, as one thing sort of leads to another but it moves the story on to bigger and better things and because the early chapters of this story occur over Christmas break, the time span is against us, therefore, making the story move at a fast pace.
Of course, if you have any questions about this or other chapters leave them in the form of a PM and a Review. I cannot guarantee that I will always respond to your Reviews but I might address certain questions in future chapters.
I could have written more but honestly, I was just so sick of reading, and rereading this chapter.
ⅤΛⅤΛⅤ
[Chapter Three] Coming Clean...sort of:
"What did Stark want?" Fury growled out when Phil returned to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters after reassuring himself that Tony wasn't going to do anything stupid and rash without informing him first.
"He wanted to introduce his son to me," Coulson said with a shrug but his tone belied his feelings.
"Stark has a son? Like a baby?" Fury asked the surprise was evident in his voice. He hadn't been the only one to act surprised at the news, even though if anyone was to have a child somewhere out in the world, it would be Stark.
"I wouldn't go that far, but yes, Tony has a twelve-year-old son."
"Is Stark even responsible enough to look after a child?" Nick mused aloud.
Phil didn't offer his opinion on the matter but it didn't matter, the answer although, left unsaid, was clear.
Fury thought the news over for a moment before he dared to ask the question.
"What's his name?" Fury was almost afraid of the answer. If Phil said-
"Harry Potter," Phil said without a second thought at the name.
Fury groaned audibly, he knew it. Phil glanced over at his boss with a raised eyebrow.
Fury ignored his colleague's questioning looking. "Tell me he did not have a lightning bolt scar on his forehead?" He demanded. You could almost go as far as say pleaded. Nick pleaded for it not to be so. Anyone could have the name Harry Potter, it wasn't exactly an uncommon first name or surname. But only one person in the world (as far as he knew and was concerned) went by that name and had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
"I cannot do that, sir. Is there some significance to the scar?"
Fury scowled, deeply displeased with this new development of just who Tony Stark's son was. And the chances of Stark knowing just who his son was and what his son did was very slim.
"And how, exactly, did Stark find out that Harry Potter was his son?"
"Do you know the boy, sir?"
"No! Now answer the damn question."
"His relatives dropped him off last night. Forced the physician at Stark Tower to verify that he was Stark's son and walked away with the million they demanded all their troubles this morning." Phil said watching Fury's reaction.
"Goddammit! Do you know what sort of trouble this has caused? That boy cannot stay with Stark! Why was I not informed immediately?"
"Stark has paid-"
"I don't give a damn if he paid them or what he paid them with! The boy must go back to his relatives and go back to England and that's final. I want to know where I can meet them."
"I don't think it would do much good at this point, sir. The boy's relatives were abusive. Stark is compiling a case against them now. Stark gave them access to one of his jets just to get them out of his way for the moment. They are vacationing in Hawaii. He is planning on dealing with them on a very public scale in a matter of time."
"I don't give a damn how public Stark wants to get! This situation must be handled with delicacy! And delicacy means privately! An international crisis will occur if Harry Potter isn't returned to the U.K. by the New Year- preferably before Christmas! I cannot risk the safety of my country nor can I guarantee the safety of the boy or country if the boy stays. I had an official inquiry from the British Government about him this morning! In fact, they are sending a representative over to emphasize their point and to keep an eye on things! He wasn't supposed to leave Great Britain under any circumstances and now that he has they are anxious to know his whereabouts and why their safeguard has failed."
"How did he get past British security if the government did not want him to leave the country? Has he entered the country illegally?"
"Unfortunately no, Kingsley has done some research on his end and I have checked with JFK, his relatives had purchased him a plane ticket and had appropriate documentation. He had travel restrictions placed on him, but it was not appropriately reported to TSA. I was informed that he was questioned by the officers at JFK concerning a family member but they let him go when the boy refused to cooperate, insisting everything was fine. Had they known of his travel limitations they would have detained him and sent him back immediately. However, since they did not catch this, he's legal, meaning we will have to deport him through other means."
"Kingsley?"
"A cousin of mine. He works for a top secret government sector in Great Britain, contacted me this morning to inform me that I had Harry Potter in my country. Warned me that if any harm, whatsoever, came to him before he could be extradited, I would be held responsible." Fury growled out while glaring at Phil with his good eye. It was clear Nick wasn't liking the situation much.
"Does this have anything to do with the murder of his mother and step-father?" Phil asked trying to understand the situation but watched as Fury come undone at his question. He did not know anything about this murderer- his backstory, or his current whereabouts but if the boy was being targeted then all the precautions would make sense.
"Does it have anything- Of course it has to do with the killing of those two! It has every-damn-thing to do with the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Potter! Up until around ten years ago, England was in the middle of a Civil War of sorts, and his parents were the last two people killed by the resistance. According to Kingsley, it was a dark and uncertain time for many and many good, innocent people- including the Potter's- were targeted because they refused to side with this maniac who was determined to take over Great Britain and enslave much of its population.'
'The boy was the target, but his parents, guardians, whatever they were calling themselves, sacrificed their lives so that Harry Potter could somehow bring down the leader of one, if not the biggest, warlord of the twentieth century. Potter is the only person in Great Britain known to have survived an encounter with him, and come out both alive and sane enough to tell the story. No one really knows how he managed but the boy's famous for it. Kingsley says Dumbledore has a theory but not everyone agrees with it."
"Dumbledore?"
"A man who has a lot of influence within MI7."
"I thought MI7 phased out after the Second World War."
"It did" The exasperation was clear in Nick's voice. "but reformed sometime between then and now. Its sole purpose now is to take down this megalomaniac who calls himself Lord Voldemort. Kingsley did not divulge the details and I did not ask. Just said that Dumbledore, specifically, was anxious to get the boy back in the event that any rogues managed to flee after this Voldemort's downfall found out that he was left largely unprotected and come searching for him."
"Wouldn't all of this fall under MI5's jurisdiction?"
"I don't know what it falls under! All I know is I have a boy who happens to be the target of some terrorist group and we do not have the capabilities available to us to deal with them. These people, they are anything but average. They employ means and have weapons at their disposal that the average person cannot even begin to understand."
"The Avengers are not your average group of people." Phil reminded Nick, but Nick just waved it off. "S.H.I.E.L.D., much less the Avengers would not stand a chance against them."
The office went quiet for several moments before Phil spoke again.
"Correct me if I am wrong but wouldn't MI7 place the boy under some sort of witness protection program?"
"Of sorts, which is why they want him back. My cousin has been working for the better part of the decade to try to capture the remaining extremist. Dumbledore, who managed to defeat another terrorist many years ago believes that the Potter boy is safest with his mother's relatives, as she alone can protect him in a way no one else can. I do not think that even Stark will be able to protect the child in that manner."
"So, who's going to tell Stark?" Phil was not fully convinced that Harry should return with his Aunt and Uncle who he was somehow safer with in spite of their negligent tendencies but if they were able to offer some sort of protection that the Avengers couldn't it might be best. Some sort of surveillance system could be easily arranged to prevent or discourage future abuse, something Stark would undoubtedly insist upon and would without a doubt invent the system himself.
The boy would be all right and taken care of when he returned to his relatives if certain measures were taken, of that, Phil was certain. But would their measures now be able to withstand long term? For a while measures such as these would keep the Dursley's at bay but eventually, they were bound to try their luck and push it by doing something against the child in question.
"I will if it will move things along." Came a contemptuous voice from behind Phil.
Phil turned around while Nick walked over to the newcomer who's pale features stood out in stark contrast to his black attire. The man could have been labeled as a Goth if he was younger.
"You must be the representative Kingsley mentioned," Nick said trying to get a read on the man in front of him. The man appeared to be exceptionally good at controlling his facial expressions.
"Maybe I am, maybe I am not. What is it to you, who I am? Now, tell me where the brat is so I can go about my holiday in peace."
"I give the orders around here, now who are you? And did or did Kingsley not send you?" demanded Fury.
"Severus Snape. And it was Albus Dumbledore who requested that I give up some of my holiday so that he can keep a close reign on the dunderhead. Never mind that this was supposed to be my break from him and his equally irritating friends," Snape sneered out. "Some of us do have better things to do with our time than to chase around and coddle school aged brats who can't get it through their thick skull to not do anything stupid. Now, where is he so I can check on... Potter and return to my holiday making."
"You speak as if you know the boy. Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D." Nick said by way of introduction but did not give any more details about the child. He was going to get more answers before he told this man where the child was at. His cousin had been less than helpful in providing useful information on the boy.
"Unfortunately," responded the unpleasant man without giving any further explanation.
That's okay, two could play this game.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt told me that the boy was to return to Great Britain at the earliest convenience. Will you be taking him with you?"
"I will do no such thing, thank you very much. Where is Petunia Dursley? Surely she was made aware that the boy wasn't to leave England. She's the boy's guardian, after all, making him her headache, and most importantly her responsibility. Not mine!" Snape leered at the two agents. No matter what Albus Dumbledore or Arabella Figg said, Snape refused to believe that the boy was anything but pampered. Anything less than that would have Lily rolling in her grave.
He remembered how foul her sister had been, but that had been years ago. The woman must have lost her childish ways of thinking and grown up. Surely not even Petunia could despise her dead sister so much as treat the child as unfairly as everyone claimed.
He had probably told Figg that his relatives were making him work just to seek out attention and as for Dumbledore, the old fool treated the boy like a favored grandson who could say and do no wrong.
Well, Severus Snape sure had something to say about that!
"Mr. Snape, Phil Coulson, a field agent for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, or S.H.I.E.L.D. I have just come back from meeting Mr. Potter. Perhaps you have not been made aware that his relatives sold Mr. Potter to Mr. Stark. Demanded the boy's father pay them a million in American dollars, just this morning. The selling of any human being to another in the United States is illegal and is punishable by law, even if it is to another, more well-meaning, family member. Even prior to the "sell" Mr. Stark is legally responsible for Mr. Potter's well being. He was never made aware of the issue concerning the boy's travel limitations as he was among the last to find out about the boy's existence."
"That's not my problem. Obviously, the boy's father is to be blamed. He shouldn't have given them the money, but of course, Potter's father would throw around his wealth. What use is having money if you can't rub it into everyone's faces? And then to brag of your superiority." Snape quickly dismissed the issue at hand with a curl of his upper lip.
"No, it most certainly isn't your problem," Nick said through nearly clenched teeth, the man's attitude was getting them nowhere, but he needed to know what their next move was to be. Was the kid going back to England now, or was S.H.I.E.L.D. going to have to watch the kid until someone who was willing to take the kid off their hands came along? And when would said willing person come along? If that was the case then someone was going to have to tell Stark about the boy's abilities.
"On the contrary, Mr. Snape, Mr. Stark did not give the Dursley's the money to flaunt his wealth," Phil spoke up.
"I bet that the boy's father told you that," Snape said scornfully.
Good lord, this man! Just what had happened to this man to make him hate the child so much? The level of disdain and hatred this man possessed against the child was not natural and mildly worrisome.
"The Dursley's wanted to take this to the press and what Mr. Stark gave them was hush-money. Mr. Stark would have met any price to prevent this being leaked."
Snape snorted and mumbled something suspiciously along the lines of "I am sure," but did not make further comment.
Finally, after the three men were able to come to an agreement, Nick told Severus where the boy was being kept. "You will find the boy at Stark Tower."
Snape sent Nick a blistering glare. "And I am supposed to know where that is?"
"200 Park Avenue. You cannot miss it. It has Stark written on it." Phil said with a smirk knowing that would infuriate the man even more.
Snape did not give them further satisfaction in the form of comment as he turned around on his heel and stalked out of the room leaving just Phil and Nick alone again.
The two S.H.I.E.L.D agents shared loaded looks as the door closed. Phil would have to go back later and stress the delicacy of this matter if he wasn't called before to do damage control. But for now, he would wait, give them time to get over their initial shock.
ⅤΛⅤΛⅤ
"Sir, someone is coming up," JARVIS announced while Tony had been trying to wheedle out of Harry what he wanted for Christmas. It was quickly approaching and Tony did not have a clue as to what his son liked or disliked.
The only thing Tony knew Harry needed was clothes, and while he was sure to get some, Christmas wasn't about getting what you needed, it was about getting what you wanted and Tony, having the monetary means to do precisely that, was determined to get an idea as to what Harry liked so that he could surprise him come Christmas morning.
At the moment though, all talks about Christmas and presents were put on hold, as they waited for their unannounced guest to make an appearance, say what they wanted to say, and leave.
Tony did not have to wait long, less than a minute, the elevator doors opened and let out a man who had the prowl of a panther.
Harry who had been sitting on the couch doing nothing, tensed when he saw who it was.
Snape.
And by the looks of it, Harry was sure that if he had been at Hogwarts, he would have just landed a month's worth of detention and probably lost his house 150 points or some other equally astronomical number that didn't even fit the transgression.
"Snape," Harry said in a flat tone that lacked all respect. Tony raised an eyebrow at his son's sudden change in demeanor. He had come to find out that the kid still had a bit of fire left to him and that he wasn't completely broken which was good. But at the same time, Harry had never been outright hostile towards an adult, of course, Tony hadn't known Harry for any significant amount of time, so he could only go on what he'd observed in the past few hours.
To see Harry take issue with the man in front of him, put Tony on edge and caused him to get defensive.
"It's Professor to you. Can't stay out of trouble can you Mr. Potter? You think that just because you are our little celebrity that rules don't apply to you." The man sneered while eyeing the other people in the room which was just Tony, Bruce, Steve, and Natasha at the moment.
"I did not ask for any of this," Harry said while clenching his fist in his lap. "Dumbledore told me that because my aunt was my legal guardian I could not stay at school for Christmas."
"Professor, Potter."
"There's no need to call me a Professor," Harry said cheekily knowing that Snape couldn't do anything about it here and no matter how unfair Snape might be, Harry doubted that Snape could do anything about it even once he got back to Hogwarts. What happened over Christmas break and in the comfort of one's own home was outside of Hogwarts jurisdiction. Right?
Bruce blinked, he'd never seen this sassy side of Harry before he wasn't the only one. The other adults were looking at Harry and the man they only knew as Snape with varying looks of surprise and suspicion.
"Just like your father aren't you?" Severus' voice positively dripped with loathing.
"I wouldn't know, sir considering James isn't actually my father..."
"Harry do you know this man?" His father broke in. Demanding, but not entirely angry.
Tony wasn't sure how he liked being compared to his son's stepfather. He obviously would have owed the man a great deal had he been alive, but then again, would he? If the man had been alive? Would he have owed James Potter anything?
"Yeah." Harry responded with a nearly inaudible "unfortunately" tacked onto the end.
"He teaches... chemistry at the school I attend. But I don't know why he's here." Harry responded still looking heatedly at his professor.
"Still just as much of an attention seeker, aren't you Mr. Potter? Lying will get you in a lot of trouble one of these days. Mark. My. Words.'
'What your son meant to say was that I am a Potions master and am a professor at the school the boy attends." Harry's jaw just dropped. Then and there as he stared incredulously at the potion's master.
Here he had thought it was illegal- well perhaps not illegal, illegal- but there were definitely rules dissuade one from telling non-magic folks about magic and his professor had just dropped the news to them. Snape had to have broken at least a half-a-dozen laws right now and probably just as many international laws by admitting that witches and wizards existed.
Snape noticed. "Contrary, Mr. Potter, we are allowed to tell muggles about witchcraft and wizardry if their child is accepted into our school."
Harry didn't think it was wise to tell ornery old bat that most of the people in the room weren't related to him.
"A potions master? What is this? Some kind of sorcery? Are you some kind of witch?" Tony asked innocently while giving Harry a conspiratorial teasing wink from the corner of his eye. So his dad knew about witches and wizards then, or at least, Tony knew that the man in front of him wasn't.
Harry stifled laughter at the look of pure hatred on Snape's face but his laughter was quickly ebbed by the blonde man's steely look he was sending Harry.
"You didn't tell me your son was an up and coming Loki," Steve said. His voice practically overlapping Tony's. His tone was full of distrust and everyone seemed to tense at the very mention of Loki that Harry refused to look at anyone opting to look at the floor. It had become somewhat of a survival mechanism for him when he had lived with his uncle. At least the floor couldn't accuse him of doing freakish things, or intentionally misinterpret looks and then lock him up the cupboard.
"He's not Loki or anything like him. He might have the dark hair and the green eyes, but no son of mine, sorcerer or not is going to be compared to Loki."
Harry looked confused at the direction the conversation had turned looked up. "Who is Loki?"
"The God of Mischief you dunderhead, and if I was not sure of Potter's murder, I would accuse James of being Loki. He sure had the looks, the gall, and the knack!" Snape snarled out.
Harry flinched before looking mutinously at his most hated professor.
Natasha spoke up in a tone that as cool as Severus' tone was heated. "'Scuse me, if you are the boy's teacher then is it not your responsibility to build your students up? All I have heard from you is the child can't do this or the boy does that. You have openly insulted the boy by calling him names, which is very childish of you. Harry has been through enough in the past twenty-four hours without having a professor drag him down. It's been proven that the child is not the son of Loki, no matter what sort of mischief the child gets himself into. As an educator, you should be aware that boys his age do get into mischief from time to time."
"Thank you, Natasha, couldn't have put it better myself. Now, what did you say you were doing here again?" Tony said pulling Harry, who had stood up, back down on the couch and waving his hand to let Severus know that he was free to sit down as well while they talked this out.
"Are you just as dense as your son? What part of your son is a wizard is too hard for you to understand?" Snape said softly belying his true feelings. He was not just going to accept that this man was just going to accept what he just said without demanding some proof. All muggles demanded proof when they were first informed.
"Oh, I understand all of it. I merely find that it explains a lot. Why Harry has an owl and why, when I ask him about his school he never gives a name or can give me an exact location. It is probably the reason why he seemed so shocked when you corrected him earlier and why he refuses to tell me anything else about the man who killed his mother and stepfather as I assume the man was also a wizard. I am surprised, I did not see this coming actually."
Harry couldn't believe the barely concealed look of shock on Severus' face when Tony told him that he didn't care that Harry was a wizard and hadn't asked for him to do any "magic tricks" to prove it. In fact, none of Tony's friends seemed to be too surprised by the idea. Truthfully, they seemed to just accept it they were used to magic and magic wielding people- but that couldn't be right. Right?
Just wait until he told Ron about it. He would never believe that Snape was capable of showing surprise.
Snape scoffed at the billionaire in response. "Surprised, he says. And just how did you a muggle find out about magic?"
"Sometimes the only logical answer to the unexplainable is magic," Bruce said speaking up for the first time. He sort of seemed to be the voice of reason. "If we just took the time to look around, we would notice a lot of things that would define the laws of science. Magic would be the only plausible explanation." He concluded with a shrug.
"Did you know about magic then?" Harry asked looking at Bruce now but it was Natasha that answered.
"I think we all knew about magic. We did defeat Loki with the help of Thor after all, but to find that there are whole populations of people who are born with magic. No, we have never encountered people of your kind living here in Midgard."
"What's a muggle? I keep hearing the word, but I don't know what that is." Tony asked, completely confused by the term but eager to learn about what natural-born witches and wizards that weren't psychotic God's who were dead-set to take over mankind.
"People who don't have magic," Harry said feeling a sense of déjà vu it felt just like yesterday when Hagrid was telling him the same thing and here he was telling his father of all people what a Muggle was.
"So that would mean I am a muggle," Tony validated.
Harry nodded his head vigorously.
Snape sneered again at the scene that was unfolding before him but felt that he had gathered enough information about the blasted child to be able to report back to Dumbledore. Maybe just maybe Dumbledore would accept that the boy was safer in America than he ever would be in England and allow the boy to remain here with his father. As it currently stood, Hogwarts was only opened to students who lived in the U.K., if the boy's relatives did not want anything to do with him and had shipped him off to America, then going to school at Hogwarts was no longer an option.
Potter's withdraw from the school would mean one less dunderhead that he would have to deal with.
Harry to engrossed with trying to explain the basics of the British magical community to his father that he did not notice Snape stealing away.
"...and a Muggle-born is a witch or wizard who is born to muggle parents."
"So you're a muggle-born, right? I mean I am a muggle and Lily was- she was a muggle wasn't she?"
"Um, actually I am a half-blood. Meaning that I have one magical parent. Mum was a witch, but she was a muggle-born. Aunt Petunia was always jealous because mum was a witch and she wasn't. I think she wanted to become a witch like mum was but couldn't. Some witches and wizards would still call me muggle-born 'cause my grandparents and great-grandparents were all muggles, and I don't come from a long line of wizards and witches but..."
"So because your aunt did not possess any magical ability she took her jealousy out on you, but she hates everything associated with magic because she wanted to possess magic," Steve said calmly. "Odd woman."
"Er, I think so. I actually only found out that I was a wizard on my eleventh birthday. That's when we get our acceptance letters to Hogwarts. Hagrid, the groundskeeper at school, gave me my acceptance letter after Uncle Vernon kept trying to burn them... I don't think Aunt Petunia wanted me to know."
"Sounds like your uncle didn't want you to know either," Tony muttered more to himself than anyone. Louder he said, "It's not fair that she took out her anger and hate for your mother out on you. Did she even know you had the ability to wield magic? And for the record, I think is totally awesome by the way."
"She knew. Just 'cause we start school at eleven doesn't always mean that's when our magic appears. I have had the ability to work magic ever since I remember. One time I grew my hair back overnight after Aunt Petunia cut it because she didn't like it. I got in trouble for it even though I didn't know how I did it. She never told me how my parents died either. I found out from Hagrid that they were murdered. They always told me that dad had been drunk at the time of the car crash." Harry didn't miss how Tony winced at the mentioning of being drunk. He wondered if his-this dad drank.
Sounds like she's a lovely woman," Natasha said dryly at the same time Tony sent her a look that Harry couldn't decipher but she just gave a single nod in understanding.
But Harry wasn't finished, even if that little exchange between Tony and Natasha was.
"I was so relieved to find out that mum and dad weren't actually..." Harry said clearly remembering the relief he felt when he learned the truth about his parents. "The few times Aunt Petunia would talk about mum and dad she never said anything nice about them. And Uncle Vernon liked to make it to where I was the cause of my dad's drinking problem. And that I would never be anything more than a criminal when I grow up because that was what my dad was."
"That's wrong! How could they blame that on an innocent child‽" Pepper cried out at the same time Tony winced again. He really was going to have to watch his drinking around Harry. The way those relatives had been talking, he wouldn't put it past Harry to think that he was drinking because of Harry.
"I dunno, but I guess I sort of, kind of, believed them, you know?" Muttered Harry somewhat ashamed that he had allowed himself to think so ill of his parents who had sacrificed their lives for him. "A small part of me didn't want to believe but... They never told me the truth, they just said that dad was a no-good father and mum wasn't much better. I wasn't allowed to ask questions about them and they never had any pictures of them so I really didn't have anything to remember them by until Hagrid gave me a photo book at the end of my first year. It was always the rule for as long as I remember to, um, to never ask questions." Harry said by way of explanation now he seemed to be almost in a trance-like state as he recalled the rules his aunt and uncle had insisted on.
"How did they expect you to learn? Isn't it part of growing up to ask questions?"
Harry shrugged, "not with the Dursley's. I do ask questions at school though…"
"What happened if you did ask a question," Steve asked softly while his jaw clenched waiting for the answer that he was sure none of them would like.
"Well, normally if it's Hermione, she just shows me where I can find it in a book, and the Professors usually just answer the question, unless it's Snape, who will just take points off because he thinks I'm stupid and because he can." Harry intentionally misinterpreted the question.
"I will admit every time you talk about that guy, I like him less and less, but he is your teacher so I suppose, at least to his face, you will have to show him respect," Tony said "But I think what Capcicle meant was what did your relatives do when you asked a question? Did they punish you?"
Harry looked down at his hands as shame flooded him. "Sometimes I'd get slapped if I asked my aunt anything. But usually, I'd get…" Harry trailed off. He couldn't tell them. If they just knew.
"What did they do to you, Harry?" Steve asked again just as Bruce left the room while trying to take deep calming breaths. He wouldn't "lose it" in front of an abused and likely traumatized boy. No one stopped him, but Bruce did feel a few eyes following him.
"They…" Harry started but hesitated, not wanting the people to think of him as being weak and an easy target to pick on.
Suddenly a phone began to sound off, cutting through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife to butter. Frowning at the sudden disturbance, Pepper sighed. "I sorry, Harry but I must take this." and left the room with her phone pressed to her ear, already arguing with the person on the other line.
"Kid?" Tony asked noticing that Natasha and Steve also left the room. To where it was only Tony and him.
"Sometimes they'd lock me up in my room." Safe. Play it safe. Tony didn't need to know that his room had been the cupboard for most of his early childhood and the cupboard had been a room- just not a very big one- so to say he was locked up in a room wasn't that much of a stretch.
"How long would they keep you locked up?" Tony said while casting Harry a side-long look as he was pouring himself another cup of coffee, he was pouring himself another cup of coffee- even if it was approaching two in the afternoon. He really would have wanted something a good bit stronger but...
"Not for long, you know, I mean, just, it was just for a while, okay? Just until they felt that I had learned my lesson."
"And how often did they try to 'teach you' these lessons?" Tony urged.
"Just when I was being bad," Harry said softly. Not looking at Tony.
"And how often was that?" He pressed again but this time he pushed too far.
"Just when I was bad, all right‽ What's with all the questions?" Harry said aggressively before looking defiantly at Tony, the man calmly met his gaze while holding his palms out in a placating gesture. Harry quickly looked away.
"I am sorry to pry Harry, but if we are to get to know each other we will have to ask questions and sometime we might ask each other questions we might not feel comfortable answering. Remember when I told you that we are going to get through this together and how we are bound to make mistakes. We've just got to forgive each other and move on. But you know what? Now I know that you don't want to talk about the Dursleys, not at the moment, at least. Even if you don't directly answer my questions, I am still learning about you, and you, me."
Harry stared incredulously at the man. Where had that come from? This man had just given a somewhat passionate speech instead of walloping Harry because he had let his temper get the best of him like his uncle was sure to have done. Harry had yelled at the man but Tony had barely even batted an eye.
Tony also appeared a bit shocked- quite possibly at himself- before his face almost split with a self-satisfied smirk. He was totally going to get used to this whole fatherhood thing he was Tony Stark after all and he did not fail in any of his endeavors.
"Um, okay," Harry said. What else was there to say?
"Well," Tony said while taking a particularly long drink of his coffee. "I think that's enough touchy-feely stuff for one day. I'll be down in the lab if you need anything. If you need any help ask J.A.R.V.I.S.." and with that, his father bailed the room leaving Harry alone to his own devices.
ⅤΛⅤΛⅤ