A/N Eek! Sorry, guys. I know it's been a long time. I'm particularly sorry that my quietness got some of you worried about my health during these troubling times but I'm absolutely fine. For no particular reason, my desire to engage with any of my stories completely vanished for a few months. That's all there was to it. Thank you to everyone who's been reading, following and reviewing. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Hermione sat up in bed with a gasp and stared wildly around her, looking for the threat - looking for Thanos.
"It's OK," a calming voice told her, accompanied by a gentle hand on her lower back. "It was just a dream, sweetheart."
Heart still racing, Hermione turned to Steve, eager for more reassurance. He sat up, pushing the bed cover away from her flushed body and brought his hand up to the side of her face. "You're safe. There's no fight," he told her. She soaked in his words, his touch and the comforting familiarity of him. With a forced deep breath, she closed her eyes and laid her forehead against his, letting him feel her distress. Steve continued to murmur soothing words and stroked her face, her arms and her back until her fears were eventually back under control.
"Thank you," she whispered, kissing him softly before allowing herself to be tucked further into his embrace as they lay back down on the bed. "I think the dreams are getting worse," she said after a few moments' thoughtful silence. "They're certainly happening more often, aren't they? Maybe I need to start taking dreamless sleep potion again."
Steve laced his fingers through hers and brought them up to his lips. After a quick kiss, he asked, "Is that really what you want?"
"Of course not," she sighed. It had taken her months to wean herself off of the potion after the events surrounding Lucy's traumatic birth, and she always felt more comfortable within herself when she wasn't relying on the substance.
"Why don't you have a session with Sam?" Steve suggested. "You can really talk it over and see how you feel - maybe discuss why the dreams might be occurring in the first place."
Hermione nodded. "Good idea. Maybe he'll have time after I get back from New York."
"I expect so." He pulled her close and delivered a kiss to the top of her head. "Do you want to try and get back to sleep?"
She shook her head - she might have calmed down but there was no way that she would be able to fall asleep now. "What time is it?" she asked. She felt Steve shift underneath her as he craned his head to look at the clock on his bedside table.
"Nearly five," he said, returning his head to the pillow.
Hermione made a small noise to show her surprise that the morning had progressed further than she'd assumed. "She'll be awake soon," she murmured.
There was a rumble from Steve's chest as he hummed in agreement. "I reckon we've got a good half an hour before that happens."
Hermione's fingers had been dancing a lazy pattern across Steve's chest but she stilled at his words, a small grin settling on her face that she knew he couldn't see. "A good half an hour," she repeated, her fingers resuming their dance but now with newfound intent. "Interesting."
"Baobei," Steve said, his voice already markedly deeper than before as Hermione's wandering hand had his body shifting below hers. "You sure?"
Perhaps distracting herself from her nightmare by having sex with her husband wasn't the ideal way to move on from the trauma, but she wasn't about to go and wake Sam up to discuss the pros and cons of it with him right then (or ever, for that matter). At that moment she needed comfort and reassurance that this was all real, that Thanos hadn't taken everything away from her like she'd once been led to believe. Her connection with Steve, the way he made her feel, was about as real as anything could be. She wanted and needed this. In one swift movement, Hermione swung her leg over his hips so that she was straddling him and dipped her head eagerly down to him, her lips so close to his but not quite touching. "I'm sure," she said breathily, delivering a couple of sweet, teasing kisses as Steve buried a hand into her hair.
"So beautiful," he murmured against her lips. She let out a stifled squeal as he flipped them over, which turned into a moan as he started lavishing her neck with kisses that left her burning with need. She let her desire and love flow through to Steve, momentarily distracting him from his amorous attentions as his breathing hitched next to the pulse point of her neck. He placed a fluttering kiss there and then returned to her lips. "I love you so much," he told her, before kissing her deeply.
For the next thirty-odd minutes, it felt like nothing else existed for Hermione except her connection with Steve. After taking a few minutes to recover her breath and get a hold of her senses, she reluctantly left the bed to take a shower in the adjoining bathroom - only to have Steve join her under the steaming liquid less than two minutes later, cheekily expressing a desire to conserve water in response to her questioning of his presence. Hermione rolled her eyes and blew some of her foamy body wash in his face.
Lucy was still asleep when Hermione quietly let herself into her daughter's room, her sleep-tousled curls half obscuring her face. One particular lock of her light caramel hair fluttered in front of her mouth whenever she breathed and Hermione was content to just watch the peaceful sight while it lasted, because she was well aware that once Lucy was awake there would be little chance to relax. Thanks to her experiences with Teddy Lupin and little James Potter, Hermione knew that all toddlers were a handful, but when it came to Lucy, the energy levels the two year old possessed seemed to be taken up another level. It took a lot to tire the little girl out and she wasn't a great sleeper even then. Hermione and Steve were pretty sure that his super serum was to blame but they'd anticipated this would be the case from the moment the pregnancy was discovered. Thankfully, given their own levels of increased stamina, the two of them were in the best position to take care of their daughter, and they were even lucky to have a small team around them to help out, too. It was quite a contrast to how isolated Hermione had felt two years ago and it was only possible thanks to the generosity of Astoria Malfoy.
Both Hermione and Draco had tried to advise Tori against opening up her property given Steve's fugitive status, but the young Mrs Malfoy had waved all concerns away, pointing out that Steve wasn't wanted in the magical world and that Hermione's family would be doing her a favour by moving in because magical houses deteriorated quickly when left unoccupied. Hermione had still attempted to change Astoria's mind - not because she wasn't grateful, but because it was such an enormous gift to give someone you'd only just met.
"Well, darling, while you're right that we have only been acquainted for a few days, the truth is that I feel like I've known you for ages," Tori had told her when they'd met for a cup of tea a week after the initial proposal. "You've done so much for others over the years by helping to save both the magical and muggle world, and most ordinary people won't ever be in a position to repay their debt to you but I am."
"It's not a debt, Tori. Nobody owes me anything," Hermione insisted.
"If you say so, darling, but in the end it all boils down to me being able and willing to help a young family." Astoria took a sip of tea and Hermione noticed that the cup trembled slightly in her hand when she placed it back on the saucer. "I try to put a brave face on things but the truth of the matter is that my curse puts a large dampener on my life choices. I would actually love to have a job. Does that sound silly? I know that thanks to the fortunes Draco and I have access to that I don't have to work, but it seems like a waste of all those years of studying not to find some way to put my talents to good use. I think I would have liked to work at St Mungo's - try and put something back into the health providers that have looked after me all my life. Or maybe I could have worked with muggles. I really do find them so interesting." She giggled. "Could you imagine what mine and Draco's parents would have said about that?"
Hermione smiled.
"Anyway, darling, what I'm trying to say is that helping you and your family - that's something I can do, and with a glad heart to boot, if you'll let me."
After that, things had fallen into place quite quickly. Hermione was careful not to communicate with Steve directly and Harry was happy to be used as a go-between. Her best friend had fewer reservations about the intended move than she'd anticipated, eventually revealing that he had come to see a change in Malfoy over the last few months. Harry also had a favourable opinion of Astoria on the few occasions that he'd met her.
As far as Hermione knew, the move from Wakanda to Salter House went off without a hitch. She'd deemed it too risky to be there when her family had arrived. T'Challa had previously put the quinjet Steve and Bucky had flown to Siberia into secure storage in Wakanda, meaning that Natasha merely had to ensure that the stealth mode was continuously enabled throughout the flight, and then Astoria momentarily lowered the wards around the property so that the jet could land.
It wasn't until two weeks later that Hermione made the trip back to the UK. It was an emotional reunion and she was relieved that her family had settled in as well as could be hoped. She had wanted nothing more than to stay there with them forever, and Steve certainly did his best to try and convince her. He might have succeeded, too, had Hermione not been visited by the Sorceress Supreme a couple of days before her trip to Salter House. It had been a difficult discussion when she told Steve of her intention to base herself in Kathmandu for an indeterminate future. It was plainly obvious that he didn't want her to be so far away from her family but he was accepting of her decision, particularly given that it would keep any attention away from Salter House. Before beginning her journey to Nepal, Hermione made sure to hold her daughter in her bare arms for the first time, and gently let Lucy feel her love for a few seconds. Astoria gave her a large box of truffles to take with her so that she might make new friends quickly at Kamar-Taj, which were very well received by the Masters, much to Hermione's surprise.
The separation was as hard as ever but Hermione had to content herself that Lucy, Steve and Nat were in safe hands. And so, with that in mind, it came as something of a shock when she was summoned before a UN panel to be informed that both Steve and Natasha were suspected of breaking Wanda and Sam from a secure facility. Hermione was able to plead total ignorance of the jailbreak and she was cleared of any involvement after her whereabouts and recent movements could be accounted for, as well as the fact that she'd never been informed of Wanda and Sam's new location after their removal from the Raft Prison. As relieved as she was that her friends were out of Ross's clutches, Hermione was devastated that Steve had severed any chance he'd had of being pardoned by the UN after tempers had cooled in the months since the introduction of the Accords. As soon as it had been safe to do so, Hermione had created a portal straight to Salter House so that she could 'Facetime' Steve.
"Look, I know you're mad, sweetheart, but we had to get them out," he told her calmly through the sparking circle. "The thought of Wanda and Sam locked up has been eating away at me for months."
"You think it hasn't been bothering me too?" Hermione retorted. "You think I just forgot about them?"
"No, of course not, but your hands are tied by the law," Steve explained. "Mine aren't. I owed it to them to get them out."
"Steve, I've been working on getting Sam and Wanda released legally," she informed him in frustration but he shook his head.
"Look, it's all well and good for you to try and fix everything from your position up in the Himalayas, but while you were negotiating with all your good intentions, nothing was happening for Sam and Wanda - they were still locked up and would've been for a very long time to come."
Hermione's gaze hardened, stung by his words. "Actually, my ineffectual good intentions meant that reviews into their sentences were due to be held in a few weeks."
Steve paused, looking chagrined. "I'm sorry," he said, "but you and I both know they never would have let Wanda out - not with the freedoms she'd get with us."
"Freedoms?!" Hermione scoffed. "She won't even be able to walk down a street, Steve!"
He shook his head again. "You and I both know that there are ways around that," he pointed out. "Wanda and Sam weren't kidnapped - they came with us of their own accord and they're so grateful that their ordeals are over. They send you their love, by the way, and want to know when you're coming back to Salter for a visit."
Hermione's gut clenched with guilt. "Soon," she replied tightly and then deflated a little. "I'm pleased that they're safe, really I am. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, it's just - "
"I know," Steve cut in gently. "The future we wanted for our family, the life together you've been working so hard to bring about…" There was a prolonged silence between them as they mourned the loss of their chance to openly be together for a very long time. Steve had ultimately made that decision. While Hermione didn't exactly disapprove of him rescuing their friends, she wished he'd spoken to her first - they'd agreed to work together again after everything that had happened with the Accords, after all. She knew why he hadn't though: he'd done what he could to ensure that the UN wouldn't be able to blame her - even forgoing any obvious magical assistance from Harry or Astoria that no doubt would've made the rescue attempt easier, just so that they would avoid suspicion coming her way. Her heart ached for him and because of him, but she knew the character of the man she had married and, though it would certainly make her life easier, she wouldn't have him any other way.
"I'll keep fighting for it," she vowed, her voice wavering slightly.
Steve smiled. "I know, Baobei."
In all the months that followed, Hermione had kept her word by petitioning the Security Council and meeting with influential members of the UN, but it soon became clear that as long as Secretary Ross was ruling the roost, there was no chance of Steve being pardoned. There was always hope that he and the others would one day earn their freedom but, as time went by, everyone at Salter House got used to their new life and found it a satisfactory mode of living. Life was never dull with access to magic users and a baby around. Hermione checked in with them frequently via portals while studying at Kamar-Taj, though she was careful never to step foot there when she hadn't been given permission. She saw that her mismatched family were happy, which made her separation from them bearable even though it still cut her deeply.
In the end, she had spent around sixth months basing herself at Kathmandu before she felt that she had competent control of the Mystic Arts. She continued to study, of course, and paid regular visits to Kamar-Taj and its various Masters when permission was granted. However, she chose not to return to New York as her primary location - Avengers Tower had been packed up whilst she was still in Nepal and she had no great desire to live at the Upstate facility when there was another home waiting for her. She told Ross and the council that she was returning to her ancestral home in England. They all still believed her original S.H.I.E.L.D cover story that her magic descended through the females in her family and, though they didn't like it, they believed her when she said that her grandmother's spells and enchantments had kept unwanted visitors away from the house for decades and would continue to do so.
Ross's gaze bored into hers at that declaration, his expression granite. "And what about wanted visitors?" he asked. "Can they get in?"
"Yes," she replied calmly.
"So, if I were to send a couple of representatives to make sure there's no threat, they'd be welcomed in?" he posed.
Hermione smiled tightly at his choice of words. He'd phrased his question to make it sound like he was seeking to protect her but they both knew that the threat he was referring to was Steve and the others. "I would be more than happy to show around anyone you select but I'm afraid the house itself is a bit more choosy. The magic that's seeped into the building over the generations has resulted in it becoming almost a sentient being. If it doesn't trust someone, it won't let them step foot into the grounds, let alone inside the house itself."
The other members of the council looked politely surprised but Ross grunted. "How convenient."
Hermione shrugged, her guilt at lying to Ross had vanished many months ago. "It's kept the house and my family safe for hundreds of years."
It was decided that a small team would travel to England comprising two of Ross's government cronies as well as Rhodey and Vision. As Hermione and the others had planned for, Rhodey and Vision were able to enter the grounds without any problem but Ross's men couldn't get past an invisible barrier. The dead-eyed stares they gave her were carbon copies of Secretary Ross, but she refused to be intimidated when she was so close to getting what she wanted.
"We'll get a team here to set up surveillance around the perimeter to give you warning of any intruders in the future," one of the men said tonelessly. Hermione barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Given that the barriers easily prevented intruders, the surveillance was obviously being set up to look out for Steve and the other rebels.
"Thank you," she said, with only a small hint of sarcasm before turning to Rhodey and Vision so that the three of them could walk up to the house. There was a joyful reunion once they were inside.
Rhodey had figured out that Hermione was in contact with Steve during their trip to Wakanda and had faithfully kept her secret ever since. Vision had only recently broached the subject with her due to his concern and wish to know about Wanda's whereabouts after her breakout. Hermione watched the two misfits reunite with a knowing smile on her face before she was tugged into Steve's side, Lucy held securely in his other arm. "Welcome home, my love," he said quietly and delivered a kiss to her cheek.
Less than an hour later, Rhodey and Vision confirmed to Ross that they'd seen nothing that concerned them, and Hermione was given the all-clear to make Salter House her primary residence. She still travelled frequently due to her commitments to the UN, Stranger Enterprises and continuing her studies, and she made sure to visit Wakanda every month or so. It had crossed her mind to make it known that she was moving Lucy to Salter House so that she didn't have to pretend she didn't see her daughter as much as she really did, but it was safer for Ross to presume that she was in the secretive country. Her trips to Wakanda to 'see her daughter' also provided perfect cover for what she was really doing there.
It had scared her a lot more than she'd anticipated to be in Bucky's presence once more. She had only ever really seen him when the Winter Soldier had been dominant, and at first she had to constantly remind herself that Shuri had worked extensively with him to diminish that brainwashing. Bucky was uncomfortable around her too, his gaze cautious and his responses to her questions curt, but over time they gradually became more at ease with one another. Hermione had started opening a portal to Salter House in her later visits so that Steve could step through and spend time with his best friend. When a year had passed without any signs of the Winter Soldier emerging, the offer was made for Bucky to join them in the UK but he refused: he was content with his new life in Wakanda and didn't want to do anything to disrupt the new inner calm that he'd found. Hermione knew that Steve was disappointed even though he was pleased that his friend was finally at peace.
The truth was that life was busy enough at Salter without Bucky becoming a permanent resident. The five adults and sole child that lived there were often visited by Harry, Ginny and young James. Astoria was also a frequent welcome guest, charming everyone with her joy and generosity. Hermione viewed Natasha and Tori to be pretty much opposites in their personalities, but she was surprised to discover the women had almost instantly become as thick as thieves the first time that she'd popped back from Kamar-Taj. Unsurprisingly, it took Draco a lot longer to be accepted. Hermione had a feeling that this was mostly achieved due to everyone's affection for Astoria - they liked Draco through her. His obvious adoration of his wife certainly showcased a more appealing side to him and before long he was throwing just as much snark back at Nat and Sam as he was receiving. Around Christmas time, it was revealed that their extended mismatched family would be increasing by two: both Ginny and Astoria were pregnant. Although the announcements were met with joy, everyone was aware that it might cost Astoria everything. She put a brave face on things as she always did, but the strain that Draco was under was evident. The rebels did everything they could to help the couple and Hermione had tried countless times to use her own healing abilities to rid Tori of the effects of the curse even before she'd become pregnant, but every attempt had proved unsuccessful. There were times over the weeks and months when Astoria's delicate health seemed to be failing and yet, by some miracle, Scorpius Malfoy arrived in August, just a couple of weeks after Albus Potter. Tori was gravely ill for many weeks and everyone feared that she wouldn't recover. It was the ceaseless work of a healer that finally helped Astoria turn the corner. Even now, nearly nine months after the birth of Scorpius, she wasn't back to her former self and it was doubtful she ever would be, but she was still Astoria through it all. She adored her son and it was clear that she'd do it all over again if she was given the choice.
Rhodey and Vision also visited, and even Peter had spent a memorable week with 'his cousin' in summer. He'd been almost giddy with excitement at first, though he'd tried his best to be cool, and spent the week soaking up advice from his heroes and offering to do everything he could to help them - even doing the dishes each night despite Hermione telling him she could do it with magic.
The accords had torn her family apart but, piece by piece, they were almost back together.
Almost.
She and Tony had reconciled but he'd never come to Salter. He was welcome and he knew it - when they'd been together in secure locations, Hermione had even created portals for him so that he could facetime them all, but he'd never been able to bring himself over the threshold. The familial bond between Hermione and Tony wasn't the same as his relationship with any of the other rebels. The division between Steve and Tony was still tangible, and probably always would be. They had spoken, apologised and even shook hands through the glowing circle, but ultimately remained apart. Perhaps it was for the best. Since the break, very few disasters had reared their ugly heads. Yes, the Masters had dealt with Dormammu, and Peter had faced his own battle against the Vulture, but the escalating spiral of conflicts (Midtown, Greenwich, the Triskelion, Sokovia) had been combated. The world wasn't exactly at peace, but Hermione would rather not return to the sorts of dangers that had reared up in the past. If this was as good as it got, then she'd take it.
Lucy began to stir. Hermione reached into her daughter's bed and gently stroked her face, silently telling the little girl that all was well and that she was loved. "Mama," a sleepy voice murmured followed by two arms poking up from under the blanket. Hermione lifted Lucy into her arms, holding the sleepy toddler against her chest as she swayed from side to side.
"Good morning, little love," she said softly. "Did you sleep OK?" She felt Lucy's head nod in agreement and she smiled. "Good. Shall we get you washed and dressed, Lucylou? And then have some breakfast?"
"No," Lucy said stubbornly and clung to her mother more tightly, burying her face into her neck.
Hermione smiled again. "All right. You can have Mummy-cuddles for a little bit longer but then we've got to get you cleaned up." Lucy snuggled against her and Hermione allowed mild feelings of contentment and love to pass over to her daughter. The two of them had come so far since Hermione had been too scared to even touch her newborn child. As her contact with Lucy became more regular, Hermione had worried that the mother-daughter bond would never be properly formed - especially as they spent long periods apart. Once Hermione had moved back to the UK, the development of her relationship with Lucy was her main priority. She struggled at first, there was no doubt about that. Everyone else in the house knew much better than she did how to take care of her own child - even Tori and Draco. She'd cried about her failings as a mother on more than one occasion and it was only the gentle, probing questioning of Sam during their next session that had set her on a path to coping with her worries. He told her to cut herself slack: she might not know the most effective ways of calming the cries of her daughter or getting her to sleep, but she'd still been acting as a mother all the past months by protecting her child.
"D'you think I knew how to change a diaper or prepare Lucy's feed properly when I first got here?" Sam asked. "You'll pick it up, Mi. And if you make mistakes, it's OK - we've all been there. My throw-up covered sneakers can vouch for that." Hermione snorted despite her anxiety. "It's just a part of learning, that's all."
Understandably, it still took time for Hermione to feel more comfortable in her role as Lucy's mother and, in the end, the gifts that she was so terrified would hurt her child actually brought them closer together. As soon as Hermione started letting small hints of her love flow through to her child, the beaming smiles and fingers grabbing at any part of Hermione that Lucy could touch told everyone that the baby could feel the emotions. Lucy soon became happiest in her mother's embrace, was calmed much quicker with Hermione's reassuring touch, and slept more soundly when put to bed with the soothing and loving hold her mother provided as she rocked her back and forth in a rocking chair, singing softly to her. She even became so adept at becoming a 'baby whisperer' that the Potters and Malfoys often begged for her help when they were having difficulties with Al or Scorpius.
Steve stepped into the nursery. "Morning, Luce," he greeted and the baby girl immediately reached out for her father. She might have a special bond with her mum, but Lucy was still very much a Daddy's girl. Hermione was hardly surprised. There wasn't a day that had gone by since she'd been born that Steve hadn't been by her side - even when they'd sprung Sam and Wanda from the facility. Lucy adored her dad and she, in turn, was the apple of his eye.
As Steve leaned over to take Lucy into his arms, he delivered a fleeting kiss against Hermione's lips. She felt warmth spread through her body and she hit him playfully on the arm when he quirked an eyebrow suggestively at her.
Before the family were even halfway through their breakfast, Natasha appeared, awakened by the aroma of pancakes. Sam joined them not long after, sweating from the morning workout he'd completed in the former stables that they'd converted into a gym. Wanda was always the last one to rise in the mornings but she hadn't stayed at Salter last night, the evening before that, or even for the previous week. She and Vision had gone away together. It was risky, they all knew that, but Wanda needed some time away from the house. Sure, they'd all gone out on day trips over the past months thanks to some magical assistance, but the group had recognised that Wanda needed something more substantial. She was a young woman who needed to get out and live some semblance of a normal life, and if she found it with Vision then who was Hermione to stop them? Wanda had checked in daily and so far nothing had gone amiss.
"What time are you headed into work?" Natasha asked, spooning blueberries onto her plate.
"My first meeting in New York is at nine so I'll leave just after lunch," Hermione answered.
"Good," Natasha replied. "You'll be here to help me plot with the others."
"Plot?" Steve asked, a frown making his forehead crease. "What are you plotting and who with?"
Nat looked at him like he was an idiot, but when he just gazed back cluelessly, she noisily put down her spoon and lifted a lock of her platinum-blonde hair. "What do you think?"
"Ah," Steve said delicately, though Hermione could see he was trying not to laugh. Hermione was hiding her own grin behind her cup of tea and Sam was sniggering into his smoothie.
"Yes, Ah," Natasha retorted scathingly. "Tori reckons that Draco made it permanent. Stop laughing, it isn't funny!" she told the three adults.
"I don't know," Sam denied, unphased by her cool glare, "Ripping on a guy all night for being from the Village of the Damned and then him turning round and jinxing your hair to match his in retaliation - that's pretty funny to me."
Hermione was certain that Draco had no clue what the Village of the Damned was but it had been obvious from Nat's tone that her comments were not intended as a compliment. Practical jokes were often played throughout Salter and normally received in good humour, but if Nat's new blonde locks were permanent then the stakes had definitely been raised.
Unhappy with the lack of support or sympathy, Natasha looked to Lucy, who was spooning bits of pancake into her mouth as she watched the adults around her. "You don't think this whole thing is funny, do you?"
Lucy paused and then made a loud but wholly inarticulate sound but Natasha decided that the child had ruled in her favour. "Exactly, Lucy," Nat said, ruffling the little girl's curls slightly before kissing her forehead. "And that's why you're my favourite."
It was a morning like so many they'd had at Salter House but it was special all the same. Ginny and Astoria stepped through Hermione's portals into Salter not long after nine, bringing James, Albus and Scorpius with them. James was initially highly confused by Natasha's new blonde look before deciding it was the funniest joke in the history of the world, resulting in Nat chasing him halfway round the house to dish out some ticklish revenge. Steve took pity on the ailing Astoria and took Scorpius off her hands for a walk around the grounds. Ginny told them about the latest Ministry news that wouldn't feature in the Prophet, and Sam once again argued the case for them getting some sort of pet in the house - he didn't manage to convince them.
After lunch, Hermione bade farewell to her friends and stepped through a portal to her office in New York to begin her working day. She mostly worked from home but at least once a week she would travel to either the headquarters of Stranger Enterprises or to one of the outreach centres around the globe. She was lucky that her stamina was much stronger than most because her hops to different countries played havoc with her body clock, and she'd had to develop the ability to catch a few hours of sleep whenever she could. Her busy agenda included ten meetings, three conference calls, a mountain of paperwork and a working lunch (her second of the day) with two senators.
Hermione had barely been back in her office after her meal for five minutes when a portal appeared in front of her. She could make out the familiar interior of the New York Sanctum behind Wong and Stephen. It was unusual for them to use a portal so blatantly in her place of work, but all thoughts of protocol flew from her mind when a third figure appeared in the portal.
"Hermione," Bruce said. He looked relieved to see her but this was overshadowed by a greater sense of urgency that was radiating from all three of them. The next few words Bruce spoke told her why, and her whole world fell away. "It's happening - Thanos is coming!"
A/N This is such a strange chapter because next to nothing happens, but it's bringing you up to date with where Hermione and the others are approximately eighteen months after we last saw her. It's a significant time jump - one of the biggest of the series for sure - but, as you just read, we're ready to get into Infinity War properly now.
I'd love to hear what you think of Hermione's happy life at Salter House and any predictions you have for what the next few chapters will bring.
I hope you're all keeping safe. I'm confident you'll hear from me much quicker next time.
Love,
Lil Drop of Magic
PS I couldn't resist with Nat's hair. It just seemed so random to me that she'd gone white-blonde so I decided to put my little spin on it!