Chapter 16

AN - Okay so I accidentally posted chapter 17 before this so if you get confused just go back and read again because I am a certified IDIOT! I am sorry about this guys :( Anyway I don't own any of this material it all belongs to JK Rowling and Marvel. I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Harry walked silently through the corridors, he didn't want to admit it but he needed to talk to Sophia before he left. He couldn't leave thing like this. Talking a left he entered his room, taking in the clinically clean look of it and the sparse coverings around the room of only what was necessary Harry had to admit that he missed his room back at home. The cozy attic room his dad had set up for him as a space away from the family. His own little sanctuary at the top of the stairs.

Don't get him wrong he loved his family, but with the sudden addition of hovering parents and siblings into his life took time to adjust to. Thinking back he considered what his father had told him about Nathanial. He would be 10 years old now and Harry was saddened that he had missed so much of his brother's life but consoled himself that he had a few months leave coming up and instead of hiding out in his London flat he was going to America. He would rebuild those bridges he had destroyed as a teenager and maybe he could fix the damage he had caused. Besides he wanted to see if Lewis had succeeded in getting into Naval Intelligence.

Turing to the small cupboard he saw the expensive looking suitcase standing there. Knowing how to take a hint he grabbed it and made his way to the parking garage. Seeing a driver waiting he waved him over, "Can you put my stuff in the car and take me to Heathrow Airport please?"

"Certainly Sir, anything else I can help you with?" The driver said with a polite smile on his face.

"No thank you," turning back to the building he continued, "I'll be back out in a minute, I just need to talk to someone." Harry then turned and walked away before the driver could even make a sound.

Back in the accommodation room the Avengers had gathered around the dinner table with leftovers scattered on top of it, they sat laughing at stories and jokes until Steve spoke up, "So we know MI6 Harry but what about when Harry was a boy?"

Clint smiled before he spoke, "It took awhile for him to actually be a child if I'm being honest. He was on the streets from what I can guess about a month. By then he was already matured much beyond his age but after I got him back home and gave him a bed, 3 meals a day and about a year's worth of repeating that he wasn't a freak then he was a normal child."

The Avengers all looked up at that, "They called him what." Bruce said his eyes flashing green slightly in anger.

"You heard me," He turned to Steve slightly, "That's why I was so cautious around you Steve, because the people he grew up with shared the opinion that magic was devil worshipping and such. Not that I'm saying you would ever do something like that," Clint added hastily, "But these monsters they damaged him. I was worried what being around someone of the same background would do to his mentality."

"Did they beat him?" Came the quiet question from Tony, "'Cause I can understand that… I mean… I just…"

Steve turned to look at, his face pale with shock, "Howard? Are you… but he wouldn't… would he?"

Tony shrugged slightly, "After you disappeared so did the dreaming side of him, he started drinking more. Getting angry. He lashed out. It wasn't very often, I learnt to avoid it after a while, avoid him."

Natasha looked at him, "That was very open for you Stark."

"Yeah well, Pepper's going on about how I need to be more open if I want to overcome my monumental list of issues." Tony said with a dry smile before turning the conversation back to Clint, "So then Legolas, tell us some Harry related stories."

"Really?" Clint said, if he was honest he was surprised as to how well they had accepted him, "Okay then. Umm… there was this one time at the magic prep school he went to, I think he was 9."

He was going to continue when Bruce butted in, "Wait prep school. Magic users have whole school systems?"

"Yeah, there are the main ones. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France which is a girls school. Durmstrang Institute in Scandinavia that's a boys school, we considered sending Harry there but he wanted to stay closer to home. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England which we looked at but if you ask us it was a little lacking in actual education department." Clint smiled as he continued "Then there is the less well known ones, like Salem Witches Academy and one in Brazil, Russia, Japan, Egypt… I mean the list just goes on and on."

"So which did Harry go to?"

"He went to Winchester School of Mystery and Magic in San Jose, California." He said with a smile, "Not as popular as Salem but it had a prep school that could catch him up on everything magical and muggle that he had missed."

"Anyway Harry was in Potions class and he'd completed the assignment already so he asked the professor if he could… well go to the library to do some research." Natasha groaned when she heard that knowing if he was anything like Clint this could only end badly, smiling knowingly Clint continued, "Naturally Harry was allowed to go and did the necessary research to complete his own assignment."

"Next morning everyone, from the head teacher to the cleaner, was meowing instead of talking. Only problem was as funny as it no doubt was Harry had forgotten to take into account that he would be the only one who wasn't affected." Everyone around the table was in fits of laughter at the prank.

"Let me guess he got busted." Tony said having recovered enough to speak once more.

"Totally and utterly busted. He had to clean bed pans in the infirmary for a week without using magic." Every one winced at the unusual punishment with sympathy.

"Ouch." Bruce said.

"Yeah, poor kid stank for days afterward." Clint said seriously before they all broke out laughing again at the younger mans misfortune.

Meanwhile Harry had finally found who he was looking for in the dance studio that was used for practice of martial arts and the like. For a few moments he stood there watching as Sophia continued her deadly dance around the room, fighting imaginary opponent after opponent before she caught sight of him standing in the door way.

Coming to a halt she looked at him surprise written across her face, "I thought you would have left by now." She began to make her way over to the bench on the side and undo the wrappings around her hands and feet.

Harry sat down gently beside her, "I thought if I was going to break the habit of a career it may as well be now." He said flippantly but with a small smile of amusement that Sophia missed.

"Yeah well get on with it then." She snapped at him.

Reeling back slightly in surprise Harry placed a hand over hers forcing her to make eye contact with him, "If I remember correctly we were in the middle of a conversation when we were called up." He said smiling, "One that I would very much like to finish."

Sophia looked at him confused, to her it sounded almost like he was… but he couldn't… this was Harry.

They sat there in silence for a moment, both not sure how to continue. Harry let out a shaky breath before speaking, "I don't even get why I'm this nervous because I know you have feelings for me and that means that everything is gonna change and I just need to tell you this before I leave. I need you to understand."

She stood quickly hoping to save herself the pain of his rejection, berating herself for her stupidity while he continued to speak in the background, only to be brought out of her musings by Harry standing in front of her, "… because if I'm being honest with myself Soph… I … well… I love you too."