There were many things that Persephone had found out about her magical abilities after becoming the Mistress of Death. She had thought that invisibility and a boost in power would be the only thing happening once she had the three relics in her possession - but as usual, she was wrong. It was not even a conscious effort on her part : she had just wished to be somewhere else, somewhere where no one would hound her for a favor or take advantage of her fame and wealth. It was daunting on her since she had spent her whole life being single to protect her significant other from Voldemort's wrath ; but he has been dead for three years and she still did not find anyone that stroked her fancy. Of course, she knew it would be difficult with her status, but to find that there were no tangible prospects for her at such a young age within her community had been like a slap in the face. Somehow, she had missed the fact that every single magical being was bestowed a soulmate they could recognize with the help of their mark but she did not have one. Surprisingly, she had been too ashamed to share this information with anyone other than Kreacher who had felt heartbroken for his new Mistress.
Persephone was used to peculiar events occurring around her - really, it had been happening from the moment she was born, she could bet on it. Even after all the time she had to come to terms with it, it was still terrifying that she had met Death. She was not particularly scared of him, they were old friends in her opinion after all her reckless endeavors and her Potter Luck. He had kindly informed her that her work within this dimension was somehow done and she could choose to move onto a calmer life for the rest of her existence and where she could meet her other half. Since magic did not exist in this alternate universe, everyone had soulmate identifying marks so it offered a broader scope and better luck to finally settle down. She was far from being a blushing maiden - but her carnal trysts had never been important enough to garner any type of overwhelming affection from her.
So instead of thinking of contingency plans and informing her friends where she would be going, she decided to trust her gut and to follow her newly appointed best friend. Because Death had just given her a unique boon, something she thought she would never have access to in her lifetime. Persephone was 95% sure that Luna would applaud her for her enthusiasm and her inspiring drive to find her one true love. The brunette had been too focused on garnering her wand and money and almost did not notice the look of contempt from Thanatos.
"I hope you don't plan on accompanying me dressed like a lowly peasant" sneered her new companion. "Your soulmate certainly won't be impressed if you show up like this.
The young heiress truly wanted to reprimand him, because he must have not read the fineprint where she was his Mistress, but his remarks were borderline abusive. But it was a bit difficult to find it in her to openly glare at him or show him how hurt she was by his words since he looked like he could be her twin. She did not know if it was his primary form and the resemblance between them was just a mere coincidence or if he chose those looks so he could throw her off her game. Everybody who had spent more than a few hours with the woman knew she lacked affection and family - she almost wanted to thank him for the vision he had granted her.
Persephone knew she was beautiful - some would even use the word ethereal. It was mostly due to such a good gene pool, after all, who could claim Lily and James as biological parents with a dash of Sirius with his blood adoption ? Her face looked carved by the gods that had entrusted magic to them, like it was another gift, another way for the Fates to expunge themselves from the Hell they had left her in her whole life. She could forgive a lot - but the end of the war had opened her eyes to a plethora of mistreatment she had never even noticed before. Even Ronald and Hermione barely spoke to her if not to ask her about something or even to invite themselves within her home without asking before. Well, the brunette was confident that Kreacher would take care of it to the best of his abilities - and if they were not happy with this turn of events, they would learn some manners. In a way, they were adamant about living their life like adults but were always ready to renegade Percy to a mere teenager whenever she talked about responsibilities and her duties.
Thanatos had reassured her they would be back the next day and not to worry since time did not differ between both dimensions. She could make her decision after a few weeks of traveling and getting to know her surroundings before making a final choice that would certainly change the rest of her life.
"Is the outfit more appropriate?", wondered Persephone while looking at herself in the mirror. A few beautifying charms and a bit of Sleak-Easy in her hair had done wonders in less than a minute and she could at least admire herself without feeling too vain. It was not everyday that she dressed up to meet her soulmate. "I hope he likes red and gold at least…"
Her dress was elegant but not too fancy since Thanatos had informed her they would be going to a casino. The look they had shared when he informed her of some of her soulmate's proclivities would have been to anyone else present (or it could look like a fight between a stupidly attractive pair of twins). It was long, hiding her uncomfortable high heels and her wand holster. She could easily use non-verbal and wandless magic but it was still better to be prepared for any type of situation. She knew Death would protect her - and would teach her how to change dimension in a few seconds. She had decided to display her Gryffindor pride, even though no one could understand it and opted for a vibrant and eye-catching red while her belt was a distinct fine rope of gold. She did not know what kind of identity she would have to make up over there, but she was sure she would be able to keep her first name.
Without further ado, she held on onto Thanatos' arm, took a deep breath and finally closed her eyes.
—-
Tony was not having a nice evening. It had started so well after all : drugs and alcohol were flowing and it was all the genius needed to enjoy his night. He would have to leave the country for a few days and just wanted to use this time to make up for the boring hours he would spend on the train and presenting his newest creation. Sharing the Jericho with the government was making him anxious : he could not track every single weapon once they left Stark Industries vicinity and knowing the Army could fire them whenever they wanted once they had them in their inventory was not helping with the growing anxiety in his stomach.
After James had berated him because of his alcohol consumption and his lack of respect for other people's time, the billionaire had been ready to leave this god-forsaken party and just go home with the delicious reporter that kept on glaring at him every time she had the occasion. But something kept him sitting at the bar, listening to Happy's recounting of some sport events and not really paying attention to his surroundings.
When he saw her, he was practically sure the whole casino had decided to honor her beauty by admiring her. For the first time since well, ever, Tony did not know how to approach a dazzling woman like her. She exuded confidence and seemed at ease in a crowd, even though her smile was a bit strained and she kept looking around her in a cautious way. It reminded him of his attitude when he was younger and always worried about getting kidnapped for some nefarious plot whatsoever.
Their eyes met from opposite sides of the room and they both stopped breathing at the same time and just…feeling the connection between them. His lack of soulmate had turned him into a spiteful man who never cared about the women he slept with and concerned himself with his own joy and accomplishments. It was a travesty to think that such an exquisite woman had not been matched before meeting him, but he could only thank the Gods and the stars for their meeting.
Unconsciously, they had started walking towards one another and it was then he noticed her young age. He was 38 after all, and she did not look older than twenty - which would have been a problem with the media if it had not been his usual age-range. Without really understanding why, for the first time, he felt a bit of shame about some of his actions. He shook his head before joining her and offering her a dazzling charming smile.
"I think destiny had just matched with the human equivalent of Aphrodite Miss…?" Tony so desperately wanted her name. She had an amused look and quirked her lips slightly before lightly letting out a huff.
"You're pretty close, sir. For some reasons, my parents were adamant on naming me Persephone. What about you?", asked him his newly found soulmate with such sincerity in his eyes it could not be faked.
He did not want to push his luck and give her more reason to recognize him and decided to just forgo his celebrity persona and try to have a bit of fun tonight. He would have to leave for the other side of the world by tomorrow and he could use a bit of relaxation for the rest of his evening. "Anthony, but everyone calls me Tony. You've never heard of me?"
The denominated Persephone looked him up and down and shrugged her shoulders in the most ladylike manor. Her emerald eyes were mesmerizing and he was pretty sure it would be the only shade of green he would like from this day until his last day.
"I profusely apologize sir. Well, I have been in a secluded boarding school in Scotland for the last ten years without access to electricity in the summer wherever we go home. I have to admit I have not been keeping up with the news and celebrities", Persephone told him.
Tony winced imperceptibly at the mention of boarding school - a place still full of nightmares and dread. This period of his life just showed how powerless he had been before and thinking about this era was always enough to put him into a bad mood. They had moved to the balcony and kept talking for hours - never noticing the cameras or the gossips around them. No one truly expected Tony Stark to make idle chat with an unknown woman at a casino - how pretty said woman was did not really reassure all of his fans.
But the billionaire had learnt a lot about Persephone ; from her parents death to her blonde unique best friend to her loneliness and her need to move. Her accent showed clearly from where she had come from ; and thinking about the fact she could leave again did not bode well for him.
"Will you join me? At home ?", asked her Tony. He saw her blush and furrowed her brows in discontent before taking a few steps back. He understood what she thought he had meant and was fast to rectify his mistake. "Just to keep talking, I promise. I've always wanted to meet you, so here I am." He bit his lip and thought for a few seconds before getting a napkin and writing down his address. "If we leave here together, you might not have another moment of respite for the next few years. Please join me".
Tony was a lot of things, but he was not a coward. That's what he kept thinking while walking towards his car with Happy, not even noticing the cameras and reporters following him. He wanted to turn around and know what she was planning on doing now that the ball was in his court but he did not want to feel disappointed if he had seen her on the balcony, away from him.
Once she joined him, driving an impressive and expensive sports car, the genius could not help but offer her a sincere smile. She still seemed a bit recluse (and a quick look at her stance showed clear sign of abuse), but he did not push her to do anything but talk about her life. He felt good sharing some details he had kept secret from anyone - but he somehow knew he could trust this windstorm of a woman.
The next day, when he woke up in his bed for the first time in a few years, he only had the faint smell of citrus on his sheets to remind him that the previous night had not been a hallucination.
—-
It was rare for Persephone Harriet Potter to traipse into Gringotts. After having robbed them, they tend to hate you - but the young heiress had been fast to remedy the discord between her and the Goblin Nation. It was one thing to underestimate them and it was another to foolishly make them your enemy. So the brunette had given back almost every single Goblin artifact present in the Potter and Peverell Vault. Even though she could use the Black family fortune and was entitled to it twice over from her grandmother Dorea and Sirius, the family magic tended to settle better for a wizard, so she would have to wait for a son to be born.
Without further ado, the Girl-Who-Lived joined her account manager accompanied by a dark shadow holding a scythe terrifying the creatures. "I need a new identity and background - I plan on moving onto another dimension".
While it was true the Goblins were not used to such demands from their clients - their King had lived a long time and had many opportunities to meet Thanatos. From there, a sense of kinship had bloomed between both of them and even though Ragnok was terrified of Death, he had to abide by his King's rules. Besides, they would transfer the majority of her funds to this new dimension while keeping the Goblins artefacts that rightfully belonged to them while still working closely with Miss Potter. Her children would one day have to attend Hogwarts- especially if she wanted them to excel in magic.
Besides, the easiest task was establishing a real identity for her - one who could not be brought down by any government. It was a simple ritual that had been done for ages - especially within the Peverell family since they had always been hunted and knew they had to hide in plain sight. So whenever someone would have the idea of looking even more for her, the Goblins would be aware and find a way to rectify a situation. Since Miss Potter was used to her Ladyship status and her discreet lifestyle, it would be easy to integrate her into some old branch of British Nobility that kept to themselves and had garnered an astounding fortune.
And being under the protection of the Mistress of Death could only mean good thing for an institution such as Gringotts.
