Gatherings and a Conversation in a Garden

"Are you guys even listening to me?" asked Tony, when he realized neither Rogers nor Bruce said anything in the past ten minutes.

Then he noticed Rogers shiver.

"All right there, Rogers?"

Steve didn't say anything.

"Rogers," Tony said again, giving his shoulder a quick shake.

Steve shivered again and Tony gave his shoulder another shake.

"Steve."

Rogers gave a jolt before he visibly gathered himself and turned to look at Tony.

"What?"

"All right?"

Steve took a moment to think about it before he shook his head.

"I'm fine."

"That's good."

Tony side eyed him though wondering if he had a flashback to a conversation as he did and was just as fine as he was before Tony turned his attention to Bruce.

"All right, Bruce?"

Bruce didn't answer.

"Bruce, buddy, you all right?" Tony knew better than to touch him. He didn't want Big Green to hurt him and, consequently, Bruce.

Bruce looked widely at Tony before he exhaled deeply.

"I'm good."

Tony looked between Rogers and Bruce, both of who were pale and wide-eyed, which is exactly how he felt he looked when Rogers pulled him out of his own remembrance.

Tony decided the best thing he could do was pretend to believe them and continued on with his conversation – as if they had been listening for the last ten minutes.

"As I was saying," he said as soon as he saw he had both of their semi-undivided attention, "I've contacted both Romanoff and Barton. They should be here soon. We need to find out if they, too, had an encounter with the being going by the name of Master of Death-"

"What did you say?"

That was Romanoff and Barton simultaneously, even as they looked at each other surprised, which meant they didn't know that about one another.

Which meant that his hypothesis that everyone considered the conversation as something not to be shared with even the closest of friends, if not an outright hallucination as a result of their near death.

There was silence for a few minutes as only Tony had been expecting Romanoff and Barton as Rogers and Bruce were indisposed.

Barton broke the silence.

"Will someone explain what the hell is going on?"

Natasha's eyes narrowed as she asked, "And what does this have to do with the Master of Death?"

"You saw him too?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow in answer, though she seemed to be staring at nothing in particular.

Another flashback, if Tony had to guess.

"Right."

Tony turned to Barton and asked, "Have you seen him?"

Barton gave a half shrug as he nodded his affirmative though he, too, seemed to be momentarily zoning out for the foreseeable future.

Tony held in a sigh as he waited for them to come out of their flashbacks.

After all, he needed all the information they had, and it would give Rogers and Bruce a moment to collect themselves.

Meanwhile, on an unplottable piece of land, a man was gardening in front of their modest abode, humming a little, before suddenly another person was standing behind him.

"This is a bad idea, Harry."

Harry shrugged at the man, who had suddenly appeared behind him and continued to pull weeds out of his garden. He found it much more enjoyable than when he was a teenager.

"I've been in need of some excitement."

An exasperated sigh was his only answer.

Harry didn't let the sigh make him defend his answer - he just continued his gardening.

"Is this the kind of excitement you need though? You know what's coming. Is it worth the risk?"

Apparently, his friend - they were friends now after all - was demanding that Harry defend his choices.

Harry was silent as he thought it over, weeds forgotten for the moment.

In his old age, Harry was much better at thinking of the potential consequences of his actions. A lesson he learned the hard way with the death of his godfather – which he still has yet to forgive himself over – though it has been over one hundred years since his death. Harry knows Sirius' death will always haunt him.

Always.

"Yes."

The other man studied him, a move which he knew would make Harry nervous, which it did.

"Very well. If things do not turn out the way you expect – which is extremely likely – I will help hide you and get you away from the Avengers' attention."

Harry grinned slightly and said, "I know."

The man and Harry both knew he was talking about more than the spoken promise.

The man inclined his head and disappeared.

Harry went back to his weed pulling, hoping that his life would be more interesting soon.