Okay...so this chapter is a collection of shot stories that take place between battles, mostly because I really suck at writing battle scenes. Hopefully this all makes sense.
Also a minor language warning as there is some F bombs being dropped.
A few days after Harry's first fitting found the men out on the training grounds working on group movements when an owl flew down and landed on one of the structures. "What is that?" Dum Dum asked when they stopped their exercise.
"That is an owl." Jim stated sarcastically.
"No shit jackass. What the hell is an owl doing here?"
"You didn't ask that. You asked what it was, and I told you."
Before the two men could get into a fight Steve stood between them, holding his arm out for the owl. "It's probably a post owl. Magicals use owls to send letters and packages." Checking the name on the letter Steve looked over the grounds for his fiancé. "Harry! You have an owl!"
Harry jogged over quickly. "Oh, good. I was hoping they could send me the uniforms quickly." Holding out his arm Harry waited for the owl to fly over to him. Untying the package from the owl's leg he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of jerky from the stashed bag he had grabbed that morning and offered it to the owl. "Here you go. Thank you for bringing this." Taking the offered food, the owl took off quickly.
"What did you get Harry?" Bucky asked as he and the rest of the team gathered around the wizard.
Reading through the note Harry smiled. "I wrote to the ICW and asked them to send us protective gear." He held up the tiny box for the others to see. "They were able to send under armour for all of you in the best dragonhide."
"Dragonhide? Like real dragons?" Falsworth asked looking amazed.
"Yes, dragons are real. They have preserves for them in several countries to protect them and keep the muggles from spotting them. The workers gather all the shed hide, scales, teeth and claws then sell them to potion masters, apothecaries and tanneries. Dragons are only cut up for more intimate ingredients, like their heart string, after they have died."
"Wait, are unicorns and mermaids real as well?" Gabe shared a look with the rest of the team, feeling excited. He and Jim seemed to be the most accepting of magic besides Bucky.
Harry and Steve laughed. "Yes. Unicorns, mermaids, fairies, Vela, sirens, ghosts, trolls, goblins, phoenix you name it, it probably exists."
"What about big foot?" Dum Dum asked sarcastically. "Does big foot exist?"
"Of course," Steve answered with all seriousness. "Though they preferred to be called Sasquatch. If I remember correctly, they rebelled in 1892 and forced MACUSA to move their head quarters from Washington to New York."
"You've got to be kidding?"
"No," Harry turned to Steve and smiled. "Remember that Broadway show granddad took us to see?"
"Yeah, Bigfoot's Last Stand. That was an interesting show. I think granddad really regretted taking us to see that one."
"Wait, wizards have Broadway?"
"Why wouldn't they? Magicals have many of the same things that no-Maj have. Mostly, because they stole the idea and adapted it to work with magic." Harry explained with a smile. He was enjoying having muggles that were curious about magic in a good way. "Why don't we head back, and you can all try on the dragon hide suits?"
The men were all quick to jump on that idea and raced one another back to their barracks. Harry was quick to hand out all the protective gear and try to explain how to wear it before the men bolted to their rooms. Shrugging Harry went into his and Steve's room to give his fiancé his set. A little while later Harry was debating if he was regretting helping Steve with his outfit or not.
Currently Harry was pinned against the wall of their room, his shirt missing. Steve had stripped down to his skivvies and was pressing up against his fiancé kissing the life out of him. Harry wasn't sure how long they had been snogging for, but he was quite ready for it to go onto the next level. After all I did use magic to join the two small beds together into a much larger bed, why let it go to waste?
"Hey you two! What's taking so long?" Bucky yelled through the closed door.
Oh yeah. That's why we can't use the wonderful bed, the rest of the team are waiting for us. Pushing Steve away from him Harry walked towards the door, trying to straighten his hair and look for his shirt. Opening the door a crack, he smiled at his brother. "Hey Buck. Sorry, Steve is having a bit of a hard time getting into the suit. Shouldn't be more than another minute."
Looking the younger man over Bucky shook his head and sighed. He knew exactly what was taking them so long. "Um hum I'm sure he is. Just hurry up alright the rest of the team is ready and starting to ask questions. At the very least you need to come out."
Nodding Harry glanced back at Steve who was pulling on the pants. "Just give me a second to straighten myself out then I'll be right there."
Bucky shook his head. "That's fine, but I'm staying right here. I'm not leaving you two alone, you'll just start back up again."
Laughing Harry went in search of his shirt. Thankfully it didn't take him long to find it as he was sure Bucky would kill him if he took much longer. "Okay, all ready to help out. Let's go." Stepping out of his room Harry headed to where the others were waiting for him. Each man was in a different colour of dragon hide. "Well, well. Look at you all. You almost look like wizards," Harry laughed.
"Why are they all different colours?"
"Because they are all from different breeds of dragons."
"There are different breeds of dragons?" Gabe looked impressed.
"Of course, there are different breeds. You Gabe are wearing a Peruvian Vipertooth. Dum Dum has a Chinese Fireball, Monty is wearing a Common Welsh Green. Bucky has a Ukrainian Ironbelly. Jacques, you have the hide of a Swedish Short-snout. Jim you got a Hebridean Black."
"What's mine?" Steve asked as he joined the team.
"You got the same as me. Hungarian Horntail."
"Wait," Steve sat down beside Harry looking concerned. "Isn't that the same dragon you faced at fourteen in the tournament?"
"Yeah it was."
"Wait. What's this about you facing a dragon at fourteen?" Jacques asked.
"I was forced to enter into a tri school tournament. The first task was for each champion to get a golden egg from a nesting dragon mother with nothing but our wands. The second task forced us underwater for an hour to rescue a hostage. Our third task was a maze. The first person to touch the cup in the center of the maze was the winner."
"What the hell is wrong with the magical world? That they think making a fourteen-year-old fight in that kind of tournament is a good idea?"
"Trust me, I've asked myself that same question many times." Harry paused, momentarily lost in the past. "You know," he looked the team over quickly. "These outfits are designed to go under your uniforms. To really get a feel for them you should put your uniforms over top."
Smiling the five men rushed off to put the rest of their uniforms over the dragon hide, leaving Bucky in the common with Harry and Steve. "Stevie why don't you go and see if that uniform of yours will fit over the dragon hide. Harry can stay here with me. I don't need you two getting distracted again."
Laughing Steve held up his hands in surrender. "Okay. I get it. I'll be quick." Heading into his room Steve proceeded to argue with his uniform.
As soon as one of the other guys came out into the common Bucky went to get his uniform overtop the dragon hide. It didn't take long for the rest of the team to join them. They sat there for a quite a while waiting for the Captain to join them. "Maybe I should go and check on him?" Harry suggested with a wink to Bucky.
"That's alright. I'll go check on him, he might need a little help with getting that uniform over the dragon hide. You should stay and make sure the rest of the team doesn't need adjusting." Not waiting for Harry to try and argue with him Bucky headed for Steve's room. Opening the door Bucky stood there for a second before throwing his head back and laughing.
Hearing the laughter, the rest of the team came running, each one pushing and shoving to get a look at what Bucky was laughing at. When the men got a look, they all laughed. Monty grabbed hold of the doorframe to keep himself upright, across the hall Jacques was leaning against the wall while Dum Dum, Gabe and Jim all fell to the floor, they were laughing so hard, while Harry was clinging to Bucky in order to stay upright. In the room Steve was hopping on one leg, the other being stuck in his uniform's leg along with part of an arm.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up you assholes."
"Maybe we need to get you a dragon hide girdle there Cap. Might help." Monty smirked.
"I'm surprised you even got your fucking bicep in there." Jim wheezed out.
"Might need to ease up on the weightlifting and the snacks…definitely the snacks." Dum Dum
"Are you going to just stand there staring or are you going to help me?" Steve glared at them, though he was fighting a smile.
"Keep standing here. Definitely keep standing here." Bucky chuckled.
"You know," Harry wheezed out. "I think we might need to get Howard's help with this. Have him alter the suit to include the dragon hide."
"I hate you all." Steve fought to get the uniform back off, but it was stuck tight to the dragon hide.
"What is going on in here? I could hear you all cackling from two corridors over. I thought you were all trying on some new protective gear." Peggy stormed in in full big sister mode.
"Sorry Pegs." Harry took a deep breath to calm himself and walked away from their room. "Everyone tried on their new dragon hide outfits, then it was decided to test them properly under the uniforms. Unfortunately, Steve's uniform is a little…um…tight."
Pushing Bucky out of the way Peggy stood in the doorway fighting a smile. "Oh. I see. I'll tell Howard to expect you in his lab with both uniforms so he can properly alter them, as soon as you can get out of them of course." Turning on her heel Peggy quickly fled the common. Once out of sight she allowed herself to laugh.
Steve was never living this down.
Peggy walked into the commandos' common looking for Steve; somehow despite Harry being a higher-ranking officer Steve was the nominated leader of the commandos, that and Philip preferred dealing with Steve. She found all eight men were lounging around playing poker with what appeared to be jellybeans, until the round was over, and Bucky ate the single bean in the middle of the cards.
Jumping up Bucky raced for the open bathroom to spit out the bean in his mouth and rinse his mouth under the sink. "Jesus Fuck! That tasted like ass."
"Had a lot of experience eating ass there Buck?" Dum Dum shot back, when he could breath again.
"What in the world are you boys doing?" Peggy demanded.
"Every flavour bean poker." Harry explained. "Come join us for a few rounds. The loser has to eat the bean."
Peggy sighed and quickly checked her watch. "Very well, but only for a few rounds." Sitting down in Bucky's empty chair Peggy accepted the cup of tea Harry levitated her way and allowed herself to be dealt into the next round.
After a few more rounds of watching the men eating horrible beans Peggy decided that enough was enough and that she was now running late for the meeting she and Steve were supposed to be in. Getting up she dragged Steve away leaving the others sitting around the common. After sitting around for a bit, they all decided they had enough of ass beans and settled down to just talk.
"So, I heard that Ward and Grey have been court marshalled and are going before the firing squad." Dum Dum stated.
"What! Why?" Harry chocked on his drink. He had met both men and liked them.
"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Falsworth added while Gabe patted Harry on the back. "They were caught together by the MP's."
"Together how?" Harry looked at his teammates confused. The others all seemed to know what Dum Dum and Falsworth were talking about.
"Like…together…together…naked." Gabe seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea. Harry wasn't sure if it was the idea of two men together that made Gabe uncomfortable or the idea of two of their friends being shot.
"Oh." Well, I guess this is the best time to come out. And with Steve not here they don't need to know that we're together just yet, unless they take it really, really well. Sharing a look with Bucky Harry decided to act dumb. "Were they caught on base?"
"No, from what I heard they were caught in some sleazy hotel." Jim said feeling confused.
"Oh. Were they cheating on their partners with each other?"
"No…" Dum Dum shared a confused look with the others. None of them could understand why Harry was asking all these questions.
"Hun. So…why are they getting shot?" Harry's head movements reminded Bucky of Starfeathers.
"Because, they're queers."
"So?" Harry couldn't lie, he was having a great time messing with them. Beside him Bucky was trying hard not to laugh.
"Harry it's illegal and wrong."
Harry did another rather impressive bird impression with his head turn, looking at each of the men in turn. "Why?"
While Bucky was trying hard not to laugh and keep a straight face the rest of the room was lost. None of them could understand why Harry was having a hard time with this. "It's wrong for two men to be together." Dum Dum insisted.
"But why's it wrong?" Harry found it interesting that while Dum Dum, Jim, Gabe and Monty all seemed confused and uncomfortable, Jacques remained silent on the subject.
Feeling bad for the others and knowing Harry needed an in Bucky decided to help them out. "I think that people perceive it as being wrong because two men can't have a child together."
"Oh, right. I keep forgetting that muggle men can't get pregnant." There, Harry thought with a grin. Let them think on that for a minute.
"Wait. What did you say?" Gabe asked intrigued.
"I said that no-Maj men can't get pregnant."
"That's what I thought. You make it sounds like wizards can get pregnant." Jacques stated with a smile.
"Exactly. Wizards can get pregnant, and I have every intention of doing so after the war."
"But…I assume to get pregnant you need some...um…help…" Monty wasn't sure what to think about this part of magic, though he liked the rest of it.
Harry laughed. "Yes, I do need a bit of help with that part. Thankfully, my fiancé is more than up to the task. It was his idea to wait until after the war before getting married and starting a family."
"Wait. Did you say fiancé?" Bucky was angry. Did that punk seriously propose and not tell him?
"Yes. He proposed back in June. We decided with the war going on we would wait until it was over before getting married."
"That jackass. He never told me. And you. Where's the ring?" Bucky stood and demanded, holding his hand out to a laughing Harry.
"There is no ring Buck. I'm a guy. Just because I'm marrying another guy and like taking it up the arse doesn't make me a girl. However, there is this." Holding out his wrist Harry showed off his bracelet. "In the wizarding world when two men decide to get married one will give the other a bracelet or necklace instead of a ring which is seen as being more feminine."
"I think I need a drink." Dum Dum leaned over putting his elbows on his knees. The rest of the commandos were just sitting silently stunned. Understanding the shock, they were going through Harry summoned a bottle of whisky and glasses, pouring everyone a glass and levitating each glass to hover in front of the men.
"Are you all alright?" Harry was nervous. While they had all accepted magic quite easily, he suspected it was in part because of how much it helped them on the battlefield. This, however, would be no help in the battle so he wasn't sure how it would sit with the rest of the team.
Dum Dum waved Harry off as he poured himself and the others another drink. Taking a small sip of his second drink Dum Dum looked up at Harry who was looking nervous and about to run. "How long?" he asked quietly.
Harry looked up confused. "How long what?"
"How long have you and your…fiancé been together?"
"Oh," Harry smiled slightly. "Eight years. He asked me out a couple weeks before my fifteenth birthday."
"You've been with the same person since you were fifteen?" Jim asked in surprise. "Damn. None of us have been able to keep a dame for longer than a few months. But how are you going to get married, that's completely illegal."
"Not for wizards. It's just as normal for two wizards, or two witches to be together as it is for a wizard and a witch."
"Two…two witches…" Monty was staggered.
Laughing Harry shifted a little on the couch and brushed up against Jim who jumped like he had been shot. "Sorry, I didn't…sorry." Feeling uncomfortable in a way he hadn't felt since coming to the past Harry stood and put as much distance as he could between him and the team. "I don't know if it helps, but there is no way I would ever push myself on any of you. One, because I'm in a committed relationship and would never cheat on my fiancé. Two, I don't find any of you attractive in that way. I get it if you don't feel comfortable with me around, I'll stay away except for training exercises and missions." Nodding to the men Harry turned and left the common.
Bucky watched his brother go feeling angry that Harry no longer felt welcome. "What the fuck guys?" he turned on the rest of the team. "Do you have any idea how hard that was for him to admit that? He's saved each of your lives and this is how you thank him? You all need to get your heads out of your asses. Harry's not suddenly going to jump you in your sleep alright. Like he said it's different for wizards. For him it's completely normal." Shaking his head Bucky went in search of Harry.
Harry wandered through the corridors just letting his feet take him away from the condemning eyes of men he had come to respect. It hurt to be rejected for who he was again, though there was some comfort knowing that Steve and Bucky would still be there.
"There you are."
Hearing a voice Harry turned and had to smile when he saw his brother. "Hey Buck."
James walked up to the smaller man and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go take a walk while those idiots think things over. They may not be okay with it tonight, or even tomorrow, but I know they will get over whatever hang ups they have soon enough." Taking comfort from the older man's words Harry allowed himself to be led outside.
Steve returned from his meeting with Colonel Philips feeling a little drained. There were just so many things that went into planning these attacks and as the leader of the Commandos he was needed in these meetings. Now all he wanted was to relax in the common for a bit before retiring to his room with Harry.
His plans, however, went out the window when he entered the common and found Harry and Bucky missing while the rest of the team looked lost and confused. "What happened? Where did Harry and Bucky get off to?"
Gabe looked up at the Captain glad the man had returned. "Harry and Bucky left a while ago. I think Harry was upset."
"What happened?" hearing that Harry was upset put Steve on edge. He needed to find out exactly what happened then he needed to find his fiancé.
"We were talking about Ward and Grey…"
Steve sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Harry told you, didn't he?"
"Wait," Dum Dum stood quickly, spilling his drink. "You knew that Harry was a fag and didn't tell any of us?"
Steve glared at the Sergeant. "Yes, I know that Harry likes men. I also know that in the wizarding world it holds no stigma. I didn't expect it to come up or be important, so I didn't see the reason you needed to know."
"Well, it would have been nice to know. What if he had come on to any of us?"
"Harry is engaged, I seriously doubt he would have tried anything with you."
"How did you know he was engaged? And why aren't you more upset about this?"
"If you remember Dugan, I am magical as well. It would be really hypocritical of me to be upset about this; after all I was named for my grandmother."
"While that's nice and all what does your grandmother Stephanie have anything to do with this?"
"My grandmother's name was Stefanus and he has quite a bit to do with this."
"He?"
"Yes, he. My mother's parents were both male." Steve supressed a smile at the shocked and disgruntled looks the team had on their faces.
"There you are Punk." Bucky stomped into the common glaring at his brother.
"Buck. Where's Harry?"
"I left him with Peggy. He's pretty upset but doesn't want to come back to his room with the guys here. He's worried about upsetting the team and has elected to remove himself from the common. Last I heard Peggy was taking him to see Howard's newest invention."
"Good, he needs the distraction."
"That reminds me. I owe you something," pulling his arm back Bucky swung forward and punched Steve in the face.
"What was that for?" Steve held his nose. He was sure that the only reason his nose wasn't broken was because of the serum.
"You never told me about getting engaged you punk. What the hell? Since when do you keep secrets like that from me?"
"Sorry Buck. I didn't want to put it in a letter, then I found out about you being captured. In the rush of saving you guys, getting the team put together and meting back up with Harry, I guess I forgot. I honestly never meant to keep it a secret from you."
"Wait," Jim paled as he stared at his captain. "You're engaged as well?"
"Yes." Steve stared his team down, daring them to say anything.
"You're engaged to Harry, aren't you?" Jacques asked his captain.
"I am." Steve crossed his arms and waited for one of the men to say something against him.
The men were prevented from saying anything as Harry and Peggy returned. "Oh, sorry. I hope we're not interrupting anything," Peggy spoke softly knowing full well she was but didn't care.
"No, that's fine Pegs. Thank you for keeping Harry company while I dealt with these issues. The team is now fully aware of my relationship with Harry. I was just about to tell them that you know and have agreed to cover for the two of us."
"What?" Dum Dum looked slightly offended. "Peggy, you knew about these two being together and didn't report it? Not only that but, you're covering for them?"
Peggy glared at the red head. "Yes Dugan. I see no problem with their relationship. Things are different in their world and I don't see the point of holding them to our standards. That being said, not many people will understand so I have agreed to pretend to date Steve, and before you ask it was all my idea." Shooting another glare Peggy turned, gave both Harry and Steve a kiss on the cheek then left.
Harry smiled after the agent for a second then turned serious. "Well, I've thought about it and I've come to a decision." Flicking his wrist Harry summoned his wand to his hand. Immediately the rest of the team took a step back. "It makes no difference if the men know about us being together and it seems like it is pulling the team apart."
"Harry," Bucky eyed the wizard cautiously, like a wild animal. "What are you going to do?"
"If knowing that Steve and I are together is the problem," Harry lifted his wand and pointed it level with Dum Dum's forehead between his eyes. "Then I'm going to take that knowledge away. Problem solved."
Standing Jacques looked both Harry and Steve in the eye. "l'amour c'est l'amour. Peu importe à quoi ressemblent les corps, juste ce que ressent le cœur." (Love is love. It doesn't matter what the bodies look like, just how the heart feels.
"Veux-tu vraiment dire que?" Harry looked at the French men in shock. (Do you truly mean that?)
"Oui. Mon frère aimait aussi les hommes. Nos parents n'ont eu aucun problème avec cela. Si vous et le capitaine êtes ensemble, je vous souhaite à tous les deux beaucoup de bonheur." Walking over he shook both Steve and Harry's hands before grabbing Bucky's arm and heading for the door. (Yes. My brother liked men as well. Our parents had no problems with it. If you and Captain are together, I wish you both every happiness.)
"Jacques!" Harry called after him. "Merci. Cela signifie beaucoup pour moi." Nodding Jacques silently left the area, pulling Barnes along with him. (Thank you. It means a lot to me.)
Using the distraction Steve reached out and pushed Harry's wand arm down. "No Harry. You don't need to erase their memories. We don't need to be casting spells like that on our own teammates." Gently Steve pulled Harry's wand from his fingers, putting it into his pocket. Steve knew that while Harry could cast many spells wandless, he still needed it for precision spells. Steve brought Harry into a tight hug, not letting the smaller man escape nor get to his wand.
"Steve no. You shouldn't have done this. What if they kick you off the team?"
Leaning down Steve kissed the top of Harry's head. "Let them. If they honestly have that much of a problem with it then we'll leave. I'm sure the ICW can find work for Captain America." Pulling away he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Come on, lets go for a walk. I need to find Bucky and apologise again before he decides to kill me in my sleep." Glaring at the rest of the team Steve guided his fiancé out of their common leaving the men to their thoughts.
"Do you think we over-reacted?" Monty asked after a few minutes of quiet.
"I don't know." Gabe admitted. "It's hard to wrap my head around it being okay, never mind that Harry can get pregnant."
"That's more than a little odd." Jim admitted.
"What Pegs said is true though." Monty added. "The wizarding world is different from our own. They have a different culture from us."
"But it's in the bible," Dugan stated. He looked extremely shaken. This went against everything he believed.
"That's true." Monty and Jim nodded their heads in agreement.
"The bible is also against witchcraft. And I don't think magicals believe in Christ…or even god for that matter."
"I forgot about that. I don't suppose it makes much sense for magicals to believe in Christ."
"Does that matter?" Monty asked. "Do our beliefs matter in this? I mean Steve and Harry are our friends and leaders. We've been fighting together for a few months now and we've each saved each other lives. What does it matter who believes in what or what people do behind closed doors?"
The men sat in silence for a long time afterwards, each thinking things over.
Steve, Harry and Bucky didn't return to the common until well after dark wanting to make sure that the rest of the team was asleep. The three men had decided to stay away from the rest of the team for the next few days to give them time to think things over. The men all went through the day-to-day motions for a week before anything was said. Surprisingly it was Dum Dum that first said anything.
"So," Dugan stood and rubbed the back of his head. "I figured that it makes no difference what you two do behind closed doors."
Harry just stared at the man, not quite sure what to make of his words. Beside him Steve wrapped his arm around Harry's waist. "Are you sure Tim?" Steve really needed to know if Dugan was telling the truth. The last thing Harry needed was another person turning on him.
Hearing his first name Dum Dum paused. Looking the Captain over he realized that he was doing what any man would do when their partner is being threatened. Then it hit him, we're the threat. Steve is protecting Harry from us. "Yes. I do mean it. Peggy pointed out that magicals are a different culture and that we can't judge it by our own. So…I'm not. I'll be honest here and say that I don't really understand and I'm not fully comfortable with it…but I refuse to let it get in the way of our team."
"Thank you, Tim." Harry smiled at the red head.
"He's not the only one. We all agree with Dugan. You two are clearly in love and we won't do anything to make you uncomfortable. It will take some getting used to, but none of us will say anything about it." Gabe offered the two officers a small smile with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Thank you all. I promise Steve and I will keep the touching to a minimum around you all." Harry smiled at his teammates. He was glad that they were accepting of him and Steve. He wasn't sure what he would have done if they, like so many others had turned on him.
The men rushed in behind the Commandos, guns blazing. They were all prepared for the blue lights coming from the Hydra guns along with the regular gun fire; what they were not expecting were the different coloured lights coming from the wizards working with Hydra. The light streams came out of nowhere and took down a number of soldiers before Harry and Steve were able to throw up shields around the men.
Harry was quick to throw Steve his wand. They had discovered that Steve could use Harry's wand with no issues and Harry was able to cast just as well without it. While the two men were curious as to why there was such a change in their magic, neither had the time nor the resources to find out. Steve did write to their granddad about it, hoping that the older wizard might know. So far thought they hadn't gotten a responce.
Holstering his gun Steve began shooting off spells trying to take out the enemy wizards as fast as possible. He was sure they had got all the wizards a few minutes later and tucked Harry's wand into a special pocket Howard had made in his uniform's leg and pulled his gun. It was one thing for him to fight magic against magic, but he was reluctant to use magic on muggles.
When he talked with Harry about it, Steve told his fiancé that he was scared that it would go to his head. Steve already had a bit of a tough time getting used to his new body and all the things he could do now. Not just things that he couldn't do before, but the things he could do that no one else could (like lifting a motorcycle over his head with three chorus girls sitting on it), he didn't want to lose himself in the power. Dr. Erskine had chosen him for a reason, and he wanted the man to be proud of him. Using magic against muggles was just one more thing that he could do very few other people could and one more thing to go to his head.
Across the battlefield Harry was dealing with the majority of the Hydra magicals. He was sure most of them had been dealt with when disaster struck. Harry had been dueling with one wizard when a second came out of no where and sent a curse at Dugan. The next thing Harry knew Dum Dum was on the ground screaming, missing a leg. Losing his temper Harry quickly shot an AK at both wizards before turning his attention to his fallen brother.
Immediately Harry cast a protective ward around himself and Dum Dum, the last thing he needed was to be attacked while trying to heal his friend. Slowly easing Dugan up so that he was propped against the buildings wall giving them one less way to be attacked from. Pulling potions out of his expanded pocket Harry lined them up beside Dum Dum in two clear rows. Then he turned his attention to Dugan.
"Dum Dum…Dugan…TIM!" Harry had to work hard to get the other man's attention. "I need to try and pay attention to me okay?" It took a moment for Dugan's eyes to clear and nod in understanding. "I need you to take these two potions right now. It will help, I promise." As gently as he could Harry gave the injured man one each of the two potions. "This is where you need to pay attention. If you feel any pain, I need you to take the green one. If you feel dizzy or light-headed or that your going to pass out, take the red one. They are all right here beside your arm. I am going to try and fix your leg so I can't be helping you with this. Got it?"
Only when Harry was sure Dugan had understood and was coherent did Harry continue. "While I have put a protective ward around us, it won't stop anyone from getting close to us so I'm going to need you to cover us." Picking up the man's rifle he put it in Dugan's hands. "Shoot anything that comes close that's not one of ours. My guns on the other side of you with the ammo if you need it."
Getting a good grip on the rifle Dugan nodded. "I've got this Harry. Don't worry about it. Just…just do what you can."
Smiling up at his brother Harry touched the man's shoulder. "Trust me. I'll have you up and chasing after the dames in no time." Turning his attention back to the missing leg Harry began casting healing spell after healing spell.
Steve was giving it his all, trying to take down as many Hydra goons as possible while protecting his own men. He was horribly worried that he hadn't seen Harry or Dum Dum since the wizards attacked but had to push it down. The last thing he needed was become distracted with worry on the battlefield. The fastest way to ease that worry was to deal with Hydra as fast as he could.
One last throw of his shield saw the last Hydra agent downed and instantly his worry took over. Putting his shield back in its holder Steve went in search of his team. This was one of the things he hated most about these large fights, the commandos usually got separated during them and he had to find them afterwards to make sure they were all alright. It was quick work to find Jac, Monty, and Bucky but the longer it was when the rest of the team was missing the worse Steve worried.
Gabe was the one to find him. "Cap, we got a small problem."
"What's wrong?" Steve was instantly on edge thinking that something had happened to Harry. He asked everyone and no one had seen him since the wizards first attacked.
"It's Jim. He's not injured but he is hurting."
"Gabe. What happened?" Steve was getting frustrated and irate. Bucky noticed his brother's twitchiness and placed a hand on his shoulder hoping to comfort him.
Gabe just shook his head and led the way to their missing teammate. Honestly, he didn't really understand what had happened, but he knew Steve would. They didn't have to go far to find Jim holding another soldier close. Steve knew immediately what had happened to the other soldier.
Sighing he went and knelt beside his brother. "Jim. You alright?"
Jim looked up at his captain with tears running down his cheeks. "I don't know what happened. I didn't even know he was in the one oh seven. I was fighting, then this green light comes at me and he's pushing me down. The green light hit him, and he just fell."
Gently Steve reached out and pulled Jim away from the dead soldier. "That green light is the killing curse. It kills whoever it touches instantly and painlessly. There's nothing you could have done to save him."
"He saved my life. The stupid idiot."
"How do you know him? You know I'm not the best with names." Steve tried to make his bother laugh or even smile but it didn't work.
"He was my best friend growing up. Like you and Bucky, he was my brother. His name is Joe Sato. Our parents came over from Japan together and bought houses next to one another. I've known him my whole life." Steve didn't know what to say so he just sat in the mud beside his teammate and wrapped an arm around the other man's shoulders.
While Steve was comforting Jim, Bucky went in search of his youngest brother. Talking with a few men he finally figured out where Harry was likely to be. Turning the corner of the building he paused taking in the sight before him. Paling, he turned and rushed back to where Steve and the others were. "STEVE! I found Harry and Dum Dum. I think they might need your help; Dum Dum looks badly injured."
Instantly the team was on their feet ready to help their brother. Even Jim who was glad for the distraction, though he hoped that Dugan was going to be alright, he wasn't sure he could stand to lose another friend today. Rushing around the building the men froze when they saw Harry and Tim. It was clear that Dugan had lost part of his leg and Harry was using magic to re-grow the limb. Seeing what was currently left of Dugan's leg made them feel queasy. Monty turned and lost his breakfast with Jim following him.
Slowly Steve moved forward, stopping at the edge of the wards. He could tell that Dugan was close to passing out but was fighting it to keep Harry safe. "Tim, it's alright you can stand down. We're here to help protect you both."
Dugan looked up and gave his captain a small smile. "That's good Cap. I don't think I can…stay awake…long."
"You've done your job and the battle is over. Rest, but try to stay awake for just a little bit longer." Running his hands over the wards Steve allowed a bit of his magic to press against it, letting Harry know that he was there and to let him in. He could feel an opening appear in the wards and slowly made his way to where Harry was knelt next to Dum Dum's leg. Looking the leg over he could tell that Harry was nearly finished. He could see the toe bones slowly being covered by veins, muscles and finally skin.
Harry lowered his arms and looked up at Dugan's white face. "Can you wiggle your toes?" Biting his lip Tim concentrated on his new foot and moved his toes. "Good. Now, can you feel this?" Picking up a sharp rock Harry gently poked the new foot pleased when Tim hissed in pain and moved further up the leg. "That's good, everything looks fine. Feel free to pass out now. When you wake up take it slowly to start with when walking and standing."
Dugan nodded. "Would you guys mind helping me up? I'd like to not pass out until we are safe back in base."
Moving quickly Monty and Gabe moved to either side of Dum Dum and slowly helped the other man stand. "Come on, let's head to the transport truck and get you checked over." Monty took charge and corralled the men. "Jim, that goes for you as well. You need to get back to base. That way you can arrange for your brother's body to be sent home or buried here." With a nod from Bucky the rest of the team took Jim and Dum Dum back to their transport, leaving Bucky to look after their leaders.
"Harry," Steve knelt behind the smaller man. "Are you alright Mo grá?" Harry nodded, but Steve noticed that his eyes were unfocused. Sure, enough Harry tipped over unconscious. Luckily Steve was anticipating it and caught his fiancé. Holding Harry close to his chest Steve stood with a little help from Bucky and together the men made their way to the transport. Climbing up into the back of the truck Steve cuddled Harry even closer.
"Is he alright?" Dum Dum asked looking very concerned.
Steve was surprised to see Dum Dum still awake. "Don't worry he'll be fine. Magical exhaustion that's all. He'll sleep for a few days, maybe a week then be alright."
"That long?"
"Yeah. Usually re-growing a limb takes a team of five or more magicals working together. One re-grows the bones while at the same time another works on the muscles, the veins, tendons and skin. Harry used up most of his magic doing it by himself."
"If one person can do it by themselves with a little sleep, why do they have five people working together?"
"Harry is exceptionally powerful. If a regular wizard tried to re-grow a limb alone like that it would kill them." The rest of the team looked at Harry with a new-found respect.
It wasn't long into their trip back that Dum Dum finally lost the fight and fell unconscious. The men were all expecting it and Jim was there to catch him, letting the other man lean against him. When they arrived, Bucky was quick to take Harry from Steve to allow the other man to jump down from the truck then handed the wizard back. On the other side of the truck Jim was passing Dugan down to Monty and Gabe to carry into their tent. Steve followed them and laid Harry down on their enlarged bed. The rest of the team gathered in the tent, wanting to watch over their brothers.
Not long after they returned Colonel Philips arrived with Peggy. "What in the ever-loving hell happened out there?"
"Wizards. We had no idea they were going to be there and were surprised by their attack. Harry and I were able to shield most of the men while fighting off the magicals."
"Hydra had wizards fighting for them?" Peggy asked.
"Apparently. Though I'm not sure if they are working together. It's odd really. The only wizards who might work with Hydra are Grindelwald's followers, but they are all about magical purity and the enslavement of the non-magicals."
"That doesn't sound good. Why the hell would they be working together if they want to enslave us?"
"That's just it, I'm not sure they were. I have a feeling they were having a meeting between the groups. Until the war is won, I think Grindelwald with work with Schmidt. Then once he is sure of his success Grindelwald will turn on him."
"What happened to Dugan and Potter?"
"Dugan had his leg blown off by a wizard and Harry was able to re-grow it with spells and potions. Unfortunately, that is usually done with a group of magicals, so Harry had to use more magic then is considered healthy. Dugan is only passed out because of pain he should wake soon. Harry, however, is suffering from magical exhaustion and will remain unconscious until his core is able to replenish itself."
"Will they both be alright?"
"Yes. They will both be fine. Harry will remain unconscious for a few days maybe a week."
"I'll see to it that your team is shipped back to England as soon as possible." Philips sighed. It was never good when an alpha team was down. This team was closer than most and doing near impossible missions they needed some down time.
"I'll go and talk with Howard. I'm sure he can fly the team back so we're not losing any military resources." Peggy offered. Philips was quick to agree, and Peggy was gone to find Howard and talk with him. Philips followed her out of the tent leaving the Commandos alone.
A week later and Harry was still sleeping. Everyone was starting to get worried, even Steve. During the week Harry was down the team tried to keep busy, running drills, filling out paperwork and helping Dum Dum get used to his new leg. Steve, however, barely left Harry's side. Each of the commandos took it in turns to sit with their Captain and bring him food, not even Bucky could get Steve to leave for a short nap.
"How's he doing?" Peggy asked as she put down a tray of food.
"The same." Steve smiled at the woman he thought of as a sister.
"Do we need to have a doctor look him over?"
"No. He'll be fine. Harry will wake up soon and he will be just fine."
"How do you know?" Peggy asked. "You always seen so certain."
"Yeah Cap. You two are a little weird like that. We'd all like to know." Jim led the rest of the team into the common area. When they had arrived back in London the team had decided to settle Harry and Dugan on beds in the common so everyone could watch over them.
"You know I always wondered about you two." Bucky admitted as he sat next to Steve. "You two seemed to instantly hit it off and you both always knew what the other needed."
"Harry and I are soul bonded husbands."
"You are what?" Monty asked.
"S-soul bonded husbands." Harry croaked opening his eyes with a small smile.
"Harry! You're awake. Thank Merlin." Steve stood and took Harry's hand in his own.
"How long was I out this time?"
"A week. You used up too much magic re-growing Dum Dum's leg."
"How is the leg?" Harry turned his head to look at the red head.
"Fine. It took a couple of days to get used to, but it's all good. Thank you by the way. Without you I would have been shipped back home and forced to live in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I owe you."
"You don't owe me shite okay. I did what I could, just like I know you would have for me."
"Do you need anything Harry?" Peggy asked looking relieved.
"I wouldn't say no to a light supper and a cup of tea." While Peggy went to get Harry's food Steve and Bucky helped Harry sit up and piled pillows behind him. Peggy returned a few minutes later with a small bowl of soup and a cup of tea.
Peggy waited until Harry had finished eating before asking. "Now, if you are feeling up to it, could you explain what you meant by soul bonded?"
Harry looked at Steve and shrugged. "Up to you. Did you want to explain or shall I?"
Steve just shrugged. He honestly wasn't sure how best to explain it to muggles, but figured he was probably the best bet. "I'll do it. You need more rest. If you want, I'll take you to our room so you can have some quiet." Harry just nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but he was still tired. Carefully Steve picked his fiancé up and headed for their room. Bucky was quick to jump up and open the door for his brothers then turned the bed down.
When they were sure Harry was comfortable the brothers left him to sleep. Joining the rest of the team Steve thought over how he was going to explain soul bonds to a bunch of muggles. He was magical and he had a hard time understanding.