Holy cow, what a response! I wasn't expecting it at all, the alerts on the story alone have drawn my eyebrows off my forehead in surprise! Which sounds ridiculous, I know…let's just get to the second chapter, alright?

I'm still not too sure where I want to take this long term. I wasn't actually planning on writing another chapter yet, I've still got Fifth House and AOAR 2 to get on with. But I saw the response and thought I'd better put some time into this. Hope you all enjoy.

Harmony's POV

My death had not been unexpected. I mean, come on, I was Harmony Potter. I had lived a very long life married to my once-nemesis, Draco Malfoy. Ron and Hermione had had doubts about the two of us when we first started out. Draco had saved me in the final battle of Hogwarts and then, after navigating the post-war world together, we ended up falling for one another.

Three kids and a lifetime later, I began to say goodbye to my friends. Hermione went first, then Neville, Susan, Daphne and Hannah. It was very hard for me when Draco passed. That was the day I nearly destroyed myself and my relationship with Death because I was so emotional. It was also the day that Death finally explained my full role as its new Mistress. I was going to be reborn, life after life, going around as a representative for Death on Earth. Essentially, I would act as a Guardian for the living, keeping my magic and protecting souls where I can so that they can pass into the next realm naturally and at the right time.

In this first life I had not aged as my companions had. Even at 164 I was still looked no older then 60, as many people had commented on. This was extraordinary even by magical standards. Only Ron, Ginny and Dean Thomas (Ginny's husband) knew of my predicament and position as Mistress of Death. We hadn't even told any of our children.

I knew it was time to pass on when I came to visit Ron on his deathbed. He held my hand and I started to cry as I watched my oldest and first friend slip away from me. His last words to me were, "Harmony, don't stay here when you have a whole world waiting for you. We all love you and we'll see you someday again." That was when I knew it was time to go. Death had informed me that I would retain the ability to remember my past lives, and I had no doubt that when I finally passed onto the final afterlife I would be able to navigate it to whichever reality I chose. But until then Ron was right. I had a job to do and I think it was about time I passed on.

The day I died was sunny and bright and everything the start of my young life had not been. I had Ginny, Dean, my family and the children and grandchildren of all my close friends around me. Everyone had been profoundly understanding and for that I was very grateful. I looked around at them, my friends, my family, my loved ones, and told them I'd see them all again someday. Then I looked at Ginny, who had tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, gave her hand one more gentle squeeze, and closed my eyes. I felt Death breathe through me and before I knew it I had fallen deeply unconscious.

Unlike my previous visits to the landscape I'd dubbed as limbo, this was very brief. I met the manifestation of Death (not as exciting as you'd imagine) and got my new assignment as he said. Then I woke up in New York in 2010 and everything was the way it was. I hadn't spent much time wallowing in my predicament (I wondered what that said for my emotional capacity) before I got a job and found a place to live, somehow carving out a place for myself in this new and alternate universe. Two years later I think I might've finally found my purpose in this plane. And it all came from meeting Tony Stark.

-Prince Iron Charming-

"Bobby!" I called out. "Can you come give me a hand?" I was out the back trying to grab a case of beer to restock the bar. It was ten o'clock on a Friday night so I was trying to hurry to keep up with our peak period. Bobby called out and came back to lend me a hand, leaving Tom to man the bar. When I saw he was ok I hurried back to avoid leaving Tom alone for too long and it was a good thing I did to.

"Hey, hey, what is going on here?!" I yelled at two hefty guys that had started throwing punches next to the bar. Tom came out from behind it and pulled one away while I got the other.

"He started it," growled the one I still had a hold on. "First he tried to take my drink and then he gets all up in my face."

"I don't think so. You're the one who couldn't keep his trap shut!" the other man replied, causing my guy to try and hit him again. I managed to keep my hold and haul him away from the bar, pushing him further from the confrontation, Tom doing the same with the second man.

"Hey, hey!" I yelled, clicking my fingers to pull both their attention. "I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it. I want both of you out, right now." They tried to protest but I stayed firm.

"I don't care what either of you think. I won't have that sort of thing happening in here. Out right now and don't come back until you learn some manners." Bobby finally came back into the bar, dropping the case and coming to shepherd the two guys out with Tom's assistance. I sighed as I looked around, beginning to walk back behind the bar, the applause of the rest of the patrons, echoing around me.

"That was impressive," someone said to my left as I picked up a dish towel and began wiping down the bar. "I never knew British women could handle themselves so well."

I turned to face the voice and saw Tony Stark, sitting with his arms resting on the bar, dressed in a t-shirt and a casual leather jacket from what I could see.

"You work at a bar long enough, you get good at dealing with drunks," I replied. "Long-time no see Mr Stark."

"It's Tony, please," he said, grinning at me. "And it's only been two weeks. Have you missed me that much?"

I leaned forward on my side of the bar, tilting my head to the side as I got closer to his face. "What would you do if I said I had missed you?" I questioned.

Tony leaned forwards as well, our faces only inches apart. "Well, I think then I'd have to pull you out from behind that bar and see just how much you missed me," he said.

I bit my lip, glancing between his lips and his eyes, before settling my gaze on his. I opened my mouth to speak, my eyes lighting up as I grinned. "Well, good thing I didn't miss you then," I said, leaning back abruptly and causing Tony to jolt forward slightly as his eyes widened. I laughed at him as he sat back up, frowning at me as he shook his head (though I could see him fighting a smile).

"Not cool," he said, finally breaking his composure and laughing.

"You two need to find a dark corner and stop dirtying up my respectable bar," Tom said, coming back behind the bar and rolling his eyes.

"When did this become your bar?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him.

"And when did this place become respectable?" Tony chimed in. "Wasn't there a fight not two seconds ago?"

"Hey, don't talk smack about my bar mate," I said, pointing my finger at him.

"I love your accent," he said, grinning at me. "Have I told you that yet? If I haven't I'm sorry, because I really love it."

I laughed, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear as I looked down, trying to hide the small brush that had appeared. "Can I get you something Tony?"

He tilted his head back, actually moaning a little. "And hearing you say my name is even better!"

"Tony?"

"Yes light of my life?"

"Can I get you something now?" I asked, bemused at his behaviour.

"Scotch on the rocks, thanks," he said, sitting back in his chair and glancing around the bar. "So how has business been?"

"Actually very slow, despite what the minor fight tonight suggests," I replied, placing his glass in front of him and pouring his drink. "But then again moving into the holiday period that always happens."

"Holiday period?" he asked. "It's barely the middle of October."

"And trust me, we notice a drop from now," I replied. "It's like people are trying to be 'good' for the holidays. Off-peak for us is generally the end of October to the middle of December. That's when you get the work parties and the Christmas and New Year events."

"Huh, who knew?" he said, pulling from his glass. "I actually wanted to apologise for not coming by sooner. We've had a bit of work to sort out after the invasion."

"Oh, that alien thing? Yeah, I figured. I was a little surprised you were out when I first met you," I said. "Wasn't that only a few weeks after the invasion?"

"Maybe I snuck out that time," Tony said, grimacing. "But this time people actually know where I am, I'm not here under the shadow of the moon or some other ninja thing."

"What are you guys up to now?" I asked. "I haven't seen any promotion about the group being involved in a lot of the rebuilding process."

"We aren't," Tony said. "Think more bureaucratic. I've met and dealt with more politicians in the last week then I ever have before."

"You look like you enjoyed that a whole lot," I said, grinning at him.

He just rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, definitely. But other than that we've actually been working on a facility to house all of us. Having them at the tower is slowly but surely sucking any joy out of this saving people thing."

I was surprised at that last phrase, which resonated so deeply with what Hermione had said to me long ago, that I actually had a small coughing fit. "Sorry," I said, clearing my throat. "But why wouldn't you like that? After meeting Natasha, who seemed lovely, I'm sure the rest of the team aren't that bad."

"They aren't bad," Tony replied. "They're just different. You toss a gorilla, a sloth, a dolphin, a fox and two chameleons into a box…well, thing are going to get crazy. Just because we save the world one time, doesn't mean we're a team."

My eyes widened at his descriptions. "I get that you can't be a team straight away, but that's why they invented trust exercises and team bonding games."

"You make it sound so easy," he scoffed half-heartedly.

"Easy, never," I replied, smiling gently. "Worthwhile? Infinitely."

He held my gaze for a brief moment, before Bobby called out. "Hey Doll, we kinda need some help here. Maybe talk to your boyfriend after work?"

"Just a second," I called back, turning to wish Tony goodbye.

"I see you didn't correct him on the boyfriend label," Tony said immediately, smirking.

I shrugged. "Why not give you a chance first?" I asked, grinning at his momentary look of surprise. "Oh, come on Tony, you can't be that surprised."

He shrugged. "I don't know if you've seen my history," he said. "But dating and me don't mix."

"And you won't mix if you don't ask me out," I quipped.

That got a smile out of him. He chuckled and replied, "Well how about this? What are you doing next Wednesday?"

"Absolutely nothing," I answered.

"Then how about I come and take you out, my treat?" he asked. "We can even talk about those team bonding exercises you mentioned."

"Done and done," I grinned. "Will you pick me up?"

"Your place at seven Doll," he said, grinning and giving me a wink.

I grinned back, feeling surprisingly chipper at the thought of going on a date with the self-proclaimed play boy. "Great. I'll see you then." I leaned forward on the bar, pecked him on the cheek, before hopping back down and walking away to help out Bobby. By the time I came back to collected Tony's glass and money, Tony was gone and there was a surprising tip left on the bar.

"Child, you be careful with that man," Bobby said to me as he came up behind me, watching me watch the doorway.

"I'll be fine Bobby, trust me," I said, smiling at him.

"If you say so Doll," he replied, patting me on the shoulder before walking away. At least, I hoped I'd be fine.

-Prince Iron Charming-

Tony's POV

"Thanks for waiting for me Happy," I said as I hopped back in the car. "Sorry for making you wait so long."

"Not at all Mr Stark," Happy replied, folding up his paper. "It was actually only twenty-five minutes or so."

"What?" I asked, confused. "It can't have been. We were talking for ages, weren't we?"

He shrugged, sending me a smile in the mirror. "Maybe you just really enjoyed yourself in the company of this young woman."

"How'd you know I was meeting a woman?" I demanded.

"Natasha told me when she asked where we were going tonight," he said to me. I shook my head. Damn super spies sneaking into my business.

Back at the Tower I waved Happy off home before entering into the underground garage elevator. "Where's everyone at J?" I asked when I got into the elevator, checking my phone.

"Mr Barton is currently in the vents above the gymnasium. Ms Romanoff is in the gymnasium ignoring Mr Barton's attempts at antagonising her. Captain Rogers is sketching on his floor and Doctor Banner is in your communal lab working on the project from earlier today. Thor is out with Ms Foster and Ms Lewis tonight and has not given an estimated time of return," Jarvis replied succinctly, efficiently giving me information as always.

"Sweet. Off to the good Doctor it is," I replied, straightening up as the box started to move.

"Bruce!" I called out as I stepped out of the elevator. "Honey, I'm home!"

"Oh sweetie, how I missed you," Bruce replied in the driest tone I've ever heard, not even looking up from a set of figures he was studying.

"I knew you loved me too," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We getting anywhere on this?"

"Nowhere," he replied. "These preliminary readings aren't much to go on of course, but there's no reason I should think this compound has altered the Hulk's aggression levels at all."

"We'll keep looking, don't worry," I assured my friend, wanting desperately to alleviate some of the tension from his tired form.

He sighed, leaning back as he took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes. "I know," he said. "Anyway, where were you tonight? Natasha just said you were 'out'." He asked, looking back to me.

I shrugged. "Just visiting a friend," I commented idly, fiddling with some equipment.

"A female friend?" Bruce asked.

"Yes," I said. "And no, before you ask, I was not out for a booty call."

"Oh?" Bruce said, clearly surprised. "There's a member of the female persuasion that you aren't sleeping with?"

"Apart from the two women that occupy this tower?" I asked rhetorically, referring to our resident master assassin and my ex-girlfriend-turned-CEO. "Yes, there is another woman on this Earth that I am not sleeping with."

Bruce nodded, turning away from me, and I couldn't resist adding one more thing. "Not that I wouldn't, given the opportunity." I hurried on as Bruce rolled his eyes, clearly disbelieving. "But this girl is special. She's different than anyone I've met and I know she's going to be something to me. Heck, maybe even to all of us."

"And exactly how many times have you met this mystery woman?" Bruce quizzed me.

"Tonight will have been the second time," I said. "Third time if you count our very first meeting, which I don't actually remember because I got drunk after that fight with Steve a few weeks ago."

"You've only known this woman a few weeks?" Bruce asked incredulously. "And you can count the number of times you've seen her on one hand? Are you sure you can trust her Tony?"

I turned away from him, beginning to walk out of the lab, unwilling to talk about this topic. "Yes, I can trust her. No, she isn't a threat to us. Trust me, I won't hurt her, either."

As I made it to the doors of the lab, I could hear Bruce speaking faintly. "It isn't you hurting her that I'm worried about."

Dun, dun, dun! Hope you guys enjoyed that instalment. I honestly wasn't planning to come back to this story AT ALL! But then when I was working on my AOAR 2 update I was checking out my stories and saw the number of follows on my first chapter. SO as a sign of the immense gratitude I feel towards the wonderful Harry Potter/Avengers fanfiction family that has been so welcoming to me.

For the last time, I hope you enjoy this