A/N: So, this chapter is actually double the amount I usually write, but there's some Cullen family bonding sprinkled in and we finally get to see our favourite team of superheroes, the Avengers! Please enjoy! - Seraphic :)
"Well," I mumble as I stand inside Loki's dark living-room. "I can't say I'm surprised by your choice of décor."
"Well, you know how much I love the colours green, gold and black." Loki chuckles as I go to take a seat on the glossy, black leather sofa. He sits across from me on one of the matching armchairs after lighting the fireplace beside us with his magic.
It's been a week since I met the Norse god in front of me and two days since I was discharged from Forks General Hospital. We had gotten to know each other and surprisingly, the both of us got along quite well.
Loki was the epitome of a Slytherin, without all the blood purity nonsense and stuck-up attitude. He was also a very good listener and I enjoyed his stories of pranking his older brother, Thor.
"So, what's the plan? Are you going to teach me how to do that illusion act you're so fond of?" I ask him as I take a sip of my iced coffee. Alice and I went into Port Angeles earlier this morning (I needed more up-to-date clothes, apparently) and she had taken the courtesy of buying me a pastry and drink of my choice before we headed back to Forks.
I was now on a see-food-and-eat-it diet, as Carlisle had so humorously put it, but Alice refused let me buy the cheapest things on the coffee shop's menu, so I ended up with a deluxe caramel frappe and a blueberry muffin.
Needless to say, I was now obsessed with iced caffeine beverages. Thanks Alice.
"I don't plan on teaching you that trick just yet." Loki chuckles again and I frown, setting my frappe down on the glass table that was situated between us.
"But, Stephen said you'd teach me stuff."
"And teach, I promised. However, it's been two days since you've been out of that…" I watch as he wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Dreadful hospital room. You, my dear student, deserve to have a bit of fun. And quite frankly, it's a Sunday."
"Trust me, I think I've had all of the fun I can get right now." So far, I had been shopping with Alice twice (I had no idea where she expected me to put all of those clothes we brought…) and Emmett had practically ordered during my first hour of freedom that I come round to play video games with Rosalie, Jasper and himself.
It was a rather eventful time. I had squid-inked and threw many of those awful turtle shells at them all in Mario Kart Wii, but still happened to end up losing. Emmett had teased me endlessly about my poor driving skills, but I swore that I would beat him eventually.
However, it was funny to watch Rose slap him up the head for his rudeness towards me. Her and I had definitely grown closer the last week as well. I think it probably helped that I had magic and that I didn't desire to an immortal being as soon as I had found out their secret.
"It's like she doesn't even care that she's throwing away all of these wonderful experiences only humans can have! And what about her family? We would have to fake her death and they would be devastated! I don't know how she can willingly choose this life without an ounce of regret." Rose had ranted to me one day at the hospital whilst Emmett went to go and get me something to snack on from the cafeteria. It was that same day I had come to learn of how she had become the cold, beautiful and strong supernatural being she is.
It was awful, something I wouldn't even wish on Lord Voldemort or Draco Malfoy, no matter how horrible and cruel they both are.
Nobody deserved to go through what Rosalie did, and whilst I could tell she still struggled with her existence as a vampire, I did my best to help her focus on the positives. She had Emmett, who was her soulmate and a wonderful family who cared for her.
"Rose, there are people who are dying right now, slowly and quickly. They're probably wishing for nothing more than time, something you have an unlimited amount of. I know it's hard, turned into something you never wanted to be, but think of it this way: There are many more things that have yet to be made, seen and discovered. You will be there for them all and have a chance to try new things, but those poor souls won't."
"I suppose that's true… Thank you, Harriet. I feel much better now, I hope you can be discharged soon. It would be so much more bearable at home if you're there when Bella comes around."
"Uh, hello? Earth to the mortal witch?" Loki asks as he waves his large palm in front of my face. I blink, bringing myself back to reality and grab his hand, pulling it away from my line of sight.
"Sorry, I was just remembering something."
"All good things, I hope." smirked Loki and I roll my eyes at him before finishing off my coffee.
"So, what did you have in mind, oh fun one?"
I guess it wouldn't have hurt to have another day of freedom before the magic lessons start.
"Have you ever been to New York?"
"No. Should I be scared as to what you're planning?" I raise an eyebrow at the raven-haired man. He simply leans back into his armchair with a smile.
"Brother!" A man with long, blonde hair stood up as we suddenly appeared in a tower. The Avengers Tower, to be exact.
"Do you have no shame coming back to the place where you terrorized so many? You should be in Asgard with Father and Mother! How did you get here?"
I bite my lower lip nervously as I see the rest of the team follow Thor's movements and stand in front of us defensively. I was quickly regretting following Loki's idea of fun. This wasn't fun at all.
"Reindeer Games, you have ten seconds to get out of my tower before I let Hulk here play smash with you again."
"Well, that doesn't sound very pleasant." I mumble quietly and Tony Stark looks towards me with a confused and guarded expression.
"This kid a friend of yours, Thor? She looks a bit… scrawny to be Asgardian."
Both Thor and the rest of the Avengers turn their attention to me and I desperately wish I had learnt the disillusion spell at Hogwarts rather than rely on my father's invisibility cloak.
"No, she is not a friend of mine. I don't believe that she's an Asgardian either."
"Nope," I laugh nervously. "I come from Earth, thanks. Now, if you don't mind, Loki and I will be leaving."
I grab Loki's sleeve, pulling him away from the Avengers and silently begging him to get us out of here. He simply escapes my weak grip and takes another step towards Thor.
"Now, is this any way to greet your guests, brother? I simply thought I'd introduce my dear student here to bright and noisy New York City, and why should we have a measly mortal tour guide when we can have the Avengers themselves show us around?"
"Poor kid," I hear Hawkeye mutter to Black Widow. "Couldn't she have gotten a better teacher than a criminal?"
"I heard that." I frowned and reached for my wand that was hidden in the back pocket of my new, ripped skinny jeans.
Whilst I particularly don't fancy fighting a band of superheroes, I also couldn't stand to listen to this Loki slander any more either.
"Okay, all of you just shut up for a moment!" I scream, pointing my phoenix feather wand at them all as they begin fighting against Loki's presence in their headquarters. "I might be a kid, but at least I know how to have a civilized conversation! Could we, please, just all sit down and perhaps I can explain a few things?"
They all look at me for a moment, and before Tony Stark or Captain America can open their mouths to argue against me, a familiar voice speaks from behind the team. I can't help but grin.
"I highly suggest you listen to her." said Doctor Strange in all his red cape, floating glory. The team turn around, looking at him with startled expressions.
"I second that, Harriet can be quite scary when she wants to." Loki adds with a chuckle before he practically strolls over to the white, leather sofas in the middle of the room and sits himself down on one.
I roll my eyes and lower my wand before following suite and taking a seat next to the trickster god. I begin to pick at the skin under my nails as I wait for the Avengers to follow both Stephen and Loki's advice.
Eventually, they do and soon we are all sat around the expensive glass table that lays in the middle of the sofas.
"Okay, first things first," began Stephen. "I brought Loki from Asgard and delivered him to this girl's hospital room. That's why he's here on Earth and not rotting in a dungeon cell on his home-planet."
I clear my throat as I see the Avengers about to open their mouths to express their opinions of this.
"All comments and questions will be answered when we are finished explaining. Until then, kindly try to listen and not become vengeful individuals, thank you."
They all shut their mouths after that, thankfully.
And so, the next hour was spent introducing myself and where I came from, why I needed Loki with me and the truth over the attack on New York. Though, I left out information about the family of vegetarian vampires I was friends with. I was practically exhausted after so much explaining and I desperately needed a drink.
I hadn't had anything since that iced coffee and I was still building my hydration levels up. If they dropped, Doctor Cullen would be less than pleased and Rose would probably (as gently as she could) smack my head like she does with Emmett.
"Uh… I can tell that this is probably a lot to take in, but is there anywhere I can get a glass of water or something? I don't particularly fancy a scotch or whisky..."
Natasha Romanoff was the first one to react. She slowly got up from the sofa and asked me to follow her. I was lead into a bright, lavish kitchen-dining area as I did so and she handed me a glass from one of the cupboards.
I filled it with cold water from the taps on kitchen sink and began to sip my beverage. We stared at each other for a little while, neither of us blinking until Natasha breaks the silence.
"So, you can do magic, huh? Is everything we've read in the books true?" I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.
"Uh… what exactly are you on about? What books?"
"The Harry Potter series. I mean, you said that you're from an alternative universe and went to Hogwarts." Natasha chuckles at the look of shock that plasters itself on my thin, pale face.
"Th-there's books about me?!"
"Well, not you exactly. More like, a male version of you." I can't help but frown at the possibility of my whole life, or Harry's life (though no doubt they're probably quite similar) being made public.
"Uh… well…" I mumble as I try to find the right words to say. Natasha sends me a small smile.
"You know what? Don't worry about it for now. I have the books in my room if you'd like to read them later."
My eyes brighten at the thought of being able to read these books about 'Harry Potter'. Perhaps, Hermione and Ron were written in them and I would be able to find out what happened to them!
"That would be great, actually. Thank you, Natasha."
"It's no problem. Oh, and you can just call me Nat if you'd like." Nat smiles again before saying we should probably go back to the boys, because knowing them, they probably wouldn't be able to keep their cool unlike Loki or Stephen.
"Wait, so you've never had pizza before?!" Tony exclaims dramatically after he insisted on ordering dinner for us all.
"Uh, no. I've never actually had any takeaway food before."
"That's sad." Nat comments and I deadpan at her.
"My life is sad, Nat. I thought we established this."
"Well, that's going to change." said Tony after he retrieves a bottle of mayonnaise from the fridge and points it towards me, a serious look on his face.
I smile slightly at him as I think of what the Cullen Family and Stephen have already done for me.
"It's already started changing and trust me, I'm not sure I want it to stop any time soon."
Clint, who sat next to me on the stool seats on the kitchen island, pats my shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry, kid. I'm sure it won't. A word of advice though, never eat a pizza that has pineapples on it."
"Why not?" I frown, confused.
"Because it's an abomination." Clint answered, his tone dead serious. Thor frowns at us after he finishes his third pint of muggle beer. Surprisingly, alcohol that does not come from Asgard does little to effect an Asgardian's mind unless it's extremely strong and they drink like, a barrel, of it.
"Pineapples on pizza are delicious, I resent your opinion."
Nat sighs and puts her head in her hands as Thor and Clint begin to argue over food of all things.
"Here we go again," she says before lifting her head up and looking at me. "Welcome to the family, kid."
Welcome to the family… I can't help but smile at that.
Despite the dangers of being involved with the Avengers, I enjoy their company and the fact that they've forgiven Loki and accepted Stephen as an ally, I really took Nat's words to heart.
Soon, the Avengers would become the family I never had, and the addition of the Cullens made me feel like I would have the best time in this Universe. So much so that the twinge of guilt that grew in my stomach was ignored in favour of the rare happiness and peace I currently had.