Jane had left for Stark Tower, Hermione was hopefully sleeping, and down in the gardens, the three Avengers sat under a large tree, with Sif and Fandral; Hogun and Volstagg having gone to check on the guards, following the death of their Captain. Above them, Harry and Frigga watched from one of the palace's many balconies.
"This worries me Harry," Frigga confided, her hand on his arm. "I see so many factions gathering, and as always, Loki is the wild card, the catalyst. Thor may summon the lightning, but it is invariably his brother that is the spark to the explosion, even when he has the best of intentions, as I suspect he has now."
Harry looked down at Frigga, "So you don't believe he has betrayed us either. Sif would say that it would not be the first time."
Frigga shook her head. "I am not saying that Loki is not capable of betrayal, for he has proved himself to be so in the past. But this is different. His betrayals in the past have been the result of emotional pain, hurt pride and most often a desire to provoke a response, any response from his father. But there is now no Odin to push him away, only those of us that love him, and at heart that is what he has always craved, not the throne. To be truly loved and valued for himself – without condition. As he became a man, he realised that those that sought him out, whether as friend or as bedmate, generally only did so from a desire for the advantages they might gain from the relationship. When he eventually discovered the truth of his parentage, it merely confirmed in his mind, all that he had ever feared, that even his own family only loved him for what he could bring them. Knowing his true heritage, I think he believed himself fundamentally unlovable. When he met Hermione, and later you, he discovered those that would value him purely and simply for himself, and for no other reason, and in that he has discovered a security and a confidence that he lacked before."
Frigga looked across the lawns to the walled rose garden, where only two years ago she had officiated at Loki and Hermione's wedding. "I am sure in my heart that there is more to today's performance than meets the eye. It is not impossible that my son - or most likely my sons have deceived us today, but I do not believe for one moment that Loki has been deceiving Hermione for all of these years. He truly loves her, of that I am absolutely certain. Although her pain this morning was difficult to watch – we have to assume that he did so for the very best of reasons, and hope that he has not damaged their relationship irrevocably.. I would that Hermione had been able to tell him though...had she done so, I am certain he would have chosen a different path."
Harry turned startled green eyes on her, so like Loki's she thought with a pang. "Tell him what Frigga?"
She sighed, wearily. "Harry, in telling you this I am breaking a promise which I made to Hermione only yesterday. I would not do this if I were not certain that my daughter in law will be battling Dark Elves herself very soon. If we are wrong, if Loki does not fight with you at Hogwarts tomorrow, you must do what you can to keep her safe..." Frigga paused, meaningfully. "... Hermione and my grandchild"
Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. "Hermione's - oh my god – and Loki doesn't know... Why doesn't Loki know? Surely she would have told him?"
Frigga squeezed his arm. "Calm down Harry. Hermione didn't know herself until she fainted at the Castle. It was I that told her. She didn't want Loki to know, for fear that he would insist that she stay here in safety and not fight at his side." Frigga's hands gripped his urgently. "Promise me Harry – you will keep her safe"
Harry smiled, "Frigga, Hermione is like my sister, I have spent more than half my life watching over her, and I will always do so. Now more than ever. You have my word on it."
Frigga watched Harry's eyes, as they drifted back to the garden, his faced troubled. She was not unaware of the gossip that surrounded Lady Sif and this young wizard. She knew that Harry had shared Sif's bed on any number of occasions, but neither of them seemed inclined to take the relationship any further than the simply physical. It was a shame thought Frigga, for surely Thor would grant Harry immortality, for the sake of not just Sif, but also Hermione – and Loki if this mess ever resolved itself. It was possibly this conflict of loyalties that had prevented them from moving forward. Harry and Loki were close as brothers, while Sif and Loki – while amicable enough on the surface up until recently – had never healed the gaping rifts between them, built of centuries of jealousy and resentment.
ooo0ooo
Despite Thor's reassurances that the morning's performance had been just that, Hermione had been initially unable to take the rest she so desperately needed. In the warded privacy of her rooms, however she finally succumbed to a prolonged bout of tears that drained her to the point that she had eventually slept out of sheer exhaustion.
When she awoke it was late afternoon. She felt muzzy headed and woozy, still spent from the emotions of the day. Splashing cold water on her face, she returned to her room to find Thor waiting for her. She frowned, having not heard him enter. "Thor, the rooms are warded, how did you get in...?"
He shrugged. "King and Allfather Hermione, it has some advantages. All doors in this palace open to me now... I'm sorry to intrude, but, the palace is quiet, now may be our best chance."
Hermione nodded, and pulling a cloak around her, the hood concealing her face, she followed her brother in law out of the room.
There were advantages, she thought, to knowing this rabbit warren of a palace like the back of your hand. Thor led her through a maze of back corridors, seeing virtually no-one at all. Finally, they slipped quietly along the wall of the Throne Room, and down the narrow staircase. As she entered the doorway Hermione faltered for a moment, remembering her dream, praying that it hadn't been a premonition. Half way down the stairs, Thor signalled for her to wait. Huddled in the shadows she watched as Thor sent the two guards away on a supposed errand before beckoning Hermione in.
"There is only one cell occupied at the moment. I will keep them away for as long as I can, but I can't make promises. Loki has done something to the shield on the cell, so he can enter and leave as he wishes, but the guards don't know that. He had to make sure that he could escape when the time comes."
Hermione crept down to the end of the dungeon. The sight was eerily familiar as she crept up to the shield.
"Loki"
Her husband was seated on the floor, leaning against the wall of the empty cell. His chains and the muzzle had been removed thank god, but he looked tired and disheveled and utterly wretched. Hearing her voice, he looked up, eyes searching for her in the darkness, suddenly full of hope... "Hermione?" and she found that she was crying, because what she saw in his eyes at that moment finally told her the truth.
It was quite easy to simply walk through the shimmering gold force field that surrounded the cell, and within seconds she was within touching distance of him, his eyes never leaving hers as he reached for her.
The sound of her fist connecting with his jaw was louder than she expected, and she saw his eyes widen in shock. "Don't you EVER do that to me again you scheming lying devious little SHIT! I believed you. I believed EVERYTHING. It felt as though you were ripping my heart out. I don't care how good it had to look. I thought... I thought..." She was gasping for breath now, clinging helplessly to his shirt, tears and words and rage choking her. Then his arms were around her, holding her so tight that it felt as though they were the only things in the universe holding her together as her anger ebbed away. "I love you Loki, please don't EVER do that to me again. I don't think I could b..bear it" She was sobbing shamelessly into his shoulder, the stress, the shock, all coming out in another deluge of emotion. From the unevenness of his breathing, she was fairly certain that she wasn't the only one crying...
"Gods Hermione, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Your face when I told you... I've never done anything so hard in my entire life. I'd rather go back under that fucking serpent than ever have to do anything like that to you again. I'm sorry I'm so sorry..."
His arms released her, his hands cradling her face so that he could look into her eyes, his voice soft and serious. "I love you, I've always loved you and I always will. Until my last breath. No – beyond that - I promise you... Everything I said to you this morning was a lie. And yes - I promise that no matter what happens I will never ever ever put you through something like that again."
Finally, blissfully, they both stopped babbling, and his lips found hers in a sweet gasp of relief. Then there was just the feel of him against her, his mouth rediscovering every secret corner of hers as if it had been weeks instead of hours since he had held her, kissed her. As if they had walked through fire and hell to get to this moment – and perhaps they had. Her fingers were tangled in his hair, his hands pulling her body hard against his as though any second she would be snatched away from him.
Reality returned, with the sound of Thor coughing discretely at the other end of the dungeon. Hermione broke away, holding his face in her hands "Loki, listen to me. Are you certain that this is the only way, the only way we can do this... will you PLEASE be careful? There's so much that can go wrong."
Loki rested his forehead against hers, tears still shining in his eyes. "I promise – I promise I'll be careful. But you will be too. Stay close to Harry – he'll have your back."
Hermione shook her head smiling a little through her tears. "Of course he will, Harry's had my back since we were eleven. But who's going to be watching yours?"
"I'll be fine. You just worry about yourself"
Hermione gripped his shoulder, almost shaking him in her frustration. "Don't you do that Loki, don't you dare. You matter. You matter to Thor, Frigga, Harry, but most of all you matter to me. You gave me immortality because you couldn't bear to face the ages of your life without me. Don't you dare die, and leave me to face it alone after all of that." Feeling her shaking with distress, he wrapped her tightly against him once more, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the dear familiar comforting scent of it.
"Brother, Hermione..." Thor's voice, came softly from the darkness. "I cannot keep you private for much longer, the guards may return at any moment. It is time for Hermione to go Loki.
Loki's eyes met hers, "I will see you tomorrow, at Hogwarts my love." He kissed her once more, full of love and fire and need, leaving her breathless and shaking with want. If this were to be their last kiss, Hermione thought with a sudden twist of grief, it was a memory to treasure.
He took a long look at her, breathing uneven, green eyes dark. "I swear by everything I hold holy, Hermione, when all this is over, I will take you to bed and not leave it for days, so help me"
Loki stepped back, setting her firmly away from him, his hands on her shoulders. "Go now love, sleep well" He stepped briefly through the field to lift her safely down, drawing the hood back over her head to conceal her face. He turned back to his brother, going into his arms for a brief hug, before returning to his former position in his cell.
Hermione and Loki shared one last long look, trying to convey everything that they had had not time to say.
"Hermione" Thor's voice brought them back to reality. In the distance they could hear the guards returning.
Pulling the cloak around her, she vanished like a shadow into the darkness.
ooo0ooo
Natasha, sitting in one of the surviving alcoves of the Throne Room watched Hermione slip away from the dungeon, with Thor not far behind her. In spite of everything that had been done and said this morning, Hermione had not given up on Loki, that was clear.
She closed her eyes, and leaned her head back against the stone wall. Her own reunion with Bruce a few minutes ago had not gone so well. Clearly he had been worried for her, the expression of open relief and delight on his face had told its own tale. They were not given to displays of public affection, but for once she had followed her heart and her instincts and gone straight into his arms.
For one blissful, mindless moment, with her face buried in his shoulder, the warmth of him around her, it had felt so right, like coming home, safer than she had ever felt in her life; and she had finally allowed herself to think the unthinkable. That maybe – just maybe – it was possible. Even for her, for him, it was possible.
Then she felt the shutters come down. Felt him withdraw, setting her firmly away from him, as he turned to speak to Tony and Steve. That had hurt, really hurt.
Love is for children… she had said it to Loki so many years ago, when he had been the monster.
How do you persuade a monster that he is lovable?
Natasha sighed, and firmly locked her troubled heart away for the time being. When this was over, if they all survived, perhaps she would speak to Hermione. The one woman she knew who understood all about loving the monster and the man….
I think I must have rewritten and edited the Loki / Hermione scene so many times it's ridiculous. I hope you enjoyed it in the end. Merrick x