Chapter 29: Fenrir Gets Angry
Thanks for all the reviews.
Some of you liked the last chapter, some not so much. Ah well. It had to be done, lame excuses or not.
I also added to the last chapter and made Frigga not quite so bitchy. I didn't mean for her to come off that way. I was trying for upper crust and failed, I guess.
I also upped Harry's cute factor. He now has a quirk of anime features when he turns on the cuteness.
Hphphp
September was coming a lot quicker than anyone thought it would. By the middle of August, Siriusly and Harry, not to mention Star, were safely in London and had done all their shopping for the school year. There hadn't been any fuss since no one knew who Harry was. Goose had long ago taken care of his scar, and his eyes were fixed shortly after, so he had nothing that tied him to any resemblance of Ivy Potter. He might look like he was related to James but wasn't a carbon copy anymore.
There were a few that asked if he was related, but he just brushed them off with his cover story that he was a distant relative. Siriusly was having the same issue, but it was a minor one. She looked just like Sirius, only curvier and with better hair.
Siri was feeling better about letting him go to that school, now that they had woven the perils of Diagon Alley, and that Loki had kitted Harry out with defensive and offensive magical items. Star was a huge factor in her relief, she was sticking to Harry's side like a leech and was very protective of him. So far, she had scared off a few snakes and an owl, though why the owl, only Star knew.
They had bought all of his things, and he got a snowy owl that he had named Hedwig for some reason.
"Why Hedwig, and not some Norse god since you know them?" Sirius asked, ruffling his hair.
"That's the reason. It'd be like naming one after you or Siri. That's just too confusing. I don't think I'll meet anyone named Hedwig. Besides, I think she likes it," Harry said, petting his owl's chest. He had fallen in love with the owl as soon as he saw it. It was like déjà vu. Like they were meant to be together, and not in a soppy way. He may be cute, but he was still a boy.
Star stared at the owl like it was lunch, but Harry had already had a talk with her about what she could and couldn't eat at the castle. Owls were off the menu, unless they attacked. Rats, mice, and other rodents were okay. Unless for some odd reason they were someone's pet. She couldn't eat anything that was caged or walked on two legs unless it was dangerous to Harry. She felt that was limiting her drastically, but she'd figure it out.
Right now, Sirius and Siri were talking about changing over the flat. It was late evening here and Sirius was ready to go. They'd make it just in time for tea in Malibu, and Ivy threw the best teas. Tony got her the good stuff. Sure, he could afford it, but it tasted better at Ivy's table.
"Well, we're off to the States. You'll take over for the Black seat in the Wizengamot," Sirius said to Siriusly as if handing her the keys to the city. "Just remember, we're a Grey seat now. Most of the Dark seats will try to sway you to their side, don't listen to them. Hell, don't listen to the Light side either. And remember, I am the final word in any vote. If they give you any flack, you have my permission to curse them to Hades and back," he said with a wicked grin. He couldn't wait until they realized that this woman was just as ruthless as he was. She was him after all.
"I don't need your permission," Siri said, lifting an eyebrow at his audacity. "I am perfectly capable of being a bitch all on my own," she added saucily. She was a mean mother fucker when she wanted to be, and she had a bone to pick with the wizards of Britain. Even if these weren't her wizards, they still sent Sirius to prison, therefore would have done it to her. She was more than happy to make them dance for those transgressions.
"You actually do, for forms sake," the dogman said with a great deal of cheek. "You are technically my cousin, and a distant one at that," he added impishly, sticking his tongue out. She glared at him and raised her wand as if to hex said tongue.
"I'll show you forms sake," she mumbled under her breath.
She was still pissed that the first time they had transformed into their dog forms he had sniffed her arse. They weren't real dogs, for Merlin's sake. He was just a pervert. She had transformed back and proceeded to swat him repeatedly with a newspaper, even when he transformed back himself. That bastard just kept on laughing. It hadn't helped that it was in front of Harry, who had laughed too. Bastard.
"At any route, just keep Dumbledore and the Dark faction from passing any anti-muggle or anti-creature laws. They keep trying to sneak them past in the small print of new laws. You know passing them off as good things, when they are actually detrimental to us," Sirius said seriously. "Also, keep them from trying to get Ivy to Hogwarts, they keep trying that too," he added, sighing knowing he really didn't need to say that one.
"I'll keep them in line," she promised, knowing she held a lot of power in her hands. The Blacks had quite a few votes on the Wizengamot, and they held the ear of many people. Which meant she would be sweet-talking a lot of them to doing what they should be doing in the first place. She wondered if she should bring Harry along, or at least his picture. His quirk made grownups and females of all ages coo. Boys not so much.
Sirius went and grabbed his suitcase and briefcase. He had given up on the trunks that wizards loved, and downsized. He had made the insides larger, but the outside was much easier to handle.
"Remus, come on! The portkey will go off any minute!" he yelled into the flat, like it was getting late.
"Coming," Remus yelled back, coming into the room with his own luggage.
The house elves had done a great job at packing, but he was a stickler and wanted to make sure he had everything. The last time he left it to the elves, they pressed his pants, and he was uncomfortable for a week, until they got washed again. Siriusly had taken pity on him and showed him a softening spell.
"Harry, come say goodbye," Siri called to her godson.
Harry ran into the room and hugged Sirius and Remus. "Tell Ivy I said 'Hi'," he said, as if he hadn't just talked to his best friend ten minutes ago. He was dressed for bed and was reading his Hogwarts' books. He looked adorable in his Captain America pjs. He must be one of the few kids to have them here in the UK. Tony grumbled a lot when he saw them, and promptly purchased all the kids Iron Man and Hulk pajamas too.
"You just spoke with her," Sirius grumbled. He knew those two spoke as often as three times a day. It was like they were really twins. They did everything together, for all they were miles apart. They spoke as soon as Ivy woke and stopped when Harry went to bed.
"But I didn't hug her," Harry explained. "I haven't hugged her for ages," he complained, making a show of hugging his godfather again. "Give her an extra one for me," he said, smiling his cute little smile, making his anime face show some hearts.
"I can do that, pup," Sirius said, ruffling his hair.
"Right," Remus said, having no problem hugging Ivy or anyone really. He was a tactile bloke. He hugged Harry again, to show how much he didn't have an issue with this.
"That's us off," Sirius said, looking at his watch. The portkey activated and they were gone.
"So, how soon do you think Deadpool will show up?" Harry asked his godmother. He looked at his wrist as if to time the event.
Deadpool showed up often when they least expected it, usually for Harry to get him out of some trouble or another. That seemed to be quite often with his girlfriend Vanessa. She was a sucker for Harry's anime eyes. There had been the one time that he used Harry to get out of joining something called the X-men, but now they were after Harry to use his power for good too.
"Soon," she sighed, knowing the costumed man would be a major part of their lives. He had already made that quite clear. She was grateful to him for bringing them here, but he was a handful to put up with. She hoped he would show up when they needed him. It was always helpful to have someone willing to kill at your back.
"I'll lay you a bet he comes to Hogwarts," the boy said with a smirk.
"A suckers bet," she scoffed.
Hphphp
Sirius and Remus arrived at the Malibu mansion just at teatime and went to their normal rooms. They weren't worried that no one was there to receive them, everyone worked or was busy doing their own thing. They'd all be home soon.
Ivy was probably with Gandr and Fenrir having tea. They did that every day, one would think they were tired of it, but the boys still did it. They would do anything for that little girl.
Loki and Thor might be on early dates since they preferred to eat with the family. Thor still had his earthling girlfriend, Jane Foster. She was still trying to break the fabric of space and time, so they didn't get to see her much. Thor was very much in love with Jane and would wax poetic on her at any given moment.
Loki had also found someone to court, though he wasn't near as serious as Thor. He had no overly idealistic fantasy that he would remain on Midgard, nor that anyone he found here would be welcome on Asgard, or Jotunheim, if he were ever inclined to go there. Not that he wanted to know the Frost Giants. They had abandoned him as a baby. Or that was the story told to him. There was also the fact that he would outlive everyone on the planet, bar a few.
Still, he was now dating a lovely woman, named Felicia Hardy. She was a known thief from New York who was taking a break from the city scene. She seemed to be hung up on Spiderman, and Loki didn't let her know he knew who that was. Until she went back to New York, they decided to date.
Tony and Pepper could either be on a date, or at work, one never knew with those two. They did both with equal enthusiasm. They were much closer now, even if they hadn't tied the knot yet. No one knew what they were waiting for, but they both seemed content to leave things as they were.
Bruce, Steve, Clint, and Natasha were probably working.
Bruce and Steve had gotten the potions marketed years ago, and they were now millionaires in their own right. They only still lived here because Ivy had asked them to stay. She didn't want the family to split up more than it already was. She hated that Harry and Siri didn't live with them, and that Clint's family also lived elsewhere. Still, she understood that not everyone she knew could stay in the mansion.
The company was an offshoot of Stark Industries, it was called Marauders Inc., for Sirius' and Remus' part, who also got a cut. Tony was still the CEO, while Pepper remained his second in command. Bruce was in charge of the R&D department, while Steve was the spokesman. Everyone benefited from the company that had played a part in developing it. Even Loki, who had helped with the substitutes.
Clint and Natasha still worked for SHIELD, but there was a lot of discord going on there. They couldn't tell anyone what it was, but Tony hacked the server and found out that HYDRA had infiltrated into the organization, and that Fury was trying to weed them out.
The Avengers, and Loki, were making plans for when the shit hit the fan. They talked about it daily and were training as much as they could with their busy lives. They had also warned the Magicals who and what HYDRA was and to be on the lookout. Deadpool knew and he too had spread the word to a few that he knew, like the X-men. Hopefully it would be enough if Fury's plan failed.
Ivy was making plans for when she would have to go into hiding for when that happened. She was under no impression that she was in any way a fighter up to fighting in that kind of fight. Fenrir and Gandr were going with her to protect her, and Goose was their backup.
Spiderman, and a new group of superheroes called the Fantastic Four, also had their ears to the ground. Tony knew Reed Richards and Susan Storm in passing from his days in academia, but they had never been close friends. Now they were on better speaking terms, but the Fantastic Four were in New York and were actively seeking to be heroes, while Tony was more of a 'call me when you need me' type hero.
They all wished Fury the best of luck, but they were sticking close to home.
"Let's go to the stable, the kids are probably there. Frank loves his tea parties," Sirius said after they put their bags away.
"Since she's not in the house, that's the next best place to look," Remus agreed.
So, they marched down to the stables which now housed four ponies and five horses. Everyone had learned how to ride, at least enough to get around the grounds. It wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but it made for a nice change of pace. Thor and Loki rode their own beasts, which they called on when a picnic was scheduled.
"Ivy, are you here?" Sirius called out when they got there. The stables were much bigger on the inside and were very clean. The house elves kept them tidy and well stocked. One could not measure up to a house elf in maintaining a stable, or house.
"Over here," she said, calling from her table in the back.
They moved down the rows and soon rounded the corner to where Ivy, Gandr, Fenrir and Frank were. What surprised them was that Goose and Star were also there.
"Star?" Sirius said, questioningly. "Didn't we just leave you in England?"
"She came to talk to Goose," Ivy said, smiling at the calico. "She wanted to go over who she could and couldn't eat," she said, impishly. "At least I think that's what they are talking about. They're not sharing," she said, glaring at the non-cats. Goose usually wasn't so closed mouth.
"I would think that all humans were off the menu," Remus said, sitting and pouring himself a cup of tea. Ivy was given the best tea for her parties. Tony insisted.
"I think not," Sirius countered. He too took a cup. At least they didn't have to wear funny hats anymore. "You won't hear me complain if a few of those blowhards disappear," he added, blowing on his cup. "Feel free to eat Dumbledore," he said, in a stage whisper, which made Remus and Ivy stare at him.
"Did you boys ever try to use a wand?" Remus said, changing the subject. He didn't want to get into a debate as to why that was a bad thing. Sirius was still upset over Dumbledore's perceived betrayal. Remus still hadn't heard the old man's side of the story, which he would take with a healthy dose of salt, so he wasn't going to deal with it.
"No, why would we?" Fenrir asked, his wolf showing when Remus was around. There was always that instinct to show he was the God of the Wolves. It made him want to make Remus submit.
Remus showed his neck, but continued, "I thought we'd teach you wanded magic." He knew Fenrir was his dominant. There was no need for the 'younger' man to show power.
"Father does not use a wand," Gandr stated, not sure if they could or not. He wasn't even sure he wanted to know if it was possible.
"He's old enough to perform without one even if he could use one," Sirius said, taking a sip from his cup and sighing at the taste.
"A simple enough test," Remus said, handing the 'child' his wand.
Gandr sighed and took the wand. There was an explosion of sparks. Ivy squealed and clapped her hands. She had not been looking forward to being the only child learning from Sirius and Remus. Not that she didn't love them, but it would have been lonely without someone her own age. Or at least looked as old as she did.
"Well, that settles that," Remus said, chuckling. He knew they'd be able to, they were far too magical not to. Now it was only a matter of convincing Loki to let them teach the 'kids' wand magic.
"I guess," Gandr stated. Just because they could use a wand didn't mean they wanted to. They would have to discuss this with Father. Then again if it got them more time with Ivy…
"What do you think they are talking about?" Ivy said, motioning to the two Flerkens, who were keeping their conversation to themselves. She hoped she wasn't right, and they weren't talking about who Star could and couldn't eat. That might cause issues later down the road.
"Probably who to eat," Sirius repeated what Ivy said in jest, though he was serious. He really hoped they were talking about that. The more irritants that were gone from the world, the better off Ivy's and Harry's life would be. He had been serious that she should eat Dumbledore and save them all the fuss. "Star is still new to this planet," he pointed out.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see if you're right," Ivy said, not being able to get Goose to tell her. Not even her cutest smile could make him reveal what was said. Star was just as immune. It must be their alien blood.
"Tell me more about this wolf that calls himself by my name," Fenrir demanded. Now that Remus was here in America and could not be implicated in this Greyback's demise, he thought it would be a good time to dispose of the man.
"He turned me as a child. My father wrote a law he didn't like and instead of killing him, he attacked me. He likes to turn children, and…" Remus started, only to stop when Fenrir started growling. He bared his neck again and a small whimper escaped his mouth.
"You did not tell me this when you mentioned him years ago. I thought you were the exception," the God of Wolves stated.
"Oh, no, Greyback loves to turn kids," Sirius said, not getting the overlay of dominance flowing through the room. Even the horses were stomping in submission. One would think his dog animagus would have warned him.
"Had I known he favored children, I would have killed him years ago," Fenrir snapped, getting up and going to find his father. He stormed through the empty house, frustrated that Loki was not there. He pulled out his phone and texted him that he was needed and waited for a reply.
Loki appeared, with his lady friend in tow, instead of replying back. They showed up out of thin air, which Felicia showed a great deal of surprise over. Loki waved his hand and she seemed to get dizzy for a moment and then was more sedated. He had changed her perspective to them arriving via car.
"Fenrir, you remember Felicia," Loki said, reminding the boy to be polite. Fenrir nodded to the woman who he and Gandr had met at least twice now. She smiled back and waved. "Now, what is the emergency?" he asked his son.
"It was not so important that you needed to arrive in such a fashion," Fenrir stated, looking at Felicia with a knowing look. She might not be naïve, but she wasn't in the know.
"Your text said otherwise," Loki retorted, showing the text to the 'teen', which did come off as 'come home now'. Fenrir looked like he was in his early teen years now. At least thirteen. He was built like a horse, or a wolf god, and had the strength to match.
"Can we talk over here?" the boy/wolf asked, motioning off to the side where there was no furniture.
Loki excused himself, after sitting his date down on the sofa and offering her a drink. Then he joined his son. "Why are you so upset?" he asked, seeing the boy was seething. It was relatively easy to make Fenrir mad, but not to make him this upset.
"This werewolf that bears my name hunts children," he said, baring his teeth in a snarl. His hands were in fists and his whole body was taunted. He was so close to going into his true form that he had to take a few deep breaths. The house would not survive his form, and Ivy would be upset with him, not to mention the rest of the family.
"Who told you this?" Loki wanted to know, putting his hand on Fenrir's shoulder to try and calm him a bit.
"Remus," was all the 'teen' got out. He took another deep breath and tried to center himself. He was useless if he was angry at the wrong people. He needed to think about the man who needed to be brought down like the mangy dog he was.
"They are here then? Well, let me finish my date, and we will get the entire story," Loki said, looking his son in the eye, making sure they would do just that.
"Yes, finish your date," Fenrir agreed, not sure why his father insisted on dating, but figured it must be an adult thing, since most of the adults in the house did it. Bar Barton, who went home to his wife on weekends when he wasn't on assignment.
"I'll send her home," Loki reiterated, moving to get Felicia into a cab. He bid her a good night and told her he'd call her, but an emergency had come up. She seemed to understand and went without complaint. He then turned to his son and indicated to go where Remus was, which was still in the stables with the rest of the family that was home.
"I see he's told you," Sirius said from his seat at the table. They were sitting discussing what to do with Greyback. Or what Fenrir would do with him. Sirius was all for letting the Flerken eat him and his pack. Remus vetoed that, saying that would leave a very upset Fenrir Lokison.
"Yes, where is this despicable man?" Loki asked, not sitting down, he and his son were going to take care of this right now.
"I don't know," Remus said, thinking hard. "I can tell you that he roams the Forest of Dean, and the Forbidden Forrest at Hogwarts during the full moons." Those were the two places the man could find children.
"Do you have any information on him that might be useful in finding him?" Fenrir asked, hoping to get this over before the moon was full or the school year started. He'd rather take the man down before he had to protect anyone in the process.
"Only that he stays with his pack," Remus said, rubbing his chin. "They tend to haunt Knockturn Alley a few nights before the full moon, which is in three days' time," he added, looking at his watch like it had a calendar. It did not, but it did have a picture of the moon that showed what phase it was in and where it was in the sky. Along with the time. Magic was a wonderful thing.
"Ah, Knockturn," Sirius said, like it was a fond memory. "Loki will fit right in there," he stated, looking at the God of Mischief. "Just be rich, shady, and underhanded and you'll take the place by storm. Fenrir can even be your muscle," he added, nodding to the 'teen'.
"I would even recommend that Fenrir go by his true name. That will bring Greyback to you," Remus suggested, knowing that that werewolf loved being the only one with that name. He thought it made him Alpha of them all.
"Those are both sound ideas," Loki said, then he looked at Gandr. "We will be gone for a short time," he told his son, who nodded.
"I'll tell Daddy and the others," Ivy said, pouring everyone some tea like they weren't discussing the killing of a madman. "I hope your hunt is successful," she said, giving Frank a carrot.
"We're coming with," Goose said, making Loki and Fenrir look at him.
"Pray tell, why?" Loki asked, confusion on his face.
"Star wants to hunt too," the Flerken said, rubbing his face on the female's face.
"Does she now? Well, that's fine. Just leave Greyback to my son. Can you get yourselves there?" the demigod asked, readying his own spell to get him across the continent and ocean.
"We'll meet you there," Goose said, and the two non-cats were gone. No one knew how they travelled, but it looked like they turned themselves inside out. Ivy just hoped it was painless because it looked gross even for the barest of seconds.
"We'll return as soon as we can," Loki said, taking Fenrir's hand and waving his hand up and down over them. It was a variation of apparation. They couldn't use the Rainbow Bridge to travel, since they were hiding the 'kids' from Heimdall. So, Loki learned to travel this way.
"I hope they get the git," Sirius said, taking up a biscuit.
"You and me both," Remus said, sipping his tea.
"Let us finish our tea," Ivy suggested, dabbing her lips with a napkin.
And that's what they did.