On Punching Gods and Absentee Dads
Enigmaris
Chapter 31: It's Quidditch!
Summary:
Loki has plans. He's got so many plans his plans have plans of their own. And all of them are for his son.
Notes:
Once again, I cannot say it enough, thank you for the brilliant comments! I'm glad you all liked my version of Tyr. It was fun bringing him into the MCU while still trying to bring in stuff from the myths! 3 Enjoy this new chapter!
Chapter Text
Harry had requested that they not throw him a birthday party.
Loki had brought it up only two weeks before, wondering if his son had any traditions he wanted to share with him. Harry had gotten a slightly shifty look on his face before shaking his head.
"Can we not have a party? We just had the First Flame one and I don't really want that many people around all focused on me. It'd be nice if I could spend part of the day with Ron and Hermione, but I don't want a party."
In truth Loki hadn't liked the request. He'd missed out on 14 other birthdays after all. From 2- 15 Loki had been off galivanting elsewhere. He wanted to try and cram as many birthday gits and celebrations into this July 31st to make up for it. Maybe it was the Asgardian in him, this desire to throw a huge party to celebrate his son's 16th birthday. The Aesir after all searched for every opportunity to have a giant feast, any reason was a good enough reason if there was going to be mead involved.
But he knew his son would be extremely uncomfortable with a birthday party of that caliber and Loki wanted to respect that while also giving his son the party he deserved. So, he'd gone to the one person he trusted most to help.
"I was wondering when you'd come."
"You understand of course, that this must remain between us."
"I'm not gonna say a word. Might want to make sure the twins aren't listening in though."
Loki lifted up an eyebrow and turned to the doorway of Ron's bedroom. To his surprise he saw oddly realistic ears sticking out from beneath the door.
"Fred. George. Actual privacy please."
"Oh come on!" Fred whined.
"We can help! We're great at mischievous plans!"
"And if this plan requires mischief you two will be the first I call." Loki promised. "But for now, we need privacy."
He snapped his fingers transporting the twins, and their spy equipment back to their shop. As an added bonus he also sent along a pranking spell he'd invented four centuries ago that they were sure to enjoy decoding. That should give them at least an hour.
"There." He said. "Thank you for making time for me Ron."
"Course Mr. Potter. You are here about Harry's birthday, right?"
"He doesn't want a party."
"Sounds like him. I don't think he's ever had a good birthday party." Ron said. "When he turned 14 his birthday got ruined by a Death Eater attack at the World Cup. Then when he was 15, he almost got killed by dementors and had to go on trial for under age magic."
"Seriously?" Ron nodded gravely and Loki sighed. "Well that makes sense then. He asked that I don't throw him a party."
"But you want to."
"Well, it's his birthday. The second one I've gotten to spend with him." Loki said. "Besides, Frigga and Odin are not pleased that they weren't invited to his First Flame party, if I don't do something for his birthday they'll think I'm being petty."
"You're not?"
"Hush up."
"A big party wouldn't make him happy." Ron said. "He doesn't like being the center of attention either. It makes him paranoid."
"So what? I just give him a gift and pretend it's any other day?"
"I don't know what you want me to say. I've only ever seen Harry comfortable at a party a few times in my life and all of them have been about Quidditch."
"Quidditch?"
"Yeah, he was on the team 1st through 3rd year. 4th year we didn't have Quidditch because we had the Triwizard tournament and last year was a mess." Ron scowled. "But for the first three years he was Gryffindor's seeker. Whenever we won a game we'd have huge parties and Harry would be right in the thick of it."
Loki could well remember how crazy those parties had gotten when he'd been a student there. And with Fred and George also on the team…well he knew they'd likely gotten more intense. They were probably on par with an Asgardian Feast, at least energy wise. Feasts could last for weeks if Odin allowed and humans just didn't have that sort of stamina.
"So we could play quidditch?"
"With who? Hermione doesn't like brooms. So that just leaves me, you, Professor Lupin, and Sirius. That's not enough to make one full team. Even if we brought on Ginny and the twins." Ron said. "Besides, Harry'd see what we were doing a mile away."
"So we just don't tell him." Loki decided. "We just need to find 12 willing players, as we have you and Harry already, and get a game together for his birthday. Then we can have a party after to celebrate whichever team wins. And if I also so happen to have a few gifts for Harry then that's merely a coincidence."
"It'd have to be natural." Ron decided. "The party has to seem spontaneous. And if we invite anyone from Hogwarts to come and play Harry'll know it wasn't."
"I've got an idea." Loki said.
And so the plan was born. With Ron and Hermione's help, Loki had smuggled up two dozen enchanted brooms, top quality from Diagon Alley, to Asgard. Loki had convinced first Tyr and then the trainees that they absolutely had to learn how to fly on brooms and play this unnecessarily dangerous game. The trainees had been eager. Tyr had been less so until he saw the bludgers in action.
Next Loki had had to get the word out without having it reach his son's ears. That was done by sending Thor out into Asgard to talk to the Aesir about this new wonderful game he'd learnt about on earth and how he hoped that he could bring it back to Asgard for everyone to see. Soon the entire royal city was buzzing with curiosity about a game that was played 50 feet in the air and had elements that were designed to injure you and send you plummeting to your death.
They were obsessed.
Convincing Odin to let him rearrange the Royal Arena had been far easier than he'd expected. Really Loki had only had to explain that he wanted to deface a millennias old edifice to the greatness of Asgard to trick Harry into celebrating his 16th birthday, and Odin asked what supplies he needed. He'd feared that Odin would deny him, force him to find an alternate location. The Royal Arena was only for the most official and sacred events after all. (Sacred to an Asgardian meant, of course something very, very bloody that likely involved a sword.)
Frigga had volunteered, or rather demanded she be allowed to prepare the celebration feast after. So preparations within the palace were done under Harry's nose the two weeks before his birthday. It was all coming together and Loki knew they'd be ready to start it the day before his son's birthday. From Harry's perspective this would be a pick up quidditch game that had gained the attention of the aesir, who loved watching games like this, and the aesir, well known for their love of feasts, would insist on having a party to celebrate the winners.
Loki had no doubt his son would be the winner. None at all.
(He was also very willing to subtly hex any member of the opposing team if it looked like his son might need a bit of help.)
Harry would get to play the game he loved and have a party to celebrate how wonderful he was. Then they'd go back to earth and the next day, on Harry's real birthday, they'd hold a small private event with everyone Harry was closest to in the tower. Just like Harry wanted.
Yes. The plan was perfect.
Loki could see no flaws in his plan whatsoever.
Except for perhaps one.
"Hello, Loki." Odin said.
"Why are you here?"
"You expected me not to come down to see my one and only grandson play this mortal game?"
"I…yes!" Loki growled.
Below them Loki watched as Harry took six of the trainees to one end of the arena while Ron took the other six. There were some trainees who weren't playing, those poor unfortunate souls were with Hermione, talking strategy for when they would be allowed to play. Loki had been afraid that Harry had gotten in trouble with Tyr, but based on the look in his son's eyes it hadn't been bad at all.
"Well that hardly seems fair." Odin said sitting down next to Loki. Loki had taken this place in the arena because he intended to be the announcer for the game. Of course, he shouldn't have been surprised that Odin would want to bother him. "I gave you permission to put up those hoops and enchant the arena floor so that it was softer. I should at least be allowed to see the results."
"Fine." Loki said, not interested in arguing. "You can see without speaking, you're not a whale."
"Loki. Is it truly so onerous to have a conversation with me?"
"You don't have conversations, Odin. You give speeches and you make decrees. And I am done with those."
"I cannot become better if you don't allow me to try." Odin said stiffly. "I know I failed you, I do. Just as I failed your mother and your brother and so many countless others. I want to fix it, Loki. You must give me that chance."
"I must?" Loki repeated. "Still demanding things you aren't owed, then?"
Loki didn't look over to see the frustration in Odin's figure. People were starting to stream into the arena in small groups. Word had gotten out, via Thor, that a game of quidditch was going to be played and the curiosity was rampant. Harry and Ron were both figuring out their teams' strategies. It was a bit sad that Ron and Harry couldn't be on the same team, but Ron was the only other child with actual playing experience.
They'd given the trainees flying lessons so that they wouldn't fall to their deaths, but that is far different from playing in a real game.
"I don't have to do anything Odin." Loki said. "And I don't see why I should. You have had millennia to be a good father to me, millennia. Why is it that you're suddenly so interested in doing it now when I don't need you."
"Loki."
"No. Shut up." Loki said. "You wanted a conversation, then you have to actually listen to what I'm saying."
"Very well. Say your piece."
"You were never there Odin. Never." Loki said. "I hadn't realized how absent you were until I started taking care of Harry. I know, I do, that I tend to be a bit overzealous with my son. But perhaps I'm just trying to be the exact opposite of you."
"I was there." Odin denied. "I was always in Asgard during your childhood."
"That is not what I mean and you know it." Loki said. "You didn't teach me, you rebuked me. I spent my entire childhood grasping for mere seconds of your approval and I never got it. Never."
"I approved of you. You are my son."
"Well you never showed it. You never did anything to say that, you never even said it." Loki said. "So forgive me for thinking you a liar."
"What would you have had me do then? Hold your hand?" And why did he sound so dismissive? As if Loki wouldn't have jumped over himself to hold his son's hand if he needed it. As if Loki didn't lose sleep at night wondering if his son had enough physical affection.
"Yes!" Loki said finally turning to glare at the man next to him. "What is so difficult to understand about that? If I'd needed a hug or my hand being held I would have wanted you to do it! That's what it means to be a father."
"I wanted to make you strong."
"Then you should have showed me strength instead of dismissal." Loki snapped. "Strength would have been creating a world where I felt safe and accepted. Strength would have been showing me how to be proud of who I was instead of ashamed. Strength would have been showing me how to forgive and gain forgiveness. You never showed me any of that."
"Safe? Asgard is the safest realm in the nine!"
"Not for a frost giant runt."
"Is that what your complaint is?" Odin asked. "I don't see how I could have changed all of Asgard's opinion on Frost Giants."
"You are the All Father." Loki said. "If anyone could have done something it would have been you. You and you alone had the power to change how the aesir see the other races but you chose the easy way out. Instead of changing the world to fit me, you changed me so I would fit with this world."
Loki leaned forward, his elbows planted on his knees. His son was laughing, from this distance it was hard to tell why but that hardly mattered.
"You forced me into a shape that wasn't my own without my consent and you lied to me about it for my entire life." Loki said. "All because you didn't care enough to create a world where I could be myself."
"I wanted you to be safe."
"Did you?" Loki asked. "Because all it did was drive me to madness. And now, I face the awful fate of knowing nothing about my own species. I don't even know if my son's inherited any frost giant blood or magic from me. If he did I wouldn't even know how to help him. Eventually he'll want to know about that part of himself, about that part of me. And I will have nothing to give him but stories of monsters beneath my bed."
"I never wanted you to question your place with me."
"You can tell me every day what you wanted and what you intended." Loki snapped. "But that will never matter because it is not what you did. I have no interest in pandering to you now that you're finally willing to change. I'm an adult man, I have a child of my own. You can't turn back the clock and wipe away all the neglect Odin and I have very little reason to let you try."
"So that's it? You wish to end things like this? Leave your family fractured into pieces?"
"My family is on earth." Loki said motioning down to his son. The boy was glowing with excitement. "I have a son, two shield brothers, and Thor I suppose. It is the family I made, the family I trust. I'm not the one who fractured Asgard's royal family."
"You would forsake your mother?"
"Frigga isn't my mother. I don't even know who my mother is. I'll never know because I will never be welcome in Jontunheim long enough to figure it out." Loki said. "Frigga is a good woman and I…I love her. But I can't trust her, not knowing the lies she told me. Maybe one day I could forgive her, but that's because I know she loves me. I don't know that about you."
"I do love you."
"Words mean very little to the god of lies." Loki said.
"Very well." Odin said standing up. "Then I suppose I'll just have to prove it."
Loki watched the older god go, forcing himself not to hope. Carefully he stood up himself. The arena was filling quite quickly now with buzzing and excited Asgardians. Thor had even settled down with his friends, excited to see his first game. Loki cleared his throat and waved at Ron, the boy gave a thumbs up. Loki nodded, cast a spell to enhance the volume of his voice, and began.
"People of Asgard! You have come here today to witness a spectacle of epic proportions!" Loki began.
It was easy to pretend that Odin hadn't once again gutted him. That he wasn't bothered by a man who was doing too little for him much too late. What did it matter that Odin wanted to repair their relationship? Loki didn't need him, didn't need his forgiveness or support. Loki had become what he was today despite Odin's actions and he didn't need Odin bursting in and ruining that.
He didn't.
The game began with the teams taking to the air, Ron going to guard one set of hoops while Hemrod went to the others. One of the trainees not on either team went up into the air to release the quaffle while Hermione stood in the center of the arena, ready to free the two bludgers and the snitch. When Loki finished counting down from three, the game began and he immediately jumped into announcer mode, forcing himself to forget about Odin.
All of this was for Harry at the end of the day. The feast Frigga had secretly ordered and prepared. The stories and praises Thor had shared with the Aesir. The hours of flying lessons Ron and Loki had given the trainees. All of it was for Harry, so that the boy could play the game he loved without worrying. A little pocket of joy, of light, in the dark times they lived in. A good memory for him to cling to when things got too hard.
The work had been worth it too. Seeing Harry whip around in the air like he'd been born to fly filled him with joy. Hearing the crowds cheer and gasp whenever he neatly dodged a bludger or feinted against another player made Loki want to shout, to exalt. Had Odin ever felt this way about Loki? Or even about Thor? Or had he always held himself too distant to truly revel in his sons' accomplishments?
The game was exciting, certainly. The trainees were just good enough on their brooms to not fall off and be a hazard to themselves. They were also bad enough that it added a level of danger and tension that kept the aesir on the edge of their seats. Loki's commentary and Hermione's willingness to ensure that the point counter was kept up to date helped as well.
Whenever Ron blocked a shot from the quaffle or, one of the trainees hit a bludger there were shouts and waving of fists. Every time points were scored the cheers were deafening. This was the sort of entertainment Asgardians were born for. It involved all of their favorite things; competition and the constant threat of injury. Harry was an absolutely beautiful player too. Loki had to keep himself from focusing all of his narration on his son, and his skills with a broom. There were, after all, 13 other people playing and he knew too well what favoritism did to someone.
"And that is 10 points for Sigrun!" Loki shouted when Ron failed to block a quaffle. Harry's team had named themselves Sigrun and Ron's was named Betri. They'd even gone so far as to change the color of the shirts they were wearing to match their team's hastily chosen colors. Sigrun was blue and Betri was orange. "That makes the total points 120 for Sigrun and 110 for Betri! We are neck and neck here! And still no sign of the snitch anywhere!"
It took an hour for the snitch to appear and when it did Harry and the other seeker, Herdic, dived for it at the same time. The snitch had been flitting around near to the ground, close to the exit of the arena. Loki continued to narrate as the two fliers sped towards the stone floor. Herdic pulled up ten feet from the ground to avoid a collision, but Harry just flattened himself closer to his broom and kept going.
The snitch flew up towards the walls of the arena, the walls were about ten feet tall and held up the weight of the seats and the aesir that occupied them. The walls had been carved from granite and were comprised of thick cubes that were stuck together with magic. The snitch flew along the slightly curved walls and Harry moved to follow. He twisted down the concave curve, mere inches from the stone wall. The snitch continued to flit and flicker out of reach.
Asgardians were screaming, nearly throwing themselves off the wall to get a good look at the insane demi-god. The snitch flew into the crowds and they dove back, to give Harry room for his pursuit. The beaters of Ron's team sent bludgers at Harry, that Harry dodged by pulling up at a 90 degree angle. The bludgers banged into the stone seats, denting them and sending rock shards into the air.
Harry dove to the right as the bludgers got up to fly back into the game. He reoriented himself towards the snitch and then…
Let go of his broom.
He began to fall at high speeds towards the snitch and to the ground 30 feet below. The crowds screamed again, and then Harry held out a hand and summoned his broom. The broom flew down and caught Harry mere feet from the ground, slowing his descent so that he didn't splatter into the earth. Harry instead rolled on the ground a few times before forcing himself up.
Silence.
Harry held up his hand and revealed the weakly fluttering snitch.
"AND HE'S DONE IT! HARALDR LOKISON HAS CAPTURED SNITCH FOR A TOTAL OF 150 POINTS! TEAM SIGRUN WINS!"
The resulting cheers were deafening.
Loki fell back into his seat and tried to catch his breath. That child was going to be the death of him.