On Punching Gods and Absentee Dads
Enigmaris
Chapter 53: Loki Loves Lily
Summary:
Loki is so in love it hurts. His wife is here and he can reach out to her, what else matters?
Notes:
As most of you can tell we are reaching the end of this story! There have been one or two requests for more and I have taken those on board! I'm going to be taking a break from this story once it's finished so I can focus on writing my thesis and defending it lol but once that's done I may very well come back to this! However I hope to write a story with a satisfying conclusion so that you're not left wondering too much ;)
Chapter Text
Loki was vibrating.
He was aware of course that Hogwarts was severely damaged and that there were dead wizards and Asgardians mingled with the dead death eaters and dark creatures. He knew he should have a serious look on his face. He knew he should be somber in the face of such tragedy. And yet, and yet, and yet.
And yet he could touch her.
And yet he could see her, hear her, he could still taste her on his tongue.
He'd have to remember to do something to thank Harry for healing his mother in the way he had because while Loki would not have minded if his wife tasted well like a corpse right after being brought back to life, having her taste as he remembered was preferable in every way. It was impossible for Loki to stop shaking. His very bones were humming beneath his flesh in joy. He couldn't stop himself from grasping at Lily's arm, at her waist, holding her close to his side. She didn't seem to mind, if the way she was holding onto him was any indication.
When they arrived at Hogwarts, the war had truly ended. Loki knew that because Bruce had transformed back and had accepted some conjured clothing from Molly Weasley of all people. The entire grounds were destroyed. Parts of the castle had been crumbled up and destroyed from the spell fire and from the trolls and giants. The ground was littered with corpses, from both sides of the conflict. The Death Eaters that were still alive had been tied up and dragged over to one group and put under guard by the Order members. The Avengers and Aesir were going through the battlefield and finding survivors under direction of Steve and Odin. A majority of the magic users that could, were healing those who'd been injured.
He could see in the distance Sirius and Remus were looking for the two of them. Which admittedly was fair, Harry had taken them away quite quickly without any explanation whatsoever. Harry had successfully won the war and lifted his sword up to signify his victory as any good Asgardian would do and then, just like Harry, he'd left before any feasting or celebratory hugging could start. Any other of their kind, after a victory like that, would be up on everyone's shoulders being cheered on and sung about. But here was his son, covered in dirt and dried up blood.
"So." His wife said. (She said! As in she spoke, as in her mouth and her throat and her voice.) "How do we want to play this?"
"We could always do what I did." Loki said. "Molly almost slapped me, but I managed to get out of that one."
"No one's going to hit me, dear." She said patting his arm making it clear why they'd all tried to do so to him. Loki could only smile widely and stupidly at her while Harry snickered on his other side.
"We could… I dunno magic up a banner?" Harry suggested, his tone jovial.
"A banner seems a bit…gauche." Lily decided. "I suppose we should just let my presence speak for itself."
"We don't want people to faint." Loki said, he didn't mention that he nearly had. He didn't have to, Lily gave him a fond look that made it clear she already knew that. Apparently, Loki had a face he used when he was about to faint from joy, and she'd seen it often enough.
"Mate!" Ron Weasley yelled. "You're back! Where'd in Merlin's name did you go?"
Harry turned to greet Ron and Hermione who were rushing towards them. Harry immediately pulled both of them into huge hugs. When they pulled back Harry grinned and spoke.
"I had to go get my mum."
"Wut?" Ron asked while Hermione looked behind Harry and squeaked at the sight of Lily Evans Potter waving at the group of friends.
"Potter!" Draco Malfoy said. "You can't just disappear after killing the dark lord!"
"Sure, I can!" Harry said. "My mum needed me!"
"Your what? Potter did you hit your head?"
"No." Lily said, walking up behind Draco. "He didn't."
Draco yelped in shock while Lily waved again.
"Hello Draco, it's nice to meet you."
"Eeeep."
"Harry what did you do?" Hermione demanded, making Harry grin and Lily laugh.
Loki listened, still vibrating, as Harry explained to his three friends about his adventure in the afterlife and how he found his mother and then had a conversation with Death and figured out how to bring his mum back to life with him. Loki could admit it was rather clever, a trick he himself would have been quite proud to pull off. Lily settled back at his side, a smile on her face.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Strange." She admitted, making him frown. She sighed and tried again. "Heavy? I suppose that's the best word for it. It's not bad I just…haven't been carrying a body around for a while and I can feel the pressure of it."
"I'd like to say that will fade but I don't know." Loki said. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She said. "Even if I feel this odd for the rest of my life I wouldn't regret it. Not if it meant being with you."
"I missed you." Loki choked out. "Odin, I missed you."
He let his head collapse onto her's and let himself smell her hair. Around them the world continued on as Harry finished telling his story and the Avengers made their way over.
"I missed you too, James." She said. "So much. You have no idea how many times I tried to reach out to you, when you were in Asgard trying to tell you to get back to earth for our son and when you fell from the void I tried. I'm so sorry darling."
Loki held her a bit tighter as he thought about the voice he'd heard begging him to stop during the invasion.
"I heard you, sometimes." He admitted. "Thought I was crazy. Sorry for not listening."
"Forgiven." She said. "Oh darling you're forgiven."
He shuddered and let himself fall deeper into her arms. He could hear the team, the team that had somehow become his team, was near and asking about him and the strange woman he was hugging. He grinned into his wife's hair and he felt her grin form on his neck. He felt it. He loosened his grip so that she could turn to look at the group of muggle heroes. She grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together before walking forward a bright smile on her face. She only let go of him once they were close enough to the group. Loki was more than happy to be led around.
"Hello." She said stopping right in front of Thor. "Thor right? James' brother?"
"Uh, yes?" He said. "Are you one of Loki's old friends?"
"Something like that." She said ever so sweetly. "You know there's something I always wanted to do the first time we met?"
"Huh?"
Then Lily lifted up one of her hands, kissed her own knuckles with a spell, and then pulled back and punched Thor right on the nose. Thor reared back in pain as his nose was broken in one fell swoop. He stumbled back holding his nose in shock.
"That. Is for making my husband feel poorly about himself for centuries." She said, and then flicked her wrist producing her wand, which she then waved a bit, healing Thor's broken nose. "And that is for doing better in the last few years."
Loki could only look at his wife, his face utterly besotted. He had no thoughts in his head except for how lovely she was, how glorious.
"I…husband?" Thor asked her stupidly.
"Come on Uncle Thor." Harry said with a grin. "What sort of god of death would I be if I couldn't bring my own mum back to life?"
"She punched him." Tony said suddenly, glee in his voice. "She comes back to life and the first thing she does is punch somebody in the face! Like mother, like son right?"
That made Loki giggle a little as the other Avengers laughed away their shock.
"Sorry about that." She said. "I just had to get it out of my system. You would not believe the original plan I had for you after watching you strut around Asgard for years after my death."
"No. No." Thor said with a laugh. "I deserved it. How did you punch me anyway? I'm a god, that should have broken your hand."
"Oh, just a charm I invented ages ago." She said in a tone that made it clear it had been for this exact purpose and oh how Loki loved her. "It's a localized weakening charm, it works by immediately weakening whatever object comes into contact with my fist for as long as I'm touching it. It took a bit of tweaking, weakening charms are notoriously difficult to do because they often butt up against the inherent soul of the object being charmed making them flimsy. But I figured if I localized the charm onto a small surface area, say my knuckles, and had the spell be active for the moments it took to punch something, then it would work wonderfully. You don't need to be super strong you just have to bring everything down to your level."
Oh, how Loki loved her. He loved her to Asgard and back, he loved her with the strength of a star. Was there anyone better in all the nine realms than his wife? His beloved wife? He couldn't imagine a more perfect person in this or any world. Of course, his son was wonderful, truly wonderful, but his wife. His wife had spent the precious free time she'd had before her death designing a spell that would let her punch Thor and any other god that came their way if she had to.
She wouldn't have needed the spell if she'd planned on punching them after their deaths, which meant she'd created it for him, for them. Loki had told her how Thor made him feel, he had told her his fears about Asgard discovering them and Lily had discovered a way she could protect him, defend him. She'd created a spell she could do wandlessly to bring all of Asgard down to her level. Just in case her wand was gone, just in case Loki was just as weak as she was physically. Oh, how he loved her.
All Loki could do was stand there as Lily laughed and introduced herself to the Avengers, one by one. His wife was smiling and shaking hands and she looked so beautiful his lungs hurt.
"James!" Sirius said, finally pushing his way through the crowds, Remus on his heels. "Where did you go off to? Honestly, leaving before the fighting's all done? What were you thinking? And what's with your face you haven't looked like that since your wedding!"
"Uh Sirius." Remus said, pulling on the man's sleeve while looking at a grinning and very much alive Lily who'd hopped back over when she heard Sirius' yelling.
"Are you not seeing this Moony?" Sirius asked, motioning dramatically to Loki's face. "He's besotted by something!"
"Yeah he sure is." Remus agreed.
"Did you get hit with a confundus or something Prongs?"
"No." Loki said, as Lily continued to sneak closer and closer to Sirius. Remus even shuffled away slightly, a grin on his face. "I didn't get hit with a spell."
"Well then what is it?" Sirius demanded. "Because the only thing that ever made you look like that is Lily Evans and-"
Lily tapped him lightly on the shoulder and Sirius stopped speaking for a moment to glance back. He saw her face and then yelped, jumping back into Loki's waiting arms.
"You're right about that Pads." Lily said while Loki helped Sirius back onto his feet.
"Lily?" He breathed.
"It's me." She confirmed. "Harry might have brought me back with him when Voldemort removed his horcrux."
"Removed his hor…Can someone please catch me up?"
They all laughed as Sirius jumped forward and pulled Lily into a hug. He didn't get to hug her long before Remus was pulling Lily into his own arms and kissing her cheeks, tears in his eyes. When they pulled apart Harry happily explained for a second time what he'd done. Loki didn't listen any better that time either, too focused on his wife's smiling face. Lily freed herself from Remus and Sirius and came over to give him a kiss on the cheek that made his knees feel wobbly and weak.
"I have a feeling Harry's going to be telling this story far too many times today." She said, whispering her thoughts right into his ear. Automatically he reached out to hold her and hummed in agreement.
"He's not as bad at telling them as he used to be." Loki told her.
"I know." She said. "Hearing him tell the basilisk story hurt my head, I watched that happen and his telling of it is the textbook definition of an understatement."
"I love him."
"Yeah, we made a pretty great kid didn't we." She agreed, kissing him again, a fond press of lips that made his heart beat violently in his chest.
"He's the best." Loki argued. "He's just like you. Kind."
"And here I thought he was just like you." She said. "Resilient in the face of cruelty."
"He got that from you."
"No, dear." She said. "That's all you. Besides, both of you eventually ran away from your homes and found something, better didn't you?"
"Perhaps." Loki allowed. "But his heart, that's all you."
"No." She said. "That's his I'm afraid. His temper is mine though."
"Yes, my nose is aware of that."
"I want to say that I didn't laugh when he punched you." She said. "But I saw Ginny teaching him how to do it and well…it was a very good punch."
"It was." Loki agreed with a laugh in his voice. "I'm just glad he gave me a chance after, I really put my foot in my mouth during that first meeting."
"And during the second and third and the four-"
"Yes yes, I get it." Loki said kissing his wife's lips to stop her from listing out all of his missteps. She grinned at him, it was strange, in this body he was taller than her. As James they'd been nearly the same height. "I needed you to guide me, as I always have."
"Oh, you managed." She said. "Seeing you two grow together was…it was all I ever wanted, James. To know you had each other. It was the happiest I'd been since that night…Still."
"Still?"
"I'm going to take charge for our next one."
"Next one?" He whispered.
"Didn't we always want a giant family?" She asked. "That hasn't changed has it?"
"Oh no. No. I just…It hadn't even occurred to me." Loki smiled brightly. "But we can have more, more time, more of each other, more children, more…everything."
"James. Lily." Remus said. "Not that I'm not ecstatic for you, I am. But I don't think this is the time nor the place to do your family planning. You-Know-Who is on his way."
And by You-Know-Who, of course, Remus meant Albus Dumbledore. Albus, who like everyone else, had not immediately spotted Lily. Loki didn't understand why all eyes on the battlefield did not immediately gravitate towards her but still it worked to their advantage. Dumbledore really only had eyes for Harry, a Harry who had fulfilled the prophecy in a way none of them had expected. Proving to Albus once and for all that he had been wrong, that he had always been wrong.
Yet there wasn't regret on the man's face. Not like there should have been. Loki snarled, ready to conjure a knife to start stabbing with when he felt his wife put a hand on his chest.
"Let me handle this, dear."
Loki nodded, yes he could do that. He let himself fall back next to Remus and Sirius who all watched with unhidden glee as Lily Evans Potter stalked towards Albus Dumbledore. They all knew that stalk. That was the stalk of a predator. They had all been victims of that stalk more than once in their lives. After a poorly conceived prank or other stupid decision Lily Evans had stalked towards all of them with that same stalk. It never meant good things for anyone it was directed at.
"Oh Harry." Dumbledore said. "It seems things worked out after all."
"Headmaster." Harry said, glaring at Dumbledore. His son was defensive, much of his joy and enthusiasm fleeing in the face of that smug old man.
Before anything else could happen, Lily arrived with all the force of a Valkyrie.
"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." She snarled. Loki didn't even wince although he knew that the usage of every single name was the worst sort of sign.
Dumbledore turned at the sight of her and paled, before he could even draw his wand Lily had wordlessly blasted him with a blasting hex sending him flying into the crowds behind him. Everyone around them parted like the Red Sea as Lily continued to bear down upon Albus with a vengeance.
"You don't talk to my child, you fucking son of a bitch."
"Lily."
"The dead talk Albus, they've done a lot of talking about you." She said brandishing her wand right in his face. "And I am going to ruin you."
"Now, Lily." He said. "Surely you don't want to do something so violent in front of Harry? Your son wouldn't like that, he never has."
Lily cocked her head, pausing for a mere moment before glancing back at her son who paused too. Harry looked at his mother for a moment and then down at Dumbledore. Then the boy shrugged.
"No, I'm fine with it."
What?
Before anyone could ask for clarification, Dumbledore brought out his wand, probably to defend himself with. Lily pounced immediately, hexing Albus and disarming him in one go. The man wasn't able to respond quickly enough, still too shocked by Lily's appearance. Lily caught the man's wand in mid air as boils popped out all over his skin, spelling out his crimes. Lily then looked at the wand and then down at Albus.
"I know how long you worked to get this." She said, fiddling with the intricate wand. "Which is why I'm really going to enjoy this."
Then she brought the wand down on her knee and snapped it clean in half. Dumbledore gasped at the pain of having his magical focus broken so violently. Lily dropped both now useless halves to the ground and then smirked down at Dumbledore, who had the word 'Abuser' painted across his face.
"I'm going to destroy you Albus." She said. "By the time I'm done the entire world is going to treat you like my sister treated my son. There won't be a single safe place for you, just like there wasn't for my son. You will be despised and mistrusted and guess what? So many people are going to anxiously wait for the day you die, just like you did with my baby. The truth is coming out Albus and it's going to haunt you in this life and the next."
Loki felt the besotted smile steal over his face once again as Albus Dumbledore quivered on the bloodstained earth of Hogwarts. Thor quietly lumbered over to Loki and whispered at him.
"Is she always this scary?"
"Isn't she lovely?"
Thor just gave him a look.
A look Loki chose to interpret as complimentary.
After all, how could anyone do anything but compliment his lovely wife?
"Forget it Thor." Sirius said. "James' gone. His brain's vacated his skull and all that's stuffed in there now is goopy affection. He's useless to us."
"It does seem that way doesn't it?" Thor asked, lifting up a hand to wave it front of Loki's eyes. Loki slapped it away with a glare. Thor's meaty paw was blocking the view after all.
"You all are just jealous that I'm married to the most perfect woman in the nine realms."
"You're right." Thor said to Sirius. "He's gone."
He was not gone. He was just repurposing his mind towards the more important things. It was called priorities. When Loki told them that, all three men just rolled their eyes.
Loki chose to interpret that as a compliment too
Loki would not know it of course, although he could have guessed if he tried, that Lily had a plan. It was a plan she'd concocted quickly enough, seeing as how she'd no idea that she was going to be coming back to life that day, but it still existed. It was cobbled together from the violent daydreams she'd been having in the afterlife watching Albus manipulate and gaslight their son over and over again. It was a plan she would implement over the course of several weeks.
It would happen rapidly really compared to everything else. Lily was nothing but determined. Within two weeks after today, the first papers would begin to be published about Albus' crimes, his descent into infamy would be pushed by a nearly feral Lily. She would poison every source of water, every spot of relief, against Albus. Everywhere he would turn Lily would be there to slowly destroy Albus' position in society. Loki and Harry would not have to do a single thing but watch (although Loki would gleefully help, along with Sirius and Remus) as Lily got Albus removed as headmaster, got his chocolate frog card recalled, and got his positions and awards revoked. By the end of it, Albus would be reduced to living in his home as a hermit, disliked by most everyone and without the wand he'd worked so hard to retrieve.
Of course, Loki wouldn't know that all of that was about to happen, he wasn't Frigga. All he could think about was how much he loved his wife, what he'd need to do to get her a golden apple, and that they all needed to rest soon. His son would have to eat and there were funerals to prepare for. So, with all of that in mind, when Lily finished giving her threats to Dumbledore, Loki walked forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I think its time we all rested." He said. "Harry needs to eat, and I'd like you to be seen by a healer. This pustule will wait for us I'm sure."
"Alright." She said glaring down at the old man at her feet. "I'll start with him tomorrow."
It was a promise. A threat. And while Loki might not have known it's contents just yet, it still made a shiver run down his spine.
It took some time of course to get Lily to a healer and some food to Harry, but Loki was determined. He found Idunn quickly going between groups of Aesir, doing healing in a way that she clearly had not for millennium, with ease. He called out to her and she immediately brightened upon seeing Harry, alive and well, and just as immortal as she. She then spotted Lily and paused. She, out of everyone, knew the magical circumstances best, which allowed her to put together what Harry had done with relative ease.
"You are going to need one of my apples." She said as a greeting.
"I am." Lily agreed smiling. "If you'd be willing."
"Ha! Like helping a woman like you would be that much of a hardship. I'll pick one when I go back to Asgard, when you come to the golden realm it will be waiting for you."
"Thank you." Loki said right as Lily expressed the same sentiments.
"It's my pleasure." She said and she sounded like she meant it. "Now, Harry. Sit down here with your friends and let me heal you three up. Then I'll see to your mother and make sure you brought every back just right."
She did just as she promised. Around them the word was spreading. Thor was telling the Warriors Three and Sif what Harry had done and Fandral and Volstagg were telling anyone who would listen from Asgard about it. Sirius and Remus explained it to the Order and from there it spread out across the entire battlefield, Lily was alive, and she'd hexed Albus Dumbledore. By the time Idunn had healed all of them of their wounds and declared Lily to be in good health, the crowds around them had swelled.
Lily was pulled into teary hug after hug from the people who had loved and mourned her. Loki found himself pulled along with Harry into the hugging and joyful masses. It was chaotic in the best sort of way and even a bit twisted to be celebrating Lily amidst so much loss. But it couldn't be helped, despite everything today was a victory. Voldemort was gone and his family and his heart was full.
It took far too long for Loki to free his family from the mass. He only did it because he could tell that both Harry and Lily were tiring. Becoming a god and coming back to life were exhausting affairs. So, Loki, with the help of Thor, Remus, and Sirius, got the two of them free and snuck them back to the castle. The students had been put away into the safety of the dungeons and placed under guard by the older students during the fighting so that left the hallways empty enough for Lok to secret his family up and away to his rooms in the school. He fed them and got them all dressed into warm soft clothing.
By the time it was all said and done, night had fallen upon the war-torn Hogwarts. The world was rejoicing its freedom outside, both in Europe and in America. People were cheering and drinking to Harry's name once more. But the three of them didn't notice, they finished their meals and curled up together, a cohesive whole. And they finally, blessedly rested.