Last time...

While Tony would have loved to stay down in the lab with his new knowledge, he knew that he couldn't do that right now. Hera was out with Matt, and while he had Jarvis looking out for them, he knew that wasn't a guarantee. He left for the living room, not surprised when he found that they hadn't come back yet. Just in case, he got some more hot chocolate started. It kept his hands busy while he tried not to tempt himself back down to the lab.

"Sir-"

Hera and Matt were suddenly in the living room, arms around each other as Matt cried.

"I got it, Jarvis." Tony stated, before going to check on the kids. "Come on, you two, I have hot chocolate ready. Whatever happened, we can talk about it over delicious hot chocolate and have terribly cheesy Christmas movies play in the background. What do you say? Interested?"

Chapter 90

"That was a good thing you did, Hera." Tony stated later on that night when he knew Matt was asleep. Those blanket forts were so amazing, he was half tempted to sleep there himself.

"Then why do I feel like shite?" Hera countered, morose.

"Because it didn't turn out like he wanted. My bet is you knew that it wouldn't, and you did it anyway." Tony surmised. She looked over at him. "I'm right, aren't I."

"I had hoped…visits maybe…reconciliation…a bridge for them, but…Yeah, I pretty much knew it was gonna blow up in his face the moment he asked me to find her." Hera admitted with a sigh. "I just…Maybe I should have just told him no, let him grill me about my life as Loki before instead."

"He knows?" Tony asked, shocked.

"Yeah. As it turns out, Matt's hearing is good enough that he can hear when things displace and reappear elsewhere around him." Hera confirmed, amusement somewhat replacing the sadness from before. "Apparently, Fred and George were making offerings to Loki, resulting in sweets appearing near me, and then everything happening after. Matt put it together pretty quickly after that."

"How'd he take it?" Tony asked, now morbidly curious.

"Oh, he thought it was the coolest thing, asked me what it was like being a heathen god." Hera snickered, her grin brightening just a touch. "He actually calmed me down, because I thought I was going to burst into flames by stepping into the cathedral we found his mum in, and then tried to give me the sex talk when he realized the Dursleys hadn't before."

Tony snorted at the image that conjured, nearly strangling himself as hot chocolate just about went up his nose; Hera being mortified by a well meaning ten year old trying to explain what they thought sex was.

John came by to pick Matt up the next day, and was not happy to discover what Hera had done at Matt's request. Hera imagined there would be a long conversation in their future about a wide variety of things, and what they were going to do now that Matt knew the truth. She hoped they could recover from this, that it would make their small family stronger. Matt had insisted that she place a geas on him before they left, as he didn't want to even talk about what he now knew of her even accidentally. It was clear that he'd given this quite a bit of thought.

Of course, John had had questions about that; what Matt knew that was so dangerous to talk about, and why he thought a geas was a good idea. Once Hera explained what a geas was, and that she would not be explaining what Matt knew, father and son had separated from her to go have a little talk of their own. She didn't know what was said, but it was enough that John allowed the geas even though he wasn't happy about it. He got to see the magic performed on his son, and when it was over he still checked to see if Matt was alright. They left not long after that, with Matt hopeful and in better spirits; which was good to see.

"Why did you put a geas on him, but you were afraid of that happening to me?" Tony inquired after they'd gone.

"Because you were walking into a hornets nest alone, and with their emotions on high at the time, I didn't want you to tempt them into it." Hera admitted. "I didn't trust them with my brother's brain."

Christmas was a much more personal affair than Rhodey was used to seeing out of his friend. The parties leading up to the day of were smaller, something he attributed to Hera's influence. Being a big brother really did look good on his friend, and he was happy to see Tony embracing it so fully. Hera had warmed up to him, though he knew it wasn't enough for her to feel comfortable with telling him her secrets. Rhodey was just happy she wanted to get to know him, even teasing him with 'sugar bear' and 'platypus'.

The day itself was filled with hot chocolate and roasted marshmallows, badly sung carols and snowball fights. Hera was particularly good at this, given her affinity for ice, and thus Rhodey and Tony teamed up in an attempt to win. They did not win, but everyone was laughing and rosy cheeked by the time they'd gotten to the end of it. He'd been surprised to find the house was not as empty as they'd left it. Small beings with large eyes and big floppy ears were actively cleaning and decorating Tony's house.

"Uh…Tony?"

The…he didn't know what to call them…looked at him, shifting about nervously.

"Oh! Dobby! Winky!…Everyone?" Hera called, upon seeing them all. "I thought I gave you all the holidays off!"

"Uh…Tony?"

Hera looked from those she spoke to, to him, and back again. "This is Rhodey. He's my brother's best friend. He's safe."

That certainly changed their demeanor towards him, but it didn't explain anything else…like literally everything.

"Can someone explain?" Rhodey floundered. "Please?"

"We is being house elves, Mister Rhodey sir." One of the – house elves? – explained. "We is wanting to show appreciation to Missy Hera for taking on our bond, and bringing others into her family. We has been without a family to care for for some time."

"Bond?" Rhodey inquired, confused.
"We is being house elves, Mister Rhodey sir." The house elf explained, like this should make total sense to him. "There is not enough magic forests for us to tend anymore, so we is binding ourselves to families. They give us access to their magic for us to live on. We give them our service."

Rhodey's entire being shut down.

"You're slaves."

"We can be. Not every family is as kind as our Missy Hera. Dobby himself came from a bad situation, and poor Winky was freed against her wishes. They is coming to us, telling of Missy Hera's kindness, and we go." The house elf continued to explain patiently. "No magic forests to tend means we must be finding other sources of magic to feed from. Missy Hera offered her magic to us, and we offered to take care of what she needs. She is bound to us, Mister Rhodey Sir, just as we are bound to her."

"You…You're bound?" Rhodey asked, horrified, looking to Hera. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"You know, I asked my Potions Master that exact question once." Hera replied in mild amusement. "I didn't understand it either, the willingness to be bound to another, but you are bound just as easily as I am. Is Tony not your best friend? Would you not do anything for him? Give anything? Is that not itself a bond?"

"…Why are they naked?" Rhodey found himself asking.

"Nudists, the lot of them, I swear." Hera snorted. "Come on, you lot, cover up would you? The man's got delicate sensibilities."

"Not freeing clothes?" One of the younger sounding ones, and now Rhodey had a lot more questions than he did before.

"Not unless you want them." She stated, which seemed to assure them. A snap of ones fingers, and the little beings were all wearing something akin to togas.

"Freeing clothes?" Rhodey asked, having not liked the sound of that not one bit.

"Dobby? Winky? Could you explain things to Rhodey? You don't have to if you don't want, but it would help him understand, and you two are the best examples of both the good and bad aspects of things." Hera asked, hesitantly.

"Don't worry Harry Potter Miss, we can be explaining." Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"It would be better coming from us." Winky agreed.

"I appreciate it." Hera replied with relief in her voice. "Mipsy looks like she has something important to talk to me about. I'll just be over there if you need anything."

With that said, Hera walked over to one of the other house elves, and Rhodey turned his attention to the two who agreed to speak with him.

…

"Guys, while I do appreciate the gesture, I had given you the holidays off." Hera teasingly scolded as she got to them.

"To do with as we pleased, and we was wanting to show appreciation, so that is what we did." Tilly confirmed, with a sharp nod.

"That's a dangerous trap, and we both know it. I don't want you working yourselves into the ground. You deserve personal freedom, even if you don't wish to be freed of the bond. That means days off, pay, and whatever kind of clothing you wish to wear whenever you wish to wear them." Hera reiterated.

This was not the first time they'd had this conversation. Some of the older ones had been harder to convince, but she didn't want them working themselves into exhaustion or injury. She cared not just for their physical health, but their mental health as well. Them wanting to show their appreciation for her kindness by working on days off was indeed a trap they could all fall into, as Hera could see how people could come to expect such a thing; herself included. The younger ones just thought she was silly, but they were happy. The older ones were bemused, appreciating her kindness even if they were confused by her actions most of the time.

"Missy Hera?" Mipsy called, coming forward, a bundle in her arms. "Would Missy Hera like to meet my little one?"

"Oh!" Hera exclaimed kneeling down to where she would be at a less imposing height for them, taking a closer look at the bundle. "A baby…They're beautiful, Mipsy. What's their name?"

"We were hoping you would-"

"Absolutely not." Hera objected, far too quickly she realized by their reaction, and made to correct it. "Mipsy, you and your partner should name the baby, not me. You're their parents. I…I am honoured you would want me to do so, more so than words can express, but I think the baby's name should come from you."

"A blessing then, for little Talia." Pip suggested. Mipsy looked back to him and smiled, nodding at the name, before looking back to Hera.

"A blessing?" Hera inquired, a bit too aware of who she'd been in that moment.

"Yes. Yous is the only one living who has taken the bond as completely as it was meant to be." Pip informed her. Had no one else thought to reciprocate? She'd just done it because the magic called to her to do so, and it had felt like the right thing. "It was standard then for the family to name any new baby elves, or to be offering a blessing to carry through their lives. As you is not wanting to name them, we is asking you to bless them."

"I don't…" Hera tried, faltering. Mipsy looked devastated, thinking it a denial. "I don't know how to bless a baby."

She looked to the little one.

"Can I hold her?" She asked, surprised when Mipsy readily agreed; showing her how to hold a baby and support the head. Looking down into light blue eyes, Hera suddenly knew exactly what to say. "May you always find happiness, and know that you are loved."

"That was a good blessing, Missy Hera." Mipsy quietly stated, placing her hand over her own.

While she didn't look as stressed out as she had on the trip over, both Fen and Jör still camped out near her as if in anticipation of it happening. Rhodey himself had had a lot to process over the last few days. The house elves explaining things had helped, but at the same time had made things more confusing. Hera didn't seem prejudiced in any way he could discern, but he didn't know how to reconcile the house elves. She cared for their well-being, and they hers. It was…Tony was right; it was complicated.

"Why are you afraid of flying if you love flying?" He asked, hoping to ease her mind. "That motorcycle was pretty nice."

"Tony wants to build me a flying car." Hera replied with a soft smile.

"Nice." Rhodey commented. That sounded like Tony. "Seriously though."

"With a motorcycle or a broom, even a carpet or whatever else that's personal like that, they're things I can steer myself." Hera explained. "Quite simply, I'm not flying the aeroplane."

"Would sitting in the cockpit help?" Tony offered. "I hadn't thought to ask before."

"They would…They would be okay with that?" Hera wondered, eyes wide.

"I don't see why not." Tony shrugged. "Come on. Let's go bug a pilot."

Since coming back to Hogwarts, Severus Snape had been wondering just what the hell it was he was still doing here. He could leave. He knew he could. Tony Stark might have made the offer just to watch Albus squirm, but he was a man that would honour it. Hera was already well past the point of a Hogwarts education, and he was already struggling to find things to teach her. At this point, it wasn't about what she didn't know, but that she didn't always know how to apply the knowledge she had to what she was doing, and it wouldn't be long before she worked that out for herself.

At the current moment, however, he was trying to keep her bacon out of the fire; so to speak. Umbridge was convinced that Hera was apparating illegally, while Lovegood insisted that the girl walked through shadows. While she had apparated due to being surprised on occasion, none of those incidents had been purposeful, not like how she'd travelled in and out of Hogwarts. The only ones who knew for certain was Hera, who Umbridge wouldn't believe because she wanted her punished, and him; who Umbridge wouldn't believe because he oversaw Hera's training. The woman actually thought Severus would lie for the girl; he would, but it wasn't necessary here.

He slammed the door to his personal quarters, storming into the rooms. Hera's stalling tactics weren't going to work for much longer, because he was going to kill the pink menace himself! The sheer amount of bullshite the woman had accused him of was laughable in its ludicrousness. Taking a seat in his living room, he did the only thing he could think of that didn't involve killing that woman. Placing a throw pillow on the table nearby, he put his face into it, and screamed.

"There's no need to be so dramatic, you know." He hears Minerva comment as she entered the room.

"I could leave." Severus declared, voice muffled slightly as his face was still in the pillow. "I could leave right now. I'm not actually bound by contract to stay at Hogwarts. Albus never thought to secure one, not where I was bound by the Vow. Potter's almost finished with her Mastery. There's nothing keeping me here."

"That foul woman would just chase after you, because Miss Potter will be with you, and you know it." Minerva reminded him.

"Nothing a little poison or an accident wouldn't cure." He suggested, only half joking.

"Murder bad." She pointed out, though he could tell she was amused at least.

He straightened up. "I'm serious, Minerva. I could leave. Stark gave me a job offer."

"At the end of last school year, I remember." Minerva replied with a frown. "I thought he'd done that to annoy Albus."

"He'd still honour it." Severus insisted. "I'm tempted to take it, even if we do manage to hold off that woman for the remainder of the school year."

"You're seriously considering it?" Minerva questioned, surprised.

"I'd really like to stay till what would have been the end of Potter's normal education." He explained with a nod. "If things work out, she'll have her Masteries by the end of the school year; though maybe a little later, given how late some of the reviews can run into the summer. If she'll agree, I'd like to take her on as a teaching assistant."

"You mean you want her to teach the younger years." Minerva countered, now grinning openly.

"I think it's high time she understand why I call them all dunderheads." Severus sniffed, before continuing on seriously. "The free time should allow us both to work on some of the innovative things she's been talking about, and…I want to create again, Minerva. The few things I've been able to make? They're nothing compared to the notes I've worked up, the things I want to do."

"Then I hope things work out for you, Severus, I really do," Minerva stated, in understanding, before her expression turned mischievous again. "because if it doesn't, I'm half tempted to do something about that horrible woman myself."

"Severus? Severus, are you there?" Lucius called out from the floo, surprising the both of them. "I tried waiting, but it seems there's been an incident, and I need your help."

"You'd better go see what he needs." Minerva sighed. "I'll cover for you. Wish me luck."

"Just remember murder's only bad if you get caught." Severus offered helpfully as she left, laughing outright when she sent him a two fingered solute without looking back.

Notes:

(I've not remembered to add this in a while lol)

People reading this as a completed work, this is a mandatory rest stop. Drink some water, go to sleep, and come back in the morning.

Not originally mine, but I saw the idea and thought I'd include it every ten chapters or so. Thanks to katherynefromphilly on Tumblr for the idea!

...

Also, thank you for sticking with me this long! I had no idea when I started this that there would be so many chapters for this part of the series!