Chapter Two
Once Hermione was safely inside she relaxed, now all she had to do was get a hold of their hotel and move her to another room. As she was going over in her head what to do, she was trying to figure out why the name Bruce Banner sounded so familiar to her. Then it came to her like being hit with a Quidditch ball, "Bruce Banner the leading scientist on Gamma Radiation, I knew your name sounded familiar. I have some of your findings, my cousin is a big fan of your studies, and she sent me some of you work's. It was one of the few things she and I and I could agree on, in fact she was sad to hear that you were in an accident. She never told me what happened, just that for a while everyone had thought you were dead." she said.
Bruce was completely shocked, here was a young woman not that much younger than Clint Barton and she knew of his works. "Might I ask how old you were when you first read my works?" Bruce asked. Hermione smiled "I was in my fifth year at boarding school Mr. Banner, I was trying to compare the differences in the chemistry they were teaching us and what you were working on. I have to admit, I was quite impressed and was even of thinking of incorporating what I was learning with some of your works; but I don't think my chemistry teacher would have liked it much. To him and most of the school I was an insufferable know it all, I tended to study ahead when it came to my subjects." she said.
Once they reached the main floor where everyone congregated when they weren't off doing their own thing, Hermione was in shock. There standing in front of her was Tony Stark who every muggle knew as Iron Man, she had read this file when Nick Fury had recently sent her in hopes of recruiting her and the boys. Then it hit her why Stark Tower seemed so familiar to her, she had been visiting her parents when she saw New York under attack from some Aliens. She sat and watched as Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers saved the city from ruin, it was one of the reasons she was thinking about accepting Fury's offer. She couldn't help but wonder if Fury had told them about the group he was trying to recruit her for, she just started laughing.
Tony and Bruce just stood there staring at Hermione as she busted out laughing, they were looking at each other not knowing what to do. Finally, after about ten minutes of laughing Hermione got it under control, "I'm sorry it's just that I was recently asked again to work with a secret government group, and I just put two and two together. If you don't mind I would like to go back to my hotel, so I can return home to England. I need to go speak to my family and friends about this job offer, I just want to be sure that I am about to make the right decision in starting my life over." she said as she finally calmed down.
"I can arrange for a car to take you back, if you would like, but only after you join us for a movie. It's something we do as a group whenever our schedules permit it, tonight we are watching the first installment of Star Wars." Tony said with a hint of mischief in his brown eyes. Sighing Hermione knew that she was not going to get out of watching the movie, "Fine on one condition, I call my hotel first and get my rooms changed. That way I won't have to see that stupid arrogant arse when I return, I have had enough with playboys who think they are god's gift to women.
"Why can't I find someone who will treat me as an equal and understand that I don't always want to be the center of attention? I am the type of girl who loves romance but at the same time would be content to curl up with good book next to a roaring fire." she said as she dug through her purse for the number to her hotel.
She was lucky that she was able to find a wizarding hotel that had some muggle amenities, like phones and electricity; finally, she found the number she was looking for. It was Clint who had finally walked in that handed her a phone, "It seems my friends here have forgotten their manners, but then again Tony doesn't really have manners. My name is Clint Barton, and you really don't have to stay, I am sure Tony can find someone else to hold hostage for the night." he said.
Hermione looked up and straight into a pair of intense blue eyes, not even Ron's eye was that blue. "Um no that's okay really, it would give me a chance to calm down before I return. If I were to see Ron in the state I am in right now I might wind up murdering him, and I don't think my best friend would have enough bail money." she said as she dialed the number.
"Hi, this Hermione Granger from room 14, I was wondering if I could get a separate from the gentleman I checked in with. I will gladly pay a bit extra if need be, oh really thank you. Yes, just go ahead and place my luggage in the room, I will get the key upon my return. Thank you so much, you just saved me from going to jail." she said through the phone.
By the time she was done on the phone Clint was trying to figure out why there was a sense of her being in a war. He could tell that she had some emotional scars as well as physical ones, the reason he knew that was because it was summer time, and she was wearing a long sleeve shirt. He noticed that one of the physical scars was one that being covered with her hair, he couldn't quite make it out, but it looked like someone tried cutting her throat. For some reason he wanted to run his hand across the length of the scar, while kissing her. Shaking the thoughts out of his, Clint went to the gym to get a workout in before the movie started. He wanted to be as far away from her right now as he could, silently he hoped that Tasha would get back soon so that they could spar.
After getting off the phone, she noticed Clint had left her alone with the most annoying person she had met since Percy Weasley. Sighing she handed the phone to Tony, excusing herself to find a bathroom so she could splash water on her face, as usual when in a new place she got lost and wound up bumping in to Clint. Hermione froze when she saw those intense blue eyes looking at her, "Oh I am so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I have seemed to have gotten lost. But then of course I didn't ask were the washroom was, so I guess it is my fault that I am lost after all." she said really fast, almost too fast for Clint to catch.
Before Clint could respond to what she has just said, she took off back the way she had just been coming from. As he chuckled to himself, he just continued on his way to the gym in hopes of working the thoughts of seeing what other scars she had hidden out of his brain. By the time Natasha arrived, had broken four training dummies and was well on his way towards breaking a fifth, "Well this is a first, usually it's me that is breaking training dummies and you coming to find out what's wrong. Stark said you might be down here but didn't know why, he said ever since our guest arrived you have been quieter than normal." she said as she scanned the damage.
"I spotted her standing outside the tower staring up at it, she had this lost look about her. Then this really annoying red head came over, they started arguing about how she was tired of him chasing skirts. And how his mother is planning a non-existent wedding already, then she said something about a golden trio. He said he had a right shag anyone he wanted since she was busy shagging a bunch of guys herself, but not him or least that's what I gather. But just looking at her one could tell that she has been through hell and back, barely coming out unscathed. She has a scar she keeps hidden by her hair on her neck, I believe she might have more but see them one would have to be intimate with her.
"She is slightly standoffish and uncomfortable when flirting, she tried to flirt with Banner. but you could tell she wasn't used to it. She also is carrying around a secret that if anyone other than her friends or family found out about, it would possibly destroy her." He said as he continued to destroy the dummy.
Just then Banner came over the intercom "Clint, Tasha would you please come upstairs? Fury is here and there seeming to be something our house guest forgot to mention and also you should see Tony's new look. I for one think it's an improvement but that is just me." he said while trying not to laugh. Clint looked at Natasha, who had this look of confusion on her face as well. So, leaving the dummy half way destroyed they went upstairs; once they arrived, the first thing saw Tony with bright pink hair and the young woman holding a stick in her hand which was pointed right at Tony.