hr

From Tony's observations, James Barnes settled into the routine of the house well and by the time of Harry's last day of classes before Thanksgiving came, he had become the little boy's shadow. Healer Addison had used Barnes' own memories to identify the additional trigger words, as well as several words which could immobilize the man instantly. Arcturus had lent the healer the large Black family Pensieve, which she used to desensitize the words and allow the man to watch some of his clearer memories. Tony even accompanied the solider into several memories which showed details of his arm, which he was planning on reworking. The present one being heavy enough to pull on the man's entire torso and spine.

Once he was declared safe by Healer Addison, Barnes had taken to sitting in the back of the classroom, studying history books Remus had ordered for him in an effort to acquaint him with everything he'd missed. The children seemed to all love him, as he was exceedingly patient with them, and he even assisted Remus when asked. Sirius had found a first-generation therapist came in three mornings each week to work with Barnes, Harry, and himself. Tony was more than relieved as Harry's nightmares became less frequent and he began to accept that he had family who genuinely loved him. Sirius and Barnes both had smirked when Harry had announced out of the blue that he wanted his hair to be long like them and Tony rolled his eyes at his son's pout.

Tony had gotten Barnes a Starkphone and laptop when he learned that Barnes had been trained on the electronics by HYDRA and could use them. Splitting his time that first week between SI and working on Barnes prosthetic arm, had given Tony the opportunity to examine HYDRA's work. JARVIS had taken a number of scans of the arm and its internal mechanisms; Tony fascinated by the engineering. He'd been able to fabricate a titanium outer shell for the arm, which reduced the weight by a third, before reattaching it to Barnes' shoulder mount. The work had the side benefit of inspiring Tony to begin work on new schematics for SI's Medical Division, and if he'd improved on the elements he'd seen in Barnes' arm, Tony wasn't going to worry - he doubted HYDRA had patented their design.

Spending more time than usual in his office at Stark Industries in the next few weeks, Tony had quietly removed Obidiah from the Board of Directors, replacing him with Sirius, who oversaw the 20% of SI stock owned by the Black and Potter families trusts. Pepper had been moved into the position of Administrative Assistant, with an eye to seeing how she did with the added responsibility. As each government contract was fulfilled, Tony was giving the SI workers paid vacations during the time selected factories were refitted to build electronics or communications mirrors. The military had praised the new designs on the protective body armor and had issued a new contract for SI to reoutfit all their ground troops. The ICW was requesting a field demonstration of the mirrors after the first of the year and, according to Graves, most countries Magical law enforcement departments followed the standard the ICW set.

The FBI and the Aurors of MACUSA were holding various criminal warrants for the arrest of Obidiah Stane, on charges which varied from corporate espionage to illegal weapons sales and attempted murder. The US Attorney General ordered all of Stane's assets seized, including several off-shore accounts they'd found. In addition, the CIA and ICW wanted to question him about aiding and abetting a terrorist group. Stane had disappeared, not a difficult task considering his magical associates, but Tony knew they had to be vigilant. The bastard was a cockroach, hiding in the shadows, waiting for his opportunity, and very hard to kill.

Tony had been tempted to turn the house-elves loose to deal with the man, but restrained himself. Barnes-iBucky/i (as Harry reminded him with a huff) agreed to work with Graves and Happy in order to test the security protections they had put in place, both at SI locations as well as their residences. Each one of their security team made an oath of loyalty and were well compensated for their wariness and attention to detail. Tony wasn't taking any chances with his family and close friends. Bucky even joined Tony in learning Occlumency, expressing a fear of having anyone ever being able to control of his mind again.

Thanksgiving was quiet day with those who had become family to Tony, Sirius, and Harry gathered around the magically expanded table. Arcturus joined Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Jodi, Bucky, Remus, and his wife. Harry had insisted the house-elves eat dinner with them and Taffy had transfigured the kitchen island into a long, low table set up just outside the kitchen. Tony jumped in to help when Harry insisted he could carry food to both tables, despite Taffy's protests. Arcturus had just shaken his head. Rhodey and Happy introduced Bucky to televised football in the living room, while Tony had gathered Harry and half of the house-elves in his room to watch the Thanksgiving parade.

Tony was in his workshop, recalibrating on his calculations to miniaturize the arc reactor Howard had built to power the SI factory twenty years before, when his lab door opened. Sirius had returned to London with Arcturus for the pre-Yule meeting of the full Wizengamot. Bucky gone with them for the first few days, where he'd been examined and cleared by the mind healers at St. Mungos and was tested for magical strength by a specialist. Sirius had told Tony the night before, about Barnes' reaction to being told he could learn to use a wand, even though he'd never be a powerhouse. That had led to a trip to Olivander's wand shop.

"Sir, Master Harry is wake and headed down to you."

Tony glanced up. "Thanks, J."

"Papa?"

"Is that my favorite munchkin?" Tony set his work aside and turned on his stool.

Harry peered around the corner of his workbench; the stuffed unicorn toy Arcturus had brought him cuddled to his chest. "Are you busy, Papa?"

Tony leaned down and scooped Harry into his lap. "I'm never too busy for you, cookie monster."

Harry and, surprisingly, Bucky, had taken a liking to helping Taffy bake cookies, which then disappeared at an astounding rate. They were the only ones Taffy allowed in her kitchen and would bake enough for both the humans and the house-elves to enjoy. Bucky, the originator of the iThousand-yard Stare/i, could protect their cookies with simply a glare, especially when Sirius attempted to sneak more than his share.

Giggling, Harry snuggled into Tony's chest. "I waked up and you weren't in your bed."

Tony pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, laughing when Harry pulled away and scrunching it up.

"Papa!"

Tony pressed a kiss to Harry tousled hair and tightened his arms around him. "Hmm?"

"When are we going Chris'mas shopping, Papa?"

Tony pushed with his foot and slowly spun his chair around, letting the gentle movement continue until they were back facing the door. "Christmas shopping? We just had Thanksgiving, bambino!"

Turning his face up, Harry gave him the most solemn expression he could. "But Papa, I gots lots of presen's to buy!"

Pushing to his feet, Tony bit down on a snort as he switched Harry to his hip. "Really? Who do you want to get presents for?"

Harry snuggled into him, one arm around his neck and the other in front of him as he used his fingers to count. "You and Daddy, Uncle Rhodey, Aunt Pepper, Grandpa, Uncle Bucky—" he blew out a breath and scowled. "I need more fingers, Papa!"

Laughing, Tony carried him up the stairs into the quiet living room. "Well, I can see you have a lot of shopping to do. We have to pack tomorrow for the trip to New York and then we leave the next day. How about we wait until Wednesday to go shopping?"

"How many days away is Wednesday, Papa?"

"Count them, Tesoro."

Harry opened his free hand again as Tony walked into the kitchen. "Tomorrow is Saturday, then Sunday, and then Monday—"

Tony sat his son down on the kitchen island and turned toward the refrigerator, only to stop as two mugs of warm milk appeared on the counter top. Saying a silent thanks to Taffy, Tony picked them up as Harry extended all five fingers.

"Five, Papa! Wednesday is five days away!"

Kissing the top of Harry's head, Tony carefully set one the mugs down. "You are absolutely correct, my little genius!" He handed the mug to Harry, making sure his hands were firmly clasped around it before Tony let go. "So, I promise we will go Christmas shopping on Wednesday in New York, okay?"

Harry cocked his head, eyes already heavy with sleep. "Okay, Papa, and we can take Uncle Bucky and Daddy with us?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged, bambino."

hr

The move to New York was problem-free with the help of the house-elves and magic. Tony was delighted to practice some of the spells and charms he hadn't used in years, despite Sirius' open amusement. Harry and Bucky were amazed, following him around as he utilized the unpacking spell on everyone's suitcases. He let Sirius handle the more complex magic, including a proximity charm on their bedroom. While Tony knew JARVIS alerted them if Harry was out of bed, his son had almost caught them in the 'act' more than once, so better to be certain than have to explain sex to a curious five-year-old.

Thankful they'd chosen to move over a weekend, as the time change had thrown Harry's sleep schedule off track, and it had taken two days to get him back on an even keel. While Harry was recovering well from his time with his abusive relatives, the change had him clingy and tearful until Sunday afternoon. Everyone had been very patient with the little boy, but even Tony had felt drained, frustrated by his inability to cajole Harry out of his funk. Bucky had been amazingly patient with Harry, carrying him around for hours while Tony and Sirius unpacked and helped strengthen the protective fields on the penthouse. A late afternoon cookie making binge had brought the first smile and wore Harry out enough to go to sleep at a healthy time.

Tony spent Monday and Tuesday touring the New York SI offices and factories. Sirius went with him to the new facility which was producing as many of the communications mirrors as fast as it could, while maintaining the quality. They continued to be extremely popular, both for personal and government use. Remus had agreed to work with him on the runic array while Tony adapted the devices to work off both batteries and the ambient energy each magical person possessed. He'd discovered in his research on the energy of the arc reactor, that it was compatible with magic and was working on utilizing it for the new line of batteries.

Wednesday dawned cold, cloudy, and threatening the appearance of snow.

"Papa! Daddy! You got to get up, it's Chris'mas shopping day!" Small fingers poked at his cheek.

Tony startled awake, hand going for his wand on the nightstand before his awareness kicked in and he saw Harry climbing up on the bed. Sirius groaned and rolled over, covering his head with the blanket, which Harry promptly tugged off again. He bounced on his knees, trying to get Sirius to open his eyes.

"Daddy! You have to get up!" Harry pushed at his shoulder. "It's su'posed to isnow/i today!"

Sirius groaned again, a rumble deep in his chest as Harry climbed on his back. Tony sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before stretching his arms above his head. Gray light filtered in through the windows, confirming exactly how early it was.

"JARVIS?"

"Good morning, Sir. It is currently 6:25 Eastern Standard Time and 30 degrees in New York City. The current forecast is for snow flurries today with a high temperature of 37 degrees."

Sirius groaned even louder and buried his head under his pillow. Harry's bottom lip began to tremble and Tony reached under the blankets to grope Sirius' ass, then grinned at the squeak from the man. Tony pulled his hands back and reached for Harry just as his son's breath hitched, a sob threatening.

"Come here, bambino. Daddy will get up as soon as he smells the pancakes Taffy is making," Tony soothed, gathering Harry against his chest. "You know how grumpy Daddy gets when he has to wake up early."

"Ugh! Not a grump!" Sirius pulled his head out and rolled over towards Tony. "I just need kisses—"

Harry dove out of Tony's arms and gave Sirius a noisy kiss to his cheek. "Daddy!"

It was just after 8am when the group Flooed from the penthouse to the Lobby of Gringotts Bank. Tony and Sirius had business with Rockjaw and Harry had talked Bucky into taking him into the shops nearby for some mysterious purchases. Tony stood just inside the lobby and watched as Harry carefully held onto Barnes' metal hand, talking a mile a minute as they walked into the shopping area. Several people moved along the same direction, blending into the crowd of holiday shoppers. He also knew that Taz and Max were there, walking beside Harry.

"Come on, love," Sirius appeared at his elbow. "Rockjaw is here and the quicker we get business out of the way; we can get back to spoiling our boy."

Allowing himself to be led away, Tony tried to concentrate on their meeting. The Stark and Black family vaults were benefitting from the sales of the new magical division at SI and the plans for expansion were on schedule. The first Emrys House, located in London adjacent to Diagon Alley, was ready to open at the first of the year. The second house, just outside of New York City would open shortly after that. The acquisition of the building site for Stark Tower had been accomplished and Tony signed off on the final architectural design. A goblin crew would be handling the underground excavation and a construction company owned by a first generation magical, employing both mundane and magical methods, had been hired for the above ground build.

Sirius stayed with Rockjaw to go over some of the investments Arcturus had asked him to make for the family, while Tony headed out. He paused in the lobby to double-check that he had the new Gringotts card he'd been given, which worked in both worlds. A much easier way to spend money than having to carry a pouch of coins around. Stepping out into the shopping district, Tony took advantage of the height at the top of the stairs to glance over the heads of the many shoppers. The area seemed unusually busy for a morning in the middle of the week, Tony thought.

Just as Tony caught sight of Bucky stepping out of a nearby shop, the man standing a head taller than most around him and carrying Harry, a jet of red spell light flashed from a shadowed doorway. Tony's wand was in his hand instantly and, suddenly, he was a step from Bucky's side. Bucky already had his wand out, casting, when Harry reached across, wrapping his own hand around the wood just below Bucky's hand. A golden shield snapped into existence around them, causing the Stunning Spell to rebound back at the caster. Taz became visible, his arms wrapped around Barnes' leg, ready to Apparate them out.

Tony, seeing that Harry was safe, pivoted and sent a broad stunner towards the doorway, grinning viciously as two bodies hit the cobblestones. He followed with a binding spell.

"Papa!" Harry yelled at him, sounding furious.

Spinning around, Tony was with them, the crowd having scattered away from them. "Harry! Are you all right?"

The shield dissolved as Tony turned to his son, but Harry had both arms wrapped around Bucky's neck. "Papa! Those bad people tried to hurt my Mr. Bucky!" Harry spat, while Bucky held his wand at ready, scanning the crowd.

Tony moved behind Bucky, pressing his back against the taller man, his eyes watching for trouble. He noted the security team ringing them, before cracks of Apparation sounded around them. Tony drew in a deep breath when he saw Robert Graves appear next to him. Relaxing, Tony holstered his wand and reached for Harry, who grabbed him tightly.

"Excellent shield, Buckaroo," Tony told him as he hugged Harry.

Bucky looked a bit shellshocked as he finally slid his wand back into his sleeve. "I don't think it was just me," he admitted to Tony. "As I cast the spell, I think Harry added his magic to mine."

Tony met his eyes, rubbing Harry's back. "Bambino, did you help Bucky with his shield?"

Pulling back, Harry first shook his head, bit his lip before he nodded. "Kinda, Papa. Those bad people were trying to hurt us, so I let Mr. Bucky use my magic, too."

Tony wasn't sure what to think, as he'd never heard of someone 'helping' with their magic. "You did good, bambino!"

"Tony! Harry!" Sirius skidded to a stop beside them. "What happened, Buck?"

Shaking his head, Bucky looked between Tony and Sirius. "We'd just stepped out of the store, when Harry stiffened and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I threw up a shield like you and Proudfoot showed me."

"And Harry lent his magic to make it stronger," Tony added, Harry turning to grin at Sirius.

"I helped, Daddy!"

Graves interrupted them, a familiar auror at his side.

"Cousin Iggy!" Harry greeted Auror Ignotus Potter with an excited bounce.

"Hi, Harry," Potter acknowledged him with a smile, nodding his head at Tony.

Graves made the introduction, as apparently the junior G man had gotten a promotion and would be in charge of the case. Tony's stunner had caught a male and female, identified by the Aurors as petty thieves who preyed primarily on shoppers.

"Petty thieves don't usually risk stunning someone in the middle of a heavily populated shopping area," Sirius interjected before Tony could.

"Which is why they have been transported back to the office for interrogation with Veritaserum," Potter assured them. "One of the drawbacks to attacking the—child."

Tony arched an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Graves. Handing Harry over to Sirius, with Bucky standing guard over them, he stepped towards Graves.

"I'll go along to observe, Tony," Graves told him quietly. "It doesn't appear to have been an organized attack."

"You believe it's safe to continue shopping?" Tony wasn't going to put his son in danger.

"I do." Graves glanced up as snowflakes started to fall. "I wouldn't dawdle, however, as word is bound to get out that you are here."

Nodding, Tony looked at Sirius and Harry. "Did you get everything you wanted, kiddo?"

Harry looked at Bucky, who gave a short nod. Tony coughed to cover a laugh; only Harry would use an assassin as a personal shopper.

"All but the sweets store, Papa," Harry chirped, pointing, and Sirius rolled his eyes, but started to walk towards the shop.

Tony fell into step beside him, while Bucky took up position on the other side. When they got to the store, Harry insisted Tony and Bucky stay outside while he and Sirius went in. Bucky took up a position in front of the door, while Tony stood behind him, checking his phone for any messages. It was only a few minutes before Harry came back out, a bright smile on his face as he clenched a small red and white bag. Sirius followed him, shaking his head, and Tony arched an eyebrow.

"Your kid is as stubborn as you are!" Sirius said under his breath.

Tony gave him an affronted look.

The small entourage made its way toward the exit into the mundane world, where Happy waited with the car. Driving around Manhattan, they made several stops at different smaller shopping areas, spending enough time to walk around the stores, going in if any of the were of interest. After lunch from a hot dog cart, much to Harry's delight, they went to a medium sized, cluttered toy store in the West End Happy knew of, which didn't seem to be too busy to take Harry in. Pepper had pointed out the little boy might be overwhelmed by the huge toy store Tony originally wanted to take Harry to in Time Square.

His son held tightly to his hand as Tony stepped inside with him, Sirius was a step behind them, with Happy to the rear and Bucky in front. There was a large throne-like chair in the front corner of the store, with a discrete sign displaying the hours Santa would be there. Checking his watch which showed they had thirty minutes to wait, Tony smothered a smile, as he really wanted a picture of Harry on Santa's lap.

As they went down the aisle which held all the stuffed toys, Tony leaned down. "Do you want to pick up a present for your school friends, bambino?"

Harry looked up with wide, hopeful eyes. "Am I allowed to, Papa?"

"Of course you are, Harry," Tony responded, being careful to moderate his tone and not let his anger show. "Christmas is a perfect time to give your friends gifts."

Harry threw himself at Tony, wrapping his arms around his papa's legs. "Thank you, Papa!"

It took almost the entire half an hour for Harry to pick out presents for Helena and the boys in Harry's class. Tony had spoken to the manager and paid handsomely for an hour of uninterrupted shopping time, with a picture on Santa's lap included. He learned Harry loved to pick out gifts for the others, something he'd never been allowed to do in the past. For Helena, Harry picked out a new golden tiara, along with a little brown teddy bear with a red ribbon around its neck. For the two boys, Harry chose an action figure for Shawn and a book about dinosaurs for Marco. Tony signaled Sirius to make note of any toy Harry lingered at, as he had no idea what Harry might like.

Harry himself still seemed to feel he wasn't worthy of presents, something he and Sirius were working on.

"Papa?" Harry whispered, tugging on Tony's hand.

Crouching down, Tony rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "Yes, Tesoro?"

Looking around quickly, Harry leaned closer. "I read the story about Uncle Bucky's best friend, Papa, about him being Capt'in America, and know Uncle Bucky must miss him." Harry took a deep breath, pointing over Tony's shoulder. "Do you think I can get him that for Christmas?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Tony didn't know whether to gasp or snort. There on the wall was a display of the Captain America and Bucky Barnes teddy bears, which Tony himself had played with when he was a toddler. Both were dressed in the uniforms they had worn during WWII, with Rogers in the uniform Howard had made for him and Bucky in his Howling Commando uniform.

"I think Bucky would be delighted, bambino."

Tony knew one of the things that bothered Bucky was Steve Rogers opting to ditch the Valkyrie in the Artic Ocean, instead of making an attempt to land the plane or, at least, eject before he went down with the plane. He'd shared his theory of Rogers' having chosen suicide, over living with the guilt he must have felt after Bucky had fallen from Zola's train. While he understood Bucky's sentiment, Tony also knew there was no way Rogers could have known his best friend could survive the fall he'd taken that day in the Alps.

"Why don't we get both of them, so they can keep Bucky company?" Tony suggested as he straightened, swinging Harry up into his arms and moving to the shelf.

hr

In hindsight, Tony should have realized having Harry sit on Santa's lap might be problematic, thanks to Lily's bitch of a sister. He realized Harry might not know iwho/i Santa Claus, (or Father Christmas, as Sirius called him) was as Harry had already mentioned he'd never gotten any presents from those people. However, Tony had no idea the bastards actually told his son that he was too naughty – itoo bad/i - for Santa to ever bother with him, making Harry feel it was his own fault he'd never gotten anything at Christmas.

It took Tony and Sirius, combined, over fifteen minutes to diffuse the meltdown Harry experience when Tony suggested his little boy sit on Santa's lap. Bucky, who recognized the conditioning Harry was subjected to, had a whispered conversation with the gentleman who had been hired as Santa. He was an experienced Santa and whispered a suggestion to the former assassin.

"Kid?"

Tony looked up from where he was rocking his son, who drew a hiccupping breath as he turned to look at Bucky. If it hadn't been so tense, Tony knew he'd have snorted with amusement to see the sight of the Super Solider sitting on Santa's knee.

"I need you to help me, kid." Bucky waved them forward.

Tony's feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he moved toward Bucky, Sirius right behind him. Harry tensed a little as they stopped a step away from the platform Santa was on. Santa remained silent as Bucky held his hands out, a silent invitation to come to him.

Swallowing hard, Tony began to hand Harry over, pausing as his son stiffened for a second, before kissing his forehead. "Tesoro, Bucky has always protected you and kept you safe, right?"

Harry gave him a sorrowful look, his big green eyes huge, as he sucked on his forefinger, but gave a short nod. Turning, he leaned toward Bucky and Tony lowered him into the man's arms. Bucky spoke quietly to Harry as he gave him a tight hug and sat him on his lap.

"Harry, this is Santa Claus, who's not gonna forget you this year."

Santa smiled sadly at Harry. "I am so sorry you were hidden from me the last few years, young Harry, and your uncle is right, now that I know where you are, I shall not forget your gifts."

Harry looked up at Tony and Sirius, who each gave him a nod, as did Bucky. He turned back to Santa. "Thank you."

It had taken a bit of work, but Santa was able to finally coax out of Harry what he wanted for Christmas. After fifteen minutes, they were able to talk Harry into sitting on Santa's lap by himself in order to take a picture. Tony tipped the man well as he thanked him for his patience and waved at the store manager as Sirius carried the exhausted five-year-old to the car. Harry was out like a light as soon as he was strapped into his car seat.

Tony collapsed back against the soft leather seat, allowing Sirius to grasp his hand. "Barnes?"

Bucky turned toward him from his seat next to Happy. "Yes, sir?"

"Thank you."

With a sharp nod, Bucky turned back around, his eyes scanning the area around the car as they drove back to the penthouse.

Harry woke up as Tony carried him out of the elevator, his sleepy eyes blinking open as Harry snuggled into his chest. Rubbing circles over his back, Tony stepped down into the living room and moved to the wall of windows as he noticed it had started to snow. Sirius came to stand beside them as he eased Harry away from him and slid him to his hip.

"Hey kiddo, do you want to see the snow?" Tony asked softly.

"Snow?" Harry whipped his head around and gasped as he looked out the window. "It's snowing!"

That was all it took to reenergize his child, who wiggled to be let down. Harry watched the snowflakes, nose pressed against the glass, fascinated at the sight for several minutes. Then he was off again, declaring Mazzy was going to help him wrap the presents he'd gotten. Tony collapsed on the couch with a sigh, Sirius joining him, looking as exhausted as Tony felt.

"Where in the world does he find the energy?" Tony muttered, just as a cup of coffee appeared on the low table in front of him. "Thank you, Taffy!"

Sirius leaned over and gave him a kiss which quickly deepened, before the elevator dinged, separating them. Tony could feel his cheeks heat up as Pepper stepped out with Happy following her. She gave him a knowing look, but Tony refused to be embarrassed and leaned against Sirius.

"Hi, Pepper," Tony greeted her with a contrived look of innocence. "How was your day?"

"Tedious," she answered, setting a small stack of papers on the kitchen island. "I have papers you need to sign and have emailed you a couple of schedule changes—"

Tomy groaned, throwing his head back to stare up at the ceiling.

"Don't even start!" Pepper snapped. "Why do you always think its bad news?"

Tony continued to stare at the high, vaulted ceiling. "Tedious equals bad, doesn't it?" he brought his head up and looked hopefully at her. "Your favorite nephew got his Auntie Pepper a lovely Christmas present!"

Pepper's expression softened at the mention of Harry and she reached over to pat Tony's shoulder. "Sign the papers, Tony. There are a couple patent documents, as well as the transcript of the deposition you gave for Barnes – signing that will put his pardon on the President's desk and earn him his back pay as the longest held POW in history."

With a loud, put upon sigh, Tony pushed himself up and walked over to the island. Picking up the fountain pen Pepper had set on top of the stack; Tony slid the papers toward him.

"What about the schedule changes?" Tony asked as he signed the top paper with a flourish and slid it to the right.

"I've managed to rearrange your appointments, clearing you for ten days over Christmas and New Years." Pepper informed him, kicking off her shoes as she collapsed onto the couch beside an amused Sirius.

Scanning the document in his hand, Tony scribbled his name on the indicated line. "No manhandling my boyfriend, Pep!"

Settled into an armchair, Happy snorted as a bottle of beer appeared on the table next to him. "Thanks, Taffy," he called, lifting the bottle.

Tony scowled at him, just as a cup of coffee materialized at his elbow. "That's more like it," he muttered, as a cookie appeared beside it.

"You're amazing, Taffy!" Pepper said and Tony turned to see her taking a sip of red wine. "I've even cleared the afternoon of the 22nd for you, so you can go on the field trip with Harry's class."

"Field trip?" Tony repeated vaguely, signing off on a request to have Bucky cleared for top secret Federal clearance, as personal security to his family.

"Remus is teaching the class about the different ethnic and religious celebrations and I've rented the ice rink at Rockefeller Center as a Yule gift to Harry and the kids."

Tony turned and shot Sirius a smirk. "Can you even ice skate, magic man?" he teased.

Sirius just grinned. "I spent seven years going to school in Scotland, of course I can ice skate!"

"Can you, Tony?" Pepper tossed at him, a glint in her eyes. "Or do I need to make sure Rhodey is here to hold you up?"

Tony clasped his chest dramatically. "You doubt me? What about Winter Wonderland? Did they even have ice skates in the 40s?"

"Sir, Sargent Barnes states he is very capable of ice skating and wishes me to remind you he's been experienced at pulling skinny punks out of tight spots since the 30s."

Groaning at the implication, Tony grumbled as he finished off his coffee.

hr

The days to Christmas flew by at an alarming speed. Tony knew the meetings he was attending were laying to foundation for a fundamental shift in direction for Stark Industries. The new divisions were coming on-line almost seamlessly, with sales skyrocketing and public demand at an all-time high. The large missile development had halted and two of SI's largest factories were being retrofitted over the holidays, one to begin producing the new medical devices and prosthetics, and the other for the bullet resistant clothing and protective armor.

Sirius accompanied him on any of the meeting for the new magic-resistant technology, in both the magical and mundane worlds. The arc reactor, half the size of the one in California, had been install at the primary factory in New York and was functioning perfectly. It had so far remained impervious to magic, especially with the runic warding they had devised. The only problem they were encountering was the reduced strength of the mass-produced runic arrays and Remus agreed to help the development team when he could.

Harry and his classmates had settled back into class the Monday after their shopping day. There are two more weeks before the Yule/Christmas holidays and Remus didn't want his students to fall behind on their studies. Due to the increasing restlessness of the children, Remus made sure the lessons were more hands-on and interesting. The customs surrounding all of the major winter holidays were studied, although not going into depth concerning the religious aspects of the celebration rituals. Each student was given a project to do based on the traditions their family celebrated. They were going to have a small party and gift exchange their last afternoon of class on the 21st, the day before the Winter solstice.

Tony was working in the small laboratory they had fashioned on the second floor of the penthouse, on the opposite side of the floor, away from Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy's rooms. Arcturus and Bucky shared the penthouse level with Tony, Sirius, and Harry. His workshop was much smaller than the one in Malibu, but adequate for his immediate needs, which didn't include weapons designs. He was working on the articulation of the prosthetics, refining the fluidity of elbow and knee movements, listening to the latest AC/DC album when JARVIS cut the music.

Tony's head popped up as the lab doors opened to admit a nervous looking Bucky Barnes in his customary Henley and black jeans. "Frosty? What's up?"

"I, uh, I need to ask a favor, Mr. St—"

Tony cut him off neatly. "It's Tony, please, Buck." He eyed the obviously anxious man. "I thought we had established that weeks ago."

Bucky drew a deep breath. "We did, but I thought I would keep it formal as I wanted to see if I could—if you would consider loaning me some money. I'll pay you back!"

Taken back, Tony stared at him. "Money?"

Face pink with embarrassment, Bucky refused to meet his eyes. "Just, just a couple hundred bucks? I'd like to get some Christmas presents."

Tony could feel his own face heat up. "Damn! Sorry, Bucky, this is on me," Tony sighed. "I just never have to actually deal with, you know, cash!"

He moved across the room, where a corner was set up with a desk, complete with a sleek metal rectangle he used as an inbox. As he started to go through the stack of papers and files, Tony grumbled under his breath about people who refused to embrace progress. His hand finally pulled out a thick white envelope, Tony flipped it over to double check the name on the front.

Turning, Tony held the envelope out to the former assassin. "My apologies, Bucky, I should have given this to you before we left Malibu."

Bucky stepped toward him and gingerly took the envelope. He glanced at Tony, before sliding a metal finger under the flap. It only took a moment before his head snapped back up.

"Tony? What is all this?"

Waving a hand, Tony walked past him, back to his workbench. "JARVIS set up a bank account for you, along with a credit card, identification, certified copies of your birth certificate, and military records. The Presidential pardon—"

Bucky stumbled backward, his face gray, causing Tony to jump forward and grabbing his arm, leading him back to one of the rolling stools. Dum-E rolled forward with a glass of water in his hand, which Tony took automatically, patting the bot's strut.

"Why?" Bucky choked out. "Why would you do this for me, after what I did to your –"

His stomach clenched, as it always did when Tony thought of his mother, but he pushed through. "HYDRA killed my parents, James, not you! They were the ones who dehumanized and weaponized you; aiming you at the targets who stood in the path of their new world order!"

Tony took in a deep breath, remembering the nights Sirius had held him when he woke up screaming, as his mind played out the execution in his sleep. "Add to that you protected my son, more than once, James. You have more than made up for anything iyou/i have done, and Harry sees you as his personal protector."

James Barnes just stared at him for a moment, before giving him a curt nod. "I'm going to find way more money than I want in this account, aren't I?"

Tony smirked and turned back to his workbench. "Standard amount for saving a Stark, Frosty. And if you think that's too much, just wait until you get your back pay from the Army for the last fifty years." He waved a hand at the glass door. "Enough with emoting! Don't you have presents to buy? Oh, and remember the rule: only one gift per person for the munchkin!"

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Arcturus arrived the morning of December 23rd, and Tony set his coffee down and pushed himself to his feet from the couch, swallowing a moan. He really thought he was better at ice skating, but his body was suggesting something different as he greeted Lord Black. Tony had been disappointed to learn that even Bruise Paste took a few hours to work.

"I understand from Harry that his class had an enjoyable time at their party yesterday."

Tony waved him to a seat as he sat gingerly.

"And you forgot how to cast a Cushioning Charm," Sirius' grandfather smirked before taking a sip of the tea which immediately popped up on the table next to his chair. "I approve of the decorations."

Over the last few weeks, the house-elves had done a remarkable job at incorporating Tony and Sirius' wishes, while keeping in mind Harry's age, to decorate with a mixture of Yule and Christmas items. Holly and ivy garland mix with evergreen wreaths, a fifteen-foot-tall Douglas fir scented the air and was decorated with popcorn and cranberry strands. Red, gold, and silver ornaments sparkled in the light, most of them on the lower branches, indicating Harry's reach. Fairy lights twinkled among soft material draped artfully around the columns. Tony enjoyed the effect and Harry loved it all, especially the line of red and green socks hanging from the mantle.

"Grandpa!" Harry bounced down the stairs, carefully holding onto the banister. "You're finally here!"

Tony smirked into his coffee cup as Arcturus hastily set his tea cup down and opened his arms to Harry's exuberant welcome. Tuning out Harry's excited chatter, Tony went over his mental checklist of things still to do. They were having a formal dinner tomorrow night, with present opening afterward, in a tradition whose roots were lost to time in his mother's family. Bucky had expressed a desire to attend midnight mass, having been raised Catholic. Rhodey and Jodi wanted go with him, as did Harry. Tony made him a deal – Harry took a nap tomorrow afternoon and Tony would take him to mass. Christmas morning was "Santa" presents and Christmas brunch.

Tonight was another old Yule tradition he remembered his mother telling him about; they would be serving the house-elves their Yule dinner, cooked by them. Tony had been regulated to a support position, while Pepper, Bucky, Harry, and, surprisingly, Rhodey did the actually cooking. Sirius pouted when he was banned from the kitchen, but even Harry knew what a disaster he was in there.

Tony was helping Harry arrange salami, cheeses, olives, and raw veggies into what his mother would have called an antipasto plate, needing three of them for the low, long table Taffy insisted on conjuring for their dinner. The food was eggplant lasagna, braised short ribs, salads, risotto, and panna cotta. Each of them worked on a recipe from Maria Stark's own recipes, which Tony had kept over the years. Gifts for the house-elves were also distributed before dinner, with Harry giving out little bags of holiday sweets, and warm, fuzzy scarves for everyone. Tony had gifted each house-elf with a small bag containing five Galleons for the elves to spend however thy wanted. Sirius had wanted to provide new uniforms and other clothing, but had thought around to obvious problem, providing a dozen different bolts of cloth, from warm cottons to lightweight silk.

The evening was a hit with everyone, the humans eating in shifts as they served the house-selves. Tony had to smile at the happy look Harry had as he carefully picked up the dirty dishes and carried them to the kitchen. Taffy had decreed that she would take care of the clean-up, using magic. There was a limit to her patience, Tony deciphered from her statement and he wasn't going to argue. With many thanks, the house-elves disappeared to enjoy their evening off, while Taffy, Taz, Max, Mazzy, and Zin returned to their duties at their own insistence.

Harry was delighted when each of the house-elves thanked him, before popping away. Tony felt ridiculously sentimental, thinking of the meals Maria would cook for the two of them when he was little and Howard away. Ana and Jarvis had made lasagna for him every time he'd come home from boarding school, after Maria became more wrapped up in her charities than in her son. He was determined never put himself in a position where he was too busy to be there for Harry.

Christmas Eve dawned overcast and gray, with snow showers off and on all day. Tony put the last touches on the work bench he had made for Harry in his lab, giving his son the same type of space Tony had created in the Malibu house. He and Bucky had also collaborated on a low play table for Harry's room which was perfect for him to build on with the Lego blocks and Junior Erector Set he'd come to love. It would also work as a platform for the enchanted miniature Quidditch game Santa was bringing the little boy. Tony had created a kid-friendly tablet as his primary gift to Harry, with math and science games, a word-processing function, and a number of classic books for him to read.

Everyone had built their gifts with a focus on Harry's development, either physical, emotional, and academic. Rhodey was going to teach Harry baseball, something Bucky had promised to help with. Pepper and Happy had gotten Harry a Buddy Bear; a very soft teddy bear for the little boy to tell all his secrets to. Sirius was gifting Harry with a small selection of magical toys and everybody had decided to give Harry some tee shirts with cute sayings on them.

Tony had vetoed the idea of a trampoline in the room being used as a gym and boxing lessons for the five-year-old.

Harry announced to everyone loudly that he would be busy in his room for the afternoon and no one was allowed in. Tony bit his lip, trying not to laugh at the serious expression on his son's face. JARVIS kept an eye on the child, and Tony sent Mazzy in when his AI announce Harry had fallen asleep on the floor while trying to wrap presents. It was an adorably sleepy-eyed Harry who trudged out of his room a couple hours later to put his presents proudly under the tree. Tony took advantage of the situation to cuddle with his son, wrapped in a warm throw and watch the snow fall outside the large windows.

Christmas Eve dinner was a simple Shepard's Pie, hearty and filling, with a salad and warm chocolate pudding for dessert. After dinner was finished, everyone gathered in the living room, the tree lit against the darkness of the sky and the lights of New York City. It took some cajoling and Tony sitting on the floor helping before Harry would distribute presents to everyone. Once he got started, Harry's excitement delighted Tony and he wasn't surprised that his son was thrilled to watch everyone else open their gifts. Keeping it simple, Tony had given those he considered his family two-week vacations anywhere in the world they wanted, with the exception of Bucky, who he gifted with a black 1995 Harley Softail motorcycle. Arcturus actually cackled when he unwrapped the fifty-year-old bottle of Dalmore Pure Single Malt Scotch.

Sirius had given him a wrist watch, protection and tracking runes etched into the underside, much like the ones now etched onto the Carbonell heir bracelet Harry wore. Tony had gotten him a Tom Ford designed Gucci bespoken suit in heather gray which he knew would look spectacular on his partner. Harry had gotten each of the adults a small bag of candy which he knew they liked, along with fluffy socks for most. Bucky got a pair of the leather gloves, Sirius and Arcturus wool scarves, and Tony received a pair of leather slippers. Each gift chosen especially for the person receiving it, which spoke to Harry's kindhearted manner.

It was the little boy himself who had to be persuaded to open his presents. Tony thought they'd made more headway, as the sessions with the mind healer had seemed to suggest, but Harry reverted back to his extreme shyness when Tony had handed him his first present.

It was actually Bucky who came up with a solution. "Harry, why don't you go and sit with the person who gave you the present, so they can help you open it. My little sisters used to do that when I was a boy."

With a grateful grin, Tony made eye contact with the man whose tragedy of a life had been turned around. As he stood Harry on his feet, Tony kissed his temple.

"Can you read the tag and see who gave it to you?"

Harry lifted the large, but lightweight package. "To Harry, from Grandpa Black."

Arcturus held out his arms and Harry walked over to him, letting himself be lifted into the man's lap. Harry followed his lead as Arcturus tore a corner to reveal a toy dragon. The toy had articulated legs and was enchanted to stomp around the room, blowing smoke out of its nostrils.

Harry practically danced around the dragon when Arcturus activated it. "Thank you, Gran'pa! Thank you so much!"

Once the ice was broken, Harry moved from person to person, opening their gift with them, complete with a chorus of iWows!/i and iAwws!/i, always including many iThank yous/i and hugs. Taffy popped in with the play table Tony and Bucky had built, along with the Howling Commandos plastic soldier set Bucky had found. By the time Sirius had given Harry his bespoke black wool cape and a small bed for all his stuffed animals, Harry was overwhelmed. He thanked Sirius profusely, gave him a big hug, before crawling into Tony's lap and burying his face in his chest.

Tony rocked him back and forth slowly as everyone else continued to open their presents. For the first time in years, Tony felt content, happy even, to be celebrating Christmas – something he had avoided for the last four years. He might have locked himself in his lab for most of the day on December 19th, avoiding contact with all but Harry and Sirius, but Tony was proud he hadn't spent the day intoxicated to the point of blacking out.

He leaned against Sirius as he felt Harry's breathing even out, indicating he'd fallen asleep against Tony's chest. Bucky came over a few minutes later to sit on the floor, resting his back against the couch next to Tony's legs. The man looked as overcome as Harry had, looking at the small pile of presents next to him. Reaching down carefully, he squeezed Bucky's shoulder.

Tony couldn't imagine the turbulent emotions swirling within James Barnes at the moment. He'd gone from being HYDRA's killing machine to regaining his memories and his autonomy due to his remembered kindness to an abused little boy. A child the assassin had saved more than once. That alone would have put him under Tony's protection, despite what Bucky's role was in the killing of Tony's mother.

Tony was able to separate James Buchanan Barnes from the Winter Soldier.

Everyone else seemed to be able as well, considering the small, but well thought out gifts they have given him. Happy had found a book written about the Howling Commandos, written with the input from the surviving Commandos. Sirius had a family tree drawn up for Bucky's family, which showed that Bucky's sister Rebecca was still alive. Rhodey gave him a voucher good for a day exploring his airbase, something Bucky had expressed an interest in. Pepper, who'd been so pivotal in the research and request for a Presidential pardon, along with the back pay for Bucky's fifty years as a prisoner of war, gave him that document in a fancy frame. Harry, recognizing Bucky's preference for soft things, had found a small blanket made of the softest material Tony had ever felt.

"Thank you," Bucky whispered. "For everything."

Tony couldn't think of a better way of expressing himself; he tugged on Bucky until he got up and sat on the couch beside them, When Bucky was settled, Tony carefully handed Harry to him and covered them both with Bucky's new blanket.

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Clad in his best little suit and his new black cape, Harry was awake and wide-eyed during Midnight mass, looking at the architectural features of St. Agnes Church on East 43rd street. Bright frescos decorated the walls along with a number of statues. Tony was proud of his son, who was on his best behavior during the service, mimicking his and Bucky's movements. It had been a long time since Tony had been in a church, yet he felt at peace. His son leaned into him during the sermon and Tony wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulders as they listened to the Christmas carols being sung by the choir.

He was barely fastened into his car seat before Harry was sound asleep. It was a tired group who separated in the foyer, quietly saying goodnight as they headed to bed. Tony slipped off Harry's outerwear, shoes, and trousers, before tucking him into bed. He disrobed and piled his clothes on the chair in their bedroom before slipping into bed beside Sirius, who turned over and wrapped his arms around Tony.

"Happy Christmas, love."

"Merry Christmas."

The proximity alarm sounded, seeming minutes later, pulling Tony from a deep sleep, and he groaned into his pillow. He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face.

"JARVIS?" he whispered.

"It's Monday, December 25th. The times is 6:45am and the temper—"

"Where's Harry?"

"Young Sir is just coming into the living room, the little ones Mazzy and Taffy are with him, however, Master Harry does seem to be in some distress."

Tony was out of bed instantly and grabbed his robe as he hurried out of his bedroom. The lights came up slowly and highlighted Harry, sitting on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. Sirius had stayed behind last night to lay out the Santa gifts and had done a nice job in filling all their stockings as well. Mazzy and Taffy looked lost as Tony came into the room, disappearing as he sat down beside his son, who was crying quietly.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Tesoro?"

"Is this what it looks like when Santa comes?"

Tony's heart almost broke at Harry's question. "It is, bambino. It looks like Santa thought you were a very good boy this year."

Harry sniffled. "But why, Papa? Why now and not before? Was I bad, before?"

"Oh no, Harry!" Tony drew Harry into his lap and wrapped his arms around his son. "Your relatives were the ones who were bad and didn't let Santa bring you your presents." He leaned down and kissed Harry's cheek. "Never you, sweet boy, you have never been bad."

Drawing his sleeve across his face, Harry took a deep breath. "And all these presents are really for me?"

"They are, bambino! Shall we take a look?"

When he stood up, Tony saw that Sirius was standing behind them, along with Arcturus and Bucky. Setting Harry down, Tony slipped an arm around Sirius' waist as they watched Harry walking around the Quidditch pitch. Arcturus flicked his wand and little players began taking off from the field and flighting circles around the hoops at either end. Giving into a delighted giggle, Harry turned wide-eyes towards the adults.

"Papa! Daddy! Look!"

Sirius turned, giving Tony a kiss. "Happy Christmas, Papa."

Tony could only laugh as he hugged Sirius. "It has been a wonderful Christmas, Sirius!"

"That it has," Sirius agreed, stealing another kiss before Harry came over to drag them to the tree.

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