September 2013, Harry's Bastion, Godrick's Hollow

Harry smiled as he felt his small familiar slowly climb his chair. He moved his arm from the top of the workbench to see it slowly making its way up to him. He moved his hand down and Sazala easily moved into his palm. Pulled her up and let her off on his shoulder where she dropped herself across his shoulder. She had grown to just over a foot long now, §Good afternoon sweetie. How was your hunt?§

§It was good. I found many prey around the house.§ The young voice of a Basilisk sounded. Harry was worried at first about hatching a Basilisk, but now he knew that Sazala was bound magically to his family and could never hurt them. He smiled as Sazala narrated the hunt she went on and the battle she had with an army of mice. Harry wasn't sure what caused it, but Sazala had gotten in the habit of narrating her days like some sort of epic. He thought it was due to him telling stories of her cousin and the way she protected a school for a 1000 years. He found in Salazar's journals that he had created Shuna, his basilisk, to protect the school in times when castles were still seized and magical people were hunted by the non magical. Harry found it unfortunate that he had to kill Shuna due to Tom Riddle corrupting his family legacy.

Harry spent half an hour chatting with his basilisk when she started to get sleepy so he picked her up and moved her to the enchanted pillows in a cubby nearby. Laying down the basilisk he watched as she curled up on herself and stopped moving. Smiling, Harry moved back to this workbench and looked over his current project. After replacing all the Portal Frames, which he and Tony now called Y. Frames, based on Yggdrasil, he started up on something he had been meaning to make for a while, storage bracelets. He noticed how long it took for his teammates to suit up or grab their gear so he had the idea of allowing them to carry their gear everywhere with a portable pocket dimension that could carry it all with them. It wasn't hard to make something like that, the new memory crystals weren't the first magical crystals he and Tony had created. One of their early attempts ended up making a magic conductive crystal that he was now using to create a small pocket dimension. The insides were the size of a wardrobe and worked on intent. Now he was just trying to create a function much like his cowl, that changed the clothes of the person wearing them. He chuckled as he remembered testing a prototype out and ending up naked just as Natasha came into the workshop. He sighed as he remembered her being surprised, amused, and then aroused.

Shaking away his thoughts he was about to get back to work when he froze, a monitor ward tied to his person went off. It only took him a moment before faded away and found himself now looking down at the slowly opening eyes of his godson. Smiling he knelt down and ran his hand through Teddy's hair.

"Papa?" Teddy's voice sounded quiet. Smiling Harry fought back the tears peaking in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm here buddy. How are you feeling?" Harry asked as he moved up into the bed and sat at his son's side.

"Tired." Teddy said with a bit of a whine before his stomach made a huge noise. Harry couldn't stop himself and let out a bellow of laughter, his joy at seeing his godson wake compounded with the typicalness of Teddy being hungry. He scooped him up into his arms.

"Let's get you some food alright?" Teddy nodded into Harry's shoulder as he slowly moved downstairs. He walked into the kitchen and waved his free hand making a highchair for Teddy. He set him down and moved off to quickly make Teddy some food. Before moving off, he summoned a coloring book from the stuff he bought recently and placed it and some crayons in front of Teddy, who immediately lit up. Harry smiled as he moved off to make lunch for the two of them. Taking peeks over his shoulder he watched as Teddy colored in the book of animals. Not long after, Harry set down his sandwich and placed a plate in front of Teddy with eggs, ham, some cheese, and fruit. Harry barely had time to remove the coloring book before Teddy was tearing into his food. Feeling better than he had in a long time he ate his sandwich and watched Teddy devour his food.

Knowing what would come next he summoned the next plate of eggs and fruit and replaced Teddy's now empty plate. Harry was still amazed at how much his son could eat. When he was growing up he and Hermione had a terrible time trying to figure out why Teddy wouldn't eat the normal baby foods or would constantly cry after he ate. It wasn't until Ron thoughtlessly gave Teddy a rasher of bacon, and stopped a food tantrum, that we realized he needed more meat and much higher quantities of food than other babies. The reason became apparent after his first birthday when he was starting to walk only to fall but transform mid fall and turn into a tiny baby wolf that then took off. The whole reason Harry became an animagus was to keep up with his godson. Hermione nearly flipped when Harry came walking back up to their safe house in his wolf form carrying Teddy by his nape with his jaws.

Smiling as he reminisced about his friends he was pulled out of his thoughts when Teddy let out a huge burp. He moved forwards and wiped his godson's mouth before picking him up and waving away the mess. He took a look at his now content godson and gained a mischievous glint to his eyes, "Want to go for a run?" Harry barely had time to react before his arms were now full of wolf pup. He laughed as Teddy yipped and howled. He moved to the backdoor and opened it before allowing his godson to hit the ground running. Harry smiled as Teddy ran all about sniffing things and inspecting his surroundings. Harry saw him make it to the tree line before he sprinted out, changing into his wolf form mid stride. That's how they spent the next hour or two before Teddy finally got tired. Harry led him back inside but didn't change back so Teddy climbed on top of him and fell asleep.

Natasha smiled as she finished up a report and decided to go to Harry's early. Moving through the helicarrier she hummed as she entered a hidden room and dialed the newly dubbed back to Harry's house. Smiling, she walked through the foyer into the kitchen but found it empty. Moving on she checked the workshop and that too was empty, save the small basilisk sleeping in the cubby near Harry's workbench. Frowning now, she looked upstairs and found all the rooms empty. She was surprised that Teddy wasn't in his bed, but guessed Harry took him for a check up with Hank. Sighing, she moved downstairs into the game room only to stop when she saw a massive wolf laying in the middle of the room with a small child sleeping on top of it. Moving forward she slowly recognized the wolf as Harry when his eyes opened and looked up at her. Slowly the wolf changed and Teddy was barely moved as Harry held him in his arms once again human.

"Hey. Guess who woke up today?" Harry whispered with glee pouring from his tone. Natasha couldn't help but smile widely at the pure exuberance in Harry's tone.

"Was it this cute little guy?" Nat asked rhetorically as she moved forward and looked over Teddy's sleeping form. Harry smiled as they both moved upstairs and Harry slowly floated Teddy into his bed before covering him up. They backed out of the room and mostly closed the door before they went to Harry's room. Harry sat down with her on the loveseat in there and sighed as he leaned back. Nat curled up into his side. "So why were you in your wolf form?"

"Oh right, I haven't told you yet." Harry said with a chuckle as he pulled Natasha close to him. "I told you about Teddy's parents right?" Harry asked and she nodded in reply. "Well what I didn't tell you was that Remus was a werewolf, and much like his father Teddy was born with that curse as well." Natasha seemed upset that such a young boy was cursed. Harry saw this and rubbed her back, "Don't worry too much, Teddy's werewolf curse adapted or changed due to his mother. Nymphadora Tonks was a Metamorphmagus, meaning she had the ability to naturally shift her body in any way she chooses. She would constantly change her hair color, make her nose into a duck bill or pig snout, she could change height, weight, or body proportions on command." Harry explained, "My friends and I assumed that his werewolf curse was changed or adapted to his metamorphmagus abilities. He doesn't have a forced transformation on full moons and his bite isn't contagious, but he is a natural animagus. He feels natural in that form and moves in it easier than he does his human one." Harry said with a shake of his head.

"Is that why you're a wolf?" Natasha asked.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. There's a lot that goes into a witch of wizards animagus form, most of it personality and affinity. My godfather was a dog, he was loyal and playful by nature, but also quite the womanizer. My father was a stag, aloof and proud, but ferociously protective of his pack or family. Their other friend was a rat, he was cowardly and betrayed them, causing their deaths, but also very adaptable and opportunistic. So when I first started the process of becoming an animagus I assumed I would be a bird." Harry said with a sigh as he leaned his head back, "I always loved flying. My favorite times in Hogwarts were either with my friends or in the air."

"Playing Quidditch?" Nat asked as she ran her fingers along Harry's arm.

"No actually," Harry said as he laughed quietly, "I didn't much care for the game itself. I just loved to fly. Eventually I appreciated playing and being captain of my team, but for me it was being in the air, being free for those few moments that I really treasured." Harry paused for a moment and just sat in silence thinking about all the times back at Hogwarts. "Anyways, my form was quite the surprise for me. Hermione assumed that my form changed as my priorities changed. If I had become an animagus in school, it would have probably been a bird, a falcon if I had to guess, but because I did it after I started raising Teddy and the war with the demons my form changed to match myself then."

"So leadership, protection, and ferocity?"

"That's right. I'm sure you've noticed how large my wolf form is?" she nodded, "Well it's the alpha, the leader much like myself at that point. I led the anti-demon coalition, I protected my family and friends, provided for them as best I could. My form showed that, when I became the largest wolf animagus in recorded history." Harry said wistfully.

"What do you think my form would be?" Natasha asked. Harry looked at her as he leaned his head down. He hummed as he thought it over.

"Let me ask you first, what do you think it would be?" Harry asked.

"A snake." She said with no hesitation. Harry huffed as he poked her in the side causing her to smirk up at him and smack his hand away.

"A lion or another large cat I would guess."

"Oh and why a large cat?" Natasha asked as she slowly stretched herself across Harry. Harry smiled as she played up being cat-like.

"Hmm I don't know." He said as he kissed the side of her neck, "Strong, stealthy, deadly." He punctuated each word with a kiss as Natasha finally sat herself fully in his lap. "Fierce." Harry said finally as he kissed her lips. Natasha smiled into the kiss.

A while later she was sitting in the kitchen watching as Harry skillfully cooked dinner for his little family. Wanda and Pietro were both talking about what happened at the X-mansion today, Pietro boasting about a prank he pulled on Kurt and Wanda was talking about how Ms. Munroe was teaching her to meditate and connect with nature. Teddy was looking at his two new siblings in awe. He seemed so happy to have older siblings now. Earlier in the day he had asked Harry where everyone was and Harry played it off that they were all somewhere far away but he would see them when they returned. Nat hated to see the sad look on his face, but Teddy helped remove it after accepting that answer and asking for him to animate his dragons. Watching Harry play with his son was really something special. He used magic and toys to create massive stories about princesses and castles with the dragons attacking the castle and breathing cold fire.

Harry was telling some story in relation to what the twins were talking about with a soft look of happiness on his face and Nat couldn't help but feel the twist of something painful in her gut as she looked at Teddy who was still sporting her hair color from earlier today. Seeing an amalgamation of Harry's eyes and her hair made her realize that she knew at some level Harry wanted family. She could never give him what he wanted and it was only a matter of time before he would leave her. Her mind wandered to the beautiful Ororo, who she knew would be more than happy to take her place. Sighing she plastered a fake smile when Pietro asked her about her day. She told them about the grueling amounts of paperwork she had done and the twins and Harry all groaned with her causing the table to erupt in laughter. Basking in the warm feeling she savored this moment, knowing that it would all end at some point, but maybe it should end on her terms.

After dinner Natasha helped Harry put Teddy to bed before following him into his room, they cuddled and talked. They shared an intimate night together before he fell asleep. Natasha slowly made her way out of the room and into Harry's office. She spent over an hour agonizing about the letter she would leave for him before finally sealing it and leaving it on the desk. She snuck back out and looked into all the rooms. Wanda was asleep and wrapped in a massive comforter, Pietro was once again asleep with his game system on and hanging sideways off the bed, and Teddy was in his wolf form sleeping in a curled ball with the blanket wrapped over him. Wiping away a stray tear she walked through the and disappeared.

Harry awoke the next day and found Natasha missing, but didn't think anything of it. She would often have to leave earlier than he woke up, so he just made his way over to Teddy's room. He opened the door and found Teddy rolling around on the ground biting into a large stuffed bear. He stopped when Harry opened the door and just looked at Harry. They made eye contact for several minutes before Harry laughed and his godson shifted back to his human form and pouted.

"Having a good morning Teddy?" Harry asked with a chuckle as he picked him up.

"You laughed at me." Teddy said with a huff.

"Oh don't be like that." Harry said as he tickled his belly. Teddy erupted into laughter as he was carried downstairs for breakfast. Setting him up with his coloring book and highchair, Harry started preparations for breakfast and the kids' lunches. Wanda walked in alert and ready for the day, her backpack on her shoulder and her school clothes on. Pietro stumbled in behind her rubbing his neck, hair still wild, and PJs still on. "Stay up late playing games again Pietro?" Harry asked while he flipped a pancake. Pietro grunted, causing Wanda to smack him upside the head. Harry smirked facing away from them, he never had to worry about punishing Pietro because Wanda was more than ready to do it herself. Pietro used to dodge the smacks when he got his powers, but that would cause Wanda to use her powers and he would end up with no hair or his skin an assortment of colors. It was something he still grumbled about Harry teaching her.

Breakfast ended up being a quick affair with the twins on their way back to school and waving their goodbyes as they stepped through the . Harry looked down at Teddy who was standing and holding his hand next to him.

"Want to meet Sazala?" Harry asked his godson who looked up at him.

"Is she nice?"

"Of course. She's my familiar, which means she is like family to me." Harry said with a smile. He picked Teddy up and brought him with him as he stepped down into his workshop. Looking around he saw all the materials scattered around and frowned. "I need to polish up on my parental wards." Harry mumbled as he moved over to his main workbench. There he found Sazala sleeping again. She looked up when he approached and hissed at him. Teddy's face morphed into a big grin as his hair changed to the same shade of green as her scales. It was like watching the spark that would burn down your house. It was interesting to see Sazala take to another so quickly, but even more interesting when Teddy morphed into his wolf form and they talked to each other. That surprised the hell out of him, but it seems that animals could converse on some level and it nearly had him taking out a notebook like Hermione would have done. It didn't take long for Sazala to declare him her hatchling to protect. It was funny because she was barely a few weeks old, but was already treating Teddy like the child in their relationship. It was cute to him but made sense. Sazala would continue to grow for years, but she would reach maturity in just under a year from now.

Harry watched as Sazala wrapped herself around Teddy and they both started running around. Harry sighed as he realized that these two would be a massive headache but smiled regardless as they played. Later, Sazala was telling him all about her epic hunts and Teddy was enraptured, causing Harry to just rub his brows at their shenanigans. Eventually Teddy took his nap after a quick lunch and Harry decided to go to his office. Walking in he noticed immediately a letter sitting on top of his desk. Frowning he moved forward and saw his name penned by a familiar handwriting. Opening the letter his frown only became more pronounced as he read it. Natasha telling him she was leaving, that he deserved better. He grew angry and confused as she basically laid out that she was leaving him. The part of him that was rash and upset wanted to throw the letter away and write her off as a lost cause, but the part that loved her, that knew the sweet and caring person below the Widow exterior knew better than to let this go. So he called her but received a voice message saying the service had been turned off, next he called Fury and was told she took a sabbatical. Huffing he moved on and called all his teammates but no one had seen her. Sighing, he finally called Clint, but Clint couldn't tell him anything either, which worried them both. Running his hands through his hair he sat back in his chair and dragged his hands down his face. Suddenly he stopped and waved his hand causing a vial of Natasha's blood to manifest.

"Don't worry Nat, we'll figure this out." Harry said with a sad sigh.

AN: Review Answers

qwertyuiop123214685 - Warden, a protector and guardian of a place or person, at least in this usage. I also enjoyed the idea that some mutants could pull power from other dimensions, not all of course, but the more powerful sure.

ChaosOmega98 - not sure just yet, but she might get a role similar to Captain Nova and protect the space fleet of Earth.

SHWAT - Honestly I had no idea that AI stories had been popping up, so I hadn't even thought to use AI. I try and map out my stories with plot maps, then using those plots I expand into small arcs that I go through. Hopefully by the end it all strings together well. Either way I'm glad you're enjoying it. If you want to see a more freeform style of my writing I have another story that gets occasionally updated called Harry Potter: Witcher Raised. Let me know what you think.