Hi! I'm not dead!

I'm alive, and I am SUPER sorry about the unintended, unplanned, accidental hiatus! I swear, I really did have this chapter written for you all a couple months ago, but I never got around to posting it. I'm an old-fashioned girl who actually writes her story with paper and whatever pen or pencil I've got and THEN decides to transfer it all over to my laptop when I've finished the chapter.

ANYWAY, I know you're not here to read my little rambles, so on with the story! I hope you all enjoy it. This chapter is actually the longest chapter I've ever written for ANY of my stories, so I hope it almost, maybe sorta makes up for the longass wait!

Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

When they finally land safely at the Tower, Darcy is satisfyingly exhausted from successfully persuading Helen Cho to join the Avengers' medical and SCIENCE! payroll. The other woman had put up a bit of an objection but was eventually tempted over to the dark side. Okay, yes, Darcy had promised cookies—not Darcy-made cookies, mind you, because Darcy can't cook or bake for shit, but she does know a guy who's pretty handy at that type of thing—but that was totally not cheating. On the ride to the Tower, Darcy had opted out of being co-pilot in favor of laying down next to her husband as he did his thing on his tablet, her head in his lap. Her hair, which had been immaculately done up earlier when they had left Hogwarts, is now splayed freely around her head. Her makeup, while still quite fine, in all honesty, feels sticky and smudged in a couple places. She's shed her clean, prim suit-jacket and balled it up to use it as a pillow in her husband's lap. She is also two seconds away from falling into a deep sleep in her current position of comfiness. Above her, Severus absently runs his fingers through her hair gently while he works on his tablet.

"Darcy, love, we're here," Severus tells her, softly coaxing her to remain in the world of the conscious. She groans in reply. She is comfy where she is and really doesn't wanna get up. "The others are inside. There's food as well, which I know you need."

"I hate traveling," she grumbles just as Nat walks past them and off the quinjet.

"I do not believe you would agree with that statement if you were full of food and had a good long sleep," he tells her as they slowly get up. It's true. Normally, she loves traveling and seeing the different places. "I believe you are simply suffering from too much international travel too quickly. After all, I don't believe we've ever literally flown across the world so quickly before."

"Remind me to never do that again. Scotland—or wherever Hogwarts is—and then South Korea and then the Tower, all in the span of fewer than forty-eight hours with naps but no substantial eight-hour minimum naps, was a horribly fucking terrible idea," Darcy groans.

"I will be required to return to the castle tomorrow as I have a class to teach, but you may wait until Tuesday to return if you wish," he informs her.

"I might come with you depending on where I'm needed and if I'm awake," she mumbles into his lap. "I'm like 89.76% sure I might still have a few things to get done over at the castle. Plus, I still gotta give your godson a piece of my mind and figure out what else I'm gonna do to Moody."
"Come on, love, let's get some food and then we may disappear into our room to sleep."

He then manages to cajole Darcy off the quinjet, and they make their way into the common area of the Tower, which is on the same level as the landing pad, thank the goddess. While their personal apartment, which is technically a whole floor because Tony won't let them take anything less (that softy), has a kitchen, it is up to them to keep it stocked and is thus usually barely full due to their demanding schedules. The common area's kitchen is always full, and the team is most likely having some meal there right now anyway. It's around dinner time at Hogwarts, so it's around lunch here in New York City.

They take their time moseying towards the kitchen. Despite the sun being all bright and shiny like, Darcy feels like it's one o'clock in the morning and is so fucking ready for bed. She leans against her husband for support, and he wraps an arm around her shoulders in return. "Goddamn, never again!" she mumbles into his shoulder.

His chest rumbles with tired amusement. "I'm actually quite surprised you haven't already dropped yet, love," he comments.

"Me too. Really."

"You don't need to come with me tomorrow, you know."

She shakes her head against his shoulder.

"Unless I'm actually legitimately needed here, I've got some shit to do over at the school, and I've got my computer, so I should be able to deal with the modern world from the depths of the old world, AKA the world of magic."

"Then let's go eat and then sleep before tomorrow comes," he suggests.

"I'd marry you just for that if we weren't already married," she breathes.

"Well, at least I can still charm you after everything."

"Sh, hush up there. You're talking like we're old and dying. We are neither, and even if we were, we'd be fucking phenomenal old folk, racing our wheelchairs across the lawn and scaring the shit out of kids with our stories," she slurs into his side.

"I know."

As they near the kitchen, they begin to hear voices coming from the room. Listening, she easily recognizes all of them. Another couple steps and then she sees everyone in the kitchen. However, the moment she sees the back of one person, in particular, all else falls into the background. Darcy is the proud owner of a photo collection that she likes to call her Booty Collection, which has a photo of every single Avengers and Co's ™ ass. In fact, she can proudly state that she can identify any Avenger or associated buddy by their fine ass alone, and, despite the haze of exhaustion, she damn well knows that rear!

"Clint," she breathes.

At hearing his name, the archer Avengers turns around, a sheepish grin lighting up his face. "Hey, Darce," he greets, his voice hushed as though if he spoke any louder, he'd ruin the moment but at the same conveying more emotion than words could ever hope to carry.

As soon as her name is out of his mouth, Darcy has shot out of her husband's supporting grip and is running full on towards the blond, her previous lack of energy now gone and filled with desperate dredges of adrenaline. Behind her, Severus follows at a slower, far more relaxed pace. Instead of the rib-crushing bearhug that Darcy is sure the birdbrained Avenger is expecting, Clint is met with a well-formed, precisely aimed, strong left-hook to the face, causing his face to move violently with the force of it.

"Ow! The fuck, Darcy? What was that for?" Clint whines as he cradles his now bruising face.

"CLINTON FRANCIS BARTON, you complete and utter asshole! What the fucking hell is wrong with you?" Darcy shrieks, a hand coming out to poke him in the chest with a finger to punctuate each word. She may be exhausted as shit but fuck it if the cocktail of relief at seeing one of her best friends alive after so long of wondering if he'd gotten his sorry ass killed and the worry about his forever long disappearance doesn't give her a rush of adrenaline. "FOUR MONTHS! Shit went to the deep levels of hell in a handbasket four months ago, and you weren't there. You weren't there. What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you know how goddamned worried we all were? You are such a motherfucking, daddycocksucking, shit for brains, asshole." Then she's clobbering him in a hug, smashing her face into his chest. After a moment, he's holding her just as desperately.

"Hey, Darce, it's alright. I'm here now, aren't I?" the sharpshooter murmurs just barely loud enough for her to hear into her hair, and neither of them wonders who he's trying to reassure more because they both know that they both needed to hear it just as much as the other.

"We thought you were dead! Or worse: one of them. I don't care who the fuck you are, you can't just disappear on me for four months. That doesn't fly with me. We can't do that anymore. We're a team now, all of us," she scolds near incoherently into his chest. She sniffs and lets out a shaky breath, just barely able to see through relieved tears.

After another minute has passed between them, Darcy pulls back, a soft smile on her lips, and quickly brushes away the few tears that are still trickling down her cheeks. Clint flashes her a similar smile before turning to Severus, an overly dramatically wide but still genuine grin lighting up his face. The shorter man opens up his arms wide. "Speaking of teammates, Sev, my man! How are you holding up?" Clint asks, voice cracking and so full of sincere emotion that is rarely shown.

"I should be asking you the same thing. You have been M.I.A. for months, Barton," Severus answers in the same tone.

"Ack, you know me." Her Wolf sends the Hawk an unimpressed quirk of a smile.

"Exactly my point. That's why I asked."

The other man huffs and crosses his arms back over his chest. "I'm fine, really."

Then they're embracing in a tight hug.

"We were worried there, pigeon," Severus teases.

"Eh, I try, chihuahua," Clint reassures him with a shrug.

"Okay, so, food after feels. Everyone good with that?" Tony asks, his voice trying to sound casual and laid back but failing a bit. She looks around to see everyone else nodding along. They may be superheroes and other such extraordinary people, but it's like a law that no superhero or their people have a great life. They may be superheroes and other such extraordinary people, but, fuck it, they're just people with no idea how to deal with feelings.

After a less angsty greeting from everyone else, they all pile in to eat.

"So, I got Helen to come play in Candyland with the rest of our SCIENCE! crazies. Don't scare her off. Janey, no stealing her equipment. Tony, no changing her stuff for unrequested, not-Helen-approved 'improvements.' Brucey, honey, our easy SCIENCE! toddler, just play nice, please. The rest of you lot, be nice. No scaring her off either!" She makes eye contact with each of them as she speaks, her bloodshot eyes staring right into theirs with a conviction she's surprised she has after so long with so little sleep.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," is chorused around her, some teasing while others are definitely 974.2% serious.

After their bellies are full, the Snape-Lewis pair moseys to their floor and then to their bed for a much-needed sleep.

The next day, Darcy rolls out of bed, grateful for such a long amount of sleep all at once but cursing its end. Beside her, the mattress is still warm but empty. Severus must have gotten up only a few moments before. Checking her phone for the time, she learns that it's breakfast time across the pond, and, right on Brit's time, her tummy is demanding food, regardless of the time in New York City. Oh, for fuck's sake, this whole living in at least two completely different time zones in one week is gonna suck balls! Honestly, she might as well just pick one and base everything off of that one. Probably Tower time.

She trudges into the kitchen of their apartment-floor and quickly smashes together a large cup of chai, which she just as quickly consumes. Then she makes another one, as is her morning custom, and even though it is early ass o'clock, it is still definitely morning somewhere in the world, fucking fight her. This kitchen may rarely be stocked with anything else, but it is always stocked with the makings of Darcy's chai and Severus' coffee. One large cup of chai for the caffeine and a second one for the heavenly flavor, both before facing the world, a happy Darcy makes, and a happy Darcy generally makes a happy everyone else.

By the time she's finished drinking that second heavenly cup, Severus comes out for his morning coffee, the heathen, all fresh and showered. She puts her mug in the dishwasher and heads back to their bedroom, giving him a kiss on the cheek on the way. Sure, it's way more fun showering together, but it also makes it way longer, so they really only take one together when they know they have the time. Otherwise, on days like today where they actually have shit to do, they take their showers separately. Thus, after grabbing her clothes, she hops into the shower, reveling in the warm spray washing away the grimy feel of traveling.

About thirty minutes later sees the couple gathering anything they may need that isn't already at Hogwarts. Then they're going up to the common floor, which is where the fireplace with a connected Flewing Thingy is. When they're on the floor with the common area, they find it empty, which, given the early time here in New Year, makes total sense. Thus, they simply grab a bit of the powdery Flewing Stuff and head into the fireplace. They're able to fit easily because Tony had remade it so that it was large enough to fit at least one Hulk comfortably (should the occasion arise) when Severus had connected it to the Flewing Network Thingy. Severus had also done a weird wibbly wobbly bigger on the inside spell just to be safe!

"Snape-Lewis Residence, Hogwarts!" he shouts and throws the powder stuff on the ground.

A knock on her new office door as a Professor of Pigpimples has Darcy rising from her desk and walking over to the door. She opens it to find the lanky, nervous form of Neville Longbottom standing there. "Hello, I'm glad you got my message! Come on in," she greets with a bright smile and ushers the student inside.

"Professor, am I in trouble? I'm not terribly sure what I've done this time," the terrified youth asks as he stands in the middle of her office awkwardly.

She shakes her head with another smile that hopefully helps to put him more at ease. "No, Neville—it is Neville, right? —" she starts. He nods, and she smiles brighter, proud of herself for getting it right. "No, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to talk with you about something I've heard the other Fourth Years say. Please, come sit." She gestures towards her little collection of furniture. He nervously shuffles over to the small sofa for visitors, all the while still giving off the air of fear. "Would you like anything to drink or eat? I've got a few options. There's always tea-which you all seem to enjoy quite a bit, chai—my personal beverage of choice, coffee if you're like my heathen of a husband, water, or I could see if I can find something else for you if none of those seem like your thing. As for food, I've got some pastry items, like slices of this really good chocolate cake or cookies, although I think you lot call them biscuits here. I think I even have some snacky nutty type things around here somewhere," she offers as she goes over to the little table with all the mentioned food and drink items and starts making herself another chai. One of these days, she'll drink water or something else—oh, who is she kidding? That's totally not gonna happen when Chai is an option.

"I-I don't need anything, Professor," he mumbles. She glances over her shoulder to study him.

"Are you sure, Neville? I really don't mind. Do you mind if I call you that? I know I'm technically supposed to call you Mr. Longbottom, but I feel like that's just too impersonal."

"No, I-I really don't mind. I…um…I actually like that you know our names or at least try your best to know them. I-if you really don't mind, I'll have whatever you're having please," he concedes. She nods and pulls out another mug for the student. Knowing herself, she usually ends up making more than necessary since one mug is very rarely enough to sate her thirst, so she doesn't have to make extra for her student, although she definitely would have if necessary. "Would you like a snack as well?"

"No, thank you," is all she gets back.

Drinks made, she carefully carries them over to the sofa and sits, leaving a good amount of space between them so that it is appropriate and doesn't make either of them uncomfortable. She hands him his chai and watches as he hesitantly takes a few sips. When he smiles as he savors the taste on his tongue, she cheers to herself. Another converter to the love of chai! Then they sit for a few minutes simply enjoying their drinks.

"Neville, before I say anything else," she begins, breaking the silence between them, "I want you to know that I'm not one to gossip or talk behind people's backs. That said, I am also a teacher here now, and teachers like to talk to each other about our students to see how we think they're doing, including me. Now, with that in mind, I was told that Alastor's class last week caused many of the students to feel very…uncomfortable during and after his lesson, including you. In fact, he said that you became especially upset. I wanted to talk to you about it earlier but haven't had the chance until now. Neville, are you alright? You don't have to say anything at all if you don't want to, but please know that you can talk to me whenever you need to or want to about anything, and I will listen."

He stays silent another good few moments before speaking. "He was showing us the Unforgivable Curses. He said that he thought we ought to know what we might run into if we ever ran into a Dark Wizard," he tells her, not looking up from his chair. He lets out a shaky breath before continuing. "My parents were tortured by Death Eaters using the Cruciatus Curse. I-I didn't like seeing him use it on a spider, even if he was only using it so that we'd know what the spell does, and it was only a spider. I-i-if it hurt the spider that much for only a few moments, then it had to have hurt my parents that much or more! It-it drove them mad, you see."

Listening to him, Darcy's heart breaks for the boy. She wants to tell him that she's sorry. She's sorry that Alastor, the absolute idiot, decided to demonstrate the spell that drove his parents insane from pain in the first place. She's sorry that life's already fucked him over, but she's sure that whatever version of "I'm sorry" she could say would only sound cheap. She doesn't doubt that he's already heard some version of the phrase more times than he'd care to mention. Instead, she tells him that she'll always be open to talk, should he want to, even if it's one at night, regardless of curfew. As long as she's on the school grounds, she'll always be an ear to listen. She was never sorted, so she has no allegiance to one House, and she wants everyone to know that she's a safe space for all the students regardless of their House, age, and Blood status (because, what the actual fuck, that's actually a huge deal to magic folk).

"Thank you, Professor," he says with a trace of a smile.

"It's Darcy," she gently reminds him. "You know, I've also heard that you have a gift for plants! I, unfortunately, have no such gift and am in fact absolutely horrible with them, despite how much I try to keep them alive. I have this plant that I'm sure is just a breath away from death. Would you like to look and see if you can save it?"

He meets her eyes and smiles wider. "Yes, please!"

She laughs lightly and gets up. He follows as she goes over to her desk where a sad, dejected-looking Asphodel flower sits in a pot, all sad and wilted like. "I love plants, but it's honestly pathetic how bad I am at keeping them even semi-alive. It's a curse or something, I swear. Severus, bless my man, despite knowing full well how bad I am with plants, gave this to me as a gift for becoming a teacher here, but as you can see, it's already not doing so well in my care. Think you can do anything or is it a lost cause?"

"An asphodel!" His eyes brighten as he analyzes the flower. He sets his mug down to inspect it more closely. She looks over at the mug to find it empty of chai and picks it up. Then she goes over to her dirty dishes spot to put both her mug and his there, leaving the excited youth to the plant. That done, she returns to her desk.

"So, what's the verdict? Do you think you can do anything?" she asks. "Is there hope?"

"Sure, all you have to do it—" Then he's listing all the possible cures for her plant.

She laughs. "That sounds extensive and like a list of things I'll definitely forget. Hey, how about this! Would you mind taking care of it for a while? I'm seriously dismal at keeping plants happy, and I already know that if I tried all those things you just suggested, I'd still end up killing the poor thing! It would be in way safer hands with you."

"Oh, um, sure, Ms. Darcy!" She lifts the pot and hands it to him, which he takes with an awestruck smile.

"No, thank you, Neville! I'm sure my plant would be dead in a couple more days if you didn't agree to save it!" she chirps. She glances at the clock and is surprised to see that nearly an hour has gone by. "As much as I like talking with you, I think you may need to scoot to your next class already, which happens to be in a few minutes. You could take your new charge to your dorm and then head to class, or you could come back here to pick it up later today, whichever is easiest for you. If anyone asks why you're late, tell them you were with me, and I'll vouch for you."

"Alright, I think it would be easier to pick it up later then. Ms. Darcy, thank you for…everything."
"You are very welcome. Now, hurry. You don't want to be any later than I've already made you!" She walks him to the door and opens it for him. "Please, I'm always willing to talk or listen should need or want me. I have your number, so even if it's just a quick text, don't be afraid to talk!"

"I will," he says with a nod and then walks down the corridor.

She shuts the door behind him with a sigh. He seems like a very sweet kid, and she really hopes he'll take her up on her offer of an ear to listen.

Later, as Darcy makes her way towards the Great Hall for dinner, Darcy finds one of her students from her Third Year class wandering the near-empty halls, searching for something. "Hello, Ms. Lewis," the student greets, her long, icy-blond hair flowing down her back.

Darcy searches her mind's list of names before speaking. "Hi, Luna, yes?" the brunette replies.

"Very good, Professor," Luna says in a dreamy, soft tone. Darcy pumps her fist in celebration that she'd remembered correctly and beams.

"What are you doing down here? Everyone else is mostly in the Hall eating already. In fact, I was just about to go there myself since apparently I'm told that teachers are highly 'encouraged' to eat in the Hall for meals."

"I'm searching for my shoes. The other Ravenclaws like to take them and hide them from me."

"Seriously? I know kids can be mean, but that's just being shitty."

"It's not that horrible, Professor. I usually manage to find them within a day or two."

"Luna, that doesn't make it any better. They shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Would you like some help looking for them?" Darcy offers, notions of food pushed to the back of her mind.

"Oh, it's quite alright. I think I'm close," Luna replies, sending her a soft smirk.

"Well, then, with two of us, we'll find it them that much sooner. Then we can both get something to eat," Darcy reassures with a smile.

"Alright, thank you," Luna acquiesces, and the pair walk in silence for a while before she speaks again. "I must say, you're quite nice and very much like I thought Professor Snape's wife would be like," she comments as they look for her missing shoes.

This surprises Darcy and brings a baffled smile to her lips. "Really? Nearly everyone else thought I'd be more like him, all gloomy and snippy and strict and Mr. Grumpy."

Luna shrugs. "Well, he always seemed so lonely, like he was missing someone, which I suppose is you. Now that you're here, he's still strict and can be rather mean and scary, but he doesn't seem as lonely. I always thought that he'd marry someone like you, kind and warm but strong, someone who could balance his roughness, and it seems I was right."

"That's very insightful, Luna. You're pretty good at reading people."

"I see things, I suppose. Everyone calls me Loony, but I don't mind. I'm simply sorry for them because they can't see what I can."

"That's awful! Obviously, one thing hasn't changed, no matter what school or time: kids can be stupid and such bullies." Darcy looks up to find a Mary-Jane style shoe floating randomly in the air a few feet ahead of them. She points it out to the girl next to her, who then pulls out her wand and calls the lone shoe to her. Then the two of them return to walking, and several moments of comfy silence passes before Darcy decides to break it. "You've said a bit now that you see things that you think others don't. Could you explain that please?"

"Oh, I know they can't see them, just like you couldn't see the wrackspurts circling your head earlier."

Now, most people, after hearing that creatures with a weirdass name had been buzzing around their head without being noticed, would either freak the fuck out or say that Luna was crazy and seeing shit in her head. Darcy is not most people, especially after her experience, so instead of flipping out, she shrugs and wants to know more. "Wrackspurts? I've never heard of them. What do they do?"

"They circle people's heads and make them confused and fuzzy too."

Okay, cool.

Darcy tries to hide her smile at the description because she doesn't want Luna to believe that she thinks Luna is crazy too. No matter how strange the creatures sound or how strange it is that Luna seems to be the only one who can see them, Darcy actually believes her student. Darcy's tased a god, seen the same dude be Scotty'd up into the sky by some rainbow tube thingy, married a man who can do magic, has a mother-in-law (and a father-in-law too apparently) who looks to be in her mid-twenties but is actually nearly four times that, works as a liaison for a team of legit, actuals superheroes between them and other superheroes and governments, has a fantastic mutation of her own, and has seen and done so much more ludicrous shit that a girl at a magic school (that Darcy also happens to teach at, what the fuck) who sees creatures that no one else can is really not all that surprising if Darcy really thinks about it. And, gah, does it give her the beginnings of a headache when she thinks about the craziness of her life that she happens to love! Plus, Luna doesn't seem like the type of person to lie or make up shit like that or to be that off her rocker.

"Well, I had just gotten up from a cat nap. Maybe they're attracted to people who've just woken up?" Darcy suggests, glancing over at the Ravenclaw.

"Oh, I'd never thought about that! Perhaps that's why I see them circling the heads of people in the mornings so often! Thank you for the idea!"

"Happy to help, Luna. Now, what else have we go to find?"

"Oh, that was the last thing. I'd already found my other shoe by the time you joined me."

"Then how about we drop your shoes off at your dorm and then head over to the Great Hall? I'm sure there will still be food. If there isn't, then we can see if we can find some food in my kitchen," Darcy offers.

"Alright," Luna agrees.

They make their way to the Ravenclaw Tower, chatting easily.

"I heard about what you said to Neville this morning," Luna comments.

"Oh? Okay. Well, I hope you know that the same applies to you and any other student in the school. I want you all to know that all of you can come talk to me about anything at any time, provided I'm on the grounds. If I'm away, then feel free to call me. My phone is set up so I'll be able to be reached by any of the school phones regardless of where I am on the earth. I remember being your ages and just wanting a friend to listen, and I want to be that for all of you, regardless of House or blood status, which I still believe to be absolutely ridiculous," Darcy tells her.

"Professor?"

"You know you don't have to call me that, right? I prefer Darcy or even Ms. Lewis if you're feeling formal. Anyway, yes?"

"I think you'll do brilliantly."

"Thank you, Luna, I will certainly try."

Thanks for reading, folks! Hope you all enjoyed it! Hopefully, there won't be such a long wait for the next chapter. Have a great day!