Chapter 36: Chapter Thirty-Six
The next day they were awoken by a knock on the bedroom door. "Who's there?" Harry asked as he slowly came to wakefulness.
"It's me." Tony said from the other side. "I want to get into the bar. It's past twelve already!" he complained. They had been able to take care of themselves in their respective, fully stocked kitchens, but the bar was the only place for a drink on the Island.
Harry waved a hand and replied, "Bar's open. Help yourself, but then you're bartender for the next hour."
"Can do!" Harry heard Tony's retreating voice as he hurriedly left.
"Can't we just go back to what we were doing last night?" Harry heard from his side. The tone of her voice almost made him agree instantly, but then he remembered he had made a promise to the children.
"I'm sorry, love. I promised the children I'd take them to see the animals." Harry apologised.
"Are you sure?" she asked as she slowly uncovered her bare assets to him.
"Witch! I'm trying to be a good uncle here!" Harry complained. He was sorely tempted to ask Logan to take them on the tour.
Natasha pouted for a moment, but then got a glimmer in her eye, "Fine, but we've got an hour. We're taking a bath together." she said, as she got up and walked to their bathroom, swaying her hips as she did so. Harry was still in awe of her beautiful form and just sat there admiring her for a moment, until she stopped and looked around at him, "Are you coming?" she asked with a saucy smile.
An hour later, Harry exited the house with a smile on his face. The moment he was visible from the pool, a wet Cooper and Lila ran up to him. "Uncle Harry!" they chorused.
"Hey there kiddos. How was your morning?" Harry asked as he picked them both up and walked to the bar, where Laura and Clint were sitting with a butterbeer in their hands, watching the children's enthusiasm with smiles on their faces. Non-alcoholic, alcoholic drinks was something they had both come to appreciate.
"Where were you?" Lila asked and then said excitedly, "We saw the unicorns already, one of them even came to me and sniffed me!"
"Aunty Nat and I were up late, celebrating. Did you hear we're engaged?" Harry asked in return.
"Mommy says that means you're going to get married and that you and Auntie Nat were kissing all night." Cooper said with a scowl. Kissing was so gross.
"I think it's cool!" Lila said as she hugged her Uncle Harry. "Uncle Harry will magic her and keep her safe all the time and then Mommy will stop worrying about her."
"You're right. I will keep her safe." Harry smiled at the girl. "Sorry for being late, but we can still go see the creatures. I'd suggest you get out of your swimming clothes first, though." He said as he set them both down. "Let me just fix us some lunch to enjoy on the way."
Knowing what was to follow, both of the kiddies got on stools and watched as Harry used his magic to make them some sandwiches. He made a show of it for the kids, so instead of things just flying into place quickly, some of the ingredients would grow arms and legs and play-fight before dropping 'dead' right in place on the bread. The kids were amazed as always and clapped and laughed when the sandwiches decided to start saying things like 'Eat me!' in guttural voices or 'Please don't eat me, I'm too young!' in high-pitched voices, the pieces of bread moving like mouths.
"You know I hate it when you do that." Natasha said walking up behind him.
"Hey, why is she allowed behind the bar?" Tony complained. He knew the rules would be bent or changed for her, but felt the need to say it anyway.
"My fiancée is going to be allowed many things. Anything she wants, in fact. I don't think my magic will even stop her anymore." Harry said with a shrug. "Perks of becoming a Potter."
Tony grumbled, while Natasha looked at him sideways, "I never said I'll be taking your last name." she said.
"And I have no problem with that. I mean, I would like our family to have one name and I am partial to my own, but if you want we can hyphenate." Harry said easily.
"So you'd take my name as well?" Natasha asked with a smirk.
"If that's what my lady wants, that's what my lady gets." Harry said with a flourish and a bow, smiling all the way. The kids loved the act and clapped along. They knew what he said was funny because Auntie Nat smiled and hugged him.
"I'll think about it." Natasha whispered to him. After what they just did, her proximity and the tone of her voice made him instantly smile.
After lunch, Harry asked all the people around if they wanted to go on the tour. The people who had gone on the tour before all said that they could go on their own. All except for Loki and Darcy, of course. They had decided to fly along with them on their brooms. They loved the brooms. Harry was worried that Darcy would try to sneak hers out with her.
Darcy and Loki had started disappearing at strange times and come back ruffled 'by the wind'. Harry was wondering what was going on there. He could see that they were in some sort of mating dance, flirting and teasing. He didn't want to have that conversation though, so he just left it as is. Darcy had wit and wasn't afraid to slap and, on one occasion, taser Loki. Harry had loved seeing his expression afterward. He was going to go into the memory one day with a camera. He'd make it work for that picture.
They followed the same routine as the previous tour, except for the Sphinx, of whom Harry decided to ask a riddle of his own. When she couldn't answer the riddle correctly, Harry gave her the book he had gotten for her, which she strangely could read. She mentioned something about the language, Allspeak, which the Aesir used allowed the feat. Harry decided he'd have to learn that particular skill, if he could.
Harry took them to see one of the newer attractions. "Here we have a conclave of Forest Nymphs. In my home-world we had something similar. They were called Veela and were Air and Fire Elementals of a sort. They have a human form, much like the Veela did and are all female. When they conceive the offspring is always female. They have a certain skill called an Allure, which they use to attract mates. I would suggest caution and that you never venture here on your own." Harry was saying.
"So they usually go out looking for men?" Laura asked.
"Yes and no. Some men are foolish enough to go looking for them. They can let the men go, but usually want to protect their hiding spots, so they might decide to keep them. A good specimen could live out the rest of his days being used recreationally and passed around and never even care that he had a family, somewhere in the world." Harry cautioned again.
"How are you filling their needs then?" Clint asked. Loki just listened. He had come on the tour before, but they hadn't stopped here.
"We don't. Not yet anyway. They are reasonably new. In my world the Veela were thought of as a subspecies, but allowed to exist only in their own enclaves. In this world, on their planet, they were being stolen and sold into slavery, so we decided to offer them sanctuary. Here we may offer them the freedom they never had, either here or in my home world." Harry said.
"You'll find that most of our creatures were brought here peacefully. Some, who do not have the intelligence to understand were given safe havens that they cannot exit. The Nymphs cannot exit their enclosure yet, but will be given the option once they have acclimated. We do not hold intelligent creatures against their will. They know they have the option to leave and go home, and someone comes to speak to them every day to find out if they are still happy. The only requirement for living here being the ability to co-exist." Harry assured them.
They had been walking through the entrance while Harry spoke. When they were inside, Harry told them to wait in the designated viewing area. It worked like a one-way mirror, except from the other side it looked like a rock wall, while their view wasn't obstructed at all. They could see lush trees and a spring with little rivers running everywhere.
Harry left them in the viewing area and entered the 'Living area' as he called it. "Xera, are you there?" he called.
One of the trees seemed to groan as something started to move out of its trunk. At first one foot, and then the leg and then the rest of the body of a reasonably attractive female had extricated herself from the trunk of her tree. She had brownish red hair, with leaves of different colours woven into the braids like accessories. She wore a toga-like skirt that barely covered her assets and she was smiling at Harry with her almond coloured eyes focussed on him.
"Harry, you have come to visit!" she exclaimed. "Ladies, come greet our lord!" she said over her shoulder. More Nymphs started extricating themselves from their trees and hurried over to just behind Xera, where they stood and curtsied prettily. All of them were smiling and eying him hungrily. "Have you come to taste our fruit?" Xera asked, while a hint of her allure seeped through his mental shields.
"I've told you Xera, I'm spoken for." Harry informed her calmly. "And you still need to work on your allure. We cannot allow you into the general population if you cannot control yourselves." he warned, but with a smile on his face.
"Yes, you have told us that, but we do not mind, bring her along. The woman who holds your heart holds our allegiance. We would not take advantage of the lord of the land's hospitality and not offer him of our fruit." Xera said. There was a hint of something in her voice. Was it fear?
"Like I told you. This is an island paradise, completely hidden from our world. Very few know about it, so you are safe. And while I own it, I do not require rent or services. You may stay here as long as you want or go back to your world, if that is your wish. I am not your jailor or your landlord." Harry reminded her.
"Please, no!" she said urgently. "We do not wish to go back! We've lost so many of our sisters at the hands of monsters. Those you see here are the last of our people. We just wish to be of service, to make ourselves useful. We do not want you to tire of us and be rid of us." she finished in a whisper.
"Do not fear, ladies." came Natasha's voice from right behind Harry. She had been listening and heard the tone in the Nymph's voice. Some of the Nymphs looked up as if seeing her for the first time. "My Harry is a kind man, who comes from a world filled with magic and magical creatures. He's trying to create such a place on this island, where magic can flourish. His wish is not for service or servitude. He believes that all sentient beings have the same rights. He wants to see you happy and thrive. That is all you should strive for." she said.
"Even if that were true, my lady, if we are not of use to our lord, we will never feel secure. Please give us a task that we may fulfil. If we have something to occupy our time, which makes us invaluable, our minds would be put to rest." Xera said. She was the designated leader by virtue of her age as the eldest at two hundred and seventy-five years old. It was a shame as Nymphs could easily live thousands of years. They had almost been hunted to extinction. She had discussed things with the rest and found the only need they had was to stay and feel safe. For them to feel safe they must make themselves indispensable to the lord.
Natasha thought about it for a second. "I think I understand. You're lives have been difficult and you have not known the kindness that Harry offers." she started. "You are tree Nymphs, correct? Does that mean you have power over plants and plant-life?" she asked.
"That is correct. Once our trees are properly rooted in an area, we can exert a certain amount of influence on the plants in the land we live on." Xera confirmed.
Natasha smiled. "In that case, we might have a use for you. My future husband would have three uses for someone like you." She said. "Firstly, the island we live on is home to many creatures, as you know. Some of them have specific dietary requirements. It would be useful to have someone besides Logan, the man who cares for the creatures, to keep an eye on the vegetation and ensure that there is enough food to go around."
"That would not be a problem. My sisters and I would gladly help with that." Xera confirmed quickly.
"Good." Natasha said. "Secondly, we have greenhouses on the island, where magical plants are being cultivated. Would you be able to encourage growth in such plants?"
Xera frowned. "We may need to see about that. If they are magical, they may be resistant to our influence. You would have to show us where these 'green houses' are, so that we may examine the plants."
"A greenhouse is a glass building that is made for plants to grow and avoid bad weather, among other things, like climate and pest control." Harry supplied. "And before we can take you to them, you need to exert some control on your allure, because the greenhouses are close to where our people and friends are." he said.
"We will strive to control ourselves." Xera promised.
"We are expecting some guests in the next couple of days." Natasha offered. "A group of adolescents are coming to visit and if you can control yourselves around them, you should be able to come out and explore the island." She said while looking at Harry, who nodded.
"That's a good idea. If they can control themselves around the kids, then I can trust them with access to the rest of the island." Harry said, before smiling. "This is my future bride, Natasha. You've not really met yet, but you may follow her advice as if I gave it. We will never order you, only request."
"Unless it is a matter of urgency." Natasha put in.
Harry nodded and continued, "And you don't need to worry about saying no either. You have the same rights on this island as everyone else. If you feel someone is taking advantage, we are also who you come to, so we can put a stop to it."
"Thank you, my lord." Xera said. "And the third thing?" she asked.
"Call me Harry. We're going to be friends, I don't want you to bow to me either. On the island it's all about co-existence. As for the third thing, we need to test you for potions ingredients…" Harry began.
"What?!" Xera asked as she took a step back.
"Sorry, I meant to say things like a lock of hair, a small branch from your tree, things like that." Harry explained.
"We've not killed or maimed anything so far and we don't intend to start." Natasha added.
The Nymphs were still not certain what to think, but at least didn't look like they were going to try and run. "I'm really sorry for scaring you." Harry said.
Xera pulled herself together and said, "We'd still rather not leave. You've yet to give us a reason to mistrust you, but we've been hunted all our lives, so you'll have to excuse us our reaction." she said. "There is power in the air here. It feeds us in a way we've never experienced. The soil is rich and the water is clean. We could not wish for a better home. We would still prefer real sunlight, though. The sun you have in this cave is not insufficient, but it is less nourishing."
"I'll work on that." Harry promised. Then he suddenly had an idea. He looked up to the enchanted ceiling and concentrated on the enchantment when he had locked onto it, he raised a hand and channelled a bit of Intent into the existing enchantment. He really wanted the sun's light to be as real to the plant-life as possible. After a moment he felt the intent imbue itself in the enchantment and settle. "How is that?" he asked.
The nymphs all spread their arms as if they could measure the light with their skin. After a moment, Xera smiled and said, "That is much better. What did you do?"
"I've been working on my Aesir magic and tried making the light better suited to plant life." Harry explained.
Xera's smile faded, "You have Aesir magic?"
"Sure. Odin taught me himself. He's actually a very good teacher." Harry replied.
"Odin also adopted him," Natasha said with a smirk. "Because of how generous Harry always is, he ended up helping them a lot and even saved the Queen's life."
Xera was shocked, "You're a prince of Asgard?!" Then she went down on one knee, followed closely by the other Nymphs. "Your highness, please forgive us, we did not know."
"Oh, come on!" Harry said. Then he looked at Natasha, "Why did you have to tell them that? Now they'll never stop the genuflections and niceties. I was hoping we'd become friends." He complained.
"Oh, stop whining." Natasha said. Then she turned to the Nymphs. "Please don't kneel before him. He's never liked things like that. Above all else, he just wants to be seen as Harry." she said.
"Are you certain? We do not wish to offend the prin…" she stopped as Harry gave her a hard look, "We do not wish to offend Harry." she corrected herself.
"See, that wasn't so hard." Harry said as he walked up to the Nymph and offered her a hand up, which she reluctantly took. Then, to help them calm down, Harry decided to do something nice for them. He stood back a bit and disapparated, only to return a moment later with three slabs of chocolate. Only the best would do for some of his desserts, so he always had some on hand.
"Here," he said, opening the first bar so that they could see how it was done and broke a piece off for Xera, offering it to her.
"What is it?" Xera asked. She was still shocked at his disappearance and reappearance. The look on Lady Natasha's face seemed to indicate it was something he did regularly.
"You've never heard of chocolate?" Natasha asked with a smirk on her lips. Harry might just have done exactly what was necessary. "It's a treat. You eat it." she said.
Xera carefully took the piece from Harry and sniffed at it. Her eyes grew wide at the rich, sweet aroma and bit a tiny piece off. As she chewed, her eyes rolled back in her head and she groaned. It sounded like something that belonged behind closed doors. "This is heavenly!" she exclaimed as she opened her eyes and looked at the chocolate still in her hand.
"It's yours," Harry said holding the rest out to her.
Xera took the chocolate and thanked him. "You truly are a generous man, Lord Harry. This is certainly the food of the gods!"
"Wait until you taste ice-cream." Harry smirked. He decided to let the title go for now. Hopefully with time the Nymphs will treat him like a person.
"You are in a world with many different cultures. Once you have acclimated, we'll be introducing you to more and more kinds of food and technology." Natasha said. "We want you happy, if you're going to help us."
"We look forward to being of service." Xera said. Then she smirked and said to Natasha with a wink, "Our offer remains open. Please feel free to come visit whenever either of you want to taste of our fruit."
Natasha smiled and replied, "Watch yourselves, ladies. I don't share." Her smile was only slightly predatory.
"We will convince you yet." Xera said. Then she turned around, not waiting for a reply, to go find the chocolate, which had disappeared into the forest-like enclosure with the rest of the Nymphs.
Natasha listened to the moans of pleasure and turned to Harry. "Why are they reacting that way to the chocolate? Is it enchanted?" she asked.
Harry chuckled. "Actually, it's just normal chocolate. It's good, but not enchanted." he said. "The thing is, I heard a story once that described Dryad reactions to sweets. If you didn't know it, Dryads are a kind of tree spirit, very much like these Nymphs. Chances are that they are the same creature, just that they were named differently in this reality."
Natasha smiled at him. "You just wanted to hear their reactions. The fact that they will be begging you for sweets from now on will just be a bonus." she said.
"I was thinking of fruit-flavoured hard candy." Harry said as he dug in a pocket and removed a sweet from there. "I just so happen to have an enchantment in one of my pockets to always have one of these in there." he said with a smile.
Natasha swiped the sweet and popped it into her mouth as they walked back to the stairs leading to the viewing area. "This is good." Natasha said.
The moment they entered the viewing area again, the children were on Harry, asking for sweets. Harry just chuckled and used a bit of prestidigitation to make it look like he pulled a sweet from behind their ears. The children were always so happy to see a bit of personal magic like that. Harry wouldn't spoil it for them by explaining that it's just a trick and no magic was involved.
The rest of the tour went off without a hitch. As they were flying back to the beach, Loki asked, "Why did you enter the Nymph enclosure today? Last time you just pointed it out."
"They were still new and had asked for a couple of days, without company, to have their roots settle in. I had to bring their trees after all." Harry explained.
"Fair enough." Loki conceded. Then he smirked and said, "If I were you, I'd make certain I find them a viable consort or twelve."
"Why is that?" Natasha responded before Harry could.
Loki's smile grew wider, "While I'm certain my brother was only trying to take care of the creatures of his realm, he might have forgotten that he was working with magical creatures. With the amount of his personal magic running through the island and suffusing all that lives here, the Nymphs will be drawn to him like no other."
At Natasha's frown, he continued, "I don't think Harry is the type of man who would cheat on his chosen, but if the Nymphs aren't supplied with a virile caretaker, they may very well start trying to actively seduce him. Harry has very strong mental shields, but if a conclave of Nymphs all focus their will on the task, I don't believe there is a man alive that could resist them."
Natasha's frown deepened, until Harry hugged her and said, "Loki is underestimating me again. I was already able to control myself when I went to meet with them the first time. So was Logan, actually. They will have more control here and if my knowledge of Veela match up with these Nymphs, the magic in the air might drive them to wanting to spend time around me, but it will also help them focus their own powers. Any children they have will also be more powerful than the last generation, now that they are actually living on magical land."
Natasha seemed to relax into his arms for a moment, before looking at Harry and saying with a smile, "And there we have the solution. Logan is probably to only man that has the energy to keep up with an entire conclave of Nymphs. Probably also the only man alive that will live as long as they are capable of."
Harry and Loki smirked, before Harry replied, "Logan would make a fine father, I just worry for any suitors for his children. If my guess is right, he'll be one of those over-protective types." Harry put in. "Not to mention the nature of Nymphs." Harry finished.
"At first he'll be happy, but then, once his daughters come of age, he'll never forgive you." Loki laughed.
"That's why we'll explain the situation to him first and Harry will put a spell on him to prevent unwanted procreation if he agrees." Natasha said. "All else fails, Harry could always make your mother's day and take you to the Nymphs for a day or two. When they all become pregnant, I doubt she'll be complaining. We'll just have some trouble keeping her from the mothers of her future grandchildren." She whispered with a wicked smile at Loki, trying to keep part of their conversation from the kids. Not that she needed to worry, the kids were enjoying the flight too much to really pay attention.
Loki had paled at the idea before smiling at Harry. "Your future wife will make a fine addition to the family. Once you start producing children, I will ensure to educate them on what you and she cannot teach them. We have traditions to uphold after all. My tradition of trickery and yours as the heir of a Marauder." Then he turned to Natasha, "And I suspect you're right. Mother might very well decide to spend some time here every day, should that happen. Fortunately I also know how to prevent certain unwanted circumstances."
"When we decide to have children, we'll let them decide what to do with their lives. We won't be setting them down a path they didn't choose for themselves." Harry warned. "If you feel the need to teach children your ways, why don't you just find a girl and make some children of your own?"
Loki's face went blank before he said, "That is not something I wish to discuss." Then he flew off. Darcy who had been listening with half an ear, while having a conversation Laura and Clint from her broom, frowned before excusing herself and going after him.
When they arrived back at the houses, Clint decided it would be best for routine if they went home for the night, so the kids would wake up in their own beds on Monday morning.
After they left, Odin and Frigga said their farewells as well.
"We will be in contact about your engagement party. Hopefully Heimdall has not told anyone yet. News like this would be all over Asgard in less than an hour." Frigga said as she hugged first Harry and then Natasha. "Do take care of him, dear, and don't be afraid to come and visit. I'm certain Harry wouldn't be so cruel as to keep me from getting to spend some time with my future daughter."
"I'm sure you're right," Natasha smiled. "We'll have to make an appointment to take you shopping. Maybe we can even go look into some bridal stores."
"What?!" Harry exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Harry. I'm not thinking of a short engagement." Natasha said. "I was just thinking Frigga and I could go shopping and I could show her the traditions we have here. That way she can tell me of the differences and we can be prepared."
"Oh, that's okay then." Harry said with a sigh, relieved.
"Of course, we'll need transport to Paris and your credit card." Natasha finished.
Harry smirked and said, "I'm sure something can be arranged." Then he turned to Odin, who grabbed him in a one armed hug. "I'd say have a safe trip home, but you don't even need to worry about transit times anymore, do you?" he joked.
"Indeed. You seem to have turned even the bifrost into a long trip. Of course, you'd need Heimdall's eyes to be able to do what he does." Odin smiled. "Be safe, and come and visit. You know Frigga will be in contact for our weekly meal, if it doesn't become more often now."
"Of course we will." Natasha put in as she stepped in and hugged Odin. "And you are always welcome here. Did Harry give you a portkey to your house?"
"He has." Odin responded. "We might come visit here, but we'll most likely call on you first. With Harry's permission, we might make this our official home away from Asgard." Odin then looked over at Frigga, "What say you, my Queen? When Thor ascends the throne, could we spend more time here?"
Frigga smiled and hugged Odin, "That is a wonderful idea! We'd have to prepare for it so you can spend your Odinsleep here as well. We could not hope for a safer location for you, after all."
Odin nodded and looked thoughtful for a second, "Come to think of it, I'm not feeling the need to go into the Odinsleep. I'm almost certain it should be upon me in the next couple of weeks, but I'm not feeling the weariness that usually befalls me."
"Perhaps it is one of the side-effects of spending time on the island?" Harry offered. "The air is saturated with magic and the water in the hot spring is enchanted to relieve stress and refresh you."
Odin thought about it for a second before nodding, "Perhaps it is so, but I will still need to enter the Odinsleep to replenish my energy. It would be wonderful to no longer need to do so one day." he said before looking at his eldest, where he was off in deep discussion with Jane, "Thor is young still and won't need to start considering resting to gather his power for a couple thousand years yet and with him on the throne, I won't need to expend so much energy."
Harry was shocked for a second, "Are you sure? I mean, you're more than welcome, but you're used to having so much more, with servants, guards and feasts. My island is humble by comparison."
Odin chuckled light-heartedly. "You will find that when you experience the sameness of a situation for many years, a change of routine is always appreciated."
Frigga agreed, "I was not always a queen, you know. My aspects would be served much more easily here, where I can focus on being a wife and mother first and queen second. Perhaps one day soon I could be around to look after my grandchildren?"
Harry smiled at the idea that the King and Queen of Asgard would prefer a more simple life after everything they had lived through. Natasha smiled and hugged him tightly, while Harry turned a portal into existence for them to go home. He was learning to do it with one hand, but had not mastered it yet, so he used both hands for safety's sake. He smiled indulgently at Frigga. He would never deny her the chance to meet her grandchildren. He was just glad they didn't need to rush into that.
Frigga and Odin left on their own, while Harry promised to send their sons along, once they found Loki and Thor was done with his conversation with Jane. Natasha seemed to have an idea what they were talking about, but Harry didn't press. He was more worried about where Loki and Darcy had disappeared off to. Erik was sitting with Tony, Pepper, Bruce and Sif at the Bar, none of which looked ready to leave. Tony had taken the once off invitation and started entering the Bar at will. Harry decided to let it go for now.
Apparently Erik was interested in runes and how they worked. Tony was explaining while he drew on a piece of paper, indicating the lines and explaining the intent behind the parts of each rune. Everyone seemed to be following the conversation. Harry was impressed with Sif. He had thought her more the physical sort. Not the cerebral.
Looking around, he saw Thor trying to convince Jane of something while she stood with crossed arms. Whatever they were discussing, she seemed to be winning. "I'm going to go look for Loki. Want to come with?" Harry asked Natasha.
Natasha agreed and soon they were on their way on one of Harry's brooms. Natasha may have her own now, but she liked to fly with Harry. Harry concentrated for a moment on the energies he felt on the island and found the one he was looking for. He had discovered that, through his connection with the island he could feel the different magics of the inhabitants. Through all of the magics he had invested on the island, he'd not be surprised if the island became aware at some point. As is was, he could pick up on Loki's magic and he did not like where the feeling came from.
He swore when he found Loki and sped off. He did not respond to Natasha's question as she'd soon know. When they landed in front of the enclosure, Natasha's eyes got a hard cast to them. She nodded at him, and activated her battle glove, which appeared on her hand with a touch to her bracelet.
When they appeared in the viewing area, it was to find a frustrated looking Loki and Darcy just outside the viewing area. It seemed like Loki was trying to find the exit, without success. The Nymphs of the enclosure were sitting by their trees, calmly watching. Some even had smirks on their faces.
"How would you like to handle this?" Natasha asked. "At least it doesn't seem like he was trying to take advantage of them, but I still don't like the fact that someone could simply come here with them unable to leave." she scowled.
"We don't normally have to worry about that. With guests around and the obvious temptation that the Nymphs pose, however, I think I'll have to come up with something." Harry said. "Even a good man can be tempted and turned from his own family. As for Loki, he should have known better and I think I have an idea for how to sort him out." He'd have to enchant the entrance of the enclosure with what he was about to do, but it would at least protect the Nymphs from unwanted attentions.
Harry lifted his hand and, as subtly as he could started layering a charm on Loki. Loki was distracted trying to see the exit of the enclosure and had no idea that anyone was just on the other side of the barrier, watching him. So he didn't feel the magic taking effect until it was too late and Harry had locked it into place. "Damn it, Harry!" Loki exclaimed, his voice several octaves higher than normal. "We've been stuck in here for an hour and you decide now is a good time to trick me?!"
Harry stepped into the enclosure and said, "I don't know what you are talking about. When I noticed you were missing I came immediately and you've got only yourself to blame for your predicament." When Darcy came up to him and thanked him for coming for them, he just smiled at her and whispered the secret in her ear. She immediately perked up and walked into the hidden viewing area, before returning with a smirk on her face, not wanting to miss the conversation to follow.
"We only came to visit your Nymphs. We had no ill intent and Darcy wanted to see if the allure would work on her." Loki explained.
"I don't care for your reasoning." Harry said harshly. "Xera and her people are my guests and under my protection. You should have discussed coming to visit them with me first." Harry had a hard look in his eye, something Loki had hoped to never see directed at him again.
Xera approached and said, "I'm sorry, my Lord, but Prince Loki treated us with respect. They were only here for a couple of minutes before they noticed they were stuck here."
"You have nothing to apologise for Xera." Harry said, his features softening, before he turned back to his brother, "I am just disappointed in my brother. He knows how much I care for all those living on my island and should have known better. If you were unable to control your allure, or he was a lesser man with less control, he could have done things and damaged a lot of relationships in the process, including his own burgeoning one."
Loki looked shocked for a second. He had not considered that. Harry had told everyone that every sentient life form on the island was considered equal. Yet he had not considered the consequences of what might have happened should the very magical populace of the island affect the guests or visa-versa. He could potentially have cost Harry some of his friends or allies. He should have known that Harry protected his friendships jealously.
Loki took a step back from Harry, before bowing deeply. "I apologise for my conduct. It is as you say, I should have known better and will strive to respect your authority, especially here where your people live."
This time it was Harry's turn to be shocked. Loki had never acted like this. He realised that Loki must know some of his drive to protect his people, some of his experiences with loss, but had never seen him show so much respect or apologising so honestly. Harry could tell he was sincere too, so he pulled himself together and said, "Thank you for understanding. Xera and her people are new to the island, but they have all the rights that we have. We must protect each other from unwanted influence. I was just worried. I, too, apologise for my harsh reaction." Harry said with a smaller bow to Loki. Then he turned to Xera, "You are also allowed any friends that you want, but would you mind if we control your introduction to people, just until you know how things work here?"
Xera nodded, finding she liked the way Harry considered their feelings and rights. He didn't seem to be lying when he promised them protection and equality. He had just yelled at his own brother, in their defence, no less. None of the Nymphs said anything, but their communal respect for him grew exponentially.
Loki nodded and then smiled, before asking, "Any chance you can remove the charm you have on me? I seem to find it impossible to dispel by my normal means."
Harry smirked then. "I'm sorry, brother dear. The charm on you has been locked in place for the next month. I'm not certain I could remove it." Harry said, while trying to control his smile. "You could always ask our father to attempt removing it?"
Loki looked at him open-mouthed, before coming to his senses. He had almost admitted being out-tricked. "You are aware that you have inconvenienced not only me, right?" he said with an upturned eyebrow, nodding his head to Darcy.
Darcy was still looking at Loki with a certain look of interest in her eyes. "I don't know," she said, "you make a good looking girl. Maybe we could explore this. You could learn some tricks no man ever knew." Then she got a gleam in her eye, "Or Harry could do the same for me. I've always wanted to know what being on the giving side would be like."
Harry started to respond affirmatively, but Loki interrupted him, "Let's discuss that later." he said to Darcy, before moving to where he knew the exit must be. "Anyone care to tell me how to get out of this room?" As he asked it, he layered an illusion on himself to hide the fact that he was now a, reasonably well endowed, woman.
Darcy walked up behind Loki and ruined the illusion by cupping his… her breasts. "Nice!" she said, "These are well done. Doesn't feel fake at all!"
"That's because they're not." Harry said. "The spell I used actually changes people into what they would be if they were the opposite sex. It doesn't always work so well, as you can imagine, since not everybody looks good as the opposite sex."
"I'd still like to try it, but only if I don't have to stay in the shape for a month." Darcy said.
"I could cast it on you for a shorter period of time, but once a time limit is set, it can't be undone." Harry lied easily. He wasn't going to tell Loki he could undo it whenever he wants to after all. Where would be the fun in that?
"So you chose to lock me in this form for a month?" Loki objected.
"Look on the bright side," Harry said, "I could have put a nullification field up that would make it impossible for you to make any illusions for the duration. Still might."
When Loki's face blanked, he knew he had won that round, so he smirked and led him out of the enclosure after saying goodbye to the Nymphs. Before they left, Harry took a couple of minutes to add a spell to the enclosure to make any uninvited male that enters it into a female for a month. That should be interesting, if the kids decide to play around where they don't belong. He made doubly sure to exclude Logan from the magic of this particular enchantment. He did not want to meet the woman that he might become.
They were soon back at the Bar. When they landed, Harry surreptitiously dispelled Loki's glamour, much to Harrys' friends' enjoyment. Thor was not very talkative and as soon as Harry was settled and had a soda in hand, he was approached by Jane. "Hey Harry. Listen, I'm thinking it's time for us to go." she said.
"Speak for yourself," Darcy put in, "I'm staying as long as I'm allowed!"
"Have you found someone who will pay your rent and student loans?" Jane asked sarcastically.
"She may have." Loki put in. He wanted to spend more time with this girl. She was quite refreshing to be around and she'd never be allowed on Asgard, so making her comfortable on the island where he could see himself visiting might be useful.
"Hold on there, lover-boy! Or it that lover-girl?" Darcy asked, "You knew what this was going in. I'm nobody's kept woman. I like my independence, thank you very much."
Loki smirked, "Exactly. If I were to employ you in your role as a practitioner of the political sciences, would that not be considered gainful employment?"
Darcy had a look of consideration on her face, before she replied, "Sorry Loki. I like my job with Jane way too much." When Loki's face fell, she said, "But don't worry, I'll come back as often as your brother allows. Maybe weekends?" she asked looking at Harry.
"We'll have to discuss it." Natasha said for him. "This island isn't just a weekend getaway and sanctuary. We have a business running from here as well."
"Surely, we can arrange for a mirror for her at least? And I'm certain I could keep her safe should she decide to come visit?" Loki asked.
"We'll have to discuss it." Harry said finally. "I'm sure you ladies will see each other again." He finished with a smirk.
Loki scowled at him, but let it go. "It is your island." was all he said.
"How about this next week?" Darcy asked. "I could help with the tours and chaperoning the kids…"
That was actually a good idea, Harry thought. Darcy was a likable sort and he could see her getting along with the kids. Her no-nonsense attitude would probably earn her some respect with the kids too. "I actually hadn't thought of that." he said turning to Natasha, "What do you think?"
Natasha looked at Darcy for a moment, before asking, "What about your work with Jane? I thought that was your reason for not taking Loki's offer."
"They'll be studying the results from their tests on the Convergence for months. I'll have very little to contribute with that. It's actually one of the best parts of the job. I've got a lot of down time while they do their research." Darcy said. "Besides, having worked for the man who tried to take over the world does not look good on your CV." she shrugged.
"Will it always come back to that?" Loki whined.
"Yes." Came the unanimous response from everyone in earshot.
Even Jarvis had added his own voice, before saying, "We do have plans to setup an IRDR with a PMG in Asgard. Perhaps Prince Loki can stay in touch with Miss Darcy that way?"
"Hold on," Bruce interjected, "You're setting up a cellular and data connection in Asgard. Aren't you worried about the things they might see on the internet?"
"Are you worried about porn?" Tony asked with a smirk. Bruce nodded. "Don't worry. All the data running through our IRDR system is running through a cluster of servers that filters out things that could be considered unwholesome. It was actually necessary, because some countries have laws against some things and we have to abide by at least them, so that the governments don't have reason to take or destroy the hardware." he explained.
"Why haven't I heard about this?" Harry asked. Tony hadn't even told him.
"It's not something you have to worry about. I take care of small details all the time. I don't discuss every little thing I do after all." Tony shrugged. "Did you want to know about the cup holder I intend on putting in the flying car you and I will make one day?"
"I suppose you have a point." Harry conceded.
"Besides, this is my field. I do the extra things I can, much like you do on this island. I don't know everything about this place and I don't need to because I know you have that covered." Tony continued. "We make suggestions and come up with solutions together, while we each focus on our own parts of the whole." he finished.
"I said, I get it." Harry smiled. Then he turned to Darcy, "As for your idea, you do realise that you will have to sign an employment Contract, even if it is a short term one."
"What's the difference between that one and the one I've signed already?" Darcy asked.
"We've not told you everything we do. Once you've signed the employment Contract, you will be allowed to know more about what we do. It has the added benefit of allowing you access to certain things which can only be found at Potter Innovations at this stage." Harry explained. "Who knows, once you know more, you might end up deciding to stay part of the team."
"Wow, you're just throwing the carrots at her!" Tony said. "What happened to the stick?" he asked with a smile.
"She's a friend. The stick is reserved for people we've not had the time to get to know." Harry said simply.
"I think you enjoy the way she keeps putting Loki in his place." Natasha offered.
Harry smirked. "I will neither confirm nor deny that statement." He then turned to Jane, "When your research is done, please contact me. Tony and I have plans to move into space-exploration at some point, if you're interested. We could use one of the world's leading astrophysicists, and the world's foremost astronomer. " As he said this, he turned a portal into being to Jane's apartment. "Imagine where we could go…"
Jane instantly understood. "I think I might like that. Thank you." Then she stepped through the portal.
Erik walked up to Harry and shook his hand. "Thank you very much for this week away. It was good to experience the other side of magic. I don't think I've felt quite this alive and aware since New York." Then he frowned, "You didn't do anything did you?" he asked Harry.
"I may have cast a couple of general healing and cleansing spells in your direction at some point. Your friends were worried about your behaviour of late." Harry said. "Do you feel the need to take off your pants so that you can think?"
"Now that you mention it," Erik said as he cocked his head to the side, "No, I don't."
Harry smiled, "Well, let me know if that should change. We can always arrange a visit, either here or where you are."
Erik smiled back before nodding and walking through the portal. When Darcy didn't look like she was going to move, Harry closed the portal.
Harry locked eyes with Thor and when he saw the look on his face, he turned to Natasha. Before he could say anything, Natasha said, "Go. He needs to talk and he probably won't want extra company."
Harry thanked her and walked off indicating for Thor and Loki to follow him. As they walked away, three bottles came flying over from the Bar and Harry shrunk and pocketed them.
Tony looked up at that. "You know, we should really consider the uses of shrinking things. I'm almost certain there's a market for it. Imagine having a supercomputer in your pocket, no matter where you go." This statement led to a whole other conversation about the uses and complications of magic in everyday life. This conversation was one often heard in the company of the Avengers these days and served as the sounding board for future ideas that might be implemented by Potter Innovations. Jarvis took notes to send to Harry later, as he often did. Jarvis really liked Harry, and the fact that he had supported Jarvis with his own sentience, right from the beginning, didn't hurt.
Halfway through the chat, both of the brothers had become melancholy and started bemoaning their lots in life. Harry had quickly put an end to it by telling them some of his own past and telling them how the bad experiences taught him valuable lessons and skills. Hate the Dursleys as he might, he always had a story of how his life was worse, to mute other people's complaints. He had almost thanked them in his head on a number of occasions. Almost.
Thor had been bemoaning losing the love of his life. Her offer of friendship was the cherry on top. Harry let Thor speak and watched him shed a couple of tears. When he was out of steam, he didn't feel better, but he was on the way.
Next Harry broached the subject of children with Loki. At first Loki refused to talk about it so Harry started taunting him, to get his ire up until he finally lost it and exclaimed, "I don't want my monstrous children infecting the world, okay?!" Loki seemed to crumple in on himself after the statement. "I always thought having children would mend some of the rift with our father, but when I found out about my origins, I realised my children would be monsters like I was."
This explained so much. Loki wanted to fix his relationship with Odin and always held out hope that there was a solution. When he found out he was adopted, it pushed him in the other direction, seeing it as a complete rejection, his last hope dashed.
Thor vehemently proclaimed that any nieces and nephews he got would be family and anyone that called them monsters would have to answer to him. Thor was an honest person, and it seemed that Loki's problem was changing his priorities somewhat. He was still in pain, but he could handle that in his own time. His brother took precedence.
After that, Harry had gotten them proper drunk while telling Loki that any children he had would have the royal blood, and probably have their father or mother's build, so he didn't need to worry about monsters. Loki was relieved and started relaxing. That's when the alcohol started kicking in and he was soon knocked out.
It was a couple of hours later that the drunk brothers walked back into the Bar area. Some of the people had decided to go to bed, but Tony and Natasha were still at the bar, while Darcy relaxed in the hot spring with her back to them (she may have decided to bathe in the nude). Thor was carrying a drunkenly passed out Loki, while Harry walked behind them. He had refused to use a sobering charm on either of them, saying that they both deserved it for their stupidity.
They all had a night cap and went to bed. Harry was excited. The institute's children were arriving the next day.
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