"Master is early."

Harry's eyes closed in resignation. He didn't want to be here.

"Master said next week or the week after," Kreacher continued.

It wasn't the admonishment that once upon a time Kreacher would surely have used but it definitely held a note of ... disappointment or reproachment maybe?

"I know I did Kreacher," Harry replied, "but my plans changed."

"Kreacher will go prepare dinner," the ancient house elf stated. Then, after a bow and a, "Mistress," he shuffled away towards the kitchen.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to him," Daisy admitted.

A wry grin flittered across Harry's face.

"He's an acquired taste. Just be thankful you didn't meet him when I first did," Harry said. "He was a cranky, evil little toerag. No, Kreacher's alright, he's just never been good with change."

"What changed?" Daisy asked as she took him by the hand and led him towards the kitchen.

Harry waited until they were seated at the ancient wooden table before speaking. His eyes watched Kreacher as the house elf moved about, working steadily and methodically at his task.

"I guess that that's as good a place as any to start," Harry mused.

"Start?"

"Explaining why we're here," Harry elaborated.

"Good," Daisy said and leant over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Do you have any idea how much it's taken to hold my tongue and just be a good little wife and go along with coming here with no notice and no explanation?"

"Oh, I've got some idea," Harry grinned as he turned to her, captured her lips and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

"You keep that up, Magic Man and I'm not going to get my explanation," Daisy said breathlessly, her mouth mere millimetres from his. "So, get talking so we can continue this sooner rather than later."

Her words were like a dash of cold water, bringing him back to not just the here and now but to years long past. Sitting up, he took a deep breath.

"When I first met Kreacher and first stepped foot here into Grimmauld Place, neither he nor this place was something that you'd recognise. The house hadn't been cleaned properly in years. It was infested with dark creatures and even darker magic. And one of the darkest of objects that was hidden here tormented Kreacher, not just because of the magic that it contained, but also because that he was unable to destroy it like his Master Regulus had ordered."

"But Master promised and Master did," Kreacher interjected.

"Well, technically, Ron did, but I'll admit that it took the two of us to get the job done," Harry stated.

"Regulus?" Daisy questioned.

"My godfather, Sirius' younger brother," Harry explained. "Regulus had discovered the object, the necklace, that Voldemort had secreted away and he knew that in order for Voldemort to be killed, then the necklace had to be destroyed first."

"You've told me some of this before," Daisy said, "that there were objects that you, Hermione and Ron had to find and destroy before you could finally kill Voldemort. You were seventeen, right?"

"Yep. Not a fun year, but we got the job done," Harry nodded and while his eyes may have been directed at the tabletop in front of him, all he could see was the time in the tent, the hunt and the battle.

He wasn't sure how long he was lost in his memories, in the sights and sounds and smells from that hellish time, but it was a touch on his hand that brought him back. With a jerk, he sat up straighter from the slump that he'd taken on and gave a small smile to his wife.

"Harry?" Daisy asked. "There's more to the story, isn't there? Something important that you haven't told me."

"Yeah. Yeah," Harry admitted, running a hand through his hair.

Even with the prompt, it still took him a few minutes to find the words to begin to tell this part of the story.

"Before we left on our hunt, Ron, Hermione and I were each given the item that Albus Dumbledore, our old Headmaster, had left for us in his will. I was left the Sword of Gryffindor and the very first snitch that I'd ever caught. Hermione got The Tales of Beatle the Bard – a book of children's fairy tales. And Ron, well, Ron's gift isn't relevant to the story.

"Dumbledore liked his mysteries," Harry continued ruefully. "And he loved us trying to work things out for ourselves. There were no sets of instructions or lists of things to do, just a bunch of items that we had no idea of what they meant or how important they were or even how to use them."

"But they were important," Daisy guessed and Harry could hear that she was sure of that fact.

"Yeah, they were," he replied. "There's one particular story in the book that Hermione was given. 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'. Basically, it's a children's story about three brothers who tried to cheat Death. By using their magic, they built a bridge over a river that otherwise would have claimed their lives. When Death met them, he gave them each a single gift. The eldest brother was given a special wand that could never be beaten. The second brother was given a rock that allowed him to summon the dead to speak with. And the third brother was given Death's own cloak of invisibility."

"An invisibility cloak? Like yours?" Daisy asked.

Harry grinned at her ruefully. "Not like mine. It is mine. I'm descended from the third brother. Ignotus Peverell."

"Really? Your cloak is the same one from an old children's tale?" Daisy asked somewhat sceptically.

But before Harry could reply, he saw the light of understanding dawn in her eyes. Continuing to tell the story stopped her from blurting it out.

"All three items are real. I've even held them all. And used them all. The wand travelled down through the ages and became known as the Deathstick due to how many of its owners were killed for it. In the end, I was its final master."

"Were?" Daisy asked. "That sounds like a pretty good weapon to have."

"I snapped it," Harry stated, "long ago, after I'd used it to repair my own wand. The cycle of death needed to end."

But while Daisy nodded, he could see that she wasn't certain that he'd done the right thing.

"Which just leaves the rock," she said instead. "You said that it allowed you to speak to the dead?"

"The Resurrection Stone. Dumbledore had hidden it inside the snitch," Harry continued, knowing that he wasn't really answering her question. "It wasn't until I was walking to what I was certain would be my death that I worked it out. And I used it. I called my parents, Sirius and Remus to me. They ... they comforted me in the longest, hardest walk of my life."

"The Soul Stone," Daisy breathed.

"Yeah," Harry nodded before it turned into a shrug. "Maybe. I'm not sure."

"What you're describing sounds right, Harry," Daisy said intently, her fingers digging into his hand with how hard she was gripping it. "Unless you know of any other magical rock or thing that could do the same thing?"

"No, it was unique."

"Where is it?"

"Presumedly still exactly where I left it all those years ago," Harry replied.

"Who else knows about it?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "No one. I've never told anyone what happened on that walk."

Daisy's arms came around him and held him tight and he closed his eyes and rested his head against hers.

"That's why we're here, isn't it? To find that Stone?" she said and Harry simply nodded.

ooo00ooo

The instant that they'd arrived, Daisy let him go, stumbling away, doubled over as she took a series of continuous deep breaths. Three steps was enough to bring Harry to her side and to be rubbing her back.

"I really, really hate apparition," she spat.

"No one sane likes apparition," Harry grinned. "The fact that you've never thrown up from it is something to be proud of. And you've never fallen on your ass when we've arrived either."

"Hmph, yeah, some achievement," she huffed before straightening, her hands on her hips as she took a few last breaths.

"You're good?" Harry asked.

"Ready to go," she confirmed. "That's Hogsmeade?"

Harry looked up and through the trees to see the rear of half a dozen buildings.

"Yep. We can go have a look if you like," he offered.

"After the mission," she countered. "I know you Potter. And I know you're just trying to put off the inevitable. That Stone left a sour taste in your mouth. Time to put those demons behind you."

"Have I told you how glad I am that you came with me?" Harry smiled, snaking an arm around her and pulling her close.

"Time for that later," she smirked, quickly placing one finger against his lips.

He let loose an exaggerated sigh and huff which caused her to laugh and him give in to his own small chuckle after a minute.

Harry's lightning bolt broom was pulled from his pocket and enlarged, hanging in mid-air at precisely the height of his hip.

"Let's go," Harry said, mounting his broom.

Seconds later, Daisy was seated close behind him, her arms wrapped around him and he shot off.

Seeing as they were already inside the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Harry quickly had to modify his speed.

Up, down, jink to the left, swerve to the right, zigs and zags were the order of the day and tested Harry's flying skills like nothing had in far, far to long. Thankfully, he knew where he was going. Really, how could he not? Not one but two extremely memorable events had happened at that spot.

The first had been way back when he'd been a second year and Hagrid, bless his soul – or perhaps, curse it, considering – had told him to "follow the spiders". Yeah, that'd been a smart move. He and Ron had followed the spiders, right to the king of them all, one the size of a baby elephant: Aragog. Who'd promptly told his children to eat them!

The second had been the night of the Battle of Hogwarts when he'd walked to his death, the Stone in his hand and the shades of his family around him.

It was there that he'd dropped the Stone, right on the edge of the clearing, before taking those last few steps on his own.

Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes of flying, they emerged into the clearing.

It was exactly as he remembered it. Dark, empty and completely silent. There was not even a hint of an animal anywhere, and definitely not a spider. Of any size.

As he slowed to a stop, Harry felt Daisy shiver.

"This place does that to you," he commented.

"We're here?" she asked, even as she dismounted.

"Yeah," Harry replied grimly.

"Right then, let's get this Stone and get out of here. Whereabouts did you leave it?"

Harry gave her a nonplussed look.

"I wasn't exactly in a frame of mind to care at the time and it's been too many years since then for me to remember," he replied.

"Then we could be here for a while," Daisy stated, scrunching up her nose.

"I think you've forgotten something, wife," Harry pointed out. "I'm a wizard."

Then, flourishing his wand, he pointed it in the general direction that he remembered.

"Accio Resurrection Stone!"

In the gloom it was nearly impossible to see the tiny black stone racing towards him. Nearly. Harry, though, wasn't the youngest quidditch seeker in a century for nothing and his reflexes hadn't diminished in the slightest. Unerringly, his hand shot out and plucked the stone out of the air.

Opening his fist, he looked down at the stone that he still vividly remembered. Only a small turn of it with his fingers was enough to show the line inside a circle inside a triangle: the symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Even the crack that ran through it was still there.

"That's an Infinity Stone?" Daisy asked doubtfully. "Doesn't look like much."

"Hopefully Thor can help us solve that mystery," Harry remarked.

"Right then, Magic Man, mission complete," Daisy said, stepping closer and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I believed that you promised to show me around your magical village."

"I did do that, didn't I?" Harry grinned into her mouth as they kissed.

Reaching out one hand, he wandlessly summoned his broom. The instant that it hit his hand, he turned them on the spot, leaving this part of the Forbidden Forest devoid of life once more.

ooo00ooo

Even before asking, Tony already had a pretty good idea of what he was going to find. He just hoped that it wasn't as bad as he expected.

"Friday, give me a radar image of the airspace ten kilometres in all directions from Aeros City," he ordered.

Instantly an image appeared on the HUD inside his helmet. Aeros City itself was represented in green. The lone gold blip racing towards the aerial city was obviously himself. But it was the sixteen red dots that really concerned him.

"Increase distance to twenty kilometres."

Friday's compliance saw the green reduce in size even as a further nine red spots joined the sixteen that were circling Aeros.

"Fifty," he all but growled.

This time, as well as an additional three red spots, there was also a singular blue one.

"What's that one, Friday?"

"Passenger aircraft, Boss."

"And the others?" he asked.

"Eleven are news helicopters; the remaining seventeen are military, representing five different countries," Friday reported.

"And let me guess, there's a whole bunch of satellites pointed right at us as well?" Tony snarked.

"Yes, Boss. I'm detecting thirteen."

"While I do enjoy being in the spotlight, even I have limits," he stated. "Connect to Aeros Communications and enact the Bubble Protocol."

"Yes, Boss," Friday replied.

Satisfied, Tony increased his thrusters, blasting towards the rim of Aeros. Meanwhile, he kept a careful eye on the radar.

"Aero City is a sovereign nation. Our airspace is restricted and extends outwards fifteen kilometres in all directions. Any aircraft that violates that airspace will be asked to leave. Failure to do so may result in your expulsion with extreme prejudice."

It took a further four repeats of the message before the first of the aircraft turned away. When only three more had done so after the next four repeats, Tony knew that it was time to kick things up a notch.

"Friday, activate Aeros Defence Level One."

"Affirmative, Boss."

Small bays appeared all around the underside of floating landmass, each one equidistant between each arc reactor. The fact that they'd been camouflaged obviously increased their effectiveness as six craft instantly peeled away. When a dozen small probes, all armed to the teeth, then sped away from each bay towards the remaining craft inside Aeros airspace, those craft took a sharp ninety degree turn away.

"Aeros airspace has been cleared of all unauthorised aircraft," Friday announced less than a minute later.

"Have the probes maintain our borders for the next two hours," Tony commanded. "If everyone behaves themselves during that time, then recall them."

Noting that the probes dispersed themselves in a complete three hundred and sixty degree circle around Aeros, Tony nodded.

"Excellent. I'll be landing in sixty seconds. Have Stevenson meet me at Battery Nineteen. I want a complete update on when the ground-mounted defences will be fully operational."

"Yes, Boss," Friday replied. "I also have a request from Miss Brown. She has received the first request from a person wishing to move to Aeros City. I believe that the man is powered."

"Yeah? What's his thing?"

"He has the ability to create wind," Friday replied.

"Tell Lav to do the usual security checks on Mister Flatulence then and if he passes, make the arrangements."

"Yes, Boss."

Landing in a crouch, Tony stood, stepped from his armour and activated sentry mode. He took a long breath of air. A little thinner, but nothing dangerous.

"Stevenson, good," he called, seeing the man approaching. "Give me the good news."

ooo00ooo

Walking into the Ministry of Magic, hand in hand, was at first a pleasant experience. They were being ignored. Not even their clothing was even all that different, not like it once would have been. Instead of robes being exclusively worn, there were now a fair proportion of the witches and wizards walking around that were wearing normal, non-wizard clothes.

Their first encounter of what Harry was expecting came at the Security checkpoint.

"Wands?" the clearly bored wizard asked.

Without a word, Harry handed his over.

"Holly and phoenix feather ...," the fact that wizard's voice trailed off before his eyes slowly rose, told Harry that he'd been recognised, or at least his wand had.

That fact was even more evident when the wizard's eyes didn't stop at Harry's but continued all the way to his forehead.

"I trust all is in order," Harry all but growled as he retrieved his wand from the slack hands that held it.

"Yes, Sir," the wizard stumbled. "And yours ...?"

Once again, his voice trailed off, his eyes finally finding Daisy and recognition dawning there as well.

"Then we'll be on our way," Harry said.

Glancing at his wife didn't help. The fact that it was obvious that she was clearly trying to hold in her laugh nearly had him turning around and marching straight back out of the building.

"You knew it was going to be like this," she reminded him.

"You know, you'd think with me being gone for so long that the bloody hero-worship would die down," he muttered. "I wouldn't mind so much if it was simply because of what I did to end the war. What gets me is that, for them, they still see me as The-Boy-Who-Lived. I never wanted the fame that came with living when my parents didn't."

"I know, honey," Daisy said.

"At least as Mage I'm recognised for what I do, not for something that I didn't do," he continued.

A slight squeeze to his hand told him that she understood and he returned the squeeze, silently thanking her.

Thankfully, the lift that they entered was empty. After hitting the right button, he quickly grabbed hold of one of the straps that dangled from the ceiling of the lift and tightened his hold around Daisy's waist, luckily just in time. They were jerked backwards, away from where they started at considerable speed before the sudden stop and drop that left their stomachs two floors above them.

"Remind me again why magicals have no concept of safe, comfortable travel?" Daisy asked as she shot out of the lift before the doors had even fully opened.

"Because, magicals aren't logical, I've known that since I was eleven," Harry replied. "You know, I'm starting to think that Strange's way of doing things is far superior."

"Harry?"

He only had a bare second to brace himself between hearing that familiar voice and the impact to his body. Reflexively, his hands came up and he buried his face in such familiar bushy hair.

"Hey, Hermione," he greeted his best friend.

"You prat, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Hermione said as she pulled back.

It was only then that she seemed to realise that he wasn't alone.

"Daisy! How wonderful to see you again," Hermione said, transferring herself to the other woman and giving her a hug as well.

"Hi, Hermione," Daisy replied. "And I wouldn't worry about feeling left out; I had no idea that we were coming here until we got here either."

Hermione switched her gaze between the two before