Written on Erisa ken's request. Hope you'll like it!
Disclaimer: I claim no rights to the characters of Harry Potter and Avengers. They belong to their respective owners. The songs featuring in this chapter are 'Satellite' by Rise Against, and 'Seven Devils' sung by Florence and the Machine, in that order. I claim no rights to the songs.
Warnings: slash, explicit content, violence, blood
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You can't feel the heat until you hold your hand
over the flame.
You have to cross the line just to remember
where it lays.
You won't know your worth now, son,
until you take a hit.
And you won't find the beat,
until you lose yourself in it.
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"Ready?"
Orbs of pure emerald looked at Steve and lips which could be both loving and absolutely devastatingly cruel tilted into a smirk which did things to him definitely not proper for this situation.
"Are you ready, old man?" Hadrian teased and Steve snorted as he pulled his hood over his head and hefted his shield on his back.
"I'll show you old," he bit out and Hadrian laughed, and a second later they jumped out of the plane as one, the wind rushing beside them as they fell towards the hard ground closing in on them with each passing second.
Steve glanced at Hadrian and his guts churned when he saw the almost maniacal grin on his lover's face. Hadrian glanced at him, having the decency to wink as he flipped himself over in the air, and Steve felt a wave of something electrifying and warm burst from his lover making him yelp as their falling was slowed down and they touched the ground without so much as a jolt.
"Don't you just love magic?" Hadrian asked with a grin as he stretched his arms above his head, showing off his amazing body dressed in tight, black leather.
Steve snorted and forced himself to look away from Hadrian, knowing that his lover was smirking smugly at him.
"Mission, Hadrian; mission," he reminded as he started moving forward with Hadrian following after him, stealthy to the point at which only Steve's almost unnatural awareness of his raven-haired lover made it possible for him to know Hadrian was right behind him.
"This is my first mission since I've gotten my magic back, love. I'm a bit excited."
Steve suppressed a groan, feeling the static of Hadrian's magic bursting just under the wizard's skin snapping against his back even through the shield.
It was a shock for everyone - even Fury - when the wizards that worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to unseal Hadrian's magic. The shockwave all but tore their hideout apart, and it would have, had Hadrian not felt it and reined in his magic. Jeremy Carter and Daniel O'Malley - the wizards that released Hadrian's magic - were in complete shock. They heard about Hadrian's powers, but they never thought he would be that powerful.
Steve had to admit that having Hadrian's magic back left a lot of possibilities.
And there Steve's mind went nto the gutter.
"Concentrate, love." Steve cursed under his breath and startled when Hadrian whispered against Steve's right ear, his body leaning against the shield on Steve's back.
Steve could swear Hadrian's warmth seeped through it to caress his skin, and he cursed again as he looked around, pointedly ignoring Hadrian's snickering.
"We're close. There are 16 of them on the inside and 2 on each entrance. Are we sticking to the plan or improvising?" Hadrian asked as they crouched behind a bush, and Steve pushed all thoughts to the back of his mind, concentrating on the task at hand.
"Stick to the plan. Improvise at need." Hadrian chuckled and Steve glanced at him, his cock twitching inside his pants when Hadrian's eyes actually shone bright green in excitement.
"Let's dance."
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That's why we won't back down;
we won't run and hide.
Yeah, 'cause these are the things that we
can't deny.
I'm passing over you like a satellite,
so catch me if I fall.
cut
"Heads up!"
Steve looked up and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Hadrian run into a guy, jumping just a second before it would be too late, grabbing the railing of the collapsing bridge to swing his strong legs hitting the guy across his head as he jumped down.
He landed right beside Steve and the Soldier immediately moved so they stood back to back.
"Everything ready?" Steve asked before he engaged into a fight with two of the few remaining Hydra supporters while Hadrian handled the rest without so much as breaking a sweat.
"Waiting for your orders, Captain!" Steve huffed as he caught his shield and turned around to see Hadrian standing above two guys who were trying to get up.
Key word - trying.
He raised an eyebrow and Hadrian just shrugged walking past them with a sway to his hips that wasn't there before, prowling like a predator.
"Just because I have magic now, doesn't mean I'm not partial to a more - ah - physical approach," Hadrian drawled and Steve snorted as he rolled his eyes.
"Let's finish this," he said as Hadrian came to stand right in front of him, practically flattening his body with Steve's with his lips hardly a breath away from his.
"Do we really need to go hand in a report right away?" he murmured and Steve suppressed a groan, feeling the arousal he has been pushing down ever since he saw Hadrian in his new uniform 5 hours ago coming back with a vengeance.
"We've gotten lost on the way back."
Hadrian chuckled, only to startle Steve when he raised his right hand without even looking, and a guy hit the floor behind Steve with a pained grunt.
"I don't like being interrupted," Hadrian murmured as Steve chuckled and wrapped his right arm around Hadrian's waist, pulling the shorter man as close as possible, making him feel the effect he had on Steve.
"You were waiting for my order?" The Avenger spoke in a low growl and Hadrian hummed as he raised his right hand, bringing his wrist close to his lips - as much as their closeness allowed him to - and spoke into the receiver attached to the sleeve.
"Ready when you are," he said and the left corner of Steve's lips tilted up.
*Took you long enough,* Natasha's voice came through their communicators and Hadrian chuckled.
"We've gotten a bit sidetracked. Now, would you please do your part before the bad guys start waking up?"
*I thought sex on missions was forbidden,* she drawled and Steve rolled his eyes with a groan while Hadrian snickered.
"No need to be jealous, Tash. Do your part, we're done," Hadrian answered.
*Entering in 3,* she answered slyly, and Steve glared at Hadrian.
"Tell Fury we'll see him bright and early around noon tomorrow. Over and out." Hadrian broke the communication before Natasha could answer.
"Bright and early?" Steve drawled and Hadrian snickered.
"It will be somewhere in the world."
And with that said the two disappeared with a loud 'pop' and a swirl of colors, while the Agents of the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. entered the old warehouse.
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That's why we stick to your game plans and party lines,
but at night we're conspiring by candle light.
We are the orphans of the American Dream,
so shine your light on me.
cut
Steve ouffed when Hadrian slammed him against the wall of the hallway of their apartment. He recovered quickly, slamming his lips against Hadrian's as he took a firm hold of the wizard's thighs and hefted him up, moving forward to press him against the opposite wall, grinding their hips together as air filled with arousal and need, adrenalin still pumping through their veins making their actions frantic and uncoordinated.
Steve heard the distinctive sound of his shield meeting the ground and moved back when Hadrian pulled his hood off to shake his head, but Hadrian grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pulled him into a kiss which was all teeth and forcefulness of a man desperate for release.
"Hadrian…"
"If you plan to reprimand me for being too reckless, would you mind leaving it for after I've had my wicked way with you," the wizard blurted out before he did something with his legs which made Steve move away enough for Hadrian to stand on his own two feet, giving him enough space to grab fistfuls of the collar of Steve's uniform as he kissed him again and started pushing him towards their bedroom.
"You're pushy today," Steve commented even though his fingers were already fiddling with the zipper of Hadrian's tight shirt, fighting to pull it down since they were much too close to one another to allow free movement.
"I'll show you pushy," Hadrian growled and Steve yelped when Hadrian pushed him away, making him fall back on their bed. Steve hurried to take the shirt of his uniform off while Hadrian discarded his own on the floor carelessly, before straddling Steve's lap and rolling his hips, fisting his hands in Steve's hair as he kissed his hard and deep, leaving Steve no other choice but to take a firm hold of his ass and let him do as he pleased.
The Soldier moaned when he found himself naked beneath Hadrian as the wizard made him lie down and started biting and kissing down his chin and neck, and Steve had enough sane thought left to thank god for magic as he squeezed the globes of Hadrian's pert little ass and teased his entrance with his right index finger before Hadrian slipped too low for him to do so.
A guttural grunt escaped him when Hadrian took the head of his cock into his mouth and sucked hard, making Steve's eyes slip closed, every muscle in his body coil and air leave his lungs.
He cursed and fisted his right hand in Hadrian's hair while he grabbed a hold of the sheets with his left as Hadrian held his hips down, taking all of him into his mouth, coating his cock in saliva before swallowing around him, making Steve arch his torso off of the bed and tug on Hadrian's hair, knowing that he wouldn't last long if the wizard didn't stop right now.
"God…" he breathed out when Hadrian let go of his cock, only to shiver when the wizard straddled him and reached behind himself to take a hold of Steve's hard length. Before Steve could warn him to go slow, Hadrian pushed the head of Steve's dick inside his entrance before he braced his hands on Steve's chest, and took him all the way in making the Soldier curse and grab a hold of the wizard's thighs with a bruising force.
He forced himself to open his eyes only to lose his breath when he saw Hadrian rising off of his dick with his eyes squeezed shut in concentration and biting into his bottom lip, his eyebrows furrowed and undiluted pleasure radiating from his whole body.
Steve couldn't think, couldn't do anything beside feel as Hadrian rode him hard and fast in search for release. He kept his eyes on Hadrian's face, doing his best to concentrate on him to stop himself from coming too soon, the feeling of Hadrian's tight, wet heat around his cock leaving him weak and breathless.
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You can't fill your cup, until you empty all it has.
You can't understand what lays ahead,
if you don't understand the past.
You'll never learn to fly now 'til you're standing at the cliff.
And you can't truly love until you've given up on it.
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If the world knew that the only thing that could bring Steve down was Hadrian's touch, it wouldn't end well.
It was enough for Hadrian to place the tips of his fingers on Steve's shoulders and all the tension, all the stress would fade into peace and quiet, even before Hadrian got his magic back.
It was enough for Steve to feel Hadrian's warm breath anywhere on his body, and he would immediately feel heat coil in his lower stomach. It was enough for Hadrian to stand close to him, and the need to take him, to leave marks of his touch on Hadrian's body would almost overwhelm him.
Steve never thought he would feel like that. He never thought he had this aggressive side to himself, but Hadrian woke it up, and by the looks of it, he loved it.
"Steve…"
"Damn it!" Steve moved up, wrapped his right arm around Hadrian and flipped them over, starting a brutal, ruthless rhythm which punched the air out of Hadrian's lungs and made the wizard dig his nails into Steve's back, leaving red lines as they slipped up to Steve's shoulders and down his arms, urging the soldier on.
Bracing his weight on his left hand, Steve grabbed a hold of Hadrian's hard cock and pumped it in time with his thrusts, and within seconds Hadrian was coming into his hand. The rhythmic clenching of his tight channel brought Steve over the edge, and his hips twitched forwards a few times as he emptied his load into Hadrian, his arm almost folding under his weight.
He hissed when Hadrian wrapped his arms around him and pulled him to his chest, and Steve groaned as his body trembled and his cock twitched inside his wizard, milked for the last drops by Hadrian's still contracting heat.
"I'm heavy," he managed to press out over gulps of air and Hadrian hummed tiredly.
"See if I care," he mumbled making Steve snort. "Besides, half your weight is between my legs."
Steve bit Hadrian's chest right beside his left nipple making the wizard hiss and hit the back of Steve's head with his left hand. "Be nice."
Steve chuckled and kissed the spot he bit before he rested his head on Hadrian's chest, listening to Hadrian's strong heartbeat while the wizard brushed his left hand through Steve's damp hair.
"Get off. Nature calls," Hadrian muttered and Steve groaned, moving his hands to hoist himself up. He hissed as he pulled out of Hadrian and fell to his right with Hadrian slipping out of bed before Steve had the chance to catch him.
"You're cruel," he grumbled as he wrapped his arms around Hadrian's pillow. The wizard snickered as he grabbed Steve's white t-shirt off of the chair beside the bed and pulled it on, making Steve smirk when he saw that it fell to the middle of Hadrian's thighs.
Sometimes it was easy to forget that Hadrian was a lot smaller than him. His wizard often appeared bigger than life itself.
"You'll live," Hadrian glanced at him over his left shoulder and winked before he made his way out of the room.
"Bring some water on your way back, please!" Steve shouted after Hadrian and the wizard rolled his eyes with a huff, although a smirk was tugging on his lips.
He entered the living room only to stop in his tracks when he found someone sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, their frame clad in shadows as the light of the moon shone in a straight line breaking through the window between Hadrian and the man.
"We really need to bar our windows," he spoke, knowing Steve heard him when he heard the Soldier jump out of their bed and run to him.
Hadrian snapped his fingers and turned on the light, and both of them were left breathless and shocked when they saw who it was that broke into their apartment.
"Bucky?" Steve muttered in shock, his nudity concealed by Hadrian standing in front of him.
The man's lips tilted into a crooked smile and his eyes shone with recognition and amusement.
"Hey, Steven," he spoke in a tight voice. "It's been a while."
cut
Hadrian walked back into the living room with a tray in his hands, carrying coffee for all three of them. Steve was sitting on the couch, fully dressed, and Bucky was sitting in the armchair facing Steve.
Hadrian placed the tray on the table, taking their drinks off of it and placing them in front of them before he took a seat beside Steve and placed his right hand on Steve's left thigh.
"Don't get me wrong, Bucky. I'm - I'm happy to see you, but - but it's been months. I thought-…"
"I know. I just…" Bucky gulped and tried to smile for them, "I needed time. After my memory started coming back I was a mess. I traveled around as I remembered everything - everything they did to me. I needed to make peace with it all."
"Bucky, none of it is…"
"I know, Steve," Bucky cut him off and Hadrian gave Steve's thigh a reassuring squeeze. "I know that none of it is my fault, but I - I needed time to come to grips with all of it. I couldn't face you until I was sure their influence was gone completely. I've been keeping an eye on the two of you for at least a month now, not knowing how to approach you. I didn't know how I'd be received now that-"
"Just because Steve and I are together, Bucky, doesn't mean you aren't welcome," Hadrian spoke up and Bucky looked at him. "You are Steve's oldest friend. I'm glad I finally met you although you could have chosen a better moment." Bucky chuckled while Steve blushed.
"I was surprised that neither one of you noticed me, although with the way the two of you rushed for the bedroom I doubt you would have noticed if your living room was swarming with people," he drawled teasingly and Steve groaned while Hadrian cleared his throat and bowed his head to try hide the blush which covered his cheeks.
"Yes well…" Steve cleared his throat when his voice broke, "we were a bit…"
"Horny?" Bucky smirked slyly. "Steve-m-boy, I thought I'd never see the day," he drawled and Steve groaned, hiding his face in his hands as he braced his elbows on his thighs.
"You weren't supposed to see," he mumbled and Bucky chuckled while Hadrian covered his mouth with his left hand, stifling a laugh.
"I'll leave the two of you to talk," he said as he stood up.
"Hadrian…" Steve was interrupted by Hadrian bowing down to place a loving kiss on his lips.
"Talk," he said before he straightened, nodded at Bucky and left for his and Steve's bedroom.
Seeing the door close behind Hadrian, Steve took a deep breath and looked at Bucky who was staring right back at him with an unreadable expression.
"You always did have a thing for strong brunettes with beautiful eyes, didn't you?" Bucky teased Steve dryly, and Steve snorted, shaking his head with an eye-roll.
"Bucky…"
"He's good for you," the Winter Soldier cut Steve off, and the captain looked at Bucky with a confused frown seeing his best - once best friend staring at the door leading to Hadrian's and Steve's bedroom. "I don't need to be a genius to see it."
Steve swallowed audibly as he nodded. "Yeah," he spoke in a strained voice, "Andy, he's… He's my everything," Steve looked straight in Bucky's eyes, not missing the way the edges of Bucky's eyes tightened and jaw flexed. "Bucky, I…"
"You don't need to say it, Steve," Bucky cut him off again, lips tilting into a lopsided smirk. "I used to know you best, remember? I know how much you blamed yourself for everything, and you need to stop, alright? Now," he worried his bottom lip between his teeth for a second, looking for the right words to say, "I know that we can't turn back time. I know that - that we're stuck the way we are, but…"
"You don't even need to ask," Steve interrupted, smiling at the man he loved like a brother, snorting when Bucky's eyes widened. "The guestroom is behind the first door to the left in the hallway. There's a bathroom attached to it, and there are clean towels in the cabinet. Get some rest. We'll - we'll just take it one day at a time, alright?"
"You don't mind…"
"No, Bucky," Steve stood up with Bucky following his example, and the Avenger rounded the low tea table to stand right in front of Bucky, not even hesitating to wrap the brown haired man into a warm hug. He wasn't surprised when it took Bucky a moment to return it, but when he wrapped his arms around Steve, the blue eyed man knew that he was slowly but certainly getting his best friend back. "It's good to have you back, Bucky. We'll figure this out somehow."
Steve's heart clenched when he felt Bucky tremble and tighten his hold on Steve, burying his face in Steve's neck as he let go of a grave sigh.
"Thank you, Steven," Bucky whispered and Steve squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
"Don't mention it."
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Bucky walked into the kitchen of Hadrian's and Steve's apartment less than half awake and dragging his feet, only to stop in his tracks and wake up almost fully because of the scene he stumbled upon.
Hadrian was rushing around the kitchen, completely unaware - or so it seemed - of the company he had, Bucky staring at him with eyes wide and mouth open. Even though Hadrian was doing what appeared to be at least 5 things at the same time, the kitchen was in perfect order, and the raven haired man seemed perfectly attuned to everything.
And while such multitasking was worth the highest praise, that wasn't what had Bucky gaping. It was the fact the plates were floating from a cupboard to settle on the table, followed by forks and knives before three mugs joined them, while Hadrian flipped over three pancakes with the skill of a master chief, checked up on the scrambled eggs with onion and bacon, and finished making coffee, all that before he opened the oven to pull out freshly baked blueberry muffins, if Bucky's nose was still good.
"Close your mouth, Bucky, something will fly in," Steve spoke in passing, making Bucky snap his mouth shut while Steve rushed over to Hadrian, pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, and pushed a folder into his hands. "I'll finish this, you take this to Fury."
"Will do," Hadrian said before he grinned at Bucky placing the folder on the table as he grabbed a jacket which was hanging off of the backrest of one of the chair. "Good morning, Bucky. Hope the breakfast suits your taste. I'll be back in a jiffy," as he said that he tugged on the leather jacket with the crest of S.H.I.E.L.D. on its back, kissed the top of Steve's haid as he grabbed the folder, and then - to Bucky's shock - vanished in a swirl of black sand.
Strained silence settled over the room with Steve staring at Bucky, munching on a pancake with an amused smirk tilting his lips, while Bucky stared at the place Hadrian occupied a second ago, completely shocked.
"Did…" Bucky gulped and turned his head towards Steve, eyes never leaving the empty space in front of the stove. "Did that really happened?"
Steve chuckled and swallowed a bite, "This is how most of our mornings look like, especially since Hadrian joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and we started going to missions together."
"What was - is he - what the…"
Steve laughed at Bucky's shocked stuttering.
"Andy's a wizard," Steve supplied dryly, receiving an incredulous look for his efforts. "A very, very powerful wizard."
Bucky swallowed and licked his lips before he slowly approached the table.
"I must have hit my head sometime in the past because, Steve, wizards don't exist." Steve let go of a booming laugh, earning a glare from Bucky.
"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Bucky, but wizards do exist, since I am - to my great fortune - dating one."
"But - but how?!" Bucky looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Steve decided to forgo the delicious breakfast to try explaining everything to Bucky before the man killed himself trying to figure everything out.
"How wizards exist or how did I end up dating one?" Steve asked as he pushed his plate to the side and braced his elbows on the table.
"Erm, both?" Bucky muttered, still looking like a lost pup, and Steve sighed.
"Well, I don't exactly know how wizards exist, but as for how I ended up dating Hadrian, I guess it all started when you dragged me out of the river after we fought…"
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"…Natasha and Sam finally understood that Andy isn't some maniacal mass murderer, and several months later Andy was recruited by Fury who…" Steve's lengthy explanation was interrupted by a loud pop, and Bucky jumped in his seat, eyes widening when he found Hadrian standing right behind him, muttering very colorful curses under his breath as he marched for the coffee machine. "I take it your meeting with Nick didn't go well," Steve commented dryly, both he and Bucky watching as Hadrian drank one cup of coffee in one go before pouring another.
"What gives it away?" Hadrian muttered before wrinkling his nose at the half empty mug of coffee. "I need something sharp."
Hadrian started digging through cupboards while Steve looked at Bucky who looked entirely too confused.
"I get it that I owe Fury more than a favor," before Steve could say something, Hadrian spoke up in a hissing voice, "I really do, but sending us from one mission to another just because he thinks I'm this all powerful wizard who can just fix everything with a flick of my wand - REALLY what the HELL IS HE THINKING?!"
"Andy," Steve stood up, raising his hands calmingly, and Bucky suddenly felt the need to disappear when Harry gulped down a full glass of something that resembled scotch while the captain came to stand in front of him, "you need to calm down and tell me what happened."
"What happened?!" Hadrian snapped and rounded on Steve, arms flailing and beautiful face full of anger. "I'll tell you what happened! Nick has another mission for us! We just came back from one! And there was the one before that! And the one before that one! What does he think we run on?! AIR?!" The wizard's voice broke as he paced the kitchen, waving his arms as he spoke, and Steve shot Bucky an apologetic glance, making Bucky wonder if Steve ever had to handle Hadrian like this before.
If the captain's calm attitude was any indication, he did.
"I mean, I know that I'm more apt to handle some things, but there are certainly other agents who are just as capable as I am!" Hadrian kept ranting.
"Andy, please," Steve spoke up, catching Hadrian as he passed beside him. He placed his hands on Hadrian's heaving shoulders before he slipped them down to his elbows, looking in Hadrian's vivid emerald orbs, his own blue ones calming and pleading. "You aren't angry that we're going on a new mission. Tell me what it's supposed to be. I can't help you if you keep ranting and raving like this."
Hadrian took a deep breath and stepped away from Steve, raising his hands to rub his face in weariness and frustration. He brushed his hands through his hair, fisted them on his slim waist, and then looked at Steve. His back was turned on Bucky so he couldn't see Hadrian's expression, but he could see Steve smiling at Hadrian calmingly, blue eyes full of understanding and love.
"He's sending me back," Hadrian spoke in a broken, strained voice, and both Steve and Bucky frowned in confusion.
"Back where?" Steve asked and Hadrian sighed, walking over to a cabinet to lean back against it with his arms crossed over his chest.
"To Britain," he answered in a small voice, and Bucky wondered how Steve didn't get a whiplash from how quick he went from worried and calming to fuming.
"What?" Bucky had never heard Steve speak in that voice. That singe word was laced with so much anger and hatred that Bucky was glad he wasn't on the receiving end of that fury.
Sure, he knew that he could take Steve on and fight him on equal grounds, even win if he fought dirty, but since Steve managed to tell him what the Wizarding World did to Hadrian and his anger was well based, Bucky definitely didn't want to be a wizard right then.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. picked up on some suspicious things going on in Wizarding Britain," Hadrian answered as he raised one had to perch his forehead on it, hiding his face from Steve and Bucky. "I don't know exactly what is going on, but Fury wants me to infiltrate and see what I can find."
"Alone?" Bucky was sure that Steve wouldn't sound any more frightening if he was screaming his throat raw. He didn't remember his friend ever sounding or looking as dangerous as he did then, eyebrows meeting in a frown and baby-blue eyes darkened with anger. Steve's broad shoulders were hunched as though he was ready to fight, and his hands were clenching and unclenching by his sides as though he was just looking for something to hit.
Or someone.
"Apparently, he is willing to allow me to make my own team," Hadrian sighed as he allowed his hands to fall to his sides and tilted his head back, eyes focused on Steve, looking tired and drained.
"Good," Steve bit out. "Have something to eat while I get changed. We'll be paying Nick a visit."
"Steve…" Hadrian sighed tiredly, but Steve would have none of it.
"We need to see him concerning Bucky either way." Before the spoken man could react Steve continued with "He already agreed to give Bucky amnesty if he ever showed up, but I need to make sure he knows he would be losing a lot if he goes back on his word. I tore S.H.I.E.L.D. down once, I can do it again."
Without waiting for an answer, Steve marched right out of the room leaving Bucky alone with Hadrian, who rubbed his face again with a deep breath. "I'm sorry," he said, much to Bucky's surprise. "I don't usually lose my composure like that," he drawled dryly as he took a seat at the table and Bucky gulped and nodded while Hadrian took a clean plate from where it waited for him in his usual seat and took a few pancakes and some maple syrup.
"Since Steve told me everything he could about you, I can understand," Bucky said and Hadrian glanced up at him as he chewed. Swallowing, he placed the fork and knife on the table before bracing his elbows on it and entwining his fingers in front of his head, looking at Bucky with an unreadable stare.
"Bucky," he stopped as though looking for the right words. "Steve told me everything that happened, from the day you joined the army back during the second World War until the day he and you fought on that Helicarrier."
Bucky frowned as those strange emerald eyes dove into his as though they were both searching for something and delivering a message.
"While I understand that you didn't have much choice in what you did, and in the end you saved Steve's life, I want you to know that there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect Steve. Hurt him again in any way, shape or form, betray him whether of your free will or under a bloody mind control spell or some other bullshit, you will find out exactly why those bloody sons of bitches were so afraid of me that they thought of a whole ploy to turn the whole Wizarding World against me just so that they could get rid of me. I've taken down a man who split his soul into pieces, literally, just so he could live forever. I'll take you down with much less effort, are we clear?"
"I would never…"
"I know," Hadrian cut Bucky off before he straightened and took the knife and fork into his hands again, and Bucky knew that he was being dismissed. He was saved from being any more uncomfortable than he already was by Steve walking back into the kitchen dressed in his uniform but without the hood.
"Ready when you are," Steve said, bowing down to place a kiss on Hadrian's lips, the wizard tilting his head back to accept it, looking as though he didn't just threaten Bucky.
"Should I dress for the occasion?" Bucky asked, pushing everything that happened in the past two hours into the back of his mind for later analyzing. Steve raised an eyebrow at him in amusement, eyes darting all over Bucky's body taking in the faded jeans and black t-shirt.
"Do you have anything to change into?" he drawled teasingly and Bucky rolled his eyes.
"It's been months, Steve," he returned equally as he stood up. "Got myself a whole new wardrobe."
"Got anything other than jeans and t-shirts?" Steve smirked at Bucky who huffed and waved him off on his way out of the room.
"According to everything you've told me, jeans and t-shirts are more than enough for Nick Fury," Bucky said before he exited the kitchen, leaving Steve and Hadrian alone.
Hadrian finished his breakfast knowing that Steve was watching him from here he was leaning back against a cabinet with arms crossed over muscled chest.
"Hadrian…"
"Steve," the wizard cut him off, glancing at the captain over his right shoulder, and Steve snapped his mouth shut. Before he said anything, Hadrian stood up and snapped his fingers, dishes and what was left of breakfast disappearing without a trace. "I know you heard me," he finally said before turning around to face Steve who sighed and pushed away from the cabinet, coming to stand right in front of Hadrian who was looking up at him with arms crossed over his chest.
"You know he was being controlled," Steve murmured, placing his hands on Hadrian's elbows, looking into those viridian orbs imploringly.
"Steve, I know how much you've wanted your best friend back," Hadrian spoke in a voice hardly above a whisper, his own eyes imploring Steve to listen to him, "and I know that he was brainwashed into doing what he did, but you also need to understand where I'm standing. Mind control isn't possible over someone if that person has a stronger will of the one trying to control them. Bucky - he…" Hadrian looked away from Steve for a moment before facing him again, "he may have loved you like a brother, and yes, I don't understand the technicalities of controlling someone's mind with science, but he… I don't know what is going through his mind. I just know that I can't trust him without knowing him. Steve, he almost killed you. You turned your back on Natasha and Sam for much less."
"Hadrian, that's not the same…"
"It is in my book!" Hadrian hissed while Steve let go of him, turned his back on Hadrian and brushed his fingers through short pepper-blond strands. "Steve, I don't want you to get hurt!"
"He won't hurt me, Hadrian!" Steve insisted, rounding on the wizard, eyes full of conviction. "You don't know him!"
"Do you?!" Hadrian snapped and took a step forward, hands falling to his sides, eyes begging Steve to understand him. "It's been years, Steve! And while I'm glad you have your best friend back, I only want you to be careful!"
"Careful? Oh no, you are not the right man to tell me to be careful," Steve bit out and Hadrian leaned back, a confused frown marring his handsome face.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he murmured and Steve chuckled darkly.
"You, who did one careless thing after another - joined S.H.I.E.L.D. just to get your magic back, can not preach to me about being careful!" Steve snapped at Hadrian.
"I didn't join S.H.I.E.L.D. just to get my magic back and you know that!" Hadrian answered equally. "We've talked about this, Steve! I've joined S.H.I.E.L.D. because of you, because I couldn't - wouldn't let you fight alone if I could help you!"
"Oh, so now I can't take care of myself?!"
"I never said that!" Hadrian's voice broke as he shouted at Steve who took a step back. Sure, he heard Hadrian raise his voice before, but it was never at him. He never raised his voice at him.
As a matter of fact, this was the first time they had an argument about anything. Steve couldn't even remember what they were really fighting about.
"Steve, I…" Hadrian shut his mouth and looked away from Steve, but he didn't make it fast enough for Steve not to see that his emerald eyes were somehow glassier than usual. "I just want you to be careful," he whispered and Steve felt as though he deflated, feeling like a right bastard.
"I'm sorry," he murmured and walked over to Hadrian to wrap his strong arms around the smaller man. "I'm sorry, I just…" he sighed and buried his face in Hadrian's neck, muscles uncoiling when he felt Hadrian's arms encircle his waist.
"I know," the wizard whispered and hugged Steve tightly, the two just standing like that for a few moments, before clearing of a throat made them step away from one another.
"Ready when you are," Bucky repeated Steve's earlier words and the two chuckled, Hadrian discreetly rubbing his eyes while Steve brushed his right hand through his short hair.
"Hadrian will apparate us over to Nick. It's the fastest way to get there," Steve said and Bucky raised an eyebrow.
"Is apparating that popping thing you did earlier?" He asked as he approached Hadrian and Steve, and the wizard chuckled.
"Yeah," he nodded and offered his left hand to Bucky while Steve took Hadrian's right hand, "just try not to puke. I just had this suit dry cleaned."
And before Bucky could comment on Hadrian's warning, they disappeared with a loud pop.
cut
Hadrian leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and rubbed his face with his hands before he glanced at the door leading to Fury's office. Bucky and Steve have been in there for an hour already while Hadrian sat in the small reception room reading the file which he was given immediately upon arrival about the mission he was supposed to take.
He read it several times already, and hated what he found in it.
Have all our fights been in vain? Just as he thought that, the door of Fury's office opened and Steve and Bucky walked out at the same time looking relieved and annoyed which was - in Hadrian's honest opinion - quite a feat.
"Well, Andy, allow me to introduce Agent James Buchanan Barnes," Steve drawled dryly with a smirk while Bucky rolled his eyes and huffed.
"What?" Hadrian raised an eyebrow and Steve snorted.
"Fury saw it fit to put Bucky 'under parole'. He would be free for as long as he agreed to be under constant watch and worked for S.H.I.E.L.D. for the next 10 years," Steve explained shortly and Hadrian's eyebrows disappeared under a messy fringe.
"And who will be the one watching over him?" He drawled almost carelessly, and Steve grinned at him while Bucky wiggled the fingers of his metallic hand at Hadrian with a grin of his own.
For someone who was almost expressionless all those months ago - according to what Steve told him - Bucky was sure showing a lot of expressions.
"Great!" Hadrian clapped his hands. "I make breakfast at 7:00 sharp in the morning, lunch is served promptly at 13:00 if we're not on a mission, and as for dinner what you catch is what you eat. Fridays and Saturdays are movie nights, and Sundays are barbeque with Sam, Tash and Clint, when we - or they - are not on missions of course. The guestroom is yours, steer away from the stove and oven if you value your life - as a matter of fact, steer away from the kitchen as a whole. Steve almost burned the whole apartment block once, so you understand why I'm being cautious - and please, if you're bringing someone over, tell us so we can scurry away. Anything I've missed?" he spoke all that in a single breath before glancing at Steve who snorted after a minute and rolled his eyes.
"I think that's all," he muttered and looked at Bucky who was still gaping at Hadrian. "Anything on your mission?" Steve walked over to Hadrian and Bucky rushed to follow him, still a bit shaken.
"I can tell you everything on our way there," Hadrian answered.
"Our way there?" Steve asked as he glanced at Bucky, and Hadrian hummed.
"Yes, I suppose so," he muttered before smiling at Bucky. "You should feel lucky. You'll be one of the few muggles not related or married to a witch or a wizard who will get to see the Wizarding World up close and personal."
"What?" Bucky asked weakly, looking to Steve for an explanation, finding it difficult to follow Hadrian.
"Andy gets to choose his team for his mission, and he apparently chose us," Steve explained and Hadrian's smile grew bigger - almost shark-like.
"So, my first mission is…"
"Infiltrating the Wizarding World, finding the ones accused for national treason - or according to what I've read, plotting to turn the whole damn world on its head - and bringing them in without starting a world wide panic and/or causing the revelation of the Wizarding World. Sounds fun, doesn't it?" Hadrian finished with a sweet smile, and while Steve rolled his eyes and huffed, Bucky raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly.
"I don't think your definition of fun and mine see eye to eye," Bucky said slowly and Harry clapped his shoulder, the metal of Bucky's left arm producing a strange hollow sound.
"Well at least we'll get to know each other, right?" Hadrian grinned and Bucky looked at Steve almost as though he was asking for protection.
"Right."
cut
"Walk straight, keep your heads up and please try not to look like you're here for the first time," Hadrian pleaded looking at Steve and Bucky who were looking around the room behind Leaky Cauldron suspiciously, although at the same time amazed and almost giddy.
Hadrian took a deep breath and faced the wall which would soon open into a doorway leading into Diagon Alley.
"This just screams disaster," he muttered under his breath and tapped the designated bricks with the back of his fingers, making Steve and Bucky jump back when the bricks popped out and started to rearrange themselves.
Hadrian looked at them over his right shoulder and smirked at their amazed expressions. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," he said. "Let's go. Our contact should already be waiting for us."
cut
Bucky and Steve looked at Hadrian from where they were sitting across from him on the terrace of a café in Diagon Alley. If Steve didn't know the wizard he would say that Hadrian was merely enjoying the view, watching families, couples and single people walking around, smiling and laughing, and simply enjoying themselves.
But Steve knew Hadrian.
He knew that the hand fisted over Hadrian's mouth wasn't there to hide a small smile. He knew that Hadrian's eyes weren't fondly gazing at the simple life revolving in front of them. He knew that those hunched shoulders and parted legs weren't a sigh of comfort and relaxation.
Hadrian was analyzing.
He was taking everything in and sorting it out.
"What can you see?" Steve asked. He and Bucky couldn't see anything unusual except for - well, everything.
But Hadrian?
Hadrian knew this world. He knew its people.
And if Steve knew Hadrian, the wizard was not happy.
"Nothing," Hadrian muttered around his fist. "Everything."
Steve and Bucky frowned and exchanged a glance as Hadrian sighed and sat up, turning to cross his forearms on top of their table. Steve caught Hadrian's right index and middle finger twitching and less than a second later the two solders felt a cold shiver pass over them.
Their contact had yet to show up. He was 40 minutes late. Neither of the three felt good about it, but they couldn't leave.
"Nothing can be seen if you don't look hard enough," Hadrian muttered, leaning over the table, and Steve and Bucky copied him careful of the glasses in front of them. "But I've seen enough."
"Seen what?" Bucky asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. Neither he nor Steve were rookies or inexperienced, but if the expression on Steve's face was an indicator, just like Bucky he has seen nothing.
"Hiding in the alley to my left," Hadrian took his drink into his hand and spun the glass a bit before taking a sip, "three Aurors. On our way here, I've seen 8 more hiding in various places, some in the open and others on roofs or in alleys. I have no doubt that others are in the crowd wearing civilian outfits."
"What does that mean?" Bucky asked quietly and Hadrian looked at him before turning his gaze to Steve.
"This is all an illusion," Hadrian bit out and sat back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest and head tilting towards the street, eyes filling with something akin to sadness. "Look at their faces. Look closely," he whispered and Steve and Bucky looked around. While the children were smiling with all the honesty of childish innocent naivety, the smiles on the faces of the adults were - upon closer inspection - forced. "This is not how freedom looks like," Hadrian bit out, and when the two looked at him they saw that his hands were fisted around his arms as though he was holding himself back from standing up and doing something he would later regret. "This is tyranny. This is slavery," he pressed out through his teeth. "This world - The Wizarding World has been turned into a…"
"Ghetto," Steve finished for Hadrian and the wizard looked at him. "They are all trapped here, aren't they?"
Hadrian swallowed audibly and gave a minute nod.
Before either one of them could say anything more, a loud cry of 'Halt!' was heard and the people on the street jumped to the side, women screaming and pulling their children into their arms.
"Halt!" was heard once again, and before Steve or Bucky could do anything, Hadrian was on his feet and running out, the two having no other choice but to follow him.
Hadrian stopped in his tracks when he was in the middle of the street only to freeze and gape at what happened next.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A man in his late thirties fell to the ground dead, 7 Aurors coming to a stop several feet away from him.
"Everyone go back to your business!" One of them snapped - the one who killed the man - putting his wand back into the thigh-holster before his eyes fell on Hadrian, Steve and Bucky flanking his sides. "You!" He pointed a finger at Hadrian, and within seconds they were surrounded by Aurors who had their wands pointed at them.
Hadrian stood to full height as the captain of the Auror Force approached him, dull brown eyes darting all over Hadrian's form with a sneer.
"Your identification," he hissed in Hadrian's face.
"Don't have any," Hadrian bit out in an American accent much to Steve's and Bucky's surprise. "Didn't know I'd need it."
"Strangers are not allowed into the Wizarding World of Britain without proper documentation," the captain pressed out through his teeth standing just a breath away from Hadrian trying to intimidate the Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Since when can't wizards from all around the world visit Wizarding London at their will?" Hadrian asked, and Steve could hear in the tone of his lover's voice that Hadrian was hardly holding himself back from cursing the captain where he stood.
"I don't like you," the captain murmured, his face an inch away from Hadrian's, and the raven haired wizard leaned back, nose wrinkling in distaste. The captain squinted at him, his own nose wrinkling. "You look familiar…"
"Evan, come on," Steve jumped in before things went south, placing his hand on Hadrian's shoulder. Hadrian glanced at him and Steve suppressed a shiver when he saw the dark look in Hadrian's eyes. "We must have missed the memo."
Hadrian grunted before he took a step back, coming to stand between Steve and Bucky.
"Will it be alright if we leave now and come back after we've made the proper documentation?" Bucky asked, catching on to what Steve was doing, and the captain sneered at them, looking at the three Agents as though they were dirt under his shoes.
"Jackson and O'Hara will escort you out," the captain drawled, "and if I see you again without your visiting visa, I'll lock you up so deep in a dungeon not even a blood tracking charm will find you." He poked Hadrian's chest for emphasis while two Aurors came to stand beside Bucky and Steve. "Show them out boys!" he snapped as he turned his back on the three who saw the dead man being lifted on a stretcher none too gently and carried away.
They followed the two Aurors out of Diagon Alley and back into Leaky Cauldron with Steve glancing worriedly at Hadrian who had his head bowed making it impossible for his lover to see his face.
Once they were safely out on the streets of muggle London, Steve placed his left hand on Hadrian's right shoulder. "Andy…"
"Let's go," Hadrian cut him off and walked away going in the direction of their hotel.
Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance and followed after Hadrian.
They both understood one thing.
If this wasn't personal to Hadrian before, now it sure as hell was.
cut
"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Steve asked, leaning against the doorframe leading to his and Hadrian's room where the wizard was getting dressed into a pair of tight, black trousers and a skin tight turtleneck.
He took a seat on the bed to tug on his black combat boots before getting up and grabbing his unmarked jacket, which told Steve that Hadrian was avoiding the risk of anyone finding out he was working for S.H.I.E.L.D. if he were to be caught.
And that didn't make Steve feel good at all.
"Andy…"
"Steve," the wizard cut him off, speaking for the first time since they came back and he told them that he would be going in alone when night fell. "You and Bucky don't know Diagon Alley like I do. If our assumption is correct, then the man that was killed today was our contact. I can get in and out without anyone seeing me. I'll bring as much information as I can gather, and then we'll think of what to do."
"Andy, this has nothing to do with the information Fury gave us about this," Steve insisted as he pushed himself away from the doorframe and came to stand right in front of Hadrian. "You can't expect me to let you go alo…"
"But you will," Hadrian cut him off again, but when he saw that Steve's eyes were full of worry and fear, his expression softened, a sigh escaped thin lips, and to Steve's surprise, Hadrian's arms wrapped around Steve's waist as the wizard hid his face in his lover's chest.
"Andy…"
"I didn't fight for this, Steve," Hadrian's muffled voice reached Steve's ears, but he could still hear the sorrow and pain in Hadrian's voice. "My friends didn't die for this. I didn't lose everything for this!"
Steve cursed under his breath and hugged Hadrian tightly. He didn't know how Hadrian felt and he sure as hell didn't want to, but never the less, his heart hurt for his lover. "Do what you have to," he spoke in a strained voice. "But if you're not back before dawn I'm calling Fury and bringing S.H.I.E.L.D. down upon them. Let's see how they'll handle hundreds of highly trained men and women with high tech guns."
Hadrian chuckled wetly and moved back a bit to look up at Steve. "I'd like to see how they'd handle Tash, Sam and Clint," he muttered jokingly and Steve chuckled. "You know I love you right?" Hadrian whispered tenderly.
Steve smiled at him lovingly and bowed down to kiss Hadrian. "I know. And I love you too," he murmured against Hadrian's lips, feeling the wizard shiver against him.
"I'll be back before dawn," Hadrian whispered and moved out of Steve's embrace. "Don't go out," with that said Hadrian disappeared with a 'pop', leaving Steve standing in the middle of their room.
"We can't assume how bad this is."
Steve turned on his heel and found Bucky standing in the doorway, hands pushed inside the pockets of his dark gray hoody.
"I know," Steve rubbed his face with his hands, letting go of a grave sigh. "Do you think we should contact Fury right away?"
"I think we should wait for lover-boy to come back," Bucky answered and Steve nodded. "Though what we'll do until then, I have no idea. I can't seem to figure out the damn TV."
Steve laughed at that while Bucky smirked at him, and a moment later, when he managed to stop laughing, Steve walked over to him and clapped his back as they made their way into the living room of their two bedroom suit.
"Let's see if we can figure it out together."
cut
Hadrian cursed under his breath and ducked into the shadows of an alcove, watching as three Aurors passed beside him before running soundlessly down the street.
He already checked five safe-houses he knew were used during the second war, two of which were nothing but burned out shells of what they used to be, and three of which were empty.
He hoped he found something in the last one, because the longer he stayed there, the greater the chance was that he would be caught.
Coming to a halt, he peeked around corners to see if the air was clear and then crossed the street, entering one of the small alleys leading to Knockturn Alley.
He stopped in front of a brick wall, emerald eyes focusing on the darkest brick in the assembly and he placed his right hand flat on it.
"Please work, please, please, work," he whispered as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut and pushed his magic into the brick. He stepped back, eyes snapping open and relief surging though his body when a door appeared in front of him.
A second later a hand grabbed him from the darkness and pulled him in, and Hadrian found himself slammed against a wall, air surging out of his lungs and light blinding him for a second, only for him to tense up when he felt a tip of a wand pressed against his throat.
"Who in the bloody fuck are you and how did you find this place?" A familiar voice made Hadrian's eyes snap open, and when he got used to the weak light, he stopped breathing all together.
Gray eyes were staring into his, squinting in suspicion, platinum blond hair appearing to be golden in the orange light of a torch.
"Draco?" Hadrian gasped out, heartbeat so fast he thought his heart would beat its way out of his chest.
The man holding him at wand-point blinked, but a moment later, gray eyes widened in shock and the pressure of the wand against Hadrian's throat lessened.
"P-potter?" The former Slytherin muttered in shock.
"Potter?!" Despite the wand pressed to his throat Hadrian tilted his head to the side only to feel tears sting his eyes. Several other torches lit up and Hadrian's eyes widened.
"It is - it is you!" A woman screamed in joy and within seconds Hadrian was enveloped in a pair of trembling arms.
"Hermione?" Hadrian gasped out not really believing what was going on or realizing that he was crying.
"You're alive. You're alive!" The Witch whimpered into his neck while Hadrian stared at the faces of the people behind Hermione.
"Luna, Bill…" he whispered, eyes settling on a face he hadn't seen since the owner was several months old, but he would know it anywhere.
"Hell, godfather."
Hadrian felt weak.
"Teddy..."
cut
Hadrian stared at the people gathered in front of him. Some faces he knew and his heart ached like mad at seeing them. Other faces were familiar or completely unknown, but the only thing he could see at that moment was this group of people he mourned years ago, and yet they were right there in front of him.
Not all of them though.
And that broke his heart all over again.
"Harry, what are you doing here?"
Hermione… Smart, beautiful Hermione whose curly brown hair was streaked with much too early whites, whose intelligent brown eyes were full of sorrow and pain, and yet there was still fight in her.
"I mean, it's not that we're not happy you're here and apparently have your magic back, but… but we thought you were gone," Hermione whispered and Hadrian gifted her with a small smile.
"It's not Harry Potter anymore, 'Mione," he spoke in a raspy voice. "It's Hadrian now. Hadrian Parker. And as for why I'm here?" He took a deep breath and held it for a moment. "I'm an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Shield?" Bill asked and leaned forward with an intrigued frown, and Hadrian smiled at him.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," he drawled and Hermione snickered.
"Someone really wanted your acronym to be S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't they?" she asked and Harry laughed in a subdued way.
"There's a story behind that, but this is not a time to say it. What I - what I need to know is how - how all of you are even alive. Last I heard you all went missing. I thought you were all dead," Hadrian whispered, eyes imploring them to give him an answer.
Hermione, Luna, Draco, Bill and Teddy exchanged glances, and to Hadrian's surprise Teddy was the one who spoke up. "It was my grandmother who saved most of us."
Hadrian frowned in confusion and leaned forward in interest, and Teddy took a deep breath.
"After Uncle Ron and Aunt Mione got you out of Azkaban and sent you off to America, most of us went into hiding. I was too young then to remember, but grandma was determined to - if she couldn't help all those who fought to change something, then she would at least save as many as she could," the 15 year old said.
"We are the only ones from your squadron that survived," Draco said and Hadrian swallowed difficultly, even though his mouth was dry. "We went into hiding, looking for a way to get out of Britain, and we did it. With Andromeda's help we made it to France, and we stayed there until 3 years ago."
"Why did you come back?" Hadrian asked.
"I called them back," Teddy answered, bowing his head in what appeared to be shame. "Grandma was dying, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't leave. The fact that there's no way to prove that I'm a son of a werewolf, because grandma managed to hide it somehow, is the only reason why I'm still alive, but - but after she died I couldn't leave this place. I remained in contact with Aunt Mione throughout the years, informing everyone of what was going on here. She told me to escape Britain, but by the time I was ready to leave, it was already too late. A new Rebellion was already building, and this tyranny," he spat out bitterly, "was already starting." He looked in Hadrian's eyes, and the Agent felt his heart clench at the bitterness he found in those orbs which reminded him so much of Remus Lupin.
"Creatures need to wear specially designated marks on their clothes so everyone knows who they are. The government hasn't yet started to round them all up again, but it is only a matter of time. We've started smuggling creatures out again, and this time the people know who's doing what, but the control the Ministry has over the Wizarding World of Britain is too tight for us to do anything. What's worse is that everyone knows who we are so we can't go out into the open. They have this new potion which allows them to see through illusions made even by potions, so we can't disguise ourselves," Draco snorted and leaned back in his chair, arms and legs crossed. "We're doing the best we can here, but like I said - it's only a matter of time until they start killing people off again."
"If what I've seen today is any indicator, it has already started," Hadrian murmured, eyebrows rising when his friends and godson frowned at him. "The man that was killed by the captain of the Auror squad…" he stopped talking when the faces in front of him darkened.
"He was an idiot," Draco muttered and Hadrian frowned at him. "His name was Jeremy Carter. He joined our group three months ago. A muggle-born wizard whose parents are stuck in the muggle part of London. A month ago he came in here with a story that he had an idea how to get help. Spoke about a secret organization which would be able to help us since they apparently took care of a few things happening in the muggle world almost a year ago. We told them not to do that, that we'd find a way to handle this ourselves, just like we always do, but he wouldn't give up. He was supposed to meet up with them today, but he was caught."
"Well, you should be grateful to him," Hadrian said, lips tilting up even though his heart was heavy with sadness.
"How do you mean that?" Bill asked, glancing at Hermione when she gasped and covered her lips with her hands.
"Still the brightest there is," Hadrian drawled dryly and slowly stood up, his friends and godson staring at him in wonder. "I'll be right back."
"Potter…" before Draco could finish his words Hadrian disappeared with a hardly audible 'pop', and the former Slytherin sagged in his seat with a huff. "I guess, telling him that apparating out of here is impossible would be meaningless now, would it?" he muttered drawing a laugh from the others.
"Well, I do believe that we all remember that nothing is impossible to Harry Potter," Hermione spoke fondly, draping an arm around Teddy and leaning over to kiss his forehead, making the teen smile.
"Everything will be alright, Aunt Mione," he whispered comfortingly and Hermione smiled at him.
"Yes, Teddy, everything will be alright."
cut
Steve and Bucky startled awake when a 'pop' resonated through the living room, jumping off of their armchairs and reaching for their weapons of choice, not even fully awake yet.
When they saw Hadrian standing in front of them with his arms raised calmingly they lowered their weapons, but when Steve saw the darkened emerald eyes and the tight line of Hadrian's lips, he woke up fully, Bucky following close behind.
"I found them, and I'm afraid that the situation is much worse than we thought it was," Hadrian said, and Bucky and Steve exchanged a glance. "I've come to take you to the group of Rebels whose member was killed today. He was our contact."
"Do we need to change?" Bucky asked, glancing down at his rumpled clothes, Steve copying his action, and Hadrian's lips tilted up a bit.
"Dress up for war, boys. We have a mission to complete."
cut
When Hadrian, Steve and Bucky popped into the hideout of the Rebellion they found only Draco, Hermione, Bill, Teddy and Luna there, and the four looked at Hadrian as though the couldn't really believe that he was alive, let alone that he came back.
"Draco, Hermione, Bill, Teddy, Luna, I would like you to meet Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and my partners on this mission. You will explain everything to them while I go and get in contact with our Commanding Officer. There's not enough of you here to bring this to an end, but there is enough of us to help you."
"Harry - Hadrian," Hermione corrected herself quickly, shaking her head as though she was trying to chase unwanted thoughts away, "Muggles can't fight against wizards. You know that."
Hadrian exchanged a glance with Steve and Bucky, the two looking at him with almost matching smirks.
"Normal muggles can't," Steve agreed and looked at Hermione finding her frowning at him, "but muggles with high tech weapons and colleagues who are wizards and who managed to make our technology work in a magical environment can."
Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at Hadrian who was smirking at her darkly, reminding all of them exactly why they followed him all those years ago.
"Summon everyone and prepare. Tomorrow before nightfall we'll finish this once and for all," with that said Hadrian vanished again, leaving Steve and Bucky with his friends.
"How does that saying go? Demons run when a good man goes to war or something like that?" Bill drawled dryly and the wizards and witches laughed in a way they hadn't laughed in years while Steve and Bucky exchanged a glance.
"Do you guys have a map of the city? We need to have a plan worked out before Andy comes back," Steve said and Draco nodded at him before offering his right hand.
"Draco Malfoy. It will be a pleasure to fight beside you."
"Steve Rogers. I have no doubt it will."
cut
Demons run when a good man goes to war.
Night will fall and drown the sun,
When a good man goes to war.
Friendship dies and true love lies.
Night will fall and the dark will rise.
When a good man goes to war.
Demons run…
- Steven Moffat, 'Demons Run When A Good Man Goes To War'
cut
Deafening silence ruled the Diagon Alley as windows were slammed and sealed shut, women pulling their children inside and casting protective wards over their doors while the men and women who decided to fight slowly trailed out of every street towards the square in front of Gringotts where a small group of people was already gathered, staring in amazement as more and more of wizards and witches joined them.
'Tonight we end this' was whispered over a thousand times that day in every café and dark corner, and while the Rebellion had hoped people would answer their pleading call, they hadn't thought so many would come.
None of them knew that Hadrian - that Harry Potter - was back, but they all knew his friends, people who fought with him so many years ago.
They still carried his memory in their hearts, aware that their government has made a murderer out of him, repentant because they ostracized a man who fought for them and - they believed - died for them.
And they were doing this in his name.
In the name of the Boy-Who-Lived.
In the name of Harry James Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World.
Wizards and Witches, Werewolves, Vampires, Veela - they were all there, and even though they weren't many, they were strong and determined.
Watching the growing crowd in front of Gringotts, Draco looked at Teddy, Hermione, Luna, Bill, Steve and Bucky, and all of them could see that even though there was disbelief in his eyes, there was hope as well.
"Imagine how this would look if they knew he was alive," Teddy murmured to Draco who snorted and turned around slightly, eyes narrowing at the marching Auror and Unspeakable Force with their 'high esteemed' Minister of Magic in the lead.
"We will soon find out," Steve said as he took a stand to Draco's left with Bucky right beside him.
"What is the meaning of this?!" The Minister of Magic - Gavin Thresher - thundered as the Ministry Forces stood behind him, some looking determined and others having questioning frowns on their faces, recognition shining in their eyes at the sight of the people gathered behind the Rebellion.
"We've had enough!" Draco snapped, his voice echoing through the street, wand clasped firmly in his right hand. "We have suffered your tyranny for long enough! Tonight we are taking our world back!"
Even though they were surrounded by Aurors and Unspeakables, the people standing behind the Rebellion stood tall, wands at the ready, determined to win their freedom after decades of submission and blind following.
"You would sacrifice the lives of men and women?! For what?!" The minister shouted.
"For freedom!" Someone shouted from behind the Rebellion, making them glance at the wizards and witches that joined them.
"For our rights!" Another voice sounded, and commotion appeared within the ranks of the Ministry Forces.
"For Harry James Potter!" Teddy called out, and to their surprise, a thundering cheer echoed through the street making some of the Aurors and Unspeakables falter in their places, others raising their wands, ready to attack at the slightest sign.
"Harry Potter is dead!" The Minister all but screamed, summoning his own wand from its holster hidden in the sleeve of his robes. "He was a traitor and a murderer…"
"He was a Hero!" Hermione roared, and some of the Creatures in the crowd behind them cheered in agreement.
"Harry Potter fought for Creatures, for Wizards and Witches! He fought for our freedom!" Luna followed Hermione, the Rebellion spreading out on either side of Draco in a way which encased the crowd of people behind them as the first line of defense.
"We fought beside him before!" Bill - the last of the Weasleys - shouted. "And now we fight for him! For his ideals! For his sacrifices!"
"Wands at the ready!" The Minister screamed, eyes wide and full of madness, but before he could give an order for an attack, a black blur slammed into the ground in front of Draco, making stunned silence settle over everyone.
The Minister gaped as the newcomer raised his head, and furious emerald eyes met Thresher's wide ones. A light breeze passed over the square, ruffling raven black locks and revealing the famous, faded lightning bolt scar.
"Hello, Minister," Hadrian spoke in a calm voice, laced with a silent threat.
"Impossible," the Minister gasped out, taking a small step back. "You're - you're dead!" he screamed. "Your magic was bound and you were…"
"Saved," Hadrian finished for him, doing his best to ignore the amazed stares of the witches, wizards and creatures all around him, concentrating on the calming presence of Steve, who walked forward to stand to Hadrian's right, while Bucky - to Hadrian's concealed surprise - took his place to Hadrian's left, while the Rebellion raised their wands, the people behind them following their example.
Hadrian dared a glance over his shoulder and nodded minutely at his friends, his family, before looking back at the Minister. "Minister Gavin Thresher!" he called out in a harsh voice, "Hereby you are placed under arrest for sins against humanity! For enforcing a military regimen and enslaving people of the Wizarding World! For murder of an unknown number of people with creature blood or origin! For plotting to reveal the Wizarding World and planning to enslave the Muggle World! You will lay down your wand and come quietly or face the consequences of your actions!"
The Minister laughed at Hadrian's words, drawing a dangerous scowl to the Savior's face. "And what can you do, Harry Potter?!" he screamed insanely. "You have just a handful of people behind you while I have the Ministry Forces who are all loyal to me!"
"They are not all loyal to you!" Hadrian answered, making Thresher sneer at him and glance around.
As though prompted by something coming from their very hearts, several men and women, though not many, walked out of the Ministry ranks to join the crowd behind the Rebellion.
The corners of Hadrian's lips twitched minutely as he stared at the Minister who was fuming at him.
"You still don't have enough people to stop me," he pressed out through his teeth, the captain Steve, Hadrian and Bucky met the day before grinning at them from the Minister's side snidely.
"Oh, I will stop you," Hadrian growled.
"YOU AND WHAT ARMY!" The Minister screamed in rage, tensing up when Hadrian chuckled, raised his right hand and pressed a button on his high collar.
"This army."
cut
Holy water cannot help you now.
A thousand armies couldn't keep me out.
I don't want your money.
I don't want your crown.
See I have come to burn your kingdom down.
cut
All of a sudden the sound of engines filled the air and everyone looked up to see 6 Helicarriers hovering in the air with dozens of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents lowering themselves on roofs all around them.
Several familiar sounds had Steve looking up and his eyes widened when he saw Iron Man landing on the roof of Gringotts followed by no one else but Thor, Natasha, Clint and Sam.
An earsplitting roar had the Rebellion moving back while Hadrian, Steve and Bucky moved forward, and Hulk landed between them, leaving an indentation in the stone ground, before he straightened and roared.
Steve exchanged an almost terrified glance with an equally shocked Bucky before looking down at Hadrian who was smirking at the Minister.
"What do you think, Minister?" he asked almost slyly. "Will this be enough?"
cut
And now all your lies will be exorcised.
And we will find your saints to be canonized.
And it's an even sum.
It's a melody.
It's a battle cry.
It's a symphony.
cut
"Andy!" Steve snapped, but Bucky rushed to stop him by wrapping his arms around him, and both of them watched a green light rushing towards Hadrian, every single man and woman on the square holding their breaths, eyes widening when a huge shimmering shield appeared in fort of Hadrian who didn't even bother raising his arms, merely spreading them slightly by his sides, palms up, and the green light was absorbed into the shield, the creation wavering a bit before fading out.
"I've survived Voldemort's curse, Thresher," Hadrian bit out through clenched teeth, every muscle in that black clad body coiled for an attack. "Your curses can't harm me."
"THEN I'LL JUST TEAR YOUR HEART OUT!"
cut
Seven devils all around me.
Seven devils in my house.
See they were there when I woke up this morning
and I'll be dead before the day is done.
cut
"Remind me never to get on lover-boy's bad side," Bucky muttered to Steve, both of them staring in amazement as Hadrian fought to Minister, hardly putting any effort in the fight while the other man screamed and fired curses one after another with Hadrian either sidestepping them or practically waving them off.
The Aurors and Unspeakables, even the captain that just yesterday looked all high and mighty stepped back, staring in amazement at the more than impressive display of magic as Hadrian fought Thresher.
After a particularly nasty blood colored curse flew past Hadrian's head, the Savior sneered and raised his right arm, staring at Thresher with dark eyes.
"That will be enough."
cut
Seven devils all around you.
Seven devils in your house.
See I was dead when I woke up this morning,
and I'll be dead before the day is done.
cut
The heavy silence which settled over the square after the Minister fell on the ground was deafening.
"Anyone else?" Hadrian asked quietly as he slowly started to turn in his place, blazing emerald eyes glowing with a promise of death to anyone foolish enough to go against him. "Does anyone else wish to go against me?!"
The Aurors and Unspeakables started exchanging glances, looking to their Captains for instructions.
"Does anyone else think it would be smart to go against me?!" Hadrian thundered, making both allies and enemies take a step back, "Because I am warning you, you will all meet the same damn faith as this idiot!" He approached the line of Ministry Forces, all of them taking a step back from him.
Hadrian appeared somehow bigger than life, the air around him snapping with static electricity. "The men and women you see standing on your rooftops are all armed with technology you can't even imagine! One mark and they will shoot you down like the blind sheep that you are! Their suits are enforced with magic, and nothing short of a miracle will save you if you don't lower your wands right now and surrender peacefully!"
cut
They can keep me out,
'til I tear the walls,
'til I take your hearts,
'til I take your souls.
And what has been done
cannot be undone
in the evil's heart,
in the evil's soul.
cut
Hadrian came to a stop in front of Steve and Bucky, very aware of all the amazed stares aimed at his back. His viridian orbs looked at the Ministry Forces with hellish fire burning in them, and to everyone's surprise, one after another, wands started meeting the floor.
"Incredible," Bucky breathed out, the word drowned by a loud cheer of the crowd behind the Rebellion while S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents got off of the roofs and started arresting the unresisting Wizards.
"Gotta say, Parker," Steve and Bucky turned on their heels, Hadrian following at a slower pace when Nick Fury walked over to them. They noticed the rest of the Avengers joining their side, while Draco, Hermione, Teddy, Luna and Bill ran over, staring at Hadrian with amazement written all over their faces. "I'm surprised."
"That's a rare sight to see, I'm sure," Hadrian answered and Nick snorted, good eye checking Hadrian over.
"If only all battles were this easy, right?" Nick teased and Hadrian chuckled with a shake of his head.
"Well, I wouldn't say so. It definitely wasn't easy to bring in the Avengers and almost all of S.H.I.E.L.D. here," he drawled dryly and Nick snorted clapping Hadrian's back.
"Just remember our deal, Parker, and I want to see your report on my table at 7:00 hours our timeline," Nick stressed out making Hadrian smirk as they watched Nick walking away.
"So this is it?" Iron man landed beside Steve who raised an eyebrow at the multimillionaire. "I thought we were gonna fight!"
"Calm down, Stark," Clint drawled clapping Hadrian's back as he reached his side, Natasha and Bruce coming over, the gamma-scientist smiling shyly at Hadrian fully dressed since he went to shift back into human form when the Agents started rounding up the wizards and witches of the Ministry. "You owe me a drink, Andy."
"I know," Hadrian rolled his eyes at Clint, grinning when Sam landed beside them, his wings folding behind him. "Thank you all for coming," he said and bowed his head at Thor when the Norse God landed beside Bucky.
"There is no need to thank us, Hadrian Parker. You are a comrade of ours. I am sure that there will be many battles in the future where we will not be there only to scare a couple of Wizards and Witches away," Thor spoke dryly and Hadrian laughed.
"Harry?"
The Avengers and Bucky stepped away and Hadrian looked at Hermione when she, Draco, Teddy, Bill and Luna walked over to them.
Hadrian smiled at Hermione and enveloped her into a warm hug, trembling when she returned it weakly. He opened his eyes and looked at Teddy, raising one arm, and the teen ran to join the hug. Soon enough, Luna wrapped her arms around the three, leaning her head on Hadrian's back, and the raven haired wizard laughed when he saw Bill throw an arm around Draco's shoulders, pulling the struggling blond over to join the group hug.
Steve looked away from his lover, feeling like he was somehow intruding, only to raise his head when he felt a heavy metal arm on his shoulder, finding Bucky right there smiling at him reassuringly. Captain America looked at his own friends, at Tony, Natasha, Sam, Clint, Bruce and Bucky, and then smiled as he turned to look at Hadrian who was still enveloped from all sides in warm, loving hugs.
Hadrian thought he lost his friends forever, and yet, even though many weren't there anymore, those who were still remembered him, still loved him, still supported him. They were willing to fight beside him again, even though it could have cost them their lives.
Steve couldn't help but wonder what it was Hadrian had to promise to Nick for this huge favor the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. did to him, but right then at that moment, it didn't matter. When they finally broke apart Hadrian looked at Steve, smiling at the captain blissfully, although Steve could see in those amazing viridian orbs a sort of sadness, and his heart ached for his lover, even though he didn't know what made Hadrian sad.
"What happens now?" Draco asked and Hadrian sighed.
"Now a group of Special Agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. will set up a base here in Diagon Alley, and the whole government will be reformed under their watch. From now on the Wizarding World will be watched by S.H.I.E.L.D. It doesn't promise that things like this will never happen again, but it will be more difficult for prejudice bastards to climb to power. And who knows! Maybe the Wizarding World will finally move past the dark ages!" Hadrian's words drew a laugh out of everyone.
"Does that mean that you'll be staying?" Teddy asked hopefully, and when Steve saw Hadrian's eyes fill with sadness again, he finally understood why it was there.
"No, Teddy. I'm sorry, but I don't have a life here anymore." The teen bowed his head sadly only to look up when Hadrian tugged him into a one armed hug. "But that doesn't mean that I won't pop over for lunch or dinner," he said, immediately drawing a grin on Teddy's face. "Besides, you have to get to know my better half, right?"
"Better half?" Teddy asked with wide eyes and Hadrian looked at Steve who was desperately trying to ignore the teasing grins on the faces of his own friends.
Steve cleared his throat and took a step closer to Hadrian. "Hi," he said in a slightly strained voice and waved his hand, feeling entirely too pathetic.
"Well, I'll be damned!" Bill grinned brightly, "Harry if I knew you swung that way I would have caught you ages ago!"
"Bill!" Hadrian snapped indignantly, blushing to the roots of his raven black hair.
"Although, judging by the coloring, I'd say Malfoy is more your type..."
"Bill!"
"But I gotta say, those muscles must feel reeeeeeaaaaly good."
"WILLIAM WEASLEY, I AM GOING TO GUT YOU!"
cut
Hadrian sighed as he threw a t-shirt into the washing machine, closed the door and started the program.
"Need any help?"
"FUCK!" Hadrian spun on his heel, managing to turn over a basked full of clothes and break a vase - what was a vase doing in the… oh yeah, he brought it there to wash it since something strange seemed to have gathered on the bottom since the flowers Steve bought him several weeks ago weren't taken out in time. Hadrian didn't really want to know what it was, but he would wash it before the thing on the bottom developed a consciousness.
Bucky stood in the doorway smiling sheepishly at Hadrian who ran his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath and looked at Bucky accusingly. "Don't startle me like that," he muttered as he snapped his fingers, putting everything in its proper place.
"Sorry. Thought you'd hear me enter," Bucky offered a smile and Hadrian huffed, rubbing his hands against his thighs in a nervous gesture completely out of character for the man Bucky knew, although to Hadrian's defense, Bucky only knew him as someone very protective of Steve and extremely frightening when angered, not as a man in his own home.
Hadrian nodded, accepting the apology and looked around the bathroom. "Did you need anything?" he asked and Bucky sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to another as he looked around the room.
"I - erm - I wanted to talk to you. Steve left to see Fury and I," he stopped, took a deep breath, and looked straight in Hadrian's eyes. "I just wanted to talk," he finished and Hadrian looked at him with an unreadable expression, or at least it looked so to Bucky.
"Come," the wizard said and walked past Bucky who followed after him, feeling entirely out of his depth.
They walked into the kitchen and Bucky took a seat at the table not knowing what else to do while Hadrian made his way over to the coffee maker, preparing two mugs and taking a carton of milk out of the fridge. Within minutes he prepared the coffee for them and joined Bucky at the table, looking straight at the Winter Soldier with his - while extremely expressive eyes to most - completely unreadable viridian orbs gazing right into Bucky's soul.
"What did you want to talk about?" Hadrian asked and Bucky took a deep breath.
"I heard you," he blurted out and Hadrian's eyebrows twitched up. "Before the whole Wizarding World mission. I heard you and Steve arguing."
"Oh," Hadrian muttered and frowned. Before Bucky could speak though, Hadrian sighed and straightened in the chair, holding the mug between both hands and looking into it as though he would find the words to say in the black liquid within. "Bucky, I want you to know that most of what I've told to Steve that day has nothing to do with you," Hadrian finally said and Bucky frowned at him, remembering fully what Hadrian had said. "I don't know how much Steve told you about me. Knowing him, he told you everything that was important, so I implore you to understand my standing in all of this. I know Steve loves you liked a brother. I know everything that transpired between the two of you, and I know how happy he is to have you back. I am also trying to understand why he let you into his life so quickly, even though - in all honesty - I don't trust you, but that is mostly because I don't personally know you…"
"I would never hurt him," Bucky whispered forcing himself to keep looking into Hadrian's eyes, even though the way they seemed to see right through to his soul made him feel uncomfortable. He felt like an open book in front of the wizard, as though Hadrian could see everything he has ever done, every thought he has ever had, every dream and nightmare he had dreamed. "I know that words mean little compared to actions, but I - I would never hurt him. Not again," he finished weakly, only to tense up when Hadrian smiled at him kindly.
"Then the two of us will get along just fine," Hadrian said and Bucky felt as though air was kicked out of his lungs.
"Yeah," Bucky said after a few long minutes and Hadrian laughed lightly. "We will."
cut
"Will you ever tell me what deal you made with Fury to make him gather everyone and their uncle for the attack on Diagon Alley?"
Steve's softly murmured question drew a smile to Hadrian's lips.
The two were lying snuggled together under the comforter in their bed, naked bodies still trembling for the passion and relief of their love making.
Hadrian turned around slowly to look at Steve, finding the Captain staring at him with a pleading expression.
"He made me sign a contract which binds me to S.H.I.E.L.D. for the next 10 years," Hadrian answered quietly, using his left arm as a pillow while he traced Steve's left shoulder with the tips of his fingers.
"And?" Steve urged making Hadrian laugh.
"And I had to agree that I would join the Avengers Initiative."
"What?" Steve muttered with a frown and Hadrian laughed quietly, leaning in to press a kiss to Steve's lips.
"You heard what I've said. I'm an Avenger now."
"Why would he do that?" Steve asked, raising his left hand to brush a raven strand behind Hadrian's ear.
"According to what he said, we never know what might hit the world in the future, and apparently, Natasha and Clint told him that my profile fits the requirements for the Avenger Initiative."
"So basically…"
"He didn't know how to ask so he blackmailed me into it," Hadrian finished for Steve.
"A-ha," the blond man muttered and Hadrian laughed, sealing his lips over Steve's in a loving kiss, humming when Steve pulled him flat against his body, and Hadrian happily snuggled against him, settling comfortably with a content hum.
Feeling Steve's twitching even though the first Avenger tried - really tried - to suppress it, Hadrian huffed and moved back a bit to look at Steve again, "What is it?"
Steve's lips tilted up into a sheepish smile. "I heard you talking with Bucky," he admitted and Hadrian frowned at him.
"But you weren't…"
"I forgot my wallet and came back, and I heard you, and then I left again so that you wouldn't figure it out," Steve blurted out and Hadrian sighed and rolled his eyes. He froze up when Steve leaned in and kissed him, only to moan and lean into his lover when Steve deepened the kiss. "Thank you," he murmured against Hadrian's lips. "Thank you for accepting him."
"He means a lot to you," Hadrian shrugged, tucking his head under Steve's chin in an attempt to hide the blush which covered his cheeks. "I mean - he really didn't know what he was doing. They used him. They took his life and will from him. And he's really willing to try and put it all behind because of you."
Steve kissed the top of Hadrian's head and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," he whispered and felt Hadrian tremble against him.
"Idiot," the wizard grumbled making Steve laugh.
"But I'm your idiot."
"Bloody right, you are."
cut
*Ready?*
Bucky snorted as the safety of his sniper-rifle clicked and he glanced across the warehouse from his place in the ventilation system, catching sight of Steve getting to his designated place. Even though he couldn't see it from where he was hiding, he knew Hadrian was waiting to move in after Steve and Bucky confirmed their positions.
"I'm starting to understand why you keep refusing to call Fury over for one of our movie nights," Bucky muttered into his communicator, hearing both Steve and Hadrian snort.
*When he stops sending us to Merlin forsaken parts of the world for missions, I might - just might - consider inviting him too. Until then he can bloody roast,* Hadrian's grumbling voice came over the line and Bucky rolled his eyes.
"Admit it, you're just bitter because we could have been in London having a gathering with Teddy and the others and instead we're in… where are we exactly? I only know we're somewhere in Cambodia."
*You're the one to talk,* Hadrian pressed out through his teeth. *Don't think I didn't notice you and Draco flirting like there was no tomorrow last time we visited.*
*Would both of you shut up? We have a mission to finish,* Steve's exasperated voice came over the line and Bucky smirked even though neither could see it.
"Draco's a good guy once you get past the arrogance, cockiness, sarcasm and irony," Bucky defended the blond Slytherin.
*So basically, you just ignore his whole personality,* Hadrian drawled.
*Guys!* Steve hissed and Bucky sighed, hearing Hadrian doing the same.
*Sorry, love,* the wizard apologized and Bucky snickered.
"He has you sooo wrapped around his pinky," he muttered laying flat in the tight vent-system and taking aim of one of the two guards standing at the entrance to the room Steve had to get in to while Hadrian took out the target.
*He has me wrapped around something alright,* Hadrian drawled and Bucky had to bite his tongue to stop himself from laughing when he saw Steve stumble.
*I don't know why I put up with the two of you,* Steve growled and Bucky got ready to shoot, snickering under his breath.
"You know you love us," Bucky smirked and heard Hadrian chuckle when they spoke those words at the same time.
*On my mark,* Steve hissed and Bucky focused, finger on the trigger as he took a deep breath.
*Don't miss,* Hadrian warned Bucky, and the Winter Soldier held his breath.
"I never miss."
*Mark.*
Two muffled gunshots echoed through the silence of the ventilation system and the corner of Bucky's lips tilted up when Steve passed the two now dead guards and slipped into the room.
*I'm in,* Steve reported, the door closing behind him, and Bucky quickly assembled his rifle.
*Rendezvous in 10,* Hadrian's voice followed.
"Confirmed," Bucky answered only to curse under his breath as he tried to turn around in the tight space without making too much noise. "Next time, Parker, you're the one crawling through this."
*Are you trying to say that I'm short?* the wizard hissed and Bucky winced.
"Delicate, Andy, delicate," he muttered, knowing how sensitive Hadrian was about his height since his partners were - for the lack of a better word - huge.
*Nice save,* Hadrian drawled sarcastically. *Go and set the explosives. Turning communication off. See you in 9.*
Bucky breathed out a sigh of relief and continued crawling through the thin tube.
"Mental that one," he bit out, "completely mental."
*I heard that.*
"Fuck!" Bucky hissed as he hit his head after startling at Hadrian's biting words. Bucky heard the tell tale sign of communication going off and sighed.
"Good thing he can't put me on the couch."
cut
Bucky spun on his heel, gun raised, only to relax and breathe out when he saw that it was Hadrian who startled him by stepping on a dry branch.
"Steve in sight?" the wizard asked as he crouched beside Bucky, keeping his eyes on the base they just raided.
"Not yet," Bucky answered, glancing at Hadrian when the wizard cursed under his breath, finding the raven haired man biting into his right thumb, eyes darting all over the base, eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "He'll be out in a minute."
Hadrian glanced at Bucky at the certainty in his tone and nodded, pressing a small button on his collar. "Natasha, pick up better be ready before this whole thing blows in our faces," he hissed into the communicator.
*Ready when you are,* Natasha's voice came over the com-line and Hadrian let go of a breath of relief, straightening when Steve ran out of the back entrance and hurried over to them, ducking into cover with a grin aimed at Bucky and Hadrian.
"This was easy!" Steve spoke breathlessly earning a grin from Bucky and a glare from Hadrian who - instead of gracing that with an answer - checked his wristwatch.
"Fireworks start in 3 minutes. Let's move," he murmured and they jumped to their feet, running as fast as they could to where Natasha was waiting to bring them home.
"FUCK!" Bucky cursed and the three spread out when bullets started flying.
"You just had to jinx it, didn't you?!" Hadrian snapped at Steve, ducking when a branch broke above him, avoiding it in time.
"Love you too, Andy!" Steve answered and Bucky laughed.
"Protego!" A shield spread out from Hadrian, covering the three. "2 minutes!" the wizard snapped.
"Was it right or left?!" Bucky called out after they passed a mark they made earlier.
"Left!"
"Right!"
Hadrian and Steve looked at one another wide-eyed before both looked at Bucky who grinned at them innocently.
*1 minute and counting! Where are you guys?!* Natasha's voice came over the line.
"LEFT!" The three shouted at the same time, counting seconds in their minds.
They would have sagged to the ground in joy when they ran onto a clearing and saw Natasha jumping into a helicopter waiting for them.
12
11
10
"Was fucking time!" Natasha snapped at them as they jumped into the helicopter one by one, immediately rushing to their seats and buckling the seatbelts.
7
6
"Just fly!" Hadrian snapped as he stared out the hatch at the bad guys running towards them, shooting at the helicopter.
"On it!" Natasha answered and the helicopter slowly started to rise. "Hold on boys, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!"
2
1
The explosion flattened the forest with the ground, and only years of experience Natasha had brought them safely above the shockwave which rushed through the forest.
Minutes later all four of them started breathing again, sagging in their seats and Steve grinned brightly. "Well! That was…"
"Say fun and I'm going to castrate you," Hadrian bit out only to ad, "permanently."
Bucky paled glancing at Steve who just shook his head, telling Bucky to just be quiet.
"How can castration not be permanent?" Natasha wondered aloud, voicing Bucky's thoughts, and Hadrian just groaned and hit his head back against the metal wall of the helicopter.
"Can you just take us home? I need a shower," the wizard moaned.
"I'm taking you to headquarters first. Nick wants your reports immediately," Natasha answered in an apologizing, sympathetic tone, wincing when she heard Hadrian hitting his head again.
"He so owes me," Hadrian grumbled while Steve and Bucky snickered.
"Come on, Andy. We get this done, Tash drops me off at Draco's, and you and Steve can have the apartment aaaall for yourselves for a few days," Bucky drawled teasingly.
"Are you forgetting that you're still under parole and Steve's your legal guardian?" Hadrian glared at Bucky who grinned at him innocently.
"What could I ever do while in the company of the Minister of Magic?" The Winter Soldier asked and Hadrian snorted.
"With Draco? I don't know, set the world on fire?"
"Since neither one of them even knows how to work a stove, I don't believe we have to worry about that," Steve muttered dryly.
"True," Hadrian agreed with a shrug, "and a weekend alone does sound good," he added with a leering grin aimed at Steve who returned it equally, both of them ignoring Bucky making gagging motions and Natasha smirking at them through the reflection in the rearview mirror. "As a matter of fact, why don't we start right away," as he was finishing that sentence Hadrian already unbuckled his seatbelt.
"Hadrian, what are you…"
"Good luck handing in that report, Bucky!" Hadrian grinned, unbuckling Steve's seatbelt with a snap of his fingers. "Buh-bye!" He wiggled his fingers at Bucky who was gaping at him and Steve who merely shrugged apologetically before both he and Hadrian disappeared with a pop.
Bucky took a deep breath and sagged in his seat.
"So!"
"No," Natasha cut him off sharply, even though the corners of her lips were tilting up.
"Not even a liiiitle detour?" Bucky was not below begging.
"No."
But he was below whining. "Pleeeeaaase?" Or not.
"No."
The Winter Soldier huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
A moment later a devious smirk tilted his lips.
"I'll buy you a whole bottle of Firewhiskey," he drawled looking over his shoulder at the rearview mirror meeting Natasha's eyes for a mere second before she looked away.
"No."
"Two bottles?"
"No."
"Four?"
"No."
"A carton?"
Bucky knew he was swaying Natasha's resolve when he was answered with silence. He grinned at her when she glanced at him, knowing he won.
"Two cartons and you're taking Clint's mission next week," Natasha bargained and Bucky's grin grew.
"Deal!" He relaxed in his seat, inwardly cheering.
"You do realize that Hadrian and Steve just might kill you."
"Oh fuck."
cut
(1) Satellite, sung by Rise Against, written by Z. Blaire, J. Principe, T. McIlrath and B. Brandon, published by LYRICS © SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
(2) Seven Devils, sung by Florence and the Machine, written by F. M. L. Welch and P. Epworth, published by LYRICS © UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING
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That's it folks! I really do hope you liked it!
Please, leave a review! You are all the best readers a writer can ask for! Thank you for all your encouraging reviews and support. You make my life a little easier to bear.
All my love,
Ms. Yuki