Target: Lord Potter-Black

Mission: Recruit

Name: Harry James Potter

D.O.B.: 07/31/1980

Family: Deceased

Character Assessment: Will not attack unless first threatened or engaged

Threat level: Unknown

WARNING: Target dangerous

Natasha Romanov felt like - and she would have if she wasn't a trained assassin, and very accomplished at not showing her emotions - sighing. Drawing in a long breath and letting it out as if it would expel all the stress and tension in her body. If she thought it might actually produce results, she would have been more tempted.

As it was she remained straight backed in her uncomfortable economy grade seat and reread the file on her latest mission. Lord Potter-Black. On paper he looked like your typical rich political figure, but, she mused, she should really know by now that people were rarely even remotely like what they seemed.

Fury had personally handed her this assignment, stressing how important it was that he be onboard with SHIELD, even as a consultant. Natasha wondered, as she committed his face to memory, why the Director wanted him so badly. Black hair, green eyes, early 30s with round glasses and an oddly shaped scar on his forehead. There were no notes on his powers in her folder.

That to some people might be ominous, going in with no idea of their opponent's strength, but it was normal for the Black widow. She was trained for this kind of mission. Her estimation was less than a week to find him, track him, organise a meeting and then convince him to join SHIELD. Then it would be straight back to training with Clint and simple in-and-out missions.

Two weeks later, Natasha collapsed on her lumpy hotel bed exhausted, frustrated, and just a little impressed. Her target had definitely received a high level of training and knew how to use it. He seemed to be almost instantly aware when he was being tailed, whether she played civilian or went along rooftops. She had even tried security cameras, but any time there should have been footage of him coincided with a blip in the recording. Either he was bribing every security guard in London, or something else was going on.

Her phone beeped in her pocket and she slowly sat up before looking at it, which was about as far as she went when showing reluctance. The alert was from the sensors (not cameras, they shorted out in the first day) that she'd placed outside Potter cottage. Typing out an update to Fury, she dressed in her dress and blazer - suitable for a business woman on her way to the office. Target moving.

Carefully she followed him through London, winding between crowds and blending in just as perfectly. She's so cautious, she thinks for once she might have gone undetected. The man stops right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in London, letting himself be buffeted by the tide. Tilting his head he seems to be deliberating between entering the CD shop to his left or the book shop to his right. After a few more seconds he entered the bookshop.

Normally Natasha would buy a coffee, pick a table with a view of the street and pretend to be working. But this had been her routine for two weeks and it was becoming tedious. Besides the shop looked deserted and it was as good a place as any to have a private meeting.

Standing she quickly gouged a path across the street and pushed open the door, wincing as the bell jingled merrily. With silent steps she made her way through the store, spotting a head of messy raven hair at the back of the shop, pouring over a thick tolme. Stealthily she slipped down the aisle behind him, looking through a gap in the shelves at his back. He wasn't particularly tall, with only a couple of inches on her, and through his crisp grey suit it was clear that he was strong but not bulky.

Suddenly all his muscles tensed, coiling like a wire ready to release and Natasha thought that might be how her own muscles looked when she was ready to strike. Well, or bite. But his words knocked her out of her thoughts, as well as the breath out of her lungs.

"I know you're there, whoever you may be." Her hand flew to her left collarbone and her sharp intake of breath gave away her position. Natasha didn't see as he whirled around to face her, she was blinded by a memory of herself at 11, standing in front of her mirror, reading her words for the first time. Scrawled across her skin in a curious scratching cursive were the first words her soulmate would speak to her; I know you're there whoever you may be.

Those words had been removed during her time in the Red Room, along with her chance at family and her belief in love. So she forced herself to carry on with her mission, and walked confidently down her aisle, rounding the end to face him.

"Well this is an unexpected complication." Her target - Natasha refused to think of him as anything else - reacted less strongly than she did. His eyes widened and he moved into a defensive stance, hand hovering over his pocket. Natasha fell into her own, admiring the way he didn't let this revelation faze him.

"Who do you work for and what do you want?" If he didn't believe in the soulmate connection, was as sceptical as she was, then maybe they could ignore this. She could sign him up as a consultant, head back to SHIELD and never have to see him again. She hated the tiny part of her, the child that never was, that wanted to never leave him.

"Natalia Romanova, Agent of SHIELD, I was sent to recruit you." Natasha blinked surprised at herself, she hadn't given anyone her true name in years. What's more she'd revealed her mission, putting SHIELD at risk. Harry slowly stood up straight again, showing he wasn't going to attack.

"Muggles," he muttered under his breath, Natasha wasn't sure what that meant, so she stayed silent. "So, you really are my soulmate, eh?" He looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his neck. Natasha nodded, ignoring the war raging inside of her. She wanted to shout at him that she didn't care, she wanted to run to him, she wanted to never have met him. Why was it that she could never have what she wanted?

"Why would you think I wasn't? I wasn't aware you could fake that kind of thing." He chuckled lowly, and Natasha saw a flash of a different, much older, man in his features.

"If you want to give this a chance, you're going to find out many things you weren't aware of." That reminded her of Fury, and his interest, and a wave of fear for her soulmate stole through her. What was Fury planning for him? Natasha shook herself, that was irrational, the Director didn't even know this man's threat level. But that meant interrogation and she didn't want to watch that, didn't know how cooperative this man - her man - would be.

"Are you going to come with me?" She hated the note of panic that crept into her voice.

"SHIELD. That's American right? So, you're American?"

"Russian, or I was."

"Oh." He seemed to be panicking slightly himself, reaching up to flatten his hair over his scar. Natasha filed it as a nervous tick. "Listen," He closed the gap between them, gently taking her hands in both of his, she tried to ignore how right it felt, tried to remember her mission, but she could feel her resolve slipping away."As much as I hate it you have to know. I'm not an easy, or safe, man to know. And I'm kind of feeling sorry for you for ending up with me to be-" she pulled a hand free to place it on his lips, not wanting to hear this.

She didn't believe in soulmates. She didn't believe in a magic solution. People lied, people cheated, people died. She didn't believe in it, but she wanted it. So she pushed aside her training and her mission. And for the first time Natasha took what she wanted.

"I come with my own issues. But we don't have time for this now. SHIELD hardly knows anything about you, so if you come with me it's going to be hell for a few weeks."

"I'm not a big fan of being ordered around by agencies." Subconsciously he rubbed the back of his left hand, and Natasha had to squeeze her eyes shut at the scars. I must not tell lies.

"We don't have many options. I'm on this mission until I bring you in, or you don't exist anymore. So I'm going to walk out of here and pretend this never happened." When Harry looked like he would protest she added, "Don't worry, I'll come to your place tonight."

"How do you?" She gave him a look. "Oh, never mind. See you tonight, Natalia Romanova." She stared after him as he left, feeling the pull to run after him, to hold on and never let go. Feeling a connection which she never believed was real, and wondering if it would ever be back to training with Clint and simple in-and-out missions. If anything would ever be the same again.

This will be two or three parts long. I've recently become obsessed with soulmate fics, so if there's any pairing you want review or PM me with it and I'll try and do it. My fandoms are Avengers, Harry Potter, Sherlock and Doctor Who. I wrote this late at night then decided to change it slightly because someone pointed out how OOC it was, hope you like it better this way x

Thanks

Em