Author's Note: Originally, I had no plans of adding to the Leave It At That storyline until I'd finished Empire. However, I decided to participate in Hermione's Haven #RollaADrabble and was prompted Loki + War. Well, my muse could find no better way to go than into my OTP's past in regards to that tale. Lucky you! I hope you like this view into Loki and Hermione's past and my reveal of the reason Hermione betrayed him in the first place! If you haven't yet read Leave It At That, you can either read it before or after this! I can't wait to see what you think!

Thank you starrnobella for beta/alpha reading this. Any other mistakes you find are definitely my own. Much love, xxDustNight

Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to those at Marvel Studios, Warner Brothers, or J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

All Is Fair
Pairing: Hermione Granger/Loki Laufeyson
Rating: T
Summary: Hermione learns a secret about Loki and finds that even though it's bound to ruin their lives, a broken heart may be easier to handle than fighting an all-out war.
Prompt: Hermione/Loki + War

. . . .

All Is Fair

"Let's go and catch us a monster and leave it at that…"

Numb. That was how Hermione felt staring at the newspaper clippings she held within her shaking hands. Staring at the photographs, there was no denying the evidence. The proof was in the research, and it broke her heart more than she could articulate at the present moment. Instead, she crumpled up the papers and turned her back on Harry.

"There has to be some sort of mistake. That can't be him." Moving to sit on the edge of her sofa, she set aside the clippings and stared up at Harry with hopeful eyes. "Please, tell me there's been a mistake."

Adjusting his glasses, Harry frowned and felt his own heart break for the witch in front of him. "It's not a mistake, Hermione. I've already looked into it. Everything suggests that Loki is, in fact, the monster that helped bring terror to New York."

"There's no way…" Hermione trailed off, not quite knowing what to say. She knew she was grasping at straws, but she couldn't believe the man she loved was some sort of magical, alien god! Especially not one that inadvertently killed numerous people for the sake of trying to conquer the world. "Loki… He's not like that… He's- He loves me."

"Which is why I came to you first, so you can do the right thing and put an end to his charade," Harry told her, although he knew she wouldn't be so willing. "If we don't hand him over to the Avengers, it's going to be an all out war to find him. Who knows what could happen? Do you understand?"

Closing her eyes, Hermione felt the first of the tears begin to fall. "Where did you find the papers?" she asked, needing to know how the end began.

"I didn't. Ron found the papers in Arthur's garage," Harry explained, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew how affected his best friend was going to be by this knowledge. Things didn't end well between his two friends and it always seemed to be a sore spot for her.

"Of course he did," she snapped with irritation. "He never liked Loki and made that obvious. He was clearly looking for some reason to force us apart."

"It's not like that," Harry interjected, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder and squeezing gently. "We all felt there was something off about Loki from the very beginning. Now, we know why. Ron cares about you as a friend. He doesn't want to see you hurt."

"No, he wants to see us back together…." Hermione grumbled, shrugging her shoulder and forcing Harry to let go of her. Placing her face in both hands, she said, "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Loki has to be turned in," Harry stated simply, backing away from the couch and crossing his arms. "I know it. You know it. It's the right thing to do. The Avengers… They're looking for him and only you can tell them where he's at right now."

"I can't-" she started, shaking her her head furiously but Harry cut her off.

"You have to!" he yelled, losing his cool. Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to calm himself before speaking again. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to get upset, but I worry for your safety."

"He's never harmed me and never would. I love him," she whispered to the floor, tears beginning to well in her eyes. Lifting her gaze, she tried not to look like the world was crumbling around her, but she totally failed.

"I know you do and that's why you need to do this. If you don't, it's only going to be worse for him." Harry didn't startle at the sudden knock on the door, but Hermione did. At her accusing look, he gave an apologetic smile. "Please, Hermione," Harry pleaded, moving to open the door for whoever waited on the other side. "You have to tell us where he's hiding."

"Who is 'us'?" she asked quietly, standing as Harry reached for the doorknob. Her answer came in the form of one Tony Stark as he was revealed on the other side of the door. "Damn it, Harry," she muttered as the supposed leader of the Avengers entered her living room. There would be no keeping secrets from this man.

"Ms. Granger," Stark said with a nod as the door shut behind him. "I've been told you know the current whereabouts of a certain God of Mischief." Instead of replying, Hermione merely stood and glared at the multi-billionaire. Crossing his arms, Stark sighed heavily and said, "Okay, we can do this the easy way where you tell me where that monster is hiding or the hard way. You know, we arrest you and force you to talk."

"There's no need for that," Hermione whispered, already starting to hate herself. "I'll tell you where he is." She was going to regret this, but Harry was right. They needed to do the right thing. She loved Loki with all her heart but if he still posed a risk to Earth, he needed to be apprehended. At least until his intentions for remaining here were made explicitly clear.

"Fantastic," Stark said, clapping his hands together. "Where's he at?"

"At a cabin in the woods just north of the city," Hermione revealed, a chill traveling up and down her spine. Ignoring the trepidation she felt, she added, "But please, let me go to him first before you arrest him. I have to know the truth from his own mouth."

"We suspected as much," Stark replied with a smirk. "That's why we've already sent a team out to the location. We just needed confirmation." As he said this, he tapped at a few buttons on a tablet he'd extracted from the inside of his suit jacket.

"What!?" Hermione shrieked looking back and forth from Stark's smug face to Harry's guilty one. "You bastards," she grumbled before extracting her wand from her pocket and immediately apparating to the cabin Loki lived.

Upon arrival, she knew something had gone terribly wrong. The cabin was on fire, quickly deteriorating before her very eyes. Panic flooded her body, forcing her to run toward the massacre. There were a few bodies strewn about, clearly not dead but rather unconscious. She suspected they were the team Stark sent ahead of her betrayal.

Somehow, Loki had fought off his would be captors. Taking a deep breath, Hermione tried to calm herself. He was still there, she could sense his magic now that she knew he was magical. He must have been hiding it from her all this time. Another wave of hurt flooded her body and it was then that she noticed her lover standing in the smoldering rose garden. The one they had planted together mere weeks before…

Stepping forward, she reached out to him, a sob bubbling out of her throat. "Loki-"

"You betrayed me," Loki said without emotion, sidestepping her touch. He moved around her, no longer trapped between her body and the smoldering cabin.

"I didn't mean for this to happen… You lied to me," she sobbed, her words nearly unrecognizable.

"I am not the monster they believe me to be," Loki said coldly. "I thought you of all people would be able to see that. Have I not shown you that I am trustworthy and worthy of your love?"

His words broke something inside of her, fury spilling forth and masking every other emotion. "You lied to me, Loki! I trusted that you wouldn't lie to me about anything, let alone something like this." When Loki did nothing but stare at her with his cold, emerald eyes, she stormed forward and pounded her fists against his chest. "Say something!"

"No, Hermione I trusted you," he whispered with hatred and disappointment lacing every word before turning his back on her. "I'm not the monster I used to be. If you look into your heart, you will see that. Farewell." Without looking backward, Loki walked away from her, seemingly forever. Into the darkness he vanished, leaving Hermione standing there with tears trailing down her round cheeks and a pain in her chest.

Frustrated, Hermione raked a hand through her tousled curls and turned away from where Loki disappeared. Before her, their cabin lay in ruins, the fire consuming the remains of the place where the two had lived and loved. But Loki had lied… He had lied about who and what he was, giving her false hopes and dreams of a future together. Even though it made her heart ache, she knew it must be for the best.

Despite her most desperate desire that he wasn't the monster the world made him out to be, there was no denying the simple facts. Loki was a liar and a monster and he would only bring chaos and war to the world she had risked her life to save just years before. It didn't matter that she loved him. All that mattered now was that justice was served for the havoc he had wrought upon New York.

After all, all is fair in love and war, and Hermione was always one to do the right thing.

Wasn't she?