Author's Note – Struggled over this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Many Meetings

Her first couple of weeks passed in a blur. Darcy felt like her brain had been overfilled and wrung out. Between determining the quickest routes between important locations, learning to time the stairs so they would be moving when she needed them to be, and finding out Jane remained as bad as ever about getting caught up in her studies – it turned into an insane learning curve. She also tried to keep up with Betty, making a point of talking to the Ravenclaw student whenever they happened upon each other. She firmly intended to figure out a way to make it more deliberate and less happenstance, but she needed some free time first.

None of that even touched on her classes.

She enjoyed Transfiguration. The very concept of being able to change one thing into another sparked all kinds of fun ideas in her mind. If she could get Jane to agree, they might be able to do something about the bullies down the road. Beyond that though, Professor Hill challenged them every day and Darcy thrived under that kind of system. She loved pushing limits.

Charms with Professor Grey, History of Magic with Professor Richards, and Herbology with Professor Salis were okay, but they would never make her favorites list. Professor Grey was kind of too good to be true while Professor Richards droned. Professor Salis…well, he was just strange.

Professor Coulson, on the other hand, was awesome. Defense Against the Dark Arts easily ranked in the top three of her favorite classes. Coulson insisted on doing 'lab' work. (She cornered Jane after her first class to find out what he meant by that. Turned out it was an odd Muggle phrase for practical application…who knew? She still didn't get how that translated, but whatever.) Even better, he was teaching them non-magical self-defense.

"Why are we learning this?" Jean-Paul groused. "We've got wands and magic. Who needs to learn this Muggle stuff?"

"If someone truly intends to attack you, they are unlikely to issue you a challenge and then wait for you to draw your wand," Professor Coulson replied calmly. "They will try and take you by surprise. If that works, then you will be defeated before you ever get the opportunity to use your magic. Learning self-defense is not about defeating an enemy. It is about gaining enough time and space to make a decision that could save your life. It is about buying time to escape, to fight, or to call for reinforcements." He lifted one brow at the still glowering student. "It will also count for a third of your grade, Mr. Beaubier, so I would recommend you put more effort into your work."

Yep, definitely one of her favorites.

She loved flying, and Professor Storm did a great job of making the class fun even for students like her who already knew what they were doing. He also liked to flirt a lot with the female professors, and that could be kind of 'ick'. Potions was another fun class, although she made sure to sit next to the door. It was an effort to be closest to the nearest escape if things went sideways – which she had every expectation of seeing happen. Professor McCoy was nice and all, but he had that crazy-eyed 'what would happen if' look her aunt would get before trying some weird new recipe in the kitchen. At least Aunt Eve might smoke up the house before taking them all out for dinner. Professor McCoy might actually blow something up and she wanted to have a chance at escaping.

Her last class of the day was Astronomy with Professor Selvig. She knew him, of course. Jane wanted to do an apprenticeship with him after she graduated from Hogwarts, so Darcy got to hear all about him long before she came to the school. He even visited a time or two over the past summer. Astronomy wasn't really one of her favorite classes, but she made an extra effort to do her best. She wanted to do whatever she could to help Jane, and if that meant taking the class a bit more seriously, then so be it.

Professor Howlett remained one of the best in her mind, even if she didn't have his class yet. She wouldn't be able to take Care of Magical Creatures until third year. He didn't seem to mind her dropping by during her free time though. And the creatures he showed her! The hippogriffs and nifflers were fantastic, and they liked her, so they would stay reasonably still to let her sketch them. Professor Howlett asked her to do extras of various parts of their anatomy so he could use them in class. He ranked right behind Coulson in her favorites so far.

Now she hurried towards the library. She wanted to roust out Jane and Betty so they actually ate lunch. They had skipped breakfast again. While she wasn't quite sure about Betty, she knew darn well Jane would forget food until she dropped. What was it with geniuses and the lack of self-awareness? She rushed around the corner.

"Oof!" she cried out, falling backwards as she bounced off someone coming the other way. Strong hands caught her and held her steady until she found her balance once more. "Thank you," she blinked, tossing a brilliant smile at the boy in front of her. "I am so sorry about that. I shouldn't have been going so fast."

"Are you okay?" he asked, eyeing her carefully. He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't exactly watching where I was going."

"I'm fine," she laughed. Then her head tilted and she looked him over. Rumpled clothes, fluffy hair, and a little pale…she recognized him from somewhere. Her brain flipped through the past couple of weeks to figure it out. He stepped back, his face going a trifle nervous. Suddenly the images clicked. "Hey! You were sitting with Jane at the Sorting!"

"Jane Foster?" He frowned, more in curiosity than confusion because he continued with, "Yes, I was. We're study partners in a couple of classes."

"Great!" Her smile grew a smidgeon brighter and he blinked. "I'm her cousin, Darcy Lewis," she explained. "I'm on my way to gather her up for lunch."

"Oh, right, she told us about you," he nodded. "I'm Bruce, Bruce Banner. Lunch?"

"If I don't pull her out of the library, she'll probably forget to eat altogether and one of these days she'll just fall over from hunger. Now she's dragging Betty with her and I won't have it." Her nose wrinkled as she considered it. One insane genius should be enough for any girl to handle, but no, Darcy has to go make friends with another one.

"What happened to breakfast?" Bruce asked, his brow knotting in confusion.

Darcy gaped at him. "Seriously? Is that like a serious question?"

"Um...yes?"

"Another one," she muttered in astonishment. Then she pinned him with a direct gaze. "What did you eat for dinner last night?"

"Um…"

"Stop!" She flung her arms up. "Just stop. Okay, come on." Grabbing one of his arms, she started dragging him along with her towards the library. Fortunately he let her; she didn't think she could have pulled him along if he got stubborn. "We are going to pull Jane and Betty away from whatever studies are currently nibbling on their brains and then we are going to all go down for food." A thought occurred to her. She tossed him a frown over her shoulder. "Anybody else got a habit of skipping meals so they can stuff their minds?"

"Tony, maybe," he offered. He still appeared confused, but now he was studying her as though she were some unknown type of being.

"Really?"

"Probably, but it's possible he has Jarvis bringing him food," Bruce shrugged. "He doesn't usually show up in the Great Hall except at the major feasts."

"Who is Jarvis?" Darcy lifted a brow.

"Tony's house-elf."

"House-" She stopped and then started nodding in understanding. "Oh, yes, right…Stark. They would have an extra house-elf to send off to school."

"Extra?"

"Let me guess," she smiled as they reached the library doors. "Muggle-born?" He nodded and she sighed. "The Stark family is pureborn and one of, if not the richest Wizarding families in the entire country. So yes, they probably have several, more than enough to spare one for their son here. Come on." She pushed open the doors, keeping one hand on his arm to make sure he followed her. Not that she couldn't find him again, but it would be easier to herd them if they all started off within reach. Her eyes scanned the room slowly, looking for the right light brown and deep brunette shades bent over this or that book. It took a moment, but she finally spotted them in a back corner. "Ha!"

The librarian, Mr. Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, but shook his head with a smile when she gave him her best cheeky grin. He liked her – she usually sat and quietly sketched. So if she went a little overboard once in a great while, he wouldn't raise a fuss unless she started to put his beloved books and scrolls at risk. She waved and then made straight for the other two girls. "I need three hands," she huffed as she came up beside them.

Betty looked up immediately. "What?" She blinked. "Oh, hi Darcy. What's wrong?" Her smile gentled some as she spotted the slightly shell-shocked boy behind her friend. "Hi, Bruce."

"Hey," he nodded to her, shuffling a little.

Darcy ignored the interaction and poked her cousin. "Jane."

"G'way, Darce," Jane muttered.

"Nope, time for lunch."

"In a few minutes."

Darcy's eyes narrowed, but a group of people walked up at that moment. She glanced around and smiled. "Hey Bucky, Steve…and friend." The new girl seemed to be around the same age as Steve and Bucky, but she was wearing Slytherin colors.

"Darcy," Bucky nodded. "This is Peggy Carter."

Peggy smiled, holding out a hand to shake. "How do you do, Miss…?"

"Thrilled, charmed, and nice to meet you," Darcy breezed, accepting the offered hand. "Call me Darcy."

"Peggy, then, please."

"Great! Can I borrow the boys?" Darcy asked.

Peggy blinked, a startled laugh escaping from her. "I suppose," she replied, bewilderment entering her gaze.

"Don't we get a say in this?" Steve wondered, but his lips twitched.

"Nope," Darcy chirped. "Bucky, you're in charge of Betty. Steve, you and Peggy make sure we don't lose Bruce." She pointed to the boy behind her before rubbing her hands together. "I've got the hard job." She turned back to her cousin. The low conversation around her nearly distracted her from trying to persuade Jane to take a break.

"I don't even know what's going on," Bruce muttered.

"Join the club," Steve replied.

Betty giggled. "It's Darcy," she said softly. "Just go with it. I think we're going to lunch."

The group fell silent for several long minutes as Darcy and Jane continued to have a hushed argument.

"Lunch?" Bucky finally asked softly. "This is about lunch?"

"And how would we 'lose' Bruce over lunch?" Peggy added.

"Because obviously he's a lot like Jane," Darcy huffed and tossed them a look as she finally managed to get Jane moving towards the door. Betty covered her mouth to keep from laughing, but the others still looked perplexed. Darcy rolled her eyes. "His brain talks too loud for his stomach to get a word in edgewise and he's going to keel over before he remembers he has to eat something."

"I am not that bad!" Jane hissed at her.

"You had to go to St. Mungo's twice over the summer because Uncle Harry and Aunt Eve found you passed out in your room," Darcy sniffed disdainfully as she led her out of the library. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the others were following. "So," she said in a normal voice once more, "will anybody freak if I sit with you? I'm not going to leave you lot to your own devices."

"We'll grab an end of one, shall we?" Peggy said. When Darcy lifted a brow at her, she just smiled. "This is the most fun I've had today. Besides I enjoy keeping my house guessing. Silly, the whole group of them."

"She doesn't like the House system," Steve explained, fighting a grin.

"Actually," she corrected, "I would not mind at all if it were a simple matter of competition….sportsmanlike and civilized. It is the divisive prejudice I dislike. The fostering of hatred and superiority is unconscionable."

"She also likes to use big words and impress with her vocabulary," Bucky pointed out in a droll voice.

The entered the Great Hall, bickering and teasing back and forth. Heads turned and eyes narrowed as the entire group moved to the end of the Hufflepuff table and sat down. Almost immediately a Ravenclaw student stood up and strolled over.

"Interesting seating arrangement," Tony Stark sat down beside Bruce. "I like it." His gaze combed each face. "So, study group? Quidditch wagering? Rebellion in the works?"

"Nope," Darcy replied. "Just lunch."

"Well that's boring," he told her.

"Only if you're the one passing out," she shot back. "Everybody else has to deal with panicking people, unhappy professors, and long lectures. In order to avoid all of the above, we are having lunch."

"Pushy know-it-all first year, aren't you?"

His mocking voice caused Steve and Bucky to come to their feet, protests visible on their faces. Jane's lips folded, but she stayed seated. Darcy waved the boys back down and smiled at Jane before turning a sharp gaze on Tony's smirking face. "You joined us," she reminded him. "If you don't want to do things our way, there's a whole table over there. Go have a seat. Over here, the geniuses are going to eat because if they don't they pass out, get forgetful, or," and here her eyes speared him directly, "turn in to snobby brats." Folding her arms over her chest, she lifted her chin. "I may only be a first year, but I've got more common sense than you four put together."

He frowned and opened his mouth. Before he could speak, he flinched. His eyes flew towards Jane to find his fellow Ravenclaw scowling at him. "Shut up, Stark," she told him. "Don't you dare insult my cousin again or I will sabotage every experiment you do between now and Christmas."

"You kicked me!"

"Yes, and I'll do it again if you're not careful," she warned him.

"Huh." His eyes narrowed and he looked over the whole group once more, taking in the various expressions. Then he shrugged and grinned. "You people are fun. Is this going to become a thing?"

"Two meals a day," Darcy decreed.

"Who made you the boss anyway?" he asked even as the food appeared on the table.

"She did," Darcy pointed at Jane. "Over the summer. I added Betty after I realized Jane was going to convert her to her wicked ways. Added Bruce a bit ago when he was startled it was lunch time and wanted to know what had happened to breakfast."

"Okay," Tony shrugged again before starting to eat, pointing out some strange equations on his parchment to Bruce and Jane.

"Guess he's staying," Steve blinked.

"That's Stark for you," Bucky chuckled. "Always got to be a pain in the ass before he acts normal."

"Language," Darcy poked him in the shoulder, eyes sliding towards Betty who looked flustered.

"Don't mind them," Peggy told the younger girl as she patted Betty's arm. "They enjoy running their mouths a little too much. It makes them careless."

Darcy repressed a laugh as the two Gryffindor boys started arguing and Peggy riposted easily. She began to eat, keeping one eye on her cousin who had stuck her nose into Tony and Bruce's conversation. As she watched, she caught Bucky slipping extra treats to Betty while Steve made sure Tony's plate stayed in front of him whenever the Ravenclaw boy tried to make more room for his diagrams. She relaxed even further when Peggy convinced Bruce to try some new offerings that just arrived on the table.

Cool – geniuses fed and in record time. She should have thought of reinforcements before now…of course, she didn't actually have any before now, but…well, at least now there's a potential there. Though, really, when it was only Jane, she could handle it, but with Betty and Bruce and now Tony Stark it seemed…wait a minute.

How did she manage to get into the middle of this again?

Later that day she found herself following Steve and Bucky down one of Hogwarts' apparently endless number of corridors. Steve wanted to show her something and Bucky insisted on tagging along. They acted like the twins back in London. Neither of them went anywhere without the other. It was a thing – if you found Steve, you found Bucky…and the reverse was true as well.

"Okay, punk, where are we going again?" Bucky demanded. "We could be headed for the Quidditch field."

Steve tossed a half-hearted glare at him. "You didn't have to come," he pointed out. "Darcy asked if there was a good spot where she could get a better view of the grounds for her sketching. It's one of the best locations."

"Yeah," Bucky scowled, "until Selvig catches us up there. He's not really sure he likes us, you know."

"You shouldn't have pranked his telescope," Steve pointed out.

"He's Jane's favorite," Darcy piped up at that moment. They both stopped and turned to stare at her. She almost stumbled into them before blinking in confusion. "What?"

"Selvig is her favorite?" Bucky demanded. "He's…um…"

"Well, he's a little…" Steve's voice trailed off and the boys exchanged a look.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she sighed. "But he's Jane's favorite and he's really kind of nice when he's not being all weird about stars and charts and whatever. Prank Professor Richards or Mr. Summers next time." She took a breath, but stopped when a strange sound caught her attention. "Did you hear that?"

All three students turned to look back down the hallway. Darcy could feel the two boys step closer to her. The sound came again and this time Bucky and Steve stiffened for a moment before tearing down the hallway towards the noise. "Hey!"

Bucky glanced back over his shoulder. "Stay there!"

"Yeah, right!" She began chasing after them, not bothering to try catching them, but at least wanting to keep them in sight.

The sounds grew louder as they drew closer and Bucky put on more speed even as Steve had to slow down. Darcy caught up with him as he leaned against the wall for a moment to breathe. She hovered while he coughed, trying to catch his breath, and they could hear Bucky arguing with someone although none of the words were clear. He straightened after several long moments. "Come on," he said, hitching a shoulder. "We better find Bucky."

"Follow the scuffle?" she smirked.

They continued, slower this time, but still as determined. Rounding a last corner they found Bucky standing protectively over a slumped figure while he faced down a trio of students, two Slytherins and one Ravenclaw.

"Oh, look," the apparent leader of the group sneered. "I believe your backup has arrived - firstling girl and the sickly Rogers. How appropriate."

"Shut up, Odinson," Bucky snarled. Something cold and almost frightening crossed his face. The other boys hesitated.

"Hey, you're that pure-blood fanatic from the train," Darcy blurted out, suddenly remembering the incident on the Express.

"And you are the foolish little girl who thinks blood purity means nothing," he sneered.

"Meet Loki Odinson," Steve told Darcy with a hard edge in his voice. "Blood purist and bully."

"That much I'd guessed," she told him, stepping a little further away from the boy in question. Her gaze turned to the boy Bucky was protecting. He was slowly pulling himself up, one arm bracing his ribs. Blazing blue eyes connected with hers – he might have been down, but he was far from out.

"So weak," Loki scoffed in a voice heavy with disdain. He started to say something else when a fist connected with his cheek. His head snapped to one side, he stumbled, and then fell.

Bucky loomed over him. "Try picking on someone your own size."

Loki pulled himself off of the ground, glaring at all four of them. His pale skin was already beginning to bruise. "You will pay for that, Barnes." His eyes gleamed, the light of the setting sun almost giving them a red glow. "All of you will." The three bullies rushed down the hall and around the corner.

"What is this?" thundered a new voice. "Brother, what has happened to your eye?"

"Oh, great," Bucky muttered. "Big brother's here."

A big blonde came storming towards them, fury etched in every line of his face. "Barnes! Rogers! What is the meaning of this?"

"Seriously?" Darcy demanded. Her tone brought him to a stop, but only for a moment.

"Stay out of this," he ordered her, starting to turn back to the boys.

"Not a chance," she scoffed, pulling out her wand.

"You dare to threaten me?" His face grew dark with irritation and he took one menacing step towards her.

Darcy flicked her wand. "Ad Somnum!"

Bucky and Steve watched in amazement as the other boy wavered for a moment, hand reaching out, before he suddenly fell backwards. A light snoring drifted up from the floor. They turned wide eyes towards her and she gave them her best innocent look. The boy she had yet to meet muffled a laugh.

"Darcy!"

They looked up to find Jane and Bruce staring at them, mouths wide in shock.

"What?" Darcy demanded, flustered by all the sudden attention. "He was freaking me out!"