“You’re the dame who took Loki away,” Captain America observes, once their little assembly gets over the shock of Hermione appearing out of thin air.
Thor beams and sweeps her into a crushing hug. “Hjertesøster!”
Hermione pats his shoulder and laughs. “Thor.”
“Isn’t that Norwegian for… heart sister?” The redheaded woman asks.
“That like sister-in-law?” The blond at her side asks.
Hermione nods as Thor sets her back on her feet. “Something like that. You may call me Hermione.”
“And you’re with Loki?” A dark-haired man Hermione recognizes as Tony Stark questions.
“He’s my soulmate,” Hermione confirms.
“My condolences,” the other dark-haired man in the room mutters.
Hermione grins wryly. “He’s not so bad. I would offer an explanation, of sorts, if you are willing to listen.”
Stark shrugs. “His army of aliens turned tail and ran as you took him away, so yeah, I think we can listen.”
“It wasn’t his army,” Hermione starts. “Thor, do you know of one called Thanos?”
Thor jerks in surprise. “The Mad Titan?”
Hermione nods. “Yes. He was controlling Loki.”
Thor’s expression turns thoughtful. “For how long?”
Hermione shrugs. “Do you remember when I came to you after New Mexico?”
Thor nods slowly. “Because he had closed himself off from you.”
“He was protecting me from Thanos,” Hermione says quietly.
“Protecting you?” The redhead asks quietly.
Hermione smiles. “Loki is my soulmate. We are connected, minds, hearts, and souls.”
“Not body?” Stark snarks.
“None of your business,” Hermione fires back.
“He was controlled as much as he controlled us,” the blond infers.
“More so,” Hermione confirms. “He would like to make amends.”
The dark-haired man beside Stark snorts. “How? I’ve leveled a New York neighborhood before. Forgiveness doesn’t come easy.”
Hermione’s eyes glow eerily as she looks at him. “Dr. Bruce Banner, then? We could help you with the Hulk, too.”
Bruce returns her looks warily. “There’s no cure.”
“Not with muggle science, perhaps,” Hermione conceded, “but being two-natured does not have to be a curse, my friend.”
“‘Two-natured’?”
Hermione grins, then shifts into her animagus form, playfully butting her head against Thor’s thigh.
The god laughs delightedly.
Hermione shifts back. “My double-nature was intentional. I understand yours was not. Nor was Loki’s. We can help you better control the two halves of your whole.”
“I, uh, I would appreciate that,” Bruce says.
Hemione inclines her head. “So, I can call him here without you lot killing him?”
The group exchanges looks. Tony shrugs. “What the hell? Go ahead.”
A moment later, Loki and Harry appear at her side.
Thor immediately lifts Loki bodily off the ground. “Brother!”
Hermione deftly snatches away the dagger that appears in Loki’s hand. Play nice.
Loki makes a face. Must I?
You’re making amends, Hermione reminds him.
Thor sets Loki back on his feet and rests his hands on his shoulders. “You are well, brother?”
“Better than I was,” Loki answers honestly.
Hermione inserts herself between the brothers as subtly as she can, allowing Loki an excuse to step back and wrap his arms around her waist and hook his chin over her shoulder, effectively making her a shield between himself and the superheros.
“So… amends?” Captain America prompts.
Hermione smiles. “Rebuilding is far easier with magic, Captain.”
Harry frowns. “‘Mione…”
Hermione rolls her eyes. “Don’t even start with me.”
Loki makes a questioning sound.
“The Statute, love.”
“Statute?” Bruce asks.
Hermione sighs. “My friend Harry,” Hermione nods toward him, “and I are… well, there is magic in this world, but it is kept hidden. The British Ministry of Magic has laws about keeping it hidden from non-magical folks. Harry and I left that world many years ago, but the laws still apply. I believe he’s concerned that they’ll come after us if we help you.”
The redhead tilts her head. “But you’re not.”
Hermione shrugs. “Not particularly. If we’re seen with Thor and Loki, the world will just assume we’re Asgardian. My magic is different from Earth magic, anyway, because of my connection to Loki.”
“Mine’s not,” Harry protests.
“And how are the muggles going to know that?” Hermione challenges.
“The Ministry is still going to come after us.”
Loki grins darkly. “Let them try.”
Eventually they manage a full round of actual introductions. Pepper arranges a press release detailing Loki’s ‘capture’ and plans for amends and rehabilitation while Tony and Bruce work with JARVIS to plan out what areas of the city to repair.
“This is going to end badly,” Harry warns.
“I thought I was supposed to be the pragmatic one,” Hermione snarks.
Harry rolls his eyes. “We’ve only been gone about ten years, ‘Mione. Our world won’t have forgotten us so easily.”
Hermione reaches out and squeezes her friend’s hand. “I don’t expect them to have.”
“Then how is this going to work?”
“I spoke to Frigga. As Loki’s soulmate, I have Asgardian citizenship. As Master of Death, they offer it to you as well.”
“So. what, we forfeit our earthly citizenship so we can practice magic without consequences?”
Hermione shrugs. “The purpose of the Statute is to protect the human magical community. If the world doesn’t think we’re human…
“Then it’s moot point.”
“Precisely.”
It takes less than a day for the aurors to show up.
“By order of the Ministry of Magic, you will immediately cease and desist.” A voice comes from behind them.
“Be with you in a jiff,” Harry answers, calmly continuing holding a recently repaired window in place as Hermione casts a permanent sticking charm, green and gold dancing around her fingers.
“Er,” the voice flusters.
“Don’t be a prat, Harry,” Hermione chides, lowering her hands and turning to the auror. “Ginny?!”
The redhead’s jaw drops. “Hermione?!”
Hermione squeals and throws her arms around the younger woman.
Ginny squeezes her back tightly, both ignoring the nervously shuffling auror squad behind Ginny.
Harry grins. “Hey, Gin.”
Ginny punches him in the arm before she hugs him too. “What in the bloody hell do you two think you’re doing?”
Loki appears next to her in a flash. “Problem, mitt hjerte?”
Hermione leans into his side. “Nothing I can’t handle, love.”
Ginny blanches. “Um, wasn’t he just…”
“Loki is my soulmate,” Hermione explains. “His actions here were the result of a curse he was under. We’re giving reparation aid.”
“In violation of the Statute of Secrecy,” an American auror behind Ginny pipes up.
Hermione ignores him and cocks her head at Ginny. “What are you doing in America anyway?”
“Joint taskforce,” Ginny answers. “Where the hell have you two been?”
Hermione shrugs and casts a silent muffliato, closing out the rest of the aurors. “Look at us, Gin.”
Ginny frowns. “You look fine. You look… oh. You don’t look any different than last time I saw you. Is that why you left?”
“Ron didn’t tell you?”
Ginny shakes her head.
Hermione rolls her eyes. “Gods, that man. We told him when we left and why. And we write him.”
Ginny sighs. “I think he’s upset at you for leaving him behind.”
“We thought we were doing the right thing. He could still live a normal life.”
“But you can’t?”
Hermione squeezes Loki’s hand, where his arm is wrapped around her shoulders. “My soulmate is an immortal god. Harry is the Master of Death. Eventually, someone was going to notice we’re just as young as we were at the Battle of Hogwarts. Ron was supposed to tell you.”
Ginny shakes her head sadly. “He occasionally lets us know you’re still alive.”
Harry rolls his eyes. “We’ll let you know how to reach us yourself.”
Hermione subtly lifts the muffliato.
Ginny grimaces. “About that… we’re kind of here to arrest you.”
Loki snorts. “On what grounds?”
“Breaking the Statute of Secrecy,” the same auror who spoke up earlier says.
“The Statute of Secrecy doesn’t apply to us,” Hermione says.
“The Statute applies to all witches and wizards,” Ginny says sadly.
“All human witches and wizards are subject to the Statute,” Hermione corrects.
Ginny looks unamused. “I’ve known you both most of my life, and last I checked, you were both human.”
“Perhaps they were once,” Loki agrees. “But they are Asgardian subjects, and therefore not subject to mundane magical laws.”
“Asgardian subjects?” The loud American auror asks.
Harry sighs. “I know the magical community is rather notoriously insulated, but surely you noticed the aliens.”
Ginny bites back a grin. “Yes.”
“The mortal world knows the Asgardians as the old Norse gods.”
“And you’re Asgardians now?”
“‘Mione is technically a princess,” Harry says with a wink.
“Oh, hush,” Hermione chides.
“Brother!” Thor’s voice booms from above. “Hjertesøster!” He lands in their midst, Mjlnor still spinning above his head. “Is there a problem?”
Hermione reaches out and twines her free arm through the crook of his elbow, then raises a brow at the aurors. “Is there a problem?”
The loud American quails. “Uh…”
Ginny snorts. “Not as far as I’m concerned. If the muggle public is under the impression they are Asgardian, I see no reason to dissuade them.”
“I think-”
“If I cared what you thought, Auror Torch,” Ginny cuts him off coldly. “I would ask.”
Torch sneers. “And if you took input from your team-”
“My team of which you are no longer a part. Feel free to return to headquarters. Your reassignment paperwork will be on your desk by the end of the day.”
Torch glares, but disapparates.
“Should we expect problems from him?” Hermione asks.
Ginny rolls her eyes. “He’s a generally disliked loud mouth with no connections. This isn’t the first time he’s been openly hostile for no reason. The arse is going to be lucky if I don’t bloody well bury him.”
There’s general murmurs of agreement from the rest of Ginny’s team.
“Asgardian immunity works for the rest of us,” Ginny says. “But apparently my brother is a prat, so maybe don’t be such strangers, hm?” She eyes Loki dubiously. “Bring your beau ‘round for the holidays, hm?”
Hermione nods. “Promise.”
“I’ll sic mum on you if you don’t,” Ginny threatens.
“We’ll be there, Gin,” Harry promises.
Hermione waits for the aurors to leave before she spins on Harry. “You’re still carrying a torch for her!”
Harry opens and closes his mouth several times before he blushes and shrugs. “You bloody well saw her, of course I do!”