Black Widow

TAKING IN A DEEP BREATH, NATASHA RAISED HER PHONE TO HER EAR, WAITING FOR THE FAMILIAR SOUND OF HER BEST FRIEND’S VOICE. Her jaw was clenched, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. Eventually, the phone was picked up, “Hey, Nat! What’s up!” Clint answered, his voice instantly calming her down. 

Feeling less tense than she did a moment ago, she took in a deep breath and pleaded, “I need your help.” The other line was silent for a moment, knowing damn well that Natasha Romanoff didn’t plead. “Please, Clint… I don’t know what to do…”

“...What do you need my help with?” The deaf archer asked, shuffling being heard in the background. Rubbing her forehead, Natasha considered her words. After a moment, the redhead opened her mouth and started to explain, “Things are getting rough here, Clint. Yelena was attacked yesterday, Sirius and Remus are losing their touch with reality as each day passes, and Voldemort’s Death Eaters have broken out of prison. I know my family – they’ll wanna stay and fight with me… But I don’t think they can, Clint.”

Taking in a deep breath, she waited for her friend to respond. However, after a few seconds of silence, Natasha continued, “I need you to protect them, Clint. They need to disappear for a bit…” Her throat closed up, tears welling up in her eyes, “I don’t wanna do this, but I have to – for family.” 

Gripping her phone tighter, the redhead began to pace in her room, her mind going a mile a minute. “What are you gonna do?” The archer asked, worry in his voice. A bittersweet smirk formed on the girl’s face, her eyes exhausted but determined. 

“I’m gonna do what I do best… I’m gonna kill anyone who gets in my way of protecting my family.”

Her family wasn’t happy when she told them the truth — that she was sending them away. Sirius was offended, refusing to speak to her and look at her. Remus carried a look of sadness, his shoulders hunched in on himself, trying to appear smaller than he actually was. 

Yelena, however… Her reaction hurt the most. 

“You’re leaving me again…” her voice trailed off, her tiny body shaking with rage, begging to be released. “You’re just giving up already?!”

Her breath hitched within her throat, suddenly at a loss of words, “No, I—!” Yelena stopped her, her bottom lip quivering violently. “Yelena, please!” 

“You don’t care about London, Natasha!” Yelena yelled, her legs rushing across the floor and slamming Natasha against the jagged, and sharp wall. The redhead winced, feeling her skin break against the wall. “I know for a fact you couldn’t give a shit what happens to those people! You’re protecting these people who’ve done nothing for you, while you’re just sending us off like trash!” 

She knew her sister wasn’t thinking clearly, her mind going back to Ohio. “Sister, it’s nothing like that,” Ducking out of the way of a kick to the ribs, Natasha held her hands up in surrender, “I’m trying to protect you, please! I don’t wanna hurt you!”

Yelena scoffed, shaking her head in disappointment. “Yeah, well… you’ve already done that.” Shaking her head one more time, the blonde turned around on her foot and walked away from the scene, muttering curses and insults under her breath. 

She blinked, snapping herself back to reality. The wind fluttered around her, the winter months starting to catch up with them. Snape stood next to her, his face in a perfect poker face. Her family stood beside Snape, trying to put as much distance between the redhead and them. 

Faintly, she could hear the motor of the quinjet in the distance, signaling that Clint was gonna be there soon. Throwing away the last amount of dignity she had, Natasha turned to her family and begged, “Please, just look at me,” her voice cracked, “You have to understand; I’m doing this to protect you.” 

Sirius scoffed, a few pieces of his curly hair falling out of his bun, “Rosie, we’re your family — we’re supposed to protect you, not the other way around. You and your sister are the kids, we’re the adults.” Sirius retorted, his arms crossed over his chest, his leather-clad arms protecting him from the strong winds. 

Natasha nodded, knowing that in some way, he was right. They were adults—it should be their problem, but they weren’t handling it correctly. They may have lived in a war, but Natasha knew how to take down empires from within. 

“I know, I know…” her voice was quiet, and she knew she was running out of time, “I know you guys feel betrayed, but I’ve run out of options. It’s not safe here, and I need you guys to be safe—!”

“—But we’re your family — we’re supposed to stand by you; not be stored away,” Remus spoke, his scarred face scrunching up with emotions. “How are we supposed to protect you?” 

Natasha didn’t answer, for once, not having something to say in response. Clint finally landed, and opened the latch, making his way out. “Hey, guys—!” Yelena interrupted him, shouldering past him, her tiny body disappearing in the ship, “Okay… you guys ready?” 

Sirius and Remus clasped their hands together, making their way up to the ship. “I love you!” Natasha called out, desperate for a response. The two men stilled for a moment, both of their bodies tensing up. Without turning around, Remus called back stiffly, “Love you, Natasha.” And made their way into the ship. 

Dropping her head down, Natasha ignored her aching heart, heading over to Clint. Her best friend smiled, placing a hand on her head affectionately, “I’ll take good care of them, Nat…” 

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she playfully punched the blonde in the chest. “You better.” She threatened, a smile threatening to emerge on her face. “They’re the only family I have, okay? I don’t know what I’d do without them or you.” 

“Aww, you care about me— OW! Leave my gems alone!” He winced, bending over and gripping his private parts, “How else am I supposed to get the ladies and dudes?” 

Raising an eyebrow, Natasha crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m not sure Laura would be happy with you saying that.” She scolded. Clint, hearing his girlfriend’s name, stood up tall and smiled nervously. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” 

Rolling his blue eyes, the deaf archer held out his arms for a hug. Rushing in, she wrapped her arms tightly around his figure, breathing in his calming scent. “Thank you…” she whispered, her voice grateful. 

“It’s no problem; they’re my family, too…”

After a few moments, the two eventually pulled back. Locking eyes for a second, an unspoken agreement happening between the two. 

Stay safe.

Stepping back, Natasha waved her family off. The winds picked up, trees fluttering from the sheer force of the quinjet. Snape made his way up to the girl, his robes fluttering elegantly behind him. Never one to use many words, he simply placed his hand on her shoulder for comfort. “Do you think I made the right idea?”She asked, turning around and meeting his dark eyes. 

Snape pursed his lips, taking a second to come up with a response. “There’s only one way to find out.” He replied, “Let’s pray you’ve chosen the right one.” Holding out his arm, Natasha looped her arm into his. 

Immediately, the two disappeared from the scene. 

The house was quiet, its old age making itself more known with the silence. She wasn’t used to the house being this quiet, usually, someone doing something in the background or the fireplace crackling. Her body moved slowly, avoiding all of the creaks in the stairs out of habit, and made her way towards her bedroom. 

Pushing her door open, the redhead made her way over to her bed. Not bothering to change her clothes, the redhead climbed underneath her covers, rolling onto her side. Her green eyes locked on the picture on her side-dresser. Reaching out, she grabbed the picture and held it close to her. If she focused hard enough, she could faintly hear the laughs of her family – their happy faces moving in the picture. 

Remus’ eyes crinkled, making him look older than he was. Sirius’ hair moved due to the wind, his wild curls getting stuck in his mouth. Clint stood by the grill, his eyes wide with shock as he scattered away from the growing flames. Yelena stood on a picnic table, a water gun in her hands. Her sister let out a maniacal laugh, her clothes soaking wet. 

And lastly… she lay on the ground, pretending to ‘die’ from the hit. Natasha chuckled, gently running her fingers along with the picture. In her mind, she knew she had made the right decision… However, her heart disagreed. As she lay there in her bed, she tried to savor these last few moments of peace she’d have, knowing that by tomorrow – All peace from her life would be gone. 

She’d move into the Hogwarts Dorms full time, which she knew would be hell with Umbridge breathing down her neck, anxious for Natasha’s next move. Everything would continue as normal, but with the added protection of Hogwarts (And Jor… Even if she couldn’t understand him any longer in snake form, she knew he liked her well enough; he’d offer her his protection). 

God, she knew it was one of the best courses of action, and while she had other plans, it would most likely get her banned from England and disowned. She whimpered, walling in her own self-pity and depredation. She honestly didn’t want to do this, but what choice did she have? It’s not like she could hunt down Voldemort and his lackeys, bust in guns-a-blazing — she’d get killed, or at the very least, kidnapped and tortured. 

At times like this, she wished that she wasn’t alone — that Tom was still with her. Even if he was silent, his presence was enough to calm her down. Lord knows he loved the sound of his voice, and in the past, she would’ve loved to be alone. However, it is something that she desperately craves, needs, even. 

God, did the heat turn up or something? 

Kicking off her blanket, the redhead stared up at the ceiling as her heart raced inside her chest. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with her? Was she seriously having a panic attack?! That’s… that’s ridiculous, she shouldn’t be panicking over all of this — she did this to protect her family, that’s what she wanted! 

She could feel the sweat crawling up on her skin, sticking onto her in uncomfortable places. Her stomach felt as if it was doing flips, and the familiar urge to gag started in her throat. Pulling herself up, she ungracefully fell to the floor, stumbling her way over to the bathroom. 

Flicking on the switch, she reacted quickly. Grabbing a ponytail, she tied her hair up as fast as she could, opening the seat to the toilet lid. Her body shook as vomit poured out of her mouth, creating a gross taste in her mouth. Her fingers gripped the side of the toilet seat, the blood rushing to her ears as the all-over sound was blocked out from her. 

The world felt as if it was shaking in her vision, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut every few seconds. She felt shaky, her legs feeling like they had been hit with the jelly-legs jinx. “Дерьмо…”  She whispered in her mother tongue, little dots starting to cloud her vision. Feeling the last bit of her strength, she called out desperately, “Kreacher…”

Before she could black out, she could hear the grumpy elf pop in, grunting out, “What does the half-breed want–,” He stopped in shock, taking a moment to take in the situation before immediately going into action. Chuckling, Natasha murmured in amusement, “Hey, at least you’re not all asshole…” and with that, she let the darkness consume her vision. 

Groaning, the redhead blinked, her vision blurry. Her eyes felt crusty – eye buggers causing her eyes to itch. Reaching up with her hand with a groan, she rubbed her eyes awake, sitting up slowly. Allowing her eyes to adjust to the lighting, Natasha pursed her lips in confusion as she met the concerned eyes of Kreacher. “Even if you are a half-breed, you are still of Black Blood… Kreacher was not pleased with what he found.” The old-elf grumbled, his wrinkly and flair arms crossed over each other. 

Propping herself up against her pillows, Natasha licked her lips in a compilation. “Thank you…” She trailed off, at a loss for words. Sure, she interacted with the old elf when he delivered her letters, or when he was playing with Yelena, but she didn’t really have that much of an opinion of him. Sirius had his opinion, along with Remus and Yelena, but Natasha never really made the effort; she didn’t need, too – he never bothered her. 

She didn’t know much about him, just that he had been with the family for centuries and was extremely racist… Although, she did sometimes hear him muttering about Sirius’ younger brother, and how stupid his last orders were. “Um,” God, her mouth was dry. Probably realizing that Kreacher snapped his fingers, and a glass of water appeared next to Natasha’s bedside table. Grabbing the glass, the girl gratefully took a few gulps of the cold water. Satisfied, Natasha pulled back the glass and gripped it gently between her hands, “How long have I been out?” She asked. 

Kreacher pursed his thin lips, leaning back in her desk chair. “Young Natasha was out for three hours – Kreacher had to stop what he was doing, and help you! Dinner ended up burning!” He huffed, a displeased look on his face. Opening her mouth, she went to reply, but the old elf continued, “And don’t say you would’ve cooked – all you know to make is Ramen and Cheese Noddles!”

“...You mean Mac ‘N Cheese?” She corrected, her eyebrows lifted in amusement. The Elf sneered, snapping back at her. Holding her hands up in surrender, the redhead smiled. “Okay, no need to get all angry.” 

Huffing once more, Kreacher seemed to remember something. Reaching behind him, a look of disgust was on his face as he handed Natasha’s phone to her. “Halfbreed’s weird, muggle phone rang when you were out. It said it left a… ‘voice mail’?” He sounded extremely confused as he said the last word. Flipping open her phone, Natasha immediately went to her voicemail and clicked on the latest one. 

“Romanoff, I don’t know why the hell you didn’t pick up or phone, but I need you in Iran. You’ll be going alone – Barton’s got some weird, family issue. I need you to escort a nuclear engineer out of there, his name is Jacob Flake; Double Agent for Shield. He has information on case #0089. Be back in New York by tomorrow, be ready to be there for a few days. Tell that weird school of yours that you’re gonna be gone. Fury Out.” 

Flipping her phone shut, Natasha leaned up against her pillows and thought for a second. Fuck, how the hell was her plan gonna work now? Of course, she knew she still had a job she had to work around, but she figured she could convince Fury to give it to some other Agent. 

However, case #0089 was Dreyko’s case! Why the hell was it still open, she closed it! Rubbing her hand over her mouth, the redhead let out a sigh of frustration. What the hell was Fury keeping from her? Throwing her blankets off, she went to go get out of bed, only to find herself stuck in place. Throwing her head in Kreacher’s direction, Natasha raised an eyebrow in question. “No,” The elf started, wagging a finger in her face as if she was a small child, “Kreacher will pack your bag; Young Natasha should stay in bed.”

Rolling her eyes, she tried to argue. However, the elf left no room for argument and snapped his fingers, clothes of all sorts flying in her bag. Feeling sleep overcome her, she glanced out to the window, staring down at the bright moon. 

Maybe some sleep wouldn’t hurt? She would have to get up extra earlier because of the time change. Green eyes fluttering shut, her body began to relax, and her mind slowly fell asleep. 

Kreacher watched the girl, her chest rising up and down. If one paid close enough to the elf, they would see a small smile form on his face. “Just like Master Regulus…” Shaking his head in bittersweet amusement, he continued packing her bag. 

Stepping into the busy building, Agents of all sizes, ages, and races rushed past her. Pushing her short hair behind her ear, the girl made her way to Fury’s office. Once arriving, she waited for his approval to open the door. “Come in, Romanoff!” He called out from behind the door. 

Twisting the knob, she let herself in the room, taking it in. Pretty much everything was the same, except for a few more paper piles. “Romanoff,” He greeted, his lips spread into a smile, “Nice of you to join me. Sit.” He gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. 

Gliding over to the spinny chair, the redhead gracefully placed herself in the cushiony chair. “Director,” She nodded in respect, her face perfectly neutral, “Mission details?” She questioned, hoping to get a little more out of him. However, the man seemed to realize what she was doing and shook his hand, “I gave you the gist on the phone. However, these are the places he’s been sighted. We’re not really sure which one he’s in, so I’ve downloaded all of the maps on your phone. A Shield Agent will be giving you updates in live time as well, so be sure to keep your ears peeled.”

She resisted the urge to snap, to say she’s done this a hundred times and didn’t need to know this stuff anymore. However, she held her tongue and let the man continue. “As Barton won’t be there with you, I have a team on standby if you need backup.” He leaned back in his chair, kicking his legs up on the table, “However, I have faith in you, Romanoff; you’ll be in and out in a day – two, if something goes wrong.”

“Sir, while I appreciate you’re faith in me, what does this have to do with #0089’s case?” She help herself, and she blurted out the thing she had been dying to ask. He sighed a look of exhaustion in his eye. “Sir?”

Taking a moment, the older man clasped his hands together, “...There have been sightings of… Widows, still. We don’t know if they’re freelancers or if the program is still going on. They’ve also been sighted with a man with a metal arm. I presume you’re familiar with the Winter Soldier legend, yes?”

“He’s not a legend, sir – he trained me.” The redhead corrected. “Hydra and the Red Room would sometimes collaborate, and they would bring him in to train us. Yelena and I… we once got one-on-one lessons with him; it was considered a reward if you won hide-and-seek.”

“Well,” The man cleared his throat, “I’m sending you in, Romanoff – for your opinion.” 

Taking in a deep breath, Natasha nodded in agreement. “Yes, Director. I’ll do my best.”

“Good. Get going, Agent Romanoff.”