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"I found them!"
Pepper raised an eyebrow as she watched Tony make his way from his lab, a worrying expression on his face.
Their relationship had ended after Pepper realized she couldn't handle the stress of having Tony Stark as her romantic partner, but they remained good friends, so much that Tony felt comfortable going up to her and talking to her.
"Who did you find?" Pepper asked anyway, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Remember that very hot couple I spent that year with?" Tony asked, smiling.
Pepper sighed. "Did you really look for a married couple to have sex with again, Tony?"
That was one of the reasons their relationship couldn't be romantic, Pepper confirmed with herself. Tony believed such choices were fine, and she couldn't stand that.
"It wasn't just that." Tony denied it. "I can't say much, but they also warned me I wouldn't find them easily, not without their agreement." Tony sighed. "I was only able to find them because the kid is now of age."
"The kid?" Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow. "Tony, what the hell is going on?"
And what repercussions would that have for the SI Pepper still ran? She wasn't exactly eager to clean up all the messes Tony created.
Pepper was surprised. Tony was smart enough to realize that his actions had consequences. And that he couldn't just do what he wanted, especially now that Pepper had her own messes to clean up.
"It's nothing harmful." Tony shook his head. "Secrecy has ancient reasons, which have nothing to do with me, I can assure you."
"Tony?" Pepper raised an eyebrow, now concerned. "What's going on?"
"Do you and Rhodey want to come with me?" Tony asked. "It'll be easier to explain everything just one time, and I'm not the best person to do that, honestly."
"Okay, fine." Pepper nodded. "When do we leave?"
"By the time Rhodey gets here in his suit," Tony replied. "Of course, he can't wear the suit while we go, because it would just break, but, well, yeah."
"Would a creation of yours break, despite your constant improvements?" Pepper asked, incredulous. "Are you sure?"
"Still, this is beyond my control, Pepper." Tony rolled his eyes. "This will be fun."
***
Hermione sighed as three figures tumbled into the Apparitions and Portkeys Hall of the British Ministry of Magic.
"Welcome, Mr. Stark. I assume these are Miss Virginia Potts and Colonel James Rhodney, is that correct?" Hermione asked, holding out her hand and shaking Mr. Stark's.
"Exactly." Mr. Stark nodded. "You can call me Tony, though. Mr. Stark is too much, ugh."
Hermione shook her head. "I don't think that's possible, Mr. Stark." She replied, controlling the urge to roll her eyes. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you've presented a significant relationship with the late Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Hermione pursed her lips. She had no idea how the man had known about Harry, but Hermione wouldn't let him use her friend.
"I do." Mr. Stark nodded. "I'm prepared to submit to DNA testing, or whatever testing you wizards do."
"Wizards?" Miss Potts exclaimed, staring at Mr. Stark.
"Is it fair to assume that you haven't revealed to your friends the nature of the relationship you claim to have with the Potters, and that you brought them here without telling them?" Hermione asked, feeling a headache creeping up on her.
Maybe Mr. Stark was right. Maybe he really was who he said he was.
"Yes, I wasn't the best candidate to explain everything." Stark nodded. "I want to see him. I have some letters here..." Stark gestured to the bag he was carrying, and then looked hopefully at Hermione.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but there's a procedure." Hermione sighed. "And, anyway, Mr. Potter is busy with a..."
Harry appeared beside her as soon as she mentioned his name. "Mione! You'll never believe what King tried to do!"
Hermione sighed again, turning to Harry. "You have a press conference, Harry."
"Yes, but then one of the reporters asked me if I had a lust for redheads in my unconscious desire for some sort of relationship with my mother." Harry grimaced at the assumption made. "I asked him if he decided to be a journalist because he lacked the brains and ambition to do anything else."
Hermione closed her eyes, pained. She would have to cover up the mess Harry had left behind again.
She loved her friend. She needed to be reminded of that.
"Tell me you didn't tell anyone in the government to go fuck themselves today, and I won't kill you," Hermione said, speaking slowly.
"If you kill me, you can't keep doing this job!" Harry said quickly, raising his arms in surrender. "You know you love ruining people's days by using the law!"
"I don't like having to run after you every thirty seconds to fix something you've done, Harry." Hermione said, speaking slowly. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'll sort this out too." With a sigh, Hermione looked at Stark, Miss Potts, and the Colonel. "These people are here with declarations of personal relationship with a wizard."
"And you're talking about me." Harry nodded, before frowning. "I hope you're not trying to say we're in a relationship, because my boyfriends are twin ginger pranksters."
"That's not what they said." Hermione reassured him. "Mr. Stark..."
Stark intervened, and before Hermione could stop him, he had placed the letters in front of Harry. "I have letters."
Harry stared at the letters before saying. "I don't like it when they hand me things."
"I love it, on the other hand." Hermione intervened, taking them from Mr. Stark and handing them to Harry.
"Mr. Potter..." Potts began, looking between him and Stark in disbelief.
"You can call me Harry." Harry was quick to speak. "Mr. Potter, that's too much, ugh."
Hermione sighed. "I don't think the test will be necessary."
"Test?" Harry looked at her. "What test?" Then, he looked at the letters. "How did you know my parents?" he asked, his voice growing hoarse and incredulous.
Hermione felt her heart sink, but answered for Stark. "Mr. Stark claims that James Potter and Lily Evans were the remaining two members of a triad. They had to go into hiding because of the war, unfortunately, and Mr. Stark could only find them for... you."
"What?" Harry blinked, then looked at the paper where Lily told Tony they were expecting a child. "But... what about James Potter...?" Guilt was written in Harry's voice.
Hermione shook her head. "The triad of your parents and the one between you and Fred and George work the same way, Harry. If you and one of the twins had a child, I'm sure the other would still be a father."
"Okay, good." Harry nodded slowly. "Gringotts?"
"That's better." Hermione conceded. "Please, follow me."
***
Tony stared at his son.
The goblins had proven it, the Muggle tests had proven it, and now Tony could say Harry was his.
"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner." Tony murmured, staring at Harry.
"Look, I'm not saying I've had an easy life, because I haven't," Harry said, looking Tony in the eyes. He had Lily's eyes, but everything else was identical to Tony's (or James's, and Tony knew that meant Harry had his mother's taste in choosing partners: choosing two practically identical ones). "But I've come this far, and the fact that you found out about me and then came looking for me, well, that means a lot. I appreciate it, because you could have walked away and no one would have had the right to say anything to you. I'm glad to meet you. And I want to spend more time together, if you want." Harry grimaced. "Mione wouldn't let me be away for too long, but I can make time for us to get to know each other. And, I guess you've realized that movement isn't a problem for wizards."
"It isn't." Tony swallowed. "Are you sure you really want to get to know me, Harry? I... I've been told I can be a bit impetuous, I don't take great care of my life, I'm arrogant, quite self-centered, and I have a history of making bad decisions."
"Well, aside from the arrogant and self-centered things that have been attributed to me anyway, I say we can talk about everything we have in common." Harry smiled mischievously, in a way that reminded him of Lily. "Don't worry."
"I've never been a father," Tony confessed. "And I don't know if I'm capable of being one."
"Well, I've never been a son either, and I don't know if I'm capable of being one." Harry shrugged. "We can find out together."
Tony swallowed. "Can we do that?"
Harry smiled, a glint covering his eyes. "Absolutely." Then, shrugging, he said. "Mione will probably insist on issuing a press release to let people know about the relationship, but... well, we can let her do it, since you're used to the press and all the fame."
"Yes, I am." Tony frowned. "I didn't realize James or Lily were as famous as my father." With a grimace, Tony added. "I've had lessons in dealing with the press, knowing what they can be."
"I never had them, but I knew how to handle them." Harry shrugged. "It took me a while, but I got there too."
Tony snorted. "Hermione looks desperate."
"Mione will get over it." Harry replied. "Now, do you want to come see where I live? My boyfriends have this joke shop we can add to the press conference for a little flair."
Tony laughed.
Harry was offering a nice argument against nature beating nurture.
"I'd love that, Harry." Tony gave an exaggerated nod. "Lead the way!"