"Perfect! I'll arrange for movers to help you," Tony declared with the decisive authority of someone accustomed to solving problems with resources. "You can coordinate with Ethan—he's been practically vibrating with anticipation since yesterday."
Ben looked uncertainly between Tony and Gemini. "Are you sure this isn't too much trouble?"
Gemini rolled her eyes with fond exasperation. "Tony, stop overwhelming them. Ethan!" she called, her voice carrying the particular tone that summoned house-elves and eager employees alike. "Come show our new staff their accommodations."
Ethan materialized in the doorway with the manic energy of someone who'd been pacing behind doors, waiting for his cue. "New clerks? Where? Brilliant! Let's get this handover done—I've got equations calling my name and theoretical frameworks that won't analyze themselves!"
As the Parker family followed Ethan's enthusiastic figure down the stairs, Tony collapsed onto Gemini's sofa with the boneless grace of someone who'd mastered the art of dramatic exhaustion.
"Speaking of missing persons," he said, stretching like a cat in sunlight, "where's Sirius been hiding? Haven't seen our favorite convicted fugitive lately. Did you finally send him back to terrorize Grimmauld Place?"
The color drained from Gemini's face so quickly that Tony sat up in alarm.
"Oh no," she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh, Merlin's beard, no."
Tony was on his feet instantly, his casual demeanor evaporating. "What happened? Gemini, what's wrong?"
She bolted from the room like a woman possessed, her footsteps thundering up the stairs. Tony heard drawers slamming, furniture scraping, and what sounded suspiciously like creative cursing in multiple languages. When she returned, she was cradling the modified watch he'd created for Sirius like it might explode.
"When Banner transformed," she said, setting the device on the coffee table with trembling hands, "when the Hulk emerged, I was terrified the noise and chaos would traumatize Sirius. So I... I switched him off. Just temporarily. Just until things calmed down."
Tony stared at the innocent-looking timepiece, his brilliant mind calculating dates with horrible precision. "Gemini. That was two weeks ago."
"Thirteen days, sixteen hours, and approximately twenty-seven minutes," she confirmed miserably. "Not that I'm counting."
They sat in stunned silence, both staring at the watch as if it might suddenly sprout fangs. The weight of their oversight pressed down like a physical thing.
"He's going to murder us," Tony said finally. "Slowly. Creatively. With magic."
"He's going to be so angry," Gemini agreed, her voice small. "Sirius doesn't handle confinement well under the best circumstances. Thirteen days in a digital prison? He'll probably try to hex us into next week."
Tony ran his hands through his hair, leaving it standing at impossible angles. "Okay, damage control. We activate him, we grovel, we explain—"
"No." Gemini's voice cut through his planning with sudden determination. She was already moving, gathering parchment and quill with the efficiency of someone executing a desperate plan. "I have a better idea. A terrible, brilliant, probably catastrophic idea."
She scribbled a hasty note, her handwriting barely legible in her haste:
Remus— Emergency delivery. Long story. Please don't let him kill me when you see me next. —G
Tony watched in fascination as she packaged both the watch and Sirius's Animagus housing with the care of someone handling unstable explosives. "Coby!" she called, and the house-elf appeared with a soft pop.
"Mistress Gemini is needing Coby's help?"
"International courier service. Golden Eagle class. Priority delivery to Remus Lupin at Grimmauld Place. And Coby? Tell the eagle to fly fast. Very, very fast."
The magnificent Golden Eagle that arrived moments later was a creature of legend—wingspan broad enough to cast shadows, eyes like molten amber, and an intelligence that spoke of magical breeding going back centuries. It accepted the package with the dignity of a creature that had carried messages between kings and revolutionaries.
Tony pressed his face to the window, watching the eagle disappear into the distance with the speed of something that understood urgency. "You just shipped our problem to London."
"I shipped Sirius to his best friend," Gemini corrected, though her voice carried the faint hysteria of someone who'd just lit a very long fuse. "Remus will know how to handle an angry Padfoot. And more importantly, Remus will be between Sirius and us when he realizes what happened."
Tony turned from the window with grudging admiration. "That's either brilliant or the most cowardly thing I've ever witnessed."
"Both," Gemini said firmly. "Definitely both. And I'm not answering any two-way mirror calls from Britain for at least a month."
Tony checked his watch—a normal, non-Sirius-containing watch—and grimaced. "Much as I'd love to stay and watch this disaster unfold, I have a building to finish and clean energy systems to install. Plus, Pepper will kill me if I'm late for our meeting with the MIT representatives."
"Go," Gemini waved him toward the fireplace. "And remember—bring Pepper a day early for the Quidditch match. I want to meet the woman brave enough to date you."
Tony's grin was pure mischief. "She's going to love the magical world. Fair warning—she might try to reorganize your entire operation for maximum efficiency."
"I'd welcome the help," Gemini called as green flames swallowed him whole.
The All-Purpose Shop settled into temporary quiet, broken only by Ethan's enthusiastic voice echoing from below as he gave the Parker family the grand tour. Gemini hung a sign on the front door—"Proprietor Away, Open Tomorrow"—and tried not to think about the chaos she'd just unleashed in London.
Outside, unnoticed by anyone, a figure with carefully styled blond hair paused at the closed shop. He carried a small, elegantly wrapped gift box and wore the expression of someone who'd traveled a considerable distance for a specific purpose.
"Closed," he murmured to himself, his accent carrying hints of old European nobility. "How... inconvenient. Perhaps tomorrow will prove more fortuitous."
He turned and walked away with the fluid grace of someone accustomed to both luxury and danger, leaving no trace of his visit save for footprints that faded moments after he'd passed.
Gemini, watching from her second-floor window, caught only the barest glimpse of movement. A shadow, perhaps. Or maybe just her imagination, still rattled by the Sirius situation.
Below, Ethan was in his element, guiding the Parker family through their new world with the enthusiasm of a professor with eager students. He pressed a leather-bound manual into Ben's hands—a comprehensive guide to the shop's services and policies.
"Everything's in here," Ethan explained, practically bouncing on his toes. "Potions, charms, curse-breaking, magical creature consultation, artifact authentication—basically, if it's magical and not actively trying to end the world, we can handle it. When in doubt, ask Gemini. She's got more practical knowledge than most Ministry departments combined."
Peter watched everything with wide eyes, absorbing details like a sponge. The basement laboratory where Banner worked his quiet magic with plants and healing draughts. The storage rooms filled with ingredients that hummed with contained power. And finally, Coby, whose appearance made even magically-prepared May jump backward with a startled yelp.
"Coby is being the best house-elf in all of America!" the creature announced proudly, his tennis-ball eyes gleaming with joy. "Coby is helping with everything! Cleaning, cooking, deliveries, and keeping the shop running when Mistress Gemini is busy saving the world!"
Ben knelt to Coby's level, his instinctive kindness overriding his surprise. "It's nice to meet you, Coby. I'm Ben, and this is my family. We're going to be working here now."
Coby's ears flapped with delight. "New family! Coby is so happy! Coby will help with everything! Moving, organizing, teaching about magical things!"
Ethan beamed at the easy acceptance. "Right then, let's see your new home."
The staff quarters exceeded every expectation the Parker family had dared harbor. What Ethan casually called "basic accommodations" would have qualified as luxury housing by their previous standards. Two bedrooms, a spacious living area, and windows that opened onto impossible views.
May gasped as she looked out at crystalline waters stretching to a horizon painted in shades of azure and gold. "This is... how is this possible?"
"Magic," Ethan said with a grin. "The windows show whatever view you need to see. Ocean when you need peace, mountains when you need strength, forests when you need to think. Just close the curtains, picture what you want, and open them again. Fair warning—don't try to climb out. The views are real enough to fool your eyes, but the drop is still three stories onto Brooklyn pavement."
He demonstrated the room's adaptive architecture by gripping the bedroom door handle and concentrating. When he opened it moments later, the space had transformed into something from Arabian Nights—rich carpets, flowing silks, and furniture that gleamed with gold and precious stones.
"The magic reads your intentions," he explained, picking up an ornate water pitcher that was clearly only half-formed. "But you need clear mental images. I saw this in a photograph once, but I didn't know what the back looked like, so..." He shrugged at the incomplete vessel.
May's eyes shone with possibilities she'd never dared imagine. A home that could be anything she dreamed, that could change with her moods and needs. "This is perfect," she breathed. "More than perfect."
Peter was already exploring, his young mind cataloging every magical detail. This wasn't just a new home—it was a doorway to a world where impossible things happened every day.
Ethan watched their wonder with satisfaction, then checked his watch with barely contained impatience. "Right, I think you're all set. Ben, that manual has everything you need to know. Coby can handle any questions I've missed. And Gemini... well, she's brilliant at everything except remembering to eat regular meals and sleep at reasonable hours."
He was already backing toward the door, his eagerness to leave palpable. "I've delayed departure by three days already. My colleagues are probably wondering if I've been eaten by a magical creature or recruited by SHIELD. Neither would surprise them, honestly."
Ben extended his hand for a firm shake. "Thank you, Ethan. For everything. We won't let Gemini down."
"You won't," Ethan agreed with certainty. "I can tell. You've got that look—the same one Gemini gets when she's decided to fix something. The world's lucky to have people like you in it."
With that, he was gone, leaving the Parker family to settle into their new magical life. Above them, Gemini tried not to think about the storm she'd just unleashed across the Atlantic.
In London, a Golden Eagle was making record time toward Grimmauld Place, carrying a package that would soon wake a very angry Animagus.
The magical world was about to become a much more interesting place.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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