“That is the last I do international portkey,” Ron muttered to himself.
Hermione rolled her eyes, but then Tony walked through the door and froze. “Who the hell are you?”
“Who are we?” Ron bellowed, “Who the bloody hell are you?
“Tony Stark,” Hermione blurted out. “Kendis why is Tony Stark in your living room?”
Kendis pinched the bridge as she felt a headache coming on. She knew she should have taken time to owl them a letter but things had been heticc.
“Let me guess, you are the best friends?” Tony lifted an eyebrow.
“Tony, this is my two best mates Hermione Granger and her husband Ron Weasley.” Kendis gestured towards the couple, “Ron, Hermione, this is Tony Stark.”
Ron crossed his arms and shot a suspicious look at Tony. “And how do you know Kendis and Hermione?”
“Ronald,” Hermione, replied with a put upon sigh. “I don’t know him personally. He is a muggle celebrity.” She turned back to Tony. “My name is Hermione Granger and this is my husband Ron Weasley.”
“A celebrity, huh?” Ron paused to look at Tony, then looked at Kendis again. “So, why is he here, and why do I feel like I seen him before?”
Kendis winced, “You remember Seamus and Dean’s bachelor party.”
Ron nodded and sheepishly ran a hand through his ginger hair. “Uh, yeah, mate. But it is all a bit of a blur.”
Then Ron’s eyes got huge, “Wait, wasn’t that the guy you were chatting up back at the bar?”
Kendis winced, “Well…”
“Kendis James Black, you did not hook up with a stranger at a strip club.”
Tony snorted and Kendis threw him a glare. He shrugged, lifting his hands.
“Why don’t we all calm down, I boil you a good cuppa and we can discuss this like adults.”
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, “Fine, but you better tell me everything.”
***
Later, after Kendis had finally spilled the whole sorry story out of her. Hermione slammed down her cup on the coffee table and turned her stern frown at Kendis. Ron was staring at Tony and Kendis, utterly baffled.
“Let me get this straight,” Hermione said. “You met Tony Stark at a strip club—”
“Ooh,” Tony replied, his eyes glazed over. “What are my chances of getting a private encore?” He wiggled his eyes at Kendis, and she laughed.
Hermione shot them both a death glare, and thankfully, Tony shut up before he got them into more trouble with her best friend.
Hermione shot a death glare at Tony, and he
“Then you both got pissed and then decided thought it was an excellent decision to get married.” Hermione rubbed the bridge of her nose. “And instead of getting an annulment like any sane person would, you two think it’s a great idea to give marriage a go?!”
Kendis winced, “Yeah, that’s the long and short of it.”
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “Only you, Kendis.”
“Mum is going to murder you,” Ron grinned at her. “I think this is going to outdo the Fred and George yoyo charm of 2001.”
Kendis threw her head back on the couch and groaned.
“Bad?”
“Apocalyptically bad,” Kendis confirmed, with a groan.
Tony winced. “Welp, I guess meeting the in-laws is going to be a shitshow, then.”
Kendis could only nod because Mrs. Weasley would never let her live that down. It took her years to give up the idea that she and Ginny were never getting back together. And she still hasn’t forgiven Kendis for moving to America.
“Pepper and Mrs. Weasley must never meet.” Kendis shuddered at the thought of the two capable redheads in the same room with each other. The only thing that could make it worse is if Ginny got into the action.
“Who’s Pepper?” Ron asked, suspiciously.
“Pepper Potts is my assistant.”
“And with the looks and a temper to match any Weasley.”
“You’re fucked, mate.” Ron laughed.
“Ronald!” Hermione gasped, slapping on the shoulder. “Language.”
Ron threw her a cheeky grin. “Yes, dear.”
Hermione looked fondly, exasperation.
“Okay, if you are done bollocksing me,” Kendis shook her head. “Can you tell me why you two are here?”
The couple exchanged pointed looks, and then Hermione sighed. “Someone spotted Chester in New York, and you weren’t picking up your floo calls…”
Kendis winced as Tony wrapped his hands around her shoulder. “Yeah, Chester has already been by.”
Hermione gasped, “Kendis–“.
“He broke through my wards a few days ago,” Kendis shook her head as she gestured to the mess of her home. “He tried to take me, but Alke got in the way.”
“Is Alke okay?” Hermione asked.
Ron got up and started pacing. Tony threw Ron a bewildered look, but Hermione and Kendis ignored him. They both knew this was Ron’s way of sorting through his thoughts.
“She’s alive.” Kendis gave a long, shuddering breath, and Tony kissed her cheek, and she gave him a strained smile in return.
“I am not going to sugarcoat it. Alke was in a bad way, and it was touch and go for a while. But Dr. Lan said that Alke will make a full recovery.”
“Thank Merlin,” Ron said.
“Is she still at the Vet’s clinic?” Hermione asked, concerned.
“Yes,” Kendis gave her a relieved smile. “But we were about to pick her up when you arrived.”
Hermione suddenly quickly closed the distance, and Kendis stood up to meet her best friend’s embrace. Kendis stood there, just allowing her best friend, her sister in all but blood, to hold her. “I’m so glad that both you and Alke are okay.”
Hermione put out an arm, and Ron took it, and the three friends stood in the middle room holding on to each other. No matter how far Kendis went, to her, Ron and Hermione were always her home.
And Kendis was happy to just give in to the feeling of safety that came with having her best friends near.
“Come back to England with us,” Hermione asked.
“Yeah mate,” Ron said, “He will have to get through us to get to you.”
It was so damn tempting to just give in and go home to the familiar comfort of the Burrow. But Kendis had made a promise to not only herself, but to Tony that she would stop running. And Kendis would be damned if she would break it.
“No,” Kendis shook her head. “I allowed Chester to run me out of two homes, and I’ll be damned if he runs me out of another. I am done running.” She took a deep breath as an idea formed in her head.
“And I think it’s beyond time that we bring the fight to him.”
“Kendis,” Hermione warned. “Don’t you think we should let the Auror deal with this?”
“No,” Kendis said, “I did everything right, I gave them all the evidence, and they still allowed Chester to walk free.”
“Fuck the police?” Tony said, with a grin.
“Fuck the police,” Kendis agreed, nodding her head.
Hermione turned around to her husband. He was deep in thought.
“Surely, you can’t condone this?!”
“Mione,” Ron gave her a grim look. There was no trace of his usual goofy himbo persona.
Many people underestimated Ronald Weasley, but it was his strategy that had helped her win the war and then later track down the rest of the escaped Death Eaters.
“Kendis is right,” Ron said, crossing his arms. “I love being an Auror, but I have been a part of the ministry long enough to see how corrupt things are.
“You know that is the real reason Kingsley stepped down as minister.”
“Ron,” Hermione said, pleadingly.
“You know I’m right, Hermione,” Ron said. “You quit after a year. I only lasted this long because I’m more stubborn than both of you.”
Hermione looked down at her fingers. Ron was right, and they both knew it. Kendis had read many an angry and tear-stained letter from Hermione, who grew increasingly frustrated at the unfairness of the ministry.
The Ministry only got worse after Kendis left.
Even after she left her position as Under Secretary for the head of the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures.
And now, as a civil rights attorney, Hermione still had to deal with the bureaucracy and corruption that still ran rampant in the Ministry.
Hermione sighed, “Fine, if we do this? We do this together.”
Kendis gave Hermione a rueful smile. “Just like old times.”
Ron laughed and shook his head. “What are our lives without a little danger?”
Tony shook and chuckled, “I feel like we are about to get queer and do some crimes.”
“Yep,” Kendis confirmed. “You in?”
” Abso-fucking-lutely,” Tony replied, with a wide smile that was nothing but trouble.
