When Ron, Hermione and Kendis woke up, they found out that they had been out for nearly an hour. Tony had been hovering anxiously near them. She could tell by the look on his face that they had been out longer than they had planned.
“How long?”
“Two hours,” Tony shook his head. He framed their faces in his large hands. “Are you okay? You said that you would be out—”
“Kendis yawned,”Just tired.”
“God, I felt like a troll hit me.”
“You would know how that feels, mate.” Kendis giggled. Hermione stood shakily to her feet
“I feel that is one hell of a story.” Tony’s eyes darted between Ron and Kendis.
“Best for another time,” Hermione replied primly as she stood shakily to her feet.
Every paused as Ron’s stomach suddenly grumbled loudly.
“I guess we should have lunch.” Kendis took out her wand and said, “Tempus.”
Tony’s eyebrow rose as the time, 1:45PM appeared in glowing red letters, hovering in the air. It reminded him oddly of his holograms in his workshop.
“Pizza?” Tony offered.
“I could go for a slice,” Kendis shrugged. Normally, if her friends were paying her a visit, she would cook. But she was hungry, and pizza sounded pretty good right now.
Tony and Ron went to get pizza when Tony scoffed at the delivery apps. Hermione and Ron had given him a strange look, and Kendis snorted.
“He’s Italian,” Kendis explained.
Both of her friends nodded in understanding because both had been around for one of Blaise Zabini’s infamous rants on Italian food.
Ron clapped Tony on the shoulder, and the two men were off to Tony’s bougie authentic Italian pizzeria.
“He’s a handful,” Hermione said, staring at their retreating backs.
“So is Ron,” Kendis said, shrugging. “And you have been married to him for five years.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “All I am saying is that he has a bit reputation. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Kendis didn’t know what that say to that. She couldn’t promise that Tony would never hurt her. Hell, Kendis couldn’t promise that she would never hurt Tony. Yet, Tony was here, by her side despite the danger. Even though Kendis knew she shouldn’t, she trusted him because he was trying.
She didn’t know what tomorrow held, but Kendis knew she wanted to spend every moment she could with Tony.
“I love him, Hermione.”
Hermione simply squeezed her hand, and then her gaze traveled across the wreck of the place. She took out her wand.
“Hermione, you don’t need to, and besides, you must be tired after portkeying here and fixing the wards.”
“I can’t sleep with the house in this state,” Hermione said, looking at the living room.
“Alright,” Kendis said with a sigh. “I’ll grab us some pepper-up potion and we can get to work.”
After downing a vial of pepper-up potion, Hermione and Kendis pushed the sofa and the mess of broken furniture and glass to the side to give them room for the ritual that would restore the wards. But they hadn’t had the time to clean up anything else.
Hermione and Kendis spent the next hour going through the house and painstakingly repairing everything Chester had destroyed.
Kendis was just glad she had locked her valuables away in the trunk in her study. Only her blood and magic could open the hidden study.
The trunk held her Nimbus 2800 racing broom that splurged on for her 18th birthday, a few Potter family albums, photos of her parents, and family heirlooms that had survived the destruction of her childhood home in Godric’s Hollow. Not to mention the deed to her properties, her passport, immigration papers, and her wedding ring.
Kendis shook her head as she finished cleaning up the living room, while Hermione tidied up the kitchen as she slowly approached the dark hallway. The sounds of her friend’s spell casting faded away, and she once again faced Chester. The glimmer of madness and possession in his eyes.
‘Don’t be a baby,’ Kendis chided herself. She has faced bigger dangers than the likes of Chester. They slowly crept past the closed doors of the guest room, bathroom, and the linens pantry down to her bedroom.
Visions of that fight with Chester flashed in her brain, so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘I need to go back to therapy’, Kendis thought ruefully.
And as soon as this was over, Kendis was going to call Healer Bulwark and make an appointment.
Her bedroom was a disaster, with clothes, pillows, sheets, and duvets strewn everywhere. Chester shattered the mirror and paintings on the floor, and he even wrecked the drawers of her wardrobe.
Her eyes traveled across the pole in the corner and to the spot Alke had fallen that night. She shivered as Kendis remembered her baby lying out bleeding on the floor.
Kendis heard a noise, and she spun, wand at the ready; to see Hermione standing there with a worried look on her face.
“Kendis?”
“I’m fine,” Kendis said a little too quickly.
“No, you are not,” Hermione countered, crossing her arms. “Are you sure you want to stay here tonight? We can get a room at Hotel Hex.”
Kendis shook her head. Chester won’t force me out of my house again.
Hermione agreed, and the two friends put Kendis’s wardrobe back together, hung her clothes, fixed the Scottish landscapes, and repaired the furniture and broken photo.
Kendis watched as the glass mended itself back together and her parents were once more smiling up at her from the gold picture frame on her dresser. James Potter, with his rich dark skin, large afro, and wire-framed glasses, holding his mother with her pale skin and vivid red hair. They looked at each other as if they were each other’s world.
They were so different, but they remained devoted to each other until the end.
It made her wonder if Tony and would could ever measure up. ‘That’s not fair,’ Kendis shook her head. Putting Tony on a pedestal like that would only spell disaster for both of them. But she still ached for the same type of love her parents had.
“Done!” Hermione said, pulling Kendis out of their thoughts. Kendis reverently put the frame back on the nightstand and turned around.
The bedroom looked as if nothing had happened. It once again resembled the sanctuary she had painstakingly designed for herself. The deep navy walls seemed to drink in the light, making the glow of the lanterns feel warmer, more alive. In the center of the room, her bed stood piled high with scarlet satin throw pillows and a thick cream-colored duvet that contrasted nicely with the dark walls.
Kendis had carefully repaired the round bronze mirror and floated to place it back on the wall mount above her bed.
Neville’s large green whisper fern had been put to rights, and thankfully, it was sturdy enough to survive Chester’s visit.
The plant stretched to the top of her large window, which looked out onto her lush front lawn and the garage beyond.
“Kendis — “Hermione started to said when they both jumped as the door slammed. The two friends looked at each other and hurried out of the room to see Ron levitating a large stack of pizza boxes, garlic bread, and a six pack of sodas with Tony trailing close behind.
“Blimey!” Ron shook his head. “You really can make calls from your automobile?”
“Was slamning the door necessary?” Hermione glared at Tony.
Tony took one look at Kendis face and winced. “Sorry, I forgot. “
“No worries, love.” Kendis walked over to him to give a kiss on the cheek.
“Your plates in the same place?” Hermione asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Third cabinet on the right.” Kendis called out, and Hermione headed into the kitchen.
Ron shook his head and the food and drinks floated through the air into the kitchen as Ron followed his wife into the kitchen.
Kendis wrapped arm around Tony, “We better get a move on before Ron eats all the pizza.”
“I heard that!”
Kendis laughed as she led Tony into the kitchen. Ron set the pizza, bread, and sodas down on the table. The four of them sat down to eat.
Ron handed Hermione a piece of cheese pizza and slid it across to her. She smiled at him. “Thank you.”
“I don’t know what pizza you would like, so I bought a little of everything.” Tony gestured towards the stack of boxes on the table.
“Posh bastard,” Ron muttered under his breath. Even though Tony rolled his eyes, Kendis could tell by his faint smile he was not all that offended.
Kendis grabbed her two slices of the meat lover’s pizza. Tony grabbed one of each, and he moaned over the food.
“God, this is delicious,” Hermione said.
“Casa Bianca Pizza Pie is the best,” Tony said, and then he ate another slice.
The table was quiet for a bit as they ate, but then Ron started going into the childhood adventures at Hogwarts, with both Kendis and Hermione correcting him when he started to exaggerate things.
Tony ate up every story, his eyes intent even as he ate his own slices. She had worried about how Tony would get along with her friends. Ron and Hermione were such an important part of her life, and she wanted them to like Tony.
Tony could charm anyone, if he set his mind to it, so Kendis shouldn’t have worried. While going to get pizza, Ron and Tony, apparently, started a conversation. And Kendis could tell that Hermione was still suspicious, but hopefully she would eventually give him a chance.
By the time they finished, Kendis wasn’t surprised that Ron ate three whole pies on his own. She found it hilarious to watch Tony’s eyes grow wide as saucers as he witnessed Ron devour pizza after another. Kendis had to stop at three pieces, and Hermione ate two.
“God, I’m stuffed.” Tony said, patting his belly.
I’m absolutely eating there again when I visit! Ron said and then gave a loud yawn. “I know it’s early, but I’m knackered.”
Hermione nodded and gathered the plates. Kendis stopped her. “No, you are my guest!”
“Kendis,” Hermione chided. “Let me help.”
“You have helped more than enough. Now go on,” Kendis said, giving a wry shake of her head. “I’m surprised you’re still on your feet.”
“I don’t know,” Hermione said, biting her lip.
Ron stood, put his arm around Hermione, and kissed her forehead. “To bed with you.”
Hermione gave him a soft, fond smile, and then she turned back to Kendis. “Night.”
“Night.”
Tony looked up at the clock above the sink. “Well, it’s only 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Tony said with a little eyebrow wiggle.
Kendis rolled her eyes as she took his hand and dragged him out of the living room. She found that with Tony close beside her, the trip down the hallway was much easier.
They stopped in front of the linen closet. Kendis opened the door and stepped inside.
“You want to make out in the closet?” Tony asked, “Cause we can totally do that.”
Kendis snorted as she pushed a stack of blankets to the side to press her hand against the wall, and then the wall disappeared to reveal a large, cavernous, old fashion traditional English study.
“What the hell?”
Tony’s eyes went wide as they walked through the magical entrance. Kendis smirked as she followed his gaze around the room. It was, in truth, a pocket dimension that they had created three years before.
Runes were carved into the wooden bookshelves lining the walls to protect the books. The windows were arched Gothic windows that looked out onto the Scottish countryside.
When Kendis was feeling homesick or masochist, she would change to settings to show the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest.
There was a narrow door on either side of the window. On the right was the door that led to her practice room, where she sparred, and on the left was a door to her potions room.
Her time with the half – blood prince’s book lit in her a passion for potions. And Snape may have been a greasy git, but the two things she could say for him: 1) He was a brilliant Potion Master and 2) He had a wonderful sense of style.
Kendis may have been horrible with potions as a kid, but that didn’t stop potions from becoming one of their special interests.
Kendis shook her head as she pushed her thoughts of Snape away. Tony wandered around her study, taking everything in before he finally walked past her antique executive desk, her tufted dark brown leather office chair and up the nearby staircase that led up to the mezzanine balcony.
“I think I am having a Beauty and the Beast moment,” Tony murmured to himself.
Kendis blinked. “What?”
“You don’t have any singing furniture or a tea set?”
Kendis frowned. “No, I can conjure some up for you and make them sing if you want.”
“No, that’s okay,” Tony said, quick as his fingers touched the leather-bound tomes. “I’m just going to…” He flailed his hands. “Commune with the books.”
Kendis snorted and went over to her desk. She looked at the stack of paperwork from all of her magical holdings and groaned. Omalb, her goblin accountant, worked hard to track all the Potter and Black accounts, which meant she always had a mountain of paperwork waiting for her.
Kendis should try to take a nap, but she doesn’t want to have another nightmare. Besides, her sleep schedule was already buggered to hell.
No, at this point, paperwork was much preferable.
Kendis came out of the haze of paperwork when she noticed the silence. Tony Stark and silence did not mix, and that worried her. Kendis wrinkled her nose as she smelled the sharp smell of brimstone.
“Tony?” Kendis called out, but she didn’t get any answer. Kendis jumped up and glanced around, her heart pounding as she searched for him.
“Tony!”
Kendis stood up on her feet, her eyes darting around looking for her husband, but there was nothing. Then she shivered at the sudden cold, and the room grew dim as something was leaching all the light from the room.
There stood a Black feminine person with skin as dark as onyx, reminding her of the Sudanese people she knew back in London. They were bald with white pupilless eyes, wearing a shimmering gown that made their dark skin sparkle in the evening sunlight.
“Who are you?”
“I’m disappointed, Master,” they replied. “I thought you would recognize me.”
And Kendis suddenly knew the answer, and it terrified them.
“Death.”
