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Harry paused to wipe sweat out of his face, running his shaky hand through his hair, before taking off again. Apparating away from the little nook he had found and landing on the farthest point on the horizon, near the little creek he remembered. He stood there and breathed, loud, shaky inhales and exhales filled the air.
“Potter!”
“You can’t outrun us!”
He flinched and dodged the stunning spell that was cast his way instinctively, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Sweat dripped down his back, making his shirt stick to his back. The sun glared down at him from its position in the sky, keeping the temperature high enough to be mostly comfortable.
The Ministry had been… generous enough to paint a target on his back during the fall, leaving him on the run in Europe in weather that was just beginning to get cold. And he’d been dodging Aurors throughout the mountains and valleys of land that wasn’t at all familiar.
At least he had a destination. Had only been there once and that was several years ago. But. Things had changed since then and he had allies here.
Exhaustion licked at him as he ran, splashing into a puddle and slipping a little. He glanced down at the land around him, picking out the landmarks. He wasn’t particularly familiar with the borders, hadn’t spent a whole lot of time here the first time when Ron had left him and Hermione back when they had been on the run and hunting horcruxes several years ago.
He’d spent more time with…
He apparated again just as he felt the hum of a stunning spell, using more magic when he landed on rocky terrain to cast a shield around himself. He’d landed on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a valley just a few miles beyond him to the north.
“We’re just looking to ask you a few questions, Potter!”
“Yeah! Just like we tried asking Miss Andromeda!”
Harry swore under his breath, breathing hard and fast as he continued to run, noting the big boulder that meant he was close. Close enough to the border that his heart skipped a beat. The town and capital were close by and that meant he didn’t have far to go for him to sense trouble.
He kept on running and swerved around the boulder at the last minute, hearing the crack that indicated someone else apparating. The cutting spell that came his way a second later took his breath away, made him reconsider. Harry winced as another stunning spell sped towards him, making him wheel about. Only to get in the way of the cutting spell.
He yelled as the spell connected with his calf, as blood gushed outward. He tripped on a pinecone but continued to run, his heart aching at the reminder from the Unspeakables and Aurors behind him. The raw heat of the wrong kind of pain flared from his calf and he reached a hand down to clutch at his leg.
Harry had walked into Andromeda’s house last week, intending on picking up Teddy’s things for the weekend. Only to walk in on Andromeda’s dead body. Her deathly pale body. Blood was splattered all over the kitchen where he had found her and her mouth was open in death, her eyes sightless. The Aurors had knocked him out there, in Andromeda’s house, and had stunned him.
They’d regretted it soon afterward, as he fought the bindings and slipped away from the house quite easily. After taking them down with a well cast body bind and killing two of them.
Sweat and blood dribbled down his forehead, drawing him back to the present. And to the sight of the town coming into view, the stables on the edge of it making him breathe .
“Potter! You know we’re going to catch up to you! You can’t apparate forever!”
Harry snorted and ran ahead, letting down one shield he had on his power and apparated over to the stable. Yells echoed in the stable aisle around him and horses whinnied in surprise at his appearance. He used the last bit of energy he had, the small little reservoir of power that he’d held back and apparated to the center of the town, landing in the park that had his husband had taken him to on a date.
His knees finally buckled as he breathed in a sigh of relief, glancing out at the fast approaching Aurors.
The people around them, idly enjoying the park, ran over to him, their eyes wide going wide with surprise and then…recognition.
“Lord Potter!”
“Are you alright?!”
Harry made a wavy motion with his hand, slumping down against the park bench behind him. “I’m…”
“Ah, Potter.”
The Auror in the lead finally caught up to him, followed by the rest of his team and the Unspeakables. The man smiled almost gently down at Harry, his wand drawn.
“We’re here to arrest you,” Randall said, taking a step towards him. “Mr Potter.”
Harry opened his mouth to talk only to start coughing on a dry throat, holding his calf in. He needed time to heal it and time to catch his breath but. “Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The Unspeakable in the front dropped her hood, revealing Colleen, someone he’d worked with for a few weeks. She stared down at him, her lips curled up into a grimace.
“Mr Potter, there is an outstanding warrant for you and for your godson. We understand--”
“You understand nothing,” Harry interrupted, making the teams in front of him blink in confusion. “You don’t know where we are, do you?”
“Yes, we know. Latveria. That means nothing. They won’t care if we take you in.”
Harry arched an eyebrow, glancing behind him at the various people who had gathered. He noted a few people who he recognized and a few he didn’t. They all recognized him though, their eyes going wide and worried. A few pulled out cellphones and dialed the police. For once, Harry wasn’t nervous about that.
“This is Latveria,” Harry continued, gesturing around them. “And you pissed off its lord.”
“Von Doom doesn’t give a shit about his people. And you’re not one of them.”
“Well, you hurt me,” Harry offered, giving a small shrug, already sensing the more than familiar power. He felt that small sliver of smugness in his gut and he grinned up at the men who surrounded him. Two of them took a step back, tightening their grips on their wands. “That’s as good as pissing off its lord. And please. We all know Von Doom is insanely protective of his people.”
Randall sneered down at him. “And why would that piss off Doom? We have--”
“You hurt me…You anger my husband.”
Colleen’s eyes narrowed. “Your husband. You’re not married.”
“Besides,” Randall said. “What can your hypothetical husband do to us? Is he one of these muggles?”
“No. No, he is not. Doom would prefer you leave the premises.”
Harry breathed a deep sigh of relief at Victor’s voice, slumping further onto the bench. The very familiar man appeared right next to the park bench Harry was slumped against, stepping through his own conjured portal.
Doctor Doom walked over to kneel in front of Harry, seemingly ignoring the threat at his back. His green cape fluttered at his back, curling around him like a blanket. The metal mask that covered his face made Harry shiver slightly but the look in Doom’s eyes…The look in Victor’s eyes was electric and lethal, anger flickering in those green eyes.
“Are you alright, darling?” Victor asked quietly, power sparking at his fingertips.
Harry lifted his shoulders in a small shrug, the protective anger in Victor’s eyes warming him up. His chest ached, making him more aware of his ribs and the gash in his calf. Before he’d met the man several years ago, he’d never had anyone get angry over him. Angry and willing enough to kill.
“Doom, this is not your business,” Randall said, taking a step towards them.
“It is entirely my business,” Doom remarked, enough of a snarl in his voice that it made Randall do a double take.
“ They are trying to kill me,” Harry replied, coughing a little, tightening his fingers over his calf as blood dripped out of the wound. “Broken ribs and a cutting curse. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Anyway…husband of mine, how are you?”
Gasps filled the air as the aurors and unspeakables all stared at him.
“Any fights with the Avengers or with Reed lately?” Harry continued, slumping a little towards Doom, going lightheaded with pain. His vision greyed as adrenaline lost its hold on his body, as exhaustion took over.
“What the fuck?” Randall murmured, loud enough for Harry to hear and snicker at.
Victor reached out a hand and curled his fingers over Harry’s on his calf, healing magic smoothing over his skin. Harry let out a shuddery exhale and nearly swayed at the touch, feeling the quiet tingle of skin and muscle knitting back together.
“This man is Doom’s husband,” Victor said, his eyes almost glowing with power as he stood up. “And you are trespassing on Latverian soil. Get out.”
Randall and Colleen looked at each other wearily.
“Husband or not, we still need to take him in,” one of the other Aurors said.
Latverian police spilled out into the park around them, followed swiftly by Doombots.
The Doombots surrounded the group of them, their weapons now aimed at the men and women from Britain.
“I now have dual citizenship,” Harry commented, finally catching his breath, letting himself stand down for now. “Which means I count as a citizen of Latveria. I meant to send out notices but seeing as you guys love keeping track of who I interact with…”
A few of the Aurors crept towards them, clearly thinking they could take Doom unawares. Doom smiled, a sharp glint in his eyes that probably only Harry could see, and stalked over to Randall, a predatory smirk on his lips, and struck, his hand curling around Randall’s neck and lifting. The Auror screamed, his legs kicking out at nothing as Doom held him up off the ground.
“I have no qualms about killing you or your team,” Doom said, his voice low and metallic through the mask. “You will forget where my husband is, otherwise I will track you down and kill you, provided you and your team leave now.”
Doom threw Randall away several feet than turned around and approached Harry again. Harry didn’t even bat an eyelash at the loud crack that filled the air, too weary to be upset about Doom protecting him. Victor slipped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and one underneath his legs, lifting him up with easy effort. Harry leaned into his husband and glanced at the Aurors and Unspeakables, meeting their eyes wearily.
“Potter, you know who he is.”
“Ah, yeah, I married him. I know who he is,” Harry retorted, sighing as Victor cradled him like he was something precious. “Diplomatic immunity and all that. He’s the only one who gave a shit about me.”
Colleen signaled to her team and to the Auror team, to what was left of the British group, and they all apparated away.
“I wooed you,” Victor offered slyly, glancing down at him as he walked off, tapping something on his wrist. The Doombots all flew off and Harry assumed they were going to watch the borders, keep an eye out for either the Fantastic Four or the Avengers. Or perhaps for more British invaders.
“Well, yes, that too,” Harry replied, meeting Victor’s eyes and smiling even through the slight pain of his broken ribs. It was steadily disappearing though, Victor’s magic chasing away the flare of nerve pain. His own magic embraced it, letting the familiar power soothe the dryness.
“Your godson is in his room at the castle,” Victor whispered, conjuring a portal and stepping through it. “Alive and well.”
Harry let out a sigh of relief as they stepped out of the portal and into Victor’s castle. The stone castle was nothing like Hogwarts on the first few floors, built like a true fortress. The upper levels though were quiet and warm. He’d left enough of his belongings here over the years that it felt like home.
Victor continued to carry him up the first staircase and walked right over to their bedroom. Dusk spilled from the windows through the castle, the early evening light providing a cozy enough glow. Harry leaned further against Doom’s armor, feeling and hearing Victor breathe.
“The cat’s out of the bag now,” Harry remarked, as they reached their bed.
“Are you regretting our relationship?” Victor asked, slowly lowering Harry down to the mattress. The tingling of mending skin and muscles was faint by now. Harry knew that if he looked down at his calf, it would be pink with the tinge of new skin.
“No. I’m not. You know that,” Harry replied, hearing his stomach growl. “My husband is a very attractive man who can match me in power levels. Who gives enough of a shit about me to kill. Besides…I wanted to be wooed.”
Victor smirked and sat down next to him, reaching up to take off his mask with a quiet clink. Victor’s face was only slightly scarred but he still hated his skin, still hated to see himself in a mirror. But he allowed Harry to see him as he was.
Harry slipped a hand up to cup Victor’s cheek, sitting up to meet his husband’s eyes. “I love you, Victor.”
“Dad!”
Doors slammed open in the distance and Harry laughed quietly, as Victor’s eyes crinkled in amusement.
“Cub! I’m in here!”
“I love you too,” Victor whispered back, leaning into Harry’s palm easily.