Chapter Four, Friends and Inventing

Previously on The Lil' Iron Witch:

"Will you all stay?" Valentina asked sleepily, as she lay down snuggled against her dad.
"We'll all stay until you're asleep." Bruce assured her.
"Sleep well Bambina." Tony kissed her head, resting his cheek on top of it as he thought over what Loki had told him a few days ago. He was a little scared to be honest, but he knew he was in very capable hands, the proof was lying snuggled up against him. He would be put into a healing sleep similar to the one Tina was in, to heal the injuries from the battle of New York, remove the shrapnel, heal the lung and heart damage, regrow some of his ribs and strengthen his chest cavity that had all been the cause of Yinsen making space for the reactor to save his life.

It was all a terrifying thought, but he knew he had come back stronger from it. And once he was awake and recovering, he will look over the information on Sirius that hopefully Loki would have found out by then. He knew his family would rise from the ashes like a phoenix, all those who harmed his little girl would rue the day they were born for taking her away from him for ten years. Now he just had to heal and then he and Tina could create and invent to their hearts content safe on Asgard where she could not be taken from him again. He would not allow it, and he knew Loki would not either. He did not know what was happening between him and the god, but he will soon find out; his priority was his daughter. Always. He would not be another Howard.

Chapter Four, Friends and Inventing

It has been a few weeks since Valentina, Tony and Bruce had been taken to Asgard and since father and daughter had been healed, and they were thriving. Tony was on a few potions for the pain as his body recovered from having his bones and part of his lung regrown as well as the shrapnel finally being removed from his body. But the pain he was currently feeling was considerably different to what he had been living with since he was kidnapped and tortured in Afghanistan, however, Lady Eir was impressed with his progress and assured him that he would definitely make a full recovery if he continued to follow her instructions and take the potions she and Queen Frigga prescribed to him.

While he was healing – including physical therapy – Loki, Thor and even Queen Frigga had been entertaining his daughter. Taking her on a tour of the gardens of Asgard, and even around Asgard to the market. On those trips – which she excitedly and enthusiastically filled him in on what she got up to at the end of each day, reminding Tony affectionately of his sixteen-year-old godson Peter Parker, and seventeen-year-old Harley Keener who he adopted after his Dad tried to beat him, as he had met him after the Palladium Poisoning - she filled him in on the people she met which included some children and even Astrid, the son of Heimdall and Lady Eir, the sights she saw, what the market held, and what the gardens looked like.

On those trips sometimes Bruce would accompany Valentina, Loki and Thor or he would spend the day at his bedside discussing theories that popped into their heads, what they could create here that would also work back on Earth; they weren't science bros for nothing. It was on those particular days that Tony treasured his friendship with Bruce even more as he saved him from boredom. Despite loving to read, Tony wasn't a man who could keep still for long, so staying in bed to rest and recover was his own particular nightmare. But if it allowed him to have a long life with his daughter then Tony was all for it. Think of all the things the pair of them could create! The multiple pieces of paper littering both desks in his and his daughter's room was testament to how excited they were for their day of father-daughter inventing.

A knock on his door pulled Tony from his thoughts so suddenly it caused him to jump, startled, in his bed. He was alone for the moment; Bruce had stepped out to find how Tina was getting on which Tony appreciated more than words could express.
"Come in!" Tony called loudly, bidding whoever was at his door entrance. 'Perhaps it was Lady Eir coming to check on my progress today?' Tony mused thoughtfully to himself. However, it wasn't Lady Eir but Loki who had a worried look in his green eyes, pulling his eyebrows in despite the soft, tender smile on his lips. That was another unexpected development. Tony fully admitted to himself that there was something between him and the god but due to his healing nothing had come of it as of yet (though he hoped).

He had first noticed it a few weeks ago when it was his Princess going through her healing, the fact that Loki cared deeply for Valentina gave him extra points. Tony's unspoken rule was clear to everyone: you didn't love his daughter or give her the time of day then Tony would never give you the time of day either. Although that was never an issue for Loki and Valentina, to Tony's delight; since the moment Tina and Loki met there had been a bond between them. Valentina had even started calling Loki, Papa, which Loki loved as he had never felt such love from someone other than his mother.

"How're you Tony?" Loki asked, seating himself in the chair at his bedside. "Princess is with my mother in the gardens planting some orange tiger lilies as a tribute to her mother." He added when he saw the panic building in Tony's eyes at the lack of his daughter at Loki's side. A soft, sad smile turns up Tony's lips at the dedication to Lily.

"Feeling stronger than I did yesterday. Physical therapy with Lady Eir and her team doesn't tire me out as much as it used to, and its easier to breathe then it has been in years." Tony conveyed with a large smile, the relief he felt for improving daily under the guidance and encouragement of his daughter, friends, Loki, Queen Frigga and Lady Eir and her team was beyond words.
"That's great Tony!" Loki exclaimed, an identical large grin gracing his features. "Do you feel up to Tina's friends and their families visiting?" He asked.
"Of course!" Tony agreed, throwing back the covers, feeling he's rested enough today.

"I can't wait to meet my Bambina's friends. Those who were there for her this past year when I couldn't be. I know, I know." He added hurriedly, spotting Loki's indignant expression. "It wasn't my fault but that doesn't assuage my guilt for not finding her when she needed me and was being hurt. It's all Dumbledore's fault and I will make him pay. Have you found anything on Sirius? And are you sure you don't mind my sweet girl calling you Papa?"

"Of course I don't, Tony." Loki reassured him, grasping Tony's callused hands between his own. "I love that sweet little girl and that won't change even if whatever's between us doesn't work out, though I don't see any complications with that. You and Tina complete me, Tony! And you rightly are the type of person, the type of Dad to put her first and would not accept a partner that doesn't have a bond with your daughter, as you rightly should."

The pair share a smile as a blush covers Tony's cheeks. Once he's ready, and Loki is sure Tony would make the journey to the gardens from the family quarters in the castle, the pair leave Tony's chambers. A tender, soft moment passes between them in silence for a while just relishing each other's company until Loki finally spoke once more.

"As for Sirius. Heimdall and I have found out that Dumbledore cast a compulsion charm upon him to get Sirius to leave Tina in that broken-down house handing her over to a man called Hagrid and go after Pettigrew. It was there that Pettigrew framed Sirius but instead of getting him a trial, Dumbledore let Sirius be thrown in their prison. Azkaban, it's called, I believe. Its where he is now still with no trial and everyone believing he killed Pettigrew and betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort."

Tony clenched his fists so tightly that his blunt nails dug into his palms. He would say he had never felt such anger for the treatment Sirius had endured but that would be a lie. The anger he felt at the abuse and treatment his Bambina had endured for a decade came in first, but this was a close second and the anger he felt at Stane's betrayal came in third.
"Okay." Tony breathed through clenched teeth, moving his jaw to release the tension and the mild pain he felt from how hard he clenched his teeth as he thought of how injured Tina was a few weeks ago but she still had open wounds mentally and emotionally that she needed to recover from.

"Okay," he breathed again. "once I have made those Dursleys pay for what they did to my baby I'll get started on working out how to get Sirius out of that literal hell on earth. Although, if mini-me's friends and their families do come today I might be able to get help from Susan's aunt, Amelia. She works in their Law Enforcement." Tony mused thoughtfully.
"Well you know you will have our help Tony. I also had Heimdall check on the progress of the case against the Dursleys and Dr Strange, Rhodey and that lady from... CPS? CPS are working hard on it, and it seems soon you'll be notified of a trail." Loki added.
"Thank you, Loki, I mean it. For everything." Tony said gratefully, clasping his hand with Loki's and squeezing tightly, conveying without words how much he valued the god and what he was doing for him and his princess.

"DADDY!!!" Valentina's cry reverberated around the garden the second she spotted her Dad who looked to being do so much better than the day before and even than earlier this morning. Before anyone could say anything her magic caused her to disappear from her spot kneeled beside Queen Frigga – nearly causing Tony's heart to contract with crippling fear, scared she had been stollen from him again – before reappearing in front of her father, throwing her arms around his waist. Tony let out a breath of relief trying to calm his heart that felt like it was trying to force its way out of his newly healed chest.

"Do not worry Tony." Queen Frigga's soft baritone voice whispered soothingly, calming Tony's heart in the process, there was something about when she spoke it calmed you. "Valentina cannot be stolen from you again. Least of all in Asgard, if any tried it would been death for them, but there is no threat of that here. Her magic just reacted to her emotions, her relief and delight in seeing you looking well and delight in having a father that it transported her to you. To be closer to the man who saved her in Midgard, how she felt safe with you as a babe and how she feels safe with you once more especially since in her mind you saved her that she wanted to be closer to you and her magic reacted to her subconscious wish."

"I didn't meant to scare you Daddy." Valentina apologised, hanging her head, looking down at her feet where she was using the toe of her shoe to push the gravel on the path around a little.
"Hey. Hey, don't apologise mini-me." Tony hurriedly spoke, gently lifting her head with fingers under her chin. "There's no need to. How would you like it if your friends and their family come to visit today, if it's alright with Queen Frigga?" Tony asked. "Loki also found out what happened to your Papa Sirius," He added cautiously, crouching down so he could look his tiny, sweet daughter in the eyes.

"Dumbledore sent him to Azkaban, the terrible wizard prison without a trial but I promise baby, that I and Loki will find a way to release him from there."
A frown marred Valentina's forehead as she thought over what she had just been told, her bright mind quickly coming to the possible reason for such an act against her third, now fourth, father and it made anger boil beneath her skin towards the old man who had meddled so much in her life and nearly costing her every family member she had.

"Okay Daddy." Valentina whispered, her trust in her fathers' resolute and unwavering. "Maybe Susan's aunt, Amelia will help with Dadfoot." She mused, using the name she had christened Sirius with when she was a baby. "Susan said she had told her everything Dumbledore had done regarding me and even gave her a statement what happened at the end of term, along with the others, so maybe she will help with this too."
"That was my thought too." Tony agreed smiling at his daughter, tenderly and lovingly pushing strands of her dark hair that had escaped her braid back behind her ear and out of her face. "Now, what do you say about seeing your friends?" He asked.

"Can I please, Queen Frigga?" Valentina asked politely. Trying to mask how eager she was to see her friends once more and introduce them to her Dad, Papa, Dr Bruce Banner, Astrid, Uncle Thor and Asgard. Although she was nervous about meeting her friends' families. Especially seeing Ronald again as his abrasive and hot-headed nature, not to mention the jealousy he displayed towards the twins not only made her angry but put her off.
"Of course sweetie." Frigga agreed with a soft smile. "I've told you can call me Grandma, Princess."
"Sorry Grandma." Valentina apologised but a beaming smile was so wide a dimple appeared on her left cheek.

Her smile was so enchanting that it caused all of them to smile back at her. She simply had one of those smiles that brought a smile upon your own face.
"Loki, come. Let's give them some time to invent and fetch her friends. We will be back shortly with your friends, darling." Frigga said, tenderly sweeping hair back into a braid for her only grandchild.
"Of course Mother." Loki agreed, bending to kiss Tina's forehead. "We'll be back soon. Don't overdo it; either of you." He warned, staring intently at both Tony and Tina who only smiled innocently at him; which he didn't believe at all.

The second both Loki and Frigga were out of sight Tony turned to his daughter with a wide Cheshire cat grin.
"Shall we go play, mini-me?" Tony asked, eager for some father-daughter time. It was well overdue in his opinion, but he was glad he had pushed for them both to be healed.
"YES!" Tina shouted, bouncing in her spot, her little arms in the air. As they walked towards the Forge hand-in-hand, Tony nervously told Tina all about Harley Keener and Peter Parker, but he hadn't needed to be so nervous as Tina stopped turning to him with an eager excitement in her emerald eyes.

"I have brothers?" Tina asked excitedly. "Will they like me, Daddy?" She asked shyly, nervously playing with Tony's fingers. Tony kneeled before his sweet daughter clasping her hands with a gentle reassuring squeeze.
"Valentina, my sweet Bambina," Tony spoke gently and soothingly. "I promise you they will love you just like I do. Just like Loki, and our friends and family do. Despite what Petunia and Vernon told you – and I swear to you baby, they will pay for all they've done to you – you are amazing and a sweet little girl who is extremely intelligent, and anyone would be lucky to meet you. And all they told you are lies, and I will spend the rest of our lives being proud of my amazing daughter."

A blush crept rapidly across Valentina's pale cheeks as she smiled shyly at her Dad before she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly which Tony readily returned, a thrilled smile upon his face. He still marvelled at having his daughter in his arms, in his life again. Sometimes, at night, he woke up in a sweat fearing she had been taken from him once more and rushed to her room to make sure she was still there, still with him. It was those nights where he fell asleep either beside her in bed on top of the covers with Tina snuggled into his chest or in the armchair beside her bed.

"I love you tons, baby." Tony whispered into her hair.
"I love you three thousand, Daddy." Tina replied, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt, but it didn't stop the warm feeling surging through him that was way better than the warmest bath or the spiciest whisky.

***

"Welcome to Asgard, friends and family of Princess Valentina." Heimdall greeted, nodding his head as he turned the Bifrost off after Queen Frigga and Prince Loki returned to Asgard with the Weasley family minus the two eldest sons, Neville and Augusta Longbottom, Draco, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, Susan and Amelia Bones and Sue and her mother Kianna Lesia Li nee Fukuhara and her father An Monty Li, but he goes by Monty.

"Valentina is with her father in the Forge, my Queen, my Prince. They have been joined by Dr Banner and my son Astrid." Heimdall informed Frigga and Loki.
"Thank you Heimdall." Frigga thanked, smiling at her friend. Her gaze was captured by those who were close to her granddaughter and their families as they too were captured, but their gaze was captured by the view of Asgard through the opening of the Gate House. A smile appeared on her face as the two ginger twins her granddaughter had told them so much about were gazing at her youngest son with reverence as they both held a rapid conversation with Loki which he was all too happy to engage in.

To see her son so happy was a gift all on its own and one she treasured above all, she knew Odin also secretly treasured it, but she did wish he were more open to their sons and their grandchild, and he certainly could've handled situations better than he had done. She may love him, but she wasn't blind to his faults.
"Astrid escaped from training with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three then." Queen Frigga laughed, Heimdall nodded with a laugh of his own.
"He did my Queen." Heimdall laughed. "I believe, he has a crush on the young Princess. But perhaps we shouldn't let her fathers or Prince Thor know." He whispered with a laugh; he knew if his son found out he'd told their queen – which he would as he had his gift – he would be highly embarrassed.

"Perhaps not." Frigga laughed, she knew Thor was a very overprotective uncle and both Loki and Tony were very overprotective over Tina as well. "Come, Loki and I will lead you on a tour on our journey towards the Forge. No doubt Dr Banner and my eldest son, Thor will join us there shortly."
"This is all amazing!" Arhtur Weasley mused staring around him in wonder and excitement. He felt like his twin sons with how excited he was, he was eager to talk to Valentina's father and Dr Banner and ask them all bout Muggle science and technology.

From Fred and George – who found out from the letters they shared from Valentina - he had found out that both men were extremely smart and were science doctors and that Valentina was even smarter, according to his sons, and her friends had even confirmed it. When he had first found out that a Potter, a Longbottom, a Malfoy and two Weasleys were friends, to say he was shocked was an understatement. But from what he's been told they were joined in friendship through Valentina Rosa Potter or rather Potter-Stark, and he was extremely excited to meet this extraordinary little girl who had managed to get them all, including a Bones and a Li, to be friends despite the Blood Feuds that existed between certain families. But with that friendship group it was non-existent.

Not everyone expressed his sentiments, however. Ronald, his youngest son did not appreciate that his twin brothers were friends with Draco and Neville (even if there was nothing wrong with the shy boy) or that they were even friends with the Girl-Who-Lived as he thought he should have been Valentina's only friend but due to his behaviour towards her and others she didn't give him the time of day. Sharing a look with his wife, Molly, Arthur knew the pair of them would need to have another stern talking to Ronald, again.

As it would seem the one they had given him at home seemed to have done nothing as he scowled angrily at Neville, Draco, Susan, Sue, Fred and George as the five of them spoke animatedly with Loki.
"It really is beautiful here, Queen Frigga." Molly agreed, despite being honest she was trying to distract everyone away from Ronald's sour temperament.
"Thank you." Frigga replied graciously. "But I assure you, Frigga is fine." She smiled reassuringly at them when they looked sceptical about not using her title. "Here we are." She added.

Up ahead an open building could be seen that had music coming from it (with the combined sheer brilliance of her granddaughter, son-in-law and Dr Banner she wasn't surprised) it was Back in Black by AC/DC. Several hearths were burning as Tony, Valentina and Dr Bruce Banner worked on something while Thor, who leaned against a pillar, spoke animatedly with their Blacksmith, Haldier, who was making some new horseshoes to complete his order, but every once in a while he would smile over at Valentina and pass her some tools if they were too high for her to reach. True to Heimdall's words there was Astrid stood in front of Valentina and Tony watching them with rapture as he eagerly asked questions that they were all too happy to answer.

"TINA!!!!" her five friends shouted, ignoring their parents/guardians' reprimands as Tina startled badly, a flinch tearing through her body that caused her magic to almost react (Loki and Frigga could feel it building in the air, while the of-age witches and wizards only felt a slight charge in the air) until she saw who had called her and a squeal tore from her throat. With the utmost care Tina placed what she had been working on, on the bench before her before she tore out of the Forge towards her friends who met her halfway and enveloped her in a group hug. Each of them excitedly talking over each other as they all wanted to know how their tiny, youngest friend was doing and how she was coping with the fact she actually had a father.

While the six friends reacquainted and caught up with each other and how their summer had been so far, even including Astrid when Valentina introduced them, Tony, Loki and the other parents could only watch on with smiles upon their faces. They had never seen their children so happy as they did in that moment that they each swore to themselves that they would do anything to keep their children looking like that. So much so that Arthur and Lucius abolished the Blood Feud that was between their family due to their ancestors with Arthur apologising for it, and for all of them to agree to take down Dumbledore. The old man's days were numbered, and he didn't even realise or suspect it happening; all due to one Valentina Rosa Potter-Stark.

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Italian to English translation:

• Bambina = baby.

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Icelandic to English translations:

• Prinessa = Princess

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Author's Note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this. Sorry it's late my puppy has been really ill since he was neutered, so I'm shattered. But he's finally feeling better.

Second Author's Note: For the sake of my story I'm making it so Harley Keener and Peter Parker are born earlier than in canon, so when Harley met Tony it was just after the Palladium Poisoning. And Peter knew Tony from a young age as May was part of the friendship group from MI.I.T (which contains Tony, Rhodey, Stephen Strange, Hope Van Dyne, May Parker and Carol Danvers).

When they meet Valentina they will already be sixteen (Peter) and seventeen (Harley). Peter already has his powers and the suit Tony made for him as he's essentially his godfather.

There's no Mandarin or Killian.

Thank you for all those who voted for a pairing for Valentina. The pairing winner is:

• Theo Nott.

Angely Gaviria as Lady Eir.

Head Healer of Asgard.
Wife to Heimdall and mother to Astrid.

She has silver eyes that contrasts with her long dark hair and dark skin.