"How many PHDs did it take for you to learn your animals, Stark?" You asked, rolling your eyes at his reaction to your new familiars. Snarking and sarcasm were fun against Stark. He gave as good as he got and he knew that you were teasing and having fun.

He enjoyed it just as much as you did. "I thought you were only allowed a cat, and owl, or a toad," he replied with a teasing smirk.

You laughed. "Only if this was Harry Potter, which it's not. Familiars can come in any animal form, of have you forgotten the dragon already?" You teased. The joke still ached a little, remembering Sera's fate. But she had a second chance now, so you had to hope that this time she would choose a path of happiness. It was the best you could offer her. "And the familiar chooses the witch, not the other way around. These two chose us," you explained as you watched Autumn and Fenna running around playing with each other. You couldn't help the fond feeling of being with them, of watching them play and be so happy and carefree. It eased your soul to watch.

You saw from Loki's fond expression that he felt it as well. His soul was easier for having a familiar now. You wished you'd have thought of it sooner, realized that Loki's mental health suffered for not having one, just as all witches' did. Even though he claimed vehemently that he wasn't a witch.

You glanced over at Thor, watching his brother, and realized that he had the same thought. He hadn't realized that his brother had needed this. Hadn't realized that so many of Loki's issues and troubles could be healed with a companion, with a familiar. You would have to remember to tell him that it wasn't his fault. There was no way he could have known, not when familiars weren't really a thing on Asgard. They weren't completely unheard of, but the mages didn't seem drawn to them like the witches were here on Midgard.

"So familiars are like wands?" Clint teased, making yet another Harry Potter reference.

"Gods, are you all Potter-heads?" You laughed along with the team.

Autumn came back over to you and hopped lightly into your arms. It was a higher jump than you would've thought a fox able to make, but she was a magical creature after all. Such things were to be expected.

You looked to Loki who was scooping Fenna up into his arms. She would soon get too big to cuddle like that, and he was enjoying every moment of it while she was so little. "We should take them upstairs," you reminded him. You still had to bind them to you, to seal the familiar bond between you.

Loki nodded "We just wanted to introduce them to the team first," he agreed. He nodded to Thor with a warm smile as you headed past him to the elevator. Thor nodded back, surprised at the acknowledgment from Loki, but clearly loving it, loving this side of his brother.

"Do you remember the spell?" You asked as you headed up to your floor with Loki.

Loki shook his head "I only donated power last time," he reminded you as he cuddled Fenna close. He cooed nonsense to her and was absolutely smitten with his new familiar.

It was beyond adorable.

You gave him a fond smile and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Then we'll do it together," you reassured him. He wouldn't lose his familiar for not knowing this piece of magic. It wasn't that difficult of a spell either. Even first years at the Academy could perform it, as quite a lot of them had familiars. Especially the boarding students. Every boarding student had a familiar. It was too hard for them to be away from home otherwise.

You led Loki to your bedroom and let him inside. You both sat on your bed with your familiars in your lap and you summoned the spell book so Loki could look it over and learn the spell. "This seems fairly straightforward," he said when he'd read it.

You gave him a warm smile. "It is. It doesn't even require a wand," you teased. He still hated wands, thinking them a crutch for weaker mages. You'd proven him wrong on that point, but he still held onto his prejudice for everyone except you.

Loki laughed and leaned over to kiss your cheek. "All magic does not require a wand, magelet," he replied fondly.

You laughed and Autumn yipped, not understanding the joke, but enjoying your laughter. She really was perfect. You cuddled her close and stroked her fur. "I need you to hold still, Autumn, so I can perform the spell," you told her gently. She was so little she might not understand.

/Spell?/ the fox asked curiously, looking up at you with wide loving eyes. She was definitely the perfect familiar.

"Yes, little one. A spell to bind us together, to make you my familiar," you replied

She nodded eagerly. /Yes! Spell!/ she agreed and sat up and perfectly still for you. You placed a hand on her forehead and drew up your magic. It came easily, thanks to the stored power in the focus on your hand.

The spell came so much easier this time than it had with Sera. You knew you needed to stop comparing everything to Sera, but that would take time.

You focused on your memories, on sharing yourself with the fox kit. She accepted all of you, every piece of who you were and your history. You shared your soul, gave her a piece of yourself to watch after and protect.

The spell took and you felt your soul ease as she held that part for you. You sighed in relief and cuddled her close. /Thank you, Autumn. Now we're together forever/ At least you were together for her forever. You would outlive her, but that was a pain you could deal with. She didn't need to carry that burden.

/Forever/ Autumn agreed and licked your cheek.

You looked over to Loki and saw him cuddling his wolf pup with tears in his eyes. They weren't tears of pain or sorrow, but tears of joy. A familiar had been the exact thing he needed and you saw that Fenna eased the scars on his bruised soul, just from her very existence and their bonding.

"Forever," he whispered the promise to Fenna as he cuddled her close. He looked so vulnerable, a side of him you hadn't seen before. But he was so open and loving in that vulnerability and couldn't help loving him all the more for it.

"As we will be too, princeling,"

"Soon, magelet," he agreed and leaned over to give you a proper kiss.