Chapter Text
Free-falling through the void between the Multiverse was like a bad acid trip. Not that Hadriana had ever been on acid but being possessed by Voldemort her fifth year was kind of similar. She tumbled through darkness interspersed with flashing, multi-coloured lights that made her feel oddly nauseous.
When will this bloody well end?! She thought as she passed a misty looking purple supernova. She wanted to reach out and touch the stars surrounding her, but Death had warned her not to. Apparently stars were super duper cold or something. She wasn’t an astronaut. Or scientist. Whatever; she didn’t want to freeze solid.
Down, down, down she tumbled as her thoughts whirled about her head. She felt deeply sad and betrayed, but hopeful; finding out that people you adored, you loved and trusted, had betrayed you was like a kick to the gut. And kicking someone when they were down was just rude. Nevertheless, Death had given Hadriana a choice: go back in time in her world, the Earth she had been born on, and save it, or be tossed through the Multiverse and see where she ended up. She chose the latter, uncaring if Death thought her selfish.
Hadriana was tired. All her life she had fought against evil, having her life meticulously planned out (not that she had been aware of that happening), and now she just wanted to grow up with loving parents and maybe siblings. Was that too much to ask? No, she didn’t think so.
Hadriana yelped as the tumbling abruptly began to slow. A bright, white light was forming below her, and she braced herself for impact. But it wasn’t hard earth she slammed into, no, it was a pair of gloved hands.
Wait, what? Huh, who’s screaming? Oh, shit, that’s me. Why am I screaming? Oh, my gods. Am I a baby?!
Yes. Yes, she was a baby. A writhing, screeching bundle being held up proudly for a dishevelled woman and grey-haired man to peer at.
“You have a healthy baby girl, Mr and Mrs Stark.” The person holding her said, a doctor presumably. She was swiftly placed on the woman – Mrs Stark's – chest.
Mrs Stark was teary eyed and practically glowing as she beamed down at Hadriana. Hadriana was freaking out, and only cried harder in shock – everything was so big when you were a literal newborn baby. And she had a mum. And a dad. And they were ogling her with teary, dark eyes.
Mr Stark peered at her, a sheen of tears in his eyes, “Oh, Maria, she’s perfect,” he said, gently touching her mucousy head.
“Isn’t she, Howard?” her new mother, Maria, said softly, tiredly.
Hadriana was swooped away by efficient but gentle nurses who cleaned her up and swaddled her tightly. She didn’t like the feel of a nappy at all and the prospect of pissing and shitting herself even less, but hunger began gnawing at her belly, and she was sufficiently distracted when a nipple was put in her mouth.
And wasn’t that just the dandiest thing? Being a baby and breast fed while aware. It was horrible, really, suckling away almost desperately when your mind screamed this is so fucking weird oh, my God. But the hunger was intense. So was the light, and sounds. Everything was intense, especially the desperate need to always be with her mother.
Time was...weird – nebulous – when one was a baby. One moment, Hadriana was suckling furiously at her mother’s nipple, her slow baby brain trying to comprehend the fact that she was a baby and the next she was blinking her eyes open in the backseat of an old-school car in a baby seat with a pre-teen boy staring at her.
“Hey, little sister,” he said quietly, gently shifting to play with her tiny baby fingers, “I’m Tony, your big brother,”
I have a big brother, Hadriana thought wildly, amazed and grateful. She had always, always wanted siblings. Once, she had dreamed Dudley would be like a brother to her. But Petunia and Vernon had put a swift stop to that budding relationship. Now, Tony, her brother, smiled at her warmly.
“Is she okay, Anthony?” Maria asked from the front seat, and Hadriana jolted a bit.
“Yeah, mom,” Tony – Anthony? – said gently, flashing a smile at their mother, presumably, “Have you guys thought of a name for her yet?”
“No,” said her father, sounding exasperated, “None I’ve suggested your mother likes,”
Tony looked pensive, still absently running a thumb over the back of her tiny hand. Hadriana felt sleepy, and hungry, and her nappy was suspiciously damp. She didn’t want to think about it, truthfully.
“What about Hadriana?” Maria said, “It’s where my Nonna is from, Adria in Italy, and it’s what the name means,”
Howard heaved a sigh, “Thank the Lord you didn’t suggest we name her after your grandmother.” Hadriana heard a smacking sound and wondered if Maria had just smacked her dad; probably. He yelped and continued, “Maria, her name was Bruna – it literally means ‘brown,”
Maria sighed, “I know. Our daughters name will be Hadriana Amira Stark, for your Mother, Howard,”
Hadriana peered sleepily up at Tony, who looked amused, “Our parents are crazy, piccolo,”
Hadriana gurgled, trying to fight off the urge to sleep, but it was futile. Her eyes slipped shut, and she was out like a light.
***
Hadriana came to the swift conclusion that her new dad Howard was a big deal. He had founded Stark Industries, a weapons manufacturing company, and was loaded, which meant that she was loaded. Her brother was a kid genius and enrolled at a fancy rich person boarding school, and her mom was a socialite who could sing well.
Howard had helped during World War Two and assisted some scientist from Germany called Erskine create a super soldier with a science-y serum or what have you. Hadriana had never liked science as a kid; she didn’t understand it. Howard had also helped with the Manhattan Project, creating the first nuclear weapons.
Great guy, her dad.
Maria was the third generation of Italian immigrants. Her grandmother and grandfather had left Italy as a newly married couple for better living prospects in the States, two years later having Maria's mother Arianna. Maria was immensely proud of her Italian heritage.
Being aware during your own formative years and remembering them was strange. Hadriana grew up fast, stunning her parents when she blurted out her ABC's fluently, tripping over only her toddler tongue, at fourteen months old. She was soon branded a genius when she sat and counted to two hundred without any fuss at sixteen months, and when she all but taught herself to use the toilet.
Really, she just had her memories from her past life. She wasn’t a genius. Just a regular baby, but everyone didn’t seem to think so.
Hadriana also came to the startling conclusion that Howard Stark was a cold, calculating ass. He was dismissive, obsessed with Captain America, Steve Rogers (He had crashed his plane in the Antarctic to save the world, apparently, and was A real American hero, Hadriana), and his company. She hated his aloofness and cold disposition, especially whenever Tony was around. Their dad always argued with Tony, and rarely said anything nice; forever comparing Tony to Steve Rogers was another thing he did, making Tony and Hadriana loathe the man’s ghost.
Howard never told Tony or Hadriana that he loved them. But Maria more than made up for it with her affection and attentiveness. She taught Hadriana how to play piano, speak fluent Italian and French and hired the best tutor’s money could buy to home-school her. Tony and Hadriana found a father figure in Edwin Jarvis, the family’s butler (how fancy did someone have to be to have an actual butler?); Tony and she also spent a lot of time together, Tony always indulging her inquisitiveness toward the tech gadgets he fiddled with, and even taught her a thing or two despite her not understanding anything about it all on a fundamental level like Tony did.
One person Hadriana disliked greatly was Howard’s business partner Obadiah. Something about the man set her teeth and magic on edge. And yes, Hadriana still had her magic. She nearly wept in relief when she realised. But she kept it to herself...for now. But Obadiah always eyed her speculatively, a cold, emotionless glint in his eyes. He reminded her vividly of Lucius Malfoy.
Hadriana was beyond proud when Tony was accepted early into MIT after graduating from Philip’s Academy in ‘84, but sad he was leaving again. He hugged her tightly, ignoring their father’s impatience, and ran a hand though her dark curls.
“I’ll see you for Thanksgiving, okay, piccolo?” he said, “Be good, and study hard,”
Hadriana nodded, hugging Tony once more before Howard slammed a hand on the cars horn. She stepped back, shooting their father a glare, “See you soon, big brother,”
After Tony left, Hadriana practically never saw Howard. He was busy with the company, or at meetings, in his workshop, or planning more trips to the arctic to search for Rogers. The one time she went to fetch him for supper (Maria was at a dinner with her friends), he had shouted at her for the first time.
Hadriana wasn’t overly fond of her new dad. But her mother, well, she adored Maria Stark.
The months passed, and Hadriana grew swiftly. She astonished her tutors with her intelligence (she already knew what they were teaching her) and cooked with Jarvis and Ana and played piano with her mom, spending an hour on the phone every night with Tony, and repeated it all. She spent a fair amount of time with her Aunt Peggy, too, growing to admire the woman; it was Peggy's influence that inspired Hadriana to want to be a strong, independent woman.
Tony came home from MIT for Thanksgiving with his friend James Rhodes. Tony had, predictably, given him a bunch of ridiculous nicknames but Hadriana called him Rhodey and asked for any embarrassing stories about her brother. When Rhodey and Tony were leaving for the Rhodes’ house before going back to MIT, Tony and Howard had yet another explosive argument.
When Tony left the workshop, his cheek was gradually reddening.
Hadriana hexed her father with nightmares for a month.
***
1987
The night Howard and Maria Stark died, Hadriana had come down with a fever. Maria had wanted to remain home, abandoning their holiday plans, to care for her daughter but Howard had crossly complained about the money (a drop in the ocean to him, really) he had spent. In the end, Hadriana muttered for them to leave, that Tony was home and Jarvis was there (Ana had unfortunately passed over a year ago).
When the news came, Hadriana felt numb. She sat next to Tony, who was silent and blank, on the couch while the police officer expressed his condolences and remarked that the accident had been very violent and Obadiah Stane and Margaret Carter were asked to identify the bodies (Aunt Peggy was Tony's godmother and old friend of Howard's), so Tony wouldn’t have to see their mom and dad like that.
The media went into a frenzy. Tabloids, newspapers, magazines and more reported on the tragic passing of a titan such as The Howard Stark and his beloved wife Maria. They also mentioned Tony and Hadriana, the couple’s poor, orphaned children.
Hadriana gleefully burned several that were delivered.
The funeral was a fucking spectacle. Hadriana sat with Tony as the service went on, her hand in his. The Rhodes family sat behind them, and Peggy, her husband, and Obadiah sat to the Stark children’s left. Peggy said a few nice words, and Obadiah spoke, too, lamenting insincerely about the loss of such magnificent people. The wake was torture, and Hadriana felt wrung dry by the end of it. She hadn’t smiled at anyone, and robotically thanked everyone who expressed their sympathies and plied them with bland casseroles.
Aunt Peggy tucked her into bed, and kissed her forehead afterward, “Get some sleep, poppet,” she said, her English accent making Hadriana feel weirdly homesick, “I love you,”
Hadriana felt her eyes sting with tears, “Love you, too, Peggy,”
Hadriana rolled over and stared at the wall of her room as Peggy left, closing the door softly behind her. Tears had long begun to fall when Tony snuck in, his breath reeking of whiskey, and lay with her.
“I miss mom,” he said quietly.
“Me, too,” she replied just as quietly.
“Dad had a few drinks before they left, it was his fault,” he muttered.
“Smells like you have, too,” she replied. He remained silent, and Hadriana all but pleaded, “Don’t be like dad, Tony, please. You’re better than that,”
Tony took her hand, “I promise. We Starks are made of iron, hey?”
“No.” Hadriana rolled over to face him, “We’re human, too, Tones. We can be strong, but we can’t hide what we feel,”
“When did you get so wise?” he asked, sounding faintly amused.
Hadriana smiled slightly, “Dunno, Tones. But I’ll always be here for you, big brother,”
“Me, too, piccolo,” he whispered, squeezing her hand, “I’m your guardian now,”
“You need to finish school. I have Jarvis and Peggy.” Hadriana closed her eyes, her grief like a parasite leeching on her heart, “I’ll be okay, Tones. So, will you. We still have each other,”
“Yeah,” Tony said softly, kissing her head, “We still have each other,”
***
1988-97
A few months after Maria and Howard died and the media frenzy slowly ebbed to a trickle rather than a flood, Hadriana was finally enrolled in a proper school: Magdalene’s Prepatory Academy for Girls. It was there she met Hope Pym, her closest childhood friend. Mag's was all right, but most of the girls were stuck up little bitches, daughters of SI rival companies who hated her on principle alone. Hope was the most down to earth, but they had to keep their friendship a secret because Hope's dad had hated Howard.
“Maybe your dad, Tony and I can start a We Hate Howard Club?” Hadriana joked to Hope, fighting a smile when they girl stared at her.
“You don’t – didn’t - like your dad?” Hope asked, handing her a piece of candy.
Hadriana shrugged, “Not particularly. He wasn’t home much, and when he was he was drunk or waxing poetic about Captain America,”
Hope scrunched her nose, “Your dad knew him, didn’t he?” Hadriana nodded, and her friend hummed, “Weird,”
Hadriana and Tony kept in frequent contact. Through calls, letters, the works. He graduated summa cum laude from MIT and dove into making Stark Industries even better than Howard had. Within a few years, it went from a multimillion-dollar company to a multibillion-dollar company with new offices all over the world.
Hadriana graduated from Mag's in nineteen ninety-six at sixteen, a year early, with the highest grades in her year (Hope had been pulled out by Hank, her dad, when he found out about their friendship though they kept in contact). Hadriana enrolled and was accepted into Harvard, something Tony celebrated with his usual flair and dramatics.
Hadriana was doing three bachelors. One in psychology, one in political science and government, and the last in sociology. Tony hadn’t been surprised and encouraged her; he was like her personal cheerleader, going so far to buy her a flat in Boston and driving her there.
“I can’t believe my little piccolo is all grown up,” Tony said, carrying a box of her books to the elevator. Hadriana rolled her eyes when he sniffed and threw her a mock emotional look, “They grow up so fast,”
Hadriana snorted, “I’m seventeen, Tones. I graduated early, like you; though I didn’t do it blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back,”
“I had to drag his scrawny white ass to class all the time.”
Hadriana beamed as she spotted Rhodey, “My favourite brother!” she cried, placing her box down to embrace the man.
Tony squawked indignantly, “What am I, chopped liver?”
Hadriana cuddled Rhodey, smiling impishly at Tony, “Yep!”
Tony pouted, “You two are so mean to me,”
Hadriana released Rhodey, who was chuckling, and pressed an exaggerated, smacking kiss to Tony's cheek, “Kidding, big brother! Love you,”
Tony sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically, “You’re a menace, Hadriana Stark,”
“Ta!” she said cheekily, stepping into the elevator and jabbing the button for the fifth floor. Tony had, of course, purchased her one of the fanciest apartments in Boston with the ultimate security. He’d even installed JARVIS, the AI he had created, into all her tech.
Hadriana's apartment was open-plan, airy and full of light. It was two bedroom, two baths, with a large balcony that overlooked the Charles River to the south. The bedrooms had doors to the balcony, too, which was a bonus. The kitchen was Hadriana's favourite; big and open with a large island and industrial oven she could bake her heart out in; it had been one of the reasons Tony had bought it for her. He knew she loved cooking. The living room was spacious with a comfy lounge and blankets a person could drown in, something that was a must for movie nights.
Rhodey whistled, “Nice digs, Ana,”
Hadriana smiled, “Thanks. Tony sure knows real estate,”
“Yes, I do,” Tony said smugly, standing with his hands on his hips as he peered around the furnished apartment.
Tony and Rhode stayed for dinner, eating greasy pizza off paper plates as they discussed Hadriana’s school courses. She had several classes a week, mostly in the mornings and early afternoons. Tony looked disgusted that she had signed up for morning classes, and Hadriana rolled her eyes. Classic Tony.
***
1997-2003
Hadriana loved and hated college. It was hard work and made her brain all but leak from her nose and ears it was so brain melting at times. But she passed her classes, sometimes calling Tony or Rhodey and begging them to help her study.
Hadriana also explored her sexuality. Something that had bugged her since she had been reborn into her new life was the fact that Ginny had doped her with love potions. Was she attracted to women, or had it been magic?
The answer was yes, she was attracted to women and men. She dated a few people throughout the six years of college; a couple girls and a guy. She didn’t love love them, but she was fond of them and cared about them.
Tony hadn’t cared when he walked into her apartment to find her snuggled up to a girl, merely flashed a bottle of champagne and told them they were celebrating another contract gone through at SI. He had threatened Michelle, though, with bodily harm if she hurt his baby sister.
Michelle had said, “You’re adorable, Mr Stark, and such a protective big brother,”
Tony had liked her immediately and toasted their relationship happily.
Darius, the one guy she dated in college, had been a fellow Psychology major. He’d tried to psychoanalyse her trauma from losing her parents young and having a brother like Tony Stark (the tabloids called Tony the richest billionaire, playboy, genius, philanthropist of the late 20th and early 21st century). She had booted him from her apartment and life, furious that he had dared to bad mouth her brother. Tony was her rock, her best friend. It had been great at first, but Darius did not get the right to poke around in her head and issues and bash her brother like that just because they were sleeping together.
The media popped up around Harvard now and then, snapping photos of Hadriana as she made her way between classes. One of her favourite photos captured was when she had been hurrying to her second-year midterms wearing stained track pants, flip flops, one of Tony's old SI hoodies with her hair an oily mess. The media had speculated she’d been doing drugs.
Tony had called, demanding in a mocking tone, “You are doing drugs, kiddo?”
“Totally,” she’d replied as she plucked her chin hairs, “I’m about to snort a line right now,”
“Why didn’t you invite me?” Tony cried before dissolving into laugher.
Hadriana wasn’t a fan of drugs. She’d tried marijuana once and ended up passing out after eating almost the entire contents of her pantry. The other drugs offered to her didn’t interest her that much, and Tony knew that; it was a running joke between them to act shocked, pretending to believe what the magazines and tabloids said about each of them.
All in all, college was a definite love hate relationship with Hadriana.
***
School went by in a haze of studying, internships, and parties. It had taken six years of hard work and dozens of near break downs, but Hadriana had finally graduated in the spring of 03'. Tony stood on his seat with a camera, Rhodey, Mama and Papa Rhodey, and Rhodey's sister Angela and brother Chris cheering and hollering as she crossed the stage. She now had three bachelor’s degrees of science and was ready to face the big, bad world.
After the graduation ceremony, Tony whisked her away back to her apartment to celebrate. They partied into the small hours of the morning, Hadriana passing out on the sofa still dressed in a fancy dress, heels, and a face full of make-up.
The next morning, everyone except Mama and Papa Rhodes felt sorry for themselves. They made them all coffee and greasy breakfasts to soak up the alcohol remnants in their stomachs and forced water down their throats.
“What’s your plans now, sweetheart?” Mama Rhodes asked, taking a sip of coffee.
Hadriana made an intelligible grunting sound, “I don’t know. Maybe travel for a couple of years before settling into a career,”
“Good idea,” Papa Rhodes said, nodding approvingly.
“You look like a raccoon,” Tony told her as he entered the kitchen, looking a little green.
“Thanks,” she replied, flipping him the bird. She rubbed at the skin under her eyes, dislodging smeared mascara and eyeliner, “I’m a pretty cute raccoon,”
“Hell yeah,” Angela muttered, pouting at Mama Rhodes until the older woman gave in and poured her another coffee, “Cutest raccoon ever,”
“Trash panda,” Chris said, making Tony snort into his coffee.
Hadriana rolled her eyes, “I feel the love, guys, thanks so much,”
Rhodey laughed at her expense, “Can’t believe the baby of the group is all grown up,”
Mama Rhodes sighed wistfully even as Hadriana shot Rhodey a glare, “Twenty-three. Good Lord, where’s the time gone?”
Papa Rhodes wrapped an arm around her waist, “When are you lot gonna give us some grandbabies?”
Hadriana choked on a sip of water, spluttering. Rhodey looked resigned, as if it were a topic of conversation constantly mentioned; Angela and Chris screwed up their faces, but Tony’s reaction made Hadriana snicker: he looked as though he’d been whacked about the head with a stick.
“Babies,” he echoed, horrified, “No thanks,”
“Anthony Stark,” Mama Rhodes said sternly, planting her hands on her hips, “You’re thirty-three, where are my grandbabies?”
Hadriana covered her face and howled with laughter when Tony pointed at his crotch and said, “Here. And here they shall remain,”
“ANTHONY!”
***
2003
Tony’s house in Malibu, California was just the right amount of extravagance Hadriana had become accustomed to by her brother. He had wheedled and pouted at her for weeks before she caved and agreed to move in and live with him for a while before she began travelling. She already had an idea of where she would like to travel, but Tony had recently lost his PR manager at SI and needed her to temporarily fill the position.
“Hello, Miss Hadriana,” JARVIS greeted as she lugged her suitcases into the house.
“Hey, J,” she replied, “Where’s Tony?”
“Sir is in the workshop, Miss,” JARVIS said, sounding aggrieved, “And has been since he returned two days ago,”
Hadriana sighed. Tony had flown back to Malibu before her, leaving her and Angela to pack up her apartment and ship it out west. She had been sad to leave Boston, but the thought of living with Tony excited her. They hadn’t lived together full time since she was a kid and before Howard shipped him to boarding school; Hadriana had opted to live in the dorms at Mag’s throughout her schooling.
“Of course, he is,” she said, meandering down the hall toward the bedrooms, “Which one is mine?”
“The third on the right, Miss. Sir had the housekeeper clean and prepare the room. The bathroom is fully stocked with your preferred toiletries and towels,” JARVIS announced in his prim, English voice that reminded her of the real Jarvis.
The room was large and overlooked the ocean. Simply put, it was beautiful. White marble floors, floor to ceiling windows, and a large king bed dominated the room. It had a walk-in robe, and a full private bathroom. Hadriana hefted her suitcase onto the bed and left it there, deciding to unpack later. She quickly changed into some comfortable, clean clothes as her others had smelt of plane. She tossed on a Harvard t-shirt and a pair of track pants. On her feet went a pair of bunny slippers Rhodey had given her.
Hadriana made her way through the house, pulling her hair from its braid. She fluffed it out to detangle it and peered around curiously. It truly was a stunning home.
In the workshop, Tony was fussing over some schematics on a hollo-screen. Hadriana entered her pass code and pushed open the door, “Tones,”
Tony whirled, “Piccolo! Did Jarvis show you your room?”
“Yep,” she said, grinning as DUM-E, Butterfingers, and U wheeled toward her waving their mechanical limbs about excitedly. She petted them all, “Yes, hello, boys,”
DUM-E beeped shrilly and happily, spinning around and around in circles. U smacked him, and Butterfingers adopted a resigned air as if to say, ‘see what I gotta deal with?’
“Hey, leave Ana alone!” Tony said, and the bots beeped and whirred away, “You three have chores, don’t you?”
Hadriana snorted as DUM-E moodily picked up a broom and began sweeping rather ineffectually; she wove through metal tables bursting with gadgets and gizmo’s and half finished or half begun plans in order to reach Tony.
“What are you up to?” she asked, peering at the schematics in bemusement.
Tony gave her a sideways hug, “I’m thinking about calling it the Jericho. It’s only in the beginning stages,”
“It’s a bomb?” Hadriana queried, squinting at the blueprints.
Tony sighed, though he was amused, “Yes, it’s a bomb. A big one. You excited to start at SI?”
“Yeah, Pepper e-mailed me the info packet.” Hadriana ran a hand through her hair and leaned her lip against the bench, “What do you want for dinner, Tones?”
Tony’s eyes lit up, “Ooh, Ossobuco?”
“Sure,” Hadriana said, smiling faintly, “I have mom’s recipe,”
“Oh, my God. Mom’s Ossobuco is the best,” Tony muttered, all but drooling.
“Yep!” Hadriana began making her way to the door, “Come up in ten and help me, Tony!”
“Yes, mother!”
***
Tony’s house was a work of modern technology and advancement. Hadriana had never really bad much experience with anything like it in her first life, having grown up in the eighties and battling a magical war throughout the nineties. Dudley had had a computer at some point, but Petunia and Vernon would have rather died than let her use it.
Tony had upgraded every appliance in his house. The fridge was oddly charming, letting out a happy bell-like chime whenever she opened it to grab something, JARVIS turned on the oven to her preferred temperature, and the stove, and even the damn toaster and coffee machine had baby AI's in them. Little plaques on their sides proudly announced their names: Toasty the Toaster, Carla the Coffee Machine, and Frederick the Fridge.
“Tony has too much time on his hands,” Hadriana complained to JARVIS.
“Yes, miss,” the AI replied, a note of dry amusement in his tone, “As CEO and Head of Research and Development you would think he had less free time on his hands,”
“Does he sleep?” Hadriana asked, concerned, glancing up at one of JARVIS’ cameras.
“Are you two gossiping about me?” Tony asked as he sauntered into the kitchen. He looked amused, “I sleep, Ana,”
Hadriana raised an imperious brow, “You’d better,” she said, pointing at him with the knife in her hand, “I’m here now, and you’d best believe I’m gonna nag you if you don’t sleep, eat, or shower,”
Tony groaned and grumbled, pouting like the man-child he was, “I should have let you travel,” he complained jokingly, “There’s still time,”
“Ah-ah,” she replied mirthfully, “Too late now, Tones, you’re stuck with me,”
Tony laughed delightedly and hugged her tightly, “I missed you, Ana. Everything is so dull without you around,”
“That’s adorable,” she said, hugging Tony back as best she could with meat juice on her hands, “C'mon, help me with dinner,”
Tony grabbed the vegetables, a knife, and a cutting board and began cutting them while she covered the veal shanks in flour. They chatted idly while they cooked; about SI, Tony’s future hopes for the company, what Hadriana's job would entail, and Hadriana's future travel plans. She wanted to go to Egypt, Machu Picchu, Italy, Australia and a dozen other places.
“You can take the jet when you go,” Tony offered, quartering the potatoes.
“Nah, I want the whole tourist experience.” Hadriana laughed at Tony’s sceptical expression, “I do! The fight through customs, the jet lag, the long lines, using maps to scour the city...why are you pretending to vomit?”
Tony shuddered, “Let me guess, you’ll go economy too?”
“Hell no, I have some class,” she replied, cackling at the relief on Tony’s face.
With dinner braising on the stove, Hadriana poured herself a glass of wine and Tony some whiskey and they sat on the sofa in the living room to continue chatting. Rhodey had left on another tour with the Air Force, Obadiah was being annoying as per usual (Hadriana scowled at the mention of Obadiah, she really didn’t like him), and SI's stocks were higher than ever.
“The board is happy, of course, but Obie's still on my case to get the Jericho’s schematics fine-tuned and into production,” Tony complained, swirling his whiskey around so the ice clanked against the glass.
“I’ve never liked Stane,” Hadriana admitted, “He’s too happy about the fact that war still ravages the Middle East,”
“I know you hate him, but he’s been CFO for years,” Tony said, a reassuring tone to his voice, “Dad trusted him,”
Hadriana gave Tony a droll look, “And Dad was such a great man,” she said sarcastically, huffing in frustration, “Just promise me you’ll keep an eye on Obadiah, Tones. I don’t trust that man as far as I can throw him,”
“If it makes you feel better, I will,” Tony said gently, patting Hadriana's knee.
“It does,” she said quietly, staring at the water feature installed in the living room. It was soothing. She sighed, “Sorry for being paranoid, big brother, but I’d feel better if an eye was kept on him,”
Tony ruffled her hair, “’Course, it’s all right,”
Hadriana leaned her head against Tony's shoulder, unable to help worrying; something was off, and she had the uncomfortable feeling that something was going to go very wrong very soon.
***
2006-08
Hadriana worked for Tony at SI for three years before he found a trustworthy and competent PR Manager to take over. Not that Hadriana was incompetent at her job, but it wasn’t the career she genuinely wanted. So, Tony accepted her resignation and found himself a woman who wanted the job and was brilliant at it, leaving Hadriana packed her bags and began her jet-setting adventure.
For nostalgia’s sake, she visited the Scottish Highlands and found the ruins that, in another life, would have been Hogwarts. The castle was a crumbling, overgrown ruin. She didn’t stay long, and traversed England for a few weeks before leaving – she visited mostly historical and beautiful architectural buildings all over the country before leaving for Machu Picchu.
Trekking the Inca trails was exhausting but stunning. She took hundreds of photos and sent them to Tony, Mama and Papa Rhodes, and Pepper (she and the woman had become as close as sisters, something Tony lamented as horrifying). She camped on the trails and practiced her magic alone at night, warding her tent from ill-wishers.
After Peru, Hadriana found herself in Nepal helping Habitat for Humanity. She assisted in rebuilding homes with those affected by a devastating earthquake in the Himalayas. After Nepal, she went to Vietnam to do the same. The press caught wind of what she was doing, and according to Tony back home the media was going wild with Hadriana Stark: Humanity's Angel. It made her want to gag. She wasn’t helping these people for clout, but because it was the decent fucking thing to do.
Many didn’t think so. Many magazines claimed she was assisting Habitat for Humanity to be a saviour, to boost her popularity. Especially when she and Tony donated five million dollars to the organisation; whoever told the media about that was a fucking dumbass.
Hadriana continued to help HFH all over the globe. In Cambodia, Fiji, Haiti, Indonesia, Australia. Everywhere she went, she helped in some way. She loved it; it was intensely rewarding work, helping people.
Hadriana travelled for years all over the globe and returned to America in late oh-seven to begin her doctorate in Psychology so she could begin a career as a Psychologist. Tony called her crazy for going back to school at twenty-six, but she was excited. Helping people all over thr globe had been rewarding, and now she was going to help them in the U.S.
Going back to Harvard was a blast from the past, and she rented a house a few blocks from her old college apartment. Her old teachers were happy to see her, and proud of her accomplishments. Many of the younger kids even asked for autographs, which made her feel slightly awkward and uncomfortable. Some brave, bold girls and guys asked for Tony’s number and ended up humiliated and angry when Hadriana laughed uproariously at them and walked away. She would never give her number to bottom feeders like greedy, desperate college kids.
Classes were easy, and Hadriana didn’t have many. She spent a lot of time working for an online blog writing articles about her philosophical and humanitarian adventures all over the globe, expounding on how important it was for those in first- or second-word countries to help the less fortunate after a catastrophe or just because they could. Hadriana herself donated five percent of her weekly earnings, which was a stupid amount since Tony never listened when she argued that as a grown woman she didn’t need a damn allowance; stupid billionaire brothers with more money than sense.
Hadriana loved exploring herself and her new chance at life. She had done things she had never gotten the chance to in her previous life; as an abused kid living in the Dursleys boot cupboard, she had dreamed of leaving once she turned eighteen and getting a job and a flat and putting her past behind her; but then her Hogwarts letter had come, and a life she had only ever dreamed to be possible. Then the war, and betrayals coming out the wazoo. Now, as Hadriana Stark she could truly live and not just survive.
Hadriana had a family, she was working toward a career, and no evil overlords were braying for her blood. Life was good.
She should have known it would never had lasted.