Today was Tony's press conference about last night's incident. All he had to do was give the reporters the story on the card, and he could fool them into buying it.
Pepper stood up and straightened Tony's suit, smiling as she said, "You're not Iron Man anyway. Why do you care?"
Tony nodded emphatically.
"Exactly. If I were Iron Man, my girlfriend who knew my real identity would worry herself sick, afraid I might die someday."
Looking at Pepper, Tony suddenly asked, "What were you thinking that night?"
"Which night?"
"That night."
"Oh, you mean the night we danced together and went up to the roof..."
At that, neither Pepper nor Tony said another word. They gazed tenderly into each other's eyes, oblivious to everyone else.
The room fell quiet, a romantic tension building between them.
Coulson looked away, staring awkwardly upward.
That ceiling sure is a ceiling...
"Crunch, crunch..."
Suddenly, a rustling sound broke the silence.
"Hmm? What's that sound?"
Tony frowned and looked around, but found nothing.
"Chomp, chomp..."
The sound continued.
It seemed... to be coming from below?
Pepper and Tony exchanged a glance, then both looked down.
Hermione stood between them, her head lowered as she held a large apple and chomped away.
Feeling their eyes on her, she even glanced up at them.
"When-when did you get here?"
Tony was shocked.
Hermione was shocked too. Her mouth fell open. "Oh my God, I came here with you two this morning! I even sat between you in the car. Are you blind?"
Tony shook his head. How was that possible?
If that were true, how could he not have noticed her at all?
It had clearly been just him and Pepper the whole way.
Hermione was baffled too.
Why are you acting like you've been hit with a Confundus Charm? I didn't even cast one!
Her gaze darted between Tony and Pepper. Remembering how their eyes had practically been glued to each other earlier, Hermione suddenly understood, then flew into a rage.
"Well, well, Tony Stark! You've only got eyes for Pepper now, huh? Get a girlfriend and forget everyone else!"
"If I'd known, I never would've saved you!"
At those words, Pepper instantly turned away, looking mortified.
"Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch..."
Hermione took her fury out on the apple.
"All right, Tony."
With all that crunching, the romantic atmosphere had long since been shattered. Pepper regained her composure, adjusted his collar, and said:
"It's almost time. You should head out."
His opportunity lost, Tony glared at Hermione.
You did that on purpose, didn't you? You absolutely did!
"Bleh, bleh, bleh..." Hermione made a face back at him, sticking her tongue out repeatedly.
"Her-mi-o-ne Gran-ger!!!"
With the words "I am Iron Man," Tony finally gave in to temptation and revealed his identity to the world.
Watching his smug expression on television, Hermione couldn't help curling her lip.
Thinking she was still angry over what had happened earlier, Pepper pulled Hermione into her arms and gently comforted her:
"That's just how Tony is. You know that. Don't take it personally."
When Hermione didn't answer and merely spun the wand floating above her palm out of boredom, Pepper said helplessly:
"You didn't just save his life this time. You saved his whole future. Tony really ought to thank you properly. Is there anything you want? Just ask. I'll make sure he does it!"
Hermione lifted her head, her eyes lighting up.
Pepper hurriedly added, "Except things like dragon heartstring and phoenix feathers."
She still remembered what Hermione had said at S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Oh..."
Hermione's head sank back against Pepper's chest.
As though afraid Hermione might take it the wrong way, Pepper explained, "It's not that we don't want to help. We've simply never seen those things before, so we certainly couldn't find them anytime soon."
"Hmm... there is one thing. Have Tony modify my broomstick for me. I want to add a few little components."
The time had come to reap her rewards.
She could actually have assassinated Obadiah without anyone noticing long ago, but she had let everything play out.
After putting on an act for so many days, Hermione could pretend to be a good person to win these superheroes' acceptance, but she knew perfectly well that she wasn't genuinely good.
If she did someone a favor, they had to repay her.
After all that effort, whether building a good relationship with Pepper or helping him through his crisis, Hermione had now secured a hugely important place in Tony's heart.
Even if Hermione acted like a menace every day, Tony only bickered with her. He had never cared about her any less.
All according to plan! The corners of Hermione's lips lifted slightly.
Half of Stark Industries was already hers!
With Pepper as leverage over Tony, that hired hand had better prepare to work for her until the day he died.
Moscow, a rundown apartment.
On television, Tony Stark looked into the camera and said, "I am Iron Man."
The old man on the bed breathed his last.
The man beside the bed didn't cry. He simply stared at that smug face on the screen as a blue light flared from the welding torch in his hand.
Tony left the venue in high spirits.
"Pepper, Hermione, today marks the official birth of the superhero Iron Man. Let's find somewhere to celebrate."
Pepper turned an inquiring gaze toward Hermione.
"Anything you'd like to eat?"
Hermione thought for a moment, then answered, "Chinese food."
After spending so long in another world, she really did miss the taste of home.
The food at Hogwarts wasn't bad, but ultimately, it was a little... well, British. Enough said.
Pepper nodded in agreement.
As it happened, she was craving Cantonese food from China too.
"Oh, right." Hermione suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, "If we're having Chinese, make it authentic. None of that General Tso's Chicken nonsense. I honestly don't understand how you Americans can stomach that stuff."
You're British. How can you even say that...?
Tony and Pepper silently voiced the same complaint, both looking rather speechless.
I'm freaking Chinese... oh, forget it...
Hermione could tell what they were thinking at a glance, but had no way to explain herself.
Tony considered it briefly, then said, "How about this? We don't even need to go out. I'll invite a chef to Stark Tower specifically to prepare tonight's dinner."
You wicked capitalist... Hermione gave him a scornful look.
But... yay!
That evening.
The top floor of Stark Tower.
The man wore evening dress, the woman still wore a pristine white pantsuit, and the child wore her ever-present wizard robes.
Pepper was dressed all in white and wanted Cantonese food.
The two raised their wineglasses and gazed lovingly at each other.
Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She buried her head in her food. Out of sight, out of mind.
She also tried to sneak a little wine amid the distraction, only for Pepper to swiftly stop her. Ignoring Hermione's resentful stare, she simply said, "Children aren't allowed to drink."
After dinner, they drove back to Tony's house.
Hermione was essentially a drifter in the Marvel Universe, with no fixed place to stay, so Pepper had simply invited her to live with her.
And since Pepper and Tony were officially a couple now, Hermione naturally lived here too.
Just as they stepped through the door, Hermione suddenly stopped and looked toward the center of the dark living room.
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