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Hermione looked around as if everything was moving in slow motion. The shine of red and gold armor caught her attention, along with an enormous shadow standing before him. She felt her heart stop as she watched the suit and shadow begin to battle.
“Tony!” Hermione yelled.
Nothing stopped the fight for even a moment. She watches the suit fall before the shadow overtook Tony. Horror seized her as she saw the light go out on the Iron man Armour.
“Tony!” She screamed as her eyes snapped open, she felt Tony’s arms already around her.
“You’re fine.” Tony held her running his hands over her hair. “You’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”
Gripping onto him tighter she felt hot tears spill down her face. She was nowhere near okay, something was going to happen to Tony. She could feel it in her bones and her dreams were telling her the same.
She had to protect him at all costs.
________________________________________________________________________
“Are we really arguing about this?” Hermione questioned massaging her temples.
“Yes, I’ve told you I don’t like this.”
“Because I am trying to help?”
“No, because you're going into darker and darker magic, Hermione. I may not understand everything about your magic, but I know what you’re messing with is dark. Potter even hates what you messing with.” Tony countered shaking his head. “This is always our fight. I’m tired of this.”
“You’re tired of me? Whose working toward the same goal you are!” Hermione snapped feeling the anger starting to burn deeper. “We see the end coming Tony! Remember the Endgame you talk about all the time!”
“Yes, and I am building suits to try and prevent that!” Tony barked back.
“Yeah look how well that turned out. You made Ultron.”
Tony’s face darkened at the reminder, “Yes I did. Thanks for the reminder. I can’t do this as you sink deeper into the things you never wanted to do.”
“So what are you saying, Tony?” Hermione glared already knowing what he was saying.
“I am saying you can’t stay here and continue this. I can’t stay with you.” Tony spoke calmly
Hermione scoffed walking away from him. She loved him so much but she couldn’t walk away from the magic. Like Tony couldn’t walk away from the suits and the fight.
“Goodbye, Tony.”
Tony watched her go before resting his head in his hands. He didn’t want her to go but he hated the Dark Magic she was diving headfirst into.
———
“You look good, Tony,” Natasha looked Tony over, seeing the damage the gauntlet had done to him but was recovering nicely. The pair set on Tony’s pier overlooking the lake, he was still recovering from the battle with Thanos.
“Yeah,” Tony smirked, running his hand over the place where his hair was missing. “Hopefully this grows back in.”
“Who knew your ego was in your hair.”
He frowned before rolling his eyes, clearing his throat he leaned back in his chair. “What are you doing here Nat? Never pegged you for a house visit.”
“Hermione.” She answered bluntly.
“I haven’t seen her since…,” His words died.
“Thanos.” She supplied.
“Yeah,”
“What do you remember after the snap?” She questioned.
“Not much but,” Tony glanced around making sure they were alone. “I remember seeing her, then a blinding light.”
Natasha nodded.
“Spit it out, Natasha.” Tonys gave a frustrated sigh. “You know something.”
“Hermione’s, the reason you’re alive.”
“What do you mean?” Tony demanded leaning forward in his chair. “What could she have…”
He froze as his mind began racing, memories flashing before his eyes. The nightmares, constant worry, the magic she was diving into, she had been doing everything for him.
“Do you know why she left and what's wrong with her?” Natasha questioned.
“I have a pretty good idea,” Tony said. “Do you have any idea where she could be?”
“I have heard things that Strange may know where she is.”
Tony stood sharply reaching into his pocket for his keys, quickly trying to get to his car he heard Natasha coming up behind him. “You going after her?”
“Going to find her.”
“What about Pepper?”
“I'll figure it out later.” Tony sighed, getting in the car and leaving out of the driveway. Leaving Natasha behind.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hermione shifted as she watched the annoyance cross Stephen Strange’s face as he performed magic over her body. “Don’t look too annoyed Strange.”
“You confuse annoyance for concentration.” he snarked.
“Isn't it the same thing for you?” She smirked.
He paused shifting his eyes, before finishing the spell. “The damage to you magically is starting to heal. The physical looks much better compared to where you were. Honestly very surprising-”
“You mean since I split my life force in half and almost died trying to save another, by diving into the darkest magics.” She winced in pain taking a deep breath.
“Just to save him,” Stephen replied.
“I couldn’t let him die.” Hermione let out a loud sigh. “No matter what happened between us.”
Stephen rolled his eyes until her hand shot out grabbing his.
“Thank you, Stephen.”
“You’re welcome,” He nodded before a frown crossed his face.
“What is it?”
“Someone’s here.”
In a flash he was gone from her sight to the door, Hermione simply laid her head back. “If it's an intruder tell just yell. I’ll help- from here.” She mutters sarcastically. “I need to stop spending so much time with him. My sarcasm is getting as bad as his.”
“I don't think you should be here.”
She frowned hearing Stephen's voice coming back and talking to someone. Leaning up to look at the door she heard his voice before she saw him.
“I don’t care what you think Strange.” He finished as he cut the corner into the room meeting her eyes. “I need to talk to her.”
“Stephen, would you please let us talk,” Hermione asked, seeing Stephen look at Tony questioningly before vanishing from sight. She knew he wasn’t far. She had formed an odd friendship with the man. “What are you doing here?”
“I think you know why I am standing here,” Tony answered.
“You’re right.” Hermione nodded knowing it was stupid to try and hide the truth from the man. “I know why, who told you?”
“Natasha came to see me.”
Hermione frowned in surprise at his answer, “Natasha?”
“Yeah, why is that surprising?”
“Honestly yes. I haven't seen her,” Hermione paused thinking for a moment. “No, but she has seen Bruce.”
“Bruce knows you're here and what's happened to you, but didn't say anything to me.”
“I think you want to talk to Bruce about that then. I only asked for him to look over some labs, I never told him he couldn't say anything.” Hermione said as she started shivering.
“Are you okay?” Tonys said grabbing the blanket not far from her and covering her up.
“Fine, just weird after-effects. Apparently getting very cold is one of them.”
“What did you do Hermione?” Tony questioned kneeling down beside her.
“Saved your life.” He gave her an annoyed look before she sigh and spoke again, “The magic I was going into was looking for a way to save your life. The day before the battle with Thanos, I found what I was looking for but it came with a price to the caster.”
“A price of what?”
“Half of my life force.” Hermione coughed. “I gave you half of my life force to save your life.”
“You did what?”
“You heard me, Tony.”
“I can’t- I-” Tony tries forming sentences
“Tony stop,” she grabbed his hand getting him to focus. It was something she had done when they were still together. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Really, I was finishing what I started.”
They set in silence neither truly sure what to say to the other. Neither was sure of how much time had passed.
“I wish you wouldn't have,” Tony whispered. “I don't deserve that from you.”
“You laid down your life for all of us Tony.” She reasoned.
“And yet I owe you everything.”
“Honestly, I am surprised Pepper didn’t tell you. She saw what happened.”
“She what?” Tony whispered with a cold edge to his tone.
“I want to say I am surprised but I am not. She hated me the moment I stepped into your life. That's beside the point though, She watched everything that happened at least till I passed out. When I woke up, Strange was standing over me, and from that moment I have been right here the whole time.”
“I’m sorry.” Tony whispered.
“Don't be. It’s what I had planned to do either way, I just needed to see it to the end. You nothing to be sorry for that part for me is finished.” She said giving a sad smile. ‘I’m healing and I’ll be back to normal before you know it.”
“She’s almost there,” Stephen spoke as he entered the room interrupting whatever Tony was about to say to the witch.
Tony frowned but paused as he saw the look in Hermione’s eyes looking at Strange. He already knew what that look meant even if She hadn’t realized it yet. The witch had feelings for the sorcerer, a pain hit his chest knowing he had already lost any chance of ever getting the witch back. “That's fantastic then, I only want what's best for you. I always have.”
“I know, and I know your reasons for ending the relationship, no matter how much it hurt me.” Hermione “but I think it would be best, Tony, if you went home.”
“Hermione-”
“If you ever need help…you know where I am but I think this is where things between us should remain,” Hermione admitted sadly, she couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes. It also hurt her to see the same hurt in Tony’s eyes.
Tony simply nodded standing to his feet again, “The same for you. I am always here if you need me.”
He turned walking out of the room as Strange come out behind him he stopped, “Take care of her.”
“I am.”
“She has feelings for you, even if she doesn't know it yet.”
“I ‘m aware.”
Tonys nodded walking out the door to his car, once inside he sat there for a moment realizing the mistake he had made and hated himself for it.