(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Prologue

Whilst Pixie Stark loves England, and she loves her mother's apartment in London, there is something she adores about waking up in New York. More so on her birthday. Because it's her birthday. It is literally a day all about her. What is not to like about that? People celebrating her. People giving her gifts. She sighs as she sinks into her pillows with a huge smile. Her bedroom door opens and in saunters, because there is no other word to describe it, her father. Tony is eccentric as he is famous, and Pixie has had to deal with that eccentricity her whole life. Is used to it. Loves it. Loves him just the way he is. Tony flops onto the bed at her side and slips his hands behind his head. Pixie peers at him and he smirks at her before he turns onto his side.

"Happy birthday, Pixel" He whispers, she smiles softly and then brushes her hair back from her face, finger moving to poke her nose. "Eleven" He whispers. "When did you get so old, huh?" He teases, she smirks at him. "Jeez...what does that say about me?" He lets out a breath.

"That you are really...really.....really ancient" She comments, he gasps and gives her a playful glare. She chuckles and sits up, brushing her hair back and out of her face. "Is Mom here yet?" She asks, he hums and nods.

"Yeah, she arrived with Steve about an hour ago..." She turns and gives him a look. "What?" He asks her. "What's that look?" She gives him another look and he raises an eyebrow.

"Steve..." She draws out. "He likes you" Tony scoffs and looks away from his surprisingly observant eleven-year-old daughter. "Why else would he come back for your daughter's birthday?"

"Because it's Steve and he's a nice guy" Tony offers as he tucks his hands into his pockets. She hums a little and pulls on a knitted jumper as she leaves her bed. Steve has been here almost every weekend since the Avengers all went their separate ways following the Battle of New York, none of the others have come back. Tony has been trying not to read anything into that, because he's Tony and that's what he does. Tony shakes his head. "Hurry up, presents to open, food to eat...." He climbs from her bed and heads for the door, he pauses and then turns back. "Love you tons" She smiles back at him.

"I love you 3000" She counters, he smiles and looks down, every time. It gets to him every single time.

"Wow" He whispers and looks back at her, she snorts and shakes her head.

"Get out so I can get dressed" She scolds him.

"I used to change your diaper" He reminds her as he opens the door. "So rude now" He adds with a smile as he leaves. Pixie snorts and rolls her eyes but she is smiling. Nothing is going to get her down on her birthday. 

...........

This year is different. This year, Pixie has a whole team of people around to give her gifts. A whole team of actual superheroes. Which is so cool when she is eleven years old. She really does love her birthday. She even has a crown on her head. An actual crown. Pixie sits on the living room floor, opened boxes and ripped wrapping paper around her. Tony kisses her head as he drops a box into her lap.

"Rhodey sends his love," He tells her as he leans up. "But he got called away this morning" She hums and opens the box up, a smile working onto her lips. A necklace. And it's beautiful. A gold chain. A green gemstone hanging from the bottom. Tony lets out a whistle and crouches at her side. "He went all out this year, huh?"

"It's pretty" She whispers as she turns the stone around in her hand.

"Here" Tony takes it from her and draws the necklace around her neck. Other than Steve and Bruce, none of the other Avengers are there in person, but they are there in spirit. She has gifts from them all. Candy from Clint. Knives from Natasha, which were immediately confiscated from her, and Natasha will likely be getting a strongly worded text message. A stuffed snake from Thor. And gifts from those that are here. A book of classic poetry from Steve. A collection of her favourite storybooks from Bruce. Tony got her a few things but the ones she loves the most are her tickets to her favourite west end show, earrings shaped like his arc reactor, and a framed photo of the two of them. The photo thing is something he does every year, with a fresh photo inside. It's sweet and small but she loves it. And from her mother. Her mother will be giving her her most important gift this year. Tony fastens the necklace behind her neck before he settles her hair back in place. Her eyes are on Tatiana who turns an envelope around in her hand, a red wax stamp on the back of it. Tatiana holds out a letter to Pixie who stares at it, then begins to smile widely, knowing just what it is, and what it is for. She's been waiting for this since she was eight years old and her mother first told her that she was a witch. When her magic first started to appear. She's been counting down the days. "What is it?" Tony asks, Tatiana glances at him, knows the conversation that is about to come. One thing he promised he would never do is about to happen, and Tony can't stop it.

"A letter" Pixie answers with a deadpan look at her father who gives her one just back.

"Who's it from?" He counters and ruffles her hair, she shakes her head, pulling away from him.

"It's my Hogwarts letter," She tells him, Tony frowns and looks at Tatiana for help here. Tatiana closes her eyes and then sighs before she crouches in front of Pixie. Pixie bites her lip and looks at her mother.

"Why don't you go and see if Steve has finished with breakfast?" Tatiana asks and strokes Pixie's hair. "I'm going to tell him everything now, it's going to be okay, sweetheart...." Pixie nods and glances at Tony before she walks away, leaving the living room to her parents. Tatiana sits on the couch and Tony frowns, taking the seat next to her.

"What's going on, Tats?" Tony asks. She takes a deep breath and then turns to him.

"I'm a witch" She answers, he snorts and laughs a little before he stops, realising that she is in fact not joking. She is wearing her serious face. Her very serious face. "And so is Pixie. That letter. Hogwarts. It's a school for people like me, and her....a school I went to myself. It's a good school, and they'll teach her how to use her magic...." Tony frowns at her.

"Does....does Pixel know?"

"She knows" She assures him. "She's known for a while...." Tony nods a little and looks down.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks.

"I couldn't...." She admits and brushes her hair over her shoulder. "I was bound by an International Statute of Secrecy. It's not that I didn't want to, Tones, of course, I did, you are my best friend.......I wanted to tell you every day, especially after Pix started showing signs...." She stops when he doesn't say anything. Just sort of sits there. "Tony?" She asks, he hums a little but keeps his eyes on his hands. "Are you....do you not...." She stops and closes her eyes. "I can take her, if you would rather we left, if you rather.....no longer be involved" Tony snaps his head up and frowns at her.

"Why the hell would you ask me that?" He argues quickly. "You can't take her away from me"

"I wasn't..." Tatiana stops herself and shakes her head. "I thought that you would want...."

"Because of some magic?" Tony asks and then scoffs, leaning back on the couch. "Not one month ago a portal to space opened and aliens poured out of it" Tatiana nods. "You think my own kid being actual magic would bother me enough to disown her?"

"You wouldn't be the first" She points out sadly. Tony lets out a breath, realises.

"Your dad did" He points out, she looks at him and gives a small smile. It's not really true, but it is better than her having to admit the truth behind her parents and her childhood.

"Me and Sev having magic...Mom having magic....." She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter now" She whispers, not wanting to linger on her childhood or her parents, it's not something she even talks about with her brother, the way things were at home or how they ended.

"Oh, Tats" Tony whispers and then shakes his head. "I mean......Come on" He leans forward a little. "You know how crazy I am about that kid....did you really think I'd abandon you both?"

"No" She offers. "I hoped you wouldn't...." She admits and takes a deep breath.

"Okay, so she's got magic, and she has to go to a magic school?" He asks, she nods, he reaches over and takes her hands in his. "Okay, tell me what to do" He squeezes her hands. "Tell me what I have to do now"