It Only Takes a Second

- LXVIII -

Time seemed to pass at a miraculously fast, yet simultaneously slow, pace as the holidays approached. Christmas, while not always the biggest 'to-do' in Harry's life, had always been his favorite holiday.

Valentine's Day, he had never had a sweetheart to celebrate with. Easter was never a big deal for him, and had never been celebrated heavily at the Dursley's, and after a while, the holiday was tainted as it meant a return to his aunt and uncle's. Fourth of July was non-existent in Little Whinging, as it was an American holiday, but he supposed that he would grow to love it. It was Steve's birthday, after all, and he loved celebrating birthdays.

Halloween was fun, but had a negative connotation attached to it, with it being the anniversary of his parents' death. He figured he would grow to enjoy Thanksgiving, but he had found himself a bit miserable after eating so much food while trying to keep up with the team.

Christmas, however, was a time that he loved. Everyone had always seemed happier at the holiday's, and it gave him a chance to explore Hogwarts and enjoy the small feast that the house elves had always made. Giving gifts had always been quite enjoyable for him as well, and while he enjoyed receiving them, he had always felt a bit guilty when someone would spend their hard-earned money on him.

Now, he found himself at the happiest he had ever been. He, Peter, and Pepper were doing some holiday baking as the rest of the team (minus Bruce, who was with Caroline again) sat in the kitchen and kept them entertained. Christmas music played softly in the background, and Harry felt nothing but love surrounding him.

A tap on the door to the balcony sounded, and Harry glanced up with a beaming grin to see Hedwig waiting to be let in. Over the past several months, Harry had decided that it was kinder to allow her free roam over the city (which allowed for gourmet dining on rats), than it was to keep her locked in her cage in the penthouse.

Clint, at seeing the snowy owl, hurried excitedly over to the door and let her in. The archer extended his arm to her as a perch, and she carefully shook snow off of her before settling on to Clint's sleeve.

"Were you getting too cold out there, girl?" Clint cooed at the bird.

"Clint, she's a snowy owl," Natasha rolled her eyes. "They're used to the cold."

Clint shot her a dirty look as he began petting the owl's face with the knuckle of his finger, smiling when she affectionately nipped him.

Harry fixed a bowl of water and pulled some leftover turkey out of the fridge, bringing it over to where she was.

"Hiya Hedwig," he smiled, offering her the food and water. His eyes found their way down to an envelope tied carefully around her leg. "Did you bring me a letter?"

He gave her some rewarding pets and untied the letter. He couldn't help but laugh as Lucy peered up at him curiously, nose sniffing the air wildly as she tried to determine whether or not to allow the owl into the penthouse.

Clint beamed as Harry's two animals were around him, and he lowered Hedwig a bit to introduce the dog to the bird.

"I still have a hard time imagining you serving in the military," Tony narrowed his eyes at Clint who was now speaking in a baby voice to both animals.

Steve and Bucky, who were sitting beside one another and looking at a wedding magazine chuckled, the thought of one of the guys from the Howling Commandos doing the same as Clint being too funny to ignore.

"Who's the letter from?" Peter questioned, adding an egg into a mixing bowl. "Surely she didn't fly all the way to England and back, right?"

"I don't know. It wouldn't be the first time, I suppose. Don't know how she knew where I was in the first place, or how she survived the flight," Harry frowned. He glanced at the letter, noting that the handwriting didn't belong to Ron nor Hermione.