To Be A Hero ↠Avengers x HP Crossover

Chapter 15- Nerves and Notepads

The early morning sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow around the foyer of Stark Industries. Eliza sat at the edge of her seat, her heart fluttering like a caged bird. 

She wore a navy blue suit over a white blouse, the outfit carefully chosen (with the help from Amy) to exude professionalism. Despite this, her anxious mannerisms exposed her inner turmoil. Her hands fidgeted with the visitors lanyard she received upon entry. Her eyes darted across the room as she took in all her surroundings and located the closest exit points - just in case. 

Her mind was a whirlwind of anticipation and nerves. She rehearsed answers to potential questions, her voice cracking on the rehearsed phrases she had practised countless times. "Why do you want this job?" she muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible even to herself. She took a deep breath and reminded herself of the countless hours she had invested preparing for this moment. 

Her fingers absentmindedly found the piece of parchment she had tucked away in her left pocket. She had been surprised by an early morning visit from a very stern looking seagull at her bedroom window. Realising she didn't have any American wizarding change, which she had now learnt were called Dragots, she offered the bird five knuts. The bird, if possible, seemed to appear even more displeased. She worried momentarily if she had underpaid, but just as she had made to grab another few knuts, the bird took off.  After a quick game of 'Ip Dip Doo', Eliza opened up the smaller of the two envelopes and promptly regretted it. Her hands immediately flew to her ears as the enhanced voices of Will and Amy echoed across the room. 

"ARE YOU READY WILL? OKAY 1,2,3," the voice of Amy shouted.

"GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR INTERVIEW!" Both voices cried out simultaneously.

The howler then exploded with a tremendous bang, leaving behind a falling stream of colourful confetti, making her jump back in shock. Well, that was certainly one way to wake up. She laughed heartedly as she reminisced of the time when the Weasley twins had decided howlers would be their only form of correspondence for an entire year.  Her neighbours, however, hadn't been nearly as impressed. They expressed as much by continuously banging on their shared wall, shouting all manner of things Eliza chose to drown out. She shook her hair back and forth to remove some of the confetti and moved to open the second envelope, admittedly a lot slower than the first. Eliza squeezed her eyes shut as she unfolded the letter, but when nothing seemed to fly out at her, she slowly opened them. This letter seemed to provoke the exact opposite reaction to the first. Her eyes prickled with tears as she read through the letter. Messages from all her friends and family back home flooded through, each one making her feel more encouraged and determined than the last. An enchanted doodle was drawn across the bottom of the parchment of each of them waving to her, holding little good luck signs.

Eliza smiled. She was ready. 

"Miss Woods? Ms. Potts will see you now."

The interview room was intimidatingly formal, with a long oak table in the centre of the room. Pepper Potts smiled at her brightly as they shook hands and offered her a glass of water as she took her seat on the opposite side. The questions began, and Eliza's nerves suddenly evaporated as she talked about her experiences, her passion for the industry, and her vision for the future. Ms. Potts occasionally nodded in approval as she jotted down some notes in her notepad, all the while smiling encouragingly at Eliza. 

As the interview concluded, Ms. Potts then began to explain the role she would be undertaking and wanted to ensure that Eliza knew it would be a demanding job. It turns out Ms. Potts used to be Mr. Stark's personal assistant, but with Stark still missing, Obadiah Stane had taken over as acting CEO. This now meant that, in turn, Pepper was left picking up the pieces and essentially taking over Stane's old job as he was now busy in and out of constant board meeting.