The first thing Tony registered was the beep.
Slow. Rhythmic. Inevitable.
His eyelids felt like they were made of lead, each blink sending a dull pulse through his temples as light flickered across his vision. Shapes swam above him—white walls, green light, a distant rune glowing softly—
Magic.
"—ony."
A voice. Familiar, low, tinged with worry.
Beep… beep… beep…
"—wake, you drama queen."
Beep… beep…
His vision cleared just enough to reveal Sirius Black, hair tied sloppily at the nape, a dark cloak rumpled, leaning forward in a rickety wooden chair that looked centuries out of place. There was a tired smirk on his face, but his grey eyes were watchful, haunted.
"Finally. Thought you'd sleep until Christmas."
Tony's dry lips cracked into a ghost of a smile. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a rasp. Sirius immediately reached for a cup of water on the bedside table, steadying it as Tony took slow, painful sips. The water felt like glass down his raw throat, but it cleared the haze just enough.
"How…" Tony croaked, his voice like gravel. "How long?"
Sirius's smile twitched, and he looked away before answering.
"Four days."
Tony's eyes snapped fully open, the monitors around him picking up the sudden spike in heart rate. "Four days?!" His voice cracked, but the panic was clear. "I was supposed to be out for a day, Padfoot!"
Sirius ran a hand through his hair, the tiredness settling back into his features. "Yeah, well, plans changed, Tony."
Footsteps approached, calm and firm. Healer Atticus Thorne stepped into the ward, a quill scribbling notes on its own. The healer's lined face broke into a relieved smile as he saw Tony awake.
"Mr. Stark. Good to see your sense of dramatic timing hasn't dulled."
Tony shot him a weak glare. "What happened, Doc?"
Atticus placed a hand on the edge of the bed, his eyes scanning the machine before settling on Tony. "Your procedure was more complicated than expected. The shrapnel was deeply entangled with several blood vessels, and when we began extraction, your body went into shock. Magic and tech don't always mix well—your arc reactor's energy signature interfered with the rune stabilization fields."
Tony's breathing grew shallow as the memories trickled in—cold, pain, then darkness.
Atticus continued, voice calm. "You had a cardiac arrest on the second day."
Sirius flinched beside him, looking away sharply.
Tony's mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Atticus sighed. "We managed to stabilize you, but it required full magical sedation to prevent further rejection. The good news is the shrapnel is out. Your arc reactor is no longer necessary to keep you alive."
Tony's eyes darted to the center of his chest, where the familiar glow was dim, and looking like it was never there.
"It will feel like it's there however it isn't" Atticus explained, "And to keep your systems steady as your body adjusts we dose you with some potions. But you're not dying anymore, Mr. Stark."
Tony let out a shaky exhale, his head falling back against the pillows. His hand rose shakily, touching his bare chest, No more pain. Damn. He feels like new.
He glance at the machine besides his bed and looks at Atticus. "I didn't knew you guys have machines? Didn't you said technology and magic doesn't mix?"
Atticus chuckled. "That's true, But the machines are build with runes by the experts... But surprisingly, some machines do work with magic, we still haven't understand the logic behind"
Sirius cleared his throat, his voice unsteady despite the smirk he tried to hold. "You're stuck with us a little longer"
Tony huffed, a ghost of a laugh, before exhaustion pulled at his limbs again. "Good," he whispered. "Still got… things to do…"
Atticus nodded firmly. "And you will. But not today. You need to rest, Mr. Stark. Eat when we bring you food. No arc reactor tinkering, no trying to build a new lab in your bed." He jokes.
Tony grumbled but didn't argue.
As Atticus left to prepare a nutrient potion, Sirius leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Harry's safe between, He doesn't know you were out. We told him you were busy with a project, and he sent a letter asking if you can help him with his Charms homework.... Apparently he and his friend came up with a project... Something about making music box"
Tony smile. "I think I might have known... Ah, I love that kid so much"
"Yeah," Sirius said, looking away, blinking hard. "That's why we need you around, Tony"
Tony swallowed, blinking away the burn in his eyes, trying to focus on the machine lights instead. "Don't worry I don't plan to die..."
Sirius grinned suddenly, wicked. "Also, Remus owes me fifty galleons. Told him you'd wake up today."
Tony barked a tired laugh, wincing at the ache in his chest. "Tell him… I want a cut."
"You capitalist menace," Sirius muttered, grinning wider.
The moment settled into a quiet peace, the beep of the monitor steady,Tony let his eyes close, exhaustion pulling him down, but this time, it wasn't fear that swallowed him.
It was relief.
______________
Tony stirred to the soft clink of glass and parchment being shifted on the bedside table. The room smelled like brewed herbs and something sweet, almost like honey. His eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft glow of lamps.
"Morning, Stark."
Tony blinked, focusing on the figure leaning against the foot of his bed, arms crossed, wand tucked behind one ear.
Johnny Skylar.
Behind him, Amelia Bones was pouring herself tea, her robes neatly pressed, as she glanced over the rune charts floating beside Tony's bed.
And to Tony's surprise—relief, really—James Rhodes was there, standing near the window, looking painfully out of place in a sharp charcoal suit against the centuries-old stone walls and drifting magical lights.
Tony's chest tightened, and for a moment, he thought it was pain. But no, it was relief.
"Rhodey," Tony rasped, voice rough.
Rhodey turned, and the relief on his face was so raw it nearly hurt to see. "Man, you scared the hell outta me, Tones."
Tony smirked weakly, raising an eyebrow. "What, you didn't think I'd let a bit of shrapnel kill me, did you?"
Rhodey exhaled sharply, shaking his head before stepping forward. "You were out for four days, Tony. I was ready to fly over and drag your stubborn ass out of here."
"Yeah, well, Amelia wouldn't let me leave," Tony quipped, shifting carefully on the pillows.
Amelia gave him a stern look over the rim of her teacup. "And I'd do it again, Tony. You were seconds from death. Consider yourself lucky to have us meddling magical folk."
Tony's eyes softened. "Yeah. I know."
Johnny cleared his throat, his wand flicking to adjust the rune chart. "The healer says your vitals are stable now. They're confident you'll be cleared for travel within the week, but you'll need monitoring."
Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm always monitored. JARVIS has better bedside manners than any of you."
Amelia's lips twitched, hiding a smile. "I'm sure your AI is very charming." She had been considering to make changes seeing how technology of muggles is advanced and helpful.
Rhodey stare at weakened but alive Tony Stark before him, and for a moment, neither spoke. Then, in a rare break of composure, Rhodey's voice cracked as he said, "Don't you ever pull this again, man."
Tony blinked, caught off guard by the emotion in Rhodey's eyes. He managed a crooked grin. "Hey, it wasn't exactly on the agenda."
Rhodey snorted, wiping a hand across his face. "I know, I know. Just… I don't want to lose you, Tony."
Tony swallowed, glancing down at his hand, flexing it weakly. "You won't. Not yet, anyway."
Amelia set her cup down. "Pepper sends her regards. She's holding things down at Stark Industries while you recover. I've arranged secure communication if you need to reach out."
Tony raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I should hire you, Bones."
Amelia smirk. "I'm too expensive."
Johnny chuckled, leaning back. "Speaking of expensive, you're aware you now own a basilisk carcass, right?"
Tony groaned, leaning back. "Don't remind me. Sirius has been teasing me about it since at Hogwarts... Apparently, I'm a wizard world celebrity now."
Amelia smirked. "You are. The Prophet is calling you the 'Iron Knight of Gryffindor' for slaying the basilisk."
Tony buried his face in his hand. "I hate everything about that... Iron knight?? Oh come on, Why not something flashy? That's so lame"
Rhodey laughed, and for a moment, the heaviness lifted.