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The intimate farewell dinner unfolded beside the oasis pool, where Coby had efficiently cleared space for an elegant long table. The house-elf's culinary artistry reached magnificent heightsâsucculent roast chicken glistening with herb-crusted perfection, premium beef steaks seared to tender precision, delicate raspberry tarts that practically glowed with sweetness, and countless other delicacies that threatened to collapse the table under their collective weight.
Rhodes summoned Happy from the aircraft, and their unlikely group savored what felt like a feast worthy of royalty, the magical oasis providing an otherworldly backdrop to their celebration. Desert stars emerged overhead as they lingered over the meal, creating memories that would outlast any official debriefing.
After appropriate rest and conversation, Coby performed his final act of domestic magicâthe entire tent, furnishings, and accumulated supplies vanished into a deceptively small traveling case that Gemini carried with casual ease.
Happy piloted them back to the military installation, where they spent one final night aboard Tony's private jet. Rhodes completed his administrative responsibilities while preparing for the journey home, his worldview permanently altered by recent supernatural encounters.
The moment their aircraft crossed into New York airspace, Gemini straightened in her seat with sudden awareness.
"Time for my departure, Mr. Stark. Don't forget your outstanding debtâI prefer not to make house calls for collections."
Tony regarded her with genuine confusion. "You're not continuing to New York with us?"
"Unnecessary. I imagine considerable crowds await your triumphant return. I have no desire to complicate your homecoming." Gemini rose gracefully, collecting her compact luggage. "Alsoâdiscretion regarding recent events would be... appreciated."
She turned to her faithful companion. "Coby, take me home."
The soft crack of Disapparition left only empty air where she'd stood.
"JARVIS, delete all cabin surveillance footage immediately. Archive everything to my private servers with maximum encryption."
"Certainly, sir."
Rhodes approached Gemini's former position, waving his hand through vacant space with scientific curiosity before facing his bewildered friend.
"So what exactly was that? Advanced technology? Government experiments?"
Tony's grin held infinite amusement as he recognized his own initial skepticism reflected perfectly. "That, my friend, was magic. Actual, honest-to-God magic."
Gemini collapsed onto her familiar bed with profound relief, releasing a contented sigh that seemed to emerge from her very soul. No matter how luxurious Coby's magical accommodations, nothing compared to the sanctuary of home.
Sharp tapping at her window announced an owl's arrival. Coby efficiently received the correspondence, offering the messenger appropriate treats before it departed with satisfied hoots.
"Miss Gemini, correspondence from the American Magical Congress!"
Gemini's expression darkened with concern as she accepted the official envelope. Her heart rate normalized upon reading the contentsâmerely the International Travel Department requesting routine registration following her return from overseas travel without standard Floo Network protocols.
Relief flooded through her. If this concerned Tony's situation, she'd need to implement immediate evacuation procedures. Even her considerable abilities couldn't challenge an entire magical government.
She discarded the letter carelessly, surrendering to exhaustion. Everything else could wait until she'd recovered properly.
"Miss Gemini, Coby must disturb you once more! Coby truly has no alternative!" The house-elf appeared in her doorway, tears streaming as he rhythmically struck his head against the wall with concerning dedication.
"Enough, Coby! Explain the crisis!" Gemini stared at the ceiling with the hollow expression of someone who'd reached their limit of supernatural complications.
"Miss Gemini, our household accounts have reached zero balance! Essential supplies require immediate replenishment!" Coby remained carefully positioned by the entrance, understanding his timing was unfortunate but facing genuine domestic emergency. Their week-long absence had depleted everythingâfood, cleaning supplies, even basic necessities.
"We received Miss Pepper's gemstone payment, correct? Exchange them immediately. Pure stones retain value with goblin merchantsâpreserve the sapphire specimen, convert everything else at Gringotts. Unless the shop faces imminent destruction, handle all other matters independently!"
Gemini buried herself completely beneath her covers, effectively ending the conversation.
Coby departed with house-elf efficiency, locating Pepper's generous compensation and traveling to the concealed magical market behind Times Square. His mistress's magical seal granted access to Gringotts exchange services, where the pristine gemstones commanded extraordinary prices.
The transaction elevated Gemini's vault status dramaticallyâfrom the modest depths of vault 1021 to the prestigious 457, requiring accommodation within the exclusive top-500 security tier. Gringotts maintained consistent standards globally: deeper vaults offered superior protection and reflected greater wealth.
The attending goblin presented Coby with an elegant metal card and accompanying correspondence for his mistress, standard procedure for newly elevated premium clients.
Morning sunlight finally coaxed Gemini from her recuperative hibernation. Emerging from her chambers, she discovered Coby's carefully arranged presentationâthe official letter and gleaming card positioned for immediate attention.
The card impressed her despite herself: goblin-crafted metal work of exceptional quality, substantial weight suggesting genuine precious metal content rather than mere decoration.
The accompanying letter proved predictably commercialâGringotts American Branch formally acknowledging her elevated client status, vault upgrade confirmation, and introduction of their No-Maj-inspired premium card system offering VIP treatment throughout American magical establishments.
Gemini regarded the obvious marketing material with profound irritation, consigning it to the waste bin without ceremony. The card, however, earned a place in her personal accessoriesâundeniably more convenient than carrying traditional coin purses.
She approached her fireplace with purposeful strides, casting Floo Powder into the flames and stepping through to the International Travel Department. The same bureaucratic witch occupied her familiar position behind the service counter.
"State your business." No pleasantries, no recognitionâpure governmental efficiency.
"Returning from Afghanistan tourism without local Floo Network usage. Reporting for standard registration." Gemini placed her wand on the counter surface.
The witch processed the wand through a mechanical device that produced documentation with rapid scratching sounds. After brief review, she filed the paperwork and returned the wand with minimal ceremony.
"Registration complete. Thank you for your cooperation."
Gemini reclaimed her wand while casually collecting a copy of The New York Ghost from the reception area. The front page featured a prominent moving photograph of Tony Stark in what appeared to be a press conference setting.
Her blood chilled. "Why does a No-Maj warrant front-page coverage in wizarding media?"
The witch glanced up with mild interest. "You haven't heard? This particular No-Maj maintains significant magical world connections. Auror deployment was under consideration before his timely reappearance."
Gemini forced casual curiosity into her expression. "What sort of connections?"
The witch rose conspiratorially, leaning across the counter while scanning for potential eavesdroppers. "Confidentiallyâhe's rumored to be some influential person's Squib offspring, relocated to No-Maj society for protection. The parent apparently has only this one child, so high-level magical officials monitor his welfare even in the mundane world."
Gemini maintained her awkward smile while producing her final Galleon. "Fascinating story. I'll take this newspaper. Good day."
"Visit again soon!" The witch waved enthusiastically, pocketing the coin before immediately turning to assist arriving international travelers.
Back home, Gemini nearly collapsed with laughter at the absurdity. A Squib? Even Squibs possessed internal magical energyâthey simply couldn't channel it effectively. Tony's body contained absolutely no magical essence whatsoever.
Still, the intelligence proved intriguing: Mr. Stark apparently had powerful magical world connections, though he remained completely ignorant of them. This added considerable complexity to their relationshipâand potentially explained why his disappearance had attracted official attention.
She'd need to investigate this development carefully. If Tony truly had magical parentage, their business arrangement might involve far more than simple commercial transactions.
The plot, as they said, continued to thicken.
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