He didn't want to hide things from Hermione. With that girl's brain, it wouldn't stay hidden for long anyway.

But the kid was only in high school. Once his identity leaked out, that was both trouble and danger in one package.

Noticing Tony's hesitation, Peter spoke up first.

"It's fine, Mr. Stark. You don't need to hide my identity from the Witch."

Peter straightened his spine, lifted his chin, and fixed his gaze with visible determination, he was practically one slow spin away from a full dramatic reveal.

Look at you, striking poses and acting all mysterious. Someone who didn't know better would think you were a Celestial... Hermione rolled her eyes.

Tony let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing.

Even though Hermione would have gotten it out of him if she pushed, it was naturally better coming from Peter himself.

"Then let me make a proper introduction. This is the Spider-Kid who fought alongside me at the airport, going up against Steve's whole crew."

Hearing that last word, Peter's whole body sagged.

"It's Spider-Man, Mr. Stark." He turned toward Hermione and deliberately dropped his voice two registers. "Hello. My name is Peter Parker. I'm Spider-Man."

Then he quietly straightened his posture again, trying to look taller and more composed.

Watching Peter peacock in front of Hermione, constantly sneaking glances at her, a faint blush creeping up his face, Tony and Pepper exchanged a look. How could they not see right through him?

One raised an eyebrow. The other pressed her lips together, holding back a laugh.

A silent, knowing look passed between them.

Hermione remained impassive, her expression flat, her eyes not moving an inch.

She gave an offhand nod. "Oh, right. You're the one who wouldn't stop talking at the airport."

The smile froze on Peter's face.

Hermione had already turned back to Tony. "Where do you find all these weird super-powered people anyway?"

"I didn't find him, it was Vi— it was Doubao."

Tony's mouth twitched. He still wasn't used to the name.

"She ran through network data and figured out Spider-Kid's identity. Steve had picked up two extra people from Wakanda at the time, I was short on backup, so I brought him along."

"You dragged a high schooler into a fight, why didn't you just call Thor?" Hermione looked up. "Heimdall watches over Earth. Find an open field, shout up at the sky a couple of times, and he'll hear you."

"You think I didn't want to call that hammer-swinging meathead?"

Tony shook his head.

"I tried. Didn't work. Thor had been on Earth for a while, then one day he suddenly rushed off back to Asgard."

"And it wasn't just him." Tony continued. "He insisted on dragging Banner along. After that I had Doubao stake out the patch of wasteland he usually comes and goes from for an entire week — shouted so much the locals called the police — and there was still zero response."

Hermione's chopsticks stopped.

Something was wrong.

Something had definitely happened in Asgard.

Something big. Big enough that they couldn't spare a single glance toward Earth. Because if it were anything less, there would have been at least a message. Going completely dark was something else entirely.

And he'd taken Banner with him.

No, not Banner. What Thor wanted was the Hulk.

Of all the Avengers, the only one who could survive in the vacuum of space besides Thor himself was the Hulk.

Thor needed firepower. Cosmic-level firepower.

Several possibilities moved through Hermione's mind.

The worst one: the real Odin was failing, Loki was cracking under the pressure, and he'd called Thor back.

Asgard.

She needed to go.

If something had truly happened to Odin, Hela would break loose. And with Hela's power, once she took Asgard, she would move to reunite the Nine Realms under her rule without question.

Earth would be the first to bear it.

She gave exactly zero thought to the possibility that Thor and the Hulk could handle Hela on their own.

But she would need to prepare before going. The Ancient One had already evacuated a million people and then vanished, the most solid backing she'd had in this world was gone. Charging in blind wasn't smart.

"What do you think, Hermione?"

Pepper touched the back of her hand when she got no response. "What are you thinking about?"

Hermione snapped back. All three of them were looking at her.

"Oh, nothing. What were you saying? What about what?"

Pepper gave a helpless look.

"We were saying that since Peter helped Tony so much, having him join halfway through a meal is a bit rude."

"Why not head somewhere nicer after this, make dinner a proper occasion."

"I'm fine with whatever," Hermione said, and nodded. "You two decide."

She popped a piece of fruit into her mouth.

Pepper glanced at Tony. A look.

Tony caught on immediately. "Sure, Happy probably knows a place."

He pulled out his phone and dialed. "Happy, book me a restaurant. Tonight. Four people. The best one you've got."

Pepper was already on her feet, stepping over to Hermione's side. "Come on. Let's get you changed."

Several question marks appeared above Hermione's head.

"My clothes are fine." She looked down at herself. "They're not even dirty. Why bother changing?"

Pepper didn't give her a chance to argue. She grabbed Hermione by the arm and hauled her toward the inner room.

"Hey, wait,"

Looking completely bewildered, Hermione was marched straight into the room.

The door clicked shut. The lock turned.

Peter sat perched on the edge of his chair, still clutching the silver case, his eyes drifting toward the inner room again and again.

Tony glanced at him. A faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"Go change into something formal!"

......

Night fell.

They arrived at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Midtown Manhattan.

Tony had bought out the entire place. Happy's efficiency was something else, every course was prepped and waiting 10 minutes before they walked through the door.

Peter wore the tailored suit Tony had arranged for him, his tie knotted with meticulous precision, his entire frame rigid.

He followed a step behind the other three, his movements stiff.

This was the first time in his life he'd ever set foot in a place like this. Floor-to-ceiling windows ran along the wall beside them, the whole New York City skyline sprawling beyond the glass.

A server led them to a table by the window.

Peter was just about to sit down when he looked across and saw Hermione. Without waiting for the server, she'd already pulled out her own chair, dropped into it, and stretched out in a long, shameless lazy arc, not a shred of poise in sight.

The inadvertent display of her figure sent his heart hammering.

Hermione still had no idea why Pepper had absolutely insisted on herding her into the dressing room, outfit change, full makeup, the works.

Just for dinner?

She couldn't be bothered to think about it. Pepper had probably just missed her and wanted to play dress-up.

Everyone settled in.

Hermione's eyes lit up at the spread across the table.

"Not bad, not bad, all my favorites."

She grabbed a serving spoon and started loading her plate, while her other hand picked up a fork, speared a piece of meat, and sent it straight into her mouth.

The whole motion was smooth and unhesitating, carrying the easy roughness of someone who had spent serious time roughing it outdoors, entirely at odds with the elegant, aristocratic outfit she was wearing.

"Om nom nom..."

Cheeks puffed out, she ate with complete abandon, and casually reached over for the wine glass beside her, tilting back wine worth well over a hundred thousand dollars a bottle like it was tap water.

➤ Next: I Heard You Have a Pretty Aunt?

Chapter 352 - I Heard You Have a Pretty Aunt?

"Pfft — ugh, this is terrible! Waiter, can I get an apple juice!"

That single move shattered the refined atmosphere completely.

Pepper buried her face in her hands, unable to watch.

Tony's mouth twitched, privately mourning the bottle he'd spent all evening decanting.

But in Peter's eyes, the feeling was something else entirely.

All he could see was Hermione in a black off-shoulder evening gown, her figure outlined to perfection, bare shoulders and collarbone gleaming almost blindingly white beneath the lights.

Her long hair was pinned up, exposing the pale nape of her neck. Silver earrings swayed in the light. Her face was done up in a delicate, understated touch of makeup.

Something slammed hard into Peter's chest. His heart was racing so fast it threatened to claw its way up his throat.

Back at Stark Tower, Hermione had been wearing loose casual clothes, hair tied back carelessly, the girl next door. Dressed like this, she was something else entirely.

Those deep brown eyes were trained on the table, paired with soft rosy lips. She looked exactly like a leading lady straight out of a film, and he absolutely could not look away.

Refined by magic, Hermione was even more beautiful than she would have been at this point otherwise, the kind of beauty that made a person's heart lurch just from looking at her. And somehow, the boldness of her manners, the total lack of ceremony in how she ate, didn't diminish that at all. If anything, it created a contrast that only made it worse.

Peter sat across from her, knife and fork in hand, with no idea where to begin.

He snuck a glance at Tony and Pepper. Neither had touched their food.

Then he looked at Hermione. She had already demolished half a plate of appetizers.

Watching Hermione eat with her head down, completely absorbed, and then Peter, rigid, ill at ease, stealing glances at her every other second, Tony and Pepper were quietly at a loss.

Tony let out a sigh.

Waiting for these two to start a conversation on their own, they'd be here when the restaurant closed.

"Peter." Tony's voice broke the silence. "What school are you at right now?"

"Mid — Midtown High." Peter's voice was a little tight. "The advanced science track."

"Relax. Think of it like lunch in the cafeteria with friends," Tony said. "How are your grades?"

"Pretty good. GPA's 3.8."

Pepper picked up the thread. "Any hobbies or interests?"

"Uh, I'm really into mechanical engineering," Peter said, his eyes drifting toward Hermione again. "I'm on the Academic Decathlon team. Next month we're heading to Washington for the national finals."

"I do some community service work on the side, too."

The kind that involved swinging around in a suit.

"Sounds thrilling," Tony remarked.

Pepper kicked him under the table. Keeping her warm smile perfectly in place, she stepped in smoothly: "It's great that a boy your age has such a giving spirit. I believe you live with your aunt?"

"Yes, Miss Potts. Her name is May. May Parker." Peter nodded. "She's a really good person. She works so hard every day. The stuff I do out there, she still doesn't know about it. I don't want her to worry."

Pepper nodded approvingly. "That's very thoughtful of you. Do you have any close friends? Any girl classmates you're particularly close with?"

There it was.

Peter's cheeks began to burn.

He snuck a sidelong glance at Hermione. She was locked in full combat with a crab claw, completely oblivious to everything else.

Hermione downed a long gulp of apple juice, then finally looked up and gave Tony and Pepper a mildly puzzled look.

"Haven't you already asked him all this?" She speared a piece of vegetable with her fork. "You must have run a full background check before you gave him the suit."

Peter said nervously, "Y — yes, Mr. Stark already covered all of this."

One sentence. Game over.

Hermione said nothing more and went back to eating with her head down.

Tony and Pepper exchanged a glance, then both turned the same sharp, exasperated look on Peter.

Then they looked at Hermione, completely impervious, not a clue in the world, and had nothing to say.

Are we the ones you're supposed to be asking?

We're asking for your sake.

If they hadn't picked up on certain peculiar inclinations in little Hermione recently, they wouldn't have been in such a hurry. The British romantic situation was staring them in the face. They couldn't afford not to do something about it.

Watching Hermione pay him no attention whatsoever, Peter felt a small pang of dejection settle in his chest.

It didn't last long, though.

Because at least he didn't have to steal glances anymore.

Back in Siberia, he'd already wanted to say hello to her. But all the Avengers had been there, the atmosphere had been tense, and he wasn't familiar enough with the Witch to dare walk up out of nowhere. He'd figured there probably wouldn't be many chances to see her again after that, never imagining that returning a suit would bring a surprise like this.

The second half of dinner evolved into a peculiar three-way conversation.

Tony, Pepper, and Peter talked. Hermione ate. When her name came up, she gave the table a vague "mm" or "yeah" and went right back to her plate.

Seeing that, Peter's gaze dimmed.

Even he could tell. Miss Witch had absolutely zero interest in him. She couldn't even be bothered to look his way.

Tony and Pepper exchanged a glance, both reading the same helplessness in each other's eyes.

It was over.

The kid had already given up on himself.

Tony raised his right hand and pressed his fingers to the crease between his brows.

Pepper propped her own forehead on one hand, staring at the wreckage of the table and at Hermione, sitting there without a shred of self-consciousness about being a pretty girl, and felt a wave of worry wash over her.

Peter was a good kid. Clean background, warm-hearted, upstanding, decent-looking in a bright and open sort of way, with a personality that had a genuine sweetness to it. Most importantly, they were all in the same circle, people with abilities, people who could actually understand each other. She'd thought two people the same age would at least generate a spark.

This girl was a solid block of wood.

She was in the bloom of youth. What was wrong with having a proper romance?

But no. All day long, her head was full of nothing but fighting. Fighting aliens in Manhattan. Fighting dark wizards in the Wizarding World. Fighting Ravagers out in space.

Whose teenage girl was out there every day casting Incendio, blasting things to smithereens, tearing enemies apart, and putting Sectumsempra on everything?

Other girls her age had boys circling around them with flowers and love letters. Hers had a bunch of boisterous, snapping mandrakes, a cat that casually ate two televisions without a second thought, and a massive snake that hissed and slithered across the ceiling, capable of petrifying anyone who caught its gaze.

Which boy in his right mind would ever dare come near you?

The more Tony thought about it, the darker the future looked. Pepper wore the same expression. The two of them sat there staring blankly at the crab claw that had finally lost its battle against Hermione.

The scrape of a clean plate broke the silence.

Hermione set down her knife and fork at last, leaned back against her chair with a satisfied sigh, and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Then she patted her very round stomach.

Full.

She glanced over the table, the food had been nearly single-handedly demolished, then looked at the three barely-touched plates across from her.

"Why haven't you eaten?"

Tony said flatly, "We did eat. We were talking while we ate."

"Oh." Hermione nodded. Then something seemed to occur to her, and she looked toward Peter. "Parker, I think I heard earlier that your aunt is single?"

Peter blinked.

With every topic that had come up during dinner, Miss Witch had brushed it off without a second thought. So why was she suddenly bringing up May on her own?

Could it be...

"That's right!" Peter sat up straight immediately. "Her name is May. May Parker."

Hermione thought for a moment, then said: "When you have some free time, take me to meet her."

"Also, stop calling me Miss Witch all the time. It sounds so formal. Just call me Hermione from now on. Otherwise when I come to your place, your Aunt May might hear it and feel nervous, and she won't be able to relax."

BOOM!

Peter felt ten thousand fireworks go off simultaneously inside his head.

Switching to first names?

Coming to meet his family at home?!

Had all that coldness and indifference during dinner been nothing but an act?

Of course, girls were thin-skinned about these things. With Tony and Pepper sitting right there, she naturally couldn't bring herself to act too eager, so she'd been using the food as cover for her shyness. Now that she was full, she'd finally said what was really in her heart!

Peter was so excited he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet. His whole body felt weightless, like he was standing on clouds. He forced the words out in a trembling voice:

"O — okay. Her... Hermione."

Hermione looked at his expression, like a man who'd just won the lottery, and her face went strange.

What was wrong with this kid?

Why was he getting so worked up?

Peter was still floating in his happiness, grinning to himself, eyes bright.

And in that same instant, Tony and Pepper went on full alert.

They looked at each other, both reading the same unease in the other's eyes.

Little Hermione was absolutely not the type of girl who got shy.

If she'd genuinely taken a liking to Peter, she would have pulled him into a corner on the spot, or just asked him directly. There was no version of events where it looked like thin-skinned hesitation and careful, tentative probing.

Based on everything they knew about Hermione...

Little Hermione's reaction probably had nothing to do with Peter at all.

More likely it was...

This was bad.

➤ Next: Construction Progress of the Marvel Wizarding World