Percy was very happy when he woke up. Well, he was for a few seconds before he noticed the three boyish faces hanging just centimetres from his head.
"What the Hades!" Percy screamed as he scrambled back in his bed.
The three boys leapt back and whipped out their wands.
"Move an inch, and we'll not hesitate to hex you!" a shortish boy with brown hair shouted.
Percy put his hands up in a surrender gesture, his snake still wound around his neck.
"Whoa! Whoa! Calm down dudes! I'm not moving! Now why don't you put down the wands and we can talk like normal, civilised people," he suggested calmly.
The three boys looked at each other uncertainly, and lowered their wands. Percy sighed in relief and put down his hands.
"Now, I don't think we've met. I'm Percy Riddle, and you are?" he offered his hand to them in greeting.
The three boys looked at each other once again, before the shortish boy from before shook Percy's hand.
"Hi, I'm Terry. Terry Boot," he introduced himself.
Next, a boy with short, blonde hair shook Percy's hand.
"Hey, my name's Anthony Goldstein. It's nice to meet you."
Finally, the last boy; a tallish, handsome guy with dark brown hair, introduced himself, ignoring Percy's hand.
"Michael Corner."
Percy nodded his head at them and heaved himself out of bed, making sure to gently drop his snake onto the pillow. He stretched his arms and yawned, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to fully wake himself up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Robert still in bed; he still wore his robes from the night before. Percy decide to take this opportunity to observe the other three.
They were all dressed in their robes; neat, pristine. Terry had a youthful face, and seemed to be full of energy. His light brown hair was slightly messy and reached halfway down his forehead. He had bright, hazel eyes, and had a joyful grin on his face. He looked like someone Percy could get along well with.
Anthony was of average height, and had a slightly built figure. He had a handsome face, and seemed calm. His straight, blonde hair was neatly combed, and spiked up at the front. He had light green eyes, and wore an apologetic smile. He looked like someone who would do well in a chaotic situation.
Michael came off as a cold character. He has a proud, arrogant demeanour, and wore a stoic expression. He was tall, lean, and quite handsome. His dark brown hair was slightly wavy, and reached down to his shoulders. his dark brown eyes were cool and collected.
As Percy observed his room-mates, his room-mates were observing him. They each had a different opinion. Terry and Anthony thought that he seemed like a nice guy, while Michael was a bit more sceptical.
"Um, sorry for almost attacking you. We didn't get the notice that you'de be rooming with us, and didn't notice you last night, so you can imagine our surprise when we woke up and found an extra guy sleeping in our dorm," Anthony apologised.
Percy shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it dude. It happens."
"Well, looks like you've all met!" a voice called from across the room.
The four boys spun around to face a woken up Robert, who was grinning madly.
"How about I let you guys talk while I GET TO THE SHOWERS FIRST!" he yelled, grabbing a towel and sprinting for the showers.
Percy's eyes widened when he realised what his friend had said, and he ran after him, grabbing a towel as he caught up. He hopped into a shower and let the warm water run down his head, clearing his sleepy thoughts and giving him energy. He quickly washed himself and turned off the water. He used his powers to dry himself and wrapped the towel around his body.
When he walked out of the bathroom, he saw that Robert had already finished, and was putting on his tie. Percy quickly pulled on his school trousers and buttoned up the white shirt, leaving the top buttons open so that he doesn't feel as if he were choking. He grabbed his tie and attempted to tie it around his neck, fiddling with it as it refused to look neat.
"Come on Percy! We need to go to breakfast now!" Robert's voice called from the Common Room.
Percy scowled and left his tie loosely tied. He stuffed his feet into a pair of converse and grabbed his robe, running out of the dorm and following his friends down the stairs. He decided to fix his uniform later. After all - food comes first!
The boys chatted away as they walked to the Great Hall. The other three were telling Percy about his lessons, while Michael told him about their awesome Quiddich team. Percy found out that their schedule had been changed, and that they now had Potions first with Gryffindor. Percy somehow knew that this was because of him. But the other boys didn't seem to mind. They were pretty good at potions, and Robert wasn't even in their year.
When they got to the Great Hall, the only thought that remained in his head was food. The was filled with delicious aromas of different foods. He spotted Luna and sat down next to her; smiling in greeting. His attention was immediately caught by the large stack of pancakes in front of him. He loaded his plate and began stuffing his face with golden deliciousness. Sure, they weren't blue, but they were pancakes.
He happily talked to Luna and his other friends, completely oblivious to the many stares he was getting from a lot of girls. He felt content with his life so far at the school. It gave him hope that he could finally be happy.
Breakfast was over quickly, and pretty soon, he found himself saying goodbye to Luna as she went off to her class. He turned to face his friends and saw them looking at him with different expressions. Terry had a mischievous smile on his face, while Anthony was suppressing a grin.
"What?" Percy asked them, a puzzled look on his face.
Terry shook his head. "Unbelievable. How could someone be so oblivious!" he exclaimed.
Percy was even more confused.
"Never mind him," Anthony told him, "You need to fix up your uniform. Professor Snape will not be impressed if you go to his class looking like that. The boys bathrooms are just over there. Go fix yourself up and meet us down in the dungeons. That's where the Potions classes are held."
Percy nodded and jogged towards the bathroom, waving at his friends as they walked off. He looked at himself in the mirror and proceeded to properly button his shirt and tuck it in. He then fixed up his tie and put on his robe. He ran his hand through his hair a few times and patted it down in hopes of making it look half decent. he quickly gave up on that and began searching for the dungeons.
After what seemed like forever, he managed to arrive at his potions classroom, thanks to the help of a friendly ghost named Sir Nicholas. The doors to the class were shut, so Percy presumed that class had already started.
'Great! First day and you've already managed to be late to your first class! Well done!' he thought to himself sarcastically.
He took a deep breath and pushed open the doors, wincing slightly when they slammed against the walls. He noticed everyone staring at him, but chose to ignore them, and instead pay attention to the professor.
Professor Snape was a thin man of fairly average height. He had pale skin, and greasy black hair that reached his shoulders. He had a large, hooked nose, and his dark eyes seemed to pierce through your soul. Percy would have thought that he was a son of Hades if he hadn't known better. The man certainly looked the part, what with his flowing black robes. And he didn't look very happy, as his thin lips were pulled into a scowl.
"Terribly sorry sir. I got lost on my way. It won't happen again," Percy quickly apologised.
He held his breath as Snape narrowed his eyes at him, sighing in relief when Snape gave him a sharp nod.
"How nice of you to join us. Take a seat. And don't be late again," Snape snapped.
Percy nodded and looked around the room for a seat. The only spare one was next to a girl who was busily writing something on a piece of parchment. Percy inwardly shrugged and sat next to the girl. The girl's head snapped up as she stared at him in shock. Percy was pretty shocked as well. The girl was one of the most beautiful people he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of beautiful people.
She had fair skin with long, curly, brown hair that fell in waves down her back. She had a slender figure with curves in all the right places, and even in her robes, she looked magnificent. She wasn't that tall, about 5'5 or 5'6 - Percy couldn't really tell since she was sitting down. She had a slightly upturned nose, and lush, pink lips. And her eyes; they were a warm, inviting brown, that also showed intelligence, courage, and passion. They were so similar to Annabeth's, yet so different.
She looked slightly confused, and suspicious, as she glanced around the room. Percy decided that it would be polite to introduce himself.
"Hey I'm Percy. Percy Riddle," he offered his hand.
The girl looked at him for a second before taking his hand.
"Hermione Granger. It's a pleasure," she politely introduced herself.
Percy could have sworn that his heart stopped beating for a second. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, and just barely held back a blush. He suddenly remembered something he saw in a movie before, something that a lot of girls found charming apparently. He gently placed a kiss on her knuckles, repressing a shiver at how soft her skin felt.
"The pleasure is all mine Ms. Granger," Percy murmured softly.
Hermione flushed slightly and looked back at her textbook. But she seemed to have trouble focusing. Percy wondered if he had done something wrong, before deciding that girls were just too confusing to understand. He glanced at his textbook, unsure as to what he was supposed to do. Luckily, Hermione seemed to notice his uncertainty.
"Chapter twenty-nine. Read it all and then write a report on it," she muttered, not looking at him.
Percy muttered back a thanks and opened up his book onto the right page. Fortunately, his mother had made sure to get him books written in Ancient Greek. So know, he didn't have to go through the humiliation of not being able to read properly. He had just started reading about the wondrous uses of the 'Strengthening Solution', when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a slightly uncomfortable Hermione.
"Um, sorry, but, would that textbook happen to be written in Ancient Greek?" she asked timidly.
Percy gave her a reassuring smile and laughed softly.
"Yes. It's written in Ancient Greek," he added, glad that his mom had prepared him for any questions he might be asked, "I studied the language before, and decided that I would get more practise if I read the language everyday. So I made sure to order all my textbooks in Ancient Greek."
Hermione nodded in acceptance and went back to reading her book. A few minutes later, Percy glanced up at her and saw that she was itching with curiosity.
"You can ask me your questions you know. I don't mind," he smiled at her.
She seemed a little shocked that he had noticed, but quickly shook away the surprise.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking, where is your snake?" she asked shyly.
"Oh. Her name's Cyrena. And I left her in my dorm. Figured I'd scare a lot of people if I brought her to my classes. And it also takes a lot of effort to drag her about all the time," Percy answered, grinning to encourage Hermione.
Hermione nodded in acceptance and quickly thought up another question. This time, she seemed more at ease.
"Can you speak with her?" she questioned curiously.
"If you're asking if I am a Parselmouth, then yes. I talk to her a lot actually. She's a good friend, and she's also pretty wise for a snake," Percy replied thoughtfully.
Hermione seemed truly interested now. She fired off questions one after the other, barely giving Percy time to answer them.
"What's it like? Talking to a snake?"
"It's odd actually. It's basically a voice in your head that isn't your own."
"What school did you go to in America?"
"Um, I was home-schooled."
"Who taught you?"
"My mom."
"Did you always know that you were a wizard?"
Percy didn't get the chance to answer that one - thank gods! - as a pale hand slammed down on the table. He looked up and saw the scowling face of Professor Snape.
"Um. Hello Sir. Nice lesson we're having?" Percy grinned sheepishly.
That wasn't the right thing to say, but it made Hermione smile and that made Percy happy. Snape however, seemed to have grown even angrier.
"Mr. Riddle. Ms. Granger. It is most certainly not a nice lesson when you two are simply chatting away. Thought I wouldn't notice, did you? Well, ten points from Gryffindor and ten points from Ravenclaw! And you will both see Professor Flitwick for detention after classes!" with that, Snape walked off to check on the other students, all of whom were hiding looks of disappointment.
Percy refrained from rolling his eyes, and instead glanced at Hermione, who was biting her lip in anxiousness. Percy suddenly felt terrible. Hermione seemed like the kind of person who always had perfect records, then here he comes along, and she has detention.
"Hey, um, I'm sorry for getting you stuck in detention with me," he apologised.
Hermione gave him a strange look and shook her head.
"No. I got myself into detention. You don't have to apologise," she argued.
Percy gave her a slight smirk.
"So is this your first time getting detention?" he asked her, already suspecting what the answer was going to be.
"Er, yes. Four whole years of perfect records, and now I have detention," she groaned, confirming Percy's suspicions.
"Well, if it helps, this is my first day here, and already I've gotten a detention. And the first lesson isn't even over yet!" Percy chuckled.
Hermione blinked and slowly let out a laugh.
"By Merlin! That is worse! But why do I get the feeling that you're not too surprised?" she asked, raising an elegant eyebrow.
Percy grinned, shocked, but delighted, that she had noticed.
"Oh, this isn't the worst thing I've ever done," he smirked. "I'll tell you all about it in detention."
Percy could tell that this was going to bother Hermione all day until she got the answer. But before she could question him about it, the bell signalling the end of class sounded through the castle. Percy quickly gathered his books and nodded at Hermione, who had gotten up and was joining her friends - a tall ginger guy, and a shorter black haired guy with round glasses - both of whom were looking at him suspiciously. Hermione grinned back and left the room.
Percy was knocked out of his gaze by a slap on the back, courtesy of a grinning Terry.
"Well done mate! It seems as if you've gotten pretty cosy with Granger over there," he winked suggestively.
Percy rolled his eyes and shoved his friend away.
"Please! You're just jealous that all the ladies are falling for my charm more than your's," he retorted.
"Terry has charm?" Michael gasped playfully in shock.
Anthony snickered as Percy outright laughed at Terry's indignant face.
"Hey! Lay off! You can insult me, but touching my charm? You've crossed the line there mate! Prepare to face my wrath!" Terry threatened in the most serious face he could muster, which only resulted in making the boys burst into laughter.
As they walked to their next class, Percy's thoughts went back to his new acquaintance. And he found himself thinking the impossible. He suddenly couldn't wait for detention!
Another chapter!
I would like to start off this A/N by saying THANK YOU! To all those who have reviewed! We have finally reached a hundred reviews! I'm sooo happy and grateful! Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this story, and then to actually review! Wow! I can't even! This is just so incredible! Is this what winning an Oscar feels like?! Cos' this is freaking amazing!
As a thank you, I have made this chapter a bit longer than my other ones, and will probably post the next chapter sooner than usual. Also, as a quick question, to those of you who read my PJO fic 'Enemies', in Chapter 4, I think, I mention an incident with Apollo and a shrub. I was wondering if you guys wanted me to make a one-shot about that event. It's your call.
Also, with further news, I have recently adopted 'Starlight: The legacy of Helios and Selene' by xlightningz. Please check out the original. I will not be posting this story until a good bit later, after I have most of my stories at least half-way done. I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up. And please do read the original by xlightningz. It is an amazing plot.
Um, finally, I guess I'd like to once again thank you all. I seriously didn't expect to get so many reviews so quickly. I just hope I'm reaching your expectations with this story. I promise you, I'll be getting to the more action-packed parts soon, so I'd appreciate it if you guys could bear with me. Um, please point out any mistakes I have made, and I will do my best to fix them. Please fav/follow/review. I love you all sooo much! Thanks sooo much again! Love you all! XOXO!