Act III: Percy Jackson and the Cursed Scar

Chapter 1: The Future isn't for Me to Know but to Find Out

Words: 2,334

Recap: -

My day began from getting attacked by man-eating plants.

Things got a lot worse from there.

I should probably clarify that getting chased by dozens of small little ankle-biters in the shape of grass knots, sprouting from the cracks of the pavement. Running in fear of being left in bones from their hungry bites is actually a normal day for me—not the grass stuff, just the fact of not having a normal day is normal for me.

I'm just glad the Mist put a nudge on people's minds that made being indoors to be more a lot more interesting than it seems. It would not do to have them witness three kids running like the devils were on our tails. They'd most likely assumed we were being chased by an army of dogs or the like, but it'd be hard answering where the dogs came from. There is so much the Mist can do to stretch the truth naturally.

"I've heard…" Sev panted beside us "...that there's a cursed plant called Hungry Grass that makes anyone hungry to whoever who step on them. I didn't think literal hungry, biting, carnivore grass exists!"

"They're going to be a lot less hungry if you don't shut up and run!"

"What do you think I'm doing? Hopscotch?!"

"Oh my God, we're idiots." Lily suddenly stopped in her tracks, turning swiftly around with a wand already on hand. "Incendio."

There was a flicker of light, then flames came bursting out from the herd of grass. There was a course of a high key squealing that aggravated our ears until there was nothing left but peace, quiet, and an ugly green smudge on the road.

"Honestly, to think we'd forgotten how proper sorcerer fights."

"Well, the grasses were a bit overwhelming for me to cut them all up, so we kind of ran from instinct."

"If James and the others, who saw us fighting with a dragon, look at us now, running from grass of all things, they'd laugh their arses off," Lily giggled before she trailed off uncertainty, "Err, Sev… what are you doing?"

Our pale friend edged closer to the gey remain of the beast, leaning close enough to smell it before he dipped a finger on it and purposely tasted it.

"Eeeeewww," Lily and I coursed, face screwing up disgustingly. My own body shuddered like million crawling ants gave me love bites all over my body.

"What?" Sev asked defensively while pulling up a glass tube and a pincer for him to obviously brought a sample back home. "It's a waste leaving it as it is. This is a rare piece of remains from foreign beasts with little known of its properties and use. What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Yeah, guess we're all idiots for not wanting to touch that... that...green booger."

Sev glared at me, noting my sarcasm, even as I put an innocent smile. "Haha, laughed it up now, Percy." He stood and trounced toward me, showing off the vile thing like a prized medal. "But I know our lives, and there'll come a time when, not if, when you'll do an amazingly, stupid, suicidal act when then you'll be so hurt, you'll be begging for this green booger to save your sad little life."

The vile that had been close to my face was now replaced by Sev's beaky nose. There was an awkward moment when Lily and I exchanged glances as we tried to stifle our laughter.

"Whatever you say, Sevvy."

"Don't call me that."

"Anyway," Lily interrupted our banter, "We've busted some beast and have our bodies intact. What say we go have our celebratory Mom's Special Chocolate Hazelnut Drink."

"Red… you know me so well."

Mrs. Evans welcomed us with her usual warm smile, that I find addicting. I don't know if it was from my younger body in search of a mother figure or just my possibly my mother complex that I drank in her presence like a lifeline. Accepting any reason that would bring me into the Evans doorstep. Sev was no less as eager as me in putting a foot in their household.

Our visits must have made a pattern because, by the time we arrived, there were three steaming cups ready to be served. My cup was marked by the blue milk foam that Mrs. Evans had kindly provided me.

"Are you boys staying for dinner?"

"Mrs. Evans have we ever turn down a free meal?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

She then left the trio of sorcerers-in-training alone in the living room. Exchanging wizarding topics like convenient spells to learn, future plans with our friends from Hogwarts, mixed with watching cartoons from the TV; Tom and Jerry and Looney Toons never gets old, and listening to the current music trends that wizards miss. While Sev can never let go of his fondness for Classical music, Lily has no favorite; her music varied from Elton John, Rolling Stones, or even the Beatles, while I'm an eternal Queens fan. We would often get turn which songs we'd sing and have the occasional karaoke night. Sev had too much dignity for it, but there was no saying "no" when faced against both of us.

Our days passed with that sort of peace and domesticity. It was hard not to forget the horror we faced in our second year, especially on Professor Heckler's "suicide." An incident that I suspected was actually an Imperius curse at work. A work that could have only been done by a witch or wizard working on the inside. And by the end of the summer, we'll practically be going back to the belly of the beast with no one to trust but ourselves.

But for now, for now, we put our time for classic cartoons, idle chatter, and music that stayed across time playing in the background.

. . .

Most of our summertime was more or less like what I said, with the added homework to fill up the time. We met up at the forest just near the park, practice our magic, sometimes strange monster or beast would pop up and we would make a hard jog around town, then we'd surely end that day with Lily's mom's special beverage become our signature drink to end our day.

Though homework that involves parchment-work is often done in my flat. As welcoming as the Evans are, the same cannot be said for the other flower. Sev and I don't really have the patience to do our work between every little "Freak" she spat at us.

Severus' home is a no-go for obvious reasons if the tired bags of Sev's eyes from laying awake from the midnight fights his parents had followed by the strained air in the day. Sev was clear in his feelings for his home life, which is to be far, far away from it.

Hence, why my flat became a sort of makeshift HQ for our little group. We've only had Potion assignment left undone because we knew this subject would be a grueling long process to finish. Some of you might be wondering why that is when you have a literal potion prodigy in the name of Severus Snape or my highly unnatural good instinct of potion-making. Lily might not be outrageously good as us, she knows how to follow a recipe, and was good with her hands but not quite good at improvisation as me or understanding the wandwork and theory as Sev does. But she was an essential part of the Homework Group for the same reason why never fully finished the task.

"For the last time, Severus, the instruction said to give 4 sprigs of Lavender, not 4 sprigs of Chamomile and Valerian each. And where does it say that we're supposed to chop them?!"

"That's stupid. Chamomile has a more potent effect than Lavender for Sleeping Draught. And of course I chopped them. What kind of air-headed buffoon doesn't chop them? It's ludicrous not to chop them and expect a good potion."

"Even so, that's not how you're supposed to do it. It's in the book."

"Then I disagreed with the book," Sev crossed his arms and huffed like a petulant child.

"I don't care if you do, rewrite it!"

"You know what's more ludicrous?" I said, "The fact that you expect your knowledge as common sense, Sevvy."

Lily shot me one of her rarely given heated glare, "You're no better than him, Percy." She shoved one of the wrinkled parchments that have several crosses that she put in. "What the hell do you mean that Flobberworm Mucus give a thick and creamy texture. That's not an appropriate reason to give in an essay. This is potion, not a cooking class!"

"What else do I write it in?"

Lily reasonable groaned to the palm of her hand, if she wasn't our friend, I think she would have given us up.

Yeah, the thing about Sev and me is that we don't really go through the traditional potion-making. While we have no problem in the practical sense, we find that our essay is a bit unacceptable. Lily helped in getting our paper — er, sorry, parchment — straight and comprehensible. Ironically, she has the best grade in Potion out of the two of us since Sev has the tendency of insulting the book and I have no idea whatsoever of the magical theory behind it.

"So," Lily started once she's done berating us on our work style, "You are going to be away for two weeks, both of you?"

Sev and I locked eyes before turning back to our ginger friend, "Yeah, Marlene was pissed that we lost the Quidditch Cup by Ravenclaws, and decided that the only way to remedy that was a two-week summer training camp. It's her and Jeremiah's last year in Hogwarts so she's going all out in winning another Cup on her watch."

"Sorry, Lily. I have plans. I'm invited by Malfoy to his Summer home with the other Slytherin kids and I can't lose this opportunity to blend in with my housemate."

"You don't need to butter up with those rude boys," Lily grumbled with a pout.

Severus sweated, uncomfortable with how to handle her disapproval with his choice of friends.

"Come on, Lily. It's not like Sev chooses his housemate. It'd be ruder if he declined them without reason." Not as if I like his choice of friends either, but I don't want to make his life miserable by having his cronies eyed Sev pointedly. "Besides, I know you're just saying that because you're going to miss our handsome faces."

Surprisingly, Lily sighed and admitted, "Yeah, I know. The summer wouldn't be the same without you two."

"I'm sure you have your muggle friends that you haven't chat for a while."

I made an exaggerated gasp as I clutched my chest, "Severus, advising Lily to 'hang out' with muggles. Is summer ending early?"

I chuckled as Sev weakly punched me in the arm. "Shut up," he said with a flushed, "It's better than her being alone with her sister for company."

Even as he said that, I didn't hide the approving glance I gave him. Considering the time he pouted jealously every time Lily went off to meet up with grade school friends.

"So… have you guys decided what your elective courses will be?" Lily asked us, "We obviously don't need muggle studies, though according to my muggle-born friends, the class is hilarious. And I heard from the upperclassmen that Prophecy is an easy class to pass to fill up courses."

"Nope," I immediately said, "Na-ah, nay, no way Jóse, not a chance in hell. You can choose it all you want but I'm not getting anywhere closer than a 10-foot pole. I'd literally rather sit in Muggle Studies class than learning that."

"What's the matter, Percy? You would think with your prophetic dreams, you can easily ace the class."

"My friends, if you know what I know, then you know that there are some things you'd rather live your life without ever knowing." I already have my fair share of prophecies dictating my life, I don't need more to decide how my life will turn awful.

Lily and Severus didn't hide their concern but thankfully didn't pry, to confuse by my words. "Ooooookay, I guess we'll check that off from our list. What else do we have?"

The pair of clueless sorcerers turned to our most knowledgeable wizard. Sev sighed, yet his smile showed he didn't mind being relied on. He then gave a detailed and comprehensive plan of the mainstream jobs sorcerers have and what course that would most suitable to choose from it based on that. Though from the gist of what he's saying, the required course is already enough for most of them.

Usually, when Severus drabbled long enough like this instance, my mind would wander off enough for Sev to snap me back to reality. He was patient with me, knowing I have ADHD.

However this time, I was thrown by Sev's explanation of Magizoologist, Auror, Herbologist, Ministry, Lawyer, etc. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I wouldn't have a future with them. When they go get a job, a family, a life they paved with their choices; I wouldn't be there by their sides for it. It was… a bittersweet knowledge. And the time we had became even more precious to me. By the time I get back, they'd be old enough to be my grandparents, and the thought of seeing them getting that old is a bit jarring for me.

However, that is still whenever how long in the future. It's not now. And now is the time I'm living building memories for the three of us. It'd be heartbreaking when the time comes, but I know them. And I trust, that no matter what happens, they'll both be fine even without me.

I'm sure.

They'll be fine.

AN: Err... sorry not sorry?

Anyway, this is an average length chapter but hope you like it. I personally love the fact Lily has the highest score in Potion because Severus is too busy 'correcting' the book and Percy can't write an essay worth a damn. I also like the fact Lily and Severus became more active in fighting back monsters that come for Percy, and Severus being... you know... Severus.

Okay on to the QA&R

EdgyBro: Okay, I feel bad for not responding appropriately in the last chapter. So this is e trying to make up for it. So for the Dream-Diving would be great, but I'm trying to make my Percy as close to canon. And I ask myself, do Percy want to hone his ability to know more about his predetermined future? And I would say, no. He would want to stay the hell away from that. Unfortunately for him, the prophecies come to him anyway. And as you read this chapter, things are heating up in the Slytherin camp, exactly what are they talking about in their super-secret club in Malfoy mansion? Hmmmmmmmmmm

Can't say anything more about the "suicide" or Daedalus or it will count as spoilers. And really... you can't compare Daedalus with Voldemort, he's technically demigod anyway, while Voldemort is just a lowly wizard.

AveRomani: Room of Requirement... urgh that's a tough one. Still not sure what to do with that.

Bunearybunny: I'm happy you like it so much. :D Can't wait to reveal everything.

Perseus99: Ohohohohoho, don't you know? There are already hints for Act III already from both epilogues. I guess it's a bit too subtle, but the hints are there.

Patolemus: ABSOLUTELY NO UNDERAGE SHIP! That second sentence you make almost gave me a heart attack. I may support Severitus but not the slash one. In fact, the only ship that may exist between the two is mentorSHIP. Also, I would neither confirm or deny your theories, but I will say some points hit the mark. And the traitor has appeared in character actually. Not just a passing mention. *Cackle evilly*

TimeBlade: I'm sorry. I don't quite get what you're trying to say?

FolkLuz21: YOU'RE BAAAAAAAACCCCK! I'm glad you read both my epilogues. I'm always considering the kind of epilogue I plan; whether to stick to canon as closely as possible or just throw it all away. I make you grin like mad? You think you don't do the same with this nice review of yours? I'm touched. Gracias. Gracias.

Owlover1: Aaaaaaaawwwww, you're so sweet. Thank you. Spread the word of my fic! ahahaha

64Felicity: Harry is always confused in canon, that's what happens when no one tells the kid anything.

Variety of Choices: Okay, you got me, what did you remember? Because I'm clueless here.