Draco PoV
My fingers played with the hem of my sleeve, listening to the sound of the train gliding on the railroad tracks. Percy sat across from me, fiddling away with a pen and gazing out the window with a faraway look in his eyes. This was it; in a few hours we would arrive at Platform 9 3/4 and be taken to Malfoy Manor for the entirety of the holiday break. Incredibly apprehensive of what's to come, I half wished Percy had declined the offer, the other half grateful I wouldn't be alone with my family. Hardly paying attention to me themselves, a lot has happened under their ignorant eyes. It was quite the spectacle, I mused, when the Pompous Three found out Percy would be spending Christmas at the Manor.
. .
Percy and I chatted casually, walking down the hall, me doing my best to ignore the glares of my fellow Slytherins. It was only now how much I realized that the Slytherins spent a concerning amount of time worrying about my life. The Hogwarts train was leaving in two hours and with my help, Percy was already packed and ready to go. Pounding footsteps echoed behind us and we turned to see Weasley, Granger, and Potter rushing towards us. I contemplated leaving at the mere sight of Potter, but I reminded myself that he was Jackson's friend too and as a courtesy to Percy, I needed to be respectful. But Merlin was it hard to tolerate Potter, much less all three of them.
"Percy! Hey, slow down mate!" Ron's words came out in a rushed swell of vocals, roughened by his bated breathing. Coming to a stop, we waited until they reached us, and despite me not doing anything, Potter still felt it necessary to send me a glare. Tempted to retaliate, I reigned in my annoyance and instead ignored him.
"Ron!" Percy smiled pleasantly, patiently waiting for them to catch their breath. A few short moments passed before they finally raised from their position of hands resting on knees.
"I talked to my mom and told her that you couldn't go home for Christmas —sorry about that by the way—, and she invited you to spend it with us." The Weasley smiled cheerily, clearly expecting Percy to see this as great news, which had he not already accepted my offer, it would have been. Jackson's eyes widened.
"Wow, thanks a lot Ron, but Draco already invited me to spend Christmas with his family and I said yes. I can't believe you thought of me, under other circumstances, I would definitely take you up on your offer. Thank you so much, and I wish I could come, but I'm spending Christmas with Elsa here." I didn't understand the reference, but if Hermione's surprised snort of amusement to go by, it was a joke. I frowned, smacking him lightly on the arm, muttering a quite 'Hey!' In response, he smirked and shrugged, as if to say 'You can't deny it.'
"Oh, erm— yeah, of course... right. No problem, I—" Potter interrupted, aghast.
"Wait, you actually said yes? You do know you agreed to go to Malfoy Manor right? With Draco Malfoy?" I bristled and Percy tensed.
"Yes, is there something wrong with that?" Percy questioned quietly.
"He's Draco Malfoy! You can't trust him! Who knows what he'll do to you once he's trapped you at that dreadful place!" My wand slipped out of my robe, poised carefully,
"I'd choose your next words carefully, Potter." I hissed. He sneered in response.
"I don't know what you think you know about Draco, but I can trust him, and I do. Whatever issues you have with him, I suggest you resolve them because I'm not going to stop being friends with him just because you don't like him. I know he's Draco Malfoy just as well as I know I'm Percy Jackson, and there isn't anything you can do or say that will dissuade me from being friends with him merely because of who he is or what everyone thinks of him." For purely one second, I felt I could confess to Percy of who I was, who I am forced to be, but it was only for a second before reality caught up to me. Potter's eyes narrowed, as if coming to a dreadful realization that he hoped dearly wasn't true.
"Merely because of who he is? You're friends with a— Merlin, does that mean you're a..." Potted grabbed Weasley and Granger by the sleeves and yanked them away, ignoring their startled protests. He sped down the hall and disappeared around the corner. But I didn't care. I wanted to know if Percy believed with every fiber of his being what he said.
"Did you mean it?" I asked quietly, just barely able to coat my voice in that well practiced coolness. Percy gazed inquisitively at me and he seemed not to know to what I was referring to, but then I saw the moment it clicked and his gaze intensified. I revisited the urge to fiddle under his gaze, but for the life of me I couldn't say what he was thinking. His eyes burned and they seemed to take a new meaning, as if telling me that he knew I was holding back, and that he wanted me to tell him because he wanted me to trust him wholeheartedly.
"Yes, Malfoy, I mean it." Percy gazed at me compellingly, "And I always will, no matter what. I'm not leaving you." No matter that he only called me Malfoy in certain circumstances —one of which being when he was immeasurably serious—, never mind that he looked more honest than anyone I had ever met, for my paranoid heart and crippling fear, it wasn't enough. I knew right then he'd wanted me to open, to finally relinquish the firm grasp I held on my secrets, but I couldn't. And like the absolutely amazing friend he is that I don't deserve, he didn't push or pry, but instead changed the subject.
"Do you think you need to teach me dining etiquette? I don't want to look a fool in front of your parents and for them to be like, 'How dare you bring this uncultured abomination into our well mannered and respected house!' That would be quite the blow to my ego." The absolutely affronted look Percy had at the prospect of that happening enabled me to manage a quiet chuckle.
"If that were to happen, they wouldn't yell it, but rather say in a quiet hiss." I patted his back reassuringly, a coy smirk slipping onto my face. "Don't worry though, I'm sure they'll be too focused on complaining about other qualities of yours to focus on your lack of dining etiquette."
"Hey!"
. .
"This silence couldn't be more suffocating if I was in a room where people were casting ballots on whether or not I should be executed." The comment came out of nowhere and I choked on my spit out pure surprise of the vulgarity of it. My shock-widened eyes turned to stare unbelievably at the only other occupant of the compartment.
"Merlin, Jackson! That statement was rather morbid, don't you think?" The pure absurdity of the nature of it was appalling and, quietly frankly, concerning was the casualness with which the words were uttered. Percy grinned bitterly,
"I suppose it is, isn't it?" The sarcastic 'no' teetered on the edge of my tongue, but something about his tone, about his smile, it wasn't the time to be sarcastic. Deciding not to comment at all, I nodded awkwardly and turned my gaze to the window. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jackson nod off after a long period of me studiously staring at the window. Eventually, the greenery started to blur even more than the speed that we were traveling at caused it to and my lids slipped close and I drifted off to a deep sleep.
. . .
"Perseus." My whispered name drifted out to me and I turned in the misty fog. My surroundings were surreal and I felt as if I was standing in a forest covers with thick fog. A forest without trees nor sky, no ground but a surface, a white forest, ethereal. My eyes searched for whoever it is that called my name, but I couldn't see with all the fog obscuring everything, if there was even anything to obscure.
"Perseus, it is only what you expect to see that you shall see." The voice was quiet, calm and spirited.
"Who are you? What do you mean? I can't see anything. In case you didn't know, everywhere's covered in fog!" The voice chuckled softly.
"Look beyond the fog, it is only what you expect to see that you shall see." I rolled my eyes. How come everyone who contacts me during dreams is always so cryptic?
"Beyond the fog is just more..." Suddenly his message made more sense to me. Of course since the fog is so thick I only expect to be able to see more fog, but what if I don't want to see more fog, what if I want to see everything without the fog? The fog broke into wisps that stretched until they resembled individuals strands of fine silk. The strands danced as if they could here a music that none could and swirled in intricate patterns. For a few moments, this continued and I was enraptured, but it came to an end and the wisps that resembled fine silk thinned until they were no more and I could finally see where I was. I stood in a white room. Completely white. A white table with white chairs, white floors and white walls, a white high domed ceiling with glass that looked out to the complete whiteness I could only assume was "outside." I was standing on thick and padded white mat the covered almost the entire floor of the unbelievably vast room and the clothes that I wore, certainly not the ones I recall having on, were pure white. Out of curiosity, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a white marble Riptide.
"That was your first lesson." The voice startled me and I whirled around to see a man dressed in complete white sitting cross legged on the mat. His eyes were closed and his head was covered in shocking, pure white hair, lashes appearing more radiant than that of a blonde. I would know, Annabeth's eyelids adorned the most gorgeous (a biased opinion of course) lashes I had ever seen, grudgingly until now. Sorry Wise Girl. Despite quite obviously being a man, he was incredibly young, couldn't be older than 23.
"What do you mean that was my first lesson?" The man smiled, his teeth unsurprisingly pure white, light pink gums showing in only the slightest.
"My name is Luke, I'm sure you know me." My breath caught and my eyes focused on his face where I could see the scar that I was all too familiar with.
"Luke?" I said the name hesitantly and the man nodded.
"Yes, but not Luke Castellan. The scar that you are undoubtedly seeing at the moment is but a figment of your imagination. Like I said, you only see what you expect to see." I repeated his words in my head, Not Luke Castellan. The scar disappeared as if never there, which in truth, I guess it wasn't. It would take a few moments for my heart beat to go back to regular despite this reassurance.
"I don't know any other Luke's." The man smiled again, a coy smile that meant he knew something I didn't.
"I wouldn't say you know me personally, but you do know me. There is also the matter that you know me by a different name."
"What's your name then?"
"My name, as I told you, is Luke. Specifically, Luke Maximus." I rolled my eyes, noticing he used the only loophole to avoid the question.
"What's the name I know you by?" The man opened his eyes and his irises were a silvery color, his pupil a pale, silvery blue. There was no way that I knew this man, knowing without a doubt that I wouldn't have ever forgotten someone with such a unique appearance.
"That, you have to figure out yourself, young demigod." He must be a god, titan, monster, or primordial to know that I was a demigod. "And no, I am not a monster, god, primordial, or titan." The response alarmed me, but it was then I processed his words.
"Young? You seem to be hardly older than me." Luke's eyes twinkled, much like Dumbledore's, but his twinkle— oddly and despite his revelations— I trusted.
"I am much older than I appear, older than your gods even. I died a long time ago at this age— 21 if you must know— and in my death that is not quite death, I shall forever remain this age. Now, enough with the questions, you can ask them later. I called you here for a purpose, for the days in your future will be unimaginably hard, and unfortunately for you, those days are fast approaching. You have less than three months, and without my help, the weeks that come after will most certainly be your last.
"From here on, at least once a week, when you fall asleep you will come here and have a lesson. These lessons will vary from physical, to mental and as you progress, they will become increasingly harder to master. Today, you have already begun your first lesson. There is something called the Obscure Layer, similar to your mist but on a much larger scale. To put it simply, the Obscure Layer is a magical veil that allows one to see anything but what is actually there, and leads them to what they are looking for intentionally misguiding. The Obscure Layer comes in many forms, most forms not visible to the human eye, whether or not it is naked. Fog is one of the most common visible forms of the Obscure Layer, and what you did when you willed yourself to look beyond the fog is that you opened the veil that it the Obscure Layer. However, I had only summoned the weakest application of the— and since Obscure Layer is such a mouthful, I'll just call it the O.L.— O.L. and you will need a lot of practice before you can tackle the strongest of applications.
"Opening the veil of the O.L. In its strongest applications requires studied mental effort, a few muttered words, and simple hand movements. It all sounds easy, but it is very hard to master the mental part of it simply because you have to mentally fight against the will of the O.L. It's as if you're resisting the charmspeak of two Aphrodites. First, you have to recognize that the Obscure Layer is in place, which can be hard because often times it gives you what appears to be exactly what you are looking for. Once you've recognized it, you begin to fight against it. Unlike the mist however, though the O.L. is everywhere at all times, it can only be used if summoned by a very powerful wizard or witch." Luke paused at my raised hand and he snorted. "Yes?"
"So you're a wizard." Why else would he be teaching me about magic? He shook his head, his white locks rustling slightly.
"No, Perseus, I am not a wizard." I sighed, frustrated and Luke watched on in subdued amusement.
"Then what are you?"
"I am the last of my kind, though I am not alive, but neither am I dead or anywhere in between. Now, how to open the veil of the O.L. First, you have to convince yourself not to see what you expect to see. Sometimes, what you expect to see is quite obvious, such as with the fog. There was fog so thick it was all you could see, condensed, foggy whiteness, so with that knowledge, you only expected to see fog. But once you figured out the riddle, you were able to convince yourself to see something you couldn't see, something you couldn't expect since you had never been here before. Other times — sorry if my hand motions are distracting, I'm an avid talker— though, it is not nearly as obvious." I hadn't noticed it before, but Luke did use his hands while he talked, though it was nothing to apologize for.
"Next, you take what you know and remove it from the front of your mind. Once you do that that you have to create a mental barricade as the O.L. will try to reach into your mind and create something that you might not detect. You have to utter the words and do the motions, and then you're done. Your simulation will begin once I finish talking." Luke paused briefly, then continued on. His hands moved avidly as he continued to talk about the O.L., but for the life of me, it all just went in one ear and out the other. My ADHD had reached it's limit and wasn't willing to hold back any longer. Eventually, his voice was just a drone in the background and my eyes flitted around, trying to take in his living quarters. Everything was white, which wasn't a surprise, and I noticed that there are no doors.
My eyes flitted back to Luke— it was still slightly uncomfortable for me to think of him with that name, but it's still his name. He wore a white long sleeve shirt with white, seemingly, joggers and his feet were covered only in white quarter-top socks. Despite his qualities, he wasn't pale, but rather had a light but definite tan. Focus, Percy! My eyes snapped back to his face and I tried to focus, but I couldn't seem to take in anything he said. The words were clear, but I couldn't remember them even a second after he said them, it was as if I had instant memory loss. Luke talked and talked and I was starting to wonder when my simulation would start.
My eyes narrowed and a thought struck me. Before he had mentioned it, I hadn't noticed his hands moving, but with my ADHD, I notice almost everything, especially if it's right in front of me.
"Your hands aren't moving, they never were." Luke stopped and smile, a proud glint in his eye.
"Caught me, did you? You catch on quickly, but there is still more to learn, so now..." he resumed, but I don't know what else there is to learn. It sounds to me, from what I remember him saying before he said my simulation would start once he finished talking, everything he needed to tell me about the O.L. he already had. So why is he still talking and why can't I remember anything he's saying. Unless he's not really talking.
"That was a pretty good simulation. If I didn't have ADHD, I don't think I would've solved it." The fake Luke faded away and the real Luke sat smiling.
"Oh, why thank you, kind sir." My brows furrowed.
"Wait if you're as old as you say you are, then how come you speak and act so... modern?" It was curious to me that he didn't speak like weirdly.
"I adapt." Luke shrugged. "That's the simplest way to put it." I nodded.
"Well," he clapped his hands together and stood, his height towering. I stood also, but he was still taller than me. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired— yes, I can get tired. I'll see you later, and should you ever need me, just call my name and I'll be there. Bye, Perseus." I had a sudden feeling of falling and my eyes widened in shock, my lips opened involuntary and my eyes squeezed shut. The feeling stopped and I felt myself drift off to sleep, as if that wasn't what I had been doing the entire time.
. . .
"Percy!" A hand shook me and I jolted away, eyes bleary and stance defensive, already across the compartment. Draco stared at me in bewilderment, then sighed and shook his head. "We're here, we're at Platform 9 3/4." Nodding, I reached up and grabbed my luggage from the bunk above the seat, following Draco out of the compartment. In the narrow passageway were animated students, excited for the break and to see their families again, something I wished I could do. With the break though, not only do I not have to do any schoolwork, but now I can focus on trying to figure out the whole mess with the missing demigods. Slipping through crowded bunches of students, Draco and I finally made it off of the train and onto the platform. Though I had no idea what his parents look like, I still searched for them, spotting a nicely dressed platinum blond couple a couple meters to our left, just about the same time they spotted us.
"Percy, mate!" I turned at Ron's familiar voice and saw a surprising smile on his face, his hand actively waving me towards him. Tapping Draco on his shoulder, I motioned to Ron and muttered that I'd be right back. Jogging over swiftly, I stopped in front of Ron who was accompanied by Harry, Hermione, Ginny, a pair of twin redheads, and a red haired couple. "Hey! This is my mum and my dad, and the two troublemakers over there are Fred and George. I know you're not coming with us, but I still wanted to introduce you." His mom smiled warmly at me, her brown eyes lighting up.
"Molly Weasley dearie, what's your name?" I smiled and held out a hand.
"Percy Jackson, it's a pleasure to meet you ma'am." She laughed and her smile widened.
"Oh, so polite you are, please call me Molly. No need for that hand, come here." Molly lightly pushed my hand aside and brought me into a hug and I enveloped her hesitantly. Eventually I melt into her hug as it reminded me painstakingly so of my own mom's hugs and how much I wanted to see her again. My eyes stung as they started to water, but I quickly composed myself and pulled out of the hug. Though my eyes weren't watery anymore, Molly frowned in concern.
"What's wrong, dearie?" I smiled and shook my head.
"Nothing... you just remind me of my own mom." She smiled and patted my chest reassuringly, then turned to Ron. "Solid chest he has there Ron, maybe you should take after him instead of stuffing your face with food all day." Ron's face turned beet red and everyone around him guffawed while he spluttered an outraged,
"Mom!" Molly smiled, head falling back and red hair swishing, her face sunny.
"Oh I'm just teasing, we all know despite all your eating you never gain a pound." While everyone else was still laughing, I took the opportunity to turn to Ron's dad. I smiled at him and waved to get his attention.
"Arthur Weasley." I reached out my hand and he took it, shaking it firmly
"Nice to meet you Mr. Weasley." Rather than letting my hand go, instead he leaned in conspiratorially.
"Call me Arthur. I hear you've lived with muggles your whole life, yes?" Only recently learning the term, it took me a while to remember what it meant. Non-magical folk, right.
"Yes, I have actually." Arthur's eyes widened appreciatively and he gave my hand another pump while slapping me once on the back.
"Wonderful! I reckon once we do get together, you'll have many answers to my questions. Now," he pointed behind me. "I believe they're waiting for you, dear boy. Get a move on, best not to aggravate the Malfoys." Waving goodbye and smiling apologetically at the twins for not having proper introductions, I made my way over to Draco, his father already looking at me with an upturned nose.
"So, you're... friends with the Weasleys?" Was the first thing he said to me, his voice similar to Draco's. I nodded politely.
"Yes, sir." I held out a hand and the corner of his lip turned upwards. "I'm Percy Jackson and it's nice to finally meet you and your wife. Thank you in great for graciously inviting me to your home, your hospitality is most certainly appreciated." One brow lifted and a pale hand encased mine, shaking it with a fluid ease that I had never seen anyone execute.
"Lucius Malfoy. This is my wife Narcissa," she offered a polite hand and a dainty smile. Feeling quite foolish, I held it softly and raised it above my head when I bowed, muttering a low 'pleasure.' "And I wanted to meet who my son described as, 'the only intelligent being that surrounds me.'" Lucius paused and gazed at me as if inspecting me. "Strange though that you would bear such a remarkable resemblance to Potter, his pronounced enemy." Despite this being a comment I received quite frequently, I personally didn't think that me and Harry look as alike as so many argue. And if we do, then he's certainly the better looking one between us.
"It's purely coincidental." I nodded to myself, finding slight humor in it. "A very ironic coincidence." Lucius snorted and turned on his heel, Narcissa gliding beside him dutifully. I turned to Draco and mouthed, 'What was that?' He shrugged, a small smirk playing at his lips. Stopping at the end of the platform, Draco grabbed hold of his mom's arm and he motioned his arm to me. Confused, I hesitatingly grabbed his arm. Draco narrowed his eyes at me.
"Do not vomit on me, or you will die." He hissed the words meaningfully and my brows furrowed before I felt like I was sucked into a vortex. My body was being compressed and my lungs felt like they were holding up the sky. My insides felt as if they were playing ring-around-the-rosie but at an impossibly fast pace. Finally, my feet landed on solid ground and I stumbled on unstable feet. Draco feverishly yanked his arm away from my grasp and backed away quickly, eying me warily. I felt the faintest wave of nausea hit me, but not nearly enough to cause me to even think about vomiting. Swallowing thickly, I straightened and exhaled heavily.
"What, was that?" Lucius looked at me curiously.
"You mean to say you've never apparated before yet you didn't vomit?" Forgetting formalities, I spluttered.
"That's apparating? Everyone makes it sound like it's the best thing ever, but are you wizards sadistic or something?" Draco's eyes nearly bulged and he jabbed me sharply, uttering a shocked, 'Percy!' Lucius however only chuckled and smirked conspiratorially.
"Or something indeed, aren't we Draco?" Draco stiffened but nodded and I knew there was a hidden meaning. Following the family into "The Manor," I took in all of the luxurious furniture and the various and plentiful chandeliers. Despite all their richness and clear like of chandeliers, it wasn't gaudy or tacky, but rather stylish.
"As I'm sure you know, you have a beautiful home." Based on what little I could tell from just now meeting them, Draco's parents— Lucius at least— were the type who were so well accommodated to their wealth that compliments to said wealth were seen as annoying.
"We do in fact know. Now, Draco will show you to your room and dinner will be ready in two hours. Don't be late..." Lucius looked at me meaningfully. "And dress accordingly." At that I was left with Draco who, in turn, snorted at my expression.
"Was that shade?" I questioned, baffled.
"What?" Draco's face turned to one of confusion I shook my head in dismissal. Right, Draco's not American, or muggle really.
"Never mind. So, my room, yeah?" Draco stared at me for a bit before rolling his eyes and walking down the hallway, me following suit. As I followed Draco to my room, I noticed all the family portraits and priceless niceties. There weren't just portraits of Draco, Lucius, and Narcissa, but also other platinum haired people who's new favorite thing to do seemed to be glaring at me in distaste. Finally, we seemed to reach what I assume is my room, and Draco swung the door open, as if putting the room on display.
"This is your room. If you want, you can take a nap and I'll wake you up when dinners ready. Or, a house elf will. I myself must get ready. Father is very serious about punctuality." Nodding his head once, Draco left, shutting the door softly behind him. I had two hours on my hands and I had some serious thinking to do. Deciding to shower first, I opened the only other door in the room to find a bathroom. I briefly amused the thought of the large wardrobe in the corner of the room leading to Narnia and reminisced about much simpler days that were filled with less painful memories to carry. The thought, more so a realization, that normal was a foreign concept to me was saddening. Even before I knew I was a demigod, there was Smelly Gabe and the snake, my inability to cooperate with school not only because of my ADHD and Dyslexia, but also because the pure amount of bad-luck the fates cursed me with.
Then I found out I was a demigod, and sure- yeah, it's so cool my dad is a god. However, on the other side, because my dad is a god he can never visit and my mom had to raise me practically by herself,—because Smelly Gabe certainly didn't— and any chance of normal or enjoying youth has disappeared. Two wars, countless battles, and prophecy after prophecy. Sacrifice after sacrifice, death after death, and shroud after shroud, all whose names I could recite from memory. There's a part of my memories I wish I could erase, specific scars I wish I could forget how they came to be, and a power I wish I didn't have. Tartarus was the peak of it all, the Mount Everest I never wished to climb, and I hoped that wherever Annabeth is and wherever Nico is (though as far as I know, he's not missing) that they don't drown under the current of pain brought forth by those memories. Because drowning is a terrible thing.
The water cascaded much like a waterfall and I felt much of my thoughts ease back and after a few moments, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. Just the mere reminder of the bog had set alight a subconscious fear in me. But I could breathe and it felt amazing and— is Annabeth breathing? Or Jason or any of the other demigods? I couldn't think like that, wouldn't think like that.
I spent what felt like a blissful eternity in the shower, so long that I knew had I not been a son of Poseidon, I would have gotten water wrinkles. Picking out a dress shirt, a proper blazer, and skinny black khakis, I dressed myself the best I would without a suit or the dreadful robes wizards and witches fancied. How Scottish of me, since when do I use 'fancy' in that way? Now, I could think. Taking out a pen and a piece of parchment, I wrote down all I knew, which wasn't much but was better than nothing. Whoever this person is, they're powerful, they must be. The monsters would have to be organized to be kidnapping demigods, especially a highly trained son of Jupiter, so that means they're following a new leader. A new, most likely powerful leader. If the monsters are following a leader, then that means they're preparing for something because all the monsters want to do is kill demigods and overthrow the gods. Unfortunately for me, the gods have a lot of enemies so that doesn't narrow down the pool at all.
I can't Iris Message anyone at camp because they aren't working, a very frustrating thing to deal with. Maybe it was because the gods aren't centered here, or maybe they don't have a lot of influence in Europe, or maybe it has to do with Hecate's magic interfering, but whatever the reason, Iris Messages don't work. This is most likely going to come down to a battle at the least, possibly a war, and I didn't like the sound of that. This mess with Voldemort, and having to protect Harry, there's a war coming and it's inevitable. Harry's already lost so much, but I know that he'll lose many more, because you always lose more. Morbid, but true. With the war against Voldemort coming up, —which I'm sure I'll be fighting in or Hecate wouldn't have brought me here— a war against a Greek deity sounds like the worst thing that could happen.
The peace between the gods have been temporarily secured so it's most likely not a god. All that really leaves are powerful monsters and primordials, the giants having been taken cared of in the Giant War. But maybe it wasn't a monster or a primordial, it could still be a— I halted at the sound of knuckles rapping on the door. Lifting from my position at the work desk I had settled in, I strode across the room and twisted the knob, subsequently pulling the door open. There stood Draco dressed like the proper wizard that he was.
"Dinner starts in 10 minutes, but we best be early. Plus, it might earn you some points with Father." Nodding, I slipped on my proper blazer— which quite resembled a suit jacket but was thankfully anything but— and followed him presumably to the dining room. Entering a grand room with a rectangular table that had a chandelier hanging above it, I saw that Lucius and Narcissa were already seated. Sitting at the table next to Draco, I was surprised that the moment we sat down house elves started to bring out the food. Most of it I recognized, but some I had never seen before. Remembering my manners, I waited till Lucius and Narcissa fixed their plates before me and Draco fixed ours. Typically it was the guest who went first, but I insisted even after Lucius' gestures. Taking a little of everything as I didn't want to seem picky, I placed a normal amount of food on my plate.
For a while, dinner was quiet and all that could be heard was the light scraping of utensils on fine china and glass plating. Then,
"So, Percy, have you decided what career you will be pursuing once you have finished your schooling?" Lucius cool voice rung out in the impressive room. The question startled me as I didn't take him for someone who engaged in conversation during meals. But what did I know? Swallowing quickly but subtly, I searched for the answer that I didn't really have to think hard on.
"I'm interested in Marine Biology and Oceanography." The politely expressed faces of confusion around me reminded me that they, as wizards, probably had no idea about "muggle" careers. "They're muggle careers. Marine Biology is the study of sea life and all that it encompasses, including the interaction with their environment and the different species. Oceanography, which in a way includes Marine Biology,— though on a broader scale— is a science that studies and physical and biological aspects of the oceans." The head Malfoy had hesitated at 'muggle careers' and I hoped that by simply answering his question I hadn't gotten on his bad side.
"Muggle-born I presume?" Shaking my head, his brows rose.
"At first I thought I was, but Dumbledore found my father and discovered that I'm actually a half-blood." He nodded as if this was acceptable.
"Well those sound like very impressionable careers. However, have you considered maybe having a magical career?" Narcissa's sound voice spoke for the first time since the conversation started.
"No ma'am, I have not." She paused, then a proud smile bloomed on her face.
"Draco here is going to be a fine Potions Master, something he has a natural gift for." Draco's cheeks tinted in the slightest, but Lucius paid no mind to anything but me. His gaze was fixated, inquisitive and prying.
"That sounds like an impressive and respectable career. Though I don't know much, nice choice." Draco nodded stiffly but I could see the pride in his eyes.
"Yes, Draco, well done." Lucius' eyes had shifted to acknowledge Draco, but were back on me. "Found your father you say? How is that?" I guess I knew this was coming.
"My father is a very hard man to find and won't be found unless he wants to be found. I guess it's because he's a wizard, but I digress. I actually don't see him often and he's not around often either, so Dumbledore had to find him. He wanted to find out if either of my parents were magical." Lucius nodded, but there was a conclusion he was trying to reach.
"What is your father's name?" I racked my brain quickly for a name.
"Alexander." The lie escaped smoothly and he was none the wiser. He nodded again.
"Your name is Perseus, is it not?" I nodded curtly. "Did you know that your name is of Greek origin?"
"Yes sir, I did." He was starting to unnerve me.
"Fascinating is the nature of these names." His voice continued with his air of cool indifference despite his words. "Your name is not only that of Greek Mythology, Perseus a son of Zeus, but also that of a ruler of Greece, Perseus son of King Phillip II. Your father, Alexander, bears the name of a very famous ruler of Greece, Alexander the Great. Do you have a middle name?" The more he talked, the more nervous and wary I became. If he discovered that I was a demigod, everything was in jeopardy. I didn't have a middle name, but I thought it would be odd so I was just going to supply one.
'Perseus, do not fret, I assure you that is not what he is thinking.' Luke's sudden voice startled me and I flinched, thankful that it was too subtle for the others to notice. I decided not to respond as that would take too much time.
"Achilles." Lucius smiled.
"Another Greek name, this one of another myth, Achilles heel." He hummed. "Perseus Achilles, quite a respectable name. Tell me, are you of Greek decent?" I nodded faintly, but I trusted Luke.
"Yes sir, my father was born and raised in Greece. He moved to America after he finished school." That was the end of the conversation. We finished eating our dinner and without the help of Draco, I headed back up to my room where I once again sat at the desk and resumed by thinking. I sat there for hours, only getting up to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, also taking the opportunity to change into night clothes. When I was sure everyone was asleep, I opened my trunk and set everything I needed on the floor.
"House elf?" To my surprise, there was a loud crack and a house elf appeared.
"Junia at your service, master." The house elf bowed and I shook my head, reassuring smile on my face.
"No need to bow, or call me master. You are just as important as me and thank you for coming, Junia. I have these presents and I don't know where everyone's rooms are. And even if I did know, I don't want to invade their privacy. Basically, what I'm asking is if you could sneak these presents into the respective rooms. They have name tags on them." Junia nodded eagerly and cracked away with all the presents. More tired than I realized, I slipped into bed, my eyes shutting.
. . .
My body jerked upwards, my breaths coming out in ragged pants. My brow had a sheen of sweat and my hair curled at the nape of my neck, slick with sweat around the edges.
"Perseus." The voice startled me and I nearly fell in my haste to get off the bed. Any position that wasn't on your feet was disadvantageous when fighting monsters. My pulse raced and my hand whipped to where I knew Riptide to be before my eyes settled on the Malfoys. I let out a breath of relief and relaxed. Not monsters, just wizards and a witch who can't know I'm a demigod. Raising a hand, I swept my moist fringe off my forehead, relishing in the cool air that caressed the area.
"Sorry, did I wake you up?" My voice was rough and I cleared my throat.
"No, I saw you and I panicked since you weren't responding, so I called Father and he woke you up with a spell." I tugged at my shirt, feeling hot with it on. I usually did after a nightmare, but I didn't feel comfortable removing my shirt in front of them. I sighed.
"I'm fine, it's nothing new. Thank you for waking me, Mr. Malfoy."
"Do you have nightmares often?" The question alarmed me and apparently Narcissa also as she uttered an appalled, "Lucius!"
"Not often, but not rarely either." At least not anymore.
"If you don't mind me asking, what are they about?" I stared at him bewildered, a little anger creeping in.
"I do mind you asking, Mr. Malfoy. Sorry, but they're extremely personal." Narcissa patted Lucius on the back, forcing a smile on her face.
"How about we open Percy's presents? That sounds lovely, doesn't it Draco?" Draco nodded and stuck out his hands, which I only now noticed held a wrapped present. Though I was still peeved, Narcissa and Draco were making an effort, I could at least try, for them. Smiling a little forcedly, I carefully peeled back the wrapping, not wanting to seem barbaric. The paper was wrapped around something circular so I expected a snow globe. When I'd removed all the wrapping, in my hands I held a glass sphere filled with gray fog. Before I could react, Draco dove into an explanation.
"It's a magical orb that displays any and every body of water on the planet. You simply say the name of the body of water, and no matter where you are, the orb shows you the body of water. You can explore it or minimize it to your viewing preference. Also, if you know where you are, you can ask for nearby bodies of water. I thought since you like the ocean so much, that you like a trinket like this." I wanted to hug him, but I knew Draco's not as comfortable with those type of things with his parents around.
"Thank you, Draco, I really appreciate it. This is an amazing present." Draco blushed, shrugging to hide his bashfulness.
"Your gift was incredibly pleasing and appreciative also." I pouted,
"I wish I could've seen your reaction when you opened it." Snapping his fingers, a house elf appeared with a loud crack. This one carried a weirdly angled, rectangular shaped present. Setting it down carefully, the house elf bowed deeply to the Malfoys before cracking away.
"Draco told us you were having a little trouble, so..." Lucius motioned to the present. Unwrapping it from the ground since it looked quite heavy, all three pairs of cool gray eyes were on me. Ripping off a huge piece of wrapping, a large stack of books were revealed. At first I didn't notice anything, but then I realized the letters were dancing or flying off the pages. It's in Ancient Greek. "We got you school books in Ancient Greek. Draco said your Dyslexia didn't interfere when you read in the language, so we thought we'd make things a little easier for you." I felt my face could split from how hard I was smiling. I was happy that they'd put so much thought into a gift. Hogwarts' magic had been interfering with the contacts Hephaestus had made for me to translate English into Ancient Greek, so until I found a solution, I couldn't wear them, making class and school work a whole lot harder.
"Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. This will certainly make things easier, thank you so much." Lucius waved his hand dismissively, a small smile appearing on his face.
"It's certainly nothing compared to the books you gave me. The magic in those books... there are spells I've never heard of in there, nor have I ever seen anything like those books anywhere. Do tell, where did you get them?" I shrugged.
"I just pulled a favor from a friend of my dad's. She has a whole library full of books like those and she's not in the business of selling them, but she has multiple copies of the ones I chose so she cut me a deal for 800 galleons per book." Lucius' eyes widened slightly and he nodded. Clapping his hands, he addressed Draco and I firmly.
"Breakfast will be served in 45 minutes, don't be tardy. Merry Christmas." He and a Narcissa left the room, Draco settling on my bed momentarily.
"I didn't know it was possible, but you've won Father over. I have never seen him so casual and informal with someone before." My brows rose and I guffawed disbelievingly.
"Seriously? You think he likes me? To me it looks like he can't stand me!" Draco shook his head softly.
"No, I know what I'm seeing. Trust me, Percy, he likes you."
. . .
It's been days since Christmas,and at first, Draco and I spent a lot of time together. But, my mind was mainly elsewhere, wherever the missing demigods are. I hadn't had another nightmare yet, thankfully, but I knew with all of this thinking of my enemies and enemies of the gods, a trigger was bound to come up. My lessons with Luke continued, but time seemed to work differently there— wherever it was. We could practice for what seemed like hours, but then I would fall asleep for hours, and when I woke up, it was of a normal hour. I'd only had two lessons so far after my first one, but it wasn't hard to notice. Maybe I'd question Luke about it during our next session.
The garden and the desk in my room were my two favorite places to think. The garden was relaxing and peaceful to walk through, the colorful flowers with winter frost lightly coating them were almost enchanting. Sometimes, I'd lay there while I thought or I'd write notes on my thoughts. Other times I strolled through it, observing with my eyes while my mind ran rampant with anxious thought. The warmth of the sun was always pleasant as the winter weather was quite chilling. My desk was a very contemplative place. Something about it encouraged thought and when indoors, if not with Draco, then it was often there that I would be found. I had to think a lot, and fast, we were heading back to school in four days.
Lucius and I engaged in many conversations. He was quite curious about my heritage, and thankfully, that's all it was; a curious fascination. Having been startled by Draco during lunch, I had in reflex blurted out words of surprise in Ancient Greek and Lucius had interrogated me on my profound ability to speak the dead language. When I told him I could also speak Latin, he was impressed. He'd inquired about me speaking any other languages, but I'd told him that besides Ancient Greek and Latin, I only spoke English.
Despite all of these distractions, I still noticed something wrong with Draco. We've been spending less and less time together and he's spending more and more time in his room. That's really not much of a reason to worry, but he's also been more squeamish about contact. I wouldn't have been worried if I didn't have this sinking feeling in my gut. My life as a demigod has taught me to trust any and every sinking feeling that I have. So when I heard muffled crying, I didn't bother knocking and just swung Draco's door open. His bathroom light was on and it seemed to be where he was. Rushing over, I burst into the bathroom with so much momentum that the door crashed into the wall and rebounded towards me.
Draco's teary face snapped up but I barely noticed, because there was blood, on his robes and on the floor, on his hands and in his hair. I watched as he yanked the arm of his sleeve down, covering seemingly where the concentration of blood was. My eyes moved up slowly to meet his, and when they did meet, I saw the tears falling from his eyes, the fear he held in there. Fear of me, and that confused me, if not hurt me. Because, why was we afraid of me? I took a step forwards and he shook his head frantically, tears falling profusely, lips pursed in effort to keep any sound from escaping.
"Draco," It came out softly, hesitantly, disbelievingly. He looked away, hand clasping at his arm, his sleeve covered arm. I crouched down slowly, my hand reaching out, steadiness contradicting the chaos and lack of control I was feeling. Draco flinched back, but I knew whatever was under that sleeve was the cause of all the blood. And it was so much, the iron smell filled the room and reminded me of too many things; so much blood. I grasped his hand and he tried weakly to pull it out of my grasp. My other hand reached for the sleeve and he jerked back, arm yanking frantically.
"Percy, no, please..." his voice was chocked with emotion and tears and he broke down into sobs, all of his fight leaving him. Pulling up the sleeve carefully, I saw a mess a blood and fresh, ragged cuts, a nearly indistinguishable design of black ink tattooed underneath. It was only then that I noticed the bloody kitchen knife. But the ink wasn't completely indistinguishable and I could see, on his forearm,
"The Dark Mark." It was a whisper that I hardly heard myself say, but I did hear Draco's cries increase. He was sobbing so hard, he had to heave in breaths in between, and though I wanted to cry with him, I wouldn't. Crushing him into a hug, he slumped weakly against me and, gods... he reminded me of Nico so much in this moment. The Nico after Bianca and before Hazel, the Nico who felt he was all alone in this world, that there was no one he could truly trust but himself. Except I was too late with Draco. I had walked in on Nico about to create his first intentionally self-inflicted wound, and from then to today, he'd never tried again, because I made sure if it. I made sure I was there, because no one else, and not because they didn't care, but because he begged me not to tell them. But there were countless scars on Draco's forearm and these fresh wounds would leave more; I was too late.
"Y- you hate me, you hate m-e, you do. I'm so so-sorry! I didn't want to, I couldn't stop it! You're going to leave me..." Draco's cries were harsh and heavy, so filled with pain that my heart hurt. But he was wrong, I didn't hate him, how could I? My arms wrapped tighter around him, because gods, just like Nico.
.
Nico sobbed into my shoulder and I held him so tightly he might break.
"You hate me, I know it, everyone hates me. I'm just a nuisance, nobody cares, nobody wants me around. I didn't w-want to, but i-I couldn't take it, I ju-st wanted to es-escape. And now that you know... you're going to leave!" The last part came out a sorrow-filled wail and his body shook with the effort of his sobs.
"Nico," I said softly, "I don't hate you. I could never hate you, I care about you, so much. And like I said when you told to leave you alone after Bianca's death, I'm never leaving you."
.
"Draco," my voice was soft, "I don't hate you. There's nothing you can do to make me hate you, I care about you, so, so much. And like I said back at Hogwarts, I'm not going anywhere, I am never leaving you."
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