Thanks for the feedback! PMs and Reviews are the only way I know anyone likes this story and where folks think I should go with it. I truly had not considered a Harry/Hermione foot fetish arc.

Percy loved what Annabeth had done to both the classroom and the apartment, but would never admit it to her. He would only say it would work and thank her politely, the bare minimum he could do to recognize her efforts. He filled with bile just seeing her, and even more so at Estelle's affection for her, this a result of having loved her so completely only to be crushed by her loathsome acts.

Still, the apartment, job and Estelle's magical ability allowed him to stay with his sister and for that benefit he could tolerate anything. Estelle was his life now; Annabeth was just a mistake from his past. He thought of Annabeth often though, remembering those times they had before she became a whore, and wondered why she had thrown it all away and crushed him so badly.

She still haunted his dreams.

Percy hated Chase mostly for Estelle's suffering the last three years. His pain he could deal with, but the rejection and emotional turmoil his sister went through? That was unforgivable and Percy was admittedly jealous that Estelle so much wanted to spend time with that wretch of humanity after all the turmoil Chase had caused. If it made Estelle happy though, he could even put up with that. Estelle's happiness and wellbeing drove his every decision.

"Oh, this is lovely, you've done an admirable job Mr. Hagrid" Blackjack said as he saw the deck with cabins for he and Mrs. O'Leary. "Is that? Is that alfalfa? This far north?"

"Aye it is, but it twasn't me, the construction the Headmistress did, she's quite clever at dat', and the alfalfa is from Professor Sprout. They're doing all that can to make ya feel at home," Hagrid replied.

"Annabeth has always been thoughtful, give her my thanks," Blackjack replied.

'Yeah right, if you only knew,' Percy thought.

Mrs. O'Leary said nothing at all; hellhounds can't talk and had little to say in any event. She barked continuously as she bolted through the door and into the grassy field beyond the castle walls. Her bark was like a dragon's roar and alerted all the creatures in the forest that lay beyond the field that there was a new sheriff in town. Fang heard her and came running from Hagrid's hut, and at once seemed startled by the size of the beast before him. They approached each other with caution but were in minutes rolling together in the grass and madly dashing around the castle grounds.

"Oy' I think they like each other" Hagrid grinned. "It'll be good for Fang to have a playmate."

"Hagrid, I have a question for you," Percy said.

"Wut's dat?" Hagrid replied brusquely. If they weren't talking about dogs or magical animals Hagrid didn't have much use for the lout he had seen verbally abuse the headmistress so recently. Still, Jackson had helped save the school so…

"I thought I met everyone the other day, but the guy that was sitting beside the Minister, who is he? He looks really familiar but I just can't place him."

"Oh, Laurens. Mr. Mitchell Laurens. Professor McGonagall recruited him from Beauxbatons to be our assistant librarian. Been here a couple days now, seems an okay chap."

"Mitchell Laurens? Wow, I haven't seen him in years, yeah, good guy, he went to the same, uh, school the Headmistress and I went to. Thanks I'll have to say 'hi' to him."

"Madame Pince seems impressed with him. I don't really know a lot 'bout him yet," Hagrid replied.

"You married or got a girlfriend Hagrid?" Percy asked.

"'Bit personal don't you think?" Hagrid replied.

"Oh, sorry. I was just going to warn you. If you do, or have any daughters, keep them away from Laurens. He can fuck his way through a school in a couple days."

"Hrrmm, I'll keep an eye on that then. Wouldn't do for him to be bothering the students."

"No, I don't think he would bother a student, I mean, he wouldn't do anything inappropriate age wise, he's just one of those guys, you know, the ones that always get the girl?"

"Oh, I see. Well, the only ones his age here are Ms. Levesque, and the Headmistress of course. I reckon they are old enough to make their own minds up. You should get back before you miss lunch, mind if I use this door?"

"Oh, be my guest, and thanks for looking out for Blackjack and Mrs. O'Leary, I think they are more excited about a new school than Estelle."

"Well. They ain't gotta go to class or study for exams, do they?"

Lunch was still going on when Percy got back and as he had to walk by Mitchell to get to his seat, stopped a moment and said "Hi."

"Hey Percy, wasn't sure you recognized me," Mitchell said as he offered a hand that Percy shook.

"Well truthfully I did, but couldn't place you. As soon as Hagrid told me your name it hit me. How have you been? When last I knew you were cutting hair in Brooklyn."

"Oh I finished up at NYU, then worked at Beauxbatons until last spring, muggle relations. Now I'm here helping Irma in the library."

"Cool, looks like we're getting the band back together" Percy grinned before he took his seat. A plate appeared before him covered with sushi, wasabi paste, soy and chop sticks. On noticing this, Estelle voiced her displeasure with a loud "Ewwwww."

"Don't dis my sushi girl," Percy grinned.

"Percy, look what Estelle made," Annabeth said as she held up the flowers and vase.

"Oh, how did you make that?" Percy smiled. Percy always smiled when he saw Estelle.

"I translated a cup."

"Transfigured dear," McGonagall said. "It was truly amazing Professor Jackson. You sister did a wandless, complex, multi-faceted, material transfiguration with no study on the subject at all. We were all, well; we were stunned to watch it. I was telling her even our brightest seventh years can't do that."

"Well Estelle, looks like you're off to a good start here, what do you think so far?" Percy asked.

"I think I like it. Everybody is nice, and Annabeth is here," she grinned.

Percy fought hard not to frown at this reminder, but in truth he was glad Estelle was finding happiness. Hopefully she would find some friends her own age and give up her obsession with Percy reuniting with… that person.

"I didn't… well Estelle, you need to be happy here. I'm glad you are, but the best part is you and Percy can stay together, I know picking your school has weighed heavily on him." Annabeth said.

"How would you know that?" Percy snapped, and then regretted showing his bitterness in front of his sister.

Annabeth recoiled as if his words physically hurt her. It took a moment to recover her composure.

"Well how could you not be? I know you would, I know any brother would worry about his sister's schooling Percy, and their need for love and support from their family, that's all I meant."

"Oh. Right, of course." Percy said, thankful that the whore had responded peacefully and with a wise explanation. Even though he despised her, Annabeth was still a daughter of wisdom, and she did appear to be thinking of Estelle's emotional well being, finally.

"Percy, when you finish eating could I have word privately about, uh, it's an old school thing, I shouldn't say more here." Annabeth asked.

"Uh sure. Something come up back home?"

"No, no, nothing like that, nothing bad, its just I recently learned something I think you should know and its important enough to not wait to pass on to you." Annabeth smiled.

"So Estelle, did you ask her?" Percy asked. He only brought this up, as he was tired of Estelle asking him if he knew the answer every five minutes.

"Ask her what?" Estelle said as a way to answer.

"The question you were bugging me about last night."

"Oh! Oh! No! I'll ask her now, Annabeth…" Estelle began with a wicked grin as she turned to face her.

"What Squirt?" Annabeth smiled back.

"I was wondering, are you still ticklish?" Estelle said with glee as she began tickling Annabeth's side with her fingertips putting Annabeth into an almost convulsive state as she scrunched up in defense and laughed gasping for breath.

"Stop! Stop! I can't breath!"

"Yes you can or you couldn't say 'stop'!"

"Stop! I'm gonna…"

"What? What will you do?" Estelle laughed, and her laughter was music to both Percy and Annabeth.

"I'll, I'll… I'll tickle you back!" Annabeth cried out as she stabbed her arms forward to tickle Estelle under her arms.

"No! No! No fair!" Estelle nearly shouted as she now crunched up and stomped her feet. "Percy! Make her stop!"

"Hey, you started this fight, you deal with it." Percy laughed.

The entire table was both elated at the child's behavior and horrified at the lack of decorum in the grand hall by the Headmistress and Estelle's antics. Most were smiling, but Madame Pince, who apparently didn't know how to smile and lived in fear that somewhere, somehow, someone was happy, just stared.

Annabeth stopped, and when Estelle looked up saw tears running down Annabeth's face.

"Wh… Why are you crying?" She asked.

"Because my tickle nemesis is back!" Annabeth answered as she pulled Estelle into yet another hug.

"And our battles shall be epic!" Annabeth finished with a sigh. Looking over Estelle's shoulder she mouthed 'Thank you' to Percy, who just nodded back. His sister's laughter and happiness had melted the edge off his loathing for a moment at least.

Lunch wrapped up quickly after that as Percy wolfed down his salmon roll so as to hurry to Diagon Alley. As he rose, Annabeth suggested they talk in the anteroom behind the Grand Hall, as it was near by and private. On the sly she asked Minerva to keep Estelle busy and distracted a few moments, which the professor was happy to do by teaching her some basic transfiguration. This quickly fascinated Estelle, and she was happy that Percy and Annabeth wanted to talk alone as she could only imagine they were talking about being boyfriend and girlfriend again.

"What's up?" Percy asked with a grunt once they were secreted away.

"Uh, I'm not sure where to begin but, remember how I thought Estelle got her magic from a trace left with Sally by your father?"

"Yeah, Chiron said the same thing. So what? She's magical, I've known that since she started summoning things from other rooms when she was seven, that doesn't make her a bad person."

"Bad person? Oh gods no Percy, she's a wonderful person, its just, I think Chiron and me were wrong about that," Annabeth said, then told him about Estelle's transfiguration of the goblet into flowers and her accidentally making a lumos maximus spell with a wand.

"Not following you," Percy replied.

"Its; ummm, okay when I looked at that globe of light, I don't think anyone else tried to because it was so bright, but I saw him there, he winked at me."

"Who?"

"Apollo."

"Huh?"

"Remember you told me he visited your mom, Paul and Estelle about the time he killed the Python again back when she was a baby? And he said he blessed them? I think this is the blessing, or at least part of it."

"He didn't bless them enough to keep mom and Paul alive," Percy practically spat.

"Yeah, I get that but Percy, I thought you should know. I'm convinced I'm right about this."

"Uh, so what difference does it make anyway? She's got magic. We know that already whatever the reason."

"Yes, true, but I thought you should know. Most people that do magic do so because Hecate, a minor goddess, chose them or an ancestor to have it, or they are descended from her and her half blood children directly. Some are like you and me, are divine born and able to learn it like we did, but Percy, Estelle is neither of those. She is blessed by a major god, a seat in the throne room god, a big 12 and almost hopelessly immature god, and she has got some serious magic. Like, she has probably more raw power than anyone in this castle right now, you and I included. Minerva invited her for lessons this week just to help her control it. But, uh, Estelle asked if I could help too. I'm glad to of course, but that is beyond the expectations I think we both had about how this would work so I sort of side stepped giving an answer."

"Oh. I see. Well, thank you for that, I'll have to think about it, but I don't see a problem really. Estelle has missed you horribly, I can't forgive you for letting that child hurt, so if it makes her happy again… probably okay. Just, don't break that poor child's heart again, I swear to all the gods Annabeth Chase if you hurt my sister again I'll…" Percy said sternly.

"Wait a sec…" Annabeth interrupted as she held up a hand and started to argue, then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and decided on a more mature and measured response.

"I'm sorry if I've done anything to hurt her, I wanted to stay in her life and her in mine but you made your feelings on that clear and I've tried to respect them. I think we agree she should not get caught up in our bullshit. There is one other thing. I think, well, I'm sure, she wants to play matchmaker with us. If you truly hate me as much as you say, you might want to check your drinks for love potions. She was asking Professor Slughorn about them, and she pretended she was joking but you know. She wasn't really kidding. It will be a while before she learns how to brew one, but then it's on. She asked me if I still loved you and maybe I shouldn't have answered but I won't lie to her."

"You told her you didn't love me? You're going to break her heart Chase; gods damn it so much! Why would you tell her that? Why couldn't you just let it go? Why would you do that to her?" He practically shouted so great was his rage at this point.

"No! I told her the truth!" she finally snapped back, "I won't lie to her Percy. I just won't, no matter how much you might want me to." Annabeth sternly said as she turned to walk away. She got to the door before she cried again.

"See ya at Diagon Alley," Annabeth sobbed as she left the room.

'Wait, I'm confused. Did she just say…' Percy wondered, but the answer to that question left him stymied.