MY GRANDFATHER'S ARE GENOCIDAL MANIACS.
PERCY POV
'Mission achieved,' said Sirius in my mind.
'Yeah,' I told him while looking at my apartment and smiling broadly.
"Come on," I told Annabeth who still looked shocked and a little woozy. I took her hand in mine and pulled her up. "I'll introduce you to my mom. She met Grover already,"
'Now all we have to do is survive,' said Sirius as I took Annabeth by her hand.
'Easier said than done,' I told Sirius as I entered the complex still holding Annabeth's hand.
She didn't pull away and let me lead her up the stairs. I looked back to Grover who was looking at us with an odd smile on his face as he followed us from behind. He took off his cap now since there was no one around.
'We will be fine,' said Sirius. 'If everything goes well you will get your wand and will go to Hogwarts. I will teach you so many spells your head will spin trying to remember all of them.'
'I really can't say if that is good or bad,' I told him as we reached the third floor.
I looked back to Grover again to see his smile going broader.
'I wonder what's up with that?' I asked Sirius.
'He must be sensing your emotions and know how head over heels you are for Annabeth or how she is very interested in you,' said Sirius.
I immediately brought out my small but still strong enough Occlumency shields to the forefront. I got a better control of my emotions and fought down the blush at Sirius's hypothesis.
'Let them be, we don't need him snooping too much or telling Chiron about what happened,' said Sirius.
True to Sirius's words, Grover looked a little confused and looked at me. I let go of the shields immediately and my emotions were out and he picked up on them. Happiness at getting my mom back, happiness at my achievement for the camp, the small creeping up feelings of attractions that I let trickle out for him and finally the slight amount of pride I felt for finishing this quest and helping my father.
We reached the third floor and I looked around a little, wracking my brain before remembering the new apartment we lived in.
I led them to the end of the hallway and still could feel Annabeth's hand in mine. She was sweating slightly and I could make out a slight blush on her face from the corner of my eye.
I stopped in front of flat no 311081 and knocked on the door. I let her hand go before my mom could open the door and see. But Annabeth stood closer to me than necessary.
'Please tell me this is a coincidence,' said Sirius.
'What is?'
'The fact that your flat no is the day Voldemort perished,'
I really wanted to tell him to let it go and it was a coincidence. I was seeing my mom after so long and I didn't want this shit on my mind when talking to her but I had been doing this for too long to simply believe that.
'Exactly which means it has to have some significance,' said Sirius.
Before we could discuss this further the door opened and my mom stood before me.
'She is a vision' said Sirius from my head.
She is. Sally Jacskon is a wonderful woman. She can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.
But there was a strength in her which I saw the day she knew Gabe hit me. The shrieks and punches she gave Gabe will forever be a wonderful memory and something I could probably use as a Patronus Charm that Sirius was talking about.
'You can't. You weren't happy. You were scared out of your mind. It wouldn't work,' said Sirius.
"Oh Percy," she hugged me so tightly I thought she might have cracked a rib.
"How are you? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
After she checked me over for every stand on my head and let me go a little I turned her to Annabeth.
"Mom, this is Annabeth Chase and Grover you already know. They helped me with the quest," I told her, smiling broadly at my friends who were trying their best not to burst out laughing at the scene.
"So, this is the young lady I have to thank for keeping you out of trouble," my mom said with a smirk looking at Annabeth.
"Your son is a handful, Mrs. Jackson," said Annabeth smirking too.
Sirius was snickering in my head and I gave out an indignant huff of irritation before saying, "I can take care of myself, thank you very much."
My mom and Annabeth let out snorts at the same time making Grover and Sirius burst out laughing.
'Shut up, I saw you get chastised by a fifth year prefect when you were in your seventh year,' I told him and he shut up for the time being. I gave him a grin of smugness and he huffed but didn't say much.
I had seen some of Sirius's greatest hits and worst defeats during Hogwarts. Lachesis helped and gave them to me to see in something they called a Penseive. It was a fascinating device and I couldn't wait to see one again.
"Come in all of you, I made cookies," said my mom smiling.
We went in and true to her word, cookies could be smelt all through the room and I had to do my best not to drool. They smelt wonderful and I could hear Sirius whimper in my head making this memory even better. My mother led us to the sofa in the hall. Annabeth and I took a seat beside each other while Grover took a seat beside us in a separate seat. There was a table in front of us and a fireplace in the corner of the room. The walls were painted in a bluish green color making it look like the surface of the sea. A bunch of pictures were hung on the wall of me and my mom.
The kitchen was to our back. The end of the hall split into two rooms one of which was mine and the other one was my mom's. There was a bathroom at the end of the hall and I could sense the presence of the sea in my room for some reason.
Before I could wonder about it more, my mom came back to the hall with a plate full of blue chocolate chip cookies and three cans of blue coke. Grover knew about the blue and Annabeth didn't seem to mind or didn't want to ask. We all took the cookies and ate them heartily. I observed as a smile split across Annabeth's face. Grover didn't eat the cookies owing to the fact he was vegetarian but he drank the coke and ate the tin can. My mom just sat by my side and ran a hand through my hair making me almost mewl in satisfaction.
"Now tell me about this quest," said my mother.
Mostly it was Grover who talked. Annabeth filled in more information but she was busy enjoying the cookies. Me I was basking in the glow my mother provided enjoying her company knowing I would be going to a goddamn boarding school again.
'A magical boarding school,' said Sirius.
'A small consideration when it's my mom,' I told Sirius.
'We will see if you stick to your word when we are in Hogwarts,'
'Nothing beats my mom for me, Sirius. You know this,'
'Not even Chase,' he asked slyly.
'She is different,' I told him irritatedly.
'I am sure she is,'
'Did you not have someone,' I asked Sirius.
Sirius suddenly went quiet. Oh, I found out about one of his 'I don't like talking about it' topic. Sirius was generally very open and answered every question I asked and some I didn't ask. To see him quiet meant it was a huge sore spot like any talk of Harry Potter or his family was.
I felt my mom's hand on my cheek rubbing it tenderly. I turned to my mom and kissed her on her knuckles, getting her to focus on me from the story where Grover made a much bigger issue by trying to described how I bodily smashed into the Chimera throwing both of us out of St. Louis Arch with censoring as much danger as he could.
I got off the sofa and moved to her and hugged her around her midriff. This caused her to break into a smile and hug me back just as I tightly.
"I missed you, mom,"
"I missed you too Percy,"
"Never ever leave me alone, mom."
"I promise, Percy. I am not going anywhere," I almost cried into her in relief and happiness. She was such a wonderful person and she didn't deserve what had happened to her. I really hoped she would have a turn in luck.
I got off her and she wiped the few tears that did slide down my eyes. She gave me her own teary eyed smile of my own and kissed me on my forehead. I made a big show of wiping my forehead making her laugh.
I sat down and looked at my two best friends. Grover gave me a pleasant smile while Annabeth's eyes were all teary eyed and speculative but before either of us could comment she composed herself and restarted the story.
I helped her complete the story and also described every fight in great detail. This was better because it might make her scared but my mom was a strong person and she could take it. I was right and she took them. I finished the tale with the meeting where I got all the gods and their children cabins.
She gave me a proud smile when I told her about it and ruffled my messy hair. I pushed her hand away sluggishly and very reluctantly. It felt so great being with my mom again.
"Percy," said Annabeth, "How did you become Hestia's champion?"
"Better yet where did you meet her?" asked Grover.
"In the camp, if you observe the hearth, she is there almost everyday tending to it. I thought it was one of the duties in camp at first because she looked eight and approached her because she was alone. I talked to her almost everyday and she told me her name was Sarah," I told them.
"I remember seeing someone at the hearth on my first day in camp but after that I never saw her again," said Annabeth.
"Yeah, Auntie said no one pays her much attention. Very rarely does anyone talk to her. She is a great listener and always gives sound advice," I told them.
"So, let me get this straight, you knew her for two months and talked to her almost everyday and never realized something was off about the fact you only saw her at the hearth," my mom asked.
I blushed in embarrassment.
I could hear Sirius's laughter again making me glad he was back.
'You are a dumbass, whichever world you are from,' said Sirius.
'Yeah laugh it up you asshole,'
"Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth fondly, shaking her head. Grover was grinning and even my mom was smiling.
"It's not that funny. I never really thought about it," I told them.
"You never really think about anything, Perce," said Grover, setting them off again.
I huffed irritatedly.
"You are all mean," I told the three of them, making them burst out laughing.
'You sound like a child not a seventeen year old,' Sirius told me.
'I saw you throw a tantrum when Gryffindor lost their match to Slytherin when you were nineteen and visiting the school,'
'That's different,'
'The only thing I can hear is you crying like a little girl because your house lost a match,'
'I didn't cry you idiot,'
"Percy," said my mom rubbing my cheek and breaking me out of the mind conversation I was having.
"Sorry, zoned out. What were you saying?" I asked them.
"I was just asking you if you planned for the camp because you collected very specific things for the Gods," asked Annabeth.
"Not really. The weapons were just lying there in the Lotus Hotel and we were a little low on them so I took them and I collected the wine bottle to give to Mr.D," I told them.
"You do realize..." said Grover.
"I do and that was why I wanted to do it."
"You would be asking for trouble if you did that, Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth, sighing in exasperation.
'Why? Would she rather have you flirt with her,'
'Shut up,'
I gave Annabeth a grin making her huff in irritation but a smile came onto her face.
"I didn't plan anything. I just took most of what I collected as spoils after the fight. It was only after Ares told me who the thief was did I put some of the things together. I didn't have a concrete idea who Luke was serving other than him being called 'The Crooked One' and I figured out his plan. I talked to Lady Hestia and we came up with this plan," I told the three of them.
They nodded to that explanation.
I spent a good three hours with my mom talking and filling her up about my time in Camp. Annabeth left once to make a call to Chiron about where they were. My mom told my best friends multiple stories about my childhood. We had sandwiches again late evening after which Annabeth and Grover left for camp. I told them I would get there at the end of the week after my mom got settled.
Annabeth was not happy with this decision but nodded understanding why I wanted to do this. She hugged me hard and kissed me on the cheek. I was a seventeen year old who knew the multiverse was real but all she needed was to kiss me on my cheek to make me a blubbering bubbon. Sirius laughed so hard because of that. I shared a brief yet strong hug with Grover before watching the both of them drive away on the Chariot of Damnation at speeds that made me feel uneasy just looking.
I helped my mom cook dinner. Spaghetti with meatballs never tasted as good as it did today. The blue coloring enhanced the whole dinner. The both of us sat down for a movie marathon of the MCU movies (RDJ is soooo coooool) (They have no idea how wrong they are about Thor).
Sirius pitched whenever he was unwanted teasing me about being a baby and a complete mommy's boy. I just shrugged and told him I am. He changed tactics then and went with Annabeth which got the reaction he wanted.
All in all it was an excellent day and I went to bed having a dreamless night.
LINE BREAK
ANNABETH POV
"I HATE THE HECATE CABIN," screamed Drew Tanka from the door of her cabin pointing a finger at the just completed Hecate cabin that was constructed beside theirs.
Almost six years I had been in Camp-Half Blood and I never thought I would hear the phrase Hecate Cabin but I did and it was because of the guy who was walking beside me telling me about something called the MCU and how awesome it was.
Drew was a tall, beautiful and glamorous thirteen year old with Japanese descent. Her hair fell around her in midnight black ringlets. She had warm brown eyes and wore a good amount of jewelry all the time.
Drew immediately took back control of herself when she saw Percy and waved to them and said, "Hey, Percy."
"Hey Drew, what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing really, the Hecate cabin cursed all the lipsticks making them sprout eight legs and paint the whole cabin trying to get away from us when we wanted to use them," said Drew. It was true there was lipstick over the tight tank top she wore. A little bit of her midriff was visible. Her long legs were on show due to the shorts she wore and lipstick ran across like a line just below her knees.
"I am pretty sure Lou owes a favor to Travis and you cursed him to fall in love with one of the pigs we are rearing because he called you out for trying to use the dagger," said Percy.
"TRAVIS," screamed Drew glaring hatefully at the Hermes Cabin.
"Whatever it was, I didn't do it," came Travis's voice from his cabin as he fell from the window trying to run away. Stealth was Conner's forte not Travis's.
"Thanks Percy," said Drew walking down the stairs of the cabin but not before stretching. Her midriff was visible and even I started at it but Percy seemed completely oblivious. Drew seemed unhappy with the lack of reaction but winked at Percy nonetheless.
I grew angry immediately. He is mine. I almost snapped at her. The only thing that was stopping me was Percy had half his concentration on me.
"Don't you wanna go and hit Travis or something. He might get away. "I said it more hotly than I intended and Drew smirked at me.
"Who Travis he is not going anywhere," said Drew off-handedly. She was still looking at Percy and I could feel his restlessness radiate off him.
As if to prove her point, Travis somehow slipped and fell in the huge puddle of mudd Percy created to bog down Nike Cabin's runner during the relay race they had yesterday. Chiron left it to use as an obstacle for the course.
Travis was trying to get out of it and everyone around stopped and broke down into laughter.
"Now, hun," said Drew, turning to Percy. Her smile turned slightly predatory and her voice was a sultry, "Where are we going riding? I still have to teach you,"
I blushed in both anger and embarrassment. We were hardly thirteen but I wouldn't put it past Drew to try something with Percy and the innuendo was quite clear but Percy was like in many things very oblivious.
"Oh, whenever you are free. I am always available," said Percy almost nonchalantly, staring at a bird flying nearby.
I didn't know what it was. His nonchalance or the way it was framed but I burst out laughing while Drew lost her composure and almost tripped.
"How about Friday night? Near the forest, I'll show you something you can never forget," said Drew, giving Percy a challenging raise of her eyebrow.
"Sounds good and do wear some protection, it might get rough," said Percy, giving Drew a smile. That smile sent butterflies up my stomach and it wasn't even directed at me. Drew blushed. She actually blushed but she regained her composure fast enough.
"I'll see you then sweetie," said Drew just as Ethan Nakamura,son of Nemesis, decided to have some mercy on the poor son of Hermes. She walked past us but not before running a nail across Percy's chest.
"Bye, Drew," he told her and I really wanted to smack him and say you are mine.
"Where was I?" asked Percy, turning to me and smiling.
"I'll tell you later. What was that about?" I asked him a little too forcefully.
"Why are you jealous you have to share me with someone?" asked Percy smirking, making me splutter and blush. How that smirk was both endearing and nerve grating I will never understand. Two years later it got down right sexy.
"I don't know what you are talking about and I will kill you if you say something like that again," I told him but I was almost vibrating with excitement for what he would say next. I was face to face with him or more like face to neck but whatever.
He surprised me by kissing me slightly on my nose, making me take a step back. I slipped, placing my leg on a rock. In a demonstration of inhuman reflexes he caught me around my waist as I was falling and looked into my eyes with so much concern it made me feel warm and fuzzy.
"You okay," he asked me and I pushed myself out of his hands with a blush and said, "I am fine,"
We spent the next two hours talking. Well he talked, I just tried my best not to blush and turn into a tomato. We split up to do different chores but not before he told me that Drew was going to help him with his horse riding in exchange for him teaching her cabin the use of swords and daggers.
There was a huge surge of horses and Pegasi and it seemed they were mostly runaways and some of them malnourished and being smuggled. Percy had decided to break them out since they were calling for his help. One of the Pegasus, a pure black one named Blackjack, decided to adopt Percy quite literally after fighting off most of the Pegasi for him while Stallions were also fighting for Percy.
"It doesn't work like that. Once we are bonded, we are bonded and I am bonded to Blackjack and the same way I will be bonded to a stallion when it is time,"
The topic changed halfway to the new constructions and the already made Hestia cabin. It was a simple wooden cabin with a very warm and comforting feeling. It made staying in the Athena cabin a pleasant delight.
Working with Cyclops wasn't easy and Percy stayed by my side sensing my unease. He waited patiently for almost a week comforting and helping to the best of his abilities before I broke and told him about Thalia and what happened. He held me. Like properly held me then and let me cry all over him.
From then he did his best to help me get over my fear. He even introduced me to Remy, a good natured but skilled Cyclops. He was a good person and I didn't mind him being with me. Percy though was wonderful and I wanted him with me.
Life was perfect and buzzing right now and it would be better if the witch Drew backed away from my Percy.
Annabeth, you are hopeless.
PERCY POV.
Best Three weeks of my entire life. That was how I would describe my time after the quest.
The camp was bustling with activity. It had never been so full before. Whenever I was at Camp before it was tense because we were on war footing but now. It was exactly what it was supposed to be. A summer camp for wonderful and gifted youngsters.
Grover had taken over the satyr seekers and was sending them out across the world to find unclaimed half-bloods. It was a temporary position in reward for his services in helping find the Bolt. So far, the gods had kept their promise. New demigods were popping up all over the place—not just in America, but in a lot of other countries as well.
"We can hardly keep up," Grover admitted one afternoon as we were taking a break at the canoe lake. "We're going to need a bigger travel budget, and I could use a hundred more satyrs."
"Yeah, but the satyrs you have are working super hard," I said. "I think they're scared of you."
Grover blushed. "That's silly. I'm not scary."
"Dude, you dive bombed Medusa, you fought Orcs and the mother of monsters, you went quiet literally to hell and came back." I told him, making him blush more.
"If I was a satyr I would be scared of you,"
'That's an exaggeration. I for a fact know you had a stare down with the Titan who carries the sky'
'Boosting his confidence is a good thing for us,'
'Why is it good for us?'
'Because he has his thing with Pan and he could be really helpful in the War if he was more confident and brave and he is my friend'
Ever since we got our plan on the good footing Sirius was vibrating in between a war general and a fun older cousin/sometimes responsible uncle. He was in the first mood now looking at every word I say and looking for an advantage from it.
He chewed on a tin can as we stared across the pond at the line of new cabins under construction. The U-shape would soon be a complete rectangle, and the demigods had really taken to the new task with gusto. I was happy my plan worked
Hecate, Enyo, Nike, Nemesis, Hebe, Eris, Lysaa, Iris were some of the new cabins for the female goddess while Morpheus, Hypnos, Janos, Hercules(I had to stop myself from tearing that down), Eros, Phobos, Demios were on the male side. A titan by the name Leantlos who fought with the Gods was also given a cabin where two kids stayed. They were both ten.
Mrs. Dodds had some undead builders working on the Hades cabin. No one objected to her presence. Even though there was no one there (yet) it was going to look pretty cool: solid obsidian walls with a skull over the door and torches that burned with green fire twenty-four hours a day. Next to that were the cabins of Iris, Nemesis, Hecate, and several others I didn't recognize. They kept adding new ones to the blueprints every day. It was going so well, Annabeth and Chiron were talking about adding an entirely new wing of cabins just so they could have enough room.
The Hermes cabin was a lot less crowded now, because most of the unclaimed kids had received signs from their godly parents. It happened almost every night, and every night more demigods straggled over the property line with the satyr guides, usually with some nasty monsters pursuing them, but almost all of them made it through.
"So, did you ask her out yet," asked Grover with a grin on his face, making me groan.
'I am telling you Perce, do it. She will say yes,'
'What experience do you have in being in a relationship. All you talk about are your conquests,'
'Maybe I have never been in a relation but I no when a girl is interested in you and Annabeth is very interested in you,'
"Hey, Perce," said Grover, shaking my shoulder.
"Sorry zoned out for a minute," I told him with an easy going smile, making him smile back. His smile turned mischievous after that,
"Atleast ask her out before you fantasize about her, Percy," said Grover, making me glare at him.
"You have two minutes to run before I decide to kill you," I told him.
My laughter and Grover's braying could be heard all through the camp.
LATER THAT DAY
'I was thinking and organizing my thoughts today,' started Sirius.
I was currently sleeping spread eagled on my bed in my cabin after a grueling day of practice with Annabeth and horse riding with Drew.
Ever since the day I explained about the Horse riding lessons with Drew, Annabeth almost never let me out of her eyesight. Athena and Poseidon cabin almost did everything together. The only thing we didn't do together was common Ancient Greek and Latin lessons and canoeing. No one went canoeing with me.
I was as Katie quoted after a session in which I left her and her cabin in the dust "One with the boat,"
She had no idea.
Annabeth still took ancient Greek and Latin with me which included me trying my best not to fall asleep while she smacked me awake once in a while in between her translations. Note to self, I am not a morning person whichever world I am from. There were also a lot of sneaky touches involved which neither of us mind.
Spending time Drew was surprisingly something I was starting to enjoy. Not as much as Annabeth mind you but it was different and I liked it. Something Annabeth did not like. It was at times like this I seriously considered telling her but we are barely thirteen or at least she is. A year of knowing her better was all I would need.
My day mostly involved practicing with my spear, bow and Sword before taking lessons in using a knife and dagger from Annabeth and then teaching her how to use a short sword. I had a surprise.
The humongous amount of weapons I bought were being put to good use. Almost every camper, even the new ones, had come with a sort of Celestial Bronze weapon to use and I knew for a fact Annabeth was carrying a bow in her necklace along with her beads and a seashell I gifted her from the bottom of the sea. It looked good on her.
Every evening after the first I spent learning horse riding with Drew and her pure white mare Winter. She was a beautiful and very soft spoken horse unlike Blackjack or Grant my stallion. He was one proud, young and Black Freisian.
Drew was feisty and passionate. She was haughty and loyal. Fiercely loyal to camp, so much so that she was leading a one woman war against anyone who were friends with Luke. Something she wasn't. I guess she is a little different in this World. She only came after me because I was, as she put it ,"The hottest thing in Camp" but she talked to me even before I even became a son of Poseidon in this world
"Well you didn't look like this then," said Sirius gesturing to all of me.
I might have thought the same thing. I was in no way vain but damn did I look good. Much taller, much stronger and the scar only enhanced my facial features. Annabeth called it roguishly handsome before blushing red. I was almost eighteen but all she had to do was smile a full smile at me even in her thirteen year old form and I went weak in my knees and felt like all my molecules might combust.
'That must have been difficult to do. I know for a fact it's very difficult to organize mud and sand,' I told him.
'My thoughts are awesome, Jackson. You would be lucky to even be in them,' he told me back.
'I am not getting anywhere near your thoughts without bleach and hand sanitizer,' I told him. He was a dirty minded asshole.
'Aww, is the little eighteen year old virgin having difficulty keeping up with the Champs,' he told me in a mocking tone.
'I know for a fact you had sex with a Poodle, Sirius. I could spread the rumors when you get free,' I told him.
'If I get free,' he told me dejectedly.
'When you get free,' I told him back stubbornly.
He smiled, 'I hate you, so much,' he told me
'I hate you too, Siri,' I said and waited for his reaction with glee.
'Jackson, for the last time don't call me by that name ,' he told me he was angry and I loved it and I considered pushing it but stopped.
'What did you get from this 'Organization of thoughts'?' I asked Sirius.
'I was just wondering when we would enter Hogwarts. For all we know, I might have died in Azkaban or you might not even be there when it was Harry's time or even after his maybe during his children's when Voldemort won and controls the place. I am just saying...,'
We will figure it out, Sirius, together. That world is mine too and I won't let it fall to an idiot with daddy issues and the most ridiculous name in the history of names,' I told him, making him chuckle.
'But seriously, Voldemort. I thought the Fates said Moldy Shorts the first time I heard it." That made him outright laugh and lose the air of melancholy. I promised myself then and there. Sirius Orion Black was going to have a completely different life this time around if I have anything to say about it.
LINE BREAK THAT NIGHT
ANNABETH POV
My dreams were being haunted by my time with Luke and Thalia for almost a week now.
Luke switched to the other side and Thalia gone and as this went down I was trying to gather the courage to ask out a Son of Poseidon since he was as smart as a boulder.
That was not true. Percy was smarter than he let on. His brain was not into books but I had seen him play the Olympian Council like they were a flute. That cunning and smartness were hidden under his general goofy and playful attitude.
I hated it. I really did. His obliviousness.
Just yesterday I overheard Lacey and one of her sisters talking about Percy looking so hot when he was training them. His sweaty form caused his shirt to stick to his body and a vague v-shape and abs could be made out along with well made pectorals.
But I knew something they didn't. The scars on his body he didn't even trust showing to Drew or Katie he had shown me. They were the real competition my brain always said but a small part of me also said, he touched your hand when we were studying together, not Drew's when they were riding or not Katie's when she tried to teach him gardening and how to play the flute.
It might have been a little like being a stalker but I had followed with my hat when he spent time with Drew or Katie. I was insecure and didn't like them spending time with Percy. I didn't now because I knew nothing would happen there.
Drew and Katie were both taller than me, Drew almost as tall as Percy. Katie had longer hair and Drew had already developed but Percy's eyes never started like others did. Not even at Selina, which was saying something.
He has eyes only for you, a voice in my head said. I didn't pay it any mind.
Just yesterday I had seen him trying to make Beckendorf gather the courage to ask Selina out and he blushed so adorably when Beckendorf talked about the both of us together. How he could be so dangerous in a field but so clumsy and adorable outside was something I never understood but maybe a few things were better left that way. If every guy could pull something like that off there would be as many heartbreaks in girls as in boys.
'You are going to break so many hearts,' a voice in her head told her.
'Shut it,' I said back.
I would like to break so many hearts, I thought to myself.
I was broken out of my musings when a voice spoke beside me, almost freaking me out.
"Psst, Annabeth, come on," it said and it sounded like Percy.
"Percy," I asked him and it took some time before he said, "Yes"
"Did you nod while being invisible?" I asked him.
"I forgot, okay, no need to make it a big deal," he huffed before he became visible slightly.
"Oh shit, come one," he said, taking my hand in his. A jolt went up my hand when he held it and we crept out of the Cabin slowly. His hand was a little bigger than hers but they fit well together. It was a little calloused from practice but still had a little softness to it.
As soon as we made it out, we found Grant waiting at the center of the Cabin area. He looked very unhappy about something.
He neighed something Percy definitely understood and silenced him with a glare.
He looked at me and held his hand out again and gave me a smile. That smile sent butterflies up my stomach and my throat got dry. I barely managed to get a smile on my face and took his hand. I might have slipped and fell if not for his hand.
Get a grip of yourself, Annabeth. You are a daughter of Athena.
But, it was difficult when it was in consideration with Percy Jackson. He made no sense whatsoever and logic went out the window and drowned itself in a pool.
They weren't even supposed to be friends but they were and I realized that this boy was my best friend. If they didn't get romantic like I hoped it would because he likes someone else I would understand and help. I won't be happy about it but I will help.
I broke out my musings as we got closer to Grant who looked at me like I was a very disturbing bug he wanted to crush under his foot. As we got even closer I got more skittish but Percy led me closer.
Horses, Zebras and Pegasii. All water creatures in general and the beach. These were things I never got close to. Not a place a Child of Athena was allowed but here was Percy leading her closer to a horse. Grant didn't look happy about it but he let me as close as Drew was allowed to him which was saying something because he didn't trust anyone other than Percy and her.
"Horse whisperer" was the nickname she got.
I hated how the both of them got close on the basis of these things and I couldn't share something like this with him. He was mine and I had a half a mind to write that on all his T-shirts and his forehead.
PROPERTY OF ANNABETH CHASE.
It didn't help that Drew kept touching Percy's arm but he never touched her. None of those shy touches he gave me and the jealousy would go down as fast as it came when I remembered.
He got her much closer and Grant looked ready to throttle someone. Most probably me.
"Grant, let her. Would you deny someone the chance of touching such a majestic and wonderful animal?" Percy asked him with a raised eyebrow.
Grant looked unsure before finally neighing something at Percy making him laugh before Percy held my hand and led me closer to Grant.
"Percy I mustn't...," but I was cut off by him turning around and giving such an intense stare my knees wobbled. How can eyes be so beautiful?
"Do you trust me?"
The question caught me off guard but I answered almost instantly and without hesitation. It was a simple question with an easy answer.
"Without doubt," I told him, making him smile.
"Then come," he told her, leading me closer and then placing my hand on Grant's forehead and holding it there with his. He led her other hand to below his neck and pointed to where I should pat him and I did.
He left my hands and moved a few steps back. I continued as he told me too. Grant leaned into my touch after a little while. Percy was right, he was a majestic and wonderful animal.
Grant let out a satisfied sight before straightening up. He didn't stop me from my ministraitions but he didn't lean into them like he did a few seconds before.
I turned back to Percy to see him behind me smirking at the horse. It let out an annoyed huff but still didn't stop me.
"Really Grant, stubborn bastard, aren't you?," he asked the horse who seemed to not reply.
Percy moved behind me and held my left hand which was at his neck. His hand slid over mine like a snake and his breath tickled the nook of my neck. My heart went faster and my cheeks became red. He was so close. I could turn around and kiss him. I stopped myself at the last moment.
"Here," he said, moving my hand slowly to a specific point on the horse.
"Most horses like it here. Some even more than the others," his breath was in my ear and I could feel a little of his tongue near my ear.
He moved only two steps back this time and I touched him where he told me to. The reaction was instantaneous. Grant almost fainted from the effect. I smiled at it and then looked back at Percy. I didn't know something as simple as touching a horse for the first time would feel this wonderful and I was thankful Percy let me do something like this. The question was why though?
"Come on, up you go," said Percy, surprising me. I was about to say something when I felt Percy's hands around my waist and he lifted me up effortlessly and placed me on top of Grant. He climbed up afterwards and we started riding slowly towards the beach.
"He likes you but he is too proud to admit it," he told me.
Grant neighed about something and Percy just laughed before his cheeks went red.
"Shut up Grant," Percy told him, blushing. Why was he blushing?
"What happened?" I asked him and he shook his head and said
"Grant's being an asshole. That's all," Grant neighed a sound which sounded very close to being amused.
"What did he say about me?" I asked Percy. He turned to her and gave her a smile.
"He said your hands are soft," said Percy holding them and I tried my best not to hyperventilate. "He called you beautiful and kind-hearted," the blush was getting larger and I was ready to faint. He turned me towards himself and pushed my chin up to look into my eyes and than finally added.
"He said your eyes were so wonderful it's was scary and beautiful,"
He kissed me softly on my cheek before saying, "Happy Birthday Annabeth,"
I looked at him in shock. I almost forgot about it but Percy remembered. I mentioned it a long time ago before we were even really friends and he remembered. I was ready to kiss him but I heard the sound of the waves behind me. I was at the beach and Percy helped down after he got down.
"Here is your gift," he told her, showing the beautiful beach. It was a full moon and the whole thing looked beautiful.
I turned to him and threw myself at him, hugging him so tightly it must have hurt. He hugged me back just as tightly and I tried my best not to melt into the embrace.
"Thank you," I kept repeating to him.
ALBUS POV
The last few weeks had been disastrous and difficult.
The year had ended well in Hogwarts and there were no controversies about me adding points since Gryffindor won on the Quidditch pitch after a spectacular season and not because the headmaster was biased.
I am Albus Percivral Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and instead of looking for the welfare and betterment of his students and their education I was left to have to sort through a huge mess.
My dear friend Nicolas passed away two months ago and Perenell was barely alive. His will had come to me since I agreed to help him settle his affairs after his death. What a fool I had been.
The Flamels had lived for almost seven centuries and they had two children a long time ago before Nick figured out the secret behind the Sorcerers Stone. His first son delved into magical mutation and he created a beast of horrifying danger. It took eight aurors and three herds of centaurs and a direwolf to kill it.
Their second son died at sea and they didn't have anyone else. Nick had gathered quite a lot of things over his extended stay on the planet and most of Europe was fighting over his possessions. As if being pulled into this massive political power surge wasn't enough for my old bones Flamel wrote in his will that he had a direct descendant and he named Albus Percivral Wulfric Brian Dumbledore as his magical guardian. He added inside a note which was a bunch of gibberish to everyone except me since only I could understand Mermish. He wrote the kid would need help and guidance and I should provide it and he also told me to trust him when he was confident in something.
So, the hunt for the last Flamel began and I had recruited Albert Abbott, an old student from Hufflepuff. He was an expert in magical genealogy and he had been tracking this last Flamel for almost a month and a half. A week ago I got a note from him saying,
Professor,
I might have found more about the child we sought. We will meet once I have more information.
Albert Prewett
Yesterday I got another letter from the lad saying,
Professor,
We have to meet in your office tomorrow. I have news. You have to decide if it is good or not once I am there
Albert Prewett
The three letters were open and sitting in front of me and I had no idea what to do with any of them. I just wish these things would leave me alone and I could go back to running this school. Lately I have not been doing a great job. While I wanted Voldemort to enter the palace to check if he was still around and what I believed about Harry was true, this year was unacceptable.
Gilderoy Lockheart was a fool and a fraud and I should have never hired him. His misdeeds had finally caught up to him and I was desperate enough to let the man take over to keep the changes I made intact. It was a dangerous bet and if he had stayed the whole year I might have lost all the changes I managed to make in the past five years.
Warlocks weren't to be messed with but Gilderoy messed with one of them and paid the price. He was alive which was the only consideration of the whole mess. Gladly Mr. Nott had enough presence of mind to rally all the second year slytherins and Hufflepuffs out of the classroom before they were caught in the crossfire or rather heavy fire from the group of five Warlocks. The five of them were facing a sentence for their deeds and Gilderoy would be fined for being a fraud and altering memories of a person against their wills. Invasion of the space of mind was a serious crime.
Now, I had to hire a new DADA teacher. I had half a mind to give it to Severus but I was scared it was indeed cursed and I didn't want to lose him. The options coming in were either desperate or crazy. I really hoped I would come across a decent teacher somewhere.
On top of all the problems I had the fact that Harry was being mistreated so much. The signs were there from the start but I chose to ignore them until a few days ago when I got a letter from Molly explaining how Ginny was talking with Neville through the floo for a method to get Harry out of his relatives house since Vernon had lost some sort of deal and he might take it out on Harry.
I was gone before I read through the whole letter and what I found in their house was unacceptable. Harry was badly bruised as if he was hit. His glasses were broken and there were signs of the fact he lived in a cupboard. He was locked inside his room barely getting three square meals a day. All his supplies and his owl were locked up.
I had apologized to Harry profusely for my stupidity and took him away from the place to the Longbottoms for the time being. He was going to visit the Burrow for his birthday and I made sure the Grangers would be there for it and so would Remus so that he got to know the man and his parents better.
But that wasn't the final solution. For the second time that night I cursed Sirius Black's name and hated the fact I couldn't do what I wanted too but had to do something that had to be done.
I just hoped Filius was able to stop too many fights from breaking out between Minevra and Severus about Quidditch practices again.
Severus was not happy with his team's performance and I am pretty sure the whole team would be changed except for Marcus Flint as their Chaser/Captain.
I was considering multiple options for Harry but none of them were good. The Longbottoms were obvious. Augusta Longbottom would take the boy in but it was Alice who was named a guardian by Lily and if that was how she took Harry in, Narcissa could fight for him and it was not a fight Augusta could win. That was one of the reasons she was fighting for her hand in the Flamel fortune that was resting with no true heir.
I was broken out of my thoughts by a knock on my door. I was so out of it I didn't even realize the alert for my door went off.
"Come in," I answered hoping it was Albert.
"Professor," said Albert Abbott, as he entered the room. He was well dressed wearing a business suit with a cloak over it. His generally combed blond hair was in a disarray and his blue eyes were slightly panicked and he looked shaken. I knew the man well enough to say that he wasn't rattled easily. He fought off five Death Eaters in a closed alley way and came out alive but whatever this was had shaken him to his core. He was scared out of his mind.
"Take a seat Albert, could I interest you in a Lemon Drop," I asked him with a smile.
He shook his head and took a seat. He took a few deep breaths before saying, "Do you have any alcohol Professor? We are going to need it because this is a fucking mess,"
I raised my eyebrow at that but said nothing. I waved my hand and a bottle of mulled mead traveled to the table along with two glasses.
Albert poured each of them a glass and he took a large sip of his glass while I waited with my glass expecting him to continue.
"How is Hannah doing, Professor?" asked Albert.
"Hannah is doing well, Albert. Especially in Transfiguration. It makes Minerva so happy she retained her father's talent for the subject," I told him, giving him a comforting smile. It did nothing to diminish his unease.
"Good," was all he said.
Albert seemed to be struggling to place his thoughts. He didn't seem to be as organized as he was supposed to be.
He finally pulled out a picture from his satchel he was carrying. He placed it in front of me and said, "That kid is your answer, Professor. His name is Perseus Achilles Jackson,"
I picked up the picture and on it was a raven haired boy with eyes as green as the sea on a clear day. His hair was all over the place and wet. He must be fourteen and he looked well built. An indication to the fact he was playing muggle sports. Swimming by the looks of the medals and the pool behind him.
"Are you sure, Albert?" I asked him. He looked nothing like the Flamels. A blood test was the only way to prove him true.
"Yes, professor," said Albert. He still looked uneasy.
"Start from the beginning Albert. That way you can keep a flow going," I told him, joining my hands under my chin and placing it on them and waiting.
Albert pulled out more pictures, paper clippings, old parchments, a huge chart and an old tome and finally a bowl. This bowl was full of snake inscriptions and I identified it as what it was immediately. Why he would need it I was not sure.
"How many children did the Flamels have Professor?" asked Albert as he sorted through his pictures.
"Two," I told him unsure where he was going with this, "Julien Flamel and..."
"Matisee Flamel and he went missing on a ship journey with a crew he put together with trusted people," said Albert. I nodded my head.
"This is a picture of him and his crew on the port of Alexandria in Egypt along with their ship Grandiose," said Albert showing him a very old picture.
That was true. Matisee looked exactly like some of the pictures Perenell had with silver blond hair and reddish brown eyes and that scar on his lips from his youth when he fell off a broom. I nodded my head saying I understood.
I was not liking where this was going. There was a reason no one was allowed to travel to Egypt. The past run-ins with the House of Life always ended in violence and bloodshed.
"I don't like this Albert," I told him.
"I said it was a fucking mess, Professor," he told me grinning slightly and he continued.
He pulled another picture from his stack showing me a very pretty Egyptian girl. She had prominent Arabic features and straight jet black hair cut to her jawline, Egyptian style. Her skin was caramel coloured and her eyes were green in coloured.
"Her name is Khepri and she was a magician of the House of Life," said Albert showing him another picture. This one had the both of the aforementioned people kissing after they got married at one of those temples for the Goddess of Magic Hecate. Greece was a whole other range of bullcrap.
I took a long sip of my mead and asked
"Did this.."
"Yes," answered Albert as he sorted through more pictures and one of the parchments.
"Are you.."
"Yes, I checked with those sacred virgins who worship the Goddess of Magic. It's true. They got married there. I got this from them," he said, tapping the picture of their wedding.
He gave me two sets of parchments with three sheets each. They were describing their difficult journey by sea to the west of Argos where they had landed to get married.
"America. That was where they went," said Albert.
"So, they changed their names and made a new family live their life out in America peacefully," I asked him hoping this wouldn't get any worse.
The involvement of the House of Life was already making things difficult to deal with. Michel Desjardins would make a mess and if he found out. We didn't need any more complications along with these.
"I wish. They were Argus and Isis Blackfyre, Professor," said Albert. A shiver went through my back. I jinxed it and it got way worse. The Blackfyre were one of the strongest if not the strongest family in America. They made the Malfoy's and Lestrange's look like stupid kids and Blacks like school bullies when it came to the cruilty, madness and bigotry. Some of them were odd seeds and as time went on they increased but people don't remember that.
The Blackfyre put so many people through so much it was horrifying and it only got worse during Grindelwald's rise. The family was split in half and all of America on fire. Their abilities as fire elementalists were second to none something that came from the Flamel blood no doubt.
I took another long drink and Albert was on his third already.
"Didn't they..."
"Die out, trying to kill each other. Yes, they did or that was what we were made to believe believed,"
"This is Hugo Jackson, great grandfather of Percy Jackson and this is Filius Blackfyre, his great great grandfather," said Albert showing me the pictures. Both of them looked so alike it was enough proof the lad was his son. Filius Blackfyre was against Grindelwald and I was sort of happy he was the one's whose line that survived. A Blackfyre was a Blackfyre. They were hated everywhere even if they came from one of the kindest people known for the last seven hundred years.
"So Percy Jackson is actually a Blackfyre who were actually Flamels and is studying in Ilvermorny as a Halfblood or muggleborn," I summarized.
"Yes and no," said Albert, almost scared now.
"What else Albert?" I asked him and he looked to the bowl while handing me proof to everything we had discussed until then. A diary of one of the most horrifying Dark Wizard in all of History only beaten out by Gellert and Tom, Harold Blackfyre. His diary described in great detail this failsafe plan for his family should it go wrong to seek out the Flamels. It was invaluable information. It descibed in great detail the controliing of Fiendfyre the prefered choice of torture for the Blackfyre's. The things they could do with fire was scary and mesmerizing.
There were papers for Jackson and other accounts for his blood being accepted by the family vault and this fact being kept a secret. Sally Jackson being born to an unknown man and Betty Jackson. Her being taken in by her uncle only for them to die and be taken in by her other uncle and finally Percy and the problems they suffered under Gabe.
I was feeling queasy by the time I was done. There was an idea in my head. A very dangerous idea and I liked it not.
"Albert, the bowl...," I asked him and he nodded. He looked pale. Very pale.
"Yes, professor. You-Know-Who is Sally Jackson's father and Percy Jackson's grandfather. That is the evidence enough to get him to Hogwarts," said Albert
I sat down hard on my chair. I pulled the bottle of mead to me and gulped the whole thing down in one large swig.
This was a huge pile of hot shit that was getting fucked by a herpes infected Pig. This was going to quite literally break the world.
I looked at Albert as he opened his large chart last. I was half expecting the Flamel family chart and never had I hoped I was right as I did than.
On top of the paper was the word Peverell written in golden and three clear lines were showed. The chart was said to be lost to time but there it was. How Albert found it I didn't know but he did. Right from the first brother a line broke out and it went about in red and gold marking it as a bastard line. The line moved a lot and there were empty spaces in the middle until I reached the name Perseus Achilles Peverell-Flamel. Atleast Riddle or Gaunt was absent.
Something else clicked in my head. The Olympia family in America was said to share blood with the Peverells. That family was now on top of the foodchain. So much so that they made their own school out of the infulence of the MACUSA and they could do nothing about it.
The Olympia family had multiple lines and it looked like Percy was part of the one that had Peverell blood in him. Oh, this kid would hold so much sway in the whole Magical world.
"Fucking hell," said Phineaus Black from one of the potraits and I could do nothing but nod.