Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
Chapter 7: Dreams.
A.N. Sorry if this chapter is a little short, and there is no action, but I can't have a battle in every chapter.
Hermione P.O.V.
I couldn't wake up, I tried and tried, but couldn't open my eyes, I could hear shouts around me, people yelling, I felt as if I was thrown. Then I was cold real cold. I don't know what kind of spell I was hit with. I tried really hard to open my eyes, but couldn't, it was almost like someone was stopping me from waking. Then I lost all sense of what was all around me and fell into a deep sleep and had a dream. It was so horrible.
In the dream I saw the same giant I dreamed about before, one of the twins that has Harry, he was standing in what looked like the runes of an old palace, large right marble pillars, surrounded the room, some were broke or chip, some were even missing their top half, some were fine but for a few cracks. There were old broken seats, some missing, some broken in half and some just dusty and stained. The top seats went in a U like shape around the top, they were twelve large seats up there, it was weird because they were all different and looked like thrones of some kind. One was sky blue with cloud designs, and another had waves like an ocean, one next to the cloud one large peacock feathers sitting out of the back, some were bent and some had the tops tore off. In the front of the room was a high platform almost like a stage, might were a play or something use to take place, but now all was up there was the bronze tomb Harry was laying in. I saw old faded tore red curtains hanging on either side of the sage, with an old gold rope as if ready for someone to pull shut after a play.
There was other stuff too, stuff I figured the giants put here, like wooden crates labeled PROPS, WEAPONS, and COSTUMES.
I could hear machinery going in the darkness, huge gears turning, and water running through pipes.
The giant himself wasn't very tall for a giant, just about twelve feet-tall, even Hagrid's half-brother Grewp was taller then him. He had long purple hair, braided in a ponytail of dreadlocks, woven with gold and silver coins, he wore a black turtleneck, black pants and black leather shoes with points that was long and curly, they reminded me of jester shoes, he paced back and forth on the platform examining Harry's bronze tomb.
"No, no, no," The giant muttered to himself, "Where's the splash? Where's the value?" He yelled into the darkness. "Otis!"
I heard shuffling and then the other giant appeared. He wore exactly the same black outfit as the other one. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart if it wasn't for the fact his hair was green and not purple.
The first giant cursed. "Otis, why do you do this to me everyday? I told you I was wearing the black turtleneck today. You could wear anything but the black turtleneck!"
"I thought you were wearing the yellow toga today?" Otis said.
"That was yesterday when you showed up in the yellow toga!"
"Oh. Right. Sorry, Ephie." Otis said.
"Don't call me that!" The other giant snarled. "My name is Ephialtas. Now, how are the preparations coming along?"
"Fine." Otis said, though he didn't sound very enthusiastic. "The man-eating tigers, the spinning blades... But I think a few ballerinas would be nice."
"No ballerinas!" Ephialtas snapped. "And this thing." He waved at the bronze tomb in disgust. "What does it do? It's not exciting."
"But that's the whole point of the show." Otis said. "He dies unless the others rescue him. And if they get here as schedule-"
"Oh they'd better!" Ephialtas said. "Or his death won't be very entertaining. You already messed up, you kidnapped the wrong demigod.."
"Mother forgave me." Otis said. "Worked out better didn't it, Hera walked out on Olympus, they're all arguing among one another; Zeus is fighting with Hades, Aphrodite and Ares fighting with each other, Artemis and Apollo are fighting. There is nothing but Chaos up there. And it's even effected camp. The Aphrodite cabin is fighting with the Hephaestus cabin, the Nemesis cabin is fighting with the Tyche cabin, the Athena cabin is fighting with the Nike cabin. And the best part about that whole thing is the Ares cabin is fighting with everyone, even each other. Mother loves it."
"Yeah well, you're lucky it turned out for the better." Ephialtas said. "Wonder if Hera will show up for the winter solace it's tomorrow." Otis grinned.
"If she doesn't then the gods will be fighting for sure." Otis said. "Mother will love that."
"That she will." Ephialtes agreed. "But this tomb just sits here. Isn't there something to do to make this better, lets suspend it above a fire or dissolve it in a pool of acid or something?"
"We need him alive for a few more days." Otis said. "Or the other six won't show up for him."
"Hmm. I suppose. But it was better when he was screaming for us to let him out." Ephialtas said. "Oh now that was fun, who would think a powerful demigod such as him, would have freaked about being locked up. Pounding on the tomb, and the begging, the best part was when he started begging wanting out, crying and pleading."
"But what I want to know is who was this Uncle Vernon he called us." Otis said. "He said. Please, Uncle Vernon, let me out, I don't know how my hair grew back."
"I think he was having a flashback." Ephialtas decided. "He's been locked up before. But that doesn't matter, who cares, I just wish he hadn't passed out or whatever has made him stop yelling. You don't think he.."
"No, Mother said Hera interfered and put him to sleep." Otis said. "So he wouldn't hurt himself, he already busted his knuckles banging hard on the tomb. He really doesn't like being locked up."
"Which is what makes it that much more fun." Ephialtas said. "Just think if they did get that tomb open so he could get out, he'll be so out of it by then, he'll probably attack his own friends without even realizing what he's doing."
"That's if he ever wakes up." Otis said.
"Come on." Elphialtas said. "We have things to do, we'll worry about the frighten little demigod later." The two giant left the room, and I wanted to see Harry, to see if he was still breathing, so I somehow willed myself inside the tomb.
Harry didn't look good at all, he had lost a lot of the weight he's gained at camp, a lot of his muscles were gone. His hair looked even more messy than usual, and I saw bits of gray in it, his black hoodie was ripped and tore, the sleeves were gone, and the front of it was nothing but shreds, I could see the black t-shirt he wore underneath it, his black jeans were not in better shape, holes at the knees, and the bottom ripped up. Harry was lying with his arms crossed over his stomach, he had a charm bracelet held tightly in his fist. He was very pale and if it wasn't for his stomach barley rising up and down. He would look like a dead person lying in a coffin. I saw a sword lying at his side. I had never seen it before, the middle of the handle was glowing blue. I guessed it was the Blade Of Olympus he had been looking for. The reason Harry went to the Underworld in the first place.
It broke my heart to see him like this. Harry was my very first friend, even when Ron was being a jerk in first year, Harry didn't really say anything bad, beside telling me to mind my own business, he was friendly to me on the train, when I was helping Neville look for his toad. It was Ron that was rude. Harry is the best friend I have, when he was gone in fifth year all Ron and I did was fight, Harry kept the peace between us. And this year too, me and Ron fought like cats and dogs most the time. Ron tends to say things without thinking, and then doesn't understand how someone would be mad or hurt about what he said.
My dream changed and I was now standing in what looked like a clothing store in a mall, but if I was, it must be closed, because there was only one other person here, a woman, she was beautiful, she wasn't too fat or too skinny, her make up was done the right way, her face was perfect, not a single hair out-of-place, she wore designer jeans tucked in tall white boots, with a light blue blouse, made to hang off the shoulders. When she saw me she gave me a big grin. And she was sitting on the make up counter, with one leg crossed over the other, and was holding a small round mirror up to her face, putting on eye shadow.
"Hermione, my sweet." She said. "It's good to finally get to see you." I frowned at the women. "You took long enough to get here, staring at poor little Harry, at first I was afraid, I would have another daughter wanting to fight poor Piper for her guy."
"Um... I'm sorry, but who are you?" I asked. The women lowered her mirror and frowned at me.
"Have you not figured it out." She asked. "With brains like yours, you take it after your father you know." She put the eye shadow down and picked up blush.
"My... my father?" I asked. She nodded.
"He was the best lover I ever had." She said, now putting blush on her other cheek. "I would have been willing to keep up the affair for years, but I got tired of competing with his books." She put down the blush and picked up a tube of pink lipstick. "All he ever wanted to down was snuggle up together and read." She shivered. "Have you ever heard of a gorgeous nerd, Hermione? That's what your father was."
"Are you... are you Aphrodite?" I asked. She smiled.
"Mm," She said. "Your father was so smart I had to fight with Athena for him. She was after his brain.. Me I was after his body, I won of course. Even if he was hardly ever in the mood for sex, he was still a man, he still had needs, and what man wouldn't choose the goddess they can touch over the one they can't."
"So my birth dad was real smart like me." I asked.
"Yes, and gorgeous along with it." She said. "He used those looks to put himself through Harvard you know."
"But... where is he now?" I asked. "Why did he give me up? Didn't he want me?" Aphrodite suddenly looked sad.
"Oh, sweetie, he did." She said. "He chose to keep you after you were born, he named you, you know. Took the name from Greek myth. Poor guy never had much family, his own father abounded him when he was a kid, and his mother was nothing but a drunk, he wanted to spoil you, give you the love he never had from his parents, but when you were about six months old he died. Car crash after just dropping you off at the babysitter's on his way to work."
"Oh," I said. Feeling a little sadden about that.
"But you had great adopted parents didn't you?" Aphrodite asked. "They came to America and adopted you and took you back to England, they were kind. You've had a better life than most demigods."
"I... I guess. I do love my parents." I said. Aphrodite smiled.
"Now back to poor Harry." She said. "That tomb he's in, was made by my husband. You're not going to get it open... unless."
"Unless what?" I asked.
"You take a little detour to my husband's workshop, and convince him to tell you how you can break through the tomb." Aphrodite said." it won't be easy. He never has been one for talking to demigods or anyone for that matter. Have your guy ask him, he might be more willing to tell him. Leo is his favorite son."
"Leo isn't my guy." I said. "I can't stand him."
Aphrodite gave me a little grin. "My sweet, don't be so hard on poor Leo, he hasn't had a very good life." I frowned.
"What do you mean?" I asked. Aphrodite grinned.
"Ooh, I knew you really liked him." She said. I couldn't stop the blush that came on my face.
"I do not." I denied. Aphrodite laughed, then her face turned serious.
"His mother died when he was little." She began. "From a fire he accidentally started. Poor child had to watch his mom burn up in her workshop, then his Aunt Rosa refused to take him in, said he was the devil's child. He lived on the streets, because he kept running away from ever foster home he was put in. His first real friend had been Piper, they met in the Wilderness school, and came to camp together. He became friends with Jason Grace, but no one else was really friendly to him, he didn't become friends with Percy and Annabeth until Harry came to camp, and Leo befriended Harry. The first guy to never treat Leo like an outsider, like he really belonged there. The poor guy feels like an outsider even in his own cabin. The first girl he really liked dumped him just two-weeks after they started dating for a son of Ares."
"Lue Ellen." I said. "But Leo doesn't act as if any of that bothers him. All he dose his joke around."
"Did Harry ever show how much he hated the Dursely's or how he hated having to go back there every summer?" Aphrodite asked.
"No, he never talked about them, or what he did during the summer, except for maybe a little comment here or there." I said.
"Right, honey, men are not good at showing their feelings." Aphrodite said. "Especially men who have been hurt as much as Leo and Harry have." I didn't know what to say to that, so I stayed silent, Aphrodite had a point. I didn't figure she would be smart, being the goddess of love and beauty.
"Och," I cried out my right hand was suddenly hurting real bad and felt stiff, I could barely move my fingers.
"Oh, dear, you're waking up." Aphrodite said, she looked suddenly sad. "You will be in a lot of pain, your hand has frostbite, from laying so long in the snow. They covered you up, but never noticed your hand had fallen out of the cover and was lying in the snow for over an hour." She gave me a sad smile, "trust Leo, he'll know what do to. Oh and I will take care of Umbridge for you, no one puts an ugly scar on one of my daughters."
My mother faded as I suddenly woke up, moaning in pain. My right hand was itching and painful with white, yellow and red patches all over it. I whimpered, and Leo was immediately standing next to me.
"Bookworm." He cried. "You're awake," he frowned when he saw my tears. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"My.. My hand." I said. I felt so awful on top of my hand, I was sore all over, and sick, and I was pretty sure I had a fever. But my hand was the worst.
"Annabeth said you have frostbite." Leo said. "She said the best thing for it was.." Leo suddenly blushed. "To warm it up with something warm or body heat, that's why Marauder is lying next to you." I looked down to see Marauder was lying by my side. I couldn't figure out why I hadn't noticed it before. "But.. I think I can help your hand if... you trust me." I looked in Leo eyes, thinking about what Aphrodite said, to trust Leo, and to give him a chance. Maybe I could at least try. I gave a silent nod. Leo looked shocked at first, but then grinned a little. He walked around to my other side, then he took a deep breath and without looking at me, he gently picked up my hand and held it in his palm and then covered it with his other hand. I was surprised at how warm his hands were. I think he was making them warm himself, with his fire ability.
"I would rub it, but Annabeth said that can make it worse." Leo said. "I'm from Texas so I don't know much about frostbite. I just wish I had noticed that one of your hands had fallen out of the blanket."
"It's not... it's not your fault." I said. Leo looked at me surprised for a moment, then looked away, his cheeks a little red. I understood all too well about being an outcast, kids at my old muggle school or the ones that lived on my street always made fun of me for being so smart, when I went to Hogwarts I had hoped that would change, but in the wizardry world I was even more of an outcast being the mudblood know-it-all, my only friends were Harry, and Ron, the only girl who liked me was Ginny. And now that I have been claimed by Aphrodite, I will be even more of an outcast, Piper will probably be the only one in that cabin who will be friendly to me. And when it comes to my parents I think deep down I always knew they weren't my real ones. I always felt like an outsider at every one of our family events. Nobody else in the Granger family had my bushy hair or in my mum's side of the family. The other family members knew I was adopted. I know that now. It's why none of my suppose of cousins would play with me. None of the Aunts or Uncles even showed that they knew I was there. The only one besides my parent who was nice was my grandma Granger. But then she died when I was eight and that left me nobody.
"I feel sick." I said.
"Annabeth said you have pneumonia." Leo said. "If I had gotten the ship fixed faster, then you wouldn't be so sick."
"Don't... blame yourself." I said. I suddenly shivered and Marauder raised up and laid across me. Leo didn't say anything, he just stood at my side warming my hand up frowning.
"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Where am I? What part of the ship?"
"The sickbay." Leo said. "Annabeth, Percy and Piper are in the meeting room going over something, Ron said he was going to bed, Nico and Luna is off doing whatever it is Nico and Luna do, those are two weirdos, oh and I am right here." Leo finally gave me that cocky grin of his.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"About one in the afternoon." Leo said. "You slept most the day. I was getting worried. I thought you were never going to wake up." I smiled a little at that. Leo sounded so worried.
"I'm fine, Leo." I assured him. "You don't have to worry." Leo smiled down at me. My hand was already starting to feel better. I was getting a little sleepy and remembered my dream, and what Aphrodite said about talking to Hephaestus. I needed to tell someone, before I fell back to sleep.
"Leo," I said.
"Yeah, my little bookworm." Leo said. Usually that would make me mad, but for some reason I thought it was sweet.
"I had this dream. Well two actually." I then explained to him about all my dreams, what I saw in the dream about Harry and the giants, then I ended with Aphrodite saying we need to go ask Hephaestus about opening the tomb.
Leo frowned. "I've only seen my dad in couple dreams, never in person. I don't know how much I could get him to tell me. Or where to find him." He cursed. "We're never going to get to Uncle Harry."
"Leo, has Harry ever mentioned the Dursleys to you?" I asked. Leo frowned, and I could tell by the look on his face he knew something. "What do you know, Leo? Aphrodite hinted to them mistreating Harry."
"Hermione, I don't know if it's a good idea..."
"Please, Leo." I pleaded. "Harry's the first friend I ever had. I want... I need to know." Leo sighed and he uncovered my hand long enough to run his hand through his hair.
"Harry has never told me." Leo said covering my hand back up with his. "But I heard from Nico that the wind god told them that Harry's Uncle use to beat him and lock him up in a cupboard. And wouldn't give him any food to eat."
"Merlin," I whispered, tears falling down my face. "Poor Harry."
"Hey, now don't cry." Leo said. "Harry is fine now, he's away from all that. And Padfoot takes good care of him, he's a good dad. Lets Uncle Harry by with a little too much if you ask me. Spoils him too much too. Let his girlfriend move in with him, does whatever Harry wants. And who in their right mind buys a teenager a Harley for their sixteenth birthday."
I laughed a little. "You call Sirius, Padfoot?"
"Percy and Jason do too." Leo said. "Percy mostly, he's closer to Sirius than any of us. Him and Annabeth. You remember Clarisse, that girl from the Ares cabin?"
I nodded I didn't really care too much for her she was.. A little too mean. But she did seem worried about Harry, which shocked Percy. I guess she and Harry didn't really get along.
"Harry told me she has a little crush on Sirius." Leo said.
"What?" I asked.
"Yeah, when he went on a quest with them and Nico, she would blush whenever Sirius was around, she denies it of course."
"I think Sirius is trying too hard to make up for the times he couldn't be there for Harry." I said.
"Then what's his excess for buying Percy a car for his birthday." Leo asked.
"Sirius did what?" I demanded. Leo smirked.
"Percy's birthday was a few weeks after Harry, August something, and Harry had wanted to give Percy a surprise party like they did him. It wasn't as big, just Percy's mom and a few of Percy's demigod friends and Tyson. Sirius waited to last to give Percy's his gift. Which was an ocean blues Corvette. His mom wouldn't let him keep it though, said it was way too much. But I think it's still secretly Percy's, because Sirius never took it back to the car lot, it's parked next to his and Harry's bikes. I've even seen Percy drive it."
"Sirius has more galleons than he does brains." I said. Leo laughed and we fall silent.
"Aphrodite said, I stared at Harry too long." I said. "Said she was affraid Piper had another sister to fight her over Harry, what did she mean by that?"
"Oh, Piper had this sister Drew, who tried to kill Harry because he choose Piper over her." Leo said.
"What?" I demanded.
"Drew was jealous of Piper." Leo explained. "She made fun of her, she was disliked by most the camp. But anyway she hated Piper the moment she came to camp, Piper even fought her to be head of Aphrodite. When Harry came to camp Drew made fun of him, even after Apollo fixed his eye sight and Aphrodite gave him a makeover. She made fun of Piper for liking him, but it all turned out Drew was just pretending, she was actually... well I don't want to say in love with Harry, more like obsessed with him. After that big battle we had at camp, Harry was in the infirmary; because he had gotten hurt, he woke up to Drew trying to stab him, he fought her and Marauder chased her outside. Where the whole camp heard Drew yell she did it because if she couldn't have Harry then no one could. She even went after Harry again in front of everyone. If it hadn't been for Clarisse grabbing her arm, she would have stabbed him in front all of us."
"Goodness." I said. "What happen to this Drew?"
"No one knows." Leo said. "She ran off before Chiron could take her before the gods to see what they wanted to do with her. Turns out she had let the Monsters into the camp, and had the Dark Mark, she had become a Death Eater to get back at Harry for not liking her."
I just shook my head, what some people wouldn't do just because a boy doesn't like them. I was starting to get even more sleepy, so my eyes started closing, but I tried to keep them open, because I was enjoying talking to Leo when he wasn't acting all crazy and joking around.
"Bookworm, if you're sleepy go on to sleep." Leo said, then grinned. "I'll be here when you wake up." He took his hand off mine and pushed some of my hair out of face. He hesitated a few times, before bending over and touching his lips to mine. It wasn't a real kiss, basically just his lips touching mine, but I liked it anyway, his lips were warm just like his hands, and his breath smelled like peppermint breath mints. He pulled away too quickly for me to respond to it. And covered my hand back up, trying to warm my hand up slowly. When I closed my eyes I noticed him frowning at the: I will not tell lies" scar that was on my hand. Made by Umbridge's quill. I guess that was the scar Aphrodite was talking about, because I didn't have any others.
When I fell asleep I had another dream, this one was of Umbridge, she was sitting at a desk, in what looked like an office, she was covered in doves, they were on her shoulder and on her head. She was writing with that same quill that left scars on my hand, and every time she stopped, the doves would started peaking at her real hard, until she started writing again, her hand was already scaring, blood was dripping from the scars, she even had some scars bleeding on her face from where the doves peaked her. I almost felt sorry for her, almost. I took a step closer to see what she was writing and almost laughed, over and over on the parchment, write over a hundred times was the words: I AM A TOAD.
A.N. Hope that was good, the next chapter will be in the bad guys P.O.V, so we can see what they're up too.