Immediately, Percy felt chills on his back as he made eye contact with someone, he held his wand out. "There is someone there. Someone watching, by the bushes." He said.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked and Percy gave him a sharp look. "We look like muggles."

"Muggles who just put flowers on your parents' grave." Hermione said and looked over at Percy, "Besides, I don't think you can call Percy a muggle."

Percy let out an amused breath and gave her a cheeky smile. He dropped the invisibility cloak over them as they reached the gate without feeling paranoid. Feeling eyes on you is never good, in the Greek world nor in the magic world. They moved when Hermione asked a question, but both of Harry and Percy's eyes laid on a wrecked house.

Rubble laid scattered among the high grass and most of the house was covered in snow and ivy, the three stood by the gate. "I wonder why nobody's ever rebuilt it." Hermione whispered and Percy let out a breath.

"To remember." He said quietly, the one thing in ruins was the mountain Otherys. Harry walked over and slipped a hand out from under the house, he put it over the rusted gate and Percy stopped Hermione from reaching out. He knows what it's like to know you had a future in a place, only to be so brutally reality checked.

Then it revealed a sign. Magical graffiti showed their support to Harry. The two smiled, it was nice to know that someone has your back. Then Percy swiveled his head toward a shadow. He could see that it was a woman, moving slowly. The woman was staring at the house and in that moment the three knew that she was no muggle.

She then beckoned at them and Percy put a hand over his pen, as he held his wand in another hand. The woman then gestures at them again, more vigorously. "Are you Bathilda?" He questioned and the woman nodded.

Nervously, the two stepped after her but Percy didn't like it at all, the smell reminded him of the battlefield and he grasped his wand tighter. Her grass was overgrown, but the woman was a witch, she could walk and gesture meaning that she could cut the grass.

Percy kept a hand near the two of his friends. "She looks dead." He whispered to Hermione who looked at him with silent horror. "The blue knuckles-"

"Can be from the cold." She countered.

"I still don't like it," He said stiffly. Harry called out her name again and she nodded, she shuffled past them and pushed Percy and Hermione aside as if she didn't see them. "Neither do I." Hermione said.

"Look at the size of her, I think we could overpower her if we need to." Harry argued.

Percy raised his eyebrow at him, "Really? A wizard caring about the size of someone." He shook his head, "She is no giant but she can still be powerful." Then a small hiss sounded and Hermione jumped.

"It's okay." Harry said and led the way into the sitting room. Bathilda was still walking around the place, lighting candles. It was dirty, and very dark.

Percy shook his head, "I don't like this." He said, louder. Not caring if dear old Bathilda had heard it. "That's the smell of rotten flesh. She's not using magic." He accused her. Hermione nodded from beside him.

Despite his accusations, Harry continued to light her candles and when he saw a photograph, he held it up to Bathilda and asked, "Who is this?"

Percy recognized the man instantly and squinted at the woman, looking if she would answer. "Harry, come here." He ordered as the woman didn't answer. Harry stared back at him, defiantly. Then the boy winced as he put a hand over his scar.

After their stare off, Percy was shaken out of it as he saw the old body collapse and a great snake poured from the place where her neck had been. The snake opened its mouth and revealed its pointy teeth.

"Flipendo maxima." Percy casted and shot the giant snake through the room and away from them. "Get here, Harry!" He repeated and the scarred boy walked to Percy, his back never turning from the snake.

Then the snake pounced out of nowhere, Harry didn't see it coming but held his wand up. "He's coming!" Harry screamed, and then he collapsed in Hermione's arm. For good measure, Percy stunned and shot back the snake before holding onto both of them.

Crack

—

Percy pulled Harry over his shoulder as they landed a few feet from the tent, he held Hermione's hand as they walked. He walked carefully and slower than before, not wanting to wake up the boy.

Then the boy started to moan and shout.

Percy had seen it all before. The terrors of repressed memories. He put him down in his bunk and Hermione immediately took a bucket with water along with a sponge. Without much talking, he warmed up the bucket of water.

Hermione started to wipe his face with shaking hands. Percy squatted down to her level and put a hand over her hand. "I'll do it." He whispered and slowly took the sponge from her. "Go sleep," He whispered, "You haven't done that in a while, I'll cast a silencing spell."

Percy moved over to kiss her forehead, "Don't worry." He whispered and her shoulder's immediately let go of the tension. The girl nodded soundlessly and walked to their bunk. Percy smiled and waved his hand, casting the silencing charm. Harry's moans and screams fell on the deaf ears of Hermione.

After hours, Hermione had woken up just a single time, looking at her boyfriend. He shook his head and continued to wipe Harry's sweating face. The girl looked concerned and lost but Percy walked over to her, squatting before her, where she sat in their bunk.

"It's normal, love." He whispered, "It happened to many demigods, including me." reaching up, he tugged the hair that fell in front of her face behind her ears. "He's just revisiting memories, or going through his terrors. The best thing you could do is just be there for him when he wakes up."

The girl nodded.

Percy smiled at her and stood up, leaning over to press a kiss against her cheek, only for her to turn her head and kiss him on the lips. "I love you." She whispered. The boy repeated the words back to her before sitting at Harry's side. Wiping his face from the sweat.

Soon, some light fell into the tent and Percy realized that the sun was rising. "Wake up." He said and shook the boy.

Then blown out pupils stared at him, he still had the same green eyes. "Harry, what were you dreaming about?" Percy asked.

"Nothing." The boy lied.

Percy gave him a look and Harry sighed, "Him." He answered, "Killing my parents and trying to kill me." The godling put a hand on his back and rubbed it. "How long ago did we leave?"

"Hours, it's nearly morning." He answered. "You've been unconscious during that time, aside from all the shouting and moaning." His eyes turned to the mark on Harry's chest, "I had to use a severing charm on it, to get it off of you. The snake nicked you, but I've already cleaned that wound."

Percy looked up at the sleeping body of Hermione, "She's been quite worried." He whispered and pushed back the boy who moved to stand up. "Stay." He ordered.

"I'll take a watch." He complained, "You should sleep, out of all people. I know you've been awake for more than a day."

"I've had worse, Harry." Percy countered.

"Where is my wand?" Gods, the boy was stubborn. Is that what he was like, years ago?

"I've tried to mend it," Percy started and took out two pieces of wood that barely hung together.

"Try again."

"Reparo." Percy casted. It did little to the wand. He watched as Harry tried to cast some spells but all it did was reflect horribly. "I-," Percy started, "The knockback jinx, it must've hit your wand and the snake."

"It was an accident." Harry said mechanically and Percy's breath hitched as it reminded him of when he had to tell Nico the news about his sister. "We'll find a way to repair it."

The godling's eyes casted down at the wand, "I don't think we're going to be able to do so." He whispered.

"Well, I'll borrow yours then. While I keep watch."

Percy grabbed his wand and shook his head, "I can't let you do that, Harry." He whispered, "This is too powerful for you, made for only me and Hermione."

"Why Hermione?" Harry spit out, his temper was rising a bit.

"Because she's my soulmate, Harry." He countered, "I share nearly everything with her. My patronus and such." He looked down at his wand and back up at Harry, "Besides, this was blessed by my father and a goddess. You can't withstand that power."

Percy stood up, his wand in his back pocket and he pushed Harry down in the bed again, "I'll get Hermione to take watch, you can ask for her wand after." He said and walked over to Hermione and shook her lightly.

The girl opened her eyes and looked over at Harry, relief spread through her body and she sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

Percy rolled his eyes. "You were asking the snake who the guy in the picture was." He said and Harry nodded, "That's my great-grandfather, Gellert Grindelwald. He had a fascination with the deathly hallows."

—

"That sign by the grave." Percy started as he put stew in everyone's bowl, "Is a sign of the deathly hallows. It's a story that my grandfather told me, when he still was a bit sane." He chuckled and sat down.

"I now realized why Dumbledore left you that in your will, Hermione. The Tales of Beedle and the Bard. It's a retelling of the origin of the Hallows." He sighed, "I forgot at first, because grandfather was adamant we know the original story."

"Tell us the story." Hermione said. Percy could see that she was a bit angry with him, to have the sign right under their nose only for him to tell days later. "Three Peverell brothers were traveling, and reached a river too dangerous to cross. They were trained in the arts or magic so they just created a bridge.

They were stopped by Death. Who felt cheated, as most travelers drown in the river. Death is a great liar, he pretended to congratulate them on being clever enough to congratulate them and offered them a powerful magical item.

The first brother wished to have the most powerful wand. Death broke off a branch from a nearby elder tree and created him the Elder Wand." He said and looked at the fire, a wave with his wand and the small story showed itself. "The second, out of arrogance, wanted to humiliate Death even further. The power to bring loved ones from the grave." The shadowy person reached out to grab a stone from the river. "That created the Resurrection Stone. A stone capable of bringing the dead back to the living."

Percy sighed and looked at the tent, where the cloak was hidden inside. "The third brother, a humble man, did not trust anyone and wished to leave without being followed by death. Death gave him a cloak, capable of invisibility. A cloak that never lost its power through curses or age."

"What happened to the brothers?" Harry asked.

"The oldest, traveled to a wizarding village where he killed the man he once dueled with. He then boasted about the power." Percy took in a breath, "The brother's throat was slit in his sleep by another wizard who stole the Elder Wand."

"The brother with the stone, he brought back the woman he loved." He looked down in the fire, not wanting to look at Hermione and wanting to imagine her dead. "She was a pale imitation, the dead do not belong in the living. Life was cold, lifeless and miserable without her. So he committed suicide, to truly join her. Until death do us part."

"The youngest, used the cloak to hide from Death for a long time. When he was an old man, the cloak was passed onto his son and he greeted Death as an old friend. He then went with him, to the next world. Cloak was passed down through the Peverells, the wand from wizard to wizard, always murdered by its previous owner."

Percy looked at his wand, and the fire showed the real wand, "It's been called 'The Death Stick' and the 'Wand of Destiny'. I do not know what happened to the stone, but I imagine it was passed down."

Harry picked up Hermione's wand and nodded at the two of them, "I'll take the watch. Get back in the warmth, you two."

Hermione and Percy looked at each other and stood up, he held open the tent flap and quickly changed into his pajamas. "My wand is yours," He whispered to her before putting it down on the table.

The girl took in a breath and leaned up to press a kiss to his jaw, "Thank you, love." They laid side by side, and Percy pulled her closer to him.

He put her head on his chest, "Have you ever thought about it? Just leaving and living it out at the house." He whispered, "Have children?" that he asked quietly.

"Two, maybe three." She whispered back, "Depends if I'm going to be busy."

Percy smiled, amused. "Busy doing what?"

"Busy working for the ministry" She replied. Percy let out a breath, amused and leant down to kiss her forehead.

"Of course." He whispered. "Good night, love."

"Good night."

—

"I'm hearing people out." Percy whispered as he held his pen out. Half an hour later they had their tent packed. They disapparated and slammed onto what felt like frozen earth covered with leaves. He chuckled when he looked around. "Is this?"

"Yes." Hermione bit her lip as she smiled, she was tugging out the tent poles from her beaded bag. "Dad looked forward to taking you here."

"The forest of Dean." Percy informed Harry. "By Hermione's dad's standards, the best forest to camp in." Snow laid on the trees and it was cold, almost bitterly cold. At least the trees protected them from the wind.

They stayed there for two nights. Percy noticed that Harry was looking restless and Hermione was looking rested. He watched over Harry's shoulder and onto the map, "That works out here?" He questioned.

"Yes." Harry said quietly, as he watched Ginny's dot.

Percy put a hand on his shoulder, "She'll be fine." He whispered, "You know she's as stubborn as Ron is."

Harry chuckled at the thought of it. Before Percy turned around to join Hermione in bed, a bright silver light appeared right ahead of them, moving through the trees. Whatever it was, it was quiet.

Harry jumped to his feet and Percy threw stones into the tent, trying to wake Hermione up. "A silver doe." Percy whispered and he felt the urge to send Artemis a small prayer. "It's a patronus." The animal and Harry looked at each other before it turned and walked away.

"No," Harry called out, "Come back." Before Percy knew it, Harry was running after it.

"Hermione!" He called out one more time before running after Harry. He walked over to the figure and looked as Harry dropped to his knees in front of the icy pool. "No!" Harry sat by the edge, Hermione's wand lit up besides him.

Percy pulled him back and dropped into the water instead. At first, his body screamed because of the cold but he quickly reached out for the silver handle that Harry was staring at. His fingers closed around the hilt and he pulled it upwards. Then he realized that it was the Horcrux.

Percy's eyes widened and he propelled himself onto the rocky side, his fingers tugging at the chain around his neck. Finally he pulled it off from around his neck and he looked up at his girlfriend breathlessly, not the, oh look at my girlfriend breathlessly but I've just gotten choked by a chain breathlessly.

"Are you mental?" She screamed out and started hitting his chest. Percy's hair was plastered to his face, one hand had the sword and the other was the Horcrux.

"Why the hell, didn't you take this thing off before you dived?" Ron panted. Percy blinked at the appearance of the ginger.

"Because Harry was going into the damn water." rasped out Percy. "Who else do you think can be unaffected by the cold?" He involuntarily shivered and Hermione threw her arms around him. Harry and Ron continued their conversation.

The sword was taken out of his hands and after some arguing Ron had it in his hands. Hermione went inside to get some of the heat, maybe new warmer clothes. Percy was fine, he was dry and the remaining water healed the bruise around his neck.

Harry hissed and the golden locket swung open wide with a click. Behind of the glass window blinked a living eye, Percy does not fuck with that, "Stab it!" He shouted out. Ron raised the sword with shaking hands.

Then a voice hissed, "I've seen your heart, and it is mine."

Don't listen to it!" Harry said harshly.

"Stab it!" Percy urged.

"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible."

"Stab it!"

"Least loved, always, by the mother who craves a daughter. Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend… Second best, always, eternally overshadowed."

Percy raised his eyebrow, but Harry bellowed at the ginger, "Ron, stab it now!" He raised the sword higher but the eye in the locket widened.

Out of the locket bloomed two bodies, Percy's and Hermione's. The fake them's were distorted and Ron yelled in shock and backed away. "Why return? We were better without you, happier without you, glad of your absence…We laughed at you, your stupidity, cowardice, your presumption-" Fake Percy said, and the real godling watched in silent horror.

"Presumption!". Hermione echoed. "Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter? What have you ever done to compare with the Chosen one? Who are you even, compared with the Boy Who Lived?"

"Ron, stab it." Percy screamed out. But he didn't move, his eyes were wide and both of the fake bodies were reflected in them.

"Your mother confessed." Fake-Percy said, "That she would have preferred me as a son, would be glad to exchange."

"Who wouldn't prefer him, what woman would take you, you are nothing, nothing, nothing to him." Fake-Hermione said and wrapped her arms around Fake-Percy and kissed him.

Ron's face filled with anguish and he raised the sword high, his arms were shaking. "Do it Ron!" Harry yelled.

The sword plunged into the Horcrux and Harry threw himself away from the metal. The cursed item let out a long scream, the fake versions of him and Hermione were gone. There only stood Ron with the sword, weakly in his grip. On the rock was the remains of the locket.

Ron was breathing heavily, Harry picked up the locket. After that, Ron dropped the sword and sank to his knees, his hands in his arms. "She cried for days." Percy spoke up, hoarsely. "I couldn't do anything for her."

"She's like my sister." Harry said, "I love her like a sister and I reckon she feels the same way about me, about you as well." The lightning-scarred boy looked back at Percy. "They're soulmates, Ron."

Ron didn't respond, but turned his face away from Harry and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I'm sorry." Ron said, and looked at Percy. "I'm sorry I left. I know I was a-"

"You've made up for it, tonight." Percy said, "Finishing off the Horcrux." Finally they walked up to the tent, after a short while they found it. Hermione stepped out with sweaters in her hands and she let out a breath.

She pushed the sweaters into the hands of Harry and flung her arms around Percy, "You bloody idiot." She whispered, "I was worried." Then she let go of him and turned to Ron. Started punching every inch she could reach. "You-" punch, "Complete arse." another punch, "Ronald Weasley!" punch.

Percy watched with wide eyes as she searched for her wand, he quickly reached over to grab their shared wand. She looked at Harry with wide eyes, the only thing on her mind was her wand and she looked ready to get it.

"Protego!" Harry casted between Hermione and Ron. Percy blinked and watched as he leant back, he was not getting between an angry Hermione because he knows that he'll help her the moment she asks.

"Hermione, calm-" Harry tried and Percy winced.

"Don't you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!" she screeched. "Don't you dare! Give it back now! And you!" She then pointed at Ron, accusingly. Neither boys could blame Ron for taking a few steps back. "I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back! Do you know how embarrassing that was! How desperate I must've looked!"

"I know." Ron said, "Hermione, I'm sorry, i'm really-"

"Oh you're sorry! Oh he's sorry!" She laughed out and Ron looked at Percy for help. The godling shook his head. "You come back after weeks, and you think it's going to be alright if you just say sorry?"

"Well, what else can I say?" Ron shouted.

"Oh I don't know! Rack your brains, Ron, that should only take a couple of seconds." Percy's eyes widened at this and he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Love." He whispered as he started to rub her tense shoulder, "There isn't much else that he can say, is there?"

"Yes, but-"

"But he left." Percy agreed with her, "But he's back now. Your best friend is back." He pressed a soft kiss to her hair, "He's back."

"What if we were dead?" She asked Ron quietly, not pulling away from Percy's embrace.

"I knew you weren't!" Ron said, and defended himself, the shield charm disappeared between them. "Harry's all over the Prophet, all over the radio, they're looking for you everywhere." He turned to look at his friend, "All these rumors and mental stories, I knew I'd hear straight off if you were dead, you don't know what it's been like-"

That got Hermione going again as Percy had let her go. "What's it been like for you?" she questioned. Percy pulled her back again, grimacing as she didn't calm down like before in her arms.

"I wanted to come back the minute I had disapparated, but I walked into a gang of Snatchers, Hermione, and I couldn't go anywhere."

"A gang of what?" Harry asked.

Percy pulled Hermione into a comforting hug as she shook out of anger, or something else. He didn't forget her encounter with the men. "Snatchers," Ron repeated, "They're everywhere, gangs trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors. There is a reward from the Ministry for everyone captured. I had to talk fast to get out of being dragged to the Ministry."

"What did you say to them?" Harry asked.

"Told them I was Stan Shunpike." Ron and Harry continued to talk. While Percy just led Hermione to the small kitchen and prepared some tea for her, the perfect temperature and just the way she liked it. He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"We went to Godric's Hollow." Hermione said as Ron showed his splinching wounds. "Let's think of what happened there, You-Know-Who's snake turned up, nearly trying to kill us. We got out of there just before You-Know-Who arrived."

"What?" Ron gaped at her.

"Imagine losing fingernails, Harry! That really puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it?" Percy frowned at Hermione but looked at Harry and shook his head, she needed to get it out of her system. "One thing that I would like to know, though. How exactly did you find us tonight? That's important. Once we know, we'll be able to make sure we're not visited by anyone else we don't want to see."

Ron glared at her and pulled out the Deluminator, "It just doesn't turn the lights on and off. I don't know why it works or why it happened then and not any other time, because I've been wanting to come back ever since I left. I was listening to the radio really early on Christmas morning and I heard you-" He turned to look at Harry.

"You heard me on the radio?" Harry asked, incredulously.

"No, I heard you coming out of my pocket, your voice." He held up the device, "Came out of this." Ron continued to explain himself while Percy sipped his tea, he didn't really care how or what happened but rather that Ron was back.

Percy yawned and blinked as Ron's explanation was over and Harry grabbed the locket from out of his pocket. She picked it up and examined its punctured windows. "Did you just say that you got away from the Snatchers with a spare wand."

"What?" Questioned Ron. "Oh yeah." He opened his rucksack and pulled out a short, dark wand. "Here." He held it out to Harry, "I figured it's always handy to have a backup."

"You were right." said Harry, who had grabbed the wand. "Mine's broken."

"You're kidding?" Ron said. At that moment, Hermione got to her feet and squeezed Percy's hand before climbing back into their bunk and settling down without another word.

"Could've been worse." Ron shrugged. Percy shook his head in amusement before joining Hermione in bed.

"I could've been, couldn't it?" He repeated back to her with a smile.

She rolled her eyes, the anger fading from her tense muscles as she wrapped an arm around his chest, "I've been thinking about setting some birds on him."

—

The next morning was full of dirty looks and pointed silences. Ron and Harry escaped Hermione's dirty looks as they went scouring for blackberries, leaving Percy alone with her.

They cuddled in the bed, Percy's arms were around Hermione's. He had missed this, and the way that Hermione sunk into him told him that she missed it as well. Eventually, Percy fell asleep, his head leaning back against the wood of the bunk while Hermione stayed in his arms, reading a book.

When he woke up, they were talking about the deathly hallows, Hermione was adamant that it wasn't real but Percy just shook his head, "It's real, love." He whispered. "Harry's cloak is the cloak."

"But-"

"It is the truth." He put a hand on her knee, "My great-grandfather had the wand." Hermione continued to look through a book. "Marvolo Gaunt!" Harry cried out after he started reading from over her shoulder.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Marvolo Gaunt! You-Know-Who's grandfather! In the Pensieve! With Dumbledore! Marvolo Gaunt said he was descended from the Peverells!" Harry exclaimed. "The ring became the Horcrux, Marvolo Gaunt said. It had the Peverell coat of arms on it! I saw him waving it in the bloke from the Ministry's face, he nearly shoved it up his nose!"

"The Peverell coat of arms?" Hermione asked, sharply, "Could you see what it looked like?" Then Harry continued to the realization that his ancestor was the third brother.

"You-Know-Who's after the Elder Wand." Percy breathed out. "It's a damned quest." He groaned and laid back into the bed. Then they continued to talk, Hermione still sounded sketchy about the whole idea of the Deathly Hallows.

Then Ron continued talking about the damned radio and put it on, Percy kept laying on the bed as the three inched forward to listen to the radio. "But did you hear what Fred said?" Harry asked excitedly as soon as the broadcast was over. "He's abroad! He's still looking for the Wand, I knew it!"

"Harry-"

"Come on, Hermione. I know that you don't think that Vol-"

"No!" Percy shot up, his eyes wide.

"-demort's after the Elder Wand!"

"The name's Taboo!" Ron bellowed, and leapt to his feet. "I told you, Harry, I told you, we can't say it anymore" He took in a breath "We've got to put the protection back around us, quickly, it's how they find-"But Ron stopped talking, and Percy knew why.

The Sneakoscope on the table had lit up and begun to spin. They could hear voices coming nearer and nearer, rough, excited voices.

Ron pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and clicked it: Their lamps went out. "Come out of there with your hands up!" came a rasping voice through the darkness. "We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don't care who we curse!"

They each held up their wands. Then a burst of light, Harry buckled in agony, blinded. "Get up, vermin." Some hands took Harry from the ground up and took his wand. Percy was outside when he saw a swollen Harry being lifted up.

"Get off of her!" Percy exclaimed as he kept fighting back. The ground was starting to shake.

"No! Leave him alone, leave him alone!"

"I swear on the styx!" Percy called out and thunder rolled in. A flash of light and his tongue was tied to the roof of his tongue. The thunderclouds rolled away.

"Delicious a treat…I do enjoy the softness of the skin..." Percy's stomach aches as he hears those words.

"Search the tent!" Another voice called out. He got out of the rope curse and headbutted the snatcher in front of him before another flash of light bursted out.

Immediately, he was shot back into the ground. Knocked out.