Chapter 3: The Infinite Azure

Sorry for the delay, I guess. I don't really mean the apology, I was busy with life, hence no updates, that is all there is to it.

People had talked a lot about OOC Percy. Well, this is as close as I can get to making Percy canon-ish without ruining this story. If you still have complaints about Percy's character, I can't, and won't do anything else in regard to changing his behaviour to match your expectations.

Anything else, I am open to; your reviews help and motivate me a lot :)

Read, review, favourite, follow, share!

Happy Birthday, Percy!

Beta'd by Adrien Zviaguine. What a King.

~KloseKom

8.7k words approx.

As he gazed into the mirror, Percy saw his familiar green eyes staring back at him. They had the same soft glow as his father's. Percy was dressed in regal robes that looked impressive but made him feel stiff and constrained. It was all a bit too formal for his taste.

These robes that is. Robert had assured him he would grow into it, but it was of utmost importance that he wore them this evening.

Despite his initial hesitation, he had agreed to wear them, if only to satisfy the Montforts. This would only be his second time out in the Magical world, and his first ever proper interaction with magical people. Well, he could at least try to make a good impression on those he'd get to meet, seeing the size of the event.

Per se, he'd already attended a larger gathering, with even higher-profile guests. The Summer Solstice meeting on Mt. Olympus with all the Olympians counted as one. Yet it was the farthest thing from what he was supposed to attend in an hour.

On Mt. Olympus, he had arrived covered in sweat, blood, and monster dust, filled with anxiety to prove his innocence before hosts waiting for the slightest chance to smite him, on the verge of a civil war. Here, Percy had something else to deal with.

The French Minister of Magic was quite powerful, just not in the same way as the gods. He was the highest political authority in Magical France. But a wizard or not, he was a mortal. Unlike the gods he had met, their personalities were not set in stone, nor were they biassed because of any millennia-old feud. As such, first impressions would really go a long way to setting an image.

Sure he was a son of Poseidon in his own world, but all it entitled him to was extra trouble. Here, as a member of House Montfort, he would have a public image to maintain and likely just as much trouble waiting for him.

As much as he hated it, it meant a lot in this world. He had a reputation for being reckless in the face of authority, and he really hoped to avoid any slips, whether intentional or not, and maintain his composure throughout the evening.

Percy picked up the ring with the Montfort signet engraved into it and slipped the platinum ornament onto his left ring finger.

With a determined effort, he forced himself to focus. His ADHD was threatening to overwhelm him. He knew that overthinking would only cause more problems. Having talked to immortals and even negotiating with Hades himself, Percy was confident that this situation would not pose a challenge.

After all, it was just a simple introduction, nothing too complicated or nerve-racking.

Besides, he did intend to find someone of his own age and hopefully make an acquaintance at least. It would take quite some time to get over the fact that his friends were now gone forever, but as his healer had pointed out, it was doing him more harm than bringing him solace. In this unfamiliar new existence, having a few familiar faces would not hurt.

He turned his hands, palms facing his face, to look at the black tattoo of a set of balancing scales, to assure him that his existence in this world was not a dream after all, nor was it a fluke. He was chosen, he was here for good, and it would probably be best for him to get accustomed.

As the sun descended from its zenith, a glint caught his eye in his mother's picture. Her smile filled him with a sudden sense of warmth. He couldn't help but imagine her nitpicking everything, just as she had done the last time he saw her outside his boarding school in Miami. He could almost hear her gentle voice reminding him to stay out of trouble, to try and have some fun.

He stopped picking on his attire and stood tall, observing his reflection in the mirror. The navy-blue robes he wore perfectly complemented his striking eyes, and the silver cuff links just added a touch of sophistication. His hair, much like the tumultuous sea, remained wild and untamed as usual. The smile that his reflection was giving him, confident and promising trouble, gave him a sense of completeness, as if a missing puzzle piece had finally been found.

Mippy appeared with a pop. "Mistress be calling you to the hall, young master." She said in a high-pitched voice. "She tells you to be quick."

"I will be there in a minute."

Percy Jackson knew, knew quite well enough, it was time to stop hiding behind the clouds, metaphorically, and shine. He was ready to introduce himself to this world, the dashing son of Poseidon that he had always been. He smiled. It was time to embrace his destiny with boldness and courage rather than being a moping mess.

He walked out of his room, the reassuring weight of Riptide in his right pocket and a new, welcome addition in the form of his wand in his left, and made his way down the stairs. Down the corridor, he turned the corner and entered the hall.

"Looking handsome, dear. That cologne smells fantastic." She ruffled his hair playfully, enjoying the red creeping up his neck.

He saw Robert in his peripherals, reading the newspaper, dressed for the occasion, but Adrienne had his attention. He really was puzzled at not seeing her in formal garb.

"Are you not going?" Percy was rather surprised. Adrienne was dressed for an outing, but definitely not so for a formal party. Robert raised an eyebrow, partially interested in the conversation.

"To the ball? No. I will be catching up with a few friends while you and Robert are at the Minister's house."

"But did they not ask the whole family to come?" His confusion made him overlook how easily he referred to the three of them as a family. Not the same could be said for the other two, who shared eye contact and smiled.

"I have been to these quite a few times, Percy. It is important for you to go, not me. Besides, it has been some time since I last met dear Marie."

"That is okay, I suppose. When will we be leaving?"

"In a few moments. I was just waiting for you." Robert said, putting the newspaper away and getting up, smoothening his own robes out.

"How will we go? Let me guess. A portkey?" Percy groaned as said man held out a small wooden lion and laughed, as did Adrienne.

"Remember what I taught you last night, Percy. Greet everyone formally, even the children, they are all Heirs and Heiresses too. Other than that, enjoy yourself, it is, after all, a party."

Adrienne kissed Percy's forehead as they all walked out of the house. Soon, Robert activated the portkey and the world vanished from his sight.

The estate they had arrived at was truly magnificent.

Chateau Montfort had been impressive, but the Minister's property was on a whole other level. It was positively colossal. The vast expanse of ground and the massive castle in the pure French classical style was almost, if not more grandiose than Versaille or the Louvre in their heyday.

Percy knew they were situated on the opposite side from Paris to Versaille, as if the separation between the French mundane and magical government had been intended to sequester the capital in between.

Their appearance in the castle ground allotted for their arrival was, to put it simply, more extravagant than perhaps Olympus had been. The setting sun as a backdrop was like a stage for the hundreds of candles floating and shining both across the classical French gardens and through the windows of the four-storied chateau.

As he approached, he noticed a formidable presence of guards; men and women all adorned in matching red and black robes. It was clear that they were not average security personnel. As a demigod, he could sense their immense concentration of power.

"Welcome, Lord Montfort. Auror Vincent LeBlanc at your service." An athletically built man in his mid-thirties greeted them. This man had a strong aura around him.

Aurors. He had some implanted knowledge about them. They were supposed to be the most elite combatants in the magical world. Only the very best were even given the opportunity to join the Auror training program. To not only be selected but complete it and earn the rank was supposed to be a feat in itself.

A red carpet had been laid from the garden to the doors of the palace, and walking on it, Percy really felt like the Hollywood actors he had seen walking to events on TV with his mom.

Percy let out a sigh entering the building. And as soon as he did, he couldn't help but be blindsided by the grandeur of his surroundings.

The massive doors had opened up to a foyer leading to a hall so vast that they had to leave them like ants in a dollhouse. It had clearly been prepared for the ball as you could not see any furniture in the room.

Candles floated in mid-air and the great windows of each of the three-tiered inner balconies were magnified in the hues of the setting sun.

In the middle of the vaulted ceiling, surrounded by frescoes of great leaders of magical France was a massive crystal chandelier lighting all areas equally with a soft pristine light.

Few guests had already arrived but it was quite apparent that far more had yet to arrive.

Robert smiled and nodded at each person that came into their field of vision, slowly making their way to a man in his forties, talking to a woman clad in an expensive-looking dress of the same age.

Upon seeing the duo approaching, the man turned towards them. At first glance, he did not strike Percy as someone exceptional; a normal man, with an average build, a strong French accent, maybe a bit on the taller side, but that was it. Nothing about him seemed truly extraordinary or eye-catching.

"Ah, Lord Montfort. Welcome to the ball. Holding up fine I suppose? And is this young man your ward?" The man asked Robert, who handed him a wrapped gift. The lady beside him smiled politely as she accepted the gift.

"Indeed it is a pleasure, Minister, Lady de Roone. Yes, this is Percy Jackson, we found him orphaned recently in the US and he did not have enough funds to attend Ilvermorny. We took him in." He said. The man adopted a look of sympathy as he looked at Percy.

"So Beauxbatons?" The man asked.

"Hogwarts actually. I am a board member after all."

Percy just stared dumbly, with no idea whatsoever what was said between the two men. Thankfully, he was saved from the awkward situation when Robert included him in the conversation, this time in English.

"Percy meet the Minister of Magic, Monsieur Dominic de Roone and his wife, Lady Delphine de Roone. Minister, this is my ward, Perseus Jackson." He introduced the couple to Percy. This was the man, he realised, who was the highest political authority of Magical France.

Percy felt a fleeting moment of desperation when he struggled to recall the instructions Adrienne had drilled into him countless times the day before. But thankfully he did recall and mechanically followed what he had been told.

"Bonjour, Minister de Roone, it is a pleasure to meet you." He bowed, cringing at his very wrong pronunciation of the only French word he knew. He did not let that show, confidence was key.

Turning to his wife, Percy took her extended hand, bowed and kissed her knuckles, in turn getting an impressed and surprised look from her. He ignored the violent itch that made itself known on his neck.

"Bonjour, Lady de Roone." He bit the inside of his cheek, he had butchered the pronunciation again. Messing up first impressions was becoming a recurring event now, first with the Gods and now with them. Formality was just not his strong suit.

"Haha. That American blood is quite strong in your veins, my boy. Never heard French with an American accent before. I hope our hospitality is up to your standards. The French Ministry welcomes you to France." Even the thick French accent did not hinder the Minister's cheery tone.

Percy gave them a smile. The Minister held out his hand, which he took and gave a firm shake. With his part said and done, the Minister and his wife turned to the other guests who had started coming in, meeting and greeting them. Robert tapped Percy on the shoulder, getting his attention.

"Why don't you explore a little bit? I will be here. If you want to leave, just come find me, okay?"

"I will." Percy nodded and turned around, ready to walk away.

He quickly realised that he was completely clueless about this absolutely large place. He looked back, but Robert had already left. Percy let out a sigh. There was a table with food on it on the far side of the hall, might as well start from there.

The sound of the gushing water filled his ears as he passed by the fountain. He came to a sudden halt when his demigod senses ignited with a fierce intensity. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he scanned his surroundings, searching for the source of his unease. Confusion mounted with each passing second.

It was just there and most likely signifying some kind of supernatural danger, yet for the life of him, he could not figure it out. And before he could, it just as abruptly stopped.

Everything around him was supernatural, all the people could use magic. So what caused such a reaction?

The door opened quietly and admitted two people and Percy found himself pulled to look at them.

He silently cursed his ADHD, for warning him of a threat, only to then make him forget it existed; but by the gods did something almost familiar exuded from these two newcomers.

Or more precisely, the girl around his age walking with whom he assumed was her father.

He, the probable father, was tall and dressed sharply, refined in his way of holding himself and looked every bit the nobleman he presented himself as.

But his daughter?

She was, in one word, the most intoxicatingly beautiful girl he'd ever chanced a glance outside of the goddesses of his old world. Tall, fair-skinned and so blond as to appear white-haired, and she conveyed in her rigid fluidity a self-control he'd seldom seen.

Yet…

There was definitely something different about her. Some kind of magic, one he did not recognise, diffusing into the air really fast. His heart was beating a mounting curve.

Was she the epicentre of his haywire senses?

It seemed that her very being was radiating an angelic glow that made the air around her vibrate. It seemed glorious, and he found himself being helplessly drawn towards her, his consciousness gravitating towards her very existence. It was a feeling not unlike the way he had seen Annabeth lose her will to the Sirens.

Percy had almost given in, he felt a final tug in his mind, gnawing on his self-control, to let go completely. Instinctively he wrenched back command. His mind was his own to command, nobody else's. That seemed to somehow alert the girl, whose unfocused gaze sharply snapped up to scan the general area he was in.

In his mind, hyperawareness had kicked in. In the frozen timeframe, where perception had slowed to a tenth of a second, their eyes met.

Infinite azure bore into iridescent green.

Fleur Delacour was quite vexed. She knew not if it was just her that was going barmy or had time actually come to a standstill. The clock still showed it was just a quarter past two. The leather-bound book in her hand was almost finished. She was fairly certain the novel was less than halfway done when she picked it up this morning, and the novel was not shy of 500 pages.

She was sitting on her desk, tapping her fingers absentmindedly on the frame. A gentle breeze was blowing in through the window open right in front of her, the view out was more than pleasing to the eye. The lush greenery, the sparkling Rhone and the unending sky, they existed in a harmony that remained unparalleled. It really did beckon one's sight as a Siren would to one's desire.

Fleur could not help but chuckle at her own metaphor.

She closed the book with the red ribbon to mark where she left it. She had read enough for today. She still had about a month of holiday left before term started and the pace with which she was reading, her stock of novels was dwindling fast.

And the thrice-damned clock was still showing it was half past two.

It would be another three hours before they left for the Minister's house. God, how she wanted to be just done with the ball.

Fleur pushed back from the chair and walked up to her almirah, where she rummaged through her stuff till she found her journal. It was almost full. After dutifully filling a page each night for the last two years, it came as no surprise.

She abandoned the table, instead choosing to settle down on her bed in a more comfortable position. It was too early to write anything, but it was not so to read back on what she had put down in that notebook. Fleur decided to just open the book randomly, starting at whatever she landed on.

Twelfth of July, 1990. It was that day. It certainly had changed a lot of things for her. She could have just turned to another page and carried on. She did not. The memory washed over her like a wave of repressed emotions.

She had been feeling off. How so? She really could not put it into words, because she truly would not know how to describe it. Right up till her thirteenth birthday, she was perfectly fine. Even on that day, the Nineteenth of June, she had invited her friends and enjoyed as any child would on their birthday. The morning after though, she had woken up feeling that odd way.

Fleur had thought about telling her mother, but then what would she tell her if she couldn't even put it into words?

That was how the days had dragged on. On until the twelfth of July. Fleur had endured it this long without anything major happening. It was never anything more than a mild headache or a slight cramp. Her magic had been acting erratic though, not enough for anybody to notice but enough for her to know.

It was a Thursday, her father was visiting one of their port warehouses. Her sister was yet to return from the school she was attending. It was a little past midday and her mother happened to be in the garden. And Fleur? She was reading down in the hall, when everything took a turn for the worse. It was order one moment and chaos the very next.

A sudden migraine had her shrieking out more in surprise than pain. But it disappeared just as suddenly. She tried to stand up, trying to call her mother. No voice came out. Instead, the odd feeling that was always gnawing at her, it seemed to intensify, to the point she felt it just might overwhelm her completely.

Her arms started to sprout feathers and her lips were starting to harden. Fleur panicked. And her magic reacted. The furniture rattled aggressively and the chandelier swayed. She screamed again and every glass piece around her shattered into a million pieces. Her head swam. She could see her mother running her way, providing her with some comfort.

Apolline Delacour rushed to her daughter's side as Fleur's body began to give way to exhaustion. With a gentle touch, Apolline steadied Fleur as the world around her faded into a distant hum.

She did not know if it was her mother's embrace or just a coincidence really, but as soon as she touched her, everything around her cleared up instantly. She could feel no inconsistency in her magic; neither did any feeling of being overwhelmed bother her.

"Shhh, my angel! Maman is here." Apolline rubbed her daughter's back as she sat distraught in her arms. A smile made its way to her face. Little Fleur had grown up so much. It didn't feel unlike how she felt seeing Fleur take her first steps as she now saw her have her first transformation.

"Maman? Is something wrong with me? I just had feathers on my arm! And-And I had this weird feeling like water was pouring out of every part of me!" Fleur's voice held volumes of unspoken panic.

"Nothing is wrong with you, darling. It was your allure. And that was your first transformation." Apolline continued to soothe her daughter. Her little flower had grown up so much, and now she had already unlocked her inheritance. And as much as she would have preferred shielding her daughter from the ugly variety, she would rather have her know the dangers than send her out oblivious to the truth.

Thus an hour later, Appoline had educated her thoroughly on what that meant; how being a Veela with allure affected not only her but how the world was affected too. She told everything and she left out nothing, not how many bigots considered them sub-human, not how allure would affect those of the opposite sex. Above all, she taught her how to control allure.

Fleur had excused herself to her own company in her room. It had been a lot to take in at once. Since she was young, she had always known how she had stood out from the crowd, with her platinum locks and blue eyes. As a curious soul, she had asked her mother why it was that way.

Veela. She remembered her saying. And when Fleur had further questioned why so many men would look odd whenever they went anywhere, the only answer she got was her hair getting ruffled and that she would explain once she was old enough.

Now she was old enough and she really wished she was not.

Her mother had not sugar-coated any of what she had told and taught her. As the conversation had come to a close, she could not deny that her perception of herself and the world around her had shifted.

And then the term started. She had to leave the only place that gave her any form of comfort. To make matters worse, she had her first monthly, the day before she left.

She felt miserable. Fleur had always been shy, finding greater interest in books than in people. And now suddenly, she was in a spotlight of her own. Some older year student had figured out her Veela heritage and word had spread like wildfire. Boys would stare glassy-eyed when she was there and whisper behind her back when she was not.

The first two months were a dark period in her life. People would talk but none would approach. And the way all the boys stared, it made her feel dirty. She was really grateful to whichever god existed, for if it was not for Eileen and Rose, she knew not how she would have survived, the only two that stood by her side throughout, providing whatever support they could.

Then she found the dark side of her powers. It was genuinely an accident. She had been walking alone in the first-floor corridor when a boy ran right into her. And in that moment of discord, her control over her allure had slipped. She murmured to herself, more out of frustration than malice, "Just jump out of the window if you are in a hurry!"

And to Fleur's horror, caught in her allure, the boy had done exactly that.

Fortunately, he got away with a broken wrist. Unfortunately, word had spread faster than one could say France. Now people just gave her a wide berth. No one dared to talk to her. Her miserable times spiralled into something even worse, utter loneliness.

And utter loneliness had given way to an iron resolve. She grew cold. No emotion ever made its way to her impenetrable facade. The only time she would show any would be when her two friends were around her. If others were not ready to accept her, she would not either.

To those who saw her as sub-human, she would show how superior she was. To those who saw her as nothing more than a pretty face, she would show just how unattainable she was to them.

And thus began her story. She would not stop until she was the very best. Fleur would show them all how wrong they were. Books were always her closest friends. She would become the best and the strongest her school had to offer.

The journal snapped close in her hand just as the door to her room slammed open. There was just one person who would enter like this.

"Gabrielle- UFF" The giggling, bouncing mass that was Gabrielle tackled a very startled Fleur with a hug to her own bed.

"Fleur! Fleur! Maman said she is going to take me to the theatre!" Excitement seemed to pour out of her.

"What about going to the Minister's place?" Fleur did not expect her mother to bail out at the last moment. She cursed internally, she would be the only Veela there now.

"Oh! Oh! Maman told me to tell you, Papa is ready, he is waiting for you. Bye! We are leaving or we will be late!" And just like that Gabrielle was out of her room and away. She loved her sister but by god, she needed to learn to knock. She put away the journal.

Half past four. Had she been reading her journal for that long, or was it her retrospection that had drained time?

Fleur did not take much time to dress up, neither did she have much anyway. The dress she chose was quite simple. A cerulean hue flowed gracefully to her knees, with a sleeveless design and a high collar. The only jewellery she wore was small pearl earrings and spent almost no time on make-up, keeping it to the bare minimum.

She looked into the mirror one last time before leaving. An image of effortless beauty greeted her. She sighed. It had caused her more trouble than doing any good. And it would be no different this evening. That did not mean she would let her facade crack, ignorant and aloof had helped her out at school, it would work here too.

"You look stunning, my dear angel." Her father greeted her with a kiss on her forehead as Fleur descended the stairs. No matter how much she was aware of her beauty, hearing it from her father always made her feel good.

Fleur took his hand as the world around her disappeared. When it reappeared, they were on the Minister's estate. She could already feel her passive allure affecting the people around her. She held her head high, her face impassive, as they walked towards the palace itself.

Once the enormous doors to the palace admitted the two guests, closing behind them, Fleur felt several eyes on her. If they were already affected by her passive allure, they were not even worth her time. She regarded everyone around her with a cold look of disdain.

A split second later inexplicably, the hair on her neck stood up. And in the very next, she felt the snap, clear as day, in her mind. Like a rubber band stretched too far, she felt her allure break. Broken by force, by someone. Surprise broke her composure. She sucked in a sharp breath and surveyed the area with narrowed eyes.

Until she saw him.

By the fountain, he stood regarding her. It seemed like he was of her own age. She would have to speak to him. She had to know how. She would–

Her thought was haphazardly cut short the moment their eyes met.

Glowing viridescent bore into unending blue.

They sat on the roof, unseen, lying in wait. This was the most crucial part of the operation, patience. Thus not an inch hither nor an inch thither they moved.

Just five. Five on the roof. Against the Auror force of Magical France, they did not have the numerical advantage. Neither did they need such an edge. Why would they? They were the best. Ever. And this was a precision mission, not open combat.

The price they would receive would be exponential. Ten thousand galleons. Each. Their client's identity, even though they did not know. As long as the money reached their Swiss Accounts, nothing mattered. They worked under one man, who would receive the job, choose the team and brief them and that was it.

The Minister of Magical France would be in the realm of Hades by the time tomorrow dawned.

They had clearance to kill anybody who would stand in their way. It did not matter who was cut down if it meant the Minister was dead. This really made it easier for them. Now they could just finish any witnesses too.

They would not fail. They could not fail. How would they? They were The Grims.

The eye contact was less than even a second but now she was positively curious, some form of dangerous inquisitiveness. She would have to talk to him. Fleur had to get that information out of him. She had prided herself on having a logical approach to most things or at least understanding how it worked and hated unsolved issues. This boy was a very big question mark.

How?

The blacked-haired boy was all but a stranger. Truth be told, she would not have even known that he was present at the event but then he also had just casually broken out of her allure like it was a cobweb he had accidentally walked into. The unexplained need to just know how he had pulled it off had manifested in Fleur's mind.

Her mother had explained quite clearly how allure worked. It affected everyone. Bar none. Only the family was spared. Those around her age would be affected the most in comparison to those considerably younger or older than her. Those of her own gender would be affected even less. She had also explained how there existed a scant few of the male gender who could naturally resist allure as her father could.

But her mother had never mentioned people who could just render it useless.

Those green eyes, those soul-piercing eyes looking right through her, had stirred some primal instinct deep within her. She had felt vulnerable, like prey looking into the eyes of a predator, like divinity looking down on humanity. Goosebumps broke out all over her arms and she shivered involuntarily. And somewhere this thrilled her.

Like looking down into the deep abyss or the side of a cliff.

Her father led her away from the doors and into the thick of the crowd, and Fleur followed silently, waiting for the chance to leave her father's company and find the boy who was now lost to the populace. She was of a Noble House and she could not just frolic around as she pleased. It would be highly improper to follow her curiosity before even greeting the hosts.

She had met the Minister a couple of times before. And right now, the man right in front of her was not at all different from how she remembered him to be.

"Good evening, Minister. Hope you and the Lady are doing well." Fleur's greeting was quite far away. It was visible that she had something else on her mind. The Minister had too many guests to pay attention to, managing a nod and smile before he had to cater to someone else. But her father did.

"Are you alright?" He asked. Fleur was not alright. She could feel all the eyes on her, that never felt alright. But this was also an opportunity to maybe go off on her own and find the boy.

"Almost all of them are looking at me like…" She sighed. "Leave it, Papa. I will just go find something to drink."

Her father gave her a look of sympathy before patting her on her back. She did not like hiding anything from her father but it did not require much thought to know that he would not allow her to go after a stranger because she was curious. She did not lie either, merely the half-truth.

So Fleur made her way through the crowd, right to where the food and drinks were. She did not lie when she told her father she wanted a drink. She had just raised the cup of orange juice to her lips when tousled black hair caught her eye, right at the corner of the giant hall.

She smiled to herself, at least she would not have to worry about singling him out in this vast gathering.

Percy thought he had found the best place to sit down and enjoy his… sandwich-looking thing? He had no idea at all what it was called. This was literally a ham sandwich or at least looked like one. He had honestly chosen it just because it looked appealing. And a cup of hot chocolate. He brought the sandwich in towards his–

"Excuse me, monsieur. I don't think croque-monsieurs are meant to be eaten with hot chocolate."

Of course, someone has to interrupt just when he is about to eat. He gave a grunt of irritation and turned ar–

His heart thudded hard in his ribs. The musical voice that just spoke, it belonged to the same girl he had seen moments before by the door. Up close, she seemed to be buzzing with some form of energy that he knew not. The air around her seemed charged up, it was as if she was dripping beauty itself. This was not possible, was it? His mouth ran before his brain.

"A-Aphrodite?"

The impassive look on her face did not change. She merely raised an eyebrow to indicate that she had heard him. Fleur had drawn some conclusions of her own too. He was new here, he did not even speak Francais, going by the complete ignorance of what she had just said. She was standing maybe two feet away from him but he still did not lose himself. And the way he said Aphrodite, it raised some more questions.

"While I am pleased you would mistake me for a goddess, I am not one." This time she used English. His unfocused eyes snapped back into reality, training on her. Of course this was not Aphrodite. That still did not explain the buzz of aura around her.

"Who are you?" His eyes narrowed and his voice was low, his meal forgotten. "What are you?"

Once again, inexplicably, she felt vulnerable, small, defenceless. Her palms were suddenly sweaty. Fleur pushed away the uneasiness and glared right back at him. Was he one of the purist bastards?

"Fleur Delacour." She answered with disdain. If he were to be one of them, she would rather not know how he was free of any effects of her allure than engage in any conversation. And Percy, he was not happy with the answer. He had that Manticore to thank for his trust issues but he really needed to make sure she was not the hostile he was sensing earlier.

"And what exactly are you? Do not deny. I can feel something different about you." There was an edge to his voice that he knew was rude, but right now he needed an answer.

She felt the pressure around her increasing by the second. Was he doing this? Fleur gritted her teeth. Did he really not know? Was this boy just mocking her now? Perhaps it was a mistake altogether to talk to this bastard. She grit out an answer.

"I am Veela." The humidity vanished. The pressure was gone.

"Huh?" The genuine confusion on Percy's face set Fleur's own confusion off. This boy truly didn't know what a Veela was? The Greek world was filled with a lot of creatures but Percy did not recall any that was "Veela".

"You do not know? Have you never heard of Veela?" Percy shook his head, somewhat guilty. Had been a dick to her for no reason? Way to repel people when he had come here to make acquaintances.

Sure many people did not know what being a Veela entailed but to have never even heard of it? He could have been a muggleborn but she had seen the house ring on his hand. He waved off her allure without even knowing what she was. This prompted even more questions. She could feel a few eyes not only on her but on them both.

"Walk with me?" Fleur turned around and slowly started to walk off. She had come to ask him questions, not tutor the boy on what she was. And she would prefer talking one on one, not with an audience around them.

Percy was losing patience. He had been quite rude, he understood that, but this girl was not making it any easier. His alight senses were not helping at all. Should he follow? Was this a trap? One hand in his pocket, tightly gripping Anaklusmos, he got out of the chair and decided to join her, locating blonde hair disappearing into the doorway right across him.

Fleur had been here at the palace for a few official events before. The main hall always felt stuffy. This was not the first time she was walking down this particular corridor to the courtyard in the back. She felt him trying to catch up with her and intentionally slowed down to let him. They walked in silence for maybe a minute.

"I just gave you my name? Is it not fair you give me yours?" She broke the silence, asking as she looked ahead, it was a long hallway, the courtyard was right at the end.

"My name is Percy Jackson." He gave a curt answer.

"You are not from around here are you?" Fleur asked as she saw the subtle fascination in his eyes when he saw the armours on show. The question caught his attention as he turned to regard her.

"Oh no, I was born and raised in the United States until mom died. The Montfort's sort of adopted me I guess." He scratched the back of his head as he showed her the ring with the Montfort signet on it.

"And you have never heard of Veela?" He shook his head. Fleur nodded slowly and without any forewarning released her entire allure. Percy felt a light breeze around him. In his close proximity to the girl, he realised she was beautiful, she was supernatural. He noticed just how alluring she was. He felt like being pulled into a quicksand. He had to make a conscious effort not to give in.

Fleur felt irk building up within her. Did this boy not feel anything? Without meaning to, she snapped.

"How? How do you escape my allure?" She growled. Percy, surprised at the sudden outburst, stepped back before a scowl appeared on his face. They had stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"Listen, Ms Delacour. I am truly sorry I behaved the way I did at the table. But that does not mean you can scream at me for things I don't even know of." Percy did not lose his cool often but this girl was really grating on his nerves. Fleur seemed to realise what she had done and immediately went on the defensive.

"Désolé. I should probably tell you what a Veela is, first." Percy assumed "désolé" meant sorry in French, with the way she said it. Fleur took a deep breath and began explaining.

"What do you know of the myth of Sirens…"

She had skimmed loosely over what Veela were and how allure worked. It surprised her lightly that he did seem to know about Sirens, making it less of a hassle to explain. Percy could tell she was not telling him a lot of things, not that he could blame her. He barely had told her anything himself.

Fleur stood still, critically examining the boy in front of her. He had been silent for some time now. His response would decide any further conversation.

"Did you try to use your allure to control me?" He asked with a straight face. Those eyes seemed like he was staring right through her.

"No, I did not. I was testing if you really were immune to it." She answered without hesitation.

"Do you wish to inflict any harm on me using your Veela powers?" He asked.

"Never has it been my intention. Not you, not anybody. Not by choice, atleast."

"Swear on the Styx." She had heard of the infamous river of Hades's kingdom, but never an oath on it. For once she would just humour him.

"I swear on the Styx." Thunder rumbled in the distance. The effect on Percy was immediate. His whole demeanour shifted, looking like a metaphorical load had been lifted off him, finally looking more his age than a haunted soldier.

"Then we are good." He said with an infectious lop-sided smile appearing on his face. His sparkling green eyes seemed to glow softly in the dimly lit pathway as he extended a hand. It would be somewhat hypocritical of him to judge her on her birth, Tyson was his brother after all.

"Sorry for my rudeness earlier. Would you like to start over?" Percy looked at her apologetically, the smile never dropping from his face. As vague and antagonistic it was, this conversation had been her first in quite some time where the boy had not been reduced to stutters. Would it be so detrimental to accept his offer?

Percy's smile turned into a full grin as Fleur accepted his hand with a small smile and shook it. Blood rushed to his head, gods above, that smile would forever be etched in his memory. He was starting to realise what she had meant by allure.

"I moved here fairly recently. You are, uh, the first person my age I have talked to after moving to France." Percy said with a sheepish expression, hand behind his head. Fleur regarded him with some curiosity.

"Is that so? Well then, glad to be the first to make your acquaintance, Jackson." She said with a smirk and one last shake of his hand. Maybe this... acquaintance of theirs did have some potential. "I apologise for earlier too. Veela are not… well accepted, I hope you understand."

"Please don't call me Jackson. Percy does fine." Percy made a face with scrunched eyebrows, making Fleur laugh into her hand.

"Then ca–"

"Avada Kedavra"

Fleur only had enough time to make out two hooded figures standing in the dim corridor. One had cast the spell which was whooshing right towards her. Her body had gone rigid. She would not move in time. She shut her eyes tightly, she would die, there was no other outcome.

The loud, echoing clang of something hitting metal assaulted her ears. A burst of air whooshed past her but the spell itself did not reach her. She testily opened her eyes and an involuntary gasp escaped.

Percy stood protectively in front of her, staring down the two assailants who were no doubt many summers his senior. Where she had hoped to see a wand, she saw a coppery sword gleaming menacingly from his grasp, smoking slightly at having blocked the unforgivable. In less than a second, Percy had recovered, conjured a sword without a wand and stopped death right in front of her face.

The attackers had not expected a mere boy to react so fast and certainly had not expected to see the spell stopped by a sword, buying them a precious few seconds of respite.

"Are you alright?" His voice was urgent, half turned towards her. Fleur nodded dumbly. Sweat streaked off her face. He had just saved her life. "Hide, get behind something. RUN!"

"Avada Kedavra"

Percy pushed her towards an armour stand and jumped out of the way of another jet of green light. Fleur stumbled forward and hid behind the pedestal of a medieval armour. Once hidden, she saw Percy on the opposite wall, sheltered behind a pillar. Their eyes met and she once again shivered at the animalistic sheen in them.

Chiron had drilled into him to always listen to his gut instincts. And now he could not thank his old teacher enough. Percy had jumped ahead of Fleur before he even knew what he was doing and it was the only reason she was alive. His arms were still jarred from the backlash of stopping the spell dead in its track.

Anger welled up inside him. Even without the Fates' intervention, trouble had made its way to him. And not only him, it was endangering an innocent person. He looked over to where Fleur was. The blood had drained from her face and she was shivering, obviously she was not used to this. Percy growled in irritation as he was forced to hide behind a pillar from a few potent spells that took chunks from the walls and floor.

Could he just not have an ordinary evening?

And they were casting non-verbally, making it impossible for him to know what was being cast. He grit his teeth and rolled out of his hiding spot, at once deflecting two spells with his sword. Something hot skimmed his cheek. With a yell, he slammed Riptide hilt-deep into the cobbled floor. It had worked once, he hoped it would again.

The magical sword did not disappoint. It sank into the floor with no resistance, a tug in his gut and the ground shook under his feet. The assailants lost their balance and Percy dived to join Fleur behind the pedestal. He felt warmth dribble down his cheek.

He put his arms around her wordlessly and she latched onto him. Fleur gripped him tightly and took deep breaths, slowly feeling the fear leaving her. It did not matter if he was a stranger or the fact he was far from normal, he had saved her life, she was safe near him.

"Can you move?" Percy asked calmly as she let go after a few seconds. He noticed his blood staining the shoulder of her dress. She nodded weakly before her resolve steeled.

"We need to get out here. Fast. I will try to defend us both but you need to keep up. Run towards the hall as soon as I get up."

"I can't leave you alone." She whisper-yelled.

"I don't think you have your wand. The best we can do is you escape while I defend."

Riptide had returned to his pocket. He took it out and uncapped it. Without listening to her reply he jumped out and had to instantly parry a purple spell aimed at his torso. The hooded attackers were but just a few paces away.

"Shit." Percy cursed. They had recovered far too quickly and had advanced while he was hiding.

He was being pushed back step by step with the onslaught of spells and his arms were going numb from blocking. He desperately tried to feel for water pipes nearby but he just couldn't find any.

A blue fireball flew past his head and right onto the assailants who had jumped apart to avoid it.

Percy had no idea she could do that.

"I told you to run!"

"And I told you I can't leave you alone." Fleur threw another fireball at them from behind him. This time they flicked it away and returned fire with two simultaneous yellow curses. Percy cut through both spells at the same time with an impressive twirl of his sword.

They had to escape somehow.

He improvised.

"Fleur, gather the largest you can muster and throw it at them." He grit out, taking another step back as he parried another spell.

And in the next few, blurry seconds, the fight was over. A huge bloom of fire rushed past him, blocking his view but also blocking their view of them. Percy switched Riptide into a reverse grip, and with all his might launched it like a javelin. It cleared the distance, overtook the fireball and sank with an audible thunk.

A grunt of pain told him he had pierced flesh. Without wasting time, he took out his wand and poured as much power as he could muster into one single spell.

The wand glowed a blistering blue before ejecting an orangish spell that streaked ahead.

"Flipendo!"

The uninjured attacker managed to stop the fireball which burst into a shower of fire but the overcharged, unexpected knockback jinx flung them both into the walls with a resounding crack and they slid down, unmoving. Riptide reappeared in his pocket from where it had pierced one's thigh. They would not be getting back up anytime soon, if ever. Percy felt no remorse.

He turned around to check on Fleur.

Her legs had given out, she was kneeling on the floor, heaving with exertion. Percy slowly walked towards her and offered her a hand. Fleur could feel the power rolling off him and shivered. She took his hand and he effortlessly pulled her to her feet.

Fleur leaned heavily on him.

"How?" She managed, still unsure of her footing. He just gave her a dry laugh.

"You know, the first thing I expected you to say was "thank you" or maybe "are you okay", but that works too. Not here though, not now." He had revealed too much, but he had managed to save a life by doing so.

She chuckled weakly. This boy had no fear, joking as if they had not just almost died or he had not blocked unforgivables with a sword.

Rushed footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor, from towards the hall.

"Fleur!"

"Percy!"

A group of Aurors followed the two men both Fleur and Percy recognised. Fleur pushed back from the support Percy was offering and faced him once more.

"What is your residence?" She asked, looking straight into his green eyes.

"Montfort Chateau, but why–"

"Alright, I expect you to return an answer."

Lords Montfort and Delacour had almost reached their wards.

"And thank you for saving my life. You still did not tell me how you can ignore my allure." She sported a small smile before she was turned around by her father and into his embrace, finding himself in a similar tight embrace courtesy of Robert.

"You are bleeding! Are you okay?" Robert said with no small amount of panic in his voice. "The Palace was attacked. We are going home right now."

"I am fine, Robert." His declaration fell on deaf ears. All around him, the Aurors were already investigating the fight scene.

"Auror LeBlanc? Can we portkey out of here?" At the Auror's nod, Robert pulled out the lion and activated it.

Percy caught one last glimpse of platinum blonde before the world around him twisted away.

FIN

Percy's senses were triggered by the assassins, not Fleur. Just FYI.

Yes, Anaklusmos can block all spells without shattering. Because it's magical.

Yes, Anaklusmos caused a localised earthquake. Because it's magical. It did summon a geyser on top of a bridge in canon.

Yes, Anaklusmos can be seen by and harm magical people. Because it's magical.