Intertwined || Percabeth Hogwarts AU

Chapter 15

Percy sat by the banks of the lake, looking out at the stillness of the water. The clouds reflecting on its surface made it seem as if the sky really wasn't all that far away. Like if he reached out...

"So you're the stereotypical brooding loner bastard now?"

Percy snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see the smirking face of Thalia. She plopped down beside him and pulled out a ziplock bag, grinning as she held it up for him to see.

"It looks like he is." To Percy's right, Nico sat down.

"You're one to talk, Death Breath."

"Fuck off, Thalia."

"Can't you guys go smoke somewhere else?" Percy asked, exasperatedly.

Thalia held out the freshly rolled blunt to him. "Nope. And you look like you need it."

"I don't need it," he refuted, but took it anyway.

Percy raised it between his lips and took a deep drag. The sensation of smoke entering his lungs felt nice, as weird as that was to say. This amount wouldn't affect him in the slightest, but there was something about the familiarity of doing this with friends that made him feel better. He exhaled and watched as the smoke disappeared into thin air.

"Well, don't hog it," Thalia complained.

Percy passed the blunt to her and watched as she inhaled while closing her eyes. She always had that tick.

"What's with that look on your face?"

"Huh?"

"You hoping to get a go on this?" Thalia asked, pointing to her body. "Sorry Perce, I'm with Luke."

Percy rolled his eyes, smiling slightly. "I'm heartbroken, Thals, but I think I'll survive."

"Let's not start talking about your sex life again," Nico interrupted, disgusted by the thought of it.

Thalia smiled deviously. "What's the problem, Neeks? Don't you wanna hear about all the things I can do with my tongue?"

"No, not particularly," he deadpanned, inching away from them.

"What about you, Percy? Don't you wanna hear about how—"

Percy clamped a hand over Thalia's mouth, laughing genuinely for the first time in months.

◆ ◆ ◆

"I yield!" Calypso sputtered out.

Percy lowered his wand and holstered it before jogging over to her. He reached a hand out to help her up and she gratefully accepted it.

He gave her a small smile. "Good duel."

Calypso scoffed but smiled. "I'm no match for you, Percy."

"Nah," Percy shook his head. "You have a lot of power behind your spells, you just need to work on controlling them better."

"Hey, leave the evaluations for me!" Harry joked. "But yes, Percy's correct. Keep practicing and you'll get it in no time."

Calypso blushed at the praise and walked alongside Percy as he explained her faults in the duel and what she could do to improve. From the other side of the room, Annabeth watched the two with a clenched jaw. An ugly feeling settled in her stomach when she saw how close Calypso was to Percy and how much she was laughing.

Harry clapped his hands and smiled. "That's the end of class for today. Great work everyone! You'll get your written evaluations when I see you tomorrow."

Percy shouldered his bag and motioned to leave when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned to see the smiling face of Professor Potter.

"Would you mind staying behind for a little bit, Percy? I wanted to talk to you about something."