Intertwined || Percabeth Hogwarts AU

Chapter 30

Hogwarts, 1993

It was nearly midnight.

The skies were dark and stormy as unyielding rain hammered down on the ancient school, turning the windows a solid, shimmering gray.

As thunder struck outside, Poseidon furiously stormed through a deserted corridor, his footsteps loud and imposing. Another set of footsteps echoed his, desperately trying to reach him. Athena was distraught; her dark blonde hair was sticking up in all directions and her clothes were in wrinkles. It was the complete opposite of her usual pristine, well kept appearance.

"Po!" Athena cried, trying to keep up with him.

"Don't call me that," he spat, picking up his pace. He always hated that stupid nickname.

He was livid. His hands were shaking; his anger rolled off him in waves as he tried to make his way back to his dorm as fast as possible. The corridors seemed to go on forever today.

"Poseidon! Please wait!" She begged. "I'm sorry!"

He was quick to round on her with fury marring his features, making her flinch and stagger backward. A few nearby windows cracked and a sudden wind surrounded them as he unconsciously released his magic.

"You're sorry?!" He growled. His face contorted and he laughed coldly, sending tremors down her spine. "Thank you, that makes everything perfectly fine."

"Listen to me, Poseidon, please..."

He sneered at her. "Just what do you think you can say to rectify this?"

She flinched. "I... I—"

"You didn't mean to? You were drunk? It's a misunderstanding?" He shot off rhetorically, glaring at her with fathomless, red rimmed eyes. "Please enlighten me."

Athena felt her mouth go dry and sobs wracked through her chest. Her hand shot up to her mouth and hot tears dripped between her fingers. Ragged, gasping breaths escaped her mouth as the strength left her legs and she sank to her knees.

"I'm sorry, Poseidon..." She whispered.

His voice became soft, defeated. "Two years, Athena. Did none of that mean anything to you?" She was incapable of speaking and choked on her breaths as he turned around, but stayed rooted to his spot. "You should go and check on Frederick. I don't think he's feeling too well."

Athena opened her mouth, her entire being screaming at her to say something, anything, but no words escaped her. She swallowed roughly, tears frantically sliding down her cheeks as she clenched her fists tight enough to draw blood. Given her silence, Poseidon walked off without another word, drowning out the sound of her sobs.

They had graduated later that year. Following a ceremony held in the Great Hall, the seventh year students were asked to follow the age old tradition of riding the Hogwarts boats back across the lake just as they had in their first year.

Poseidon sat on the boat, staring out at the water, trying not to think about the earlier occurrences in the year. He took a long, hard look at the scenery. He wouldn't be seeing this place again in the foreseeable future. A terrible weight dragged at him and it must've been obvious. Everyone around was avoiding him like the plague.

When they got off the boats, he walked off to the side and glanced around. It was sunny and the grounds around him were full of laughing students, and even though he felt as distant from them as though he belonged to a different species, it was still hard to believe that his time at Hogwarts had come to an end.

His gaze shifted to the castle and a melancholic smile found its way onto his face. Good and bad, the memories would be forever engraved.