Intertwined || Percabeth Hogwarts AU

Chapter 46

This was all Poseidon had ever wanted with his life. After his mother died, there was no one he could call family. Not until he met Sally. He was the happiest he had ever been in the time he had spent with her. And it got even better when they made the beautiful boy standing in front of him.

He had passed the days rotting in his cell by imagining—fantasizing what life would be like if things had gone differently. Sally could've gotten the life she deserved—one with a husband who wasn't absent filling her with love every day. His son wouldn't have had to grow up wondering why everyone else's father was around but his wasn't.

They could've gone on family vacations and spent their time doing idle, simple things that most take for granted. Simple pleasures were brushed over far too often. Poseidon imagined what it would be like coming home to a son who rushed into his arms, a wife who kissed his cheek in greeting, maybe even a dog running around his feet.

It was how he coped, how he lived through each day—each unbearable, agonizing day within these walls.

Poseidon swallowed painfully. "I'd love to talk to you forever about things like this, but I'm sure our time is limited and you surely have a lot of questions."

"Yeah... would you be okay with that?" Percy asked, repeatedly trying to crack the already cracked joints of his fingers.

"Of course," he said immediately.

Percy watched as his father looked back into his cell and jutted a hand toward the corner, causing a chair to come skidding across the floor. He pointed at it with two fingers and separated them, making a V shape with his pointer and middle finger. The chair in turn duplicated into two.

Poseidon flashed a wide smile at Percy and held out the chair to him. "By all means."

He took the chair with a roll of his eyes, muttering, "Show off."

There was no point questioning ex-Auror Poseidon Jackson about something like that. They sat across from each other, all signs of amusement now gone.

"You've been here since I was three?" Percy asked softly. And to Poseidon's nod, he continued. "But my birthday party... I saw the picture of us... so why don't I remember you?"

His father's eyes widened exponentially when he realized what Percy was talking about. A pained expression marred his features and his shoulders slumped defeatedly.

"Percy... hold still for a second," Poseidon said.

Percy did as he asked and watched as his father extended his arm and pressed a finger to his forehead. As soon as he made contact, Percy felt a rush go through him.