Intertwined || Percabeth Hogwarts AU

Chapter 58

"There's no way she's giving us an exam already!" Bianca seethed, spreading her parchment scrolls and books in front of her like she owned the table. "I'm telling you guys, Professor Artemis is evil! It's only been like three weeks into the term!"

"It's been almost two months, Bianca," Reyna corrected.

"Shut up!"

Annabeth laughed and patted Bianca's shoulder consolingly, but it only earned her a glare from her friend. Professor Artemis was a hard-ass. Everyone in the school, professors and students alike, knew it. And it was even truer now since they were taking her NEWT class.

Right now, Annabeth was supposed to be studying with Bianca, Reyna, and Malcolm (Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw), but they were doing a lot more bitching than anything else.

Reyna cursed in Spanish when she accidentally knocked over her ink, hurrying to clean it up with a napkin before remembering she was a witch. Bemusedly, Annabeth thought they'd been doing that a lot. Forgetting they were people who could literally use magic. Kind of weird when they'd spent the last seven years doing so.

"Woah, careful, Rey," a voice sounded from behind them. Turning around, Annabeth beamed seeing it was Percy. "You're supposed to write with ink, not fingerpaint."

"Fuck off, Jackson," Reyna said, laughing. "By the way, your shirt's wrinkled."

"Your face is wrinkled," he returned immediately, chuckling when she shot him a scathing death glare. "Hey Bianca, Mal. How're you guys doing?"

Malcolm waved at him without looking up as he read his textbook, ignoring them like the diligent student he was. Bianca gestured wildly to the haphazard books in front of her as if to ask, how do you think I'm doing?

Percy laughed and walked behind Annabeth's chair. He slid his hands over her shoulders, massaging them as she let out a relaxed sigh and leaned back against him. Smiling, Percy bent down and pecked her lips, idly recalling the scene from Spiderman whenever he kissed her upside down (but far less disturbing). She reached up to nestle the back of his neck and keep him there for a moment.

"Ugh, could you two be gross somewhere else?" Bianca asked, but she was smiling happily at them.

Reyna nodded in agreement, smiling too. "Yeah, this is a library not a brothel. Go suck face somewhere else."

Percy gave Reyna the finger without removing himself from Annabeth and she gasped in mock indignation.

"Sure we can!" Annabeth piped up, answering Bianca. She stood up and gathered her stuff before turning to Percy and holding out her hand. "Walk me to class?"

"Of course," he replied, lacing their fingers. He looked back at their friends and waved once. "See you guys later!"

Receiving the same call back, he turned back to Annabeth and knocked his shoulder against hers, smiling dopily when she did it back. He'd miss walking the halls with her once they graduated. There was no certainty about what he'd do after Hogwarts, but he hoped whatever it was, they'd brave it together.

At a sideways glance, he knew she was thinking something similar. He gave her hand a little squeeze, making her look at him. They stared at each other for a moment and she gave a little sigh, smiling at how Percy squeezed her hand again.

"Promise me we'll come back," she said.

It was an offhand comment, but he could detect a subtle waver in her voice. The ache in her had inevitably put an ache in him.

"Of course," he replied reassuringly. "Whenever you want."

After that, they fell into an easy rhythm.