Secrets of Hogwarts and the Slytherin Prince

MIND BENDING

It was pretty lonely when the holidays started. Percy had Piper, though. They were the only two Slytherins who stayed. Harry and Ron stayed as well. Annabeth and Hermione had both ducked out.

He didn't blame them. They had warm homes, decorated Christmas trees, happy families. Percy was surprised Annabeth had hesitated.

He and Piper hadn't.

Christmas morning was worth it, though.

"Percy!" Piper called, racing into the boy's dormitory. Hercules hooted sourly at her arrival. She threw the covers off Percy, and the cold air of the Slytherin dungeons hit his skin. Percy cried out and leaped from the bed, grabbing for his wand. Seeing Piper's face, red from laughter, he huffed and threw a pillow at her head.

She yelped and fell backward, putting a hand on her head, glaring at Percy as he stood up. "You're mean."

"Not really." Percy shrugged. "You woke me up in a very rude way."

She shrugged. Hercules hooted and fluttered down onto an unoccupied bed, promptly ripping into the mattress with his long talons. "Herc, stop!" Piper sighed.

"Let him." Percy yawned, "That's Draco's bed."

"Oh. Okay, then." Piper shrugged. "Now come on, and get up. We've got presents!"

"From who?" He yawned again, stretching his arms over his head. "I told Marielle not to get me anything."

"Just come on, and look." Piper sighed. Percy shrugged, patting Hercules lightly on his head before leaving the dormitory, stepping into the stone common room. He hissed as the cold stone chilled his feet and sighed, walking over to the green and silver decorated Christmas Tree. The fireplace was lit, warming the room - a rare occurrence. Percy couldn't think of the last time the common room had been so warm.

Under the tree was a plethora of gifts, all wrapped in shiny foil. Percy's jaw dropped. Piper had already sorted them apart. Percy's were either wrapped in blue or silver, and Piper's were a multitude of colors. "Open this one first!" Piper thrust a gift in silver at him. "It's from Annabeth."

"From Annabeth-?"

"Just open it!"

"Okay, okay." Percy sighed, beginning to peel the silver foil away from the thin gift carefully. It was a leather-bound book with a title pushed into the leather, almost burned in. "What's it say...?"

"Lemme see." Piper took it violently. "Oh."

"Oh, what-?"

"It's about your mom."

"What...? My-My mom?" Percy grabbed the book again, opening it to see familiar, pristine writing. "I... I'll be right back." He shot to his feet and went to the dorm, grabbing the journal from off his nightstand, the one he'd gotten in the post. His mother's journal. He went back into the commons and sat beside Piper. "How did Annabeth get this?"

"I don't know." Piper shrugged, "You'll have to ask her."

"But you wanted me to open this first."

"She asked me before she left for the holidays to make sure you opened hers first." PIper shrugged. "Let's just open the rest, please."

"Okay..." Percy sighed, but his mind was on the book. They got through their other gifts, but by the time he was done, he felt... Worried. There was no gift from Marielle yet. He had three other things - small things, little parcels in plain parchment wrapping that had his name on each one, but Marielle had always gone out of her way, even when he told her not too. Had she actually listened to him? At the least, she gave him a card, if she couldn't afford gifts. Piper had gotten through her things and was looking for a card on the tree for him. Marielle was sneaky, sometimes.

But there was nothing. Percy sighed, going through the last three packages, one, a box of literal trash, from, of course, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. The note read 'trash for the trash'. "Takes it to know it." Percy huffed. The second was a slightly bigger one. Inside was a bunch of chocolates and candies, and sweets - a mix of muggle and wizarding treats, from, oddly enough, Hermione. The note read 'Chocolate helps with studying.' Percy huffed a little laugh.

"What did you get from Hermione?"

"Chocolate. You?"

"Same." She laughed softly. Percy sighed, grabbing the third parcel. It had no information. No name, other than his own. He opened it slowly. Inside was a small necklace. And a note, scripted in pristine writing.

'I would give this in person, but it's not safe. We will find each other soon, I promise.'

"What's it say?"

"Nothing." Percy shook his head and stuffed it in his pocket, pulling the necklace up. "What on earth could this be for? Looks?"

"Necklaces aren't half bad." Piper shrugged. "They can make guys look good."

"Right, because whoever gave me this, wants me to look good." Percy huffed, standing up and putting the necklace on. All thoughts of Marielle vanished when he rubbed the gem hanging from the chain.

"So? Anything different?" She said, 'I would love a necklace like that.'

"I'll try and find you one." Percy muttered.

"What?" She looked confused. He looked up at her.

"You said you'd love a necklace like this."

"No, I didn't. Not... Not out loud at least." Percy frowned, looking down at the sapphire hanging from his neck, surrounded by a metal prism, the metal frame barely touching the sapphire, diamonds lacing the frame. His thumb could barely touch the blue gem in the center, but when he did, a jolt went up his arm, through his bones and muscles. He hissed in pain, jerking his hand away. "Are you okay!?"

"Think something." He touched the sapphire again and a dull feeling spread through him, clearing his thoughts.

"What?"

"Think something! Something... Insane, unpredictable! Something totally unexpected!"

"Okay... Uh..." She bit her lip, 'Luke Castellan is kinda hot.' Percy gagged.

"Ew. I'd expect that from Annabeth, at this point. Not you." She shrugged innocently.

"You said unexpected." Percy shuddered. "Wait, how did you even-"

"I read your mind. I-I think."

"Okay, how abut this -" She hummed, closing her eyes. Her voice rang clearly in his head. 'Draco Malfoy is kinda cute.'

"Oh, god, how do I turn this thing off!? What is wrong with you!?"

Piper shrugged. "If he weren't such a priss, I'd be into it."

"Ew. Don't you dare." Percy threatened. She giggled.

"Come on, its time for breakfast." She pulled him to the common room doors and into the dungeons.