Percy Jackson and the Locket of Salazar [Book 6]

15) Eh, The Future Can Wait

Draco wasn't there when I woke up. Usually, he would be awake before me, but would stay in my room, doing homework and other nonsense or reading or just laying there with me.

I hadn't woken up late, so he must've had something he needed to do. I didn't like those mornings when I woke up alone, greeted by silence. I didn't like not hearing the scratching of his quill, or the turning of a page, or his hesitant, quiet sniffles from allergies he refused to admit existed. I didn't like waking up without him.

"How you doing, Nugget?" I knelt by the chair I'd stolen years ago as a platform for my pet's bed and scratched the niffler behind his ears, grinning as he looked sleepily up at me. "Don't steal from any of the first-years, okay? Everyone else is fair game." Nugget just closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

I hurried and got ready, pretending I couldn't see the bags beneath my eyes in the mirror. The faster I was out of that quiet room, the better.

The common room was comfortable, full of vibrant, loving life. New Hufflepuffs and old alike sat there, playing with items banned by Filch, talking, enjoying this day at Hogwarts. Things had a way of feeling lighter at the beginning of the school year for me, and I'd been chasing that feeling since Cedric died, though it seemed to have abandoned me in favor of everyone else.

I didn't stop to talk to anyone, slipping out of the common room mostly unnoticed. I hated the silence of being alone, but I didn't want to pretend to be happy.

It was still early, and I wasn't particularly hungry, so I took a detour, hoping to intercept my friends as they left the Gryffindor common room. I didn't have to pretend so much when I was with them. Smiling came just a bit easier.

"Percy!" Harry spotted me first. "Did I ever tell you what I overheard Draco say?"

"No, and, if I'm being completely honest, I don't really want you to."

"No, no, you need to hear this. So, Draco said that Voldemort has a job for him!"

"Woah, that's totally crazy, Harry. I'm positively shocked. Negatively? I am completely and utterly horrified at this turn of events! Who knew the prideful Draco Malfoy would brag to his peers? I sure did!"

"Are you listening to me?" Harry looked aghast at my sarcasm. "Voldemort has him up to something."

"Yes, because the son of Athena, you know, the goddess of wisdom, would go around parading his involvement with the Dark Lord. Was Pansy in the compartment? He lays it on thick for Pansy, he's hoping that pretending to like her will push back the arranged marriage. He says his father will be less worried he'll marry someone else to prevent the marriage that way."

Harry's face twisted. "This is more than some arranged —"

"Hold it!" Hermione cried, stepping in front of a fourth-year who was attempting to rush by with a spiky green disc in his hand. "Fanged Frisbees are banned, hand it over." He hand Hermione the frisbee then rushed away to catch up with his friends, who were all laughing at his red face.

Ron, once the boy was out of view, excitedly tugged the frisbee away from Hermione. "Excellent, I've always wanted one of these."

Before Hermione could scold him, a loud giggle invaded our space. I looked back, frowning upon seeing Lavender Brown. Apparently she had really enjoyed Ron's comment, laughing even as she passed us, eyeing him up and down.

Ron seemed pretty pleased with himself. I looked at him, unimpressed, and he immediately jumped to his defense. "What?! I'm not stupid, I know what I can and can't do now that I'm Oracle. Don't look at me like that!"

I continued looking at him like that as we finally made our way into the Great Hall.

Seamus was there, pointedly ignoring people's looks and muttering 'explosion' to those who had the courage to ask him about his scar. It seemed he'd mustered up the courage to show his face, and I was proud of him for the fact, even if it looked like the people around him were in the splash zone for his tears.