In which Louis is Hades and Harry is Persephone and there's a giant, three-headed dog involved somewhere. I don't know. Greek mythology!AU because I can (and I like Greek mythology). I apologize in advance for any errors.
These words will be written on my stone
Just his luck, Harry thinks. Did the Lord of the Underworld really have to take a liking to him? Apparently so. Why? Why him?
“Harry dear, Louis wants to see you”, Anne, his Mum, says.
“Where am I supposed to meet him? In the depths of Tartarus? The River Styx maybe? Or does he often meet his dates in Elysium?” Harry says sarcastically.
“His palace in the Underworld, he says he’s built a giant throne for you already.”
“Oh Lord. I don’t think he expects me to stay? I prefer sunny meadows with daisies over the dark, gloomy fields of Asphodel, thank you very much.”
“Harry, sweetheart, he is the Lord of the Underworld. He’s one of the Big Three. I don’t think you have any choice”, Anne sighs.
“I don’t want to go”, Harry protests. Outside, thunder rumbles and he rolls his eyes at the grey clouds hanging over his mother’s normally sunny meadows. Apparently Zeus doesn’t quite like his attitude.
“Honey, he’ll get you to marry him whether you want to or not. He said that if you come willingly, you may spend two seasons above ground and you have to spend two seasons in the Underworld.”
“And not coming isn’t a choice, clearly.” He can hear the sarcasm in his own voice. “It’s the twenty-first century we live in! There’s freedom of speech and freedom of press and freedom of religion. Why can’t I have freedom of who I marry?”
Anne gives an exasperated sigh. “Baby, the less you fight the easier it will be. Please just do it for me, okay? No struggle means you get to spend two seasons above ground.”
“Fine”, Harry says. “Shall I start packing?”
“Louis says that isn’t necessary. He’ll have everything ready for you when you arrive.”
“Does that include underwear?” Outside, lightning flashes and Harry sighs. “Fine, fine. Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Zeus.” More thunder. Zeus doesn’t handle jokes very well. Quite a temper, that man has.
“The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles”, Anne tells him. “Be careful, honey. I’ll see you in spring.” Great. He only has to survive in the Underworld through fall and winter and he can return to Earth in spring.
“And you’re sure I can actually enter the Underworld while I’m still alive? I don’t have to die first or something?”
-
Apparently not, he thinks when he slowly approaches the entrance. It’s right behind the Hollywood sign. How fancy. “Hello?” he calls. Grey smoke swirls around him and it takes him a few moments to realize it’s not smoke, but deceased souls moving around him, thousands at the time. There’s also soft hissing and whispering but it’s too vague to make sense of it.
“Are you Harry?” Harry has trouble locating the voice but eventually, his eyes get used to the dim light of the candles in the otherwise dark area and he spots a hooded man standing in a small boat. The ferryman Charon. The souls move and move around him and on one hand, he wants to see them, see who they are but on the other hand, he’s scared to recognize faces he knows. So he doesn’t look at them and focuses on Charon instead.
“Yes, I’m Harry. You must be Charon. It’s nice to meet you.” Despite this whole Underworld thing, Harry manages to stick by his manners and he extends his hand to the ferryman. Charon looks at it strangely. Maybe manners are a rare thing in the Underworld. He doesn’t think Louis ever shook hands with Charon before hiring him. If that’s even how it works. So he retreats his hand and gets in the boat. “Where are we headed?”
