Percy Jackson and the Heir of Slytherin [Book 2]

31) Jumping Jacks

I woke up on the castle floor. I could see blurry figures above me, and heard shallow breathing to my left. I strained my eyes, and could just make out Seamus' form. He wasn't awake.

"Greenhouse..." I mumbled, trying to make my voice louder.

A face moved in close to mine, and then a second one. Both were extremely similar.

The Stolls.

"What?" Connor asked, pressing a warm hand against my face.

"Greenhouse... greenhouse..." I struggled to say anything else. "Help... them... greenhouse..."

Then everything went dark again.

The next time I woke up, there was a hot, wet cloth on my forehead. I was under layers of blankets, and a hand was holding one of my cold ones. I opened my eyes, staring at Draco. His face held worry, and despite the fact that snow was still covering his eyelashes, he stuck by me.

I shifted, uncomfortable. The cold still seemed to attack me, pulling at my bones and skin.

Draco straightened, looking up at my face with relief. He squeezed my hand, and whispered, "When they told me you were in the hospital wing, I was so worried. You're never going to do anything like that again, you hear me? Never again." He engulfed me in a hug.

I sluggishly moved one of my arms out from beneath the blankets, hugging him back. Draco immediately pulled away, shoving my arm back under the blankets, "No, stay under there for now. Madame Pomfrey is getting Snape to make some potions for you and Seamus right now. You'll be fine then. For now, stay under the blankets."

I nodded, and noticed something weird over Draco's shoulder. Nearly Headless Nick was floating inanimately above one of the beds. His face showed shock and fear.

Then I saw who was in the bed occupied beside him.

I sat up quickly, freezing and hurting, but recognizing my friend. My family.

"Justin," I said, my voice hoarse. His arms were positioned in front of him defensively, and terror stained his face.

Draco blocked my view, immediately pushing me back down onto the bed and pulling the blankets back over me.

"He'll be fine. The mandrakes will be ready by the end of the year. You'll get to spend all of the rest of your time at Hogwarts with him, yeah? It'll be fine," Draco said, his hands placed on the blankets.

"Wh-what happened?" I whispered, straining to see Justin even as Draco blocked my view.

"No one's sure, yet. Ernie Macmillan, the third year in your house, was a bit helpful. He says that Justin and Nick were found together on the stairs. Um, Percy..."

"What? What is it?" I demanded, watching worry paint his face. Draco sighed.

Frowning, Draco whispered, "Harry was the one to find him. Percy... I know you don't want to think this, but hear me out. He's found most of the victims. He was only around other people when Filch's cat was petrified. And, Justin had freaked. Apparently, Harry had asked Ernie and the other Hufflepuffs where Justin was. Not even ten minutes later, Harry was bent over a petrified Justin. And he's a parselmouth. Like Slytherin himself..."

I frowned, shaking my head, "No. It wasn't Harry. Firstly, he couldn't have done anything to Miss Norris. I was with him. Secondly, the snake had backed away from Justin when Harry spoke to it. Thirdly, he doesn't hate muggleborns. He hangs out with me and Hermione daily. He could've gotten either one of us any time he wanted to. Harry hasn't done anything."

Draco furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment. Then he nodded, "It doesn't seem like a very Harry thing to do. But Percy, it is a possibility. Don't forget that."

"I won't, Draco. But Harry is my friend. Until he tries to hurt me, I will defend him."

Draco nodded, going back to rubbing the back of my hand. He smiled at me softly, though after a moment he glanced worriedly at the door.

There was a groan from beside me. I looked over at Seamus, who focused bleary eyes on us.

"Hades, I hurt. Hey, why don't I get special treatment from Draco?" Seamus grinned at us, shifting beneath the blankets and touching the cloth on his head.

"Draco hates you, duh."

"Oh? Why's he hate me?"

"Cause you're stupid."

"I am not stupid!"

We continued to bicker at each other. Even as he called me a dirty toothbrush, and I told him he smelled like a satyr's behind, we grinned at each other.

"Stop insulting each other and drink these potions," Madame Pomfrey walked in holding two bottles. She first handed one to Seamus, then gave me the other. I drank it and warmth immediately flowed through me, washing the cold out of my bones.

I smiled slightly, pushing the blankets off of me. Draco watched me wearily, probably thinking something along the lines of This idiot almost died of hypothermia and here he is doing jumping jacks and saying his fingers are a little stiff. What do jumping jacks have to do with stiff fingers?

I just continued to do jumping jacks. Seamus joined in.

We did jumping jacks until Madame Pomfrey finally told us we could go.

So I accidentally became my grandma's favorite (maybe) and I kind of hate it. So there was that argument with my sister, Sam. Kadee and Emblem had both been telling Sam things my grandma had said about her, while I hadn't (I would have, but I was with Kadee and Emblem whenever I heard stuff, so they just told her instead). Sam revealed that during the argument, and now my grandma keeps taking me out to lunch, and asked my diabetic sister why she needed insulin. I dunno, maybe because her pancreas doesn't work? But I am not one for conflict, and I am not one for attention. So this is really weirding me out, and I really don't like it. Of course, she's mad at Brianna, too, because he told Sam stuff, also. Brianna is leaving soon. Like, really, really soon. And she is super mad at him. And he's mad at her. I hate it all. I wish my family weren't idiots sometimes.

What's your weird family arguments or stories or whatever? And I hope you all have a magnificent Monday, and I will see you on Wednesday, guys, gals, and non-binary pals (haven't done that in a while).