Heroes at Hogwarts

three | trunks and promises

percy

Harley glanced up and ran into Calypso's arms. Leo smiled and patted his little brother on the back.

"What'd Chiron say?" Harley asked. Leo looked to the others for help.

Percy spoke up. "Some of us have to go away for a little while, big guy. But you can protect the camp while we're gone, can't you?"

Harley scurried out of Cal's arms and puffed out his little chest. "Yes. Cabin 9 will protect everyone!" Leo laughed.

Percy had had plenty of big brother talk and babysitting with his little sister. Estelle was two now, and Percy was pretty sure he could handle anything after the diaper stage. She'd just begun to stop using them and he couldn't be more relieved. He still surprised the others, though, when he was the only one that could calm down kids.

"What's the damage?" Grover sided up next to him and Annabeth, who plopped down on the dark green trunk.

"Percy's leaving," was all she said. Grover raised his eyebrows and shot Percy a 'you're in trouble' look.

Percy cast a sad look at her and turned to Grover. "There's something about wizards and my dad and Scotland. We aren't really sure yet. Jason, Frank, Will, Hazel, and I leave today to go to wizard school."

Grover looked even more lost than before, but he shrugged and the two boys watched Leo and Jason pick up a light blue trunk and begin lugging it down the hill to Cabin 1. Piper trailed behind, laughing as Leo's face turned a shade of red.

Cal gathered up the pots. "I'll get each of you a plant. You can count on me for that." She smiled and Mellie helped her carry them to the garden that she'd started with the Bacchus kids from Camp Jupiter and the small Dionysus boy.

Hazel and Frank hailed help from the kids that had gathered. Hazel picked up the gold colored trunk from one side, Frank stood in the middle holding both trunks, and Conner Stoll hefted the other side of Frank's dark red trunk. They began trudging up the hill to the Roman camp.

Percy looked down at Annabeth, who was still moping on the dark green trunk.

"I guess this one is mine," he tried to start some conversation from her.

She only stood and began to walk to his cabin. Percy sent Grover a rejected look. The satyr chuckled and helped Percy lift the trunk. They began down the hill after the daughter of Athena. Grover turned and nodded to Juniper, who frowned and walked with other dryad back to the forest.

Coach Hedge trotted over. "I'm counting on you, Jackson. Beat up some monsters for me!"

Percy hoped this quest involved no monsters, but he didn't want to burst the coach's bubble. "Sure thing, Coach."

The satyr smiled like that was all he needed and turned back towards the big house. Grover shook his head at him.

"He's an odd goat, he is," Grover muttered.

"No respect for wildlife," Percy said in his best impersonation of Grover. His friend pretended to look offended, but they both knew it was good to be together again, with only the thought of Percy's new brother looming over them.

They set the trunk down in the middle of Percy's cabin, Annabeth was already lying face-down on Percy's bed, her arms spread like she was making a snow angel. She let out a scream that was muffled by the mattress.

Grover nodded to Percy, patted Annabeth's back, and left with a small glance around the room.

Cabin 3 always took peoples breath away. While Percy was gone, Tyson had been crazy busy. There were little hippocampi floating around the ceiling and real water flowed in streams above them, light casting reflecting images onto the wall. As far as Percy was concerned, Tyson was freakishly talented. Because of this, no matter how hard Percy tried to make the place messy, Piper always gave him a passing clean-up score.

Annabeth groaned into the pillows again. Percy stepped over the trunk and sat next to her, waiting for her to sit back up.

She started shaking, though, and he knew she was crying. He laid down next to her and pulled her onto his chest, rubbing circles on her back and making sure his eyes didn't water.

"Annabeth," he mumbled, "it'll be okay."

"We just got back," she croaked. "You just got back."

"I know."

"Percy, what if...?"

"Nothing's going to happen," he told her. "We'll be okay."

Annabeth stayed quiet for a few moments and took deep breaths. "I trust you."

Percy chuckled. "That's dangerous."

She lifted her head and smiled weakly at him.

He rubbed her cheeks and sat back up, pulling her with him. "Everything will be fine. We're gonna go to Scotland, then after Hades knows how long, you'll come too. We'll teach this kid how to use his powers and we'll come home."

"We'll come home," she repeated to herself.

Percy smiled and looked down at her. He knew she was strong around everyone else, but he also knew she had her doubts. There was never a quest that went according to plan.

"There's not a prophecy," he realized.

Annabeth shook her head. "That's because it wasn't issued by a Greek or Roman. It was a wizard."

Percy narrowed his eyes at her. "You already asked Chiron about that, didn't you?"

Annabeth smiled but didn't say anything. When Percy took a breath to speak again, she put a hand over his mouth to silence him. "Sssshhhh," she quieted him.

He wrapped his arms around her and allowed himself to have a few moments with his girlfriend before his world got turned upside-down all over again.