Heroes at Hogwarts

seventeen | demigods and plants

draco

Percy walked lazily into the dormitory. Draco's eyes followed him to his bed. The blonde boy looked back down at all the research he'd done.

He'd finally figured it out!

But he was too scared to ask. Percy had the tattoo, the rough mysteriousness, the scars, everything that the book said one would have.

He scrambled his courage and marched over to the other boy's bunk. Percy was face-down in the covers, breathing hard. Draco didn't register that he shouldn't have been breathing hard, the trek to the dorms didn't involve any stairs. 

"Percy?" Draco asked in a small voice.

Percy hummed in response.

Draco looked around the room. No one else was there. Crabbe and Goyle had gone to the library (which confused him, he didn't know they could read), and Ethan and Blaise had gone to the greenhouses. If the later two had been in here, though, he would have had no problem asking Percy. It's the first two that would go and spread it around the school. 

"I have a question. It's kind of serious, so please sit up."

Percy sat up with one eyebrow raised. He looked terrible. His eyes were darker than usual; his hair was stuck in all different directions. He looked like he hadn't slept well in days. Draco figured if Percy had been staying up, he would have noticed.

"It's not really a question, more like a statement, but I could totally be wrong." He glanced back at his bed, where his books and notes lay.

"Go ahead," Percy said.

"You're...you're a demigod." Draco said with finality. He hadn't meant to just blurt it out. He'd been going over this conversation for hours in his head, trying to find a way to break this news in an easy way, some way that built up to the research he'd done.

There was a dangerous silence between them. The sink in the bathroom suddenly started shooting out water. 

Percy suddenly smiled. "Sorry." The water turned off. "How did you put it together?" Percy asked in wonder. "Was it-"

"Your tattoo." Draco pointed at it. "S.P.Q.R. It's Latin, from Rome. My mom used to tell me stories about demigods, all the Greek myths and stuff. I know a little Latin. I started reading and doing some research. There are no wizard schools in New York or in California, but there are a lot of reports of mythological beings. Out of all of your scars, none of them are curse scars. I just...I put two and two together, I guess."

Percy marveled at him. "I thought Hermione would be the one to figure it out."

Draco scrunched up his eyebrows. "I'm actually just as smart as Hermione in the GPAs, thank you very much."

"And another thing," Percy said, "you accepted that demigods could exist, so you researched it. I doubt Hermione would ever research something she didn't believe in."

They stayed quiet for a while.

"So...who's your parent?" Draco asked.

Percy smiled at him. "Well, my mom lives in an apartment in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. New York."

"No," Draco said, "I mean, I bet she's great, but...who's your godly parent?" 

Poseidon. God of the sea." Percy waved his hand, dismissing the thought. "He doesn't do much parenting, but the guy my mom married does. He's great. Name is Paul." 

Draco smiled. He had some experience with dads that don't do much parenting. "And the others you're here with? Who are their parents?"

Percy chucked. "That's not my secret to tell. I bet you'll figure it out soon enough."

"Why are you here?" It was only after he'd asked that he realized it was a rude question. "I mean, why are you here, like, what brought you to Hogwarts?"

Percy frowned. "I can't tell you that, I'm sorry."

Draco nodded. "That's fair. The stories my mom used to tell me stories about quests. They get pretty dangerous, right?" Percy just nodded, so Draco continued. "So you can control water and stuff."

Percy smiled. "And stuff. Yeah."

Voices rang out on the other side of the door. Blaise and Ethan walked in, each holding a vine plant.

"What is that?" Draco asked immediately. "You know we don't do plants in here."

Percy pointed out the window. "Yeah, no sunlight. Just water, water, and more water. I'm pretty sure that isn't good for plants."

Draco figured a son of Poseidon would be fine with be surrounded by water, but he didn't mention that. He was sure Percy wanted to keep this between them.

Percy checked his watch. "I need to go." He stood. "I won't be back tonight, so don't wait up for me." He waved at all of them and grabbed a blanket from on top of his trunk. "See you all at breakfast tomorrow!"

Just like that, without another word, he left the room. Draco raised his eyebrows. Ethan and Blaise turned to Draco.

"What was that about?" Ethan asked.

Draco smiled. "Nothing." He turned back to the other boys and smiled. He walked back to his bunk and reached under the pillow, lifting a small brown bag. "Wanna try the new Weasley sweets line?"  

Both boys set down their plants and smiled the biggest smiles he'd seen in a while.

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Draco figured it out- before Hermione! S.P.Q.R tattoos are very noticeable when everyone is looking for dark marks. 

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