Chapter 7
Annabeth saw Percy’s lip twitch next to her as he looked across the room.
“Hazel’s looking pleading,” he muttered to her in Greek. “I’ll have to get her some food later.”
Annabeth stifled her giggle into her own food.
“So,” one of their classmates said after daintily dabbing at her lips with her napkin, black hair tucked behind her ear. “Chase and Jackson. What has you guys transferring to Hogwarts?”
“It’s just for the year,” Annabeth said. The other girl had not smiled so she didn’t bother either. “The four of us had high enough marks to be chosen for this year’s transfer.”
“Does Salem Academy do these transfers yearly, then?” A boy with sandy blond hair said from next to the girl. Percy shook his head.
“Every other year, actually.”
The boy hummed. He held out his hand. “Cassius Warrington.”
Percy accepted his hand, holding his gaze and shaking firmly. “Perseus Jackson. Call me Percy.”
Cassius raised a surprised brow. Percy gave him a crooked grin.
“I’m only Perseus when I’m in trouble.”
Cassius snorted and his cold expression split with a grin. The girl next to him scoffed and elbowed him. He merely shrugged. From next to Annabeth, a different girl stuck out her hand. She had brown hair cropped close to her head.
“Anita Leighbright,” she introduced. Annabeth shook her hand.
“Annabeth Chase.”
Anita cocked her head with a grin that matched Cassius’.
“Not Annie?”
“Call me Annie and you lose your lips,” Annabeth said reflexively. Anita, however, burst into laughter that caught the attention of most of the sixth years. Most of them rolled their eyes but some shook their heads with grins.
“I like you,” Anita declared. “Feel free to call me Anita. I’m this idiot’s cousin.”
She jerked forward slightly at the same time that Cassius yelped, so Annabeth assumed with amusement she’d kicked him under the table. Annabeth leaned back into Percy as his arm wound around her shoulders.
“Nice. Call me Annabeth, this dork is my boyfriend.”
Percy just grinned and planted a kiss on her head. Anita giggled like the Aphrodite cabin did whenever the two were loving. Cassius just nodded. The girl with black hair seemed to blush at the PDA, while a few other observers next to Cassius and Anita seemed to have their icy exteriors melt a bit.
“So, Percy, Annabeth, got any hobbies?” Cassius asked as he took a bite of his plain green beans. Anita, from where she was drowning her steamed cauliflower in pepper, wrinkled her nose at him. He stuck his tongue out at her. If they were more prone to pulling knives on each other, Annabeth would have compared them to Thalia and Percy. Alas, there was far less bloodshed between the wizards.
“Sword-fighting, reading,” Annabeth shrugged. “I like to design architecture as well.”
“Sword-fighting?”
“Architecture?” Both cousins exclaimed at once. Anita and Cassius stared at each other with odd expressions.
“Really, Cassy, you’re focusing on architecture?” Anita asked. Cassius glared at her.
“Architecture is fascinating, and stop calling me Cassy.”
Anita looked seconds away from flipping him the bird. Annabeth and Percy laughed.
“I like cooking and baking,” Percy said. “Though mostly baking. I also like painting.”
“What medium?” A boy next to Cassius asked with sudden interest. “Ray Rosewood, by the way.”
Percy nodded once before he answered, Annabeth looking over the deserts with a critical eye. “Watercolor mostly, but I also like acrylics.”
“I’m the opposite. I’ve gotten better at watercolor but it still disagrees with me,” Ray said with an annoyed face. Annabeth selected a fruit tart as Percy chuckled. She took a bite and frowned. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it wasn’t great.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen who didn’t like the house-elves’ cooking,” Cassius said to her with an interested look on his face. Annabeth snorted as she speared a strawberry with her fork.
“Then you haven’t been paying attention to our fellow transfers,” she said before popping the strawberry in her mouth as Percy stole blueberries from her plate. Cassius and Anita both immediately went to look, craning their necks. The rest of the eavesdroppers turned as well, but much more subtly. Sure enough, Hazel and Frank were picking through their dinners while intermittently sending Percy pleading looks.
Percy barked a laugh that made Ray jump. “Like I said, I like to bake and cook.”
“Must be good,” Cassius muttered as he turned back to his food. Percy threw a wink at Hazel and Frank, who both brightened and went back to their meals.
“Speaking of food, anyone know where the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff dorms are,” Percy asked as he stole a piece of chocolate from Annabeth’s plate. She retaliated by stealing his apple.
The black haired girl shot Percy a critical look, having gotten her blush under control.
“It’s against school rules to sneak out at night or enter other houses’ common rooms.”
Percy shrugged casually. “Never said I’d visit them tonight.”
The black haired girl stared shrewdly at him, but Percy was unbothered as he ate some more blueberries. Before long, dinner was cleaned up and they were off to their dorms. Percy seemed fascinated by the windows into the Black Lake, while Annabeth appreciated the architecture of the common room. Anita and Cassius led the couple in separate ways, but both knew they’d wind up near each other in the night.
At about three in the morning, Percy was making some fresh bread for the next morning when he and Annabeth– who was peacefully reading in the corner– received simultaneous IMs from Frank and Hazel respectively. The two stared at each other for a moment, before stifling tired giggles.
“Nightmares?” Percy asked. The two nodded. Annabeth stood, and after getting directions, went to collect the younger quest members. Soon enough, the bread was done, and Hazel and Frank were bundled off into the small bedroom Annabeth had also hidden in Percy’s trunk. To keep from waking the dorms. With magic she had practiced well, Annabeth set an alarm in order to get them up in time to not be suspicious. Then the four piled into the comfortable bed for the night. Frank and Hazel sandwiched Percy with Annabeth next to Hazel. Annabeth and Percy laced hands, Frank and Hazel curled up into Percy’s sides with Annabeth spooning Hazel. The younger two dozed off soon enough. Percy and Annabeth exchanged amused smiles, and set in for a night slipping in and out of consciousness.