Percy Jackson and the Triwizard Tournament (Goblet of Fire)

Chapter 28: Sweet Dreams

Percy stared pitifully at the fireplace, his posture now slouched and melting into the sofa. Unknowingly, he had been sitting there for hours, centered on the couch in the dark, motionless common room. His sloppy bed-head of raven black hair was barely visible from behind the sofa, as he exhaled once more; sinking into the velvety surface.

A faint 'clip clop' of slippers snapped him out of his gaze. As he craned his neck over to the side of the room, he noticed a robed figure walking down from the Girl's dormitory.

"Can't sleep?" Annabeth rubbed her eye groggily, before she fell onto the couch beside him. She sighed, giving him a tired glance before the two shared a dazed expression towards the lively fire in the middle of the room.

Percy nodded, his hands folded together now rose to brush a hand through his hair. He leaned forward, now his face even closer to the warm heat. The flickering light illuminating one side of his face, "I've been thinking..."

He paused before continuing, Percy met her gaze, "Has Thalia come back yet?"

She shook her head, "I've never killed a dragon before in a magic school full of mortals... I think it requires patience. There were a lot of people last time we saw..." her grey eyes darted back towards the fire, "since we saw those monsters..." Her voice became shaky for a moment, "They could've killed someone, Percy." Exhaustion gave in, as she leaned back on the couch; abandoning her previous slumped forward position.

He nodded. The two shared a few moments of silence before she sighed, turning back towards him, "But that's not what you were going to say... is it?"

Percy's eyes hardened, an obvious tension had filled the air, "I've been thinking about the prophecy..."

At this, Annabeth leaned forward once more, "What about it?"

"The third and fourth line - "In the vast waters one will have failed, Whilst the Prince of the Sea returns and prevailed" - I think it's referring to the Second Task..."

The air grew cold, as the two's melancholy mood showed no motion whatsoever. A few moments of quietness was given before Annabeth muttered, "Makes sense... To be quite honest I thought it might too... Prince of the Sea... That must be referring to you."

"That's not what worries me," Percy's face melted into a mournfully composure, "It's what comes after."

Annabeth's eyes fluttered alert and awake in a swift motion of blinking, "Oh gods... 'Whether blood or ash, it shall be spilt,'... Percy..."

He nodded,

"I think someone is going to die."

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Thalia clenched her fist, "That's none of your business. Can't anyone take a nice evening stroll in peace?" The last sentence she spoke through gritted teeth, obviously irritated with the delay towards her quest.

Malfoy scowled, "A nice evening stroll?" He obviously didn't buy it, but with sheer luck, he just shrugged it off, "Well, at least this stroll will have some use. Tell Percy I have a message for him."

"Oh yeah? What if he doesn't want it?" Thalia's defensive, angry attitude multiplied. 'Which obviously will come useful when killing a dragon...' she had thought.

"Don't use that tone, Half-blood," he sneered, "If you want my advice then you shouldn't be so ignorant in taking it!"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, her stiffened posture now lessened, "Advice?"

He nodded, obviously quite pleased with himself as if he was given the upper-hand, "Potter is in first place now, is he? Well, Cedric promising, but just in case it's preferable that the Americans win if not him."