Annabeth Chase the Triwizard Champion

Chapter Twenty Two

A/N: same goes for this chapter, I'm really bad at writing romance so sorry if this is bad and feel free to leave suggestions and feedback!

Since no one told Percy where he'd be sleeping, he stayed in the Slytherin common room, on a couch by the fire with a blanket that Annabeth brought down for him. Annabeth stayed with him well past midnight. After everyone else had gone to bed, they stayed together, just enjoying each other's presence. It wasn't until three in the morning when either of them remembered the golden egg.

"Wow," Percy said after Annabeth had returned to their cozy blanket nest with the egg.

"We should go outside to open it," Annabeth said. "It would wake everyone up."

"But what about curfew? Won't we get in trouble?"

Annabeth laughed. "You're too old to worry about curfew, Seaweed Brain. Come on."

Outside the common room, Percy jumped at any noise that might be a patrolling teacher. Annabeth rolled her eyes every time, but she loved how much he cared about such inconsequential things, like rules.

"Come on," she whispered, crossing from one side of two intersecting halls to another while a teacher's back was turned.

"Wha— Annabeth!" Percy hissed, running after her. "We're going to get caught!"

"The doors are right there, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth laughed, taking his hand and pointing down the Entrance Hall.

Out on the freezing grounds, the Yule Ball decorations mixed with the crickets from the forest, the fairies sleeping in the rose buds, and the lack of making out party goers combined to give the place such a strong fairy tale feeling that Annabeth could almost imagine they were part of a story book.

"The stars are different here," Percy said when they left the light of the lanterns and sleeping fairies.

Annabeth nodded. "The Huntress would be over there in our time," she said, pointing to a spot in the sky. "Right next to Orion."

"I wish you could have met her," Percy said softly. "You would've been friends."

"We'll meet," Annabeth replied just as softly. "Some day."

Percy smiled. They reached the lake, and Percy slid his shoes off.

"Should we go under?"

"You read my mind," Annabeth said, setting her shoes next to Percy's.

They were far from any people, but the sound of the egg's screams would carry across the dark grounds, alerting any teachers doing night patrol that there were some students outside after hours.

The water was freezing, but the chill went away as soon as Percy's hand touched hers. As they walked further in, splashing around Annabeth's neck, the water dented ever so slightly, like a small glass bowl had been pressed over it, and it continued to grow as Annabeth's head went under, leaving a thin bubble around her face so she could breath.

Percy, of course, didn't have a bubble, and he was looking around the lake with interest.

"Is there a... thirty foot long squid in here somewhere?" he asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy. His voice came through perfectly clear under the water.

"Don't worry, he's friendly," Annabeth said, settling on the sandy floor, the surface rippling ten feet above their heads.

"If you say so." Percy drifted down across from her, criss crossing his legs. "Let's hear a screaming egg."

Annabeth slid her fingers into the small groove that ran up and down the egg. Her hands were slightly slower in the water, but Annabeth had been under the surface with Percy enough times to be used to it.