Phoenix of Olympus (PJO/Harry Potter) UNEDITED (PJ FANFICTION)

Ch. 11- Sweet Misery

I'm not what you think that I'm made of,

I'm a story,

I'm a breakup,

Just a hero on a bridge that's burning down.

This is all of me for all of the world to see.

I'm lost in dreams and all I know is where I've been.

I'm the truth that you're afraid of...

Just a martyr on a bridge that's burning down...

(Please watch the video at some point, either before or after you read this chapter. It is very relevant on top of simply being an amazing song.)

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"I think you broke them O'Leary." She simply panted in joy as she directed his hand to scratch her ears and head, oblivious to the distress she caused the ignorant Professors. I had to laugh at her expression. I brought my hand to her head and ran my fingers through her fur, curling them slightly. She whimpered weakly, almost as if she could feel my distress.

"I know girl, I know. But I need you to check up on the pack." She growled a little bit. "I know you don't like them all but they are as much a part of me as you are. Just...check up on how they're  doing, then you can go back to Cerberus and the pups." She let out a giddy bark at the mention of their pups. She had given birth not too long ago and had a nice, loving litter that drove both the parents, Nico, Hades, and I mad at times. "I love you girl." She jumped up and licked me, slobbering my face and part of my neck, including sections of his clothing.

She ran off into a portal of shadows, wagging her tail adorably. She was one of the few things keeping me together, almost like a therapy dog. After the war had ended, Mrs. O'Leary and my pack of familiars, including Blackjack stood by my side and helped me as I escaped to Alaska for a few months. They are my family now and without their love, I probably would have lost my sanity and heart long ago. Though, I very well could have lost my mind in Tartarus. I've met quite a few rational people who no longer were, shall we say, in control of their minds. So for all we know, I could be insane and just able to hide it extremely well. It would explain a lot of things to be honest.

I turned away from my thoughts and started walking back to the school. The Professors had left after he had snapped his fingers in front of them several times. Their gazes were filled with trepidation as they continuously glanced back at the monstrosity of a dog sitting by Professor Jackson's  side. He had patiently waited for them to leave his sight before speaking to her again as he amused himself by petting her.

I walked on, completely absorbed within my thoughts as I entered the school and Common Room. I decided to skip dinner. I had long since lost my appetite. I rarely ate everyday, sometimes going without food for multiple days in a row. After having been starved for months on end at a time in The Pit, I had yet to regain my past appetite. Who knows if I ever will. The lady in the painting opened up without even asking for the password. I guess she recognized that I wasn't all there.

The silence of the Common Room was refreshing and the tapestries and furniture almost looked like a museum exhibit. The air was stale and the windows seemed welded shut. The light of the sun left ghastly shadows that consumed the floor in darkness, copying the patterns of the glass panes. The curtains hung heavy like rags over the metal poles. I couldn't help but compare this lifeless and impersonal room to the cabins back home.

Home.

It's been a while since I've called that place home. When I think about it, all I feel is the bittersweet memories of the past happiness I used to possess. I guess the land was never my home. The buildings, the area, the city, Manhattan, the camp...these places were not my home. It was the people. The campers, the Seven, my family and friends...they were my home. It was in their arms and in their smiles where I belonged. But now, my home lay shattered and dead. Their arms covered in blood and their smiles fractured by war. So, I no longer have a home. I am now a nomad, wandering for a purpose and a place to belong.