The next morning was chaotic. Percy was searching through her closet for the perfect outfit. She struggled through dresses and threw them across the room if they didn't fit her expectations. This happened every year. She usually didn't bother with dresses much, but Salazar's birthday was a special day.
"Late! I can't be late!" Percy growled and flung the horrid red dress at her lamp.
Unfortunately having a wolf animagus meant a shorter temper.
"How about the blue one over there?"
Percy swung around, sword in hand. She looked wildly around.
"Show yourself!"
There was a moment of silence before an answer.
"You are a speaker?"
Percy stared at the snake in shock. It talked...
Percy stared at the snake for a second before realization set in.
Parseltongue. Ugh, she felt so foolish. She completely forgot about that part. Well it has been years since that was brought up, so who could blame her.
What a seaweed brain.
A bitter-sweet feeling rang through her being. Percy shook her head. She couldn't let herself get sucked into the memories. She would move on.
"Yes, I am a speaker," Percy hissed. "Your master is the same."
"Hmm, it's surprising that there are so many parseltongues in one place. This area of the world doesn't seem to have any."
"I'm pretty sure your master's father is also parseltongue. It's an inherited trait, I think."
Percy then placed the snake in the cage and put a green bow on it.
"I do believe the blue dress would suit you well," the snake suggested.
Percy looked at the dress at the back of the wardrobe and smiled. It was perfect. The blue color and simple style suited her tastes perfectly. It had sleeves that got bigger at the end so it hung on her arms.
The dress hugged her figure perfectly.
Percy smiled. It made her feel pretty, but would Salazar like it?
She shook her head. When did she start caring about that? It made her feel beautiful and nobody elses opinion mattered.
Percy grabbed the snake's cage and shrunk it so she could put it in her hidden pocket in the dress.
The manor was huge with architecture that Anthony would have loved. The magic touches made it even more unique. The garden looked even more exotic with magical plants.
Magic would never get old.
Percy weaved through the crowded hallways. There were many purebloods in this time. They dwindled a great deal by the time Percy was born. She never did get why purebloods could be so ignorant. It was obvious that inbreeding and having one kid in each family would eventually have purebloods extinct. They should have probably introduced some foreign purebloods into their family. She guessed that was their problem.
Percy searched the crowd for her friends.
She was relieved when she found them sitting at the large table with their families. Percy smiled as she watched Helga smiling and having a good time with her mother. It's been so long since she saw her own mother.
What would her mother think of her life now? The demigod didn't let the deaths and war define the rest of her life as it would have had she stayed at Camp Halfblood. She hoped her mother would be proud.
Percy approached the group and plopped down next to Godric. She looked around, noticing that Salazar was not in the group.
"Where'd Salazar go?" Percy asked.
"I don't know." Godric shrugged.
Percy shifted uneasily in her seat. She never did like fancy public events, especially without Salazar by her side. She sucked at interacting with arrogant beings, regardless of their species.
Salazar arrived at the table ten minute later. His robes were the Slytherin colors as was expected in formal events. He looked quite dashing.
They both exchanged looks as Salazar came to a stop next to the table.
Percy's was accusatory and Salazar's was apologetic. Percy sighed and gestured to the empty chair next to her.
After so long together, they both knew how to have silent conversations.
Salazar took a seat and smiled charmingly at Percy.
"You look beautiful today, Weslyn."
Percy let her hair cover the blush that colored her cheeks.
"You don't look too bad either, Salazar."
Godric rolled his eyes at the two, having witnessed the whole thing from his place on the other side of Weslyn. They were so oblivious.
Salazar smiled and an indescribable look crossed his face before he continued making conversation.
Salazar's father was named Ixeor Salazar. He was a proud, but cunning. A Slytherin through and through. The only exception is with his son. He was the kind of father that made Percy envy her friend, but only for a second before she got distracted. ADHD would always affect her.
With Salazar, Ixeor was a typical warm father-figure. His wife was gone. Percy never figured out why. Salazar would get all bitter and dark when Percy asked. She never pushed it any further than that. Satisfying her curiosity was not worth hurting her friend.
Anyways, Ixeor did a big speech about his son reaching adulthood and how amazing Salazar was. It was a sort of speech that Percy could never do. Yeah, Percy can inspire people to go to fight with her speeches, but this seemed like a different territory.
After that, they started eating. The food just appeared on the platters. Percy ignored the information about the enchantments on it, with skill that only came from years of practice. Sometimes, Hecate's gifts were annoying. Most of the time, they were useful.
After people finished eating there was Salazar opening his presents and politely thanking people. He got a ton of fancy gadgets, books, and clothes. Godric got him a love potion as a prank. Percy didn't have a clue why that was funny, but Godric was laughing pretty hard at Salazar's panicked face.
Percy didn't put her present on the table. She never did that in any of Salazar's parties. She usually gave it to him after everyone left. It was practically tradition by now.
After Salazar finished, there was a dance. The music consisted of the slow classic music that one would expect in a old time dance. Upbeat modern music didn't exist.
A grinning Godric was dancing with a sour-faced Rowena. They looked like they were having a fun time. Percy long figured out that Rowena had some variant of the same look on most of time. It was the body language and eyes, you had to look for. Helga was off dancing with one of the kids from the Black family. Percy didn't have anything against the Blacks. The only exception being the oldest kid, Rigel. He couldn't take a hint and Percy was so close to just claiming to be a muggle-born to get him to stop flirting with her. Knowing him, that wouldn't stop him.
She tried every kind of trick she knew to get him off her back, but it never worked. Percy tried acting in a way that should disgust him, but he always found a way of brushing it off and making it sound like a good trait. It was impressive really.
The problem wasn't that he was unattractive. Blacks are always physically attractive and Rigel is no different. He has gray eyes and long black hair with the typical aristocratic face. He looked like a black. Percy had no clue why future Blacks look pretty much the same. Shouldn't more people coming into the family give some different genes over time?
Anyways, that's off topic. Rigel was flirting with her and she was looking at the floor, pursing her lips, containing her irritation. Then, Percy's knight in shining armor came to her rescue.
"May, I have this dance, Wolfheart?" Salazar said, with all his Slytherin charm.
Rigel glared at him and turned up his nose.
Thank the gods.
"Of course," Percy said with a relieved smile.
Salazar took her hand and they were on the dance floor. Percy wasn't the best dancer, but she knew enough to not draw attention to herself.
Percy smiled nervously as Salazar lead her through the steps.
He was giving her that look again, and Percy had a weird feeling in her stomach. Percy idly wondered if the food wasn't going down well.
Percy grabbed Salazar's arm and dragged him down the hallways.
"And where are you taking me?" He said with a smile.
"Here," Percy pulled him into a random room.
Salazar looked around in confusion.
"Why are we in the guest bedroom?"
Percy looked away and blushed.
That sounded so suggestive.
She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "I wanted to give you my gift."
Understanding dawned on his face.
Percy pulled the cage from the pocket she hid it in and unshrunk it.
Salazar's eyes widened as he saw the contents.
"Hello master."
"This must have been so expensive," Salazar stated, admiring the look of the snake.
Salazar may have been from a rich family, but he understood the troubles of the poorer people. Percy admired him for that.
"It was totally worth it," she said with her half grin she used so much.
Salazar gave her a dazzling smile and turned back to his snake
"Do you have a name?" He hissed
Percy never really heard him speak parseltongue before. She only heard rumors of it. It was sort of weird to hear another speak snake.
"I don't believe I had the need for one, but if you may name me if that is what you desire."
"I don't know. Wessy, why don't you name him?"
"I couldn't possibly name him. He's your snake,"
"Well, I don't know of any fitting names. Please?"
"Well, he's blue, so how about...Azul?" Percy cringed at her naming skills.
"Sounds perfect," Salazar said with a small smile. "Is there a significance to it?"
"It's blue in another language called Spanish," Percy said with a sheepish smile. " I only know the bare basics."
There was a sort of fondness in his voice, accentuated by the small smile on his face.
"So, back to the party?" She asked, uncomfortable with the silence.
Salazar set Azul around his neck.
"Yes, let us go."
The demigod followed behind like a lost puppy.
Hey, long time, no see. I have no excuse, but I'm lazy and often get writer's block. I've been editing the earlier chapters though. Thanks for pointing things out. I mixed my stories up. It was minor, but still... I feel like upgrading the cover. Anybody know any good cover makers?