I dream about hypothermia and my friend exploding
PIPER: I know Leo wants to rebuild our friendship. I couldn't be mad at him for that. Honestly, I appreciated his protective nature. Back when we were close, we'd always had a brother/sister friendship. We annoyed each other. There were times we'd wanted to kill each other. Yet at the same time, we protected each other. We loved each other and that love can't be destroyed through a silly argument. He had simply gone over the edge with his protective nature. If he'd simply back off of Draco, everything would be fine again. I could easily be friends with both Draco and Leo.
Leo constantly said that Draco was trying to manipulate me. He claimed that Draco had me wrapped around his finger. I thought it was the other way around. Draco would do anything I asked at a mere suggestion. He was almost obsessed with me, and though it sounds vain, I kind of liked his attention.
"The accusations are complete rubbish, can you believe anyone is buying his garbage? The prophet's newest article about him has got to be my favorite. It called him mental, a liar! I'm glad the people are starting to see Potter for what he really is." You could simply look at Draco and see he was trying way too hard with the rich boy attitude. Some say he walked around thinking he owned the world; I think he stumbled around trying to get a grasp on it.
He was sat on the most decent single chair in the room, with his feet crossed on a footrest. He smirked as he read, the prophet in one hand, an apple in the other. The apple was something I didn't quite understand. We had just eaten supper. Why did he feel the need to drag the apple all the way to the common room, instead of just eating it in the great hall? I think he had brought it with him purely for aesthetic purposes, at which I so excelled.
"What do you think, Piper?" Millicent asked me. I shrugged.
"Politics aren't my forte," I admitted. "I prefer picking and choosing my enemies over varying characteristics. It makes life more interesting."
Draco scoffed. "Surely you despise him. That Potter, walking around as if the world owes him something."
"Why don't you like him, Draco? Not that I do. I've never spoken to that Potter boy. I'm simply curious. What has he done to you?" I asked.
Draco seemed taken aback by that comment.
"Pff! Piper, he's--he's POTTER!" He exclaimed, "He's Harry Potter!"
"And you're Draco Malfoy! And she's Millicent Bullstrode, I'm Piper McClean." I applauded sarcastically. "I'm glad we got introductions out of the way. Great job, I see you've been working on your manners, Draco!"
If anyone else had said such a thing to Draco, he would've exploded in them. Because I was the one who said it, he gave a hard laugh.
"Piper, you kill me."
"That's my goal."
He doubled over in laughter. Pansy glared at me with envy. Millicent and I exchanged looks, both looks saying the same thing: man, this boy is trying too hard. Like I said, I had him wrapped around my finger. Leo was paranoid. I had nothing to worry about.
"I'll get you to see our views--the right views soon, Piper. Sooner or later, you'll start taking me more seriously." He lectured, adding a teasing smirk.
"I'll take you more seriously the day you remember to zip your fly up all the way, Draco." He did just that in embarrassment. I smirked to myself in satisfaction.
It was at that point, a few minutes later, when Leo burst in on the conversation. You know what happened from there. I didn't understand why he was acting so strange.
I thought I was alone in the common room when I finally found some time to relax. The flames in the fireplace were the only light in the room now. I lay down on the sofa and gazed into the fire. The flames danced slowly. The smoke billowed up into the vent. As the smoke drifted away, I drifted as well; I drifted into a deep sleep.
***
I'd always hated those dreams where you wake up within them, but you're still dreaming. They cause nothing but confusion and an eerie feeling.
In my dream, I shot awake. Confusing, I know. Try to stick with me here.
Anyways, I awoke, cold and shivering.
"Oh, god." My teeth chattered. "He turned me to gold!"
"You're okay now." The boy spoke, softly. He draped a blanket across my shoulders. I couldn't quite pick out his voice. Even his face was blurred and confusing. It was like he was one of those anonymous speakers on a serious muggle talk show.
I blinked, trying to figure out where I was. A campfire crackled beside us. We were in some sort of cave, that much was clear. That's when I saw him. Another guy, sitting to my left. He too was covered in a blanket, shivering. The only difference was that I recognized this guy.
"L-L-Leo?" I managed, in confusion.
"Present and un-gold-ified." He didn't look great either, but he looked better than I felt. "I got the precious metal treatment too," he said. "But I came out of it faster. Dunno why. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but...it's really, really cold." He explained.
I had no idea what was happening.
The face-less figure spoke.
"You've got hypothermia." He said, "We risked as much nectar as we could. Coach Hedge did a little nature magic."
Another man was present now. No, not a man. At least, not completely a man. A centaur?
He began to speak, I couldn't quite make out what he was saying. The dream faded into another.
I was beside the same mysterious guy as the last dream, somehow I just knew it was him.
But one thing remained clear: we had to keep the monster off of the ground. Leo and the mysterious figure helped. Together, we rose.
A dragon lifted us, a metal dragon. Huh, this couldn't have possibly gotten any weirder.
"YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME!" The monster began to crumble to sand. She melted into a lump of grass, then re-formed again as a human. "I AM ETERNAL!"
"Eternally annoying!" Leo yelled, he urged the dragon even higher. The figure and I rose with him. I began to get a bad feeling. Though the monster was facing its defeat, I could tell something more was happening.
"Get me closer," I said. "I need to be next to her," I spoke to the figure. I realized something. He was holding me; he was flying.
"Piper, the flames and the shrapnel-"
"I know." I insisted.
We were right next to the enemy now.
"FOOLISH CHILDREN!"
"You are so weary. Eons of pain and disappointment weigh on you." I felt a power behind my words. Somehow I knew she would obey. She had to.
"SILENCE!"
Her voice was so strong, the figure holding me lost control for a moment. The dragon caught me in its claw.
"Millennia of sorrow..." I continued, more phrases were spoken. Things I didn't understand.
"You want one thing," I said soothingly. "One word. You want permission to close your eyes and forget your troubles. You---want---SLEEP!"
The monster fell into human form.
"LEO!" My voice rung in my ears. So loud, so fast, I couldn't hear. Leo spoke. He seemed determined to accomplish whatever it was.
I heard the figure's voice vibrate, distantly, I heard his words.
"No! We have to stay with you. Piper's got the cure. Leo, you can't--"
Leo spoke more. I could only make out his last phrase.
"By the way," he said, a small smirk shining through his body, which was--did I mention--completely on fire. "I love you guys."
The figure held onto me as I yelled Leo's name.
The explosion turned the entire sky gold.
***
I shot awake, shivering. This time, it wasn't because I was cold. Also, this time I really was awake. Who was that figure? Why did I dream of Leo? Why did I not know what was happening--yet, I knew what to say?
I looked around and I felt more alone than ever.
***
(Contains excerpts from The Lost Hero: chapter XXXIII, and The Blood of Olympus: Chapter LII)