Both demigods sighed. Glancing towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Percy and Annabeth realized they still had a while to go until the prophecy was completed. This was just the start.
~~~
Percy and Annabeth spent the next couple weeks joined at the hip. They didn't leave each others' sight, which annoyed Umbridge (and many others) way too much.
They talked (half the time crying) and caught each other up on everything that happened in those two years that they were separated.
At first Harry, Ron, and Hermione awe'd at the couple and admired how cute they were. By day three, Percabeth's magic of cuteness wore off and the trio became annoyed at how "lovey- dovey" (in Ron's words) Percy and Annabeth were.
But to be fair, the last time Percy and Annabeth saw each other were in a war, hours after they got out of Tartarus, barely a year after they finally became boyfriend- girlfriend.
Not to mention, they were 19, and both planned to propose to the each other.
They had the right to be "lovey- dovey".
Unfortunately, much to Percy and Annabeth's shock and dismay, being brought back together (but kept separate at night) intensified their flashbacks and nightmares. Multiple times a night, they'd wake each other up (and everyone else) screaming.
Percy and Annabeth figured the only way to help each other, was to sleep in the common room on the couches rather than in the dormitories. And they were right. When one woke up screaming, the other was there to comfort.
Once McGonagall found out, she was (how do you say...) unhappy. Using magic or however she managed to, Minerva created a soundproof room in the Gryffindor common room just for Percy and Annabeth. They had a bed, a bathroom (perfect for IM) and no one could hear them yelling in the middle of the night.
Everyone was much happier that way.
To allow Annabeth to stay at Hogwarts, McGonagall introduced her as another transfer student from Illvermony, and had her get "sorted" into her house. After getting sorted into Gryffindor (nearly five minutes later, like Percy) she later told Percy that the hat debated putting her in Ravenclaw or Slytherin (smart, yet cunning...), but she argued to get Gryffindor, which as Annabeth said the sorting hat commented, "just like a Gryffindor to argue about a house placement".
Percy laughed, then told Annabeth the hat did the same thing to him about Hufflepuff.
This caused Annabeth to laugh picturing Percy in bright yellow and black robes, in a house of people just like him. "You'd be a perfect fit, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth chuckled. "Although, you would've looked good in Slytherin's colors. The green kind of matches your eyes." She giggled.
Percy rolled said eyes. "You know, everyone keeps telling me that." He laughed.
Hecate even blessed Annabeth to be able to do magic, something Annabeth was extremely excited about. She practically spent three whole days cooped up in the library with Hermione talking about spells and potions. Percy slept in the chair next to Annabeth during those days.
All in all, Percy and Annabeth wouldn't trade those first two weeks back together for anything.
They were happy, for the first time, in a long time.
~~~
The thunder outside Hogwarts boomed, practically shaking the castle. Lightning flickered across the common room.
"So Snape was there? He's a death eater?"
"Yes, Ron, I told you that weeks ago." Percy sighed. The group tried to focus on the prophecy again. Now that master plan maker Annabeth was there, they hoped it would go better than the first time.
"Slimy bastard."
"Mhm." Percy went back to staring out the window at the pouring rain.
Annabeth repositioned her spot from laying on Percy's shoulder, to the edge of the couch. "Prophecies have double meanings."
"Yeah." Harry said, barely paying attention.
"Which means that the obvious interpretation isn't necessarily the answer." Annabeth stated.
Harry mindlessly agreed. "Uh huh."
"What did you guys figure out so far in the prophecy?"
No answer. Annabeth frowned at the lack of response she was receiving. Turning to face Percy, she found him asleep, drooling on the corner of the couch.
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Seaweed Brain." No response. Annabeth gave a sly smile, picked up the nearest pillow, and smacked Percy in the face.
Percy jumped, startled from her wake up call. "What?" He asked groggily. Ron looked towards the couple's interaction as Hermione nudged Harry to pay attention.
"What did you figure out in the prophecy?" Annabeth repeated.
Percy sat up straighter. "The line- To bring back from the myth and pain- means that someone brings back Voldemort (the myth) and pain, which is you."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I'm pain?"
Percy froze unsure of how to answer, luckily Hermione saved him. "Because of how much pain everyone felt when you were presumed dead."
Annabeth mouthed oh, and nodded.
Harry jumped into the conversation. "We also figured that the two half-bloods it refers to is Percy and I."
"Makes sense."
"And the reuniting part, we figured was the wizarding world and demigods." Harry continued.
"Okay. Yeah. Only thing is how do we do that? Not to mention, the whole rest of the prophecy." Annabeth stated.
The trio and Percy exchanged glances, which obviously Annabeth noticed. "What?"
"I can't help defeat Voldemort." Percy sighed.
"What do you mean?"
"I had a dream, and Hecate said I could either save you, or destroy Voldemort- not both. I saved you, cause you're clearly sitting right in front of us, but now that means I can't destroy Voldemort."
Annabeth nodded. "You can't save everything Perce." Percy looked at his feet. "Besides, that's a later problem seeing as we don't even know how to defeat Voldemort."
"Oh! we know how, just... not exactly.... how." Ron said. Annabeth stared confused, while everyone just sort of stared at him. "He has these things, horror cruxes-"
"Horcruxes," Hermione corrected.
"Horcruxes," Ron edited. "Anyways- they're basically personal stuff to him that hold parts of his soul, so we destroy them-"
"And that's one less piece of him to worry about. Makes him more mortal." Annabeth finished.
"Yeah basically."
"So where are they?" Annabeth asked.
Harry tilted his head. "Where's what?"
"The horcruxes."
"We... aren't entirely sure."
Annabeth stared at Percy, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "Then what on earth have you guys been doing this whole time? Gods, Percy," Annabeth lectured the sheepish looking demigod, "it's been months. This should be over by now."
"Well thanks Captain Obvious, I didn't realize." Percy tiredly shot back. "They," he gestured to the trio, "found a couple already and destroyed them, but there's still others. We also still have like two lines of prophecy that we have zero guesses about."
"Into realm of darkness one will fall and one will lose what the other will gain," Harry stated.
The group sat thinking about the lines. The rolls of thunder prevented the silence from becoming awkward.
Percy's breathing softly hitched, causing Annabeth to immediately perk up. "What is it?"
Percy spoke slowly as if unsure if he should talk at all. "Uh, years ago, I went on a quest with Thalia, Grover, and," Percy's voice caught, "Zoë and Bianca, to save you and Artemis? Remember?"
Annabeth nodded, remembering Luke and holding up the sky.
"Anyways, one of the lines in the prophecy was 'One shall be lost in the land without rain."
Annabeth frowned. "Not following."
"Same here." Harry, Ron, and Hermione agreed.
Percy rolled his eyes. He was tired. He wanted to sleep, not remember quests where people died to help a quest where people would die.
"Basically that line ended up meaning that Bianca died in a junkyard. We couldn't find her so she was lost, and it legit never rained there."
They still stared in confusion.
"So what I'm saying," Percy tried to clarify, "is that into realm of darkness one will fall, I think someone actually falls into darkness."
"But Percy, prophecies aren't literal." Hermione reminded.
"But they can be." Percy argued back. "I- I think that line prophesies someone's death. And I wouldn't put it past the other to mean that too."
A somber silence fell upon the group in the common room at Percy's interpretation. Rain pounded the sides of Hogwarts, almost as if the gods got bored and were throwing golf balls at the castle.
"Or," Ron ventured, "it means someone falls in the darkness."
"Huh?" Harry said.
"Like it could be someone tripping and falling in the dark. Like over a tree root or rock or something." Annabeth gave a sad smile at Ron's suggestion. "What?" He asked noticing her facial expression.
"It's just," Annabeth sighed. "It's just prophecies, never in my life, have they been so simple."
"Yeah, they always have some sort of, uh, doom, in them I guess you could say." Percy agreed.
Hermione sat thoughtful. "What if darkness doesn't necessarily mean dark, what if it means evil? Annabeth, you said Voldemort was planning to get Percy on his side, what if that line means that he does?" Percy and Annabeth exchanged worried glances. "Into realm of darkness one will fall- Percy unwillingly joins Voldemort."
"That- actually makes more sense than someone dying." Harry observed.
Ron glanced between Harry and Hermione, and Percy and Annabeth. "I dunno... I kinda like my idea of someone tripping over something in the dark."
Percy and Annabeth remained silent on the couch opposite the trio.
Noticing the lack of argument, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, turned to look at the couple, only to see them gripping onto each other, pale faced, seemingly frozen in terror.