Percy Jackson at Hogwarts

Tis The Season

Draco PoV

My eyes darted around the room casually, but inside I was nervous. I still needed to ask Percy to come spend Christmas at the Manor, but I couldn't work up the nerve to. It's not that I was afraid that he'd say no, but rather what would happen during the break if he said yes. The Christmas Party was tonight and I kept telling myself that's when I would ask him. I snorted, Look at that Ladies and Gentlemen, Draco Malfoy is finally losing his cool. I shook my head, 'losing his cool,' I've been hanging around Percy too much. A hand landed on my shoulder and I had to force myself not to jump in fright. Turning my head casually while my heart was racing a mile a minute, I was met with a half bent over Percy, laughter bubbling from his mouth.

"Chill, it's just me, no need to freak." I rolled my eyes and leveled them on him. He snorted. "Anyways, I came to ask if you wanted to help with the decorations." I scoffed, lips settling into a sneer.

"I'm not a maid, Percy. They can slave away pathetically all they want but I'll stay out of it. I have better things to do than to flit around these plebes. It's as if they don't have magic, though half of them don't deserve it." My nose turned up at the sight before me. For Merlin's sake, more than half of them are acting like they don't have wands. Muggle-borns most certainly. I turned to face Percy in his silence only to find him staring at me. His face was blank, but his eyes were cold and unflinching. It was unnerving and my stomach rolled uneasily.

"Draco," was all he said. I sighed and rolled my eyes, trying to hide my guilt at upsetting him.

"Fine, I'll help decorate for the bloody party." Despite my response, Percy was still displeased, I could tell. He nodded, then bent his head and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head. Looking back up, he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, Okay , cool." Percy turned on his heel and walked away, heading for the door.

"Percy! Wait!" He paused without turning around.

"Yes, Malfoy?" He sounded impatient and it offended me. I marched up to him and spun him around, glaring coolly.

"Why are you upset?" I hissed at him. Percy only called me by my last name when he was joking or angry.

"Why am I upset? Maybe because you just horribly insulted a hardworking group of people for no reason! Maybe because you're acting like I don't know you well enough to know you don't really feel that way! And maybe because I'm offended that you don't trust me enough to be yourself around me." I closed my eyes and sighed. If you knew who I was, you wouldn't want me to be myself. Despite the situation, it felt good to know Percy was such a caring friend to me, but at the same time, it hurt that it would feel good so much, that I'm not familiar with having friends who care so much. I opened my mouth to apologize, but stopped myself, knowing that if I continued, it wouldn't have come off as sincere as it actually is. I tried again.

"I'm sorry, I do trust you. I shouldn't have said those things and I should've been more sincere, but old habits die hard. Especially when I'm still like that with everyone else. But, that's no excuse. I apologize for upsetting you and not being honest, but I want you to know, I do trust you." Percy sighed and shook his head, a small smile that hid sadness resting on his face.

"I'm sorry too, I guess I kind of blew up. I accept your apology, but..." His eyes met mine and he gazed at me with narrowed lids. "You don't trust me Draco, not enough, I know you don't." This time, when he walked away I didn't stop him. The certainty that he uttered those words with alarmed me and I thought of all that he could know. It was so much, none of which I was ready to share, if ever, with him, or even to confront myself with. I looked around at those decorating, trying to find a Hufflepuff. Typically, they were the kindest and probably wouldn't slander me for talking to them. Seeing one rifling through a box of decorations, I approached.