Smoke and Dust

Chapter Eight: Luna Lovegood

The last days of the holidays arrived earlier than Percy thought it could. Over the last days he formed the habit to read longer in the morning and go to breakfast later. Still it was a first for him to enter the kitchen and see the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione already there. He had forgot the time, deeply emerged in his literature.

"Morning, Percy. Your mail," said Mr. Weasley and handed him his usual envelopes. Mr. Weasley was used to them, the two of them had breakfast almost every morning together before everyone else and he had watched Percy read his letter every day, never responding once to any of them. But for most of the others, this was the first time they saw Percy receive mail.

They watched him like hawks as he set down, poured himself some tea and began opening the first letter. And he could hear their surprised sounds when he threw it in the fireplace behind him after he was done reading. When he did the same to the next one their eyes widened. Aria joined them in the kitchen and jumped on Percy's chair's back. Her smart eyes flickered over the last letter as he read through its contents.

It was a letter from Hermes, the god of travellers as well as thieves. He was reporting on uneasiness on the Olympus, that said waves of power changes Calliope had talked about over a month ago were getting worse and made for great restlessness under the gods. Percy knew this was going to happen. He hadn't felt them himself because his powers were still under lock and key and he was too far away from the Olympus to notice the change in the gods' power, but he had suspected disturbances when there would be power quakes.

And so, right then and there, Percy turned the page, got out his sword in form of a pen and began writing. The wizards and witches watched as he wrote in ancient greek to Hermes for immediate and if possible daily reports on the situation. Then he folded the paper, put it back into its envelope, scratched out his own name at the front and wrote down: Ἑρμῆς, Όλυμπος (Hermes, Olympus). Then he laid it away and started eating. It didn't take more than a minute until an owl swept in through the window, took the letter beside him and vanished again the way she had entered.

"Did that really just happen?" Asked Ron who, for once, had lost his puppy like death stare and watched with big eyes.

"Yes, little brother," said George.

"Indeed it did," said Fred.

"Percy Jackson," began George.

"-Commander of the owls!" ended Fred.

Percy just ignored the twins that morning.

Percy left before them to pack and get his room back in order, but just minutes after he reached his room, Ginny followed behind him. She plopped down on his bed and said, "Your bed is way comfier than mine or Hermione's, mum really wanted to impress you I think." Percy just hummed, not really paying her any mind. "Just Harry's might be nicer, not that I would know." She blushed. Percy had noticed it quite often now.

"You really like him, don't you?" He asked while he cleared out his wardrobe and packed it away into the expandable bag. He could hear her clear her throat nervously.

"How did you know?" Her voice was just a tad too high.

"Your glances, and obvious attempts not to. That you give him your whole attention when he talks and notice when he is uneasy before even he does," said Percy his back still to the young witch so he didn't see her blush profusely.

"I didn't know it was this obvious..."

"It isn't, especially not to him, but I notice many thing others don't," Percy said and then added "And of course there is the fact you can look me straight in the face and not swoon." for good measure. Ginny threw a cushion at his face, with an accuracy he didn't thought she possessed.