To Wash Away a Sin

Chapter 8: All Hallows Eve - Part III

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Chapter 8: All Hallows Eve - Part III

Halloween came with some perks, Perci had to admit as her final class of the day ended in time for lunch.

She was making her way through the crowded halls when someone bumped into her, sending her books spiraling to the ground, flinging papers in every direction on impact.

She stared at the mess in front of her blankly before sighing and kneeling to gather what papers she could without getting trampled over. Before long another set of hands started picking up papers with her.

"Oh you don't have to do that!" She didn't want someone to go without lunch on her account.

The stampede of hungry students started to thin out and making it easier to retrieve some of the papers that fell further away.

"It's fine. I'm always getting my papers knocked over in the halls."

Perci reached for a sheet of paper at the same time as the boy helping her only to reach an impasse as they both paused above the sheet. Perci retracted her hand a bit only for the boy to do the same. She quickly snatched up the sheet, huffing out a laugh, before this impasse got less endearing and more annoying.

Gathering her papers in one hand she made to haul herself up to her feet only to see a hand thrust before her. She looked up to see her helper looking down and away with an adorable blush; her papers being cradled to his chest.

She smiled softly and took his hand, allowing herself to be hauled to her feet. She dusted off her pants (yes pants, it was too damn cold to be wearing a mini skirt, sue her) and straightened out her shirt and robe before looking up at him. And then looked a little further up. Despite her impressive five foot seven stature, the guy was tall and not by a measly inch like Jason. He had at least three or four inches on her which was a strange sensation to say the least. With the exception of Chiron, Jason, Annabeth, and a handful of other campers, she was used to looking at least a bit below her eye level to talk to people. She was even at eye level with most gods when in their mortal form. So it was a little unsettling to have to tilt her head back a bit to meet his eyes.

Despite his height, he looked to be younger than her by about a year or two. He wore red and gold, Gryffindor colors which was of no surprise. Most of the school seemed to be made up of them. Them and Slytherin.

She held out her hand for her papers and he scrambled to give them to her, almost dropping them again in the process.

"Thank you," she told him sincerely as she took back her papers from him.

"No problem," he responded quickly, nervously ringing his hands.

She smiled at him one last time before walking away towards the Great Hall, organizing her papers in her arms as she walked.

She heard light jogging but didn't look up from her papers.

"Hey, so umm."

She raised an ebony brow and nodded to show she was listening but otherwise didn't change her concentration.

"I-I was wondering...i-if, um..."

Wait that wasn't right. Shit did she...?

"I-if you'd-"

"Damnit!" She shot the kid an apologetic look as she scrounged around in her bag for her pen (because, really Hogwarts? Quills? No. Just no.)

"I'm super sorry for cutting you off like this but I'm an idiot and forgot to give in my charms essay so now I have to give it in and hope I don't land my ass in detention." She found a pen and bit the cap off and tore an corner off a random page of notes, scribbling her name and grade and handing it to the kid who looked kind of lost.