When Myths Meet Magic || 5

22|| Leo

Leo walked to Hogsmeade with— well, only with Thalia, really. Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Frank, Hazel, Nico, and Will were there. And guess what they all had in common? They were couples.

"Why couldn't Calypso come?" Thalia asked irritably after a few moments of walking next to Leo and hearing him groan about all the couples.

Leo shrugged. "I don't really know," he said. "Hecate... yeah. Hecate."

Thalia huffed. "Well, can you at least shut up?"

Percy squeezed Annabeth's hand as they strolled down the picturesque streets. Snow lightly dusted the tops of the shops, and the ground had turned into a wonderful, romantic brown slush of icy mud.

"So," Will said as they stopped by Three Broomsticks. "What'd'you reckon we should do?"

Annabeth grinned slyly. "Let's play a game," she said. "Boys, close your eyes, and we get to bring you guys into a shop. If it's a sweet shop you have to eat a sweet we choose— blindfolded— and if it's something else you have to do whatever that shop provides."

Piper laughed. "I like it!" She said, her eyes locked on something in the distance.

"As long as we get to switch off after a while," Frank said in alarm. Hazel grinned and pecked his cheek. "No promises," she said.

"I get to pick first!" Nico yelped. Will frowned. "Fine."

"We'll meet back at noon?" Annabeth said, and the couples split up.

Thalia and Leo glanced at each other and both shrugged. Then Leo grinned. "I have a great idea for this," he cackled.

"As long as no one thinks we're a couple," Thalia agreed. "And I will stab you if necessary."

"I'll keep that in mind," Leo said insincerely. "Now cover your eyes."

"I will regret this," Thalia muttered as she wrapped a Gryffindor scarf over her eyes.

Frank felt himself being steered into a shop not far from Three Broomsticks. The smell of sugar hit him like a brick wall.

"Hazel—" he began.

"Yep!" She said proudly. "Honeydukes!"

Frank felt nervous. It wasn't the worst shop to be in, but Honeydukes has some really weird stuff.

"Wait here!" Frank could feel Hazel's hands leave his shoulders. Hazel looked around the stacks and rows and jars of candy. Then she plucked out a box of candy, quickly paid for it, and pressed it in Frank's palm.

"Here you go," she said mysteriously.

Frank opened the box and cautiously placed one in his mouth. Immediately, the taste of sherbet filled his mouth, along with the most curious sensation of being filled with helium.

"Hazel!" Frank yelped, wrenching back the hood of his cloak, only to find himself hovering several feet off the ground.

"Fizzing Whizbees!" Hazel cried ecstatically. Frank heard a hiss escape from his mouth, like air was being let out of a balloon, and he dropped back to the ground, nearly knocking over a rack of acid pops.

Meanwhile, Piper and Leo had the same idea and dragged Jason and Thalia into Martonella Sisters Hair Salon.

"It smells like apples in here," Jason said cautiously. "Why does it smell like apples."

"It's the fruit scent, kitten," said a plump witch in pastel robes and graying hair in an airy voice. "Now what're you here for?"

"Complete makeover," Leo said as seriously as possible while pushing Thalia forward.