If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters you could take a visit on my patreon Or check it out.
http://patreon.com/SageOf016
--------
"Have you… have you celebrated this before?" Percy asked quietly, his voice a little husky after their kiss. He felt a sudden, small pang of insecurity, wondering about her past, about other boys. "I mean, Valentine's Day. With a boyfriend, or something?"
"Once," Fleur nodded, her gaze a little distant for a moment as she remembered. "Two yearz ago, back in France. I was wit' t'iz boy named Franciz. 'E waz zweet enough, I zuppose," she added with a small, wry smile, "well, zweet enoug' for a man who waz drooling 'alf t'e time over my Veela lookz. 'E took me to Pariz for t'e day. It was a nice gezture, very romantic, of courze. But in t'e end," her smile faded, replaced by a flicker of annoyance, "'e ended up trying to ruin it by trying to get me to zleep wit' 'im. I waz not imprezzed." Fleur ended with a little huff of disapproval.
Percy chuckled, feeling a wave of relief. "Well, thank the gods I didn't have any plans on trying to sleep with you tonight, huh?" he teased gently.
"Excuze me?" Fleur snapped, turning to him, her voice suddenly sounding quite offended. Her blue eyes flashed. "And w'y iz t'at, Perzy Jackzon? Am I not pretty enoug' for you? Am I not dezzirable?"
"No! No, you definitely are!" Percy quickly replied, his eyes widening in panic. He held up his hands in surrender. "It's just… that… oh man, there's no right answer for this question, is there?" He looked at her pleadingly.
Fleur's glare stayed fixed on him for another long moment, making him squirm. Then, suddenly, it dropped, her face breaking into a hearty, beautiful laugh that echoed softly by the lake. "Non!" she giggled. "T'ere iz abzolument not!"
Percy rolled his eyes, letting out a breath of relief. "You're a crazy bird sometimes, you know that?"
"Ah, but I am your crazy bird, non?" she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder again.
Percy smiled back, feeling warm all over. "Well, if you say so," he murmured, holding her tight as a sudden, cold gust of wind blew across them from the lake.
Fleur quickly pulled up the thick, soft fur blanket they had brought, snuggling deeper against him as she tucked it around them both. She sighed with deep content.
They ate the rest of their chocolate-dipped fruit and brownies in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company while they looked up at the vast night sky.
The stars were surprisingly bright and clear out tonight, twinkling like diamonds scattered on dark velvet.
"Alright, that's enough of this lazing around," Percy announced suddenly, throwing off his side of the blanket and getting to his feet with a new energy.
"W'at are you doing, Perzy?" Fleur asked, looking up at him in surprise as he reached down and helped her to her feet as well.
"Well, this amazing night's not over yet. Not by a long shot," Percy said, a mysterious glint in his sea-green eyes. He quickly cast several warming charms on the leftover fondue and wine, and a stasis charm to keep them fresh.
"I do have something else planned. It's probably not as grand or romantic as a night out in Paris, but I think I can put up a pretty good fight for 'best Valentine's ever'."
"O', Perzy," Fleur said softly, her voice full of affection as she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, looking up into his eyes.
"It'z not t'e big, fancy geztures I like t'e mozt. It'z t'e perzon I am wit'. And thiz time we 'ave zpent together tonight, juzt uz… eet iz wort' a 'undred tripz to Pariz, I promize you."
"Thanks, Fleur," Percy smiled, feeling his heart swell. That meant a lot. He then, very suddenly, gently removed Fleur's arms from around his neck and stepped back a few paces, a playful grin on his face. "But… I'm still going to do this next part anyway."
"Well, w'at iz 't'iz'?" Fleur asked, her curiosity piqued, as she followed him a few steps towards the dark, quiet shore of the Black Lake.
"Well," Percy looked around carefully, making sure there was nobody else nearby, just the two of them under the starlight. He smiled, a secret, excited smile. "Fleur, I told you a little bit about... about what I am, right? About my dad, the sea nymph thing?"
Fleur nodded slowly, her eyes searching his. "Yez… you did. W'at iz t'iz about, Perzy? You are making me nervouz."
"Well," Percy smiled wider, then he leaned slightly to the side and suddenly seemed to fall back, his human form blurring and shifting in an instant.
There was a brief whirl of black fur and a soft whoosh sound, and in a blink, where the proud demigod had just been standing, a majestic, powerful black horse stood in his place.
"P-Perzy?" Fleur gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and utter amazement. "You're… you're an Animagus?" The beautiful black horse nodded its noble head once, its intelligent eyes fixed on her.
Slowly, cautiously, the Veela approached the magnificent creature. She reached out a hesitant hand and gently petted his soft muzzle. It felt warm and real under her palm, just like Percy's own skin would feel.
She ran her hand down his sleek, muscular neck, feeling the smoothness of his dark coat. It wasn't too rough, but strong and vital.
She looked into his eyes, and she knew, without a single doubt, that it was truly Percy she was touching. No ordinary horse could ever have such bright, knowing, sea-green eyes. They were his eyes.
"You're… amazing," she whispered, her voice full of awe. The horse let out a soft sound that was almost like Percy's chuckle.
Then, before Fleur could react, his sides seemed to explode outwards.
Fleur jumped backwards with a startled gasp, her eyes landing on the two huge, feathery wings that had just unfurled from his powerful shoulders, stretching wide in the moonlight.
"Oh, fuck me," she whispered, the words slipping out in breathless French. "Un pégase..."
Percy, as the black pegasus, flapped his enormous wings hard once, twice, sending a strong gust of wind rushing towards Fleur, catching her silvery hair and blowing it away from her face.
The Veela didn't move, didn't even blink. She just stared at him, her beautiful face filled with pure, unadulterated awe and wonder.
"You are a pegazuz," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Percy, the pegasus, nodded his head again.
She approached him once more, drawn by an irresistible pull, her hand reaching out tentatively this time towards his magnificent wings.
She glided her fingers gently through his long, soft flight feathers. They were so incredibly soft, like silk, yet strong.
Percy let out a soft snort, then folded his great wings neatly against his back. Fleur feared for a second she had done something wrong, overstepped. But then she realized he was motioning with his head, nudging her gently, inviting her to climb on.
Without a single second thought, without any hesitation, she did so. She easily climbed onto his broad, strong back, settling herself comfortably, running her hands through the thick, soft mane of hair at the base of his neck. It felt just like Percy's own hair.
"Hold on tight!" Percy neighed, a clear, ringing sound, not that Fleur could understand the actual words.
But she didn't need to. He began to trot forward, slowly at first, along the edge of the dark lake.
Fleur immediately understood and wrapped her arms securely around his strong neck, holding him tight, pressing herself close to his warmth.
Percy began to run along the lakeside, his pace quickening, moving faster and faster, until he was moving with a speed and grace that no normal horse could ever hope to achieve.
His powerful hooves splashed against the shallow water at the lake's edge, sending shimmering droplets of cold water flying up, some of which kissed Fleur's face.
But the Veela didn't care at all. She just smiled, a wide, joyous, exhilarating smile, her hair streaming out behind her.
And then, suddenly, Percy's massive wings came out again, spreading wide. He pushed them down with all his might, a powerful, driving stroke.
The upward lift was immense. It caused him to rise suddenly, smoothly, up into the cold night air. Fleur's stomach lurched at the sudden, breathtaking upheaval.
She gasped and held on even tighter, burying her face for a moment in his warm mane as Percy took to the clouds, soaring higher and higher above the sleeping castle.
Fleur dared to look down. They were soon flying high over the dark, dense canopy of the Forbidden Forest, leaving the glittering lights of Hogwarts castle far behind them.
Fleur's own magnificent Beauxbatons carriage, parked near the forest edge, looked like a tiny, insignificant matchbox from up here.
"This is amazing, Perzy! Incroyable!" Fleur cried out, her voice full of pure, unrestrained joy, carried away on the wind.
Percy's voice, though it sounded like a horse's whinny, seemed to carry a triumphant reply in her mind, You haven't seen anything yet! He slowly angled his flight upwards, climbing higher, into the thick, dark clouds that hung low over the Scottish landscape.
The cool, damp air of the clouds caused goosebumps to rise along Fleur's arms and sides. She shivered but held Percy tight, his powerful body radiating a comforting warmth that protected her from the chill.
And then, just as suddenly, they broke through the top layer of the clouds, reaching the clear, starlit upper sky.
Fleur gasped again, this time in pure wonder. Above them, the stars blazed with an incredible, sharp brilliance, untouched by the lights of the world below.
The moon hung like a giant silver coin in the black velvet sky. Below them, the clouds stretched out like a vast, soft, white ocean. Fleur smiled, a radiant, unforgettable smile.
She knew, with absolute certainty, that she would remember this moment, this magical flight, for the rest of her life.
….
'How?' Percy asked himself for what felt like the hundredth time, staring in disbelief at the headline of that day's Daily Prophet. It had been a whole week since that incredible Valentine's Day.
A week filled with Fleur constantly bugging him, teasing him, and pleading with him to teach her how to become an Animagus too, until he finally caved in and agreed to tell her what he knew about the long, difficult process.
That past weekend, Fleur had officially begun the complicated, month-long process to try and turn into an Animagus. She was determined.
She didn't like the first part, which involved holding a Mandrake leaf in her mouth for a whole month, but after Percy insisted there was no other safe way he knew of, she accepted it with a sigh, diligently starting the unpleasant task.
Everything was going fine. Everything was good, peaceful even. And then, on Monday morning, that horrible woman, Rita Skeeter, struck again.
'THE KNIGHT OF HOGWARTS: AN AMAZING ANIMAGUS REVEALED!' was written in huge, bold letters across the front page.
And right below it was a long, detailed article, filled with Skeeter's usual sensationalist writing, about how Percy Jackson was, in fact, a Pegasus Animagus an unheard-of, unique magical feat.
Rita had clearly done her research on this one. She had a list of all the officially registered magical Animagi ever recorded in Britain, and surprise, surprise, Percy was the only one on that list who could turn into a mythical creature, let alone a Pegasus.
She had even gone to the Ministry of Magic and somehow talked to that slimy little wizard, Fargus Fawcett, the one Hecate had supposedly convinced (or threatened) to keep his mouth shut about Percy's unusual registration.
Well, apparently, Hecate's persuasion hadn't been strong enough, or Skeeter's was stronger. The man had sung like a canary under Skeeter's questioning.
He told Rita everything. He told her everything about Percy's registration, about the 'unusual nature' of his form, and probably a whole lot more embellished nonsense besides.
Percy felt a surge of cold anger. This was bad. Very bad.
--------
If you want to read ahead by 20+ chapters you could take a visit on my patreon Or check it out.
http://patreon.com/SageOf016