"So are you going to ask her?" Liv asked Percy as they were walking back from Potions. Percy shook his head. 

'She's not my type.' He wrote on a piece of parchment. They were talking about a girl from their potions class who was in Ravenclaw. 

"Oh, well she's pretty." Liv commented as they reached the Hufflepuff common room. Percy nervously laughed and hoped she couldn't tell. He wanted to ask her to the Yule Ball, but something about not being able to speak and losing the life he loved changes a person. Makes them more hesitant. 

"You could always ask Val. I know she's not into you and vise versa but you two are good friends." Liv thought aloud. Percy considered this. They were going to meet up with the fourth year in courtyard soon for studying Charms, maybe he could save himself the embarrassment. But then the thought against it because he knew he was better than that. 

'Would you like to go with me?' Percy wrote down on the page. Nervously, he tapped Liv's shoulder to get her attention. 

"Hmm? Oh!" Her blue eyes grew wide at the words on the page before looking at him. Percy was immediately starting to regret it. "I would love to. Thank you for asking me. I'm going to grab something from the dorm and then we can go meet up with Val." Liv kissed his cheek then hurried up the stairs. Percy grinned and sat in a chair by the fire waiting. 

--Yule Ball--

Percy hadn't danced with a girl since the party on Olympus after they won the Second Titan War. It felt nice to dance again, even if it was to music he wasn't ecstatic about. Still, he felt confident about the way things were going. He grinned at Harry and Ron, who had taken the Patel twins to the ball, spend the night in misery. He smiled softly at Hermione and Viktor, knowing that she deserved to be treated like a princess. Val was alone jamming out to the music but she didn't seem upset. Next to her was a girl with blue stripes in their dark hair. She reminded him a little bit of Thalia, and that was the only sad thought that dwelled in his mind. 

Liv was absolutely stunning. She wore a simple off the shoulder peach colored dress that ended in some waves. Around her neck was a gold necklace with an 'L' pendant and she wore gold hoops in her ears. Her hair was down, but some of the top was pulled back and held together with a peach colored rose barrette. To tell the truth, Percy almost drooled at the sight of her. He held his hand out, a silent gesture to dance, and waited for Liv to take it. As they walked onto the dance floor, he could see the look Harry was giving him in his peripheral vision. It didn't matter to him anymore what Harry thought. 

"You know, this is the first time I've ever been to a Christmas party, or really any kind of party like this. I always dreamed about going to one as a little kid but I never got to go. Every time I thought about it, I was always in a yellow dress and the closest thing to a tiara someone who isn't princess could get." As she talked, her cheeks heated up in embarrassment from how intently Percy was staring at her. 

Then he laughed. It was a genuine laugh that came from his chest. It was like music to Liv's ears. Her mouth hung open in surprise. All the other times Percy had laughed, the only sound that came from him was his breathing. This time, she heard his actual laugh. Percy stopped laughing, but a smile remained on his face. His cheeks were flushed and he was visibly panting. So much joy had come from one dance. 

"Your laugh!" Liv finally gasped. One of her hands covered her mouth in shock while tears of joy pooled in her eyes. Percy nodded, still smiling. It was starting to look like things would be working out in his favor.