Third Person POV

McGonagall announced that Monday that the ball would officially be happening the next Sunday. The Great Hall had erupted in excited talking.

"The demigods will be bringing some of their friends, five people from the Greek camp and six from the Roman camp. You are to be on your best behavior when they are here, understand?"

She received a chorus of "Yes ma'am"s and "yes, headmistress"s.

"Because of this, a Hogsmeade visit has been arranged for Saturday to purchase your outfits. Please conduct yourselves as you always do at Hogsmeade, with respect for those living there. You may now continue eating."

Annabeth turned to the table of demigods. "This should be interesting."

"We don't have to go shopping." Piper said.

"Then what should we do?" Hermione asked.

"I'd rather not wear a dress at all." Thalia put in.

"Do we have to wear dress robes?" Percy asked.

"No, us guys can wear tuxes, I asked McGonagall about it already." Jason answered him.

"Yes!" Leo pumped his fist obnoxiously.

"Do I have to go?" Nico asked.

"Yes." Hazel told him firmly.

"What were you saying, Piper?" Luna asked.

"I'm saying we don't have to go shopping. Although, I can't decide if my idea is better or worse."

"What is it?" Emmy asked.

"We could ask my mom to help us."

"That would actually be a good idea. We can get outfits without having to spend on them and she can take them back afterward, unless the person wearing the outfit wants to keep it." Annabeth said.

"Is it worth talking to Aphrodite though?" Percy asked.

"I'd say yes." Luna commented.

"Everyone okay with this idea? We can do it tomorrow when the others get here." Hermione asked.

The group was a little hesitant, but they finally agreed.

"I'll tell her." Piper said.

Percy checked his watch. "Shoot, it's almost time for class to start."

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"Have you talked to Aphrodite?" Annabeth asked Piper at lunch.

"Yes. She reacted as was expected." Piper sighed.

"As long as she'll do it, I couldn't care less how she acted." Annabeth smiled.

"Yeah, she'll do it."

Draco sat down across the table from them. "Hey guys."

"Hi Drake." Annabeth smiled at him.

"Hey." Piper said through a mouthful of pasta with tomato sauce.

Jason dropped his books on the table next to Piper and sat down, kissing her on the cheek lightly.

"Ew, PDA." Draco commented jokingly.

"Shut up, punk." Annabeth teased.

"Who's a punk?" Percy plopped down at the table, kissing Annabeth the exact way Jason had done to Piper.

"Drake." Annabeth pushed him away laughingly.

The others filled in at the table, talking to each other and eating.

"Hey, Annabeth, will people have dates?" Draco asked.

"Of course, why?"

"I'm talking about the guests specifically..."

"Well yeah, if someone asks them. Again, why?"

Draco stared at the table a few seconds, his face slightly red.

"Drake?" Nico elbowed him lightly.

The son of Nemesis stood abruptly. "Anyone got a drachma?"

"Yeah, hold on." Thalia dug in her pocket. "Here."

She tossed him the golden coin and Draco turned, running out of the hall.

"Wonder what he's so anxious about." Percy said.

"Speaking of dates, Piper, I might as well ask officially, will you go with me?" Jason asked.

"Of course." Piper laughed. "Why wouldn't I, Sparky?"

Jason shrugged.

The other couples at the table turned to each other, each nodding in answer to the silent question.

Annabeth turned to Percy, expecting to see him nodding at her with that goofy grin of his, but instead he was looking down as he fished in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

Percy stood, ignoring her, and shoved his hand deeper into his pocket, frowning.

"Seaweed Brain?"

"Got it!" Percy pulled his hand out, fist clenched triumphantly around something.

"Got what?"

Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Annabeth Chase, I've known you since we were 12. I thought you were beautiful from day one, a princess who didn't need saving and who would kick in the faces of anyone who dared to say they were her knight in shining armor.

"None of that has changed. You're even more beautiful than the day I met you, and every time I look at you I can't comprehend how insanely lucky I am to have someone as amazing as you."

"Seaweed Brain, what are you doing?" Annabeth asked suspiciously. The students eating in the Great Hall were watching, having noticed something was going on.

"We've been through so much, and I couldn't have had a better companion for all of it. So I have one question for you."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, then stared at Percy in surprise when he dropped to one knee.

"Will you wear this for me?" He asked, holding up a ring box with a simple silver ring in it. "It's a promise ring, you see. I know that you'd never leave me, but I want to know how you look with a ring from me on your finger."

Annabeth laughed. "Absolutely, Seaweed Brain."

Percy stood and slipped the silver band on her finger and she kissed him.

"Does that cover my date to the dance?" Percy asked her.

"No duh, Seaweed Brain."

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Draco ran to the nearest bathroom, clutching the drachma in his hand so tightly that it hurt.

Making sure there was no one in the stalls, he locked the door with an anti-Alohamora charm.

Turning and pressing his back against the door, he took a deep breath.

"Just do it, you pansy." He muttered to himself.

Moving to the sinks, Draco grabbed one of them and cast a charm to soften the metal enough that he could twist it. He wrenched it back and forth until the faucet itself broke off, sending up a spray of water.

The sunlight streaming in from the windows hit the mist, forming a rainbow.

Draco stood in front of the ready Iris Message, mentally debating.

He threw in the drachma and spoke in a slightly shaky voice. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, accept my offering and show me Martha Lynce at Camp Half-Blood."

The rainbow swirled until the picture solidified into an African-American girl bending over a seven year old with red hair.

"Don't worry, honey, it'll be all better in a second." The older girl spoke, dripping the tiniest bit of nectar on the girl's scraped knee.

The cut healed and the little girl jumped up, hugging her 'doctor.' "Thank you, Martha!"

Martha laughed. "Of course, Lynn. Now tell Mitchell that next time he decides to push you down, you're gonna push back, okay?"

"Okay!" The daughter of Hephaestus ran off and Martha stood up straight, cracking her back."

"Uh...hi Martha." Draco managed. The daughter of Apollo whirled, yelping in surprise.

"Draco? Hi! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"That's kind of what I messaged you to talk about." Draco said awkwardly, twisting his fingers back and forth with his other hand.

"Okay, what's up?"

"Well, Annabeth invited you to come here for a ball, and I was-"

"You go there? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, so..." Draco felt like a bumbling idiot, trying to get the right words out. "Uh, w-will you....I mean, if you want to...uh-we, you and me, could, um, gotothedancetogether?"

Martha frowned. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that last bit."

Draco swallowed hard, trying to gain his composure. He couldn't seem to find the cocky spoiled personality that would help in this situation, the one he'd faked for seven years. "Would you like to go to the dance with me?"

Martha blinked in surprise, then smiled widely. "Sure!"

Draco felt like a weight had lifted off his chest. He could feel his face heating up and cursed his extremely pale complexion. "Okay, I'll see you then."

"Yep." It was hard to tell, but he thought Martha was blushing as well.

"So...bye, I guess...." He said awkwardly, trying to angle his face so she wouldn't notice his red cheeks.

Martha nodded and Draco swept his hand through the image.

Both teens' faces split into wild grins as they did small victory dances.

[A/N so next chapter should be the outfit picking]