Does peace ever last?

by Acantunes

Summary:

Harry, Ron, and Hermione find out they have to repeat their last school year, because of the amount of education they missed fighting the war. Coming back to the battlefield turns out to be a battle none of them is truly prepared for. Hogwarts might be restored, but the scars run deeper than the eyes can see.

Percy, Nico, and Clarisse receive a quest from Hecate. Instead of caring for the injured and mourning the fallen, they're sent away. Fate is always cruel.

 

The story is currently rewritten in the series sequel (additional info in chapter 31)

Notes:

Before you start reading I want to inform you that I will update the tags with every chapter I post.

I'm not sure how detailed the story will get, but it'll contain a lot of psychological stuff. They've all gone through war which left them all traumatized. I've never experienced anything like that so please forgive me if I'm not accurate or wrong at some point.

English is not my first language, so I promise you a lot of messy grammar and weird word choices.

Have fun!

Chapter 1: The letters arrive

 

The words „Voldemort is death!“ covered every front page from London to New York. It seemed like a bad dream ended for all witches and wizards of Britain, but it was paid with a price so unbelievable high. 

The survivors attended one funeral after another. It felt never ending. 

Painful didn’t cover their feeling of loss when their hard earned peace suddenly came crushing down. A simple letter caused their world to turn once again. 

At the time Harry was eating breakfast with Ron and Hermione. They were deep in a discussion about the importance of muggle subjects in school. Hermione was convinced that they could profit from their technology and science. Her beloved just thought their inventions were useful, but didn’t see the need to learn deeply about them.

„Why should we learn about them, when the muggles will do all the hard work for us?“

„So we can combine magic with science. They discovered so much on their own. Things like DNA, which you never even heard about.“ Ron stares at her in confusion. „What’s a DNA?“

„It’s this thing inside us, which shows who we are on a molecular level,“ Harry answered. 

„Harry is right. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus, where it is called nuclear DNA, but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria, where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA. Mitochondria are structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use.“ 

Ron looked pretty overwhelmed. „Hermione, I think you broke him.“ 

„My life is a lie,“ is all the stunned man could utter. His girlfriend rolled her eyes. „Don’t be dramatic, Ron. It’s nothing new.“

„Wait until I tell dad about it.“ His friends looked at him in utter shock until they blurt out their protest all at once. „Don’t you dare-“ „He still won’t shut up about-“ „I will gag you-“ „Kinky.“ „So not the point here!“

„Do I even want to know what is going on here?“ Ginny asked. She must have come in at some point during their discussion. All three of them turned various shades of red. 

Hermione was the first to find her voice again. She still needed to cough once to get the words out: „Wha- What brings you here?“ 

Ginny waved some letters. „These letters came for all of us. I thought we could open them together.“ 

The boys were still gaping hopelessly at her so Hermine took the initiative and gestured to an empty seat next to Harry. „Sure, but first sit down and eat. Our letters won’t run away.“

„You just want another opinion on our discussion.“ Ron shoved an accusing finger at his girlfriend. „We won’t be talking about DNA or Mitro-whatever ever again.“ 

Ginny laughed as she sat down. 

She kissed Harry’s cheek in greeting, which seemed to break the spell he was under. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. „Good morning to you, too.“ 

With a small smile and rosy cheeks she looked up to him. Even after dating Harry for quite awhile she couldn’t stop being a bit shy around him. His green eyes seem to catch the morning light. She could get lost in them forever. 

Her brother destroyed the moment as he choked on a piece of beacon, again. He always choked on one thing or another when she had a moment with Harry. She got the suspicion it was intentional. 

„Let’s open them now,“ he wheezed out. 

She pushed the letter in his direction. Nearly dunking it in butter. The glare he shot her was ignored as she handed out the other letters. 

Her own was from Hogwarts so she wasted no time in opening it. As she suspected it was a welcome back letter from the new headmistress McGonagall. Her supply list was nearly as long as her timetable. 

The table was unusually quiet. Concerned she looked up.

Confusion laced their faces as they stared down on the familiar insignia. Why did Hogwarts sent them a letter? Their school year ended months ago. 

Ron was the first to voice his confusion as he turned the letter in his hands: „We graduated last year, didn’t we?“ Hermione shot him a slightly annoyed look. „Technically we did, but there was a war going on. Maybe we need to retake our last year.“

„Another school year?“ The disappointment in his voice is unmistakable. 

Ginny on the other hand looked thoughtful: „It makes sense, because we didn’t learn anything from the curriculum.“ She overlooked her timetable again. It was the same as last year. 

„Exactly,“ Hermione added „We need the knowledge for our future careers.“ 

She also opened her letter and skimmed over the content. „We were right. Seems like the Ministerium decided to take our education seriously for once.“ 

„So we’re going back to Hogwarts,“ Harry concluded. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to face the place yet. Hogwarts was like a second home for him, but after the last battle it would never be the same. Many dark memories overpainted the happy ones.

When he closed his eyes he could still feel Hagrid’s strong arms carrying him through the school. 

He could still smell the smoke and blood. 

He could still feel the pain. 

He could still hear the screams. 

Now he really felt like throwing up. Breakfast was officially over. 

This happened exactly two weeks ago. Since then they made sure to gather their school supplies, visit diagon alley for all the missing stuff and then talk about the dreaded day. 

It felt like the time was flying by. 

Tomorrow they’ll attend Hogwarts once more and Harry can’t stop worrying about basically everything. He’s tossing and turning until the early morning hours.

Sleep feels like a gift, he doesn’t get. 

Instead he watches the sun rising. Her light paints the sky in beautiful colors. 

It’s peaceful. The quiet before the storm. 

Chapter 2: Meeting the Americans

Notes:

The demigods are here. Do I need to say more?

Well, yes I do. All of the characters are kinda OC, but I hope you like them nonetheless.
And I don't own any of them.

Now please enjoy the first meeting of our heroes.

To say they’re late would be the understatement of the century.

The golden trio left the Burrow with the Weasleys on time, but halfway to the station Hermione realized she left her notebook behind. After a heated discussion with the boys she decided to go back, which ultimately caused the three of them to go back together.

Did they found the notebook? Of course they did. It was in her bag all along.

Which caused Ron to shout at everything on their way back. Harry was also pretty frustrated, but he decided to invest his emotions in his running. Hermione argued with Ron again. It was a one-sided conversation Harry didn’t want to be part of.

All of this led to them being late for the train.

It seems to be their lucky day, because they arrive a minute before departure. The railway employee looks at them with unconcealed anger as he boards their luggage.

They’re so out of their breath they can’t even thank him.

Ten very long minutes later Ron asks the most important question of the day: „Where do we sit?“ 

„I can’t feel my legs, so let’s find an empty compartment and then crash there,“ Harry suggest, which causes Hermione to look at him bewildered. „Did you forget how late we are? There won’t be an empty compartment left. We should go and find someone to sit with. It doesn’t matter who as long it’s not Malfoy or one of his snaky friends.“ 

Thinking about the Slytherin makes the boys a bit nauseous. 

„Let’s go and check out the compartments on this floor. Maybe we’re lucky.“

It seems like their luck ran out. All of the compartments are either completely full or contain the Slytherin students. 

Now Ron is not so optimistic anymore. He still points at the last door. „If this compartment is also full we’re camping on the floor. I can’t and won’t run around any longer.“ The others wholeheartedly agree with him. 

Looking through the tiny window he spots three students, who seem to be in a heated discussion. None of them are familiar, but Ron doesn’t care. There are three free seats, which he reports back.  A decision has been made. 

Harry pushes the door open. 

The first thing the wizards see is a young man gesturing wildly, while simultaneously saying: „Believe me, the thing is huge. Like a dam skyscraper.“ 

„A reptilian can’t be this big. It’s not possible,“ argues the girl on the opposite seat back. Her arms are crossed and her expression dark.

„Everything is possible, or did you forget-“ the boy starts again, but is interrupted by the boy next to him: „We have guests.“ 

The dark eyes of the boy are unsettling. His expression is carefully blank. Whatever he might think about the situation, the wizards can’t tell. 

Silence follows his statement as his companions follow his gaze. Their argument forgotten as their expression shift to match the dark boy. It’s scary how fast they change. 

Harry can feel goose bumps erupting on his skin and he needs to clear his throat before speaking.

„Hello, I’m Harry and these are my friends Ron and Hermione. We wanted to ask if we could maybe sit with you? We were a bit late and can’t find our friends.“ 

The silence continues as the three newcomers share a look. 

Ron looks like he regrets his life choices. Even Hermione is ready to leave the compartment behind and camp on the floor. 

Suddenly the first boy speaks up. His huge troublemaker grin breaks the empty mask and lets’s the wizards breathe again. „Of course you can sit with us. I’m Percy. These two grumpy bats are Nico and Clarisse.“ 

Clarisse looks ready to kill Percy. „I’m not a bat and if you think about making a comparison like this ever again, I will murder you in your sleep. Nico will help me.“ The boy in question just grins as he leans back in his seat. 

Percy waves her threat away before he gesticulates for them to come in. „Come on, you don’t really want to camp out there?“ 

Sadly sitting outside on the floor seems like a better option, but it would be rude to leave now. So Harry takes a deep breath and steps into the compartment. His friends right behind him. 

After organizing their stuff, he finally sits down. It feels like heaven. 

„Are you alright?“ Percy looks slightly concerned. 

Harry nods: „I’m just tired. We ran all the way to station so we wouldn’t miss the train.“ 

„Why did you run?“ It seems like Percy is the social one. Now that he’s sitting down and Hermione starts telling their story, he’s looking at Percy for the first time. 

His blue-green eyes are pretty intense as he follows the story. Percy is athletic, but his baggy clothes hide his body well. He’s defined in a way Harry can’t put his finger on. Everything from his windswept black hair to his handsome features make him look like a normal young adult, but somehow he can’t shake the feeling there is more under the surface. 

Percy seems like a good guy. Especially compared to the dark boy beside him. Nico is unsettling if not a bit scary. Dark eyes, dark curls and an undercut. Piercings in his ears and a dark leather jacked make him look like a bad boy. His expression is still guarded, but he listens carefully. 

The last one is Clarisse. She’s not even pretending to listen to their story. Headphones have found their way into her ears, but the heavy bass can be heard regardless. She’s bulkier than her companions with short hair and a dangerous expression. Black combat boots and camouflage pants. Scary military is her style. 

They scream trouble in a way Harry is not used to. He met his fair shade of people over the years, but these three are different. 

A flash of silver turns his attention back to Clarisse. Is that a switchblade in her hand?

The others look at him and then at Clarisse. He spoke out loud. 

Hermione looks scandalized. „She has a switchblade? That’s dangerous.“ She doesn’t ask how Clarisse got one in. They didn’t even knew they could. 

Percy contemplates his choices for a split second before he kicks the girl. Well he tries to, because she avoids him effortlessly. Annoyed she takes her headphones off.

„What do you want, water boy? I’m listening to music.“

„I can see that, but you’re scaring our new friends.“

Clarisse looks confused. „What friends?“ 

Now Percy looks annoyed as he gestures to the golden trio, but Clarisse understands his point. „We’re not friends. I hardly tolerate you, so there is no way in hell I’m friends with them.“ 

„Didn’t Chris tell you to try at least?“ 

Now Clarisse looks equally embarrassed and angry. „How to you know about that?“ 

„He told me.“

„It’s none of your business. Besides these walking sticks are no match for me, so why should I respect or even like them? Before you say anything dumb like ‚rough strength is not everything‘, I want to remind you that there is emotional strength as well. These guys are not strong in any way and I won’t let their crying distract me.“ With that being said she turns away again. The wizards are more than a bit insulted by her harsh words. 

Percy looks at his other companion for support, but Nico just shrugs. „You know she has a point, but I won’t stop you from making friends.“ 

„That’s fair,“ Percy agrees, before turning towards the wizards again. „Clarisse likes sharp things. Calms her down or something. As long as there are no pointless fights breaking out, I don’t care. Everyone has their quirks, right?“ 

His smile is soothing, but his words are not. Hermione decides to agree for now. She’ll be asking about it later again. When they earned their trust. Sometimes Harry wonders how she got into Gryffindor and not any of the other houses. She can be quite cunning. 

„Who’s Chris?“ Ron seems to be a few paces behind the conversation and doesn’t seem to realize the mine he stepped on. 

Clarisse glares at him, which makes him realize his mistake. Before he can apologize or step onto another mine, Percy answers: „Her boyfriend.“ 

This simple answer surprises the wizards. 

„Why did you tell them?“

„Why shouldn’t I?“

„Because it’s none of their business?“

„It’s normal to ask about people we mention in a conversation.“ He halts for a second before asking: „You’re not ashamed of Chris, are you?“

Clarisse is standing before they can actually process the words. She’s ready to punch Percy. Her fist is balled by her side and only Nico holds her back. He’s suddenly standing between them. One hand on Percy’s shoulder holding him down and with the other he pushes Clarisse back. 

„As much as I like to see you fight, this is not the right time or place to do so. Now sit down and behave like the adults you are. Both of you.“ His glare silences every protest. 

After they’re both sitting down and relaxing he returns to his seat. 

„You will pay for that comment, Jackson.“ The girl promises and Percy smiles. „I can’t wait.“ 

The rest of the ride is filled with a lot of questions from Percy, a few dark comments coming from Nico and silence from Clarisse. 

They finally arrive at their destination. „So this is Hogwarts,“ says Percy. His mouth is comically wide open. „It’s amazing.“ 

Nico pushes Percy’s mouth shut, but even he looks impressed with the castle. 

„Annabeth would love to see this.“ Percy’s smile is sad. Surprisingly it’s Clarisse who consoles him. „It’s a castle, of course she’ll love it. Just show it to her later.“

„She’s right, Percy. You’re still friends with her, so go and call her tonight.“ 

Harry wants to ask who Annabeth is, but after the fiasco with Chris he doesn’t want to ask. Maybe he will when Clarisse is gone. 

Suddenly Headmistress McGonagall is standing on the platform besides them. The newcomers doesn’t even bat an eyelash at her sudden appearance. They couldn’t have seen her coming or did they? 

With a short greeting towards the golden trio she leads the newcomers away. 

Now that they’re finally alone Ron can get it all out. „What the fuck happened there? Who are they? They’re so weird. Please tell me you also thought they’re weird.“

Hermione can only agree: „Yes, there’s something different and weird about them. Percy is pretty nice and everything, but his friends give me goose bumps. Clarisse is obviously mental. Who carries a switchblade to school? What if she has more weapons or does something illegal? And Nico. I don’t know what to think about him, but he’s just as bad as Clarisse. His attitude is questionable, but he did stop the fight so he might be okay?“

„So what do we do know?“ Harry asks. 

They’re silent for a moment. Overthinking their options until Hermione speaks up again: „We need to know more about them. Who are they? Where did they come from? They said America, but didn’t really elaborate. Why did they come here? Especially right after the war. Where were they throughout the war? I don’t think they’re death eaters, but they might be part of some other dangerous group.“

Harry nods: „We can’t trust them, but we need to earn their trust to get answers.“

„Alright. Let’s get to school first and then we can plan what we want to do exactly.“

Ron seems to think about something. A light nudge from his girlfriend gets him to share his thoughts. „They’re new, so they might get sorted with the first years. Maybe we can find out more about them through that?“

This gets Hermione thinking again. „You’re probably right. I didn’t think about the possibility of them being in a different house. This would complicate things for us.“

„We can’t do anything about that right now,“ Harry states. It’s difficult to accept that they’re powerless in this regard. „Don’t worry, Hermione. We’ll find a way.“

She smiles. „We always do.“ 

 

 

Notes:

They're discussing Gozilla at the beginning of the chapter. For like two sentences, but I see potential for a future conversation in there. Who would win Gozilla or a few demigods?

 

 

Chapter 3: Hecate's pet project

Notes:

How did our favorite demigods got into this situation?
Let's find out.

If someone would’ve told Clarisse, she would go on a quest after she surviving another war, she would’ve strangled them. 

But no one knew about this turn of events, so there is only the cause to blame. 

The cause is a beautiful goddess called Hecate, who decided a group of demigods should invade her precious pet world and then save it. It's not like they don’t have enough problems at hand. No, a pet world full of pathetic wizards was the exact thing they needed. 

Sadly Clarisse couldn’t easily strangle a goddess. She could only accept her fate. 

Being a disposable piece on a gigantic playground is a demigods sad reality. Sure, her father kind of likes her, but being favored is only temporary. Ares demands greatness and war, which she gladly provides. Again and again until there is nothing left. 

She knows once she’s old and fragile she’ll be left to die. Ares expects a honorable death of his children and what is more honorable than falling in battle? 

Clarisse knows she won’t get old or fragile. She’ll more likely die before she even gets grey hair or weak bones. So time became something precious to her. 

Spending time with the people she loves and cares about is important to her, because the fates will cut her string anytime. Clarisse wants time to sit down with her siblings and help them heal. The wounds on their minds are more important than the ones on their bodies. 

She can already see the darkness in their eyes. They’re soldiers, but at the same time they’re children. This war caused a trauma they’ll carry to their grave. 

Living a demigod life robs you off your innocence. 

Clarisse sits on the stairs of her cabin, polishing her spear and watching camp. Inside the cabin she can hear one of her younger siblings cry. It breaks her heart. 

She doesn’t know what to do and how to help. Silena would’ve known. She was good with people and her gentle nature comforted even the most broken souls. But Silena is death and Clarisse can only guard her little soldiers as they put themself back together again. She doesn’t know how to console them so she becomes the shield they can hide behind. Hoping it’ll be enough. 

As the head of her cabin it’s her duty, but also her wish to protect and guide them. Somedays it’s easy to do, but today it’s not. She needs to tell them about the quest. 

A few hours ago Chiron called her to the big house. He said it was urgent so Clarisse went straight after sword practice. Still dripping with sweat and covered in dirt she stood in the living room.

She was way underdressed for a meeting with a goddess, but Chiron didn’t said anything about a goddess. At least Nico and Percy didn’t look any better. 

Nico was wearing some sort of pajama with little angry cacti printed on and Percy was only wearing his swim shorts. There was already a wet spot on the couch where he sat down, but it didn’t bother him. 

Chiron looked pretty bothered by it. He looked pretty bothered by the whole situation.

The moment she stepped through the door his face fell. It seemed like he hoped for her to turn up looking like a respectable demigod. He should’ve known better. 

Hecate didn’t care about the way the demigods looked and if she did it didn't show. She had an impressive poker face. The goddess gestured for Clarisse to sit down on one of the plush armchairs near the couch. 

For a second Clarisse thought about declining, but this wasn’t a battle worth fighting for. Chiron would suffer in silence about the condition of the furniture. If the goddess told her to sit down then she would sit down. End of discussion. 

„Thank you for coming on such a short notice,“ the goddess began. „As you might guess I have a request for you. A quest if you accept.“ 

Percy looked angrier with every word Hecate spoke. He would definitely say no. 

Nico on the other hand had a calculated glint in his dark eyes. Clarisse leaned back in her chair and decided to watch for the time being. 

„What kind of quest do you have in mind, my lady?“ Nico asked before Percy could even think about insulting the goddess. 

„I want to you to travel to my pet world in Britain and restore a lost artifact of mine.“

Nico seemed to be the only one who understand what a pet world even was. „If I’m assuming correct you mean the pet world in Britain, which contains various witches and wizards. Father is still angry about the ghosts you placed at a certain school there.“ 

This seemed to amuse the goddess. „A deal has been made.“ 

„So I’ve heard. What about the war going on there? Won’t it get in our way?“ Nico asked. Even Chiron seem to be surprised by around of information the young demigod had. 

„The war against Voldemort is over. He and his followers were defeated a few months ago.“

„How fortunate,“ the son of Hades mused. „So the war ended. What about the artifact? What is it and how do we find it?“ 

„I can’t tell you how it looks like now as it has changed his form repeatedly over the years. The last time I saw the artifact it had the form of a golden ring. I also can’t tell you about it’s power. You need to find this out on your own.“ 

Clarisse decided it’s time for her to speak up: „So essentially you want us to go to a magic world to find an artifact, which we don’t know anything about.“ 

„It has greek origins so you know when you find it,“ Hecate adds. 

Percy messages his temples. „What is the time limit? There is always a time limit.“

„You have one year to complete the quest.“

„Thats an awfully long time. What about our life here?“ Percy asks. 

„You’ll get your degree at the wizard school, which opens a lot of doors there. Mortals will see it as a year abroad and it’ll be good on your resume. If that’s what concerned you.“ 

Now Nico looks stricken. „I don’t have a birth certificate and I’ve never really went to school. Do I even qualify for this?“ Clarisse has similar concerns. She had a birth certificate, but a school was no place for her. 

Hecate seemed amused by their concerns. „Don’t worry about such trivial things. It’ll be handled should you decide to go on this quest.“

The demigods thought about it. 

„Alright. I’ll accept,“ Nico decided. 

Clarisse looked at him. „Why?“

„First of all I need a birth certificate if I want to get out of camp or new Rome for a job. Second of all I want to see those magic wielders and their world. They sound fun. Lastly I want to go to school at least once in my life.“ 

The daughter of war could understand his reasoning quite well, but there is one question she needs to ask him before deciding on her answer. „What about your friends?“ 

„I don’t really have friends. The only person who really cares about me is Hazel and she’s in new Rome. We only IM so it’s no different from our normal conversations.“ 

„What about Reyna, Jason and me?“ The son of Poseidon breaks a little. He does sound hurt by Nico's words.  

„Reyna is- maybe she’s also my friend, but she’s still in new Rome and she won’t go anywhere else in the near future. Jason will be busy with his new project. He’ll travel the world to build temples for all the minor deities. So he won’t really miss me either and you- we- our- it’s complicated.“ Nico concludes. 

Percy is not satisfied with this answer, but Clarisse speaks up before he can continue this pointless conversation. „I’ll go with you, as long as I get enough time to organize my leave.“ 

Hecate agrees easily. 

Only Percy is left to decide. He looks between his friends. His brows furrowed. He made a decision. 

„Alright. Let’s do this.“ Percy is not happy about his decision, but Clarisse can’t imagine what inner battles he fought to come to this conclusion. She’s not dumb. She knows he’s tired and sick of these games, which makes her wonder why he decided on participating. Is it because of Nico?

Hecate didn’t force them on this quest. She offered the quest to them. An opportunity. 

Instead of asking thousand different versions of why, she decided to ask him about it later. 

„I’ll come and get you in two weeks. Until then I’ll leave these books with you. If you want you can read them, but it’s not necessary. Before we leave I’ll provide you with the knowledge you’ll need to survive in this new world. It might be a pet world, but it’s still dangerous.“ 

With these words being said Hecate decided to leave them. 

Percy slumped back. „Great. This is great. Now I need to tell my mom that I’ll go to a magic school in Britain for a year.“

„No one forced you to agree,“ Nico helpfully points out. He’s currently examining the books on the table and Clarisse is pretty sure he’ll read all of them until next week. 

Since there is nothing left for her in the big house she leaves to finally take a shower. Dried sweat and dirt is uncomfortable. Even if she's used to it. 

On her way she tries to think about a good way to tell her boyfriend about this situation.

Ultimately she comes to the conclusion there is no good way of telling him. She just hopes he won‘t be mad at her. This is a rather sudden decision, but this quest will make her father proud. She might not fight a war, but there is one on the horizon. She can feel it in her bones. 

Blood and tears will come in waves until there is nothing holding the madness back. War is a Monster she‘s more than familiar with. 

Since then she has been sitting on the stairs. Thinking about the quest, her family and Chris. 

Speaking of the devil Chris is coming her way. He‘s laughing with Will about something and Clarisse can‘t believe how she lucky she is. Chris is the most beautiful man she‘s ever seen and he decided to be with her. 

„What are you thinking about?“ he asks while sitting down next to her. 

Clarisse fights down the urge to say ‚you‘ instead she tells him about the quest. 

„So you‘re worried about me disagreeing with your wish. I know you‘d never say it out loud, but I know you. Whatever you decide to do it won‘t affect us. Even if you go to Britain we can still IM and you‘ll come back for the holidays.“

„I‘ll come back to you.“ Clarisse swears. 

Chris smiles. He‘s leaning against her shoulder. 

Him being here with her is all she ever wanted. „Thank you, Chris.“

„For what? Being an absolut awesome boyfriend?“ 

He‘s still smirking as Clarisse pushes him down the stairs. Her face is dark, but the amusement is evident in her eyes. Chris holds onto her so she crashes down with him. 

Both of them try to get the upper hand. It‘s a fun little game. 

She doesn‘t want it to end. 

As if reading her thoughts Chris goes still beneath her. He cradles her face between his palms, before planting a little kiss on her nose. „I‘ll miss you, too.“

Slowly she curls into him. She might be a little bit taller than Chris, but sometimes he feels like the bigger person. With him she feels save. There is no need to be strong all the time. She doesn't need to impress him, because in his eyes she's already enough. 

No one bats an eye at the two demigods lying on the ground.  

News travel fast. The stoll brothers probably listened in on their meeting with Hecate. 

She can‘t find it in her to be angry at them. 

Maybe she‘ll beat them up tomorrow. When she feels more like herself. 

For a moment she thinks about her companions. What are they doing now? 

Percy leaves his whole life behind. It‘s no secret that he adores his mother and camp. He‘ll be gone for a year. Not just a few weeks like all the quests he did before. 

Does Nico leave something behind as well? She doesn‘t know. She doesn‘t really know anything about the son of Hades. How he fights is all was ever interested in, but now she wonders what kind of person he is. 

„What kind of person is Nico di Angelo?“ she asks. 

Chris thinks for a moment: „I don‘t really know him. He‘s reckless and distant. Didn‘t really stay at Camp for long periods. He‘s a good sword fighter and he must be very convincing. Hades joined the first war because of him. So overall I think Nico is pretty good company for a quest like this.“ 

„He never really went to school like me,“ she confesses, which causes Chris to grin at her. „See, that’s something you guys can bond over.“ 

Clarisse laughs at the mental image of her discussing her concerns about school with the elusive son of hades. Chris is grinning.

They have two more weeks together and Clarisse is determined to make the most out of it. 

Chris playfully claps her shoulders: “Come on, let’s figure out how many weapons you can possible bring to school.” 

"You know that I don't actually need so many weapons." She pulls her boyfriend up, who wears a mischievous grin. 

"Yes, I know."

 

 

 

BONUS SZENE

 

Chiron looks ready to retire.

On the table in front of him are twentyseven different weapons Clarisse decided to bring to Hogwarts. The centaur doesn‘t even want to know how many she already strapped to her body. These weapons were only the ones in her first backpack. 

He takes a deep calming breath. „Clarisse, no.“

„Clarisse, yes.“ she counters. 

Chris is leaning heavily against the doorframe. He's shaking from the force of his laughter. This situation is definitely organized by him. 

The staring match between them continues for another five minutes. 

Chiron finally relents. „Alright you can take a third of this. We need some weapons to defend ourselves.“ The daughter of war agrees way too easily. 

It makes the centaur suspicious, but he doesn’t have the energy to start another argument. This weapon problem will be Hogwart's problem in a few days. 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Did the hat tell a prophecy?!

Notes:

Welcome back guys,
I'm currently a bit stressed out by a ton of projects so I don't have enough time to upload and plan new chapters. This chapter in particular was -for some reason- very difficult to write. I hope you like it regardless.

The interior of the castle is probably even more magnificent than the outside, but Percy would need to move on to actually see it. 

Nico pushes his jaw shut. This little gesture shouldn‘t make him so happy, but somehow it does. Nico cares. 

He can‘t help but think about his friend. Nico changed over the past few weeks. 

No, he changed even before the war. 

Gone is the curious little kid. Gone is the angry teenager. 

The son of hades holds himself with an inspirational confidence. He stopped trying to hide into the background. It feels like he accepted another part of himself. 

Percy catches himself observing him. The change suits him well. 

His fluffy hair has finally gotten a decent haircut and his clothes are actually clean. He still doesn‘t look healthy, but he does look better. 

Nico catches his eye. ‚What are you looking at?‘ he seems to ask. Percy smiles back. There is no way he‘d get this across without getting punched by Nico and laught at by Clarisse. So he keeps his thoughts to himself. 

The headmistress doesn‘t look at them as she guides them towards a bunch of carriages. 

„You‘ll ride with me to the castle. There will be a banquet for all students which you‘ll attend as well.“ Her words are straight to the point. „At the banquet you‘ll get sorted into one of our houses. During the year you‘ll live in the designated dormitories of your house. You‘ll attend classes with your house and you'll eat with your housemates during meal times.“ 

„What if we‘re sorted into different houses and want to spend time with each other?“ Nico asks.

„You can spend time outside of your classes however you want, but I would advise you to take your education seriously.“

She sounds a lot like Annabeth. It still hurts to think about her, but for now it‘s bearable.

„What are the houses you mentioned?“ he asks the headmistress. He thinks Hecate told them about some houses, but at this point she had dumped information on them for a few hours. The look she sends his way lets him know this is a piece of information he should‘ve remembered. Too late.

Nico answers before the headmistress can. 

„There are four houses in Hogwarts. You get sorted into your house based on the qualities you value. This doesn’t mean you don’t have or value the principles of other houses as well. Each house has a Head of House, which is basically a supervising teacher.“

The headmistress seems to be quite impressed with Nico. Did she really thought none of them came prepared? 

„There is an ongoing rivalry between the houses, which is caused by the house points you can earn throughout the year. At the end of the school year the house with the most points wins the house cup.“

„So what are those qualities they value?“ Percy decides to interrupt. He doesn't need a whole rundown on the nuances of the houses. He will find out about them soon enough. Nico on the other hand doesn’t look pleased by his interruption, but he answers nonetheless. 

„First of all there is Gryffindor, which values bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Sometimes their bravery is more recklessness than anything else. Especially if it’s paired with their often short-tempered nature.“ 

Clarisse huffs. „Seems like this is my house.“

„At least you’re self aware,“ Percy jokes, which earns him an elbow to the side. Definitely worth it.

They stop in front of a carriage. It's further away from the others. Percy isn't sure if this was intentional or just a weird coincidence.

One after another they climb onto the carriage, but Percy can't take his eyes away from the beautiful creatures carrying them. They've taken Percy’s breath away. 

Somehow they remind him of Nico. Dark, elusive and probably misunderstood. 

He doesn’t ask about them. Instead he listens to Nico explaining the other houses. 

„Ravenclaw values intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, creativity and wit. They’re often hard-working and diligent people. Some of them are known to be inclined to dismiss certain social expectations for the sake of satisfying their own intellectual curiosity. Some of these eventually also ended up being not only accepted but even celebrated, in spite of being initially subjected to scorn for their various oddities. Ravenclaws tend to be curious about the world and pay attention to the world around them. They’re also known to be logical and rational. In addition, Ravenclaw students tended to have abilities regarding memory.“ 

There is no doubt that this would’ve been Annabeth’s house. 

„Then there are the Hufflepuffs, who value hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play. Students belonging to this house are known to be hard-working, friendly, loyal, honest and rather impartial. They’re not as competitive as the other houses and also more modest about their accomplishments. Hufflepuffs are known to have a strong moral code, and a sense of right and wrong. Usually they’re accepting of everyone and known for treating everyone qual.“ 

He takes a deep breath before continuing. 

„Lastly there are the Slytherins. They value ambition, leadership, self-preservation, cunning and resourcefulness. They also have a highly developed senses of self-preservation, which means that Slytherins tend to hesitate before acting, so as to weigh all possible outcomes before deciding exactly what should be done. According to Albus Dumbledore, the qualities which the founder of the house valued in the students he had chosen included cleverness, resourcefulness, determination, and ‚a certain disregard for the rules‘. Slytherins tend to take charge and possess strong leadership skills. They are often self-assured and confident of their own competence and can be very loyal.“ 

He doesn’t talk about their tendency for deep, unrequited love. 

„The concept of blood purity playing a part in picking students for Slytherin house stemmed from the founder Salazar Slytherin, who wanted a stricter policy of admission to the school — one limited strictly to pure-blood students. This was contrary to the wishes of the other founders at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who wanted to accept students of any blood status.“

„Dam Nico, did you memorized the whole book about Hogwarts history?“ Percy is pretty impressed by the younger boy. 

„I like to be prepared,“ he defends himself. 

„Which we’re very thankful for, right?“ He nudges the daughter of war, who simply grunts in agreement. 

She is still a bit angry about his earlier comment, but she’ll forgive him. Hopefully. 

The headmistress watches them with a small smile. Their obvious wonder about the houses are amusing to her. Hogwarts and its traditions are by now her everyday life. Seeing these young adults looking up in wonder makes her heart swell. 

She guides them through the entrance hall into the castle. 

The demigods stop overwhelmed by the gigantic staircase, the many archways, the statues and basically everything. It’s so fundamentally different from everything they’re used to. 

Hogwarts reminds Percy of a private elite school he absolutely can’t afford under normal circumstances, but here they are. 

The headmistress leaves them at the top of a staircase. Before she turns the corner she tells them to wait here for her return. 

What she didn’t tell them was the fact that they wouldn’t be waiting alone. A few minutes later the gossiping first years appear. 

The eleven year olds are staring openly at the demigods. Too shy to actually ask why they’re here. 

Percy is kind of glad they’re intimidated. He likes children a lot, but he doesn’t have the mental capacity to actually deal with them at the moment. 

The demigods decided to wait in silence, which didn't help Percy's ADHD. He was fidgeting the whole time. Playing with Riptide and poking the tense son of Hades makes the time go by a little bit faster. Finally the headmistress returns. 

She ushers the children inside before addressing the demigods again: „Come on in. You’ll get sorted after the children.“

As they walk between the gigantic tables they can’t stop looking around. It’s even more fantastic than they could have imagined. The ceiling is a beautiful night sky, which shows every star constellation imaginable. Even the huntress is part of them. 

„Bob says hello,“ he mumbles under his breath with a sad smile. 

The stares of the other students make his skin crawl. He doesn’t like to be so open in the spotlight, but he’s not alone. 

He can feel Nico on his left and Clarisse on his right side. Even if she’s still angry at him she'll fight by his side. They’re friends after all. 

All of them have their guards up. They don’t really expect to get attacked, but this attention is too much. He knows they're whispering about them. Why are they here? They're too old to be first years. 

The pressure is getting harder to endure. It presses his insides together and let's him choke on nothing. All of it reminds him of the time he held the sky. A horrible experience. 1/10 don't recommend. 

Suddenly the hat at the front begins to sing and Percy can breathe again. He’s seen weirder things than a badly singing hat, but it's a good distraction. Until he registers the words: 

 

Through high and low the world must go

To find the piece once more

Endless fights to defeat their foe 

Shall shake our world to the core 

 

To find the place inside our walls

Empty words will begin our fall

Fate never ends it’s bloody calls

Work together or won’t work at all

 

This sound awfully like a prophecy. Is that ugly hat an oracle?

One look at his companions and he knows they have the same suspicion. Nico observes the hat as through it insulted his entire being. Clarisse however wants to rip it apart. Her fists are clenched so tight she actually breaks skin. Hecate promised them a prophecy free quest. What the hell?

The entire hall is silent. 

Good to know that the hat singing bad omen is not a regular occurrence here. 

No one addresses the song as the headmistress goes on. 

The students however are still whispering among themselves. New students and then a weird song. Is this a coincidence?

With a hard glare and stern voice she demands silence. 

Finally the sorting starts and Percy‘s attention wanders. He can spot the trio at a table full of red and gold dressed students. He still doesn‘t know which house this is, but it doesn’t matter. As long as he won't get separated from his friends he can fit in anywhere. 

Being in different houses would make their quest even more difficult. Especially considering the house rivalry Nico told them about. Camp also has rivalry’s between the cabins, but it‘s more complex than winning some dumb cup. Cabin rivalrys can change throughout the years and has more to do with capture the flag or a prank than anything else. It makes them better fighters, which helps them survive. 

This rivalry is just toxic.

There is no real space to improve and it can be pretty much abused by teachers. What exactly is the purpose of this competition? Good behavior? 

Not his cup of tea. At least Chiron stays out of their cabin fights. Only breaking them up when someone goes too far. 

Clarisse's slap on his back catapults him back into the present. 

„Pay attention. They‘re almost done with the gremlins,“ she hisses. He glares back, but is thankful for her warning. How embarrassing would it be if he missed his cue.

He's suddenly aware they're all alone in the middle of the great hall. 

Everyone eyes them curiously. Their stares crawl over his body and Percy tries not to shrink away. There are hundreds of them and he‘s alone. 

No, he‘s not alone. He needs to stop forgetting that Clarisse and Nico are beside him. Waiting. 

He can hear Clarisse breathing. In and out. She‘s ready for every possible outcome. 

He can feel Nico‘s hand brushing against his own. He‘s grounding the son of Poseidon with his presence. Whatever happens Nico will protect his back. 

Just like that it‘s okay. Not great, but bearable. 

His troublemaker grin breaks out as he stares ahead. „Bring it on.“

The headmistress is still talking and Percy wonders, what's her name? Did she actually tell them? He can‘t remember. 

Before he can ask Nico about it, the headmistress calls for them. 

„Nico di Angelo.“

Nico squares his shoulders. Breathes out and then marches forward. 

His face is carefully blank, but Percy can see the nervousness underneath. 

The stool is a bit tiny compared to Nico, which makes Percy giggle. Nico shots a glare in his direction. How cute. 

When the hat touches Nico's head his expression darkens. He remembers the trio telling them about a talking magic hat. How he didn‘t make the connection before he doesn‘t know. Hermione told them that the hat would look into their minds or something like that. 

This would definitely explain the murderous expression on Nico‘s face. 

He's probably arguing with the hat about basically everything concerning his person. 

Contrary to popular belief Nico is a sensitive guy. He might have questionable morals, but he‘s not evil. 

So it doesn’t come to a surprise to him when the hat calls „Hufflepuff.“ 

Nico is loyal to the core. He cares for his friends to a self sacrificing extent. He might not have many demigod friends, but he has a habit of befriending monsters, forgotten gods and magical creatures. He doesn‘t discriminate them, because of their nature. Instead he accepts them. 

However he doesn‘t see his accomplishments as such. Convincing Hades to join the first war was one of the most impressive things Percy has ever seen. Wandering through Tartarus on his own and then transporting the Athena Pantheos shows how strong and selfless he is. 

Maybe his sense of right and wrong is a bit off, but this can also be because of his heritage and the way he grew up. A good role model in his life was definitely missing, but he did turn out to be a pretty fine man. 

In conclusion Percy is not surprised by this turn of events. 

Clarisse shares the sentiment: „I knew he‘s still a little nerd underneath all of this doom and gloom.“ 

Thank the gods Nico is too far to hear her comment. He would‘ve murdered her for it, but Percy can‘t help but agree. 

Nico just sights and heads towards the yellow table. The applause is hesitant, but still welcoming. 

„Perseus Jackson.“

It‘s his turn now. Nico gives him an encouragement nod. It's alright. No need to worry.

Clarisse pushes him forward. He flippes her off behind his back. 

He can‘t see it, but he knows she‘s smirking. 

When the hat touches his head he shudders a bit. It might be magical, but it‘s also old and somewhat filthy. How many heads did it touch today? Did it even get cleaned after being used? 

Are you calling me dirty, young one?  

It really can speak. „Nice to meet you,“ he thinks. 

Yes, I can hear your thoughts. All of them. 

„Oh great, just my luck.“ 

You might be disrespectful, but it seems more like a habit than real malice. Spending more time with the son of hades would do wonders for your manners. 

„Nico has manners?“ 

A lot more than you, that’s for sure. Now let‘s see what kind of person you are. 

Hmm a hero who‘s greatest strength is also his fatal flaw. Being loyal to the point you would let the world burn just to keep your loved save. 

You‘re brave to a point of recklessness. Impulsive and at times short-tempered. Gryffindor would suit you well. 

However you‘re also very cunning in battle. You fight with every fiber of your being to survive, which can turn you a monster in the eyes of others.  

„Being part god does have it‘s side effects.“ His words are way lighter than he actually feels. What the hat said touches a wound he doesn't want to look at. Not now. 

You‘re a sassy one I see. It doesn‘t change the fact that you‘ve gone through hell and made it out alive. Even I can‘t look too closely at this place you call Tartarus. 

Surviving abuse through your step father and then turning him into stone. Questionable morale like the first one, which is necessary to survive in your world. However you have a deep understanding of what you value right and wrong. You even fought your friend because he choose the other side.

„Luke died as a hero.“

Yes, I can see why think so. I also see you understand said friend a bit too much. You‘re convinced he chose the wrong side for the right reasons. 

„I won‘t betray the gods like he did. Kronos would‘ve been so much worse than the gods could ever be.“

You‘re right, so instead you started to change the old ways. Forcing the gods to recognize their children was a bold, but very important step. You could‘ve been a god, but you declined for a chance to change the demigod live.  

„It was the right decision. This war could‘ve been prevented if the god would treat us less like chess pieces on a board and more like human beings. We have feelings and it hurts to be neglected like that. We grow up feeling unwanted, but are expected to be grateful for it. It‘s messed up, can‘t you see?“

Yes, I see. A Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff. The choice is yours, but I already know your answer. Better be a „Hufflepuff!“

The thundering applause from the yellow table tears him back into the present. How long did he talk to the hat? It felt endless, but it couldn’t be more than a few minutes. 

Still a bit dazed he sits down next to Nico. 

„I thought you would definitely end up in Gryffindor with your goddam hero complex and reckless behavior,“ his friend comments. 

„I don‘t know what I thought, but this was a weird experience.“ 

Together they watch Clarisse getting sorted into Gryffindor. She doesn‘t look pleased during her discussion with the hat. At times her expression is murderous. 

„I hope she won‘t try to rip that hat apart. The wizards won‘t be pleased by that,“ Percy whispers. 

Nico nods. „ Probably.“ He pauses for a second. Contemplating his words. „Being a Gryffindor suits her well. She‘s a good leader and cabin head. She‘s brave and even more reckless than you.“ 

„She‘s also very short-tempered,“ Percy grins as he remembers their shared past. Easy to provoke, but hard to beat. A true daughter of war. 

They watch her sitting down at the red and golden table. Her seat neighbors inching away. 

„We should find her a few friends,“ Percy says. 

Nico snorts. „Good luck.“ 

If the headmistress said anything else Percy didn‘t hear it. He‘s too busy studying his new housemates. They look worn out. A hollow look in their eyes and an empty laugh. It‘s too familiar for comfort. 

He can see the scars the war left behind. 

Suddenly the table is covered with delicious looking food, but Percy can't help the feeling of disappointment as he realizes there's nothing blue on the table. It’s not home so what did he expect? 

Nico is furrowing his brow as he stares at the table. 

„What’s wrong?“

Now Nico‘s looking at Clarisse, who stares back. Somehow Percy realizes he‘s missing something important here.

„We can‘t offer our food to the gods,“ Nico finally explains. 

Percy didn‘t thought about that. „We‘re on a quest. The gods surely won‘t mind when we won‘t offer them food.“

„It‘s not an ‚official‘ quest,“ Nico argues back. 

„I don‘t give a fuck, Nico. Let's eat and if someone comes down to complain they can leave us an altar to burn our precious food." With that being said he hauls one dish after another on his plate. 

Nico shakes his head, but follows his example. Although he's more moderate. 

The daughter of war watches them for a moment. Waiting for something bad to happen. When it's obvious they're getting away with their rude behavior she digs in. 

 

 

 

Notes:

Basically every information about the houses are from https://harrypotter.fandom.com.

For the sake of the story I need Clarisse in Gryffindor although she would've also done well in Slytherin. I don't want this story to focus on the rivalry of the Slytherin and Gryffindors so I decided to put my boys in another house. I could've placed Percy in Gryffindor as well, but I didn't want to separate him from Nico.
Besides I think it's more fun to let the golden trio try to get along with Clarisse, who doesn't care about them at all.

Chapter 5: What do we know?

Notes:

I'm done with most of my projects so I can finally focus on writing again. Today's chapter is a bit shorter, but I hope you like it regardless.

Clarisse being sorted into their house is a little shock for Hermione. She thought the other girl would end up in Slytherin, because of her foul attitude and dangerous aura. What did the hat see in her to place her into Gryffindor? A hero? More likely a barbarian. 

She watches the other girl sitting down at their table. The harsh glare she sends her seat neighbors kills every urge to talk to her. What's her problem?

Hermione shares a look with her boys. They had hoped Percy would get sorted into their house so they could get closer to the newcomers. Instead of the weird social boy they got the crazy one. 

„Let’s talk about this later,“ Hermione whispers and the boys agree. They don’t want Clarisse to accidentally overhear them. 

So they talk about the new school year and what changes might occur to them. Together they overlook their timetable again. 

Hermione contemplated on dropping her defence classes, but ultimately decided against it. She needs to polish her defence skills. Voldemort is defeated, but she’s not naive. There are many other dangerous beings walking around. 

She quite glad she shares this particular class with Ron and Harry, because she has the slight suspicion that Clarisse chose this class as well and she honestly doesn’t want to face her alone. Something about Clarisse scares her. Maybe it's just her foul attitude plus the weapon, but Hermione can't shake the feeling that there is more going on than she can see. 

Ron and Harry chose the same classes as last year. Charms, Portions and Transfiguration. Surprisingly they decided to also take divination again. 

All in all their timetable matches up quite nicely. 

What she didn’t know at the time that it also matched quite nicely with the timetable of the demigods. What a lucky coincidence.

Honestly she’s kind of happy about the fact that she’s not chosen as a head girl this time around. At first she was devastated, but now she's a bit grateful. Her daily nightmares take a toll on the young witch, which she didn't acknowledge at all. The others had it far worse, she convinced herself, which then lead to Hermione's refusal to clear her timetable. She's alright. Dark circles under her eyes be damned. 

She had argued for hours with the headmistress, but McGonagall didn’t change her mind. She told Hermione that she needed time to heal and process the horrors of war. Diving head first into school work was not the right way to cope with her trauma. 

Hermione wanted to disagree, but deep down she knew something in her broke. So she gave in and agreed to take a step back. 

Now she watches the new head girl guiding the little ones to their dormitories. This should’ve been her job. She's not bitter. She's not. 

As if reading her thoughts Ron addressed her: „Come on, let’s go to our dorm, too. We need to unpack and talk.“ 

Together they leave the great hall behind, but ultimately split up in the common room. 

When she enters her room Hermione notices Parvati Patil. They’re not exactly friends, but it’s comforting to see each other again. 

The loss of their other roommate Lavender Brown still weights heavily between them. 

„How have you been?“ Hermione asks a bit awkward, but Parvati seems to be relieved Hermione decided to talk to her. She immediately tells a story about her parents new house pet as they unpack their luggage. 

Hermione catches herself laughing along. It feels almost normal. 

Of course it doesn’t stay this way. The door opens and their final roommate for the year comes in. It’s Clarisse. Who else could it be?

Hermione wants to scream. 

Parvati hasn’t met the dangerous girl yet and starts introducing herself. She shows her which bed is hers and then she starts explaining where to put her school supplies. 

Instead of thanking her Clarisse just nods along until Parvati asks for her name and where she comes from. 

„Clarisse is such a beautiful name. Did you mother named you?“ It’s an innocent question, but Clarisse is immediately on guard. 

„No, my father did.“ Her tone makes it very clear that this is the end of the conversation. 

Parvati shuts up. Her friendly is smile gone. 

They unpack in silence. Hermione can’t help herself and watches Clarisse out of he corner of her eye. At first the other girl unpacks the normal stuff. Robes, books and other school supplies. Then she starts opening her backpack. 

She spills various objects on her bed. Everything reaching from jewelry to a big spatula is openly displayed. It looks like she robbed a discounter without looking. 

Even Parvati is openly staring. What the fuck is wrong with this girl?

„What are you looking at?“ She snarls at them, but they’re still too stunned to speak. ‚At least these aren’t weapons,‘ Hermione thinks. 

Clarisse follows their gaze to the pile and understanding flashes through her eyes. She still doesn’t elaborate. Instead she carefully puts them away. 

„Why do you bring a spatula to school?“ Parvati finally asks. 

Clarisse laughs. „Why not? I couldn’t leave it behind.“ 

„A spatula?“ Even Hermione is confused. „We don’t cook here.“

„How would I know? I didn’t go to this hellhole previously. You could’ve lived in a cave and I wouldn’t be surprised.“ Now she's just plainly insulting them, but it doesn’t really answer any questions the girls have. 

Maybe that’s her intention. She just tells them random stuff to confuse them. Does she think this is funny? Hermione is frustrated. And angry. 

She needs to get out of their room before she screams at her new roommate in frustration. Without another word she leaves their shared room. Hopefully Parvati has enough common sense to escape their new roommate as well. 

First thing she notices after arriving are the boys lazily laying on their bed. Their luggage is forgotten on the floor and Hermione nearly stumbles over it when she storms inside. She curses loudly before sitting down next to her boyfriend. The boys share a look. 

Ron cuddles up to her. „What happened?“ 

„My roommates. I’m still rooming with Parvati, but we got a new roommate assigned and you can guess who it is.“ 

„You’re rooming with Clarisse?“ Harry asks surprised. 

„That’s rough,“ Ron offers.

Hermione rolls her eyes. „Tell me about it. She unpacked so many weird things. Who brings a spatula to Hogwarts?“ 

Harry chokes on his water. „She bought a what?“

„A spatula.“

„Why?“ Ron is confused. 

„She couldn’t leave it behind.“

„Her spatula?“

„Y e s.“ 

They burst out laughing. This is just so ridiculous. 

Everytime they look at each other they start laughing again. Hermiones sides are already hurting, but she can’t stop. Neither can Ron or Harry. They laugh until they can’t breath anymore. 

When was the last time did they laughed this hard? She can’t remember. Must’ve been before the war. 

„Well, now that I’m here we can finally talk about the sorting.“ Her words sobers them up immediately. This is important. 

„Mom and Dad never talked about people suddenly joining Hogwarts. Teachers come and go, but students always stay,“ Ron begins. „This never happened before.“

„Ron, can you write your parents to confirm this? We need to be sure.“ The red head starts writing his letter right away. 

„Do you think we can ask headmistress McGonagall about this?“ Harry asks. 

Hermione contemplates their choices. „We can try, but I don’t think we’ll get a clear answer. What if they find out we asked about them? If we talk to the headmistress we need to be very careful. They’re already on their guard.“ 

„Let’s ask McGonagall if we don’t find out anything on our own. She can be our backup plan,“ Harry suggests. His friends agree. 

„So how do we find out anything?“ Ron asks. There is a bit of ink smudged on his left cheek. He’s so adorable. 

Hermione answers: „We need to talk to them. Get to know them.“

„Even Clarisse?“ 

„Yes, even Clarisse, but we should probably start with Percy. He’s more openminded than his friends.“ Hermione thinks back to the train ride. It was nice and easy to talk to him. 

„We can ask him about his classes and Hogwarts in general. Inviting him to hang out and to study with us opens the perfect opportunity to get to know each other. It’s casual and not out of the ordinary here.“ 

„You’re brilliant, darlin,“ Ron says in amazement. 

Harry yawns. „I think this gives us a good base to start with.“ 

„This is all we can do for today. You guys need to unpack before you go to sleep.“ Hermione stands up. Ron pouts. "Why don't you stay for a bit?"

„Because it's late and we have an early start tomorrow.“ A kiss for Ron and a wave for Harry and she’s on her way back to her room. 

Her roommates are asleep when she finally sneaks in. 

She gets ready in record time. As soon as her head hits the pillow she’s asleep.

Her dreams are so chaotic that night, she doesn’t get any rest. It's less a nightmare and more like an onslaught of emotions. Loud, overbearing and dark.

She blames it on Clarisse. The girl makes her nervous. 

Maybe she should've looked more into it instead of antagonizing her roommate. 

 

Clarisse looks up. 

This darkness is suffocating her. 

No one is here to watch her back. She doesn't trust these wizards at all. 

They're not evil, but so naive it makes her nauseous. Can't they see the darkness pouring in? 

It splashes left and right. It raises until you can't breath anymore. 

They'll all drown. Sooner or later. 

 

Chapter 6: First day at Hogwarts

Notes:

I just wanted to say thank you for reading the story until now.

Sharing a room with Percy Jackson is even worse than Nico could have imagined. 

There is only a meter between him and the sleeping son of Poseidon. He can hear every toss and turn. He can hear the little sighs Percy lets out in his sleep. It's adorable and Nico won't survive this.   

He’s thankful when it’s finally morning and he doesn’t have to pretend to sleep anymore. 

Percy turns around and of a split second Nico fears he’ll fall out of the bed, but then he stops right at the edge. Nico exhales. 

„Nico, is it morning?“ The words are nearly inaudible. Nico thinks he imagined them for a second, but there is a hand waving in his general direction. Now that Nico is actually looking at Percy he can't help but ask himself if Percy is trying to suffocate in his blanket? The way he buried himself in his blankes remind Nico of an oversized burrito he found on the streets in Colorado last year. Very questionable. 

Only a mob of dark hair is visible at the top. „Yes, Percy, it’s morning.“

„Fuck, feels like I didn’t sleep,“ curses the burrito, before the son of Poseidon tries to wiggle free. This doesn’t work as smooth as he thought it would. 

Nico smirks. „Do you need help?“ 

„No, I’m capable of leaving my bed on my own.“ Percy answers a bit annoyed. His bed is bouncing with every turn he takes. Nothing seems to work in Percy's favor, but he's way too stubborn to admit defeat. 

So the son of Hades just shrugs and leaves his friend in favor of using their bathroom. They were fortunate enough to get a room on their own, which leaves Percy to fight for his freedom on his own. 

When Nico comes back inside he sees his friend lying on the floor. Percy is trying to get a good feeling for the new weapon he's supposed to know inside out.

„Trying to get comfortable with the stick?“ Nico asks. 

Percy nods. „It‘s so different from a sword. Easier to break.“ To prove his point he slightly bends the wand. 

„We just need to be more careful using them. I don‘t know what will happen if we break one,“ Nico replies. Maybe they should‘ve asked Hecate more questions about the whole magic thing. 

"You can use the bath now," Nico says, while he takes out their school supplies. "Don't take too long. We need to eat something before we go to class and I don't want to be late."

Percy rolls his eyes. "I'm the son of Poseidon, not a mermaid." 

"Sometimes I can't see the difference," Nico comments, which earns him a loud protest and then a laugh. Percy imagined himself as a mermaid. "Do you think I would look hot with a fishtail?" 

Nico's brain stopped working. 

"Nico? You're okay?" Percy asks after a few seconds. "Ye-Yeah, I'm good," Nico chokes out. His face is scarlet and the only thing he can think about is the fact that Percy is always hot, but he can't tell the other boy that. To his relief Percy doesn't asks again. 

They leave their room in a reasonable amount of time. „Do you think Clarisse got a room to herself?“ Percy asks him on the way to the great hall. 

Nico snorts: „I don‘t think so. I bet two drachmas she got a room with the noisy girl from yesterday.“ 

„Maybe she has already made some friends?“ even through Percy said this, he‘s doubtful himself. Percy thinks back to his first impression of the daughter of war. She tried to dunk his head into a toilet. Since then she grew up, but her attitude is still as foul as it was back then. „Nevermind.“ 

Ten minutes into their breakfast and Clarisse joins their table. No one dares to say anything about it. Her harsh glare causes every possible protest. 

Nico observes her for a moment before reaching out to Percy. He wants his prize. It‘s obvious by the glare the noisy girl sends their way that they‘re sharing a room. 

Percy looks confused at Nico’s hand. 

„I won,“ Nico explains. 

Percy groans. „Not fair. At least ask.“

„Do share a room with noisy girl?“ Nico asks. Clarisse‘s glare intensifies and Percy relents. „Alright, here's your money. More important what did you do? Hermione and her friends are  trying to pulverize you with their glare.“

„They saw my weapons,“ Clarisse explains. 

„The ones you brought along to mess with Chiron?“ Nico rises his eyebrows. The daughter of war nods while she's shoveling her breakfast onto her plate. 

Percy starts laughing „What did they saw?“ The mist should‘ve concealed the weapons.

„They think my battle axe is a spatula.“ 

Nico nearly spits out his coffee. „How creative,“ he gets out between his coughs. Percy patts him on the back.

„At least you don‘t have to explain to them why you carry a spatula to school,“ Clarisse answers with a glare over her shoulder, but Nico can see the beginning of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.   

„What did you tell them?“ Percy is leaning over the table. His robes are nearly touching his sandwich. Nico drags him back to his seat. It‘s way too early for this. 

Clarisse rolls her eyes. „What do you think? Nothing.“

Nico crocks his head. „So they think you carry a spatula around for fun?“

„I said I couldn‘t leave it behind. Wasn‘t even a lie.“ Clarisse answers with an evil smirk.

She stabs her sausages. Their neighbors are inching away. Again. 

„It seems like we don‘t need to offer food on this quest. Maybe it‘s because we need to blend in with the wizards,“ Nico addresses their argument from yesterday. „Not that we‘re doing a good job.“ 

„Why?“ Percy is confused. 

„The wizards are already avoiding us. We‘re not the most inviting people,“ he reluctantly explains. „First impressions are important and we didn‘t leave a good one.“ the ‚not that I know how‘ is muttered under his breath. 

When he was younger he just talked about anything mythological and everything else that came to mind, but now? He doesn‘t even know what to say to his sister sometimes. 

Jason and Reyna happened to see sides of him he wouldn’t share willingly with anyone, but this was always necessary. Not wanted. Does that make them friends? He‘s not sure, but he doesn’t dislike them. 

Unlike a certain trio. They were not only noisy, but at some point borderline rude. If he doesn‘t want to talk then he just won‘t. No need to get prickly. It wasn‘t something personal at the time. Now it would be. 

„Yeah, you guys are not the easiest to befriend,“ Percy comments. He‘s right, but Nico still needs to fight the urge to talk back. 

Gladly Clarisse does it for him. „Maybe I don‘t want to be friends with them.“ 

Nico agrees easily. 

„We need to work on your attitude," Percy comments "Besides, I thought you‘re good at making friends, Nico.“ The boy in question points a finger at himself. „Me? Good at making friends?“

Even Clarisse looks doubtful, but Percy is convinced. 

„Yes. You befriended Bob, Hestia, Ceberus, Mrs O'leary like it's the most normal thing in the world. The Stoll brothers, Will, Lou Ellen, Cecil, Jason, Reyna, Annabeth, Clarisse and myself are also your friends. I’m pretty sure they're even more creatures and people you befriended over time, because you're the most attentive and caring person I know. We just don‘t know about them all, because you keep this side hidden. Deep down you‘re a soft and caring person. Isn‘t Huffbuff all about that?“ 

„It‘s called Hufflepuff,“ Nico chokes out. He's desperately trying not to cry.

„Whatever. You know I’m right,“ Percy says easily.

„Eat your pancakes.“

„I‘m right.“

„Eat.“

„Shut the fuck up. You guys can flirt later. I want to eat my breakfast in peace.“ Clarisse‘s patience is wearing thin. Nico is too stunned to even protest. They didn‘t flirt at all.

„Eat faster. Your favorite roommate is coming,“ Percy announces unbothered. 

„Too late to hide,“ Nico says with a grin and Clarisse looks ready to strangle them. It‘s not their fault the annoying trio latches onto them. 

„I won‘t be nice,“ she threatens. 

„Didn‘t expect you to be,“ Percy answers before greeting the approaching group with a cheerful wave.

They‘re too busy judging Clarisse‘s seating choice to say good morning or even acknowledging the boys. „You know that it‘s forbidden to eat at another table,“ Hermione finally says through gritted teeth. 

„Do I look like I care?“ For good measure Clarisse stabs another sausage. She doesn‘t like their obvious disrespect towards Percy, Nico and herself. Just because they saved the world once doesn't give them the right to look down on other people. 

The conversations around them come to a halt. Everyone is waiting for the golden trios reaction. 

„Do you know who we are?“ Ron asks.

Clarisse answers: „Don‘t know. Don‘t care.“ 

„We fought Voldermort and Harry even killed him. He saved us all.“ Ron is getting louder with every word he says.

They know the wizard community is grieving, but so are they. It hurts to hear the implications that the demigods didn‘t fight. Didn‘t help in their war. 

Percy is ready to punch Ron in the face, but Nico‘s hand on his knee holds him back. Don‘t do anything reckless, he says without words. Let me handle the situation. 

„Who said we didn‘t fight?“ Nico asks. A dangerous glint in his eyes. „You don‘t know us or our history. You didn‘t even think about asking us anything before assuming we‘re here for fun. Surprise, we‘re not. We don‘t even want to be here.“ 

He takes a deep breath. „Our friends and family are hurt because of the war and you accuse us of not caring. Maybe you‘re the ones who don‘t care. You only see the grieve in front of you, but what about the other people? What about the people dying in the streets and in the smaller fights? Don’t they deserve the same respect you show the people, who fought the final battle?“ 

A heavy silence follows his words. „Don‘t worry about your little seat arrangements. We won‘t be eating in the great hall again. We don‘t want to cause you discomfort, my dear heroes.“ The last words are dripping in mockery. 

As he leaves the great hall behind he can hear Percy saying a few additional words: „You should think more about comfort and healing than some stupid old rules. Didn‘t this escalated because of discrimination and exclusion?  You‘re a prime example of a hypocrite.“ 

They rejoin near the courtyard. 

„Pretty advanced vocabulary, water boy,“ Clarisse comments with a grin. 

„I learned from the best.“ They fistbumb. „I just hope I used some of the words in the right context.“

„You did,“ Nico says. „Thank you for backing me up.“ 

Clarisses face falls. „If he didn’t do it, I would‘ve set them straight.“ And it would‘ve been a lot more physical and bloody than any words Percy could‘ve said.

„Our plan to befriend them is going really well,“ Nico concludes, which causes Percy‘s face to fall as well. „I don‘t think we should try to befriend them anymore.“

Clarisse agrees with them. It'll be easier to navigate this quest without the suspicion and distaste from those wizards.

Together they arrive at their first class of the semester.

Most of their classmates are still in the great hall so the demigods can decide where they want to sit. Unsurprisingly they sit down at the far back of the room. From here they can observe the whole class, the teacher and the door at the same time. It‘s perfect.

„We won‘t get so lucky in every class,“ Nico comments. 

„Maybe,“ Percy says. „What’s kind of class is this anyway?“

Nico sighs, but answers anyway: „I think it‘s called Potions. If I’m assuming correct we‘ll be learning how to make and detect various portions.“ 

„A bunch of nonsense if you ask me,“ Clarisse cuts in. „You don’t need some little liquid to get what you want.“

„Maybe, but it won’t hurt to learn about it. I want to know what we’re dealing with and it might help us with our quest,“ Nico says. 

The caldrons are a bit old-fashioned and overly used, but they might be a reliable tool for future usage. More important are the potions they’ll learn about. He didn’t have the time to look into the potions book and he starts to regret it now. 

„At least the classroom makes sense,“ Percy cuts through his negative thoughts. „Being in the dungeons makes this class more mysterious than it needs to be. It’s also a bit cold, don’t you think?“ 

Nico nods even though he hardly feels a difference. „It could be because of the many potions and ingredients stored in the cupboards. Besides it will get warmer once the fire for our caldron is burning.“ 

He gets quiet as the door opens. Their classmates are slowly pouring in. 

The son of Hades is glad he shares his caldron with Clarisse. Percy might have an advantage because of his heritage, but his extreme dyslexia and overall chaos makes it so much worse to work with. 

Clarisse can at least follow his instructions correctly and without questions. 

Shortly before the professor begins the lesson the golden trio stumbles through the door. Clarisse curses under her breath next to him. 

Unfortunatly for her the only open seats are near them. 

Percy invites Harry to work with him. The boy in question accepts, but doesn’t look happy about it. 

„How long to you think it takes for him to regret working with Percy?“ Clarisse asks. 

Nico observes the boys in front of them for a minute. 

Harry looks ready to bold. He can’t hear what Percy asked him, but it made the wizard very uncomfortable. „I think he already does.“ 

This makes her laugh. Potion will be a very interesting class.

Before Harry can decide on switching tables their professor demands their attention. Nico doesn’t know what to think of the young and bubbly woman. 

She introduces herself as Miss Seraphina Norland and promptly talks about her whole life story. She shares everything from her childhood towards her education at Hogwarts and her new job offer. Professor Snape, whoever that might be, is a huge inspiration for the young witch. 

The class is clearly not used to Professor Norland and her sunny attitude. 

She reminds Nico of Will Solance, an annoying son of Apollo. He hopes they’re not related. What disaster this would be. He doesn’t need another person to comment on his mental health or his health at all. 

„Today we’re reviewing a few potions you should’ve learned last year. Or the year before that? I’m not sure, but anyway. Today you’re creating amortentia, which is also known as an extremely powerful love potion. Can anyone tell me more about it?“ The professor begins her lecture. 

Hermione's hand shots up. The professor gesticulates for her to explain. 

„Amortentia is the most powerful love potion to exists, but it cannot create love. Instead it creates a dangerous obsession for the person, who used it. It has a different smell for anyone, because it reminds the person of the things they find the most attractive. Even if the person is not aware of their fondness for their special person.“

Professor Norland claps her hands in excitement. „What a wonderful explanation, Miss Granger. 10 points to Gryffindor.“ 

With one flick of her wrist the explanation is written down on the blackboard. „Please, copy that before you begin. I want you to start a journal with all the potions we will discuss this year. You’ll write down how to make them, what effects took place and any additional notes you might need. You’ll also write down a report on your potion creation. I’ll revisit your journals at the end of the year so make sure to actually work on it. Do you have any questions?“

„Why did we have to buy the potion books?“ Ron asks. 

„Exzellent question, Mister Weasley. I want you to understand Potions on a deeper level. It’s easy to just look it up in a book, because you can’t remember anything about it. If you write it down yourself you have to familiarize yourself with the exact steps even more. You'll realize that potions is a creative subject at heart. How can we go forward when we don’t understand why we do the things we do? Where they came from? You need to evolve.“

Nico wants to puke. She’s one of those new and innovative teachers Percy told him about. She wants to change the old ways, but makes it so much harder for anyone involved. Change is good, but it has to be introduced in a productive way. This is just too much work for them to actually enjoy the task. 

One look at his friend and he sees his head buried in his arms. This is tortue for their dyslexia. Hecate told them a spell to overcome it for class, but it doesn’t change Percy’s dislike for school work. What a wonderful class. 

„It’s Monday morning on our first day and I already want to take my wand and poke her eyes out so she won’t look at me again,“ Clarisse grumbles. Professor Norland carries on with her speech. „I’ll have to cut out her tongue too. She’s annoying me.“ 

Nico nods in agreement. He’s not pro violence, but he hopes their professor will shut up. 

Finally they’re allowed to start.

Honestly Clarisse and Nico make a really good team. Nico plans ahead and reads the instruction while Clarisse carries them out. It works extremely well. 

One look at the seats in front of them shows that Harry is ready to strangle Percy, who doesn’t look up as he shoves everything in the caldron. He spills liquid everywhere and doesn’t stop humming under his breath. The potion is bubbling and hissing in a very concerning way. 

Until it suddenly explodes. 

Nico can hide under his desk and Clarisse smoothly steps out of the way, but the boys aren’t so lucky. They’re drenched to the bone in the strange liquid. 

„What did you do? Can’t you read the instructions?“ Harry screams at Percy. 

Percy grins. „I can and it was pretty good until you distracted me.“

„Nothing was good. I can’t believe you’re worse than I am,“ Harry carries on. 

While they’re arguing Nico checks their own potion. They’re lucky. No strange liquid inside their masterpiece. He turns to his potions partner. „Everything is alright. We can move on.“

Clarisse steps back to the table and starts working. 

„Can you please take him back?“ Harry asks suddenly. 

Nico doesn’t look up from the book as he answers. „Percy’s not my dog. I don’t own him.“

„I can’t work with him. He’s a disaster.“ Harry is ready to actually beg. 

„I can hear you, you know?“ Percy cuts into the conversation. 

„Please don’t antagonize your desk partner on our first day. Wait at least a few days until you make enemies.“ Nico says while turning the page and shoving a few crops towards Clarisse, who puts them into their caldron.

She laughs, while hacking a few roots. „It’s the only thing he can actually do. Let him make enemies. It'll be more fun for me.“

„You’re just saying that, because you want a reason to push another innocent child into the toilet,“ Percy comments with a smile. 

Nico pauses. What the hell? 

„Get over yourself. It happened once.“ She rolls her eyes. 

„No one pushes anyone in a toilet," Nico interrupts them "Clarisse, I need you to crush these herbs and Percy, go back to your partner and help him clean up your mess.“ 

He thought they would learn something useful in this class, but instead he’s baby-sitting his friends. It’s not as annoying as it should be, but they can’t make enemies on their first day. The trio doesn’t like them and Percy is only fuelling the fire. 

Their potion is looking exactly like the one in the book. He’s proud of their teamwork. 

Professor Norland checks over their potion before encouraging them to carefully smell it. 

At first Nico doesn’t smell anything special, so he leans closer to the gold-coloured liquid. He takes in a deep breath. It smells like the sea. Salty, but not unpleasant. There is warmth underneath it, which reminds him of home. Of fresh cookies and a cozy afternoon at the Jackson's flat. He knows exactly who he’s smelling. 

Nico leans back and gestures for Clarisse to try. She smiles as she takes it in. He doesn’t need to ask her who she smelled. It's obviously Chris. No one else can make her smile so soft. 

Percy and Harry are watching them. 

„What does it smell like for you? I smelled treacle tart, broomstick handles and something flowery the first time I made amortentia.“ Harry shares with them. 

Clarisse glares at him, but it’s a lot softer than before. Chris reminded her of home. 

„Isn’t it something intimidate?“ Nico asks instead. It’s obvious Harry never thought about it that way. His eyes are wide with surprise. 

„Can I try?“ Percy asks. Professor Norland encourages him with a warm smile.

Even though Nico said it’s personal he wants to know what Percy is smelling at the moment. Is it a bibliotheca full of old books or the smell of fresh linen? Maybe it’s more dark like himself?

Their eyes met and Nico holds his breath. He takes his hope and pushes it down to a very dark place. It's pointless, but for the moment he won't drown in the intense feelings he developed for the son of Poseidon over the years. 

He’s held captive by the sea.

Again and again.

Notes:

Our new professor is an original character. I didn't really plan to include her. She just showed up out of nowhere and now she's the new potions professor.

Is our favorite love potion the stepping stone our two boy needed? Let's find out in the next chapter!!

Chapter 7: He dreams about a cave guy and pillow fights

Notes:

Beware my friends. Some fluff will follow.

Percy is standing in a long dark corridor. 

Somewhere a drop of water falls down and disturbs the silence. 

It’s cold, wet and creepy. Like the beginning of a horror movie. Or a prophetic dream. 

It definitely is a dream and Percy wants to shake his past self for accepting this not-quest. How could he be convinced that this could be a fun and stress free environment? No turning back now. 

He focuses on the present. Somewhere in the dark he can hear a voice. It’s chanting something ominous and that is never a good sign.

Percy takes a deep defeated breath and starts walking further down the corridor. The voice gets louder and Percy can make out a few words. 

Well, he could’ve make out a few words if he actually understood the language. It’s ancient and probably forgotten by most people. Sadly he’s part of an ancient -more or less forgotten- world so it doesn’t surprise him as much as it should. 

The corridor leads to an enormous underground cave, which is covered in colorful crystals. There is a clear lake in the middle of the cave, which creates the illusion of an endless hole.

He can’t see the bottom of the lake from where he’s standing. Maybe it's actually endless. He shudders. Everything leads somewhere. He just hopes it won't lead to hell. 

A mysterious figure is standing on a little island in the middle of the lake. It’s voice carries through the cave and echoes back to him. 

Percy can feel it’s eyes on him. 

He doesn’t move. 

The figure doesn’t move. 

Only the sound of dripping water can be heard as the figure grows silent. It’s even more unnerving than the chanting if he’s honest with himself. 

„Welcome to my humble home, my dear.“ The figure addresses him. It gestures for Percy to come forward.

„Thank you, but I’m good standing here,“ he declines the invitation as politely as he can. 

„No need to be shy. I was waiting for you, my dear.“ Hell no, Percy thinks.

„Are you sure, you’re waiting for me?“ Percy asks nevertheless. Nothing here makes sense. The crystals are getting darker around him. It looks like someone took their light away. Is it because the chanting stopped or does it have another cause?

The figure laughs. „Of course. So come here. I want to see your face.“ It stretches his arms towards him, but instead of going forward the son of Poseidon is pulled back. 

It makes the figure screech in agony. 

„You’ll come back to me. Sooner or later, my dear.“

The words crave themselves inside his mind as he stumbles into a familiar cabin, which means he’s still dreaming. 

His body is in Hogwarts, but his mind is in his cabin at camp. It makes him relax. 

Only after the pressure is gone he turns around and comes face to face with Nico. „I didn’t knew you could do that, ghosty.“

Nico massages his temples. „Yeah, I have limited access to dreams and no, I’m not explain how exactly this works. Too complex and a ton of grey zones I’m playing with.“

Percy can understand the importance of ignorance. „Alright I won’t ask how you found me.“

„Thank you,“ the son of Hades looks genuinely relieved at his words. 

„Can I ask you where we are, because this looks a lot like my cabin in camp.“

Nico explains to him that this is one of the safe spaces in Percys mind. „It was the first one I found. I didn’t want to search through your subconsciousness even more, because it’s obviously yours and I'm actually actively violating your privacy. I really shouldn't be here.“ 

„I don’t mind you being inside my mind,“ Percy says without thinking. 

Nico just stares at him with wide eyes. Did he stop breathing? 

Why is he so flustered about it? 

„A-Anyway, I should get going. Your mind and everything.“ 

„Why?“ Percy asks. Why would Nico want to leave so soon? 

Now Nico looks a bit annoyed, but Percy can‘t help to wish for his friend to stay. It‘s peaceful with the son of hades next to him. 

„It‘s my mind and I don‘t want you to leave. Why won‘t you stay?“ Nico is obviously torn between his two choices. 

„Alright, I’ll stay for a bit,“ Nico finally relents, which causes the son of Poseidon to glow.  

Percy grabs his hands and manhandles him onto his bed. The slight red on Nico‘s cheeks is so adorable he nearly coons at him. 

„I can walk by myself you know,“ he shots are glare in Percy’s general direction. „You took way too long, Nico, and I didn’t feel like discussing our seating arrangements…again.“

„It happened once and you sweared you wouldn’t bring it up again.“

Percy grins. „It‘s just the two of us.“

He hears him grumble something like ‚i can see that and it makes me goddam nervous‘ under his breath, but he isn‘t sure. Instead of asking, and potentially getting on Nico‘s bad side, he decides to introduce a little game to him.

„Let‘s play truth or drink.“

„We‘re inside a dream. We can‘t drink.“ Nico objects.

„Then just say drink instead of drinking.“ A fantastic solution, he thinks. Nico doesn‘t share the thought, but then he decides not to head into another pointless discussion. „What are the rules?“

„We asks each other questions and if we don‘t want to answer them we drink.“

„Isn‘t this basically twenty questions?“ Nico asks. His left eyebrow arched high.

Percy grins sheepish as he answers: „Yeah, but with alcohol.“

„We‘re inside a dream. We can‘t drink.“ Nico repeats. 

„Then just say drink instead of drinking. I thought we already established this?“ 

Nico messages his temples. „Go on.“

If he‘s honest Percy didn‘t think this far ahead. He just wanted Nico to stay and playing a little game seemed to best way to convince him. Now his head is empty. What should he ask? 

Nothing too personal. They just started playing. Be casual Percy.

„If you could be a flower, which one would you choose to be?“ Nico stares at him dumbfounded. Isn‘t this a perfectly normal question to ask? It‘s not too personal, right?

Nico is still staring when he finally musters the strength to ask: „Of all the questions you could ask me, you want to know which flower I would like to be?“

Percy grins. „Yepp.“

Instead of laughing or poking fun at his ridiculous question the son of Hades gets quiet. He's seriously considering the question. „I think I would like to be a forget-me-not.“

He takes a deep breath. „Sometimes I wish you guys would forget all about me and then when you do forget me it actually hurts. It hurts to know that no one cares if I'm missing. No one even realizes I'm missing in the first place.“

„I could never forget you, Nico.“ His voice is just a little breathless whisper, because he knows that Nico is right. He forgot about him more than once. It‘s one of his biggest regrets to this day. 

„I‘m not like you, Percy. You‘re a hero. You‘re loved by everyone and I’m not. Do you think I don‘t see the mistrust in your eyes when you think of me? You don‘t trust me.“ The ‚i don‘t trust me either‘ is left unsaid. 

„I trust you,“ Percy argues back. „You’re right. I didn‘t always trust you in the first war, but you can‘t blame me. We fought against our friends. We got stabbed on the back too many times to not grow suspicious of everyone around us.“ 

He knows Nico understands, but it still hurts. He reaches over and takes his hand into his own. „But, Nico, this is in the past. I know you and I trust you with my life.“ 

Nico looks down on their hands and blinks his tears away. „Thank you.“

„I promise you, I’ll be a better friend. You deserve to be happy, more than anyone else.“ Percy concludes his little speech. Nico deserves the world and maybe Percy can give it to him. 

„It‘s my turn now. Percy,“ Nico takes a deep breath and looks him straight in the eyes „Who painted the angel on my front door at camp?“ 

„It was Connors idea, I swear.“ Nico eyes him suspiciously. „I don‘t believe you.“

„There might have been a bottle of rum and a dare involved, but it was Connors idea.“ Percy defends himself. 

„Okay, I believe you, but you didn‘t answer my question. Who painted to angel?“

Nico is now pointing a finger at him. His face is serious, but there is a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes. 

„Jason and me. Leo provided the paint.“ 

„I knew it. Prepare yourself for my revenge,“ Nico threatens. Percy sighs dramatically. „What will you do? Paint a mermaid on my cabin?“ 

„A good idea, but not my style.“ Percy doesn‘t know what Nico will do, but it exites him more than anything. This means Nico will stick around. 

Sometimes Percy feels like Nico is his own personal guardian angel, which he told his friends on that evening. He was a bit drunk at the time and didn‘t think much of the delightful smile Connor gave him. One thing lead to another and he painted an angel on the Hades cabin. 

They got spotted before anyone could write the words ‚guardian angel‘ and a sober Percy was more than thankful for that. Nico would‘ve killed him.

„My turn now. Who is your favorite superhero?“ 

Nico groans. „Batman. No, don‘t ask. Just don‘t.“ 

„You don‘t need to be embarrassed. Batman reminds me of you. Dark and mysterious-„

He doesn‘t get to finish his sentence, because Nico tries to suffocate him with one of his pillows. „I said, don‘t ask.“

„I- I was‘t gon- gonna ask anything.“ He tries to get the pillow away from Nico. It doesn‘t work out and soon they‘re fighting their own little pillow war. 

Nico plays as dirty as he can, while Percy can‘t stop laughing. 

It‘s fun. Peaceful. Everything he ever wanted. 

He lets go of the tension in his body. 

He wasn‘t aware of it until it‘s gone. 

Everything feels brighter than before. Like the sun breaking through a sea of clouds. Don‘t let this feeling go away. 

Percy wants to cradle it carefully. To protect it from the harsh reality. 

Nico is laughing out loud. It makes his heart swell with pride, because he knows he‘s the reason for his joy. 

‚I will protect you, Nico di Angelo, so you never feel alone again,‘ he swears. 

The son of Hades deserves the world and Percy is going to present it to him. No one will hurt his Nico ever again. 

With this thought he finally surrenders. 

Nico grins as he declares himself as the king of pillow fights. 

Percy agrees with him easily. 

Clarisse had been right. Nico is adorable when he lets you in. 

„Wanna play again?“ Percy asks. 

„Maybe tomorrow.“ Does this mean what he thinks this means? „So you‘ll visit me again?“

Nico flushes red. He‘s gesticulating wildly, but no words come out.

„I like spending time with you, Nico,“ Percy confesses. It easier now to grab his hand and hold it. Nico is the only person to always stand on his side. Even when no one else did. 

„You‘re welcome?“ he‘s so unsure of himself. Not used to being complimented so openly. It‘s adorable and sad at the same time. When was the last time someone said something nice to him?  Not a declaration of good job and thank you for your service, but a real compliment.  

„We need to talk with Clarisse about this cave guy.“ Their moment is broken. Now they‘re back to business. 

„Do you think it has something to do with the artifact?“ Percy asks and Nico nods. „Dreams are powerful, but you need to be careful from now on. This guy knows a thing or two about dreams.“

„I figured it out the moment he talked to me.“ They fall silent. Overthinking the nightmare again.

„Nico?“ Percy begins. „I know it was a joke earlier, but would you mind visiting me again?“

It feels like a small request, but he knows Nico doesn’t think this way.

„I don‘t mind spending time with you, but I don‘t want to intrude.“

Percy furrows his brow. „You won‘t intrude. I invited you.“ 

„So I can help to keep the nightmares at bay?“ It feels like Nico is trying very hard to convince himself it's just business. Like it doesn't mean anything.

Why does he think it's only that? Why can‘t he see how amazing he is? How much fun it is to hang out with him? 

„I won’t lie, It‘s a nice side effect, but more important is that I want to spend more time with you. Nico, you‘re the only one who is on my side. Clarisse doesn't count, because she doesn‘t care about me like that.“

„Do you want to talk about it?“ Nico asks. Effectively ignoring everything else Percy said. 

Percy shakes his head. „Not today.“

„Alright. I won‘t push, but you need to talk it out. Bottling it up won‘t make it better. I can assure you it will blow up someday and the fallout will be even worse.“ Percy knows he‘s right, but living in ignorance has it‘s perks. 

Nevertheless he promises to talk it out. Someday. 

Chapter 8: Fight your demons

Notes:

The chapter got a bit out of control...

The next few days blend together. Waking up, eating in the great hall and then studying until the sun goes down. Rise and repeat. 

It‘a so peaceful and normal Harry doesn‘t know what to do with himself.

There was always a new danger on the horizon. A new mystery to uncover, but since Voldemort is dead there is nothing left to fight against. 

He finally moved out of the Dursley home and into his own apartment. His very own home. One bedroom apartment with a little kitchen. Small, cozy and warm. It reminds him of the burrow even though they share no similarities. 

Even though being normal is everything he ever wanted, Harry can‘t help but feel restless. It‘s like an invisible itch he can‘t scratch. It‘s frustrating and makes him easily irritable. 

Even more irritating are the Americans. 

Harry tried to work with Percy. He really tried, but the other boy is a disaster. How do the other two newcomers manage with him? It‘s like a curse. Everything he touches goes wrong. One way or another.

Not only did he make their caldron explode. No, he also lost their homework, irritated every plant he touched and couldn’t stop asking questions about every subject or topic he could think of. At first Harry felt like he took care of a puppy, but now it‘s like trying to contain the ocean. Impossible.

He dreads the new Defence classes. What will Percy do today? Stab him with his wand?

Clarisse joked about it yesterday and the image haunts him. 

„Everything okay, Harry? You look a bit ill,“ Hermione worries. She touches his forehead with the palm of her hand. „You don‘t have a fever. Are you hurt? Nauseous?“ 

He waves her hands away. „I‘m not ill. Just dreading DADA.“

Ron is confused. „Why? It‘s your best and favorite subject?“ 

„It is, but Percy will be there.“ Sympathy shines through their eyes, but they won‘t save him. 

Ginny kisses his cheek before sitting down next to him. „You‘ll be alright. Percy is harmless. Look at him.“ They follow her gaze to the Hufflepuff table.

Percy sits right in the middle. He‘s telling some sort of story with wild gestures and a big grin plastered across his face. Crumbs fall all over his robes as he waves a croissant around. 

Nico is glowering besides him. Just leaning a bit to the side when the croissant comes near him. He nods seriously at whatever the other boy is talking about, which makes Percy laugh even more.

„Yeah. He‘s a disaster.“ Harry comments evenly. Nothing can convince him otherwise. 

Ginny sights. „I thought you liked him when you first met him at the train.“ 

„I did, but that was before he tried to drown my grades. I can‘t even look at Professor Norland anymore after the potions incident,“ Harry reply’s darkly. „Maybe we should change the plan and try to befriend Nico.“

Ron instantly coughs up his scrambled eggs. „Are you insane? He‘s unsettling. I don‘t want to spend more time with him than necessary. Percy is still our best bet.“

„Why don’t you talk to Clarisse?“ Ginny asks. 

As if she heard them talk Clarisse stabs her fork viciously into a bloody steak. 

„Nevermind. Maybe Percy gets better over time?“ 

Harry sighs in defeat. He hopes DADA or whatever it‘s called now won‘t end up with him -or any other wizard- in the infarmy. He already spent way too much time there. 

Smiling encouraging Ginny leaves them to finish her own breakfast. 

„We should go,“ Hermione says as she overlooks the mostly empty hall. 

The boys follow her out. „Who do you think will be our new teacher?“ Harry asks suddenly.

„Probably someone new. Hopefully they won’t vanish after one year like all the teachers before,“ Hermione remarks as they arrive at their classroom. 

„Wanna bet?“ Ron asks with a mischievous smile. Hermione declines politely. 

She might be hopeful, but the chance of losing is way too high. 

One look at the waiting students shows that they‘re sharing the class with the Hufflepuffs. „Do we have all of our classes with them?“ Harry asks a bit annoyed. He doesn't actually dislikes the house, but the Americans will be in his class again. Which means he'll work with Percy, again. 

Hermione is lost in thought. „An unlikely coincidence, don't you agree?“ She finally utters. 

Their new teacher’s arrival interrupts their discussion. Together the students pour into the new defense class. 

One look around shows how different this class is gonna be. There are desks on the left side of the room with a chalkboard at the front. Classic classroom. 

The right side of the room is divided from the left by a simple wall with an open doorway, which leads into an open space. The floor is full of matts in different colors. Harry believes he can spot a few practice dummies in the back, but his attention is back on the class as the teacher introduces himself. 

„I’m your new defense teacher. Call me Ares,“ the bulky man says. 

Clarisse makes a strangled sound behind him. It sounds vaguely like a plea for death which is met by an affirmation from his least favorite classmate, Percy. Do they know the new teacher? 

Ares doesn’t spare them a glance as he writes down his requirements for defense. „I heard you went through war without being prepared for it. I’m here to make sure you’re prepared for the next one.“ 

Hermiones hand is in the air. 

„You’re going to bleed, cry and beg for mercy in my class.“ 

Hermione is nearly standing with her silent plea for attention. 

„I don’t tolerate quitters or trash, so be sure to meet my expectation every class, do you understand?“ The class echoes back an united „Yes, sir.“ 

„Good. Now what the fuck is your problem, witch?“ He finally addresses Hermione, who unsurprisingly turns red. She hates being called out like this. 

„What do you mean by the next war, Mister Ares?“ She asks. 

The teacher sends her a dark look. „There is always a war on the horizon. Sometimes it just takes a different form than you’re used to. It would be great if you’d use your brain for a second. Ten points from Gryffindor.“ 

His words are dark, but there is a vicious gleam in his unsettling eyes. Does he get a kick out of humiliating his students? 

„I want you to write a ten inch essay on your opinion and experience of war. Next week you’ll put it on my desk at the beginning of the lesson. Should you forget, lose or don’t even do it, there will be consequences.“ Great way to start the day. 

Harry shares a look with Ron and Hermione. Their new professor is insane or a war maniac. Maybe both. 

„Let’s start this lesson with an evaluation on you magic and physical skills. We need to establish how pathetic you are and if there is any hope of getting you in shape. Get up. I said GET UP!“ Ares commands and every student scrambles to their feet. 

Only the Americans are unfazed. Without a care in the world they stand up and follow their professor into the other room. They seem a bit annoyed by all of this. Especially Clarisse has a dark look in her eyes. Harry makes a mental note to stay as far away from the girl as he possible can. 

„I can’t believe he has the nerve to show up here and play teacher. He’ll be worse than Mrs. Dodds,“ Percy complains as they pass him. 

„Don’t insult Alecto. She’s a pretty nice woman if you get to know her,“ Nico reply’s. „Sorry Neeks, but I can’t get over the fact that my math teacher tried to kill me. Twice.“ 

Harry stares at him. What did he say?

„At least you’re not related to her,“ Clarisse says. The anger is evident in her voice. 

„I could try to kill him again, you know? It’s no problem. He hates me anyway,“ Percy offers nonchalantly and Clarisse looks like she’s actually contemplating his offer. „I’ll let you know if I need your help, but I’m capable of dealing with him on my own.“ 

„We should find out why they send him here first. It’s no coincidence Ares starts teaching here as soon as we arrive,“ Nico says. It’s the last comment Harry hears of their conversation as they move away. 

He’s not sure what he exactly he witnessed here. Hermione waves him over. 

„I need to talk to you later,“ he tells her, before Ares starts his ‚evaluation‘. No doubt it will be hell.

And hell it was. At first Ares tested their spellwork. He criticized their technic, accuracy and durability in a fight. Then he started evaluating their physical abilities. 

They surpassed his expectations in magic, but were a disappointment in any physical fight. They never even learned how to manage their stamina. 

Only the Americans didn‘t have a problem with the physical aspect of their evaluation. 

Now the class is lying down on the matts. Completely beaten.

„I don‘t think I can even hold a feather right now,“ Ron complains quietly. One thing they learned about their new professor was that he hated being interrupted. A sneeze from Neville caused him to run three extra laps around the room. 

Clarisse snickered. „He could use it,“ Nico agrees. „Poor condition.“ 

„Even our youngest are in better condition,“ Percy comments evenly. Harry can‘t help but agree with them. Especially compared to the Amercians the wizards are pathetic. 

„Ares will beat them in form,“ Nico concludes. „Hopefully it won‘t get into his head. I don‘t want him to train the younger campers. Chiron’s classes are brutal enough.“ 

„Imagine all the drama with Mr D,“ Percy whines. His teary eyes and wobbly lip can‘t hide the sick amusement shining through. Whoever Mr D is, Percy seems to dislike him a lot.

Clarisse laughs. „Just wait until Ares finds out about his name calling. He‘ll make sure to be even worse than Mr D is.“

„Sometimes I question if he knows our real names at all,“ Percy grumbles. „But then I remember the one time he did call me by my real name.“

„Well Mr D only calls me by my name so I can‘t relate,“ there is a triumphant glint in Nico's dark eyes. Percy punches him in the shoulder. „For some reason Mr D actually likes you.“

„Maybe it‘s because I show him respect. You should try that sometimes. Would do wonders for your reputation,“ Nico replies.

„No thank you. I like my reputation just the way it is.“ 

Nico shrugs. „Suit yourself.“ 

„You‘re worse than an old married couple,“ Clarisse comments while stretching her sore muscles. Harry wonders where they take the energy to banter like this. 

Percy grins. „Does that make you the old cat lady?“

„I have an allergy, you bastard,“ Clarisse answers. „And a boyfriend.“

Before their little discussion can get out of hand Ares speaks up. Somehow it doesn’t feel right to call the man a professor. „Listen up you pathetic excuse of a human being. You’re even worse than I imagined, but don’t worry. I’ll get you in shape.“

Harry shares a fearful glance with his classmates. 

„You’re lucky today. I need to reevaluate my ‚lesson plan‘, because of your poor execution,“ Ares continues and the students peek up. Hopefully Ares will let them go for today. „So i decided to have some fun. You all know what a boggart is, right?“ 

Only the Americans shake their heads. Hermione whispers an explanation to them. Even though she doesn’t like them, they don’t deserve to go in this situation without any prior knowledge. 

„Boggarts are shape-shifters, who take on your worst fear. If you have more than one fear the boggart will cycle through them. To banish a boggart you need to cast the Riddukulus spell, which turns the boggart into something you think is very funny. Additionally you can defeat it by using the weakness of the fear it turned into. One time it took the form of a dementor and could be defeated with a patrons charm. Do you understand what I mean?“

„You mean we need to overcome our fears to defeat the boggart?“ Nico clarefies. 

Hermione nods in agreement, which causes Percy to sigh.

„What a fun afternoon,“ the boy says with absolutely no amusement present. 

„It’s still morning,“ Clarisse comments dryly. She’s also watching the closet in the back with suspicion. 

„Don’t worry. Most people can overcome their fears. Besides you’re not alone,“ Harry tries to reassure them. He can’t forget how scared he felt when he defeated his first boggart.

Nico’s laugh is hollow. „We’ll see.“

Ares makes them form a line in front of the closet. All of this reminds Harry of Professor Lupin’s lesson years ago. Sadly Ares is a much worse person than the werwolf professor. 

Instead of encouraging und supporting the frightened students he criticizes their performance, which leaves them even more humiliated. It makes Harry’s blood boil. Who does he think he is? 

A god? A superior being? He’s even worse than a school bully. 

The line is getting shorter and the students are getting quieter. They just want to get out of this horrible lesson. Ares seems to glow in the misfortune of his students. 

Ron and Hermione defeat their fears with a hard earned ease. 

Harry struggles for a second. His doubts are crawling up his legs like little spiders. Hundred little voices are telling him to fail. He’s nothing without a purpose. A nobody. 

Who cares if he is a nobody? It’s okay to be one in a million. 

His friends are still by his side. Today, tomorrow and next week. 

With a smile he overcomes the boggart. „Try something better next time,“ he tells the screeching creature. It feels oddly good.

„Your hesitation could’ve killed you, boy. Do you want to get killed so badly?“ Ares comments without looking up from the blade he’s polishing. „You’re nearly as suicial as Jackson.“

Harry can only stare at him in anger. There are no words to describe what he's currently feeling. 

„Geee, thanks man,“ Percy exclaims from behind. 

Harry completly forgot the other boy was next in line. He steps aside without another word. If he speaks up now he’ll get detention or worse. Ares has the potential the be even worse than Umbridge he decides. It’s not worth it. Not today. 

Instead he watches as Percy steps forward and the boggart turns into a blonde guy with a wicked scar. „Look who’s there,“ the guy exclaims and opens his arms. Is he trying to hug Percy? 

„You’re death,“ Percy says surprised. „You’ve died in our arms.“

The guy laughs. „I’m not really death, Percy. I live inside you. Can’t you feel it? The anger? The resentment? How many of us have to die to makes this game meaningful?“

Suddenly the boggart turns into Percy. The only difference are the unnatural golden eyes. 

„You’ve surrendered to me,“ the other Percy speaks up „You’re the new god-slayer. Zeus is kneeling infront of you and begging for forgiveness. All of our death friends will be avenged.“

He holds out his hand. „Come on. End it. Now.“

„No, I won’t make the same mistakes as Luke did,“ Percy speaks up. „I’m not him I can see how much worse you are compared to the gods. You’ll make our home a living hell and I can’t let this happen.“

„So you’re okay with your friends dying? Day after day? Some siblings will never know the fate of their loved ones. Can you live with the guilt?“ The other Percy is turning into the blonde guy again. Now that Harry is looking closely he can see the guy has the same golden eyes as the fake Percy. „You’re okay with me dying? Again?“ 

Blood is flowing right through his shaking hands. It pours down. Down. Down. Down. 

Percy rushes forward and embraces the dying man. „I never wanted you to die. I never even wanted to fight you,“ he whispers. 

„I’ll never forgive you. We’ll never forgive you." 

Percy jerks back. The blonde guy turns into a dark bulky man. He’s covered in blood and shrapnel. His arms are broken and he can barely stand, but there is a fire burning behind his eyes.

„You left me to die on the Andromeda,“ he spits out. „You simply left. Do you know how it feels to be thorn to shreds by an explosion? An explosion you caused yourself? Did you know I didn’t actually die from the bomb itself? I was barely breathing as I fell through the cracks and into the sea. I drowned, Percy, and you could’ve saved me. If you would’ve looked back even once.“ 

A lonly tear escapes his eyes as Percy answers with a broken voice. „I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I did everything I could. I’m sorry. Please. Please, believe me.“

„It’s too late for regrets. You forgot about me. Just like everyone else. Just like Bob.“

The broken man turns into a bigger man with a dirty janitors uniform. „You forgot me. Bob cannot say hello to the stars anymore.“ 

„Bob, please,“ Percy is openly crying now. 

The janitor just shakes his head and turns into a young woman with a silver uniform. Her eyes are so old it makes Harry more than a bit uneasy. She doesn’t say anything, but he can hear Nico whisper „the huntress“ somewhere on his right. 

As if the boggart heard him it suddenly turns into Nico. 

A younger version of Nico with unruly hair and dirty clothes. The hatred on his face makes even Harry flinch back. „You let my sister die. You promised me,“ the younger Nico spits out. „You promised to protect her.“ 

There is a girl lying to his feet with the same dark hair and complexion as Nico. She’s crushed by an invincible force right before their eyes. Nico doesn’t look at his sister. His eyes never leave the sobbing Percy. 

„You’re right. I failed to protect Bianca, but I won’t fail you,“ Percy answers. There is a fire burning behind his eyes. „You can show me every single person I failed to protect, but it won’t change anything. I can’t turn back time and save them, because their string has already been cut.“

He points his wand at the younger Nico. 

„I won’t go against fate. The sisters have woven our future so I can only look forward and learn from my mistakes. I’m human not a god. I’m not invincible. I’m flawed and that’s okay.“ 

The boggart laughs. „You think you’re okay? Why don’t we go down and I’ll show you how okay you really are.“ 

Percy pales, but the grip on his wand never loosens. Instead of answering he takes a step forward and points the wand directly at Nico’s forehead. „Riddikulus.“

The boggart doesn’t really change. It’s still a younger Nico, but this one has so much hope and wonder in his eyes. He looks so different Harry doesn’t even recognize him for a moment. Happy little Nico tugs at Percy’s robes and starts asking a million fast paced questions, which makes the son of Poseidon laugh out loud. 

It’s just so damn adorable. 

He ruffles little Nico’s hair, before the boggart finally disappears. 

The real Nico is staring at Percy with an unreadable expression. His face is scarlet, but he doesn’t even try to hide it. Clarisse is laughing like a maniac beside him. 

Percy looks at him and shrugs. Nico shakes his head and gesticulates for Percy to move aside. 

There is so much information to unpack. Harry doesn’t even know where to begin. 

Nico’s turn is even more interesting. Somehow Harry expected it to turn into his sister, who apparently died because of Percy, but instead the boggart turn into a beautiful man with wings. His eyes are bloody red. A bow is thrown over his shoulder. 

„We meet again, little Nico,“ the man mocks. „Still hiding your true self. Should I help you out again?“ 

Nico looks furious and afraid at the same time. 

„You haven’t forgotten what I told you about love?“ The man asks. 

Nico shakes his head. „How could I forget? You practically tortued me. You outed me without my consent.“ 

„Minor details,“ the man waves Nico’s words away, which seems to anger Nico even more. „You fear love and rejection with such a passion I can’t help but meddle.“

„You sound like Aphrodite,“ Nico spits out. The winged man just laughs. 

„So much fire for such a small human. I should out you again for your disrespect,“ the man finally says and Nico pales. 

Before the man can utter another word, Nico shouts „Riddukulus.“

The man turns into a pile of kittens on the lap of an very intimidating older man. He looks like an older version of Nico with his black hair and eyes. His robes are kind of spooky, but his face is filled with so much happiness as the man watches the kitten climb his legs. 

Nico spots a fond smile as he watches the older man. 

„Is that your father and a pile of kittens?“ Percy asks dumbfounded. 

„Yeah. He loves them,“ Nico replies softly. 

One of the kitten has nestled itself on top of his head and is purring happily. Nico’s father stays still to not disturb the little ones. It feels like they’re privy to a very important secret.  

Ares seems to find it very amusing as he starts laughing. „Ten points to Hufflepuff for this magnificent scene,“ he exclaims finally. 

The class stares at him in shock. These are the first points Ares gave out and it’s because of an older man with a bunch if kittens? What in the world is happening here?

Nico seems to appreciate it. 

The next one is Clarisse. 

Harry can‘t imagine what the scary girl could fear. Is it something silly? Something unspeakable? Today they will find out. 

Clarisse steps in front of the closet. She takes a deep breath. 

The boggart breaks free. Whirls around for a second before it turns into a young man. Nothing about him is special. There are no cool scars or unusual eyes. Just a normal young man with a charming smile and warm eyes. 

„Why did you save me?“ the man asks Clarisse. „I don‘t need you. I don‘t even want you.“

Clarisse just stares at him. 

„I can have any woman I want so what makes you think you're special? You‘re a brute with more muscle than brain. How could I ever love you? You‘re a mistake,“ he continues. His smile is unnerving. So kind and warm his voice is it can‘t overcome the harsh words.

„You‘re not Chris,“ Clarisse just says. She takes out her wand and points it at the man. 

Before she can utter the spell the boggart changes into their professor. Ares is staring down at Clarisse with cold eyes. 

Instead of his robes the boggart is dressed in some sort of armor. 

„You‘re a disgrace,“ Ares spits out. „You call yourself my daughter? Pathetic. I wished you died years ago.“ 

Clarisse casts the spell. 

She doesn‘t look at them as the boggart turns into a beautiful woman. She wears one of the most hideous dresses Harry has ever seen. 

With a proud look she whirls around. 

„Look at this, Clarisse,“ she exclaims happily as the skirt swirls around her legs. „Charlie got me a dress.“ 

Clarisse is looking at her in amusement. 

„I know it‘s ugly, but he‘s so proud of it. I just have to wear it for our date tonight.“ 

She curls her hair with ease. 

Clarisse whispers with a fond smile. „Everything looked good on you, Silena. Even this ugly dress.“ 

After this the boggart vanishes again. 

Clarisse is still looking at the spot the girl -Silena- stood a second ago. „I miss you,“ she says to no one in particular. 

Percy lays his hand on her shoulder. „Silena was an incredible woman. A hero.“

„She was so kind and patient,“ Nico agrees. „I wish I could’ve gotten to know her better.“ 

„She didn‘t deserve this,“ Clarisse continues. 

„No one does,“ Percy agrees. „War takes everything we love even sooner.“ 

Their gazes simultaneously fall on Ares. 

„Don‘t blame this solely on war. You know there was so much more going on,“ Clarisse replies, but her voice betrays her real feelings. Even if she's not angry anymore there is a hint of lingering resentment there. They fall silent. Lost in their own thoughts. 

Harry watches them with so much confusion. WHO and what are they talking about? 

Even Hermione is lost. Maybe it makes more sense when they‘re not feeling like a stranded whale.

They will talk about it. Tomorrow.

 

Chapter 9: Broken

Clarisse is laying awake. 

Seeing Silena again brought forgotten feelings to the surface. 

She accepted that Silena‘s death wasn‘t her fault, but it doesn’t make it easier. Will Solace, her self-proclaimed therapist, told her to embrace her feelings.

All of them. Even if it feels like it's too much to handle. 

The guilt will never fully go away, but it shouldn’t determine who she is. 

Seeing Chris like this is even harder to overcome. 

Silena is death and Clarisse can‘t change the past. 

Chris is alive somewhere in Long Island at the moment. He‘s playing beach volleyball with his siblings or singing camp songs at the bonfire. Laughing and having the time of his life. 

Does he even miss her? 

Is he glad she‘s finally far away? 

What if he wishes she would never come back? 

Her walls are crumbling down. Tears cloud her vision. 

She can‘t cry. She can’t be weak. Not infront of those wizards. 

But there is a tiny voice in her head, which tells her to let go. Tears don‘t equal weakness. 

Who cares what those wizards think? She doesn’t have to see them again after this quest. It‘s alright. Let go.

Her tears finally fall. One after another they wet her pillowcase. Her sobs are silent, but powerful enough to shake her whole body. 

Clarisse cries for her death friends, her broken siblings and her uncertain future. Tonight she will break down and tomorrow she‘ll built herself back up again.

Chapter 10: Tomorrow

Notes:

Hey guys, I hope you're doing alright.
I'm currently in the middle of some life changes, which take a lot of time and energy. Hopefully it will be settled in a few weeks, but until then I can't update regularly. I've already written the next two chapters, so please don't think I have or will abandon this story.

This chapter has been the most challenging one so far and I don't know why. I've written and rewritten it a lot, but it somehow doesn't feel right. A friend of mine suggested to move on and fix it later, so here it it is.
I hope you like it regardless.

Nico only starts paying attention to his roommate when two strong arms cycle his body from behind. Without a second thought he puts his essay down. 

Percy is burrowing his head in the crock of his neck. He‘s not saying a word, but Nico can feel him shaking. 

So he turns around and opens his arms. Percy snuggles close. Searching for somewhere safe. 

Nico holds him close until the other boy stops shaking. He strokes his back and whispers reassuring nonsense into his ear. 

His arms open to let Percy adjust his position. Percy could get up again, but he doesn't move away. Instead he gets even closer to Nico. 

His breath is tickling the side of his neck and Nico tries to suppress a full body shiver. He's pretty sure Percy can hear his heart beat escalating. 

„Wanna talk about it?“ Nico asks to distract himself and the other boy. This is not the right time for a gay crisis, a Percy Jackson crisis or any crisis at all. 

Percy is silent for another minute, which gives Nico the opportunity to overthink. What could've happened for Percy to freak out like this? Is it because of the boggart?

„I don‘t want to,“ Percy finally begins. „But I need to.“

Nico caresses his hair. „It‘ll eat you alive if you don't talk about it.“ 

„Just like Tartarus,“ Percy adds with a shudder. Nico tightens his hold as if his hug alone could shield the son of Poseidon from all the horrible memories. „We didn’t talk about it and now look at us. I‘m here and Annabeth is forever out of reach.“

„She‘s not death. You can still talk to her,“ Nico disagrees softly. 

Percy shakes his head: „Sometimes it feels like she is. There is a hole in my chest where she used to be. Today it hurts more than usual.“ 

„You need to talk to her again. I know you haven‘t called her since we arrived here. The pain will only get worse if you don't talk to her. She's your best friend. I'm sure she's as hurt as you are. Don‘t shake your head, you know I’m right,“ Nico replies. 

„Not today. Let me hurt a bit more,“ Percy begs quietly. „Please let me hurt. I deserve to be hurt.“

Nico looks at him with tears in his eyes, but he doesn’t try to convince him to talk to Annabeth again. It seems like Nico's displeasure is the only thing that prompts Percy to speak up again: „I promise I will talk to her before breakfast tomorrow. We‘re still so codependent. It makes me sick.“ 

„Shhh, don‘t say that. You‘re doing so much better. Don‘t forget to take one step after another. This is not a race. You can‘t outrun your problems. One day they’ll catch up and overwhelm you,“ Nico says. His fingers draw little pictures on Percy's arms. It's soothing the son of Poseidon more than any words.

They're so close now that Percy can hear his heart beat. The sound is oddly calming. It reminds him that they're alive. 

„Are speaking of experience?“ Percy teases. His smirk is small, but it‘s there. 

„Always,“ Nico plays along. Their laugh is soft, but freeing. 

They stay silent for five, ten, twenty minutes. 

„You know, Nico, you don‘t always need to be so strong. You can depend on me, too. So please, let go for once,“ Percy speaks up.

Nico tenses. „No.“

„You should take your own advice sometimes,“ Percy continues unbothered. „You‘re always so understanding when I’m breaking down. You give me space when I need it, but you also push me forward when I'm running in circles. Please, let me be your strength. Let me be a pillar for you, too."

„No,“ Nico insists. There is a panic in his eyes that Percy is so familiar with. He crossed a line. 

Percy can't take his words back. He doesn't want to take them back, because he knows that he's right. 

„Alright. I’ll talk to you, but not today,“ Nico finally relents. 

„Thank you,“ Percy whispers into the fabric of Nico's black sweater. 

Nico shakes his head. „No. Thank you.“ 

Half an hour later they fall asleep while hugging each other for comfort. It‘s the best sleep they got since they left camp days ago. 

„Maybe we should sleep together every night,“ Percy proposes at breakfast. 

„Absolutely not,“ Nico shots back. He was so embarrassed when he woke up in Percy's arms. 

The son of Poseidon latched onto him like an octopus and it was nearly impossible for Nico to get up. He secretly loved every second of it, but his bruised heart wouldn't survive another night like this. It was warm, comfortable and so easy. Nico fears to get used to this side of Percy only to ultimately lose him.

At this moment Clarisse sits down at their table. „Do I even want to know what is going on?“ she asks. 

Before Percy can offer an explanation, which would make their situation seem even more inappropriate, Nico slaps his hand over the other boy's mouth. 

„The boggart stirred a few unpleasant memories,“ Nico explains. 

Clarisse nods. „Tell me about it.“ 

There are dark cycles under her eyes and her expression is even more grim than usual. She didn‘t get a good night of sleep. 

Percy and Clarisse fistbump over the table. Nico rolls his eyes. 

„Trauma time tonight,“ Percy declarers suddenly. 

„That sounds so wrong,“ Nico complains. „Call it therapy like a normal human being.“

„But I’m not human?“ Percy argues back. „Well, not completely.“

Nico looks at Clarisse hoping for a little bit of support, but the daughter of war just shrugs. „He‘s not wrong. We‘re partly god.“

„That’s not the issue here,“ Nico sighs as he admits defeat. It‘s too early for this discussion. 

„Anything new on the quest?“ he asks instead. Clarisse shakes her head. „Didn‘t really sleep last night.“

„No prophetic dreams either,“ Percy says through a mouthful of porridge. There are a few crumbs at the corners of his mouth. Nico gives him a napkin. 

Percy says a little thank you before cleaning himself. 

„So we‘ve got nothing,“ Nico concludes. He stares into his coffee and the coffee stares back. 

„I wouldn‘t say nothing. Don‘t you remember our cave dreaming experience? We could try to find the cave or a possible location of the cave. Maybe it will give us a clue about the mysterious being and the artifact,“ Percy suggests.  

„Good idea,“ Nico agrees. „We should visit the library after class.“ 

„I asked Annabeth about it. She said we should start by learning the geography of Hogwarts and it’s surroundings,“ Percy continues with a small smile. Talking to Annabeth in the morning really helped him. 

„Someone mentioned a forbidden forest,“ Clarisse is thinking out loud. „We should find out more about this place. Especially why it‘s forbidden.“ 

Nico agrees with her wholeheartedly. This seems like a good starting point. 

„If I was a tailor i could‘ve found out more about the cloak,“ Percy suddenly exclaims. 

Clarisse can‘t help her laugh. He sounded so sad about it. 

Nico shakes his head. A fond smile is tugging at the corners of his mouth. Breakfast continues as uneventful as breakfast in a magic school can be.

Six hours later they meet up infront of the infamous library. For some reason the golden trio was especially clingy today. 

„Seems like we‘re alone for the moment,“ Nico comments annoyed. „I‘m sure it won‘t stay that way.“

Clarisse nods. „We need to find as much intel as we can until they show up again.“

„Do you think they have any other hobby’s?“ Percy asks. He's looking down the empty corridor with a worried expression. Hopefully them talking about the trio won't end up summoning them. Names have power after all. 

„Besides stalking us? I hope so,“ Nico answers. „It‘s pretty suspicious how they always know where we are.“

„We need to investigate how they do this,“ Clarisse says with a frown. 

Percy opens the door for them. „Not today through.“ 

Together they sit down in one of the secluded corners. Everyone has at least three thick books in their arms, because they decided that getting a general overview of Hogwarts and it‘s geology should be the first step to locate the cave. Just like Annabeth suggested. Hopefully some locations are suspicious enough to warrant an investigation. 

Nico doesn‘t like to spend all his free time in the library. It‘s an impressive room full of secrets, but at the end of the day it's still a room. He wants to go out and actually do something. 

Nico likes to do research, but he‘s spending way too much time on homework already. 

They fall silent while they read. Only the sound of quills can be heard as they occasionally make a note. 

An hour passes. 

„Did you get anything good?“ Percy suddenly asks. He's partly lying on top of his books. His face buried in his arms. Does he think this will make him absorb the knowledge through osmosis?

Clarisse looks up. „Nothing noteworthy yet.“

„I‘m actually researching the forbidden forest at the moment and it‘s pretty interesting," Nico informs them "It holds so many undiscovered secrets. The chance our mysterious cave is located there is getting higher with every sentence. We should visit the centaurs residing in the forest.“

„Please let them be normal. I had enough party ponies for a lifetime,“ Percy groans.

„Party ponies or not, I think it‘s a good idea,“ Clarisse says „They should know more about the forest than any of these old books. We only need to earn their trust.“

„That’s the hard part. I don‘t think they‘re fond of people,“ Nico comments with a thoughtful expression. 

Percy laughts. „I wouldn’t worry about it. Nico is a natural at befriending the odd and forgotten. Why should it be different this time?“

„Because we want something from them. Even if it‘s just information,“ Nico explains. 

Clarisse decides to end the discussion at this point. „Let‘s improvise. Like always.“

Both boys reluctantly agree. 

„We should talk about Ares crashing our peaceful school life instead,“ Percy changes the topic with a smirk.

„Please don‘t remind me,“ Clarisse spits out. 

"Don't you think he would make a perfect sports teacher?" Percy can‘t stop laughing at her pained expression. „Think about it. Ares has totally the vibes for it. All those anger management issues are perfect. Why doesn‘t he think of changing his job?“

„Because he‘s an asshole, who hates noisy children. No offense Clarisse,“ Nico smirks. 

Percy looks like a proud parent at Nico‘s vulgar choice of words, while Clarisse is debating who she should be hitting first. It doesn't take a full second for her to decide. 

„We should talk to him,“ Nico finally says, which stops the wrestling match the other demigods were engaged in. 

Clarisse, who has Percy in a headlock, gets a little green at the thought. „Not until we actually need to.“

„I‘m with you on this. He would get a kick out of humiliating us,“ Percy agrees. 

Nico immediately disagrees: „We should pay our respect even if we don‘t like it. He‘s obviously here to oversee our quest and I don‘t want to anger him more than necessary.“

„My presence is reason enough to anger him,“ Percy tells him. „He‘s still not over our little fight.“

Nico gestures for him to elaborate. 

„Do you guys remember my first quest where I was accused of stealing the lighting bolt? Well, at one point I fought Ares and sort of defeated him, which he didn‘t take well,“ Percy explains as they get seated at their table again. It's a miracle the librarian didn't hear them fight. 

„Who would’ve thought that the god of war would be pissed at being beaten in a fight?“ Clarisse comments sarcasticly. 

„Alright,“ Nico relents. „I‘ll go alone.“

That's the wrong thing to say as Percy immediately starts to argue how bad of a decision this is. Even Clarisse looks sceptical, but she won‘t stop him. It‘s his decision. 

Nico stops the protests with one simple gesture. „Say whatever you want, but I’ll go and talk with Ares. Maybe he‘ll tell me something useful about the forbidden forest and it‘s inhabitants. Seriously stop it Percy. Nothing you could say or do will change my mind. Go and train with Clarisse or annoy our favorite trio. I‘ll come back unharmed and then we can check out the forest tonight.“

„Sounds like a solid plan. I‘m in,“ Clarisse declares. 

Percy shakes his head, but finally agrees. Nico can be as stubborn as a bridge troll. 

With one last smile he leaves Percy and Clarisse behind. 

„I don‘t like this,“ Percy comments darkly. 

„It‘s di Angelo. He has befriended and gained the respect of the weirdest people. The only one who actually hates him is Zeus and he doesn’t count, because he‘s a dick." 

 

 

 

EXTRA SZENE

 

On the other side of the castle Hermione looks up from on of her books. 

„They are related?!“ She exclaims surprised. "Ares is Clarisse's father!"

Ron doesn't realizes that he stares openly at his girlfriend. 

„Too much happened in one day,“ Harry nonchalantly says. He doesn't even look up from his potions essay. 

Hermione narrows her eyes at him. „How can you be so calm about this?“

„Ares is crazy. Clarisse is crazy. Easy to connect the dots,“ Harry comments absentmindedly "As long as I'm far away from Percy, I don't care who is related to whom."

„What if Percy and Nico are secretly related too?“ Ron whispers with wide eyes. 

A shudders wracks Hermiones body. „Please don’t even think about such conspiracy theories. What if they're cousins or something like that? Hell no. I don't even want to think about any of them being related.“ Too bad that Nico and Percy are in fact cousins.

 

Chapter 11: Listening in on other people's conversations

Notes:

Thank you all for your understanding and kind words. It means a lot to me.
My life is still a mess, but I finally edited this chapter.

Harry and Ron aren’t procrastinating on their homework. They’re keeping an eye on the Americans in the library through the Marauder's Map , which is a very important task. 

„What do you think they’re doing there?“ Ron asks with sparkling eyes. He's leaning even further in Harry's personal space. „Do you think they are planning something suspicious? They are very suspicious people after all.“

Hermione, who is sitting on the opposite couch in the Gryffindor common room, rolls her eyes. „Maybe they’re doing their homework like responsible students.“

„You don’t actually believe that,“ Ron shoots back immediately. He doesn't even look up from the map, which doesn't sit well with Hermione.  

Before the couple can start bickering again, Harry exclaims: „ They’re splitting up!“

The homework is completely forgotten as the three friends crowd around the map. Nico is in fact leaving the library. 

„What should we do?“ Ron whispers. 

„We should follow Nico. It’s unusual for them to split up like this,“ Harry whispers back. 

They don't actually need to whisper, because the common room is empty besides them, but it does add to the dramatic flair the three of them like to uphold. 

Hermione is still skeptical. „Maybe he needs to use the toilet.“ 

It would’ve been a plausible explanation if the boy in question didn’t pass a bathroom at the moment. 

Harry points at the map. „Did you see that? He doesn’t need to use the bathroom.“

„Maybe he forgot something in his room,“ Hermione argues back, but she even she doesn’t sound convinced by her argument. Especially since the distance to the Hufflepuff dorms only grows. 

Both boys send her a ‚you don’t believe that yourself‘ look, which makes her give in. „Alright. You’re right. This is pretty suspicious.“

„Why did you defend him in the first place?“ Ron asks. It's quite unusual for Hermione to do so. 

„I read a paper about giving people the benefit of the doubt yesterday. Most of the time we project our own insecurities on other people and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing here. Instead of trying to actually get to know them we treat them like outsiders. Like they're some criminals.“

She takes a deep breath before continuing. „They are weird, elusive and odd, but this doesn’t make them bad people. After all they’re far from home and need to adjust to a new place with new customs and rules. This makes them careful and distant. I can’t say if it’s just that or if it’s part of their personalty, upbringing or culture. We don’t know them enough about them to answer any of this. In conclusion I want to give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.“ 

The boys think about it for a second. She has an interesting point.

„So it’s our fault they’re so withdrawn?“ Ron finally asks. 

Hermione shakes her head. „I don’t think so. They experienced the war as well and it might have changed them. Made them more careful, but we don’t really know that.“

„Because we don’t know how they experienced the war,“ Harry continues her thought. „We know they lost friends and family, but nothing else.“

„Do you think we should asks them about it?“ Ron asks.

„No,“ Hermione replies. „They won’t answer us, because they don’t trust us with this kind of information. It makes them vulnerable and they won’t let that happen.“ 

„Do you think it’ll cause even more harm if we spy on them?“ Harry finally asks the most important question. 

„Probably, but I’m curious as well. Our relationship is pretty bad at the moment so we don’t really lose anything if we take a little look,“ she reasons with a small smile. 

„It’s decided. Let’s go and find out what Nico is up to,“ Ron smiles at his friends, who wear matching smirks. This is going to be awesome. 

They pack away their books in record time. „Where is he now?“ Ron asks as they study the map.

They’re silently searching for his foot steps for a few seconds. 

„There!“ Hermione exclaims and points at a secluded corridor. „What about Percy and Clarisse? Where are they?“

„In the library,“ Harry replies before throwing the invisible cloak over them. As the cloak settles over their figures he can feel the memories rushing in. How long has it been since he sneaked around the castle with his friends? He doesn't know, but the feeling is still the same. He didn't even realize how much he missed this. 

Without another word they follow Nico di Angelo through the castle halls to their defense classroom. Well, not exactly the classroom, but the office next to it. 

They share a confused look under the invisible cloak. What does Nico want from Ares?

It would’ve made more sense if Clarisse visited him. Being his daughter and everything. Nico doesn’t share any relations with Ares or Clarisse. 

Hermione prays to every god that they're not related. She can't deal with this. Not now, not ever.

Maybe he has a question regarding their lesson? It would’ve been easier to asks in class, but maybe it's embarrassing? Probably not. Nico doesn't get flustered easily. Especially not over a stupid question. 

Instead of overthinking this matter even more they’re watching Nico knock on the door. Nothing happens.

Hermione is ready to abandon their mission. There are so many red flags pulling up. Maybe it's just her subconsciousness speaking, but something about the way Nico is standing in front of that door is concerning her. Deeply. 

Suddenly the door crashes open. Ares steps outside looking ready to murder whoever decided to disturb his ‚peaceful‘ evening. 

„Can I talk to you for a second, Lord Ares?“ Nico asks with a respectful bow. 

Ares doesn’t comment on Nico's strange behavior. Instead he looks down at the young man with a sneer on his face. „What do you want, boy?“ 

„I have a few questions only you can answer me,“ Nico smoothly replies. 

His words make Ares smirk in delight. „You’re as diplomatic as they say. I will grant you an audience, but don’t make a habit out of this.“ 

„I wouldn’t dare to think about it,“ Nico promises easily. Ares gestures for Nico to follow him into the office without another word. 

He got the Professor's agreement, but Hermione can't get grasp on how he did it. Somehow Nico got a reputation and this reputation is opening doors for him. Ares called him diplomatic, which seemed quite far-fetched until a few moments ago. This was a completely different Nico than they're used to. 

A diplomatic Nico is interesting. A diplomatic Nico, Ares is interested in, is concerning. 

Her head is spinning with all the new information, questions and worries. 

„Don’t tell me this isn’t suspicious?“ Harry voices their thoughts. 

„Why did he bow? Why did he call the professor a lord? What kind of audience did Ares grant him? Who are they meeting and what are they talking about?“ Hermione speaks her questions out loud. She doesn't really want an answer, but Ron answers nonetheless: „Do you think it’s Voldemort?“

Harry shakes his head. „No, he’s definitely death.“

„Who else could it be?“ Ron asks. „I wish we could hear what they’re saying inside. It would give us at least an hint.“

Hermione brightens as she gets an idea. „We might not be able to hear what they’re talking about inside his office, but Nico will tell his friends about this. We can listen to their conversation instead.“

They decide to head back to the library, where they hide behind the massive bookshelves. It would be bad for their plan if Nico found them lingering in the hallway. Invisible cloak on or not. Somehow they get the suspicion that the cloak won't really hide them from his dark gaze. 

Since they don‘t have anything else to do at the moment, they start eavesdropping. 

„You really thought that playing cards with the Stoll brothers was a great idea,“ Clarisse sums up with barley concealed laughter in her voice.  

Percy groans. „Don‘t remind me. It was a dark time in my life.“

„You mean like always?“ his friend teases. 

„My life is great, thank you very much.“

„Didn‘t sound so great the last time we talked about it.“ 

„My life is great besides that. The exception makes the rule after all.“

„Did Annabeth teach you that?“ 

„No,“ Percy laughs „Piper did.“

„Do I even want to know the context?“ There is definitely an eyebrow going up. They don't actually see it, but it's there. 

„It‘s very different from what you‘re imagining. We were talking about stereotypes at the bonfire a few weeks ago. She‘s not the typical Aphrodite girl and some new camper made a rude comment about it, which was highly inappropriate. It‘s so dumb that we expect people to be a certain way just because of some prejudice we have.“

„She had to fight a lot of expectations growing up. I respect that,“ Clarisse still sounds bitter. This might be a sore spot for her. „Some fight against expectations. Some fight to fulfill them. Whatever you do it‘s never enough.“

„But it doesn’t need to be that way. We‘re loved regardless,“ Percy adds softly. 

Clarisse huffs "Maybe."

The wizards share a look. Who are Piper and Aphrodite? What expectations are they talking about? It seems more than the expectations parent's have for their children. 

„Talking about loved ones. You never told us what Sally said about your departure?“ Clarisse speaks up again. Great, another name they can‘t associate.

Percy chuckles: „She was happy and mad at the same time. It was a pretty sudden decision, but at least I could give her a heads up this time."

„What a perfect son you are. You're actually telling your mother that you're leaving the country for once,“ Clarisse comments dryly. 

Percy doesn't react to the provocation „It‘s even harder for her since I went missing that one time.“

„How could I forget? Everyone was searching for you like crazy.“

„Are we talking about the time Percy went missing?“ Nico suddenly appears out of thin air. 

Is it getting colder? A shudder wracks their bodies. It can‘t be. 

„Nico! Welcome back in one piece,“ Percy greets him with a huge smile. 

They don‘t need to see Nico to know he rolled his eyes. „Yeah. Yeah. I‘m back.“

"You know that I didn't went missing. I got kidnapped," Percy continues the previous conversation. "And brainwashed."

"Don't be so dramatic. It was for a good cause," Nico teases. 

Percy rolls his eyes fondly. "Only you would call saving the world a good cause."

"What would you call it? Charity?" 

 Clarisse interrupts their bickering: „What did he say?“ 

„A lot,“ Nico replies. „He thinks we‘re hilarious for going into the forbidden forest to search for a ‚tiny little cave'.“

„He thinks our expedition won‘t be successful?“ Clarisse questions.

„It's difficult to say. He hopes for a bloodbath, but doesn‘t actually care about the quest itself. The cave holds no interest to him. The hooded figure however does. He says that he needs more information for a clear answer.“ The 'if he doesn't change his mind' is whispered under his breath.  

„He didn‘t promise any he'd help, did he?“ Percy asks, but he doesn't sound surprised. 

„Of course he didn’t. It‘s Ares we‘re talking about,“ Clarisse answers with a huff. „If we make this trip entertaining for him, he might be more interested in supporting us.“ 

„Yeah,“ Nico agrees „He couldn’t tell me anything new about the centaurs. He said they’re good fighters and pretty hostile towards people."

„Who isn‘t?“ Is Clarisse's deadly serious reply.

The trio can't help, but think that the centaurs and Clarisse will make an awful combination. Nico doesn‘t react. 

„So no more party ponies?“ Percy asks hopefully.

„No party ponies,“ Nico agrees and Percy cheers quietly.

„Let‘s meet up tonight. I don‘t like being in the dark for so long,“ Clarisse proposes and the other two agree. 

The wizards share another look. It seems like none of them will sleep tonight. 

Carefully the trio sneaks out of the library. 

It’s time to discuss the facts. 

Chapter 12: The forbidden forest

Notes:

I think I forgot to clarify that the confession scene between Nico and Percy didn't happen.
Percy doesn't know Nico likes him.

The demigods meet up near the great hall. 

Silent footsteps and small gestures. They communicate without words. 

One after another they slip out of the castle. It’s easier than they thought it would. 

Maybe it‘s because there are no harpys around, but it doesn’t feel right to them. A big castle like Hogwarts should have more defenses. Maybe there are some spells they can‘t detect. It doesn’t matter as long as they can carry out their mission. 

Crossing through the open grass area is a necessary risk. 

They wait for any sign of movement, but it seems that no one saw them.

Finally they arrive at the edge of the forest. They cast one last look at the gigantic castle before they leave it behind. 

„How many weapons did you pack?“ Percy whispers to Clarisse as they cross a clearing. 

„Enough to arm a small army,“ she whispers back. 

They grin at each other. Even if someone loses his preferred weapon during a fight they have enough backup. 

Nico rolls his eyes. „Do you have enough ambrosia and nectar with you?“

„Of course,“ she whispers. „It's not my first mission, ghost boy.“

„Yes, Neeks. Have a little faith in our friend,“ Percy teases. 

„Don’t get me started,“ Nico threatens with a small smile. He’s enjoying this mission. 

All the planning is fun and important, but he missed actually doing something. Even if it’s just sneaking through a dangerous forest at night to find some centaurs. 

After a while they pass the rotten cadaver of a spider. 

It must have been lying here for a few years. They decide that the former spider is a good landmark to remember the way back.

It’s quiet. Too quiet for a dangerous forest. 

„I have a bad feeling,“ Nico tells his companions. 

„It feels like someone is watching us,“ Clarisse agrees. 

„Do you think it’s a monster? It has been way too peaceful for a quest,“ Percy comments. 

They’re even more on guard than before. Falling into their battle formation easily. 

„It’s a forbidden forest. What do you think lives here? Fairy’s?“ Clarisse teases Percy, but it’s Nico who answers: „Don’t underestimate fairy’s. They’re ruthless.“ 

Percy decides to abandon the subject. He wants to know what happened, but it‘s not the time or place to ask. 

Swift glances around the surrounding area show no signs of movement. It’s quiet. 

„I don‘t like this,“ Nico whispers. „Something is out there. Waiting.“

Clarisse swirls one of her little daggers over the fingers. Her other hand is clutching the masked battle axe. 

Percy moves so they form a circle with their bodies. Their backs are turned inwards. 

„What should we do?“ he whispers. 

If they move forward they will be more vulnerable, but staying here isn‘t a solution either. 

He opens his mouth to ask who is hiding in these bushes, when Nico‘s hand gesture silences him.  

Nico carefully crouches down to pick up a decent sized stone. With the flick of his wrist he sends the stone into the surrounding bushes. 

A howl rings out. 

He hit whatever was hiding out there. 

The leaves rustle. The bushes sway and then the creature is gone. 

They collectively breathe out. Crisis averted.

Percy looks at Nico with sparkling eyes. „You‘re incredible.“

Nico instantly flushes red. „It was nothing.“

„Don‘t be so moderate,“ Percy objects „It was your plan and it worked!“

Clarisse flicks her dagger upwards. „I would‘ve liked a little confrontation.“ She catches the dagger and puts it back into her combat boots. 

„You‘ll get your fight soon enough,“ Nico promises with a cautious glance at the forest. „We‘re still not alone.“

„It‘s a magical forest. Of course we’re not alone,“ Clarisse bites back. „I just don‘t want to get rusty.“

Percy laughs out loud at her bad attempt of a joke. 

Nico slaps his hand over Percy‘s mouth and gets pretty far into his personal space. If he leans forward even a centimeter their lips would touch (we‘re ignoring Nico‘s hand for the sake of sexual tension). 

„Stay silent,“ he hisses. 

Percy can only nod. Nico is too close to where he wants him to be. Wait, what?

Before he can analyze his train of thoughts, the son of Hades steps back. 

„Let’s go, but keep quiet,“ Nico whispers with a sharp glare towards Percy. 

Percy is at loss for words so Clarisse grabs his head and forces him to nod along. 

„Don‘t worry,“ she whispers back „I‘ll set him straight.“

Nico seems to be satisfied with her response. He pushes past them to lead the way. Percy can only stare at his back. When did Nico become so beautiful?

Clarisse pushes him forward. „We don‘t have time for your bisexual awakening. Move water boy.“

„Nico is beautiful,“ Percy whispers back. Clarisse groans. Percy will be insufferable from now on.

„Great,“ she hisses „Now move.“ 

Percy finally moves forward. His eyes never leave the son of Hades ahead of them. 

„How could I miss how beautiful he is?“ He asks Clarisse with a panicked look in his eyes. „I’m not blind, am I ?“

Clarisse seriously considers leaving him behind. „Yes, you’re oblivious and stupid. Can we concentrate on the mission now?“

„You’re just mean,“ Percy grumbles. „I’ll try to concentrate, but only if we talk about this later.“

„Can’t you talk about it with anyone else? Grover? Piper? Sally?“ She asks him experaced. Percy shakes his head at every name she lists. 

„Alright,“ she finally chokes out through clenched teeth „We’ll talk about it, but I don’t want to hear a single thing about Nico in the meantime.“

„Even if it concerns our quest?“ Percy asks with a smirk. 

„Don’t test my patience. It’s running thin today, Jackson,“ she replies. Percy holds his hands up in mock surrender. 

Nico chose this exact moment to look over his shoulder. ‚Everything okay with you guys?‘ His gaze seem to ask. 

Percy sends him a thumbs up. Everything is just peachy. 

The son of Hades doesn’t look convinced, but turns forward regardless. 

„One step forward and you’ll end up peachy,“ a gruff voice exclaims a few feet away. They can barely make out the shining tip of an arrow. 

Clarisse instantly draws her battle axe. It’s massive and very much impractical in a forest, but it looks pretty scary. In fact she is a pretty scary girl herself. 

She bares her teeth at the forest beasts, but before the situation can escalate Nico steps forward with raised hands. 

„Please don’t shoot,“ he begins and Percy rolls his eyes. Could he be even more cliche? 

„We won’t shoot if you turn around and head back to your school little human,“ another voice chimes in. 

Nico shakes his head slowly. „Unfortunately we can’t do that.“

„Why?“ The first voice asks. He hears curiosity tinted with animosity, which is an interesting combination, but also something the son of hades can work with. As long as the animosity isn’t in regards of their words or general appearance.

Nico has read in one of the books about the territorial nature of centaurs, so he takes a wild guess and blames their hostility on that. It could also be, because they think the three demigods are some dumb little wizards. 

„We’re on a quest-„

„No, you’re not,“ the second voice interrupts. „There hasn’t been a quest in these lands for hundreds of years. Filthy liars.“

„Do you really want to say Lady Hecate send us to Hogwarts for fun? Will you accuse us of lying in the name of the gods next?“ Nico asks innocently, but there is a dark glint in his eyes. „Come on. Accuse us and pay the price.“

„Do you have evidence to prove your claim?“ The first voice asks with much less hostility than before. 

Nico nods his head. „Of course we do. Children of the gods share their legacy after all.“ 

There is a sharp intake of breath. Whispers echo through the forest. 

„How do you want us to prove ourselves?“ Nico asks. 

„Show the power you claim to posses and we shall listen to your words,“ a third voice exclaims. 

The demigods share a look. It’s an easy decision. Percy takes the spotlight as he controls the water molecules in the air. He concentrates the molecules on a specific point in front of them. A little ball of water forms, which the son of Poseidon then begins twirl and spin. It’s an impressive showcase of control and power. 

The appearance of the first centaur shifts their attention. „Follow me,“ he commands. 

Percy beams at Nico, while Clarisse puts her polished axe back into her pocket. It would’ve been a great opportunity to test her new weapon in an actual fight. Next time then. 

 

Chapter 13: What happened in the forest?

Notes:

It has been a while, but I'm back with another chapter!!

The golden trio followed the demigods into the forbidden forest. It was quite concerning how easy they sneaked out and crossed the school grounds. Did they practice this in the past? 

Sadly they could only follow them until the americans got ambushed by the centaurs. 

‚This is the end,‘ Harry thinks to himself as he watches Clarisse pull out the infamous spatula. 

It surprises them more than anything when Nico ends up deescalating the situation. It seems so natural as if manipulating dangerous beings is as easy as breathing. His words are smooth like silk until they cut through their defenses. Words can be more dangerous than any other weapon. 

With just a short conversation they convinced the centaurs to give them a chance. To prove their worth. 

Percy volunteers without a second thought. He shows an incredible skill in wandless magic as he controls the water in the air. He‘s so far from the Percy they‘re used to. 

His cocky grin however makes it crystal clear that this is in fact Percy Jackson. The boy who can‘t even create a simple potion. 

When the centaurs invite them into their home, the trio can‘t help but stare. This has never happened before. 

The centaurs camp is basically holy land. No wizard has ever been allowed inside. There are only rumors and wild guesses about it. 

It's a shame they couldn’t hear a single word of their exchange. They could've used the same trick to get inside, but how did they manage to convince the elusive centaurs in the first place? There could've been a threat involved, but their body language said otherwise. Maybe a bribe?

„We should follow them,“ Ron whispers regardless, but Hermione violently shakes her head. 

„Do you have a death wish?“ she asks him.

Ron frowns: „But they got inside?“ 

„Which is a miracle,“ Hermione answers. Her eyes are hard and calculating, which is not enough to shut her boyfriend up. 

„Shh,“ Harry interupts their discussion. One of the centaur is looking straight at them.

He must‘ve heard them talking, because they're still invisible under the invisible cloak. Not even the centaurs should be able to see them. 

The centaur isn’t actually looking at them, but at the figure approaching from behind. 

„Well, well, well, what do we have here,“ the unmistakable voice of Ares exclaims. The trio freezes. This must be a nightmare. 

„We should‘ve let the centaurs kill us,“ Ron whispers with wide eyes. 

Ares stops right behind the cowering trio. They got caught. How is it possible?

With a deep sigh Harry takes the cloak off. 

„A bunch of street rats ready to be cooked,“ Ares smirks down at them „Would you like to be boiled or fried?“ 

Ron pales, but Hermione looks up with a stubborn expression. „That would be child abuse. You‘ll get fired if you hurt us intentionally.“

Ares just laughs. „Wouldn‘t that be great? Now get up. I need to think about an appropriate punishment for you three.“ 

They stare at each other as panic overtakes their features. What will Ares do?

Torture seems a bit drastic, but the sadistic nature of their teacher doesn't make it impossible. Maybe he'll make them write lines like Umbridge did.

The punishment in question is a completely irrelevant activity, which is slowing killing them and their will to live. 

Ares decided to make them separate wheat from chaff with the excuse of helping the elves in the kitchen. It could’ve been fast and a little bit fun if they were allowed to use magic. Instead they’re separating everything by hand. It’s slow and repetitive. A mind numbing exercise. 

After a few hours later everything looks the same. Their fingers start to twitch, which makes the wheat slip through their fingers even more. 

They're not allowed to interact with anyone until their task is complete. To ensure that Ares decided to put them in a little storage room in back of the kitchen. „Here you can do your task without being distracted,“ he told them with an evil grin and then proceeded to lock the door. Time has become fluid in their little space. 

Their conversations have long dried up and with that their temper is getting shorter by the minute. Ares knows his way around punishment. It’s harmless considering Harry's previous detentions. He doesn’t get harmed, threatened or even intimidated. He never thought he would miss those days. 

His first detention ever had been in the forbidden forest and it scared him endlessly. The death unicorn, the centaurs and Voldemort. It was scary, but also exciting. 

It changed him. Forever. 

The sound of a bowl crashing down tears him back to the present. 

„RONALD WEASLEY,“ Hermione screams. 

Ron looks up with tears in his eyes. „I need to do it again. I need to count it again. I need to do it again.“ 

Instead of consoling Ron like a best friend should probably do, he pulls his own bowls out of reach. He can't do it again. It's physically impossible.

Meanwhile Hermione is taking a deep breath to get her anger back under control. 

„Okay. No need to panic. We can sort them while we put them back into their designated bowls,“ she finally suggests. It’s a good idea, but it doesn’t lift their spirits. The defeated air is slowly choking them. It creeps through their lungs into their blood. Breathing is heavy. 

„How can he break our spirit with such a dump task?“ Harry's voice is small. Barely a whisper, but it seems impossibly loud in their little space. „We’re better than this.“

„Are we really?“ Ron asks with tired eyes. „We’re broken inside out. I don’t feel like the hero they say I am. My brother died out there, but the people are already starting to forget him. I know they’re healing. Trying to get past the trauma, but I can’t help it. What if this is our fate? Dying in battle and being forgotten by the world? Just a name in a history book.“ Harry chokes on his reply. The consoling words are there, but he can't get them out. They twist and turn inside his mouth until he doesn't dare to open it anymore. He's afraid of what he might say. He's afraid of saying something he can't take back.  

Ron doesn't even spare him a glance as he continues: „If we’re even mentioned in a history book. Will they write me down as Ronald Weasley or am I just the best friend of the boy who lived?“ 

Hermione stares at her love with wide unseeing eyes. 

„So many of us are being forgotten. Glossed over in a way to overcome the hurt. Will anyone remember Sirius in a good way? I know he said he didn’t care, but everyone does. It eats you up until there is nothing left but bits and pieces. He just didn’t want us to worry about him.“ 

Harry looks down at his shaking hands. „You’re right. He didn’t want us to worry about him, but it doesn’t means he’s forgotten. He’ll always be a part of me.“ 

„Is it enough?“ Ron asks. 

„For me? It is,“ Harry answers, but his eyes aren't focused on his friends. He’s standing back in ministry. Making a mistake. Again. 

It’s always going in circles.

The guilt is pulling him under the surface. The regret is making his limbs go numb so he sinks deeper and deeper. He forgets what it's like to breath, to laugh, to live. Everything is colored in grey hues until it looses all meaning. Did it have a meaning in the first place?

„Don’t lie. You haven’t process his death,“ Hermione speaks up. Her voice shakes with every syllable, but she pushes through. One of them needs to stay strong or they won't get up ever again. 

A tear escapes Harry's eye as he finally looks up. „I have’t processed anything that has happened.“

„No one has. We’re just winging it,“ Ron tries to joke, but it's the sad truth.

Harry forces a laugh. „We’re doing a shitty job at it.“ 

„We need help,“ Hermione cuts in. Her words raise their guard in seconds. They’re not ready to face their demons head on. Maybe they’ll never be. 

„We’re okay,“ Harry argues back with a very unconvincing smile. 

„We’re not,“ Hermione shoots back. „Look at us. We‘re falling apart just thinking about it.“

„When will it stop?“ Ron chokes out in a near silent whisper, but they don‘t hear him. They‘re so wrapped up in their own argument that they can‘t see him falling apart. They never see. Tears are clouding his vision as he stares at the people he considers closest to himself. 

Would they even realize if he left them alone? 

Would they even care? 

 

Chapter 14: The exchange

Notes:

Brace yourself, my friends, this is just the beginning :)

Before we move on I just want to say that this story will get into some heavy topics. It has been obvious in the last chapters, but I just want to highlight it again.
Also I'm not sure if I explicitly said this before, but this story is set after the heroes of Olympus, because I haven't finished trials of Apollo yet. It's not that important, because I basically change the timeline.
Maybe I'll add or change some of the events in the giant war to fit my story better, but I'm not sure yet.

I think that this is everything for today. Anything else will be added in the following chapters!

The centaurs hideout is very different from what they imagined. 

There are no fancy tents or wooden houses. Instead there are a couple of caves carved in a circular formation into the surrounding mountains. The interior of the caves is hidden behind a few linen sheets, which seem to be handmade. The tools and some work in progress projects are carefully stored next to a bunch of wooden boxes.

A big campfire burns in the open space between the caves. A few centaurs are gathered around it. They look up as the group comes closer. 

Some of them are fixing bows, clothes and broken leather straps. A very young centaur is working on a little bowl. It‘s still pretty uneven, but with a bit of practice he will make the most beautiful crafts of them all.

Percy brightens up as the smell of a delicious soup hits their noses.

An older centaur stirs the pot on the fireplace and then tastes the soup. He nods to himself with a satisfied smile.

„Do you think we can try some of that soup?“ Percy whispers to Nico with sparkling eyes. 

„We don‘t want to overstay our welcome," Nico answers "so probably no.“ 

At Percy’s crestfallen look he quickly adds: „We can always ask.“

Percy doesn‘t waste another second as he talks to the centaur on their left. Clarisse watches the exchange with distaste. „Didn‘t he eat at the great hall?“

„He did,“ Nico replies absently. He's way more interested in observing the reaction of the centaurs to Percy’s enormous enthusiasm. 

„Why does he want to eat again?“ She doesn’t understand that man. Probably never will.

Nico sighs softly. „It‘s been a few hours and he‘s probably pretty nervous about this whole ordeal. You can‘t blame him for that.“ Clarisse scoffs loudly, but doesn’t complain anymore. 

The centaurs watch with great amusement as Percy inhales the soup and then asks for a second serving with sparkling eyes. The soup is even more delicious than it smells. A happy Percy makes Nico feel very content with himself. Even if he isn‘t the cause of such a happiness. 

They wait for Percy to finish his soup. When he finally finishes his third serving the centaurs patience has run out. Nico can‘t hold it against them. Clarisse would‘ve thrown a fit if she was in their position. 

„What brings you to us tonight?“ the first centaur asks with a sneer. He was the one who huffed disapprovingly at Percy. 

Before Clarisse can insult the centaur in every possible way, Nico speaks up with an slightly threatening smile. „Why don‘t we introduce ourselves first?“

„Why should we?“ the centaur matches Nico’s smile with his own. 

„Enough!“ the centaur, who brought them over, commands. „We‘re grown adults so stop acting like a bunch of kids fighting over a leftover piece of candy.“

„He started it,“ the unfriendly centaur exclaims, which causes the expression of the other centaur to darken even further. „ I said it‘s enough, Jordan. They are our guests for tonight so treat them with respect.“

Jordan nods slowly, but his expression darkens even further. 

The other centaur let’s out a deep sigh. „You can call me Norem. These are Jordan, Arken, Omar and Lysam.“ The centaurs are greeting them with a polite nod. They’re still wary of the demigods intention, but at least try to look friendly. Well, besides Jordan. He only glares at them.

Percy replies with a polite nod and a big smile of his own. „I‘m Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. These are my companions for this ‚quest‘.“

„Nico di Angelo, son of Hades,“ Nico introduces himself. He‘s pretty satisfied with himself as Jordan takes a double take. Didn’t see this one coming, asshat.

„Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares,“ Clarisse follows up. 

The centaurs share an uneasy look. „You‘re quite an unusual pair,“ Norem politely voices their thoughts. „A son of Hades and a son of Poseidon getting along. It’s been decades since that has happened.“

„We‘ve had a troublesome past, but we‘re over it,“ Nico explains.

„Our fathers don‘t define us,“ Percy simply adds.

Clarisse rolls her eyes. Of course they‘re not their fathers. There are way too much mushy feelings involved for that. 

She doesn’t even want to imagine what Poseidon and Hades would look like in love. It’s better to bury that though deep inside and then never think about it again. Some things should stay untouched forever.

The centaurs watch them with newfound respect. 

„We heard about a son of Poseidon fighting the gods wars,“ Norem says „but we never thought we would meet him ourselves.“

„Of course you heard about him,“ Clarisse mutters under her breath „it‘s not like he‘s been the only one fighting.“

Nico sends her a sharp look. 'You‘re right, but this is not the time or place to start this discussion,' his eyes say.

He‘s obviously right, but Clarisse can‘t stop the anger from brewing under the surface. She‘s got it under control. For now. 

„You flatter me,“ Percy replies, but the sarcasm is lost on the mythical beings. 

Nico decides to take over the conversation again: „We‘re not here to discuss our heroic adventures. We‘re here on an unofficial quest from Hecate and we believe you can answer a few questions regarding this interesting world.“ 

„Why should we?“ Jordan asks. His sneer is still very much present.

„We‘re willing to pay for this information,“ Nico replies. His expression shows how silly he thinks the question was. „An exchange of interest,“ he clarifies. 

„What could we possibly want from you?“ Jordan doesn‘t stop his interrogation.

Nico sends him a flat look. „We don‘t have the same prophetic skills you centaurs possess so we don‘t know what exactly you could want. We can only offer our help in exchange for information.“

„You want to offer your help?“‘ Jordan laughs. „Why would we need your help?“

„Everyone wants something that is out of reach so tell me. What do you yearn for?“ 

This shuts the centaur up. 

„Did I perhaps hit a nerve?“ Nico steps forward. He‘s now in the centaurs personal space so when he tilts his head upwards he can look directly into his eyes.

„Where is your big attitude now?“ They stare at each other for a minute. When Nico spots the fear in Jordans eyes for a split second he knows he won the argument. He knows Jordan knows it, too. 

He turns away from the centaur and addresses the group again. „Is there anything we can assist you with?“ he asks. His smile switches from threatening to pleasant in a split second. It‘s scary.

It’s hot. Percy can‘t stop staring at him. 

Clarisse stares at him with in disbelief. „If you start drooling now I will kick your ass.“ 

„There is something we could use your help with,“ Norem speaks up. Before he does something he might regret later, Percy shifts his focus back to the centaur. Kissing the smile right of Nico's face is nothing he would ever be ashamed of, but Percy values his life. If he's death he can't do it again. 

Nico gestures for Norem to elaborate. 

„Roughly two months ago a small earthquake opened up a new cave system in the forest. It‘s nothing unusual so we didn’t realize something was different. Then our first brother, Denver, disappeared. We thought maybe he was careless and got lost, but even then it was highly unusual. We convinced ourselves that it was a one time thing, but then Terry disappeared. It wasn’t a coincidence anymore. Since then even more brothers have disappeared,“ he explains. 

„I‘ll kill the bastard who did this,“ Jordan hisses through clenched teeth. 

The other centaurs eye him carefully. One wrong step and Jordan will explode. 

The demigods share a look. Could it be that this mysterious kidnapper is the hooded figure they‘re searching for? It would be one hell of a coincidence. 

Another centaur steps forward and whispers something in Jordans ear, which seems to calm him down a little bit. He unclenches his fists, but the murderous expression doesn‘t waver. 

Clarisse thinks it‘s pathetic. If she could just say that this whole ordeal would get at least a bit entertaining. 

Nico sends her a sharp glare. Sometimes it feels like he can sense certain unwanted thoughts. She‘s more than a bit intimidated by the son of Hades. Not that she would ever tell him that. 

„We sent out a search party a few weeks ago,“ Norem continues his retelling „They found nothing in the forest. There was no hint as to where they went.“

„That‘s concerning,“ Nico speaks up. „Wouldn’t you at least find a hint about their past locations?“

Norem nods gravely. „We thought so too, but we couldn’t find anything.“

„No one knows the forest like we do,“ Jordan mutters quietly. He doesn‘t believe his own words anymore. This incident has hurt his pride as well.

„Did you search the cave?“ Clarisse asks.

The centaurs nod. „We couldn‘t find anything. We couldn’t even remember what we experienced in these caves. Something wiped our memories and it dimmed our sight.“

„You didn‘t expect us,“ Nico concludes with a thoughtful expression. This is bad. 

Whatever resides in this cave is powerful enough to overwrite memories and there is the possibility that it can interfere with the fates. 

„Let me guess. We should go into that cave to save your missing brothers?“ Percy voices their thoughts. The centaurs hesitantly agree. They won‘t beg, but their hopeful eyes say enough. The demigods are their best chance to get their loved ones back. 

„We need to talk about it for a minute. Please excuse us,“ Nico says as he herds his friends to the side. They form a loose circle. 

Percy gives Nico a confused look. „We will help them, right?“

„Of course. It‘s our only chance,“ Nico agrees. 

Percy's confusion hasn't cleared one bit. „Then why are we standing here?“ he asks.

„We don‘t want them to know that. It‘s a strategic choice. We can‘t let them know how important that information is,“ he explains. 

„We also doesn’t want to appear too eager to help them. What if they want to take advantage of us, because we seem oh so nice?“ Clarisse mocks him. 

Percy shoves her lightly. „There is no need to be such a bitch about it.“

„Children stop,“ Nico interferes. 

„You‘re not our father,“ both of them roar back. 

Nico stares at them stunned as they fist bump. Where did that came from?

He shakes his head. „Let‘s talk about our strategy.“

„You don‘t want to talk about this awesome moment?“ Percy‘s grin is practically a carbon copy of every Disney villain you can imagine. 

„You shared a braincell for a second. Congrats, can we move on now?“ 

Clarisse rolls her eyes. „You‘re no fun.“

„I‘m a pretty fun guy,“ Nico disagrees. 

„Sure,“ Percy agrees easily as he slings his arm around Nico‘s shoulders. „What strategy did you thought about?“

Nico tries to speak once. Twice. 

He awkwardly clears his throat. „Strategy? Plan? Oh yes… the cave plan,“ Nico finally chokes out with a red face. 

„You‘re both a disaster,“ Clarisse sighs, but there is a small smile tugging the corners of her mouth upwards. „Just tell us about the plan for the cave, ghost boy.“

Nico sends another glare her way, but it‘s ruined by his blush. 

„We‘re not really equipped to climb into a cave system, but we‘ll make it work. What exactly do we have with us? We might need to reduce or reorganize our stuff.“

Percy doesn’t let go of Nico while he rumages through his pockets. „I’ve got Riptide, a bunch of ambrosia, some gums and the clothes I wear.“ 

„That’s good. You can carry some of the other stuff we need,“ Nico says distracted. His eyes flicker over the clearing. Percy squeezes Nico's shoulder to get his focus back. „Alright. What about you Clarisse?“

The girl in question thinks for a second. „I have my battle axe, my new lightning spear, seven daggers, fifteen knives, a metal chain and two swords. There are a few ambrosia packs, a first aid kit and sewing kit in my pockets. There is also the knive on my boot.“ She kicks her leg out and a wicket looking blade shoots out of the heel of her combat boots. 

Nico studies it with great interest and a hint of envy. It‘s a pretty nice mechanism.

„I can show you how to make it,“ Clarisse offers with a smirk „You could also ask the Hephaestus cabin for help. They actually made the blueprints for this one.“

„Yes, after the quest,“ Nico agrees, but Percy knows he will cave at the end of the week. The mechanism is pretty cool, but it won‘t really work well with his old sneakers. Besides it‘s not his style.

„Is this everything?“ Percy asks her. He needs to get the image of Nico armed with blades out of his mind. It's hot. It’s distracting him. 

Clarisse nods. „Yeah I think so.“

They turn towards the son of Hades, who grins at them. „I have my sword, two daggers, three knives, a lighter, ambrosia, nectar, some snacks and a bottle of water. I would've packed some more stuff, but I got distracted.“ He sends a sideway glance at Percy, who grins proudly. 

Clarisse stares at them tired. It sounds so lewd, but it’s definitely a pretty stupid reason. 

„I got stuck in the…“ Percy begins to explain, but Clarisse interupts him. „I don‘t care. What will we steal from the centaurs?“

„We don‘t know much about those caves so we should take some ropes with us,“ Nico says. „We should also take some real food with us, because we don‘t know how long we‘ll be gone. Some more water would be a good idea, too.“ 

„Something to light up the caves would also come in handy?“ Percy adds. It‘s rare that they get the opportunity to actually prepare themselves like that. 

Nico shakes his head. „We can use a spell for that. 'Lumos' creates a light at the top of our wands.“ 

„Awesome,“ Percy is grinning like a madman „I forgot we had them.“ 

„You did bring your wand, did you?“ Clarisse asks. 

Percy whips the stick out of pocket and pokes her with it. „Of course. I‘m a fully fledged wizard after all.“ 

Nico stares at him in adoration. How can such a silly thing make his heart swell so much? 

Since Nico is busy staring at Percy, Clarisse takes the leadership in her own hands. It's time to rob- ask the centaurs for their assistance.  

Notes:

Did I also forgot they had wands? No... I would never :)

Chapter 15: The cave

Notes:

Hey everyone. I'm currently reevaluating my life choices. Please enjoy the chapter :)

Clarisse didn‘t think it would be possible, that one of the top ten most miserable experiences of her life, would be getting lowered down into a cave. The rope cut deep into her flesh as the boys slowly lowered her into the deep. They try to be careful. 

She hates that she can't even complain, because going first had been her idea. 

Nico had argued that he could shadow travel out of every danger, but it would be a waste of power. She's pretty sure he'll need his power later on. 

They argued for five minutes back and forth until Percy had enough. He tossed her the rope and told her to get ready.

Nico had been silent ever since. 

Now Clarisse is dangling halfway down the cave and contemplating her life decisions. She can‘t wait to tell Chris about her day. 

She knows he will lose his shit if she ever tells him about this cave thing. She‘s strong and mostly fearless, but he’s not. He worries about her as much as he trusts her, but being so far away from each other only fuels his fear. Chris would never openly say any of this, but she knows her boyfriend better than that. 

They should probably talk about it soon. 

Percy is shouting down the cave if everything is alright with her. Clarisse doesn’t even pretend to suppress her eye roll. Every being in this cave now knows that they‘re coming. Great. 

She knows that Nico is already trying to murder Percy with his eyes. No need for her to actually speak up. 

At least she‘s focused now.

There are a few distant shapes appearing beneath her. They look a bit like a rock formation. 

She squints. Are they arranged in a circle? 

Somehow she gets a bad feeling about this. These rocks are way too polished to be natural. 

Moreover, the uneven rocks around her are slowly changing to smooth surface. Clarisse can actually see herself reflected in the shiny stone walls. This is definitely not a natural cave system. 

This place was built by someone and soon she‘ll find out for what purpose. 

The tunnel, she‘s lowered down, opens up into a gigantic cave. It‘s way too dark to make out the walls or the actual size of the cave. 

Now that she‘s nearly on the ground she can see that the shapes she identified as rocks are actually some sort of obelisks. They‘re even more polished than the tunnel walls and some sort of symbols carved into the sides. 

Maybe Nico can identify them. He‘s gotten around. 

Clarisse ends up exactly in the middle of the obelisks. This is not a coincidence. She pulls on the rope. Once. Twice. Then she shifts herself in a defense position. She's slowly rotating around the rope while she watches the darkness.

It‘s quiet. Unnaturally quiet. She can only hear her own breath and the sounds of Percy climbing down. 

It feels like an eternity until the man stands besides her. 

He mirrors her position so they can protect each other’s blind spot. They don‘t stop rotating. 

Finally Nico is standing at their side. His pale complexion is nearly translucent in the dark. It does nothing to calm her nerves. She actually wants to touch him just to make sure he‘s real. 

She doesn’t, which is her first mistake. 

Nico gestures for them to follow him to one of the obelisks. He carefully studies the insignia before moving to the next one. Percy and Clarisse follow him like a pair of shadows. 

Clarisse can’t really see a difference between this obelisk and the first, but Nico seems almost exited. He traces the lines with his fingers, while mutterin something under his breath. 

The edges of the carvings are so sharp they ultimately cause him to bleed. 

At first they don‘t see it in the darkness. The blood has nearly the same color as the stone, but it‘s dripping down. One drop after another hits the stone floor. 

In the darkness the sound seems louder than it actually is. 

Clarisse watches with a furrowed brow. Something is not right, but then Nico turns around. He sends them a reassuring smile and puts a bandaid on his wound. 

He doesn’t meet their eyes, which worries Calrisse even more. Nico is usually a very heads on guy. It doesn’t matter if it‘s a silly conversation or a quest related issue. He always looks the other person in the eye. This Nico looks through her as he speaks up. „I think I know what this place is."

Clarisse gestures for him to elaborate, which is her second mistake. She should‘ve trusted her intuition more.

„This is the holy sanctuary of the followers of chaos,“ he chuckles to himself. Clarisse doesn’t understand the joke. Percy looks equally confused. „Anyway,“ Nico continues „This circle was used for sacrifices to appease chaos himself.“ 

„I thought Chaos doesn’t have a physical form,“ Clarisse says. Her mind is a mess. There are too many thoughts pushing to the surface. She doesn't even know where to begin to untangle this mess. 

„I don‘t think he actually needs a physical form,“ Percy begins slowly as if to test his theory. His gaze is calculating and calm.

She waits for him to continue his thought, but Percy falls silent. His gaze doesn’t leave the son of Hades who smirks at him. 

A shudders wracks her body. Something is very very wrong.

Her gaze flickers between her two friends. Percy doesn’t even acknowledge her. Nico stares at her with an unnerving amount of glee. 

„You didn’t make the connection just yet,“ he comments. His smile is beginning to split his face in half. It stretches past the corners of his mouth. 

Clarisse draws her axe. „You‘re not our Nico.“

Not-Nico laughs. It reminds her of nails scratching over a chalkboard. The sound alone makes her skin crawl, but sharp teeth he exposes unnerve her even more. 

They‘re crocket little yellow fangs instead of the pearl white rows of teeth normal human beings possess. 

When she finds his eyes again she doesn’t see a human looking back. Hollow and empty irises stare at her. 

The illusion disintegrates right in front of their eyes. 

„Let me introduce myself again. I‘m Arcon, the high priest of chaos. It‘s such an honor to meet you,“ the thing exclaims. 

Clarisse wants to take a step back and flee, but she would never give this thing the satisfaction of scaring her. It‘s just another nightmare she has to battle at night. No big deal. 

She twist the axe. The familiar weigh grounds her. 

How should they proceed? 

Percy meets her eye. Let‘s find out more about this Arcon before we kill it, he seems to says. Clarisse can only agree. They don‘t know what exactly happened to Nico. 

„Never heard of you,“ Percy dismisses the high priest. 

The things screeches angrily.

„Look, man, we don‘t have time for your identity crisis. You can go and find some other poor soul to terrorize,“ Percy carries on. 

Clarisse nods. „We‘re not impressed by…this.“ She waves her hand at the thing in front of her with the most bored expression she can manage at the moment. 

„Yeah, we have seen so much worse than…this,“ Percy matches her impression immediately. „Even the empusa, we met last week, was more impressive than you.“

The scandalized gasp would‘ve been pretty funny in any other situation. „I‘m the high priest of chaos. I murdered hundreds of innocents souls. I tortured even more-„

„You‘re so twentytwenty. It‘s not even funny,“ Percy interrupts him. 

Color is rising on the high priests cheeks. He needs one more little push and then his temper will explode. 

Clarisse doesn't even try to hide the sadistic grin. It's always a pleasure to mess with monsters. „Maybe you should get some coaching. You desperately need it.“

„Look at him. He should get detention for the way he looks,“ Percy agrues. 

It’s obvious the high priest has no clue what coaching or detention is, but the fact that he needs it is enough to push him over the edge. 

„You will suffer for this intolerance,“ he hisses through clenched teeth. „I‘ll skin you alive like the last batch of idiot demigods who came stumbling down our holy halls. Our holyness yearns for fresh blood. You‘re not worthy, but your flesh will be enough.“ 

Percy yawns before he turns to Clarisse and says: „Great, we found another fanatical wannabe bad guy.“

„Where do you find them all the time?“ Clarisse asks with a deep sigh. Percy shrugs. „I don‘t know. It’s not like I’m searching for them.“

Arcon‘s guttural scream interrupts their bickering. He looks murderous as he takes out a long sharp knives coated in dried blood. There are the same symbols etched into the metal as they saw on the obelisks. 

„I‘m scary,“ he screams at them. „I‘ll show you just how scary I actually am.“

He takes a step forward, but Percy‘s outstretched hand stops him halfway. 

„Sorry man, but we‘re not interested. Show us your work collection or something. Anything is more entertaining than your mindless talking about death or murder,“ he yawns again. 

Clarisse just nods along. Maybe Percy actually has a plan. 

The high priest stares at them confused for a few seconds until he blurts out: „Yeah, sure. I'll give you a tour.“

They stare at him with wide eyes, but the high priest seems just as surprised as them. Before he can correct his mistake or take his words back, Percy enthusiastically agrees. 

„What a wonderful idea. Let’s go, man. I can‘t wait to see your merchandise,“ Percy grins and gestures for the high priest to start his tour. 

Clarisse barely surpresses her laughter. The high priest is way to confused with this turn of events to even question why they are here. Maybe he doesn’t care. 

Just like any good tourist guide he points out all of the landmarks and explains the history behind each of them. It would be cool if it wasn‘t so disturbing.

The amount of blood this place has seen could actually fill an ocean. After awhile it gets so repetitive that Clarisse blends his voice out. On this boulder they ripped a man’s arms off… and there they sliced another open and on the rock over there they actually skinned one alive. 

She dutifully nods at everything he says. 

Her attention returns as they pass through an archway, which adorns awfully familiar symbols. She elbows Percy in the side. 

He sends her an angry glare, but follows her gaze to the insignia. 

„Holy hera,“ he whistles. This is even worse than they anticipated. 

„Everything okay back there?“ their guide asks them. His voice is full of concern as the demigods wrack their brains for a good response. There is none.

Clarisse decides to take one for the team. „We were just admiring your craftsmanship. These insignia are nearly perfect. What technic did you use to archive it?“

The high priest lights up. He‘s way too passionate about a bunch of carved in symbols, but it‘s enough to distract him from the way they exchange worried glances. 

He goes on and on about the tools, the technics and even the souls of the stones. 

‚What should we do?‘ Clarisse asks wordlessly. Percy shrugs in response. He didn’t think this far and suddenly the loss of Nico is even more prominent. He would have known what to do. Nico always has a plan or at least an idea of what they could do to get out of pretty much any situation. 

They look around. Nothing inspires them. The high priest continues his tour completely unaware of the distraction of his visitors. He talks and talks about everything and nothing. It has been a long time since someone showed interest in his passion. The demigods let him talk.  

He‘s so invested in his tour that he doesn’t think twice about the places he shows and the secrets he shares. He reveals everything from the sacrificial places to the deepest dungeons, where his prisoners are held captive.

The dungeons are a dark and dirty place. Lots of water is running down the uneven stone walls, which are also so sharp that a little touch would draw blood. The cells are little rooms made for animals and used for humans. The floor is coated in excrements and dried blood. It sticks to the soles of their shoes as the venture forward. 

The high priest explains the various torture devices to his guests. 

At one point he even points out the remains of a human body and explains what exactly happened to this poor soul. Percy desperately tries to hold his vomit in. Clarisse looks at his struggles with inappropriate amusement. Even if Percy would let it all out, his vomit would blend in nicely with all the dirt around them, but it would also catch the attention of their guide. They can‘t make a mistake. 

The chances that Nico is somewhere in here are getting higher with every cell they pass. 

Percy will’s his eyes to the grinning monster as he cradles his protesting stomach. What a sick bastard. 

Clarisse nods and smiles, but her jaw is clenched and her fist balled. The emotion she's feeling can't be described by a simple angry. Clarisse is furious. She wants to rip the bastard to pieces. She wants to put him through the same torture he inflicted on all these innocent people. She wants to rip his eyes out so he won‘t see his beloved Chaos ever again. 

Would that make her also a monster?

She knows that she‘s hanging by a thread. Just like Percy. 

They round another corner when they finally see a living prisoner. It‘s a lonely centaur with bloody fur and broken bones. He‘s barely conscious, but the hatred in his eyes burns through them. 

His hate will keep him alive. At least for a little bit longer. 

The high priest doesn‘t even spare the centaur a glance as he goes past him. 

„Some of our guests have been here for a few years. We want to ensure that they‘re in the right mindset before we present them to our master,“ Arcon giggles at his own joke. 

Percy wishes he wouldn’t understand. He can feel his sanity slipping the more time they spend in the high priests presence. 

„I don‘t want to bore you with the details,“ Arcon continues „These beasts aren‘t worth any attention.“

„Is there anyone who deserves our attention?“ Clarisse asks stiffly. 

The high priest thinks for a second. „I might have something special to show you. Come on. Follow me,“ he waves them forward with another bright smile. 

Percy tries his best to not punch the sick bastard. Clarisse's hand on his shoulder is the only thing holding him back. Her strong grip will leave bruises, but Percy can barely feel the pressure. 

They finally stop in front of a black wooden door. Bloodlust is seeping through the cracks. 

With every second they stay it gets even harder to breath. Whatever is hidden behind that door is nothing short of a monster. 

Could it be Nico? 

The high priest is standing next to the little window on the door. He‘s calling them forward. „Let me introduce you to someone,“ he says as the demigods come closer. 

Percy is the first to look through the little window. The sight freezes him on the spot. 

The figure inside stares back at them with soulless eyes. „You haven't visited me for a long time, Arcon,“ the prisoner says before a maniac smile decorates his pale lips. "I might have missed you a little bit."

„Nico,“ Clarisse whispers. The name echoes through the hallway. 

Nico crocks his head. „Who are you?“

Chapter 16: I don't have the brainpower for this

Notes:

Hehe, I still can't believe I actually invented a cult :)

On the other side of the castle the three wizards are deeply involved in a discussion about the importance of veganism. Hermione argues with hard facts. Ron is vehemently defending his favorite steak, while Harry tries to understand when in the discussion anyone even remotely insulted the steak in question. 

He doesn’t remember. Maybe it wasn’t about the steak after all. 

Honestly he doesn’t care anyway. Everybody has the right to forge their own opinion.

Hermiones arguments are still horrific enough to make him stop eating meat for the next two months. How can anyone be so cruel to these cute little animals?

They try to steer clear of all the heavy topics, but somehow they always end up in a discussion that hits a bit too close to home. 

„Let‘s take a break,“ Ron suggests after they argue about the same arguments for the third time. 

Hermione doesn’t look convinced. „Ares didn‘t say that we are allowed to take a break.“

„He didn’t say otherwise so let‘s just take a break. We‘re nearly finished anyway,“ Harry easily agrees with his best friend. 

Hermione still doesn‘t look convinced, but she puts down her work anyway. 

„What do you think they use the room usually for?“ she asks as she looks around. 

Ron’s only response is a shrug. „I don’t know. Maybe they use it to store stuff?“

„Why aren’t there any shelves here? This room is kind of suspicious,“ she replies. „ I know I sound kinda nuts, but hear me out.“

„We think everything is suspicious, but go on,“ Ron says even though he’s not even a little bit interested. His brain feels like mush.

Hermione sends him a sharp glare, which only prompts him to give her a little kiss. She’s just so cute when she’s all worked up. 

„Anyway,“ she needs to clear her throat. Ron actually managed to catch her off guard. „This room is a perfect cube. Every wall is exactly the same length. Even the ceiling and the floor have the same measurements as the walls.“

„That is what a cube is all about,“ Ron grumbles under his breath. Harry’s elbow crashes into his side. ‚Don’t be such a dick to your girlfriend,‘ he communicates through his eyes. Hermione didn’t heard him, but just to be sure he sends her an encouraging smile. 

This whole day is getting on his nerves. Normally he would love to discuss this, but now he just wants to curl under his covers and sleep. 

„What do you think this place was used for?“ Harry asks. 

„I don’t actually now,“ Hermione replies and Ron has to surpress a groan. Here we go again. „But I think this place is more than it seems to be.“

She takes out her wand. Even though they are forbidden from using them, Ares didn’t confiscated them. It sparked a rather heated discussion between the three friends. 

They decided not to use them. The consequences might be worse than the reward. 

Ares is capable of anything. Their punishment might be harmless, but it can change in an instant. Who knows what Ares might come up with. They don’t want to risk it. 

What Hermione is about to do isn’t actually against his orders. 

„Revelio,“ she whispers. Her wand lights up and for a second nothing happens.

Then a shudder wracks through the walls. They turn inwards with a loud crack.

Instead of  just plain walls there are dozens of ancient reliefs covering the walls now. They tell the story of a monster and a man. At least that's what they think is showcased. The artwork has been so heavily damaged it’s hard to actually understand what it is about. 

On the opposite side of the wooden door is now a passage. It leads deeper into the castle walls. 

„What the hell,“ Harry chokes out. 

Even Hermione is stunned. They expected something, but not this. Maybe they should have. 

„You were right. This is definitely suspicious,“ Ron has to acknowledge. 

Hermione shoots another glare his way. „Were you doubting me?“

„Never,“ Ron hastly reassures her. Harry huffs out a laugh when Hermione narrows her eyes at her boyfriend. 

Her tone is flat and absolutely unconvinced as she says: „Good.“ 

„We should definitely check this out,“ Ron changes the subject. Harry easily agrees. 

Hermione sends him a look that screams ‚we’ll talk about this later‘, which Ron tries to ignore for the time being. Maybe she’ll forget about it at the end of the day. It’s unlikely, but a man can still hope. 

They light their wands with ‚Lumos‘ before they step into the passageway. 

The reliefs are continuing here. There are many different people with the monster. It seems like they’re talking or negating about something. Hermione studies the artworks with great interest. 

Sometimes the monster gets killed by the people and sometimes it devours the people. It’s unclear what is the deciding factor. 

The story is going on seemingly forever. How many people tried to overcome this monster? How many did succeed? Why did their success not end the cycle?

Ron suddenly has a bad feeling. 

The chances that the monster is at end of the passage is getting higher with every step they take. Is it too late to turn around?

The others are determined so he doesn’t dare to ask. Another adventure. What nightmares will come out of this? 

He shakes the thought away. This is not the time for a panic attack. Maybe it’ll go away if he ignores it. 

The passageway opens up into a gigantic circular room which finally distracts him from his spiraling thoughts. Their mouths are wide open as they stare at the pillars surrounding the stone pedestal in the center of the room. Absolutely everything is covered in complicated stone reliefs. The pillars, the high ceiling and the floor. It’s intimidating and so out of place. 

Are they still in Hogwarts? This place looks like the interior of an ancient greek temple. 

„Who dares to intrude my sacred temple?“ The voice of a woman rings out. Her words echo through the room. 

The trio forms a circle. Their wands are raised. 

The sounds of claws scratching over stone can be heard as the monster stalks closer. 

„Do you see anything?“ Harry whispers. 

Ron wants to deny, but then he spots a serpent tail out of the corner of his eye. He turns but it’s gone. „I think I saw something,“ he whispers back. 

„I think so, too,“ whispers Hermione from his other side. „It had scales.“

„How adorable. A bunch of little stick wilding humans,“ the woman speaks up. Amusement is coloring her words, but it just raises their guard even more. „You shouldn’t be here.“ 

„Show yourself,“ Harry demands. 

The woman laughs. „As you wish, little human,“ she says. 

Slowly she lowers herself onto the pedestal. The wizards take collectively a step back. Only the head resembles a beautiful young woman. She has a lions body with the wings of an eagle and the tail of a serpent. It’s nauseating to watch her getting comfortable on the stones. Her human eyes don’t leave them for a second. 

„What- What are you?“ Hermione chokes out. 

The monster crocks her head. „I always forget just how ignorant you little humans are. Pathetic. I’m the sphinx. Devourer of fools and ignorant humans.“

Ron wills his dinner to stay inside. 

How he hates to be right. This is great material for his nightmares. 

„The sphinx?!“ Hermione echoes back. 

The sphinx crosses her pawns as she lets out a deep sigh. „I should stop trying to reason with fools and start devouring them from the beginning. This is even worse than my ‚Answer the riddle‘ game show.“

„Your game show?“ Harry asks flabbergasted. 

„I tried it out a few years ago, but it didn’t go so well. I got buried by my own correcting machine after the dumb cyclops threw it at me. So I need a new marketing strategy,“ the sphinx explains, but it only reinforces their confusion. 

„A cyclops?“ Panic is seeping into Ron’s voice. What comes next? God is real? 

„I should go back to my old ways. Something tells me that you haven’t heard of my riddle before,“ she flashes them a deathly grin. „So shall we begin?“ 

Everything inside him screams ‚no‘, but Hermione has this competitive gleam in her eyes. 

„Yes,“ she says. Her wand is still held high. As if their spells could actually do anything against the monster. 

The sphinx clears her throat. “What animal is that which in the morning goes on four feet, at noon on two, and in the evening upon three?”

Ron gapes at her. He didn’t expect that. 

His brain has packed it’s things and fled the scene. He should’ve done the same. 

„How many tries do I have?“ Hermione asks. 

„One,“ the sphinx answers „I don’t have the patience to deal with whatever bullshit you’ll come up with.“

„What happens if we’re right?“ Hermione demands to know. 

„You’ll leave this place alive,“ is the disinterested answer. 

Ron has a bad feeling, but he still needs to ask: „What if we’re wrong?“

„You’ll be my midnight snack,“ the monster answers with a big grin. It exposes rows of sharp teeth. Terrifying. Are those fangs?

He can’t look away. His live flashes before his eyes. 

This can’t be the end. 

He grips his wand until his finger go numb. They’ll overcome this. 

„We are allowed to discuss our ideas, aren’t we?“ Ron asks with more courage than he actually possesses.

The sphinx sends him a bored look. „Just make it quick.“

They easily agree and huddle together. 

„Please tell me, you have an idea,“ Ron pleads immediately. Harry shakes his head. 

Hermione is quiet. Too quiet. „There is a myth about the sphinx, but I never paid much attention to it. I know that one guy solved the riddle, but I don’t know what he said.“ 

Ron groans. They're all death.

Notes:

Yes, the sphinx has a temple. You can come and fight me on this.
My reasoning is that the temple was part of the labyrinth, which was obviously connected to Hogwarts at one point. The labyrinth collapsed and part of the temple remained in Hogwarts. Wizards are mortals and Hogwarts has kind of it's own mind so the temple stayed hidden. The sphinx got reincarnated at some point and stayed there.
I like the idea that some parts of the labyrinth are still out there. Not connected, just existing.

Chapter 17: Stupid plans are a specialty

Notes:

WARNING

This chapter will get a bit more graphic than before. I won't go into heavy detail, but if you're sensitive then you should skip from "They do it anyway" to "Percy and Clarisse share a look". You can figure out what happened in this part of the story through the following dialogue sequences, but just to be sure I'll put a trigger warning in the end notes.

I don't want to spoil anything, but it is important to me that you feel comfortable reading my story.

Nico crocks his head. „WHO are you?“

They stare at him in disbelief. „Please don‘t be another faker. Please don‘t be another faker. Please don’t be another faker,“ Percy whispers like a prayer. 

„What is a faker?“ the high priest asks with great interest. 

Clarisse improvises with the most neutral face she can manage at the moment. „A faker is a person, who has the talent to shapeshift into any creature possible. It‘s a slang word.“

This doesn’t clear the high priests confusion at all. „What’s a slang?“

This time they ignore him. 

„We‘re your friends. Percy and Clarisse,“ Percy explains to Nico, who still looks at them weird. Then his whole face lights up. 

„I know who you are,“ he says delightful. „You’re my midnight snack.“

Percy furrows his brows. „No?“

„No? What a shame,“ the Nico says before he turns around. „It‘s been way too long since I ate a demigod. You guys are truly delicious. Not as delicious as Arcon would be, but delicious nonetheless.“

Clarisse leans forward and whispers into Percy‘s ear. „That’s not Nico.“

The high priest is competly oblivious to what is going on around him as he smiles at them. His foul breath doesn’t even bother them anymore. 

„This is Antriphus! The first follower of chaos. He‘s an inspiration for any further generation,“ Arcon introduces the prisoner. 

„Why is he in a cell?“ Percy asks. Antriphus laughs loudly. He even throws his head back, but none of the humor reaches his eyes.

„When you serve chaos for as long as he did, you start to lose parts of yourself until there is nothing left. Antriphus doesn’t have a physical body anymore so he looks like the person you want to be with the most. We can‘t wait to see his mind being swallowed by chaos. What a beautiful day it will be,“ the high priest sighs. His eyes are unseeing as he imagines a scene far far away. 

Percy shudders. These guys are beyond creepy. 

Clarisse sends Percy a look he can‘t desciper. He shakes his head at her, which only makes her stare harder. What does she want?

Now she‘s gesturing something with her hands. Percy is even more confused. 

‚What do you want?‘ he mouthes at her. 

‚Use your dumb brain,‘ she answers. At least Percy thinks she answered that. He‘s only 79% sure. So he shrugs helplessly. 

Clarisse raises her middle finger. 

„Is this another ‚slang‘ your participating in?“ the high priest asks. Percy stares at Clarisse with wide eyes. He forgot the dude was here. 

„Yes, it is another slang,“ she hisses through clenched teeth „It stands for ‚dumb idiot who can‘t even understand a single thing‘ and I think it‘s really beautiful.“

The high priest waves his middle fingers enthusiastically around. He reminds Percy more of a little kid than a psychopathic mass murderer. 

It startles a laugh out of the other being. Nico‘s features are twisted in a grotesque expression of joy. Something about the being draws Percy's attention. He can‘t put his finger on why, but he knows that he‘s standing right in front of a very important clue. He just doesn’t know what it is.

„I‘m the new master of slang,“ the high priest exclaims. 

Percy nods absemently. He‘s still trying to figure out what Clarisse wanted him to do. Suddenly it hits him like a train at high speed. No way. She‘s not really considering that. 

He violently shakes his head at her, while she stoically nods back. 

No, no, no. Bad idea. Abort Mission. I repeat abort mission. 

This is beyond stupid. 

They do it anyway. 

The high priest is too absorbed in waving his middle fingers at Antriphus that he doesn’t see them coming closer. He doesn’t realize they stole the key chain from his belt until Percy jams the key into the lock and twists. 

For a moment everything stands still. It feels like the world is holding it’s breath. 

Then the high priest screams. 

Antriphus is laughing as he stands up and pushes the door open. His steps are unsure and slow, but he has the eyes of a predator and Arcon is his prey. 

Clarisse hauls the son of Poseidon back as Antriphus jumps forward. Arcon sways as the first follower of Chaos bites into his shoulder. They crash to the ground and for a second the demigods are unsure what is happening. 

Then the high priest sits up. He kicks at the other body and manages to get free. 

Antriphus still looks a lot like Nico. Even if his movements are unnatural and wrong. It’s unsettling to see him smile with bloody teeth. There is a bit of skin hanging between his front teeth and he pulls it out with his fingers. „A bit dry,“ he comments. "But edible."

The high priest is crawling forward. His movements are frantic and his eyes full of panic. 

Antriphus lazily stretches forward and clutches his ankle. He hauls Arcon back. „Don’t run, my dear. We’ll have so much fun,“ Antriphus purrs. 

Then he bites Arcon’s thighs. He chews and gulps the muscle down. There is hole on his thigh where the flesh used to be. „Come on, we need to season you before I can fully devour you,“ Antriphus whispers as he licks his bloody lips. 

He stands up and takes a fistful of Arcon's hair. Then he drags him down the corridor. „I’ll come back to you later, my dears,“ Antriphus says to the demigod before he vanishes around the corner. 

Percy and Clarisse share a look. They bolt down the corridor in the opposite direction. 

The dungeons are a maze, but it doesn't matter. They need to get away from the cannibal. After a while they stop and listen. Only their ragged breaths and beating hearts can be heard. „I think we lost him,“ Percy whispers. „He will be preoccupied with the former high priest.“

„I hope so,“ Clarisse whispers back. She’s white as a sheet. 

They have seen many things in the war, but this is something else. It reminds Percy of the pit. The animalistic urge to survive. The sadistic fun in playing with your prey. The hunger and the pain. It’s all too familiar. 

Percy finally empties his stomach. 

Clarisse doesn’t say anything. She draws reassuring circles on his back as she takes in their surroundings. This part of the dungeons seems newer. There are less body fluids and more polished stone walls. Even the cells are in a slightly better condition. 

When Percy finally gets his stomach back under control, they move on. 

Their steps are careful and nearly silent. Years of fighting side by side helps them move as one person. Even their breathing is syncing up. 

Every few steps the rotate around each other. They make sure to cover their blind spots at all times. Who knows when Antriphus is finished with his meal. 

A small sound makes them stop. They share a look. 

There it is again. It sounds like someone is groaning softly. Is it a person?

They carefully move down the corridor. The little sounds get louder with every step they take. Now they can make out a few greek curses between the little groans. The voice is deep and very familiar. 

They round the corner and lock eyes with their missed friend. Nico is chained to the opposite wall of a dimly lit room. There are various torture devices on both sides of the room, but the blood on Nico's wrists seem to be self-inflicted. He tried to get out of the chains. Now his eyes flicker over their forms. The rest of his body is completely still. As if one wrong movement could be the end. The deep mistrust in his eyes make Percy's heart sink. 

It feels like a goddam deja vu. How many Nico’s do they have to encounter until they find their Nico again?

„Let me go,“ this Nico demands. Clarisse shakes her head. 

„Prove that you’re really Nico,“ Percy demands as he points Riptide at Nico‘s chest. It nearly breaks his heart. Nico shakes his head. „Why should I trust you? What if you’re just another dumb hallucination of mine?“

„You have hallucinations?“ Clarisse asks with a furrowed brow. This doesn’t make sense. 

„You don’t?“ Nico’s eyebrows shot up. „No?“ Clarisse answers quite confused. 

„Alright, what should I do?“ Nico asks. He seems to have decided to go with the flow. It’s a quite common tactic the greek demigods use. Often it’s the only tactic they use. It definitely is Percy’s favorite tactic. „First of all don‘t agree so easily,“ Percy says, but he can't think straight when Nico -or not Nico- is looking at him like that. „I don’t know. Tell me something only Nico knows.“

Nico rises one eyebrow in amusement. „You mean I should tell you something only we both know?“

„Yes, I said that, didn’t I?“ Percy replies. He looks at Clarisse for a little bit of help, but the daughter of war just shakes her head. „I won‘t get caught in whatever that is. You‘re doing great. Go on.“

Percy sends a glare her way. She‘s supposed to support him. This could be another fake Nico. He can’t deal with another fake Nico. He just can’t.

„You cried when you walked your mother down the isle at her wedding. You cried so much they nearly paused the wedding to make sure you‘re alright,“ Nico tells them with a small smile. 

Percy gestures for him to go on. „You were wearing a navy blue tux with a turciouise tie. Estelle was wearing a cute little dress in exactly the same color as your tie. She ran down the isle as soon as she saw Paul at the end. She completely forgot to throw the flower pedals.“

They both smile at the memory. „Sally looked like a goddess when you escorted her. Her smile was so radiant I had to look away. Everyone could feel the happiness in the air. You told me like ten times how Paul is the luckiest man on earth.“

„He definitely is,“ Percy says with a grin. „Tell me Nico, what did we do after the wedding?“

A cute little blush is coloring his cheeks and Percy needs all the self control he can find to not hug the adorable son of Hades. „We danced in the garden at midnight, because you couldn’t believe I never learned how to dance. You made it your mission of the night to teach me.“ 

Nico is so embarrassed he can’t even meet his eyes anymore. There is no doubt that this is their Nico. 

Riptide is clattering to the floor as Percy rushes forward and finally hugs his missing half. „You‘re real,“ he breaths into his neck. The short curls are soft and so familiar. Percy has never felt so at home in someone else’s arms. 

Nico‘s arms circle around him as much as the chains allow. He‘s a bit hesitant, but that makes it even more endearing in Percy's opinion. Without a second thought Percy forms a key with the moisture in the air and opens the chains.

The son of Poseidon practically melts into Nico. He's fully embracing him now. „I missed you so much,“ he whispers into Nico's neck. Percy can feel the shudder that spreads through Nico‘s body. „I missed you, too,“ he whispers back. Time loses all meaning.

Percy can‘t say for sure how long they embrace each other, but it isn‘t nearly enough. Percy always wants to hug his friend, but he thought he wasn’t allowed to do so. 

He hopes that the way Nico fists his shirt is permission enough to touch him more. His perfect little Nico. 

Clarisse clears her throat. Once, twice. 

Percy is very content with ignoring her, but Nico is letting go of his shirt. „No,“ Percy growls as he tightens his hold. Nico pats his back. „At least turn around so Clarisse doesn’t speak to your back.“

They shift so Percy hugs his Nico from behind. His chin is hooked over Nico‘s left shoulder so he's in the perfect position to send a very nasty glare at the daughter of war, who only raises her middle finger in response. 

„Are you alright?“ she asks Nico as if Percy hasn’t already confirmed it. 

„Yeah, just a bit tired,“ the son of hades answers with a small smile. "The little scraps will be alright in the morning." He's still blushing, but he doesn't move away. It feels like he's leaning more and more into Percy's hold as the time goes on. Percy can‘t help but nuzzle into him. He's just so adorable. 

„You two a disgusting, let‘s move on,“ Clarisse comments. 

Nico‘s hand on her arm stops her. „Tell me what happened on your end first.“

"We will," Clarisse promises. "But we need to get going. We'll explain why." She hauls her companions to their feet and starts to lead the way. Nico nudges her side to start explaining when they fall into an easy formation. Just like before the rotate and protect each others blind spots. It's not even a conscious action. It's just a leftover habit from the war.

Nevertheless Percy and Clarisse share a devious grin as they begin their story. Nico‘s frown deepens with every twist and turn. 

„So in the few hours I was gone you managed to get a welcome tour from the high priest of chaos, met the first ever follower of chaos and then you turned them against each other?“ They audibly gulp and nod, but Nico begins to grin at them.

„Good Job,“ he says as they stop before the exit of the cave.

If the situation would allow it Percy would be jumping all over the place. He would scream his joy at the stars. Nico said they did a good job. 

Instead Percy pulls Nico into another hug. He rocks them back and forth with his uncontainable joy.

Nico lets himself enjoy the hug with a content little smile.

Clarisse shoots Percy a warning look. 'Watch it water boy,' she seems to say, but Percy is way too happy to care. He just sends a blinding smile back. Nico said good job. 

It physically hurts to hold all of his giggles in, but they need to be quiet. Who knows what lays behind the exit. 

After all this place is rotten from the inside out. 

Notes:

Trigger warning:

Cannibalism/ Blood and Gore

Chapter 18: A spatula is a legit weapon

Harry, Ron and Hermione brace themselves for the next attack of the sphinx. The monster is faster than they anticipated and the wings are giving her even more of an advantage. 

Their spells don’t even graze her massive body. It’s frustrating and terrifying. How can they defeat such an overwhelming opponent?

Hermiones mind races through all the spells they learned. They could use the environment for their advantage. Maybe they have more luck with hurling some stones at the monster?

A commotion at the back of the room shifts all the attention. 

The Americans stumble through a pair of pillars and then just stop. 

They all lock eyes. 

When Percy really registers the sphinx, a waterfall of curses leaves his mouth. 

„Please kill me. I won’t do another round of trivia questions,“ he finally exclaims. 

Nico shoots him a funny look as the sphinx begins to scream: „PERSEUS JACKSON!“

„Another one of your fans?“ Clarisse asks with a smirk. 

Hermione doesn’t think this is a situation is suited for a dumb joke. They are way too relaxed for the danger they’re in. 

Nico pinches his forehead. „Stop it. All of you,“ he says and then he looks the sphinx directly into the eyes. „The answer to your riddle is man. A man in childhood will move on hands and knees, during adulthood will walk on two feet, and in old age will make use of a cane or staff as a third foot.“

He says it as if it’s common knowledge. Clarisse rolls her eyes. „You’re no fun, Nico.“

„Yeah, let Clarisse have her fight,“ Percy teases his friend. 

Nico shakes his head in mock disappointment. „Then go on. I won’t stop you.“

„You won’t participate?“ Percy pouts. His big blue-green eyes are sparkling, but Nico doesn’t look affected. „If you want to fight then fight, but don’t drag me into it. I’ll just judge your form from the sidelines.“

„My form is perfect,“ grumbles Percy as he stands besides Nico. „It’s no fun without you.“

„Then don’t fight,“ Nico replies. He doesn’t care what Percy does. The sphinx is no match for them. Especially with all the pent up energy Clarisse has. 

She crouches down in a comfortable fighting stance, while Nico and Percy move to the sidelines. The wizards follow them after a long second of wordless discussion. The Americans seem to know what they doing so it‘s probably save at their side. 

They watch as Clarisse pulls out her spatula. Again. 

What kind of obsession does the girl have with kitchen utensils? It gets more than a bit concerning. 

The sphinx jumps down from her pedestal and begins to circle around Clarisse. Hermione is pretty intimidated by the display of rough strength as the monsters tail crashes into a boulder. The stones are crumbling down around them, but Clarisse doesn‘t even flinch. 

She‘s calm. Her breathing is even and her stance relaxed. 

The quiet before the storm. 

The sphinx snarls at her. Clarisse snarls right back. „You can‘t intimate me, bitch,“ she seems to say and the sphinx understands.

It lets out a roar and then it surges forwards. In the blink of an eye the monster crossed the room. Clarisse easily rolls to the side. 

Her spatula grazes the side of the monster when she comes to her feet. 

It shouldn’t have hurt, but the monster flinches backwards. It‘s eyes follow the weapon with a furious attention. Clarisse flips the spatula with an evil grin.  

„Do you like my new toy?“ she mocks the sphinx. 

The monster roars and charges forward. Her claws leave deep scars in the surrounding stones, but Clarisse calmly deflects every attack. She dances around the monster to an unheard beat. 

Her spatula swipes across it's flanks and the monster falters. If Hermione squints then she can barely see a tail of golden blood, but that can' be. Blood is red. Everyone knows that, but on the other hand this is a real monster. A being straight out of the greek myths. It shouldn't exists. 

Well, it might exist not much longer. Clarisse seems to finally get serious as her weapon deals more and more damage. 

Hermione shudders as she catches sight of her maniac smile. Clarisse is clearly enjoying all of this. 

The monster doesn't stand a chance as Clarisse buries the spatula into it's left eye. It roars one last time and then explodes.

Clarisse nearly crashes to the ground. The sudden vanishing threw her off balance. Her curses are getting even more colorful.

Hermione can only stare at her roommate. Clarisse is covered in golden dust, which doesn’t seem to faze her. For the first time since they met Clarisse looks relaxed. 

Percy laughs and claps her on the back. „Nice kill.“

Clarisse holds out her hand and they begin a overly complicated handshake. At one point they even kiss each other’s cheeks. 

This has to be a dream. A nightmare to be more accurate. 

Nico is analysing the Temple structure. At least that’s what Hermione thinks he‘s doing. His eyes flicker from one side to the other. He looks up at the ceiling and frowns at the displayed artworks.

„This is a remnant of the labyrinth,“ he suddenly says. 

His friends freeze mid handshake. „You‘ve gotta be kidding. The labyrinth has been destroyed,“ Percy replies. 

„I thought so, too, but this place,“ Nico begins „Just look at it. This has been part of the labyrinth at some point. The stones, the structures, the feeling. I would recognize it anywhere.“

„How can you be so sure?“ Clarisse asks. 

„I‘ve spent weeks inside the labyrinth. You could say I lived there at some point,“ Nico answers nonchalantly. They all stare at him in disbelief. „What?“ he askes „I wasn’t actually homeless.“

„You slept in the labyrinth, which is a growing and evolving mind reading prison. You practically lived there,“ Clarisse says slowly. „Is there anything else you want to tell us?“

„I wasn’t alone. Minos was still with me at that time,“ Nico defends himself, but Percy is ready to flip the metaphorical table. 

„No, no, no, Minos is a bastard. He wasn’t with you. He was using you. I wish he was still alive so I could kill him,“ Percy‘s whole body is shaking with barely contained fury. Whoever this Minos is, he made himself an enemy. 

Nico just waves his concerns away. „I banned him already. Besides Dad is making sure he‘s working on one of the worst jobs possible. Minos won‘t try anything again.“

„I hope so, because if he comes back. He‘ll meet the Nico di Angelo Protection squad,“ Percy says. Hermione can already see the graphic tshirts and proud banners. 

Nico blushes. „I though we agreed to never speak about this ever again.“

„You said so. We never agreed,“ Percy replies and then he pokes Nico‘s nose. They all hold their breath as Nico‘s expression clouds over. „Do you have a death wish?“ he hisses. 

Before Percy can say anything else, Clarisse holds out her arm. „Quiet. I think I heard something.“

The golden trio exchange a look. They don’t hear anything. 

„Yes, footsteps,“ Nico whispers as he crouches down. He lays his hand flat on the stone floor.

His friends are standing next to him. Like watchdogs they observe the room. 

„It‘s just one powerful being,“ he says as he stands up again. 

„Greetings Lord Ares,“ he says as he smoothly falls into a respectful bow. 

The golden trio stares at him with wide eyes. What is he doing? Why is Ares here?

„It‘s good to see you alive, hellspawn,“ the professor remarks dryly. „Daughter,“ he addresses Clarisse with a nod and ignores Percy in favor of tormenting the three students, who should be in detention.

„You‘re not even remotely close to finishing your detention. What do you think your doing here? Skipping detention in favor of snooping around. It seems like I was too easy on you,“ Ares says with an evil glint in his eye „Your detention has doubled. Instead of one week, you‘ll spend two weeks at my mercy.“

Hermione can feel her soul leaving. This has to be a nightmare. 

Ares shifts his attention away and the trio can finally breath again. Two weeks of detention with Professor Ares. Two weeks. No sleep.

He doesn’t ask what the Americans are doing here. „Come on, little cousin,“ he sneers at Percy „You shouldn’t be here much longer.“

Hermione promptly collapses at that. She can faintly hear Ron scream. 

Her eyes close and she can finally pretend that nothing happened. 

Blissful darkness surrounds her. 

 

 

EXTRA SCENE

 

Clarisse IMs Chris that night.

„Nico only threw a stone and Percy was ready to marry him. It was pathetic,“ she recalls to Chris, who is hanging on every word she says. „It wasn‘t even a strategic masterpiece. Just a simple trick, but Percy looked like Nico invented the wheel. You should‘ve seen him.“

„You‘re really happy for him, aren’t you?“ Chris asks with an impossible soft smile. 

Clarisse wants to deny it. She wants to defend her honor as Percy‘s rival, but Chris look at her with such loving eyes. She can‘t lie to his face. „Of course. He deserves it.“

„Don‘t tell him I said that,“ she rushes to add.

Chris laughs. „It‘s our secret. I promise.“ 

Clarisse can’t believe how much she loves him. Sometimes it scares her. 

Today it only makes her feel warm and safe. 

He could do anything tonight, but he stayed up to talk to her again. 

Notes:

Quick question:

It's been awhile since I did an extra scene and I would like to know what you think about them. Do you like them? Do you think hey interrupt the flow of the story? Do you want more scenes?
Please let me know in the comments.

Chapter 19: I won't let go

Notes:

Here is the fluff we all deserve :)

Ares escorts them back to their common rooms, which means the demigods have to sneak out again tomorrow night. They need to inform the centaurs about the cave and the cult. 

Nico is pretty sure the conflict has only just begun. The high priest might be dead, but this other being -the first follower of chaos- is still running around. The centaurs need to be warned about this new danger. Their home is too close to the cave entrance for comfort. Who knows what could come out of the dark?

It's also pretty weird that the demigods remember their adventure. Did someone mess with the centaurs memories on purpose? Why would they do this?

Maybe they knew that the demigods would encounter the forest folk at some point and all of this has been a setup. It could've been some sort of trap. Nico doesn't think it was a trap. It seems more complex, but still very staged. He has a very bad feeling about it. 

„We need to talk to Ares about the cult,“ Nico says to Percy when they finally collapse into their beds. 

„Why? He doesn’t care,“ Percy argues back. "All he does is looking down at our efforts. He's the person who takes out a bow of popcorn just to watch someone burn."

Percy's words send a shiver down Nico's body. Their dislike for each other won't help them in this case so Nico looks up from his soft cotton sheets to send a sharp glare his way. „This might end up in another war, which is his domain. He will care. I will make sure he cares.“ 

„You know how to talk people into caring,“ Percy says with a small smile. „It‘s like your superpower.“ 

„I‘m a demigod. I already have superpowers,“ Nico replies. He leans his head on his propped up hands. Percy mirrors him on the other bed. „You have more than one set of superpowers, Nico,“ he says. 

Nico humms: „What are these other superpowers you‘re so fondly talking about?“

„It‘s a secret,“ Percy exclaims and then he flops down on the bed again. „Should we talk with Chiron about the cult? Maybe he knows about them?“ A very subtle change of subject, but Nico lets him be. „Wanna IM him now?“

Percy whines. „Now?“

„It would be beneficial to talk to him before we talk to the centaurs tomorrow,“ Nico argues. 

„We can ask him before we sneak out,“ Percy argues back. 

Nico doesn‘t relent: „We need to focus on staying away from the noisy trio. Do you think we‘ll get enough peace to talk to Chiron about anything?“

„You‘re right. Interacting with them takes a lot of energy.“

Nico glows in the low light of the room. He knows he won the discussion. 

Percy pats on the empty spot besides him. „At least sit with me,“ he pleads and Nico immediately gets in bed with him. He really has no shame. Percy‘s arms circle around him as he leans back into the wall. „Are you comfortable?“ he whispers against Nico‘s neck.

Nico nods. He desperately tries to find his voice again. „Why are you hugging me so much?“ Nico finally chokes out.

As if his words are a trigger the arms around him tighten and Percy is pressed flush against Nico's back. „I‘m scared,“ Percy whispers „I‘m scared you‘ll vanish when I take my eyes off of you. It grounds me when I touch you. When I feel you.“

Nico slowly raises his hand to caress Percy’s soft black locks. The son of Poseidon is practically purring under his touch. „Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?“ Nico asks softly. 

„You would do that?“ The hope in Percy‘s voice nearly breaks his heart. The son of Poseidon has no idea what Nico is prepared to do to make him happy. „Of course,“ Is the only answer Nico can give. One day he‘ll tell Percy just how much he matters to him. 

„Thank you,“ Percy whispers and then a pair of soft lips are pressed against Nico‘s nape. „It means the world to me.“ 

It‘s a small and fleeting touch and for a moment Nico is sure he imagined it. But then Percy kisses him again with another small mumbled „thank you, nico“. 

They lay there in silence for a long time. 

„We should really call Chiron,“ Nico whispers, but he doesn’t move away. Percy grumbles and buries his head even more in Nico‘s curls. He knows that Nico is right, but he doesn’t want to break the moment. „Come on, Perce. I won‘t go anywhere.“

„Alright,“ Percy finally relents. He orders the water from the bathroom to bring him a hand mirror. Then he creates a rainbow. Nico flicks a drachma into the spray. „Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Chiron, camp half blood."

The spray flickers until the connection is stabilized. Chiron is sitting on the porch of the big house. He‘s playing cards with a young camper, who is slightly out of focus. 

Nico calls out to them. Chiron looks up with a gentle smile and greets his former pupils. „It‘s good to see you,“ he says. 

„It‘s good to see you, too. How is camp?“ Nico asks. He can feel Percy grumbling something like „why do you always need to be so goddam polite“ into his neck. If Chiron heard him complaining then he‘s not showing it. Instead there is a knowing twinkle in his brown eyes. 

„Everything is alright, but I’m sure that’s not the reason you contacted me,“ the centaur replies. 

Nico nods. „You‘re right. We encountered some sort of cult and thought you might have heard about them.“ 

„A cult?“ Chiron asks. The cards lie forgotten on the table. „What kind of cult?“

„They called themselves the followers of chaos. We don’t actually know if this is their real name or more of a discription. Their leader -or should I say former leader?- is a high priest called Arcon. He showed us his temple/ cave/ home? I don’t actually know what exactly it was,“ Nico begins his explanation. 

„They kidnapped, tortured and killed people down there,“ Percy adds. 

„Percy and Clarisse also encountered a being called Antriphus. Arcon called him the first follower of chaos. They freed the being to escape the cave system. It might be important that Antriphus doesn’t have a real body anymore. He takes the form of the person you want to be with the most at the moment. We know that they kidnapped a bunch of centaurs, but we don't know why,“ Nico takes a deep breath. „Have you heard about a cult like that?“

With every word Nico speaks Chiron get's more and more worried. By the end of the description he is deep in thought. „I might have an idea who you‘re dealing with, but I hope I’m wrong.“

„Who are they?“ Nico demands to know. 

Chiron shakes his head. „I‘ll call you in a few days when I've confirmed my suspicions.“

The demigods can only agree. Before they end the connection Nico speaks up again. „Did you know that there are parts of the labyrinth left?“

Chirons eyebrows shoot up. „What do you mean?“

„We stumbled upon an old temple of the sphinx. Nico says that it was part of the labyrinth at some point,“ Percy explains. „I think he might be right.“

„We‘ll look into it,“ Chiron promises, before he ends the connection. 

Nico sinks back into the arms of his crush. He lets out a deep sigh. Chiron‘s words only deepens his worries. This quest might be more dangerous than they thought. 

Percy is drawing little swirls and letters on Nico's stomach. He doesn't even realize he's doing it. He's so lost in his own thoughts.

Nico lets him be. The silence is comforting. It washes over them in little waves. 

Tonight they can relax. Tonight they can forget about their tasks. 

Tomorrow they‘ll deal with the rest. 

Chapter 20: Nico's crisis

Notes:

Welcome to the crisis and the first appearance of the best friend.

Can I write a chapter without angst? Apparently not.
At one point self harm is mentioned in this chapter so please be careful if it triggers you.

Nico has a crisis. It‘s not actually a world ending crisis, but for him it kind of feels that way. So what does he do in this situation? He does the only logical thing: He calls his best friend. 

Most people would assume Jason, Reyna or Hazel. After all they went through a horrible quest together. They are pretty close, but there are some things they will never understand. In some ways they understand him more than any other person ever could, but this is not such a situation.

Nico knows they try, but today he needs someone who really listens and understand his worries. He needs Drew Tanaka and her horrible judgmental way of seeing the world. 

Nico is currently sitting on the closed toilet seat in their shared bathroom and waits for the line to connect. It takes longer than usual, which means Drew has to get out of the social activity she‘s participating in. They never talked about it, but underneath her bitchy exterior she's actually a really considerate person. 

He remembers their first meeting clearly. Even though his world turned upside down that night. Bianca had just told him that she would join the hunters. When he closes his eyes he can still feel the loss and betrayal of that fateful night. 

Drew sat down next to him in the shadows of the big house.  Just like today her hair and clothes had been perfectly styled. The only real difference was her smile. It had been big and genuine. 

„What do you want?“ Nico had hissed through clenched teeth. 

„A friend,“ Drew had answered. Her words were light as she studied her manicured nails in the moonlight. Everything about her screamed nonchalant, but for some reason Nico couldn’t believe it. Even back then she had been a walking contradiction. The world was her stage and she played the main character in the play called life. 

The wars changed her. Her eyes turned cold due to the betrayal of her most admired sister. Her play turned into a tragedy so she changed her role from a hero to a villain. Grief shows itself in many forms and Drew closed her heart from the unforgiving word. Now she looks at the people with cold and calculating eyes. Her smile could never stay the same. 

Nico can‘t help the small smile that overtakes his features when the call finally connects. „Nikki, darling, how are you?“ 

„I have a crisis,“ Nico replies. He can feel the weight of her stare on his body. For a moment Drew takes in his huddled form and the setting. „Yeah, I can see that. Why else would you hide in a bathroom when you have a perfectly nice room with a hot boy toy.“ Nico rolls his eyes. He has given up on correcting her a few months ago. „Too bad that this boy is the reason for my crisis.“

Drew humms. „When is he not?“ 

Her words make him chuckle and a bit of the tension leaves his body. „What happened?“ she asks.

Nico takes a deep breath and explains everything. He starts at the beginning of the quest and the strange way Percy seems to gravitate around him. 

He talks seemingly forever, but Drew doesn’t interrupt. She sits down at the tree line near the strawberry fields and listens to his worries. She asks a few times for him to elaborate something, but there is no judgment in her questions. She's just trying to understand this new development. 

„So he asked you to sleep in his bed last night?“ Drew asks him again. Nico nods. „And you agreed, which is pretty damn cute.“

Nico ignores her comment entirely. „Do you think it was more than platonic cuddling?“

„Of course it has a deeper meaning, darling. The question is if Percy is aware of it,“ the daughter of love replies. Nico doesn’t argue. He knows he can‘t win against her. Instead he starts to think. 

„Do you want this to be more than platonic?“ Drew wants to know. 

„Percy doesn’t like men,“ is the only answer she gets out of the son of Hades.

Drew rises one perfectly shaped eyebrow. „Are you sure? He definitely had a crush on Luke before he tried to kill him.“ Nico chokes on nothing. „We already established that we don’t actually know that,“ Nico argues. At this point it's an old discussion.

Now Drew is rolling her eyes. „Please, everyone could see that. The way he looked at Luke as if he hung the stars was anything but platonic.“

„No,“ Nico argues back. „Fine, go and live in denial,“ Drew replies „one day I’ll get ahold of him and ask. Then you‘ll grovel at my feet, because I’m always right.“

„You‘re a menace. That’s what you are.“

„Anyway, what is your next step?“ Drew changes the subject. Nico shrugs. „I‘m not sure. Should I even do something?"

„It feels like Percy is currently figuring himself out,“ Drew replies and Nico can only agree. "Maybe the only thing he needs is a little bit time." 

„What about you? How is your latest boy toy?“ It still feels weird to call Drew‘s not-really-boyfriends-but-also-not-hook-ups that way. 

„He tried to ‚change‘ me. Can you believe it?“ the anger in her voice is real. „There is absolutely nothing wrong with me. I don‘t even try to hide myself, but they still have the audacity to demand everything. They should be grateful I'm spending time with them. These boys are all the same.“

Nico knows how this will play out. Drew goes around and seduces a boy. She forms him like wet sand between her fingers until he's completely unrecognizable. Sometimes she forgets they‘re also people with hopes and dreams. Like a Siren she pulls them in. One after another even though it always hurts her the most. 

„What did he say?“ Nico demands to know, because the words cut deepest. They take roots and grow until Drew is at the brink of insanity again. 

„He called me a deceiving bitch, who gets off of people hurting. He said I‘m so unlovable even Aphrodite ignores my existence. I‘m an embarrassment to her.“ She takes a deep breath. „He said that even if I cut my wrists and bleed to death no one would cry at my funeral. The halls would be empty and no one would even think about burning my shroud. They would laugh and dance on my grave instead. Do you know what the worst is? He‘s right. They hate me. I can hear them complain behind my back. I can hear the names they call me when I’m not there. Their stares are so full of hate that sometimes I feel like I can‘t breathe.“

He remembers telling her that he‘s not welcome in camp half blood when he was eleven years old. He told her about the hateful stares and the whispers that followed him around. Drew had nodded and easily agreed with him. She could see the dark cloud forming from a mile away. 

„I wish I wasn’t here,“ Nico had whispered into the night. „Me too,“ was the hushed answer from the slightly older girl. 

Now their roles are reversed and it breaks his heart. 

„I know I'm not a good person,“ Drew whispers. „But I can‘t change. This is the path I chose out of grief and now it‘s the only thing I can see. It defines me.“

They stare at each other in silence. They understand each other in a way no one else could. Two people, who are so different, but also so alike. 

Nico desperately wants to reach out. He wants to hug his best friend and tell her that everything will be alright. His words will never be enough to cross the ocean between them. Nico wants to tell her that change is unavoidable and the path she chose can always branch out, but these words mean nothing to her at the moment. She'll only hear beautifully packed lies. 

Never before Nico has felt so homesick. 

„Where ever you go,“ Nico begins „I’ll follow. You are my best friend so don‘t worry. Even if the world is against you, I’ll stay on your side. Just like you did for me.“

Drew was the first person to notice his absence. She was the only one to reach out. 

„I‘ll leave Camp in a few months,“ Drew says. She sounds so sure of it, but Nico knows that she made this decision a minute ago. „I want to go to college with the mortals.“

„You want to leave your demigod life behind.“

She laughs. „No, it‘ll follow me to the end of the world. I just want a fresh start. I want to meet people who don‘t know about my baggage. I want to be me.“

It‘s honestly not a bad idea. „What will you major in?“

She shrugs. „No idea. I‘ll tell you when I decide on something.“ Her smile is small, but genuine. „What do you want to do after your little quest?“

„College. This is one of the reasons I’m actually here.“

„I nearly forgot about your situation,“ her words are mocking, but she doesn’t mean any harm. „Can you imagine us wrecking havoc in a normal little-„

A sharp knock on the bathroom door interrupts her. 

„Neeks? Are you still in here?“ Percy asks. 

Drew‘s eyebrow is rising again. Her smirk promises trouble. 

„I really need to use the toilet,“ Percy is nearly begging now. 

„Is this how you like your men, Nikki? Desperate and on their knees?“ She teases and Nico can feel his blush spreading. Without another word he ends the connection. 

Nico throws the door open and stares into the face of his very surprised crush. „It‘s free,“ he chokes out. 

„Are you alright?“ Percy asks and then he lays his hand on Nico‘s forehead. „You‘re burning up. Don‘t tell me you have a fever.“

Nico‘s blush spreads even more. „I don‘t have a fever,“ he nearly growls out. „I‘m just a bit hot."

Percy is now looking up and down his frame. „Yeah you are, please don‘t wear shirts ever again.“ 

The only thing Nico feels in this moment is embarrassment. He completely forgot about his naked torso. 

With the last bit of dignity he has left he points at the open doorway and hisses. „Get in there Jackson and take your piss before I make you regret all of your life choices.“ 

„Nothing you could do would make me regret being here with you,“ Percy says with a soft smile. 

Nico is still glaring at him. „Move,“ he hisses and points again. 

„You know, sometimes you remind me of a stray cat. You‘re so small and grumpy-„ 

The rest of Percy's words are lost on the son of hades, because he just left the room. Maybe Clarisse will provide a more pleasant company. 

Notes:

Drew and Nico are besties. I'll definitely include her a lot more in future chapters. Her friendship with Nico is such a fun thing to write. Maybe I'll even write more about their history in the following chapters.

I just realized that the chapter has less perico than I intended. I'm sorry? It's for the sake of character development. Maybe it'll become the truth if I say it often enough...

Chapter 21: The decisions that shape us

Notes:

Hello everyone,
This is a pretty heavy chapter with a difficult topic.
I've written this one a few months ago, but I wasn't sure if I would include it at all. It feels important for Clarisse's character development, because it highlights her struggle with her past actions. It's a tricky situation to write about.
Please be kind, because my anxiety is currently going through the roof.

Clarisse wakes up way earlier than normal. Her roommates are still asleep when she gets ready for the day. The first rays of sunlight bathe the room in warm colors. It‘s mesmerizing how the light bounces over the castle walls. It curls around the towers and reflects on the rooftops. 

She closes her eyes and lets the sun warm her frozen heart. Yesterday was a rollercoster of emotions. Maybe she should start meditating. It would help her relax at least a little bit. 

Hermione turns around in her bed and Clarisse decides that this is her cue to start the day. 

The castle hallways are still empty. No one would get up this early without a good reason so she's surprised when she hears a few muffled voices. When she turns around the corner she passes the open door of the boys bathroom. 

The boy inside reminds Clarisse of her younger self. He‘s burning with the need to establish his worth. 

„Look at me. I‘m strong. I‘m worthy of being a daughter of war. Just because I’m female doesn‘t mean I’m weak,“ she screamed at everyone without ever saying anything out loud. She was too proud to ask for help and her feelings were considered a weakness. 

The boy is looking at her with the same anger in his eyes. It‘s so familiar it hurts. 

Clarisse is looking down at the humiliated boy at his feet. Every will to fight has left his broken body. Was the fight there in the first place? She can't tell anymore.  

For a second she is considering stepping in. She could stop the bully and save the other boy. Maybe she could say a few words to the bully to make him realize this path will only burn him from the inside out. All of this hate will slowly eat him up from the inside until there is nothing but an empty shell left behind. 

She‘s presses her lips close. There are no words she could say to change things. The bully must realize his mistakes in his own and her words will only make things worse. He doesn’t know her. He doesn‘t know her story and Clarisse sure as well won’t tell him about it. 

Besides the other boy has no spirit left. Even if she saved him now, the next time it will only get worse.

She‘s not a hero. She‘s a survivor. 

And today was not a battle worth fighting for. 

The outcome could‘ve been far worse than any benefits. 

Clarisse wants to make her father proud. She wishes for him to stand up, smile at her and then declare that she is in fact his daughter. 

She tries everything to make him look at her for more than a second. I‘m here. Look at me. She wants to scream at him. Just one encouraging word. A little gesture is enough.

But it won‘t be enough. She yearns for his attention like a little kid for a bag of candy even though she knows that he can‘t give it to her. 

So she stares at him from afar. So tired and broken like the failure she‘s going to be. 

Someday even her best won‘t be enough to make him interested and on her death bed she‘ll come to regret all of her pointless hopes. 

In this regard she‘s different from her questmates.

Percy hates the gods and their little games. Some of the gods are okay in his option, but it won‘t change the fact that they’re too different to ever be truly on the same page. 

Clarisse is tired too. She gives and gives until she has nothing left, but even then she‘ll bow to the gods and fight their battles. It‘s in her blood. A warrior until the end. 

Nico is different. He understands and respects the gods in a calm and gentle way, which is the reason some of them became so fond of him. He gives, but also demands something in return. Sometimes it‘s a little favor. Sometimes it‘s just someone to talk to. He never expects more than the gods can give. Don't misunderstand, he still pushes these boundaries from time to time. 

Clarisse could never bring up the patience to deal with all of these little games. 

There is a reason Nico is called the ambassador of Hades and she's just another daughter of war.

As if he was called Nico walks around the corner. He nods at her in greeting but then his eyes fall on the open door. He looks at the scene in front of him just like Clarisse did mere minutes ago. Then he closes the door before Percy or anyone else can see what is going on inside. 

„Let‘s go,“ he says. „This is not our fight.“

„Do you wish to be a better person sometimes?“ Clarisse asks him. 

Nico thinks about her words for a minute. „We‘re not good nor bad. We‘re the result of our upbringing,“ he finally answers. 

„The boy doesn‘t deserve this. We didn’t deserve this,“ Clarisse argues. 

„Do you see yourself in the bully?“ he asks, but there is no judgment in his voice. He simply tries to understand. 

„A bit,“ she replies. „His actions and his anger are the same as mine when I was his age.“

Nico humms. „We all carry our own little ghosts. Our anger can be our downfall, but it can also be our strength. We‘re different from these wizards. Their morals don’t align with ours. Would it be the noble and right action to step in? Absolutely. Are we noble?“ He looks her in the eyes as he asks her the last question. 

„We‘re heroes,“ she says, but her voice is small. 

„A hero can be many things,“ Nico continues. „But that doesn’t mean he‘s perfect. His mistakes are just forgotten or have been glorified. Do you even want to be a hero?“

Clarisse thinks back to all the heroes she loved and lost. They‘re all ghosts who haunt her at night. The good just like the bad. „I like to think we‘re survivors.“

„All heroes are survivors until they die,“ Nico says. „The real question is, do you want to help the hopeless boy?“

Clarisse looks back to the closed door and she listens to the muffled sounds of a beaten up body. It breaks her heart to hear his little sobs, but the boy never screams for help. He just cries.

„You‘re cruel, Nico,“ she says. „But you’re right.“ 

„We can always go and get Percy. He will stand up for the boy regardless of the consequences,“ Nico offers. His voice doesn’t change. 

„Why don’t you care?“ Clarisse can‘t help but ask. 

They lock eyes again and she can see how shattered he is inside. Something broke in him a long time ago. Maybe even before he was captured in Tartarus. „The world is a dark place. Our world is even darker. I was just like this boy a long time ago. It was a different time, but some things never change. If you help the boy then you have to take responsibility for your actions.“

His eyes flicker to the door one last time. „Whatever you do, it has consequences. It doesn't matter if you help him or not. You're already part of the situation."

Nico moves on. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Ten minutes later Clarisse sits down at the table across from her friends. Her knuckles are a bloody mess and her expression blank. She takes a spoonful of yoghurt and begins to eat. 

„What happened to you?“ Percy asks. 

Clarisse looks at Nico as she answers „I made a choice.“  She can see the broken and bruised boy shuffle into the great hall. He sits down at the Ravenclaw table and eats. 

„What did I miss?“ Percy is pretty confused, but neither of his friends explain. They just eat their breakfast in silence. „Did I tell you want I dreamed about?“ Percy speaks up.

Nico gestures for him to go on. „I was at this huge waterpark in Ohio and then there was suddenly a giant rabbit, which wouldn’t leave me alone. Mr D turned up and screamed at me for not caring about the rabbits feelings, which was honestly pretty weird and then Hercules came up the stairs, which where…“ At this point Clarisse stops paying attention to his rambling. Percy's dreams are either prophetic or dumb. This one is obviously the latter. 

She lets her gaze wander over the students around them. They talk and laugh without a care in the world.

Clarisse sits in the middle of it all. Her yoghurt is bland and boring. Her mind a mess. 

She questions if she made the right decision. 

Notes:

I don't support bullying in any form. I also don't support the ignorance of such actions.

Chapter 22: Unnecessary talking

The interrogation makes Nico‘s mood sour in an instant. They don‘t have time to indulge these petty little wizards, but before the demigods can start ignoring them again they need to set some boundaries. 

Nico -and everyone else around him- could hear them whisper throughout the day. The long gazes weren‘t subtle either. 

It seems like the demigods are the first to arrive at their meeting place. Percy immediately flops down on the grass and spreads his limbs out. 

Clarisse followes his example. Even though she lays down with a bit more dignity.

Nico decides to sit down on Percy‘s other side. He sends his friends a small smile. They‘ll get through this easily. 

A few minutes later the other group arrives. 

„We have a few questions,“ Hermione begins as soon as they sit down opposite of the demigods. Only Nico greets them with a small nod. His quest mates don't even look up.

Percy then waves his hand through the air. „Go on,“ Nico translates easily.

The wizards share a look. 

„Where are you from?“ Hermione asks even though she already knows the answer. Percy groans as he turns and then he literary buries his head in the grass. He won‘t answer any questions any time soon. Clarisse watches him with a raised eyebrow, but she also silently contemplates the worth of this discussion. 

Nico sends them a sweet smile. „America, but if you want to be throughout I’m originally from Italy. Are all of your questions going to be so pointless? Because if they are then I think we‘re all wasting our time.“ The wizards glare at him. „Are you all related?“ Hermione blurts out. She didn’t mean to ask this, but the question just wouldn’t leave her mind. 

„One way or another all of humanity is related,“ Nico answers. 

Ron is slightly turning red as he trusts his finger out and begins to gesture between the demigods. „You are Ares daughter.“ He says to Clarisse who only sighs. „Ares called you his cousin.“ He points at a chuckling Percy. „You and Percy are cousins.“ Nico nods when the finger rests over his person. 

„Yeah, we‘re all one big happy family,“ Nico finally says with the most deadpan expression known to humankind. Percy is full on laughing now. 

Clarisse nudges Percy's leg as he rolls into her, but even she can’t hide her amused grin. 

„Any more questions about our family?“ She asks Hermione. „Should we draw you a family tree?“

Before Hermione can agree her boys are bursting with anger. „Don‘t be such a dick. It‘s a legitimate question, alright?“ Ron defends his girlfriend. 

Clarisse rolls her eyes, but stays silent. It's really not worth it.

„Any other questions?“ Nico asks „or are we done here?“

„We haven’t even really begun,“ Hermione quickly cuts in. 

„And we‘ve been here for at least ten minutes already. Please hurry up, we have places to be,“ Nico replies evenly. He tries to sound annoyed, but it gets out pretty tired. The cave has left him exhausted and one night of good rest is not nearly enough.

„Fine, why did you really come to Hogwarts? We know you‘re not really here to study and the way you reacted to the monster shows that you‘re more than you pretend to be,“ Hermione is on a roll. „You can fight like no one we have ever seen. The way you move and act is so other. You talk like you‘ve seen the end of the world.“

„And you carry around strange shit,“ Ron's mutter is barely audible. 

Clarisse smirks. 'This one is on me,' she thinks satisfied. 

„Who says we haven’t seen the world end?“ Nico asks. „You know nothing about us and you don‘t want to. The only goal you‘re actually working towards is to determine if we‘re a threat to you and your friends. The reason we were so casual about the monster is because fighting these things has become our daily chore. No, I won‘t explain anything about their -or our- origin.“ 

„What can you tell us about them then?“ Hermione asks. Her frustration is understandable, but not really their concern. 

Nico shrugs. „If you see one, run.“

„Solid advice,“ Percy chimes in with a big grin. „The little sticks won‘t harm them.“ 

„These sticks are wands. You should know that,“ Hermions replies. Her eyes narrow at Percy and Nico can see how she thinks his words through. 

„Of course,“ Percy answers in a flat and very uninterested tone. 

„You‘re not really wizards, are you?“ Hermione presses on. „You know next to nothing about the magical community.“

„We are what we’re told to be. Wizards, heroes, murderer. It makes no difference to us,“ Nico says nonchalantly, but the wizards gasp for air. 

„Murderer?!“ Ron exclaims. 

„If you killed something then you‘re a murderer. It doesn’t matter if it‘s a bug or a human. You unalive something then you‘re a murderer,“ Clarisse explains. „Everyone is basically a murderer. You just don‘t think the life of something beneath you is worth thinking about.“ 

„The world is alive just like you and me,“ Nico adds with a smirk. „So we‘re all murderer one way or another. You can‘t tell me you didn’t have to kill one of your death eaters in the last war.“ 

„That’s different. It was self defence,“ Harry protests. 

„Is it?“ Nico asks. „The end result is still the same. Only your reason differs.“

Harry vehemently shakes his head. 

„What are you?“ Hermione pressed on. Her mind is racing, but she can‘t let it go. 

„We‘re human. What else could we be?“ Nico answers with a small wishful smile. Technically it‘s not a lie. They are human. Even if it‘s just half of their DNA. 

„That‘s what I try to figure out,“ Hermione replies. 

„Please let us know what you find out,“ Nico says and his companions chuckle. 

The wizards share an annoyed look. It‘s obvious they don‘t know how to overcome the wall of deflection and half answers the demigods built around themselves. Nico is very satisfied with himself. 

Percy sends him a look, which seems to say ‚i know you enjoy this way too much‘ and Nico can‘t say anything against it. This is really fun. 

„We can trade information,“ Hermione finally offers. 

„Yeah, sure,“ Nico easily agrees. He doesn’t plan on telling them anything, but for the sake of this quest it might be unavoidable. 

The words of the sorting hat echo through Nico‘s mind. „Work together or won’t work at all.“ It might be related to the noisy trio, which means their agreement will make or break this quest. Nico doesn’t like what this implies. 

„You never answered why you‘re at Hogwarts. There are other schools. Why here?“ Harry chimes in. 

Nico rolls his eyes, but he decides to be a bit more generous. „We're searching for something. An artifact to be precise.“ Percy and Clarisse stare at him with twin frowns. They never agreed on revealing this information. Nico subtly shakes his head. He‘ll explain later. 

„There are many artifacts in Hogwarts. What makes it so special?“ Hermione asks. She‘s a bit surprised by the straight forward answer. 

„We don‘t know much. It‘s sort of family heirloom and our aunt desperately wants it back. She doesn’t know much about it either,“ Nico explains. 

„You‘re searching for an unknown family heirloom? And you want us to believe that story?“ Ron asks. 

„What you believe is none of our business. You asked and I answered,“ Nico shrugs again, but his eyes observe the other group closely. He watches their silent conversation. They don’t trust them, but this is the most information they‘ve obtained so far so they decide to just roll with it. 

„What makes this heirloom so special?“ Hermione finally asks. 

„It‘s dangerous in the wrong hands,“ Nico answers. He can hear Percy whisper „what isn‘t?“ under his breath, but he ignores the comment for now. 

„How dangerous?“ Harry wants to know. 

Nico thinks for a second before he replies: „It has the potential to destroy the school in a heartbeat. Incredibly dangerous.“ 

Clarisse and Percy dutifully nod along. 

The wizards share a panicked look. „Not good,“ Ron mutters. 

The demigods nod gravely. „Not good,“ they echo. 

„How can we help?“ Harry asks. 

Nico frowns as if he‘s deep in thought. „Please tell us when something feels off. There is a high chance it has something to do with the artifact. We don‘t know how much it‘s physical form has changed over the years and how dangerous it has become. It might even change a persons heart from good to evil.“

„It should have a very unsettling aura,“ Clarisse adds. 

„You‘ll feel different around it,“ Percy just says. It probably is true.

The wizards easily agree, but Nico is no fool. They will try to figure everything out on their own before they even entertain the thought of giving up their information. Still, this deal might become a useful tool in the future. An easy excuse they can shake out of their sleeve anytime. 

For a moment they sit in silence. The demigods are relaxed, but the wizards are getting uncomfortable. They awkwardly excuse themselves and the demigods are finally alone. 

Clarisse smirks up at Nico. „You really enjoy toying with them,“ she says. 

„If you say it like that it makes me sound evil,“ he pouts, but he doesn’t really deny her claim. 

Percy rolls over and curl around Nico‘s lower body. „I think it was really cute, Neeks.“ He smiles up at his friend who instantly blushes a lovely shade of red. 

„I- I just thought they deserved it,“ he grumbles. „They ask too many questions.“

„Of course,“ Percy says and then he decides to be a bit bold. He lifts his head and slowly places it back down on Nico‘s tights. 

Nico goes completely still. Percy innocently blinks up at him just to see the adorable blush rising on his cheeks. There is an expression of wonder dancing over his beautiful features and Percy yearns to touch. And he does. 

He slowly raises his hand. Nico could easily evade or slap it away, but instead he just sits there with wide eyes. 

Percy feels a fond smile stretching his own lips. Nico reminds him of a cute little kitten with his unruly curls and beautiful features. All of him begs to be cuddled and kissed. 

His fingers streak over one smooth cheek. Nico must‘ve shaved recently, because Percy cannot feel the stubble on his chin. His fingers wander over his straight nose to his eyebrows and forehead. It‘s so cute how he furrows his brows as if to ask what the hell Percy is doing, but he doesn’t slap his hand away. 

Instead he tilts his head forward so Percy has an easier access.

It‘s such a sweet and innocent gesture Percy can help but fall in love with him a little bit more, which reminds him that he needs Clarisse to help him figure out this whole situation.

He can see the daughter of war out of the corner of his eye. 

She‘s pointly looking away from them. There is a book about modern war strategies open on her lap. When and where she got the book will forever stay a mystery. 

As if she can feel his thoughts wandering she‘s sending him a look that screams 'don‘t you dare to look at me and ruin this moment'. 

Percy chuckles lightly. Now they can read each other’s minds. New skill successfully unlocked.

Nico opens his mouth to ask him something, but Percy swiftly pressed his fingers over his parted lips. He shushes the other boy with a smile. 

Nico smiles back and barely shakes his head. He enjoys Percy‘s antics so much. 

They sit in silence for the rest of the day. At one point Nico‘s fingers find their way to Percy‘s black locks and the son of Poseidon falls asleep on the lap of his favorite boy. 

Even Elysium can‘t compare to this fleeting moment of peace. 

 

 

 

EXTRA SCENE

 

„Nico, you know we are originally from Greece, so why did you say America?“ Percy asks as he flops down on his bed.

The boy in question sends him a shark like smile. „She asked where we are from, not who our ancestors are. It’s true we’re partially greek due to our godly parents, but we came from America to Hogwarts. I interpreted it as a question for a place not ethnic.“

„And she didn’t actually specify her question afterwards,“ Percy continues. „You’re a genius, Neeks.“ 

Nico blushes a lovely shade of red. „I’m not a genius,“ he grumbles out. 

Percy shakes his head as he moves to hug his favorite boy from behind. „You’re everything, Nico. I’ll make sure you know it. Today. Tomorrow and the day after. I’ll tell you how amazing you are until you escort me to your father yourself. Nothing in this world can compare to you.“

 

Notes:

Did anyone catch my little Gaea reference in the chapter?
For some reason I'm really proud of it :)

Chapter 23: Spartan training

Notes:

Is there a bit of personal experience mixed in? Maybe :)

The peaceful days are coming to an end. 

No one could‘ve seen the following tragedy coming. The cold fingers of fear are tightening their hold on the unsuspecting students. 

A boy has gone missing. His wand and possessions have been found in a dark corridor, but the boy himself is just gone. There are no signs of struggle or even a fight. He just vanished in the middle of the day. 

It sends a dark shiver down their backs. 

„Is it another basilisk?“ they ask each other in hushed voices and their eyes follow Harry around. Each and every student remembers the terror of this particular second year, but the basilisk is dead. There is no way it could wreck havoc among the students. 

The golden trio still crawls back down to the chamber of secrets. It‘s dark and full of dirt. No one has been down here for quite some time. 

Their footprints would‘ve shown in the dust. 

The remains of the snake are still peacully rotten. It reminds them of a different time. 

„We we’re so young,“ Hermione whispers in the dark. 

„So young and naive,“ Harry replies. There is bitterness in his voice and so much hurt reflected in his green eyes. „No one should‘ve experienced what we did.“

„We never choose to be involved,“ Ron says, but his words taste like lies. They roll over his tongue and leave ash behind. It clings to his teeth and tongue until it's closing his throat. No rasp can disclose the lies from his lips. The words dance between them in a mocking little circle. Up and down and roundabout. Maybe they'll become the truth when they just close their eyes. Ignorance is bliss, but they could never look away from a challenge.

„What should we do?“ Harry asks, but his friends stare at him like he‘s the answer to all of their questions. He isn‘t. This might not be his fight. „Do you think the Americans have something to do with this?“

„You mean they kidnapped a student?!“ Rom exclaims and his voice echoes through the old chamber. 

„I don‘t know. They said they‘re searching for something. Maybe the boy knew about it or heard something he shouldn’t,“ Harry defends himself. 

Hermione shakes her head. „We need to talk to them. We‘ve formed an alliance with them.“ Her words make the boys frown, but they don‘t argue. 

„Where do you think we will find them?“ Rom asks as they exit the bathroom. 

Hermione stares at him in disbelieve. „We share basically every class with them?“

„Oh yeah, I think I repressed that little piece of information. It‘s better for my health you know,“ he says and Harry chuckles along. Hermione just rolls her eyes: „I‘ll make your life a bit shorter if you don‘t move your ass to class. We have Defence in a few minutes.“

„Shit, okay. Let‘s run,“ Rom exclaims. „I still have a will to live.“ 

Together they dash through the hallways. They actually make it on time, but the dark look in their professors eyes let’s them know just how close they are to another week of detention. 

The Americans don‘t even look their way. They‘re huddled together in the corner of the room. Serious expressions decorate their perfect faces as they discuss something private. 

Hermione tries to catch their eye, but they are too invested in their own conversation.

„Let‘s talk to them after class,“ she finally says. Her boys nod in agreement and then Ares begins his second lesson. His sadistic smirk makes their blood boil. 

„Today we‘ll finally start with your actual physical training. In order to survive you need to be in perfect physical condition. It‘s normal to start training as children, but you‘re not a hopeless case,“‘Ares begins his lecture. „Well, some of you might be,“ he sends a sharp and disappointed glare at a small and scrawny Hufflepuff boy. 

The boy curls into himself with fearful tears in his big brown eyes. 

„Anyway,“ Ares continues „I’ll train you until you wish for death. There will be a physical extermination at the end of the school year and it will decide if you pass or fail my class. So make sure you‘ll train. There are three virtues you need to remember: strength, endurance and solitary. Under my regimen you‘re soldiers preparing for war, do you understand me?!“

„Yes, professor,“ the class echoes back. 

„Good. Have any of you experience with wrestling or any other forms of hand to hand combat?“ Ares demands to know. Only the Americans raise their hands, but they are completely ignored by the professor.

„Pathetic, but expected,“ Ares spits out. „We‘ll start with the basics and then work towards more complicated moves. Now it‘s time for your warm up. I‘ll only explain it once so listen carefully. You‘ll stand in a line on this side of the room and when the bell rings you'll start running in a wide circle along the walls. You‘ll do this until I ring the bell. Then you‘ll line up again. This time you‘ll face the room. When I ring the bell you‘ll sprint to the other side where you‘ll do ten sit ups, ten squats and ten pushups. Then you‘ll run back. The person who finishes last most times will clean up the room after class, do you understand?“

„Yes, professor,“ the class echoes back with growing horror. 

„You‘ll do this exercise until I tell you to stop. Then we‘ll start with the actual class.“ 

Hermione feels like fainting. This is hell. 

Ares rings the bell and the class lines up. Then they run and run and run. 

Their legs burn and the lungs scream for air. Their sides hurt, but they won‘t stop. No one wants to find out what‘ll happen if they do. Even the weak students are stumbling forward. When they legs are ready to give in Ares rings the bell again. 

His class basically crashes to the ground. „Pathetic. How do you weaklings plan to survive?“ His eyes seem to glow in disappointment, but it could've been the exhaustion playing tricks on them. The wizards don‘t even have enough energy to glare back. 

The bell rings again and they stumble to their feet. The line is wonky, but it‘s there. In their eyes the room has expanded in size. The other end is impossible far away. 

The bell rings and they‘re running. At the other end they crash to the ground and scramble back up again. No one wants to mop the floor after this brutal training regimen. 

Time has lost it‘s meaning. Only the next step is important. Run, do sit ups, squats and push ups, then run again. Start once more in an uneven line. Run.

The bell rings and Hermione sinks to her knees. She prays to every god to save her from this hell. Ares just smirks down at her. ‚I hear your prayers, but I don’t care,‘ seems his face to say and Hermione is ready to cry. 

Her boyfriend is laying face down next to her. She can hear someone heave in the background. Are they really so weak? She never felt like her stamina was so bad. 

Ares shows mercy or maybe he has ulterior motive, but nevertheless he hands out water bottles to the class. 

„Drink slowly or you‘ll get even more ill,“ Percy advices them. He has been sweating, but all in all he looks alright. One glimpse at the other Americans show that they‘re also pretty unaffected. A bit sweaty and red, but overall pretty casual. 

„How are you not affected?“ Harry groans. 

Percy shrugs. „Got used to it awhile ago. Besides nothing is more of a motivator than a lava wall.“ 

„What the hell?“ Ron spits out. 

„Don‘t ask me. The thing was already established when I got there,“ he says with raised hands. „Besides I’ve been on the run my entire life. This is nothing.“

There is a hollowness in his eyes, but then he smiles and the expression is gone.

„Drink and rest. Ares is not done with us,“ he says and then moves on to another group of dying students. He whispers advice and encouraging words to everyone who listens. 

It seems like something he‘s used to. Maybe he is. They don’t actually know. 

Just like Percy said Ares calls them to their feet again. 

„Don‘t forget. This will be your warm up exercise until I say otherwise. Now we‘ll start with your posture. Stand straight and with your feet apart. No, not like that. What a mess. Clarisse come here. Demonstrate for the class.“ 

Clarisse swears under her breath, but moves forward nonetheless. 

„This is the stance I expect from you. Bend your knees a little. Yes, just like that. Your muscles should stay relaxed so you can move out of the way in a heartbeat. Jackson come here. Attack Clarisse. Slowly.“

Percy moves forward and starts to swing his fist towards her face. 

„Watch her body language. She can easily evade his punch. Jackson, again,“ Ares commands. „Watch her leg movement. The way she stands. She‘s secure and with a small step she‘s out of reach. Stand down, both of you. The correct posture is the core element to every physical fight. If you‘re unsteady on your feet even a weak punch can topple you over.“

The Americans stand back, but Ares gestures for them to stay.

„Now mirror their stance. Nico go and nudge the little worms. If the wobble then they don‘t stand correctly. You‘ll need to be aware of your own center and the way your weight shifts. Yes, just like that. Now you‘ll learn a few step sequences. We don’t want you to fall over your own feet in a fight, don‘t we?“

His grin is bloodthirsty, but his advice is surprisingly helpful. 

They go over the movements for the rest of the class. Then they start some cool down stretches. 

Ares dismisses the class. They‘re in no condition to defend themselves against any of his spells. They can‘t even hold their quills without shaking. 

The wizards are so out of it that they don‘t realize the Americans stayed back until they decide to talk to them in the great hall. „Where are they?“ Ron asks. 

„I think I saw them talking to Ares, but I’m not sure,“ Harry replies. „My legs feel like jelly and my head hurts.“

„Your head?“ Hermione asks. 

Harry nods. „All of this,“ he waves his hands around „makes my head hurt. I thought we were done with all of this stuff, but now a students is missing and Ares is sounding more like a drill sergeant than a professor. The Americans are weird and secretive and I miss my bed.“

„Relatable,“ Ron says before he crashes down on the bank. „I feel like my soul left my body at some point.“

„Let’s eat. Maybe we‘ll feel a bit better afterwards,“ Hermione proposes. Her spoon shakes uncontrollably between her fingers, but she doesn’t give up her meal. The boys decide follow her lead. They'll need all of their energy to overcome this new crisis. 

Notes:

I want Ares class to be both brutal and helpful at the same time. He loves to torture his students, but it's also his duty to form them into little soldiers. They should be able to survive so they need to learn how to fight.

Chapter 24: Detective work

Notes:

The plot goes on and the fluff reaches new heights. Have fun :)

„Lord Ares, we would like to ask you a question,“ Nico says as the class slowly exit the room. Only Percy and Clarisse remain with him. 

Ares stares down at them with unreadable eyes, but he nods his head in silent agreement. 

„Have you ever heard of the cult of chaos?“ Nico asks. The god frowns. „A long time ago. They were destroyed by some demigod if I remember correctly.“

„It seems like they’re still kicking,“ Percy cuts into the conversation. „We fell down a hole and ended up right inside their open arms.“ 

„They inhabitant a cave system under the Forbidden Forest. It’s unclear how far it stretches, but it is connected to the castle in -at least- one way. They also kidnapped a bunch of centaurs for whatever reason,“ Nico adds. „There are ruins, temples and sacrificial rituals down there.“

„What did we stumble upon, father?“ Clarisse demands to know, but the god stays silent. He’s deep in thought. When his gaze finally returns to them a worried frown is etched into his face. „I’ll inform the council of your discovery.“ Then he just vanishes on the spot. 

„Great, Ares was really helpful,“ Percy grumbles. „Just like always.“

The feeling of Nico’s hand sliding into his own makes his heart speed up. „He’s informed and that’s the only thing that matters. Besides we now know for sure that this cult is very old and even more dangerous.“

„We might’ve made a mistake releasing Antriphus,“ Clarisse says. 

„It doesn’t matter,“ Nico waves her concerns away „We can only move on.“ Percy squeezes his fingers. How can they fit so perfectly between his own?

„Do you think Antriphus kidnapped the missing student?“ Clarisse asks with a frown. „The cult kidnapped centaurs and who knows what else. They might start to expand their horizon.“

„It would make sense. Let’s check out the place the student went missing,“ Percy proposes. He doesn’t wait for their agreement. He starts to go and a flustered Nico is pulled along. Clarisse easily falls in step with them. 

They move through the crowd of students. There are some whispered rumors about the return of a basilisk. Interesting theory, but probably nothing serious. 

Nico decides to ask their least favorite trio about it later. 

The hallway where the student supposingly went missing is completely spotless. There are no footprints or any other signs. „This place is way too clean. There have been hundreds of people running around, but I don’t see any dirt,“ Nico says with a frown. 

„Something is not right with this place,“ Percy says. „I can’t put my finger on it, but I have this feeling.“

Clarisse nods. „I feel it, too.“

„They must’ve tried magic already. The only thing left is the mist,“ Nico concludes. 

„Do you think someone used the mist to conceal the crime scene?“ Percy asks. „It would explain this tingling feeling.“ 

„Can you wield the mist?“ Nico asks before he kneels down. His free hand lays flat on the corridor floor. His companions shake their heads. Nico sighs. 

„I thought so. Here we go,“ he mumbles and Percy encouragingly squeezes his other hand. The mist is slowly rolled up like an old carpet that has been laying around the floor for way too long. It leaves behind a dirty spot which has previously been hidden under the thick fabric. 

Deep claw marks decorate the stone walls. 

A few drops of blood are sprayed on the floor. 

There are traces of a fight decorating the scene, but it doesn’t look like a murder case. 

„The boy might be still alive,“ Clarisse voices their suspicions. „It’s not enough blood to indicate anything else. Even if the monster or being ate the boy there should’ve been something left. It didn’t lick up the leftover blood so it’s unlikely the boy ended up as a midnight snack.“ 

„I’m not even sure there was much of a fight. These marks are way too clean and precise to indicate a fight. They were most likely inflicted to scare the poor boy into obedience,“ Nico predicts deep in thought. 

„When he was scared shitless, they used something to knock him unconsciousness,“ Percy concludes the thought, but Nico shakes his head. 

„The blood wouldn’t have sprayed like that. It looks like he was beaten,“ Nico says. 

Clarisse stares at him. „You mean this was personal?“ 

Nico nods. „It’s all speculation at this point, but the scene indicates it. Well, this kidnapping could also be fake. A staged fight to shift our focus away from the main problem.“

„You’re right. We don’t know who we’re dealing with. Everything is possible at this point,“ Clarisse growls out. „I hate playing detective.“

Percy sends her a croaked grin and then hugs Nico from behind. „Good riddance that we have our genius ambassador with us. This case will be a piece of cake.“

Nico rolls his eyes, but sinks into the embrace. „I hope you know that you’ll also help.“

„Of course,“ Percy chips and plants a small kiss on Nico’s cheek. „I’ll do anything for you.“

„Alright. Focus,“ Clarisse chides, but there is an amused twinkle in her eyes. „You can make heart eyes at each other later. Now I need you to function properly.“ 

She stares down the hallway while the boys try to get their blushes back under control. „How did they move through the castle without being seen? The mist can hide a lot, but it still doesn’t feel right. At least one student must’ve seen something odd. Just like Hermione only sees a spatula instead of my battle axe. It’s harmless, but still very weird here.“

„If someone had seen something weird, we would’ve heard about it by now. Rumors travel surprisingly fast in this school,“ Nico says. His face is still a lovely shade of pink, but his gaze is focused on the task. Percy is still very focused on Nico. 

Clarisse rolls her eyes. „Do you think there is a secret passage around here?“

„Probably. It might also be a remnant of the Labyrinth or it is a direct path to the cave,“ Nico solidifies her theory. „Let’s look around and see what we’ll find.“

Their search comes up fruitless. There is nothing hidden here. 

„We‘ve checked everything,“ Percy says „Do you think our theory might be wrong?“

„No, I don’t think so. There is the girls restroom around the corner. We haven’t checked it yet,“ Nico replies. Clarisse sighs. „I‘ll go.“

She vanishes behind the door, but before it can fully close she sticks her head out of the opening. 

„You should get in here,“ Clarisse says with a frown. The wailing of a girl can be heard in the background. Nico raises his eyebrows, but he reluctantly steps inside. 

Percy is following right behind. 

The bathroom is more extravagant than any bathroom should ever be and in the middle just above the sinks floats the glowing form of girl. Her translucent body is curled in on itself and her wails are echoing through the room. 

Nico shares a look with his friends. This girl might be a ghost, but they can‘t expect him to deal with her alone. Percy‘s hand rests on the small of his back. ‚I‘m here with you,‘ he seems to say. Clarisse just crosses her arms.

„Hello, is everything alright?“ Nico tenderly asks. He takes a hestistant step forward and the girl freezes on the spot. Her dark eyes flicker open and fall onto the demigod. 

„Do I look alright to you?“ she hisses. „I‘m bound to this bathroom for eternity and no one cares about my feelings. No, they all trample through my home with dirty shoes and mean words. How would you feel if I did that?!“ Her voice gets louder until she‘s screeching at them. 

„I‘m sorry that those people haven‘t respected your boundaries,“ Nico replies in a calm voice. 

The ghost stares at him with an unreadable expression. „What is your name? If you don‘t mind me asking,“ Nico continues. 

„Myrte,“ she says, but there is a bitterness in her voice when she continues „Moaning Myrte they call me.“ 

Nico‘s expression clouds over. „You don’t like being called that.“ It‘s not a question, but a statement. „Myrte, would you like to be called by your name or should we call you by another name, nickname or title?“

The ghost stares at him with wide eyes. No one has ever asked her auch a thing. „Myrte is fine,“ she says as she slowly floats down to them. 

„It‘s good to make your acquaintance, Myrte. My name is Nico di Angelo and these are my companions Percy Jackson and Clarisse LaRue,“ Nico introduces them to her. Percy gives a little wave and Clarisse tilts her head in greeting. 

„It‘s good to meet you too,“ the ghost replies and a dust of darker grey spreads over her pale cheeks. Probably a blush.

„Can we ask you for your help or would you like to be left alone?“ Nico asks her. Myrte nods and the demigod continues. „We believe that a boy has been kidnapped around the corner and we‘re searching for a secret passageway the culprits could‘ve taken to get out of the school. Do you know about such a passage?“

Myrthe nods. „This bathroom is connected to the pipes, which run all across the school. If you can talk in parsel tongue the secret door will open and you can go down into the darkness. The chamber of secrets and the corpse of the basilisk should still be down there.“

„The chamber of secrets?“ Nico asks. 

„I don’t know. It‘s what they call it,“ the ghost shrugs and floats in a wide circle around the room. 

Percy leans over Nico's shoulder to whisper into his ear. „Theses pipes might be connected to the cave. We should check it out.“

Nico nods. „Myrte what exactly is this parsel tongue you were talking about.“ 

„It‘s the language of snakes or something. Ask the great and mighty Harry Potter. He speaks it fluently,“ the ghost hisses. Harry seems to be a sore spot for her. „Do you need anything else?“

„No, thank you. We would‘ve searched forever without your help. Is there anything we can do for you?“ Nico replies and his words surprise Myrte so much she freezes in the middle of the bathroom. „For me?“ she whispers. „Yes. Is there anything we can do for you?“

„I don’t know,“ Myrte whispers. It‘s obvious no one ever thought about asking her. 

„It’s alright,“ Nico says with a smile „you can think about it. We‘ll come and visit you again so just tell us when you‘re ready.“ 

Myrte smiles at him and the tears in her eyes are now tears of happiness. „I will,“ she promises and the demigods say their goodbyes. 

They leave the bathroom without looking back. In the corridor Nico‘s face falls. Anger overtakes his features. „Is this how they treat the dead around here?“ he hisses through clenched teeth. „She seems annoying, but no one should be treated which such disrespect,“ Clarisse agrees. 

„I hope we can help her somehow,“ Percy adds. „How often do you think they visit her?“

„Not enough,“ Nico replies. „She‘s a ghost, but she still has feelings. How ignorant can they be?“

„They probably only show up if they want something from her,“ Clarisse agrees. „Reminds me of someone.“ 

„Don‘t say their names,“ Nico warns, but he doesn’t disagree. 

„At least we‘re not alone. Do you think you could end her suffering?“ Percy asks Nico. 

The Ghost King thinks it through for a moment. „I can, but I won‘t do it without her consent.“ 

„Let‘s ask her when we come back,“ Percy says. „Now we need to find the Potter boy and his friends.“

„I can already feel the headache coming,“ Clarisse groans, but still marches forward. She leads them towards the great hall where the dinner is still going on. 

„Food is a good idea,“ Percy says and at the same time his stomach rumbles. Nico laces their fingers back together and tugs him along. „Then let‘s go.“ 

Percy‘s smile could light up the night sky. He stares at Nico like the female lead in a shoujo manga. All starry eyes and rosy cheeks. 

Nico didn‘t even do something special, but the light from the chandeliers creates a halo around his black curls. His smile is so soft, warm and familiar that Percy can‘t help but smile back at him. Black eyes crinkle at the corners and Percy has to physically stop himself from reaching out. He wants to cup Nico‘s face and plant a kiss right there on his blushing cheeks.

Nico is an angel send straight from heaven to bless them all with his presence. 

„You did so good with Myrte,“ Percy whispers in the space between them. „Honestly everything you do is amazing. Nico, I can’t stop thinking about you. The way you smile. The way you laugh. You‘re everything I could ever want and so much more.“ 

The blush is rising on his cheeks until it reaches his ears. Nico is staring at him in silence, but his seemingly endless black eyes are filled with so much adoration. 

„Are you really confessing in a crowded corridor right in front of the dinning hall when we‘re hungry and ready to eat?“ Nico asks, but his voice is teasing. „Try again,“ he then says and Percy can’t help the laugh that is bubbling out of him. 

He caresses Nico‘s cheek before he leans in. „I will. Everyday until you get sick of hearing me talk.“ 

Nico closes his eyes as he leans into his touch. „As if I could ever grow sick of you.“ 

„I want to make this right, Nico, so I will confess to you again,“ Percy says with a soft smile and equally red cheeks. „So please don‘t answer me now.“ 

Nico nods before his forehead rests against Percy‘s.

„I will wait for you,“ he promises. His breath mingles with Percy‘s own and the son of the sea has to break contact before he leans in to kiss his favorite boy. „Thank you. I won‘t make you wait much longer,“ Percy whispers. 

„What difference would a few more weeks make?“ Nico teases. 

„Every moment without you by my side is a moment too long,“ Percy confesses. 

Nico sighs. „You make it very hard to not fall into your arms right now.“

„What is holding you back?“ Percy asks. 

Nico sends him a slightly appalled look. „The crowded corridor and my desire to finally eat a decent meal?“

Percy pouts, but Nico is right. „Where is Clarisse?“ he asks as he looks around. The daughter of war is gone. „She probably went inside first,“ Nico replies. 

„She could’ve waited a minute,“ Percy complains, but he doesn’t really mean his words. „We stood there for a few seconds and she's already fleeing. Who does she think she is?“

„A person with a healthy dose of self prevention,“ Nico replies, while he leads them to their table, where Clarisse is already eating. 

„Glad you‘re finally joining me,“ she says. „Have you cleared up the thing between you two?“ Her fork is pointing between them. 

„We‘re working on it,“ Percy replies with a grin as he sits down opposite to her. Nico follows his lead. „Don‘t worry. It won‘t take another decade,“ Nico says with an evil glint in his eyes. 

„Don‘t drag me into this mess. I‘ve already seen and heard too much,“ Clarisse points out. 

Nico folds his hands on the table and leans forward. „Oho, Tell me more.“ His grin is so shark like Percy can feel his heart speed up. He‘s not ready for this version of Nico. 

 

 

EXTRA SCENE

 

Drew towers over the crumbled form of a young man. Her pointy high heel is buried deep inside his thick thigh. 

„If I see you crawling around camp one more time, I will make sure you won‘t be able to stick your dick into anything ever again.“ She leans forward even more. The man groans in response. „I‘m sorry, dear, I’m afraid I didn’t hear you.“ The heel is digging in a few more centimeters. Blood is tickling down his thigh as he screams in pain. 

„Do you understand me?“ Drew‘s voice calm and ice cold. „I- I understand,“ the man chokes out. 

„Good to see that we‘re on the same page here,“ Drew replies while she slowly withdraws her foot. „Touch another underage girl without consent and your love life will be the least of your problems.“ 

The man groans in pain. Drew looks down at him. Dark satisfaction is curling inside her. She wants to bash his meaty head into a tree trunk until he can’t even remember his own name, but there are too many witnesses running around. 

The air to her right is shimmering due to an incoming iris message. She smiles to herself as she leaves the human waste behind. „Nikki, darling, how are you?“ she asks with a smile. 

Notes:

This is the camp activity Drew had been participating in.

Chapter 25: Collaboration

Notes:

Hello everyone,
A few very stressful months are ahead of me so I won't be able to upload much.
I just want you to know that the story won't be abandoned.

Harry Potter and his friends are pretty easy to spot. They try to be subtle as they huddle together in the corner of the library, but everyone can see and hear them whisper. It‘s honestly a bit pathetic. Everyone who really tries can overhear them from two tables away. 

Clarisse already knew they aren't the brightest star in the night sky, but this is just insulting to the intelligence of basically every other student. She can‘t help but groan at the prospect of working with them. Stupid wizards. 

Nico also stares at them, but his face stays neutral, while Percy frowns at them from where he has draped himself over Nico’s back. 

„Do we really need them? I could always break the whole thing down,“ Percy offers, but Nico shakes his head. Again. „This is Myrte’s home. We won’t destroy it until it’s absolutely necessary.“

„The offer still stands,“ Percy replies. 

„And I will deny it until the very end,“ is Nico’s answer. 

Clarisse nudges them forward. „Let’s get this over with.“ The boys detangle and follow her to the corner table. 

„Oh hello. Nice to see you,“ Hermione says politely, but her expression tells a different story. She sounds like couldn't see them coming from a mile away. Clarisse takes a deep breath to calm her nerves.

It's not worth the detention, she tells herself over and over again. It's not worth the detention. 

„I hope it’s not inconvenient. We can always come back later,“ Nico offers. He’s turning around as soon as the sentence is finished, but Harry grabs his arm. „No, no. It’s alright,“ he says. 

Clarisse narrows her eyes at him and she can feel the way Percy tenses beside her. The other demigod is barely holding himself back. Again, it's not worth the detention.

Nico looks completely relaxed while he slowly picks Harry’s hand from his arm, but Clarisse knows how pissed he truly is. One finger after another makes her heart beat faster. She hopes Harry does something stupid again so Nico will finally snap and push those idiots deep into the mud. They definitely deserve it. Personal space is important. 

Instead Nico drags a chair over and sits down at their table. Percy and Clarisse stand beside him. They look a bit like bodyguards escorting their mafia boss to a negotiation with a rival gang.

„Thank you,“ Nico begins. „We’ve found a secret passageway we would like to investigate, but only a person who can speak parsel tongue can open it. We’ve been told you speak this language, Harry. Is that correct?“ The wizards share a look. Nico leans back and waits. 

Clarisse can’t help but marvel at the thought that Nico would make an impressive mafia heir. His whole demandour is dark, mysterious and dangerous. The way he maneuvers his way through different conversations and then spins situations in their favor is absolutely impressive. 

„Yes, I think I can still speak it,“ Harry finally says.

Nico narrows his eyes as he leans forward. His hands are folded on the table. „Can you speak it or not? We don‘t work with half ass answers.“

Clarisse tries to keep her face void of any emotions. She can‘t start laughing now.

„Yes, I can speak it,“ Harry reassures them and Nico nods. „Good.“ 

„Why are you searching for the chamber of secrets?“ Hermione asks. „We already checked it out. There is nothing down there besides the corpse of the basilisk.“ 

„We‘re not specifically looking for the chamber. The surrounding pipes and their destinations are way more interesting to us,“ he explains.

„Why?“ Hermione demands to know. 

„Because we‘re still searching for the artifact? Don‘t tell you‘ve already forgotten about it?“ Nico asks. The disbelief is only partly played. Clarisse also can‘t quite believe they asked such an obvious question. „We already talked about it.“

„We know. We know,“ Ron says. He looks between his girlfriend and Nico so fast his neck is audibly cracking. His hands twich in his lap as if he wants to physically get between them. The thought that he could even think of standing a chance against Nico makes her smile. 

„You have two options,“ Nico holds up his index and middle finger for all to see. „One. You teach me how to speak the words necessary to open the passage way.“ One finger down. „Two. You come with us. The decision is yours.“ He folds his hands again and smiles politely at the wizards. 

„Can you excuse us for a moment? We need to talk this through,“ Hermione says with narrowed eyes. 

„Don‘t mind me,“ Nico says as he leans back again. His legs get crossed in a show of nonchalance. The girl gapes at him. „I meant for you to leave us alone,“ she clarifies.

„I understood you the first time,“ Nico replies. „This is a public place. You can‘t ban us from sitting here and I’m really comfortable in this chair. I won’t hold you back discussion this here or behind closed doors. I don‘t care.“ Percy laughs and drags another chair over. „This seems to take awhile,“ he offers as explanation. Clarisse sighs and also takes a seat. 

The wizards glare at them, but the demigods only smile politely. Well, Nico smiles. Percy looks ready for conflict and Clarisse wants to be anywhere else. 

„I thought we would respect each other,“ Harry hisses. 

Nico frowns. „We respect you. We talked to you instead of crashing trough the bathroom floor like some of us suggested. We also leave you with a choice, but if you don‘t want it then we can chose for you. It‘s no big deal.“ The little shit is throwing provocations left and right. Clarisse's respect for the son of Hades is going through the roof. 

She knows that he would never allow them to crash the bathroom, but the wizards believe Nico is capable of anything. He‘s just using this knowledge against them. 

Honestly Clarisse doesn’t listen to their hushed discussion. Nico has them covered. His eyes are tracking every little movement. He listens to every word and then he dissect it for a double meaning, while Percy observes them for any sign of possible violence towards his still-not-really-boyfriend.

Clarisse feels a bit like a big unnecessary accessory. A bodyguard protecting a veteran. A bomb ready to blow up. 

She watches the students around them instead.

They gaze at their little group every few seconds. She can taste their curiosity on her tongue. It‘s slimy and cold. It sticks to her teeth and leaves a foul taste behind. The center of attention has never been her preferred spot. She might be a leader, but that doesn't mean she enjoys unwanted attention. She wants to be acknowledged, not judged. The rumor mill is still an enemy she will never escape from. 

Clarisse crosses her arms and closes her eyes. This conversation can‘t end fast enough. 

A nudge against her knee forces her eyes open. Percy stares at her and slowly tilts his head to the side. Clarisse narrows her eyes. 

She‘s not in the mood for games, but Percy doesn’t grin. His expression stays serious so Clarisse follows his gaze to a group of approaching students. 

Clarisse raises an eyebrow and looks down at Nico. Does he know?

Percy nods, but the frown that overtakes his features tells her that he doesn’t know what Nico plans to do about it either. 

So Clarisse just shrugs, crosses her arms and leans back in her chair. Let‘s see how this plays out. 

The son of Poseidon mirrors her position in his chair, while Nico leans forward a bit. Is he exited about the new variable the newcomers present in their discussion? 

They don’t have time to speculate. The group stops at their table and the blonde guy up front sneers down at them. „Potter,“ he spits out, but it seems more like a habit then real malice. 

„Malfoy,“ Harry spits back, but there is definitiv a negative feeling buried there. Clarisse licks her lips. This could take a very interesting turn. 

„What do you want, Malfoy? We don’t have time for you,“ Hermione says with hatred shining in her eyes. 

„I'm talking to Harry, not you,“ Draco replies. He swallows down an insult, but everyone heard the way his voice hitched at the end of the sentence. Hermione narrows her eyes. „Whatever you want to say to Harry you can say to all of us,“ the girl demands. 

Now it‘s Draco‘s turn to narrow his eyes, but then he takes a deep breath and replies in a mostly calm voice. „I want to offer my help with the missing student case.“

„Why come to us?“ Rom asks. 

„Because you‘re always involved, Weasel. I‘m not some dump fuck you find on the streets,“ he hisses through clenched teeth as he casts a meaningful sideway glance at the demigods. Clarisse sits up straighter, but Nico‘s hand on her knee holds her back. Her blood burns and her fists yearn sing to the sound of bruising flesh. All of her previous bored thoughts go up in smoke, but Nico shakes his head.

It‘s not the right time for trouble. They need find out more about their dynamic first. Sadly she can‘t argue with that logic. 

But if they step out of line again, she won't be persuaded with words or logic. This whole situation has pushed a few too many buttons and she needs to get this anger out. She can see the understanding reflected in his dark eyes. Nico doesn't like it, but he understands. 

Only then Clarisse realizes the steel grip he has on Percy's collar. The other boy is basically pouting in his seat. 

„What if we don‘t want your help, Malfoy?“ Harry spits out. His anger spills out of him like an overflowing glass of water. It drips down the edges until the whole floor is covered. Clarisse wants to dive deep into the waves until they consume her. Maybe she should try to sleep more. This isn't a good mindset to have. 

„You might not want my help, but I promise you that you‘ll need it,“ the blonde boy sneers at them. Otherwise he doesn’t outwardly react to the anger directed his way, but Clarisse can see the hurt dancing in his eyes. There is a lot of history to unpack.

The golden trio scoffs, but they gesture for Draco to elaborate. The boy takes a deep breath before he begins his explanation. „The missing boy was rumored to be descendant of the chosen ones. They said he was destined for great things, but the boy just couldn’t live up to the expectations of his parents. No one knows what went on behind closed doors, but my father warned me about the family. He said that the madness had already consumed them.“

„You say that this boy was been targeted?“ Hermione says and Draco nods. 

„Why should we believe you?“ Ron asks.

Draco shrugs: „I don’t want to see this school being reduced to rubble once again. Even if you don’t believe me. There are many things about the wizard community you don’t know about.“ He lets his gaze wander over the group. „Some secrets should never be revealed, but others need to finally see the light of day.“

„And you decide which secrets should be revealed?“ Harry asks with a frown. 

Clarisse stares at him bewildered. The boy completely missed the point here. No wonder their war went so poor. It‘s not only the goverment that is impossible stupid. They all are. 

„If that’s what you want to believe,“ Draco replies with a sigh. „Just contact me if you decide to finally get over yourself.“ Then he turns around and stalks out of the library. His robes are flying behind him. „Is he always this dramatic?“ Percy asks with a raised brow, but is completely ignored by the rest of the group. 

„You- You death eater should get over yourself,“ Ron nearly screams at Draco's retreating back. „Fucking traitor.“ 

His outburst gets them banned from the library for at least a week. Hermione is ready to strangle her boyfriend and Clarisse itches to see them fight. 

To her disappointment Harry steps between them and deescalates the situation. A full on brawl would've improved Clarisse's mood. 

„You might be right, Ron,“ he says „But we shouldn’t cast him aside like that. He chose the right side in the end.“

„It doesn’t make him a good person,“ Hermione spits out. „But we need to be better.“

Clarisse stares at them. Are they serious? This is a completely wrong move. Everything about this situation is just wrong. How do they expect to change if they don‘t even grant the other half a tiny little chance?

She catches Nico‘s eye. We need to talk to that boy.

Nico nods. He has valuable information. 

Percy tilts his head. When do we strike? Today?

Nico shakes his head. We have other responsibilities today. 

Clarisse stares at Percy. Don‘t tell me you already forgot about the centaurs?

Percy frowns, but doesn’t really denies it. 

Nico shakes his head in fond experation. 

„How long do you plan on staying?“ Hermione addresses them with a calculative look. She knows they had a wordless conversation. 

„We have places to be,“ Nico replies with an overly polite smile. 

„Are you going to talk to Malfoy?“ Ron sneers. „Don’t take his words seriously. He‘s a pureblood fanatic, who had a change of heart in the last minute. His words are full of lies and practically worthless.“ 

Clarisse has to hold herself back from replying: just like you. 

„How we decide to spend our free time is none of your business,“ Nico answers and it‘s pretty impressive how his fake smile stays the same. 

„Of course,“ Hermione says. „We just thought that we would share our plans with each other as we officially decided to work together.“ 

Clarisse can feel her left eye twitching in irritation. She has to remove herself from the situation before actually loses the hold on her anger. Her steps are wide and unhurried as she walks down the corridor. The confused gazes of the wizards burn her back. 

Percy just laughs at her departure. 

She can hear Nico saying something to the wizards and then they are following her down the hallway and down the stairs. They easily fall in step as they descend. 

Without another word they exit the castle and return to the forbidden forest. 

Clarisse just hopes Percy can contain his revelations this time. 

She has no patience for another awakening. 

 

Notes:

The golden trio has a lot of history with Draco. He might have switched sides at the end of the war, but it doesn't erase the years of history they share. It's a difficult situation for everyone involved.
Hermione hates him for the way he treated her and every other muggle born witch/ wizard.
Ron hates him for the exact same reasons.
Harry understands him a bit, but he can't openly stand beside him.
Draco fights with his own believes, but it won't magically erase the way he was raised.
This makes the demigods basically the "neutral" party in this conflict.

Chapter 26: The story of the centaurs and the cult

Notes:

Hey guys,
I know it's been a few days, but HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thank you so much for sticking around. I know my upload schedule is basically nonexisting, but I promise you new chapters will come. Honestly, I didn't even realize how much time has passed since my last chapter, because I've been so busy with life.

The centaurs are already awaiting their arrival. 

Percy steps forward to explain the situation and with every word he speaks, the centaurs grow more and more restless. Their gazes are fearful and their bodies tense. This cult seems to be even worse news than anyone could’ve imagined. 

„You know who they are,“ Nico comments as soon as they all fall silent. His gaze flickers over the surrounding centaurs. 

They hesitantly nod in agreement. „We thought they went extinct, but it seems like they just acted out of sight,“ Norem says with a sigh. „We should’ve known it was them, but we didn’t want it to be true. All the signs we ignored, they couldn’t have pointed to another solution.“

„This has happened before?“ Nico asks. He can't believe they would hide this very valuable information. The centaur share another uneasy look as if to weigh the result of their admission with their thoughts alone. Finally, Norem agrees, which prompts Nico to ask what exactly happened back then.

„Everything happened a long, long time ago. To be precise in the ancient days,“ Norem begins his tale. „It has been such a long time that the details are a bit clouded, but I remember clearly the way we lived in peace with the human village nearby until the first human girl suddenly disappeared. The villager came and asked for help, but we didn’t care about their little problems. Humans vanish all the time so what difference would another make? We were so wrong. A few weeks later and the humans had given up on finding her. There was no trace of the girl. I'm not even sure if we could've been of any help.“

„The villagers became quite hostile towards us so we packed our little possessions when suddenly a human boy appeared before us. His eyes had the color of molten gold, his hair rivaled the sunset and his robes were way too pristine for a mere boy of the village. We didn’t see his arrival nor did we hear his steps as he approached. It was as if he was not truly there.“ The centaur shudders at the memory. „At first we suspected him to be a minor god or a powerful demigod, but something about him seemed not right. The way his arms swung lifelessly at his sides and the way his grin seemed to split his face apart.“

„He reminded us of a puppet whose strings had been played with a bit too much,“ another centaur mumbled. 

„Then he spoke to us with a deep and cold voice. I still remember thinking what a stark contrast to his appearance it was. He wanted to know why we would want to leave so soon when he still had to get his present ready for us. We were confused as we didn’t do anything to deserve such generosity. The boy laughed his unhinged laugh. It nearly dislocated his jaw while sharp teeth peeked out between his plump lips. Our genuine confusion amused him.“

„Then he told us that our ignorance had been generous enough. Another pair of human children had gone missing from the village, but the elders decided not to talk to us about it. Our ignorance made it possible. So the cult decided to reward us with a present.“

Norem shakes his head at the memory. „The boy presented a human skull. Symbols had been carved into the bone, but the worst was the soul trapped inside it. He called it an unsuspected by-product of one of their offerings. It was the missing girl, who was more than a regular human. She had been a legacy of an unknown god so their rituals didn’t work as usual.“

„He looked down at her screaming soul with glee. With a tender touch, he caressed the skull. It obviously pained him to hand her over to us, but something higher up must have demanded it. We never found out who was behind it or why they actually decided to offer this remnant to us. We didn’t accept the offering, but it just turned up wherever we went. Like a ghost, it haunted us for centuries until we found a way to free the poor soul.“

Nico stares at them in deep thought. „I have two questions. What happened to the village and how did you free the girl?“

„Make it three. I want to know about the connection between the boy and the cult,“ Clarisse says. 

„We don’t know for sure what happened with the village. The villagers didn’t want to talk to us anymore. I’m pretty sure they silently accused us of stealing their children so they didn’t even open their barricades to let us in. A sorceress helped us free the trapped soul, but I’m afraid that she has left the land of the living a long time ago,“ Norem explains. 

„Death is no obstacle for me,“ Nico replies with a smirk. 

„If you say so, son of Hades, but beware of the rules of destiny. This sorceress was punished for her sins greatly,“ Norem warns. „She helped us, but the path she followed was one bathed in blood and sorrow.“

„I’ll keep your warning in mind,“ Nico promises.

„What about the connection?“ Clarisse asks again. 

„We found out about the cult centuries after we freed the girl. Her soul was in too much pain to relay a clear message or warning. It was another conflict that brought the cult to light and in the aftermath, we realized that the boy must’ve been part of it,“ Norem answers. 

„What conflict?“ Percy asks with a deep frown. He doesn’t like where this is going.

Norem shares a look with the other centaurs. 

„We swore on the river Styx to never speak about it again,“ Norem finally says, but if it‘s the truth remains to be seen. 

Percy doesn’t like this one bit. Some secrets shouldn't stay buried any longer. „Just like Chiron did with the Romans. All of these secrets will bring us into an early grave.“ 

„Is there anything you can tell us without breaking a sacred oath?“ Nico asks. His dark eyes try to find a weakness in the centaur's defense, but the centaur's expressions stay guarded. 

Norem takes a deep breath before he says: „You should ask Chiron about it. He might be able to talk with you about it since it seems he already broke the oat once.“ There is a bit of bitterness hidden in his voice, but it‘s unclear if it’s because of the oath or Chiron in general.

„Thank you, we‘ll do that,“ Nico says. His hand grabs Percy‘s to remind him to control himself. It won‘t be good if he blows up on those centaurs. In his haste to stop Percy, he forgot that Clarisse has also known Chiron since she was a child and the whole situation with the Romans is still a sore spot for her. 

„At least he did something to help unlike you. Where were you when Gaea awakened?“ Clarisse taunts with a smile that promises bloodshed. 

Nico lightly slaps her arm. „Stop it. Don‘t step down to the same level as the wizards.“ 

Clarisse shakes her head to clear her thoughts. „You‘re right, but it doesn’t change the fact that there was so much going on and the oat had technically already been broken. We needed help. More than ever. They could've been the reinforcements we desperately needed. They could've saved our family. They could save this community, but instead, they look the other way. Again.“

Now the centaurs look a bit ashamed. „I‘m sorry. We didn’t mean to offend,“ Norem carefully replies.

Nico tilts his head. „It‘s alright. The war has left us all a bit shaken. Chiron didn’t break his oat, because the reason for his oat was already in our midst. The secret had already been revealed through a scheme of the gods.“ He doesn’t say Hera‘s name, because they don't need her attention on them right now. 

„We were unaware of such happenings,“ Norem replies. „But we‘re glad the conflict could be avoided.“ 

„This conflict did lead to a war, which did cost us many siblings and friends. Without this secret we might‘ve been more prepared,“ Clarisse spits out. Anger colors her cheeks red, but she holds herself back from any physical confrontation. 

„Aren’t you a daughter of war? Shouldn‘t you scream in joy at the prospect of battle?“ Jordan taunts. The demigods share a thoughtful and exasperated look. How could they forget the annoying centaur? 

„I might be born for bloodshed and war, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy the results of such a fight. My scars are not trophies I shove in everyone's face. They tell the story of my survival and the tragedy of those lost in battle,“ Clarisse replies. „Just because you‘re good at something doesn’t mean it‘s good.“ 

Norem stares at her with a gleam in his eyes. Nico feels a shiver traveling down his body. Something is really wrong here. These are not the same centaurs they met before. 

„If you can‘t tell us anything else we must go and inform Chiron about this new development,“ Nico says with a polite smile. They need to get out of here. 

The centaurs don‘t protest as the demigods leave their clearing behind. As they climb over the big roots of a giant tree Clarisse speaks up. „You felt it, too.“ 

Nico nods. „I believe their story about the boy, but everything else was suspicious. The way they evaded our questions and the many shared looks. I hope it‘s nothing serious, but my intuition tells me otherwise.“

„I felt it too,“ Percy says. „When you started asking questions about their relationship with the cult they started to change. Jordan was gone for most of the conversation. Out of the centaurs he was the most suspicious of us and then he‘s not there when we are.“

„You‘re right. That’s pretty weird,“ Nico agrees. 

„Do you think the same phenomena that happened with Nico could apply here?“ Clarisse asks with a worried frown. When her theory is correct then the situation is way worse than they thought. 

Percy tilts his head and thinks it through. „It could be, but we won‘t know for sure until we figure out their relationship with the cult.“

„We need to talk to Chiron as soon as possible,“ Nico concludes. 

The sound of a branch breaking makes them stop in their tracks. Have they been followed? The demigods fall into their fighting stance easily as they observe the surrounding thicket.

„I‘m unarmed,“ a voice rings out. The demigods don‘t even think of lowering their defenses at the call. Instead, they coldly demand that the person should show themselves. 

They‘re not really surprised when it‘s Jordan who steps forward. His expression is troubled and it looks like every step in their direction pains him. 

„What do you want?“ Percy asks. 

„I know you noticed that something is not right,“ Jordan begins and the demigods nod at once. „A few of us went out for a hunt and when we came back something felt off about our family. They act normal, but there is this underlying feeling of unease. Sometimes they say something slightly off, but then they all just move on. It reminds me of the way the boy presented himself, but this time it‘s more refined.“

„Centuries have gone by,“ Nico agrees offhandedly. 

„So the story of the boy is the truth?“ Clarisse asks. The centaur nods his head in agreement. 

„Why should we trust you?“ Percy demands to know.

„You shouldn’t,“ Jordan replies. „Don‘t trust anyone but yourself.“

„Work together or won’t work at all,“ Nico quotes the hat. 

Jordan stares at him quite confused, but Nico just shakes his head with a small smile. „Nothing more than a stray thought. Don‘t mind me.“

He will find out the truth one way or another. Who tells the truth will be revealed in due time. „Why are you really here?“ Nico asks. „I doubt you just want to chitchat about a weird feeling.“

The centaur shakes his head. „Don‘t let them get to you. The cult has a way to mess with your head. You can‘t trust your mind, your body, or your friends. Everything could be a lie. It happened once and I fear it will happen again.“

„You thought we were part of the cult when we turned up,“ Nico guesses. „How could you suspect us when you were all in so much denial?“ 

„Not all of us try to forget. Some of us can‘t let go of old grudges,“ Jordan replies and his eyes bore into Nico‘s. The demigod narrows his eyes. This is either a clue or a warning. Nevertheless, it could be helpful.

„Son of Hades you should be quite familiar with grudges. Aren’t they your fatal flaw?“ the centaur asks. Nico tilts his head the other way. „I thought your prophetic gift has been blocked by the cult.“

Surprise widens Jordan‘s eyes. 

„I‘m not some little damsel in distress,“ Nico says with a mock innocent expression. „If you know me so well as you pretend to do then you should know what kind of person I am. Death is my birthright and diplomacy is my favorite afternoon activity. Do you really want to play this game? Then bring it on.“ His grin is wide and manic. „I‘m not completely sane, Jordan. I‘ll do everything I need to get out of this quest alive so tell me: where did you bury your moral compass?“ Jordan looks a bit shocked. „Speechless? Don‘t worry. We'll have so many topics to discuss in the future.“

„I won‘t hold him back,“ Clarisse says with crossed arms as Jordan‘s gaze flickers over to her. „Nico is by far the most dangerous person on this quest and you thought he was the level-headed one of us.“

Percy chuckles. „Surprise. We‘re all a bit unhinged.“ 

„Tartarus eats your sanity for breakfast,“ Nico adds. His head is tilted downwards, but he looks up through his lashes like a bird ready to pick you apart. The hungry gleam in his eyes combined with his wide grin makes the centaur take a step back. 

Then an unhinged smile breaks Jordan's face apart. Sharp teeth reflect the moonlight. „You suspected me from the beginning, didn’t you?“ the being says. 

Nico laughs. „Of course. You infiltrated the centaurs way before our arrival.“ 

„Too smart for your own good,“ the being replies. 

„Perhaps,“ Nico shrugs. „It‘ll be fun to pick your feathers. One after another until all of you lie bare at our feet.“

„We‘ll cheer as you crash to the ground,“ Clarisse promises with a dark smirk of her own. „You‘ll wish to have never been born.“

Percy makes a small explosion gesture with his hands. It would've been a funny sight if his eyes didn't shine with misplaced anticipation. 

„What is the message you were asked to deliver?“ Nico asks. 

The centaur laughs once again. „You‘re going to be so much fun. Wanna play a little game?“ 

Percy looks him deep in the eye as he says „No.“

 

Notes:

Nico: "I'm not some damsel in distress."
Jordan: "Could've fooled me with the way your friends had to rescue you in the cave."

Chapter 27: A risky gamble

The centaur ignores the „No.“ He pulls out some kind of board game as well as a bunch of little odd-shaped bones. Various symbols and numbers have been carved into the surface. Percy comes to the realization that these bones are not human. He doesn’t know how to feel about it. On one hand, he’s glad they are animal bones, but on the other, he fears what kind of practice was used on the innocent creatures. 

He shakes his head. At the same time, Nico speaks up: „We won‘t play your obviously rigged game.“ His eyes narrow as he stares the centaur down. „You’re stalling.“ The statement makes the centaur laugh. 

„If you manage to win, I’ll tell you everything,“ he offers. Percy stares at the bones between his fingers. They are a tool. A remnant of a game long lost. Maybe one day his bones will be clutched between the bony fingers of a laughing god. Forgotten are the body and soul. His only function will be the foolish entertainment beyond his imagination. Besides him, Nico shakes his head. His black curls bounce up and down with the motion. 

Percy wants to reach out to him. He wants to caress those soft locks. He wants to play with every curl until Nico bats his teasing fingers away. He will look up at Percy with his usual disgruntled expression and impossible soft eyes. Like a cute little kitten. 

„We‘ll find out regardless of the game,“ Nico speaks up and his words catapult Percy back into the harsh reality.  

The centaur chuckles. „If you play fast, you might be able to avoid a disaster. It’s a great deal. Entertainment for me and information for you. Everyone gets what they want. Tell me, ghost king, what are you willing to bet?“ 

Percy shares a look with his friends. They won‘t actually play with the nutcase, right? 

Nico is deep in thought. His eyes are dark and calculating. 

Clarisse observes the centaur with narrowed eyes. She doesn’t trust him one bit. 

The centaur looks at them with an innocent expression none of them truly believe. He thinks he managed to push them into a corner. Percy can see the way he already believes in his success. Too bad Nico doesn’t stay in the carefully drawn lines. He always finds an alternative. 

Nico smirks as he looks the centaur in the eye. Percy knows what he’ll say even before Nico can utter the words. Well, the word. He repeats Percy’s previous statement with barely hidden glee. „No,“ is everything he needs to say to get their point across. 

„You don‘t care about your fellow students?“ the centaur asks. There is disbelief dancing through his wide eyes. 

„We don’t believe a word you say. This possible ‚disaster‘ will be nothing compared to the stakes of your innocent little game. You didn’t have enough time to actually prepare for this disaster. You‘re trying to manipulate us by planting the seed of doubt in our minds. Two can play this game,“ Nico leans forward into the personal space of the being. „I have something you desperately want to get back into your possession. Let‘s play a game.“

The centaur stares at the demigod in disbelief. „You have nothing of worth in your possession,“ he says, but his eyes betray a hint of doubt. 

„Wanna bet?“ Nico asks. His smirk has turned feral once again and Percy falls in love a little bit more. „You didn‘t have the time to take anything with you,“ the being says. „You‘re bluffing.“

„Then you won’t have a problem playing a little game with me, right? Tell me, what are the stakes?“ Nico asks as if nothing could go wrong. „I hope for something good because it’s you who wanted to play in the first place. Come on, show me how serious you can be!“

The centaur observes the group carefully. Percy can see the web of lies and bluffs spinning before his eyes. It’s unnerving, but he has to trust his beloved. Nico has never let him down before. „I‘ll bet the lives of the centaurs. If you win, we‘ll let them live in peace, but if you lose they‘ll be doomed alongside these puny mortals.“

„Swear it on the river Styx,“ Nico demands. 

„I swear on the river Styx that if Nico di Angelo wins our bet the cult of chaos will leave the centaurs alone, but if I win their destiny will lay in my hands,“ the centaur swears with a dark gleam in his eyes. He enjoys this way too much. 

Nico nods then he gestures for the centaur to lean down. He whispers a word into his ear and the centaur reels back in shock. His eyes are wide open and various emotions flicker across his face. Percy can’t decipher any of them, because the being has itself back under control in a matter of seconds.

„Where did you hear that name?“ the centaur spits out. 

„Doesn’t matter,“ Nico replies with a dismissive wave of his hand. „I took your name out of the cave. Names hold a lot of power in our world. With this knowledge, I could do unspeakable things, which means I win this bet.“ 

The centaur hisses through clenched teeth: “You lied.“

„We never established that the thing we took had to be physical,“ Nico easily disagrees. „Heed your promise and leave the centaurs alone. They don‘t deserve your meddling.“

„No one does,“ Percy whispers under his breath. His words fall on deaf ears. The being is trapped in its own rage, while Nico can’t let his focus waver for even a second. Clarisse makes sure no one sneaks up on them in this delicate moment.

„You don’t know what they deserve. Your dear centaurs aren‘t as innocent as they claim to be,“ the being spits out. 

Nico shrugs. „No one is ever truly innocent. Not you. Not me. We all have blood on our hands.“ 

„You made a grave mistake,“ the being warns them. 

„Maybe,“ Nico relents. „But it‘s done and we have to live with the outcome of our decisions. You underestimated me and now you pay the price. Next time try to be a bit more believable in your endeavors.“

Before the centaur can utter another word, Nico has already turned his back on him and started to leave the clearing behind. Percy and Clarisse are hot on his heels. The rest of the walk back to the castle is silent. 

When they finally arrive at the doors, Clarisse stops Nico with the palm of her hand. She stands before the door with narrowed eyes. „Explain yourself,“ she demands.

„You want to know how I knew about the name?“ He asks, but it doesn’t really sound like a question so Clarisse doesn’t even bother with an answer. She just taps her foot and crosses her arms. Percy will have her head if she accidentally grabs Nico’s collar to shake the answer out of the boy. 

Nico leans back on his heels with a rueful smile. „Honestly, it was a gamble. I had a hunch. Nothing more.“ 

„I didn’t know you had a gambling problem,“ Clarisse dryly remarks. Nico chuckles. „I don’t have a problem,“ he denies, but even to his own ears, it sounds like a lie.

„Your behavior in the forest suggests otherwise,“ Clarisse replies with a raised brow. 

„Cut the chit-chat,“ Percy chimes in. „Tell us everything.“ He turns towards his maybe-boyfriend with a stern look. Nico doesn’t look affected and Percy catches himself thinking about how hot it is. „You know that the cult is created by chaos. A divine being outside of our reach. There are many myths about the nature and birth of such a being. The origin of everything is one theory created by Anaximander. Most of his work has been lost, but father keeps a few half-burned copies in his second favorite library in the underworld,“ Nico begins his explanation. „Have you ever heard of Apeiron?“

Percy and Clarisse shake their heads. 

„I figured as much. It’s a mostly forgotten theory, which states that the beginning or ultimative reality -arche- is eternal and infinite, or boundless -which is the meaning of apeiron-, subject to neither old age nor decay, which perpetually yields fresh materials from which everything we can perceive is derived.“

„Apeiron generated the opposites -for example hot and cold or wet and dry- which acted on the creation of the world. Everything is generated from Apeiron and then it is destroyed by going back to Apeiron, according to necessity. He believed that infinite worlds are generated from Apeiron and then they are destroyed there again.“ 

„So the Apeiron can be understood as a sort of primal chaos,“ Nico finishes his explanation.

Clarisse stares at Nico in slight disbelief. „You told the crazy centaur the name/ theory/ myth of Apeiron and he left us alone? You gambled over such a far-fetched theory?“ 

„I already had the thought in the cave. The symbols down there were also displayed in Anaximander’s texts. Every myth carries a bit of truth. Apeiron is the same. We just have to figure out how much about it is reality,“ Nico says. 

Clarisse massages her forehead. „I can’t believe you.“

„Yeah, I can’t really believe it either. My sanity is already slipping through my fingers,“ Nico casually comments. 

Percy stares between them in disbelief. He feels like he has awoken on the wrong side of the bed again with wide eyes and endless confusion as to how he got there. It would’ve been adorable in the eyes of others if he wouldn’t feel so lost. His fingers begin to twitch at his side.

„Is he all right?“ Nico asks Clarisse as he pokes Percy’s unprotected side with his finger. „No, I’m not all right,“ Percy replies. „I desperately need some sleep. After that, we can talk about everything. For some reason, the gamble worked out all right in the end and no one has to die.“

„We’re not done here,“ Clarisse says, but her shoulders lose a bit of their tension. „If your theory is correct then we have a much bigger problem than we previously thought.“

„It would definitely explain Ares's sudden departure,“ Percy says as an afterthought. Clarisse glares at him. Percy raises his hands in defense. „All right, all right. We’ll talk about it tomorrow at breakfast.“

„And no discussion with our little death boy in your dorm. He is on probation,“ Clarisse says with a stern look. She’s serious about this. 

„You’re the boss,“ Percy mocks and then goes so far as to salute her. The daughter of war is not impressed. She shoves the door open and stalks away into the darkness of the castle. 

Tomorrow might be a better day. Percy tries to be optimistic, but the fates laugh. Tomorrow will be even worse. 

Notes:

Apeiron is not a theory created by me. I stumbled upon it by accident and I couldn't forget about it.

Chapter 28: Drew's advice will have to wait

Notes:

Heyy, everyone!
This might be the last chapter for a while. I'm still swamped with work and responsibilities, but I'll try to find the time to update as soon as possible. Now please enjoy this chapter, which might or might not break your heart.

This time it takes no time for the iris message to connect Nico with Drew. Her dark eyes stare at him through the mirror in her shared bathroom. Two or three eyeshadow palettes lay open on the sink and a little army of makeup brushes displayed across the space. She holds her black eyeliner between her manicured fingers ready to create razor-sharp wings. 

„Nikki, darling, don‘t you think it‘s a bit early for a social call?“ she asks him. 

Nico takes a deep breath. „Percy basically confessed to me.“ 

Drew doesn’t look surprised at the news. She draws her first wing with the precision of a makeup veteran. Not even the world ending could shake her focus. „What do you mean by 'basically'? Did he confess or did he not?“

"We were in the hallway before the dining hall at dinner. He confessed, but told me he‘ll do it again in a proper environment,“ Nico explains with a small blush. 

„A proper environment?“ Drew raises one perfectly shaped brow. „Has he gotten dumber in the last few weeks? A confession is a confession. You just can‘t just redo it if you didn‘t like the place.“

„Percy said he would,“ Nico replies. 

„Do you have any idea what he has planned?“ Drew demands to know as she draws the second wing. It looks exactly like the first and Drew smiles at herself. This is art. 

Nico shakes his head as he sits on the closed toilet seat again. It seems like the only room in Hogwarts Drew is ever going to see is the en-suite bathroom of her best friend. At least today their locations match. 

„Why not? He should’ve left at least some clues?“ Drew says as she hovers over her lip gloss selection. Does she feel more like a cute pink or angry red today? 

„There has been a lot going on lately,“ Nico begins with a sigh. „I don’t blame him for not getting his shit together.“ 

„You might not blame him but I do,“ Drew declares, and to further prove her point she waves a lip gloss case in his direction. „Nikki, you deserve the world, and don‘t you dare to argue with me about it. He sees your worth, but he doesn’t honor it. Maybe I should talk with him after all.“ 

Nico gapes at her. „Absolutely not. Don‘t meddle in my love life.“

„Why not? Is it because everything I touch eventually breaks?“ There is sadness hidden behind her teasing words. Nico shakes his head. „Of course not. It's just that Percy would be scared into action and I want him to do this his way. He has been so nice lately,“ Nico says and the soft smile that overtakes his features at the thought of Percy is absolutely adorable. 

„So you want him to take his time? Then why did you call me?“ Drew asks slightly confused. 

Nico smiles at her. „I want you to be the first one to know.“

This time he actually managed to catch her off guard. Her half-painted lips turn up into a soft smile. She can‘t even put her feelings into words. All of this means a lot to her and if Percy manages to fuck this up then nothing can hold her back from flying to this magic school to kick his ass. Son of the big three. He has no chance against an angry woman. Drew will tear him to pieces. 

„How about you? How are your plans going?“ Nico asks as it becomes apparent Drew won’t say anything else. 

„I‘ve decided to get into justification. People like us come far too often in contact with the law. We need someone to defend us in court when the mist or any other magic fails. Besides I like to tear other people down. Take them apart until they beg for mercy,“ Drew says with a smirk. 

Nico chuckles. „You just want to cause trouble.“ 

„I would never,“ the girl exclaims in mock hurt. „I want to become a hero of justice. Known all around the world for my glorious court cases.“  

„Of course, how could I ever suggest otherwise?“ Nico plays along. 

„And you, Nikki, will become my cute little secretary. Known for his sweet smiles and dirty ways to obtain information,“ Drew spins her tale. „Everyone will be enthralled and terrified at the same time. A true devil.“

„But still nothing compared to you,“ Nico replies with a grin. 

„No one can compare to me,“ Drew says with a dramatic hair flip. Her dark eyes are full of amusement. They look at each other before they burst out in little giggles. 

„Which school have you enrolled in?“ Nico asks because the moment Drew made up her mind she‘ll do anything to achieve her goals. Don‘t even try to stand in her way. She'll tear you down without a second thought. 

„I decided on Harvard,“ she answers. „When will you get your reply?“ Nico asks. 

„I don’t need a reply. They will accept me into their program. I made sure of it,“ the daughter of love answers with a wicked grin. 

Nico shakes his head. „I don’t want to know what you did.“

„Nothing bad,“ Drew replies with another even more wicked grin. Nico can‘t help but laugh at her antics. „Just don’t get arrested before even becoming a lawyer. It won‘t look good on your CV.“ 

„Nothing about my real CV would look good,“ she says. „My fake one however is a dream come true. Did you know I was a student representative in my final year? Magnificent work. Everyone praised me. The students, the teachers, and the parents. Everything is documented on my new social media account. You can check out all my charity work there too. I‘m truly a saint.“

„You haven't been to a proper high school for years. And charity work? Really?“ Nico asks with a raised brow.

„I'm sure leading this goddam cabin can be counted as charity work. It‘s like babysitting and leading a group of Girl Scouts at the same time,“ Drew says with a shrug. „Someone had to do it and since I was the oldest after Silena's dead the honor was mine.“ Nico knows it's more a curse than a blessing for the girl. Even though Piper has taken over most of her tasks many responsibilities still fall on Drew's shoulders. Piper doesn't have the same experience with camp rules and regulations. 

„At least you have your siblings,“ Nico says. 

„Yeah,“ Drew says and the bitterness is dripping heavily from her voice „at least I have my siblings.“

„Did something happen again?“ Nico asks with a furrowed brow. 

Drew evades his eyes. „The same as always. I‘m the bad guy for protecting a younger girl from a predator. The girl is too scared to speak up so the asshole can say I attacked him without a reason. It drives me mad how blind they all are,“ Drew spits out. „I can‘t wait to get out of this place.“

„If you’re searching for a roommate, I currently have no place to stay,“ Nico tries to brighten her mood. „We would be a disaster,“ Drew grins, but the light has returned to her eyes.

„Sure, but who isn‘t?“ Nico says with a grin. „Please think about it.“

„I promise I will,“ Drew says with a soft smile. His words mean a lot to her. She doesn’t have to take this step alone. Even if everyone turns their back, Nico will stand by her side. 

The pounding of fists against her bathroom door makes her annoyed frown reappear. The corners of her mouth immediately turn downwards and her eyes narrow. 

„What?!“ she asks. 

„You‘ve been in there for at least an hour, Drew. You‘re not the only one living in this cabin. We also need to get ready for the day,“ Piper's voice rings out. 

Drew takes a deep breath and counts to ten. Her fingers are nearly crushing the marble sink. She gets up extra early to have enough time for herself. She needs the time to build the mask of the uncaring bitch. She lays the foundation and then colors over it with an innocent blush. Wicked eyeliner and perfectly straight hair complete the look. It's a ritual she needs to function properly. 

„Go and use the bucket outside. It should be enough for a barn girl like you,“ Drew spits out. She still has fifteen minutes left. 

She can hear her siblings whisper on the other side of the door. 

„Ten minutes, Drew. Not a second longer,“ Piper finally speaks up. 

Drew glares at the closed door. She fights for her tears to stay inside. She can‘t mess up her eye makeup. There is not enough time to do it again. 

Nico silently observes her inner fight. 

„If you say so,“ Drew finally pressed out through clenched teeth. She‘ll take a few precious extra seconds before she emerges. She knows this and they know it too.

„Do you want me to stay?“ Nico asks. Drew looks up at him. "Tell me about the courting your boy toy has been doing so far.“ It's her version of saying please don't leave me alone. 

„Alright,“ Nico says and then he begins his recount of events. He tells her all about the hugging and the cuddling and the little kisses in between. 

It‘s not nearly enough time for him to recount it all, because Drew can‘t help her little snarky comments, which make the conversation go sideways pretty fast. She smiles and laughs at his embarrassment and swears to have the talk with the son of Poseidon pretty soon. 

„Get Percy in here, darling. I need to give him the shovel talk,“ Drew says with a dark smile playing on her bloody-red lips. 

„Oh no, you won’t,“ Nico immediately protests. 

Drew raises an eyebrow. „Who else should do it? Jason? Hazel? Your father? Don’t be ridiculous.“ Nico just stares at her with wide eyes. He‘s truly speechless. The thought of his father talking to Percy about his dignity makes his entire being protest. He suppresses a full-body shudder.

„Don‘t even joke about it. He‘ll seriously do it,“ Nico finally hisses. His head flies from left to right as if his father could turn up out of thin air to make this nightmare reality. 

„Then get your boy toy in here,“ Drew replies.

„He‘s still asleep,“ Nico argues. 

„Then go and wake him up,“ Drew replies. It‘s not that difficult.

„No, I won’t," Nico says and his tone ends the discussion once and for all.

„I know he loves you, but if he even entertains the thought of breaking your heart then I’ll come and break his neck,“ Drew promises. Nico rolls his eyes. Her words aren’t new, but he still appreciates them as much as the first time she said them. 

He would do the same for her, even though she‘s pretty scary on her own. 

„What happened to the asshole from last time?“ Nico can’t help but ask. Drew‘s expression clouds over. „He won‘t be coming back anytime soon.“

„What happened?“ Nico asks again. 

„After calling me names, he dared to touch an underage girl without her consent. I made sure he doesn’t even think of repeating this action,“ Drew spits out. „I can‘t believe I kissed him.“ Nico recalls the topic at the beginning of their talk. The scared girl and the asshole. „What is his name?“ Nico‘s voice is completely void of emotion, but he catches her questioning gaze. „Drake Dwelling,“ Drew says. Her blood-red lips are curled upwards into a mean smirk. Nico nods. He‘ll make sure to remember the name. 

One day the other boy will descend to the underworld and Nico will await him at the doors. He‘ll escort Drake to the judges to relay his final judgment. Drake won‘t have his happy ever after. There is no reason to go after him when Drew already did such a splendid job. 

Nico can be patient. Everyone ends up in his father's domain someday. Drake is no exception. 

When Drew‘s siblings start knocking on the bathroom door again, they reluctantly end their iris message. Nico knows they don’t actually mean any harm, but their ignorance is still hurting Drew. At this point, she has given up on a real relationship with them. Nothing she‘ll do will ever be enough. 

They promise to call each other again. 

Then Nico is alone again. It‘s still too early for Percy to be awake so Nico sits down on the edge of their window and stares down at the courtyard. Fog is rolling through the stone pillars below. It obscures his vision and makes everything seem like a distant dream. 

Nico can feel the cold air on his skin even though the open fire warms their room. A dark feeling settles down on his shoulders. Something bad will happen, but this time Nico is prepared.

It feels like their meeting with the being was just the first omen. They might have avoided a conflict back then, but the being is watching them closely. Every step they take is followed by unseeing eyes. It‘s enough to make him self-conscious on a good day. Now he just wants to hide in the shadows until it‘s all over. 

A fruitless dream. He can never stay away. 

Trouble always finds Percy and now that they‘re nearly boyfriends Nico is even more tangled up in all the messes Percy ultimately stumbles into. He smiles into the darkness. 

If Nico is honest he doesn’t mind it at all. 

Strong arms circle around his shoulders as Percy buried his head into Nico‘s soft curls. „Come back to bed,“ he whispers against his skin. 

„I will,“ Nico promises even though he doesn’t move. 

„Now,“ Percy demands, and the sleepy pout Nico can see in the reflection makes him smile. With a light chuckle, he lets himself be led back to the bed. Percy is right. It‘s still too early to think such dark thoughts. He can‘t fight on all fronts at the same time. One battle at a time. 

When they finally stumble into the great hall a few hours later, the rumors fly left and right. Another boy has gone missing. A few corridors south from the first incident, but still near enough for the attackers to have used the same way in. 

Nico sinks onto the bank with a frown. „I had a bad feeling about this morning,“ he says as he begins to pile a little mountain of fruit onto his plate. 

„You have a bad feeling all the time,“ Clarisse comments. Her sausages are still piled high and her toast is untouched. Nico tilts his head in thanks. She waited for them to arrive to start her meal. 

„Yeah, but I have the feeling that something really bad will happen today,“ Nico replies. „It feels like a dark cloud that seeps through my skin and chills my bones. It‘s not over.“

Percy lets out a long sigh as he drowns his cereal in milk and honey. „They‘ve gotten bolder,“ Clarisse comments. „Do you think your little provocation had something to do with it?“ Great. Clarisse is holding a grudge. 

„Maybe. It would‘ve happened sooner or later.“ Nico shrugs, but the pinch between his brows betrays his silent worry. „They‘ll start to get sloppy. We might‘ve gotten a raise out of them.“

Clarisse shakes her head. „I‘m not playing detective again.“

„You don’t have to. We just need to compare the crime scenes and then open the passageway to the pipes,“ Nico says as if it‘s the easiest thing in the world. He ignores that all of this can be described as detective work. Percy smiles around a spoonful of cereal. 

„Yeah sure, anything else on our agenda today?“ Clarisse mocks. Her sausages easily split in half with the force of her fork. It‘s not nearly as satisfying as she hoped it would be. 

Nico thinks it through. „Maybe. Maybe not. It honestly depends on our progress.“

„Wonderful. I‘m still angry with you,“ she says as if it isn’t obvious in the way she narrows her eyes at Nico. „Don’t do shit like that ever again. At least consult with us beforehand. We‘re on this quest together. Act like it!“

Nico tilts his head in agreement. He won’t give her any empty promises. It’s not fair. 

Clarisse observes him for another second before she deems his answer acceptable. The Clarisse of the past would’ve flipped the table. Then she would’ve beaten him down to his father's level. Sadly she learned that violence isn’t always the answer. She's not even sure if she could win a fight with Nico. He's unpredictable and insane. The things he would do to win. Clarisse isn't sure where he draws the line between an acceptable sacrifice and unspeakable horror. 

Nico does things his way regardless of her opinion. They decide to check out the corridor before their first lesson. It‘s the same scene as before. There are a bunch of claw marks on the wall and floor as well as splattered blood. Everything is hidden underneath a thick layer of mist. 

Only this time there is a bloody trail on the floor. „This was a different being,“ Nico says. „They weren’t strong enough to carry the student like the first one.“

Clarisse leans back against the unharmed wall. "Maybe the first time it was a possessed centaur who kidnapped the student. Now they are free and the being had to slip into a different individual."

"No, I don't think so," Nico argues back, but he doesn't explain his reasoning. „Why didn’t it use the monster for transport?“ Percy asks. 

„Good question. We don’t know what kind of monster it is,“ Nico frowns as he steps toward the marks. „But it seems like the same kind as the fist.“

„Maybe it was the same,“ Clarisse comments dryly. „Something about it seems familiar, but I can’t press my finger on it. Drives me crazy.“ She still doesn't move away from the wall. Her arms are crossed in the universal sign for 'I-don't-want-to-be-here'. 

Percy nods as his fingers trail over the claw marks. The razor-sharp edges dance along his fingertips. So close to drawing blood. One little push and the liquid can flow freely. It‘ll drip down his fingers onto the floor. It‘ll wake the horrors inside once again. Percy can feel the darkness purring inside him. This time it would be intentional. He shakes his head and locks eyes with Clarisse. She stares at him with an unreadable expression. Can she see the darkness eating him alive?

Nico is sitting cross-legged on the floor. His palms are flat on the stones as he focuses on their surroundings. 

Percy wants to take his hand and break it into pieces so he can never wield a weapon again. He wants to break Nico's legs so he can‘t run away. He’ll stay with Percy for eternity. 

Without really noticing Percy takes a step forward. How wonderful Nico's breaking bones would sound. A song of misery and love only for his ears to hear. His screams would become the melody of the future while his kicking limbs would write the lyrics of this everlasting nightmare.

His fingers itch at the thought of a new beginning as he takes another step forward. He can already feel his finger closing around this beautiful pale neck of his. Fair skin will turn black and blue under pressure.

All those beautiful colors are only for Percy to admire. They'll begin to bloom like the flowers on his mother's balcony in spring. Percy can't wait to see Nico carrying their love on his skin. He'll be special. The first flower to break through the sand of a long-forgotten desert. 

Now he‘s next to his favorite boy. He kneels down and slowly stretches out his hands. Nico is here. He's so defenseless and calm like the eye of the storm. A sick smile turns Percy's features into a grotesque imitation of his usual smirk. How would Nico's pale flesh taste on his tongue? 

Percy can feel the saliva dripping down his chin. Suddenly a body stands between him and Nico.

Clarisse stares him down with an angry snarl. They‘re so close Percy can see the flames of fury dancing in her eyes. After all these years Clarisse has learned to control her anger even in such abnormal situations. She could never get rid of the war cry building inside her chest. It's part of who she is as a person, but that doesn't mean her actions have to be thoughtless. Uncontrollable anger is dangerous to her and everyone she knows so she fuels her fire beneath the surface until it's time to set the world aflame.  

„What do you think you‘re doing?“ the daughter of war hisses through clenched teeth. Percy just tilts his head. Wasn’t it obvious? 

„What do you think I’m doing?“ he asks with an innocent smile no one actually believes. He can feel the way it splits his face into two halves and for some reason, it doesn’t feel right. 

„You‘re not Percy,“ Clarisse says. 

„I‘m Percy,“ Percy says. „Who else could I be?“

At these words, Nico slowly turns towards them. His dark eyes are full of cold calculation. „Antriphus, it's nice to finally meet you,“ he says with a smile. 

Percy tilts his head in the opposite direction. This boy will be the death of him.

„Is this the disaster the centaur mentioned?“ Clarisse spits out with barely contained fury. Her whole body is shaking with the force of her restraint. 

„When did you figure it out?“ Percy ignores Clarisse completely. Nico smiles. „It was really obvious. I already told you I had a bad feeling this morning.“ 

Percy stares him down. „How did you figure it out?“

Now it‘s Nico‘s turn to grin. „I didn’t.“ Clarisse is still standing between them. A physical shield that prevents Percy from strangling the other boy. 

„All of this isn’t real,“ Nico suddenly says and it‘s like a curtain falls. The scene waves and twists until a spotless corridor is left behind. There was never a second kidnapping. „I needed to get the upper hand in our little game so I prepared a stage for us to perform on.”

“You tricked me,“ Percy gleefully says. 

„Obviously,“ Nico replies. „I had a lovely chat with Hecate this morning before I talked to Drew. She gave me a few tips to make my life easier at the castle.“

„She told you a banning spell,“ Percy‘s expression sours. 

Nico chuckles at his words. „Not exactly. I‘m not her child which means I‘m not very skilled at magic, but I am still a child of the underworld. You might not have a physical body, but you still have a soul.“ His dark eyes gleam in the corridor light as he slowly rises from the floor. He stretches out his hand above Clarisse‘s shoulder to gently stroke Percy's cheek.

„I‘ll make sure you won‘t try this trick again,“ his grin can only be described as manic. "Souls are kind of my specialty."

Clarisse stares at Percy with the same insane expression. There is a maniac sort of glee in the way her smirk stretches across her face. „You believe him?“ Percy asks in a last hopeless attempt to change the tide. The daughter of war shrugs. „Yeah, why not?“ she says as if it’s the easiest decision in the whole world. At this moment she resembles a soldier more than ever. A cold and expressionless mask hides her true feelings again. This is war and she‘ll do whatever it takes to win. Even if it means she has to break Percy's bones or bury him alive. Her mind will splitter under this horrific task, but she won‘t break. 

Nothing can change her mind. She‘s a soldier under Nico‘s command. „You‘re crazy,“ Percy exclaims with a laugh.

„Obviously,“ Clarisse replies coldly. „None of us is truly sane.“

Nico‘s fingers press down on Percy's forehead. „Don‘t worry. It‘ll only hurt a little.“ 

It hurts like hell. Percy screams, but Clarisse slaps her hand over his open mouth. It muffles his agony but doesn’t take away the pain. 

Something dark and oily is slowly extracted from his body. It sticks to his skin and leaves an open wound on his chest behind. Suddenly the being is gone. Percy falls forward with one last shaky exhale. 

Everything hurts as he stares up at his friends. Unshed tears cloud his vision and for a moment he can‘t help but fear the power in Nico‘s hands. 

The other boy slowly strokes his thumps over his cheekbones. „Are you alright, Perce?“ he whispers.

He tries to speak, but Clarisse hasn’t retracted her hand just yet. Percy sends her an annoyed look, which makes her chuckle. „Welcome back, idiot.“

„I feel so violated,“ Percy says with a small smile directed at Nico, but the other boy evades his eyes. Percy can feel his heart breaking at the action. Will they be alright? 

Notes:

A lover's duet the world could never forget. (A lover's duet my heart is not ready to hear!!)

Chapter 29: Some space

Notes:

Heyy everyone,
I hope you can recover someday from this rollercoaster of emotions :)
Anyway, there are still many feelings lying ahead of you, so please go on and have fun!!

It‘s not the first time something has made itself comfortable underneath Percy’s skin, but it doesn’t get better. He feels dirty in a way, not even the longest bubble bath can cure him from. The urge to claw at his skin is only surpassed by the sheer need to make Nico understand nothing has changed between them. 

„You were violated,“ Nico replies with a frown and unreadable eyes. „It‘s honestly very concerning how he managed to slip unnoticed under your skin. Who knows what else he can do.“ 

Percy doesn’t want to think about it. Everything about the situation scares him, but he has to power through. Looking away doesn’t solve problems, it blows them out of proportion. 

A hug would make everything at least a little bit better, but Percy can’t seem to speak up. His throat still hurts from all the screaming, but it’s the hurt in his beloved eyes that make him freeze. 

Nico’s soothing fingers already strayed away from Percy’s cheek. They are now curled into tight fists at his side. Percy wants to pry them open before Nico draws blood. There will be white half-moons left, but no permanent damage. Still, he can’t find the strength to actually reach out. 

„It was different from the Eidolars,“ Percy recounts. „I was still me until we came here.“ His eyes are pleading for Nico to believe him as his words get laced with even more desperation. “Please, believe me, it was all me.” He would never play such a twisted game. 

Percy can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as he pleads for the son of Hades to understand, but Nico evades his eyes. 

Percy’s heart shatters into a million little pieces. 

„We should let you rest and then talk with the wizards about the chamber,“ Nico finally says. It’s a diplomatic approach to create some space between them. 

When he turns to Clarisse for some support or any other reaction, Percy can see her expression clearly for the first time since the being left his body. There is sadness welling up in her fiery eyes. She pities his crumbled form, but she won’t speak up in his regard. 

Her lips are pressed into a thin bloodless line as she physically holds herself back from commenting. She wishes for the ability to turn back time, but it is not in her blood. Instead, she has to square her shoulders and endure the moment. To stay strong for her friends, because if she breaks they might not overcome this. 

One of them has to hold the line. 

Percy can only watch as Nico slowly rises to his feet and starts to lead the way. His shoulders are raised and his body is curled inwards. He played a strong front for the being, but it’s clear the situation has hurt him badly. He second-guesses everything. 

Overthinking can be a blessing, but it’s also a curse. They all know it. 

Clarisse helps Percy to his feet. She hesitates but one look at Nico’s retreating back is enough to break her silence. „Give him a bit of space,“ she advises. „He needs to sort his feelings out, but don’t give up hope. Start small and built that trust back up again.“

Her smile is soft, which makes the slap on his back even harsher. „Now move your ass, before I have to drag you to class.“ 

Percy chuckles. He doesn’t need a vivid imagination to clearly see the situation. Clarisse with her big muscular arms would drag a half-consciousness Percy through the hallways and down the stairs. His limb body would slide around the corners like a sled on a snowy mountain. The other students would scramble to get out of her way because nothing in this school is capable of stopping a daughter of war on a mission. Percy would be covered in bruises long before the teachers could try to interfere. 

Clarisse is scary on a good day, but this whole ordeal has taken its toll. 

Instead of going to class the hard way, Percy silently follows them through the castle. Nico‘s back is turned toward him at all times. It’s like the son of the sea doesn’t exist in Nico‘s life anymore. 

With every evaded glance Percy's shattered heart breaks down a little bit more. If he tries to pick them up, he will only cut himself to pieces. 

Clarisse hands him a note, but it’s only a question about class. He can see in her guarded expression that she’s aware of what he’s hoping for. A sign of hope. 

‘Give him time,’ she reminds him as she turns back around. Percy wants to shake the girl because being patient has never been his strong suit. 

He catches himself reaching out to Nico again and again. His hand feels empty at his side so he twirls Riptide between his fingers. It doesn’t stop the feeling, but it helps to suppress the urge to reach out. At least a teeny tiny bit. 

Even though the being is gone, the worry stays behind. It climbs across his body and whispers insecurities in his ear. Percy doesn’t want to listen, but his world has lost its voice once more and only the everpresent doubt remains.  He can feel the tears blurring his vision as they descend the stairs toward the dungeons later that day. Every subject flows around the demigod. The information is forever lost as he stares at beautiful pale skin and dark curls instead. 

Nico has been his light in the dark. After Annabeth and he broke apart, Nico was there. He held Percy close and promised him that everything would eventually be alright. Another day would begin because they made it possible. War demands the greatest sacrifices out of its participants and once you overcome the fighting it’s time to rebuild not only your home but yourself.

Percy had been crying himself to sleep ever since the last fight when Nico had appeared at his bedroom window with an unsure smile and a bunch of cookies.  He had told Percy all about human history and how they could learn from past mistakes. They were his good night stories for his days of camp.

Even after coming to Hogwarts Nico is still telling him stories on nights Hynos just won't let him rest. 

Now it‘s Pery’s turn to rebuild their relationship. The war might not be won, but the fight has stopped for the time being. Percy stares at the slim, but so unbelievably strong back of his Nico. He always shoulders the weight of the world without being asked to. 

Percy‘s gaze moves to Clarisse, who turns to follow Nico into their next classroom. She tilts her head as if to say, ‘come on. Move your slow ass.’ Percy raises his middle finger. He’s already on his way. 

Clarisse smirks like the devil. Without another look back she follows Nico to their shared table. Her steps are heavy and sure. Not even once she really doubted Nico’s decisions. She might not always have the same opinion, but her trust remains unbroken. 

At this moment Percy is reminded of a loyal soldier ready to move heaven and earth for their king. They couldn’t look more different from a mighty king and his soldier, but Percy can’t help but be pulled in by the idea. He also yearns to serve his king. Today. Tomorrow. To the end of time. 

The loud chatter in the classroom makes Percy sigh. It‘s always the same. They stumble from one horrific situation to the next while the people around them are unaware of it all. He can‘t wait to leave it all behind. 

He‘s so young but feels so old at the same time. 

Harry sends him a dark look as they sit down in their designated seats. „Don’t touch anything,“ the boy whispers, and for once Percy doesn’t argue back. Even if he wanted he could not concentrate on the lesson. Everything Mrs. Noland says goes right over his head. He thinks about a way to mend his relationship with Nico. 

Nico and Clarisse are working behind him. Their whispered exchanges never stray from the subject at hand, but Percy still listens. Hoping for a clue. 

„What is going on with you?“ Harry asks after a while. There is a hint of worry in his voice, but Percy ignores him. This is something between Nico, Clarisse, and him. The wizards don’t need to meddle in another personal situation. 

He can feel the way Harry shifts his questioning gaze to his fellow demigods, but they don’t want to talk about it either. The way Harry visibly deflates when they sent him an angry glare as soon as he opens his mouth, makes Percy nearly smile.

The rest of the day continues in a similar fashion. Nico ignores Percy‘s existence, while Percy tries to find a way to talk to Nico without causing even more discord between them. Clarisse silently stands at Nico‘s side and watches her friends dance around each other. It’s making the vein on her temple throb with annoyance, but she doesn’t push them into a closet to talk it out. 

She was the one to tell Percy to give Nico some time, but his sad puppy eyes make her want to vomit just by standing near them. Clarisse slowly counts to ten and swears if they are not on speaking terms by the end of class then she’ll do something about the situation.  Good past resolutions will be damned. 

At least they are all on the same page by shooting down every approach from the wizards.

By the time night falls, Clarisse has basically kidnapped Nico while Percy is wandering through the long hallways on his own. He doesn’t want to return to his shared dorm just to get ignored again. He can‘t endure any more of Nico‘s questioning gazes and endless silences. He sinks down on one of the many windowsills to think about his next steps. 

„Are you alright?“ the voice of a girl echoes across the empty hallway. Percy looks a bit startled at her approaching form. She‘s a bit younger than him with blonde hair and unfocused eyes. 

Percy leans back against the cold glass as she takes a seat on the other side of the window sill. Silence engulfs them, but for some reason, it doesn’t add to the weight on his shoulders. Instead, it seems to blanket him with an air of understanding. 

He doesn’t need to speak up, but if he wants to give his worries room then she will listen without judgment. „Do I look alright to you?“ Percy decides to ask. Dark humor dances across his lips. It reminds him of the way Nico loves to deflect a question. 

The girl tilts her head as she looks him up and down. „No,“ she says as if there was no other way the conversation could‘ve gone. „You look like the weight of the world has been thrust onto your shoulders.“

Percy can‘t help but laugh. „The weight of the world feels a bit different,“ he says. „I‘ve carried it once and the feeling is something I haven’t experienced since.“

The girl seems to be surprised by his answer, but nonetheless, she is intrigued. „How does it feel like?“ Her eyes seem to finally find focus and every bit of it is concentrated on him.

“It‘s not something you can put into words. The weight is crushing not only your body but also your soul. It drains you of your being without pause or a bit of remorse. You‘ll buckle and bend, but you can‘t break. It‘s a relentless pressure you can‘t escape from on your own,“ Percy stares out at the colors of dawn illuminating the sky. „A prison of your own making.“

„You‘re describing it quite vividly,“ the girl says. 

Percy shakes his head at her words. „It‘s nothing compared to reality.“ The grey strands of hair in his reflection are an ever-present reminder of his past. How they saved Artemis by holding up the sky. How they tricked Atlas back into his prison. How Annabeth had fallen into his arms. How Nico left him shortly afterward. How his big brown eyes overcame with everlasting sadness. 

When will I stop hurting him? 

He doesn’t even realize he asked the question out loud. Maybe he didn’t and his thoughts were displayed on his face for everyone to see. The girl mirrors his position with a soft smile. „The tide must come and go.“

„The storm has not passed,“ Percy replies and it’s a relief to see her eyes full of silent understanding. „You will survive like all the other times before. Your bond is stronger than any hardship. It has been forged through pain and broken promises. This is not the end. Your ship will be battered and bruised but still sailing strong through the aftermath.“

„You remind me of a friend. She‘s always so sure of herself I can’t help but believe in her, too,“ Percy chuckles. „I think you would get along. By the way, I‘m Percy.“

„Luna. It‘s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Perseus,“ Luna says. 

For a second Percy is tempted to correct her, but he decides against it. He doesn’t mind her calling him by his full first name. It‘s a refreshing reminder of his heritage. 

„Thank you for listening,“ Percy replies instead. „I should be thanking you,“ Luna says. „Most people won‘t stay for long. I think I confuse them.“ 

Percy laughs. „They‘re just narrowminded idiots. Don’t mind them. I think you’re quite easy to understand. You‘re not even trying to talk in riddles.“ 

„You‘re a very unique person, Perseus,“ Luna says and they both smile at each other.

Darkness overtakes their secluded corridor when they finally part ways. It has been a quiet evening full of thoughts and shared spaces. 

The way back to his dorm is filled with candlelight and curious gazes. Percy watches as the paintings move from one frame to the next. They know so much about the secrets hidden between these walls. All those whispered confessions are shared between them like trading cards. It‘s a game about gossip and information. 

They know so much but won‘t disclose any of it. Nico had tried it weeks ago, but those illustrated people share a deep mistrust towards the demigods. 

Nico had said it was because of his ability to control the ghosts of the castle. His showcase of power had scared the paintings. Now they fear the demigods may be able to control them too. 

Contrary to Clarisse, Percy doesn’t like to inflict fear on those around him. Their trembling bodies make his arms twitch with the need to smoother the fear with a long hug. 

The arrival of the right staircase is the perfect opportunity to move on from the topic.

Other students are crossing his path as he ascends towards his Nico. Percy isn’t sure what should expect as he opens the door, but it's for sure, not the sight that greets him.

Nico is wearing one of Percy’s shirts -which is adorably oversized on the son of Hades- while he‘s sitting on Percy's bed. A pillow is clutched against his chest and his huge brown eyes stare Percy down.

It has only been a few hours, but the sight of Nico makes him weak. As discreetly as possible Percy rights himself against the doorway. 

Nico is way too beautiful for his own good. He steals Percy‘s breath away by tilting his head to the side. It feels like he can unravel Percy‘s thoughts with small gestures alone. 

Percy can feel the way his body is drawn toward his other half and it takes all of his self-control to stay away. „Maybe I should sleep somewhere else for the time being,“ he says. 

„Why?“ Nico asks as if the answer isn’t already obvious. 

„We haven’t been talking all day and I can completely understand why you don’t want to be around me anymore,“ Percy forces the words out. „You don’t trust me and it’s okay. I understand. I wouldn‘t trust me either.“

He can‘t look at Nico anymore so he doesn’t notice the shift in the other demigod. Cold fingers on his cheek startle the older demigod. Nico is leaning right into his personal space. His breath dances across Percy‘s lips when he says: „Look at me, Percy. I‘m ready to talk about it.“

Percy is lost in the endless darkness of his eyes. 

„The question is, are you ready to talk about it, too? It‘s alright if you need more time,“ Nico whispers before he slowly pulls back. The way Percy grabs ahold of his hips is pure instinct. „Don‘t go,“ he nearly pleads. Nico stills. „I‘m not going anywhere, Perce.“

„You were so far away,“ Percy knows he sounds pretty codependent, but he can‘t help his feelings. Nico has turned his world upside down without doing anything. He has become the centerpiece of Percy‘s universe. His own personal sun. 

„I needed time to process what happened, but I promise, I was never going to leave you,“ Nico looks genuinely hurt by the thought, „I love you, Perseus Jackson, and no amount of godly or supernatural meddling is going to change that.“ 

„You love me?“ Percy stares at Nico with wide hopeful eyes. „To the moon and back,“ Nico promises. 

Percy buries his head in the juncture between Nico‘s shoulder and neck. Unruly black curls tickle his nose as the tears fall. Nico holds his beloved close. His hands stroke over Percy’s back. It‘s reassuring and warm. How could Percy ever doubt him?

„I don‘t deserve you,“ he chokes out between silent sobs. 

„It‘s never a question of what you deserve, but what I‘m offering you, Percy,“ Nico gently pries Percy away from his neck to look him in the eye, „I‘m offering you everything. My body and soul. You don‘t have to fight or win my approval. It‘s already yours.“ 

Nico gently swipes away the spilled tears. „Please don‘t cry.“ 

„Too late,“ Percy chuckles. „I‘m a mess.“

„Yeah,“ Nico smiles. „My mess.“

„Always and forever.“ 

Notes:

It has been such a hard chapter to write for me. I've edited it like three times just to write another version of it right after.
Anyway, our favorite boys are finally talking!!
Clarisse might have been the driving factor here. She definitely talked some sense into Nico after she kidnapped him.

Would you be interested in seeing her version of pep-talk or should we just move on?

Chapter 30: Luna stands in the way

Notes:

Hello everyone,
I finally managed to finish another chapter!!
For the few people, who said they would enjoy reading Clarisse's intervention, I have included a little extra scene at the end.
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

Percy can‘t be separated from Nico for the rest of the night. They sit down on Percy‘s bed to talk about the last days. It‘s adorable how Percy can‘t take his eyes off Nico. 

Their knees touch as they face each other. It‘s a comforting touch, but for Percy, it‘s not enough. It never is. He plays with Nico‘s fingers with the delight of a child. His long fingers and scarred knuckles create a fascination in the older demigod Nico doesn’t even try to understand. 

At first, it’s hard to find the right words to communicate their thoughts and feelings. How do you put betrayal that never happened in words? How do you explain the loss and heartbreak of a situation you were the cause and victim at the same time?  It‘s hard, but they talk.

Hours go by, but their hands stay intertwined the whole time.  They even fall asleep on the bed connected by their hands and knees long after midnight. Hypnos grants them peace for the night. At daylight, their demons will bare their teeth once more. 

Clarisse takes on look at their joined hands and knows. 

Her sharp nod is all the approval they get and will ever need. Yesterday had been difficult for her as well. She was forced to choose a side because not choosing wasn’t an option either. Honestly, it never is. Not making a choice is ultimately still a choice. You can never escape your actions. Or the lack thereof. 

Every breath you take is a choice to live. Clarisse wonders if you could just choose not to breathe. Will your body rebel against such a decision? Survival is an instinct deeply integrated into every being. Is it possible to choose against it? To overwrite the will to live. 

Nico would know. He wouldn’t even be put off by the question. 

Clarisse still decides to stay silent. Her questions can be asked on another day. The peace engulfing the couple is not something she desires to interrupt today. Other people will take care of it soon enough.  She can already see the pale blonde prick parting the crowd of students. His gaze is focused on them. Clarisse would love to scare him away, but they might need him. 

Her hand only graces Nico‘s arm, but it’s enough to make him aware of the approaching wizard. „It‘s too early to deal with that,“ he comments with a defeated sigh. They won‘t get out of the confrontation. 

Percy follows their gazes. „Really? Before breakfast?“ he complains. His childish pout softens Nico's death glare to a mere glare. It's a fine but noticeable difference. 

„He‘s doing it in the middle of the hallway. Is he such an attention whore?“ Clarisse can‘t help herself. Percy laughs out loud at her words. It shifts even more attention to them. 

„I could shadow travel us away?“ Nico offers. Empty words with good intentions. As if any of them would choose to retreat in the face of such an insignificant boy.  „I won‘t run away from a boy who thinks he‘s better than me," Clarisse voices their thoughts. "Let me fist-fight him. I promise he will still be of use afterward.“ Her grin is a feral promise of bloody bruises and broken bones. She rolls her shoulders and shakes her arms to get rid of any lingering tension. 

The other students are slowly backing away from them. Their nervous gazes flicker between the trio and the unsuspecting Draco Malfoy. 

Clarisse eyes their actions with satisfaction. Nico rolls his eyes but doesn't stop her from playing with their fear. 

„He‘s no challenge,“ Percy says. 

„No, but a great punching bag,“ Clarisse looks the approaching boy up and down. „Sadly I’ve been working on my anger issues. No black and blue for me.“

Nico soothingly pats her arm. „Don‘t worry. Your time will come.“ Clarisse turns to frown at Nico: "What are you doing? I'm not your dog."

"What? No. That would be weird," Nico replies, but he doesn't stop patting her arm. Percy snickers so much that he has to lean against his boyfriend to stay upright. With his arms around Nico's shoulders, he feels right at home. "Woof-Woof," he dares to tease the daughter of war who turns scarlet under his gaze.  "Shut your mouth, Jackson," she threatens while she shoves Nico away. 

Percy is now laughing out loud. Nico is tilting his head with a mean little smirk which prompts the son of Poseidon to bury his face in his neck. It doesn't help to stifle his laugh one bit.  Instead, there are goosebumps spreading across Nico's body from the little puffs of breath against his skin. 

"One day, when you're least expecting it, I'll throw you from the highest building I can find," Clarisse vows, but the corners of her mouth are twitching. "I look forward to it," Percy replies. 

The Malfoy boy has nearly reached them when a  blonde girl surrounded by an air of mysteries steps in the prick's path. Her body shields the group from his prying eyes even though she has a quite slender frame. „We meet again, Perseus.“ It‘s more a declaration than a pleasant greeting, but it manages to brighten Percy's expression even more. 

Blonde curls bounce with every shake of her head, while her words carry the unsettling assuredness of fate. Luna Lovegood stares through the veil obscuring the truth from all the unsuspecting onlookers.

What lies behind is more than she could ever imagine. Battered bodies are housing scarred souls. She wonders how long their determination can burn until reality manages to stifle the flames. A small candle standing on the window sill between two worlds. What lies on the other side? 

„It‘s good to see you, Luna,“ Perseus speaks up. His blinding smile leaves no doubt of its sincerity. „I don‘t think you‘ve met my companions.“

Luna turns her head. „I‘ve heard of them as well.“

„Good,“ He sounds like every other answer would’ve been a great insult. „This is Clarisse LaRue my nemesis and the brawn of this trio.“ 

The girl in question gives a sharp nod. Her eyes pierce through all of Luna‘s carefully built walls. One can only guess what she sees. Unparalleled strength or a pointless shield of deflection. How many layers does she manage to unravel? 

Luna stares back. It’s pointless the search for holes in Clarisse's mental armor. She guards her secrets like a mighty dragon its treasure. She will never fall. Never fail. 

„You‘ve got the eyes of a castle wall,“ Luna addresses. Part of her can‘t wait to hear the response, but another part is prepared to be disappointed. Perseus had been such a nice surprise. 

She shouldn’t have entertained any doubts. Clarisse smirks at her. „Thank you. I‘m proud of my firm stance.“ 

Luna lightens up at her words. „As you should.“

When her gaze returns to Perseus, the boy is staring at his other companion with a soft look she recognizes from her parents. His love is so all-consuming it has begun to reshape his soul or maybe it has been growing like this all along. Luna just wasn’t able to distinguish it before. How could she? Perseus is just one-half. The young man in his arms is the other. 

„My name is Nico,“ he introduces himself. Void-like eyes assess her worth. A shudder travels down her spine, but she smiles through her discomfort.  

„He‘s my boyfriend,“ Perseus proudly adds. There are many other titles flashing through his mind, but one sharp glare from Nico stops him from announcing them to the world. 

Luna had hoped he would’ve let something slip. Of the three of them, Nico is the one she can’t read at all. His thoughts are buried deep where the light of day seems the be nothing but a faint whisper. Never before Luna has felt like a gravedigger when looking at someone. 

She shivers under his cold stare. He takes her entire being apart with his eyes alone. Nothing escapes his careful inspection. 

Luna is tempted to ask what he can see. Is it the same young woman she sees in the mirror every morning? Who is Luna Lovegood to the boy who dances across graveyards when no one is looking? What kind of impression does she leave behind?

„It’s an honor to be greeted by such an aged individual,“ she decides on saying. For a second she thinks he misunderstood, but then his lips twitch. The ghost of a smile appears.

„The pleasure is mine. Has anyone told you that you‘ve got a really impressive soul,“ Nico replies.

Luna shakes her head. „I‘ve heard much over the years, but no one has ever commented on the state of my soul. They mostly focus on the outer appearance.“

„Fools,“ Clarisse declares to Luna‘s surprise. „There are many things the eyes can‘t see and the mind can‘t comprehend. You shouldn’t judge someone based on their appearance alone.“

„Our actions show so much more of our worth,“ Perseus adds. The storm crossing his features tells a tale of past experiences. „Wherever you go, it‘s always the same. Narrow-Minded idiots ruling the world.“ 

Luna chuckles as she thinks back on the past years. Missing shoes and crude words written on her schoolwork. Whispered insults and barely hidden sniggers wherever her feet guided her. At some point, she believed the sounds were clinging to her body - Crushing her self-worth to the amusement of others. 

Now she can see how foolish her thoughts have been. The three beings in front of her have endured so much worse and they‘re still standing with their heads held high. Whispered words follow them like a dark cloud, but none of it matters. Other people are nothing more than background characters of their great tale. She smiles. 

„One should topple the kings to create a land full of possibilities,“ Luna replies. „Wherever we go our footprints will be seen in the soil of severe expectations.“

Perseus laughs. „Let’s create a path no one has ever dared to depart upon.“ In his eyes a storm is brewing. It should take Luna by surprise, but she can‘t help but notice how suitable it really is. Stormbringer the winds had called him one fateful night. Now she knows the legend behind the tale. It's time to write her own destiny. 

A sharp cough slices through their conversation. Luna knows exactly who is breathing down her neck with barely contained-fury. Aristocratic features have turned into a grimace of utter distaste. It‘s a look she‘s painfully familiar with. 

With a small smile, she twirls around and faces the young man in spotless black and green robes. His broken pieces swirl around his being. One careless movement and they will slice her skin without mercy. Luna yearns to hug the broken boy underneath the mask of superiority he only wears to distract from his bleeding scars and crying heart.

She‘s a bit surprised when he swallows down the insult laying on his tongue. „We need to talk,“ Draco Malfoy addresses the trio standing at her back. She can feel how Nico dissects Draco with his eyes alone. „If you say so,“ he then says. 

Luna takes a step to the side. She doesn’t want to get involved in their discussion. „Subtle is not your strong point,“ Clarisse comments with a condescending smirk as she steps forward. „Next time bring a banner with all your demands so everyone and their mother can see exactly what you want.“ 

„We need to talk,“ Draco hisses out through clenched teeth. His demand makes Clarisse burn brighter. Only Nico‘s extended hand holds her back. „Let‘s go somewhere more private,“ he says to diffuse the tension. Perseus gives a rigid nod. „Follow us,“ he commands even though Nico is the one leading the way. 

Draco narrows his eyes, but he obediently follows them down the hallway. The other students part as the sea did for Moses. Luna wonders if it has something to do with Perseus' heritage, but one look at their oppressive aura refutes her thought. 

It‘s Nico and his endless dark eyes they're afraid of. Maybe it‘s foolish of them to dismiss the dangers the other two possess, but maybe she‘s the fool among them. Being known to such magnificent beings will have consequences she cannot imagine. 

The shadow of fate has crept up on her. Luna sighs under her breath. She should have minded her own business regardless of how curious she was about the monster sitting on the window sill. 

Now the fates have intertwined their paths. 

 

Extra scene: 

Clarisse stares Nico down with the most intense glare one can imagine. She knows he‘s kind of terrified of her at the moment, but she won‘t stop. Not until he gives Percy some sign. 

When he‘s still ignoring Percy by the end of class, Clarisse doesn’t waste time. She grabs his skinny ass, hauls him over her shoulder, and marches down the corridor. 

„I‘ll give him back by the end of the night,“ she informs the wide-eyed son of Poseidon. Then she vanishes around the corner. 

Nico doesn’t even try to free himself. „Don‘t sulk,“ Clarisse commands. „You could’ve evaded this.“

She can feel the way his arms are crossing behind her back. „No,“ he pouts. 

„You can‘t even convince yourself of this bullshit, so cut the crap and listen,“ Clarisse‘s words are harsh, but the way she ruffles his unruly hair tells more than a hundred words. „You love him and don‘t even think of denying or playing down your feelings. You love Percy. Everyone and their mother can see it. So please take a deep breath and think about the way he treated you until now. He looks at you with this amazed look on his face since the last war. Maybe even before Annabeth and he broke up. I don’t know and I don‘t care. Important is the fact that he adores you and nothing in this world will change his perception of you.“

She takes a deep breath. „I mean the boy would hand you the world if you asked for it. Percy is ready to fight the gods to contain your happiness. One smile and all of his thoughts are consumed by you. Honestly, Nico, you have him wrapped around your little finger.“

„But-„ Nico tries to argue back. Clarisse growls and shakes his body. „Be quiet. I haven’t finished yet.“

„Do you think a dumb cult leader is enough to drive a wedge between you two? After everything you‘ve been through? If that’s the case then you don’t deserve Percy‘s love. He is ready to fight his fate for you. Did you see the defeat in his eyes when you pulled back? His heart broke, because of something completely out of his control. Believe me, this cult leader will be ripped to pieces. He hurt you with his actions and in Percy’s eyes that's a death sentence.“

„To be honest, if Percy doesn’t get to him first, I‘ll show him the wrath of war,“ Clarisse smiles. 

„You‘re a great friend,“ Nico whispers. It startles a laugh out of her. „Me? A good friend? I don’t think so.“

Without thinking her feet carried her out of the castle. Clarisse can see the glittering surface of the Great Lake. A wicked smile overtakes her features as she heads toward it.

„Well,“ she begins and she can feel the way Nico‘s body grows tense. „Maybe I‘m the greatest friend of them all.“

Before Nico, who couldn’t see his blue destination until the very end, can even think about protesting his body breaks through the surface. 

The resulting shriek will be denied for years to come, but Clarisse knows what she has seen and heard on that day. 

Nico breaks through the surface with the grace of a drowning rat. His glare is deadly as he fights his way out of the dark waves. He's not a strong swimmer. 

„You will pay for this, LaRue,“ he promises.  Clarisse waves his angry threat away. „You deserved it, di Angelo. Be thankful it was just water. I can do so much worse.“ 

The rest of the day had been anticlimactic in comparison. 

Notes:

Percy and Nico have finally reconciled so the hunt for the cult leader can begin.
The poor soul has no idea what he has unleashed with his actions :)

Chapter 31: A rewrite

Summary:

NEWS

Hello everyone, 

Sadly this is not the update you've been waiting for. Instead, I have other great news to share with you. 

You might've already seen that this story is now part of a series, which might confuse you because we're in the middle of the plot and there is no prequel or sequel planned. The truth is, I've been struggling with the plot for months. There are so many plotholes and loose ends that I don't know what to do anymore. It brought me to tears, but I'm not ready to give up. Not now, not ever. This story is my baby. I love it so much. 

That's why I decided to rewrite everything. 

I won't delete this work, but for now, it's discontinued. A what could've been. An au on top of an au, because the rewrite will change parts of the story to fix my mistakes. I try to stay as close to the original plot as possible, but some changes are necessary. Some of you might also be happy that my English has improved since the beginning. 

Maybe one day I'll continue this version. Maybe I'll delete it in the end. I'll let you know. 

Thank you so much for following along. Every one of you made me unbelievably happy. Every comment was a ray of sunshine and every kudo a rainbow. I'm exaggerating, but your support does mean the world to me. So, thank you again! 

I love you. 

 

 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Peace was never an option