The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Everybody Loves Percy

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Nico comes up with a plan to deal with Harry's blackmail. Percy, Annabeth, and Nico return to Camp Half-Blood for Christmas break/holiday.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: None
Word Count: 3389

I'm so sorry about my extended absence! Thank you for being so patient. But, I'm back, and to celebrate it, you're going to get a chapter every weekday this week. Monday through Friday, one chapter each day.

Figured I owed you guys a happy chapter. So... here you go. Cherish it; it's the last one for a while.

And all the characters are owned by J.K. Rowling, or Rick Riordan.

____________________NICO____________________

"You going to see Will?"

Blaise and Nico were alone in their dorm room, packing for the coming holiday. Nico should've been jumping for joy--a full two weeks without Harry Potter and his questions--but his heart hadn't gotten the memo. Christmas had arrived; his self-given deadline to break-up with Will had come, and he was still so in love. Whenever he thought about ending things, the images in his brain punched him in the gut. But, now more than ever, Nico couldn't give himself another fatal flaw. Not now that Harry Potter could use Will too.

"Um... Earth to Nico?" Blaise stared at him, perplexed; Nico had been standing silent by his bed, his blank stare fixed on his suitcase. "You seem distracted, is everything all right?"

"What? Yeah, of course. I'm just thinking. It's been awhile since I went home." Nico shrugged off Blaise's concerned gaze and continued to fold clothes into his suitcase.

"I know, but aren't you excited? You'll be able to talk to Will, see your dad, your sister, all your American friends... Jason? Leo? Piper? The ones you told me about." Blaise nudged Nico with his shoulder. "It's Christmas, Nico! Lighten up!"

Nico rolled his eyes as he scoffed. "Not my style, Zabini. You should get going; isn't the train leaving in, like, an hour?"

"Shit! You're right." Blaise threw the rest of his things together, then bolted out the door. "Happy Christmas, Nico," he called; his voice carrying from down the hallway.

"Tell Hestia bye for me!" Nico called back. He shook his head, then tried to focus on packing. It was slow work, and Nico wasn't in the mood to be alone with his thoughts. Not for the first time, he wished for Teddy's voice. He missed the stupid follower of Hecate; there was something about having a friend who knew all of you, who never left your side, who wouldn't judge what he saw.

"I'm glad you think of me as your friend."

Nico turned and saw Teddy--his entire body, like during dreams--standing before him. "H-- how... I... how did...?" His mind raced in shock and confusion; too off-put to form a coherent sentence.

"You won't let me come to you in your dreams anymore; I wanted to say goodbye in person," Teddy answered.

"But... but you weren't appearing to me anymore! I didn't--"

"I won't talk to you when you pass out, Nico. I won't train you when you've got more blood on the floor than in your veins." Teddy moved towards Nico's bed and sat beside where he stood. He looked up at the son of Hades, his eleven-year-old eyes shining with fear. "I thought you said you would save my parents for me. Why are you talking to Harry Potter? Why are you betraying us? Why are you helping Lord Voldemort?"