Old and Young, Inside Out

Chapter 1

The summer went by in a haze of pranks and potions. After Mrs. Weasley sent a very long letter to Dumbledore, Nico got a letter in return that said that after each day of classes, Nico would have to report to the hospital wing for another potion.

He burned the letter in the fire but Ginny had already read it, sprouting to her mother and brothers the news.

Nico stayed in his room that whole day. He hated the idea of potions, hated that he needed them. More than anything, he hated that they worked just as good as nectar, ambrosia, and unicorn drought mixed...but they still didn't come up with a permanent solution.

A potion a day kept his hands from melting into the shadows. Two made him feel as if he had some energy, which was good considering his want to sleep all day and night. Two wars, growing up twice. His body was sick of it, it seemed.

That was the only reason Ron didn't wake him up when he went to go get Harry. Nico woke up the next morning by hearing Mrs. Weasley's shouts, her voice filled with anger and worry.

What the hell did they do? Nico sat up, rubbed at his sore muscles, tried to make sense of his surroundings. It's too early in the morning for this.

Ginny was suddenly in the doorway, her hair falling into her face. "Harry Potter's here! Oh, and mum said it's time for breakfast."

Nico blinked. "Harry's here? Why?"

His sister no more than shrugged before leaving the room, no doubt excited to meet her celebrity crush. He was the only thing she had talked about all summer.

Nico slipped into some clothes before walking downstairs, cracking his joints as he moved. Ankles, knees, neck, fingers and toes. Ron always said he might as well be part machine.

"What's going on?" Nico walked into the kitchen with his hand in his ratty hair, still getting used to the shortness of it ever since Mrs. Weasley forced a haircut. "Why's Harry here?"

Mrs. Weasley's face was suddenly red again with rage. "Your brothers thought to take it upon themselves to sneak out last night and..."

Nico sat beside Ron as his mother explained, his eyes on Harry and how that scar still reeked of death. "How are you, Harry?"

"Oh, I'm fine." Harry had shrunken under Mrs. Weasley's rage. "Rather glad to be out of there."

Nico nodded before picking at the toast set out in front of him. It was made just as Will always buttered it. He stayed silent as the others were assigned duties outside, knowing better than to speak up. He was too tired to do anything nowadays.

Once they were all outside and he was alone with his mother in the kitchen, she set a potion in front of him. "Can you believe them?"

Nico sipped at the potion before eating his toast to get the taste out of his mouth. "I do believe they were starving him. He needed out of there."

Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips. "He's just a boy. How do they treat him like that?"

Nico shrugged. "We can just be glad he's here now." I can protect him, here. There...I couldn't.

"That's for sure."

Mr. Weasley walked in then, looking tired after a long night of work. He collapsed into a chair just as the other Weasley kids ran in.

"What a night," he grumbled. "Nine raids! Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned..."

Nico slipped out of the room and tiptoed upstairs. Their voices could still be heard as he entered his room. Before he could lay down, however, an Iris Message appeared before him.

"Nico!" Percy Jackson was in his camp shirt, his beaded necklace having gained a few more. "We haven't heard from you all summer. What did you say about keeping in contact?"

Nico glanced toward the door nervously. "Percy, keep your voice down. I don't want them knowing."

Percy tilted his head. "You mean the ones that took you in?"

Nico nodded. "Now what do you want?"

"You're not going to tell them?" he asked. "What if IM you in front of all them?"

"Then don't IM me." Nico stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Now, what do you want?"

Percy sighed. "Okay, so you know how I'm trying to start a life with Annabeth...I have work and we have our apartment and-"

"You don't have time for camp duties?" Nico guessed.

Percy nodded. "They need some senior campers to train the new ones. We've been getting a lot. Thirteen years ago the gods must have gone through heat-"

"Okay, so what are you asking?" Nico gestured around him. "I have a lifelong quest, you know. I have family and school."

"And you have weekends!" Percy added. "Weekends full of training young campers who can't figure out how to hold a sword."

Nico's eye twitched. "Why me?"

"Annabeth and I have jobs. Leo and Calypso have that business. Piper is in Tahlequah. Jason is...you know. Hazel and Frank have duties at Camp Jupiter along with Reyna. Even Clarisse and the Stolls are gone. You're like the only senior camper left." Percy explained.

"I look 12," Nico replied.

"You're almost 100!" Percy argued. "We can tell them who you are and they'll listen to you. So...please?"

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. "School starts September 1. After that I'll come over on weekends."

Percy grinned. "Thanks, Neeks. And good luck at school."

Nico went to swipe his hand through the mist but stopped himself. "Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"What about Will? You didn't mention him."

"Oh," Percy gulped. "Um...he'll be there but he has college classes so is either working in the infirmary or studying..."

"He's going to college?" Nico asked. "To be a doctor?"

Percy nodded. "If he lives then he'll need a job too."

"Right..." Nico swallowed thickly. "Okay, bye."

"Nico, I didn't mean to make you upset-" Percy's voice disappeared as Nico swiped his hand through the message, revealing the bare wall where Percy was moments before. When he turned around he noticed Harry and Ron standing in the doorway.

"I was just showing Harry our room." Ron stepped further in. "Come on, Harry."

"So what was that?" he asked after a minute. "Demigod communication?"

"It was awesome," Harry admitted.

Nico glanced between the two of them before nodding. "An IM. It goes through the goddess of rainbows."

"Right," Harry replied. "Er, um...he said you're 100."

"He did." Ron agreed.

Nico sat on his bed before leaning his head against the wall. "Long story. I'll tell you when we have Hermione."

"Yeah but we want to know." Ron sat next to him. "What year were you born?"

"1924." Nico laid down. "Now I'm going to bed. Goodnight." He turned towards the orange wall, tried to ignore their gaping eyes. Even in a wizarding world, he was a misfit.