Nico Di Angelo In Hogwarts

i get sussed

4/23/2022 edit: do you guys like the title

"Should I tell them yet?" I asked, glancing towards Lou Ellen.

We were currently sitting by Thalia's pine tree, with Peleus' head resting on my lap. Peleus seemed to be the only animal I knew who didn't freak out around me; if you would count him as an animal. Scratching his chin, I saw Lou Ellen shake her head from the corner of her eye.

She seemed especially nervous today for whatever reason, glancing behind us once in a while when there was nothing there. It made me feel a bit paranoid, but I shrugged it off. I mean, it couldn't be that bad, right? Lou Ellen wasn't the type to pull pranks on people, or fool someone.

It was basically almost Autumn; mortal school would start in about a week or so. The grass was already turning dry and prickly with Fall right around the corner. The trees in the distance were shedding, the air was cooler.

Hiding from the rest of the campers, we were trying to have a serious conversation about my new quest. Lou Ellen really didn't want us to be eavesdropped by some quite specific nosy people.

"So, to sum it all up, Hecate has a magic pet world that needs our help."

"Yup," Lou Ellen sighed, plucking the grass and urging me to continue.

"I have to to some school where mortals learn magic, save some guy from getting killed by a demon-like someone with no nose, and gain their trust."

"All that," she piped up, "while not blowing your cov - "

"Wait," I interrupt. "Did you hear that?"

She giggles nervously, tensing up. "Hear what?"

"I don't know . . . It sounded a lot like a . . . some sort of gasp? Then a shuffling noise of some sort . . ."

I whip my head around, looking for anything suspicious. My eyes land on a huge bright green bush, a good twenty feet away from us, trying to blend into vegetation. It's clearly artificial; not even Tyson would be fooled, and that's saying a lot.

I mentally facepalm; how have I not noticed it before?

Lou Ellen falters when her eyes land on the plastic ball of fake leaves.

I turn back to her, scowling. "You were in on this, weren't you, you and your Mist. Youwanted them to find out?"

Her eyes widened. "I couldn't let you go alone!" She hissed. "It's a dangerous quest!"

I scoffed. "Please, all I have to do is play bodyguard for a month. It's nowhere near my definition if dangerous."

Lou Ellen winced slightly. "About that, Nico . . . . Er, you're gonna have to attend that magical school for way more than a month."

My eyes narrowed. "How long exactly?"

"About a - a year? I'm sorry, Nico, -"

I raised my hand to silence her, scowling deeper when I hear hushed voices coming from the bush.

"I think they know we're here."
"Should we make a run for it?"
"I don't know..."
"Can they hear us?"
"Why do you think I have all the answers to your dumb questions?"
"Check with the binoculars."
"Where are the binoculars?? I can't find them!"
"You're sitting on them, Leo."
"Oh."

My eyes send daggers at the bush, and I manage to make out a mop of curly brown hair sticking out of the green, as well as a blond and a head of black.

I internally groan; just the people I didn't want to find out about this the most. Yay.