He Who Walks Between Worlds

Will Is a Bad Spy

Beginning Notes

Warnings: Swearing

All characters are owned by J. K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.

Nico

Nico liked the night. It was quiet, and dark. There wasn't the constant barrage of stimulation that assailed him during the day. Most nights, he would slip out, go to a graveyard or some such familiar place, and just relax.

Nico didn't get to relax that night. As soon as the boys fell asleep, he shadow-travelled back to New York. It was early evening in Camp Half-blood. Dinner was almost over, and he could hear the campers moving towards the campfire.

He packed his things and headed out to meet his friends as they walked back from the campfire. Jason, Piper, Percy, and Annabeth were walking together, laughing at something or another. They smiled when they saw him. 

"Nico!" Jason called. Nico raised a hand in greeting.

"Where were you all day?" Percy asked. "We were worried you left."

"I was in London," Nico said, "enrolling for a school."

Nico expected them to be disappointed or mad. He had promised he would stay at camp, and now he wasn't. But he was met only with smiles. 

"That's great, Nico," Annabeth said.

"Good for you," Piper said. "What school are you going to?"

"Hogwarts." Nico quirked a smile at the name. "It's a private school. You sleep there and whatnot."

"Hogwarts?" Percy said. "As in bacon with a skin disease?"

Nico nodded and smirked.

"When does term start?" Annabeth asked.

"September first," Nico said, "but I'm leaving tonight. The headmaster wants me to arrive early for placement testing and possible tutoring."

"Tonight?" Jason said.

"Yep. The school doesn't take many kids older than eleven, so the headmaster was pretty insistent. It's fine. I'll be able to learn how to get around ahead of time."

"That's weird," Jason said. "Well, actually, I don't know how non-demigod schools work. Is that weird? It seems like it should be weird."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jason. That's weird."

Nico shrugged. "It was the best school I could find for me. I think they must have stumbled across the location of an old demigod camp from when the gods were located in Britain, because it looks the mist keeps most monsters away."

"Oh," Jason said.

"Also, since the mist is weird there, I'm not sure it will cover up any godly happenings. So don't IM me unless it's an emergency. I'll IM you. Got it?"

Percy opened his mouth to argue, but Nico glared at him. "Ah. Okay."

"Great," Nico said. "I'm going to talk to Chiron."

"Goodbye."

Will

Will was about to go to bed when he heard voices coming from the rec room. He would have gone about his own business, if he hadn't recognized the voices as Chiron's and Nico's. That boy was practically begging for someone to take care of him.

"-- I'm leaving tonight," Nico was saying.

"Hogwarts?" Chiron asked incredulously.

"Yes," Nico said. "Have you heard of it?"

Will could just imagine Chiron shaking his head in amazement. "Nico. You get around." A pause. "Thank you for telling me. Be careful."

"I will."

So Nico was going somewhere called Hogwarts, and he had to be careful. Will had never heard of it, but that didn't mean much. Nico had travelled all over the world. Will had never even left the country. But why did he have to be careful? Will hated that Nico was putting himself in danger again. He hated that he was doing so without telling anyone. 

Nico had been through more shit in fourteen years than most people -- most demigods, even, went through in their whole lifetime. In the three days Nico had spent in the infirmary, Will had talked to him. Asked him about his life. Tried to befriend him. At first, Nico hadn't talked much, but by the last day, he had opened up a bit.

Will was amazed at how strong, determined, and fucking amazing Nico was. Nico hadn't shared more than half his life, but what Will had heard was as bad as most demigods got in a decade. Will could only be grateful that his life wasn't as fucked up as Nico's had been.

Will waited outside the door for Nico to exit. Nico and Chiron were talking too quietly for Will to hear, but heard footsteps approach the door, and then it opened. Chiron nodded at Will as he trotted out. Nico froze when he saw Will. 

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving without telling me," Will said.

"I - uh - no," Nico stuttered.

"That's good," Will said. "You probably knew that I would personally send you to Hades if you did."

"That wouldn't be very doctorly of you," Nico said.

Will raised his eyebrows. "And since when do you care about things being doctorly?"

"I don't."

Will laughed. "So where is Hogwarts?"

Nico scowled. "It's a school. In Scotland. How much did you hear?"

"Not much. Just that you were going to Hogwarts. You're going to school?"

"Yeah," Nico said. "There's only so much dead people can teach you."

"Good for you." Will was genuinely happy for Nico. It'd be good for him to be somewhere where people didn't know who he was. He'd miss him though.

"Bye," Nico said. 

"Nope." Will stopped him. "You're not leaving until I make sure you have everything you need. Did you even pack bandages?" He held his hand out for Nico's bag. Nico wordlessly handed it over and Will began adding demigod first aid supplies to it.

"Why Scotland?" Will asked as he packed.

"The Mist provides some natural defenses against monsters. But you can't IM me, because I'm not sure whether it will cover up any demigod stuff."

Will made a pouty face. "You better IM me, then. And I don't want you shadow-travelling too much. And you have to visit me."

Nico just rolled his eyes. "You worry too much."

Will glared at him. 

"Fine." Will was 99.8 % sure he was lying. Gods, he loved that boy. 

"Anything else, O All-Annoying Doctor?"

Will handed him back his bag. "I think you're set."

"Goodbye."

"One more thing," Will said.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I literally just asked you if there was anything else."

Will laughed. "I like you, Nico." 

Nico stared at him.

"As in, romantically," Will clarified.

Nico continued to stare at him, not saying anything. They stayed like that for almost five minutes before a call came from the infirmary.

"I have to go," Will said. "Bye."

"I - uh- Bye." Nico shadow travelled away. 

End Notes

Solangelo is awesome. Not sure who needs to be told this, but here it is. Unfortunately, Will shan't be coming to Hogwarts just yet, so savor this, peeps.

Next chapter will have some more Harry Potter and co. in it. Please don't kill me if Harry's a jerk. Kill him instead.

If you like this, please vote. Goodbye, peeps.