To Find What is Lost

Chapter 13: Argument

The rest of the day, Nico did what he did best. Hide.

Or -to be more specific- hide and wallow in self pity and anger.

He had finally made some progress, finally come one step closer to finishing all this, to finishing everything and just going home. He missed camp, and Will, and Hazel, and Percy and Jason and Reyna and Piper and Chiron and Frank and Annabeth and even that stupid son of Hephaestus. He had been so close, so close. And now because of stupid gossip, stupid, ridiculous gossip and stupid, ridiculous people he was back to square one, back to not knowing when he was going to ever see his friends again. Back to being hated by everyone around him.

Finally he screamed.

And screamed.

Piercing the air with his pain as he let the skeletons come, let the shadows swirl around him. He knew he was wasting energy, but he didn't care.

It felt good.

It felt good to let it all out.

And then the tears came, falling fast down his cheeks and splashing onto the dry forest floor beneath him.

He curled up and cried, needing someone to comfort him, needing Will, or Hazel. But he had to make do with the undead and the shadows.

*** Harry POV:

Harry felt elated. (yas we hate u Harry get lost)

Di Angelo was sorted with, his homework wasn't that behind schedule, and Quidditch was going great. The only slight irritation in his perfect year now was Ron, who still wandered around forlornly and wouldn't talk to anyone except Hermione.

Selfish Ron, who didn't think of anyone but himself. Hermione said that he was broken and grieving for Fred and Percy. She had this messed up theory that losing Fred had broken him, and then losing Percy right after had tipped him over the edge. She was obsessed with finding Percy, and no matter how many times Harry told her to give it up she continued to work on her 'project'.

She had made him promise not to say anything to Ron.

"Fat chance," snorted Harry. The two of them never spoke anymore, Harry being sick and tired of his friend's moping.

He found himself suddenly not so pleased with his perfect year after all, and tried to think back to di Angelo's face at breakfast to make himself happy again.

The chosen one was just starting to grin again, when a very, very angry Hermione stormed into the common room, headed right for him.

"Um, Hermione, are you all-"

"Harry James Potter." she said, and her voice was dangerously calm. "Yesterday you asked me why I was hanging out with Nico di Angelo in the library. I told you that I was helping him with his homework. So how come today the entire school is under the impression that Nico's A: a hopeless lovebird, or B: a vicious murderer intent on destroying me, when all he did was ask for my help?"

Her voice was quiet and deadly calm.

Harry blanched, he opened and closed his mouth lostly for a second then gulped

"Hermione- it's just- it's not that, it's just he's-!"

"He's what."

"He's a Death Eater!"

"Not everyone you clash with is a Death Eater!"

"Well di Angelo is!"

"For goodness sake Harry Voldemort's dead! Even if he was a Death Eater, which I still don't believe, it doesn't matter! You don't have to be the hero anymore!"

The last sentence left Harry speechless.

"The hero? The hero? I'm trying to protect you!"

"Well maybe I don't need protecting!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

With that Hermione turned on her heel and stormed off.