To Find What is Lost

Chapter 27: Arriving

When they appeared outside Hogwarts, Draco was sitting by a tree reading a book called 'The Graveyard Book'. Nico thought he had probably started reading the second he left, the boy was obsessed at the moment with Neil Gaiman. He told Nico he hadn't had the opportunity to read any muggle books before, and was now on a streak of catching up on all the literature he had missed out on. He wouldn't tell Nico why he had been unable to read muggle authors before, and the younger boy didn't ask. When Nico queried on the fact that The Graveyard Book was in fact a children's book, he was met with a scowl of deepest contempt and was told scathingly that the book was a "piece of art" and that he was an "uneducated illiterate American".

When they tumbled out into being, however, Malfoy looked up and smiled as he got to his feet. Dog-earing his page (Yes Draco dog-ears get over it) he got to his feet and held out his hand for Will to shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Draco Malfoy."

Will grinned, and he took Draco's hand. "I've heard all about you from Nico." he said enthusiastically, "Thanks for looking after him, he can get himself into trouble you know..."

"Hey shut up!" Interjected Nico with a mock-scowl that couldn't hide his grin. "I'll have you know I'm very capable of looking after myself."

Both blondes laughed and the ghost king reddened.

Will suddenly turned back to Draco, "Oh, sorry, I forgot all about introductions. I'm Will,"

Draco smirked lightly to shake off the apology. "Oh I know that already, I've heard all about you from Nico too."

As the three boys set off for the castle (typical of England, it was starting to drizzle dismally) Nico found himself caught between the two older blondes, and he wondered why, though both boys seemed polite and friendly, he felt so inexplicably awkward.

***

Draco left them at the gates with a tight smile and talk of: "catching up" and "leaving them in privacy", and Nico had excitedly ensued to show Will all around Hogwarts.

"And this is the Transfiguration classroom, we do turning one thing into another here."

Will grinned delightedly, "This is all so cool Neeks." he said enthusiastically with that happiness only Will could put into words, "I'm so glad I finally got the chance to look around where you're staying!"

A wide smile broke out on Nico's face, and he grabbed Will's hand, pulling him further. "I'll take you to the owlery, you'll like it there I think. All the owls are so cool and the way they're trained is amazing!"

Once Will had seen his fill of Hogwarts Nico took him reluctantly down to the Slytherin dorms. He wasn't sure why he was nervous, after all it was only Blaise and Draco who had both known about Will for ages. The thought didn't ease his nerves at all.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Sunshine Perfect himself!" grinned Blaise crookedly as they entered. "Must say di Angelo judging by how you described him I'd have thought he'd be glowing and floating on clouds!"

Will grinned and Nico reddened.

"Shut up." he glared but inside it was a relief to hear a joke, it helped to lighten the mood.

Especially since Draco had just washed his hair and it smelt of oakmoss and woodsorrel...

"Stop that right now." He ordered himself, and thankfully his mind listened to him for once. Shaking the preposterous thoughts away, he turned to look at Will and beat himself up internally as he saw the open friendly expression on his boyfriend's face.

He realised a silence had been stretching out longer and longer as he brooded and hastened to break it:

"Um, Will, this is Blaise. Blaise, you know Will."

Zabini nodded, still smirking widely. "Just don't be too loud will you? Some of us want to sleep."

Nico turned bright red and hit Blaise over the head with a book while Will laughed and Draco smirked slightly over The Graveyard Book.

After some yells of 'ow' and complaints the four boys settled down somewhat. They had a few minutes to dinner and Nico helped Will unpack, there were a few spare beds as the room was intended for five.

"Do you Americans all pack like you're on the run?" asked Blaise bemusedly, gesturing to Will's backpack.

Nico raised an eyebrow.

"The question is, why do you British pack as if you were stuck in the nineteen hundreds. Honestly, trunks? Haven't you ever heard of space efficiency? There's a reason the airports aren't full of big wooden boxes."

Blaise shrugged, "okay fine, I suppose no country's perfect. Dinner should be starting now, you wanna head up?"

"Sure." said Nico.

"In a minute." muttered Draco, not looking up from the pages in his lap.

A smile touched the ghost king's lips.

"Bookworm." he murmured to himself.

"Coming!"