To Find What is Lost

Chapter 28: Knowing

Only as they now walked toward the Great Hall did Nico realise belatedly that in the mass of school-uniformed students Will stuck out like a sore thumb. He was still wearing cargo shorts and an orange T-shirt (not a Camp Half-Blood one, Demigods aren't that stupid), and the bright colour was turning heads left and right. Quickly Nico tugged off his robe and handed it to Will, but the blonde just shook his head with a smile and pushed it back toward the younger boy.

"They already know I'm here. Besides, maybe it's better if they all see me to start with and then there won't be any confusion later on."

Nico did not approve of this plan one bit, in fact it seemed to be an absolutely terrible plan; but Will's mind was set, and there wasn't much he could do about it now.

"Fine." he muttered and snarled at a Hufflepuff who was whispering to her friend as they passed.

As ever, Blaise seemed unfazed by anything, and he strode grinning into the hall, taking a seat at the Slytherin table and calling out to Pansy who sat a little further down. The girl looked up at the sound of his voice and grinned excitedly, jumping up from her place in a circle of girlfriends and coming over to join the three boys.

"Hi!"

She smiled widely at Will and hugged him quickly, jumping back almost immediately and sitting next to Blaise, smile still plastered over her face like overly applied makeup.

"I'm Pansy." she said as she loaded her plate with food and started ladling it into her mouth.

Will observed her with a happy smile and sat next to Nico, opposite the other two.

"Pass the gravy would you?" Pansy asked Blaise, but before he could even answer she reached over him and grabbed it herself.

"Never mind."

Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Honestly woman, what's the point of asking me to do something and then just doing it yourself anyway?"

"Well I feel like I should ask, but then I get impatient, you're so slow."

The two bickered for a few more minutes, and the demigods used it as an opportunity to catch up some more. It felt like after so long apart they could never get enough of each other's company; there was so much to talk about!

Will went over happenings at Camp so many times that Nico almost felt he had been there himself, and the son of Hades told his boyfriend everything about Hogwarts. The wizarding world interested Will to no end and they were deep in discussion of the science behind broomsticks when a familiar blonde approached their table.

"Luna!" (ha bet you thought it was gonna be Draco)

"Hi Nico!" she smiled dreamily at him and clutched her school books to her chest. Without asking she sat down at the end of Slytherin table, next to Will.

"Hello Will." she smiled kindly at him and patted his arm, helping herself to some dirigible plums (how did those get there?).

The son of Apollo looked at her delightedly.

"You really have told everybody about me haven't you?" he asked Nico with a grin.

But the ghost king was shaking his head bemusedly:

"Actually, I never told her about you." he said, and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile.

Will frowned, "Then how-?"

But Nico cut him off, "No point worrying about that, it's just Luna for you; Draco says she's just cooky, apparently she knew weird things about him too the first time she met him."

"Things I'd never told anyone before, things from before. At home. It was like she could read my mind or something, she's crazy if you ask me. Crazy but talented. If you can call it talent at all; knowing things."

Draco's words replayed in Nico's head and his face grew troubled as it always did when he thought about Malfoy's secrets.

Will frowned and waved a hand in front of his boyfriend's face:

"Hello? Nico? Earth to Nico."

The boy shook himself out of the trance and rolled his eyes, pushing Draco to the back of his mind.

"Moon to Will, copy."

The boys smiled at each other and Nico stood up suddenly.

"I'm full."

"Me too," -Will.