They're What?!

I Think She's Important

Nico POV

I couldn't believe the demigods had set that up for us.

"Sleep well, Haz?" I fell in step with her.

"Honestly? No. I kept replaying that dance."

I laughed lightly. "Sometimes it's cool to be behind the times."

"Got that right." Drake wrapped his arms around our shoulders and Frank caught up to Hazel and took her hand shyly.

"Don't go getting all touchy-feely with my sister, Zhang."

He blanched and let go of her hand.

Hazel punched my arm. "Leave off." She snatched her boyfriend's hand again.

I chuckled. "Aw, Hazel, you know I was joking."

She rolled her eyes and snuggled up closer to Frank's side.

"That's them!"

"Go ask him-"

"I'm not gonna, you!"

I frowned at the voices hissing to each other from around the corner. Suddenly a girl popped into view, obviously having been pushed.

"Uh..." She blushed bright red and looked at her feet.

I examined her quickly. She had orange-red curly hair that almost reached her waist, even pulled back in a ponytail. Looking at the ground, I couldn't see what color her eyes were, but I assumed they'd be brown.

"Hi." She said awkwardly.

"Hi. Sorry if I'm being blunt, but who are you?"

She looked up at me and I was startled. Instead of the brown I expected, her eyes were a vibrant forest green.

"Oh, sorry, my name is Aimilia Makos. Most people just call me Emmy." She flashed me a shy smile.

"Well, hi Emmy." I cocked my head at her, trying to figure out what she needed.

Emmy seemed to struggle for a few seconds, then glanced over to the side, probably to where her friends were standing.

"Can you...can you teach me how to do that?"

"Uhh...What?" I was utterly confused.

Emmy blushed. "The dancing you did last night."

"Ooooh." I nodded. "Sure. Do your friends want to learn too?"

Her blush deepened drastically and I heard titters from her friends. "Um, yeah."

I looked at Hazel. "You up to it?" She nodded and I transferred the movement to Emmy.

Her face lit up. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She lunged forward and pulled me into a hug.

Right at that moment, Percy and Annabeth came around another corner farther down the hall. Two sets of eyes widened drastically.

Emmy pulled away and grinned at me, then ran around the corner where her friends were.

Percy winked at me and I growled back.

"What was that all about, Nico?" Annabeth asked.

"She asked me if I would teach her and her friends how to Lindy Hop."

Annabeth's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea! Would you be okay with making a class? I heard a group of Gryffindors talking about how they'd like to learn too."

I balked, thinking about it. "I don't know..."

"I'm okay with that." Hazel said.

I groaned. "I guess that means I have to...I don't know, Annabeth. I don't like crowds."

"Aw, come on, Neeks! Please." My half sister pouted.

"Fine. Fine!" I threw my hands up.

"I'm hungry." Frank said suddenly. Hazel laughed.

"You're starting to sound like Percy."

"Hey!" Said son of Poseidon exclaimed, offended.

We all laughed and turned to head towards the Great Hall.

--------------------------------------

I frowned in confusion when our little group reached the Great Hall. A separate table was set up, our friends sitting at it.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

McGonagall was approaching us, looking stressed.

"We haven't told the students this, but Voldemort and Kronos were spotted not far from us with their army. Our magical border cannot be changed so quickly, the monsters will get in easily. After that, it won't take long for the Death Eaters to get in." Percy snickered at the name again.

"They will be here in a week or so. We are allowing you to sit separate and strategize. Would you like anyone else at the table?"

I spoke up. "Aimilia Makos, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger."

McGonagall nodded. "Of course, Mr. di Angelo. Go sit with your friends. I will-"

"We can get them, Headmistress." Hazel offered with a smile.

"Thank you Hazel." She walked up to the teacher's table.

"Okay, Percy and I will get Neville, Ginny and Hermione. Hazel, you and Frank want to get Draco? And Nico, you can get Luna and Aimilia."

We split up and I headed for the Ravenclaw table.

"Hey, Luna. McGonagall said you can come sit with us. And Emmy, can I talk to you?"

She nodded as Luna dreamily wandered over to where the others were. I pulled Emmy far enough away from the table that no one would hear us. "Okay, I'm going to ask you some questions when we go to the table over there, but I don't want to have you break down, so I'm going to ask this one now. Is one of your parents dead or missing?"

Her jaw dropped and she stared at me, wide eyed.

"How did you know that?"

[A/N okay, hopefully I'll get these done, all of them, at least once before *checks nonexistent watch* Saturday night, since I'll be headed up to Camp again on Sunday morning. Enjoy the chappie! And don't worry, I respect Riordan's choices so Nico is still gay.]