Art by bittlenobody

Having a meal with the Weasely family was... Better? Worse? than I expected. I'm not sure. It's definitely weird having Will there, already having gotten used to the magic. In a world of gods, magic isn't that hard to accept.

"Nico, dear, you need to eat more than that, I insist." Mrs. Weasley says for probably the fourth time in ten minutes.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley."

"Aw, c'mon, Nico dear. You need to eat." Will scoops a bit of salad onto my plate. I glare at him, to which he just returns a sunny grin.

"So... You're Nico's friend from America?" Harry asks Will.

"Uh." He glances at me. "Yeah... Our families send us both to the same summer camp, and he's finally stopped running away, so I was finally able to really meet him."

"You ran away!?" Hermione looks to me in shock. "Multiple times?"

I shrug, sinking down in my chair and wishing I could shadow travel away.

"Oh look, a change of subject." Will says, pointing over to the sink, where dishes are cleaning themselves. "What's going on with that?"

As Mrs. Weasely explains her cleaning magic, I take a moment to look around better. There's a grandfather clock with many hands, Weasley names, I assume, and places instead of numbers. 'Arthur and Percy' are at work. There was traveling, hospital, grave peril, among others. We should get one of these at camp.

There's a large fireplace, cushy chairs, many stairs leading up, and self doing chores everywhere. Needles are knitting by themselves in the corner. That kind of feels like cheating to me, and doesn't that take the fun out of it?

I tap on Will's arm, drawing his attention, and the attention of everyone else.

"Um..." I look around at them, then back to Will, and whisper to him. ""

He shakes his head. ""

"Will-"

""

"Fine." I grumble, stuffing a piece of salad into my mouth.

"Will..." Hermione asks after a moment of awkward silence. "Where do you go to school?"

"My mom homeschools me."

"How's that work?" Ron asks, getting elbowed by Hermione for eating with his mouth full.

"I don't learn magic, for staters." He grins.

"Yeah, you're really talking this well." Harry points out.

Will shrugs. "I've seen weirder."

They stare at him.

"How?" Hermione asks.

"I'm- I'm a doctor." Smooth Will. Nice save. A sixteen year old doctor won't raise and questions.

This sparks Hermione's interest, drawing attention away from me for a while, giving me a moment to calm down, to think of what to do.

We could go back in a plane, but I'd have to figure out where to get the money, not to mention we don't have passports, and I'd have to go in the sky. I would have Will try to contact his dad for the sun chariot, but Apollo is currently a human. I could try to get money and find a hotel until Will lets me take us back.

My eyes wander, trailing over the grain of the table, and my mind drifts away.

"Nico." Will says suddenly, making me quickly look to him.

"Hm?"

"Mrs. Weasley said that we can stay here until we can figure out how to get back."

"Oh... Joy..."

Will looks to Mrs. Weasely. "He means thank you."

"You can stay in Ron's room with him and Harry."

"Mum, there's no room." Ron complains.

"Then make room, Ronald."

After that, we get shooed off to the many stairs, up to Ron's room. I can see what Ron meant by no room. There was already another bed stuffed into the crowded room.

"At least you don't have to stay with the twins." Hermione pats our shoulders. "I'm staying in Ginny's room. Goodnight boys."

She then turns away, leaving the room.

"How will this work?" Ron asks.

"Just some blankets on the floor will work." Will says. "I'm sure Nico will pass out as soon as he's laid down, and I can sleep anywhere."

The amount of times he'd fallen asleep sitting up in the infirmary was amazing, and what was even more amazing was how his back wasn't sore after waking up from that.

"Alright then. Harry c'mon." The two leave, presumably to get blankets.

"So I'm your friend from summer camp?"

"Yes. That was a good explanation, thank you. I haven't really... Told them yet."

"Neeks, they're your friends. It'll be okay." He puts his hand on my shoulder, the almost uncomfortable warmth feeling all too comforting.

"I just don't want to. Not yet."

"Blankets!" Harry announces, him and Ron coming into the room, arms laden with quilts and blankets. Will pulls his hand away. They throw them on the floor by the window in a large pile.

As Will and I arrange them into a makeshift bed, they get ready to sleep.

🌋

"So what do you think is happening?" Ron asks with no prompting, all of us already in bed.

"What?" I'm trying desperately to stay awake.

"Something is happening at Hogwarts this year."

"Something happens every year."

"No! I mean an event!"

"Hm. And should I care? Why wouldn't you want one year without something happening?"

"You two be quiet. I'm trying to sleep." Harry whisper yells at us.

"Sorry mate."

"Sorry." I snuggle up against Will, who feels like a heater on the strangely cold floor.

"Night sunshine." I murmur to him

"Goodnight death boy." He mumbles back, already mostly asleep, eyes closed.

And with that, the world fades away.

I'm super excited about this book! I couldn't do my science last night because I was writing this when the teacher taught the stuff.

Peace out Matchsticks!

Love,
Sammy