When Nico's not at camp (book the first)

Nico

The warm water feels so good against my skin. I don't get magic strength from water like Percy, but a nice soapy bath is always a good way to relax. I don't even realize how tense I had been until my muscles start to relax. I have the bathroom all to myself and I told Peeves to make sure I'm not disturbed. Poltergeists aren't human spirits. So I can't control them like I would a ghost. But they are a type of spirit, and therefore part of my fathers realm, so they generally listen to me. And I definitely need the alone time. My first week of school went okay, I'm really excelling in my classes but i am beyond stressed out. The other Gryffindors keep trying to make friends with me. And the worst part is its kind of working. The other Gryffindors are friendly and Harry, Ron, and Hermione kind of remind me of  Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. And that scares me. I know if this group gets to know me they will turn on me just like the demigods did. Of course my father doesn't agree with that assessment. And he visited me in my dream to tell me so. He's spent three millennia in the underworld isolating himself from the other gods. And he has the nerve to tell me to make friends.I try to hold back my tears before I remember  I'm alone. So I let myself sob. I wish Bianca was here. She was always the one with social skills. She would know what I should do.

When I wake up I realize I must have fallen asleep. I roll my eyes at myself. No duh. I pull myself out of the water and dry off. The ADHD part of my brain is off task wondering who restocks the towels and toiletries. It's probably done by magic I decide. Again, No duh. Magic school, of course they use magic to stock their bathrooms. Then I realize the bathroom is dark. I check my watch. It's nearly midnight. "Styx." We're not supposed to be out after dark. I need to get back to the common room. I decide I'll have to just walk back. I could shadow travel right to the common room, but i have no way of knowing if anyone else is in there. The last thing I need is to spend all night explaining to Neville how i managed to materialize out of pure darkness. Besides, I can always wrap the shadows around myself if there's a chance i might be seen. When I walk into the hallway,or corridor as these brits insist on calling it. I find Peeves dutifully patrolling the section in front of the bathroom.he floats over when he sees me. "Hello Nico. Did you enjoy your bathy wathy?" I smile. Ghosts would never call me by my first name. I am their king after all. But Peeves isn't a ghost so i let it slide. "I did enjoy it very much, thank you. Did anyone give you any trouble?" "Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope." A few students saw me hanging around and warned the school I was probably up to something so they all stayed away." I laugh loudly. Then struggle to quiet myself when I remember I'm not supposed to be out of the common room. "Well thanks for your help Peeves. have a good night." And with that he zooms down the corridor and through the ceiling.

I'm really struggling to remember the way back to the common room. Ive only been able to get around so far thanks to help from the ghosts. But there aren't any around now. They'll all be off haunting whatever corner of the castle they've decided they like best. In the meantime i am completely and totally lost. Ive just decided that I'm going to have to risk shadow traveling back to the common room when i suddenly hear the pounding of feet against the stone floor I slink into the corner and pull the shadows around me. Gods of Olympus was I surprised to see that it was none other than Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. They stop at the intersection between two corridors and start arguing about which way to go. I decide if we're all going to be lost we might as well all be lost together. So I shuffle myself out of the corner and around the group of Gryffindors so it looks like I'm walking out of a corridor rather than a corner. then I step into the torch light. "Hey guys, what are yo doing out here?" I whisper. They all  flinch when they see me. "We're running from Filch", Harry says. "Yeah mate", Ron interjects. "Turns out you were right. Malfoy did exactly what you said he would." Then we hear foot step approach from behind us. And we all run. After several twists and turns we come to a locked door at the end of a dead end. While Ron and Neville take turns panicking, Hermione uses the unlocking charm to open the door and I pull the two little cowards inside.  Inside the room we're greeted by probably the last thing I had expected to see. One of the children of Cerberus. The monster growls and opens its mouths, obviously preparing to eat us. But I step forward, snap my fingers three times, and in my clearest most commanding voice I command. "DOWN!" The monster freezes. Then lays down calmly in front of me. I gently rub its center snout and he drifts gently off to sleep. I turn around to see my four companions starring at me with astonishment  clear on their faces.

When we get back to the common room we all sit down around the fire. "That was bloody exciting", Ron offers. "Exciting", Neville stutters. "You call getting eaten exciting." Ron waves off Nevilles comment. "We weren't gonna get eaten. Nico totally had it under control." Hermione frowns at me with that annoying thoughtful look Annabeth always gets. "Yes. How did you know how to calm that dog down Nico? Styx. I had hoped that my friends would just accept... I do a mental double take. Did I just think of these kids as my friends? When did that happen? Oh Styx! Curse my ADHD. I need to come up with a lie quick. I decide to just tell a partial truth. "My Father owns one", I decide. Ron stares at me incredulously. Why is he always so shocked by everything? "Your dad owns a three headed dog?" He asks once he regains his composure. "He's uhm, careful about security." I don't think they're buying it but then a though occurs to me. "It's also a family symbol. Remember Harry there was a picture of one on my Gringots vault." Understanding dawns on Harry's face. "Oh yeah", he acknowledges, and everyone relaxes.

Hermione crosses her arms. "I think its cruel to have a big animal like that locked up in a tiny little room." I shrug and turn my head towards the fire. "Not really. They're natural bred guard dogs so they don't really mind being chained up or kept in small spaces. As long as you play with them once in a while." I turn back to Hermione to find her thinking very hard. "What?" She meets my gaze. "If that things a guard dog. Then what is it guarding?" We're all quiet for a few seconds then Hermione storms off to bed complaining that were all going to get her killed or expelled. Then one by one we all make our way to bed until I'm the only one left. I sit quietly in the common room for several minutes before i speak. "Good night my lady." "Good Night Nico", Hestia responds. She had been quietly tending the fire since we returned to the common room but I knew I was the only one she showed herself to. Then I head up to the boys dormitory and pull the curtain around my bed. I pet Ajax as I drift off to sleep.