Alrighty! I'm back a bit earlier this time but I had time in a class that I took advantage of to type to all you guys! Anyways, sorry last chapter was just so odd and out there. I promise this chapter will actually have to do with the book. And sorry the times didn't work right, I realize this was not how it went in the book.

Forbidden Forest

Nico POV

Nico was relaxing in the green common room trying to ignore the three other Slytherins whispering not so quietly behind his back about his outburst. He was about to snap something at them when the door opened and Draco stepped in with Vincent and Gregory trailing him as usual. Today the two were looking quite bored, like whatever conversation they'd been having had been going on for quite awhile. "If you'd stop pestering those lugs, I'd like to know what you're talking about. Was it your detention with McGonagall?" Nico asked and turned to face the trio.

"Actually, it's Potter. I overheard him talking to the ground's keeper about a dragon that they're going to get rid of tonight," Draco answered as he walked over with his usual infuriating swagger.

"Oh?" Nico asked and raised an eyebrow at this accusation.

"I swear, I even saw the disgusting creature!"

"Maybe you just saw your own reflection," Nico joked even though his head was spinning at the possibility of a dragon in the castle. Draco sprawled on the couch next to him and smacked his friend.

"Your lucky I had my wand confiscated for the night so I don't hex your butt back to America." Nico rolled his eyes at the boasting.

"What do you think we can do about it?" Nico asked although he knew there was quite a bit he could do about the dragon. Namely killing it, but that didn't seem appropriate.

"I say we follow Potty and Weasel to get proof before telling the headmaster. I am a Slytherin after all and even a Hufflepuff has enough brains to see how the headmaster looks at Potter."

Nico was about to laugh and say that getting the Gryffindors in trouble the most ridiculous thing ever, but then he saw the whispering second years and grinned mischievously deciding to be a cliché Slytherin for the night. Maybe earn some points with his confused house. "Why not, I think we can use the bonding and whatnot. Besides, it'll be fun to wander around the castle at night." He stretched his back and winced at the nasty popping sound. "Alright, as long as we aren't doing this to just annoy the Gryffindors. I already yelled at them for thinking we were all evil." Draco snorted loudly and earned an annoyed glance from one of the other first years in the room. Nico glared at her and then focused back on the blond in front of him. That blond hair though! It had to be dyed, no way that… Nico snapped back to attention as he realized he'd been trapped in his thoughts.

"… Astronomy tower." Was all Nico heard from Draco. He nodded blankly as he struggled to get his brain back on topic. "You listening?" Draco asked and squinted at the other pale boy.

"Um… No," Nico said honestly before continuing, "but you have to tell me. Is your hair natural?"

Draco fixed Nico with a look so akin to the look Annabeth gave him when he asked if she had a bellybutton was uncanny. Terrifying actually. "No. My. Hair. Is. Not. Dyed." Draco looked about ready to throw Nico off the aforementioned tower at this point. "Why does everyone ask me that?" he exclaimed after his outburst. With a groan Draco fell on his back on the couch.

"Alright, sorry. What time are we gonna burst the trio's bubble?"

"Wow. You really weren't listening at all. I said, at midnight they're meeting someone at the astronomy tower so I figured we'd cut them off there and maybe get some proof."

"Right. Except for one thing, it's four in the afternoon. What do we do for the next eight hours?" Draco blinked as though this had never crossed his mind.

"Don't we have that essay for McGonagall?"

"Ugh. Right, we should probably work on that." Nico sighed and pulled out his wand. Muttering the leviosa spell he levitated his stack of books and parchment over from a nearby table. Draco pulled the books out of his bag at his side while Crabbe and Goyle, who had already done the work, left to go get some extra food.

After efficiently working until the two couldn't feel their fingers they played a game of exploding snap. The combined time of their antics and work added up to six hours. Deciding it would be alright to maybe follow the three just in case they came out a few hours early they stood from their new seats by the fire.

With some stepping on long robes and cursing at each other they stepped into the corridor from behind the tapestry hiding the Slytherin dorm. "Where to?" Nico asked after straightening out his robes.

"The astronomy tower I suppose. We'll see if we can head them off there," Draco responded as he started walking up the stairs. "We'll have to be careful, Filch is still mad at me for dumping water on his cat."

"You really think I don't know to be careful? Come on, there's a shortcut to the bottom of the tower over here." Nico stepped up a few of the stone stairs and stood in front of a suit of armor. After standing there for a moment it moved aside to reveal a small passageway.

"And you found this how?" Draco looked at Nico suspiciously.

"What do you think I've done the nights I've been leaving the common room?"

"Good point," Draco admitted. As they stepped into the corridor Draco sneezed before lighting up his wand. "I wonder when this place was cleaned last." Draco covered his nose as some dust was kicked up by their walking. Nico didn't want to uncover his nose so he just snorted in response. Stepping out of the passageway Nico was faced with something as terrifying as an angry Reyna. McGonagall was standing in the narrow corridor fixing them with a murderous look. Nico cursed himself for not checking to make sure the corridor was empty before stepping out.

"Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Angelo. What are you doing out of bed? Ten points from Slytherin each and detention," she said even as a strand of hair fell out of her hairnet. Even in her sleepwear she was intimidating.

"But Potter has a dragon!" Draco protested as the two were dragged away. Nico felt the nauseating presence of Harry as well as a feeling similar to the one he had at the Doors of Death. Or Death himself really. He frowned and looked in the direction they should be. He caught a flicker of movement and what looked like a tail appearing out of thin air before he was pulled around a corner roughly.

After getting yelled at by McGonagall for a few minutes straight they were sent back to the common room. As soon as they'd gotten through the door Draco crossed his arms and stormed up the stairs to the first year dorms. Nico sighed and waited for a moment before following Draco. Throwing himself onto the bed he was pleased to have the first dreamless night in a long while.

About a week later they were sitting by the fire when someone cleared their throat. Nico looked up from the charms book he'd been reading and pulled off his enchanted glasses to address the figure. The Slytherin that was head of the quidditch team stood there looking down at Nico.

"Yes?" Nico asked and stood up. Finding himself almost a whole two feet shorter than the boy in front of him made him regret his choice a second later.

"You're staining our flawless house, and I want to know why you even got in here," the boy, whatever his name was, stepped towards Nico.

"Because, I probably belong here more than you. After all, you match the cliché for this house while I actually represent the real reason for the house. If you really think I'm the one staining this house, go look in a mirror. I'm sure the other houses totally hate us because of me." The other boy obviously thought this conversation would go this way and was struggling for a response. "See, you don't even have enough brains to find a comeback for a twelve year old," Nico finished and then just turned around and walked away.

The previously rowdy common room was silent as he stepped out of the room. He thought he heard the boy send a threat his way and yell at him, but his mind was wandering to the other rooms in the dungeon. Deciding he needed a break from the mudblood prejudice he went to seek out the three Gryffindors. He wandered around and didn't find the trio by the time dinner had passed so with a sigh he'd just gone back to the common room to try to sleep.

A week before the finals were coming up he and Draco got a note saying when their detention was. Nico had to read it a few times before he could make sense of the floating words. The rest of the day passed with Draco complaining and his fellow Slytherins avoiding him, but not hating him or whispering anymore.

At eleven that night Nico and Draco went to the entrance hall to meet Filch. Seeing Harry, Hermione, and Neville there with no Ron was surprising to say the least. Nico smiled slightly at them and the three smiled back. As Filch led them outside he talked about how he missed the old punishments while the five first years glanced around nervously. Nico felt something was wrong and it was setting his nerves on edge, not to mention causing his ADHD to act up.

Seeing that they would only be going into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid made him calm down slightly. A bad feeling in his gut more powerful than when he was around Quirrell and Harry settled into his gut a moment later. He shuddered involuntarily and Draco protested loudly as the group neared the forest. Hagrid split them up into groups, which was probably a very bad idea as Nico's skin crawled with chills. He, Draco, and Harry went one way with Fang walking slowly beside them whining. A twig snapped and all three of them jumped while Fang yelped. Draco was even more pale than usual and was whispering slightly to himself.

They found a clearing and Nico shuddered violently at the sight before him. Draco ran away screaming shrilly as he saw the body of the silver unicorn with a cloaked figure drinking its blood from a slit in it's neck. Nico gagged as the sick feeling in his stomach became unbearable. Harry pressed a hand to his head and staggered back as the figure rose. Nico felt extremely dizzy and his legs gave out as the figure approached. He cursed himself for his weakness, but whatever it was was making him sick.

He shrunk away from it as it moved towards Harry. His instincts got the better of him and he shadow traveled to the outskirts of the forest. The sick feeling faded significantly before fading completely. Nico sat down on the grass and let the remaining dizziness pass as he waited for the rest of the wizards to get out of the forest.

Okay, I totally lost my inspiration for the last part of this and just force myself to write it so I'm sorry if the last half is kinda rough or not very good. Anyways, I realized I totally skipped Christmas. Whoops. Use your imagination to think of what he did back in America. Anyways, next chapter will be the whole Voldy Moldy scene and all that. I may just make that the last chapter, or maybe not. But I will be writing a second book so stay tuned!

Until next time,

~Bella