Chapter 29: Luce Stellare

Nico

It had been back in the Lotus Hotel. Bianca had forced me to go to bed.

She was standing out on the balcony.

"Bianca? I can't sleep."

She had smiled. "Come here."

I had put her arms around her. "Look up at the luce stellare. The starlight."

"I know what luce stellare means."

"Isn't the cielo beautiful tonight?"

"Yes, the sky is very pretty." I had rolled my eyes.

"Vai a letto, Nico. Ci vediamo in mattinata.*"

The next morning, we had been taken out of the hotel.

"Nico? You're doing it again." Trevor said.

I focused on my breakfast, not letting myself slip into another memory.

Harry

Nico seemed oddly distracted. Not that he normally paid attention in potions, but…

"Mr. Di Angelo, why do we use doxy eggs in the Girding potions?" Snape asked impatiently.

He didn't respond.

"Mr. Di Angelo!"

"Yes?"

"Answer the question."

"What question?"

"Why do we use doxy eggs in the Girding potions?"

"I don't care."

With obvious reluctance, Snape said. "Ten points from Slytherin."

"But professor!" Malfoy interrupted.

"Can anyone answer the question?"

Of course, he ignored Hermione's hand. He also found a reason to give twenty points to Slytherin during the lesson.

"Nico?" I caught him as we left. "Are you alright?"

"Sì, il cielo è molto carina." He rolled his eyes.

"What?"

He seemed to only realize I was there. "I'm fine."

"What does that mean?"

He seemed reluctant, but said. "Yes, the sky is very pretty."

"Why were you talking to myself about the sky?"

"It haunts me."

"The sky?"

"Il mio passato. My past."

"Why?"

"I should have protected her." He wasn't talking to me anymore.

"What?"

His eyes widened. "I…" His voice broke. "My sister. She died over four years ago." Then his eyes widened more. "What's todays date?"

"January 28th, why…?"

He ran like he was in a hurry.

"Where's he going?" Ron came up to me.

"Not a clue."

Nico

I ran into the nearest bathroom and jammed the door.

"Drachma. Drachma!" I muttered, searching for a coin.

"Got it!"

I turned on a sink. Hot water. Hot water made steam. Steam worked for a message.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Hazel Levsque at Camp Jupiter."

"Nico!" Hazel smiled instantly. "I wanted to call, but I was worried I would interrupt something."

"Thanks Hazel."

"Happy birthday, Nico. You're fifteen."

"Oh gods!" I laughed. "I'm old."

"You aren't old!"

"Technically, I'm a lot older than fifteen."

"You know what I mean."

"I know. I know."

"You need to come visit."

"I can sneak out this weekend."

"I've missed you, Nico."

"And I've missed you."

She smiled.

"Oh gods, Hazel. Isn't it like midnight in San Francisco?"

"Maybe."

"Go to bed Hazel!"

"I will. I will."

"Why didn't you call me later?"

"You didn't give me the chance."

"Oh, right."

"Goodnight Nico."

"Morning."

"I'll see you later." She laughed.

"Bye."

I waved the message away and turned off the sink.

I heard footsteps outside the door.

Harry

"What is he saying?" Ron asked.

"I'm listening."

"Nico!" I hear a girl say. "I wanted to call, but I was worried I would interrupt something."

"Thanks Hazel."

"Happy birthday, Nico. You're fifteen."

"Oh gods!" Nico laughed. "I'm old."

"You aren't old!"

"Technically, I'm a lot older than fifteen."

I gave Ron a questioning look.

How was he technically older?

"You know what I mean."

"I know. I know."

"You need to come visit."

"I can sneak out this weekend."

I gave Ron another look. How would he sneak out? There was no way.

"I've missed you, Nico."

"And I've missed you." He paused. "Oh gods, Hazel. Isn't it like midnight in San Francisco?"

"Maybe."

"Go to bed Hazel!"

"I will. I will."

"Why didn't you call me later?"

"You didn't give me the chance."

"Oh, right."

"Goodnight Nico."

"Morning."

"I'll see you later." She laughed.

"Bye."

Ron and I ran.

We met Hermione in Charms.

"What took you two so long?" She asked.

"Nico," I said. "He was talking to someone in San Francisco. Someone named Hazel."

"How? Muggle phones wouldn't work here. I don't know of any spell."

"I don't know, but listen to this. He said that he's technically older than fifteen after she said he wasn't old. And he also said he was going to sneak out this weekend."

"That's not possible."

"How do you know? He came into Binns' room late and looking like he slept outside."

"Maybe he did, but there's no way he can sneak out."

"But…"

"I figured something else out. I'll tell you later."

Nico

I saw Harry and Ron running at top speed away from the bathroom door.

Luckily, I hadn't said anything too important.

I ran too. I was running late for Herbology and I wasn't in the mood to get a detention.

Herbology was my least favorite class. Worse than DADA. Worse than potions. Persephone hated me. Plants literally withered in my hands.

I walked into the greenhouse very late.

No one spoke as I took my place. The plant in front of me died before I even touched it.

"Persephone, ti odio!"

Harry

"What did you figure out?"

"I'm not sure that this is anything new, but I'm positive he isn't a wizard."

"Positive?"

"Absolutely. He's afraid of doing magic in front of you. When's the last time you saw him do magic?"

"I… uh… once in Charms in like October."

"Exactly."

"So what does this mean?"

"He isn't a wizard, but he certainly isn't normal."

(A/N The starred text means "Go to bed, Nico. I'll see you in the morning." Review.)