Nico stood in the doorway to Will's room, staring at the figure on the bed. Will was paler than he had ever seen him, and it was agony, watching his best friend, and former lover, like this.
He felt, rather than heard, Hermione approaching from behind. He let her power wash over him, soothing his turmoil.
She put her arms around him, hugging him from behind.
"I hate this" he said quietly "I can literally feel his life force slipping away, but there is nothing I can do about it."
"How long do we have?" She whispered.
"It was lucky, Apollo was here. Even he can't do much, but he managed to stabilize him. I'd say we have about two, maybe three weeks."
Hermione nodded "We'll find a cure. I have faith in Draco. He is an expert in both potions, and dark magic."
"Draco. Didn't you tell me about him once or twice?"
"She probably did." Draco said, coming up, behind them, twirling his wand between his fingers. "I was a little shit back then. Still didn't snitch on you, though." He pushed himself past the two, moving towards Will's bed, casting diagnostic charms on him.
"What do you mean 'snitch'?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
"Well, we Slytherins, are notoriously great at keeping secrets. Usually because it's hard to blackmail someone, if everyone else already knows the secret. I saw you sometimes, sneaking around during third year. And once, at the end of second year. Interesting dress, I remember." Draco smirked.
"You knew?" She hissed.
"Of course, I knew. Don't think anyone else did, though. I never told anyone." He told her nonchalantly, busying himself with the diagnostics.
Hermione looked at him incredulously.
"Weren't you going to take a nap?"
He sighed. "I was. I am, I'm going to, I just need to check some things first. I need to figure out, if we need to invent a counter spell, or if we need to make a potion, and I need to theorize on, what we need to change with this whole demi-god thing."
"But I'm sure it can wait a couple of hours." She said gently.
He huffed impatiently. "Maybe it can, but I can't rest, when I have done nothing. This shit was invented by my forefathers, and it's resting on my shoulders. I need to fix this."
"This is not your fault, Draco. It's more mine that it is yours. It was on my arm, after all. You can't pay for Bellatrix's sins, and you aren't supposed to carry them."
"Maybe not, but I can try to atone for my own, eh?" He gave her a wry smile.
"There's no way I can talk you into going to sleep, is there?"
"Nope" He said, popping the 'p'
"Fine" She sighed. "Just, please try to rest soon, alright?"
"Yes, mother." He smirked at her.
She stuck out her tongue at him, and took Nico's hand, leading him to their own room.
"Will, will be fine." She assured him. "Draco might have been an arse, when we were younger, but he's doing better now. If anyone is going to save Will, it's him. I can feel it. I might have been first in school, but I have special powers. He was a very close second, and he has a great deal more expertise in the subjects needed here."
Nico nodded. "Did you two get close?"
She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Not jealous, just curious" he assured her.
"I suppose I would call us friends. He was there, when I was tortured, so it was odd in the beginning. But somehow, we managed."
She laid down on the bed. "I need a nap before apparating. Care to join me?"
…
The god of the sun was heartbroken. Of course, heartbreak was not a foreign emotion for him, but the prospect of losing one's child, was another kind of heart shattering emotion.
He had felt the fear, when Kayla and Austin were kidnapped, but as much as he didn't want to play favorites, Will was special. He was so like himself, but in a better, selfless version. The fact that he could do nothing to help his son, just made matters worse.
All in all, the situation sucked.
Rachel helped a little. She reminded him of the prophecy, and the chance, that Will might be healed. It was just frustrating, that he couldn't do it himself.
When the other girl – Hermione, came to find him, he was sitting outside, in Calypso's garden. In his own mind, he thought of them as friends. She would probably say, that she had come to tolerate him. Barely.
Hermione cleared her throat, making him look up at her.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" She asked him.
He nodded, feeling almost numb, towards, what was to happen.
She sat down beside him.
"You know, you might die, right?" He felt the need to ask her.
"Wouldn't be the first time." She shrugged nonchalantly.
"The bravery and self-sacrifice of humanity is still baffling to me"
"I've heard you aren't incapable of that, yourself." She smirked, shoving him a little with her elbow.
"I did, what I had to do." He mumbled, looking to the ground.
"Now, I hadn't heard modesty was your strong suit." She remarked, making him grin.
"Let's do this, yea?"
…
They went to the main house, where Nico and Percy were standing.
"We should be back in about five minutes." Hermione told them.
"And if you're not?" Percy asked in his best big brother impression.
"Then maybe we'll come back in ten?" She shrugged. "I haven't exactly done this before."
"Are you sure, you can do this?" Nico asked through clenched teeth.
"Not really, but we don't have all that much choice. If we can spare human lives in this way, then we'll do it."
"Dammit, Hermione. What if you overexert yourself?" He yelled agitatedly.
She went to hug him, and give him a tender kiss. Apollo felt like turning his back. It seemed like a very private moment.
"Who's talking, Ghost King?" She whispered, resting her forehead against his.
"So!" Percy interrupted, obviously uncomfortable with PDA from his baby sister. "five minutes, you said?"
Hermione looked at Percy, disgruntled. She took Apollo's arm, and twisted on the spot.
It was highly uncomfortable. He felt like his entire being, was shoved through something way too narrow. He would not recommend it.
…
When they came out on the other side, obviously on Ogygia, Hermione felt like jumping for joy. Or she would, if she wasn't so dizzy. The apparition, had taken longer than usual, which was understandable. There were several times, she thought they had become stuck. That was the most terrifying part of the experience. Apparition was uncomfortable, and made her claustrophobic, so the idea of being stuck during one, really held no appeal.
She looked at Apollo. He seemed a little winded, but she didn't leave a limb somewhere. She mentally patted herself on the back for that. On the other hand – He was a god. Couldn't he just grow a new one?
She decided she would rather not find out.
She sat down on the beach, needing to breathe a bit, before apparating again.
"Zeus almighty! What have you done to this place?" Apollo asked, wide eyed, as he stared at the destruction, Hermione had caused.
"Training." She answered simply.
Apollo glanced at her appreciatively.
"You are more powerful, than I thought."
"Ready to go back?" She asked him, standing up, ignoring the dizziness she was feeling.
He nodded, and she grabbed his arm again, and twisted.
When they returned from Ogygia, Hermione fell to her knees. She was overcome with vertigo, and she felt blood trickling out of her nose. The metallic taste of it permeating his mouth.
"You idiot" She heard Nico hissing at her, before he scooped her up in his arms, and she blacked out.