Nico got home well into the next day. He collapsed in the kitchen, falling on the shadow he had appeared out of.

He woke up to Mrs. Weasley standing over him. His vision was fuzzy, there was a lot of warm colors. He could feel a potion down his throat.

In his next haze of sleep he was slightly more conscious. Maybe he shouldn't have shadow traveled so much. Maybe he shouldn't have been Harold's personal messenger three times in a row.

But he was glad he had helped. It was one of the few good things he could do with his demigod abilities.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was alone in his and Ron's room. He went to push himself up, his arms melted into shadow. He fell back with a sigh of disappointment.

If he was back at camp, he would be in the infirmary with Will's presence always nearby. He did miss it, he really did, but he felt safe in his bed, felt safe with his mother nearby.

Nico fell back asleep. His dreams weren't anything specific, not anything he could remember. He woke up in warmth and peace.

Mrs. Weasley was at his side, then, having gone into full mother hen mode. He told her what Rachel had said between potions shoved down his throat.

He was feeling better, more real and whole, but the shadows still beckoned him home.

It was Wednesday when they went by Floo Powder to Diagon Alley. Harry hadn't used it before, that much was obvious, and it was amusing to see him try. Until Harry was missing, however.

"I should have just shadow traveled me and him," Nico hissed to Ron. "It would have been much safer."

"Yeah, until you both melted into a puddle of shadow." Ron pointed to Gringotts. "There!"

"Harry," Mr. Weasley was the first to speak when they reached the young wizard. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate too far... Molly's frantic — she's coming now —"

"Where did you come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," Hagrid answered, Nico just now noticing his presence.

"Excellent!" said Fred and George together.

"We've never been allowed in," Ron explained. "Though Nico snuck in-"

Mrs. Weasley was suddenly upon them, Ginny's hand in her own. "Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere—"

Nico watched as she brushed him off and fixed his glasses, his hands deep in his pockets. His fingers still faded in and out.

Hagrid left next, and then Nico was walking into Gringotts with the others. He fingered the key he had made a copy of so both him and Dominic had access.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asked. "Malfoy and his father."

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"No, he was selling —"

"So he's worried," Mr. Weasley cut in. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something…"

"You be careful, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley replied. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew —"

"So you don't think I'm a match for Lucius Malfoy?" Mr. Weasley saw Hermione's parents and was at once distracted. "But you're Muggles! We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing Muggle money. Molly, look!"

Nico went to his own vault to get enough money to last the year. If Mrs. Weasley let him, he'd chip in and buy his own supplies. But he wasn't sure if he'd make it very far in that task.

After they had all gotten their money, they separated. Nico followed behind the Golden Trio but didn't listen much to what they were saying. The sun was too bright. Will's face didn't leave his mind.

He didn't meet up with the others to get their books, slipping away as his mind went elsewhere. He bought ice cream, sat at a table and stared at his hand come in and out of shadow, felt himself relax in the wizard setting. He didn't have to worry about monsters. He didn't have to worry about murderous gods.

He got lectured for wandering off, that was for sure, but the fact that he willingly ate was appreciated. That night at dinner, he ate more than he wanted to try and calm his mother down. She had noticed his disappearing hands. She had noticed everything.

"This didn't happen last year." Harry wondered aloud as he looked to Nico, sitting on his makeshift bed in their room. "Your hands...and the shadows...and you're drinking even more potions..."

"I know," Nico grumbled. "I don't know why I'm getting weaker. Demigod powers don't go away with age. They get...oh, so that's it."

"Care to tell us?" Ron looked up at his brother's change of tone.

Nico laid back on his bed, felt dread fill his stomach. "It makes sense, now..." He clenched his fists. "Demigod powers get stronger with age...this is my power getting stronger. It's making me weaker, but my actual power is getting stronger... It's different for children of Hades, I think. Our powers are so dark...it's like they feed off our life source... Our powers would be most strong if we were dead."

"Is there anything you can do?" Harry asked. "Any demigod stuff?"

"Or a potion to stop your power from growing," Ron added. "That has to exist, right?"

"Yeah, maybe." Nico knew the answer was a blunt 'no', but he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell them that. He didn't want them to worry about him, not when Voldemort would soon be taking up their lives. "I'm going to sleep on it."

"You always do that!" Ron argued. "You tell us something weird and go to sleep!"

Nico ignored the statement of truth and clamped his eyes shut. He needed his rest, of that he was certain. But something else was pulling him into sleep.

And so he did. Unconsciousness soon hit him, his mind went blank and dark. Then, before he knew it, he opened his eyes to the haze of a demigod dream. Standing before him, however, was who suspected least.

"Persephone?"

"You never are polite, are you?" she was sitting on a bench under a willow tree, the blue sky something she probably much appreciated. She'd be down in the Underworld in a couple months.

"Not if I can help it." Nico stared at her for some time before blinking. "You're not letting me wake myself up."

"I called you here for a reason, young demigod."

"Then say it." Nico saw her eyes flash in frustration, able to recognize her emotions well by now. "Um...you're actually trying to help me, aren't you?"

Persephone didn't answer but stood up. Dandelions grew at her feet. "Nico, the gods aren't very happy that Hecate sent you on this quest."

"I know."

"Zeus is furious that you have more power than his children. But he relented because you need to tame the magic. Your father was reluctant to send you, as was I, because of what you just figured out." Persephone explained. "I couldn't tell you outright, the Fates have it out for you. But now that you know-"

"Wait." Nico held his hand up, not surprised Persephone was the only goddess he dared interrupt. "You were scared to let me go?"

Persephone pursed her lips. "You aren't being as smart as you usually are, young demigod. You're your father's only living son. He takes great pride in you. If you were to die, I'd never hear the end of it."

Nico rolled his eyes. "I see, now."

Persephone looked up at the heavens before sitting back on her bench. "Nico, do you trust me?"

"No, why would I?"

She smiled. "You get many traits from your father, but we don't have much time. So try to keep the rudeness down, please."

"Why do you talk so fondly of him?" Nico asked. "He kidnapped you, didn't he? Tricked you into eating the pomegranate? Forced you to marry him? Fell for my real mother-"

"We do not speak of that woman!" Persephone's eyes flashed in anger before she took in a deep breath. "And the myths get it wrong, I'm afraid. They always make the women out to be clueless."

Nico tilted his head. "You ate the pomegranate on purpose? Why?"

"Now you're thinking," she congratulated. "Though you're the only one to ever believe the truth you finally understood."

"You ate in on purpose...because you secretly loved him?" Nico asked. "You wanted to be with your love, no matter what..." He thought back to Will. "Must feel good."

"Aphrodite sure has her hands full with you." Persephone walked over to Nico. "Boy, you're his only son. You're dying. I've called you here so I can help. Now, do you trust me?"

Nico looked into her eyes again, believed every word she had said. "Yeah, I do."

"You are dying, son of Hades. None of your kind last long. Your powers feed on your life source, try to break it down until you're permanently sealed in your father's kingdom. You need a new life source or you will die."

"What are you thinking?" he asked. None of his instincts told him to split. Nothing in him wanted to leave this place of flowers, the sunny breeze. He saw Persephone for who she really was, ignored the myths for once and looked at what she really felt.

She was going to protect him. He felt as safe with her as he did with Mrs. Weasley.

Persephone put a hand on his forehead, the warmth of her fingers sinking into his skin. It spread through his veins in a blink of an eye. He could feel the way it warmed him.

When she finally pulled away, he could do nothing more than gasp as he finally felt normal. He had energy, he had will. He could stand up straight and see his hands and not have to worry about the darkness that constantly called him home.

"What did you do?" he eventually asked. "What was that?"

"My blessing." she smiled as she started to fade. "Use it well, Nico. Stay safe."

And then she was gone, with her the fields and trees. He could focus on the bright sky, could just stare until he felt himself woken up.