The Scythe of Kronos

I Lose My Appetite

*linebreak coming through. beep beep.*

We hurry down the hallway as quietly as we can, trying not to alert the two guests of our presence. I'm hoping we can catch a part of a conversation of theirs and maybe get a clue about who they really are, but we are standing at the door and I can only hear pages turning. Are they... reading? Nico freaked out at breakfast and they aren't even talking about it? That seems odd.

Before I can stop him, Ron knocks on the door. I smack his arm away, but it's too late.

"Come in," I hear Will say quietly. Why is he being so quiet? Ron opens the door, and I get my answer. Nico is leaning against Will, sleeping heavily. One of Will's arms is wrapped around the sleeping boy's shoulders, and the other is holding a tattered copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I wonder where he got it, but I look around the room and see lots of random treasures like some old cauldrons, hats, shoes, and... wait are those...

"Are those swords?!" Ron shouts in excitement and rushes over to the two weapons leaning against the crusty walls in the corner of the room. He reaches out to touch the black one, and before I can blink Nico is awake and has Ron in a headlock with an angry expression on his face.

"Don't touch that," Nico growls, and I find myself frozen, unsure what I should do. Hermione looks just as shocked as I feel. Will quickly rushes over and pries Nico off of Ron. He gives Ron a once-over before nodding and bringing Nico over to the bed as Ron rubs his neck.

"Blimey mate, I only wanted to look, I swear!"

"You shouldn't touch things that don't belong to you." Nico scowls. 

"What he means," WIll interjects, "Is that only he can touch the sword without... um... a lot of pain, and he's very sorry for over-reacting." Will gives Nico a pointed look, and Nico sighs.

If someone else touches the sword they'll be in pain? That sounds exactly like what a death-eater would have. I can see that Will doesn't have the mark - he is wearing a T-shirt and his arms are easy to see - but I haven't ruled Nico out. His whole look is untrustworthy, dark clothes, dark hair, his dark weapon, and the way he reacted to Ron. But if he was evil, a voice in my head says, he would have let Ron touch it. Instead, he stopped him.

"Ron, I'm sorry about putting you in a headlock," Nico says, pulling me from my own head. Ron gives Nico a weary smile, and Hermione looks interested in something they said.

"You have an enchanted sword? Those are very rare, you know." Hermione says, and Nico nods uncomfortably.

"Why are you guys here again? How long was I asleep?"

"Around half an hour," Will answers, and gestures for us to sit on the other bed. I quickly oblige, Hermione and Ron, sitting not long after me. Nico grabs the two weapons as we do this and stuffs them under his bed with a glare at Ron.

Hermione takes a deep breath, then begins to talk, stumbling over her words slightly.

"Well, we're here because... well... because we wanted to see if you have the dark mark?" Her words are formed more into a question and get quieter towards the end. Will looks confused, but Nico stands up angrily.

"Are you accusing me of being in league with Voldemort?!" Nico yells, and Ron flinches at the name - or maybe Nico's angry face. "I would never follow someone like him, and neither would Will!" I feel the anger bubble inside me, and I stand up as well. I'm now eye level with Nico.

"Don't you have a go at us! We've had a teacher or two in league with him, alright? He killed someone I know! We have every right to be suspicious, you two just appeared in my god-fathers house and say you're from the future! How is that trustworthy?"

Nico takes some deep breaths and glares at me.

"We are not, and will never be, in league with Voldemort. And if you ever accuse me or Will of that again, you'll wish you had touched that sword."

"Threatening us isn't helping us trust you!" Hermione says from the bed. Nico turns to her.

"I'll threaten whoever I like. Besides, Voldemort is dead in our time." 

He's... dead? We win? Thoughts roll around my head, and I feel hope bubble inside me. Ron holds his hands in the air.

"Wait who-"

"I can't tell you anything more than that, it'll mess with the timeline. I shouldn't have told you he's dead either, but maybe now you'll stop making stupid accusations. We just want to get back home, okay?" Hermione opens her mouth, then looks down at her feet.

"I'm sorry Nico. And Will. We shouldn't have accused you. And we'll help you get back home as well, I promise." Hermione says, and Ron and I nod. Will smiles.

"Thanks, guys. I think we are going to get a bit of sleep, if that's okay, time change and all. Could you come to wake us up for lunch?"

"Of course," Hermione says, and I follow her and Ron out of the room. I close the door behind me, and I can hear Will on the other side of the door.

"What the Hades is a dark mark?"

Well, I guess they aren't death eaters. Will definitely isn't.

I wanted to post this earlier, but my parents took my laptop away, and my phone doesn't really like Wattpad.