As the demigods returned to take back their swords, they gave each other hidden glances, silent stares before being seated at the tables of their respective houses. The witches and wizards around them welcomed them immediately, trying to strike up friendly conversation. A Gryffindor asked Jason how he got the scar over his lip.

"Well, you see," He started before being interrupted by his sister.

"Superman here tried to eat a stapler as a kid," Thalia cut in, snickering.

"Hey!" Jason pouted, a blush creeping up his neck, "Not true!"

Meanwhile, some random Slytherins were flirting with Piper and Percy. One that sat beside Nico made the son of Hades shift uncomfortably, like he knew something was wrong with the kid before the kid had even said a word.

Percy noticed all of this, lazily drapping an arm over Nico's shoulders, smiling as he felt his cousin's tension melt as the smaller shifted closer to him, leaning on his side. "Piper," He said before switching to Greek, "wanna play the alphabet game?"

Piper was so relieved she had a reason to brush off these guys talking to her without being rude, turning towards Percy and pulling her legs up on the bench, "Yes, but we gotta act like this is really important so these people leave us alone."

"Are you implying the alphabet game isn't serious? How dare you! For that you have to start. A." And so started their 'very serious conversation,' a.k.a. them playing a game in Greek so others will leave them alone.

At the Ravenclaw table, Leo was teaching a Pureblood about the vast differences between nuts and bolts, the student seeming very interested in his ramble. Annabeth just ignored them, reading a book she had smuggled in in her cloak.

One poor boy tried to ask her what she was reading, earning a solid glare and backing off. Leo's back was to her, so she leaned her back to his and pulled her knees up, supporting her book on her legs as she flipped the page.

And finally, with the Hufflepuffs, Hazel clung to Frank's arm, nervous. The other Hufflepuffs were very nice and accepting, asking simple questions like favorites and such.

While Hazel was stuttering out an answer, Frank wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer. He left a kiss on the top of her head and she relaxed, continuing her answer stutter-free.

So things were going great! And they probably wouldn't last like that. Once they had stood up and had been told to follow their prefects to their common rooms, they all lagged behind to say their goodbyes and godd lucks.

"You better not compromise our mission, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, clasping Percy's hand in her own. "Chiron would be very disappointed in us."

"I know, I know. I swear on the Styx I will not intentionally mess this up unless Chiron gives us the word," Thunder shook the sky outside, Percy smiled. He leaned down, leaving a gentle kiss on his Wise Girl's lips, looking into her calculating grey eyes, "I love you, Wise Girl. Good hunting?"

"Good hunting, Percy."

"Jason, you promise you'll come back and I'll still see you?" Piper asked, arms held securely around her boyfriend's torso.

Jason's arms rested around her shoulders, "Of course, Piper. I'll see you soon, swear on the Styx I'll come back," Another round of thunder struck. He kissed the top of her head, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I'll see you as soon as I can, I love you. Good hunting."

"Good hunting to you too."

Nico punched Thalia's arm, earning a punch back. They laughed quietly. "You better not go dying on me, Thals," Nico joked.

"Never would've thought of it. After all, the hunters need their lieutenant while Lady Artemis is away. And you aren't allowed to visit Uncle H while we're here either," She shot back. "And listen to Will for once with his stupid doctor's orders and no Underworldly stuff, got it? May your hunt be in favor of the gods."

"Right back at you," Leo jumped out of nowhere, making Thalia laugh as Nico jumped. "You too Leo."

"Good hunting to the two of you too!"

"Heal up, okay?"

"Sir, yes, sir. Or is it ma'am?"

Hazel dragged her brother out of that mess, pulling him into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Nico. Promise you'll be careful?"

"On the Styx," you know the drill, thunder seals the real. "You had better not die again. Frank," He pulled away from his sister, staring up at her boyfriend instead, "you swear you'll protect her with your life?"

"I swear I'll protect her with my life," He echoed, "On the Styx."

Nico nodded, "Good hunting, you guys."

"You too."

"C'mon, Neeks, we gotta go before we loose them," Percy said, grabbing Nico's arm and dragging him away. The Slytherins waved as they left, stealing glances of their family separating over their shoulders. They quickly caught up with their group, Percy getting excited as they started heading to the dungeon.

He ran up to the glass that peered into the lake, marveling at the creatures. Nico had to drag him away from the glass and back to the group.

Annabeth and Leo quickly caught up to their group, blending in perfectly right away. Annabeth held back the urge to ramble on for hours about the architectual value of everything as they made their way to a statue of a raven. And then the raven spoke a riddle, "What walks on--"

"The answer is man," the two immediately cut in, blurting out the answer simultaneously. Ravenclaws glanced at them then the statue as it opened the wall into the Ravenclaw common room.

"How did you guys get it so quickly?"

"That's the original riddle, 'what walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three in the evening?' And the answer," they shrugged, "is man. Mankind, humankind, that thing."

With the Gryffindors, the prefects waltzed up to the fat lady. "Aries's hounds," one said, and the portrait swung open, letting everyone inside.

Jason and Thalia gave eachother uneasy looks. How did they know?

In Hufflepuff, they had already gotten into the cozy common room. The second years and up were teaching the first years the tune they needed to get in.

The family hadn't even been apart long, and they already missed each other.