AN: So, I know those who like long chapters will love me for this chapter, while those who like shorter chapters will curse me. But, I didn't want to cut it into two chapters like seventeen and eighteen.

So here it is, longer then I originally wanted, but it just turned out this way and I couldn't bring myself to cut any scenes. This chapter is a bit of a mash-up of fun times and tragic times, for Melinda and Percy. I'm sorry it took so long but I wanted to try to make this chapter as perfect as I could.

The last chapter, the epilogue won't take me near as long or be anywhere as long as this chapter. But despite all this I hope you all enjoy this chapter. As always more information can be found on my website and outfits can be found on my polyvore, both linked on my profile.

On another note, there is poll going on for Melinda's animagus nickname. Like how the Marauders had their nicknames, and I've placed up a few names I found and liked and thought would suit Melinda and her form in the poll. So go vote. I probably won't keep it open but a week.

Also I've been asked about the first date between Hades and Melinda, well it's mentioned in this chapter but the actual date won't be in the story, but a separate one-shot since I couldn't find the time or a way to put into this chapter. It just seemed to clash with everything else so I decided on the one-shot direction for it.


The Sea's Daughter: The Lightning Thief.

Chapter 19: True Colors, The Hurt Of Betrayal.

"Wow," Percy breathed. "Wasn't it dark when we got here?"

Melinda looked at her brother and then up towards the rising sun. she smiled, and nodded.

"Time moves differently on Olympus and in the Underworld. I don't know the exact time difference, but it makes sense that we'd arrive back on earth in time for sunrise."

Percy looked at her gaping and she chuckled, shook her head and pulled him towards the taxi which was stopped for them – she'd slowly gotten the hang of hailing taxi's over her time in New York.

"Come on, I'm sure your mother is worried," she said, and got in after he'd climbed in.

Percy looked at her surprised as she leaned forward to tell the driver where to go.

"You're coming with me?" he asked, but also sounded relieved.

She tilted her head to the side some and nodded.

"Of course," she said. "I'd like to see your mother as well."

Percy grinned.

"I'd like to meet yours -" Percy stopped short, and looked down.

She looked at him startled for a moment and then chuckled.

"Maybe one day I'll introduce you to her," Melinda said.

Percy's head snapped up and she could see wide darker sea green eyes staring at her in shock.

"But...I thought she was..um...dead?" he phrased this like a hesitant question.

Like he wasn't sure if it would upset her and it was the last thing he wanted to do. Melinda had come to terms with her parents deaths a long time ago though, and she'd never really known them to begin with.

"She is," she said. "I'm the Mistress of Death, Percy. I know that doesn't make much sense right now, but I will explain it to you. Also, witches and wizards have ways of preserving their memories. Someday I'll show you what I mean."

Percy nodded, taking her answer and the rest of the drive to his apartment was quiet. She'd been there before, spying and checking up on him. But she'd never actually been inside, so she was a little surprised by how low maintenance it appeared.

The elevator was broken down, and look like it had been for a long time and the stairs were old. She stepped on one and almost yelped at how unsteady it was.

Percy laughed.

"The apartments are nicer," he said. "But uh, probably not ours."

He said the last part quietly as if it was not meant for her ears. Yet she heard him anyways and had to think back to the fat man who'd reminded her of a dirtier Uncle Vernon the day of the trip to Montauk.

It seemed like so long ago but in reality was only about four weeks, give or take.

Once outside his apartment, and seeing Percy's nervousness, Melinda sighed and knocked on the door. They only had to knock once, before Sally Jackson was in front of them.

"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby."

She surged forward, so fast Melinda had to take a step back, and she laughed when the older woman grabbed Percy into a hug that might out do Mrs. Weasley's.

She could tell from her place that she was crushing the air right out of Percy, lifting him off the ground momentarily before releasing him.

Melinda got a bit uncomfortable when Sally began crying in the hallway, and ran her hand through his hair.

Percy was also emotional, his eyes misty like he could cry at any moment but wouldn't. She knew boys didn't like to cry, she'd been friends with enough in her life to know this.

She actually couldn't remember a time she'd seen any of the Weasley boys cry except for when Fred died. Sally finally calmed down and looked up to finally notice Melinda, who she smiled at.

"Thank you, Melinda. For protecting him," she said, and Melinda smiled.

"He's my brother, I couldn't exactly let him have all the fun," she said, making a joke out of it.

::Fun...right,:: Sesha hissed as she rose her head from where she'd rested it against her left shoulder.

Sally blinked.

"Is...is that an Egyptian cobra?" she asked.

Melinda blinked, trying to remember if Sally had met Sesha yet. She thought she had during their run from the Minotaur but that day had been so hectic, she wouldn't be surprised if she or Sally forgot.

"Yes," Melinda said. "Don't worry, she's perfectly safe."

Percy nodded.

"Yeah, mom. She's Melinda's familiar?" Percy looked at Melinda to ask if that was the right word and she nodded. "She helped protect me before Melinda could arrive. Melinda can talk to her, it's really cool."

Sally smiled and ruffled her son's hair, similar to the way Melinda had done a few times in the past and like those times Percy instantly tried to re-tame his messy hair.

"Come inside, you two must be exhausted," Sally said and ushered both of them inside.

Once inside she began telling them how she appeared in the apartment, and scared Gabe half to death. She didn't remember anything since the Minotaur and had nearly taken Gabe's head off when he'd told her Percy a wanted criminal.

Turns out though, the mist had turned in their favor and now everyone was blaming the biker who'd Percy and Melinda had fought and had used some sort of gun to blow up a row of police cars.

He had supposedly kept the kids and unknown adult female hostage, probably using the adult as some sort of bargaining tool against the kids along with Sally.

Apparently Percy was no longer a criminal but a hero, a child who'd been taken advantage of in order to do the mans dirty work. The manhunt for Percy Jackson had ended the night before.

Despite this relieving news, she'd been going crazy with worry for them all night. She hadn't gotten to hear the news, apparently Gabe thought because she was back and healthy she should go into work right away.

She come home early, even though her shift wasn't over till nine and it was only a quarter to seven in the morning.

Melinda hadn't been happy to hear that, she hadn't liked the glimpses she caught of Percy's step-father and was liking him even less now. Percy seemed just as upset, if not more so at the news.

"Hey, Sally! That meat loaf done yet or what?"

She closed her eyes, sighing as if someone had told her they would have to put her dog down.

"He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles … something about free appliances."

Melinda smirked, and Percy looked surprised and unsure.

"What?" he asked.

Melinda chuckled.

"I might have had something to do with that," she said.

Percy blinked and then grinned.

"That phone call you made in the lobby of the Empire State Building..."

She laughed and nodded.

"I just promised them a report of the mysterious biker and woman who fought, and what my roll was in it. And mentioned that your step-father might be more then happy to give free appliances at the safe return of his step son and wife."

Percy grinned and laughed.

"That's great!" he said.

Sally tried to look stern and disapproving but her lips twitched up into a small smile and her blue eyes gave her away with all the amusement shinning in them.

"But is it safe to give interviews?" Sally suddenly asked.

"I told them I was his older sister on the phone and when they show up I'll just use the mist to make them forget they were ever supposed to get a story from me, and my address."

She managed a weak smile and nodded.

"Just don't make him angrier, Percy...Mel," she added Melinda's name like she unsure she had to worry about the older girl who was her son's sister.

Melinda smiled, crossed her heart as if to say she'd be on her best behavior. Good thing her fingers were crossed, because Gabe was even more disgusting in person and his attitude made her want to strangle him with his own belt.

The apartment had turned into something out of a nightmare, Mrs. Weasley would have taken a look and clutched her heart before falling backwards in a dead faint. If she didn't have a heart attack or die from the revolting smell first.

Garbage was ankle deep on the carpet. The sofa had been reupholstered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung off the lampshades.

It was enough to make any woman want to cry, and Melinda was actually unsure where to step or if she wanted too.

These boots were new after all, but she decided that sounded to much like something Lavender would have griped about or a Aphrodite child.

Gabe and three of his big goony friends were playing poker at the table, and didn't seem to care one bit that the apartment looked like a garbage dump.

When Gabe looked over and saw Percy his eyes widened but when he saw Melinda, his eyes nearly bugged out and his cigar dropped out of his mouth.

He was instantly trying to sweep his oily hair back as if trying to make himself look attractive and at the same time his face turned lava red in anger at seeing Percy.

Melinda nearly prayed to every god she knew to smite the fat man then and there just so she wouldn't add to Sally's work load – assuming the woman would want to even attempt cleaning this place – and puke on the garbage piled floors.

"You got nerve coming here, boy. I thought the police – " he began, after a thoughtful look.

As if he was trying to decide who to speak to first, Percy or Melinda. It seemed he wasn't the only one who noticed Melinda, and she sneered at them. She hated when pig men like this looked at her like she was some sort of appetizer.

She didn't think she was that attractive, she didn't flaunt her looks or care to much about them opposed to a child of Aphrodite or other girls she'd known in her life, but to men like this.

Well, she'd been surprised Sally could put up with Gabe without bathing in holly water every morning or puking at the sight of him.

Of course, this could all be the fact he was an stark reminder of Vernon. She almost thought they could be long lost relatives at this rate.

"He's not a fugitive after all," Sally interjected. "Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?"

Gabe looked back and forth between mother and son. He didn't seem to think Percy's homecoming was so wonderful.

"And who is this?" he finally asked. "Not you girlfriend, boy?"

Melinda's face twisted in surprise and disgust. Percy's face was doing something similar.

"She's my sister," Percy spat.

Gabe blinked and looked her over before looking at Sally.

"Where have you been hiding this one, Sally?" Gabe asked, slightly angry and something else.

Lust, she realized with anger and disgust.

This man was as bad as the snatchers, she thought as she glared at him.

"She's not mine, Gabriel," Sally said, realizing the looks he was shooting Melinda as well.

She seemed just as disgusted as Melinda at that fact, but hid it pretty well.

"Percy's father's daughter," she explained.

"Melinda is my half-sister," Percy said, as if believing Gabe wouldn't understand otherwise.

Melinda held back a snort, agreeing with her brothers assessment.

Gabe glared at the punk and nodded.

"Make's sense. Now, the cops. It's Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally," he growled. "Get me the phone. I'll call the cops."

"Gabe, no!"

Melinda watched as Gabe looked at Sally as if not believing she would tell him no.

In the pit of her stomach she was beginning to suspect something was terribly wrong.

"Did you just say 'no'? You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro."

Melinda snorted.

"You think something is funny, girl?" Gabe asked, turning on her.

Melinda's eyes suddenly narrowed into slits and her hands formed fist.

"Don't call me girl, first of all. Second of all, charges for what exactly? He's twelve, he wasn't driving," she said.

"A pretty girl like you shouldn't be talking so much, darling," Gabe leered and then turned back to Sally for a moment.

Melinda sneered.

"The phone, Sally. Now."

"But-"

He raised his hand, and Sally flinched.

Melinda's eyes widened some and she saw Percy's face contort as he came to the same realization. Gabe had been hitting his mom, and with that Melinda's patience broke and she shot in between Sally and Gabe when it looked like he was going to go through with it.

She grabbed his wrist in her hand, and glared harshly.

"One move, and I'll break it," she promised, her voice low and dangerous.

Her friends always said it was more frightening then when she screamed or raged at them loudly. The anger was there but the calmness that she spoke with made even a grown man shiver.

"You're just a girl, what can you do?" Gabe snarled and raised his other hand.

Melinda pushed her knee with force up into his gut, and let go of the wrist she held as she decked him across the face, forcing him back into the poker table.

His buddies were shocked, and were on their feet and out the door in seconds.

"You'll pay for that, you bitch," Gabe spat, and got his feet steadied.

Percy glared from where he stood and pulled out Riptide before remembering it would hurt mortals.

"What, punk? You gonna write on me? You touch me, and you are going to jail forever, like this bitch, you understand?"

Melinda laughed darkly (wondering vaguely if bitch was the only insult he knew) and began to walk over to him but Sally placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Melinda, don't."

"Listen to the woman, girl. I wouldn't want to hurt such a pretty ass."

Melinda fumed.

"You little pig of a man," she spat and reached for her dagger, even if it was damaged it could still finish this sorry excuse for a man off.

"Mel, please. Just let it go!" Sally nearly exclaimed.

::No, let Mistress take care of him silly woman,:: Sesha hissed but stayed hidden from Gabe's mortal eyes until she was given an order.

::Let him feel the wrath of messing with those we care about Mistress! Better yet, let me bite him! Or maybe not, he looks worse than the toad woman::

Melinda smiled slightly at Sesha's rant, and how odd it sounded. She was glad Sesha had been able to bond with Percy even if there was a language barrier, and at first she was sure it had just been the fact she had ordered Sesha to protect Percy.

Melinda raised back up, without her dagger, and turned to look at Sally. She glanced between Gabe, who was leering and glaring at her, and then looked back at Sally with a frustrated sigh.

"Really?" she asked, "come on Sally, whose gonna miss this bastard?"

Gabe didn't even seem to react to being called a bastard, he just continued glaring and wiped his bleeding lip on the back of his hand and turned to Percy.

"I'll be nice to you, punk." Gabe showed his tobacco-stained teeth as he grinned nastily. "I'll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out with your bitch. After that, I call the police for both you little shits."

"Gabe!" Sally pleaded.

"He ran away," Gabe told her. "Let him stay gone. Better yet, let sweet-cheeks over there take him, she looks old enough to have a few brats running around."

He leered at Melinda again, and Melinda had to reign in her desire to pull out her wand and Crucio him into the next century.

Percy was glaring so hard at Gabe she was surprised the smelly man didn't explode, and from the way his hand twitched he was longing to uncap Riptide. Even if it wouldn't hurt mortals, Melinda was interested to see if Gabe counted.

Sally took a hold of Percy's arm gently.

"Please, Percy, Melinda. Come on. We'll go to your room, Percy."

Percy let Sally pull him towards the hallway and his room and Melinda shot one last glare at the thing – she couldn't bring herself to call him a man, it was an insult to men everywhere.

Even the jerks in the world couldn't compare to this slob – and followed. She was just passing Gabe when she heard him laugh and felt the hand which slapped her butt.

She jumped, the sound echoing in the apartment and stopping Sally and Percy in their tracks, along with her.

"Smart move, sweet-cheeks," Gabe said, grinning lecherously.

"Don't touch my sister..." If Percy was going to say anymore he was stopped by Melinda's next actions.

"You just don't learn, do you?" Melinda spat, her eyes nearly a dark green in her anger.

She spun towards him, grabbed the arm which had been used to slap her ass and pulled him towards her.

In a move she knew was painful – Having had it done on her during the war – she brought the arm down on her raised knee, and fused some of her magic into her hands.

Forcing the magic through his arm, the moment it met her knee, it didn't only break, it shattered.

Gabe let out a scream of pain, which Melinda was sure the whole building heard and still holding his arm, she used all the strength she had to swing him, face first into the wall.

He hit it, she let go, and he fell backwards onto the ground, alternating between clutching his broken nose and his arm.

"Go Mel!" Percy cheered, grinning broadly.

Sally had a small smile on her face, but also a disapproving one.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the anger, she loosened Sesha from around her shoulders and laid her on the floor next to the withering mass of flesh that was Gabe.

::Have fun,:: Melinda hissed lightly, smirking at the surprised snake.

"Don't kill him, Sesha," she said in English this time so Sally and Percy would understand.

With that done she walked through the hall and hurried Sally and Percy along to his room.

"You shouldn't have done that, Mel," Sally said once they were inside.

Melinda snorted.

"He slapped my ass, he was asking for it," she argued and then frowned. "You know he deserved it, Sally, you're too kind for your own good. He was hitting you wasn't he?"

Sally look uncomfortable at the topic and looked at Percy who was trying to stop himself from shaking still.

"Mom," Percy said, his face tense but also sad. "It's alright, I figured when he raised his hand and you flinched."

Sally nodded, and Melinda ran a hand through her hair.

"I could...take care of him, you know."

Sally and Percy looked at her, one in alarm and the other with a bit of glee. It was kind of disconcerting to see that kind of emotion on her brothers face.

She may have killed in the past but no one should take glee in it. At least...not too much. She would admit, some just had it coming – Voldemort, Alecto Carrow, Bellatrix just to list those off the top of her head.

Looking around Melinda sneered at the state of her brothers room. Packed with Gabe's junk, and pulled out her cypress wand. With a sharp wave of it she vanished everything that didn't look to belong to Percy. It was pretty obvious what was what.

Sally blinked, surprised at the sudden cleanliness of the room and Percy chuckled shortly along with Melinda at her face.

"I'm a witch, Sally. Didn't I tell you that already?"

"Witches are real?" Sally asked, unable to stop herself and Melinda nodded.

"A whole world, created by the goddess Hecate."

Sally nodded.

"The goddess of magic and witchcraft," she said and Melinda smiled.

"Among other things, but that's not important." Melinda took on a brooding look her friends always said made her look like a rebel with a plan. Or something to say, either way people tended to listen when she got the look.

"I'm sure everything will be okay, Mel," Sally said, trying to find a peaceful way. "I'll talk to Gabe, everything can be worked out."

Percy shook his head, speaking before Melinda could.

"Mom, it'll never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here."

Sally wrung her hands together and looked at her son with nervous sadness.

"I can … I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the fall, maybe there's another boarding school – or Melinda can watch you. Or you could stay at camp..."

"Mom."

"I'm trying, I need some time, though."

"Gabe isn't good for us, and he doesn't even have a use anymore, mom," Percy argued. "Grover told me why you married him. You deserve better, and I know who I am now. His smell won't fool monsters anymore."

Melinda nodded.

"Percy's right, Sally."

If Sally was going to say anything more she didn't get the chance because in that moment a package appeared on the bed next to where Percy was sitting.

She blinked, knowing it hadn't been there a moment before. It was battered, cardboard box the size of the basketball. The address was Percy's handwriting, she'd graded enough of his papers to recognize it by now.

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor,

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON.

Over the top in black marker, in a man's clear, bold print, was the address of the apartment, and the words: RETURN TO SENDER.

Melinda chuckle, realizing what her father had meant when he'd told Percy he'd have a choice back on Olympus. If she recalled Sesha had said he'd mailed Medusa's head to Olympus.

This must be it, the gods had obviously not liked her brother's thoughtful gift.

"Mom, do you want Gabe gone?" Percy suddenly asked, looking from the package to his mother.

Melinda's eyes shinned as she understood what her brother was getting at.

"Percy, it isn't that simple. I can't in good conscious allow you or Melinda to kill him, despite everything. Divorce takes so much time, and he'd never sign. I-"

"Mom, just stop. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?"

Sally sighed, nodding.

"Yes, I do. And I'm trying to get up my courage to tell him, and get him out of our lives. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems, I have to fix my own."

"Sally, I understand you're an independent woman," Melinda said. "But sometimes we need help, no matter how hard it is to ask."

Percy seemed deep in thought but soon he looked at his mother with determined yet almost hesitant green eyes. Like he wasn't sure of something yet at the same time was.

"I can do it. One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again," Percy said, holding the box on his lap.

She glanced at the package, and her eyes widened slightly in understanding.

"No, Percy," she said. "You can't."

Melinda looked between mother and son and felt like she was invading a moment, looking towards the living room she thought she heard the sound of sobbing or maybe that was whimpering.

Obviously Gabe had taken notice of Sesha and woken from his painful daze.

"I'm going to go make sure Sesha doesn't get carried away," Melinda said, and she received to nods of acknowledgment before she headed towards the living room, shutting the door behind her to give them privacy.

When she arrived she smirked. Sesha had backed Gabe into a corner, and was swaying as she stood some, hood flared and was biting insults and promises at him. All of which he couldn't understand but she could.

::That's right pot bellied pig-man, cower under the power of I, Sesha, adviser of my Mistress and daughter of the advisers of Wadjet!::

Melinda had to bend over laughing at this, never having heard her familiar sound so pompous before now.

"Ge-get this beast away from me!" Gabe nearly squealed.

Melinda straightened up slowly and looked from Sesha to Gabe.

"I'm sorry, what beast do you mean? The only beast I see is you," she said, sweetly.

"Bitc—owe!" Gabe yelled as Sesha struck, sinking fangs into his forearm.

Melinda smirked, looking at Sesha amused.

::My Mistress is not a dog, you pig-man,:: the snake hissed, falling back into her former position. ::Be lucky she has not given me permission to kill.::

::Sesha, I think that is enough.::

Sesha looked up at Melinda with hurt, or the snake version.

::Bu-but you never let me play!::

Melinda snorted.

::You make me sound like a psychopath. If it makes you feel better, the next monster we face I'll make you larger and let you fight it,:: Melinda said and Sesha thought it over.

::Like when I battled Chimera?::

::Exactly.::

::Deal,:: Sesha agreed, and slithered over to Melinda and up to drape over her shoulders.

"Now, what to do with you," Melinda pondered, tapping her booted foot as she stood in front of Gabe.

He sneered, but also looked fearful.

Thinking back to the Medusa head, which would most likely be his downfall, she realized a statue like that would go far in the market. Sally and Percy really could use the money and they could move out of this dump and into a better place.

Pulling her pearl from around her neck she walked over to Gabe who began yelling and she rolled her eyes. Picked up the heavy looking statue on the table close by – something of Sally's no doubt – and brought it down on Gabe's head.

"Melinda!"

Melinda stood and looked back at her shocked brother and horrified Sally. She looked at them innocently, and stepped over the now unconscious man and held out her arm as if to ask what she'd down.

The innocent image was ruined by the statue which had a bit of blood on it – she must have hit him too hard.

She would have just stupefied him, but magic was too good for him. She was still bitter that he'd had the nerve to touch her, or that he'd hit Sally who she'd come to like.

She reminded Melinda of what she knew of her own mother, and that it brought back her own memories of abuse.

"What? I was just going to heal him?"

"By bashing him in the head?" Sally asked dryly.

Melinda laughed shortly, and smirked.

"I had get him to shut up somehow."

Melinda turned back to Gabe and dangled the pearl over his face. It would be better if he ingested it but she was not prying his mouth open. Two drops fell on him and he shimmered, sweated for a moment, and his injuries healed.

"Won't that kill him?" Percy asked. "He is mortal."

Melinda bit her lip.

"Well...not for a while. If he's lucky, and because he's never been exposed to the pearls water before, it won't. It depends if he has a strong will I guess. I've never actually used the pearl on mortals without magic before."

Sally sighed.

"Why did you heal him anyways?" she asked as Melinda used her wand to levitate the man onto the dirty, stinky couch.

"I figured if you were going to use that head, Sally, than it might be better if he had no injuries," she said, smiling slightly at the woman.

"He'll wake up?" Percy asked, almost sounding disappointed.

Melinda nodded and then, no sooner then that he began waking up, rubbing his now healed head.

"What the hell," Gabe grumbled and sat up, when he saw Melinda he seemed to instinctively flinch back but also seemed confused.

Melinda withheld a snort, the blow to his head must have rattled his memory. Or maybe the pearl had done that for her? For all she knew it might have...strange side effects like that when used in large quantities on mortals.

"You fell, dear, and hit your head," Sally lied smoothly.

He thought about it for a moment and nodded. Then he saw Percy and and glared.

"You're still here?"

"We were just leaving," Melinda jumped in, moving over to stand by the door and waited for Percy to join her.

"Leaving so soon?" Gabe asked, as if he really cared. "Good riddance."

Percy looked like he wanted to go over and deck the smelly man, or like he was rethinking leaving his mother here.

"Hey, Sally," he yelled. "What about that meat loaf, huh?"

A steely look of anger flared in Sally's eyes and Melinda couldn't help a smirk that formed. It looked to her like Percy had nothing to worry about.

"The meat loaf is coming right up, dear," she told Gabe. "Meat loaf surprise."

She looked at Percy and Melinda, and winked.

As the door was shut by Sally, the two children of Poseidon caught the look Sally gave Gabe. As if she was wondering how he'd look as a statue.

"What now?" Percy asked.

"We go back to camp, and we can talk," Melinda said. "Oh, and uh. Let's keep what happened in there, you know between me and your step-father, between us."

Percy smirked, laughing.

"You were awesome, sis!" he said and she flushed slightly, never having actually been called that or told that before.

In that moment, seven years she'd spent waiting seemed more then worth it.

xXx

Melinda took Percy out for lunch after Iris-messaging Chiron, who she still hadn't completely forgiven for sending her brother on a quest without her knowledge.

The old Centaur had been a bit nervous at seeing Melinda again, she assumed it was because of the way she'd left in a huff after returning from England. But he had also been extremely relieved to see the children of Poseidon alive and well.

She quickly explained she was taking Percy out to lunch and they'd be back in time for Archery lessons at two. She didn't think Chiron would care to much if they were late for that.

Percy couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and she didn't really like bows. She'd practiced a little with them since she'd arrived at camp but uh, Poseidon children and bows, they didn't exactly mix. It wasn't impossible, look at Orion who was said to be the best male hunter among Ancient times, and he was a son of Poseidon. But neither she or Percy really had the desire to put the effort in learning to shoot a bow properly.

"How do you have all this money? I mean...did you get paid when you were working at Yancy?" Percy asked, when their meals had arrived.

Melinda had ordered a simple plate of pasta and a salad – she was amused and couldn't hide a laugh at how Percy had taken one look at the green salad with olives and crumbled blue cheese, and turned his nose up to it.

He had ordered a burger and fries, which she knew from experience was a large meal. This place tended to go all out on portion size, but the food was good and you had the option of inside sitting or outside.

For privacy reasons they'd chosen outside, and Melinda had discretely cast a Muffliato in case someone passing by noticed them.

"I guess I should really go back to the beginning. I have so much money because I inherited it. When I left the wizardry world I took out a small fortune and transferred it into an American bank as Muggle money."

"Muggle, that means people like me, right?" Percy asked around partially chewed burger.

Melinda smiled and nodded.

"Swallow before you talk, Percy," she semi-scolded before answering.

"More or less. A muggle are those not born of magic, not blessed by Hecate as a wand wizard or witch. Very rarely will there be demigods born with the capability of magic. Most times they're descendants of Hecate. Legacies or children of hers. Sometimes it's just because their family line has a wizard or witch in it."

"So if you had kids, they'd be a witch or wizard as well?" he asked.

Melinda fought of a blush of embarrassment at his question, but of course who poor naive brother was unaware of why she'd be embarrassed by his innocent question.

"Not necessarily. Most likely they would be, just because I myself am a witch. My mother was one, blessed by Hecate. What is considered a muggleborn. I guess in a way, I would be considered a second generation muggleborn if not for the fact they all believe my father to be James Potter, who was a Pureblood."

She said this all slowly and as uncomplicated as she could. Looking at her brother intently to make sure he understood. She knew this was a lot to take in.

"Besides Muggleborn's and Purebloods there are Half-Bloods. Unlike us, Half-Bloods don't mean demigods. They simply mean one parent was a Pureblood and the other was a Muggle, or a Muggleborn, like my mother. There is one other term, Squibs."

Percy blinked, putting his nearly half eaten burger down.

"Squids?"

Melinda looked at him surprised and laughed.

"No, Squibs, with a 'b'."

Percy nodded, almost flushing at his mistake.

"Squibs are those born of a magical person but born normal. Mortal, no magic in their veins. They are born without a magical core. They usually happen in Pureblooded families, but sometimes Muggleborn's will have a child without magic, and even Half-Bloods. Sometimes the child will have magic and a core but not a very powerful one. So in those cases, depending on the family they are born into, they are treated badly."

"That's terrible," Percy breathed, eyes wide. "But why are squibs mostly born to Purebloods?"

"Inbreeding is believed to be the main cause," she said, and Percy blinked.

"Like, they marry their sister or something?" he asked, innocently and she snickered, shaking her head.

"No, not quite that drastic. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case in the past, but I haven't come across any in my family history. The adopted side anyways. The Black family, for example – "

"Like the one you were adopted into, because of your godfather?" Percy asked, wanting to make sure he had his facts right she supposed.

"Right. Sirius Black was my godfather and when I was fourteen he officially gained custody of me and adopted me as his daughter. His heiress, since he was the last male Black in the family, and even though he'd been burned off the family tapestry he was never officially disowned. So he was still Lord Black of the Most Ancient and Noble house of Black."

"So, it's like being a blue blood," Percy said and she smiled.

"Being a Pureblood is exactly like that," she said, laughing shortly. "Sirius' mother, Walburga married her cousin, Orion. So, she was born a Black before she even married into the family. There are very similar cases in other Pureblood families, sometimes they produce a child without magic."

"My godfather's cousin, Bellatrix married into the LeStrange family. Another old Pureblooded family, everyone assumed she had no children before she went to Azkaban, but in reality she did."

"But if she did, why didn't anyone know?" Percy asked, curious.

"Because her daughter, Cassiopeia, was born a squib," Melinda answered.

"Bellatrix may have been a lot of things, but considering she still cared enough not to drown the baby at birth says a lot more about her. Of course that didn't mean the Blacks or LeStranges were nice to Cassiopeia. She was raised by her grandmother LeStrange and that pretty much drove Cassie as insane as her mother. Cassie thought if she had a child that was magical her family might love her, and not treat her as trash. Unfortunately, the child she did have before her own death in the war, wasn't a witch."

"What happened to the child she had?" Percy asked, but looked afraid to ask.

"She was pretty much kept in the dungeons as a slave, I guess would be the best way to explain it. I only met her on my trip over to England a few days ago. Bellona is her name, she was adopted by her closest living relative, her second cousin, Draco Malfoy and his new wife, Luna."

"They're the ones who you went to England for. The ones who got married."

Melinda nodded.

"Yeah, close friends of mine from Hogwarts. They made me her godmother while I was there. While Bellona isn't a witch, she does have some magic. Inherited from the fact Cassie was able to seduce a child of Hecate."

"So, your goddaughter, she's not a witch like you but still a magic user. A legacy."

Melinda nodded.

"Right, she won't go to Hogwarts like other witches because she is still a squib. Yet she'll have some magical ability, being a first generation legacy of Hecate."

There was a few second of silence so Percy could take everything said in.

"What is Hogwarts, exactly? You mentioned something about Slytherin on Olympus," Percy said, picking at his fries.

"This is probably going to be my favorite part of this talk," Melinda said, smiling at the thought of her very first home. "Hogwarts is magnificent. I hope, one day, I might be able to show you what I mean."

"Hogwarts was created over a thousand years ago, in Scotland. No one really knows where in Scotland, it's protected and Unplottable. To Muggles it just looks like ruins of an old castle. The founders were witches and wizards, as you can guess, but they were more then that. They were four of the very first demigods to also be born with magical cores."

Percy's eyes widened.

"Children of Hecate?" he asked and she shook her head.

"No, like I've said it doesn't have to be a child of Hecate. I mean, I'm a child of Poseidon yet I was still born and blessed with the ability to do wand magic," she said. "The four founders were Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin."

Percy nodded.

"So, Slytherin is a dorm room or something named for its founder?"

"Something like that. As I was saying, all four were demigods. Helga was a daughter of Apollo. Godric a son of Zeus. Rowena a daughter of Athena and Salazar Slytherin was a son of Hecate."

"So, he was like...your cousin or uncle?" Percy asked, unsure of how they would be related.

Melinda shrugged.

"Well, Hecate is my great-grandmother. So he would have been my grandmother's brother and my mothers uncle. So he's my great-uncle," Melinda said, after thinking about it for a few minutes.

"Anyways, Hogwarts is a bit like boarding school. You go for around ten months, with Christmas holidays were you can go home or stay. From September to June. In the first year you go you are sorted into one of four houses."

Percy nodded, and smiled almost mischievously.

"Lets me guess. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin."

"Yes. Gryffindors are for the brave and chivalrous. Hufflepuff for the loyal and hard working. Ravenclaw for their wise intelligence and wit. Finally, Slytherin for the cunning. They also have mascots, you saw the scarlet and gold banner hanging on the wall at my bunk."

Percy nodded.

"Yeah, it has a lion on it," he said.

"The houses all have crest. Gryffindor has a lion, Ravenclaw a Eagle, Hufflepuff a badger and Slytherin a serpent."

"And you were a Gryffindor?" he asked, sort of surprised.

Melinda chuckled.

"I convinced the sorting hat that it would be best. Slytherin house didn't have the best reputation when I began Hogwarts."

"Why?" he asked, reaching for his coke.

Melinda sighed.

"I've told you about Hogwarts and my godfather's family and how families work in the Wizarding world, so I guess that just leaves my family and my past."

Percy shot her a look that she wasn't exactly able to read. Understanding and hesitance she was able to detect.

"You don't have to right now, if you don't want to," he said and she smiled.

"No, I made a promise to explain everything better once there was time. We have another hour and a half before we have to be back at camp.

Before she began the long winded story of the Potter, Voldemort and the Girl-Who-Lived, she ordered both of them banana splits for desert so it would be such a bore to Percy.

She knew she didn't have a long attention span at twelve, but then ADHD tended to do that to all demigods.

xXx

Nearly two hours later when he and Melinda returned to camp, he barely noticed how everyone seemed to be waiting for them. He was to busy thinking about what Melinda had told him about her past.

She explained to him about Tom Riddle, who became Voldemort, worse than even Hitler in some ways – from what Percy remembered about Hitler in his history classes anyways.

She told him how her mother, Lily Potter nee Evans had gone on vacation and met Poseidon. How her mother had suffered a spell damage in the first war, during her school years, and was supposedly unable to have children as a result.

Somehow, against all odds, Melinda was conceived by result of Lily and Poseidon's affair.

Percy had thought for sure this would drive his sister's mother and step-father apart, but instead she told him how James was ecstatic to be a father. Even if it wasn't biologically his.

She explained that soon enough James even met Poseidon and was told the truth and how James was even more accepting.

Melinda couldn't give him all the details, having heard this from her father and those who also knew she was never James' daughter by blood. But from all the stories she'd heard if James and Lily argued about Lily's affair it hadn't lasted long.

James had truly loved his wife it appeared and the daughter he'd legally adopted at birth and given his name and heritage. It was where a lot of her money came from, the large Potter fortune.

One of the original Pureblooded families along with the Blacks, Longbottoms and Bones.

How she was probably the richest woman in Wizarding Britain besides the Malfoy's, and Longbottoms thanks to being the heir to the Potter and Black families.

If she ever had children it was up to her to continue these family lines by naming heirs to these two families.

From the way his sister explained that to him she didn't expect to live long enough or settle down enough to ever have children, even if she wanted them.

She told him how a prophecy had been created the year before her birth. How this prophecy talked of a child born as the seventh month died and how they'd have power to vanquish the dark lord that the dark lord knew not.

It could only mean two babies, her and Neville Longbottom.

He remembered her mentioning him before, he was the one she had created the Cruciatus cure for. The boy whose parents had been tortured into insanity when he was a year old.

Not long after the Potters had been attacked according to Melinda.

She teared up when she talked of how her parents died for no good reason, but a mad mans desire to take out a child he thought would be his death.

How her step-father died first, protecting her and her mother. How her mother refused to step aside and let Voldemort kill her.

Percy finally understood why Melinda had told him Lily Potter needn't have died, but chose to in order to save her daughter. Percy couldn't help but almost cry along with his tearful sister.

After she'd composed herself she'd told him in more detail how Voldemort had tried to kill her, but the killing curse had bounced off her and ripped him from his body.

Leaving her with only the lightning bolt scar on her forehead.

He's stared at her in shock at that, especially when she told him what a killing curse was. How could anyone survive a curse meant to make you drop dead, literally?

She had then told him those of the wizardry world had named her the Girl-Who-Lived because of this and hailed her a hero, a savior who had freed them of the Dark Lord who had killed so many of their families and friends.

Percy had thought the story would end there but to his horror it went on.

She told him how Voldemort returned when she was fourteen using her blood and the bones of his muggle father. How it was then the first innocent died, Cedric Diggory who he was shocked to learn was a son of Apollo.

Melinda teared up at this as well, she seemed to have been close to the older Hufflepuff.

She had also told him of her first three years and her adventures. The more he heard the more he was in awe of his sister. He wasn't sure he could have survived all of that.

But it also made him realize she was human, and made mistakes, but that she was also someone who he was glad to have with him.

He knew just from how she'd acted on his first quest that she'd protect him when he needed to be protected and despite what she'd kept from him about not knowing who their father was, that she wouldn't lie to him or sugar coat anything she knew.

She'd lived through it herself.

He could hardly process everything he'd learned about her, but it made more sense why her eyes seemed so old and wise compared to other demigods her age.

Luke's might have been a bit like hers, but they weren't as haunted.

The last thing she had told him was why people were calling her the Mistress of Death. It seemed so odd to him that a god, Death at that, would allow three wizards to trick him into making the Deathly Hallows.

But at the same time, Death had tricked them, for it seemed the hallows didn't bring their wielders much good luck.

It explained why she hardly used the Elder wand or the ring she explained was the Resurrection stone. The only one he's seen her use even before the quest had been the invisibility cloak, inherited from James Potter.

"I'm glad you're back," Annabeth said, grinning along with Grover.

Both had met them close to the cabins. Many demigods did, cheering at seeing the two children of Poseidon.

"Finally, the Sea Witch returns," a voice he recognized as Sam from Ares said in a similar tone to Annabeth when she called him Seaweed Brain.

He was smirking as he walked over, and clapped Melinda on the shoulder like old friends. He supposed Sam was one of Melinda's closest friends at Camp.

Besides Luke, who he could see making his way over with a huge grin when he saw Melinda. Though his eyes darkened when he saw Sam with his hand still on Melinda's shoulder.

"You know, I was worried when you didn't show up from your friends Wedding," Luke said, a mischievous smirk on his face and Melinda laughed and closed the gap between her and taller blonde.

Percy couldn't help but get a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach at the look in Luke's eyes when she gave him a greeting hug. It seemed to him that he was the one to make the hug last as long as it did.

Finally he allowed the hug to end and Percy caught Sam roll his eyes from where he stood where Melinda once had beside him.

"Sorry, I got here and things happened. I just didn't really think about it at the time," she said.

"Well, you and Percy are just in time for sword lessons," Luke said, smirking.

Sam frowned, and came forward.

"I think I should talk to Mel – " he began but Luke shot him a glare.

"Not now, Stone," Luke said, and that was the end of that.

Percy was confused for a second, never having heard Sam's last name, but it was obvious from Sam's dark look that he was who Luke was talking to.

Percy wondered what Sam wanted to talk to Melinda about but didn't have time to question the Ares boy. It turned out being the first demigods since Luke to return from a quest and actually have succeeded was something big for the camp. All the demigods were in good spirits and it showed.

As tradition went the campers were quick to make them all wear laurel wreaths – Annabeth and Grover already had theirs on. Then, they were sat down to a huge feast in their honor that evening.

Percy hadn't believed he could be hungry again so soon, but he'd proven himself wrong. Even Melinda couldn't help but eat some, sitting across from him for half the feast and then moving to the Hermes table where she sat beside Luke.

Soon she left her conversation with Luke and migrated towards the Ares table.

Percy assumed it was to see what Sam had wanted to talk to her about but there was no time. As she moved to the Ares table, which he noted was glaring daggers at them, but mostly him, they were all ushered down to the bonfire.

It was during this he noticed the Demeter cabin was not as cheerful as the others campers.

Down at the campfire they was shrouds waiting to be burned by them, but what struck Percy as odd was a extra shroud.

At first he thought it might be for Grover, but Grover had shook his head, and explained that Satyrs became something nature based upon death, seeing as they didn't have souls like a mortal or demigod did.

Once there he saw the Demeter children walk over to the extra shroud and pull it away to the side, but he saw Melinda noticed it as well.

"Wait, what is – " Melinda began, but she stopped short and he thought he saw her shiver.

"Mel," Luke began, and Percy could barely hear from where he stood only a few people over from Melinda.

Luke was on one side of her, and Sam was pushing his way towards them after a quick conversation with two crying Demeter girls.

"Luke, whose shroud is that?" Melinda asked, and Percy couldn't see her eyes but he could hear the fear and tears in her voice.

"It's what I wanted to talk to you about," Sam suddenly said and Melinda turned around. "Yesterday Chiron got a call from a distraught father. He was calling to tell Chiron of his daughters recent death."

Melinda blinked backed tears, and looked back to the shroud a couple children of Demeter was holding. Percy recognized one girl as Katie Gardner and her half-sister, and younger cousin, Miranda Gardiner (spelled differently but pretty much the same last name, strangely enough).

The shroud looked almost like it was made of grass, and shimmered in the fire light. He also saw an emblem in one corner, medium sized that he didn't know the meaning of.

Almost like a star, but with more points. Melinda let out a strangled sound, like a sob, as if she recognized the symbol.

"Dasha," she said, low enough Percy almost missed it.

He had no idea who Dasha was, but it sounded familiar. Like she'd mentioned the name in passing, and the Demeter cabin looked down sadly.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, coming over and placing a hand on her shoulder, the opposite side as Luke stood. "I wanted to tell you but Castellan..."

"Don't make this my fault, Stone," Luke growled, glaring around Melinda at the son of Ares. "She just got back from a quest, I didn't want to upset her so soon."

Melinda shook her head, and placed a hand on both boys chest, pushing them further back when it seemed like they might start fighting.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "Just...don't."

"Mel," Percy began, worried for his sister who looked upset.

"I'm sorry, I have to go...think," she said and turned, nearly jogging in the direction of the lake.

The rest of the bonfire wasn't as cheerful or spirited after that, in fact the only highlight was getting to burn the shrouds meant to be used for him, Annabeth and one thrown together by the Hermes and Hecate children of cabin eleven for Melinda.

Annabeth's shroud was a beautiful gray silk, woven nearly like that of an expert. It was embroidered with owls. Percy had been able to joke that it was a shame not to bury her in it, to which she punched him and told him to shut up.

It was a poor joke though, considering the last shroud to burn would actually be her sisters friends.

Someone who had actually died, though the girls body wouldn't be burned with it seeing as her father – he found out from a tearful Katie that her half-sister, the oldest of the Demeter children at nearly twenty-one, lived in Greece and was a witch – which explained the symbol.

It was the symbol for the school Dasha attended and worked at. Anyways, her father was having her cremated and placed amongst the family urns in Greece.

It seemed a monster had gotten the best of the girl, though what monster Dasha's father didn't know, and neither did the other Demeter children.

He supposed the only one who would know was Dasha herself.

His own shroud was burned after Annabeth's, and seeing as Melinda had been with him and there were no other Poseidon children, the Ares cabin had made his.

It looked like something a bunch of six year old's threw together, but it made him grin.

Made from what seemed like an old bedsheet, and painted with smiley face with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

It was fun to burn.

Next was Melinda's and he'd admit to being a little jealous. He supposed his could have been sort of like that if Melinda had been there to make his, or if someone other than Ares cabin had made it.

Hers was shimmering black that shinned sea green in the fire light, and moonlight. Embroidered in silver was a large trident crossed with a wand.

It was obviously a combined effort between the Hermes children and those few claimed Hecate children. It was an even more a shame to burn, though he was glad it was burned without Melinda being wrapped in it.

The last to burn was Dasha Markos' shroud, a girl he'd never met, but could now recall as the fourth champion in the Triwizard Tournament Melinda had told him about.

It was sort of surreal. Percy had never had experience with death before, not really, and here it was. Proof that being a demigod was dangerous. Practically a death sentence to those who could make it into adulthood.

While the Apollo cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, even if the mood was a bit on the morose side, he wondered off to find his sister.

He found her sitting on the docks with her feet dangling into the lake, not even bothering to roll up her jeans – she'd taken the time to change out of the dress and silver jacket and now wore a pair of slim fitting jeans, blue converse, and a cowl neck blue long sleeved jumper.

The only jewelry she wore was her rings, the starfish bracelet which he knew was Abyss – Grover had returned it to her when they arrived back at camp – and the onyx bracelet and necklace from Hades.

Which he thought strange, but pushed away for now.

When Melinda looked up from where she stared into the lake he could tell she'd been crying previously. Her eyes were red, as if she'd tried and been rubbing at them to hide this fact.

"I...I saw her you know," she began. "In the Underworld, she passed me on my way to the Ez Death line. She said my name, but I didn't know who it was. I understand now why Thanatos stopped me from grabbing the soul and finding out who it was."

Percy looked at her surprised.

"Thanatos, you met Thanatos?" Percy asked, and before he could stop himself continued. "How many gods have you met?"

Melinda's lips quirked up for mere seconds in amusement.

"Not that many. I've met Dad, of course. Mr. D, Hecate, Triton, Hades, Thanatos and now Zeus. Four major gods ad three minor gods. Huh, I guess that is quite a few."

Percy went over and sat down beside her, putting his legs into the lake.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he said and Melinda nodded, twisting the ring he knew was a hallow on her finger.

"Come on," Melinda said, standing up.

Percy did as she said and blinked.

"Where?"

"The beach, I guess," Melinda said. "Some closure."

It only took them a few minutes to get to fireworks beach where Melinda stood beside him with a pensive look on her face.

"You don't have to be here, if you don't want to be. I know some are uncomfortable around the dead."

Percy hesitated before shaking his head.

"No, I want to meet your friend."

Melinda gave him one last unsure look before nodding and he felt a almost chill run through the air, a breeze brush past them and then he saw a form take shape.

It was sort of like the spirits from the Underworld, but this one looked a bit more solid, not quite as ghost like.

What gave it away as not a living person in his eyes was the way it seemed grayer, not as colorful as a living human.

The woman in front of him looked a bit like many of the Demeter children, with tanned skin, an athletic build, and long dark hair.

Brown from the looks of it but with the way color didn't seem to be as exact on the summoned spirit, he supposed it could have been black like Katie's.

Her eyes though were the most colorful, and were a deep brown.

"I wondered if you'd call on me," Dasha said, her voice sounding almost like an echo but at the same time like she were a living person there talking to them. It was strange, and hard to explain.

Unlike the dead from his trip to the Underworld with the others, this spirit didn't make him feel nervous or strange.

Sure, he felt a bit nervous and uncomfortable, but not the feeling the other dead spirits had given him. Once again, he wasn't sure how to explain the differences away and make sense at the same time.

Melinda let out a humorless laugh.

"You know me, impulsive and not liking to leave things without closure."

The older girl smiled.

"I'm sorry for scaring you in the underworld, I just saw you and acted on instinct. At first I thought you might be dead too."

Melinda pursed her lips, as if unsure what to say or do at this.

"No, I was on a quest. Returning something to my uncle."

Dasha nodded, and looked over to Percy who's eyes widened slightly at the attention.

"This must be Perseus," she said, startling him with the use of his full name.

"Percy," he corrected on instinct and the woman just laughed.

"Percy, right," she said, nodding. "Was there something you wanted to ask me, Mel. I imagine this all came as a shock to you, otherwise I doubt you'd have used the stone so soon. Even if only to check on me."

Melinda bit her lip.

"What happened, Dasha?" she asked. "We talked hardly three weeks ago, you were fine. Working at Arcadia as an assistant professor."

Dasha nodded.

"It was a good job, and I got close to the newest professor there," she said, smiling fondly. Then she frowned. "It was just a monster, Mel. It snuck up on me, got me by surprise. I was able to kill it before I...well."

She held out her arm, and motioned to her partly transparent shadowy form.

"I won the fight but lost my life. I didn't have nectar or ambrosia on me, and the wounds I suffered were just to much."

"The monster?" Melinda choked out.

Dasha frowned at Melinda and crossed her arms.

"You know, I don't think I should tell you. You'll just blame yourself. You have a hero complex, Mel. I'm dead, I've accepted that. You should too."

Melinda choked on a laugh, looking down and then her laugh became more true. When she stopped she shook her head at Dasha.

"Still as snarky as ever," Melinda said. "And I don't have a hero complex. I know I have to accept it, but I need to know how you died. Closure and all that."

Dasha sighed.

"I could just order you to tell me," Melinda said, and Dasha half glared at Melinda.

"Fine, pushy much," Dasha said, hands on her hips. "It was a Gryphon. Nasty things to have to fight, especially if they get the drop on you."

Melinda sighed, and nodded.

"Thank you, Dasha, and I'm sorry I couldn't help you," she said.

Dasha sighed, snorting.

"See, hero complex," she said, and turned to Percy who had just been listening silently. "Take it from me kid, avoid your sisters trait of a hero complex. Though with your genetics, you're probably doomed to have one too."

Percy didn't know whether to blush in embarrassment or frown in slight annoyance.

Melinda rolled her eyes and gave her old friend and pen-pal a sad but from where Percy was standing, peaceful look.

"You can return now, I take it people are starting to miss you in Elysium," Melinda said and Dasha chuckled.

"Yeah, I've reconnected with Cedric," Dasha said and Percy was sure he saw a bit of a flush, if spirits could flush, on Dasha.

A minute later, after Melinda smirked knowingly at the girl, Dasha's spirit was gone and only Melinda and Percy were left on the beach.

"We should head back to the bonfire, if it's still going on, before they send out a search party for us," Melinda suddenly said a few minutes later.

Together the two siblings walked back towards the bonfire and other demigods.

xXx

Time passed in what seemed like a blur.

June became July in what seemed like a short time, but was really two days more then a week.

And in this time Percy saw Melinda return to her normal, upbeat, though sometimes unbearably protective self. As for his mother, well, she sent a letter a few days after the quest explaining that they'd not have to worry about Gabe anymore.

That he'd run off and she'd reported him missing to the police. She then went on to say how she'd come into quite a bit of money recently, from her first sculpture which she'd promptly sold.

Come August they'd be moved out and into a new apartment in Manhattan, a better setting according to his mother. He couldn't deny he was excited. But he still wasn't sure he'd be leaving camp at the end of summer term or staying year round.

His mother told him she'd understand either way but she'd put down a bit of money at private school to hold him a spot if he did decide to go home.

On July 4th, the camp was setting up for a fireworks display.

What he had expected was for them to come up with some store bought fireworks, or maybe even some of the type used at professional gatherings.

But Annabeth had simply laughed at him and explained that the Hephaestus cabin would never agree to such a thing.

The Hephaestus children was in charge of the fireworks, and being the children of the god of forges and always made the fireworks special and themselves.

Sometimes with help from other cabins – usually the Athena cabin, or if there was any Hecate children they might come forward to help.

He had seen Melinda further down the beach, sitting on a blanket like the one Annabeth laid down for them, with Sam, Luke and another girl he knew was one of Melinda's cousins – a child of Hecate, Lou Ellen.

He'd only met Lou Ellen once or twice, she was older then him, about thirteen with long brown hair, much lighter than Melinda's. Her eyes were green, like bright light emeralds.

Similar but also different from the emerald mixed through Melinda's sea green shade.

She was looking at Sam, who she sat beside and laughing at something. Wearing a black bikini top with some sort of silver mesh crop top over that and darker jean shorts.

Melinda wore something similar. A golden chain embellished white wrap-around bikini – though the top was the only thing visible much like Lou Ellen's, thanks to a pair of lighter colored jean shorts she wore.

She was leaning to the side some, into Luke and the two seemed to be talking, almost animatedly.

He noticed many were looking at the group, seeing as they were the only ones really decked out as if they were out on a sunny beach instead of getting ready for fireworks.

Not many wore dressed in bikini's or shorts. Sam and Luke both wore swim trunks and were shirtless.

A lot of those eyes that found the group of four were teenagers that looked at the group with a look he'd seen on Ares' face when he'd looked at Melinda, or even Zeus' and Hades.

He wasn't as naive as he seemed. He knew it was lust, but he didn't think much on it. He was twelve, but he couldn't help but think of how his father would react to Melinda's outfit now, if his reaction to her dress on Olympus was anything to go by.

"Mel seems to be getting back to normal," Annabeth said as she sat down, almost in front of him, her jean clad legs tucked under her.

Percy nodded.

"Yeah," he agreed, and then blurted out. "Are Luke and Mel dating?"

Annabeth's eyes widened at the question and looked over to where he was staring at the group of oddly matched demigods.

Luke had managed to snake his arm around Melinda's bare shoulders – well, expect for the bikini strings of course. Melinda didn't seem to mind and her shoulders were shaking as if she were laughing.

"No," Annabeth said, tilting her head. "Luke likes her though, he told me so. But they're not dating as far as I know, and gossip like that would spread pretty fast around here."

Percy frowned and nodded and Annabeth smirked, chuckling.

"Isn't it Melinda's job to be protective over you, Seaweed Brain?" the daughter of Athena asked.

Percy shot her a look and might have answered if not for Grover's approach. Percy smiled at his best friend, besides Annabeth, who had changed since their quest. Grover had finally been granted his searchers license, and it showed.

He seemed more confident and his horns had come in. he didn't look like a awkward twelve year old anymore, not that he'd really look to much like a twelve year old before.

But now it was like he'd aged four or five years in a week.

His goatee had gotten thicker and his horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say … well, you know."

Percy wanted to be happy for him, but he also felt disappointed his friend would be leaving for an unknown amount of time.

There was the possibility he might never come back, if what Grover had explained about Satyrs and the search for Pan was anything to go by.

Annabeth gave him a hug and told him to keep his fake feet on, while at the same time glaring slightly at the snowy owl on her head, looking smug and as if he belonged there.

Helios was Melinda's owl, she'd told him he was one of the owlets her first friend and owl, Hedwig, had before she'd died in the war.

Helios' sister, Selene, was now the family owl of her cousin, Andromeda and her godson, Teddy.

"So, where to first," Percy asked, in order to distract Annabeth from the bird perched on her head, as if it belonged there. "On your search for Pan."

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan …"

"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"And you remembered your reed pipes?"

"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled.

But he didn't really sound annoyed.

"Hey," a sudden familiar voice said, and Percy jumped.

Melinda it seemed had noticed them talking with Grover and had come over, plopping down beside him on her knees and was now sitting on them like only a girl seem to be able to do comfortably.

"Melinda," Grover said, with a smile.

"Are you leaving so soon?" Melinda asked, concerned.

"Yeah, Pan won't find himself so I want to get out there as soon as possible," he said, grinning proudly.

"You'll be careful, won't you Grover?" she asked. "And call if you get into trouble. Iris-message or something."

"Jeez Mel, you and Annabeth are as bad as a mama goat," he said, but he didn't seem all that upset about it.

Taking hold of his walking stick better, and slinging his backpack over his shoulder he grinned once more at them, his dream to join the search for Pan finally coming true.

"Well," he said, "wish me luck."

He gave Annabeth another hug, and then gave Melinda one. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, and then turned and left back towards the camp borders.

They watched him go and after a few seconds of silence Melinda noticed Helios on Annabeth.

"Helios, what are you doing up there?" she asked, amusement in her voice.

Helios let out a hoot, or bark or whatever you'd call the sounds Snowy Owls made.

"I'm glad he's not pooping on me anymore, Mel, but why does he have to keep following me around," Annabeth said, nearly pouting.

Percy watched as Melinda chuckled.

"He likes you, I guess. Sesha think he has a crush, I don't think owls can get crushes on humans though. But then again, owls are highly intelligent, you should know this, Anna."

Annabeth didn't do more then narrow her eyes at Melinda at the nickname, and sigh.

Melinda smirked and held out her arm, the one with Abyss around her wrist in bracelet form, and the owl took flight and landed on his sister's arm.

"Maybe Annabeth smells like owls, you know because of her mother being the goddess of owls or whatever," Percy said and he saw Melinda's eyes light up in mischief and her mouth quirk up in amusement.

He saw Annabeth go red, her gray eyes becoming more stormy as she glared.

"My mother isn't the goddess of owls, Seaweed Brain, her sacred animal is an Owl."

Percy smiled nervously, and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Linny! You coming or do we have to start without you?"

The trio turned to see Lou Ellen on her feet, waving Melinda back over from where she'd yelled.

Lou Ellen was younger then Melinda, and also more petite. She was only 5'2 and probably wouldn't get much taller, if at all.

Melinda grunted.

"Don't call me Linny!" she yelled back and shook her head when she saw Sam pull Lou Ellen's feet out from under her, and she landed nearly on the Ares boys lap.

"Lou is going to start a magical fire..." Percy noticed how Annabeth's head snapped up at that, and her eyes seemed to light up in curiosity. "Luke stole some things from the kitchen, and we're gonna have hotdogs, and s'mores. You want to come?"

Percy shared a looked with Annabeth and smiled. Annabeth seemed to like the idea but at the same time hesitate.

"Are you sure?" Annabeth asked. "The Ares cabin isn't exactly fond of Percy right now...and Sam..."

Melinda waved their worry off.

"Sam doesn't care, he's not exactly Daddies little soldier. You can bring you blanket and sit up next to us," Melinda said.

"Sure," Percy finally said, grinning.

He liked the idea of getting to spend time with his sister.

"Great, we should hurry. Before Lou spells Sam's mouth off or Sesha decides to strangle Luke," she said as if it was the most natural thing on earth.

"She can do that?" Annabeth asked, fascinated.

Melinda chuckled as she helped Annabeth fold up the blanket, Helios sitting loyally on Melinda's shoulder now.

"She's a daughter of Hecate, of course she can," Melinda said. "Wait till you see her start the fire. She's one those rare children of Hecate who can actually use hellfire."

"Hellfire?" Percy questioned and Melinda said he'd see soon enough and as they were walking down the beach to the others, Fireworks exploded to life overhead.

Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

There was even one with a young woman in a cloak with a wand a trident in either hand, surrounded by younger demigods and a satyr.

It was amazing, and obviously them, probably from their quest if the firework of Cerberus that shot up next was anything to go by.

xXx

In the following days after the 4th of July the only odd thing that truly happened was that Melinda had made some short excuse to return home for a few days.

Something about contacting her friends in England quicker then what Helios, who wasn't even a year old, might be able to.

He thought it was sort of odd, since they'd been back for almost two weeks and she'd miss capture the flag. She left on Thursday after the 4th of July and didn't return till July 10th, the next Monday.

She seemed to be overly happy when she did return but he avoided asking, though he noticed many of the Aphrodite girls and boys whispering amongst themselves.

Luke also seemed to notice the change in Melinda and he seemed to like it less then Percy himself.

Though, Luke had become more distant, almost detached unless it had to do with Melinda. But by the middle of the month even he was becoming slightly distant from Melinda.

It was strange to Percy, but he didn't know Luke that well to judge. But what was even more odd was how suspiciously Sam would watch Luke, as if he found his behavior more then a little odd as well.

Near the end of July Melinda finally finished the potion she'd been working on for so long, and she made it known when she woke him up with her excitement at six in the morning.

She made plans instantly to make a trip to England and though he didn't know it, she had also made plans for him to join her.

"So, you have everything planned right?" Percy asked Annabeth as he waited for Melinda at the big house, his suitcase beside him and backpack over his left shoulder.

Annabeth nodded.

"Sam, Luke, Chase from Apollo and Lou Ellen are going to help me. You'll return around noon on July 31st and we'll be ready. Just make sure to get her to the Amphitheater," Annabeth said.

"Great, my mom agreed to make the cake so all you have to do is meet her at the borders," Percy told the blonde who nodded.

"What are you two talking about?" Melinda asked, sitting her suitcase down as she entered.

The two demigods jumped some and Percy looked at her as innocently, and stupidly as he could.

"Nothing," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Melinda narrowed her green gaze at him and nodded.

"Right," she said and pulled out her cypress wand.

For a moment he thought she was going to use some sort of truth spell – if such a thing existed – on him but instead she pointed the wand at her bags and muttered a spell and the bags shrunk.

She repeated the process with his suitcase. Then she picked them up and dropped them into her leather messenger bag – the suitcases now no bigger then a dolls carry on.

"Wow," Percy said and he saw Annabeth's eyes had a thoughtful shine to them.

"How did you..." Annabeth began, eager to know.

Melinda smiled, shaking her head and pulled out a stake of four books, each which seemed to be school textbooks or history books with a gray ribbon wrapped around them.

"Happy late birthday, Annabeth," Melinda said. "You might not be able to use the spells inside, but I figure you might like to read more on it. I already translated them into Greek so you won't have problems reading from them."

Annabeth's face lit up as she took the book eagerly and then briefly wrapped her arms around a startled Melinda. It was a brief hug, but nonetheless a hug.

"Thank you, Mel," Annabeth said. "Have fun in England, and you too, Percy."

Melinda took out a wand, like those you saw on magicians, and held one end out to him.

"The American branch seems to have a sense of humor," she explained. "It's our Portkey, you should take it now. And hold on tight, international travel is a bit..."

Percy didn't hear whatever else was said because then he felt as if he was flying or moving really fast and he swore he saw the ocean once.

Finally they reached a point where Melinda looked at him and let go of the Portkey, he followed her example and landed on his knees in a alleyway.

The area was not familiar at all, but to Melinda it seemed to be.

"Ah, home again," she chuckled helped him up. "Like I said, it'll be bumpy."

xXx

"Master Perseus, wake up, breakfast will be served soon," a small voice said and Percy rolled over in his bed and pulled the blue and gold covers over his head.

They had left on the 25th of July, two days later they'd made plans to meet some of her friends at the wizard hospital, St. Mongoose...or something like that.

The first day there she'd showed him her home and he'd been really shocked by the portraits. At first he'd thought he was going insane, those portraits really couldn't be moving and talking to him.

One portrait, the one next to the entrance that she'd explained had once been her godfather's mother, Walburga's. Now it held a portrait of a man and woman, barely twenty from the looks of it.

The man had messy black hair, hair even messier then his and glasses, and hazel-blue eyes. He had a mischievous air about him, like he was a prankster.

The woman looked a bit like Melinda, but at the same time, different. Her skin was nearly ivory and her hair was long and wavy/curly like Melinda's, but a bright, yet dark red.

Her eyes reminded him of Lou Ellen's, but they weren't as light. But they weren't exactly dark either. They were just emerald green, like the jewel.

He learned this was her sister's parents, James and Lily Potter.

James reminded him of a laid back kind of person, who rarely got angry at anything, and put friendship and loyalty above most everything. He reminded Percy of the Hermes cabin, to be honest.

He learned quickly James Potter had been a master Prankster in school and had a group of friends, called the Marauders. They were the Pranksters of their era, only matched by the Weasley Twins.

Melinda had mentioned the twins to him in her explanation of her past. How her first boyfriend and love had been killed in the war, and was one of those Weasley twins, Fred he remembered.

James would tell him stories of his Hogwarts days, while Lily added things or simply looked at her husband disapprovingly.

When it got to their reason for becoming animagus like Melinda was, and their nicknames, Percy had asked what Melinda's was.

James' eyes had widened and Melinda had stopped what she was doing – which was cooking dinner. She'd fought to get her house elves – creatures Percy had nearly stuck Riptide through at first glance – to allow her to cook dinner that night.

It was sort of shocking to know his sister had these two creatures working for her, and how seriously they took their duties as house elves.

But in the end they'd let her have her way. But only if they got to serve desert.

The point was, his sisters step-father had looked horrified.

"Ladybug!" James had called – a nickname which had Percy in stitches the first time he'd heard it and he couldn't help but snicker even after. "We never gave you a proper marauder name!"

"Mom doesn't have one either, papa," Melinda had pointed out and Lily had smiled kindly but shook her head.

"Not exactly true, dear," Lily had said. "I'm not animagus but I was given a name. Petals, or the longer form, Lily-Petals."

"Kind of obvious, isn't it?" Percy asked, and James smirked.

"Only to those stupid enough to think goody-goody Lily Evans would have anything to do with the Marauders. Our identity wasn't widely known. To the school we were the Marauders, Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and...Wormtail."

He said the last name with a sneer, but Percy decided not to ask.

"So, a name," James began, grinning mischievously. "I think something a bit more...appropriate of a bird and you. I guess Ladybug is out."

Melinda glared halfheartedly at her step-father and returned to stirring some sort of soup she was making. It smelled really good though.

"James," Lily scolded, lightly, and Percy chuckled lightly.

Lily reminded him of his mother, though she was also very different.

"Hmm, what about Nike?" James asked. "Or Pallas? Oh...oh Hyacinth is good!"

Percy laughed and Melinda turned, leaned against the counter next to the stove and put one hand on her hip as she looked at her parents portrait – they had a few different ones, in most rooms.

"I don't know if Nike would appreciate me using her name, you know goddesses can be pretty temperamental," she said, and Percy suddenly remembered that Nike was the goddess of victory.

Though he didn't think she'd really be that offended, he knew some mortals were even named after what they thought were mythological characters or gods.

James pouted.

"This discussion isn't over Melinda Pearl Potter-Black," James said, trying to sound like a stern father yet failing and it came out sort of...constipated, if words could sound like that.

It was one of his best memories at Grimmauld Place – a place he found hard to believe Sirius Black, who also had a portrait at the manor – didn't have fond memories of before he was in his thirties.

Percy had also met Andromeda and Teddy, and the moment he saw Andromeda he thought it might actually be Athena in disguise. Her eyes were that startling of a gray, but to learn she was in her fifties was a shock.

Melinda and Andromeda had laughed at him, and explained that witches and wizards aged slower then muggles because of their inherited magic cores. The more powerful you were the longer you'd live and slower you'd age.

Albus Dumbledore had been around 156 or so and he'd only looked to be in his late 80's or early 90's.

Some actually used spells to make themselves appear their proper age, something that had begun around the 1920's, because it gave them more respect.

The point they made was that witches and wizards had longer life spans.

Melinda had even gone so far as to give him a room in the manor, down the hall from hers, which she promised to help him decorate.

She'd already helped him with changing the colors on things already in the room.

"Go away, Dobby," Percy groaned.

"If young master does not wake up, Mistress will be very cross," Dobby said.

Percy rose up, a slight glare on his face.

"It's like...seven in the morning."

"Mistress wishes to have master properly fed, showered and clothed before they leave for today's outings," Dobby said, nodding.

Percy felt like he was stuck in the middle ages when towns were called villages. The way some of the people dressed, talked and went about things. It explained why Melinda had such a way with words at times.

"Perseus Jackson, you better be up and getting ready when I get up there!" He heard said girl yell from the first floor.

He groaned, wondering who was worse. His sister, or his mother?

xXx

Melinda chuckled at the way her brother kept pulling at the clasp of the dark blue cloak she'd given him to wear over his blue t-shirt and jeans. It would help him blend in more.

She herself wore a dark blue lace tank top, leather pants, knee length boots, a thigh length black trench coat and one of her dark green velvet cloaks which still took up residence in her wardrobe at Grimmauld Place. In case of her random visits.

She could tell Percy was amazed by Diagon Alley, and how people would point if they recognized her and wave, some even bowed slightly. Melinda would flush at times, embarrassed and nodded, smile and sometimes wave back.

Percy on the other hand wondered how these people wore cloaks all the time, or even robes at all. They weren't exactly comfortable, at least not to him. But his sister had told him she was no seamstress, and she'd used magic to get the cloak small enough for him.

It was kind of embarrassing.

"Stop that, you look fine," she told him and he looked up at her almost darkly.

"I look like I should be at a Renaissance fair," he muttered and she laughed.

"Later I'll take you to Madam Malkins and she can make you some proper cloaks, and clothes."

Percy looked up at her shocked and shook his head.

"No, you don't have to do that sis," he said. "I don't want to be a bother."

"I'll tell you what my godfather told me when I said that," she began, smirking down at him. "Suck it up, kid."

Percy sighed and finally they stopped outside a large building, marble it looked, and silvery and on the sign was St. Mungos – though to his dyslexia, and he was pretty sure Melinda's as well, it didn't read like that.

He figured she'd been here before so she already knew.

Once inside they went to the main desk, where a woman in blue nurse robes sat.

"Excuse me," Melinda began, gaining the brunette's attention.

The woman looked at her and her eyes froze on Melinda's scar, which was obviously a big thing to the wizarding world.

"Lady Potter-Black," the woman said, standing as if in the presence of someone famous. "I didn't realize you were back in England."

Melinda smiled, and nodded.

"Yes, I am here for the Longbottoms. Some friends should already be here – "

"Right, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Ginny Weasley," the woman said. "They're waiting outside the Longbottom's room. You know the way?"

Melinda nodded, looking down at Percy and he followed after her as they headed towards a ward which seemed to be for more permanent patients.

Outside one of the rooms was two redheads, a brunette that reminded him of Annabeth and a taller boy, with brown hair.

"She should be - " the bushy haired brunette began but a tall, fiery redhead interrupted her.

"Here," he said. "Merlin Mel, I knew you couldn't stay away for a full year, but I didn't realize it wouldn't take you but three short months."

Melinda snorted, throwing her arms around the taller redhead and repeated the process with the others.

"I'm glad to see you all. Though some I've seen recently," she said, nodding at Hermione and Ginny.

"So, what was this big emergency, you needed to meet us here for?" Neville asked, and then looked at Percy. "Who's this?"

Melinda looked at her brother and took a deep breath, grabbing Percy and pulling him closer to her side, but gently.

"This is Perseus Jackson, or Percy, my brother," Melinda told them, and to Percy's surprise the group of people his sisters age smiled and greeted him.

"Hi, Percy," the bushy haired one said first. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"And I'm Ron Weasley," the redhead said after her.

"Ginny Weasley, Ron is my older brother, obviously," the redheaded woman said, smiling.

"And I'm Neville Longbottom," the last boy said and Percy nodded.

"Melinda's talked about you all," he said, as politely as he could. "It's nice to meet you finally."

"So, what was this about?" Ron asked after a few seconds.

"Oh," Melinda said, and reached into her bag. She pulled out a vile of vibrant potion. "I did it. I finally found the cure."

"You did!?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

"Whoa, wait up. What are you talking about?" Ron asked, and Ginny and Neville looked just as confused.

"Uh, you know how you told me of your parents in third year?" Melinda asked and Neville's face took on a sad look and nodded.

"Yeah," he said.

"Well, since then I've been trying to find a way to cure the effects of the Cruciatus curse. Not just for those who survive it sane, but to those left damaged, like your parents."

Neville's face lit up, his eyes wide.

"This isn't a joke, cause if it is it's a rotten -"

Melinda cut him off, smiling.

"I swear on my magic, this isn't a joke. I've finally done it, it's taken me over four years but I've done it!" she exclaimed.

"And you knew about this?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

Hermione nodded.

"She came to me during our sixth year with some worries, and allowed me to look over her notes and things. I helped her fix the first experimental batch," she explained and then looked at Melinda. "It won't hurt them if it doesn't work?"

Melinda smiled.

"I've tested it, it works. I'll admit I haven't tested it on humans but I've used pigs and monkey's which if muggles are right are the closest to a human your gonna get. It works. If it doesn't I think I've just sworn away my magic..."

"If magic took you seriously, then yeah," Ron said, grimacing.

Percy was a bit confused on what they meant just figured it wasn't good if it didn't work.

"You have final say, Nev," Melinda said, looking at her friend.

Neville's face was stoic for a minute and he nodded, smiling.

"I trust you Mel, you were my first friend, besides Hermione," he said. "I don't think I would have done half as well in school if not for you. So let's do it, I just wish Gran were still around to see this if it does."

Melinda sighed, recalling that Augusta Longbottom had died in the war, but she'd taken down three Death Eaters before scumming to spell damage which caused her heart to fail.

Percy didn't know this, but knew from Neville's words and tone his gran must have passed away recently.

Melinda was the one to administer the potion – though Percy thought this might not actually be legal since a healer or doctor or whatever they called them, wasn't in the room with them.

She gave half the bottle to each, both looked in their mid to late twenties, maybe early thirties. But he suspected they were probably older then they looked.

It took only a few seconds for color to return to their cheeks, and their eyes began to not be so...blank.

Their hair which had been graying prematurely – or at least that was how it looked – didn't look so colorless. The woman had black hair, pixie cut and elfin features. The man had brown hair. The woman had blue eyes, the man had light hazel-green.

It took about two minutes before both were gasping and sitting up, blinking rapidly.

"Neville, Neville!" the woman was yelling over and over again, looking around her frantically.

"Alice, Neville, are you – " the man was also saying something along the same lines as his wife but Percy couldn't keep up clearly what each said.

Soon nurses and doctors in white robes began filtering in and trying to calm down the no longer catatonic and insane patients.

"Mel, thank you," Neville nearly sobbed, blinking hard to keep the tears back.

Percy grinned and snickered when the woman looked over and her eyes fell on Neville and Melinda.

"Frank...Lily?" she asked, blinking and then shook her head.

"Lily?" the man, Frank, asked. "Did you dye your hair..."

Percy couldn't help but chuckle shortly. He was sort of surprised though, sure Melinda looked a lot like her mom, especially her eyes at first glance but she was also very much a daughter of Poseidon.

It was clear a lot of her features came from her father.

"Mom," Neville began coming over to where the woman laid and her blue eyes widened.

"Did you just call me mom?" she asked.

"Our son is only one..." Frank began, shaking his head, but even he realized the young adult looked a lot like him but with Alice's features as well.

"You look like...us," Alice muttered, blinking. "How...how long have we been –"

"Around 16 years, Madame," an healer said, coming over to stand between the two beds. "I don't know what Lady Potter-Black did, but she cured you and your husband of any effects the exposure of the Cruciatus curse had on you. I'd venture to say it's a miracle."

xXx

In the remainder of the week they were in England, Percy learned a lot more about his sister and her friends. He also met one of her old professors, Minerva McGonagall when the woman had come over to the manor.

The woman had wanted to see if she'd be interested in a job as one of the schools new professors, Potions or Defense he remembered her saying.

Percy could tell it was a tempting offer for his sister, but she, in the end, had turned it down. She had also kept good on her promise or threat to take him shopping for some new clothes.

Madam Malkins had him stand on some sort of stool and he spent nearly an hour and a half being fitted for robes, cloaks, trousers, shirts and even shoes.

Melinda had stood back and laughed, smirking like a cat who got the canary. Which was sort of a strange metaphor to use considering Melinda's animagus form was a bird, not a cat.

When Percy tried to argue, about when he'd ever need to wear cloaks or robes or such fancy looking clothes she had simply shrugged.

"We'll keep most the clothes here, in case I ever bring you back for a vacation or visit in the future. But some of it can be taken back home with us. A lot of the simpler wizard clothes aren't that odd to muggles. Like the shoes or trousers and vest and shirts. You never know when you might need something fancier," Melinda had said.

Madam Malkin had chuckled.

"Spoken like a true Pureblood, Lady Potter-Black. I think your godfather, and father would have been proud."

Melinda flushed slightly, and muttered something about being around the environment far to long not to come away with something. In the end Percy got the last laugh seeing as he'd convinced her that she should get some new clothes as well.

Madam Malkin wouldn't take no for an answer after the idea was planted. He enjoyed laughing at her bored and accusing short-glares she shot towards him. In the end she came away with more then he did.

On Sunday, the day before they'd take the return Portkey back to New York, Melinda threw a party for Neville and his parents who'd recovered enough to return to society.

It had been all over the newspapers. And even though Frank Longbottom should have been the head of the family as Lord Longbottom, Neville had been doing it since his gran died.

Frank decided to leave the lordship of the family in his capable son's hands.

Shocking some and appeasing many in society. Of course this all came from Melinda who seemed to have practice reading the prophet, though she'd translate it into Greek after a few seconds and then let him have it to read if he wished.

There were quite a few people in attendance to the birthday party, and he got to meet nearly all his sisters friends.

Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. All the Weasley's - and it turned out, shockingly enough, that Ron Weasley wasn't Hermione's boyfriend after all, like Percy had assumed at St. Mungos.

It had been a slight surprise to his sister when Hermione had explained that she and Ron just hadn't worked out and broke up hardly a month and half after the war.

She'd gotten close to Charlie Weasley, who had been her date for the party. Ron seemed content, maybe a bit disappointed it hadn't worked out but they were back to being best friends.

He met Draco and Luna, who were a strange match at first, but he could see how good they were for each other as the day progressed. He also got to meet his sister's goddaughter, Bellona. She was shy, and didn't stray far from her parents.

There were many others, most he couldn't remember names for. He spent most his time either at the refreshments and food tables – provided by over zealous house elves – and with Melinda.

Said girl was usually talking with the Longbottom's – Alice having turned out to be her mother's best friend in school, despite the age difference and house difference. And Melinda's godmother as a result.

She also talked a lot with Andromeda and Narcissa – Draco's mother, and Narcissa was Andromeda's younger sister and also Melinda's cousin as a result – and towards the end was almost always holding Teddy.

Percy couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous, and what made it worse was Teddy could change his appearance - Metamorphmagus Melinda had explained – and usually looked like a male version of his sister with black hair and green eyes. It was kind of embarrassing to be jealous of a four month old baby (he thought Teddy was around four months anyways).

In the end he warmed up to Teddy when Melinda had seen his bored face and told him to take Teddy and mingle with the kids his age – which besides Bellona was only two others – Jasmine Wood (little sister of Oliver Wood, an old friend of Melinda's) and Heath Bell, little brother of Katie Bell.

The best part of the day had to be the cake and ice cream, even if it wasn't blue.

As the day ended and everyone went home, he couldn't help but hope Melinda liked her surprise party as much as Neville seemed to like his.

xXx

"Surprise!"

Percy grinned and laughed when Melinda jumped back suddenly at the whole camp jumped up and exclaimed this. They'd even dragged Mr. D down to supervise with Chiron.

He didn't look to happy though, probably because he was forced to come to a demigods party and couldn't make alcoholic drinks. Percy wondered if it would have stopped him, despite everyone being underage, if Chiron wasn't there as well.

Though he suspected it was because of Chiron they'd even gotten him out of the Big House and to the Amphitheater.

"What?"

"Happy Birthday, Sea Witch," Sam said, smirking as he came over and clapped her on the shoulder. "You're 18, or have you forgotten?"

"I didn't forget...I just wasn't expecting this," she said and then looked at Percy with realization. "This was what you were talking with Annabeth about, wasn't it?"

Percy smirked, and shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Well, I hope you're hungry," Luke said, coming forward, and linking his elbow with hers to lead her towards the large table laid with foods, and a cake Percy knew his mother had made in the center. "The nymphs went a bit...overboard. There aren't many celebrations in camp. Especially not birthdays."

Melinda smiled, and hugged her friends and everyone who'd helped put it together.

"Thanks, it's the first birthday I've celebrated in a year," she said, as if reminding herself of this fact.

"Well..." Mr. D began, lounging in boredom. "Don't just stand around, get this party started before I get even more bored."

That was all it took for some Apollo campers to begin the entertainment of music, and dancing. Everyone was moving around and even Chiron seemed to be enjoying it from where he supervise out of the crowed with Mr. D.

Over all, by the time presents were opened and cake eaten, Percy was sure the event had been a success.

xXx

Melinda's life had changed so much since the war, and she was grateful for that. Though the more things change the more they stay the same, it seemed.

Another war was coming, she could nearly feel it in her bones, and this time it wouldn't be her who everyone looked to. She had the sneaking suspicion it would be her brother.

She'd help him though, she wouldn't let him go into it unprepared. If only she knew the Great Prophecy, but Chiron was determined not to let her see it, even if the gods had agreed it most likely wasn't about her.

With the end of July came August, and the end of the summer term of camp. The final night there for the summer campers new beads were given out and to those first years they received their necklaces with their first bead.

This year it was a black bead with two tridents on either side. One was sea green, the other was silvery-green. In honor of the first children of Poseidon to come to camp in decades, and the first daughter known.

She had the choice of staying at camp or not, and she had decided that if the relationship between her and Hades was to go anywhere she needed to be closer to the mortal world.

Being home would be ideal, and she missed her cozy apartment. She wasn't sure what Percy was going to do, the day the notice came from Mr. D he'd left to let off some steam or stress, whichever came first.

She'd offered to go with him but he'd said he needed to think and be alone for now.

She understood, she'd had those sort of moments in the past, probably more then she liked to recall.

But she'd never been gone for longer then an hour. So when he hadn't returned an hour and half later she went looking for him. She found the training dummies looking as if a shredder had gotten to them, but no Percy.

"Where is that boy?" she wondered allowed to herself.

After a moment she decided between changing into her animagus form or using a point-me spell. The latter won out, just in case he wasn't alone ad with someone who didn't know of her ability to become a gyrfalcon.

The spell led her into the forest, and finally she realized it was the creek where Percy had once fought her in Capture the Flag along with the Ares cabin. The same game which ended with the hellhound attack.

She was almost out of the trees and close enough he'd notice her when she stopped short, her eyes wide.

Percy was there alright, but so was a blonde figure she knew well and climbing up her brothers pants leg was a pit scorpion. Highly poisonous.

Sesha was who knows where, hunting most likely, and she didn't want to chance magic if it might hit Percy instead. The scorpions weren't that big and it was a monster, so wand magic would be unpredictable.

She'd never faced a pit scorpion before, she didn't know how much of one spell it would take to kill or immobilize it. But over these thought were confusion. What was Luke doing?

If this was a prank, it wasn't funny!

Then, she was close enough they couldn't see her, but she could hear them.

"Kronos," Percy said, as if coming to a sudden realization. "That's who you serve."

The air got colder, and so did Melinda.

She had to shake her head to clear it, Percy had to be wrong. She had stumbled in halfway through the conversation, there had to be more to it. Luke...Luke wouldn't..couldn't have.

"You should be more careful with names, Percy," Luke warned.

"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

"He spoke to you, and Melinda too, Percy. You both should've listened."

"He's brainwashing you, Luke."

"You're wrong..." Luke began explaining but the words seemed to go in one ear and out the others for Melinda who slumped some against the tree in her shock.

This couldn't be true...but at the same time it made terrible sense.

Luke had always been bitter towards the gods, but at times so was she. It was what had bonded them as friends at first, and now thinking back on it...he was always so...cold. Why he'd been so distant lately as well could now be explained.

Melinda blinked back tears, and allowed Tachýs to form her trident. In case of a fight.

"Call off the bug," she heard Percy say. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself"

Luke seemed to smile, she was sure he was even if she couldn't see his face.

She knew what he was thinking, and she was too. Even with his training and experience Percy wouldn't have survived a true fight with him, not yet anyways.

"Nice try, Percy. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

"Luke -"

"Good-bye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."

He looked ready to slash his sword, a sword she'd never seen before but gave her the creeps, when she stepped out pointing the points of Tachýs into Luke's back. Almost shakily.

"I wouldn't count on that, Luke," she said as coldly as she could. But even she could hear the hurt in her voice. "Call off the bug."

"Mel," Luke said, and she thought she heard regret and...something else she couldn't be sure of. "I'm sorry, I have my orders. I can't let him go alive, and if you interfere..."

He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

Melinda blinked in surprised and stumbled forward some, looking at Percy in horror as the scorpion lunged.

"Perc – aghh!"

Melinda's yell of worry for her brother was cut off by a scream of pain as something long and metal was thrust through her back and out the front.

She instantly dropped her trident, which became her ring and would eventually return to her finger.

Looking down slowly she saw a sword protruding from her stomach, a few inches above and beside her belly button. She counted herself lucky it missed her spine.

"I'm sorry Mel," she heard a male voice say behind her, into her ear.

She screamed soon after when the sword was pulled free.

At the same time as this Percy had uncapped Riptide, swung and cut the scorpion in half yet it still stung him if the huge red, oozing welt was anything to go by.

He wasn't bothered by this it seemed, he was staring at her in horror as her white shirt was stained crimson by her own blood and how pale she'd become.

She fell onto one knee and finally two, her hands going to her gushing wound. Luke walked around to face both siblings and while he glared at Percy he sent a look of regret and almost tearful longing at Melinda.

Kneeling down in front of her he cupped her face, which was now leaking with a few tears.

"You should have listened, Kronos could have given us both the world," he said and pressed his lips to hers.

She might have once felt something, if he'd done this sooner, before she'd met Hades, before the quest, before this betrayal, but all she felt now was betrayal and disgust. Pain.

He stood then and slashed his sword once more and was gone.

"Per – Percy," Melinda said, nearly crawling over to her brother and cursing herself for not have her pearl on.

She didn't sleep in it, not since after she'd left the Dursley's. She'd felt safe enough at Grimmauld Place and now here to place it in her jewelry box at night, before bed or if she'd taken a shower she sometimes placed it in her toiletry bag.

Now it laid in that green and black bag on her bed.

"You're bleeding, a lot," Percy said, staring at his rapidly paling sister.

"It's nothing...I'm fine," she said, but coughed a second later.

Blood ran down the corner of her mouth and she looked at the creek. Even it couldn't heal Percy and her injuries. Percy had sixty seconds, she probably had the same, if not less. Pulling Percy arm around her shoulders she struggled to her feet and with pain she began stumbling with Percy to the camp.

She noticed with relief that the nymphs were stirring from their trees. Not a moment to soon either because she finally couldn't move any farther. She was shivering, cold, covered in blood and probably as pale as the dead.

Being hit by a killing curse was a relief compared to this, slow death.

"Mel!" she heard Percy say as he fell with her.

She felt her vision blur and felt Percy moving over top her, pressing his hand into her back wound as if to stop the bleeding.

"Percy..." she whispered, trying to blink back the blackness and stand back up. "Go, go to camp."

"I won't leave you here. Help," she heard Percy croak out. "Please …"

She heard feet and as she gave into the darkness behind her eyes she felt two (what she assumed were nymphs) take her arms and saw Percy being moved from her and taken by two others.

The last clear thing that she heard was a shouting demigod – Sam she realized – and someone blowing a conch horn.