I feel alone…I feel lost…I feel confused…Why do I have to dwell on my own? Loneliness fills my heart…Running…I am running…From this world…From the greed…From the lust…And from those who do not understand me…And loathe me with much hate…Why must I be born in this world with the blood I have running through my veins? They will never catch me…They won't catch me…They can't catch me…
454545
Phillip Orion Black held his daughter tightly as she sobbed into his neck, everyone in the cemetery quiet and feeling the young child's pain. Pauline Astra Black died peacefully the night before, surrounded by family, at the age of sixty-five. Although her eldest son, Paul Lynx, had only three boys and loved them to the ends of the earth–along with his own two older boys–Pauline loved her only granddaughter the most. Vixen Aquarius may only be five years old, but she was close to her grandmother than she was with him, which, Phillip knew, was to be expected. There hasn't been a girl in the Bowen family since his mother was born and she was hoping that Vixen would show what his grandmother had inherited from being born into his grandmother's family instead of that of his father's side.
And his mother was one of two mother figures for his daughter as his wife died during a mission for work when Vixen was only three years old. Paul's wife helped in picking out clothes and how to do his daughter's hair, but mostly Phillip took care of his daughter.
As they lowered the casket down even further into the hole, Vixen let out a cry of anguish and suddenly ice appeared on and the surrounding casket, stopping it from going down further. Everyone cried out with surprise and fear as the ice had come out of nowhere, while Phillip felt coldness at the back of his neck coming from his daughter's hands. Panicking of what he should do, Phillip was about to take out his wand when he noticed that everyone–including his brother, nephews, and sons, all of whom were magical–was frozen and wondered what had happened and if his daughter had something to do with this as well. However, blue and white lights formed a person while white sparkles formed another person just to the left of Phillip.
"Don't be alarmed, my name is Trent," the man that appeared in the blue and white lights tells him quickly, "And I am Vixen's Whitelighter."
Phillip frowns, holding his still crying daughter, "What the hell is a Whitelighter?"
"I'm basically a guardian angel for witches. I'm here to help and guide witches who have come into their powers." he tells him softly before frowning slightly, "However, it seems that Vixen had come into her powers a bit early."
"How do I reverse what she's done?" Phillip asked.
Vaguely, he remembered his grandmother speaking about Whitelighters, good and bad witches, and demons while growing up, but due to him and his brother receiving the powers of his father's side instead, Phillip didn't really believe in the stories. Of course, he should have known better, seeing as his mother's side of the family has the Warren bloodline running through their veins. Even his mother had told him stories about his grandmother and that the trunk that she kept in the attic will belong to none other than Vixen when she grew up enough to understand what she holds and what it means to be a woman in the Warren family.
If she came into her powers, that is.
"Vixen, sweetheart," Trent started, smiling at the tearful five year old turning to look at him, "I know that losing your grandmother is hard, but you will see her again."
"I will?" she asked quietly, her voice hiccupping in the end.
Trent smiles softly, "Yes, but you need to calm down for now, okay? And later, when you're home, you'll see her again, I promise."
Slowly her sobs come hiccups as Vixen nods and wipe her tears, the ice disappearing and her hands no longer cold against her father's neck. She stares at the other man all dressed in pure bright white, "Who is he?"
"I am part of what is called, The Cleaners," the man in white tells her patiently. "I am merely here to erase the memory of magic being exposed to these mortals. Or, in your case, No-Maj," Phillip nods in understanding and watched as the man spreads open his arms and closes his eyes, a bright white light covering the area for a few seconds before disappearing just as quickly. The man opens his eyes and brings down his arms back to his side, "It has been done."
"Thank you," Phillip tells the Cleaner honestly. With a slight bow of his head, the man disappears in the sparkling white lights. "Will you be staying?" he asked Trent.
"No, as I was not here in the first place," Phillip nods in understanding, "I will meet you back at your mother's home after everyone has gone instead."
And he disappeared in blue and white light, everyone being unfrozen and moving along as nothing had happened, while the casket lowered further down in the hole. Phillip looked at his brother, who in turn looked over at him with a questioning frown. Paul was always so intuitive in what was going on, and this time was no different. Giving him a look that said they'll speak later, Paul gives him a subtle nod before turning forward again. Phillip gives an inaudible sigh, looking forward as well and rubbing his daughter's back as she continues to cry a bit.
454545
It took a couple of hours for the last person to leave their mother's house and Phillip explaining to his brother what had happened back at the cemetery. As the kids helped Paul's wife, Leona, clean up a bit, the two brothers were in the cover patio talking in low voices so that the others didn't hear what they were saying. Vixen, however, was the only one that was with him, sitting in her grandmother's favorite chair and looking out to the dark sky that harbored the stars and the full moon.
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Paul asked worriedly, looking towards his niece to make sure that she hasn't heard him. "I mean, we don't even know if the magical community on grandma's side of the family is even true."
"It's true," a male voice said as blue and white orbs formed to the left of the brothers. "We just didn't reveal ourselves because it's been almost three generations since the Bowen line finally had a Wiccan witch with wandless powers."
"Paul, this is Trent," Phillip introduced his brother.
"Can I see grandma, now?" Vixen questioned before the adults can say anything.
Trent smiled, "Yes we can, but we have to wait for one more person."
Phillip went to question what he meant when the doorbell rang throughout the house. Vixen ran towards the front door, calling out for her grandmother, as her father and uncle rushed behind her. As soon as she opened the door, however, the child was taken aback to see an older woman, a familiar man, and a boy of the same age as her. She blinked at them in shyness, disappointed that it wasn't her grandmother that was at the door. Phillip placed a hand on his daughter's sagged shoulders, Vixen immediately moving to hide behind his legs.
"Forgive us for coming late. We figured it was easier to talk after everyone has gone," the woman tells them softly.
"Aunt Penny?" Phillip questions confused, "Sirius?"
"As I said," Trent started from behind, gathering the family's attention–except the children, who stared at the curious boy staring back at her. "We had to wait for one more person."
"Now can we go see grandma?" Vixen asked quietly to her father.
Penelope 'Penny' Halliwell smiles at her second cousin's grandchild, "Yes, Vixen, we can see your grandma now."
Holding out her hand, Vixen shyly takes hold of her hand and walked alongside the older woman, who reminds her a lot of her grandmother. The family, along with Paul's wife, his boys, and Phillip's boys, followed after the older woman, wondering what was going on. Sirius Black walked after the family, smiling to the oldest boys that remember him and started asking for new pranks to do while Paul's wife glared at him in warning. Once in the group gathered in the small attic–small compared to the attic in the Halliwell Manor–Penny was instructing Vixen what she was doing and showing the page that it was under in the book that belonged to Pauline and will now belong to Vixen after that day.
Kneeling next to the timid child, Penny smiled at her, "Okay, repeat after me," Vixen nods enthusiastically, knowing that the woman was going to do what her grandmother has always done.
"Hear these words, Hear my cry, Spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee, Cross now the great divide."
White lights swirled around in the middle of the lighted candled circles and formed the very familiar Pauline Black. "Grandma!" Vixen cried and was about to run to her, but Penny held fast.
"No, Vixen, you'll only go through her."
Vixen's bottom lip begun to quiver, but stopped as Pauline kneeled before her granddaughter and let her cold hand touch her cheek, "I will always be with you, Vixen. Even when you don't see me, but you will surely feel me," Vixen nods, holding back her tears. "Now, your Aunt Penny will be helping you to control your powers and the responsibilities you will have."
Penny looked up to Phillip, "We can do schedule visits when the girls are not in the house. Our homes are connected via-floo," she then looked at her cousin, "I suggest when she is older to contact you so Vixen won't be obsessed to call you every time."
"Agreed," Pauline smiles to her only granddaughter, "I'll always be near, sweetheart," she points her forefinger to her heart before standing up and staring at her family. "I love you all," she smiled softly at them, as they told her that they loved her too. "Blessed be."
Vixen turned to the older woman, her bottom lip quivering as tears started to form. Penny softly smiles, pushing the thick hair of the child from her face, "Once you are older and had come into your powers, will you then be able to stay in contact with your grandma. Right now, just know that she is always nearby."
"Will my daughter show her powers unintentionally again?" Phillip asked, the concern of needing to conceal his daughter from the outside world.
Penny sighs, "Yes. When she is emotional like she was today, Vixen will unintentionally bring out her powers." the woman then smiles softly to her cousin's granddaughter, "When you start to be mad or sad or even scared, just remember the good times you had with your grandma or anyone in your family."
"Because I have to keep my powers a secret?" Vixen asked softly.
"That's right, and sometimes it's hard for your dad or the Cleaners in trying to make everyone who shouldn't know about magic to forget about seeing the magic."
"I'll be good, I promise," Vixen promises hurriedly, looking from Penny to her father.
Phillip smiles, kneeling in front of his daughter, "We know, Vixen. We're just letting you know so none of us overexert our magic."
Vixen nods yes before looking at the curious boy with the dark hair still watching her. "Who are you?"
The boy frowns, "I'm Harry James Potter! Who are you?"
"I'm Vixen Aquarius Black! And I live here!" she tells him with a frown.
Harry frowns and looks up at his laughing godfather–along with the other adults and kids–as he answered, "Vixen is my second cousin, her dad is my cousin, and his dad is my uncle."
"Oh," Harry mutters, still frowning towards Vixen. "Will I have to play with her?"
Vixen frowns and turns to her father, "I don't want to play with him!"
Phillip smiles as the group of adults laugh, "No, you don't have to play with him if you don't want to, sweetheart. But he is family, and…?" he raises an eyebrow at his daughter knowingly.
She sighs dramatically, her rolling her eyes upward, "And family is everything."
"That's my girl," he whispered, kissing her forehead before standing up. "I guess we should all go downstairs and start figuring out a schedule."
Penny smiles, nodding, "And get to know each other, as well." she pointedly looked at the two children that were of the same age.
The adults laugh at this once again and they all started to trickle out of the attic, however, Vixen had stopped at the door and looked back into the room. A large mirror that stood in the corner of the room, facing the door and showing her confused and curious reflection. Walking towards it, Vixen stopped when she was a few feet from it as a female person suddenly appeared before her, making her gasp with fear. Her hand was suddenly taken and pulled back, Vixen looking to see Harry, who was looking at the woman in the mirror in fear as well.
Her crystal blue eyes stared steely at the two children as her broad shoulders were pulled back and her back ramrod-straight. Her head was held up high, as her dark brown hair was pulled back into a very tight bun, not even a strand out of place. She was wearing a white blouse that was tucked at her very narrowed waist, which turned into a long, plain black skirt–the two children knowing very well that the clothes were very old and not of their time period.
"Hello Vixen, I am your great-great-aunt, Agnes. You may call me MeMaw if you prefer." she tilted her head to Harry, "As you may call me the same, Harry. Now, seeing as you can see me, it means that you may have received the same power as I had."
"What is that?" Vixen asked softly, holding Harry's hand a bit tightly.
"The power of Catoptromancy, which is the ability to look into the mirror to watch anyone or anything." Agnes explained to the child, "I have not been able to be seen by anyone else in your family, just your grandmother as she was my granddaughter."
Vixen frowns slightly, "Will I have to tell my dad and Aunt Penny?"
Agnes smiles softly, "No. We can keep this a secret if you like. As you grow older, learning your powers as you do, I will also teach you the Catoptromancy, but it will have to be in secret. Do you understand this?" Vixen nods, as does Harry, "Very good. Now go, you do not want to make your family wait any longer, do you?"
With shakes of her their heads, the two children bid the woman goodbye and rushed out of the attic, not once letting go of each other's hands. The door closed softly behind them by an invisible force as lights appeared next to the mirror and formed the ghostly form of her fearful niece. They have heard rumors on both the other side and in the mirror realm of the prophecy of a powerful wizard killing a dark wizard but neither women had thought nothing of it as it didn't concern their family until realizing that their granddaughter/great-great-niece might be involved somehow.
"We should ask Penny to make a protective spell or charm for Vixen," Pauline tells her great-aunt.
"Agreed," she whispered before both women disappeared.
454545
–Five years later–
"What if I don't like it in Ilvermorny?" Vixen questioned Penny sulking, "I would rather go to Hogwarts with Harry!"
Penny chuckles as she gave Vixen direction to what put in next in the potion that they were making to vanquish a low-level demon. "I'm sure you would love the school that your brother's, father, uncle, and cousins have gone to. Besides, what's to say that you might go into these magic school's since you have Wiccan powers?" she questioned what her father, herself, and her grandmother all have been worrying about.
Vixen sighs dramatically, the ten year old not wanting to go to a school where you have to leave your wand when Sirius has told her about his time in Hogwarts and able to take your wand home with you! Or not even going to either magical school! "But, what if I don't make any friends? What if Harry gets picked on?!"
"You just need to not be so shy, Vixen, and I'm sure Harry will not let anyone pick on him! I think Sirius made sure of that!" Penny mutters the last to herself but Vixen heard and giggled.
"Harry is a bully like Uncle Sirius but only to those that are doing the bullying!" Vixen defended Harry, who has come to be a close brother.
Penny smiles softly, letting the ten year old know that it was time to bottle up the potion. "Yes, and I believe that Harry could have gotten that from you," she chuckles as Vixen frowns confusingly up at her. "Sirius teaches Harry to stand up to himself, to be strong and not get thrown down. You, my dear, teach Harry all those but also to be compassionate, to be gentle, and above all to help and keep safe those who cannot fend for themselves."
Vixen sighs, knowing it was the truth. She remembered how she had yelled at Harry when they were a few years younger about being part of a group picking on a boy with a speech problem and making him cry. She stopped speaking to Harry for two days before her father told her what Harry had done. Due to him being grumpy for not only making her mad and not speaking to him anymore, he had defended the boy from the other bullies and had gotten in-school suspension for fighting. After speaking with Harry, Vixen comes to find out that he had befriended the boy, Thomas Westgarth, and seeing that they had a lot of things in common had become the best of friends.
Vixen wanted to meet Thomas but knew that it would be hard explaining how quickly they can travel from America to England. So, they settled into just talking over the phone–much to Phillip's liking–and come to like each other as well. Rather than rack up the phone bill for her father, Vixen had taken to writing letters with him and occasionally Harry so as to keep up the pretense. Neither child liked the fact that they were lying to him but knew the consequences of telling a non-magical person about magic.
Vixen and Penny silently cleaned up after their potion making and was wiping down the counter when an unexpected granddaughter came through the back door, "Hey Grams, who's the kid?"
Vixen stared at the older woman, knowing who she was as Penny had told her all about her granddaughters and what was to come from the three of them. She watched as the youngest, Phoebe, plops down on the island and takes a couple of grapes from the bowl that Vixen had just replaced from their cleaning. The ten year old couldn't help but stare at the other unblinking, seeming to try and figure her out, which Phoebe had noticed and seemed a bit uncomfortable at that fact.
"What are you doing here, Phoebe?" Penny asked strictly, "Didn't you have to work until five today?"
Phoebe finally looks away from Vixen and frowns at her grandmother, "We were slow so they let me come home early. Is the kid being here the reason why you wanted to know our schedules for the last couple of years?"
Penny raises an eyebrow at her youngest granddaughter, who squirmed underneath her gaze, and the doorbell ringing. Vixen watched as Phoebe jumps off her stool and rushes out, stating that she will get the door before she looked back to a smiling Penny. In the past five years, they have been very lucky in the fact that neither of Penny's granddaughter's had come home early from work and catch them practicing Wicca. Vixen had to wonder if Phoebe being there early was a tell-tale sign that something was coming and it was not going to be pleasant in the least.
"Grams! There's some kid looking for you and the kid!" Phoebe yelled from the front of the house.
Both Vixen and Penny frowned as they quickly walked out of the kitchen, moving through the dining room, which Vixen took hold of her backpack, and into the foyer, seeing a tall boy of seventeen years old standing just inside the entrance. He had shaggy jet black hair and steel gray eyes with a very strong aristocratic look, which was thanks to the combine lineage of the Black and Warren Family. He had a fairly large build thanks to his playing on his school's house Quidditch team, as well as being the Captain and one of the Beater's.
"Paxton, where's dad?" Vixen questioned, hugging her brother around the waist in fear.
Paxton Pyxis smiled softly and kneels down before his baby sister, holding her arms softly as his eyes brightened from the tears he was holding back. "Dad had an accident, Vix," he paused, looking towards a curious Phoebe before looking back at a now tear-eyed Vixen. "He's in the hospital but the doctor says he's going to be fine. The bad guy didn't hurt him."
"This time around," Vixen whispered the words that Paxton was already thinking.
Paxton merely shakes his head, knowing how smart his sister was and brings her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head, "Come on, dad was calling out for you. You are the favorite, you know."
Vixen held on to her brother a bit longer, needing the comfort that only he can bring whenever she was emotional and their father wasn't around. "I love you, Pyxis," she whispered softly.
Paxton painfully holds back his emotions, knowing he needed to be strong for his younger siblings, "I love you too, Aquarius. Come on, we can go to the hospital." he stands and holds his sister's hand tightly, smiling and nodding to Penny, "Thanks, it might be a while before she can come by again."
Penny nods, "I understand. Please give my love to your father and should you all need anything, don't hesitate to call."
The seventeen year old nods in understanding behind her words before turning to leave and to the red 1970 Plymouth Roadrunner with the black stripe down the middle that he had restored with his dad's help. As they drove off, Penny closed the door and turned to see that a confused Phoebe was watching her, wanting to know what was going on. The older woman shakes her head and walks back to the kitchen, already thinking of ways to help her cousin's son in getting better.
454545
–Six Months Later–
Vixen furiously wiped her tears, watching as the casket for Penny Halliwell lowers to the ground. Trent had appeared before the family to let them know about the death of Penny and where her funeral was going to be. It was a painful reminder for Vixen of how her grandmother left her but knew she would be able to continue to speak and be trained by Penny in the afterlife, even with her grandmother now that she was older and not as obsessive in wanting to be with her all the time. At least this time the Cleaners or her father and Sirius did not need to erase anyone's memory for her accidental magic release.
Not wanting the sister's–her fourth cousin's–to know that she and her family were there, the family kept to the back and kept their head down. When they did not receive an invite, it was only then that they realized that Penny was trying to protect them as much as she was protecting her grandchildren from the magic. As the fairly large group started to make their way either back to their vehicles to go to the Halliwell Manor for the wake, the Black family stayed behind, being careful from being seen from the sister's and then moved towards the hole in which the burial grounds custodians begins to shovel dirt on top of the coffin. Vixen moved towards the edge of the hole, next to the headstone, the custodian's stopping mid shovel of dirt when the saw her.
She smiled softly and shook her head before looking down at the slightly filled hole, "See you soon, Aunt Penny." she whispered softly, letting her white rose fall into the hole.
Harry moved next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders in comfort. Vixen smiled in thanks–especially since he knew that she feels alone as it seems all the women she loves close to heart have died–and they both turned back to their family and they started to walk away, opposite of the other people and the cars. The family had actually Apparated instead of driving as they wanted to make sure that they would be able to get away from the sister's right away in case they have been discovered. Phillip and Sirius both looked at each other with a grin as it was only five years ago that the two children had hated each other and now they were as inseparable as any sibling.
The sisters decided to go back one last time but stopped when they saw about eleven people and two children, two teens, and a few in the early twenties. Phoebe recognized two of them and was surprised to see them, especially since she didn't know what their last names were but the other names that she and her sisters came across she knew or vaguely knew who they were. The three of them came to a stop and just watch them for a bit before they started to leave the burial site.
"Hey, wait!" Phoebe yelled and started to rush after them, followed by her two other sisters.
As they watched the group walk behind the large tree but as they turned they noticed that the eleven people had disappeared. She had told her sisters about the child and how Penny was looking after them and they have tried to sneak in whenever they could to see if they can catch the child Phoebe had spoken about but it never worked as their grandmother, as always, was a step ahead of them.
"Did you know them?" Prudence 'Prue', the oldest Halliwell, asked her youngest.
Phoebe nods, "That little girl was the one I told you about, where Gram's had her over and she left with the older kid."
The middle sister, Piper, frowns, "I wonder why they didn't stick around?"
Phoebe shrugs, "I don't know but it's a bit freaking how quickly they had left with no trace of them."
"Hey, guy's," Piper calls after them, taking hold of an envelope that was sitting on top of the headstone. She turned the front of the envelope to her sister's, "It's addressed to us."
Sure enough on the front, it was written, 'To the Halliwell Sister's', with the triquetra symbol beneath. Turning it over to read it, there was a Triskele stamped into the blue wax, holding the envelope closed. The sister's frown at it and Piper quickly opened it, taking out the letter, reading it out loud for her sister's to know what it says.
To Prue, Piper, Phoebe,
You don't know who I am or who my family was to your grandmother but know that once the time comes and should you need our help, we will be there for you. And when that day comes, all will be revealed. Just remember this when hard times are ahead, Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights and our comfort when we occasionally falter[1].
It's something that my father always says when we are presented with a challenge. Another thing he used to say is that never forget that family is everything, so don't make any room for regrets because tomorrow is not promised and today is too short! I hope to finally meet you all in person soon!
Blessed Be,
V.A.B.
454545
[1] Quote by Brad Henry
A/N: Here is the second, brand new, chapter for this story, I do hope you all are enjoying it so far. As always, let me know what you guy's think so far, I wanted to update every two weeks on Saturday, however next Saturday I am going to be on vacation in the Caribbean so I won't have my laptop or tablet with me so you'll have to wait for the next chapter on the following Saturday. For anyone who is coming back, thank you for sticking it out with me, I greatly appreciate it! And for those who are new to this story, thank you for checking it out!