How does one choose then…When torn between love and desolation?...How does one choose the side…On which light is cast…When both are so laden with the shadows of past…Of present…Of the hopeless…And empty promises of the future…You don't know how it feels…To be pushed around…To be not heard…To be lost…To be in the dark…Or to be kicked…When you're down…No, you don't know…This is the life I've known…And will only know…You'll never understand…Yet, you still help me…The question would be why?

454545

Vixen watched with so many emotions of her playing football with her father and brothers in the Golden Gate Park when she was eight. Her father took hold of her before she can kick the ball for a goal, as Perseus rushed forward to kick the ball but Paxton tackled him instead, laughing when they bumped into their father, bringing him down with Vixen on top. They all laughed as they rolled about on the grass without a care in the world as their world only consisted of the four of them.

"How charming," a male voice said mockingly from behind.

Vixen was quick to turn around, eyes wide with surprise at the man in black that stood not too far from her. She was about to question how it was possible that he had entered her mind when she was violently pushed out from the memory of her past.

The Wiccan witch cried out as she fell against the desk, again, groaning as she took hold of her head in her right hand as a migraine pulsed painfully against her temple. Severus Snape frowns at the young witch, sighing as he walked over to a shelf on his left and took hold of a small, blue bottle. He walked over to her and led her to a chair nearby, making sure that she was okay before opening the bottle and holding it to her.

"Only take a small sip, it'll help with your migraine," he tells her softly.

Vixen does as she was told, "I'm sorry, I messed up again."

Severus shook his head, putting the cork back on the bottle and placing it on his desk behind him, "Occlumency takes years to perfect. You've only been doing it for four years and what you have been able to do is beyond than anyone else who has tried to perfect it in such a short time."

Vixen shakes her head, leaning back in her chair, "I can't help it, I'm a bit of a perfectionist."

Severus chuckles quietly, "I remember. Take a few minutes and we'll try it again before we call it a night."

The Wiccan witch went to agree before they both turned towards the door at the loud noise they heard. Looking at each other, professor and student quickly made their way towards the door, Severus reaching it first and opening the door to hear the laughter and snide remarks echoing in the hallway. Knowing that Severus would like to keep their meetings a secret, Vixen made sure to stay hidden and looked between the open space of the door and her professor to see that it was several Slytherin's and the second year named Lyra Bole on her knees gathering her books, her head down.

Seeing red, Vixen thought of the karma spell she had given to Rita Skeeter and muttered the spell quietly so that the potion master doesn't hear her. As he reprimanded the five Slytherin's, even going as far as giving them detention for two weeks–only because one of them started to talk back to him–they all walked away. Vixen looked around the doorframe when Severus stepped into the hallway and saw that it was empty and walked over to the second year, helping her with her books and papers. She looked up at her right away, eyes wide with surprise and confusion to see her.

Smiling softly, Vixen gather the rest of the books and stood up, helping the younger teen to her feet, "Chin up! There's nothing wrong with who you are, so embrace it and enjoy being you! For we're all unique individuals."

Smiling widely as she took her books, Lyra couldn't help but admire the older teen. "Thank you, really," she said, a bit choked up that someone kind would help her in some way–especially as she was a Slytherin!

Vixen shakes her head, "If you ever need someone to talk to or simply hang out, let me know. I even hang out with other students and we help each other out with homework or just to study for upcoming tests on Monday's before lunch or Wednesday's before and after dinner. Just come by the library, we're at the very back." she tells her sincerely, "Go on, it's past eleven."

With hope, Lyra nods before rushing off to go back to the Slytherin common room. The young witch looked up at Severus, who was looking at her intently and smiled sincerely as he thought that he wished Vixen or someone like her was there during his school years. If she was, then he would still have been friends with Lily and she might just be alive–married to the childish idiot but alive.

"How about we pick this up tomorrow?" Severus said instead.

Vixen nods, "Yeah, I don't know how long my head can take."

Severus snorts, "You have a thick and stubborn head, Black! I'm sure you would have been fine."

Vixen snorts at this, having seen the fun and teasing Potions Master many times before since he started to train her in Occlumency, grinning up at him. Then without much thought on Vixen or any warnings she hugged the professor, who was taken aback and confused by the rare affection as he's not used to it since Lily. Of course, it was before they had their fall out during their fifth year–a year that he desperately wishes that he could forever forget.

"You would be a wonderful father! Try to not let the past haunt your possible future!"

Then she pulled back, smiled and rushed towards the stairs to get to her common room, leaving the stunned and confused Potion Master. Blushing as her words sunk in, Severus shook his head and walked back into the classroom, magically closing the door behind him. It has been years if he was honest with himself since he thought about ever having children–not since the death of his only love. Now, this little odd witch comes crashing into his life and has him wishing for something he knew that he did not deserve to have.

With a shake of his head, Severus instead went to his lab that was located secretly to the right of his room and replenish some low potions for Madam Pomfrey. However, he noticed that some ingredients he was very low on and knew right away that someone has been in his lab or classroom. With a frown, Severus instead would keep an eye on his things and do a weekly stock to be on the safe side–and find out who would dare steal from him!

454545

Vixen was just about to reach the top of the stairs when she heard familiar voices talking loudly in the corridor. Frowning, she hurried up the few steps and looked to her left to see her poor brother being dragged by Hermione with Ron a step behind. She stopped to turn to Ron, arguing that it had nothing to do with her helping the house elves, Vixen noticing that they stood in front of the fruit bowl painting that led to the kitchens of Hogwarts.

"What's going on?" Vixen called out, walking closer to her friends.

"Vixen! Where have you been?! Come on!"

As soon as Hermione had the door to the kitchens opened, she pushed Harry inside before reaching for Vixen and pushing her inside as well. Vixen was about to argue with her about pushing her when a familiar high-pitched voice called out to both her and her brother. She turned just in time to see her Harry get the wind knocked out of him as the squealing elf hugged him even tighter–almost like what he had done the first time he met his parents.

"Dobby?" Harry gasped as Vixen cried out in surprise at the same time.

Dobby then hugged Vixen, who hugged him back just as tightly before he pulled away, his huge eyes staring up at the two with admiration as they had helped freed him from Malfoy Sr. back in their second year. Both teens had to wonder what had happened to Dobby as they never heard from him after that year. They noticed the odd dressing that he was in and how he was the only one to be dressed as such and although they had many questions, Harry asked instead of the most obvious question of what he was doing there at Hogwarts.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir! Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly.

"Why is she here too?" Vixen asked confused, having remembered who she was from Harry as he told her about what happened at the World Cup.

That was when Dobby seized Harry's hand and pulled off into the kitchen, Harry quickly taking hold of Vixen's hand. At least a good amount of elves that stood around the kitchen beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. Vixen grunts as she bumped against Harry, who stopped, rubbing her nose as she glared at her chuckling brother, letting his hand go. As he turned to Winky and greeted her, Vixen turned to one of the other elves and asked for a sandwich and chips.

The elf smiles widely and bowed before going off to do as asked, just as Winky cried harder after Hermione pleaded her to not cry anymore and Dobby asking Harry for tea. Both girls suddenly glared at Ron as he commented about good service with astonishment in his voice, as Harry asked Dobby about his time in Hogwarts.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said happily, "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult indeed!"

Winky howled even harder as Vixen asked for orange juice instead of tea, then turned back to Dobby, "Why didn't you come to me?" she questioned Dobby with a frown, before muttering the silence spell over Winky's crying, "With Navis away in Canada, Pyxis is by himself back home and I know that he's bad at cleaning up after himself."

"Because Dobby wants paying now, miss!" Dobby exclaimed, "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss!"

"We would have paid you, Dobby," Vixen tells him softly. "There would have been no problem in paying you."

Dobby suddenly beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes, "Thank you, miss! But Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"

"That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor as Winky's silent screaming and fist-beating continues.

"Hermione, stop!" Vixen tells her before Dobby could say anything, "It's way more than most and I'm pretty sure Dumbledore offered more than what Dobby's getting now."

Dobby grinned even wider, "Yes, miss! Professor Dumbledore offered ten Galleons a week and weekends off." he gave a little shivered, "But Dobby beat him down, miss…Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."

Hermione went to say something but Vixen beat her to it, "This is what they live for, Hermione! These creatures take their happiness in serving us, in belonging to a magical family. It may sound and look like slavery but it's not when its what they love to do. It's just unfortunate that there are some wizards and witches that treat them so badly."

The other witch merely frowns but seems to somewhat understand what she was saying as she watched a very happy elf coming over to Vixen with a plate with a large smile. Her eyes seem to have opened a bit more as she looked around her to see that all the elves were happy as they were either cleaning or eagerly waiting for them to order them to do something. Perhaps she needed to do further research before accusing that which is not true.

Vixen had sat at the table on the left eating her late meal, the training she had with Severus had made her hungry. It always made her hungry as the training had burned a large number of her calories. Yes, it was her mind that she was training but it was also her body at the same time. She looked over to Winky, who had calmed down and undid the silence spell as she half listened to Harry and Dobby talking about elves not able to talk bad about their old masters. Of course, Dobby begun to hit himself before Harry stopped him by the back of his tie and pulling him away.

"Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you!" Dobby said breathlessly, rubbing his head.

Harry grinned when Vixen turned to Dobby to use a healing charm and snatched the other half of her sandwich. "You just need a bit of practice," he told him with a shrug.

Vixen growled when she saw her brother holding the last of her sandwich, Harry shoving it in his mouth and smiling. However, she couldn't reprimand him when Winky suddenly squealed in anger about Dobby should be ashamed about talking about his master's in such a way. The free elf argued that he was free and did not care about what they would think of him now. The Wiccan witch tuned the conversation out and glared at her brother before finishing her French fries. She always seemed to forget that chips in the UK meant fries and not potato chips as she wanted but didn't mind and finished half of them before offering the rest to Harry, Ron, and Hermione–the two boys finishing it.

Finishing her glass of orange juice, Vixen smiled her thanks to the elf that had gotten her food and drink, "What's your name?"

"Minky, miss!" she squeaked happily, making her smile.

"Well, I'm Vixen. If there was anything that I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask," she tells the female elf sincerely.

Tears welled up in her large blue eyes, "Thank you, miss! You are too kind, miss!"

With another smile, Vixen stood up with a stretch, the group preparing their leave as it was nearing their curfew. Many of the surrounding elves moved as close to them as they could, offering snacks to take back with them. Hermione refused with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, while Vixen declined due to being full. Harry and Ron, however, loaded their pockets with sweets to take, her brother thanking the elves who all clustered around the door to bid them all good night, Harry knowing better to continue his manners or Vixen and Grams will have his ass.

"Harry Potter…can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively.

"Course you can," Harry tells him, Dobby beaming brightly just as the doors closed. "You coming with us?" he asked his sister.

Vixen sighs, looking to her brother, "No, not tonight. I want to work a bit on the spells for locating the items and destroying the Horcruxes in your scar."

Harry gives her a nod, stating seriously, "Tell me if anyone messes with you."

"Promise," Vixen chuckles as her brother knew very well that she could take care of herself, and hugged him tightly. "Have a good night, you guys."

Entering the Hufflepuff's common room, the three Gryffindor's continued up the stairs to the main staircase. Vixen ignored the few Hufflepuff's that were still awake and hanging around the main area–and all who silenced at her entrance–and went straight to the dorm rooms. She continued to ignore her fellow roommates, all of whom went silent as she entered the room, Vixen opened her trunk and took out her notebook, Book of Shadows (which was glamour as another journal), and her phone with headphones, placing them on her bed before she took out her pajamas.

Closing her trunk, whispering 'Protego' to activate the protection spell she placed on her things, and slipped out of her boots, kicking them under her bed. Climbing onto her bed, she closed the curtains and whispered the same words before placing a silencing and mute spell around her area. She quickly changed then sat up against her headboard, used the light charm, then opened her notebook and Book of Shadows, knowing it was going to be another long night. However, seeing as she was not able to find anything, Vixen called for Trent, who frowned as he orbed on her bed, hitting his head on top of the canopy.

"I need the Halliwell Book of Shadows," Vixen tells him quickly.

Trent, bending slightly, "I get it but you do realize that it's six pm right now?"

"I know," she whispered seriously. "But time's running out. I need to get these spells finished and start locating these Horcruxes."

Sighing, Trent holds out his hand for her to take, Vixen holding on to her notebook and taking her Whitelighter's hand. The orbed in the middle of the attic, grateful that there was no one was around, though the opened door was making her nervous. She went to reach her wand, which was holding up her hair but stopped as she remembered that she wasn't able to use it outside of Hogwarts until she turned seventeen. However, both she and Trent were taken aback when the door closed and locked itself before a voice echoed around them.

"I suggest you hurry, my dear," Grams appeared with a smile. "And perhaps place a spell so that new spells and vanquishes appearing on either Book of Shadows will appear on the other."

Vixen nods, muttering the words, "Good thinking."

Rushing over to the Book of Shadows, she started to go through the pages and finding the ones she didn't have in her book and looked over the words. She was quick in writing certain words down that she felt would help in either a vanquishing, a locator, or even a summoning spell, knowing that she can mix and match later on. Once she was finished, Vixen bit her lip as she thought of a spell to make that would appear on both books once a new one was written in.

"I don't mean to hurry you, my dear, but I suggest you make that spell now as I fear one of the girls is coming." Grams tells her quickly.

"Ah hell," Vixen muttered as she tried to make something up from just words, closing the book so it would appear as though it wasn't used. "What's yours is mine, What's mine is yours, Let us share what knowledge we know, Being family and all."

"Why is this door locked?" a muffled voice said as the attic door rattled. "Who locked the attic door?"

"Okay, time to go!" Vixen said then cringed when she realized she said it out loud.

"Who the hell is in there!?"

"I'll hold them off, don't worry," Grams tells her softly, "Go!"

Trent took hold of Vixen's hand and orbed out just as Grams unlocked the door, Prue falling forward as Phoebe and Piper stood just behind her, along with Leo, Wyatt, and Chris. "Well, hello to you too."

"Grams!" Phoebe and Piper cried out happily and confused.

"Why are you here? Did you have the attic door locked?" Prue accused, quickly getting to her feet.

"Can't I just see how my girls are doing?" Grams questioned with a raised eyebrow as the family entered the attic, "Or see my lovely grandsons!"

Wyatt grins, then points to the Book of Shadows, "Family."

Grams frowns, wondering how it was that he knew when Vixen had erased all memory of herself and her brothers. "Yes, it's part of our family, dear. Well," she started, looking at the sisters before Wyatt can say anything again, "I best returned. Blessed be."

"That was…" Piper started with a frown.

"Odd," Leo finished.

Wyatt giggles as Chris looks up at his father, saying, "Family."

"Yes, family."

"Family," Wyatt says again with a grin.

454545

A/N: Sorry that it took me a while to update, I've been struggling with this chapter and where to take it, though I'm not happy with how it came out. Please let me know what you guy's think. Thanks for the read!