Not hearing much of anything about Talia was a good thing as far as Snape was concerned. It was as if the earth swallowed her entirely. Constantine from what he gathered was hanging in by a thread, one that more than likely would be severed by the Dark Lord himself if he did not get what he wanted soon.

Glancing down at some essays he needed to look over, Snape sighed rubbing both his temples, if anything grading papers was definitely not on his mind. He had other tasks he needed to focus on, bigger problems, all of them pilling up just like those blasted essays in front of him.

Spring was almost over and with it the school year would soon reach its conclusion.

Lifting his eyes, Snape listened in, swearing he heard footsteps around the dungeons despite the late hour. Groaning, he got up from his chair in order to check it out. The halls appeared empty, however he still felt his hair stand on end, wand rising slowly in order to cast a spell.

"Don't." he heard a whisper, the image before him distorting as Talia's spell dissipated "Hello father."

Rushing her inside his office, he checked the corridors once more making certain no one overheard them or witnessed the intruder inside the castle. Locking the door, he turned to her, voice low, yet loud enough for her to pinpoint the nasty tone behind it "Are you out of your mind?"

Talia took off her cloak, tossing it on his desk, looking unamused "Considering you raised me I think you know the answer to that one."

"If memory serves me right which has not failed me until now, I raised you to be cautious. But it would seem all of my efforts were in vain since you constantly go against everything I taught you."

Cocking a brow, she sat down on the desk looking unimpressed "I need something, I need to know what's going on. I'm running out of space, supplies and patience."

Stepping closer to her, Snape tried to remain calm "You are outnumbered."

"Tell me something I don't know." Talia replied rolling her eyes "Do you have anything to drink in this dump?"

Initially he glared at her before it dawned on him she was not a child anymore. Truth be told she never was, but as he looked at her, he could barely recall when all those years passed. He has heard people saying that kids grow up so fast and if you dare blink you miss it, however he never thought he would associate that sentiment with Talia. But it was true, she grew up far too fast, forced to even in order to withstand and understand everything. And now that she stood there in front of him, he realized she was all grown up.

Walking over to his desk, he pulled a bottle, dust covering it so it was clear he had not touched it "Saving it for a special occasion?" Talia asked as he dusted it off.

"This is as good as any."

"Charming, you really know how to make a girl feel special." She scoffed as he poured them both a drink. Taking the glass, Snape also sat next to her on the desk, their glasses touching "To a better future."

He just nodded, not adding anything to the toast, both frowning when the alcohol hit their tongues "Whoever said whisky becomes better with age was wrong."

"Disgusting." She wrinkled her nose, however took another sip "It's like fire on crack."

Looking at her, he asked "Are you safe?"

"Oddly enough yes, all things considered. I haven't really been in the middle of it all, not fighting at least." She did not look at him, instead stared at the floor, him immediately noting her behavior. There were not many moments when Talia did not hold her head up high, so he could only presume she was feeling guilty in a sense. Checking her pockets, she took out a cigarette, Snape immediately taking it off her "Seriously?" however he still snapped it in half, Talia just shaking her head "Fine."

"Why not leave while you still have a chance? If you don't want to fight, then don't. You don't have to force yourself for others."

She barely glanced at him before getting up, taking out another cigarette, one she only lit up because Snape actually allowed her "I can at least heal them, help in a sense. I just can't be out there anymore." she took a long drag, but had trouble letting it leave her lungs. He patiently waited for her to settle down, Talia running a hand through her hair "I can't fight, I mean I can but it's like the more I do, the more of myself I lose."

Snape's brows rose "Are your powers affecting you?"

Talia shook her head "No, no… I don't know." Flicking the ash on the floor, she placed the glass on a random shelf as she walked around, gathering her thoughts "I'm tired of the smell of blood, of the feeling of it against me. But at the same time the longer I sit on the sidelines, the more I feel my own blood boiling in my veins. And I'm not angry, I'm not scared, I'm just numb."

Snape's brows drew closer together, Talia snapping her eyes to him feeling how he tried to push through the barriers of her mind. They leveled each other with a cold stare, him eventually backing down "Whether you like it or not you were born to fight, not because of Constantine or the ritual, but because you are a fighter and you always will be."

"No, I'm not." She swallowed thickly, eyes averting "That's just the thing. If I was, I would be out there with everyone." He squinted his eyes at the lack of names she refused to utter, but remained silent "But I'm not and still no matter what I do, I still feel as if I can't breathe, as if the world is closing in around me and I feel like it will win in the end and destroy me."

"It can't." he stated matter of factly, Snape getting up to walk over to her, taking the cigarette from her hand, extinguishing it under his shoe "Even if you feel like right now the odds are against you, I know you will do the right thing. It does not have to be what everyone wants, it has to be right only by you. You always punish yourself unnecessarily and you will continue to do so, but in between everything you always have to try and find moments when you forgive yourself too. No matter what."

"Why? Because in the end it will be just me?"

He stopped himself from nodding, instead shaking his head "Because you need to forgive yourself first if you want to be able to be near others."

Her lashes fluttered, a surprised expression flashing across her face like lightning, swift before she forced back the mask she was used to wearing. She expected him to talk about her immortality, but in that moment she understood something. It was so far away. She had years until everyone would grow old and die, if allowed and they would not lose their lives in the war they were in. She had a long path ahead of her, but currently she still had people to rely on and people who relied on her "What about you?"

"My path will not make sense to you nor will it benefit you in any way. All I can divulge at this moment is that you need to keep an open mind, think beyond what is shown and it will make sense later on. There's a plan already in motion." Her eyes widened slightly, mind searching for any hints or information she might have overlooked "I suggest you leave it at that and also leave. You can't be seen with me."

"Have you ever wished your life had been different?" she knew the answer to her question, however she wanted a reply, the truth, something to repeat to her she was not the only one feeling like that and questioning every little thing.

Snape let out a small sigh "Yes, there are many things I could have done differently." Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave a small squeeze, pausing for a second to look in her eyes "Don't sit in places where you feel trapped, it's not you."

"Maybe" Talia admitted "but if I crumble now, what will happen to the rest?"

Shaking his head, his grasp on her tightened, Snape shaking her slightly "They aren't your responsibility. You fight for yourself, you claw and bite, you tear them apart. Those who care will understand."

Her arms rose to wrap around him, Talia not offering anymore words apart from asking him to be safe and careful. Before she left his office, Snape called out to her, Talia turning around, him taking one good look at her "You're stronger than me."

The last words resonated inside her head all the way back to London. She figured that if she managed to verbalize her fears, to speak about her feelings they would stop threatening to spill. Instead it felt as if they multiplied, as if with her admission they decided to be far more real than they were, so much so that she could not deny them any longer.

As she entered the house her and Talbott had, he rose his eyes from a book, harsh expression taking her in, however when she looked at him, his expression did soften a fraction, his chest rising and lowering as he let out a large breath "And where have you been?"

She looked at him, blinking a couple of times, trying to find the necessary words. Placing his book aside, he got up, walking over to her. He did not like how she looked, the uncertainty in her eyes "Something big will happen, but I don't know what."

"What do you mean, did you receive a tip?"

Shaking her head, she extended her hands out, placing them against his chest for support "I went to…" she felt sick to her stomach as her inability to pull herself together "I don't know how much more I can do this."

"Talia you aren't making any sense." Placing his hands on the sides of her face, he made her look up at him. He searched her face, growing increasingly worried when she did not speak right away "Talk to me, you can tell me anything."

"It feels like I'm stuck at a crossroad and I don't know what path to take and I'm so scared that if I don't make a choice soon enough, one will be made for me."

His brows furrowed, pulling her closer to him, placing a kiss against her forehead before he whispered "No one can force you to do anything Talia. Whatever brought this on is clearly a big deal for you so you need to do the right thing for yourself."

"Even if it means leaving?"

Talbott froze on the spot thinking he heard her wrong. But as he looked at her once more, he could see she meant it. There were good and bad days, granted this was war after all, however he did notice her growing increasingly more agitated, losing sleep over everything, overthinking when she should not have. And as he looked into her eyes, he realized she was losing herself entirely while fighting battles for others.

She has had enough of it throughout her life, he knew that.

Swallowing thickly, he nodded his head despite the pain expanding inside his chest. He would be lying if he did not admit that most days, he kept it together just because he would return to see her face. But if her leaving meant she would find some peace of mind, he had to accept it despite his wishes.