"How was Slughorn's party?"

Blaise shrugged and cut into his bacon and sausage. "It was fine," he said, smoothly. "You'd know if you had turned up."

Teddie rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to stay mad at me for bailing again?" she asked. "I told you the reasons that I don't want to indulge Slughorn."

"Yes, because you don't want to be affiliated with Faye, You-Know-Who, or Avery," said Blaise, nodding. "But, the point is, Ted, the more you try to avoid being affiliated with them, the more people are going to think of you as one of them."

"How do you work that one out, genius?"

Blaise chewed and swallowed. "What's the one thing everyone does when you tell them not to do something?" he asked.

"They want to do it all the more," said Teddie.

"Exactly. The more you tell people you're not Faye, the more they are going to think you are."

Teddie heaved a sigh. She knew he had a point, and she found she couldn't counter the argument. Instead, she directed her attention towards her breakfast.

But Blaise wasn't finished. "Slughorn's having a Christmas party," he said, "and before you argue and say you're going home for the holidays, he is having it before then. He has insisted that I get you to attend."

"What you going to do? Force me against my will?"

Blaise shrugged. "I was thinking that if I ask Daphne to go and you asked Theo, then you'd attend because you wouldn't want to be alone in the common room," he said.

"I could always go find Mason."

Blaise chuckled. "I've already spoken with Mason," he said. "We agreed that he would ask Astoria, and that way, we're all there."

Teddie glared at her friend. "You planned all this without even asking me first?" she asked. "Pretty sure that falls under 'forced against my Will'."

"Don't be a dramatic," said Blaise, reaching for his goblet. "It'll be fun. Plus, you never know, you may be inspired to tell Theo how you really feel about him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, you'd have to be blind to not see it," said Blaise. "The sidelong glances, the gentle touches, the pretend dates? The jealousy, on his part of course. Need I go on?"

"Isn't that what you and Daphne do, though?" Teddie countered. "I mean, like you said, you'd have to be blind to not see the gentle touches, sidelong looks, the jealousy, on your part of course."

Blaise grinned. "If there is one thing we can't deny about you, Ted, it's your observational skills. How long have you known?"

"That you've been crushing on Daph?" Teddie asked. She shrugged. "Second year. I noticed at the Christmas Ball that Mo and Ursula threw in my honour. How long have you known about me and Theo?"

"Since first year," said Blaise. "I've known Theo a long time. No one, and I mean no one, has ever caught his attention like you have. The spunky little Muggleborn with a heart of gold."

Teddie rolled her eyes.

"All, I am curious about is how long this little dance is going to go on for?"

"How long is the dance between you and Daphne going to last?"

Blaise shrugged. "It's more complicated for us," he admitted. "We're both Purebloods, we have betrothed's to contend with. With his father… emancipated, for the lack of a proper word, Theo is a free agent. Besides, with you being… who you are… his father would probably be more than happy to set the pair of you up."

Teddie hissed. "I'm not her," she said, her voice low.

"Then why are you acting like her?" Blaise asked.

Teddie breathed out through her nose and glared at Blaise. "I love you, Blaise, I really do, but stop comparing me to her, alright?" she asked. "I don't like it."

"Fine. But, only if you attend Slughorn's Christmas party with us."

"Do you have a choice?"

Blaise shrugged. "That's up to you," he said. "The alternative is a lonely night in the common room, though."

Teddie stared at Blaise as Theo and Daphne finally joined them.

"What are you two talking about?" Daphne asked, instantly reached for the toast and jam.

~X~

Lessons hadn't become any easier over the few months they had been in school. If anything, they were getting relatively harder every day. Professor Snape was still teaching them Non-Verbal spells, and every lesson Teddie would follow him around the class observing other students, then, in the evenings, after her study period with the rest of Slytherin house, he would call her into his office, and they would practice together.

Teddie gasped a bright red stunner shot at her from across the room. Instinctively, her shield exploded from her chest and deflected the attack.

"Try again!" Snape ordered. He didn't sound angry or frustrated.

"Am I ever going to get the hang of this?" Teddie asked. "We've been practising for two months, almost, and I'm still not progressing. I can't control my shield."

"I'm not expecting you to control it," said Snape. "I am expecting you to anticipate it. When you see the Stunner, instead of relying on your fear, raise your wand and produce a shield. Now, try again."

Teddie closed her eyes, took a deep breath in, and then exhaled slowly. She nodded her head, spread her legs slightly apart, adopting the defensive stance Snape had shown her, and pointed her wand at her Head of House.

"Okay," said Teddie. "I'm ready."

Snape considered her for a split second, his dark eyes boring into her own. He felt a slight resistance to him, and pushed harder, but something pushed back. He smirked, realising that the shield wasn't just protecting her against physical spells, it was protecting her from mental ones, too. She wasn't a professionally trained Legilimens, but she had potential.

Teddie saw the spark of red at the tip of Snape's wand before it shot at her. She sucked in a breath, one word crossing her mind.

"Protego!"

A silvery shield exploded from her wand. The Stunner collided with it and they both disappeared.

Teddie sighed and dropped her wand arm. "This is useless!" she whined.

"That was a decent attempt," said Professor Snape. "You're just lacking strength."

Taking a seat on a random chair, Teddie run a hand through her hair and looked up at her Head of House. "What were you trying to do just then?" she asked.

Professor Snape cocked his head to the side. "You'll have to be more specific, Miss Green," he said.

"When you were looking at me," said Teddie. "Your eyes… they kind of shifted."

"Maintaining eye contact, while important in spell casting, is still awkward," said Snape.

Teddie shook her head. "It was more than that," she said. "When you were looking at me, I felt this pressure inside my head. Like something was pushing against something else." She swallowed. "I remember when I showed Mo the memory of what Avery had done to me two years ago, he said I could do it two different ways - the Pensieve, which is what we went with in the end, or Legilimancy."

"The Muggles would call it reading someone's mind," said Snape.

Teddie nodded. "I didn't understand it when he explained it to me, and even if I did he said I was experiencing to much trauma for him to even attempt it," she said.

Snape nodded in understanding. "Legilimancy is the art of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings. A person who practices this sort of magic is called a Legilimens."

"Is that what you were doing?" Teddie asked. "Trying to access my mind?"

"I was merely curious to see how deep your shield went," admitted Snape. "If it were just physical then we could work with that, but if it's both physical and mental then we may have a problem in breaking it down."

Teddie furrowed her brow. "I don't know understand how being protected both physically and mentally is a bad idea," she said. "Who practices Legilimancy? Who are Legilimens?"

"That I know of?" Snape asked. "Myself, Mo Flint, the Headmaster, and the Dark Lord."

"Avery?"

"I am not sure," said Snape. "She may be, but I have never experienced it from her."

"Is there a way to hide from it?" Teddie asked. "Or can people just go around invading other people's minds?"

"There is a spell called Occlumency. It can be used to close off the mind using a shield," said Snape.

Teddie nodded slowly. She glanced down, her gaze resting on the floor for a few seconds before she scoffed in amusement.

"What's so funny?" Professor Snape asked.

"I just thought…" said Teddie, smiling. "Those comic books my brother used to read, the X-Men and the Avengers. They all had powers, abilities. The Mutants in X-Men were named after their abilities. Mason always used to wonder what mine and his would be… I know mine."

"Shield," said Snape.

Teddie nodded. "I don't know whether I am happy or not about it," she admitted. "The shield has helped me loads of times in the past, yes, but it's also called a lot of problems. I didn't use it half as much as I used to last year, and now this year I can't use it at all. I don't get it."

"It's the outcome of what Avery did to you the summer before fifth year," said Snape. "She lowered your defences, weakened your tolerance. But she was interrupted. She didn't finish undoing what Caroline and I did to you all those years ago, which is why your shield seems to have a mind of its own."

"Is that why it's protecting me mentally and physically?"

"Maybe," said Snape. "Or…"

Teddie looked up as Snape trailed off. "What?" she asked, noticing he was staring at her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Or it's Faye's way of protecting herself," said Snape.

"She can do that?" Teddie asked. "I thought she was just an entity that resided someone inside me. You know, like a split personality."

"Believe me when I tell you that Faye Sutherland is not some mere split personality," said Snape. He sat on the chair opposite his student. "She is as real as you are. You may share a body, but she is a living breathing person. If anything, you are the personality that embodies her."

"Because that's encouraging," said Teddie, sarcastically. "You just told me that I'm non-existent, almost that I don't matter."

"Oh, but you do, Miss Green. You matter a great deal, to a lot of people, including Faye."

"What does that mean?"

"Without you, Faye would not exist," said Snape. "Without you, Faye would have disappeared fifteen years ago, and everyone would've believed her dead. Without you, she would not have survived the attack on her grandparents' home by the Death Eaters. Without you, she would've faded into nothing."

Teddie shook her head. "But my Teddie Green persona is just spells and enchantments that you and Caroline put on me," she said. "Underneath them all, I'm Faye."

"Yes."

"Then, how can she not exist without me?"

"You believe that you exist simply because Faye does," said Snape. "When it fact, it is the other way around. Yes, if Faye hadn't have been born then we wouldn't be having this conversation, and yes, this is, theoretically, her body that you possess. But, over the years you became the dominant identity, and she became dependent on you, not the other way around. Without you, she is nothing. Never forget that."

Teddie swallowed as she stared at Snape. She still didn't fully comprehend everything he had said, but at least she was getting some answers to her situation with Faye.

"If Faye can't exist without me," said Teddie. "Then why is Avery and Vol - I mean, the Dark Lord," she hastened to change her title at Snape's sharp glare, "still after me?"

"Because of what you represent," said Snape. "Surely, by now, you have realised that they want you not because of some parental love that they have for you?"

Teddie nodded.

"You are a weapon, Miss Green," said Snape. "Plain and simple. If you had survived the attack on Sutherland manor fifteen years ago, you would've been raised amongst Death Eaters and trained accordingly. As it is, you were raised away from Magic, with no understanding of how it worked, and no sense that you even possessed it. That is what makes you dangerous, that is why they are desperate to obtain you. Your powers are unchecked, and they can use them to do what they want."

"Rule the world?"

"Worlds, plural," said Snape. "The Dark Lord doesn't just want the Wizarding World, Miss Green…"

Teddie's eyes widened as Snape's words sunk in. "He wants the Muggle World, too," she murmured.

~X~

Next morning, Teddie sat in Herbology with her friends. She had just finished explaining to them what she and Snape had discussed the previous evening.

"Makes sense, I suppose," said Daphne. "I mean, why wouldn't you try to rule two worlds? Why settle for one? Half the Muggle World doesn't even know we exist, that makes most people assume that we are superior to them. The fact that we live longer and have control over something that shouldn't exist, only adds to that superiority."

"What he said about Faye is fascinating though," said Blaise, inserting a gum shield. They were procuring Snargaluff pods today in Greenhouse Seven and were all situated around the gnarled stump. They each donned protective gear, as the tentacles that dove out of the trunk when the Snargaluff stump felt threatened were thick and covered in thorns.

"Yeah, I would have to agree," said Daphne. "Especially the part about her being a living breathing person. I mean, how long have we been curious about that?"

"Since second year," said Theo. "We always just assumed that a Pureblood spirit had latched onto Teddie and was infecting her. Didn't Mason do research on possession?"

Teddie nodded. "Yeah, but he came back empty handed," she said. "But, we now know it's not possession." She sighed heavily. "As much as I hate to admit it, last night's explanation made me realise that I can't deny it any longer. I just must accept that… I am Faye."

"Now was that so hard?" Blaise asked.

Teddie threw a handful of dirt at him.

Blaise laughed, holding up his hand to shield his face. "Careful! I had these robes pressed this morning!" he teased.

"Big head," Teddie muttered. "You know, hanging around with Slughorn has made you more pure-blooded than ever."

"Only because it bugs the hell out of you, Ted," said Blaise. He donned his protective glasses and turned to the stump. "Ready?"

His friends nodded.

Blaise dived forward; his hands outstretched. He caught the stump on both sides and instantly it sprang to life. Long, prickly bramble like vines flew out of the top and wiped through the air. One or two tangled themselves around Daphne and Teddie's wrists, cutting deep gashes into their skin, while another two shot at Theo.

Theo grabbed them in mid-air, his Seeker skills coming in handy, and he tied them in a knot on the floor. The vines tugged at one another, desperate to free themselves, but only resulted in making the knot worse.

Seizing his chance, Blaise dove forward and stuck his hand into the hole at the top of the stump. It immediately closed around his elbow and Teddie had to beat it open again with a shovel. As the hole opened back up, Blaise withdrew his arm, and held a perfectly shaped green pod in his palm.

"Pass me the bowl," Blaise said to Daphne. He dumped the pod into the basin and Daphne placed it on the floor beside her.

"The book says we need to open it with something sharp," said Teddie, consulting her text. She searched her pack for a scissors and handed it over.

Daphne accepted the blades and set to work on opening the first pod, while the others shared apprehensive looks, and dove back in for the next one.

~X~

The following Saturday was the 31st of October. Also known as Halloween, and to most at Hogwarts it was the start of the Quidditch season, but to Teddie and her friends it was more commonly known as her birthday. Every year, since the start of year one, Teddie had only wanted one thing - a normal birthday at the castle with her friends; the only time she had come close to getting that wish was last year.

First year, a troll had been let into the Castle.

Second year, the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and Mrs Norris, attacked.

Third year had come close to a normal birthday, until Sirius Black had entered the castle and attacked the Fat Lady portrait in his attempt to gain access to the Gryffindor Common room.

Fourth year had been the selecting ceremony of Triwizard Tournament champions.

As she lay in bed on the eve of her birthday, Teddie couldn't help but think that this would be the first year without her parents. There would be no birthday card, no birthday cake cookies, no letter. No nothing from them this year. Her heart ached as her thoughts turned to Mason, is this how he had felt last year?

Masons birthday fell on New Year's Day, which meant that this year would be the second year without his parents. She could only assume that he felt just as terrible as she did, or maybe he felt worse? At least she had a few months in between their death and the day of her birth to prepare.

But no preparation could fix the way she felt now. She missed her parents, dearly, and there was no question about it.

Waking groggily the next morning, Teddie sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The curtains on her bed and been pulled open and a small pile of presents lay at her feet. Like every year, her friends had come together and got her a few things. There was only one rule - one present per friend.

In the past, everyone had bought her books. While she wasn't an excellent academic, Teddie did enjoy reading. But it seemed this year she had an assortment of things; she could tell from some packages that there were books involved, but there were others that had no shape at all, and another which just seemed to be a giant box with a card.

Leaning forward, Teddie reached for the first package. It was wrapped in the signature silver paper with a green ribbon. It was from Marcus.

"Happy 17th Birthday, Teddie, hope you make use of this in your future endeavours," the card had said.

Teddie ripped open the silver paper and smiled at the Charms book in her lap. It was a Higher Education copy of Charms that she could use at Magic University when she attended in two years' time.

Setting the book aside, Teddie reached for the second package, and opened the card. It was from Adrian and Derrick, both of whom had explained they had decided on a joint package this year.

Ripping open the packaging, Teddie was surprised to find an assortment of her favourite sweets fall into her lap. She laughed and inspected them, noticing that a few were also Muggle sweets. Re-reading the card, Teddie noticed she had missed a scribble at the bottom which read 'Not sure what your favourites are in the Muggle world, but we hope this makes you smile. Happy Birthday.'

Beaming, Teddie set the card on her bedside table with Marcus' and reached for a hard sweet wrapped in bright pink paper. She unwrapped it and shoved it in her mouth, smiling at the taste of vanilla and raspberry against her tongue.

The next package was from Mason. 'It seems that Honeydukes aren't the only shop catering to Muggles. I saw these in Flourish and Blotts and thought you'd get a kick out of them' said the card.

Two books lay in her lap, and Teddie beamed as she read the covers - Aztec Mythology and Chinese Mythology. Not only were the two books considered Muggle myths, Teddie knew that they could come in handy during her Care of Magical Creatures lessons, especially since a lot of creatures from Muggle Myths turned out to be real.

"Are you awake?" Daphne asked, pulling the curtain back all the way. "Ah, I see you found your gifts. Have you opened mine yet?"

Teddie shook her head and reached for a small, hard package and card. The scrawl was written in Daphne's handwriting and simply said 'Happy Birthday.'

"It's from me and Astoria," said Daphne. "Mum and Dad helped us pick it out, so if you want, it's from all of us."

Teddie opened the package and a small locket slid into her lap. It was a silver oval with an engraving on the front and back. The front engraving was the letter 'T' while on the back was a small verse.

'Friends are the Family you Choose'

Looking up, Teddie met Daphne's gaze and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "It's beautiful."

"Open it," said Daphne.

Tapping the clip on the side, Teddie opened the locket and found the inside divided into different sections. Within each section was an image… an image of her friends. All of them. They were all moving, smiling, and waving at her.

"We're your family, Teddie," said Daphne. "For better or worse."

Clicking the locket closed, Teddie lifted her gaze to Daphne's. "For better or worse," she agreed, smiling.