A/N: So, here it is, another chapter of Charming. Told Ya I was back! But nayways, after this chapter I do believe that there is only five more chapters left of this story! So, yeah, tell me what you think :)

Chapter 24: This is the part of me

Scarlett walked around her attic area dusting and scrunching her as as the familiar stinging began to build in her sinuses. She hated dusting but she had always wanted an art studio in her home. Sirius was supposed to be building her one before he died but it had never left the ground. Now she could build one herself while Chris was working in his office area. She didn't know exactly what he was writing, but knew that it was harder than he thought.

Still, she had 'accidentally' come across a short story he had been experimenting with and she fell in love with his work. But then again, she may be a tad biased on that ground.

"How quaint…this is your 'happy place'" A hissing voice said behind her

"You're not real" She said simply, not engaging again. She had done so in the past and knew there was little point "And to what do I owe this great pleasure"

"Merely looking at the competition"

"Look if this is some more dragon dung about me being dark you can save it" she said picking up a china cup and rubbing it harder than was needed.

"But you are…Maybe not in the way I had hoped, but in your determination to see my end, it's dripping with darkness" He purred at her and she turned and looked at him.

He was still youthful, with dark brown hair and a sharp defined face. He could have been handsome had he not also wore the smirk and dark red eyes that glinted at her

"Shut. Your. Mouth" She hissed at him

"You would stop at nothing. You will do anything to see me die at your hands, wont you" He hissed at her flicking out his tongue in an entirely too snake like manner.

Scarlett didn't say anything but looked at him, he smirked again and leant closer to her and she gave an involuntary shudder. He tilted his head upwards, his thin lips brushing her ear "How positively demonic of you" He drew back and walked away leaving her standing, still holding the china cup in her hand.

She woke to the phone ringing beside her. Usually it would be charging in the living room but she had needed it for some reason or another and it had been slipped on her nightstand when she and Chris had finally drifted off to sleep.

She blindly grabbed it and clicked the entirely too bright green answer key and answered in a hoarse voice "Hello"

"Hello there is this Scarlett Halliwell" A chirpy voice that spoke of a few too many caffeinated drinks.

"Speaking"

"Good, I'm ringing from the San Francisco Art gallery regarding the work you had submitted" The voice continued and she perked up sitting bolt upright and smoothing her hair down, as though she could see

"Oh that's good, I was going to drop by and drop off my final..." She began

"That's actually why I was calling, you see, since we've been open we've had a larger donation from a much more reputable source and we've decided to redesign the gallery opening, so we aren't in need of your work anymore"

"Oh"

"I'm very sorry and I hope that it won't affect any future donations"

"No…It's….it's fine" She said softly her eyes just getting a tad too prickly for her liking.

"All right then, Have a good day, bye" And with that she hung up leaving Scarlett staring at the now black screen of her phone.

She scrubbed at her eyes, trying to stop the prickling at her eyes. All she had ever loved to do was draw, paint…Create. It was her one true escape when she was living at the Potter's, besides learning about magic. No matter how bad of a day she had, when she yanked out her sketch book with the cute pugs on and sharpened her glittery pencil with the fluffy pencil top, nothing else seemed to matter. And when she had grown and fell more in love with it, she had dreamt of making an actual career from it. Be like the ones she looked at, become the person that everyone wanted to be. Someone who followed their dreams and made a life with it, become somebody.

But now, it seemed that dream was farther away than ever. Sure, she could see the gallery's point of view. Why choose an unknown artist, one amongst thousands, when they could showcase an actual artists work, both increasing their popularity and their own funds. Still, it had been her dream to have a gallery showcasing her own work to the world. To be recognised as a 'proper artist' rather than someone who doodled.

"Scar…what's wrong" Chris asked rubbing his head with a towel.

"Nothing…just the gallery called"

"And, what did they say, was it about the opening" He asked smiling proudly and she shook her head a few tears dripping down her cheeks

"No…they uh…they're not using my work, they found another artist who's more well known than I am" She said softly, almost too softly that she couldn't be heard but he managed to hear it fine.

"Oh…Scar…I'm sorry" He said hugging her tightly "What are you gonna do now"

"I don't know…Being an artist is all I've ever wanted to be, I don't know how to be anything else" She replied, it was true, neither of them went o college or any type of further education that would even begin to help them within a 'normal' 9 to 5 job.

"We'll think of something" He said to her as he continued to hug her and rock back and forth on their bed.

Scarlett sat at her regular chair in the dining room of the manor as Piper fussed around her, laying out platter after delicious looking platter. It would seem that Chris had called ahead and told them the decisions of the gallery so instead of a 'Go you! You got the job of your dreams!' dinner she got a 'Sorry it didn't work out, but we still love you!' dinner instead. Not that she was complaining any excuse to eat Pipers cooking was a good one in her book.

"So what are you planning now" Phoebe asked as she took a bite of her veggies.

" I don't really know" She said sadly, spearing a few string beans with her fork and taking longer to chew on them so she didn't have to speak about her failure to gain a career from her dream.

Sensing her reluctance, Piper quickly steered the conversation to Phoebe's children, both of whom were wrapped up in bundles in the pram, fast asleep.

"I can't believe how big they're getting" Piper said pointing to them and phoebe smiled brightly,

"I know!" She began and Scarlett sent Piper a quick but thankful look, she winked and smiled passing her more mashed potatoes

"-And Then I told Coop that you can't use the same Diaper twice!"

"Well how was I supposed to know" Coop said shrugging

"Maybe the little gifts they leave in there" Scarlett said grinning when Coop pouted.

As the family began to relax around them, a shower of blue lights twinkled behind the table.

"Terrence" Scarlett said jumping to her feet "What are you doing here"

"I'm sorry but it's the duo, they're attacking Salem's way!" Terrence said urgently

"Salem's what?" Phoebe asked

"It's the wizard alley over in Salem…Why there"

"They wanted the wizarding world to know they're back" He said

"We have to go" Piper said standing with her sisters, she turned to Leo and gave him a deep kiss and looked at him intensely. When she pulled away she saw his mouth turn into a comforting smile, but his eyes, the same intense blue they had always been, radiated worry and fear for her "I'll be back soon…I promise" She vowed and he nodded. She felt a weight in her hands as Paige orbed her away, the familiar orbing sensation taking over her body as the world turned white.

Scarlett landed with her feet planted on something that was decidedly not the familiar cobbled street of Diagon Alley but a mossy stone strewn with cracks that degraded as she pushed her boot heel onto them.

There was utter chaos around them, fleeing innocents and demons ran riot across the thin alley shaped shopping centre.

Immediately, she and the other Halliwells sprung into action. Phoebe levitating and kicking one of the demons that had grabbed a mans cloak.

Paige was busy orbing their energy balls back tot hem, destroying them with their own weaponry, she stood back to back with Piper who was blowing up anything that moved and screamed demon.

Almost mimicking Piper and Paige, Chris and herself were pressed back to back, with her sending out fireballs and lightening bolts, both her favourite power, while he telekinetically flinged energy balls back to their sender.

"Phoebe!" Piper cried out as phoebe was thrown sideways through a shop window. Chris turned and rant to help his family, Scarlett stayed, her eyes finding her unintentional target.

At the end of the alley, heading the attack, were the duo. Lord Voldemort his black cloak fluttering as he cast spell after spell and the source standing stoic and non-moving. She didn't know which was more intimidating. The source who didn't move until you presented a weak spot, then struck like snake. Or Lord Voldemort, who threw spell after spell with a devil may care attitude to what they hit or what they were.

Between her and them was a line of demons each standing guard, energy balls already formed and sizzling in their hands as they watched for any dangers. She could take them, she knew it. They would easily fall by her hand, and then it was just her and them.

"Piper!" Paige shouted as another Demon joined the attack on the Sisters and Chris. She turned and saw them struggling to hold their won against the attackers they faced.

She turned back to the duo ahead of her.

Your determination for me to reach my end, it's dripping with darkness

A voice in her head echoed, was that was she wanted. To kill them so much that her family was sacrificed in the process? Was her thirst for revenge so needed that she would choose it over helping the ones who had saved her form herself?

It's not worth your life

Another voice echoed and she looked back at the demons stationed in front of the duo. They were all upper level and very very dangerous. She was good, but against at least ten upper level demons with no back-up? Even she wasn't that good. She let the ball of flames in her hand dim out and she raced towards her family.

"We need to go" She said as she helped Paige to her feet. She wanted to see them dead; oh by merlin she wanted it. And if it were by her hand, so much sweeter, but not if it cost her everything. Not if it cost her herself.

Not again.