Chapter 1: Votes (CLOSED)
Summary:
Chrysanthemum Potter wasn't sure if she was making the right choice when she called on Death but knowing that in another world her beautiful godson would have another chance at life was all it took for her to take the leap. With her family fortune, a family, and the chance to be free of the wizarding world, was there really any doubt what she'd choose?
Fem!Harry/Cole Turner
Coming in 2021
Voting closes December 5, 2020 11:59 PM
Chapter Text
Mors Donat Vita is Latin for Death Gives Life
A/N: Please read through all options first as some choices will affect the others available as well as the plot. Voting will close December 5, 2020 11:59PM.
Voting!!!
Original Name: Chrysanthemum Harleen 'Harry' Potter
New Birth Name: (Please choose one only) Halliwell
Floral 'P' names have an A# while regular names have a B#.
A1. Pandorea
A2. Primrose
B1. Pamela
B2. Persephone
B3. Paisley
Should she: (Include choice with sister chosen)
Replace one of the sisters
OR
Become the twin of one of them
Which Sister
1) Prue (Fem!Harry becomes the oldest sister; turns 28 in S1E4)
2) Piper (If a twin Fem!Harry is the younger one; turned 25 before S1E1)
3) Phoebe (If a twin Fem!Harry is the older one; 23 after S1E4)
4) Paige (Fem!Harry becomes the youngest sister; 21 before S1E1)
Active Powers (Trigger and Power Advancements) :
1) Keep HP 'verse magic; Magic is her own; She is grey/neutral
2) Woogyman powers (Shadow Conjuration, Travel, & Blasts)
3) HP and Woogyman (Whitelighter powers instead of Woogy if Paige's replacement/twin)
A/N: HP magic slows her aging meaning she could possibly live 2 centuries. If she is also Paige's replacement/twin, making her half Whitelighter, then she will have the same life-span as Cole who is said to be Immortal but most likely just ages extremely slowly.
Face-Claim: (Picture jade green eyes with a brown center; If not an identical twin she will also be the smallest height-wise despite actress chosen standing at 4'11)
1. Olivia Wilde
2. Phoebe Tonkin
3) Holland Roden (Keeps some of HP-appearance with reddish brown/Chestnut hair)
4) Deborah Ann Woll (Keeps HP-appearance; Explained as her having copper-red hair from Penny as she always has red hair when seen young; She's kind of my favorite right now since you don't see her often in fanfic. Her appearance makes her stand out especially with her youthful look considering she's 35)
5) Actress that Played the sister if Replacing/Identical Twin
Eventual Car: Both options are (model year 2000) red midsize 4-wheel drive SUVs with a leather interior, sunroof, and towing hitch.
1) BMW X5 4.41 (black interior; Upgrades (GPS + powered everything), but smaller trunk)
2) Toyota 4Runner SR5 (Cream interior, SUV with better mpg and a larger trunk)
Theodore 'Teddy' Benjamin Turner
Adult Face-claim: Andrew Garfield
Education/Occupation Choices:
1) Realtor/House Flipper: Only available if she has HP magic or replace/becomes the twin of Paige; She will use her magic to restore houses to their pristine condition
2) Pediatrician: Will own White Petal Pediatrics in (Only available if Prue/Piper's age)
3) Baker/ Bakery Owner: She will eventually go into business with Piper and the two of them will buy, renovate, and open Halliwell's Restaurant and Hour of Indulgence Bakery. Both have separate rooftop seating areas. HoI Bakery's rooftop will be fully enclosed with a small covered balcony area. The restaurant's rooftop is half with a bar area while the other half is open.
House: 1327 Prescott 3 bed/2.5 bath (Canon Dan's House; Slightly sloped lot; No Basement)
Description: This house has light yellow siding, white trim, a brick foundation, a light grey roof and wrap around porch. This house's side yard and the Halliwell's driveway border each other. It has a single car garage to the side. (Imagine it detached)
If she has HP 'verse magic she will put up wards and magically expand the interior to become larger making it a 4 bed/ 3.5 bath by creating a basement with a secret hidden entrance in a small coat closet that cannot be seen to anyone who she has not brought down into it. The basement will contain a bedroom, bathroom, play-room, and a kitchen area with seating at the center table and a lockable door so it can be used as a ventilated potion room. This will make the basement a perfect place to hide in case of infiltration or a situation like Cole's when he was being hunted. Teddy's room will also have it's own way straight to the play-room, like the vanishing cabinets but can only be activated when meant to be and only used by someone under 18. (Additional photo collage with the backyard, Teddy's eventual room + guest bathroom on top half and basement at bottom; If HP magic is not chosen I will remove the basement from collage)
Cole Turner :
Face-Claim: Julian McMahon
D.O.B: 1885
Species: Half-Demon
Family: Elizabeth Turner (mother played by original casting of Debra Mayer), Benjamin Colerige Turner (father; Died 1888)
Powers and Abilities
Demonic: Energy balls/blasts (blue color), Apportation, Adjusting, High Resistance, Illusion Casting, Incineration, Immortality (Physically 30), Telekinesis, Super strength, Shimmering, Sensing, Shapeshifting (demonic to human form)
Belthazor Form: Red Skin with black flame-like markings along his face, chest, and legs. Unlike his human form in this one he is bald and has pitch black eyes rather than thick dark hair and brown eyes. He stands about a foot taller with a heavily muscled form.
Chapter 2: Intro
Chapter Text
"You have to be bloody kidding me?!?!?"
"I'm sorry, but there is no other choice. You need to marry by the end of the month or the Wizengamot will choose a husband for you." Kingsley said. "You've had three years, Thea. It's time you start taking things seriously. You've done little to nothing of benefit to our world since the war has ended."
"I've done nothing? I helped rebuild Hogwarts, I completed my Newts along with gaining three masteries in Runes, Warding and Potions on top of straightening out the Potter family vaults which would have been fine from the start if Dumbledore hadn't hidden them from me or bothered to upkeep them himself!" Along with the others he didn't know about.
"Dumbledore should not have had to inform you-"
"As my magical guardian which he made himself into by your laws, illegally I might add through ensuring my parent's wills not be read through his positions, he most certainly did!"
"I understand you're upset bu-"
"Upset! I'm bloody pissed! Tell me, Minister, who exactly from the Order has offered their services as my husband?" I lean back in my chair glaring at him over my false glasses. I hadn't needed glasses since I had healed my eyes with a ritual to repair the damage and enhance my vision 2 years ago. Of course, I had performed some other enhancement rituals as well to correct the rest of the damage that my time with the Dursley's, at Hogwarts and the war had caused. I had assimilated Tom's knowledge from his horcrux when he'd hit me with the Avada and found myself in limbo. I don't think myself or Dumbles knew that would happen but happen it did. My hand had reached out when I saw his disfigured body laying there and too late did Dumbass decide to say anything, as usual. Not that that should really be a surprise considering the bastard hadn't even bothered to mention my needing to bloody well die to defeat Moldy-shorts.
"Ronal-"
"I could barely stand the nitwit on a good day when I was unknowingly being potioned with amortentia by Dumbass and his harlot Poppy. I'd sooner cut off the weasel's cock and jam a cursed Black family dagger up his ass before using my wand to slit my throat before I let that blubbering idiotic monstrosity touch me!"
"Eh-hem, there is Charl-"
"Considering I don't have a dick that won't exactly work." I smirked.
"Dedalus"
"Diggle, the thief who is old enough to be my grandfather. In fact, didn't he finish Hogwarts before my grandfather?" I glared at him.
"George"
"I'm afraid he's no longer available considering the fact he's engaged. I even helped him pick out the ring, it's stunning." I tell him sweetly, before pressing a hand to my chest in false surprise. "I'm surprised you didn't know that."
"Myself" I sat silent looking at him with a grimace. "Would it be so bad, Thea? You must know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Yes, I'm old enough to be your father but there are far larger age gaps between couples and with magic we age slower then muggles, regardless."
"I need to go." 'He can't honestly believe I would ever marry him?'
"Thea, you can't run from this you need to make a choice otherwise you may be married to those who escaped a sentence to Azkaban!"
"Like you said I still have until the end of the month." I rushed out and made my way to the floo.
3 Weeks Later
I read through another of the grimoires seeking something more sure then simply hoping I could get the veil to work and send both myself to the closest thing possible to an even semi-hospitable world or one where Sirius may have landed if he still lived. If her research he veil acted as a portal to another world when one was innocent of the crime they were accused of otherwise it simply tore the soul from the body and dumped the body in a random world. She was hoping that since Sirius hadn't been on trial or accused of any crimes that the Veil may have sent him to another world, one in which he was still alive. The veil had damage done to it during the war which left gapes in some of the major rune schemes which meant a number of the worlds it could open to were no longer capable of being accessed.
My elves and family fortune were all I had left after Andromeda's depression and rage had led to her magic violently bursting from her when she learned of Tonks death. The blast had collapsed the Tonk's home on top of her and left my godson, a 3 month old Teddy, in a magical coma. He had only survived because of the heavy wards placed over not only him and his crib but his room. But those had fallen, torn apart after the blasts ripped through them, leaving him unprotected from the crumbing home. If I hadn't managed to find him when I did and take him to Gringotts so he could be seen by their healers Teddy never would have made it considering the fact St. Mungo's refused to treat him. Even now despite the efforts of the best healers in the world he would never wake up. His little body had been horribly disfigured by the debris, his skull fractured in multiple areas, his spine broken, both legs crushed.
To this day she didn't know how he had survived long enough for her to get him to help. The healers had managed to fix the majority of the damage done leaving him with minimal scarring. Despite it all and emptying nearly the entirety of the vault of various donations and inheritances left to me as 'the girl who lived' he would never wake. While Teddy's body would grow he would never take his first steps or speak his first words. The moment I was told there was nothing else that could be done, my heart was shattered.
I had gone to Gringotts's and met with my account manager before returning to Hogwarts for 6th year and learned that the Tri-wizard tournament had effectively emancipated me the moment I performed in the first task. They'd immediately performed a lineage test revealing I was heir to the Potter, Black, and Peverell lines through James. Through my mother I was heir to Gryffindor and heir apparent to the Slytherin line, which was apparently where our copper red hair and poison green eyes came from. Knowing my mom was a Slytherin and that it made us related to Riddle, no matter the distance was beyond disturbing. I claimed my titles and emptied all but the gold in the Potter family vaults and 'the girl who lived' vault into undetectable expanded trunks that shrunk into charms and with a tap of her wand could be attached to a disillusioned unbreakable and irremovable goblin-forged anklet just in case. After all as far as anyone knew I was only a Potter. It was good that I had done so because now I had to get out of here someway. The entirety of the Potter vault would go to taking care of Teddy for the rest of his life. My heart clenched at the thought that I would be forced to leave him behind in order to gain my freedom and so he would have the slightest chance to live as he couldn't with me.
It was 2 weeks after my meeting with Kingsley that I found what I needed. A grimoire written by Ignotus Peverell that had a ritual that could be used to call forth Death himself. It was strongly recommended to have something worth offering otherwise all that would be found was death. Obviously. Crap, now I sound like Snape. Though with the deathly hollows, Death may just be willing to bargain. And maybe, just maybe. My heart hoped before I smothered it having been let down far too many times before.
I prepared what would be needed while Kreacher began preparations for the ritual, Dobby purchased anything needed while Winky made sure I ate and bathed between my researching and visiting Teddy. Fortunately, we were able to gather everything that was needed and the entire thing was fairly simple or maybe that was just my knowledge of runes that made it that way. Either way it was ready the next week and I ordered the elves into the next room with orders to go to the Longbottom's estate for work if anything went wrong or they were unable to follow me to the next world. The moment they were out I triple checked that everything was set up correctly, lit the candles made from the freely given blood of a Thestral (Spirit), Cerberus (Fire), Vampire (Water/Blood), Screech Owl (Air), Runespore (Earth) and began the chant as I took a silver dagger and sliced deeply across my wrist before shakily doing so with the other.
Come forward Death, I call you now in t his hour of need
An offering to give, a n exchange to make
You are Death and I am Living Flesh
Should I not meet your demand, my eternal soul is yours to take
Come forward Death f or in my final hour I offer an agreement, sure to be a success
I thrice repeated the chant as my blood spilled. More blood then I thought could have possibly been in the candles began to leave the five of them. It flowed into a circle and a pentagram as my blood formed into various runes. My head felt heavy and my eyelids were on the verge of closing when I felt the gust of wind and there he stood before me. Death had come at last.
Well, well if it isn't my Master. Speak and do make yourself quick I have little time to waste. So many souls to collect and yours is now amongst them.
I swallowed at the cold tone but refused to back down as I looked on at his smirking figure. Little of him was seen besides the lower half of his face and his hands. It was strange as I didn't feel my life force spilling from me any more as if time had frozen and with it my oncoming death. "Welcome to the ancestral home of the Black family, Lord Death. I offer an exchange. In return for aiding me and mine safely escape the Wizarding World and find refuge within another world hospitable to us, I offer you the Deathly Hollows." I opened the elder wood box I kept them secured in.
You offer me that which gives you control over me? That which could make you immortal?
"I desire neither control over you nor immortality. All I want is the safety of my loved ones and my own freedom. I seek nothing else from you."
Such an interesting mortal. But you have another want in your heart one you have revealed but cleverly hidden in your phrasing. Speak true lest I take your soul and be done with it.
She hesitated momentarily. "My godson. H-he is comatose with little to no hope of ever waking." She could feel Death watching her. "And my godfather he fell into the veil, I don't even know if he's still alive out there in another world somewhere."
Very well, I shall see you to another world. I can tell you now that the one known as Sirius Black III was alive after passing through the Veil though his body was cleansed of the damage he had suffered leaving him a child in the world he entered. Be warned, this world holds similar dangers and others far worse then you have seen. This world moves at a different pace. As it is now, that world is currently in the 1970s and while their are many similarities there are also many differences. One such thing is that while there are magical pockets and dimensions magical beings live within, there is no magical world. Magic users live hidden amongst the mundane.
Your godson's body is beyond repair. After three year the damage done is now permanent. He will never awake.
What? "What?" My sight blurs as tears rise and I bury my face in my bloody palms.
His soul is a different matter. It still grasps at life, reaching out to something.
"His soul is still here?" Her head snaps up and she looks upon Death in hope.
It seems his soul and magic has latched onto you as though you were his mother by birth. This connection will allow his soul to travel within you. More to the point the infant's soul will travel within your womb to be conceived the moment a man's seed spills within you. The boy will be your child, born of you and your lover. His soul is too young to be cleansed and so I cannot erase much but I can remove those last moments that his soul has become trapped in, that which has aided in leaving his body little more then an empty shell.
Your things may come, they are of no issue. Your elves however would undergo a number of differences. Their forms will become far more human-like, enough so that they could easily fit in amongst the mundane as humans of smaller stature. They will no longer need a master to survive. The elves will have to be sent further back in time to reach you otherwise they will be barely entering adulthood by the time you reach your deathbed. In this they will not be able to reach you until you yourself have entered adulthood and have come of age in your final magical growth, 21. Your current body will not be able to handle the journey so I will have to fashion you a new one compatible with your soul, this will mean finding you a magical parent or two. Do know magic in this world is different I cannot guarantee yours will not be altered in some fashion if not completely. Know that much like any world danger can be found and even hidden behind the prettiest of faces.
In exchange for the Elder wand and the power it holds you and yours will be guided to refuge in another world. The Cloak ripped from my own robes that the Potter line has held will be returned so you may take all you've inherited with you. And lastly, the Death Stone which calls upon the dead in exchange for my fashioning your body in this new world and allowing your godson's soul to travel within you until his rebirth. Are we in agreement?
"Yes." I said confidently, having known from the start that it was entirely possible to lose my magic if not my life.
Very well, then let it be done.
He lifted his scythe and as Death sliced it through my body I felt nothing but warmth as a flash of white blinded me.
A/N: So I've decided that in this version Kreature will be played by Leslie Jordan, Dobby by Peter Dinklage, and Winky played by Meredith Eaton.
What do you guys think?
Chapter 3: Voting Update & Questions with Voting (CLOSED)
Chapter Text
A/N: Ok, to start are answers to a couple questions. Questions for you guys with explanation for them below. Anything with less than 5 votes is being dropped.
1. Teddy has been comatose up to this point and will (in a way?) remain so up to his conception/birth (he will immediately recognize her voice and face). He has been comatose since shortly after the war when he was a few months old (I've changed it so he's a Valentine baby, making Teddy about 3 months old during BoH).
I've decided that with Remus and Tonks having been in one of the Hogwarts towers where rubble was falling it isn't actually likely they would have been immediately found unlike with Fred (who was in one of the halls and had George nearby which meant he knew where to look). I'm going to say that they weren't found until about 4 weeks after the BoH due to their bodies being trapped under rubble in the lake. During that time Teddy developed that closeness with her as he was starting to recognize faces at that time and she had a similar vocal pitch as Tonks only smoother and younger.
2. Sirius despite being de-aged to an age from before his mother first used dark magic to punish him does remember his life and while his magic isn't the same because of him going through the Veil, incorrectly at that, I think I'll make it so his love of pranking and magic gave him the power to cast illusions. He will be older than her, having arrived years ahead of her putting him closer in age to Prue who he is also older then.
~~Voting Update~~
New Birth Name: (Please choose one only) Halliwell
A. Primrose = 9 votes
B. Persephone = 10 votes
Twin of Which Sister:
1) Piper (If her twin Fem!Harry is the younger one; turned 25 before S1E1) = 6 votes
2) Paige (Fem!Harry becomes the youngest sister; 21 before S1E1) = 10 votes
Active Powers (Trigger and Power Advancements) :
A. HP 'verse magic ONLY; Magic is her own; She is grey/neutral = 5 votes
HP Magic: She becomes a neutral force not bound to good or evil as her magic is her own and infused into her very soul. She is more like the Charmed 'verse's Wizards then their Witches and that is exactly how others will come to view her despite not being entirely correct. Her potions are more potent because she naturally imbues them with her magic in every step. Uses both a Wand and Wandless. As her magic was 'bound' she can only access it after her wand appeared to her. While capable of difficult wandless magic (unbound) her wand is necessary for her to do any Runes or Warding.
B. Above and Woogyman (Piper's twin) or Whitelighter (Paige's twin) = 14 votes
Woogyman Powers:
Because Death hid her soul beneath his cloak when bringing her to this world and her own previous connection to the piece her family had held her magic has connected to the shadows. This provides her with Umbrakinesis. As her powers develop she will gain Shadow Conjuration/Projection, Shadow Travel (Accelerated speed, levitation, and flight through use of shadows) & Blasts (energy balls and waves), Intangibility (phase through objects by becoming a shadow)
Whitelighter Powers:
Because of her magic this will come to her as a creature inheritance on her 11th birthday giving her full access to all the abilities of a Whitelighter by activating those genes. Her type of magic ensures she is not bound to the rules or limits of other Whitelighters as she was born one instead of being created/reformed into one. While her magic is bound this inheritance will somewhat loosen the binding allowing her to do basic wandless spells (like leviosa). With her genes fully activated she no longer has access to just Orbing/Hovering but also Healing (Mind Manipulation through healing to break illusions), Omnilingualism (understand, speak, and read any language), Glamouring, Literary Manipulation (similar to smart spell but a permanent power), Thermokinesis, Photokinesis, Regeneration, Reconstitution, Sensing/Cloaking, and Immortality (around mid 20s).
Face-Claim: Picture jade green eyes with a brown center; She will also be the smallest sister height-wise despite the actress chosen, standing at 5'1.
1) Holland Roden (Keeps some of HP-appearance with reddish brown/Chestnut hair) = 5 votes
2) Deborah Ann Woll (Keeps HP-appearance entirely; Copper red hair) = 12 votes
Eventual Car: Both options are (model year 2000) red midsize 4-wheel drive SUVs with a leather interior, sunroof, and towing hitch.
BMW X5 4.41 (black interior; Fully Upgraded, GPS + powered everything, but smaller trunk)
= 12 votes
Toyota 4Runner SR5 (Cream interior, SUV with better mpg and a larger trunk)
= 8 Votes
Education/Occupation Choices:
A. Combination of all below
=
B. Realtor/House Flipper: She will use her magic to restore houses to their pristine condition
= 6 votes
C. Pediatrician: Will own White Petal Pediatrics in Bay area of San Francisco
= 5 votes
D. Baker/ Bakery Owner: She will eventually go into business with Piper and the two of them will buy, renovate, and open Halliwell's Restaurant and Hour of Indulgence Bakery. Both of which will have separate rooftop seating areas. HoI Bakery's rooftop will be fully enclosed with a small covered balcony area. The restaurant's rooftop is split with half being a covered bar area while the other half is open.
= 9 votes
~~Questions~
Due to how the voting seems to keep fluctuating and growing close before one takes a lead only to tie and repeat I'm wondering if I should put a bit of all the careers in which is why I have now given the option. I think maybe I could use the fact that she would be used to a heavier workload because of the fact that as Lady to her Houses (and the only one left) she would likely have been in control of and had to manage various businesses or stocks in businesses held by each family.
She could work as a Realtor/House Flipper while in college and medical school to earn money before her 'inheritance' arrives (maybe she uses the money she saved from a part-time job to by a cheap run down property and uses her powers to fix it earning a hell of a lot more then she would otherwise and hiding that by removing cash from her account for 'purchases'). Than she begins working as a pediatrician and opens White Petal Pediatrics clinic which services magical beings (I have to wonder where magical beings that live among the mundane go when attacked but can't report it because it was a demon.) Afterwards when Piper starts doing the research into it she could help by being her investor (when Piper gains confidence in herself and is ready they could talk about opening Halliwell's Restaurant and Hour of Indulgence Bakery which they will design together and she'll use her experience to do the reno).
If I go this route then maybe Winky can help run the clinic (she always wanted a family and I think helping families would make her so happy) and the bakery could be managed by Kreature (I can sort of see him running it with a grumpy face but yummy desserts while tossing in an extra for kids all the while pretending he didn't). Dobby could be Teddy's 'nanny' when she is working/fighting demons. Should I switch Dobby and Kreature cause I think I'm foreseeing a lot of chaos in the form of a troublemaking prankster Teddy?
I'm wondering with Fem!Harry being Paige's twin in the lead if I should make changes to when they meet the sisters. Another thing I've been thinking about is how Paige practically jumped at meeting Patty but not Grams. I understand that she lost her parents and there was that longing for a mother but for me she just accepted her far too easily.
Anyways in this case my question is if this option wins the vote then how soon should the sisters meet? So options.
1) They meet pre-canon (maybe Grams only promises Patty she will keep the girls secret 'to the day she dies' and leaves the knowledge of them in her will along with their names after she secretly found them years before Mr. and Mrs. Matthews died) giving them time to get to know each other before Phoebe unbinds their magic?
2) They meet after Phoebe recites the incantation (slightly altered) and an envelope with a letter from Grams is found behind that page when she passes it to Prue (explaining that all the girls were born with magic and that they had younger twin sisters that Patty gave up to protect the three of them but the spell in the Book of Shadows would unbind all 5 sisters' magic and a spell on the back of the letter could lead them to the twins)?
3) Stick to canon
If Fem!Harry being Piper's twin wins the vote then should I have her remember Patty being pregnant and eventually search for her or should she believe something went wrong?
A. Should Patty keep her when she realizes that her powers don't fit with the Power of Three after realizing Phoebe is giving her visions when pregnant again or give her away (to prevent jealousy over not being a Charmed One and not knowing that the girls wouldn't have their magic for decades)?
B. If she's given away should it happen immediately (Victor gets custody of her) or after Paige's birth (the two are both given to the Matthews) in either case the twins are made to forget each other but she ends up remembering when she regains enough control over her magic to create a mind palace to occlude her mind)?
I keep having this idea pop into my head so what do you guys think of her having owned one of Fluffy's puppies or Fluffy himself?
Maybe Cole eventually later in the story when she's pregnant or after Teddy's born show's up with a three headed demon puppy and she creates a collar that makes him appear like a normal dog even preventing him from growing to his full size but appearing as if a Great Dane (only capable of growing to 300 lbs. but becomes normal Cerberus size when collar is removed). This pup would become her familiar as Teddy is to young to have one but will be extremely protective of him.
Chapter 4: Hello World & Bio
Chapter Text
~~*~~ MORS DONAT VITA ~~*~~
Death had torn her body apart in that blast of white light and within it she felt herself reform so much smaller then before. She didn't understand it entirely but what could she do? This is what she asked for, what she agreed to, and if this is what was needed so be it.
The light was strange as it pulsed around her and then she felt it. Something or someone was beside her. Whatever it was wouldn't stop trying to reach her. It was constantly poking, prodding, and rubbing at her and she didn't know whether to let it happen or kick the shite out of it to make it bloody well stop. It wasn't long before she was about to do the latter when she heard it, a muffled voice singing. A hand shadowed over the limited lighting in a rubbing motion. "Only 2 more months before the baby comes." Oh bloody hell, Death you rat bastard!
Careful now, you are still between life and death. Twins can so easily become a single child, in fact that is what has already happened and what drew me to this woman. I do hope you appreciate the immense effort I've been forced to expend. Such a rare set of parents, and with just the right characteristics. Don't worry your conscious may be awake now and perhaps momentarily after the birth but until your puny brain can handle it, it would be best to lock your memories away. I suggest gathering what information you can before that. You're memories will resurface in a few years and your elves will find you once your magic has reached its previous levels.
Their father wasn't human which was something she hadn't expected at all. She knew something was off with him from the womb but this certainly hadn't been what she was expecting. Disappearing in a swirl of lights and appearing elsewhere was definitely a surprise. Her vision was still blurry and couldn't fully focus on much aside from brown wavy hair tickling her nose as she was switched for her twin. An older twin sister.
She wasn't sure how this was supposed to work or for how long she would even remember but she knew one thing was for sure after the kitchen door swung open after they appeared.
"Mommy!" A little girl's voice called out before she felt her new mother's body shift as the girl latched onto her legs, before speaking again. "Can I see the baby?"
"Can I hold the baby Mr. Sam?" Another slightly younger voice, if the lisp was anything to go by, asked.
"Prue, Piper, where's Grams?" Her mother avoided their questions.
"She's in the attic so we're watching Phoebe."
"You're watching Phoebe? Girls where's your baby sister?" Her mother asked and she couldn't help wondering what the hell was going on. Who is Phoebe? Baby sister? Exactly how many older sisters does she have?
"She's napping."
"With my Barbie! And she got drool on it!"
"You go back and watch her for a bit and Piper I'll clean your doll tonight, I promise." The two rushed off and her mother let out a sigh.
"To the attic?" Her father asked.
"The attic." And with that they were off in a swirl of lights again.
"There's two!" An older woman nearly shouted out in her surprise. Soon enough a woman with long copper hair pulled back with side pieces hanging at either side of her face was staring at her after looking over her twin. "She has my hair. A generation skip, 5 tries, and I don't even get to see her grow into it. I need a drink."
"Mother!"
"Well what do you expect when I see a mini-me? Well aside from those eyes. I'd recognize that green anywhere, those were your father's eyes."
"Mother please, we don't have a much time, it's a miracle we managed to keep things hidden this long."
"Are you sure about this, Patty? We can find another way. I'm sure if you just gave me a-"
"Mother we've already discussed this. If we don't do this the girls could lose their destiny."
"I don't like this, Patty. These are my granddaughters, your two youngest. This doesn't feel right."
"Mother, please." The voice of her mother was littered with exhaustion and frustration. "We all agreed this is what needs to be done."
"No, you said this was the only way after hiding your pregnancy from me until you couldn't anymore. If you had just spoken with me I might have had more time to find a solution." A long pause was there and from what little she could make out her mother didn't seem at all happy with this discussion and her face made it well known.
"This is what is going to happen, mother. I have to think about the girls."
"And what about them? Patty just think this through!"
"I have! You aren't changing my mind on this. The sun is almost up and once it is what ever all this is that's stopping them from seeing what is going on will end. Sam only just got back the ability to orb. This need to happen now Mother. So are you going to help me or not?"
"Bring them here." The older woman's voice was tight with emotion and she felt it as she was carried forward to her before she was laid on a table next to her twin. She began rhyming and it was then that she could feel it.
I take your hands
in mine
And with this string
I will entwine
Your powers
I'll forever bind
From now until
the end of time
Heavy chains were wrapping around her magic, her very soul, and so she fought it. She fought it with the only thing she could, her magic. The pure energy forged within her prodded, pushed, and pulled, strangling the suffocating magics as best it could but try as she did she couldn't for long in her newborn body. Her body quickly giving up the fight as her magic withdrew deep into the recesses of her soul in an attempt to shield itself. Giving into exhaustion her eyes closed and the chains settled, from there she knew no more.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Penny panics as her mother stumbles back. Helping her to sit she looks back at her youngest daughters and Sam who is watching over them.
"The spell it never took this much out of me with the girls. It almost felt as if somehow it was fighting back this time. I could feel it. The spell was trying to move away from the girls as if it didn't want to go anywhere near them."
"How is that even possible?"
"I don't know. I just don't know."
A/N:
The voting for her career was all over the place, which was why I had included the combo option. One thing most of you all seem to agree with is her not being a doctor and running her own clinic because of demon attacks but having some sort or background so she can help when Piper gives birth. So this is what I've come up with.
She could be working as a nurse and eventually end up meeting Cole that way while he is posing as a lawyer (as said in the show it was a common cover for demons). She could decide that nursing isn't for her at least not as a profession (but maintain her degree) and choose to get back into house flipping full-time, starting her own business from home. This eventually leads to her helping Piper by being an investor in her club and Halliwell's Restaurant (after Piper gains confidence in herself) which would lead her to opening Hour of Indulgence Bakery.
If I go this route then maybe Winky can help run magic school (maybe a daycare section for magical parents?). The bakery could be managed by Kreature (I can sort of see him running it with a grumpy face but yummy desserts while tossing in an extra for kids all the while pretending he didn't). Dobby could be Teddy's 'nanny' when she is working/fighting demons. Should I switch Dobby and Kreature cause I think I'm foreseeing a lot of chaos in the form of a troublemaking prankster Teddy?
What do you think?
Character Bio
Original Name: Chrysanthemum Harleen 'Harry' Potter
Face Claim:
As an Teen + Adult: Deborah Ann Woll
As a Child: Summer Fontana
(TO's Hope; imagine copper wavy hair and no freckles)
New Name: Persephone Cerise Matthews
Nicknames/ Alias: Cherry (Paige calls her this because of her middle name and hair), Perry (Prue, Piper, and Phoebe), Sweet Destruction (Cole), Twice-Blessed-Child
D.O.B: August 1, 1977 5:29 AM (Age at start of Canon: 21)
Occupation: Waitress (in early mid-teens); House Flipper; Nurse; Owner of Hour of Indulgence Bakery
Family at Canon Start:
Biological
Penelope Halliwell (Grandmother), Patricia 'Patty' Halliwell (Mother), Samuel Wilder (Father), Prudence 'Prue' Halliwell (Sister), Piper Halliwell (Sister), Phoebe Halliwell (Sister), Paige Mirabelle Matthews (Fraternal Twin), Edward 'Teddy' Benjamin Turner (frozen as egg in womb/son)
Adopted:
Kevin Matthews (adoptive father), Ginger Matthews nee Wheeler (adoptive mother), Dave Matthews ('paternal' adoptive uncle; temporary guardian), Julie Matthews (adoptive aunt; temporary guardian)
Physical Description: She has copper red wavy hair, pale skin, and jade green eyes with a brown center. Once grown she stands at a petite 5'1 making her smaller than any of her sisters (Paige at 5'4, Prue at 5'3, Piper & Phoebe at 5'2). Despite or rather because of her small frame her curves are more pronounced.
Abilities:
-HP 'verse Magic: She is a neutral force not bound to good or evil as her magic is her own and infused into her very soul. She is more like the Charmed 'verse's Wizards then their witches and that is exactly how others will view her. Her potions are more potent because she naturally imbues them with her magic in every step. Uses both Wand and Wandless Magic. As her magic was 'bound' before being given up for adoption with her twin she could only access it when her wand appeared to her. This binding forced her magic to grow stronger the more she focused on accessing it, allowing her nearly complete control over her wandless magic once unbound. Her wand is necessary for her to do any Runes, Warding, and high level magic like Fiendfyre.
-Whitelighter: Because of her magic this will come to her as a creature inheritance on her 11th birthday giving her access to all the abilities of a Whitelighter by fully activating those genes but her magic ensuring she is not bound to the rules or limits of other Whitelighters as she was born one instead of being created/reformed into one. While her magic is bound this inheritance will somewhat loosen the binding. With her genes fully activated she no longer has access to simply Orbing but Healing (Mind Manipulation through healing to break illusions), Literary Manipulation, Thermokinesis, Regeneration, Reconstitution, and Immortality (about mid 20s).
-Twice Blessed: She is twice-blessed not by being born from a Charmed One and a Whitelighter as Wyatt was (which I didn't exactly get him being blessed on that but whatever) but through Magic {Warren line} and Heaven. Death carried her soul through the afterlife itself and molded her new body from the death of Paige's original twin that died in the womb.
-Wand: Reasonably supple 12 3/4 inch twisting Holly and Cherry polished woods with raw rose quartz embedded, spread, and infused within its sole opening forcing the contradictory Phoenix tail feather and Thestral tail hair to work together. At the base of the wand is a goblin-forged silver handle shaped into a black rose that is enchanted to make the wand appear as nothing more than a floral ornament to be worn in her hair, on clothing, or as an accessory (necklace or bracelet) with a small bit of magic pushed into it (changes color to match). The Holly and Phoenix feather having been taken from her original wand that was brother to Voldemort's while the Cherry and Thestral hair was added after her original wand was broken and Ollivander realized that the wand now only partially suited her forcing him to remake it entirely after the war. The handle once belonged to a Slytherin ancestor who was a Seer and purchased it from the Goblins to be used by the Lady of the Slytherin line when her wand was recrafted before he went into hiding in the mundane world (his line eventually leading to Lily Evans). It is because the handle was fused to the wand that it reappears to her.
Wand Breakdown:
Holly for one who is fiercely protective and has a great destiny.
Cherry for renewal and one with great strength of mind.
Phoenix Feather for one who is stubborn, knowledgeable and embraces life.
Thestral Hair for the strong willed and those that accept death for what it truly is.
Rose quartz for acceptance, healing, and longevity.
Holly and Phoenix feather give one a great range of magic and because of their contradictories also make this part of the wand volatile as such one should not get in the owner's way unless ready to meet their fate. Cherry wood and Thestral hair make for an absolutely lethal wand that grows stronger the more the owner understands and accepts themselves. Regardless of this wand's lethality and contradictory delicate appearance, it is proficient in all magical arts due to its components and is loyal solely to its original owner who it recognizes the magic of.
Pairing: Cole Benjamin Turner/ Belthazor
A/N: So I've decided that their adoptive mother 'Ginger' (as they never gave first names in the show) will have her own family naming tradition similar to Lily Evan's but with fruit/veg. Ginger's parents would have migrated from France during WW2 which is why she chose French middle names, Cerise meaning cherry and Mirabelle which is a type of plum.
Chapter 5: Growing Up - Chance Encounter
Chapter Text
A/N: Young Paige will be played by Abby Fortson.
A/N: So Wyatt was born on Imbolc which celebrates fertility and designates the middle of winter. While I love Wyatt and think him adorable, I don't like that the producers used this day for him as amongst Neopagans this day was commonly used for Reclaiming which in the late 70s became part of the Goddess movement and a time of initiation for Dianic Wiccans. Dianic Wiccan covens solely worship goddesses and are generally all-female (especially in the 90s and even today for the most part as very few accept males). I could understand choosing this day if the producers had Melinda be the one born but not Wyatt especially when it became so prominent (at that time) for feminism and female empowerment.
Anyways, with Patty having twins now and us knowing that she likely faced complications (what with her believing she couldn't have anymore children before finding out about Phoebe) something has to give. So last chapter I made it that Paige was always a twin and this twin's miscarriage would have led to Paige's birth in June. However as death interfered and Fem!Harry is now that twin I'm changing the original date of birth to later. I think with this I'll have them be 20 hours apart. Paige is born at 11:51 PM on July 31, 1977 and Persephone is born on August 1, 1977.
The day Persephone is born is Lughnasadh (likely derived from Lugh, the Celtic Lord of Light) or Lammas which is one of the big four Wiccan Sabbats. Lughnasadh marks the beginning of harvest season and the end of summer (along with Beltane it is also the most auspicious time for handfasting). This as such will mean she is the Twice-Blessed Child.
1982, Age: 5
"Paige! Give back my book!" said the little redhead as she chased after the brunette.
"Nuh-uh!" The brunette called Paige turned and stomped her foot in the sand that covered the playground. "Not 'til you play with me Perry. Now promise" She spoke with a lisp due to her missing front tooth that had come out the night before.
"But we played all day at Uncle Dave and Auntie Julie's!"
"But not at the park. DUH!"
"Fine! But I have to give the book to Auntie Julie first. And only for a little bit!"
"YES!" Paige yells in excitement and does a weird victory dance.
"Why are you so embarrassing!"
"I'm your big sister. It's my job, DUH!"
"GRR!" She growls at her before taking her book and marching off to find Auntie Julie.
"Meet at the swings!" Paige calls after her before running to where the swings are.
"I'm your big sister. It's my job. duh. duh." Perry mumbles to herself as she kicks the sand. "It's only by a day."
"OW!" Perry's head snaps up look in the direction the scream came from and she sees a girl hit the ground hard. Her elbow hitting the wooden edge of the playground that keeps the sand in. Perry's eyes narrow as the bigger boy laughs at the brunette girl.
"What a baby! Why don't you go play in the baby park, Big Baby!" he says laughing at the girl as tears fill her brown eyes. Perry grips her book tight in her hand and brings her arm back before throwing it forward.
SMACK!
The book hits the boy right in the head. "How bout you pick on someone your own size, you bully!" Perry says after marching forward to stand in front of the girl. "Don't you know you're not supposed to pick on girls." She gives her best glare though if an adult had seen her face they probably would have compared her to a fierce kitten.
"Says who stupid?"
"Says me Butt-face!" she yells at him as she swing her leg just like her Daddy taught her to do when he taught her to play soccer. Her leg swung forward and instantly connected. The boy fell onto his kneels with his hands moving to cup himself as he cried.
"You don't put your hands on girls or they can beat you up. My Daddy said so and my Daddy is never wrong!" she says with a single fist on her hips as she leans forward and points, finger wagging in the air, just like her Momma does when Paige and her get into trouble. She turns around to face the girl and finds her still laid out on the ground just staring wide-eyed at her, so she reaches her hand out. "Need help?" Perry asks her with a toothy smile.
The brunette grabs her hand and stands, it's only then she realizes the girl that came to help is smaller than her. She had looked like a giant or a superhero before so she blinks a few times to make sure she is really seeing right. "I'm Phoebe."
"I'm Per-se-pho-ne but everyone calls me Perry."
"Perry? it has a P! Just like me and my sisters!"
"Really? My sister has a P name too!"
"WOAH! That's so cool! Maybe we're sisters!"
"Cool! What's your mommy's name?"
"My mommy's name was Patty but she died when I a was little baby."
"Oh, but I still have my mommy and Daddy calls her Ginger."
"I guess we're not sisters then."
"I guess not. It would have been fun though having another sister. I mean you don't dance funny right?"
"No way!"
"Maybe we can trade?"
"Let's go ask Grams!" Phoebe grabs Perry's hand and pulls her along behind her to find Grams sitting on the bench on the other side of the play structure that was situated in the middle of the playground. "Grams! Grams!"
Penny looks towards the direction Phoebe is calling from and when she does her heart nearly stops. Behind Phoebe is a tiny redhead and despite the baby fat she can make out high cheek bones that will likely end up identical to her own, the same shape of the lips as herself and her daughter, her nose though not as hooked, the shape of her brows were nearly identical to Patty's but thicker like Sam's. She had her curls. Her wavy mess of curls that had long since loosened and settled though it seemed to be taming far more quickly for her. She had to be seeing things.
"Grams! I made a new friend. She's so cool! This boy pushed me and she threw her book at him and then when he tried to be mean to her she kicked him in the no-no square! And she had a P name too and so does her sister! Isn't that cool?" Phoebe hardly took a breathe as she spoke and while she heard Phoebe her eyes were locked on Jade green eyes, the eyes she hade thought only Prue inherited, the eyes of her sweet Allen.
"Yes, very cool." She said as she took in the sight of her youngest granddaughter smiling up at her shyly. "And what is your name sweet girl?"
"I'm Per-se-pho-ne."
"She said I could call her Perry!"
"That's a beautiful name. Now what was this about kicking a boy?"
"He pushed me and"
"Paige! Perry! It's time to get going girls!" A woman's voice called and Perry looked toward a blonde woman.
"That's Auntie Julie. I have to go. Bye Phoebe. Bye Phoebe's Grams." She said giving them both quick hugs before running off to join the woman along with a brunette who ran toward her from the swings. The brunette and redhead each taking one of the woman's hands with identical large smiles.
"Grams? Grams, why are you crying? Is something wrong?"
Chapter 6: Growing Up - Memories Returned, Magic Found
Chapter Text
1988, Age: 11
"I don't want to!" Paige screamed at her mother, no her adopted mother. "Give it to Persephone, she's the one that actually likes all that girly stuff. I don't! Why do we even have to wear the same clothes? We might be twin but we're not identical, you know? And even if we were we're not one person, we're two!" Why couldn't she just get it? They liked different things and that wasn't going to change just because she wanted it to. Why did Perry just go along with it?
She hated them! She hated them for not telling them the truth. For not telling her where she came from. They had to be lying! No one actually leaves a baby let alone two preemies at a church! Worse she hated Perry for being ok with it. How could she not want to know? And she hated herself for hating Perry for being ok with it!
Persephone sat in her shared room drawing. It was something she had taken to after her parents had sat her and Paige down to tell them they were adopted. It helped get her mind off it and wondering why their birth parents didn't want her and Paige. Putting the pencil down she looks at the drawing she had made dazedly. An old fashioned almost piratelike ship sailing towards a massive but achingly familiar cliffside castle she has dreamed of so many times since her 11th birthday. Why did her heart ache so much looking at it? Why did she feel like everything would change if she knew what it meant?
Sighing, she put her sketching materials away before heading downstairs to see why Paige was yelling. She also knew that she couldn't keep avoiding talking to her parents about the discussion Mr. Laurels had about the IQ test they'd had her take while Paige was serving detention earlier this week. She wondered if he had called with the results yet.
1992, Age: 15
Memories of her life as Chrysanthemum Harleen Potter had filled her mind these past years. The first year was the hardest as she ended up remembering her time with the Dursley's. Her parents had thought it had to do with learning about being adopted and try as she might she couldn't convince them otherwise well she could have but she would have seemed insane. She seemed to gain years of memories every birthday that would finish settling just before the next wave. As it was now she could remember up to her year on the run with Luna and Hermione. Her voice had long since regained her British lilt. Of course her mom blamed her dad and his 007 movies for that. Paige however had taken exception to her voice changing and viewed it as her separating from her which led to a new nickname 'Phony' that she began using at school before Persephone decided to go along with her teachers recommendations and skip a few grades.
The two sisters were pull further and further away as the memories returned despite Persephone's attempts to keep them together. After awhile though she'd begun to give up on succeeding as Paige's rebellion only seemed to get worse the more she tried and so she began staying away from home by spending afternoons at the library where their mother worked before taking on a job waitressing in Buddy's Diner at the age of 14. She'd even used the saved money to renovate the attic into her own room which gave Paige the room they had shared since they were babies to herself.
And oh how she loved it. Not only the room but renovating it. She had taken the unfinished space filled with cobwebs, old junk and boxes of clothes that no longer fit and turned it into her own sanctuary. It was a place she could escape to and simply be herself or rather discover who she was as the memories within her mind settled. The bright white walls and light wood flooring making the attic feel more spacious and open, easing the claustrophobia that developed after the memories of being locked in the cupboard under the stairs returned. It was as she decorated she also realized that her old pride as a Gryffindor no longer included her love of the color red but gold and it even extended to Hufflepuff yellow and all the variations in between to the point it seemed to become a common color in not only her room but her wardrobe along with various pastel blues, pinks, and dark jewel tones.
The biggest change she faced however was her magic. No longer was there transfiguration or charms or colored beams of light. There was no book flying towards her with a summoning charm but rather the book disappearing in a swirl of lights to appear in her open hand. Even apparition was different as much like the book she had felt it as she almost seamlessly became a swirl of blinding lights and ended up in her bedroom. It hadn't been something she planned on testing when she tried it but rather she had no choice but to after realizing two men were following her on her way to the bus stop one Saturday night after staying at work later then usual.
What was more startling was the fact that when she first started staying at the library she had realized she had some sort of ability to only read a book, absorbing the information into her mind, by having her hand hover over it and focusing on the book but also use the ability to find specific pieces of information. The startling realization of how her magic had changed only increased when she realized that somehow she could speak, read, and write in any language she tried to. Yet at the same time she also knew there was something else. Something inside her was locked, hidden away from her just out of reach where she was sure her magical core should be rather than the stream of joyful thrumming light that flowed throughout her body. Playing with the light inside her became her way of calming down by manipulating it into various shapes and forms and having them burst away like fireworks.
Mid October 1994, Age: 17
She's just finished checking over the answers she put down when the double doors open and officers walk in before heading towards Professor Rowe. While the lecture hall had been silent for the test it was even more so now that the sound of writing and tapping pens also stopped. Professor Rowe listens as the officers speak quietly with her and when her professor's eyes land on her a feeling of dread rises up in her.
"Ms. Matthews, if you could come down here please? I'd recommend taking your things with you. Don't worry if you haven't finished the test we can schedule a make-up." Her voice is softer then it's ever been. Nervously, she packs her things up and grabs hold of her test to hand it to her.
"There's no need, I was only going over it to make sure I didn't miss anything." Her voice hesitant as she glances at the officers from the corner of her eyes that are watching her. Their gaze makes the feeling of dread only worse and as she steps out the doors with them and the doors close behind her they begin to speak. They only get a few sentences in before her legs give out from beneath her. She's alone. She's alone all over again. But she's not, she can feel it. There's a pull that has always been there in this life, one that has only gotten stronger since the going through her creature inheritance and oh hadn't that been a shock.
Her memories of Neville explaining creature inheritances after they had returned to Hogwarts and found him completely different from before, as his fae heritage had come later than expected. He had told her how some families had creature blood, though it was a widely guarded secret amongst most Pureblood lines and few acknowledged it. The inheritance could happen either before birth or the ages of 11 or 17 as those were the times when our magical cores were the most in flux. Most creatures had connections especially among siblings like the Weasley twins who had inherited the Prewitt kitsune heritage. And it was that connection, the one she had always been somewhat aware of that told her she still had her twin. Her connection hadn't been cut off and somehow whatever had happened in the car crash had made her sister stronger because on the other side of their bond she could feel the barest hint of the same creature she was.
"Paige. Where's Paige? Where's my sister?"
Chapter 7: Paige's Turmoil & A Sister's Love
Chapter Text
A/N: It was never explained further exactly what happened the original day Mr. and Mrs. Matthews died so I'm taking a bit of creative license and have made it into something that even if Paige goes back to this point in time things ultimately, much as in canon, wouldn't change.
Persephone would have always been at the university when it happened. Paige and her parents would always have been in the car. Whether it be them going to the restaurant to pick up/eat family night dinner before Persephone came to join them or getting Paige from school after she gets in trouble the crash always would have happened as it was Mr. and Mrs. Matthews time.
She blames herself. How couldn't she when it was her fault? She had wanted so much to prove herself different, to show people that just because her and Persephone were twins they weren't the same. Now look what it had done. She had isolated her baby sister, treating her like crap to the point she had zoomed through school to get away from her and was already half way through the nursing program at UC Berkeley.
Persephone had always been the smart one, the one that just got it. Persephone who was as beautiful, graceful, and kind as Princess Ariel brought to life but would still put you down like a complete badass if you messed with her friends. Persephone with her shiny copper hair and jade eyes that seemed to see right down to the heart of a person. Persephone who lit up the room the moment she walked in usually wearing some preppy dress, a jean jacket, sneakers, and a bright smile.
And then here she was. Paige the rebellious one. The one that played the most obnoxious music she could find just a little too loud but not loud enough that she couldn't here the muffled sound of her twin's rock music coming from the attic bedroom above her. Paige with her ordinary dark brown hair and eyes that had no problem embracing the cruel streak in her the moment someone disagreed with what she had to say. Paige who walked in with her dark clothes and usually a scowl or smirk on her lips. Paige who made out with their shared best friend since kindergarten, Glen Belland, who she had dated on and off just because Persephone had her first and only crush on him. She had known Glen had been struggling to figure out which sister he liked more the summer before they started high school, at least he had until she took him by the shirt and laid one on him stealing him away from her baby sister just to prove she was better even if she hadn't really liked him that way at the time.
Now after years of treating her twin as nothing but gum that needed to be scraped off the bottom of her Doc Martins she was sitting in the hospital after somehow surviving the car crash that killed her ado- . . . her parents. She was staring off blankly when she heard her name before being tackled into a wet hug with copper red hair, smelling like lavender and strawberries, tickling her nose. Her arms wrapped around her baby sister and she let go of everything she'd held in for so long. She let go of the resentment she held for the slightly smaller girl for being so good at being good. She let go of the need to keep her at arm's length with a 10 foot pooper scooper to prove how different they were. She let go of it all and just held her and cried. She cried because now that she realized it was her fault she knew her baby sister would see the same and she'd really lose her. The worst part was that she was pretty sure she would deserved it too.
She didn't understand. Days had passed and she waited for it to come. Then weeks had passed sine the funeral and still her baby sister didn't scream at her, didn't say it was her fault, didn't hit her for getting their parents killed. They would have seen the car swerve if not for her. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. And then, the other shoe dropped Aunt Julie and Uncle Dave didn't have room for the both of them since downsizing to their 2 bedroom condo the previous year and the house was being sold so Paige would be able to go to college to honor their parents as the money from their parent's life insurance was going to be put in a trust until they turned 21.
Persephone had told Paige she should move in with them while she moved in with her friend Emma from the university as she had a spare room in her apartment and they planned to go into business together renovating houses once Emma finished getting the loan for her half of the money needed. This was it she was sure her little sister was leaving her behind. The little sister that chased after her and followed her and would always stand at her side until she shoved her away and kept doing so for years was giving up on her. And that was it, she broke and begged and pleaded with her not to leave her not to give up on her. That she could and would do better, be better. "Please, I don't want to lose you too. I can't lose you too. I know it's my-"
"Don't you dare!" Perry scolded her, voice tight with emotion. "Paige you didn't kill Mom and Dad. The accident wasn't your fault and if I have to I will remind you it wasn't every single day!"
"But it was! I told them they weren't our real parents. But they were. Just because we're adopted it didn't mean they weren't because they were and I just said it to hurt them! I told him you were probably just trying to get away like I was with my friends but you were smart enough to find a way out. I just kept bitching about family night being lame and how I was too old for it and you were just a kid playing grown up. Dad lost it, he was so angry with me. He was so angry with me. He di-didn't see the other car swerve. Then I hit the pavement, the car was on fire." Paige cried. "I don't know wh- why I survived."
"Paige you were just being a teenager. No teenager gets along with their parents all the time."
"You did!"
"No, I didn't Paige. I argued with Mom and Dad a lot. About skipping grades, working, wanting to go to UC Berkley instead of going to Stanford so that I could commute instead of living in the dorms and we could save some money." Persephone tells her before continuing hesitantly . "And as for surviving, I'm pretty sure that I know why."
"What? How could y-" Paige stops talking as she stares at the picture of their parents floating towards them, carried by white and blue lights. "Persephone what?"
"We're magic Paige. I don't know who our biological parents are but whoever they are or were, they left us with a way to protect ourselves. It's our inheritance from whoever and wherever they are and come from. I'll teach you how to use it. You can count on it. You can count on me."
"But what do sparkling lights have to do with me making it out of the car?"
"Because those sparkling lights are part of me, just like yours are you. We can turn into these little balls of light and get somewhere safe. I- it's already saved me."
"What?"
"It's nothing just a couple years ago some guys were following me after work and I- I just wanted to get home, to my room, to safety and I was."
"Teach me."
To Be Continued . . .
Chapter 8: Day By Day
Chapter Text
1995-1996, Age 18/19
The next year had seen several changes in the twin sisters. First and foremost had been their relationship. They were quickly regaining the closeness they had as children as they worked at maintaining daily contact. Paige would come over once a week on school days and occasionally sleep over in the apartment she shared with Emma. Persephone helped Paige get her grades up by letting her study her old notes and tutoring her. She'd even helped her go over her college applications and essay.
Teaching Paige to use her light was also a high priority though for some reason Paige seemed more limited in what she could do with it and Persephone wondered if that had to do with her last life. Languages were natural but while she could understand, speak, and even read any language she was unable to automatically write them without a good deal of effort and several tries. Even then it was only the basics and while fluent her voice still held a Cali accent where as her own was flawless as if it was her natural tongue. Though one thing she was far better at was summoning objects and using the light to move them in various directions.
Persephone realized Paige might have liked using her light a little too much when she caught her using it to reorganize her closet not for practice but just to get out of doing it herself when their Aunt Julie had decided it would be a good idea to get rid of some old clothes as a way of spring cleaning, mostly so Uncle Dave couldn't say she had enough clothes already if she decided she liked something while on their anniversary trip that summer. It had led to a bit of an argument about using her light for everything just because she could which led to Persephone mentioning her not wanting to become like everyone else in the wizarding world.
Paige had fully stopped all argument there and asked what she was talking about even questioning if Persephone had been hiding things she needed to know from her. The talk that followed was probably the biggest step in them becoming the sisters they wanted to be to each other. Though it had certainly been tempered by Persephone's own fear of her older sister thinking she was a freak, something the Dursleys ingrained in her after 16 years of constant reminders even if in another life. Paige had been listened to her telling her of another world where she had lived a different life. She hadn't gone much into the details and Paige knew she was holding back but decided not to say anything given the information and difficulty she already faced talking about what she did.
Emma Culver had been Persephone Matthews' friend for years and she could honestly say the younger woman was unlike anyone else she had ever met. Most days it felt like she had a little sister what with them both having fair skin tones, green eyes, and red hair. Of course her eyes were more grass green than jade and her head topped with wild dark auburn curls rather than smooth copper waves. Regardless, most thought they were related because of the similarities and she certainly didn't mind it.
Emma was an only child whose parents had both also been the only child in the house. Her childhood had been fairly lonely considering she didn't exactly like the things most girls did. When they were playing with Barbie dolls she was playing in the dirt. While they were talking about boys and marriage, she was thinking of her future. She didn't see the point of it, if a guy came along then he came along but she wasn't going to build her life around one. She had gone to UC Berkeley to get her degree in architecture with a minor in business with the dream of owning her own residential construction company. She knew it was a long shot considering the bank could turn her down if they didn't believe a woman could make it work, after all there were few women in the profession she wanted.
Persephone had been a godsend though. They had met her first day on campus when she had asked her for directions. The two of them even commiserated over how horrible the coffee at the little stand nearby was. It didn't take long to grow attached. In truth she hadn't much cared for Persephone's older twin sister, Paige Matthews, when they first met. The girl was a bitch to damn near everyone and deliberately went out of her way to make things difficult. The death of their parents had cooled her 'phase' as her sister in all but blood started calling it. The Paige she was getting to know now was someone she could see herself caring for. While still a little too judgy and nearly as stubborn as her twin, the accident had clearly changed her for the better as she never caught the smell of smoke or alcohol on her anymore.
Regardless she had been to the Matthews house before it was sold and had seen the incredible job Percy had done. She had even gone to her for help on small jobs she was doing to build up her own network. Bringing her in had only helped as she unknowingly endeared herself to just about everyone. The day Persephone gained a boyfriend would be the day several men would weep at the loss while at least a dozen more would descend upon the poor fool who thought he was deserving enough for her and Emma would make sure she was the one to let them know. Persephone had her faults, what with her clearly keeping secrets, but being a bad friend sure as hell wasn't one of them and she'd be damned if the sweet girl got hurt.
The twins had been invited to get dinner and see a movie with a few friends, among them Emma who would be bringing childhood friend turned boyfriend last year, Andrew Seren. Somehow, they consistently seemed to just miss each other and so they hadn't met yet. Walking into the bar & grill she asks for the Culver party, as Emma was the one who made the reservations due to so many of them coming tonight. Persephone had just spotted Emma and was making her way to her, Paige being dragged along, when a woman rushing to the restroom bumped into her causing her to fall into a man near Emma. Persephone quickly apologizes before picking up her clutch and turning back to the man she fell into. He was tall with shoulder length dark black hair, stubble, and impossibly dark brown eyes that were filled with amusement that quickly turned to shock. The two stared at each other startled by the other's appearance and despite the change in age and eye color they knew exactly who the other was.
"Andrew/Persephone are you ok?" Emma and Paige both ask.
"Sirius?/Chrys?"
"Cherry, did you hit your head? There's no way that's possible." Paige pulls her sister close, whispering. ". . . Right?"
"Andrew, what?"
"Emma, do you remember when I told you about my life, before?"
"You mean?"
"Meet my god-daughter Chrysanthemum Harleen Potter. Chrys you already know each other but this is Emma Culver, my girlfriend."
"Oh you've got to be kidding me?" Paige says looking between us.
To Be Continued. . .
A/N: Emma Culver will be played by a young Julia Roberts rather than Heather Dawn
Andrew Seren -> Sirius will be played by Ben Barnes.
Chapter 9: Confessions of Another Life
Chapter Text
It was strange getting used to Sirius, or rather Andrew as he had been named in this life, being back in her life. Even stranger was him being just 5 years older than her and dating her roommate. The funny thing was that Sirius actually did keep a little of his old magic, in that he was still an Animagus. Though his Grim form seemed larger than before though that could have to do with him having had a better life and not being on the run this time around.
While she had explained to Paige that she had memories of another life she had had to actually go over them with her and explain things that she hadn't. Paige had been upset to know how the Dursleys treated her and how she was given what would constitute as long lasting date rape drugs by someone she thought was her friend, hell family if she was going to be honest about it. Sure, she only though that way as the amortentia hadn't necessarily worked on her due to her own immense dislike of Ronald Weasley, not only as a potential romantic partner but as a person, and the Hogwarts wards doing its best to protect her. The amortentia had only been enough to force her to love him like family, Sweet Merlin she had truly despised the obnoxious brat. Paige had accidently released a blast of concentrated light energy that blew apart a shelf and the items on it when learning that. Their conversation had verged off quite a bit after Paige had taken it all in.
~Flashback~
Pacing back and forth Paige thought over her little sister's story. Orphaned at 1 after her parents were killed with her in the house and actually seeing the man kill her first mother. Abused for 10 years while sleeping in a closet and treated like a slave. 'Uncle' Vernon's stares and lingering hands after spanking her for not completing an impossible to do list of chores. How she would spend every moment she could outside the house, usually in the library. The constant danger and nearly dying every year after she started magic school. Being potioned, drugged really, with love potions that were fortunately partially blocked thanks to old protection spells that her godfather had convinced her dad into putting on her after she was born by mentioning future boys chasing after her. Potions given in the hope that she would eventually marry some piece of shit asshole future rapist and have his baby before he killed her for her inheritance. The betrayal, the losses, the war, the damage after, and even her godson Teddy who had been left little more than a vegetable at 3 months old.
Paige was pissed off at what her baby sister had faced in her last life. Make no mistake Persephone Cerise Matthews might remember living another 20 years but in this life she had a big sister and Paige was ready to hunt down the corpses of the bastards in a different world just to bring them back so she could slowly blast them apart with her light. One thing that really got to her was the fact that her Cherry Perry's would-be rapist had been free at the end of it. "Why wasn't that asshole that drugged you put in jail?"
"Ronald claimed that he wasn't the one giving them to me but that Dumbledore was and that he had only found out about the potions recently. He couldn't be tried because of the laws that were in effect when I went to lay charges saying that those of a lesser status could not charge their betters without physical proof showing intent and action. Hogwarts was, at least in the beginning, my safe haven. It should have been considering the fact I own the damn castle but after decades, almost a century really, of mismanagement and the wards deliberately being altered if not outright removed Hogwarts couldn't do much to protect me even though it was built to recognize and defend its true heirs but it could weaken the potions and help encourage my own magic to build an immunity to it."
"St-id mother fu- holes-" Paige cursed under her breath before turning back to her. "Fine. Wait wasn't that Voguey Wort guy an heir?" Paige asked and Persephone snorted at the name.
"Yes and no. Voldemort-" Persephone snickered still amused by Paige's name for him. "He was an heir that couldn't claim the actual title as he had already proven himself unworthy of becoming the Head of the Most Ancient and Revered House of Slytherin. "
"Yeesh, was it actually called that?"
"Where formality was necessitated, which was almost everywhere, yes. While Hogwarts no longer taught the mannerisms it used to teach mundane raised children the summer before their first year by the time my parents attended it was sort of an unspoken rule and if you didn't follow it then you were considered rude and uncouth. Especially considering the fact that a lot of the student were heirs to some sort of peerage. In my case I was the heir of 5 lines."
"So your title was?" Paige's face pinched at the words that came out of her sister's mouth next.
"When I claimed my titles I became Lady of the Most Ancient and Revered House of Slytherin Marchioness of Harwich as well as Lady of the Most Ancient and Royal House of Gryffindor Duchess of Clarence Princess of the Fallen City of Avalon Daughter of Queen Le Fay. Not that most people knew the last bits and I certainly never used the titles outside private meetings my with Gringotts account managers. I only let people know I was Lady of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter Countess of Wicklow, Lady of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black Viscountess of Blackburn, Lady of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell Marquess of Pembroke-"
"Le Fay, as in the Morgana Le Fay that tried to take over Camelot? And doesn't Pembroke have to do with that Boleyn woman that was executed? The one on my History test?"
"Ugh! Look Camelot and Avalon were enemies only during her father's reign because he declared war on magic. Morgan, yes that is the right name, was Arthur's half sister but not through some secret affair, her mother supposedly died of 'illness' when she was a child and King Uther had blamed a witch who had gifted her and Morgan eternal-lasting flowers the day before. Morgan hid the flowers they were gifted and kept them in a box. She found out later that Uther was actually the one who killed her mother because he wanted Arthur's mother but had a magically binding marriage that wouldn't allow any infidelity to take place. Unfortunately he found a loophole and found someone to poison her. The whole Arthur and Morgan being enemies crap was taken way out of context with the mundane because of that and Merlin being Arthur's best friend and advisor before he eventually left Camelot and married Morgan. Avalon fell when a dark lord attempted to raise and enslave the dead or dying and considering it was where most magical beings had gone to escape persecution and where all their soldiers were buried to avoid desecration there were too many of the dead to fight off. Morgan ordered the people to use cursed fire if they could not escape and honestly no one could. When Merlin and their son Mordred returned from visiting Arthur in Camelot it was to find Avalon burnt to rubble and the necromancer desecrating Morgan's body. After killing him Merlin sunk Avalon to the bottom of the ocean with him still on it as he held his wife's corpse and Mordred decided to start anew with the name Ganlin Gryffindor with no one but the goblins and the few subjects that managed to escape on time, thanks to his mother, knowing who he truly was."
"As for Anne Boleyn, in my world, she was one of my ancestors. She was executed for high treason, witchcraft, incest and adultery. None was actually true, though she was a squib which is a nonmagical person born to a magical family, not that it actually mattered considering King Henry VIII was under a spell and love potioned by her cousin Jane Seymour. While mundane history wrote Jane Seymour was soft and gentle the truth was that she was one of the greatest actors of the time and had made life itself her stage if her diaries in my family vaults were anything to go by. Either way, Anne Boleyn had another child in secret just before her execution, Queen Elizabeth I's younger sister inherited her grandparents' magic where Elizabeth, their mother and their aunt did not. George Boleyn, Anne's brother who was accused of incest with his sister, escaped with his niece leaving a spelled guard who he learned was one of Jane's lovers to take his place, after stealing his memories as proof of her plot and his innocence."
"Holy shit. Ok I get the whole Arthurian legends being wrong but why didn't George take his sister with him also? Why only his niece? And Jane was a total bitch, I can't believe she actually became queen. What happened?"
"Well first off he couldn't take Anne because Jane had branded her with a curse that would have killed her the moment she tried to escape so that her plots wouldn't be discovered. Too bad for her she was never told that George had magic. It was a well guarded secret after Jane's parents started making moves to become head of the family line because his daughters had been born squibs. Worse yet was that Jane Seymour had been within the castle because of her mastery in warding. She had access to the castle's wards, the wards that prevented anyone not working on them or of royal blood from using magic. At the time no one in the royal family had magic and as the one in charge of the wards she had shifted it to allow those that shared her blood to do so as well which meant George could, not that she had known that." Persephone takes a breath before continuing.
"What about oaths or something like the magic binding marriage?"
"Much like Uther, Jane Seymour found her own loophole or loopholes in her case. The oaths required her not to do harm to or make any attempt that would see those of royal blood killed and blah blah blah."
"Blah blah blah? Really?"
"Well I don't know the exact wording and it was changed after the fact when things were discovered. Anyways the key word was royal blood which Anne wasn't. Fortunately, Anne was a high functioning squib meaning while she couldn't exert magic for spells she could still learn to shield her mind which is why despite Jane's efforts to control her, so there would be proof of the charges, she never could and couldn't provide proof. By the time George escaped it was already too late to save Anne. The Boleyn family ended up abandoning their lives in the mundane world and hid in the magical one with their titles. Well, they did so after Tomas Boleyn who was head of the line of Boleyn called down the family magic to cast judgement of Jane Seymour and those involved with the plot. The only reason she hadn't died sooner was because she was already pregnant by Thomas Cromwell."
"Wasn't he the one that brought up the charges?"
"Exactly."
"Damn but wait I don't remember there being a baby yet at least not in my history book."
"She used a potion to abort the baby but when she got news that her family was losing their magic starting with those closest to where the Boleyn's lived she tried to find a way around it and used a fertility potion to get pregnant again though this time by her potioned husband. Almost a year passed but she didn't survive the loss of her magic so soon after giving birth. Everything she did was discovered by Elizabeth I after meeting her little sister years later."
~End Flashback~
"I have a question. If Andrew . . . Sirius . . . I'm just calling him Andrew! If Andrew is your godfather does that kind of make him my godfather too? Or not? Reincarnation is confusing!"
"No, Paige he isn't your godfather. But I think I might be feeling the old godfather/goddaughter bond slipping back into place between us again."
"Is that ok? It won't hurt you will it?"
"No, never. The bond is one of protection and love and . . . family."
"Family?"
"Yeah, I- I don't know how to explain it aside from our bond."
"You mean like that time you broke your arm after I dared you to climb the tree in the backyard and I swore I could feel it too?"
"Yes but more. I- wait. Tell me if you can feel anything." Persephone closed her eyes and focused on the feeling, the string connecting her to Paige that glowed dark green and blue symbolizing their status as family (the darkness of the dark green symbolizing they were blood related and the blue symbolizing the loyalty and trust they held for one another). Giving it a soft tug it lights up and she feels startled, an emotion that is not her own.
"Woah! What was that?"
"That's us. Our twin bond."
"Cherry?" Paige calls and she gives a questioning hum. "I think having an older brother might not be so bad if that's what it's like. Just, . . . don't tell him I said that."
"Are you crazy? Why would I ever do that? It would go straight to his head and he has enough of an ego as it is. Especially with him turning into a Grim and letting Emma call him her handsome boy while rubbing him down."
" . . . EW~!"
"Oh God, what did I just say?!?!?"
"Ugh!" Paige sticks her tongue out, miming vomiting. "Don't even. We never mention this again."
"Agreed." Persephone says. It's when she lays down in bed that night she focuses on her bonds again. Why? Why are there five dormant bonds? How did they even get that way? Why is it that even though each of them is dormant, they still feel like they're thrumming with life? And why is there another in addition to those? Why can she see that despite being blackened by death the bond was frayed and torn as though someone had sheared it off with a jagged knife.
To Be Continued. . .
Chapter 10: A Turn on the Cold Bridge
Chapter Text
1997, Age 20
The hospital was packed due to a 12 car pile-up. People were being rushed in as she did her best to keep the patients with minor injuries calm as an EMT rode on top of a gurney performing chest compressions to keep a patients heart beating as they were wheeled straight to surgery. The available emergency room staff was limited by the influx of patients that she was here even after her shift had ended, having been asked to stay and help where she could. Turning away from the entrance Persephone focuses on gathering the last of a young woman's information on her son when she feels someone bump into her. With the body of a tall man suddenly against her she does her best to lessen the impact as they fall keep. "Gurney! I need a gurney here stat!" She calls as she sees the blood flowing freely from his abdomen, a large piece of metal that looks like it may have come from a car sticking out.
The man's steel blue eyes fading in and out of focus and so she tries to keep him awake not knowing how long he's been like this and unsure if the metal protruding from his body has punctured anything vital. "Hey, hi there. I'm Nurse Matthews, can you tell me your name?" She asks to make sure he's still cognizant as she assesses the damage.
"C -ole. Cole Turner."
"Good. Alright Cole I need you to keep talking with me ok?" She says as she notices blood sliding down his neck from behind his ear, a head wound also. "Are you allergic to any medication." He responds in the negative and as others approach with a gurney she keeps up her line of questioning as they get him on and rush him into a room. Dr. Harris walks in and immediately they get to work as they cut the button-up shirt off him. It's then she notices it, a portion of his skin shifting from tanned flesh to red leathery skin with black markings and while it was controlled for now she knew it wouldn't be the moment any sort of drug was given to him. Shit! Think. Think.
She wasn't sure how but her wand appeared in her hand then. Familiar and oh so right in her grasp, she could feel it latching onto that part of her deep inside that has been buried for so long. And then it happens, the chains snap and fall away, her core rushes open flooding her with the wonderful thrum of magic rushing through her blood. Her grasp gentle yet tight on her wand as she turns to Dr. Harris. Legilimens.
Rushing through his mind she moves as quickly as she could putting in the urgency to both remember and forget Cole Turner. She makes him believe he spent some time on him but that there was nothing more needed than a few stitches which he allowed her to suture before leaving to aid another patient. When she finishes she waits for him to walk past the curtains before setting up a series of wards. Notice-me-not, sound muffling, muggle repelling, anti-teleportation (a ward she'd created herself that stopped any form of teleportation even those of house elves from occurring if not keyed into it) and even a non-confrontation ward in case he becomes aggressive. She moves to this Cole Turner taking in his human appearance which she is sure must be a glamour of some kind. She casts a spell to restrain him before quickly getting to work. She may not have gained a mastery in healing but that didn't mean she wasn't good at it considering her 1st time around as a child, the dangers involved in her schooling, and having been in the middle of a war. It only takes a matter of minutes before she is finished and Cole Turner's eyes focus in on her after waking from having passed out.
She watches as he realizes where he is and exactly the situation he's in as he finds himself unable to move. His body almost seems to fade before it immediately reforms right where it is. "What did you do to me? Who are you?" She raises a perfectly manicured brow at him.
"I told you earlier, I'm Nurse Matthews. What I want to know is why I saw your skin turn red with black tattooing when I was healing you."
"I don't know what your talking about."
"I'm not going to hurt you." She tells him and he scoffs.
"As if you could." He stares at her and then his body grows. Gone are the short brown curls and steel blue eyes, tanned skin and human blunt teeth. Now he is all red with black marking along his face and body, large black eyes without pupils, and razorlike teeth that remind her of a shark. His body has grown in both height and width as his muscle mass seemed expand until it double or even possibly tripled. And yet just as there was when he looked human there was an exotic handsomeness to this form. His nose twitched and he took in a deep breath. "You're not scared." He looked at her with something akin to wonder. "Why aren't you scared, witch?"
"I've faced far scarier and more dangerous. No offense."
"Few are more dangerous than me." His voice is deeper now with a heaviness to it. "You're not human witch or at least not entirely." He looks at me with fascination.
"I don't know what I am but like it's Nurse Matthews. Call me witch again and I might just forget that and accidently make you impotent. Is this what you really look like? Your real form?"
"Both are real." He is hesitant unsure of why he is even talking with her, but nervous as to if she will really do as she threatened. He should kill her and be done with it but he's never met anyone like him. He can smell the humanness on her but also more, what exactly he isn't sure though but it feels almost good, right. "I'm half human, like you but I'm also half demon. I'm not sure what your other half is."
"Half demon? Demons are real?" Persephone snorts, Of course wizards lied about killing them off, they must have moved dimensions. "Should've figured that out. Considering your size and all, your injuries weren't actually due to the pile-up were they?" He smirks at her question and she already has her answer.
"No, they aren't."
"I'm not even going to ask, it's none of my business." She looks towards the entrance. "You should get out of here, but make sure you walk out the front door, there are cameras here and security actually does keep a log of everyone that comes in and out. I have to get back to work but it was nice meeting you Cole Turner." She says giving a subtle wave of her hand with her wand having transfigured it into a rose bracelet just under her long sleeves as she hands him discharge papers.
"Nurse Matthews." He calls her as she moves to leave and she turns back to him as he is now back in his human form. "Perhaps, I could have your first name considering you have mine."
"Persephone."
"Persephone, meaning the bringer of destruction." He whispers the meaning of her name to himself. "A beautiful name for an even more beautiful woman." Her cheeks redden and she looks away from his heated eyes.
To Be Continued . . .
A/N: Anyone catch my little word play with the chapter title? Cold Bridge, Coleridge? Huh? huh? Sorry, I'm a little hyped up on chocolate ice-cream right now. Yummy yummy Cold Stone!
Chapter 11: A Cole World Heating Up
Chapter Text
A/N: So looking back Paige faced a whole lot less consequences for personal gain whether that was because of the writers growing bored or forgetting I don't know but I'm going to give a reason this chapter.
She wasn't sure how it started but she did know he had everything to do with it. He was apparently working as an attorney for victims of violent crimes which meant more often then not their paths would cross as he came to either see the victims, officers, or gather medical files for the case at the hospital. He would seek her out and she didn't stop him. Persephone was curious. She knew full well the idea of curiosity killing the cat but she equally knew satisfaction brought it back . She had seen firsthand the prejudice the wizarding world had dealt out having been on the receiving hand of it herself so she was unsure what to believe when it came to demons. She did know one thing though and it was that she would be the one making the decision as to whether or not he was good or evil or like most somewhere in the grey spectrum.
There was just something about the redheaded witch that had him captivated and he had tried to be rid of it, oh had he tried. He just couldn't help himself and getting to know her only made it that much worse. She was a mystery he couldn't figure out, a puzzle that seemed to always be missing a piece. She was beautiful in a way that appealed to his 19th century self. She wasn't trying to be rail thin like most women these days and actually had a healthy amount of meat on her bones. She was perfectly fine with how her body looked despite not putting it on display in revealing or overly tight clothing. She didn't try to change her hair by dying it and she wasn't covered in the artificial scent of today's body products instead smelling like homemade soap made with sandalwood and rose, giving her a delicately sweet but still spicy scent. She was like a little piece of home, back before his mother had killed his father, brought forward into the modern world. He just couldn't stop himself from meeting her time and again nor did he want to and so they met and talked and laughed and shared each others' worlds with the other for months never once labelling what it was they were doing or giving a name to the overwhelming emotion growing between them.
January - Early August 1998, Age 20
"Tell me just who are you, Cole Turner? It's like one minute I know you, then I don't."
"To be honest I'm not really sure I know who I am anymore myself. I just know whatever this is that we started . . . I don't want it to end." His hand caresses her cheek gently.
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Once I have you though I don't think I'll be able to let go. There'll be no escape, no outrunning me. I won't let you go, I'm not completely sure I can even now." He looks deep into those eyes that had captured him so entirely, his voice sending shivers down her spine. "Are you sure this is what you want? That I'm what you want?"
"I don't care that you're not completely human Cole so stop trying to see if I'll run. It makes no difference to me what you are, all I care about is who you are. So long as you're the man I've gotten to know, that is all that matters. Cole Turner you turned my world right-side up when I didn't even know it was upside down. You have just as much capacity for good as you do evil. You choose who you are, not your species. Being half demon doesn't make you a monster, taking pleasure in the pain of innocents would make you one. You let me see into your mind so I would know what I was getting into and I have seen the atrocities, I have seen the death you've brought about, I have seen you take lives always ensuring it is quick and painless for those who are innocent, and I have seen you make enemies for giving innocents mercy when their pain was extended for their enjoyment. I have seen your evil just as much as I have seen the good you kept buried deep inside you. I don't need an escape or for you to give me a way out. I want this, I want you."
"You are incredible." He tells her before pressing their lips together. "You'll destroy me."
"And you'll love every minute of it."
"Such sweet destruction. It's like you call out to the demon in me." He says with another kiss.
"Just for the record though, I could totally outrun you." She says pulling out of the kiss, smiling.
"I'd like to see you try." He chuckles before kissing her again.
Months pass by and soon enough he has met her sister Paige who was visiting her in New York with Glen and Andrew who she introduced as her brother in all but blood and his now fiancé Emma. They had dinner together at her apartment and things had gone great aside from Andrew's blatant threats to both men regarding what he would do if they didn't treat his two little sisters right. Regardless it was something that was expected and Cole had done well in proving himself to Andrew whereas Glen had stumbled a bit considering the on again-off again nature that was uniquely Paige-and-Glen. Though Glen's less than subtle glares at Cole and glances at Persephone were awkward and had her gripping Cole's hand to prevent him from shooting energy balls at him.
The confession of Cole not being entirely human was ya topic that came up a few days later which set Paige into asking dozens of questions while Andrew took Cole aside for a 'man-to-man' talk which led to them walking back after bonding over their equally horrifying mothers. The eye rolls between her and Emma were hardly being contained which of course led to the guys chasing after the two of them when they ran for it. Of course they were caught but at least the ice cream they shared afterwards was well worth it.
There was only one thing the couple didn't discuss and it was how they would make things between them last for the long-term. Both Cole and Persephone were well aware of the fact they couldn't possibly maintain a life together with one constantly disappearing at a moments notice for assignments he won't talk about and she certainly wouldn't like even if they were becoming fewer and he only did so to maintain appearances now. So far he'd only had to deal with other unruly demons and training new members for the Brotherhood in how to fight against another demon. In the time not spent with her or working for the Brotherhood or the Source he was trying to find a way out, a way to be with Persephone before he was given an order that would cause him to lose her forever all the while completely unaware that she herself was already doing the same while preparing for her 21st birthday in another week which she was sure would unlock the last of her magic and finally allow her to be reunited with her elves.
August 1998, Age 21
She didn't know what she expected the day before but what happened when the clock struck five am was nothing she was ready for. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt. She remembered the pain of being held beneath the cruciatus but even that could not begin to compare as every nerve burned with pain, her body spasmed and blood pooled out from her pores. "Please, somebody just make it stop. Please! Make it stop! Please!" She cried out and begged despite her pain, not taking notice of the bright white light spilling out from her.
Across the hall similar screaming could be heard coming from Paige who had once more come to visit for their birthday. Paige screamed and screamed incomprehensibly, never having experienced or known of such pain. The sisters screamed out their pain as the skin ripped and tore before healing over again and again. For you see this was the cost of the two having been bound so thoroughly. Unknown to their grandmother, Penny's binding was not the only one on them for their mother had gone even further before leaving them at the church.
Patty Halliwell had bound the twins so tightly in the fear that her mother's binding was not strong enough after she had struggled to complete it. She feared that if one of the twins was in danger and managed to activate their magic the other would as well, ruining the destinies of her three oldest daughters becoming the Charmed Ones. She bound them to the point they were never to be unbound without being on the very verge of death or one of her oldest having died first but she knew only the magic of this world not of another. Sharing in a womb had tied the twins tighter than anything else and blood had been shared between the two, changing them both.
The pain they suffered now was due to not only the binding but their shared blood. The blood of Persephone was enriched with magic and it wasn't only pumping through her but Paige as it ripped and tore at their binding unleashing their magics fully. While Persephone's magic was being pushed to expand and grow further then it ever had Paige was getting her own boost to her abilities as those she had increased and expanded.
It seemed an eternity before the pain finally ended but when it did Persephone opened her eyes to find Paige in a clean bed beside her and three very different and yet so very familiar eyes on her. "Dobby? Winky? Kreature? You're here . . . you're here!" She cried at their nods, joy filling her despite the soreness of her body.
To Be continued . . .
Chapter 12: Life Changes
Chapter Text
A/N 1: So a few of you brought it up so I'm going to explain, Paige does NOT have HP magic but rather had her wiccan magic released and partially changed as Persephone's twin. I imagine her being a HP Squib capable of Charmed wiccan magic with minimal personal gain consequences and even then only with big things that would affect more than just herself. This was my way of explaining why Paige is sometimes unaffected when using magic for personal gain as she can't do what Persephone (who has a magical core) can.
Paige (as a squib) is capable of making potions, runes (though she can't charge them), and forming a familiar bond. This also increased her own abilities, her magic fusing with her Whitelighter abilities.
A/N 2: Penny (Grams) had bound their magic making it dormant. In my mind I sort of envision her bindings as nylon braided rope as it was intended for their magic to be kept dormant and inaccessible until either her death followed by a release of their magic (like the oldest 3 and Phoebe reading from the Book of Shadows) or if the twins were in danger (Paige in the car accident and Persephone who was touched by Death when her memories returned).
Like Sam she doesn't know about Patty's binding and the only reason she agreed to bind them herself was because she worried Patty would strip their powers instead of binding them. It should be noted that this was the same binding used on Prue, Piper, and Phoebe which means that only active powers were made inaccessible and basic magic as well until a certain age or her death as S1E1 Phoebe cast the Dominus Trinus spell releasing the binding which means she could still cast spells.
Patty's bindings however I envision as thick heavy chains. She basically forced the binding to compress down on their magic (like a Constrictor strangling its prey), having thought it would diminish any possibility of them being discovered or ever even becoming witches without certain requirements being met such as her own death followed by one of her 3 oldest daughters also dying.
A/N 3: When we get to the sisters all being united I will put up a small bio for them explaining their abilities and how they will progress in Mors Donat Vita, as aside from Piper the power progression in the show didn't make much sense to me.
A/N 4: Last chapter Persephone had only just turned 21 and as such had not received the inheritance from when she was a Potter (aside from her wand in Chapter 10). The only inheritance so far is the life insurance and money from the sale of the Matthew's estate (house, bank accounts, etc.) that was split between them and inaccessible until the day they turned 21 (where we left off). She has been helping Paige somewhat as she is currently still in school while Persephone is already working but aside from teaching her I don't see Persephone sharing her inheritance from her time as a Potter. Also Persephone has had her wand since she met Cole, no one heard them because of silencing charms.
To The Story
NYC Apartment (2 Bed 1 Bath)
"This is so freaking cool." Paige says with a bright smile as she cast a spell that glamours her hair strawberry blonde. "It's like dying my hair but without the paying, the waiting, and the possibility of my hair getting ruined." She bounces over to the younger twin a letter in hand. "This was in the mail."
"Your first bit of magic after the binding is released is to change your hair color?"
"Changed it to the hair color of my favorite only twinsy!"
"Ugh, remind me to never give you a Pepper-Up potion again." Persephone grimaces as she takes the letter and notices it's from a law firm. Furrowing her copper brows she opens it and learns she has been requested to come to a will reading, the last name being somewhat familiar to her. Zoning back in she realizes Paige is still talking. "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said I can't believe elves are real. I mean I know they kind of were back in that other life but seriously what's next leprechauns? And Kreature, sorry Rigel Star. Oh my God! I can't believe he called Andrew Old Master Asshole before decking him when he showed up this morning. It was hilarious!"
"I don't think Andrew or Emma found it all that funny."
"He-he, I did especially when Dobby I mean Robert Dobbs said that Little Lady Percy's Dogfather finally got rid of his fleas. Then Winky, I mean Merry Wink, goes and tells him that she'll use the frying pan she was holding over his head on him after climbing onto the table if he makes you cry because he was stupid when fighting baddies again. Those elves are hilarious when it comes to you two!" Persephone just rolls her eyes as she continues to sip on her black tea made fresh by Dobby who remembered the way she liked it perfectly. Mentally she plans for the will reading.
He hasn't been able to return to her in 2 weeks, not since he realized someone had put a tail on him even if a shit one. He isn't sure how much longer he'll be able to take not seeing her when it happens. The Source has called on him to hunt a witch with the ability to shift into a large black dog that has avoided being put down. The male witch has proven to be a challenge and so he is being sent in the belief he will succeed where others have failed, or else.
He's told the witch might be part of some small coven as he has been seen with one or two other possible witches and is told to kill them as well if he can as they were proving difficult to locate. The Source has gives him a week to complete the task before dismissing him and Cole shimmers out to his apartment. Sitting on his couch he opens the file and his heart drops as he looks at the photos of Andrew and then Emma but it is the last that makes him snap. A growl rumbles deep in his chest as his body shifts our of anger at the photo of his Sweet Destruction's face circled in red marker signifying her as one of his three targets.
He won't allow it, can't allow it. He needs to get her somewhere safe. He needs to warn her. He needs to find a way to get out and get them all to safety as she won't leave them behind. He can't lose her and so he works to lose his latest tail and finally, finally makes it to her. His father's soul would simply have to be lost to him and he was sure if he was here he would understand.
Persephone is going through her books. The will reading had led to her regaining her belongings from her old world as Death had somehow made copies of their equivalents here while leaving the originals for those she left behind. Wizarding money was changed for US dollars, enchanted jewelry becoming a mundane version as the magic could not be copied, precious stones and materials became bearer bonds, and even grimoires and magical books copied and joined together into a decent sized book collection with relevant information regarding beings of this world, various magics (spells/ enchantments/ curses/ wand-making), runes, and potions.
Of course she felt she could hardly keep the Black family portion of the inheritance when the one who left it to her was here alive, healthy, and building a life. It had led to a rather unique conversation for the two of them. After a few hours they had agreed that she would keep the new grimoires but allow him to create his own version with the knowledge he wanted to pass on to any children him and Emma might have, a wedding ring set along with several jewelry pieces he may want to gift or pass on to her or children later on, and what would likely be the Black family portion of the funds taken in bearer bonds. Of course she held true to Andromeda's teachings in regards to when she had been the head of the Black family and didn't do so for free but in exchange for their families having an alliance and two undisclosed favors to be asked for and done at her convenience.
Before her death, Andromeda had long kicked her little martyr complex into the back seat and made it clear that it was ok to think of herself and what would make her happy even if it didn't make everyone else happy too or just pissed them off. Andromeda had taught her to live for herself and the life she wanted and to make sure she took advantage to get every single thing she could to ensure it. If not for her and her lesson she was sure she would be miserably married to Kingsley by now rather than having escaped.
She snaps out of her thoughts when the air shimmers in the corner of her bedroom and Cole's demonic form emerges. "We need to go. Pack your bags." He rumbles.
"Why? What's going on?" Persephone questions him but is already moving, having never been able to sit still in the face of something that might threaten her and hers since the war nor regaining her memories of it.
"They know about you. Not us but you being a witch. The others don't know what you can do but we can't risk it. Call Andrew and Emma tell them they need to go also. I was given a file when I was called in for a new assignment." He passes the file to her and she sees the photos and the notes regarding their schedules and of things noticed. "I was told I have one week to eliminate Andrew and what was possibly his coven."
"What happens when they find out you didn't?"
"You mean if."
"No Cole, I mean when. Tell me." She says stopping and facing him head on not at all scared when he bares his daggerlike teeth.
"They'll hunt me down for being a traitor. If they manage to catch me I'm dead."
"Then we don't run."
"Persephone you don't get it. There's too many of them, I can't win. We can't win."
"Who said anything about winning?" She smirks when she sees how the beady black eyes narrow only ever so slightly revealing his hint of confusion. "Do you remember when I let you see into my mind, when I let you see the magic of my old life?"
"How could I forget?"
"I've spent the last few months trying to think of a way we could be together without worrying when the next time we'll see each other will be or if there even will be a next time. Cole you made me fall for you did you really think you would be the only one looking for a way?"
"You don't have access to the things of your old life anymore Persephone. So what does it matter? Please, we need to go." He rumbles taking her pale hand in his clawed red one.
"It matters because I have my grimoires again and I know how we can have a life together."
"What?"
"There's a spell that erases your identity from everyone and everything but the castor and those you want to remember. It carries and passes on to everyone infected lasting for months until completed. It'll erase every trace of you from memories to computer files and even any paper trail going all the way back to your conception. It'll erase everything, everything but what we want to keep. And then we use another spell to recreate your identity using a single item regarding your human identity, your license. It would work even better if we could connect you as family to one with an identity alread- "
"What? What is it?"
"Andrew. I need to call Andrew and ask him to become your brother."
"My brother?"
"I could have him do it to fulfill one of the favors he owes me I mean unless you have living family somewhere." Cole is quiet. "Do you have living family?"
"I'm not sure where my mother is or if she's even still around." He says the word 'mother' with disgust. "The source has my father's soul." She thinks quickly and moves to the grimoires.
"Do you know where he's buried?"
"The Turner family mausoleum in San Francisco, why?"
"Because his soul hasn't passed into the afterlife and technically at least when it comes to magic or my magic that means his body can be restored to living flesh, given he'll be a decade or two older than when he died. The spell only works once while requiring an immediate family member present and we'll only have 48 hours to get his soul back in his body before it dies again and this time permanently. The only way after that is him finding a body fully compatible with him and that means a direct blood relative which isn't happening considering you're his only son and I'm not losing you."
"That doesn't change the fact the Source of All Evil has his soul or the fact he doesn't have a current identity aside from the one he died with."
"No but it gives a paper trail that forms a permanent and tangible existence going back over a century for you, him if we manage it, and Andrew who was found on the street at the age of 5. Magic will fill in the blanks but having a connection from the past and the present will make it next to impossible to undo without serious magical power and even then we'd know it and have plenty of warning of someone doing it even if the attempt failed. Can you get me into the Underworld?"
"Are you insane?"
"Most of my plans tend to be pretty crazy. You know that considering you saw how I came to this world in the first place. I could always go without you considering I've seen it in your mind."
"You are going to drive me mad aren't you?"
"Just wait until we have a family." Cole's eyes go wide at her words, the two of them having never discussed the possibility and even outright avoided it considering everything.
"You want a family, with me?" Persephone pauses but turns to look back at him once she has the phone in hand to call Andrew.
"Try to keep up handsome. Baby number 1 already has a name and plans for a safe room made."
"Teddy, I remember you told me about him." He gulps as he shuffles nervously which is a bit comedic considering he still hasn't shifted back yet. "I just tried not to think about it all things considered, especially as I could have lost you if you were actually sane."
"I'm going to ignore that last bit for now but I will make you suffer for it, eventually."
Emma finally picked up the phone and she told her there was an emergency that required the two of them getting to her apartment as quick as they could. Andrew had taken the phone the moment Emma told him there was an emergency and she quickly told him she'd be cashing in those favors early. Once the two arrived they spent the night and next morning going over what they needed and coming up with a background the magic could use as a baseline while sticking as close to the truth as possible.
"Just one more thing." Andrew says. "How exactly do you plan on getting my new father's soul?"
"We set the spell in motion to erase his identity as Balthazar/Cole Turner. Then while underneath disillusionment and silencing charms as well as a hunting spell I learned which erases one's scent and covers heat signature for several hours Cole and I will sneak into the Underworld and make our way to where he last remembers his father's soul being kept. From there I'll use a summoning charm and we'll come back and restore Daddy Turner to life."
"That sounds way to easy."
"Sounds like I used my brain instead of going off halfcocked. It also helps that the Identity Erase will linger on us until completed and spreads through the Underworld."
A single sheet was created to show that the 'original' son of Benjamin Coleridge Turner had ended up surviving the home invasion that led to his father's death. This line would eventually lead to Benjamin Turner who was named after his grandfather and had two sons Cole and Andrew who were born 4 years apart (as that was the physical difference between them). The reason Andrew would be found on the street would be because their mother, Beth Borger ran off with him after being caught .
Benjamin the overworked doting father as Cole remembered him as having not noticed the signs until he came home early from the law office he worked at to find the woman beating them. This explanation would explain the scars each of them carried if they were seen and needed to be explained. Beth Turner nee Burga (a combination of both their mothers' names) would have grabbed and run off with Andrew after knocking out Benjamin who was checking on his oldest son who was unconscious and bleeding from his head, still in shock over what he had walked in on. Beth managed to get several states away due to funneling cash funds from his account over the years they were married. Andrew would be put in the foster system at the age of 4, a year later after a drunken car accident killed her.
The sheet slowly burns as the magic eats away at it between the three men as the youngest finished drinking a blood adoption potion. A single grey eye changing to dark brown as the other remains the same. When nothing remains but ash the smoke swirls and where ash once lay were birth certificates, social security numbers, information on bank accounts, and other details of an entire life for all three regarding whatever was needed.
To Be continued . . .
A/N 5: Playing Benjamin Coleridge Turner is Pierce Brosnan.
Chapter 13: Time Looping
Chapter Text
A/N: While it may seem like I'm copying-pasting towards the end as the paragraphs begin the same I assure you I am not and there is a point to my madness. Those of you who have seen or remember the end of Charmed S1 may know where we are at this point. If not you shall learn if you simply read and not skip because you think it is the same when it is not.
1999, Age 22
A year passes and they have all moved to San Francisco. Paige moved out of Aunt Julie and Uncle Dave's condo and found her own studio apartment nearby her job after finally graduating with a degree in Social Work and getting a job at South Bay Social Services. While not yet a social worker she was gaining experience as an assistant to Bob Cowan who ran the place. Emma and Andrew decided to open their own headquarters for the construction business downtown once they'd managed to erase their presence and the knowledge of their magic from those that weren't those within their growing family. Andrew took care of the business side while Emma was out leading the latest construction/renovation.
Cole had quickly found a job at Buckland's Auction House as VP of their legal department deciding to stay away from any position involving criminals as the legal system, more specifically court rooms, was often where demons could be found hiding amongst humans. Benjamin however had decided he would take his time getting readjusted to these new times and getting to re-know his son and to know his new son. Persephone however had chosen to go down a new path as she wanted to spend time with the elves and so she chose to leave the hospital behind, while still occasionally volunteering as a nurse at a free clinic downtown, and open a bakery with them. Rigel, Dobbs, and Merry had been thrilled with the idea and quickly claimed each of their positions. Rigel (Kreature) had declared himself the manager and that the front of the store would be his domain. Dobbs (Dobby) had said he would take care of inventory, any deliveries, and the seating area during busy hours. Merry (Winky) had claimed the kitchen and position of head baker/pastry chef. When Persephone asked about her own position each of the elves told her she was to sit, go over the books, and stay out of trouble like a proper missus was to do when expecting or they would hogtie her to her office chair which is how she had discovered she was pregnant only two months after Cole and her had started renovations on the house they had bought.
Currently Persephone and the two Turner men were living in a three bedroom apartment but it was only temporary as work was being done on their new home. When the real estate agent had brought them to the old house her heart had stuttered as right next door was the house where she and Paige had often spent time making cookies while being babysat by Grammy Halliwell on when her parents and aunt and uncle went on double date nights, playing with Phoebe, or being used as a doll by Piper who loved how red her hair was while Paige and Prue argued about which of them had the cuter little sister. She hadn't spoken to them all in so long and wondered how they were. Unfortunately it seemed that luck wasn't on her side as whenever she had managed to stop by so far no one seemed to be home.
Cole had seen how her eyes lit up the moment she walked in despite it being smaller than they had wanted with only 3 bedrooms which certainly wouldn't be able to hold the large family she had said she wanted and he too found himself wanting since the possibility of it becoming a reality had set in. He had pulled the agent off to the side when she became enamored with the large size of the yard. Persephone excitedly began talking about where she could imagine having a playset off in the corner for the children they wanted and setting aside a portion of the yard closest to the home as a patio area to roast marshmallows for smores during summer nights while the other portion would be for an herb garden which would still leave plenty of room for running around chasing after little ones.
Cole knew they could enlarge the house either through renovation, magic, or both but the size of the yard was something rare for the area let alone the rest on San Francisco especially at this price point. They wanted a permanent home and Persephone hadn't had a quarter of the reaction she did there for any of the other dozen or so homes they'd looked at that fit their wants and so he made a cash offer just under six hundred thousand dollars. It was hardly a dip into his funds when one considered the fact he had been around for over a century and made sure he'd taken it when Persephone had cast her spell erasing his past from history which also meant that whatever remained that he paid in his 'service' to the Underworld had also found itself back into his accounts as there was no way for it to remain there without his existence considering he was one of only a handful at most of demons that worked among mortals and their addition was only recent.
1327 Prescott was a beautiful Victorian home just under 2000 with a brick foundation supporting it and the large wrap around porch. With new yellow siding, white trim, and light grey roof it was positively charming. They had hired Emma to expand the attic by raising the roof to fit an additional bathroom and two bedrooms after which Persephone had managed to magically expand the bedrooms to easily fit either a king/queen bed, sitting area, a desk, a dresser, two nightstands, and a walk in closet. The master bedroom though was fitted with an Alaskan King (9ft by 9ft) bed taking up the majority of the room so as to fit Cole's demonic form as Belthazor with room to flip over if he wanted and more. This technically made it a 6 bedroom home as far as the human eye could see as there was a closet within the office which also held a curtained off sleeping area. The first floor held a single half bath and office/guestroom while the second floor had the master suite, 2 bedrooms (on of which was set to become Teddy's nursery), and a full bath to be shared between the two future children's room.
Next she had magically expanded the home underground creating a secret passageway within the front hall closet's back wall which could only be seen or used by someone keyed to it or brought down by someone who was. The basement held a large family room, an enclosed kitchen, a full bathroom, a storage room, a massive gym, a 5 room playroom with each side room enchanted for a different adventure (main room, ocean/pirate room, volcano room, sky room, jungle room), a bunkroom, and a bedroom Benjamin had claimed as his own since the floor would basically act like an in-law suite outside of emergencies. The gym that was half hardwood flooring while the other was cushioned flooring she had spelled with cushioning charms so as to go back to self defense training once no longer pregnant and for eventually teaching any children how to defend themselves. Once the entire interior of the home was completed Persephone set about to placing wards to protect the home from pests, fire, natural disasters, and would prevent anyone not keyed to the rune stone the wards were tied to from entering/exiting through any form of teleportation. She had even inscribed runes into the foundation itself that would draw on ambient magic to heal any minor to moderate structural damage so as to minimize any property damage that could be caused by accidental magic or any fighting should those in the Underworld find them for any reason.
Cole and Benjamin had both decided to do the work to the backyard themselves and had built a white stone patio with a fire pit, seating area, space to BBQ on the far end and plenty of room to move around. Once completed and having moved onto their next project which was a checkerboard garden for Persephone's magical herbs she had gone to lay wards over the BBQ and firepit to make sure no child could go more then a foot near it and that the covers could only be lifted by someone over the age of 16. Last the two men had decided to do something that would certainly be considered one of the oldest modern father-son forms of bonding which was building a tree-house while Persephone layered her garden with protection spells to keep away pests and prevent it from being trampled before setting numerous protective wards over the tree house.
Their home was finally finished. The furniture was moved in and all that was left to do was unpack their clothes and smaller items. They arrived early that Wednesday morning pulling into the driveway shortly before eight that morning. They had just started putting the pictures up and adding their own little personal touches so the house would feel a little more like home than it already did as the news played on the radio when they heard the screech of a car's tires just before a crash sounded. Moving to the parlor's bay window Persephone looks out it and sees a tan jeep has crashed into a black sedan just across the street. "Anyone hurt?" Cole asks, walking up from behind her.
"Just the trash can and back bumper it looks like." Cole nods his head at her response and presses a kiss to her temple as his hand runs across the small yet quickly growing bump.
"How was your paper?"
"Possible dirty cop on the cover suspected of murder. He could be guilty, he could be innocent but either way his career might be over."
"How so?"
"If he's guilty they'll either find proof or if they can't he'll have the suspicion of it hanging over his head which is already basically a career killer. If he's innocent but the actual killer isn't found same thing." Persephone purses her lips remembering when the Daily Prophet had accused her of being insane for saying Voldemort was back.
"Well hopefully things work out the way they should."
It was hours later after the men for the cable, internet, and security system (for any foolish human intruders and insurance purposes) had come by and set things up that the couple were finally getting ready to leave just minutes before six that evening. They had stepped out into the driveway to go into their cars when they heard a loud thump coming from next door as if something had been thrown against the wall closest to that side of the house and a shout of "Phoebe!" Hearing her childhood friend's name Persephone automatically ran for the front door feeling a long forgotten connection, a bond in the back of her mind, pulling her forward before snapping.
Reaching the front door which easily slams open due to the fact it has not been locked she walks in to find a young woman in a bright pink shirt laid out on the wooden floor surrounded by two woman that are vaguely familiar and strikingly similar in appearance. The two sisters stare up at her distrust in their eyes as the smaller one in grey throws her hands up for some odd reason but she doesn't care as her attention lies elsewhere. "Phee? Phoebe. Phoebe!" Persephone rushes forward shocking the other two and her knees give out after reaching her side. "Phoebe wake up!" She yells hands glowing with the ability to heal but too late to do anything. "Phoebe!" She cries.
Their home was finally finished. The furniture was moved in and all that was left to do was unpack their clothes and smaller items. They arrived early that Wednesday morning pulling into the driveway shortly before eight that morning. They had just started putting the pictures up and adding their own little personal touches so the house would feel a little more like home than it already did as the news plays on the radio when they heard the screech of a car's tires just before a crash sounded. Moving to the parlor's bay window Persephone looks out it and sees a tan jeep has crashed into a black sedan just across the street. "Anyone hurt?" Cole asks, walking up from behind her.
"Just the trash can and back bumper it looks like." She says before scrunching her brows in confusion and feeling slightly off while Cole simply nods his head at her response and presses a kiss to her temple as his hand runs across the small yet quickly growing bump.
"How was your paper?" She asks shaking her head, trying to rid her self of the strange feeling.
"Possible dirty cop on the cover suspected of murder. He could be guilty, he could be innocent but either way his career might be over."
"That sounds familiar." Persephone feels a strange sense of Deja-vu. "Was that mentioned on the news this morning?"
"No, I don't remember it being mentioned. Maybe you heard someone talking about it while you were out? You might not realize it but cops actually tend to gossip quite a bit especially when with other cops that are off-duty and they think they can't be overheard." Persephone purses her lips.
"Maybe, hopefully things work out the way they should." The moment the words escape her she can't help but think something is wrong.
It was hours later after the men for the cable, internet, and security system (for any foolish human intruders and insurance purposes) had come by and set things up that the couple were finally getting ready to leave just minutes before six that evening. They had stepped out into the driveway when Persephone felt a sudden wave of nausea rush through her and swayed, Cole quickly catching her. "Persephone are you alright?"
"Something's wrong Cole." A loud thump comes from next door as if something had been thrown against the wall closest to that side of the house and Persephone runs to the front door just before hearing a name screamed but she's too focused on calling her magic forward and ready to attack as another scream sounds. At the back of her mind she feels two bonds viciously snap back to back. Cole calls out for her to stop as she throws the door open to see an energy ball being thrown back and electrocute the demon that had conjured it in the first place. A familiar face catches sight of her before Persephone gasps at the woman in a bright pink shirt she remembers as once being her own lays face down on the floor. "Phoebe?"
"Who the hell are you?" Familiar jade eyes glare at her and a name snaps to mind.
"Prue? It's me, Persephone. Grams used to babysit me and my twin Paige remember?" Prue eyes widen slightly recognition and something else in her eyes before looking to the side and gasping before running off. Persephone moves forward only for Cole to call her name. "Call 911, tell them to bring an ambulance." She says before walking around the corner to see the broken door and Prue checking Piper for a pulse. "No, no."
Their home was finally finished. The furniture was moved in and all that was left to do was unpack their clothes and smaller items. They arrived early that Wednesday morning pulling into the driveway shortly before eight that morning. They had just started putting the pictures up and adding their own little personal touches so the house would feel a little more like home than it already did. It's the moment Cole turns on the radio that it hits her. "Oh God."
"Persephone?" Cole turns to looks at her and she holds up a finger.
"Car honks, skids crashes." She says and within seconds it happens exactly as she said. "A jeep hit the sedan and trash can across the street." Cole looks at her before moving to the window.
"How did you?" Persephone's cell phone rings and she quickly answers it.
"Hello?"
"Cherry something weird is going on. I swear I'm having major Deja-vu and it's freaking me out."
"I'm pretty sure it's not Deja-vu." She speaks as she makes eye contact with Cole. "I think we're reliving the day over and over again. For some reason we're remembering it even if not completely and if I'm right we're probably remembering because of our magic or even the whole being half angel thing. Get to the new house as quick as you can the moment work is over." She tells Paige before hanging up.
"You think we're in a time loop?"
"Cole I've lived this day already and no we're not having pizza for dinner."
"Ok so we're in a time loop." Cole says looking at her. "But why?"
"I don't. I don't remember but I think I should. I think I need to remember but I don't know how."
"Well what came next?"
"We spend our day exactly as planned. The cable guy shows up an hour late and barely manages to get everything done before the internet guy comes and the security system installer shows up early and flirts with me until he finally finishes up and leaves a quarter to six." She thinks hard. "We go to the driveway and then . . . and then"
"Persephone?"
"Bonds. I feel bonds snapping apart."
"What bonds?"
"Bonds I haven't bothered with in a really long time. Can you take care of things here? I need to channel them see if I can find something anything."
"Go, I'll take care of things you just figure out what you need to and stay safe."
"I will, I promise. I'll be back before six." She tells him before leaving with a small kiss to his lips. It's when she reaches the condo that she focuses all her energy into finding the bonds she hasn't looked at in so long, the ones that are as old as the one she shares with Paige but had remained a mystery for the most part as she refused to follow them. Today that would change though and so she begins her meditation after setting several herbs to burn and enter a trance that would make things easier.
Finding the bonds in the back of her mind after some time she slowly tugs at them. She comes to a startling realization as she looks at them. The bonds are blood forged showing that they belong to relatives and close relatives at that. Two are lifeless however and amongst them is the one she had noticed was sheared and shredded as if one had taken a dull razor blade all along it, the bond is that which could only be from a parent and great betrayal. The other lifeless one is thicker as if she had been exposed to them at some point and formed a relationship, the blood bond is more distant yet still close even if not direct likely an aunt, uncle, or grandparent. The next is the thinnest one but still pulses with life and love and heartbreak, a parental bond from what she can tell but as she tugs she knows that while close it is not the one she is looking for as it has more than a bit of distance between her and whoever is at the other side.
There are another three to check beside Paige's and this time with close examination she realizes that they much like Paige's is one of a sibling, all three bonds. She has three other siblings out there and from what she can see she's met each of them. With a tug to the thinnest of sibling bonds she is suddenly thrust into the first memories of this world. A time she didn't remember but had attributed not remembering due to her infancy only now it is clear she couldn't remember because of the magic used to subdue her core. The most shocking thing however is that she remembers the house. "The Halliwell Manor." Snapping open her eyes she realizes the time and rather than take the car back she orbs into the master bedroom of her new home and heads downstairs where she finds Cole and Paige sitting and waiting.
"Cherry!/Persephone!" They both call when they catch sight of her.
"My sisters, our sisters." She says first to Cole and then to Paige. "A demon is trying to kill them next door the time loop is so he succeeds in killing all of them before they can kill him."
"Wait a minute, sisters? As in we have sisters besides each other?"
"The Halliwell sisters to be precise. I can remember the day we were born and our magic locked away perfectly now."
To Be Continued . . .
Chapter 14: A Hidden Letter & Reunion
Chapter Text
October 1998, Halliwell Manor
Prue watches as Piper and Phoebe walk out of the attic first trying to understand what Phoebe was trying to do by reading from some stupid book to turn the three of them into witches. Taking a deep breath she rolls her eyes before moving to follow already knowing Phoebe's presence is going to drive her mad. Her foot slips forward nearly landing her on her ass but she manages to keep herself upright. Looking down she sees the back of an aged envelope. Picking it up quickly she puts it in her back pocket deciding to look it over later.
It isn't until well after facing Jeremy as she's doing her laundry and she pulls it from the pocket that she even remembers it. "This is Gram's handwriting." Prue says to herself looking at the handwriting at the front of the envelope. Swallowing thickly her hand slowly traces over each of the letters written, To My Beautiful Granddaughters. She opens it to find two photos and a letter that leaves her gasping for breath. The first photo is one that immediately has her questioning her own memory and feeling a sorrow she never knew she could feel as she looks at what is clearly her young mother holding a toddler Phoebe with herself and Piper at either side of her.
What truly makes her question things however is that their mother's stomach is far too pronounced, far too perfectly round and smooth for her to be anything but pregnant with what must have been a fourth child. A miscarriage is what instantly comes to mind the only thing in fact and she wonders if that is the reason she sometimes remembers her mom having the odd look in her eyes every now and then. She thinks of the timing and she realizes she has yet another reason to hate Victor because now she knows he didn't just walk out on her mom or even her or her 2 sisters but he walked out on their very pregnant and soon to be grieving mother because there was certainly no other baby growing up in this house after Phoebe but then she wonders whether this might have been before he left. "Did he leave because of this? Because they lost the baby?" She wouldn't know just how close she was with the first question even if not for the reason she believed.
Prue looked down at the picture again and tears sprung to her eyes. A finger over her mother's stomach. "Were you a boy? No, you were probably another girl with a P-name, what was with Mom and the letter P anyways?" She whispers her words to no one as tears slide down her face before place down the photos, not having looked at the second behind it yet and unsure she could stand to and half sure that it was likely a sonogram which would only make things that much worse. She wipes the tears from her eyes and decides that if she herself was already this emotional there was no way this would not absolutely break Piper or Phoebe. "God, I can't do this." Making up her mind she quickly dumps the photos into the envelope not wanting to look any more before carefully placing the letter in as well deciding to hide it away until she thinks she can handle whatever is written, something that would not happen for nearly three years. Making up her mind she quickly dumps the photos into the envelope not wanting to look any more before carefully placing the letter in as well deciding to hide it away until she thinks she can handle whatever is written, something that would not happen for nearly a year. Making peace with Victor, hiding her knowledge of what she thought broke her parent's marriage, and finally being sent back into the past and meeting her mother again would be what pushed her into finally reading the letter.
To My Sweet Girls,
I'm so very unsure how to write this letter not because I know the next time I have a heart attack may just kill me but because I have held what needs to be known secret for so long. I don't know if I can ever be forgiven for these secrets and if this letter is being read then you've already know two of them. I've tried to write this letter so many times that I've lost count and even now I'm not sure how to begin but the beginning would likely be best. Patty, your mother, told me she was yet again pregnant in April 1977 at which point she was already at least 2 months along.
At the time Patty and Victor had been separated due to marital problems once of which being Victor's insistence that you girls be raised 'normal' without any knowledge of you being born the witches you are and I admit I certainly did not help in that regard. The other reason however was to do with Patty. Now it is neither my place nor your own to judge but Patty was at least at the time of the conception having an affair with another man while also meeting Victor. Magic proved she was pregnant not by Victor but this other man, one that Victor himself had even trusted and considered somewhat of a friend. Despite his attempts to hide it I saw his devastation.
For all his faults and there are many, one thing I could never doubt was his complete and utter love for my daughter and his own three girls and even for the two unborn children he knew may not be his but hoped were despite the unlikeliness of it. When Patty upon the being told of them not being Victor's kissed this other man Victor broken, had simply given up and left. While part of me still believes that him not coming back was not exactly natural especially considering how much I know he loved his three girls I kept silent knowing that I too could lose you. Losing the three granddaughters I had the honor to help raise was a true fear especially when Patty had been told me I needed to accept that my two youngest granddaughters, my fourth and fifth grandbabies were not going to be part of any of our lives. The arguments and fight left me only when she said she would leave with you. To prove my acceptance and that I would not go against her or ever inform anyone of their existence to protect your future legacy Patty had me swear to never sound so much as a hint of her secrets and to take that man's name to my grave.
But this letter hidden in the Book of Shadows and behind the door to the attic being locked and only capable of being open by myself or in the event of my death the three of you being in the house together at the same time means that I have still kept my word. With my death I am at last free to tell you that on July 31, 1977 at 11:51 PM and August 1, 1977 at 6:13 AM you became big sisters twice over . While the youngest of you 5 sisters were not raised here nor with the Halliwell name it does not mean they have not been here since their birth or since their adoption. You have met, you have played together, you have trick or treated together, and you have argued together until you were blue in the face. All of which was my greatest privilege. I only wish I could have kept you girls all together but I at least can ensure you will be able to find each other now. Prudence, Piper, Phoebe my final act as your grandmother is not leaving you with this home or even with your magical heritage but telling you the names of your youngest sisters. Upon their adoption they were named Paige Mirabelle Matthews and Persephone Cerise Matthews.
I told your mother once before but the legacy of the Charmed Ones was not contingent upon there being only three girls born but rather the three girl that would have Melinda Warren's gifts. Do not fear them breaking the Charmed legacy for I believe they will have their own as the first line of Warren witches with the blood of angels within them.
Back in the Present
"What do you mean you remember?" Paige asks.
"We don't have time right now. Prue, Piper, and Phoebe will die if we don't figure this out. They've killed the demon that attacks them today but somehow the day keeps reversing which means he attacks again and again and I'm pretty sure he's remembering it just as well if not better than I am right now." Persephone tells them both.
"It sounds like this demon has made some sort of alliance the Tempus." Cole speaks recalling the few times they had crossed paths. "He can manipulate time."
"If time is his power it's also his weakness."
"Cherry?" Paige looks at her confused.
"He's resetting the day not more than one but just today. So if today became tomorrow . . ."
"You'd vanquish him and no more time loop. Amazing." Coles looks at his fiancé in a mixture of awe and lust at how quickly she figured out a way to defeat Tempus with his limited knowledge of the demonic sorcerer.
"But how would we make tomorrow be today?" Paige asks.
"We speed up time with a spell." She says already forming the words in her mind and grabbing something to write it down with when finished she shows it to Cole. "What do you think?"
"It's crude given how quickly you had to put it together but I think it'll work."
"Good. Then let's go. Cole I don't think we can kill the demon that attacks at least not until Tempus is dealt with. Do you think you can take him down without killing him?"
"Leave it to me." He says and she turns to Paige who is looking over the spell.
"Paige, it's time to meet our big sisters." Persephone says and Paige can't help thinking that right now in this instant her little sister has never looked more like the war veteran she was.
"Cherry isn't that-" Paige begins to point out a man with gel spiked hair in a leather jacket making his way up the steps, a slam of a door already having been heard.
"Damnit, Andy. Let's go." Persephone says having already magicked them with notice-me-nots to prevent anyone not in the know from noticing their basilisk hide clothing or Cole whose shifted to his Belthazor form as a just in case. Rushing forward Cole is the first inside after Andy who has an energy ball flying at him. Cole quickly tackles the disguised demon and put him in a chokehold, knocking him out.
Paige is next through the door and already moving to the innocent that needs to be saved. Andy struck by the energy ball is sent flying through the air only to disappear and reappear in a swirl of lights next to Paige with the call of his name where she quickly begins healing any internal damage but leaving the majority of the external and some internal bruising so as to be able to make a case for self-defense on his part once everything is over and Persephone has adjusted his memories if he wasn't in the know but all things considered that was unlikely.
Persephone is the last inside quickly shutting the door behind her so as not to allow any civilians to see what is happening even if they might hear it. After all it would be far easier to explain the raucous rather than anything that might be seen by those she had her back turned to. Piper who was on the floor with Prue stands and throws her hands forward which she quickly realizes does nothing to the two women or the giant red demon that came in with them. "Wh-why are you not frozen? Why are they not frozen?"
"You can't freeze witches that aren't evil even if they were your enemy and you certainly can't freeze anyone more powerful than you. Of which both instances count here, doubly so in my case. Oh and anyone with the same or similar power if theirs is just as stronger or stronger. Don't worry your powers are still growing and will continue to do so as long as you use it regularly stop though and they begin to weaken." Persephone tells her before conjuring chains for Cole to use on the unknown demon.
"Perry?" Phoebe just stares at her wide-eyed. "You're a demon?"
"A witch angel hybrid actually and we have a lot to discuss but first I think it's time we get out of this time-loop. I'll heal Prue and then cast the spell I made to speed up time so Tempus will be vanquished. You might want to unfreeze Andy if he's in the know."
"If I unfreeze him I unfreeze everything including Rodriguez." Piper says fully aware of the two demons nearby and somewhat uncomfortable with the fact a childhood friend is involved with one but doing her best not to show it while Prue is out of commission.
"Not necessarily. Focus on what you want Piper. Focus on Andy and unfreeze him. Magic is all about intent. Intent and willpower. Mean to do it, want to do it, and you will." Persephone tells her as she moves toward Prue only for both her and Piper to block her and she sighs. "If I wanted to hurt Prue I wouldn't tell you how to better control your powers. And also when I said doubly so I meant it. Petrificus Partialis." She speaks before putting a partial body bind curse on them which merely freezes them in place and allows them to still move anything above the neck so she can quickly heal Prue. "Rennervate."
Prue groans and so Persephone stands back up and moves towards her twin and husband to be, who has already reverted to his human form, before releasing her other sisters from the body bind. "Now are you ready to listen?"
Chapter 15: Twin Sisters & Secrets Revealed
Chapter Text
A/N: Here's the second part.
Back in the Present
"Now are you ready to listen?" Persephone questions the Halliwell sisters. Groaning Prue lifts a hand to her head before looking toward the person that spoke and barely managing to hold in her surprise when in front of her is her mother's two biggest secrets. Her eyes taking in the sight of the twins, their similarities and differences not only to each other but to them. The tallest one, Paige she reminds herself, has the same expressive brown eyes as Piper and their mother. While the other has Gram's copper waves and the same shade of jade she did though hers held a brown center.
"What's the plan?" Prue asks straightening up and making her way to Andy who is only just waking up. "But before that who is he?" Prue asks looking at the tall man standing beside Persephone with crossed arms.
"This is Cole Turner, my fiancé."
"You're marrying a demon?" Phoebe screeches.
"Half-demon." Cole drawls having already expected the reaction and raises a brow at their clear surprise to that fact. Noticing how despite the loud one's words she continues to eye him he uncrosses his arms and taking a step behind Persephone bringing his arms around her so she leans her body back into him. "Not that it's any of your business but my father is human."
Persephone rolls her eyes. "If you have a problem with it, get over it. There's plenty of demons in the world that choose to live peacefully just like there are humans that choose to destroy peace. Hitler is one good example and there's also the whole him not needing to join forces with a demon to do everything he did. So lets skip all the racism and get this over with. Phoebe put your eyeballs back in your head and off what's mine. From what I figured we're currently in a time loop caused by the sorcerer Tempus. Now if I'm correct his mission is to help this one" She gives a kick to the tied up Rodriguez "kill the three of you and every time he fails and you kill him the day resets. I'm guessing since he's the focus he keeps his memories and somehow much like myself you're remembering as well"
"You remember? Are you a psychic?" Phoebe asks her and Paige chuckles.
"What did you think she was looking in a crystal ball or tea leaves or something? She remembers because she's Persephone." Paige tells them remembering her twin's immense dislike of all things divination related and Cole smirks at the response already knowing his honorary sister shares his dislike of the youngest Halliwell. Though he's not exactly sure how much of that is from her blatant staring or due to her past attempts in pushing his sweet destruction into going on double dates or bailing her out of trouble as teenagers.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Pipers looks at them confused.
"Persephone is stronger than any witch I've ever met in all my years."
"How many years is that exactly?" Prue questions with narrowed eyes.
"Cole will be 114 come June though physically he's 30."
"And when did you start seeing each other?"
"Seriously? What exactly does that have to do with the two demons trying to kill you?" Persephone questions back annoyed and more than positive that while the others may not be aware of their shared blood, Prue is. "Let's just get this over with and then maybe we can make time to . . . have a little chit-chat. For now we need to move Tempus out of today and then and only then can we get rid of him, permanently."
"Finally!" Paige says taking out the paper with the spell written earlier.
"So what's the plan?" Andy asks rubbing his head and surprised to see the two somewhat familiar faces and a third he never had which apparently belongs to a demon that was helping them.
"Simple. We read the spell Cherry came up with and today becomes tomorrow, vanquishing Tempus, then Cole tosses an energy ball at Mr. Fails-a-lot vanquishing him, then a talk that is so beyond overdue it's not even funny. Now can we get to it?" Paige explains annoyed with the fact it's taking so long to vanquish two demons that she's sure would've been goners days ago had it been them.
"You can write spells?" Phoebe asks.
"Oh my God we're dealing with newbies! Cherry aren't they the older ones?"
"Excuse me?" Piper looks at Paige insulted.
"Let's just get this over with. If you need to call out of work I suggest you do so now because you will miss it." Persephone says knowing that if they take to long Tempus might just rewind the day to be sure he isn't caught. Together the twins begin the spell.
Sands of time, gather round
Widen the hourglass, to speed your way
Those here, are not bound
Like a flash, for tomorrow is now today
With their final words, the light of the day outside fades into night then day again as the hands of the grandfather clock spin and spin. "It's done." Persephone says as time finally resumes regularly.
"Then it's my turn." Cole says rolling his neck, and tossing his hand forward. The energy ball forms and launches forward at the tied up Rodriguez and he burst into flames.
"That chair was an antique!" Piper yells and Persephone rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers restoring it back to how it was before.
"Better?" Persephone asks, only to be stared at by the three sisters and Andy. "Cole."
"I already know. I'll make it seem like he took off. Need to find any incriminating evidence I find and hide it where it can be easily found. Do you mind?" Persephone waves her hand over him recasting the notice-me-not but this time making sure it will work on even demons. "I'll be back soon." Cole tells her and presses his lips to hers before turning narrowed eyes on the Halliwell sisters and shimmering out.
"Did he just teleport? Demons can teleport?" Andy turns looks for Cole.
"It's called shimmering and demons aren't the only beings capable of teleportation."
"Beings?" Prue asks.
"Did you think humans, witches, and demons were all that existed?" Paige asks her.
"No, there's ghosts too." Phoebe says as if she's all-knowing.
"Put it this way if it exists in make believe it probably existed or still exists today and that includes unicorns."
"Unicorns are real?" Piper questions.
"I think I need to sit down." Andy says.
"I think we should all sit down." Prue says leading Andy to the conservatory.
"You know don't you?" Persephone asks Prue but doesn't wait for an answer. "You know but you never told them." She finishes with a look toward Piper and Phoebe.
"She knows?" Paige looks between Persephone and Prue.
"Know what?" Phoebe asks staring between her sister and childhood friend.
"Prue?" Piper questions.
"The night Phoebe unlocked our powers I found a letter that fell out of the Book of Shadows. Grams wrote it to us and it had two pictures inside. I only managed to look at the first picture before I had to put it away."
"What was it?" Phoebe asks while Piper stays silent just listening and waiting.
"A picture of the three of us and mom. Mom was pregnant."
"What?" Phoebe nearly yells as she stands from her seat and begins pacing. Persephone and Paige just share a look and watch as the chaos unfolds. "I don't believe you. Where is it? Where's the picture?" Prue stands and moves to the old desk, hitting the top of it and kicking the side causes a drawer to pop open and she takes out the letter. Phoebe tries to snatch it out of her hands but Prue moves away from her. Taking out the photo she hands it to Piper who handles it carefully as Phoebe rushes over and leans over her shoulder.
"After I saw the picture I thought, I thought Mom miscarried and maybe that was the reason or part of the reason Dad left but it wasn't. He didn't just walk out for no reason." Prue says with teary eyes. "Mom had an affair and she got pregnant with twins, with Paige and Persephone. They're our little sisters. Our sisters that mom gave up for adoption because she thought it would stop us from becoming the Charmed Ones."
"Mom wouldn't do that?" Phoebe says, looking at Prue in betrayal.
"I think I remember . . ." Piper starts to say but goes quiet.
"Remember what?" Prue asks and Phoebe just looks at her.
"Mom came home with a man and they were holding . .." Piper closes her eyes, trying to remember. "I remember asking to hold the baby Mr. Sam was holding." Pipers lets out a breath of air. "I knew him, he came to the house a lot. He was friends with Dad." Phoebe's eyes tear up at Piper's words unable to believe that the mother she'd built up in her mind, the mother she'd only gotten to spend a few hours in the past with but had loved her so much could be the woman they were talking about.
"Why weren't we told? Why didn't Grams just tell us?" Phoebe asks.
"Because Mom made her swear to never tell anyone, to take the secret with her to the grave."
"And she did." Piper says. "But not before leaving the letter so that we'd know."
"And we spent so much time arguing over her had the cuter littlest sister." Paige says, looking at Prue. "Over a decade later and I still win." Persephone just rolls her eyes and leans over to smack the back of her head. "That's not cute!"
"Neither is bragging." Persephone says with a raised brow as she rubs her stomach which catches Phoebe's attention.
"You're pregnant!" Phoebe shouts getting everyone's attention before they look directly at Persephone and her hand laid over what they now can see as a slightly distended stomach.
"When are you due?" Piper asks worried, remembering that they had just gone up against a demon and wondering how on earth she and her apparently future niece or nephew would be safe especially with the way the three of them had been thrown around by demons these past months since becoming witches.
"I'm 2 months along."
"Is Cole the father?" Prue asks her and Persephone and Paige glare at her for even daring to ask.
"Of course he is!" She says insulted, fiery sparks lighting at the tips of her hair.
"Woah! Wh-what is that?" Andy freaks out at what her hair is doing.
"Prue upset the baby." Paige says with narrowed eyes.
"So her hair sparks? How does the baby even . . . ?" Piper tries to ask but gives up part way.
"My baby is a quarter demon, a quarter angel, and half witch."
"Angel. Grams said something about the two of you having the blood of angels in her letter."
"She wouldn't be wrong from what I understand of what Cole told me most witches have what are called Whitelighters assigned to them."
"Wait Whitelighter? As in your Dad was a Whitelighter?" Piper questions. "Their dad was a Whitelighter!" Prue flinches already knowing where Piper was going.
"I'm guessing you have a thing going on with a Whitelighter?" Persephone asks.
"You can't have a thing going with a Whitelighter. It's against the rules." Piper says pissed off.
"Says who?" Paige asks. "We met a family that lives out in Britain that has a witch father, Whitelighter mother, and three kids. Simon is older than us by a year."
"Not to mention completely obsessed with having one of us marry him but I'll be married to Cole as of next month so good luck with that Paige."
"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Persephone ignores Paige and turns to Piper.
"Simple fact is that so long as you're willing to accept that there are certain things you can't be told and times when you won't see each other it should be fine so long as you're not running around telling people he's a Whitelighter. It's just like if you married a cop and he went undercover, only in this case he's working to protect other witches from the same evils you face sometimes they won't even be witches but just ordinary people that have the potential to become a Whitelighter. To jeopardize that is jeopardize the future of every future witch and Whitelighter. You just have to ask what sacrifices you're willing to make especially seeing as being a Whitelighter is a full time, round the clock, job and one he won't get paid for."
Chapter 16: Truth Spoken
Chapter Text
Persephone spent the next hour figuring out what the sister's knew about magical and other beings which turned out to be close to nothing. The three sisters didn't even have the most basic protections that most wiccans did, let alone any sort of protection ward in place which was absolutely terrifying in her opinion. They had basically left themselves vulnerable to any demon every night for almost a year if what they said was true and it made her absolutely sick. Magic was the basis of all life, while it wasn't accessible to everyone, it was what made up a part of every soul and the three of them had been ignoring so many important things. Even Cole had winced when the three sisters had questioned his fiancé when she asked if they'd done a cleansing or at least prepped for one considering they were approaching the anniversary of their first year which meant without a cleansing all their work could be undone.
Persephone spent the rest of the night teaching them the basics, starting with herbs. She taught them that when certain herbs like rosemary are placed in a circular pattern, such as a wreath on their front door, they could form a minor protection ward that would prevent minor evils (such as human burglars/stalkers) from entering though without belief the magic would not take. She taught them how sprinkling a mixture of ground chamomile, lavender, and patchouli outside the house while reciting a spell would create a barrier ward that could stop and repel a single attack. She encouraged them to start growing pennyroyal in every far corner of the house as it would stop any magic being used to spy on them with malicious intent (meaning it generally wouldn't stop pesky Whitelighters/Elders or those neutral to them). She even wrote down instructions on how to make a potion from basil, lavender, rosemary, and yarrow along with a few other ingredients that when mixed into the water used to mop the floors (once a week) and clean the windows (once a month) would not only purify the house of negative energies but block them from entering while also preventing possessions from taking hold of anyone within the house and knocking anyone who was possessed out the moment they were fully inside the barrier it erected.
Paige explained about various magical creatures/beings that existed. She even went on further to tell Piper about the Marks family. Paige told her about how while Avery Marks was a witch his wife, Alicia Neethey, was a Whitelighter and how the two of them had made things work. The truth was that Piper and Leo would have to talk about what each of them was willing to give to make their relationship work. They could do things as the Marks family had where Piper would eventually have to accept the fact that she would grow old while Leo remained young, and she would either have to pass him off as a relative or her much older lover. The other option was that Leo could somewhere down the line clip his wings, becoming human for her, but that would also leave him with no powers or identity and that meant having to find someone to forge one for him that was good enough to pass most background inspections without question which generally meant spending some big bucks or at least it would have if not for the fact that the rules of personal gain didn't apply to Persephone who Paige was sure could quite literally bend the universe to her will if she wanted.
Meanwhile Phoebe had split her attention between somewhat listening to Persephone and asking Cole questions he found to be both personal and none of her business and as such completely infuriating. Phoebe asked about his mixed status, which one of his parents was human and which was demon, what kind of demon he was, if and how he could be vanquished, how he changed his appearance, his age, where he was born, if he had siblings, if he knew a lot of other half-humans, what he did, and basically anything else she could think of off the top of her head while throwing subtle, yet not so subtle to him, flirts in between. After realizing he wasn't going to answer most of her questions she pouted before asking about how he'd met Persephone, finally getting a full sentence out of him as it had to so with her childhood friend, which was actually her little sister and that was still turning her head. It was when Phoebe asked about how he proposed to Persephone and he smiled while looking over at her that Phoebe realized she could literally put on a strip show in front of him and he wouldn't do anything more than glance at her and even then, only in mild disinterest.
It was then the others stopped their conversation and also asked about it. Persephone looks to Cole and smiles. "Well, it was a few months after we moved here from New York."
Flashback
They had been in San Francisco for three months now after a month of preparing for the move. Emma and Andrew had managed to put a small wedding together before they left NY and had been busy getting their new construction company headquarters off the ground. Cole had taken her to a quaint restaurant called 'Quake' in the North Beach area for lunch before they drove out to the beach. Despite living so close to the coast her entire childhood it was actually the first time she had been to the ocean, and it held true for her last life as well. The smell of salt water and the sound of the waves crashing against sand and rock left her euphoric.
"So, what do you think?" His deep voice speaks lowly into her ear as he wraps his arms around her as they sit watching the sunset.
"It's beautiful." She says in awe. "The only view I've ever found more beautiful was when I first saw Hogwarts with the stars shining so brightly across the sky as I sat in a boat on the lake. I had never seen the stars before what with having lived in Surrey just a short while from London."
"I can't relate to that exactly though I do know one thing more beautiful than this."
"Oh, and what is that love?" Persephone asks tilting her head back so as to meet his eyes.
"Waking to you every morning."
"Don't." She purses her lips, trying not to smile.
"It's true. I don't think there's anything more beautiful than waking to you in my arms, your hair a mess of wild red curls spilled out around you from your tossing and turning to wrap yourself around me in your sleep, and you blinking those jade eyes open and smiling at me. I don't think I could live without waking to the sight every morning."
"Well, if we ever get married you won't have to worry about that." She says teasingly.
"No, I wouldn't." He says softly, unwrapping his arms from her.
"Cole? What are you doing?" She says turning to him and he bends down on one knee.
"Persephone Cerise Matthews once Chrysanthemum Harleen Potter, and my Sweet Destruction, my queen." He calls her before pressing a kiss to her hand. "I would give you the world, the moon, the stars, the sun, the very universe itself if you demanded it of me. I've lived in this world for 114 years and never have I been as happy or excited for a new day as I have since you came into my life. I never thought anyone could accept what I was, what I am, not when I couldn't myself but then you came, and everything changed."
"Cole" She whispers his name.
"I don't want to ever wake to not find you there at my side. I want to spend the rest of however long we have in this world waking up to find that you wrapped yourself around me in our sleep. I want to cook in the kitchen with you in the morning and have you irritated because I added the wrong thing in. I want to protect you even though I know you don't need it and will likely kick my ass until I give up and just accept the fact that you'll be right there fighting alongside me should we need to. I want to be the man that becomes Teddy's father and the father to any future children which is something I never considered even doing before you. I want to spend every moment I can calling you, my wife." He takes a small velvet box out from his pocket and holds it out to her before opening it to reveal a diamond encrusted white gold twisting band with a haloed princess cut diamond in the center as tears fill Persephone's eyes. "Marry me Persephone and I swear I will be the best man and demon for you. I will prove myself worthy of you every day of our lives. I love you Persephone and I do not say those words easily. I'm in love with you and I know I will never love anyone else the way I do you."
"Yes."
Flashback Ends
"Aw, that's so romantic." Phoebe says and Piper nods with a small smile.
"Yeah, that's all really something but I still just don't understand how you could think getting involved with a demon, sorry half-demon, is a good idea let alone the fact you're marrying one. I mean what are you going to tell your baby? Hi, your daddy's a monster." Prue blurts her thoughts aloud only for a small fireball to appear in front of Persephone and shoot out, tossing the older woman back several feet.
"Did you not figure it out the first time? My baby doesn't like your speciesism shit and quite frankly neither do I." Persephone glares at Prue as she speaks. "Let's get something clear here Prue if it wasn't for Cole at least one of you would be dead right now. No, shut up." Persephone says and with a wave of her hand Prue is spelled silent after trying to interrupt. "You need to realize not all witches are good, if they were there wouldn't be warlocks. The opposite is also true for demonic beings. Take werewolves for instance, they rarely ever know what they are unless they live in a community because they don't keep their memories of the full moon and the few that do figure it out either seclude themselves away the rest of their lives out of fear or they chain themselves up fearing what would happen otherwise. Despite stories and modern media, they don't eat humans. In fact, werewolves tend to avoid humans completely and only hunt smaller animals." Prue huffs silently as she listens while Paige and Cole watch the other two to make sure they don't try anything.
"I don't deny Cole having a past, and he won't either. The simple fact of the matter is that right now you're holding a victim responsible for a crime committed when their life and the life of someone they loved was on the line." Persephone glances at Cole, silently asking permission, and he nods. "Cole's mother was a demon. She posed as a human woman and married his father as an experiment. She wanted to see how her demonic blood would affect a child born from a demon/human pairing. Cole was 3 when Elizabeth got tired of playing human, the night she took Cole she killed his father for trying to stop her. She killed him right in front of him but that wasn't enough for her. She went even further and captured Benjamin's soul so she could use it against him. So, tell me Prue what would you do in that situation? What would you do if you spent day after day beaten for showing any weakness, for showing any positive emotion, for being human? What would you do if the one person who ever tried to protect you was kept from eternal rest and threatened with eternal damnation if you stepped out of line? Sometimes Prue, you don't get a good choice. Sometimes you just get fucked." Persephone tells her before turning to Cole and holding her hand out. "I think it's time we go home now." Cole gently takes her hand in his while she gives the other a small wave in Prue's direction, releasing her from the spell that kept her silent as she spoke in his defense knowing Cole would never have defended himself because he still held so much regret since learning to accept both sides of himself.
"I think we'll keep our distance for now." Paige says before closing the front door behind them.
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