(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Daphne moves around the kitchen as she picks out things and gives them a cautionary sniff to check if it's clean or not. She knows Kreacher does his best for her, considering his age. She should start thinking about doing something about it. She's older now. This house is her responsibility. She knows Harry didn't want to do anything because it would eventually be her house, and she would have likely just changed things anyway when she was ready. Maybe she is ready now. To make this house her own home. She could get some help from Hermione and Harry, they might have the spells needed to alter the house for her.

"So does Kreacher live here?" Jeremy asks from the table in the middle of the room.

"Yeah" Daphne answers as she finds a kettle. "He served Walburga and reluctantly Sirius. He's miserable and salty, but he's been through a lot" She sets the kettle on the stove after filling it with water. "He's tried to mend his way since the war and as I am the last of the Black line....he's tried hardest with me, despite the fact he never got along with Sirius" She turns back to the room.

"Can't imagine why" Damon comments and holds up a piece of parchment, Sirius' wanted poster on. "You never said Sirius was...a wanted criminal"

"He didn't do anything wrong" She argues, quickly. "He was framed...and he did his time for things he wasn't to blame for...." Damon raises an eyebrow and then looks at the poster. "It wasn't his fault" She whispers and turns away, back to the stove.

"Mistress" Kreacher greets and they all turn to look at the ageing house-elf as he enters the room. His eyes then travel over the others people here. "Muggles" Kreacher complains. "Vampire and a traditional witch" Daphne touches Jeremy's shoulder.

"Jeremy and Elena" She offers. "My brother and sister...I told you about them"

"The Americans?" Kreacher asks as he waddles towards her. His age is getting to him now.

"Yes," She answers. Kreacher hums a little watching Jeremy a moment before looking away and mumbling quietly under his breath about muggles. "Kreacher" Daphne starts, wanting to distract him from that. "Jeremy's going to be staying here for a while to look through the books in the drawing-room...." Kreacher pulls a face. "He's trying to help me and our friends...Would you please look after him?" Kreacher looks at her. "It would mean a great deal to me" He seems to struggle with the concept of being kind to a muggle, but she is his mistress and she is asking this of him. "And yes, don't worry, I will go through the house rules with him"

"House rules?" Elena asks.

"This is Kreacher's home too and as such there are rules in place so as not to upset or disturb him" Daphne offers and gives Elena a look. Kreacher can make Jeremy's stay here very difficult if he wants to make it so.

"It's okay, Daph," Jeremy tells her. "Whatever they are, I'll follow them" She gives him a thankful smile.

"So the top floor is out of bounds," Daphne tells Jeremy. "Kreacher and Regulus' bedrooms are up there"

"Regulus?" Elena asks.

"My uncle. Sirius' brother. He died a long time ago but...he and Kreacher were very close and after the war, Kreacher was offered Sirius' old room up there..."

"Kreacher likes being close to Master Regulus' things..." Kreacher explains. Daphne smiles a little and nods. She knows.

"There are bedrooms on the second and third floors, pick one, it doesn't matter which one, except the one with a niffler on the door, that's my room" Daphne continues for Jeremy. "And the drawing-room is just up on the first floor, we passed it coming down here...." Jeremy nods along. "Look, other than the top floor, you can go wherever you want. And anything dangerous was labelled or given over to the Ministry. Oh, actually, you better stay out of the shed in the garden as well..." Jeremy gives her a look as she moves around the room. "Buckbeak was moved out there a few years back and he can be a bit temperamental of strangers" She moves on and does not explain herself further. Damon doesn't react when Pad climbs into his lap and starts digging around in his jacket pocket.

"You can't just say something like that and not explain" Damon teases. "What's...Buckbeak?"

"A hippogriff" Daphne answers, Damon blinks.

"The horse eagle things?" He asks, she nods. "You have one as a pet?"

"No" She argues. "Buckbeak's not a pet, he's my friend" Damon softens a little. Kreacher moves to the kettle on the stove as it whistles. Daphne opens a drawer. "I asked Hermione to make up an access thing if I ever got around to bringing you both here" She takes out the envelope from within. "There is no key, no lock, nothing like that. It reads magic...." She empties the envelope into her hand to reveal a vial necklace. It was just something she needed just in case. She did want to bring her family here one day. She holds out the vial necklace to him. "The vial holds my magic, so when you approach the house, it will sense you as me...and then let you in" Jeremy nods and pulls on the necklace. "You can come and go but it would be best if you do so when the street is quiet" Jeremy nods again.

"We'll stay tonight" Elena offers. "Make sure you're settled"

"You don't have to stay" Jeremy assures them.

"Of course we do" Daphne counters. "This is my house and as a good hostess, I will make sure you are comfortable before I leave" Kreacher sets a tea tray on the table, having poured out cups for everyone. Bonnie smiles at him in thanks and then helps him hand the cups out to everyone. Daphne pulls her bag across the table to rummage around in it. "Kreacher" He moves towards her as she calls his name. "I brought these for you" She pulls a wrapped parcel from her bag, all wrapped up with string and hands it to Kreacher who takes it. It's just crumpled up pages of parchment, her notes and things from her experiments. He likes to use them to decorate his room. He even has some of her old school notes, her letter drafts and things. He then leaves them to the kitchen. No doubt heading upstairs.