(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter One Hundred and Seven

To talk to Rose, Daphne has them set up in the living room. After Harry and the others leave, on the promise that they will arrange everything for Buckbeak. He will be moving on before the week is up. It's hard for Daphne. With Kreacher gone, and now Buckbeak leaving, this house will sit completely empty for the first time in however many years it has been. Since it was built probably. She's going to have to make a decision on it now. There is nothing here to keep her from getting rid of it, if that's what she decides. She doesn't know though. The house will be the only link left to the Black line. That last link left.

"I can't believe Kol was a vampire" Jeremy breaks the silence as Daphne holds out her wand, candles float from the cabinets to set up in a circle on the floor, enough room in the centre for her and Jeremy to sit in. To contact the other side.

"Well, didn't you find it weird that you made a friend so fast? Have you met you?" Damon counters, earning a scolding look from both Daphne and Jeremy. Damon just smirks back at them. Daphne shakes her head with a fond eye roll before she turns. She swishes her wand and all the candles light.

"Sit," She tells Jeremy, motioning to the centre of the circle. Daphne then joins him when he does sit. Damon frowns at the two of them.

"That's it?" Damon asks as he walks around the outside of the circle. "Just some candles?" Daphne hums and nods.

"That's it" She agrees and then holds out a hand towards Jeremy who takes it without question. She then nods her head towards Damon, holding out her other hand towards him. Damon glances at it and then at Jeremy's outstretched hand. He pulls a face. "You are our link to Rose" Daphne explains "We need to be touching you to draw your influence" Damon takes her hand but then sighs before he takes Jeremy's. "Just think of Rose" Daphne tells him. "Will her to manifest here"

"Come on Rose, you're not gonna actually make us wait, are you? I know you're obsessed with me" Daphne snorts and then chuckles slightly.

"You didn't really need to vocalise it" She teases but he just shrugs back. "But if it helps, why don't you tell us something about her"

"Um, well she does this little thing with her tongue" Damon starts, Daphne snorts and gives him a look.

"Something that matters, Damon" She argues. He lets out a breath and shrugs. Not sure what to say. It does take him a moment.

"She spent her last day in paradise" He admits quietly. "Soaking in the sun and reminiscing about what it means to be human. And when death came, she didn't fear it"

"It was in the dream he gave her" Jeremy states as Rose speaks in the room. Daphne glances across at the dead vampire as she shifts behind Jeremy.

"She's here" Daphne offers. Damon looks around but he can't see her.

"Is she still hot?" Damon asks.

"Tell him he's still dripping with sex too" Rose counters causing Daphne to smirk whilst Jeremy stares at her. "Fine, tell him I miss him"

"She misses you" Jeremy voices.

"And tell him I'm rooting for him and Daphne" Rose adds and winks across at the redhead who seems surprised by the admission. Jeremy chuckles only to stop when Daphne turns a teasing scold on him.

"She uh..." Jeremy starts.

"Okay," Daphne interrupts him. Jeremy gives her a confused look. It's pretty clear, to all of them, that there is something going on between her and Damon, and that it is good for both of them.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any news on the siring front" Rose changes the subject to the reason that they have manifested her here. "Klaus didn't sire me. No Original did. It was Mary Porter"

"She was sired by someone named Mary Porter" Daphne offers. Damon frowns down at her.

"Uh, Scary Mary" He grumbles. "Well, where is she, Rose?"

"I didn't keep track of her when I was alive, much less now. Tell him to sit tight, and relax. I'll see what I can find out" Rose assures them before she disappears.

"She's gone" Jeremy voices, Damon clenches his jaw in annoyance.

"She'll be back" Daphne counters. "She's gone looking for information" Damon nods a little and then releases Jeremy's hand, though keeps a hold of Daphne's.

"I'll call Stefan" He states. "See if there is any news on his end" He squeezes Daphne's hand before he leaves the two of them alone, heading into the kitchen to talk with his brother. Daphne pulls her phone from her pocket to text Elena, to let her know that Jeremy is okay and that they should be back soon enough. Once they know where Mary is then they can go and talk to her, find out her line, and then that should be it.

"So I found these books" Jeremy starts as he watches Daphne who texts on her phone. She hums a little in acknowledgement of his statement. Pushing him to explain. "About Phoenix-cursed" She looks up at him. "Kreacher.." She flinches a little. "Also made a comment" She sighs and sets her phone down. She knew that Jeremy being here would bring this up, she warned him as much, and she told the others, but still, she was hoping to keep it from Jeremy for as long as possible.

"Jer" She starts and shrugs. "It's fine...I live with it"

"It's bad though" He argues. "If you were to die..."

"I won't" She stops him, leaning closer to place her hands on his forearms, curling her fingers slightly. "It's not something you should be worrying about, okay?" She assures him softly. "I am fine...I will be fine" He gives her a doubtful look, from what he's read, it's one of those curses that is like the worst around. It's a slow curse. A lingering curse. She could go her whole life and not suffer it, until the end. And with the way things are at home, the chances of her death are now tenfold whatever they were before. "Damon's promised that if I die...if it happens, that he will make sure that I won't...change. There are measures in place"

"So you and he are...together now?" He asks, she chuckles a little and leans back.

"We've not really...labelled it" She answers. "It's probably just....some fun" She shrugs. She wants to believe that it is something more. She knows how she feels about him, but as neither of them has spoken about things, she has no idea where he stands.

"Are you sure about that?" Jeremy asks. "Cause Rose said..."

"I know" She whispers. She knows that ghosts see things that they don't. That they have access to moments that she doesn't. But she is not sure and she doesn't want to bring it up to Damon, just in case she is wrong.