(2) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Eleven

Lyra and Dandelion comfort Daphne through the attack on Neville before they have to leave. And whilst Daphne doesn't want them to go, she understands that they have to go. Hogwarts isn't really one for letting people live in its walls that aren't students. She has to go through the rest of this alone. She can't rely on other people to fix this for her. It is going to come down to her and the Phoenix. With perhaps aid from those around her. But at the end of the day, it is going to be down to the two of them to get this right. Right now, she's tired. It's hard to sleep alone. Last night she had the girls and before that, she's been sleeping with Damon for a while, and with the stress of everything going on, she is exhausted. And yet, she still has classes to go to and a schedule to stick to, otherwise McGonagall might come find her and give her one of those disappointed looks.

Today, she is meeting with the Ancient Runes professor. This is one that she is surprised by. She doesn't know MacGillory. She wasn't one of her professors but a replacement for one that has left on maternity leave. So this is going to be new for Daphne. She doesn't have the comfort of familiarity with this one. MacGillory is looking over the Kione book, eyes wide with interest as she traces the lettering on the cover.

"Kione" She states as she looks over the cover of the book. "Wow" She whispers and turns the books around to look over the rest of it. Daphne leans against a nearby desk.

"Can you read it?" Daphne asks. MacGillory shrugs a little.

"It's old" She gives in way of an answer. "But there should be some similarities to the ancient runes that we translate today....there are similarities in most languages..." She turns the book around and hums. "How did you know that this was Kione?"

"An ancient vampire told me" Daphne admits. MacGillory turns to look at her in surprise. Daphne sighs and nods. It is unfortunately true. "But the Phoenix also agreed so..." She shrugs and looks away from the professor.

"Can she read it?" Daphne closes her eyes and focuses inward, trying to get a read on that answer from the Phoenix but she is being very silent and very guarded. Daphne can't get anything from her.

"I don't know" Daphne admits as she opens her eyes. MacGillory hums and looks back at the book as she opens it up to look over the pages.

"Give me a couple of hours" MacGillory offers. "I'll give it a shot....come back after lunch" Daphne lets out a breath and nods. She can wait a few more answers for the possibility of answers. MacGillory then basically ignores Daphne as she sits with the book so Daphne takes it as a dismissal. Not that she knows what she is going to for the next hour and a half before she has her next lesson.

.......

Fred is bothering Daphne. But he's trying to cheer her up so she can't be mad at him for it. She imagines he gets rather lonely living here as a ghost so it means a lot to him when he sees a familiar face. And Daphne is family in a way. She was always kind to him during her school years, everyone was, but Daphne more so. Especially after she found out about herself and her family. Fred leans back on the desk, resting his head on the book that she is trying to read. She sighs and gives him a look. That stupid smug smile beaming up at her.

"I'm bored" He complains, drawing out the words.

"So go and find another student to bother" She counters, leaning back in her seat.

"Can't believe you" He grumbles. "You graduated, and now you're back, and studying"

"I'm not studying" She defends and wants to lean over to flick his forehead, but that is never going to work. He's a ghost, her hand will go right through him. "This is just some light reading about a possible threat in my life" Fred leans up to look down at the book.

"The Originals" He mumbles and tilts his head. "Ancient vampires, right?" She nods in agreement. "That's the vampire drama you've been dealing with"

"Yep" She answers. "It's the vampire drama I died for" She adds. "And then he came back....because another witch body-hopped him"

"Ouch" Fred mumbles and gives her an apologetic look. She shrugs a little. She's not as bitter with Bonnie about what happened now. Bonnie was trying to stop this from happening to her, but failed. She meant well. A Ravenclaw student approaches the table, waving at Fred who smiles and waves back. The student's attention then turns to Daphne.

"Professor MacGillory is looking for you" One of the students tells Daphne who gives them a thankful smile before standing from the table. She'll have to put these books away before she leaves, and that gives her a moment to prepare herself for what is to come. This book is likely to give her some answers to this. It's supposed to give her answers.

........

"A lot of the pages that might have the information on are burnt beyond...." MacGillory motions to the ruined book in front of her. There are a lot of burnt and charred and missing pages that getting any information strung together is difficult. Daphne closes her eyes, disappointed. Because just when she thinks she is getting close to figuring something out, the Phoenix gets in the way. But of course she does. Because that is her life now. The Phoenix is always going to be a threat. The whole point of coming back here was to figure out who to live with it. She opens her eyes, tears gathering in them.

"Well, thanks anyway" Daphne whispers as she takes the book and the notes that MacGillory had managed to make, but without the other pages, she might as well throw it all away.

.......

In her room, Daphne buries her head in her hands and lets out a small sob. It's just been a long week and this disappointment with the book is the straw that broke her. She had so much hope riding on the stupid book. In the mirror, the Phoenix watches Daphne, this is the most upset she's felt her since she woke up. The most hopeless she's felt. In this moment, taking control would be easy. There would be no resistance at all. She could probably take over and bury Daphne deep inside never to see the light of day again. But instead, she turns her gaze to the Kione book that sits on the dresser. She sighs and then nods to herself.

"A peace offering" The Phoenix states and then lifts her hand in the mirror, wiggling her fingers. There is a rush of magic over the book before it disappears. Daphne lifts her head to frown at the book before she then looks at the Phoenix who nods towards the book. Daphne holds out her hand and calls the book to her. It comes quickly and willingly. Daphne sighs and opens it up. Her eyes taking in the pages as she flicks through it. It's been translated. Every single word is now in English for her to read. The burnt and missing pages have been replaced. She frowns harder and looks at her reflection in the mirror.

"Why did you do this?" Daphne asks, holding up the book towards her reflection. The Phoenix rolls her eyes.

"Because I do actually feel bad for hurting Longbottom" She admits and pulls a face. She knows it is because of Daphne that she is feeling that way. That the boundaries between the two of them are very thin. They are bleeding into one another. Which might be good for the Phoenix, but not so much for Daphne. "And because...we are stuck like this....and maybe everyone else has been right, and wrong.....we have to live with one another and I don't want to be locked away...."

a/n - So for those that want to know, Daphne will be reunited with Damon and the others at the end of Ch. 13. I know there have been a few complaints about her being away from Mystic Fall.