(1) The Phoenix (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Bonnie and Caroline follow Daphne into the basement of the abandoned witch house. Daphne clutches her wand in her hand, her mind going over the options they have here. Spells they can try. But she has never had to do something like this before. They didn't teach anything about sending ghosts away at Hogwarts. Bonnie kneels down and opens up her grimoire to find the spell she initially did. The one that has very clearly gone wrong.

"So this is where you brought Jeremy back to life?" Caroline asks as she looks around, pulling a face of disgust.

"Yeah. Sorry, I know it's creepy, but we needed a private place" Bonnie counters with a sigh, her fingers touching the grimoire pages.

"Hmm. There's no chance it's haunted by the hundred dead witches who were horrifically burned to death in this very spot, is there?" Caroline asks, Daphne and Bonnie turn to give her a look.

"No" Bonnie answers. "They're not here anymore. And they made it clear they were never coming back."

"Right...." Caroline whispers and then pulls her jacket closer to her body to defend it from the dust and cobwebs. Daphne snorts and shakes her head. Daphne holds up her hand and closes her eyes, concentrating on the spell in her mind before she twists her hands. The dust and the cobwebs throughout the whole room disappear, boxes stack up and the fireplace erupts to warm the room.

"Okay, that was cool" Caroline comments, Bonnie nods in agreement. Daphne then waves her hand softly and all the candles around the room suddenly light up. Caroline lets out a breath and nods. Daphne then kneels next to Bonnie. She pulls a book from her bag, it's a sort of grimoire. She doesn't horde spells the way that traditional witches do. Ancient magic users share their spells. But she made some notes from the books she was going through that morning. Trying to find something that might work.

"I have some spells that might work" Daphne offers as she ties her hair back from her face. "But first..." She sighs and looks at Bonnie. "Going to have to make it worse"

"Worse how?" Caroline asks. Daphne pulls a face and then wrinkles her nose.

"Manifest them to the physical world" Daphne answers.

"You want to give the ghosts a stronger foothold?" Bonnie asks, looking at her wide-eyed.

"None of the spells I came across talk about sending ghosts with only a partial foothold back, they only talk about sending them away once they've fully manifested....which means that I can't send them back until they have full foothold" She opens up the book and takes a deep breath. "So here goes nothing..." Bonnie and Caroline share a look. Daphne clutches her wand between her hands, pressing her thumb into the wood as she concentrates. Mentally casting the spell that is needed to fully manifest the ghosts. A breeze blows through the room but it soon picks up, whirling around the three girls.

"Guys...I don't like this" Caroline admits as she looks around, she really, really, really doesn't like this. "Daph" Suddenly someone grabs Daphne's hands. She gasps and lifts her eyes to find Sirius watching her. He smirks at her, gently caressing her hand with a soft reverence. He's touching his daughter. For the first time since she was born.

"Remy" He whispers softly. She lets out a breath. Bonnie leans closer to her friend.

"Who is that?" Bonnie asks.

"My dad" Daphne admits. "My real one..." She then seems to realise that Bonnie can see him.

"But you can see him?" Bonnie nods in agreement, Daphne looks at Caroline.

"Yeah, me too" Caroline assures her.

"You did it" Tink's voice reaches them. They turn to find that Tink is perched on the crates across the room, her wings glowing green behind her.

"And there's mom" Daphne offers, Bonnie and Caroline are staring at her, or specifically her wings.

"She's..." Caroline starts and then stops. Not really knowing what she is.

"A fairy" Daphne explains, Caroline turns to look at her.

"Do you know what's going on?" Bonnie asks them. "Why this is happening?" Sirius looks at Bonnie.

"We know," He tells her. "The witches told you there'd be consequences to bringing Jeremy Gilbert back and you did it anyway" Bonnie looks down.

"I didn't have a choice. I love him and I...I couldn't just let him go" Bonnie admits. Tink and Sirius share a look of understanding. The things they did for the people they loved in the past.....they understand.

"We...understand" Tink assures the girl as she flutters down to her feet, moving closer to them.

"You cracked open the door to the other side" Sirius adds. "There's an old witch over here and she took advantage of it. She took advantage of you"

"So..." Daphne starts and looks down at the book. "The spell didn't go wrong?"

"No" Sirius offers.

"But when Bonnie sent Vicki Donovan away..."

"That old witch wedged the door wide open, giving a free pass to anybody with unfinished business" Tink finishes as she stands behind Daphne.

"How do you know this?" Bonnie asks them.

"Witches talk" Tink answers. "Even on the other side. Who do you think makes all the rules?"

"You need to close that door," Sirius adds, his eyes softer on Daphne. They know that it will mean that they have to say goodbye to their daughter again. Likely for the last time.

"How do we do that?" Daphne asks, Tink takes a deep breath and shares a look with Sirius. Daphne can read it on their faces. That they don't want her to do this. They don't want to go away again. But they have both accepted it. They accepted it all those years ago when they gave her up. They both knew there was a chance they wouldn't survive the war. They understood. Daphne looks down at her book just as Bonnie curls her fingers around Daphne's arm to comfort her.