Life After Death - An Erica Black Continuation (4)

One

2017

"Charlotte Neoma! Don't you dare hit your sister!" The woman exclaims, scooping her crying daughter into her arms whilst walking her twin, by her hand, to the designated time out corner.
"Stay here for mummy Charlotte you need some thinking time." Erica says sternly, kneeling to meet her daughters eyes.
A knock at the door of their cottage draws her attention, she scoops up her oldest daughter pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head and holding her close as she moves to answer it.

"Charlie! Welcome." She smiles, moving to the side to allow him into her home. Willow softly ducks her head into the crook of her mother's neck at the sight of the tall ginger man.
"Narcissa! What a lovely surprise!" She smiles when her friend steps aside to reveal his fiancé.
"Erica darling, it's been too long" the older woman smiles kindly, squeezing the mans hand.
"Please, come in. Would you like some tea?" The couple nod in confirmation.
Once everyone's inside the house, Erica shuts the door and scoops up her second born daughter on the opposite hip, pressing a kiss to both of their foreheads.
"There's favourite niece number two! Happy belated 1st birthday!" Calls Charlie from across the room.
"You aren't their uncle Charlie" the twin's mother chuckles.
"Not by blood but by love" he smiles winking playfully.
Narcissa chuckles "don't you have enough nieces and nephews?" She asks humorously.
"never enough" The man says raising his hands in faux surrender.
The dark haired woman plops her bottle green eyed daughter down on the newly engaged man's lap, keeping the more nervous of the pair close to her chest whilst she bustles about making tea for her guests.

"Is Molly speaking to you yet?" Erica asks gently as she sits opposite the red head and his girlfriend.
"Yea... you know mum can't ignore any of us for long... she wasn't impressed but I think dad got through to her" he she shrugs placing the fussing toddler on her feet on the floor. The tiny girl moves to play with the small basket of toys by the sofa. The mother watches her for a moment before turning to her elder daughter.
"Do you wanna go play with Lottie, Willa?" She asks in a whisper. She watches the child for her response. The girl looks longingly at her sister and the toys before glancing shyly at the adults and blushing, hiding her face back in her mothers neck.
Erica Black thinks for a moment before gently pulling the child from her chest and placing her on the floor and nudging her towards the toy box.

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"Allons-y mes petits amours" cooed the woman, her ebony curls tightly pulled back in an intricate braid, each daughter dressed in fresh pyjamas, their short damp hair tightly braided. She places them in their cribs and settles in the armchair between them with a copy of 'The Borrowers' open in her lap.

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"Sorry about that, you know what they're like when they get tired" Erica Black smiled tiredly at her guest as she hurried back to join them.
"I'm really not sure how you do it my dear," Narcissa sighs softly, "I remember how exhausted I used to get when Draco was that age, I can't imagine having two". This made the younger of the two women chuckle and nod in agreement
"It is exhausting but I'm sure you'll agree, so worth it."
After a moments silence Charlie spoke up; "Anyway, Erica, you promised you'd tell me who their father is" he whined playfully, it had been an ongoing joke between the friends that she would reveal the father's identity once the twins were older, this made her laugh loudly before stifling the noise, not wanting to wake her daughters.  
"fine..." she sighs, "but you cannot say a word, not to anyone.." both the other adults nod, their  curiosity rapidly rising the secretiveness.
"He's a ministry official in the Department of International Magical Cooperation..." there's a moment of hesitation before continuing "Edward Scott..." she mumbles, not making eye contact with Charlie nor Narcissa. When she gathers the courage to look up at the two, she's met by nothing but stunned silence.

"When the hell did that happen?" Charlie spoke first.
"When things didn't work out with Libby... I was feeling really low and I had a few.. one night stands" cringing at her own words, she continues "Edward was the only man I slept with... the only man I've ever slept with and then... seven months later: Voila" she blushed. 
"Merlin... twins? on your first time..." Narcissa chuckles. Erica shoots her a joking glare.
"Hold on, Edward Scott..." Charlie repeated the name slowly, clearly thinking about it... "Wasn't he involved the the London Five investigation a couple years back?"
"You mean the Aurors and the reporter in... 2015?" Erica questioned.
"Patel, Hale, Gerrard, Bladt and Fawley..." Nacissa sighed...
"Penelope Fawley? I remember Harry mentioning her a few years back- he thought she's make a brilliant auror when she applied." Commented Erica, curiously.
"Yeah, her husband went a bit mad after she went missing, he was left to raise their twins alone and he got really invested in the case. No one knows what really happened"