Life After Death - An Erica Black Continuation (4)

Thirty Eight

"where is everyone going to stay mum?" Asked Willow, absentmindedly rubbing her fingertips together as she looked up to the black haired woman for answers. She thought for a moment before answering her daughter's question.
"Well, we have eleven bedrooms that can each sleep two people and nineteen people so I suppose we pair people up"
"Will we have to share?" Asked Lottie, turning her full attention to her mother for the first time that morning. Erica couldn't help but smile at that, she could always trust Charlotte to have her priorities straight and in order, she bit her lip to restrain a soft laugh and took a moment to compose herself whilst considering her answer before speaking.
"No. Well, no more than usual. The two of you will share, Draco and Astoria will share the second master bedroom, I'll keep my room. And then,
James with Lily,
Sirius with Willow,
Mooney with Tonks,
Gideon with Fabian,
Marlene with Dorcus,
Severus with Alastor,
Fred can use Scorpius' room
and of course, Regulus will keep his room too."
"Lottie, why don't you take Alastor, Severus, Gideon and Fabian up to the third floor to the twin rooms?" The girl's mother asked, motioning towards the four men
"Okay mum" She shrugged, leading the small group out of the library, Erica then turned to her husband;
"Dray, you head up to your room with Astoria and take Fred with you, it's on the way"
"Sure thing, Eri" He smiled, turning towards the two.
"Willow, hunny, can you take Lily, James, Marlene and Dorcus up to the two rooms opposite the twin rooms?" She asked, pointing the way towards the people she was referring to
"Yes mum" Willow rubbed her fingertips together as she smiled awkwardly at the strangers.
"And that leaves Willow, Sirius, Remus and Tonks with me." Said the dark haired woman as she looked up at the now near empty library. In front of her stood only her God-father, one of her oldest friends, the mother she'd never had a chance to meet and the father who had never made an effort with her...

"Erica... wow" breathed Willow Ollivander, taking a moment to look her daughter over, her grown up daughter who she'd only ever seen once, she couldn't believe that tiny baby girl she held in the maternity ward of St. Mungos was now a woman, with three daughters of her own...
"Hey mum," She smiled awkwardly "It's nice to meet you"
"Erica," Sirius interrupted, "I'm so sorry for.. everything"
"Dad, please don't. I accept your apology and I think that, with a little more time, I could forgive you as well." She smiled softly, reaching out to touch her father's hand.
"Well, this is where you will be staying, Mum, Dad." Erica Black smiled, opening the door for them and moving one with one last smile, leading her God-father and friend on to the next room. Remus pulled her to the side, allowing Tonks to enter their room without him, she saw his step away and nodded at him in understanding, she knew he must have a lot to say to the girl he raised.
"I'm really proud of you, Pup. This life you've built for yourself; a husband, a job, your children, your home. It's everything I could've ever hoped for you and more" He smiled, his eyes getting a little teary as he looked down at his incredible God-daughter, the girl who he had long considered his own child, his daughter, his pride and joy.
"Thank you, Mooney. I can't wait for you to see it all, get to know the girls, see Teddy. Oh, Merlin Mooney, Teddy is a wonder..." She gushed excitedly, reaching to her neck and pulling a locket out, opening it, she turned the necklace in he hand to show her God-father the picture inside; A twenty five year old Teddy Lupin with bright blue hair sat next to a fifty year old Charlie Weasley and on each of their laps sat one of the twins, only seven at the time. Willow sat on Teddy's knee, picture perfect as always, her hands in he lap, her fingers ever so subtly rubbing together. And in Charlie's lap, sat Charlotte, one strap of her dungarees falling down her shoulder, her legs swinging, lightly kicking her God-father as he smiled through the pain.
"Merlin, that's never Teddy?" He gasped.
"Sure is, I took him to get his first tattoo and his first piercing" She smiled proudly.
"Good to see my son had a Black as a bad influence" Chuckled Remus
"Hey!" Erica yelped, elbowing her God-father playfully "I am not a bad influence, I just think there's nothing wrong with living a little whilst you can"
And with that, Erica left her God-father to make his way back to Tonks and wandered back to her empty room which she usually shared with her husband. The moment the door closed behind her, she fell to her knees.

(TW)
Her legs crumpled beneath her like they were made of paper and she fell, she didn't fight it, nor struggle, she let gravity take her and hit the floor with a soft thud. Her arms itched in a way that they hadn't for... years, decades even. The itch of an old habit that Erica Black believed she had left behind when she died but it would seem not. Her skin burned and itched horribly and the more she ignored it, the more desperately she tried to block out those reincarnated urges.. The hotter her skin smouldered until she gripped it tightly, digging her nails deep into her own wrist until red blood dripped down he porcelain arm.. And with a sigh of relief, her flesh was extinguished.
A sob raked her body, every inch of her shaking with jagged gasps for air. Her heart skipped like an old record and the room felt so warm, as if the air were thick and sluggish in her lungs, her hands trembled uncontrollably as she cradled her bump. Her vision twisted, blurred and distorted in a way that was strikingly foreign whilst still being terrifyingly familiar. The room was too bright, everything about it burned her eyes and yet she could not close them as whenever she did, she saw the same pair of grey eyes staring her down, narrowing, creasing with laughter; her father's eyes tormenting her flurrying mind...