Life After Death - An Erica Black Continuation (4)

Fourty One

It took around half an hour for everyone to gather in the dining room but eventually they were all sat at the vast table, some of them with plates full of food and others without but all talking animatedly. Erica herself took a croissant and some fruit salad; hunger was an unusual side effect of pregnancy for a dead woman and as she had with the twins, she quickly came to terms with her newfound need for food. The large group of them ate until they were full and then made there way back upstairs.
Draco and Astoria decided to head out for the afternoon, wanting to spend time together. Narcissa had a meeting to attend to, her divorce from Lucius Malfoy had resulted in him transferring the entire Malfoy fortune to their son and although Draco was always happy to support his mother, she had taken up some light divination work in order to take some of the burden off her son. Alastor and Severus apparently had a meeting with the headmistress and also left is a considerable hurry. Roxanne, Louis, James, Hugo and Fred all left, muttering about afternoon shifts, plans or errands.

The few that were left, only a fraction of those who had arrived the previous afternoon, gathered in the fort that the kids had made of the storage room, there were a few surprised expressions and impressed nods as they all filed in with pillows, blankets and sat down, facing the far wall on to which, the title sequence of a film was being projected.

Ginny leaned over to her lover and whispered in her ear, "why are they all back, Eri?"
Erica sighed deeply, she had been hoping that everyone would remain too excited and overjoyed by the return of their loved ones to ask such questions for at least a few more days but she should've known better when it came to Ginny Potter. "There's going to be another war.. You remember those dreams I told you about. The ones I'd been having since the girls were born" The red headed woman nodded, "Well it turns out, they weren't dreams as such, more.. visions. Regulus coming to me from the afterlife trying to warn me. So one night I went out and well... got him. And then he insisted we get the others, that they were ready. So we went."
"What do we know about the war?"
"All I know is that they are coming. The attacks have already started. I had hoped I'd never have to say this Ginn, but I think it's time to reassemble the Order of the Phoenix"
"Harry would never agree to it Eri.. Not after last time. The children"
"I was worried about that.. but I don't think this is going to be a battle like 98. I think this is going to be smaller, we want to nip it in the bud early so it doesn't grow to be that size."
"Well, I will fight by your side, you know I will. But I cannot promise Harry will do the same."
"I wouldn't ask it of him Ginn, I know he's sacrificed so much already."
"Don't" Ginny interrupts, placing a hand on her friend's thigh "We have all made sacrifices, possibly none more than yourself but who's to state such things" she smiled weakly, squeezing Erica's thigh, as the woman leant on her shoulder, resting her ebony locks against Ginny's frame.

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Once the movie had drawn to an end, most of the remaining guests trickled out until only Erica, the twins, Regulus, Dorcus and Marlene and Sirius and Remus remained. Scorpius left with Albus to a flat they shared with Roxanne whilst Draco and Astoria were yet to return from their afternoon away.

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After just a few hours, Draco returned to the Black house alone, much to Erica's surprise.
"Where's Astoria?" She asked, smiling brightly at her husband, peering around the blond man in search of his previous wife.
"Eri, there's something I want to talk to you about"
"sure- tea?" she offered, holding up the box of tea bags, he shook his head and reached out to grab her arm, guiding her gently around to face him as he spoke;
"No. Thank you. Erica, Astoria and I were talking and we don't know how long we'll have together so we thought it would make more sense for us to move back into our own home, for a while at least.. What do you think?"
"I- I thought this was our home. She's more than welcome to stay here It's really not a bother at all" She stuttered, she hadn't expected this, she knew that he loved Astoria but this was his home now, they were his family now.
"Well yes, but I don't know how long she may have and I want to spend as much time as possible with my wife. I'm leaving as soon as I have packed."
"Oh.." She mumbled, her attempt to hide her hurt was less than successful but he was too busy beaming excitedly to take much notice.
"I hope you understand" he commented, glancing down at her just as she replaced her expression of hurt with a vacant, docile smile. She nodded obediently, her mind freezing, there was no right way to respond to this and so she didn't, she merely agreed.
"Yes. Yes of course, is there anything I can do to help?" The blond man shook his head and smiled at his wife, bowing his head respectfully at her as he left the kitchen.

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Draco Black stood at the bottom of the extravagant staircase in the main hall of Black Manor with a suitcase on either side of him, his wand in his hand and his cloak on his shoulders. With one last, grim smile, he picked up his luggage and walked away, leaving behind his pregnant wife, his step daughters, his home.