"How are you feeling?" Parker asked her children as she drove to the platform.

"Excited." Matteo smiled,'What about you, Trix?"

"What?" Trixie turned from the window.

"Are. You. Excited?" He asked again.

"For the school? Oh! Yeah." Trixie hummed.

"You guys just need to stay beside me, remember the rules about when you're on the train?" Parker asked.

"Don't talk to anyone." Matteo nodded,"Especially Potters, Weasleys or Grangers."

"You can stay near Scorpius. He'll be okay." Parker assured them.

"Of course, mother." Matteo nodded again.

"Why can't we go near the others?" Trixie leaned forward.

"Yeah, why not?" Matteo raised a brow, he'd never really thought to ask.

"They... Won't be very nice to me and I'm just worried about you guys. If they know who you are... They might not be nice to you." Parker explained.

"I don't want that." Trixie shook her head.

"I know sweetie, which is why we're careful." Parker nodded.

"We won't go near them." Matteo assured her.

"You make sure she doesn't." Parker whispered to Matteo, they both knew Trixie liked to walk off.

"Don't worry, I will." Matteo smiled.

**

"Scorpius!" Trixie ran up to him and hugged her older cousin.

"Trixie!" He smiled, hugging her back.

"Where's Uncle Draco?"

"Oh, he's over there." Scorpius shrugged, pointing to his dad

"Mum wanted to talk to him." Trixie hummed, "How are you?"

"I'm doing pretty good, what about you two?" Scorpius looked at the twins.

"Decent." Matteo shrugged.

"Amazing." Trixie smiled.

"That's great to hear." Scorpius smiled,"I do have something to tell you two, as well."

"What?" Trixie asked him curiously.

"I made a friend!"

"Oh, good you're finally socialising." Matteo joked, "Who?"

"His name is Albus." Scorpiud told them,"Albus Potter."

"Potter?" Matteo looked at Trixie.

"Yeah." Scorpius nodded.

"As in Harry Potter?" Trixie asked.

"Uh, yeah." Scorpius answered,"Why?"

"The, Harry Potter?" Trixie raised a brow.

"The very same."

"Right.." Matteo nodded, "We'll see you on the train."

"Oh, alright." Scorpius waved.

"Bye." Trixie waved and walked off with her brother.

"Of all people." Matteo muttered.

**

"How did you get hufflepuff?" Matteo sighed to his sister.

"Magic~" Trixie smirked.

"Think mum will be happy?"

"Well... Uh, she'll just have to deal with it."

"She should be fine." Matteo shrugged.

"Yeah." Trixie nodded slowly,"See you after class?"

"Yeah, be careful." He pointed and walked off.

"I will." Trixie rolled her eyes.

Matteo copied her before he wandered off down a corridor. That's when he saw something odd. A transparent figure... Crying?

"Uh... Hello?" Matteo asked slowly.

"Huh?" The figure suddenly looked up at him.

"Why are you crying?" Matteo raised a brow.

"I want to go home.." She mumbled.

"What? Not get the house you wanted?' Matteo crossed his arms.

"No, I've been stuck here for nineteen years!" She stood up.

Matteo thought before he walked slowly towards her, "You've been here since the battle of Hogwarts?"

"Yep.." She nodded with a sigh.

"Oh... I'm sorry." He nodded slowly.

"Don't be." She shook her head.

"How'd you die?" Matteo questioned.

"Murdered." She told him.

"Shit." Matteo let out a sigh.

"Nothing I can do about it now." The figure shrugged.

"This generation of kids, all of our parents were probably in the war." Matteo told her.

"I probably knew most of them." She agreed.

"Well, you obviously knew like Harry Potter or something." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we always hung out." The figure smiled.

"You did?" Matteo looked at her.

"Mhm, ever since first year." She nodded.

"What's your name, ghost?" Matteo leaned against the wall.

"Oh, I'm Erica." She told him.

"Erica..?"

"Weasley." Erica added.

"Weasley?" Matteo stood up straight.

"That a problem?" Erica raised a brow.

"Of course not." Matteo shrugged.

"Good." Erica nodded,"Now, what's your name?"

"Matteo." He answered.

"Matteo what?"

"Black."

Erica seemed to freeze,"What's your mum's name?"

"Why's that important?" Matteo took a step back.

"Because I think I know her and I'd love to see her again." Erica smiled.

"She said Weasleys never really liked her."

"Well, she's lying to you. My family loved her until... Well... I'm here, aren't I?"

It took Matteo a minute before he spoke, "Was she the one... Who killed you?"

Erica nodded slowly,"Parker, Parker Black."

"She just goes by Lestrange now." Matteo rubbed his arms.

"I know." Erica sighed, sitting down.

"So why would you like to talk to her?"

"Just to ask a few questions, y'know?" Erica shrugged.

"I... I can ask her at the winter break." Matteo nodded.

"Please do, that would be so helpful." Erica told him.

"Oh- Were you her friend?" Matteo asked.

"Yes, Matteo. She was friends with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and the whole Weasley family, pretty much." Erica answered.

"She talked about a friend... She liked dragons. Was that you?"

"I was going to go work with them when I left Hogwarts." Erica nodded.

"I'm sorry." Matteo sighed.

"She's the only one that needs to be sorry, kiddo." Erica assured him.

"I'm apologising for her, I suppose."

"Just... Just remember to tell her to see me, okay?" Erica told him,"Because you're gonna be late to class."

"Oh shit- Yeah. I will!" Matteo pointed before he ran off.

"Have fun." Erica called after him.

"I'll try!" He called out.

**

"Mum, I have a question." Matteo walked over to his mum in the kitchen.

"Hm?" Parker asked as she mixed the batter in the bowl.

"There's someone at Hogwarts who, uh, wants to see you." He told her.

"A teacher?" Parker turned to him and assumed.

"No, a friend I made."

"I don't want to see your friends, Theo."  Parker chuckled and put the batter on the tray.

"She wants to see you, though." Matteo pointed.

"How'd you get friends?" Trixie stole a chocolate chip.

"I found her on the way to class." Matteo rolled her eyes.

"And?" She rolled her eyes.

"And we kept talking, duh."

"What's this girls name then?" Trixie pushed him.

"Her name is Erica." Matteo crossed his arms

Parker froze at the mention of the name, only snapping out of it when she burnt her finger on the oven.

"And she wants to speak with mum." Matteo turned to her.

"Mh? Well, I'm a busy woman Matteo." Parker shrugged and ran her hands over cold water.

"She's got all the time in the world mum." Matteo sighed before muttering,"Considering what happened between you both."

"Matteo." Parker looked at him.

"Mother." Matteo copied her.

"You know nothing about what happened. It was 19 years ago." Parker dried her hands off before she put the cookies in the oven.

"Well mother, she's dead... Right where you left her." Matteo pointed

Parker closed her eyes, closing the oven, "Matteo, go to your room."

"Why should I?" He raised a brow.

"Because I'm asking, go."

"No."

"Matteo." Parker warned.

Matteo didn't move.

"God damn it, Matteo." Parker sighed.

"What?"

"Why don't you listen?"

"I don't listen to people who kill their best friends." Matteo shrugged, turning on his heel.

Parker cursed, "Room, now."

"Whatever you say?" Matteo rolled his eyes and walked off.

Parker held her head, "Trixie, can you leave me for a minute?"

"Mhm.." Trixie nodded, quickly leaving the room.

Parker watched as Trixie left the room before she turned and covered her mouth. Her best friend- Was at Hogwarts as a ghost. Was she happy? Angry? She didn't know what to feel. She... She killed her. Even as a ghost Erica was sure not to forgive her. There... There was a small chance, right? Maybe, maybe something still there? It wasn't likely but... Erica was always full of surprises. After a bit of contemplating, Parker cursed. She'd go after the winter break, talk to Erica.

**

Erica was sat where she usually was, staring up at a memorial McGonagall had out up on the wall, for all the fallen students at Hogwarts.

Only that's when she heard a voice, "They used a nice picture of you at least."

"I see you decided to show your face?" Erica turned around.

Parker looked up at her old friend, "You look good for a ghost."

"Maybe that's because I'm seventeen and you're old." Eirca pointed.

Parker sighed and crossed her arms, "Why have you been talking to Matteo?"

"Not my fault he found me." Erica shrugged.

Parker bit her cheek, "He said you wanted to speak with me."

"Oh, I just wanted to ask a few questions." Erica told her.

Parker hesitated before she nodded, "Ask away."

"Why?"

"You wanted me here, did you not?"

"No, why did you do it? Why kill me?" Erica stepped closer to her.

Parker looked at Erica, "Erica-"

"It shouldn't be that hard to come up with an answer, you've had nineteen years to contemplate it!" Erica pointed.

"Erica... You were my best friend." Parker sighed.

"That's what I thought, Parker but best friends don't kill each other!"

"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry? I am! But I'm too late aren't I?" Parker scoffed.

"You bet your ass it's too late! Nineteen years. Nineteen years I've had to sit here, unable to move on. Do you know how hard it is to just sit and watch every single day?!" Erica shouted at her.

"What do you want me to do?!"

"I want you to explain why!"

"I don't know why! I- I couldn't deal with the pressure of every fucking Death Eater forcing me to do these things. I went insane like my mother and I've realised that and I'm better now- That won't change anything so don't tell me what I know!"

"And did you bother asking for help because I was willing. I was willing to do anything to help you guys, even at the expense of myself!"

"He was always fucking watching."

"Y'know what? So was I. I knew what you were doing but nobody fucking believed me because 'Parker's on our side'."

"You ask me to come so you can ask a few questions, but all you're doing is arguing." Parker scoffed.

"Because I don't like you, it's hard not to." Erica rolled her eyes.

"Then I'll leave, so I'm out of your way."

"That it? Just gonna walk away from your problems?"

"What do you want me to do?! I just tried talking to you."

"How's living? Happy marriage? Oh, wait, I heard that didn't go so well." Erica skipped over to her.

Parker stopped as she walked, "What?"

"Nathan, was it? Muggle man. Shame that, isn't it? I guess love wasn't made for us." Erica shrugged.

"Matteo knows better than to share things, especially when they're private." Parker pointed.

"Matteo is very open about it, y'know?" Erica smirked,"We're practically best friends."

"He doesn't know who Nathan truly is. He just knows he's his father." Parker shook her head.

"Well, he must not have loved you after finding out how you're 'gifted' and up and left." Erica shrugged,"I would've been there for you."

"He was an abuser, he left because that gave him an excuse." Parker crossed her arms, "I didn't need anyone."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Erica rolled her eyes.

"I've worked out fine with no one, Erica." Parker shrugged.

"Aw, what a shame. You and Blaise could've been good together."

Parker tilted her head, "Aw, and how do you feel about Neville being with Hannah? I think they're a great couple."

"Yeah, don't you just love abusive relationships?" Erica glared at her.

"How do you feel? Seeing him with her?" Parker took a step forward, "You could've had that."

"But you stopped that." Erica didn't move,"You ruined everything! You could've had a family who actually cared for you but no, you threw it all away! For what?!"

"I didn't need anyone." Parker responded.

"But who did you come to as soon as you got that mark? It sure as hell wasn't no one." Erica pointed.

"Things changed from that night."

"Yeah, you decided that my friendship wasn't worth anything to you."

Parker looked at her, "Now I never said that-"

"Well, what did it mean to you if I was so easy to kill? Just because Voldemort asked you to."

"I'm done having this conversation."

"Of course you are." Erica rolled her eyes.

"I'm not just gonna stand here and argue. I came to say sorry, but that won't change anything so I don't know what else you want me to do."

"Well, you could just die. That would be nice." Erica smiled,"But I don't see that happening anytime soon-"

"And what would that solve? Would we be best friends again in ghost form? I don't think so." She scoffed.

"Eh, it would make me feel better about myself. I never said I'd interact with your ghost." Erica shrugged.

Parker shook her head, "I... I didn't hate you, Erica."

"Yeah, it really felt like it while you were torturing me." Erica nodded.

"Trixie's middle name is Eri." Parker spoke after Erica did.

"Good for her?" Erica looked around.

"And she's in hufflepuff... I see her in you... That's all I'm going to say." Parker stepped back.

"What am I supposed to do? Get all emotional because you named a kid after me? You named a fucking kid after Dobby." Erica rolled her eyes.

"Goodbye Erica." Parker sighed.

"Have fun." Erica rolled her eyes.

Parker looked at her old best friend before she apparated away. Erica sighed and sat back down against the wall, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh dear.." McGonagall slowly walked out.

"Why can't I just go home?" She asked quietly.

McGonagall sighed, "Trust me dear, if there was a way, I would allow you to."

"It hurts, ma." Erica told her.

"I know, I know." McGonagall sighed.

"Does Neville have a class right now?" She turned to her.

"No, it's lunch dear."

"Good, I'm going to see him." Erica got up.

McGonagall looked at her and nodded, "Be careful."

"I'm- Yeah, I'm never careful." Erica floated down the corridor.

"No." McGonagall chuckled and watched her.