Hey guys,

Thanks for being patient with me once more. I am suffering from Writer's Block, and I'm so glad I got to write this chapter.

Without further adieu, I present to you...

R E S T   I I 

"I hope I brought enough blankets," Oliver spoke right into the pillows he carried. It completely towered over his head, receiving no assistance from anyone. "And pillows. I wasn't sure how many children we all had."

"It should be enough," Zeno replied, grabbing a few pillows from Oliver's hold. "Thank you for bringing these. I know it was last minute."

"What, a huge sleepover for Aunt Onny? How could we miss this?" Oliver smiled.

The pair made their way towards the kitchen, while the children followed their mother, Charlotte, to the living room where Onyx was in a deep slumber. By the time the 5 additional children had come, her social battery declined. Hopefully, a nap would recharge it.

Mel and Zenith were in the kitchen, creating meals and snacks for the children and the newly arrived, while the first generation sat near Onyx's bed. Oshun didn't want to leave the foot of her grandmother's bed, despite her cousins arriving with coloring books and candies galore. She didn't want any of that.

She wanted her grandmother to get better.

But Oliver's children understood. They knew exactly what it was like losing someone close. When their great-mumsy passed, they saw how badly it affected their family. From what they recall, it's a lot of tears and a lot of hope. Loss of sleep as well.

"How's she doing?" Scarlett whispered by Mel's shoulder. "Is she eating anything?"

Mel shook her head. Scarlett frowned subtly as she picked up the fruit bowl and walked towards the table near the bay window that overlooked the backyard.

It was a full house. Soft chatter and conversations bounced off the walls all around. Adults conversed about stocks, wines, and anything that had to do with being an adult. Of course, Draco took no part in any of that. He kept to himself because almost every conversation had Lorenzo in it.

He would sip on a watered-down whiskey allowed by Lucille and walk around eyeing people. Draco wished it weren't watered down, but it was better than no whiskey. He was, by no surprise, sober. It would take him half a bottle. He's drinking 1/24th of a bottle.

Narsa and Jack told stories of their adventures to all the children but one, though Oshun had no problem being alienated. She found comfort near her grandmother. Scarlett and Oliver fed the other half of the Brady—no, Malfoy Bunch with fruits and other foods prepared by Zenith and Amelie.

Charlotte conversed with Lucille and Blaise about bizarre A&E cases and today's politics. Stuff that Prince wouldn't understand.

Prince and Lilith arrived last. They had to take the Floo Network to arrive. Both came back from Hogwarts for a few days. Or up until Onyx passed.

Prince and Luna watered the plants that Onyx could no longer take care of. They both had no problem tending the nature that Onyx took very much care of. Lilith joined in on her...cousins? Nieces and nephews?

Oliver's children and Lilith called one another cousins, even though Oliver is Lilith's.

It didn't matter as much. They were all family. Titles were thrown out the window long before. Blood didn't matter. In fact, none of the biological takes of what it means to be family ever applied to any of them. Love and nurture. Family.

"You want anything to eat, Oshun?" Scarlett placed her hand on her back and rubbed gently. Oshun turned her head and shook her head. "You sure?"

"I just want to stay here," she replied coolly. "Not hungry right now."

Scarlett gave her a short smile. "Well, whenever you're hungry you let us know, okay? Your mum made some food for you all."

She turned her head right back around, facing her grandmother. Oshun closed her eyes shut and snuggled herself in the sheets at the foot of Onyx's bed, who was sound asleep despite the subtle ruckus around her.

Inside Onyx, she was growing weaker. She could feel it. She could feel her surroundings and the number of people around her. She could hear everyone. She could hear everyone's conversations and she could smell the food. She was there. Present.

But she wasn't.

The sickness kept her mouth shut and her breathing shallow. Onyx Emans De Loughrey was held down. Constrained. Tied to the hospital bed with silk ropes of death, surrounded by flowers to mask the smell of her slow decaying body her soul occupied.

She felt Oshun by her feet. She felt Blaise's presence by her side. Lucille on the other. Lorenzo beside her. The children on the ground playing with toys at a quiet volume. People in the kitchen. On the couch. On the porch. The backyard.

Onyx felt all of it. She felt every one. But how could she feel herself slipping away at the same time? Onyx was fighting for more.

Just a little longer. Just a little longer. Please. Let me say goodbye to them?

And her eyes fluttered open. She was granted the time to say hello and goodbye.

It surely gave Blaise an adrenaline rush. He got up from his seat and grabbed her hand with care. "She's up," Blaise spoke gently. Everyone around her turned their heads to face her, and their eyes lit up.

Onyx's throat grew dry, though she didn't have the energy to speak either. She figured it'd be best to keep quiet. Her eyes felt heavy, but she knew she had to stay awake. Just a little longer.

Oshun perked her head after nearly napping the whole day. Her curls swayed over her face in a bunch. She took her little hands and pushed them away from the front of her eyes. "Mama! Mumsy is awake!"

Mel quickly turned her head to face her mother, and within a millisecond, she bolted towards her. She stood by her side caressing her brittle hair. "She's awake," she mumbled to herself. A sense of relief concocted over her body. "She's awake."

The rest followed. Heads turns, the room ran quiet, and everything was still. One by one, people crept closer in hopes that Onyx would say something. 

But she couldn't. Cancer refused to give her any other chances to say goodbye. She dared not to toy with the privilege of being awake. Instead, she cracked a subtle smile and looked around. Her body laid limp, and her hands ran cold. 

Draco put down his beverage and stood by Lucille, who happened to be by Lorenzo. Oh, how he couldn't stand him. But his mind was too busy on Onyx like it should be. 

The younger children stopped playing with their toys and set them aside. Adults put their plates down and stayed focused on Onyx. 

Together, they all stood there. 

And they waited.

They waited for her clock to stop ticking. It was an odd feeling. It was a concept that Blaise Zabini refused to grasp. At last, a tear had finally left his ducts, and more came following. He couldn't stop. The waterworks came down with no remorse. But he didn't make a single noise. Mel, on the other hand, nonstop whimpered. Zeno had his arm around her, and a hand rubbing her side in an attempt to comfort her. The living room soon wept together, and whimpers and sniffles resonated and bounced off the walls.

Everyone had a few things to say. Everyone wanted to say something. Everyone in the living room wanted to pour their hearts out. 

But there was not enough time. 

Onyx Emans De Loughrey felt her heart grow weaker. She would soon lose the tone in her skin, leaving her complexion to go pale. Her lips would turn cold, as well as her feet and her hands. Her eyes grew heavier, as she fought harder to keep them open. The oxygen hissed as her body forced itself to take in more. Blaise's grasp went tighter. 

"This must be—her—her way of saying goodbye," Blaise murmured through his cries. "She's—saying...goodbye."

His bottom lip quivered as Onyx turned her head to him. She felt like crying. She no longer had it in her to do so. But she felt like crying. She felt like crying a river. A waterfall. She felt like crying into the equivalence of the Earth's deep-sea depths. 

But her body didn't have the energy to do anything.

And they waited.

So Onyx died. 

Her heart stopped. Eyes still. Open and lifeless. Body nearly cold to touch. Blaise's cries, along with Mel and Zenith's, grew louder. Crying turned to screaming. Mel shook with frustration and confusion. Zeno tried to calm her down, but it was no use. Oshun hopped off the bed and ran to her mother where she cried into her leg, grasping onto her t-shirt. 

Draco pulled his wife close to his body as she wept against his chest. Luna to Lorenzo. Everyone wept in their own way—grieved in their own way. Onyx laid there. She just laid there. Lifeless.

While the whole world around her rattled and shook, she laid there lifeless. Tears that could fill oceans, pain that no human could endure, and thunder that cracked the skies, she laid there lifeless.

Blaise couldn't bear seeing Onyx with her lifeless eyes. He placed his two fingers against her eyelids and pressed down to shut them close. He cried harder than before. His chest grew tighter and air found it hard to get into his body. It took a while before anyone actually spoke.

In fact, it took about an hour and a half to speak up. Onyx's body would start to completely shut down. Things would stop flowing and growing. Her soul was somewhere. Luna knew where. It was too soon to say out loud.

So, how did Onyx feel when she died?

Her throat grew tight. Hands froze. Feet froze. Lips were dry. Eyes were heavy, yet they were open. The tongue felt stuck. She could feel her slow heart rate right in her throat. A scream was lodged inside. It was begging to see daylight—her and Onyx the same. 

Her mind raced. She almost felt as if she astral projected and saw everyone in the room with such intricate detail. They all surrounded her like seagulls with bread. A few had their arms crossed, a few grasped onto one another, and a few just stood and watched.

Onyx was embarrassed. Everyone close to her saw her at her weakest, and she was embarrassed. She felt vulnerable. Granted she was, in fact, vulnerable. She wanted to jump off the bed and into her bedroom. It almost felt like she did. Nearing her end, it felt as if she was alive for a short moment.

She relived every memory ever made. From stepping into Hogwarts, learning new charms and concoctions, having her own set of twins, getting married and moving into a new home, and starting her life with the man she knew she loved. She saw every small detail in her timeline. The first time Lucille and she took The Vial. The first time Amelie walked on her legs. The first time Oshun walked on her legs. The first time Blaise changed a diaper. The first time she saw light again after being trapped in that cold cellar. 

It was a fast movie playing behind her eyes. Soon, the credit scene would roll. 

And she just drifted away. No pain whatsoever. No regrets. She left her body with no intention of occupying it ever again. A fate she already accepted. Death.

By the time the funeral came, her immediate family had no tears left to cry. Until the speeches came in. Lucille spoke. Luna. Lorenzo. Then it was Draco. Amelie and Zenith. Oliver, Scarlett, and Narsa together. Zeno had a few funny things to say. Sure enough, the crowd chuckled softly with him. 

Amelie rolled her eyes at his jokes, given that a majority of them were all about how Onyx would scold his parenting skills and how he should marry Amelie—even when Amelie was already married to Benjamin.

Lucille spoke about their tight friendship. An inseparable friendship indeed. From nail paints to tips about trim down there, there were no barriers when it came to Onyx. 

Luna spoke about her courage and strength. She admitted to pocketing her energy so she could take it home and argue with Lorenzo about anything. Luna also admitted to winning those arguments thanks to Onyx. 

Lorenzo spoke about how many times they'd go to Hogsmeade and fool around while drunk. They'd wander the streets and laugh at bystanders and people walking by minding their businesses. She would force-feed him candy and other junk foods after he'd tell her that he was on a strict diet.

"She'd tell me, 'Diets are for pussies! Now, come on. Eat this chocolate frog with me'. Onyx was by far the rudest and boldest woman I've ever met. She pulled me out of my comfort zone multiple times. I probably wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for her forcefulness," Lorenzo sniffled. 

Draco spoke about how he saved her from the cellar. Of course, he'd take credit at a time like this. But he had no other way to commemorate her. Everything else was too personal to share. Sacred moments shared with Onyx felt like too much to share with everyone at the wake. He made sure to emphasize her importance in his life, and in his marriage, along with his family and such. "She made sure to put me in check," Draco said. "When my mother died, she surely put me in check at all times."

Amelie and Zenith, together, spoke about how great of a mother she was, and how great of a wife she was to their father. "I've always wanted to find love the way my mother loved my father, and vice versa," Zenith mumbled. 

Oliver, Scarlett, and Narsa took pride in being able to call Onyx their 'aunt'. A cool aunt that would provide them weed and alcohol in secret. Sure, their parents were a little infuriated due to how they barely found out about it, but they knew it was just Onny being Onny. Hermione was in the crowd, but she didn't take it to heart when they said Onyx was their favorite. Hermione knew she was hardly in their lives. A grudge against Slytherins, Naomi supposes. 

Zeno spoke about how many times Onyx would whisper to him during family get-togethers regarding a potential marriage with Amelie while Benjamin was in the room. She never liked Benjamin for multiple reasons. Zeno had no clue what they were. Though, he couldn't care less.

And just like that, the funeral was over. People from the past and people from the present showed up at the funeral, then went straight back home. A handful of familiar faces, really. Half of Slytherin and their kin, a few faces from Ravenclaw, and some more from Hufflepuff. Only Gryffindors that came were the Weasleys and the Potters.

Everyone went home.

Lucille and Draco slept in the same bed, holding onto each other for dear life. The way it always should have been. She felt at peace with grace and solitude. He felt comfortable.

Luna and Lorenzo laid in their field with the three dogs roaming as they watched the stars twinkle. "She's right there," Luna pointed to a star that twinkled the brightest, "Onyx is right there with her lineage. That's why it's twinkling so bright."

Narsa apparated back to New Orleans to spend the night with her girlfriend in the French Quarters. "Would you be able to reach out to my aunt?"

The sand-brown woman turned to Narsa and smiled. Her lips perked as she reached over to kiss her forehead. "Being a descendant of witchcraft doesn't mean I can toy with it for personal gain." Narsa pushed her tight curls away from her face and kissed her lips back. 

"It's worth a shot even asking," Narsa huffed. "I wonder how she's doing."

"I'm sure she's somewhere doing okay, baby."

Oliver stayed up all night eating a box of cereal and binged watched shows with Charlotte in their living room while their kids were asleep. He usually binged while under stress, which explained why he gained so much weight over time. Stress came and went often, but he knew how to control it. 

Kind of.

Zenith crashed on Zeno's couch. Amelie and Zeno spent a lot of time comforting Oshun as she wept to sleep. She'd wake up in the middle of the night and cry loudly. Blood-curdling screams would follow, which would wake up the whole vicinity. 

Blaise hardly got any sleep. Anywhere he walked in his house he could still smell Onyx. Her sweet smell of nectarine and wild bluebell lingered in every spot of the house. How could I still smell this woman? He thought to himself. Blaise wrapped himself around her blanket and wandered the empty home. His eyes grazed against the endless family photos with Onyx in them. His heart felt numb to the pain. He refused to lay in the cold bed without Onyx in it.

It was bad for his health. Staying up and wandering his house as if he were a stranger to it all. To be fair, he was. His house wasn't a home anymore. Onyx was the heart of it all. The vital organ of the home and his love.

And just like that, she was gone.

***

D I S C U S S I O N 

Obscene isn't over yet. Stay tuned for more as I suffer from horrible Writer's Block.