-Chapter 10-

Confession

The sun had already sunk beneath the earth's sheath by the time Charles' mother returned to her rooms. Her son had waited for her, silently seated on the couch; his mouth set into a determined line. The door closed magically behind the tired woman and she sunk into an armchair sighing deeply. Upon seeing her son she smiled and beckoned for him to come over to her.

Rising up from the couch, Charles approached his mother. Trepidation was showing in the form of sweat on his forehead and by the nervous biting of his lip. His mother ignored the tell tale signs of guilt, however, and pulled him into her loving embrace. Her small hands brushed his thick black hair back from his face. Parent and child sat in the armchair seemingly content.

"Mama?" Charles started, softly. His mother nodded tenderly and pulled him closer into her embrace.

"I am so sorry about last night, love." Tears shone in her dark green eyes and reinforced the guilt that Charles felt gnawing at him. "I shouldn't have been so very hard on you, darling." She offered no defense only sorrow and it hurt Charles badly.

"I was wrong, Mama. Not you." He wrapped his arms around her slender neck, pressing his face up against her chest.

"What's wrong, Charles? Did something happen while I was away?" Alarm showed in her eyes and she tilted his face up to look at her.

"I left the room." He stammered, tears forming in his eyes. His mother froze as though time's current had suddenly ceased to flow and Charles wished instantly that he could have taken back those words and replaced them with something else.

"What?" She breathed, growing pale. Her tight embrace on her son melted and her body leaned back against the chair back.

"I found the door open a bit, so I went down the hallway." Charles climbed out of his mother's lap and took her hands in his. "Are you ok, Mama?" Her eyes were closed and her breathing faint.

"Did anyone see you?" she asked so softly that he had to lean forward to hear her. He swallowed. She had taken it badly enough that he had left the room; it might kill her to hear that he had spoken with four people. Charles had a dilemma.

"Um…I didn't let anyone see me, but I saw a few people." Charles sniffed back the sob that was forming in his throat and looked straight into his mother's pained eyes. "I…I went outside and three people saw me." He paused and looked up to see what his mother would say. When she said nothing he continued. "Their names were Harry, Ron, Hemion or something like that. They were really nice and so I told them what you told me to tell people. I was your nephew and I was visiting you for a while." Taking a breath and finding it easier to talk then he had thought, Charles continued.

"I was coming back to the room, when I met a really nice man who wanted me to do a job for him. So he took me to his office and gave me candy and hot chocolate. Yinny came in the middle but he didn't do anything." The young boy trailed off as tears began to make their way down his mother's face.

"Are you okay, Mama?" he asked, frantically rushing over to retrieve her a handkerchief.

"Oh, Charles." She whispered, between gasps for air. Her hands were shaking badly and her tears had begun to torrent down her paling cheeks. Charles had never seen his mother so upset before. Wrapping his arms around her, he tried to comfort her, but her crying only escalated into sobbing. Suddenly the boy felt his mother go limp and he looked down to see her head fall back. She had fainted dead away.

Almost hysterical with concern, Charles patted her hands and fanned her, trying desperately to wake her. Above the couch, the clock chimed declaring that the time was 7 o'clock and the boy looked around in the gathering dark for something to help his mother with. Finally given into despair, the boy laid his head on his mother's lap and cried himself slowly off to sleep. His dreams were full of images of angry people and the constant thought that he never should have told his mother about the events of that day.

The next morning found both beds of the bedchambers empty and the occupants of the room both asleep in the sitting room. The mother, who usually awoke at that time and began to dress, lay back in a large armchair, her eyes closed. By her feet, kneeling and fast asleep was her son, who usually slept in his bed until his mother woke him. His head was resting on his mother's lap and his hair was messy from his sleep.

Yawning the boy lifted his head up from his mother's lap. His eyes were crusted from sleep and he had to rub them before he could see clearly. At first he just stared around him as though he could not figure out why he was seated on the sitting room floor. Then it struck him and he slowly stood up.

"Mama? Are you all right?" Charles shook the sleeping woman slightly, delighted when she moaned. "Mama?" She opened her eyes and blinked in the dim light. The curtains were still drawn over the window but several streams of light peered into the room from the edge around the curtains.

"Charles?" Her voice was weak causing Charles to be concerned. "Why are you dressed?" Charles looked down to find that he was still in his clothes from yesterday and bit his lip. His mother was also still in her teaching robes from yesterday.

"We both fell asleep out here. You fainted." His mother's eyes widened slightly, but no sound issued from her mouth.

"I'll help you to your bed." The boy wrapped an arm around his mother's slight waist and helped her up from the chair. She leaned heavily against him; but he was able to keep her upright.

"I have classes today." She muttered, as they slowly made their way into her bedroom. Charles said nothing as he pulled back the made bed and helped her underneath the think red and gold coverlet. Mama can't teach today. He thought frantically as he arranged the pillow under her head. Her hair was still partly up in its bun, so he pulled out the remaining pins and tucked the loose hair under her head.

"Can't you take a day off?" He already knew the answer to his question; but then again it never hurt to ask.

"No, I have to teach today." Her hand searched along the covers for her wand and Charles hurried back into the sitting room to fetch it.

"Here." He gave her the polished wand and helped her sit up. After whispering several things that Charles couldn't understand and didn't see anything occur because of them, his mother dropped the wand.

"I can't do it." Tears began to stain her white cheeks once more and Charles hung his head.

"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry Mama." He threw himself on her bed and began to cry. If he had stayed inside and been a good little boy, as he had been told, none of this would have happened. Yet he never would have met Dumbledore or the three students. Was having met them worth his mother's health? Charles cried more and felt even worse as the whole reality of the situation dawned on him.

"There, there, love." His mother soothed. Her hand slowly rubbed his back and he crawled over to fall into her embrace. They lay back against the pillows of the bed for some time before a knock echoed through the room interrupting them.

"Who is that?" Charles asked, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. His mother shrugged helplessly and then smiled.

"Just go to your room and shut the door, love. I'll be fine." Charles nodded and automatically made his way to his bedroom. He went to close the door but stopped. What if Mama needs me? He thought suddenly. I can't help her with the door closed. He left it open a crack and knelt down so he could see out of it.

His mother slowly made her way to the door and opened it, as it had not been charmed the night before. Even though he could only see the man's long white beard and the hem of a purple robe, Charles knew instantly who it was. He pressed his ear up against the door crack and listen intently.

"Are you feeling all right, Minerva?" The Headmaster was saying gently.

"Yes, I'm fine. Won't you come in?" His mother replied too softly. The man said nothing as he entered the room. The door closed behind him and they both went over to the couch. Dumbledore courteously helped his mother seat herself and then sat down next to her. His twinkling blue eyes strayed from the woman in front of him and he looked around briefly. Charles surmised that he was looking for him.

"I hope that it's no bother, Minerva. But I came across your nephew in the hallway yesterday. We had a splendid time together and he behaved himself very well. However he told me that you didn't know about his exploring of the castle and I wanted to make sure he was safe and sound back here." His smile dimmed as the other occupant of the couch sighed.

"Are you sure that you are alright. Maybe I should take you to see Poppy, you look pale." Charles' finger's curled around the edge of the door, as his mother said nothing.

"Thank you for your concern, Albus. He left last night to go back with his parents." Dumbledore nodded sadly and leaned back against the couch.

"I was afraid that he would only be staying for a short amount of time." Dumbledore leaned forward and wrapped an arm around his mother's shoulders causing Charles to almost jump up. "My dear, he spoke with the trio but they thought he was your nephew." He whispered. His mother nodded and laid her head against the headmaster's chest.

"What if they…" Dumbledore put a finger to her lips and continued for her.

"They won't tell anyone about your nephew visiting you. I'm sure. Now I am afraid that he knows that I know who he is. It would be best to tell him before he comes to the wrong conclusions." She nodded but said nothing.

"You can come out of your room, Charles. Your mother and I have to speak to you about something."

And so Charles rose up from the floor and made his way out into the sitting room. Each step brought him closer to unraveling the mysteries that had always made up the delicate web of his life.

TBC- Please review