"Mother? Mother, I can't... I can't find you."
It began with the tiniest twitch, a subtle hint of movement followed by a desperate cry that pierced the silence of the night.
"Mother... where are you?" Credence waited, letting his voice fade into the darkness that surrounded his fragile form. "Mother, are you there?"
There was a slight pressure, arms curling around his chest, holding on tight just as he had done so many times before. These unconscious movements were carried out during sleep, eyes squeezed shut, hot tears streaming down the sides of his face.
Drop by drop they soaked into his pillow, his chest tightening, aching with despair. He could scarcely breathe when next he called for her, choking on his own sorrow, feeling abandoned, unloved, not knowing why he continued to exist in a world that didn't want him.
"I can't find you... Please, I can't..."
Clutching his blanket against his chest, Credence sniffled and whimpered, unaware of the fact that he was talking in his sleep. It didn't happen very often, but it was heartbreaking every time Nagini awoke to find him crying beside her.
He was still asleep when Nagini adjusted her coils, draping her serpentine form across his legs, over his hips and against his chest. It was all she could do to try and comfort her friend, hoping to stem the flow of tears that dripped onto her scales.
"Ma...?" Credence whispered hoarsely, the anguish in his voice stabbing like a knife through Nagini's chest.
A few hiccuping sobs managed to force their way past the lump in his throat, the tip of her tail stroking his cheek, reaching out and wiping away his tears. Nagini gently shushed him, hissing and holding him close until silence returned once more.