Wow, yeah, this took longer than it should have. Sorry about that. I played Enchanted Arms and Harvest Moon too much. lol I hope you enjoy! Oh and don't freak out over the long latin spell in this chapter. It should be obvious what it does, but i'll give the translation at the end because sticking it in google translate screws it up. Cedric is eleven and Charlette fourteen.

It only went downhill from there. After he nearly drowned Cedric changed. Charlette watched him drawn further and further inward – more so than ever before. He no longer wandered away from the school but he didn't dare go anywhere near the students either. In fact, most days he remained within the walls of Hexley Hall and ate as he sat in the empty halls. It wasn't just with his fellow classmates either. He wouldn't even look at her, let alone speak to her. For the first few weeks she tried to help – really! – but once a month crept by with no results she just couldn't bear it. Bearing witness from afar was bad enough. She wasn't about to see the evidence up close.

If it were only school though perhaps she could have forgotten. Or at the very least ignored it. But he brought the attitude home with him. He mostly kept to himself and in his room where they pretended not to hear as he cried himself to sleep. He wouldn't even talk to mother anymore, just wander over to her and sit in her lap and let her stroke his head as if he were five. Naturally she indulged him. They all did really. But after a year it was clear that something had to give – and it wasn't going to be them.

Winifred, Goodwin, and Charlette sit around the table. Goodwin rests his forehead against his clasped hands, Charlette taps her fingers against the table as she looks anywhere but at them, and Winifred bows her head and clenches her eyes shut to keep the tears from spilling forth. No one says a word for the longest time.

Eventually it is Goodwin who speaks. "We have to do something." He lifts his head. "I've tried to be patient. I've given him space and been lenient over everything concerning him. But this is getting ridiculous." He ventures a glance at Winifred.

Winifred jerks her head up and her eyes snap open. "No." She looks hard at him. "What's ridiculous is the fact that no one stopped this from happening in the first place. No one tried to be his friend. No one was there for him. They didn't even stand up for him even though they all saw what was happening." She breathes heavily in and out. Her hands tremble.

Charlette stares miserably at her mother. "Mom…"

Winifred shoves her hand up and in Charlette's face. "No." She gives her head a sharp shake. "I don't want to hear it." She moans. She covers her face with her hands. "I just don't."

Goodwin sighs. He presses his fingers to his temple. "There has to be a way to fix this. A way to help him." He doesn't want Winifred to think that he is referring to Cedric as an object in need of repair or that there is something wrong with Cedric. So he corrects himself by saying 'help'.

Winifred sobs softly to herself.

Charlette grimaces. She looks back and forth between her mother and father. There must be something. There has to be a way to pull Cedric out of his slump and restore peace and happiness to all in their family. Her eyes widen and she jerks her head up. "That's it…" She says only loud enough so she can hear. "That's it!" She shoves herself to her feet.

Winifred and Goodwin snap their heads up to look at her. "What are you talking abo-"

Before they can get it out, Charlette rushes away from the table. She heads for her room and goes straight to her chest of drawers. She digs out a rock from the depths and shoves it in her jacket pocket. Then she makes a beeline for Cedric's room. She pauses at the entrance, curling her fingers around the frame as she peeks in to see Cedric.

Cedric lies stretched out with his face buried in the pillow. Sobs spill from his lips but only come out muffled. He doesn't want to be this way – so pathetic – but ever since he nearly drowned his inner world has been in chaos. Everything seems so much larger and terrifying and all he wants to do is stay home alone. Many times he doesn't even want to be around his own family, and that only makes him feel ten times worse. And that's how he ends up crying at all hours of the day and night, just like now.

Charlette frowns as she stares sadly at him. She sighs, squares her shoulders, and breaches the threshold. She creeps toward him and leans over. "Cedric," She breathes before tentatively reaching out and laying her hand on his shoulder.

Cedric sucks in a sharp breath. He jerks up and whirls around. His eyes are wild, like that of a cornered animal. He draws his hands close to his chest and draws as far back as possible.

Charlette jerks back. Hurt flashes across her face. For the longest time all she can do is stare at him. Then, slowly, she finds her voice. "Hey," She forces a smile. "I have something I want to show you."

Cedric eyes her warily. After a moment he shakes his head, slowly.

Charlette bites back her sigh. "Come on Cedric. It's really cool. I think it will-" He clamps her mouth shut, barely stopping herself from saying something she shouldn't.

Cedric knows what she was going to say anyway. Normally he would pointedly ignore her or anyone else who made such a mistake, but for her valiant efforts of cutting it short he forces himself to keep his attention on her.

Charlette clears her throat. "Listen," She strokes his cheek. "The air will be good for you. It will make you happier." Her throat tightens and she bites her lip. She trembles slightly. "You used to love nature."

Cedric drops gaze. Fresh tears well in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Charlette pats his shoulder. "Come on," She whispers. She stands to her full height and holds out her hand to him. "Come with me." She shakes her head. "I won't leave you. I won't let anything happen to you." Her voice cracks as she says, "I promise."

Cedric eyes her offering with uncertainty. Then when he glances up at her face he caves. The pain shining in her once bright blue eyes reminds him of what once was. So he takes her hand and crawls off the bed.

Charlette can barely contain the elation that races through her. A grin spreads across her face. "Alright, let's go." They leave the room and head out the back door. She can't risk mother or father saying or doing something that scares him back to his room. She leads them into the woods and out toward that tree that she both loves and hates.

Cedric clasps her hand tighter. He draws nearer to her. He too remembers this place for all the memories made here, but the good is eclipsed in his current state and only the terrible accident shines through. Red sears his mind.

Charlette tenses as he does. She can't drag this on for long. "Here's good." She motions him to sit.

Cedric does as she commands. He settles back against the tree, his knees drawn to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. He keeps his gaze fixed on her all the while.

Charlette already hates the position he has taken. Still, she can't order him around. That will only upset him. So she simply takes her place next to him, tucking her legs beneath her and smoothing out her skirt. Then she lets the quiet set in. She watches him watching her, her heart hurting yet soaring all at once. "You remember this place, right?"

Cedric frowns. He doesn't see the point in such an obvious question. Of course he remembers. He is only eleven. It's not like they haven't been here for years or anything. Still, he nods because he knows it is what she wants.

Charlette lifts her head toward the sky and sighs. "We don't come out here enough anymore. With school, and training, and just…everything."

Cedric shrugs. "I wish we could." He murmurs. "Just be out here."

Charlette perks. She eyes him intently, more than a little surprised that he would want to be anywhere but in his room at home. "I miss it." She subtly prods Cedric onward.

Cedric nods. "I miss everything about being a kid." Even though he is only ten, he doesn't looks at himself as a child anymore. Not after what happened. Almost dying can do that to a person.

Charlette frowns. "You still are a kid." She pets his head. "You can still be stupid and have fun. You can climb this old tree," She waves her hand at it. "Or roll down hills or do anything you want."

Cedric shakes his head. "No I can't." He grumbles. "No one ever can. They just kid themselves by hiding behind the label of child."

Charlette raises a brow. Under different circumstances she might ask where in the world that came from, but everything about him now stems from that one terrible moment. Charlette looks to her pocket. This is it. This is the moment to right things. "It's not a front. No one ever stops being a child – not completely." She fishes in her pocket for the rock and brings it out in front of her to stare wistfully at it. "Like this."

Cedric blinks at the ordinary object. "It's a rock." Still he can't help but be intrigued. His sister isn't one for trivial things. There must be a reason behind it.

Charlette giggles. "Yes, but it is special – to me at least. And in the end that's all that matters. You probably don't remember, but you're the one who gave it to me."

Cedric's eyes widen. "And you kept it?" He lets his arms loosen around his knees and his legs slide down into a more relaxed position.

Charlette grins. "Of course I did." Her eyes soften. "I may have acted like a brat sometimes-"

"A lot." Cedric chuckles.

Charlette rolls her eyes, but smiles nonetheless. "A lot. But you are my brother. I loved you and will always love you." She wraps him in a loose hug. "So yes, I kept it. And now, even though I'm fourteen, I keep it so I can look at it and remember better days. It keeps the part of me that is a child alive. You keep it alive."

Cedric stares misty eyed. "Charlette…I…"

Charlette nuzzles him. She retracts her arm and holds the stone in both hands. She runs her fingers across its smooth surface. "That's why I can do what I am about to." She directs him to hold his hands out and places the rock there. "It takes a strong attachment to the object and love. Most people don't know that, so it turns into an ordinary soulless creature."

Cedric frowns and his brows knit together. "What are you talking about?" Soulless creature? They are talking about a rock, aren't they? Or did he miss something?

"Just watch." She draws out her wand and aims it at the rock. "Mutationem a corvo ad petram. Tolle de me et animant, sit fuga." She taps the rock and it turns a deep white. Slowly the rounded rock takes form and the whiteness turns coal black.

Cedric gasps. "This is the coolest spell ever." In his palms sets a tiny bird – a raven. It caws at him. "It's so cute!" His face breaks out into a large grin. He giggles.

Charlette beams. "He's yours now."

Cedric scratches it under its chin.

The raven leans into Cedric's touch.

Charlette's heart soars at the sight of Cedric so happy. "And now you can have someone with you all the time. He'll be your guardian and your friend." She nods to herself. "So be kind to him always."

Cedric looks to her and nods his head fervently. He snaps his gaze back to the raven and thinks hard. "I think I'll call you…Wormwood. What do you think of that?"

Wormwood caws happily.

Cedric giggles. "Glad you like it, Wormy." He lifts the bird to his should and lets it perch there. He pushes himself to his feet and starts to leave, stopping at the last second. He looks back at Charlette. His gaze is soft and overflowing with emotion. "Thanks, Charlie. I…I think I'll be ok now."

Charlette glows. "I'm glad." Now maybe they can go back to being a family again.

Cedric hurries off, being careful not to upset Wormwood. "We've gotta go show mom and dad." He tilts his head slightly as he speaks to his companion.

Wormwood leans in and nuzzles Cedric.

Cedric's heart flies higher than it has since the incident as he goes to them. Whether it is because he now has someone to share his sorrows with always or it is because Charlette gave so much to see him happy again he can't be sure. All he knows is now he won't just have a friend, but he will always carry of piece of Charlette with him, even if the sweetness of their childhoods disappears. He'll have her heart in his raven.

What did you think? Ever since Substitute Cedric aired this idea was brewing in my head. I couldn't decide if the show meant it to be taken literally, but I decided to be literal. The spell is intended to be translated as 'Change from rock to raven. Take a piece of me and give it life, let it take flight.' I'm guessing translating from English to Latin wasn't correct and so translating it back makes it weird, but oh well. Please review!