as the days go by

It felt quite pathetic now, breaking down in front of Charlie like that, about his mother.

Of all people....

"I'm really not trying to get you back." Draco promised. Of course, she didn't believe him when he first told her about his mother. Well, she'd been like a mother to Charlie, too. He could see it in her eyes, even if she did flinch a little.

"There's nothing wrong with her."

Charlie was on his case for months. Even threatened to call his older brother Nico. Draco begged her not too, because he wasn't going to do it. No way, did he want his brother weighing in on this.

"She just wants to stop..living..I think." Even now a lump lodged in Draco's throat. An ache in fact, stayed with him that he was losing his mother.

She just set there. Day in and day out. Losing touch.

Draco hugged himself hard. "Its all Dad's fault..he's the one to blame."

His mother didn't have Lily to take care of anymore.

"You said, she..she's forgetting things." Charlie shook her head. She acted like he was the one in denial. He didn't want to see the reality.

"I wish that were true. She wants you to think it. She's a lot more clever, than.." Draco didn't know what to do.

"Have you talked to your Dad? Does he know?" Charlie would ask.

"I dunno. I don't even care." Draco gritted. He was irritated with his Dad. As usual, he did want all the attention. He'd recovered completely from the stroke, but still acted as if he needed to be waited on, all the time.

"Maybe..maybe if she could go back..home." Charlie shrugged.

"What?" Draco winced hard.

"When's the last time, she's been to Rome?" Charlie wanted to know.

"Rome?" Draco shook his head, no. They weren't that Italian.

"Rome, New York?"

"I dunno." He looked at Charlie as if that was not the answer. "I've never been."

"I bet she has some old school mates. Cousins. Someone, she'd love to see. I mean, she's spent all her life taking care of your dad, or you.." Charlie would press him on this.

Why did she have to be such a good listener? Of course, Charlie always had a knack of making him feel like the worst son in the world.