His Mark
[Knowledge is Power]

4th October 2016
Tuesday

Voices...

There were voices all around her.
The one closest to her was sobbing almost hysterically.
There were many voices on the other side of the door, whispering excitedly, screaming for others to come and watch, but there was one voice in particular that Cordelia could clearly make out, the stern voice of a woman.

"What's going on here?!" The woman's voice boomed, as she forcefully opened the door, stepping into the- with dark fog covered room.

"That's what we would like to know!" Said a clearly male voice, as the woman closed the door behind her, and tasted her way towards one of the windows, opening it in one swift motion.

The heavy fog started to slowly clear out, giving the people present in the room a better view.

Cordelia found herself in an office like room, littered with books that she could only assume were written by muggles.

As she turned around towards the voices, Cordelia instantly recognised the five year old, who sat calmly on a wooden chair next to a big red sofa where a formally dressed raven haired man tried desperately to comfort his almost hysterical redhaired wife.

"If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that these are his parents." Cordelia murmured under her breath, intently watching the other people in the room.

"We were afraid that we had gone blind!" The man exclaimed indignantly, and helped his shaking wife up.
"I can assure you that nothing of the sort has ever happened here be-"
"There's no need to make up excuse for this-"
"Monstrosity!" His wife cut him off, sending a shaky glare at Mrs. Cole.
"We're never coming back here!" The tall raven haired man called over his shoulder, as he tried to get his wife out of the room.
"Can't we at least adopt the boy?" The blue eyed woman whispered to her brown eyed husband.
"He would be perfect for-"
"No!" Her husband's cold voice cut her off, and also silencing Mrs. Cole who had been scolding the six year old who was tightly clutching a small black bear, that the nice woman had given him upon hearing that today was his birthday.

"There is no way that- that thing is coming with us!" The men bellowed, and walked out of the room leaving his stunned wife behind.

The woman looked after her husband, shaking her head as if what had just happened was a usual thing.

Aileen walked over to the woman, and pulled timidly at her hand with his own small hand, his now crimson face covered by his curly red mane as he directed his gaze towards the ground- showing the black teddy in the woman's direction.

"It's ok, you can keep it." The woman spoke in a soothing voice, running her hand through the little boy's fiery red curs, in an attempt to calm him down.
The readhead- who could have easily passed as Aileen's real mother, gently picked him up and squeezed the little boy tightly.
"I'll be back soon." She said, as she ruffled the boys hair and set him back on the ground.

"Promise?" Little Aileen asked in an almost inaudible voice, looking up at the woman with round mismatched eyes, holding out his pinky to seal the promise.

"Promise," the woman said, holding out her finger and intertwining it with the little boy's.

"And the next time we see each other, you can call me Mommy."
*****
A now around seven year old Aileen ripping an old black Teddy to pieces, was the last thing that Cordelia witnessed before being shaken awake roughly.

"Go away...ugh, fine,I'm awake, I'm awake! Damn..." I muttered irritability  as I turned my cheek away, letting my hair fall in a curtain to conceal the sudden wetness on my cheeks.

What was that? Why am I crying? What an odd dream...I thought as I hastily wiped the moisture from my cheeks.

"It's rude to snoop around in other people's memories like that." I heard Aileen's cold voice coming from above me.

My sleepiness was quickly brushed aside as I angrily stood up, tilting my chin to meet Aileen's still cold gaze- this time however, his look seemed sad and haunted by something.

"I have done nothing of that sort, unlike you. If you must know, I fell asleep while getting a book for some odd reason. If my presence displeases you so much that you accuse me of such atrocities,than I'll  leave right now."
I turned my back away from him and started to stride towards the door, silently fuming from his accusation (and from being woken up), only to be held back by a gentle grip on my hand, not unlike the one the little boy had given the woman in her dream.

"Promise- promise me that you won't leave."
I heard Aileen's almost inaudible muttering, as the light grip on my hand intensified slightly.

Promise.

The boy's eyes haunted me, brimming with hope that was destined to be brought down with broken promises. I didn't even need to turn to see that the present Aileen and the Aileen from my dream were identical- a plea for companionship, for someone to understand.

Merlin...the dream was real, I realised with a start.
I can't leave him like this, lost in a past filled with broken promises.

I slowly turned back to Aileen, my solemn expression meeting Aileen's half concealed pleading one.

"I promise."