Benji

Nurmengard Castle, Austria—1933  

"Mama, Mama!" A little boy, about age four, came running toward his mother with open arms. He embraced her leg and nestled against it. "I missed you, Mama!" The boy beamed up at her for a moment before he resumed his previous position.

"I missed you, too, Benji." His mother's voice was breathless.

"Now, now, your mother still has work to do." A familiar, male voice got the boy's attention. "Don't you, Queenie?"

Benji looked up at the familiar, yet strange, man as he felt his mother pull away from his grasp. His eyes immediately filled with tears, while his bottom lip began to tremble. "No," he pleaded and tried to take hold of her leg again. "Don't leave me, Mama!"

"I have to go." Queenie reached down and stroked her son's hair. "But, I promise, I will be back in time to tell you a bedtime story. I love you, sweetheart."

"No," he repeated, "don't leave me."

She knelt down to the child's level, taking his hands into hers. "I have to," she reiterated rather softly. "Come here." She slipped her hands from his and, instead, pulled him into a loving embrace. "I am doing this for you."

He opened his mouth to reply, but, before he could speak, the strange man took hold of his mother's arm and pulled her to her feet, and away from him.

"Queenie," the strange man began, "Madam Rosier and the others are waiting for us. We must be on our way."

"Yes, sir," she agreed.

"Take Benjamin to Aurelius' study," the strange man uttered, "then meet me in mine."

"I will, sir."

Benji and his mother watched the strange man walk along the hall, away from them. He then allowed his mother to take hold of his hand, but he refused to move from the spot he stood. Perhaps that would make her stay.

"Come on, Benji!"

His second attempt at making her stay proved to be futile. He ended up getting dragged all the way to Aurelius' study. Luckily, his study was on the floor they were already on. It wouldn't have been fun to be pulled down several flights of stairs.

"I need you to watch my sonfanfic," his mother explained once they reached the study. "Mister Grindelwald has a new task for me, and I can't take Benjamin with me."

Aurelius looked down at the boy, then brought his gaze to Queenie. "Of course, Miss Goldstein." He took the boy's hand and brought him to his side. "How long will you be out, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Possibly the rest of the day," she sighed. "I am hoping to be back in time to put Benji to bed. If not, you know his routine."

Benji looked up at his mother, slouched, and released a deep sigh. "You promised," he reminded her.

"I know I did, honey," she remembered. "I will try my hardest to fulfill that promise. But, for now, I've got to go." Without another word, his mother turned around and hurried away from them, not looking back, even when Benji began to cry loudly. It was one of the few times she didn't answer to his crying.

"Mama, come back!" He managed to free his hand from Aurelius', and bolted after her. "Mama!" She still didn't stop walking, nor did she turn her head to look back. He had continued to run when he lost his footing and fell to the ground. His cries took on a more pained tone, which his mother just couldn't ignore.

She stopped abruptly.

"Benji..." Her voice cracked as her head turned.

"Mama, please," he begged from the ground where he lay.