"Mum," Charlie greeted her in quiet tones, his welcoming smile subdued as he crossed the room and ushered her inside. His insides had twisted painfully when he saw her appear at the door. Every step caused waves of anxiety to amplify, until his hands were clammy and shaking as he pulled her into a hug. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but refused to let them fall. For a moment, he just held her tightly and let himself just be.
"I'm all right," he mumbled against her shoulder, and then stepped away from her. Charlie looked over at Susan and offered her a wry smile. Nothing more for it, then. "I'm not sure if you remember Susan Bones. She works at Madam Malkin's. We, ah, dated for a while when I was here last."
He took his mum's hand and led her over to the crib, and gazed down at the little boy. "And this is Susan's son, Nicky. He's the reason we're here." Fuck, just say it, you damned coward. When he went on, his voice was nothing more than a choked whisper: "Mum, he's mine, too."