A/N: First I want to say thank you to my friend Joey for being my beta reader for this story and helping me with my weak points. I am trying to improve my writing so this was helpful. Second, I got the idea from this story because I thought it would be interesting to see our favorite characters years later. I hope you enjoy this story and if you want me to write some more about the kids or the characters older please let me know. Enjoy and review thanks.
The Reunion
The year was 2017 and Mildred Hubble was no longer that clumsy eleven year old girl who was always getting into trouble at Cackle's Academy for something that wasn't even her fault...most of the time. Mildred was now a thirty four year old woman who was married to Nick Hobbs, who she had started dating her second year of Weirdsister. They had two children, two girls Cadence and Desiree who were five and three.
Mildred felt incredibly nervous as she grabbed hold of her husbands hand as she was about to enter the castle of her old school. Today, after all these years was a reunion at Cackle's Academy for her year group. Mildred had not seen her friends in years as they were all busy with their own lives. She was also nervous about seeing her old teachers but Mildred took a deep breathe in as she walked through the doors that she knew led to the hall she had spent so many assemblies in.
There was already a small group of people there who were talking to each other. Mildred looked around seeing the hall looked more modern but was not as different as she had thought it would be. There was a large banner hanging up which read 'Class of 2001 Reunion' Mildred looked around beaming. It was Nick, her husband, who sent her out of her trance.
"Isn't that your friend who visited our college once?" he asked as he looked in the direction of a woman he vaguely recognised.
Mildred looked over to where Nick was looking and saw Enid Nightshade her old friend stood alone in a corner. Enid was no longer dressed like a goth but instead looked smarter, her hair was a more natural colour than the black it was last time Mildred had seen her. Mildred let go of Nick's hand and walked up to her friend having to resist the urge to run up like an schoolchild.
"Enid" Mildred said as Enid turned and spotted her friend smiling as they reached each other and kissed each other's cheeks and hugged happily.
"How are you? How are the kids?" Mildred asked excitedly after she had pulled away.
"Everyone is fine thank you, Felix couldn't come tonight I left him babysitting" Enid said with a smile as Mildred laughed so relived to see her friend happy.
Enid had had a hard time over the years. Just after she had gone home after visiting Mildred at Weirdsister she had discovered she was pregnant. The father didn't want to know and for a long time Enid could not decide if she wanted to keep the baby; after all she was highly immature to be raising a child, but then her son Magnus was born a few months premature Enid had decided to step up and mother him properly. The child was sixteen now and was studying at wizards college (though not Camelot College as Enid thought Hellibore was sexist and a bad influence and role model). After she had had Magnus she had met many different men but they were all abusive or worthless men. When her son was seven Enid met Felix and they have been together ever since and now have triplet boys, Dylan, Dawson and Dustin who had recently turned five. This was world's away from how Mildred remembered her, she was now a busy mother who spend time looking after three energetic boys as well as working at a community centre helping young mothers to learn life skills to raise their babies.
"Have you seen anyone else yet?" Mildred asked wondering where her other friends were, she didn't think Enid had ever arrived first after all.
"No, not yet I have to say I am shocked, Maud is normally early for everything" Enid replied just as someone called out the girls names and Maud walked up to her old school friends as they all greeted each other.
"Maud it has been way to long" Mildred said as she looked at her friend who had changed the least over the years, apart from the fact she had gotten rid of the pigtails and had her hair down.
"Sorry I am late, Kennedy wasn't very well so I felt bad for leaving her but my parents told me they will be fine and I should come" Maud said with a smile.
Maud Moonshine was married to a wonderful man called Milo. There couple had been together a few years now; Mildred smiled as she was taken back to their wedding. Maud and Milo only had one child, a girl Kennedy who was seven. They had had a lot of trouble having a child so she was their miracle baby but they had never been able to give her a sibling. Maud worked in a nursery as she loved children and wanted to work with as many as she could as she only had one.
The three women spoke for a while until Mildred jumped out of her skin when she felt someone grab her and Nick laughed and Mildred hit him playfully as Mildred turned to see who it was.
Mildred smiled as she looked up to see her older friends Fenella Feverfew and Griselda Blackwood. It is true the girls were a year older than Mildred and her friends but they were friends with more students in Mildred's year than their own so had come to see their old friends.
"Fenny, Gris!" Everyone said as they hugged the blonde and brunette who smiled back. The two girls looked pretty much identical to their school days right down to the colour of their hair.
Fenella and Griselda were best friends in school and a lot of people thought this would end at college when they met other people. Those people could not have been more wrong because in fact their friendship turned to love in their college years and the two women were happily married and had adopted an beautiful little girl from China called Wendy who was eight years old now. The two woman had dealt with a lot because of their sexuality and Mildred respected them for raising above it. Currently the two woman owned a centre for teens who were gay or bisexual that helped them get the support they needed.
"Hey Gris, we should have brought Wendy, see HB's reaction when a young child is running around" Fenny said as everyone laughed at the two jokers and Griselda put her arm around her wife amused.
"Where are Ruby and Jadu?" Gris asked as she looked around for her friends.
"Ruby is probably doing a science experiment and lost track of the time" Enid replied rolling her eyes.
Jadu Wali arrived soon after with her husband Warren. The couple only had the one child. A little boy called Caleb who was four years old. They had decided they only wanted the one child for the time being. Jadu worked as a teaching assistant at a primary school and was probably the most mature out of the whole group. Her hair was short now and was a lighter shade of brown.
"Sorry we are so late, you know what men are like they wait till the last second to start to get ready" Jadu said.
"Actually we don't know" Gris said as everyone laughed.
Last to arrive was Ruby Cherrytree who was still in her white lab coat as she was a scientist which was not surprising to anyone who knew her. Ruby was married to Neville and they had two children, a girl Jessie who was six and a boy, Rylan who was four. Ruby had grown her hair slightly from her school days and it did not appear as kinky.
The men all walked off leaving their wives to catch up alone as they went to have drinks.
"Have any of you seen Cackle or HB yet?" Maud asked after they had been talking a while.
"No, I have only seen Mr Blossom" Jadu replied.
"Do you reckon Charlie is here? None of us have seen him since we left college" Ruby said wondering if he was there. Mr Blossom was after all Charlie's uncle so it was likely he could have decided to stop by.
Charlie Blossom was an old friend of theirs they had met their first year of school. They had seen him from time to time but not for an few years.
"Maybe, let's take a look around and see." Mildred said as the group went to see if they could find their friend. It was Enid who found him and dragged him over to talk to his old friends. Mildred was glad it was not awkward even after all these years. Mildred noticed Charlie's wife was no-where to be seen but decided not to ask and see if it came up in conversation.
Charlie was fairly tall with blue eyes and sandy coloured hair, he looked older now but was still recognisable from their school days.
"Charlie how are you?" Gris asked
"I am good, busy but good" Charlie said with a smile.
"How are Reagan and Matty?" Mildred asked knowing Charlie had a wife, Reagan and a child called Matty who was around six years old.
"They are great, oh and soon there will be another, Reagan is pregnant" Charlie said with a smile and Mildred then realised why his wife wasn't here. Everyone congratulated the young man.
"Boy or girl? Who wants to place bets?" Enid said excited, Enid had always loved to joke around.
"Enid, I see you still have some of your bad ways in you" Ruby replied not surprised at all as she knew her friend much to well.
"Of course, so a fiver for whoever loses?" Enid said getting the betting started.
The group laughed placing their bets when a male voice said "I bet a fiver it's a girl."
The group turned and saw a dark haired man with dark eyes looking at them.
"MERLIN" Mildred shouted happily.
Merlin Langstaff had once been a shy boy or was badly bullied by everyone around him but that little boy was long gone now. This man was tall with brown hair, brown eyes and the biggest change was he had gotten rid of his glasses in favour of contacts. Mildred smiled hugging her old friend before the rest of the group got to him.
"Alright mate?" Charlie said giving him a 'man hug' which is basically a hug with a lot of back patting. The women watched this rolling their eyes.
Charlie and Merlin had met when Merlin had gone with Algernon to Camelot College for a visit where Charlie was a pupil. The two boys had soon become friends and they were still close friends even now.
"I can't believe you came, I thought you wouldn't be able to" Ruby said in shock.
"I nearly didn't, you know I don't like leaving Cassie but Algernon said he would babysit" Merlin replied.
"Is that a good idea? One of them might end up as a frog with his track record" Griselda joked as everyone laughed.
Merlin was kind of famous in their community. After all he was the first male potions teacher in history. When he had gotten the job it had been big news as it was so unusual. Merlin only worked at a day witch school though as he had a young daughter to look after. Merlin had been married to a woman named Andrea and they had had one child a daughter Cassie, but now the couple were divorced as Angela had wanted to travel and Merlin refused because he didn't want to keep moving their child about. Cassie was now five and Merlin had custody as her mother was travelling and living currently in Germany. This barely gave him any free time which is why the group was so surprised to see him there.
The group talked until the doors opened and two woman walked in. Mildred smirked as she saw them. Her old teachers.
"Cackle and HB" Mildred said causing the group who were talking to once again turn around. The group laughed as they saw their old headmistress hugging her old pupils and their old potions teacher standing next to her with her arms folded. Miss Cackle turned around and saw the group who had caused so much trouble in the school.
"Hello Girls" she said and then spotted Charlie and Merlin "And boys" she said before hugging each one of them including the two men.
"Ahh Miss Cackle you look the same as always" Jadu said as she observed her Ex-Headmistress.
It is true Miss Cackle did look the same, her hair looked more wild but that was about the only difference and she had more lines on her face but apart from that she was the same lovable woman they all remembered.
"Yes I can't say the same for you, I hope you all have being staying out of trouble" Amelia said to the group.
"Oh Miss Cackle, we would never do anything to get into trouble" Fenella said sarcastically.
"Miss Feverfew is it not true you and Miss Blackwood were nearly expelled from college for blowing up a classroom...twice!?" Miss Hardbroom asked having spoken for the first time since she arrived.
"Miss Hardbroom that was years ago, we have a child now we would never misbehave, oh and it is Mrs Blackwood actually." Griselda said with a smirk. Everyone knew their daughter was the next prankster in the making.
"Aww Miss Hardbroom don't tell me you don't miss us, we know you do." Enid said as the group including Amelia laughed.
Mildred took a proper look at her old teacher. It was odd when she was a student Constance Hardbroom had always seemed so tall and intimating, now she didn't seem so tall. The woman looked exactly the same as she always had, she was still in her long dark dress and had her hair in her plaited bun without a hair out of place but no-one could deny the woman was older. She had lines on her face that had never been there when the group were pupils.
"Aren't you the man who now works as a potions teacher?" Constance asked as she realised she had seen Merlin's face in the newspaper. Constance didn't seem to realise she had actually met Merlin before.
"Oh yes that is me" Merlin replied with a smile.
"Good choice" Constance responded. The group all gave each other looks after all Constance Hardbroom complimenting a man was a rare occurrence. Charlie looked at the time and interrupted.
"Sorry sorry I have to head off, I best get off home, I don't like leaving Reagan for too long" he said as he left quickly without hugging this friends goodbye.
"How is Hettie dear?" Amelia asked Mildred after all her cousin was also her ex-pupil.
"Oh she is doing well, she has just gotten a job in a restaurant, I hope my two girls won't give you as much trouble as my cousin." Mildred said apologetically.
"Well if they are anything like you and Miss Henrietta then yes they will give us trouble" Miss Hardbroom rudely replied.
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that Miss Hardbroom, they have my looks but their dad's personality" Mildred said trying not to smile. Somehow Nick Hobbs personality was not going to be any more impressive for Constance Hardbroom.
"Well everyone it was nice to see you all but if you excuse me I still have guests to attend too." Amelia said as she walked away Constance right behind her.
"Hey most of our children will be in the same year, does HB have any idea what is going to hit Cackle's?" Fenella asked as she imagined their children running around the castle causing havoc.
"I don't think so" Merlin replied as he looked behind the group of women and laughed.
"Hey have any of you seen Ethel's child?" he said as the women turned around they had all heard Ethel had a daughter of her own but none of them had ever seen her. Mildred soon saw what was making Merlin laugh the little girl who could not have been older than eight years old was the spitting image of her mother. She had her brown hair in a perfect ponytail and her nose in the air, even the same smirk as her mother. The group burst into laughter.
"Oh no an Ethel Hallow clone is all we need." Maud said with a laugh.
At the end of the evening Mildred left the big oak doors of the castle waving goodbye to her dear friends promising to catch up soon. Mildred was grateful for all her old friends and as she looked up at the castle she could see them all in her mind as students laughing as they played another trick on their teachers. Memories flashed through her mind fast.
Her and Enid flying the broomstick at Miss Cackle's birthday, stopping Agatha Cackle and Hecketty Broomhead in their tracks, visiting Merlin at Algernon's which was her favourite school trip, the Cinderella in Boots play they did and becoming head girl.
Mildred smiled to herself. She wouldn't have changed those days for anything. It was rare all the friends got together like they did tonight with their busy lives but when they did they were some of the best nights of Mildred's life.
She knew it might be years until she saw her friends again but their friendship would never die and she could think of no one else's children she wanted her daughters to attend school with.
After all these years their friendship was strong and nothing would ever break it no matter how many years may pass.
