A:N: I was rewatching the 2017 series the other day for pictures and in the first episode where Ethel is making her potion for her exam and Esmeralda wishes her luck I noticed something. I noticed for an split second the sadness that crosses her face when Ethel pushes her away which is how this very short idea happened. Hope you all enjoy.

The Feelings Behind The Mask

Esmeralda Hallow was loved by many people and was an exceptional student. The teenager was kind and helpful, students and teachers alike felt completely comfortable around her.

Esmeralda had heard people comment before that they have no idea how her and Ethel can be related let alone sisters, she is nothing like Ethel except in looks but people were wrong because much like her sister the eldest girl always kept her feelings bottled up. The teenager always appeared happy and in control around people but when she was alone she changed.

Esmeralda loved her sister very much, she always had. People did not realise how much she hated it when people compare her to her sister, how she hated it when people called her perfect, how she hated the look on her sister's face when this happened.

Despite Esmeralda always seeming in control the thing was she wasn't. Ethel was bitter towards her sister because she got attention and because people liked her and she was the eldest. This led to a lot of Esme's attempts to show affection towards her sister to be ignored.

Ethel was sometimes okay, if she was happy she really liked it when Esme showed her affection, but a lot of the time she was not happy and would ignore her sister's advances. During these times Esmeralda would pretend not to react, not to care. She would carry on like normal until she was able to be alone.

Once Esmeralda was in the safety of her bedroom though she would completely change. Walking in her room she would close the door and walk over to her bed sitting down on it gently.

When Ethel ignored her she could feel her chest hurt, sometimes for a split second she would let her guard down and change her expression until she came to her senses but in the safety of her room she did not have to do that.

All she wanted was for Ethel to love her, to want affection off her but Ethel was so busy trying to get their parents affection she never wanted her affection. This is when the questions would start. Did Ethel really hate her? Did she hate being her sister? Did she feel no love for her at all? Ethel was such a hard person to read she really did wonder.

Esme laid down on her bed letting tears fall down her face gently. She was not her mother and she would never want her love, not until their mother had learned to love her. The young girl would stroke her cat on the head gently crying to herself not having to put on an act for anyone at that moment.

If Ethel knew the truth she would know how much it hurts her sister when she rejects her. She would know she was the only one who saw the good in her and did not see her imperfections as something bad. Esmeralda did not consider herself perfect, she hated the word perfect. If Ethel could see the truth she would know how much she loves her and her feelings are real and not anything to do with pity and she would know how incredibly sad Esmeralda felt whenever Ethel rejected a hug.

As Esmeralda cried someone knocked quietly on her bedroom door. She quickly sat up wiping her tears and cast a quick spell making her puffy eyes go back to normal before telling whoever it was to come in.

Felicity Foxglove opened the door looking nervous at the idea of being in Esmeralda's room but she was clearly out of breath and spoke slowly.

"You best come quick...Mildred and Ethel are fighting" Felicity said through her puffs of breath.

"Right I will be right there" Esmeralda replied as Felicity closed the door and headed back to the fight. Esme stood up walking to the door once again wearing the mask she always had to wear to fool the world. Covering over her deepest feelings so no one would ever suspect a thing.