Why does every one suddenly aquire northen accents when I'm trying to write? It's rather odd even for me
Miss Crotchet was clearing up the remaining dust and cobwebs from the fireplace when the potions teacher entered...
Or at least she had been, until Miss Hardbroom closed the door with snap behind her.
"Ooh Constance, you didn't half give me a fright." the chanting teacher grumbled, rubbing her head from where she'd banged it on the mantelpiece. "It's not like you to use the door. You had me thinking it was that nasty old hag back again!"
"My apologies, Lavinia." Miss Hardbroom replied, crossing over to the tea urn. "Next time, I shall send the 'old hag' ahead of me to warn you if I'm to enter the staff room."
Under normal circumstances, a sarcastic potions teacher making sarcastic comments towards any one in the staff room, particular at the chanting teacher, wasn't a good omen. But, today could hardly be classed as normal, Miss Crotchet reasoned, even by the school's standards. Besides, she swore she could sense a little humour in the woman's voice instead of her usual poison.
"It won't work, I've already tried. We were looking over some of the girls earlier and we thought a cuppa would help." Lavinia chuckled, gesturing to the urn and the row of now clean mugs.
"They had bumps and scrapes from being enchanted in all sorts of awkward positions. I suppose you can sleep standing up, but not playing netball. Gravity doesn't seem to like it. Anyway, I take it that's every one sorted now then? All wake and hopping about again?"
"Mostly yes." Miss Hardbroom nodded, glaring at the oil like substance that was now congealing in the bottom of the usually faithful pot and wondering when Miss Crochet had seen the girls 'hop about'.
"Mildred's charming little drawing has just woken the last one, though some of the students are a little shaken knowing a fairy tale figure's been running about the castle, hurling cobwebs at them. The headmistress thought it best if lessons were cancelled and the girls returned to their rooms for the rest of the day."
"Well I suppose that understandable really. And thank goodness for that." Lavinia beamed. "I can't imagine what would have happened if Mildred hadn't sorted it."
"I can," Miss Hardbroom grimaced, opening the window. "And I assure you it's not entirely pleasant. Much like the Uninvited."
"Oh don't talk to me about that rag and web witch." the chanting teacher tutted, taking her usual seat by the fireplace. A cloud of dust enveloped her for a second before it settled again allowing her to pluck another confiscated copy of the Fairground from her carpet bag.
"She wasn't half spouting nonsense." Lavinia coughed, flicking though its pages. "the old crone kept insisting I hadn't invited her to some christening and that we were hiding a princess from her…"
"She seemed to think I was one of your 'fairy friends'." Constance muttered. The paper was sharply dropped, and the potions teacher found her self facing a woman who seemed to have been told that a piglet had been sighted crossing the channel on a broom stick. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," Lavinia replied shuffling the paper and decided to quickly change the subject before the deputy's role in the school pantomime was brought up. "You know, the girls are all fawning over that Prince Percy. They seem to love the strong and silent type-"
"The strong and silent graphite type, more like." Miss Hardbroom retorted.
"Well, he didn't do any harm did he?"
"No…not on purpose at least." Miss Hardbroom said thoughtfully, "Only we'll now have to console girls who'll be traumatised that their true-loves-first-kiss seems to have been shared with everyone in her class, while trying to teach the rest who will spend lessons gooie-eyed and scribbling his name across there exercise books complete with little hearts."
The chanting teacher giggled, though Constance wasn't sure whether it was at her sentiment or another one of Jadu's jokes she'd found in the paper.
"Please, if it's another shark jibe, I am not interested." Constance sniffed turning back to the window and brushing away a forgotten cobweb from the pane. "Thankfully Mildred has sent him back to where he came from, before the entire student body falls head over heels-"
Her colleague let out a little yelp and Miss Hardbroom found herself now facing a woman who might as well have just been told that her piglet and her broomstick were missing.
"He- He's gone back?!" The chanting teacher squeaked, the paper slipping to the floor.
"Of course he's gone back!" Miss Hardbroom tutted. "He was an illustration, a fictional character based on an ancient legend, he wouldn't have survived here."
"But we need him!" Lavinia argued leaping up from her chair. "Where's Mildred? We need to find her! Has she still got the drawing?"
"Oh goodness, not you too!" Constance groaned loudly. "Honestly Lavinia, have you taken leave of your senses again? Mildred Hubble is currently in Miss Cackles office, bur I can't for the life of me see why we need him now it's all over-"
"Oh I wish it was over!" Lavinia muttered, her gaze darting across the room and back to Constance. "I mean you can try if you like, you might have a bit more luck but I think we need the prince urgently!"
"Why? Miss Crotchet, you're talking in riddles-" the potions teacher started, but tailed off mid rant, having spotted the reason for her colleagues hysterics.
"What, on earth-" Lavinia heard her murmur as the taller woman cautiously approached the sofa and its occupant…