Chapter 2
Mildred hated going to detentions, most of the time they were for things she hadn't done, but today she didn't mind so much, detentions with Miss Bat were usually so easy, most of the time she forgot what was going on in them and talked about some new chant, unlike HB's ones which involved some horrible task, mostly cleaning the potion lab. Something which she thought Miss Hardbroom relished as it meant that she never had to bother.
She stepped into classroom, not expecting the person that she found sitting behind the desk, this person had been an unexpected twist and a turn that she had not expected
"Your late Mildred" Miss Hardbroom said from behind the desk at the front of the room before she stood up and walked over to another desk and placed a blank piece of paper on it.
"I'm sorry Miss Hardbroom" Mildred said as she walked to the table where the paper had been placed, upset that her notion of an easy detention had just gone out of the window for what would be now a painfully long hour.
"Can I ask you a question Miss?" she said putting her bag on the floor.
"Yes, Mildred what is it?" She replied as she crossed her arms across her chest, her voice modulating slightly to make it seem that she was upset at this interrupting but it wasn't
"Wasn't Miss Bat supposed to be taken this detention today?. She usually takes all Saturday detentions"
"Yes, she was but she is unable to make it so you will have to make do with me." She turned back around and walked back to her desk at the front of the room where a pile of marking sat waiting for her to go through, the work that she had set always coming back with a vengeance to make her weekend a slog. "Now Mildred, I want from you an essay about safety procedures which need to be followed when brewing potions. That is because of the debacle you made in the class this week when brewing."
Mildred sat down and started to write, there was no sound through out the room apart from the sound of pens scratching onto paper, either that of Mildred's or Constance's. Throughout this time Constance would grab sly looks at Mildred as she worked steadily not even noticing what was going on and the fact that Miss Hardbroom couldn't pull her eyes away from her, this would always happen whenever Mildred was the only person in the detention
Pulling out her diary to check the date, her eyes fell to the Saturday of next week, it didn't seem important, and there was nothing on the page marking it, but Constance knew what It was with out thinking, it was Mildred's Birthday. And on this day she would be 13, a teenage, something she couldn't believe, that that much time had passed since that moment.
All of a sudden she looked down at her watch and realized that the detention was finished, that the hour was past all so quickly.
"Mildred, time is up, leave you work on the desk and you can go." Mildred gathered her belongings together and walked to the door, before she could exit, Constance spoke. "And Happy Birthday Mildred for Saturday next week"
Mildred's Mouth gaped almost slightly at Miss Hardbroom actually know that her Birthday was the Saturday coming up, getting her composure together she turned around to face her.
"Thank you Miss Hardbroom, but how do you know that my Birthday was coming up?"
"I overheard Enid mentioning it, and thought that I would wish you a good birthday, Now run alone Mildred all you will miss dinner."
Mildred ran off, leaving Constance with her thoughts, a letter composing in her thoughts, to Mildred's adoptive parents, explaining that she wanted to tell her on that day, who she exactly was.
Constance stood out side the headmistress office, waiting to go in to speak to her, the letter she had sent had come back with a good response, and with a hint of good news, Mildred had known for a few years now she had been adopted, so breaking that to her would be something that she did not have to do, but their was one last thing that she wanted to do before she told Mildred, and that was to tell Amelia so she had an idea what was going on.
"Come in" she heard through the door.
"Thank you for seeing me Headmistress." Constance said after she set foot into the room and sat down in the chair opposite her
"What can I do for you Constance?" Amelia asked offering a piece of cake to Constance who turned it down
"I have some information to share with you which will surprise you, I am only telling you this because of the problems which could occur when this comes out."
"Your worrying me, what can be so bad about what you are about to tell me?"
"Firstly Headmistress, I have daughter who is about to turn 13 this Saturday which is nearly upon us and secondly that this girl is student right here at Cackles at this moment in time."
Amelia was shocked at the statement, her fork stopped halfway to her mouth and was dropped quickly to her plate. What her deputy headmistress had said to her was not the type of thing she would ever expect her to come out with.
"Constance, which student is it?"
"Mildred Hubble"
"Mildred…..?"
Unbeknown to them Mildred had seen Miss Hardbroom go into the office, and decided to listen in on the conversation. She would normally of had more sense than to barge in like this especially if Miss Hardbroom was their but this was more Important.
Constance head turned as the door came open unexpectedly and Mildred came in, raising her voice she started to speak.
"Mildred Hubble, how dare you barge into this office like that, explain yourself."
Mildred started to speak but stopped unable to get any words out.
"Well?" Constance questioned again
"What you just said then, is it true? Are you more biological mother?"
This was not how she planned for Mildred to found out but she would take it anyway, standing up she walked to where Mildred was standing, next to the fireplace, hunching down slightly she brought herself to Mildred's eye level she spoke.
"Yes Mildred, it's true, this wasn't how I wanted you to find out about this, but what I told Miss Cackle then was the absolute truth, you are my daughter."
Tears started to well in Mildred's eyes, unable to take what was happening she turned and ran out of the room.
"Headmistress?" Constance said her voice pleading, unsure what to do
Amelia walked over to her deputy headmistress who had slipped down and knelt down next to her.
"Give it time Constance, just give it some time."
Mildred ran upstairs and flung herself on her bed, her crying brought in her friend Maud, who was worried about her friend.
"Mildred, what's the matter?" She asked sitting next to her friend as she sobbed her heart out
"Maud, you remember I told you I was adopted, well I just found out who my birth mother is."
"Isn't that a good thing? You told me that you wanted to find out who it was."
"In any other circumstance it would be, but not in this one, not one you find out who it is."
Maud looked at her friend which such concern,
"Who is it Millie? It can't be as bad as you are making it."
"It can be Maud; my birth mother is none other Miss Hardbroom, the teacher at this academy which hates me so much."
Maud was shocked at the words that had just came out of Mildred's mouth
"Please tell me you are not serious Millie?"
Mildred turned to face her friend.
"I wish I was not being serious Maud, but I am 100 serious , today I have found out I am the daughter of one Miss Constance Hardbroom, deputy headmistress at Cackles Academy." Mildred started to stroke tabby before she spoke again, "And I don't know how I am going to cope with it."
Unluckily for Mildred, Ethel had gone passed her room at the exact time she told Maud about Miss Hardbroom, as soon as she heard what was said a smile came across her face, she was going to have some fun with this.
Constance took the cup of tea that was offered to her as she sat in the spare chair in Amelia's office, she had started to get her composure back and was slightly embarrassed about what had happened.
Amelia sat back down opposite her, a cup of tea in her own hands.
"Constance, why didn't you tell me about this earlier? About Mildred being your daughter?"
"It's strange for me to say Amelia, but I was embarrassed, it seemed like something which could be used against me, and I couldn't see how it would benefit anyone else knowing until I decide when Mildred was going to be told."
Amelia blew on her cup and took a sip before speaking again.
"Is this the reason behind you telling me about this today?"
"Yes it is, I was planning to tell Mildred on her 13th birthday this Saturday."
"And what about her adoptive parents, have you informed them of what you were going to do?"
Constance put her cup onto the desk and then spoke
"Yes I have, I wouldn't have gone along with it without their permission."
"But why the big rush Constance, you have had two years to tell her."
"She has been constantly on my mind recently, and she is getting to a important stage in her life, and I would like to be involved in it, so headmistress if you can please excuse me, I believe I need to go talk to Mildred now and explain it."
