Amelia was rather satisfied that the first few days of term had gone reasonably smoothly. The new students were settling in nicely, and there had been no serious incidents or misbehaviour from any of the girls. She was surprised, however, to see Rocky eating toast when she entered the staffroom early on Saturday morning. Having worked in a day witch-school previously, Amelia had not expected Rocky to be keen to work at the weekend.
"Miss Fluxweed!" Rocky almost dropped her plate in surprise. "What are you doing here? It's the weekend... isn't it?"
"Oh, morning Miss Cackle," Rocky smiled, "I was just thinking that my girls might find it a bit odd to be in school at the weekend. I thought I'd take some of them out for a broomstick ride down to the river or something. If that's ok, I mean"
"Ah, yes of course" Amelia agreed, "Take one of the other teachers with you too, if you're flying, you've got to have eyes everywhere with some of these girls!"
She chuckled before walking across the room to help herself to a cup of tea, almost skidding on something on the way.
"Did you spill this jam over here?" she asked in surprise.
"I wouldn't be surprised" The deputy's voice slightly preceded her body's appearance into the room.
"No, I haven't spilt anything today!" said Rocky, indignantly and truthfully.
"Well," Constance glanced at the mess, "The jam on the floor says otherwise"
Rocky scowled. She might have been a bit clumsy from time to time, but not this time. She didn't even like jam.
"Constance," Amelia spoke, noticing a slight tension brewing, "Rocky is going to take some of the girls out today, and as you are also in here so early, I should like for you to accompany them"
"Oh, headmistress, I-" she protested pointlessly.
"That's settled that, then"
"She's kind of like HB, but a different sort of scary. The girls at Lacewing's used to say she could read -"
"Enid Nightshade!" Enid froze, before slowly turning around to face Rocky who had just walked out of the castle doors. "I know that look. If I catch you spreading any pointless gossip, I will give you lines, and I will watch you write them so that you can't use magic to cheat!"
"Sorry, Miss" she mumbled quickly.
"And if you are going to discuss other people, at least use their actual names, it's much more polite..." she looked at each of the other girls, "And you must be Mildred? Tie your laces, would you? I'd rather nobody tripped over them!"
"Yes, Miss," Mildred bent down to tie her boot laces.
"Miss Fluxweed?" Mags interrupted, "Might we be able to take a ball and have a game of catch by the river?"
"I don't see why not," Rocky replied, "Why don't you girls get your broomsticks and then go and ask Miss Drill if she has anything you can borrow?"
As the girls scuttled off to the broomshed, Miss Hardbroom appeared, dressed appropriately for flying. Unlike some people, she thought, looking at Rocky, who, for some reason had decided to dress more like Miss Drill on this particular day. The only unusual thing was those infuriating glove things she was still wearing. Constance sighed and picked up her broom, simultaneously peering at Rocky's broom.
"Is that a racing broom?" she asked, hoping that the apprehension she had briefly felt was masked by her steely voice.
"Mmm" Rocky smiled proudly, "It's a Thestalos Firetwig, they only ever made a few 'cos people didn't seem to like the speed"
She held out the broom so that her colleague could see it properly.
"You can give it a whirl if you want" she offered, in an attempt to be friendly.
"I think I would prefer not"
Rocky shrugged and sat on her broom, tucking one leg underneath her. She took off and joined the girls who were already in the air waiting for them, intercepting the basketball that was already being passed between them.
"Is this woman completely undignified!" Thought Constance, as she observed her flying technique, but she decided not to make a comment as she guided her broomstick to keep up. As she surveyed the girls, she was pleased to notice that none of them seemed to have picked up Rocky's bad flying habits, but was less than happy that some of the new girls also rode rather quick broomsticks. She was struggling to keep an eye on everyone with the ball flying about, too, which made her feel slightly uneasy.
Rocky whacked the ball ahead; she had enchanted it so that it only fell slowly, and dropped back behind the group so that she could see everyone better.
"Decent flying weather," she commented, noticing her colleague's expression as she drew level with her, "I guess you disapprove of the ball..." She rolled her eyes slightly.
"Actually," Constance replied, "I do. Does it not seem rather dangerous to you, not to mention particularly undignified? I did accept the condition that they would play with it on the ground"
"I suppose I did say that," Rocky admitted, "Kada! Pass the ball here, please!"
Barely looking, Kada pelted the ball over her shoulder, with a little too much gusto. The ball zoomed straight past Rocky's face towards Miss Hardbroom, who caught it but overbalanced slightly. The teachers' broomsticks collided as Rocky had instinctively moved to make sure her colleague didn't fall backwards.
Rocky let out a snort of laughter, "Alright," she said, "I see your point"
"Would you mind keeping your distance?" Constance shook her head in annoyance as she zapped the ball into oblivion.
"I'm afraid I can't return your ball, Miss Drill," Rocky helped herself to one of Imogen's biscuits, "A certain person zapped it" She glanced mischievously at Constance, who ignored her. "Are you still annoyed with me, Miss Hardbroom?"
"Why's she annoyed with you?" Imogen asked curiously.
"She practically crashed into me this morning" Constance replied.
"It was rather undignified" Rocky admitted, but couldn't help giggling slightly.
"Not a particularly good example to set for the girls" snarled Constance, rolling her eyes.
"They weren't even looking, and I've apologised! It was instinctive; you looked like you would fall-"
"May I remind you, Miss Fluxweed," she spoke through gritted teeth, "That I am a witch, and that witches do not simply fall out of the sky if they are hit with a ridiculous rubber ball!"
"Well I'm obviously stupid. I didn't think did I? I am sorry, Constance"
Constance glared at her for a moment, trying to recall the point when they had reached first-name terms. Imogen, meanwhile, kept quiet; she knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of the deputy headmistress's frustration and to try to earn the witch's approval. The silence was only then broken when Miss Bat noisily entered the room, eating jam straight from the jar.
