Hey, so I think I must have proof-read this a zillion times. I'm still not fully happy with it but hopefully you will enjoy it! Mistakes might have crept in.. my proof-reading skills are terrible. I honestly don't spot stupid mistakes in my own works!.. I have to get other people to check essays, because I seem to have comma issues... but that's another story ;).
Chapter 4
Nostalgia and a Plan
"I'll leave you to settle in Mildred, we'll all be downstairs in the staff room if you would like a hot drink?"
Miss Drill had shown Mildred and a sleepy Tigger to the schools guests' quarters. The room was far more luxurious than what Mildred had previously slept in at Cackles - the student's rooms were kept plain to enforce 'character and discipline' - as HB used to say it as she magically banished any posters the first years had foolishly stuck to the walls.
Mildred had never thought she would see Cackles academy again, much less to actually spend the night there. The whole day had been extremely surreal. She felt quite awkward at the prospect of spending the night at her old school, yet deep in her heart there was a pang of something else. She couldn't lay her finger on the feeling… comfort perhaps? No not comfort… but similar...more like the feeling of coming back home after a long holiday. You can spend years having enjoyable adventures and becoming the person you always longed to be, but there is nothing quite like returning to your roots and seeing the people who brought you up.
"That would be lovely Miss Drill."
"Please call me Imogen, Mildred." Imogen smiled wryly.
"Ok, Imogen." Mildred tested the word on her tongue...it felt strange... and quite wrong. "It almost feels like Miss Hardbroom will appear any moment and tell me off for not showing a teacher proper respect!"
Imogen chortled at that. "Well you're a teacher now too Mildred. Right, I better go see that the kitchen staff are aware that we have a guest."
xx
Whilst Mildred was settling into her room and freshening up, Imogen snuck into the staffroom to explain her plan to Lavinia.
"Constance is busy?" Imogen asked with a forced casual tone.
"She was in the office, she said something about arranging the interview questions for tomorrow, but I think she just wants some time alone." Lavinia replied disinterestedly, knitting needles working furiously.
"Do you know what time the interview is?" Imogen inquired delicately.
"I think it's early afternoon."
"That doesn't give me much time." Imogen sighed.
"Time for what?" Lavinia put her needles down and gave Imogen her full attention.
"Well…I was thinking..."
Xxx
"You don't have even the slightest chance Imogen!" Lavinia chuckled at her friend's positivity and naivety.
"Why not? She's a Spell's teacher Lavinia! What were the chances of Mildred showing up at the time Cackles' needs a new teacher?" Imogen gushed.
"Constance won't have it!" Lavinia rolled her eyes.
"Constance doesn't always know what's best for the academy. Best for her!"
"Be that as it may Imogen, Frances Blackcauldron is coming for an interview tomorrow. She is exactly like Constance. Nobody could stand a chance against her! Not even Mildred if she was even allowed to apply. Anyway, Mildred already has a job!" Lavinia spoke as if trying to explain something simple to an excitable child.
"Yes but she's a Cackles' girl! She always did have such school spirit! She'd work here in an instant."
"Not under HB." Lavinia resorted to using her colleague's nickname in order to get her point across. The effect was instantaneous, as Imogen's face dropped almost comically.
"Oh... but that was years ago! Their relationship improved towards the end anyway," but Imogen sounded less sure.
"Not enough, I tell you Imogen, you'd be mad to try!" Lavinia chuckled softly.
"Well I guess I'm mad then! It's what Amelia would have wanted!" Imogen spoke determinedly, she strode out of the staffroom and let the door bang shut dramatically.
Xxx
Constance sat in the Headteacher's office thinking deeply, as only she could. It had been a tiresome day but an excellent send off to her friend.
She was annoyed at herself for being so stupid as to nearly miss the memorial. Luckily Mildred had managed to find her. She shook her head disbelievingly; Mildred Hubble was one girl she thought she'd never see again.
Over the years Constance had forgotten many of the pupils she had previously taught; the ones that didn't stand out or do anything particularly memorable but Mildred Hubble was different. Every year Mildred had attended Cackles there had been some sort of drama, sometimes that Mildred had created and usually in which Mildred had helped to save the day. She had been a troublemaker as well as quite useless academically but had eventually surpassed everyone's expectation. She had buckled down towards the end, setting a moderately good example as Head Girl and gaining moderately good marks on her Witches Higher Certificates. She was one of those people whose life could fill up the pages of multiple books, always full of adventure and mischief. She had been such a tiring pupil, careless and clumsy, but interesting….always interesting…
Constance would have never had let Mildred into Cackles if she had it her way, but Amelia had always insisted the girl had potential. Amelia had always been much too soft, but she had usually been right about a pupil's character, whereas Constance was quick to judge, sometimes too quick to judge, as in Mildred's case.
xxx
As a child, you fail to see your teachers as anything but teachers. They don't exist outside of the school setting. They don't feel like ordinary people who do ordinary things. The thrill of seeing your teacher shopping in a supermarket is something worth telling the whole class about. Of course, that never actually happens in a boarding school for witches, but Mildred could remember the times as a pupil where she would walk past the forbidden staffroom door and wonder just what her teachers were doing in there, when the mask of 'teacher' was removed.
Now she found herself sitting awkwardly at the staffroom table, being served some kind of vegetable risotto, accompanied by dark red wine.
Miss Hardbroom seemed to nibble uninterestedly at her food, the woman looked almost skeletal in Mildred's opinion. Ironic, she always used to lecture us about eating properly, Mildred thought to herself.
The atmosphere at the table seemed quite subdued, almost as no one knew quite how to behave with each other. The silence was eventually broken by Miss Hardbroom, of all people.
"It seems wrong of me as your old form-mistress to be offering you wine Mildred, but would you like another glass?" She asked their guest. Mildred was surprised by this friendly gesture.
"That would be lovely Miss Hardbroom… Don't worry, I've been legal for over six years now," she smiled appreciatively as she was poured another glass by the precise hands of her old potion's teacher.
"Goodness! How time flies!" Imogen exclaimed. "It only seems like yesterday you were a pupil."
"Yes it does rather." Mildred nodded, drinking a large gulp of her wine.
"Are you aware Mildred is a Spells teacher now Constance?" Imogen inquired gently.
"Indeed." Constance said briskly, "we had a short but informative catch up earlier." I know what she's getting at, Constance thought, resisting the temptation to roll her eyes. Why does she always feel the need to interfere?
"I bet Amelia would have been so proud, that one of her students has followed in her footsteps." Lavinia said enthusiastically, making Mildred blush with embarrassment.
The conversation stilted awkwardly again at this point.
"So… Mildred, how's the love life?" Imogen tried to remedy the situation.
Mildred laughed at her obviously forced 'casual' tone.
"Miss Drill, I hardly think that's appropriate." Constance glared sternly at her colleague.
Mildred smiled softly. "It's ok, Miss Hardbroom. I don't mind. Well I'm single at the moment, I got out of a serious relationship last year. I don't really feel ready to settle down. Did you know Enid has two children?"
"Enid Nightshade?" Constance raised her eyebrow.
"Yeh, Harry and Sarah. They're adorable and I love spending time with them, but I'm definitely not ready for the whole marriage and babies thing. I think with teaching I have enough children in my life!" This had been the cause for her break up with her last boyfriend.
"Yes, I'm afraid you become a surrogate parent in this profession, especially with some of the weaker first years. I do not relish the homesick tears in the first few weeks of term." Constance's tone showed her clear distaste. "and the lack of sleep due to pupils' night time wonderings! I wonder if there is a rule book that states all boarding school pupils must waste their precious sleep for 'mid-night feasts!'"
"I think you must have caught me every time; you used to terrify me, leaping out from the shadows when I was up to no good!" Mildred felt her tongue loosen, perhaps from the wine.
"Well that was the general idea. It never seemed to stop you though Mildred." Constance smirked.
"It just made it a lot more interesting. There's no fun in breaking rules if you're guaranteed to get away with it." Mildred laughed.
xxx
The nostalgic conversation continued to flow into the late evening and Mildred found to her immense surprise, that she was really enjoying their company. She stifled a yawn, realising that she was immensely tired after a long day. Lavinia had already drifted off to sleep in an arm-chair, which according to Imogen was quite normal.
"I think I better go to bed."
"Yes, you look exhausted." Constance confirmed authoritively.
"See you in the morning Millie." Imogen smiled at the disapproving glare shot her way from Constance from the use of a nickname.
"Night Imogen...… Miss Hardbroom." and with that Mildred vanished in style of HB.
xx
"I didn't know she could do that!" Imogen blinked in surprise. Even as a non-witch Imogen knew that the 'vanishing' skill was immensely difficult and required a very powerful witch. She had only ever seen Constance do it.
"Nor did I." Constance murmured back, looking almost impressed.
"She's quite changed from the absentminded schoolgirl Constance. I bet she's a fabulous teacher." Imogen raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"I know what you are trying to do Miss Drill, and it will not work." Constance shot her a stern glare.
"But why not?!"
"Keep your voice down!", Constance hissed. "Because I said so." she sighed tiredly, knowing that Imogen was pent up and would not relent. Imogen sulked for a moment like a petulant child.
"You've never liked her." Imogen declared bitterly.
"It is not a teacher's duty to 'like' pupils Imogen, nor to 'dislike'. There have been various parts of Mildred's personality that made her a difficult girl to teach. I am sure that Mildred is a 'fabulous' teacher, as you so eloquently put it, but she is not right for this academy." Constance said in a business-like tone.
"She couldn't be more right! Children need someone to go to when they're upset, someone young that they can relate to. Not somebody that they're scar-."
"Scared of? Someone like me you mean? Miss Drill you are speaking out of place." Constance tried to disguise the hurt in her voice. She knew Imogen was right. She wasn't the type of teacher that a young witch could talk to and she never would be. Yet she saw herself as a maternal figure to the young girls away from home. She had a duty of care to withhold and despite rarely showing it, she cared deeply for all her past and present girls.
Imogen sighed, her relationship with Constance had always been tempestuous. For all appearances, Constance could be very sensitive at times.
"I.. I didn't mean it like that. I just feel like you are judging Mildred as the eleven year old girl that couldn't land her broomstick, not the woman she is now. I'm not saying give her the job, just give her a chance. Interview her… allow yourself to see what everyone else sees." Imogen said passionately.
Constance stared at the woman, lips pursed in annoyance before vanishing without saying another word.
"Well that was successful!" Lavinia muttered from her chair, eyes still shut.
xxx