A/N: One hour!

Chapter Seven

The rest of the day went by quite quickly and before long it was nightfall. Mildred had been at the hospital with her mother all day and was clearly tired and Julie had already been at the hospital for a hour more than she was supposed to. Julie knew it was time to go home now so she walked into the ward where Ethel was preparing for the argument that was going to follow.

"Esmerelda, sorry but it is time to go, visiting times are over for the day" Julie told the young girl who looked up at her looking tired but upset as well.

"Let me stay here please!" Esmerelda begged looking at Julie with pleading eyes.

"I have already gave you a hour more than you were supposed to have, you can't stay here Esmerelda" Julie told the girl sympathetically. She knew she would fight her on this.

"I can sleep on the chair" Esmerelda told Julie as if she thought it was where she would sleep that was the problem.

"Esmerelda look I could lose my job if I let you stay here, I am sorry I don't make the rules" Julie told the young blonde.

"But I can't go home...and what if Ethie needs me overnight, what if she grows worse?" the girl said panicking.

Julie knew she couldn't send the girl home. The last thing she wanted was for the girl to try attack her parents in her vulnerable state and it was late, she didn't think the youngster should be out alone, there could be really bad people about.

"I will tell you what why don't you come back with Mildred and I for the night?" Julie suggested as she would feel much better knowing the girl was not walking the streets at this time of night.

"But Ethie..." Esmerelda said tears brimming her eyes.

"I will tell you what, I am good friends with the nurses doing night duty, I will tell them that if anything shall happen to ring me even if it is a ungodly hour and then we can come straight away, and if everything goes smoothly I will bring you back here as soon as visiting hours start tomorrow" Julie told the girl trying to compromise with her. The young blonde looked at her sister and then back at Julie before nodding in agreement with a sigh knowing she had no better choice.

The journey back to the flat was in silence as all three of the passengers were tired and after the short ten minute journey they all got out and walked into the flat.

Esmerelda looked around curiously. It was small and simply decorated but there was ornaments and pictures of Mildred everywhere from a baby to her current age, it definitely felt cosy here unlike her own house. There was a TV, a strange looking games console that Esmerelda had never seen before, a DVD player and a couple of other knick-knacks.

"Make yourself at home, sorry you will have to take the sofa we only have two rooms" Julie said quietly wondering how the girl would take it but then again she had been prepared to sleep on a chair so she thought she wouldn't mind.

"Okay, thanks" Esmerelda said stifling a yawn which Julie saw.

"It is late I think we better all go to bed, we have a early start tomorrow, the bathroom is the door on the left, I will be in my room" Julie told the blonde who nodded and started to head to the bathroom as Mildred came out of her room and cut her off by accident and Mildred took the opportunity to talk.

"I heard what you said to my mum" Mildred said quickly "About the entrance exam and everything" Mildred told the girl.

Esmerelda looked at Mildred and shrugged her shoulders "So?" Esmerelda asked not bothered if the girl had heard her or not in that moment. She was tired, worried and fed up.

"So, I had only just discovered I was magic, I had no idea taking Ethel's ingredient would ruin her potion, I was out of my depth, I know you and Ethel seem to think I already had a personal grudge against her but I didn't" Mildred explained wanting the girl to be clear on that fact.

"Okay I agree you had no idea what you were doing...but what about turning her into a pig?" "You had the whole rest of the summer to study and you clearly didn't bother or you would not have made such a stupid mistake" Esmerelda told the girl glaring at her.

Mildred and her friends had often tried to find a resemblance between Esmerelda and Ethel but to no avail but for the first time Mildred was seeing it: the glare, the sarcasm. It was coming to Mildred now. Esmerelda might hide this side, but it was definitely there.

"Actually I did study" Mildred told the blonde becoming angry the girl would imply that "We can't all be a genius you know" Mildred told the girl angrily. It was alright for her she was the star pupil, it all came easy to her.

"I am not a genius, I study" Esmerelda replied "Why is it you are always the hero? " Esmerelda asked the girl angrily.

"I don't mean to be!" Mildred shouted back frustrated.

"Well next time try not to make my sister a laughing stock, I don't appreciate it having to hear her cry because you embarrassed her" Esmerelda said with such a good impression of Ethel's sarcasm, Mildred was wondering if the girl she was speaking to was Ethel and her and Esmerelda had switched places.

"Well next time tell Ethel not to do something stupid, maybe people would feel sorry for her if she was nicer" Mildred shouted back, both girls becoming quite loud. Julie came out her bedroom seeing them near each other yelling.

"Oi you two what on earth is going on?" Julie asked them angrily.

"She started it she is insulting my sister!" Esmerelda shouted.

"She is blaming me for Ethel's behaviour!" Mildred replied angrily.

"I do not care who started it, it is late and you two should be asleep, now get ready for bed both of you" Julie told the two girls. Esmerelda pushed past Mildred to get to the bathroom and Mildred looked at her mother.

"This better only be for one night" Mildred told her mother as she walked back into her room to wait for the bathroom.

Things calmed down then. Esmerelda came out the bathroom to find the sofa now had cushions and a blanket on it and Julie looked at her with a sympathetic smile.

"I am sorry I don't have anything for you to wear tonight" Julie told her as her things would be huge on the teenager but Mildred's would be far to small on the taller girl.

"No worries" the girl said "Night" she said as she walked towards the sofa to sleep.

Julie left the youngster for a while as she went to finish getting ready herself and then after a few minutes she walked to Mildred's room like always and saw her young daughter in bed asleep with Tabby curled at the end of her bed. The mother walked in and kissed her daughters head, pulling the covers up to make sure she was covered and gave Tabby a quick stroke before coming out and opening the door.

Normally Julie would now go to sleep herself but as tonight she had a guest she wanted to check on her. She knew the young girl might be uncomfortable being in a strange flat so she walked into the living room expecting full well for the girl to still be awake.

Julie smiled to herself as she saw the girl was sound asleep on the sofa, the girl had after all being up for hours with worry so it was no wonder the young girl was tired and had not taken long to fall asleep.

As Julie looked at the blonde a sad feeling came over her when she realised it seemed her parents could not care less about her whereabouts. They had not turned up to the hospital to escort the girl home safely and even Mr and Mrs Hallow must know visitors can not stay in hospitals overnight. If Mildred had not come home by this time Julie would have called the police and gone out to look for her as mothers are supposed to do. The fact they seemed fine with their daughter being out somewhere at that time of night did not sit easy with Julie and she was happy she had offered the girl to come back to the flat, she never would of forgave herself if something happened to the girl as she was making her way home.

Julie walked towards the young girl and like she had done with Mildred she fixed the blanket to make sure she was covered. She left out the kiss on the girl though, mainly for the reason that the girl might wake up and be freaked out if she was being kissed on the head by some woman she had just met. Julie smiled happy the girl was settled and then went towards her bedroom, leaving her phone on and on full volume just in case.