Chapter Nine

Constance continued to improve through the week, and by Friday, She and Amelia were having a running argument about her staying in bed. Constance's tiredness was giving way to boredom, however Mildred normally had double potions on Friday afternoons after lunch, meaning that she would be able to spend the whole afternoon with Constance. As soon as she got out of class, Mildred collected Constance's and her own lunches from Mrs Tapioca, and made her way to Constance's room.

Constance was reading, with Morgana curled up next to her, when Mildred arrived. "I've brought lunch," she said, opening the door with one hand while balancing the tray with the other, causing the food and drinks to wobble precariously.

"Hang on…" Constance said, flicking her hand toward the tray, causing it to hover. "Thanks," said Mildred, as Constance floated the tray to the bed.

But no sooner had Mildred eaten, then she was off again. "Leaving already, are we?" Constance asked.

"Not for long," Mildred said. "You've got visitors, and I said I'd show them up here after they had lunch." Before Constance could ask who these visitors were, Mildred had left. Her footsteps faded away, then reappeared several minutes later, now with company.

"Mildred, who have you brought-" Constance began, but she stopped as Mildred came into the room, followed by two familiar people.

"Mother? Father? But what are you doing here?" Constance asked, surprised.

"We heard what happened," Anne said. "How are you, Connie? Are you all right?"

"Mother, please, don't call me that," Constance said, a hint of red appearing on her cheeks. Mildred was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Sorry," said Anne. "I forgot you don't like to be called that… But how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mother," Constance insisted.

"Constance…?" questioned George.

"What?" Constance snapped, glaring at her father. "After what you said about Mildred and I, I'm surprised you're actually here."

"Constance, I know you're upset with me, but I only ever wanted the best for you, you're my only daughter."

"You took Mildred away from me, and sent me to be tutored by that horrible Mistress Broomhead! Do you realise what she did to me? The experiments and torture she inflicted on me? I still have nightmares! Broomhead tutored me because she realised what I was capable of, she wanted to try to control my power and use it for herself."

Mildred and Anne gasped; George looked shocked. There was an awkward silence, the kind where no-one knows quite what to say. Eventually, Anne suggested that she and George go back downstairs, and Mildred offered to show them the way.

As Mildred climbed back up the stairs to Constance's room, she thought about what Constance had said, about "That Horrible Mistress Broomhead". She said Broomhead wanted her power... but Broomhead was a powerful witch herself, why did she need another witch's power...? Mildred stopped. Hecate Broomhead wasn't just after Constance. She wants me! That's what Constance won't tell me! She hurtled up the remaining stairs, through the door, and practically fell onto the bed next to Constance.

"Constance..." Mildred panted, sitting up. "Broomhead's after me as well, isn't she? What is she trying to do? Why does she want our power, and not anyone else's?"

"How... how do you know?" Constance asked, stunned.

"I might have heard you talking to your mother when we visited her," Mildred admitted, sheepishly. "But I didn't know what you were talking about until now... but there's something else you're not telling me, I know it.Something's troubling you, I can tell. I... I can feel it... in my mind."

Constance was stunned. Mildred could sense her thoughts and feelings! She had begun to sense Mildred, but it hadn't even occurred to her that Mildred would be able to sense her, given that she didn't even know she had the ability. Constance was like a closed book to most people, but not to Mildred any longer. She realised that she wasn't going to be able to keep secrets from her daughter anymore.

Mildred looked into Constance's deep brown eyes, and saw tears starting to form. "Yes, Mildred, Hecate Broomhead isn't just after me anymore- she's after both of us now, and she will come back, I know it."

Mildred stared at Constance in shock. "But why?"

"It's all my fault," Constance said, the tears leaking out. "I shouldn't have tried to be your mother, to have a relationship with you."

"How could you think that?"

"Because Broomhead wouldn't have seen, and wouldn't have realised, what you are..."

"What...? What do you mean?" Mildred looked into Constance's eyes again. "What are you not telling me?"

Constance sighed. "I suppose I had better tell you the truth... the whole truth this time." Constance took a deep breath.

"Mildred, you are no ordinary witch- and neither am I. Powerful magic runs in our family, magic beyond that of other witches."

Mildred looked at her hands, bewildered. "But I can't be... I'm no good at magic..."

Constance looked Mildred in the eyes. "In your first term at this Academy, you turned Agatha Cackle and her coven into snails... not many twelve year old witches could have done that."

"I just thought I was lucky..."

"The rest of us were lucky you were there." Constance gave a small smile.

"But why do I always mess up then?"

"You do seem to have trouble controlling your powers," Constance admitted. "It frustrates me, because I know what you're capable of. What you did to protect me from Broomhead, the magical shield you described, that is very powerful magic, and you cast it without even knowing what you were doing. But in doing so, without meaning to, you showed Broomhead what you are."

"But why didn't you tell me?" Mildred asked.

Constance sniffed, still a bit teary. "I kept the truth from you to keep you safe-"

"Do you really think hiding things is going to help now?"

"You're right, Mildred... No more secrets from now on... Not that I could keep anything from you if I wanted to, now. That ability to sense each other is another part of our power."

"You can feel me too?" Mildred asked.

"Yes," Constance nodded. "My mother and I can sense each other in the same way as well."

Mildred thought for a moment. "But if Broomhead's after me... you're not just scared for yourself, are you?"

Constance shook her head, her eyes becoming teary again. "The nightmares... they used to just be flashbacks, but since last year... they've changed... I keep seeing Hecate torturing you."

Mildred gasped; as Constance struggled to hold back her tears, Mildred snuggled alongside her mother, and lent her head against Constance's shoulder. "No wonder you've had trouble sleeping..."

Constance put an arm around Mildred in return. Up until now, Mildred's liking for physical contact had been awkward for Constance, but this time was different... Somehow, Mildred being there made things better, made the thoughts and memories hurt less...

"My biggest fear was- and is- for you, Mildred. I don't want you to suffer what I did. When Hecate visited last year, I was scared for you, and tried to hide you, as I didn't want you to do anything that would give you away to Hecate; fortunately, that didn't happen. In fact, I agreed to give you up for adoption to keep you safe, as Broomhead didn't know about you."

Mildred was stunned. "You really care about me... but I thought you said your father forced you to give me up."

"He did want me to give you up, as he thought I was foolish for getting pregnant at that age- I was only twenty- and he thought that I should be focusing on my study and career at that age. He also wanted me to go to the Witches' Training College because of Broomhead's reputation for discipline, as I told you before, but I agreed to go to put distance betwaside een myself and your father- I never heard from him again- and because it was closer to home than Weirdsister, so I could travel between home, where my mother was to help raise you, and the College, where I was studying for a teaching degree so that I could get a job to support you myself. But then it became apparent that Broomhead was after my power, and I knew that if she found out about you, you wouldn't be safe..."

"That's why I was adopted into a non-magical family," Mildred realised. "And why you didn't tell me the truth before."

"As I said, I didn't expect you to turn up here, at the Academy, and I was scared of anyone finding out. Since you started at Cackles, I struggled between wanting a relationship with you, as my daughter, and wanting to keep you safe. I thought that by not telling you, or anyone else, about our connection and powers, it would keep you safe from Broomhead. But at the end of last year, seeing how much you wanted me to stay at the Academy, and realising how much you mean to me... I decided to tell you about our relationship. I thought I could keep it between you, myself, and Miss Cackle... but it didn't quite go to plan." Mildred laughed, and Constance smiled in return.

For a while, Mildred and Constance just sat quietly together, finding comfort in each other's presence, both physically and mentally, until a knock on the door caught their attention. "Constance? Mildred?" Amelia asked, opening the door. "You can come in," Constance said. Amelia smiled when she saw Mildred and Constance cuddled up together. "You two look cosy... Mildred Hubble and Miss Hardbroom, who would have thought it?"

Mildred smiled. "What brings you up here, Miss Cackle?"

"Constance has been doing so well these last couple of days, that I thought she might like to spend some time up and about for a change."

"It's about time," muttered Constance. Mildred and Amelia couldn't help grinning.