Chapter Ten
Hecate and Pippa continued to teach joint lessons, Sybil and Ayla were still daydreaming about their wedding. One Tuesday morning the two first years were in the corridor giddy with excitement after their potions lesson.
"Well I must say it is strange to see you both so excited after you have just had HB." Esmeralda said as she saw the two girls and walked up to them.
"We love our potions lessons because we get to plan the wedding!" Ayla replied happily.
Esmeralda opened her mouth to ask them whose wedding it was but instead Ethel asked from behind her.
"Whose wedding?" Ethel asked appearing behind Esme and standing next to her older sister full of curiously.
"Miss Hardbroom and Miss Pentangles of course!" Sybil replied happily.
The two older girls glanced at each other and gave each other a look.
"Did I miss them announcing their wedding?" Esme asked amused.
"Well no they haven't announced it yet..." Ayla replied truthfully.
"But they are going to?" Ethel asked trying to keep the smile off her face.
"Yes they clearly are in love, they love each other like Ethel lovesssss Zac." Sybil replied excitedly.
"I DO NOT!" Ethel said her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment. Esme started to laugh and Ethel glared at her.
"We are going to be their bridesmaids." Ayla replied practically jumping up and down.
Ethel at this point started to laugh too at the two girls overactive imagination.
Mildred, Maud and Enid were walking down the corridor and saw Esmeralda and Ethel laughing next to each other.
"Wow what is so funny?" Enid asked running over to see what was happening.
"What is going on?" Maud asked joining Enid.
"Are you three going to come to HB and Pentangles wedding too?" Ayla asked with a smile.
The three second year friends looked at each other before they burst into laughter at the thought of HB marrying Pentangle.
All the girls looked a sight. Sybil and Ayla were wide eyed and jumping around, the two older blonde sisters were laughing in one corner and Mildred and her friends were laughing in another.
"What is going on over here?" Hecate asked with her arms folded. She had been walking down the corridor with Ada and Pippa when she saw the pupils.
Sybil and Ayla being first years did not realise that talking about the wedding to their teachers was not a smart thing to do. Sybil therefore replied.
"So what date have you picked Miss?" Sybil asked jumping up and down.
"What are you talking about?" Hecate asked annoyed.
"For your and Miss Pentangles wedding!" Ayla replied sharing the answer.
At this Hecate turned bright red in the face and opened and closed her mouth a few times as if she was completely lost for words. Ada coughed and looked at the floor trying her best to hide a smile and Pippa did not even try to hide her smile. She smiled happily.
"We want to be your flower girls." Ayla said happily wanting nothing more than to be part of the wedding.
"Oh well when we set a date we will definitely pick you two as flower girls!" Pippa replied playing along. If it made the girls happy to imagine them getting married that was fine it was causing no harm to anyone.
Hecate still seemed unable to speak and if possible her face grew hotter.
"Miss Hardbroom after you are married you should have a baby!" Sybil said as the thought came into her head.
By this point most of the girls had stopped laughing as they were worried about what was going to happen once the teachers heard what they had been discussing. But at this statement it was to much for Esmeralda.
After Sybil had asked this question Esme snorted and burst into laughter loudly unable to contain herself.
"Esmeralda Hallow!" Hecate shouted finally finding her voice.
"I am so sorry." Esme replied as she laughed more. Ethel saw her sister laughing and started laughing as well. The two older blonde girls were practically holding onto each other as they laughed their heads off tears streaming down their faces.
"Sybil, Ayla remember what we said about letting your imagination run wild?" Ada said with a smile.
"But Miss." Ayla said ready to explain herself and their thinking.
"I know you get overexcited but just try not to get too far fetched with your theories, now would you look at the time, lessons are about to start go on all of you." Ada said not giving the younger girls any punishment as they had not really done anything wrong.
Ayla and Sybil skipped down the corridor as the others followed behind. Esme and Ethie were still laughing their heads off and held onto each other as they walked away clutching their stomachs which were sore from laughing.
Once the girls had gone Hecate started to talk insulted.
"The nerve of them, How dare they ask us questions like that." Hecate said embarrassed and annoyed.
Pippa rolled her eyes laughing "It was funny Hecate" Pippa replied not being upset by the children.
"Oh really, well I don't think so and neither does Ada do you Ada?" Hecate asked looking at the older woman.
Ada was looking at the floor with her eyes squeezed shut tightly trying her best not to laugh.
"Oh Ada not you too!" Hecate replied disappointed the headmistress found it amusing.
"I am sorry Hecate." Ada said laughing "I have to go mirror the great wizard see you later." she said as she vanished still laughing.
Pippa smirked as she looked at Hecate highly amused.
"I was thinking we should make it the 27th of next month?" Pippa said playing along.
Hecate glared at the other woman her blush still evident.
Once Esme had calmed down a little Sybil and Ayla walked up to her still both giddy.
"Esme why did you find it so funny when I asked about the baby?" Sybil asked unsure why her sister found it so funny.
"Well Sybil it is not really something you go around asking people, especially two women." Esme replied truthfully.
"What does them being women have to do with it?" Ayla asked clueless about it all.
"Well because obviously they can't naturally have their own children." Esmeralda told them though generally that was a known fact to most.
"Why not?" Sybil asked still confused by it all.
"Because they don't...you know." Esme replied not in some many words trying to explain to them what the problem was.
"I don't understand." Ayla replied really confused.
Esmeralda did not feel like explaining to her eleven year old sister the ins and outs of why two women could not conceive naturally.
"I will tell you what I will explain it to you when you are at least my age." Esmeralda replied not wanting to talk about it.
"But I want to know now." Sybil replied in a whining tone desperate to know the answer.
"Oh is that the time I am going to be late for chanting." Esmeralda said as she walked off quickly before Sybil had the time to ask her anything else. Really not wanting to have the discussion with the younger girls.