A/N: Finally! I've managed to not kill anyone and cause anyone's ears to bleed! This chapter nearly caused me to give up this entire project but many thanks to GloriaNewt, NCD and Princess Sammi for putting up with my moaning and bitching regarding this god awful chapter...I'm glad I was able to upload something and sort of in a happy place with it as my doodle pad is loaded with ideas, etc so hopefully the next chapter won't be too long in updated!

Still me but have simply changed my name, felt it was time for a wee change.

Remember guys this fic is based during the summer holidays. I have a habit of fooking up timelines, etc. Some ooc(ness) but over look this as...well you know what I've put our beloved potions teacher from so do expect acts of randomness, done with taste and not too out 'there'.

I *heart* the Black Swan soundtrack, my obsession with it grows as does its uncanny powers to aid in my doodles.

Hopefully, limited spelling/grammar mistakes, if found just put in a box and push off into the corner!

Think that's everything...so enjoy x

Chapter Ten: Tip of the Iceberg

"Zelda!" called Amelia as she fought to catch up with the speeding strides of the counselor, she either ignored or mysterious gone completely deaf to the continuous pleas from Amelia

Finally, she was able to match her pace. The sudden movement that flickered out of Zelda's peripheral vision caught her attention "Oh Amelia! I didn't hear you there." An obvious lie?

"You cannot do this...we cannot do this!" she started and gently reached for Zelda's sleeve, indicating for her to slow down her menacing pace or stop briefly

"You wanted something?" toyed Zelda as she pulled her arm from Amelia and casually inspected her manicured nails

Amelia would have loved to knock the arrogant witch down a peg or two, witness her topple from her self assumed pedestal. The animosity festered between them now splitting their opinions over the care and concern for Constance, who was the only link that they had in common.

"You tarnish the very profession...showing prejudges, your true colours," she paused but Zelda's expression was like stone and proved hard to read "She's suffering and needs us." Now appealing to her compassionate and sympathetic side of her conscience

She smiled warmly but it faded quickly "Amelia...with all addicts, it does normally get worse before it gets any better. We just have to give her time."

Infuriated, Amelia was once again just a helpless bystander despite her vast and varied knowledge over her many years, she knew that there had to be a spell of potion that could possibly help contradict the agonising affects of withdrawal but she had no idea where to begin and then there was every possibility that any potion or spell could antagonise the already crippling pain, Amelia could not risk it.

"You would deny her the one thing that could grant her peace?" hinting at the last vial of wide awake potion, the only solution

Zelda placed her hands firmly on her hips "It's called tough love, Amelia...I may seem heartless but perhaps it is because I simply do not have any immediate ties to Constance but I do care however this radical detox is long overdue...you'll see."

Constance had reluctantly agreed that she did in fact need rest. The cleansing had been far more draining than she had anticipated and in combination with her increasing symptoms, she surrendered to the need to rest, to recover.

Two days had now passed. Each painstaking hour passed into another, nothing ever changed. Constance slept for the majority of the time, occasionally muttering and shifting in her unconscious state. Amelia grew more concerned with the extremes her body was ravaged by the withdrawal. The cold seeped into her bones, she bundled the covers around her frame in a bid to warm herself, Amelia attempted a warming charm but to no success then a few minutes later she would be withering as the body felt on fire, hot to touch and a fine sheet of perspiration glistened her pale skin.

Amelia sat religiously by the bedside, never moving from the overstuffed chair, never leaving the room for fear, unable to part from Constance but her relentlessness and worry had quickly eroded her energy and dulled her senses, beginning to affect her to the point of exhausted. Her tired, heavy eyelids begged to close for a brief moment only to suddenly snap wide open as her head jerked.

During the last two days, Zelda had locked herself away in her room as she deciphered the messy scribbling of the doctor, his writing beyond legible but with time and perseverance, her work was now complete.

Slowly, she allowed herself to close her eyes while her head sank into the cool palms of her hands but still haunted by various images that were now tattoo into her memory and now her sole companion for whenever she blinked or attempted to sleep, the images always there. Zelda had to admit to herself that now she was far too close, too involved. It was one of the darkest and saddest stories of an individual's life that she had encountered in her career and arriving at the academy was beyond the call of duty now finding her self deeper, her logical mind and vision were tainted and the boundaries of professional duty were blurred.

'Soon, it'll be over.' She thought

Amelia succumbed to a dreamless but peaceful realm of sleep, her eyes rolled beneath her exhausted eyelids but an abrupt noise broke the still silence within the room and cause Amelia to wake with a startle. Her eyes immediately went to the bed which was now empty, her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

The crinkled bed sheets were the only evidence that Constance had ever been in the bed.

"Constance?" her voice light and soft

"It's alright." She replied, somewhere behind Amelia

Amelia raised an inquisitive eyebrow "How are you feeling? Can I get something for you?" she offered

"Ssshh! There, there..."

She moved slowly to close the gap between the two of them and watched her body language, something was not right. Oddly, a natural glow radiated from Constance and she adjusted something in her arms

"Hush little baby, don't say a word," sang Constance, her voice, barely a whisper. Amelia gasped in shock but remained still and observed her behavior

"Mama's gonna kill for you the whole damn world." She finished but continued to hum the remainder of the song while rocking her arms as if consoling the bundle in her arms

An instant feeling of dread began to course through Amelia's veins, it was obvious that Constance was suffering from a delusional episode cause by the combination of the cleansing and the withdrawal which had rendered the always dependable colleague and fragile daughter into a completely different person. She was convinced she was dreaming, Constance singing a lullaby was bizarre and yet oddly soothing.

"Constance?" unsure of what or how she would be greeted as she interrupted the moment

Amelia's fear was misplaced as Constance gracefully turned to her. Her aura was positively glowing, a shimmering light. A lone beacon of light within the darkness which warmed the grey surroundings of the bedroom while the small smile that appeared on her face was genuine, warm and fitted her perfectly.

Why not smile more often?

"Look," she beckoned "He's sleeping, so precious."

Her hand slowly reached out and touched the warm fabric of her purple satin pyjamas and glanced down at her arms which cradled and protected the bundle. The protectiveness only a mother could offer.

A brave smile and a steady voice "He's adorable...let's put him to bed. We'll get you something to eat...you won't get the chance once he wakens."

Amelia played along with the delusion, not mockingly but allowed the delusion to run its natural course. It pained Amelia to witness the breakdown of such an incredibly powerful and talented witch, her mind was always so logical, forever structured like her lesions, carried out with such meticulous eye for detail and military precision.

Then, sudden realisation "Your right, always right...Amelia, always right."

Constance looked down at her arms, the smile and warmth now gone. The pillow remained perfectly still, anonymously offered nothing expect comfort for a heavy head to sleep and fall into a dream world but for a moment, the pillow had become something else, it represented the baby that never got the chance to grace her life, to never experience they joys of motherhood.

The pillow tumbled to the floor just like her dreams. She only wished the feeling could have lasted longer.

Amelia scooped the pillow into her arms and resumed her usual place, in the chair, by the bed and by her side. She stared at the pillow and then stole a glance at Constance and felt her heart fill with such sadness. It served as another painful reminder that she knew nothing about her deputy's former life prior to employment, some fifteen years ago. Amelia had attempted to get the strictly private woman to talk about her life but Constance was determined to never part company with the valuable information.

A small voice caught her attention "Will I ever smile again?" she whispered

The sound was barely audible but to Amelia it was a vicious assault on her over sensitive and delicate hearing. The wooden door protested and creaked open to reveal Zelda, nursing a deeply concerned look in her eyes and upon her features. Amelia allowed herself a fleeting glance at the counselor but her eyes quickly continued the watchful vigil over her adoptive daughter.

Although, Zelda found Amelia to be over protective, she could not necessarily blame nor continue to harbor the constant questioning of her abilities and judgement. Everything that had happened had been asked of her by Constance and always made a promise to never reveal anything to the outside world. Amelia had been unwittingly forced into a corner, only guilty of being a fiercely loyal friend.

Amelia was floundering. Her mind growing increasingly weary, convinced that in the split second that her eyes left Constance, the still sleeping witch stirred.

"Amelia...please," began Zelda "You must rest, allow me to take the duty in which you burden yourself with...if even for an hour."

She sighed but it was her duty. Should could not leave, it would symbolize defeat, to leave her side for only a short period of time would be like abandoning Constance again, even for her own health. Her shoulders ached from the weight of responsibility. Her back throbbed from the stooped posture. Rest and comfort was her only want and demand of her body.

"What if she wakes...and I'm not there?" she questioned, eyes watering as she remembered what happened the last time. Constance wanted Zelda instead of her, it pained her.

Zelda kneeled down beside her. Amelia's aura, once bright was now tainted with guilt. Zelda knew that Amelia was punishing herself for not intervening earlier, failing to notice the signs of someone so close to her was heavily self medicating. Her colleague was and meant so much more than that, the daughter that never entered Amelia's life until circumstances and fate intervened and pulled them both into each others lives.

"We'll come to that bridge, until then...I urge you to rest. Please?"

Reluctantly, Amelia nervously shuffled out of her own bedroom, casting a glance back. Zelda now assumed the role of carer, taking her place in the chair beside the bed. She frowned, the sight of Zelda in the chair now the watchful eye over Constance did not seem right, Zelda lacked that mothering, maternal spirit which Amelia was always ready to practically shower Constance in but compensated with students and her other dependable colleagues.

Amelia pushed herself to leave, slowly carrying herself away. Her pace was slow, her mind was an emotional minefield, so preoccupied with thoughts and worry that automatically her feet carried her to an unknown destination. Mindlessly and unquestioningly, she followed. The invisible strings tugged at her limbs and forced her to wander the deserted corridors like a mindless drone.

Subconsciously, she knew exactly where she was going.

Cautiously, Amelia checked over her shoulders, still the corridors remained empty, bizarre behavior for the headmistress should anyone have witnessed this. She carefully pushed against the door. Quickly she scurried into the room and slammed the door closed. She cringed at the echo of the noise caused by the slamming and rested against the wood, panting nervously.

Amelia found herself inside of the spare room which now housed Zelda. She had been drawn towards the room, tried to fight and ignore the gravitational pull that begged her to venture beyond the door but a flicker of hot anger caused her to grind her teeth as she remembered the previous conversation that had involved with two witches. The memory alone triggered a stomach churning rage which caused fresh bile to assault her taste buds.

Her hands trembled as the adrenaline and nerves threatened to disrupt her normally calm demeanor, the thought of being caught but importantly what information she would learn. She was truly torn between invading the privacy of both Zelda and Constance but for so long she had been kept in the dark despite Zelda shedding some light on a few highlights but the details remained vague and lead to only more questions.

"Oh god!" her voice croaked, choking back the tears

The black and white photographs lay lifelessly in the folder, similar to the young teenager's eyes now staring back at Amelia. Her eyes empty. The multiple injuries that had been inflicted upon her small frame were astonishing. Scaring and bruising littered her skin and told a wordless story of what she had survived.

The awkward teenager attempted to maintain her own dignity and modesty but this only emphasized her slender figure further. Bones protruded from the skin, almost threatening to puncture the tissue like paper skin.

Amelia allowed herself to touch a picture. Her finger gently stroked the cheek of her hallowed and gaunt face "My poor Constance." She whispered

Zelda removed the cool compress as Constance now shivered violently under the bed covers.

"Oh Constance," whispered Zelda as she leaned closer "You probably won't be able to hear me...which probably makes this easier for me to say." She paused, readying herself what to say

"Amelia blames me and I'm sure a part of you does as well! I'm causing this pain by refusing to hand over the last vial...but believe me when I say that I know just how strong you are...I cannot just sit back and allow you to self medicate...Constance, you're better than this and have come too damn far,"

She brushed her messy hair out from her face "Have you any idea just how resilient you truly are? You have fought against all the odds, have overcome such obstacles and hardship in such a short space of time...I could never imagine that one person would be able to find the strength...I mean, you were a valuable witness against Hector, that takes courage and strength."

Zelda relaxed back in the chair "Always so guarded...I have often wondered, are you protecting yourself or protecting others? I know it's a toughened facade...stop running Constance, consider this a second change! It's time to face and slay those personal demons before they completely consume and destroy that is left of Constance Hardbroom."

A/N 2: Sorry but credit for the lullaby goes to the Batman Arkham city video-game. Couldn't put it up front as it would've spoilt it. I wanted something eerie and sad so when I heard it, I simply had to 'borrow' it!

Remember reviews and coffee keeps me working...tip generously. Until next time, guys x