Chapter 11

Constance looked at her daughter; the tears were flowing down Mildred's face and she could see the pain in Mildred's eyes. She had been waiting for this moment to arise, knowing that Mildred could only be strong for so long. She had never overstepped the mark with Mildred, usually keeping her distance to make certain that Mildred didn't feel uncomfortable but she could see the torment that Mildred was going through. Reaching forward she pulled Mildred into a hug; feeling her relax into her and her arms come around her back.

"There is nothing to be scared of Mildred" Constance whispered quietly into ear. "You have done nothing wrong, just tell them what you know and it will soon be done with."

Pulling away from Mildred she offered out her hand and helped Mildred up from her seat; pulling her handkerchief out from her bag she wiped the tears off Mildred's face.

"At any point you feel like you can't continue Mildred, ask to be excused; I'm certain that they will allow you. I will be outside here waiting for you."

Mildred took a deep breath and mumbled out a word.

"Okay" This was said as she started to walk towards Miss Cackles office closely watched by Constance. She knocked on the door; and Constance could just here the light muttering of the words enter; and could see Mildred entering the room.

Letting out an audible sigh she pulled herself up from her crouching position and sat down in the chair that Mildred had just vacated. Wishing to herself that this day could be over with so she and Mildred could try to attempt to get on with their lives as normally as possible.

Mildred looked across the room and instantly recognised the woman within the centre of the group. Someone she never thought she would see again, not since her actual identity had been revealed and the true nature of her personality.

"Mistess.....Broomhead" Mildred managed to choke out

Heckity smiled at Mildred; a creepy smile, one that immediately put Mildred on edge knowing how that woman viewed her.

"I did not expect to see you again Mildred Hubble"

"Nor did I think that I would see you again Mistress Broomhead"

Heckity gestured at her colleagues on either side of her before speaking

"Myself and my colleagues here would like to ask you a few questions about the current situation that you and Constance are currently in. This is just to help us to make a decision about the Witches Guild supporting both you and Constance." Heckity said, usually she would blanch at saying a teacher's first name in front of a pupil of that school, but she was more than certain that Mildred would know her mother's own first name and that she would have at some point in recent time called her by it. "These are my colleagues Miss Bogswain and Mrs Honeydrop. "

These were said with her gesturing at the correct person

"Are you happy to start Mildred?" Geraldine asked

"Yes Miss" Mildred nodded back to her, feeling comfortable with this woman; Grateful that it seemed to be at least so far one person in the room that didn't carry a vendetta against herself or her mother.

"When did you find out you were adopted?" Betty started out slowly and carefully, knowing that she couldn't go in depth with Mildred believing that she would only know so much.

Mildred took a deep breath before she started to speak.

"I found out just before I came to school her at Cackles. My parents believed that with me starting my studies here that I should knew about my adoption; this was mostly brought about with me inquiring how considering that neither of them can from a magical background that I developed certain traits which declared me to be magical inclined. When they told me I was a bit shocked but as they were was nothing I could do until I was eighteen when I would be able to find out my mother's identity I just carried on."

"After you were adopted did you not think that the magical attributes could of been passed down from either of your parents?"

"I didn't really, after reading that people from Non-Witch backgrounds can gain magical abilities without having a relative who has them passing the along. I thought that it was just simple chance that I developed them and as I was adopted in the non-magical community that my mother was a non-witch like me."

"What would you say the relationship was like between you and Miss Hardbroom before you found out about your familiar connection to each other?"

Mildred exhaled sharply, she had started to hate strongly about speaking about her past with Constance. The woman from that point of time was completely different from the woman she had started to get to know now. The old Constance was a strict, overbearing, uncaring woman who didn't care about anything but teaching. But the Constance she had started to see now was caring and supportive and had a sensitive side which to the casual observer didn't exist but it was there.

"From my first day at the academy until I found out the truth, I believed that she truly hated me, She was always so strict with me, anything that went wrong was blamed on me automatically regardless of the fact I may not have been involved in it. Because of her view of me and a certain amount of trouble which I admit I got myself into I spent a lot of time in detention or writing lines. But now knowing what I know about her being my Mother, I believe she treated me this way to get the best out of me, by the only way she could without her feelings and connection standing out like a sore thumb to everyone around us. And that was to act as the strict teacher that she was to everyone else. But at times I do think she was stricter on me than anyone else." Mildred said slowly.

"Since you found out that Constance was your Mother has the way she has treated you changed in anyway?" Heckity asked hoping to find something she could use against Constance.

" When we are alone together outside school hours she is different. She doesn't treat me like a pupil then we talk like a normal Mother and Daughter, she is supportive and caring, she praise me if something goes well, she asks and cares about how my day has gone, she asks about my friends and what we have been doing. During these times we are family not pupil and teacher. This side of our relationship may be new but so far it is strong, we are there for each other, to support one another as we work through it. And as for the school day she treats me like she would any other pupil, there is no special treatment at all, If I do something wrong I get into trouble, I have to work hard in her lessons constantly, just because I am her daughter doesn't mean she goes easy on me." Mildred said too them glossing over the only time Constance has helped her on a potions test by giving her that potions bottle which has under the replacement label what the potion for the test would be.

"What would you say was your friends reactions to finding out the Constance is your Birth Mother?"

"At the beginning they were shocked, and they did assume at the start that I have covered up the truth about us. It did make things tense between us, and honestly at this moment in time it is still tense between u, they still think that any of our personal conversations or any of their secrets are getting told to Constance. But things are slowly starting to improve.

"Can you please tell us Mildred, why you want yours and Constance's life to be explained to the larger witch community by ourselves?"

"Because since we were outed, the rumours and accusations in relation to the two of us have been relentless. Constance has been accused of many things which are completely untrue. The distrust I get from my own classmates believing that I have always known. By having the whole storey out we will have nothing left to hid, that what we have been saying is actually the truth. The witches' guild is trusted by everyone in society. If you support us, then we will be supported in society which will help us get on with both of lives and a chance to get to know one another in peace.

"Thank you Mildred" Heckity said "Myself and my colleagues will discuss the situation and will come to our final decision. If you don't mind waiting outside with Constance, we will call you back in as soon as we have made the ultimate decision.

"Certainly" Mildred said pushing up from her chair before quickly heading to the door, glad that it was all over.

Looking down the corridor after she came out, Mildred spotted Constance, she was slumped down in the chair, something which was unheard of for them woman who was always ramrod straight. The stress and tension clearly evident on her face. And for the first time Mildred could clearly see how much the situation had affected Constance.