Hey guys! This chapter has been edited so many times! I'm still not happy with it.. but I'm satisfied atleast. Anyway I hope you enjoy it, I enjoyed writing it at any rate.
If you like it, please tell me :). I don't write for reviews, but they always help motivate me! If you have any ideas for this story please let me know via PM. I'll take any ideas for later chapters into consideration.
Love y'all.
Chapter 11
"I still don't understand Reli. Why have you not seen her in eleven years?" Mildred asked the inevitable question as the girls walked down the corridor the next morning.
"I don't know. Something happened between her and my mum. I don't know what. I'm seeing my mum this weekend. She has lots of explaining to do."
"What's your mum like?" Enid asked, visualising another scary HB.
"Errm well she looks a lot like Miss Hardbroom, but she's a lot warmer."
"That's not hard." Enid chuckled.
"Is that so Enid?" A voice from no where rooted the girls to the spot. Miss Hardbroom had materialised in front of them.
"Umm Miss Hardbroom, I um didn't see you there!" Enid stuttered.
"Obviously Enid, I was invisible." Miss Hardbroom rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I would just like to say thank you to you girls for responding maturely to Aurelia's news. I am sure that it will spread around the school quickly so I am relying on you all to tell me of any incidents relating to this matter. Is that understood?" She narrowed her eyes at each of the girls in turn.
The girls all nodded.
"Aurelia, I hope you have remembered your flying session after lessons? I shall meet you in the courtyard, ensure you do not dilly dally."
"Yes Miss Hardbroom." Aurelia glared, annoyed that her aunt had been eavesdropping on her conversation. The teacher disappeared.
"Gosh you really look alike when you glare like that! Scary!" Enid teased.
Xx
Aurelia slumped over to the courtyard in a foul mood. Her friends were all planning on sunbathing on the lawn in the too-hot-for-September weather and after a long day of studies she really wanted to join them.
Her aunt was already there, perched and hovering on her long broomstick majestically.
"Mount your broom Aurelia, we have a limited amount of time before night falls." She called sternly to the girl below. Aurelia groaned inwardly, this would not be a quick lesson if she planned on being out until nightfall.
The teacher quickly got down to business, correcting the child's technique.
"No not like that, you only fly like that in broomstick-formation. Try both your legs on the same side! That's much better, far more elegant. Sit up straighter, your balancing will be a lot easier. No, like this." Constance had placed her hands on her niece's back, straightening her shoulders until she was ram-rod straight. "Much better, now try flying forward. Excellent!"
"Doesn't it get really uncomfortable after a while?" Aurelia raised her eyebrow, her back was already aching.
"Yes but a true witch practises Confidence and Control in all things." Constance explained, repeating what had been drilled in at Witch Training College. "Now I want you to practise swerving, although I will stay out of the way." The teacher raised one eyebrow comically and Aurelia smiled sheepishly, instantly forgetting her bad mood.
Xx
Imogen Drill let herself into the castle grounds panting slightly. She had always enjoyed a jog before supper. She found herself being met with a strange sight as she entered the castle courtyard.
Looking up she saw what appeared to be a private flying lesson between Miss Hardbroom and Aurelia Candlewick. This however was not what surprised Imogen; Constance had always taken her job very seriously and had forced many reluctant pupils into extra lessons during her time. What surprised Imogen was the fact that Constance Hardbroom appeared to be smiling – a sight so rare that Imogen was rather taken aback in shock.
Xx
Constance smiled at the sight of the young girl sat confidently and elegantly on her broomstick. She felt almost like a proud parent. It was only when night had settled and Aurelia was barely visible that she reluctantly ended the lesson.
They walked back into the castle in silence, a comfortable silence.
xx
Constance did her usual night time inspections before heading down to the staffroom. Her wondering mind was definitely not going to allow her to sleep.
"Oh hello Constance, could you not sleep either?
"The mind is a funny thing Miss Drill." Constance replied in her clipped tones, before helping herself to a strong black coffee and sitting in one of the wooden chairs opposite the other teacher.
"Well that coffee's not going to help." Imogen chuckled at her colleague's strange behaviour.
"You know as well as I do that I need not sleep. I have other means of being wide awake in the morning." She explained churlishly.
"So you're choosing not to sleep?" Imogen raised her eyebrow. Constance Hardbroom really was a conundrum to her.
"Correct."
The two sat in silence for a moment.
"I saw you with your niece this evening, she is a lovely child, I'm really glad your spending time with her. She looked like she was enjoying herself." Imogen spoke daringly.
"Yes she has Hardbroom blood; therefore she naturally enjoys improving herself." Imogen noted that Constance spoke quite proudly.
"You looked like you were enjoying yourself too." Imogen stated.
Constance glared at the other teacher, she was far too used to her speaking out of turn.
"Yes….. Miss Drill do you have a point to make?"
"No, I'm just pleasantly surprised at you Constance. I never realised you had such a maternal side."
Constance contemplated those words. She had been worrying about precisely that; her maternal side. She took a large gulp of coffee, wincing slightly at its strength.
"Miss Drill, I rarely stop to think of what others think of me, but I have received some news recently which has changed that."
"You want to know what I think of you?" Imogen's mouth had dropped open realising what the other teacher was getting at. "Why?"
"I am sure you are aware that I saw my sister the other day for the first time in over a decade?"
"Yes."
"My sister is dying, Imogen. She doesn't have much longer to live. Aurelia's father died years ago. I will be the only family she has left." Constance's clipped tones faltered slightly.
"Goodness." Imogen didn't know how to respond.
"Are you nervous?" Imogen probed.
"I do not get 'nervous' Miss Drill. There is no point in nerves. No point in being afraid of something that is inevitable. However I am aware of many of our student's opinion of me. That I am mean. If that is true then Aurelia would be better with out me." Constance spoke emotionlessly. "But I want to know what you think."
Imogen sat for a moment, trying to form her words.
"Constance, when I first met you I believed exactly what our students think about you. You are harsh, stern and more than a little terrifying. But over time my opinion changed. You care Constance. You might not think you show it, but you do. Take Mildred for example, you have been very strict with the girl from day one, punishing her for every little misdemeanour, even when she has not been entirely in the wrong. Yet her opinion of you is probably one of the highest. She knows that you only behave the way you do because you want what's best for her. One day the other girls will realise that too. You have it in you, honestly you do and Aurelia is really going to need you."
Constance digested Imogen's words. She knew that Imogen Drill was the one person that she could trust to give her an honest answer. In the past Imogen's honesty had been annoying, infuriating sometimes, but right now it was exactly what she needed. She had never been so scared, so worried about her own incapabilities. For once in her life she wished she was a warm and relaxed person, someone who could comfort.. It was ironic really, her wishing for characteristics she usually saw as weak.
"Thank you Imogen."
Xx
I tried to get it to be a big deal that she calls Miss Drill - Imogen.. don't know if it comes across like that or not...
