A little bit of a detour but I thought some Mummy/Abby bonding was something we don't see enough of, its all going somewhere though.
It was very hard to remain professional as a teacher when you had serious suspicions regarding one of your students.
For the first time Imogen was really struggling with this. She'd dealt with students who were more difficult to like and others who were badly behaved but this was different. The worst thing was there was no proof or, thankfully, nothing that suggested any danger. If Enid had been in their room, and it was still an if, it could have been any of the typical boarding school pranks. Nothing had been missing. She just found the whole thing infuriating and a bit creepy and she hated the looks that Constance had mentioned. Her wife had come so far with her self confidence and she was worried that something could knock that.
Even though Imogen was finding it hard she remained focused on teaching the entire class. The rift in the group was highly apparent, although Ethel and Drusilla also appeared to have fallen out so Enid had started to pall around with Drusilla. She had hoped that Maud may have reached out to her to tell her what the arguments had been about but so far she hadn't. Imogen was reluctant to ask directly, not wanting the girl to feel under pressure to talk.
She had spoken to Tom who had been a policeman before retiring. His advice had been to stay calm and they would catch the girl out. He'd known his daughter for her entire nearly thirty five years on this earth and knew she tended to overthink. She did feel better having spoken to him and knew that she just needed to stay vigilant.
In the meantime Constance, as class tutor, along with Amelia had spoken to Enid to see what she might say. They had addressed the fact that she seemed to be isolated and they were conscious that she was spending a lot of time alone. She had shifted uncomfortably in her seat as they spoke. It was easier to deal with HB when she was shouting and being mean. Right now her tone of voice was even and calm although she seemed very tired.
Enid had bluffed her way through the conversation as best she could, "We've just grown apart. I'm concentrating on my school work. Besides, I have more in common with Drusilla."
Both teachers knew that Ethel and Drusilla would be as thick as thieves again next week, that was the way they operated. As for Enid's studies, yes her work in spells had improved vastly but neither Constance nor Davina had noticed any other changes in her academic work and according to Imogen she was still barely active in P.E.
"What do you think?", Amelia asked when the girl left the room.
Constance sighed as she got up from her seat, her back was beginning to ache and she needed to move around. "I think that she is hiding something. I also think she believes she is far more clever than she actually is."
Amelia agreed, Enid had been trouble since the day she arrived. During the meeting she hadn't been rude enough to warrant a rebuke but she had been skirting on the edge all the time. That was a common theme with this girl, she was always just on the line. One day she was going to cross it and Amelia just hoped it wouldn't be too far.
All they could do right now was observe, at least that had been Tom's advice on their most recent nightly phone call. Amelia had found herself much more conscious of security and made sure her office was magically locked at all times. She also thanked God that she had destroyed Mistress Broomhead's letter when the evil witch had died. She was however very impressed at how calm the other teacher was staying following such a blatant invasion of her privacy.
Noticing Constance was rubbing her stomach rhythmically as she paced she asked, "Are you alright dear?"
She was now thirty weeks pregnant and seemed slightly more uncomfortable.
"Yes, thank you. She appears to have hiccups, it happens occasionally." Constance was also feeling a bit breathless. According to the doctor this was normal and when the baby's head dropped in a few weeks she should feel some relief.
For now she was concentrating on the breathing exercises Imogen had shown her and trying not to let herself get stressed. That included not worrying too much about the actions of a petulant second year and instead being more focused on getting things ready for the baby. This included ensuring her classes had completed as much of their coursework as possible before she finished up.
Regarding school matters she was to attend a meeting the following day with Amelia and other potions and spells teachers. This was where they would standardise the end of year examinations.
As for their baby set up, the cot and pram they had ordered had arrived the day before, much to their excitement. While they were away at Easter there were to be some changes made to their living arrangements. The room next to theirs was currently empty and this was to be made into a sort of living room area. The room at the opposite side had been Miss Gimlet's and was to become the baby's bedroom, although she would be sleeping in their room for the first couple of months. Abby was happy upstairs in Constance's old room so it made sense for her to stay there. There was another spare room on their floor that sometime in the future may be required but for now, it was time to get ready for this baby.
The following morning Constance was woken up early by an active daughter in her belly. It surprised even her but, pregnancy aside, it wasn't often that she woke before Imogen. Since they began living together she found that she slept more, probably due the fact that she was so content and getting so much more exercise one might say, but Imogen was still an early riser.
This particular morning the kicks woke her around half an hour before she had planned to get up. It didn't seem worth going back to sleep so after using the bathroom she got back into bed, taking the chance to look at the sleeping woman in front of her. Imogen's long eyelashes were fluttering as she slept, her hair was sticking up as usual and she looked very young.
"She's mine.", Constance thought with a thrill, as she did most days. She moved as close as she could to her love, stomachs touching, just wanting to be near her. After a couple of moments Imogen was woken up, not by her wife but by a very swift kick delivered from her daughter.
"What was that?," she asked as she jerked awake.
"I'm sorry Darling", Constance genuinely hadn't wanted to wake her but she couldn't help laughing at the fact that her baby's other mother had discovered what it was like to be kicked awake.
'It's okay Sweetheart, I needed to get up anyway to drop you to the train. Wow, she's energetic today." Imogen smiled, kissing her love and stroking the moving bump, feeling the little foot hitting her hand.
Constance could no longer balance on a broomstick so they were to get the train to the nearby meeting. Imogen would drop them off that morning and Frank Blossom would pick them up that evening. She was looking forward to her own day with Abby although she would miss her wife. Maybe they would go swimming?
After a kick free cuddle and some tummy kisses from Imogen, they got up to shower and dress.
In some ways Constance missed the days where dressing simply involved choosing a black dress. Today she wanted to look her best, she would be the only pregnant witch there as the others were older than her. She wanted to show off the fact that she was so obviously loved but she still had a reputation to maintain. After some deliberation she chose a dark green long wrap dress that was flattering and looked "witchy" enough but more importantly was very comfortable.
It seemed strange to be putting her hair up in a bun on a Saturday, she had stopped doing that once she began to spend her weekends with Imogen and she was already looking forward to getting home and taking it down. Realising that they were going to be late if they didn't leave she handed Imogen her car keys, knowing that she didn't have a clue where they were. She decided not to go to Abby's room in case she woke her but knew she'd miss her throughout the day.
After dropping them off and leaving her wife with a kiss. Imogen was on her way home. She made herself some coffee and looked around for Abby, if she had been up they would have brought her along with them but as she hadn't been she'd decided to leave her sleeping, knowing that she wouldn't be alone. There was no sign of her in the staffroom and Davina, who was in the dining hall with the girls hadn't seen her.
Enid of course was hanging around and had the absolute nerve to smile at her nicely as she walked past. After what she had done? It surpassed belief.
There was also no trace of Abby in her playroom. It was way past the time she normally woke so Imogen went upstairs. Entering her room she was greeting with a sight, and a smell, that made her heart sink.
"Mummy, I'm sick." Abby was one of those children that had always picked up every bug going and right now she was suffering. "I couldn't make it to the bathroom so I puked in my bin. I'm sorry."
Imogen was just glad that it hadn't been on the floor or her bed. "Oh honey, you did the right thing. I'm sorry you were on your own." She moved over to the bed, her first priority to comfort her daughter.
"It's okay, I only woke up a couple of minutes ago. I got sick then but I knew you'd come soon."
She was pale, clammy and shivering. Imogen smoothed her sweaty hair back, reaching for a bobble to tie it up loosely. She was about to move the bin away but soon realised it would be needed again, she whispered reassurance as her little girl lost the little that was left in her stomach. Once she was sure it was over she took the bin into the bathroom, resisting the urge to gag herself as she cleaned it out. She then brought a glass of water back for the miserable girl in the bed.
"Drink this, you'll feel better."
The only thing that was making Abby feel better was having her Mummy look after her. She hated being sick, especially at the weekend and what was worse was that her Mama wasn't here, although she didn't want to get her or the baby sick. She drank a small amount of her water and lay back against her pillow. Imogen had wet a face cloth and placed it against the clammy forehead.
"Close your eyes, you'll feel better if you sleep a bit. I'll be here when you wake up. I love you."
Abby nodded as she drifted off. Once she had fallen asleep her mother ran to let Davina know where she would be. She took a basin along with some crackers and a stomach settling potion back up with her. She also took her book and some Italian magazines she hadn't read yet. The child was still asleep so she took off her shoes, sat on the bed and began to read. After an hour Abby woke up heaving again. Quickly reaching for the basin she waited until the sickness had passed before cleaning up.
'I'm sorry Mummy. I don't want to be sick. I'm spoiling your day.", the pitiful voice whispered from the bed.
Imogen moved quickly back to hold her girl. "Honey, you're not spoiling my day. I don't want you to be sick but I'm very happy that I can look after you. That's what I'm here for. Now, this is a potion that Mama made. It will make you a bit better. Can you manage it?"
Grimacing, Abby took a little sip. After a few minutes she still felt weak and unwell but the sick feeling in her tummy was gone. There was something else bothering her. "I feel smelly."
Imogen smiled, Abby had always hated being dirty. "How about a bath? I'll change your sheets and we'll get you in some clean pyjamas."
That sounded good to the patient. Leaving Abby on the chair Imogen ran the bath as well as quickly changing the sheets and opening the window to air the room. Although she normally didn't have to do it anymore, she helped her daughter wash, knowing she was still a bit too weak. She then wrapped her in a fluffy towel so she could clean her teeth before dressing her in fresh nightclothes.
She had just gotten her back into bed when Davina popped her head in. She'd been worried about her little friend and was glad to see that she was feeling a bit better. Imogen politely declined any home remedies but did accept Davina's offer to stay for a couple of minutes. She quickly grabbed something to eat and changed into her own pyjamas, deciding they would both have a lazy afternoon. When she arrived back Abby was asleep again so she claimed into the fresh bed and continued her reading, reaching out to stroke the curly head occasionally. After a while her own eyes grew heavy and she allowed herself to drift off, just feeling Abby move a bit closer before she fell asleep.
They both slept for a couple of hours waking in the mid afternoon. Abby felt well enough to have some crackers and water but not well enough to get up.
"Can we watch a film Mummy?"
They curled up together to watch The Jungle book. Even though Abby hated being sick she did love the cuddles. Her Mummy was a great nurse plus she was always warm and she smelled lovely. The only thing that would make her feel even better right now would be if her Mama was there too.
While all of this was going on Constance was suffering through a rather boring meeting. Why did people make things so complicated? She knew that in previous years she could have been accused of doing the same but this year she just wanted them to create an exam that challenged the girls but reflected the areas that they had studied. People were trying to be too clever and she could feel herself getting irritated.
Seeing the frustration Amelia whispered to her, "Why don't you go and get some air dear?"
Normally she would have refused but she was very uncomfortable. Unfortunately as she left the room she became even more so when she saw who was walking towards her.
"No, no, no, no, no", she thought as she saw the purple robes out of the corner of her eye.
"Ah, Miss Hardbroom. My, you certainly have grown."
Constance grimaced, hopefully he thought she was smiling. Amelia had informed Hellibore of her pregnancy but she hadn't seen him herself since they had started to tell people. He was already getting on her nerves, especially as even though she was heavily pregnant he was still ogling her.
"How is your pregnancy progressing? You must be due soon?"
She nodded at him. "Well, thank you Your Honour. The baby is due in June."
He moved closer to her. "We must be careful. If people see us together they may think I'm responsible. Well, I suppose I am really."
Laughing at his own unfunny joke he looked her over, fixating on her even larger chest for a moment before looking up and stopping when he saw the expression on her face. If a look could kill he would be six feet under. Unfortunately for Hellibore, now that she was in her third trimester Constance was even faster to anger when people were being stupid and right now her anger was aimed right at him.
"Excuse me? I am a married woman, a very happily married woman. I am also married to a female, that should give you a clue to my preferences. And the woman that I love is responsible for my pregnancy. This is our daughter. You simply provided me with a spell. How dare you imply that there is anything to be 'careful' about. The only person who needs to be careful around here is you. I have had enough of you looking at me like I am a piece of meat. It is disrespectful and disgusting. We may need to deal with you on a professional basis but I will no longer allow you to stare at me in that way. Do I make myself clear?"
By this stage Amelia had come up behind them. Knowing that Constance was right but seeing the potential for her to lose her temper even further she took her by the elbow and guided her outside.
"Let's go outside dear."
As they passed a somewhat shaken Hellibore he gathered himself and shrugged. "Hormones."
Feeling her dearest friend tense even further Amelia kept her walking, knowing that she needed to get her away before Hellibore ended up as a snake for the rest of his natural life. Clearly picking up on her mother's anger the baby was moving rapidly in her home, even Amelia could see the movement. She quickly magicked up some water and sat Constance down on a nearby bench.
"You need to take some breaths and calm yourself. What you said was correct and if I'm honest, I'm glad you finally said it. Now you can forget about him."
Constance took her mother figure's advice and used her yoga breathing techniques to calm herself. After a few moments she felt better and moved her hand to her stomach.
"I'm sorry little one. Don't fret, the silly wizard is gone."
After a while once the baby settled down again the two witches moved back into the building, avoiding Helliboring. There were only a couple of hours left she could manage-just.
Eventually they finished their discussions and made their way to the train station. Even though she was clearly tired Amelia was struck by the difference in Constance in regards to social niceties. Whereas previously she had been almost institutionalised and extremely awkward in public places she now blended in well. She remained calm and even smiled at the man who offered her his seat while they were waiting for the train. Imogen's influence was clear.
Not wanting to focus too much on the afternoons events she steered the conversation to topics that she knew were much happier. They spent the journey back talking about Abby's latest antics and of course the new baby. The extreme excitement was so lovely to see as was the pride that the younger woman clearly had in her family and in Amelia's opinion nobody deserved this happiness more.
On their return Constance was surprised that her wife and daughter weren't there when she entered the staffroom. Not that they should be waiting for her but normally they would be nearby. Instead she met Davina who was just back from supervising dinner.
"Now, don't worry but Abby's been a bit sick, she…" Before she could say anything else Constance was gone, moving as quickly up the stairs as her condition would allow her. She burst into Abby's room, catching her breath as she saw her two loves curled up together and whispering to each other.
"Are you alright dear?", she asked as she moved towards the bed to check on her pale looking daughter.
"I puked in my bin, twice and again later. I feel better now, Mummy looked after me so well." It was unnecessary detail but Constance was just glad that she seemed better now.
Imogen was worried about her love. "Sweetheart you look exhausted, come lie with us."
Right now nothing could have sounded better. She used slightly trivial magic to change into her pyjamas and lay on her old bed.
"How was the meeting. Did you get the exams organised?" Imogen asked as she kissed her and stroked the bump before unpinning the long dark hair and rubbing her scalp with those wonderful hands.
Constance sighed, "It was boring and unnecessarily long Darling. It was also made worse by the fact that I ran into Helliboring."
Nobody needed that, least of all at over thirty weeks pregnant. "Did he say anything?"
Not wanting to say much in front of Abby Constance responded, "Yes but so did I and I don't think he'll say anything again."
Wanting to know more but knowing it wasn't the right time her wife made a note to ask for more details when they were alone.
For now, the family just wanted to relax together. Magical toast was required again. Abby, like Imogen would only eat cold toast so that's what she got along with some tea. The baby was a lot more settled than she had been earlier and after a while Constance felt herself drifting off with a sleeping Abby curled on one side against her bump. Imogen looked down at her two girls. She didn't have the heart to wake Constance and she also wanted to make sure that Abby was ok, she was sure that the bug had passed but knew she could do with some more comforting.
Deciding it wouldn't kill them to sleep here for one night she crept downstairs to get their blanket, it was silly but she found it hard to sleep without it. Morgana followed her back upstairs and curled up in the corner. Settling down next to Constance who had moved into the middle of the bed Imogen turned off the lamp, snuggled up and allowed herself to sleep. Her day hadn't been as planned, she hated that Abby had been sick and that Constance had suffered a Helliboring encounter but she couldn't deny that the three, nearly four of them being in bed like this was very lovely indeed.
Right now Constance was keeping their unborn baby safe and doing a wonderful job of it. Imogen knew she didn't have magic but was taking her own role in looking after her family very seriously, while they were together nothing could harm them.