A/N: Before you comment Ethel was nasty to Einstien the tortorise or that bird she wasn't actually nasty to them, if she wanted to hurt Einstien she could of thrown him in a lake or on the floor and the bird being in a cage is how people transport animals and Enid and Maud were not exactly great either, annoying the bird all the time, this is my idea, I think Ethel is brilliant with animals and we see this in series 4 with her and Gerlad too, I am not making Ethel out to be perfect here so don't come at me.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Starlight

Mildred arrived back at school after Christmas, excited to see the blonde girl she was crushing on, she entered her bedroom, full of smiles but it dropped when she entered.

Ethel's side of the room was empty, it was true students were still arriving but Ethel was never late for anything so Mildred felt a concern deep inside her, she put Tabby and Star down letting them out before leaving the room, seeing Sybil speaking to Clarice downstairs. Mildred walked down smiling at them, wondering if the older blonde had just not arrived with her sisters.

"Sybs is Ethel here yet?" Mildred asked hoping she didn't hear her desperation, she wanted to see her crush so badly.

"She should be in your room, we arrived ten minutes ago," Sybil said confused as to what her sister was doing and where she was.

"If you are looking for Ethel she is sitting under the big tree in the garden, "Beatrice said as she arrived in that moment.

"Why?" Clarice asked as it was quite cold to sit outside as it was January.

"I don't know I was going to ask her but HB saw me and shooed me along" Beatrice replied. Mildred smiled at them.

"I best go get her before HB gives her detention," Mildred said leaving the castle and heading outside. Girls were still arriving but when she looked over she saw Ethel was indeed sitting under the big tree in the garden. She was hunched up and Mildred felt her heart hurt at the fact she was crying and walked over, even if she would be yelled at.

It was only as she got nearer she realised Ethel wasn't crying, she was clutching something in her hands and as she got a few metres from her she realised it was very much alive.

"Ethel?" Mildred asked confused wondering why on earth she had a bird in her hands.

"He hurt his wing and has thorns in his feet, poor thing must have flown straight into a thorn bush," Ethel said concerned for the animal.

Mildred knew Ethel adored animals, she always seemed to be so gentle and more caring with animals but even she was surprised to see her clutching an injured bird. Mildred bent down to look at it and realised Ethel's hand was bleeding.

"What happened?" Mildred asked pointing to her hand

"He was scared when I first picked him up and pecked me" Ethel replied. Mildred wasn't surprised, after all to the bird Ethel was a ten-foot giant, but Mildred was glad the bird seemed to calm down, he seemed to of taken to Ethel.

"You like animals don't you?" Mildred asked her

"Animals either like or hate you from the start, they don't stab you in the back or mess with your feelings or head, I understand them far better than humans," Ethel said before looking at Mildred.

"I need to heal him, can you cause a distraction so no-one sees?" Ethel asked

"Ethel...the school is full of cats" Mildred pointed out

"I can heal him in our room, he will be all safe until he is better," Ethel said stroking his head. Mildred had a feeling Ethel wouldn't leave the bird if she couldn't take it into Cackles so she agreed.

"Miss Hardbroom," Mildred said distracting the woman so Ethel could sneak past after the last of the pupils were back.

"Yes Mildred Hubble?" the woman asked. Mildred watched Ethel sneak past clutching the bird before she replied.

"I was wondering, witches, have so many things different than the non-magical world so...why do we not have different cutlery," Mildred asked thinking of something on the spot as she watched Ethel.

"I beg you pardon?"HB asked

"Witches don't have their own type of bowls and forks, it is quite surprising isn't it?" Mildred replied. HB stared at the girl for a full minute before replying.

"I do not even have a response to that," she said walking away confused.

"Well it is official, HB thinks I need a mental hospital" Mildred said as she entered her bedroom.

"Shh I need to concentrate," Ethel said draped in a mask, gloves and carefully and gently extracting the thorns from the bird, she removed another and the bird made a yelping noise.

"Oh I am sorry, but it will make you better in the long run," Ethel told the bird and Mildred could have sworn she had cooed at him. The dark-haired girl watched Ethel fascinated as she removed all the thorns and then bandaged up his sore limbs.

"He will be right as rain in a few days," Ethel said just as Nightstar jumped on the desk next to her and Mildred was worried.

"No Nightstar she is injured, do not attack," Ehtel said. The cat moaned annoyed but sat there calmly not touching the bird, used to her owner caring for injured animals.

"NO TABBY" Mildred screamed as her cat went for the bird. Ethel picked it up keeping it safe before casting a spell.

"Tabby won't be able to attack him now I put a protective spell on him," Ethel said as in that moment Esmie and Sybil walked in, worried their sister was missing and going to see if she was in the room yet.

"There is a bird in your hand" Sybil stated the obvious.

"Oh Ethie not again," Esmie said with a sigh

"Again?" Mildred asked curiously.

"Since we were little Ethel always used to find injured animals and be upset they were hurt, our Gran and Granpa used to let her take them to their house until they were better, although our parents refused to let them in the house" Esmerelda explained shaking her head knowing her sister would save all animals if she could.

"We went to the vets so much with them one of the vets showed Ethel basic animal treatment so she could do it herself" Sybil stated knowing at one point Ethel turned up daily with an injured mouse in her hand.

"They need to be treated, I always do it" Ethel commented

"You sneak them into school?" Mildred asked although it made sense when she had her own room no-one would had dared to go in without knocking.

"Last year I went in and there was a huge black rat on her table, I screamed so loud she had to put soundproof spells up," Sybil said as she flinched at the memory.

"Warren was so cute," Ethel said remembering the black rat she had befriended.

It was hard work, Ethel would go up after each lesson, at lunch and look after the bird making sure he had food and water and he was getting stronger each day. One day four days later Mildred woke up to Ethel crying.

"Is Starlight okay?" she asked using the name they had given him.

"He is better...means I have to say bye," Ethel said as she saw the little bird flying around the bedroom.

"Keep him" Mildred suggested

"He is a wild animal, I can't keep him cooped up here it is cruel," Ethel said as she stood up and caught the bird, Mildred followed her outside and they went near the tree she had found him. Ethel opened her hands and the bird took off flying high into the sky healed and better, he flew around Ethel a few times, pecking her but affectionately before flying away.

"Make sure you stay with your bird friends this time," Ethel told him watching him with tear-filled eyes and then went back into the castle. She got down a book and stuck a picture of the bed into it and wrote the name and date in it.

"What is that?" Mildred asked

"I keep a record of all the animals I have healed, just makes me help not to forget them," Ethel said giving the book to Mildred who looked through seeing, birds, mice, rats, even a couple of spiders which Mildred cringed over, but looking at the book she realised something huge.

Mildred had been crushing on Ethel she knew that but in that moment she realised people were wrong, Ethel could be cruel and heartless and a bitch who hurt people but she also had a huge heart which was caring and gentle and sweet and kind and Mildred felt in that moment her feelings change because she fell completely head over heels in love with the blonde animal lover and who she was in that moment. She was so much more than she ever realised or she showed people and Mildred just felt so much love for her at that moment as her crush turned into so much more, the deepest, purest love she could ever imagine was possible.