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Chapter Three

Fighting

The girls had always known living with one another would be a nightmare, but until they became room-mates they did not realise that it was not only each other they had to deal with. It was the others. Ethel would become irritated whenever she waked in her room and found Maud and Enid there. Honestly why did she like these girls? They were so frustrating to Ethel. She sat on her bed, blanking the girls, knowing she would only become furious with them.

One day though, the girls walked in when Mildred wasn't there. Ethel looked up and rolled her eyes.

"Hubble Bubble isn't here, she is probably butting her nose into something that isn't her business, why don't you go join her, you two are good at that too" Ethel said. Still angry at the girls for butting in last year with the foundling stone. She knew that the school had being in danger yes, but Mildred followed them when they were having private sister time. They could have being acting weird because they were planning a party for all she knew. Deep down Ethel knew Mildred had being concerned but she had just wanted to see her sisters without Mildred sticking her ore in and then she got her friends involved.

"Ethel you always butt into everything, you are one to talk" Enid told the blonde. Knowing if she stayed out and didn't worry about what Mildred was up to they properly wouldn't be so angry with each other, Ethel kept pushing the issue, that was the problem.

"Whatever, your friend is not here so can you leave? Wait for her in one of your rooms or something" Ethel told the girls harshly. Maud folded her arms.

"As head of year, I have to tell you to watch your attitude Ethel" Maud said wearing her annoyed serious expression, Ethel rolled her eyes.

"Maud, do you literally have nothing else to rub in my face than your head of year status? I know you are head of year, you are forever telling me" Ethel said, still bitter because she knew it should be her, but after everything she didn't care much about it anymore. There was more important things than the gold belt.

The girls did not have much time to say anything because Mildred walked in that moment and Ethel left, thinking she hated the friends more than Mildred and wishing they would just disappear.

If Ethel was having a bad time, Mildred was having a worse time. It is true her and Ethel fought a lot but even though she was not best friends with Ethel, she was more friendly with her sisters, even if she would admit they still did not know each other that well. Mildred though had no problem with the eldest or younger Hallow, both much more pleasant than their sister and she had no problem with the sisters being in their bedroom, after all she had Maud and Enid a lot and normally they didn't bother her, no, it was the fact that she had gone from having privacy to none in the space of a few days.

Mildred was an only child, so she wouldn't claim to know what normal siblings do or don't do, but whenever Maud and Enid entered the room, they would knock and then walk in when they were told they could. Esmerelda and Sybil, seemed to have a habit of walking in willy-nilly and the thing is they never EVER knocked. Ethel reacted to this like it was totally normal, so Mildred suspected the girls always did that, at school and at home, but it didn't mean Mildred had to like it.


One morning, two weeks into term, Mildred was getting dressed into her uniform like always. Ethel always left to get dress elsewhere (Mildred wasn't sure where) and Mildred therefore got dressed in her room. This had never being a problem before, because even if she was getting dressed, her visitors would knock so she could tell them to wait, but the Hallows sisters were not normal visitors. This day Mildred was dressing, she had just put on her blouse and her tie and was just about to grab her pinafore when the door flew open and Esmerelda casually strolled in like she was going for a walk in the park, Mildred quickly grabbed her duvet and covered her lower half embrassed before she became angry.

"Esmerelda!" Mildred shouted. The older girl turned to look at her confused.

"I was getting dressed!" Mildred said turning red from embarrassment, Esmerelda though seemed unbothered by what had happened.

"Well carry on, don't let me stop you, I am just looking for that sister of mine, did you see which way she went?" Esmerelda asked not even looking at Mildred but at Ethel's bed as if the girl will appear on it.

"No" Mildred said covering herself with the duvet sill. "Esmerelda can you give me a few minutes, I don't want to be late for potions" Mildred said kindly but inside she was fuming at the girl. Esmerelda nodded and left, leaving Mildred embarrassed. Yes people saw her get changed during PE but it was still embarrassing for her to be walked in on.


When the brunette saw the blonde later that night, she could barely contain her anger, she gritted her teeth as she looked at the girl.

"Ethel...do your sisters ever knock?" Mildred asked. Ethel looked up at her and glared.

"No! Why would they? Who knocks?" Ethel asked wondering why Mildred was surprised.

Mildred felt like screaming at her everyone who was normal knocked. Even her mother and her knocked in the flat when the door was close for privacy. She didn't understand how the girls were okay walking in and out of each other's room whenever they wanted, not knowing if the other sister was getting dressed or something. Mildred shook her head though, took a breathe and replied.

"Esmerelda walked in on me getting dressed" Mildred told Ethel. Ethel shrugged her shoulders, wondering why it mattered.

"So? She walks in on me getting dressed at least once a week, who cares?" Ethel asked.

She cared. Any normal person would. It was strange to Mildred, the girls were so shy around others, hated physical contact, always covered up so much, yet with each other they just didn't care who saw them and what they saw. Yes it was true Esmerelda was not even looking at when she walked in, but it didn't make a difference, it still was embarrassing.

"Normal people care" Mildred replied frustrated.

"Are you saying my family is not normal?" Ethel asked, standing up defensibly.

"Familes knock Ethel, it is embarrassing for people to walk in on you dressing" Mildred replied, wishing she had the guts to say this to the other sisters, but Sybil would get upset and Esmerelda was scary when she was angry.

"Well mine don't and if you don't like it leave!" Ethel told her as if the solution was simple.

"I am fed up of coming in here and finding I have three room-mates, I can never get a moment alone" Mildred told the girl. It was true, everytime she turned around Esmerelda and Sybil were there.

"Well I have to see your friends all the time, and they never leave either" Ethel replied. The girl standing face to face and yelling at each other.

"My friends knock though, can you tell your sisters to knock now it is not just you in the room?" Mildred asked as politely as she could through her anger.

"NO, you are just being fussy, they can come whenever they want" Ethel told Mildred.

"I will go to Miss Cackle" Mildred said. This was the wrong thing to say. Ethel's eyes turned darker with anger.

"Of course you would, Miss Cackle would do anything for her darling star pupil, if Sybil had fallen off that roof at the same time you got a paper cut she would of left my sister dead on the floor to make sure her precious one was okay!" Ethel replied, full of bitterness towards the woman for the favouritism, she always made Ethel the guilty one, even if Mildred had provoked her. The woman had never stuck up for her or praised her.

"Oh Ethel grow up!" Mildred said, but the girl had clearly lost her temper. She leaped on Mildred pulling her hair, just as Esmerelda walked through the door. The eldest sprang into action as she saw the girls fighting.

"Ethel NO!" The girl said grabbing her sister by the waist and pulling her off Mildred. She pulled her off with some difficulty because Ethel was still frailing her arms.

"I HATE YOU MILDRED HUBBLE!" Ethel shouted as Esmerelda forced her out the room, knowing she couldn't leave Ethel like this with Mildred and she had to calm down. She took her to the room, holding her around the chest so she couldn't move, Ethel fussed but then gave up and calmed down, now only crying. She hated Mildred, she wished she could know what it was like to be so perfect.

"Why do I have to share with her?" I hate her so much, she always makes me feel like I am the scum of the earth" Ethel told her sister who held her as she cried. The girl sighed sadly, not knowing how to help her sister.