The moon light danced softly across the gray blanket, for a moment making it sparkle. Constance stared off into the night sky and clutched her cat Morgana to her chest. She was lost to her own thoughts and plagued with worry. She scratched behind Morgana's ears and remembered the first time she had seen her cat.
It was in the middle of her first year, when she had finally gotten 100 points. All of the students had to obtain 100 points by answering questions right, getting perfect scores on tests, and for generally behaving well. Some students didn't receive a cat until their third year, but Constance had worked hard and had been one of the first to receive her cat. Sometimes she had gotten discouraged when Heckity took points away for being early to class or even for knocking over a bottle of newt's eyes which could be cleaned up easily. The cats had been presented to Constance, Julie, and some second years at the new year's assembly. She remembered being nervous that the cat wouldn't like her; after all, people had let her down. But when the shining ball of black fur was placed into her arms it was an instant friendship. She took excellent care of her cat, making sure to feed it and brush it everyday before school. She also worked harder than most to make sure her cat could fly well on the end of her broomstick. However, every night she went to sleep with the cat curled around her neck; its friendly embrace had helped her through a lot of punishments.
Constance smiled as she remembered naming her cat. The name came from the book she was reading at the time (of course!); The Faerie Queen by Edmund Spenser. She had finally made it to the end and was reading about Morgan Le Fay, the queen of the faeries, when it hit her. Morgan Le Fay was a very powerful person, and certainly an inspiration for naming her cat. She had been trying to think of a good name for weeks and she didn't want to settle on anything cute like pixie or midnight. "Morgan" she said out loud. Her cat turned from cleaning itself and looked at her with what appeared to be a look of disgust and then went back to cleaning itself. Morgan was too dull, there was something missing. Then an idea hit her; "Morgana," she said suddenly. The cat stopped what it was doing and meowed.
She had always come to Morgana when she needed some comfort. The cat seemed to understand its owner very well and knew that while she appeared very hard and studious on the outside, she sometimes need to breakdown. The cat could sense when she was upset and automatically wound its body around her neck.
Constance sighed as her thoughts moved away from the cat sitting in her lap. How could she compete against her best friend. She knew that Sydney needed the scholarship money very badly because her family wasn't rich. Constance realized that in all honestly she really didn't need the money. What she needed was to prove Heckity wrong. She thought that if she could be the best then all of the beatings, all of the lines she had to write out would be justified. She could finally be rid of the constant nightmare that haunted her dreams and made her days a living hell. She kissed Morgana in between the ears, perhaps the only affection she had shown since she was seven. It would be okay, it would work out.
The contest was nothing more than a big race containing all of the areas the girls excelled at. The whole race was to be on broomsticks. Their first tasks were to fly over to their assigned teacher and correctly say whatever chant would be randomly given to them that day. Then they had to fly to the next station, which was history. The history station was quite fun indeed; each contest was given a specific date in history and then had to go find the corresponding people and places that where on rocks in a huge mud pit below. The nest station was a simple spellcasting, or so it might seem. They were given a spell and in mid air, while flying had to correctly pronounce the spell. Then there was the potions station, which was the only station on the ground. The students had to dismount and make whatever potion was on their card and once approved could make the final broomstick sprint to the finish line. It seemed simple enough and more exciting than a written test.
Heckity was Constance's assigned teacher, who would be giving her spells and information and all of that. Wonderful, she thought, Heckity will probably delay me for not saying please or ma'am. Heckity marched up to her and Constance couldn't help but shivering a bit. "Well Hardbroom, this is it, your final test here at this academy. I simply wanted to tell you to win this time, don't screw up. I've watched you for three years now and was amazed at your potential Constance." Constance stared open mouthed at Heckity, she had never offered any praise before. "But, you were always screwing it up with your little mess ups. You may think that you know your potions, but you always feel short. If you don't win today you will have failed in all everything I have taught you. This is your moment now Constance, your moment to achieve the perfection I had hoped for." She patted Constance on the shoulder and Constance stared at her retreating figure with her heart pounding, only Heckity could do that to her.
All of a sudden she heard a voice say, "All contestants to the line, prepare to mount." She gulped as she stepped up right next to Sydney. Sydney smiled weakly at her and Constance nodded back. Over the past week, their friendship had been strained. They had still talked but they had ignored the competition coming up. They knew it would change their lives. "Alright now mount your brooms and........" Boom! The pistol sounded and they were off. Constance flew over to Heckity who immediately dictated, "Bat in the moon chant." Constance started chanting as fast as she could. Heckity nodded when she was done and gave her a slip of paper. It read; September 19th 1692. She knew exactly what she should be searching for. She nosedived towards the mud and saw that Mindy was already looking and that Sydney was right on her tail. She immediately began looking through the mud for the right rock. Luckily she found her first one right away. The second one took her a bit longer and by the time she had found it and given it to Heckity, Miny was already at the next station and Sydney was halfway there. Constance began flying as Heckity screamed out, "Hat to cake." Constance flew towards the huge heap of items on the ground, grabbed a hat, and in mid flight muttered the spell that would change it to a cake. It turned perfectly and she flew now to her favorite station. She looked at the card briefly; an invisibility potion, perfect. She quickly lighted her Bunsen burner and threw in a bottle of lizard eyes. She had no time to measure but her years in the potions lab had given her an instant eye for measuring. Her potion was almost done when she heard a loud popping sound; Mindy had made the wrong potion and it had exploded in her face. Constance stirred hers one last time and gave a spoon to Heckity who immediately turned invisible.
Constance grabbed her broom and mounted it as she ran, looking to the sky to see only Sydney ahead of her. She went as fast as she could but she could catch up. She was going to lose, she was going to fail. Constance Hardbroom never failed, she had to be the best. She gasped as her train of languishing was broken by the squeals of something horrible. Some sort of flying demons emerged from behind the school and were making their way towards her and Sydney. Griffins! There talons were sharp and she knew that these were probably there final test to see if they could maneuver a broomstick. She performed a steep nose dive and then a loop de loop to lose a particularly large one that was chasing her. She turned around quickly before it could follow her and saw one grab Sydney by the arm. Sydney, oh no she had to do something. But she saw the red ribbon just ahead of her, she was so close to the finish line, so close. She watched Sydney look at her and cry out for help. She had made up her mind, she had to help her friend. She saw the talons slicing her arms and she winced. Suddenly Heckity's voice broke though her thoughts, "This is your moment now Constance, your moment to achieve the perfection." This was her moment, she saw that the other two girls had made their potion and were mounting their brooms. She had to win, she had to be the best. In a sudden action that was more an impulse of her mind than her heart, she took her glance away from her crying friend and blazed through the ribbon. She had done it; she was the best witch.
The stadium had erupted into screams, but Constance heard none of it. She saw Heckity walking over with a smile, well not a smile, she never smiled, she looked smug. Students were rushing around Constance throwing roses at her and shouting. But she saw none of it. All she saw was Sydney being placed into a hospital stretcher, her arms bleeding like mad. All she saw was Heckity's evil grin, and the voice that had made her live up to her name; Hard. She had picked winning over her best friend, truly nothing could have been worse.
As soon as the school wide celebration was over, Constance ran down to the hospital wing. "Both arms have been damaged," she heard the nurse whisper to another nurse, "she'll never cast spells again." Constance looked over her friend with great sorrow. She felt responsible, she felt vulnerable and she hated feeling vulnerable. Sydney opened her eyes and stared at Constance for a moment or two. Then she spoke, "Well congratulations Constance." "Listen, Syd I..." "No no, don't apologize, we all know that you had to be the best, you had to answer all the questions right. It doesn't matter who you step on huh? Just remember that it's lonely at the top okay." Constance couldn't say anything, she felt too guilty. "Well I'm sure that you should be wasting your time talking to me, I mean now you're off to do such great things with you money now. I will be taking a job at a local wizard' s school. If I can't practice spells, the only thing I can do is teach them. You know I was going to get a job at my aunt's academy but she says she only has a spot for a potions teacher. But that wouldn't be good enough for you right Con?" "Oh stop, you know I didn't mean to do that, I couldn't do anything I...." "I think you could have done a lot Constance, one stunning spell. Did you think about that? You could have stunned them and then crossed the finish line." Constance stepped back, she hadn't thought of that, it would have been so simple but in the moment she had been too confused." "I'm sorry Syd, I really am." "I'll forgive you but I'll never forget. I'll never forget." She turned her head away and Constance slowly walked out of the hospital wing; she would never forget either. That was the trouble with people, in the end they always ended up hurting you.
Constance moved home for a while before she figured out where she wanted to work. She had dozens of laboratories asking for her and offering her loads of money, but she felt sick at the thought of this recognition and had given herself some time off to think. She returned to a somber home. Her father had passed away in his sleep a few nights prior and her stepmother had taken the family fortune and run off. Charity was greatly upset at the news, crying all day, but Constance remained unmoved, still bothered by the race. She felt sorrow at her father's death, but he had died peacefully and to be honest Charity had grown closer to him. Constance felt a pang in her heart and she remembered hiding in the bookcase and him twirling her up in the air.
Charity had nothing but the house, her father had left it to her and her new husband. He was a quiet sort of fellow, worked as an archeologist and feared Constance immediately. Charity was in despair; she was expecting a baby and though they had a house they had little income. They would have had some money, and Constance would have to, but Persephone had taken it all. The only thing Constance got out of her father's death was her mother's potion books and her mother's jeweled necklace. She remembered trying it on and hoping that one day she would be like her mother. The necklace was the only thing that Constance would have wanted and her father knew that; she had no need for a house or even money.
As Constance sat in her father's study, fingering a mouse eared copy of pride and prejudice, she realized what might be done. Immediately she went out to find Charity. "But, Constance I can't take your grant money, you need it for your potions' studies." "No Charity, I have decided that I really don't want to do that anymore. I want to become a teacher, like mother and I won't need the money then." "Constance, how can I ever repay you?" "There's no need to, think of it as an act of kindness, I feel that I need to do something good with that money." Charity hugged her, and smiled looking into the eyes of her older sister, whom she had never been able to understand.
Constance left the house that same week. She had decided to take the job at Cackle's academy. It would be a humble job, it would be a job where she could give something back. With her hair scragged back into the tightest bun possible and her mother's necklace hidden underneath the high neckline of her black dress, she put Morgana on the end of her broomstick and flew towards her new life.
"Amelia Cackle, Pleased to meet you." Constance nodded in return and followed the plump older lady to her office. She could already see that this would be fine, keeping in step with the shorter lady she said, "Miss Cackle I have a few suggestions on keeping decorum at all times."
The End.
Wow this one took forever but it's finally done. This is my first WW fanfic and hopefully not my last!
