I'm not feeling so good but hooray, it means early update!

Not for long though. Before Mildred had time to start missing home too much, there was a timid knock on the door.

"Come in?" Mildred said as she fumbled to re light the candle with matches. (She's worked out over the summer how to make fire appear in her hand if she concentrated. But she had already also worked out that wasn't a good idea.)

The latch lifted and the door opened. Just a little. A familiar little muzzle poked though the gap, followed by a peek of a little round furry face and even rounder glasses, still half hidden by the door.

"Hullo. Mildred, isn't it?" The visitor said, in a very quiet voice that had the blurs of a northern accent. It might have been husky if it hadn't been mousy. "It's me…"

"And who's me?" Mildred encouraged, pushing down her own nerves. "I didn't catch your name before, sorry."

"Oh er-! it's Maud. Moonshine." There was a nervous little chuckle and Maud the little WereWolf cub emerged properly. She was already in her night dress, a wee fluffy tail poking out the back of it. "Are you alright now Mildred?"

"Yes I think so. And thanks for helping me up in the yard by the way."

The lovely little wolf relaxed a little. "You're welcome. HB is really scary, though isn't she?"

"The scariest thing I've seen here so far!" Mildred agreed, patting the bed for Maud to sit down next to her.

"She makes even Mum nervous for parents evening! Most of the ladies in our pack came here too. Did yours?"

"No I'm the first from my family here." Mildred said in awe. "But they came here? And HB taught your mum?! Cool!"

Maud beamed and told Mildred a little about it. How the Moonshines were a clan who for the past four or five generations had sent all their witch girls to Cackles (the boys were home schooled or apprentices). How one of Maud's older cousin (a Spellbody) had been head girl the year before last. How her little sister would be starting in a few years. And how the youngest cub of the pack was set to be on the register as soon as her magic came.

"She's only two. But I bet HB will still be here for her! Have you had your tour?" she asked. Mildred nodded, explaining what had happened with Fenny and Gris. And HB.

"Were they just stories?"

"Oh no it's a real castle alright! Really old and mysterious." For someone so timid Maud was very bubbly once you got to know her a little. "The school kitchens are down in the dungeons, you know?"

"I saw." Mildred nodded, "I'm not sure I want to ever go down there. It looked so dark and the kitchens were so noisy!"

"Me neither. Everyone in pack says they aren't that bad once you get used to them. But I'm not looking forward to it." Maud shuddered. Mildred meant to ask what she meant. But was distracted by the way Maud's ears flicked back. Maud perked up though and gleefully continued, "How was your tour? Otterline said there's places down there even the teachers dare not go. And you mustn't wander at the corridors at night or you might never come back! And there's ghosts everywhere. Isn't it exciting?"

"What? Oh y-yes." Mildred said, hoping she sounded excited rather than horrified.

"…Is- is something the matter?" Maud said, suddenly becoming nervous again. "You're staring."

Mildred jolted, caught out. "Oh! No. I mean yes but-!"

She had been enthralled by what Maud was saying yes. But also by Maud herself. Maud still looked very much like a young girl more than beast. She looked more like a human Corgi then a wolf, with peach fuzzy skin; the way it blended with fur and the hair on her head. At first Mildred had been startled but now:

"S-should I go?"

"No please don't! I like your ears. They're very pretty. That's what I was staring at." Mildred blurted out. Maud gawped at her. "Sorry! was that the wrong thing to say?"

"No. no it wasn't. Not everyone's comfortable with Were-things, even other monsters. I thought maybe- Thank you though." Maud stammered totally thrown. But there was a pinking of her inner ear that Mildred took for a blush. Maud fiddled with her glasses then cocked her head to look back up at Mildred. "So, what are you by the way? If you don't mind me asking."

"Me? Oh I'm not a-"

A Monster, Mildred nearly said. Then wondered if she could use that word. So she amended, "I'm not anything. Just a scholarship girl."

Maud blinked. "Just a scholarship girl? But it's really hard to get a scholarship here!"

"Is it? Oh. I think mine was accidental." Mildred sighed.

"Well you must be something special then?" Maud persisted and gave a little excited wag of her tail. "Are you a shapeshifter? Or a wrathmonk? You're no wolf or cub. Or at least you don't smell like one." She sniffed the air and her muzzle wrinkled a little. "Actually Mildred…you still smell a teeny bit like the, well like the bins."

"What? Oh no really!?" Mildred yelped. "Today had already gone wrong so far without walking around being smelly as well!"

"Not excessively!" Maud reassured her and explained. "And my nose is a bit sensitive then even most here, so I don't think anyone else will have picked up on it. It might just be your cardigan?"

Mildred took it off and held it up away from her, as Maud gave it a couple of sniffs.

"Yuk. Yep there it is. You got something on your sleeve. Now you'll smell like you!" Maud beamed and leaning over took deep over exaggerated sniff of her that made Mildred laugh. But then Maud drew back surprised. "Mildred you smell – you smell human."

Mildred gulped, and Maud continued cocking her head again. "Really human, not just humanoid. Ordinary even… What- are you?"

"Er… Sort of ordinary? Like a lot." Mildred winched, waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Maud to look at her like Ethel had. Or snarl at her like HB.

But Maud looked more confused than anything else, so Mildred cautiously explained, "When I said I'm the first from my family to come here- well My Mum and Dad are human. But aren't magic. At all. But I'm a witch. But we only found out recently when my powers appeared. And we weren't in the catchment areas for any day witch schools."

"Oh! So that's why you're a scholarship! Why didn't you just say so, silly?" Maud smiled kindly. "You know I thought you seemed a bit old for a first year."

"Hey, only a year and two months! I was the second youngest in year eight at my old school." Mildred said.

"But your name wouldn't have been down for any of the other schools then? If you're powers came in so late?" Mildred shook her head. "Wow Mildred, you might be the very first in your family to go to any magical school ever! That's really cool. Even for a common witch!"

"Yeah, I guess so! But I'm not 'anything'." Mildred said. Then grinned at her new friend. "Except in need of a change and a wash if your nose is to be believed."

"Defiantly!"

I didn't mean to start shoe horning in so many TWW17 references it just happens naturally.