Lamplighter makes an appearance as per requested by DissectingPomegranates, thou it's not at all racy I'm afraid. Takes place during Art WarsJust after Ethel makes Mildred's drawings blow away.

"…If you don't mind me asking, what has gotten into you today?" the chanting teacher asked. "Are you feeling quite alright?"

Constance blinked and looked up from the water lilies on her page that were defiantly the wrong shade of pink. "Me?"

"Well I wasn't exactly talking to Ethel and-! ...erm, the other one. Paddock! Where ever they've gone?" Lavina said, very nearly loosing her train of thought. "Are you alright? You're acting very odd this afternoon."

"I'm not the one knee deep in a lake and already fallen in twice."

"Well there's no point drawing things from too far away! But one minute you're totally against a non botanical specimen approach to art week," Lavina said, bracing her drawing board against her hip again, "then you're dragging students outside and arguing with me over light and movement. I think Imogen's a tad miffed with you, too by the way..."

Constance feigned a blank look and went back to trying to figure out how to make pretty marks on paper. Without magic.

"I think you've unintentionally hurt her feelings... because you had no interest in even helping set up for today until Miss Lamplighter went to speak to you." Miss Crotchet continued, aware Constance was trying to ignore her. "And spent so long speaking to you. You didn't even like her earlier."

"What's that got to do with Imogen?" Lavina nearly dropped her pencil in the water. "I mean, Miss Drill. No doubt we'll see her soon anyway and she will complain at me for being welcoming to our guest."

"Well that's true." Lavina shrugged. "This is one of Imogen's more usual routes when she's upset. Is that why you picked this spot?"

"I meant back at the school- Will you let me concentrate?" Constance snapped. "I don't want the sun to go in again before I do this bit with the light."

Lavina giggled at that. "Imogen's not at the school. Well, she wasn't when we left, Miss Lamplighter sent her out to be inspired."

"She did what?" Constance said, well squawked. "Why?"

"Lynne thought Imogen was spending too much time helping the third years put up their installation; rather then actually creating something of her own. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It would have been nice for her to say so, if she was with us then she's the one acting odd because I didn't see her." Constance sniffed turning back to her paper for nearly a whole ten seconds.

"...When was this?"

Lavina shrugged. "Right before you and Ethel and Drusilla joined me and Mildred and tabby... Are you alright?"

"You've already asked me that, not two minutes ago."

"Well one minute you were as giddy as a first year and now you seem upset- "

"Why should I be upset? Miss Lamplighter is looking at everyone's work not just Miss Drill's."

Constance said oh so incredibly airily. "That doesn't make L- Miss Lamplighter a toy to be argued over. I think then Miss Drill needs to grow up rather then acting like a child who's been told to share."

"Is that so?" Came a loud familiar voice right behind the witch. Constance stood up sharply knocking over her easel and Lavina did drop her pencil that time, and the had-been-drying out nicely drawing board. "Maybe you ought to tell Lynne what you thought of her work up until this morning?"

Forebodingly the sun ducked behind the clouds as if it was able to sense HB about to give Miss Drill a piece of her mind about sneaking up on people and listening in to conversations. Lavina tried to rush between them and instead nearly ended up falling in the water once more with a ruddy great big splash.

But, before they could come to blows (again); the cavalry arrived in the form of a braless arty sort in Technicolor trousers.

"I thought I'd come and see how you were all getting on! And the headmistress said it's almost time for- OH MISS CHROTCHET!" Lyne called out. "I know I said get creative but is that safe?!"

As if suddenly realising the other witch was there, (doggy paddling back to shallow water,) everyone sprang into motion.

"Lavinia, what on earth are you up too?" Imogen asked and scrambled down the bank with a lot more agile grace then Lavinia had managed.

"Yes do get out of there before you catch your death!" Constance agreed, albeit with some apathy. Lavina sighed and waded back to shore pausing only to pick her board and the paper that had come bobbing along beside her. I must have dropped some she thought. She let Imogen take them and hand them up to the artist; then let her self be helped up once again clambered up the bank using the tree branch the most-powerful witch offered out to her. She had to admit it was a lot easier this time around, with someone pushing her from behind and Miss Lamplighter help pull her up.

"Where are your wellieboots?" The artist asked.

"In there somewhere. They filled up with water and minnows earlier so I let the minnows keep them." Lavina said but Lynne seemed to think she was joking. It would have been much easier if she'd been able to use magic in front the artist to dry off to but never mind. Imogen then scrambled back on to the grass herself, not needing the branch or hand HB offered.

"You're soaked!" Imogen declared once she was on her feet, shrugging off her fleece and draping it over Lavina's shoulders. "Let's get you back to the castle." And Lavina nearly found herself draped over Imogen's shoulders.

"I can walk dear!" she laughed until Imogen put her back down and pulled the borrowed jacket around her more tightly. Lavina noted Miss Lamplighter looking very thoughtful at the back of Imogen's now sodden sticking to her skin polo shirt and the furious look Constance was giving all three of them. "But ooh but yes, back to school. It's not so warm no the suns gone in."

"Agreed. Are you two coming?" Imogen asked oh so incredibly airily.

"Yes but actually-" Lynne interrupted before Constance could reply. "Before we do Miss Drill may I ask you something? I meant to ask you earlier but I didn't want to put you on the spot."

That caught all their attention. "I was wondering- and do feel free to say no- but if it were alright by you I would love to have you model for me sometime." Lynne smiled. "Or simply allow me sketch you next time you're doing something athletic like a class or a warm up. I would be so grateful to have it recorded in my sketch book."

"Me?!"

"Her?"

Imogen's face went from nought to Lamborghini red in three seconds flat. "I'm flattered but wouldn't- wouldn't you rather have-" She stumbled, trying to look any where but Constance. "Someone who's- you know- more... "

As Lynne insisted it was Imogen's ('sweet but strong') physique AND personality that had caught her attention; Lavina hovered awkwardly between them and the forgotten HB, feeling very much like a third wheel. Or a forth wheel. Or more correctly a fourth corner in a badly written love triangle.

Constance had returned to her not white water lilies and sat at her easel, occasionally throwing a daggered look over her shoulder at the three of them. Lavina mentally huffed in despair at her collages and the oblivious artist; and as the other two started to walk back they left Constance sulking on the river bank, looking both put out and annoyed at being brushed aside by the two non-witches. And something else, something that was hard to tell who it was aimed for.

Something of that jealous complexion. Or was it more envious?

"Hell's teeth." Miss crotchet said with chattering teeth as she made to catch up to the the others in her wet socks. "And I thought Imogen was supposed to be the one with green eyes!"

I once had star wars wellies but they also filled with water and become a home for minnows.