OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Chapter Three
Sister Chat
Ethel followed Sybil into her bedroom and was not overly surprised to find her sister under the covers on her bed with her head buried in her pillow. Ethel looked at her and then closed her bedroom door, uttering a quick locking spell and silencing spell, she knew how nosy people were at Cackles and didn't want to be overheard.
"Sybil?" Ethel said walking over to her sister. The girl made no acknowledgement she had heard her so Ethel walked over and sat on her bed, gently touching her arm.
"Sybil what is the matter?" Ethel asked awkwardly. She was not good at comforting people, that was Esmerelda's job, but she was not here so she had to fill the roll of big sister right now.
"Go away, leave me alone" Sybil said into her pillow as she cried. Ethel sighed, wondering if she should give her some time to calm down.
"No I can't do that when you are upset, come on tell me what the matter is" Ethel said to Sybil, knowing something must have happened in order for her sister to be so upset.
"You won't get it" Sybil said knowing Ethel will just tell her to suck it up, there was no reason to cry but Ethel sighed.
"Let me try too" Ethel said and Sybil was not sure why Ethel was being so nice in that moment, she loved Ethel but her being nice was not normally a good sign, but she was glad to have one of her sisters there to talk to either way.
"This stupid performance at Halloween" Sybil said sitting up aggressively and making Ethel jump as she took her of guard. "I tried to get out of it but Miss Cackle won't let me, I don't want to be part of it, I will mess it up and be nervous and I don't want to let anyone down" Sybil told Ethel as she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"I know how you feel, Felicity keeps going on about this stupid show, I for one will be happy to get it over with" Ethel replied and Sybil looked at her confused before speaking.
"I thought you were excited? I saw you talking to Felicity" Sybil commented, wondering why Ethel would not be looking forward to it.
"I was pretending, why would I be happy about this? We all know Mildred Hubble will somehow be the star of the show and I will be the laughing stock, plus I have more important things on my mind than some stupid perfomance for the Great Wizard" Ethel replied and Sybil rolled her eyes, hating the rivarly between her sister and Mildred, it was annoying, but she knew it was not fair to say it was all one sided, the fact of the matter was Mildred got lucky all the time and ended up having things go right for her, at Ethel's expense, she didn't mean to hurt or annoy the blonde but she did and that was the fact of the matter.
"You are probably right, but then again we all know The Great Wizard is not keen on Mildred is he?" Sybil replied, knowing even if Ethel believed the teachers and students adored the girl with plaits, she couldn't pretend the Great Wizard did, he had never gave her special treatment and in fact found her irritating it would seem by the way he acted around her.
"Yes, he is not the one I am worried about, it is Miss Cackle, she doesn't even know I exist, I can't wait until this is done, why do you think you will mess up?" Ethel asked, looking at Sybil as she spoke. She changed the subject, not wanting to talk about Miss Cackle or Mildred Hubble anymore.
"I can barely fly in a straight line, I explode half my potions, the only thing I am any decent at is chanting and spells, but even they aren't perfect" Sybil told her sister, knowing that she was not the best student and that there was no point in pretending she was.
"You are a good witch Sybil, you just lack confidence, I can help you train in whatever it is you will be performing if you want me to" Ethel offered, smiling at her sister. Sybil though didn't know whether this was a game.
"What are you up to? Why are you being nice?" Sybil asked her. Sybil knew something must be in it for Ethel, Ethel was not evil, but her being nice never ended well.
"I am your sister? Do I need a reason?" Ethel asked, looking at Sybil insulted.
"Yes" Sybil said bluntly "Ethel whenever you are nice and help like this there is always something in the end for you, I don't want to play your stupid games if this is a game, you have already gotten rid of Esmie, I don't want to be next" Sybil said harshly. She knew it was a little harsh, but it was the truth. Ethel had tricked Esmie for her own gain and in the end it was Esmerelda who suffered. Sybil had forgiven Ethel for what she did, she loved her, and she could never hate her no matter what, but that doesn't mean she will just believe Ethel after what happened.
Ethel looked down, becoming sad and quiet at the mention of Esmerelda. She felt so guilty and sad about what happened. She knew she deserved the way Sybil was treating her, she was surprised Esmerelda and Sybil could still look at her, she was not sure she would of being so understanding if one of them had being the one to trick her, but the truth of the matter was there was nothing she could do, what was done was done, even witches could not time travel safely without messing up the present so she couldn't go back and stop herself from making that mistake.
"I shouldn't of said that….that was harsh" Sybil said, sitting there awkwardly in silence as the reality of Esmerelda being gone passed between the sisters. Ethel wiped her eye, a stray tear falling, Sybil knew that if Ethel had being with anyone else she would of immediately left and gone to her bedroom to cry, but with her sisters she didn't care if they saw her. Sybil knew in that moment she shouldn't of said what she did, Esmerelda being gone upset Ethel, even if she had being the one to cause it.
"Ethel I am sorry….I shouldn't of said that" Sybil said, biting her lip as Ethel sat there crying quietly to herself. Great now she had upset Ethel so they were both upset.
"No you are right" Ethel replied as she cried gently, not minding crying in front of Sybil. "I am a horrible person and what I did was cruel and evil and no-one should of ever spoken to me again, but I hate myself more than anyone else ever could" Ethel replied, the guilt eating away at her, but it was the truth, she knew people outside her family hated her, but not as much as she hated herself, Sybil touched her arm and sighed.
"No-one hates you because we all know you made a mistake, you didn't think things through properly" Sybil told her sister, knowing that Ethel had being caught up by the attention from Agatha, and had being foolish in her actions, not thinking what she was doing would actually cause so much harm.
"Oh I thought it through properly, I wanted her to lose her powers, so I could take her place as the one everyone admired, that was all I cared about, and it sounds selfish and horrible but it is the truth, the thing I didn't realise was I loved Esmerelda, I had being suppressing it all year, and I thought I had finally pulled away enough to not feel anything anymore, and what happened to her would just go over my head, but I was wrong, I realised that fact to late, and when it finally hit me I realised how big an idiot I am, I am so stupid" Ethel replied and Sybil shook her head.
"It isn't your fault really, mum always told us loving someone makes you weak, we were never shown love properly by her, it is no wonder you were confused" Sybil replied knowing Ethel's view on love and right and wrong came down to their parents and what they taught them, Ethel made the decision yes, but she didn't know, and still doesn't know, how to properly treat people she loves. She was never taught that in her younger years like everyone else so now was showing the effects of it.
"I wish I had lost my powers, I don't deserve them, but Esmie won't accept mine and I don't know of any ways to give her any other than that, I messed up with Esmerelda, I don't want to mess up again with you" Ethel told Sybil and Sybil nodded, knowing Ethel had offered in the summer to transfer her powers to Esmerelda but the eldest refused point blank. The guilt would properly be with Ethel forever about what she did, Ethel had certainty changed since she returned to school, she was quieter and her temper was worse than ever, but she was more like her old self, being nice to Sybil and looking after her, just like she used to before the darkness got into her mind and changed her.
"I am sorry Ethel, thank you I would appreciate the help, I just wish I was a better Hallow, I am not like you and Esmie, I am scared of letting down the family name by messing up the perfomance" Sybil admitted, knowing that was the underlying problem of her issues.
"Sybil, you are braver and stronger than you think, and you are a proper Hallow, I know mum and dad are always going on about what Hallows do and how they act but maybe it us a good thing you are not like that, you have friends, know how to have fun, I wouldn't worry to much about it Sybil, if Hallows are people that trick others for their own gain like mum and dad taught us, it is lucky you don't have that trait" Ethel told her, thinking of what Esmerelda would say in this moment.
"Yeah right, I am a disgrace" Sybil said looking at the floor sadly, as she knew she could never live up to the expectations put on her.
"No you aren't, you are loyal and brave and fight for what you believe in, remember what Esmerelda says? It is about who you are, not what you do, I think you are a great Hallow" Ethel told her.
"Thank you" Sybil said, touched by Ethel's words.
Sybil smiled and hugged her sister tightly. Ethel was still sniffling from crying but Sybil didn't mind she was just happy to be with her sister, she didn't believe her, she wasn't a proper Hallow but she felt more optimistic now Ethel had offered to help her and that her sister was not looking forward to this day either.
"I love you Ethel" Sybil said happily, knowing why Esmerelda could never stay angry at her sister for long. Ethel had problems but at moments like this when she was nice, you never wanted to be away from her.
"I…...l…...lll….love you too" Ethel said and Sybil was taken by suprise, having not expected to hear it back, Ethel never said it really, she always choked when she tried, she didn't know how to, so she knew in that moment she was genuine, moments like this where Ethel is vulnerable is when you see the true person she is behind her tough act, so in that moment Sybil knew she could trust her. The blonde felt much better, but was still not looking forward to the performance, the only thing she could hope for now was it was something she was decent at.