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Chapter Six
Esmerelda
Sybil continued to have lessons with Ethel every evening. Yes it was true, Ethel could be bossy and sometimes short-tempered at Sybil and shouted at her, but she wasn't as bad as Sybil thought she would be, plus her pushing her was making her want to be better and it was working, she wasn't exactly good, but she had improved, at least she could stay in the air for longer now.
"Sybil you need to listen! I keep telling you not to do that!" Ethel shouted at her. Sybil sighed as she spent her evening today with Ethel, the older blonde was in a bad mood, Sybil didn't know why and hadn't dared to ask, but it was clear Ethel was not happy today. Not that she ever was really in a good mood, but she was in a worse one than normal.
"Sorry Ethie….I am trying, I get scared and forget" Sybil said as she flew next to her sister. She had not had Ethel so annoyed at her since they started the lessons and she had a feeling something had happened in school today.
"Yes well try harder" Ethel told her, shouting at her again. The youngest looked down wondering how she could try harder than she was but knew not to take Ethel to seriously when she was in this mood.
"Sorry Ethel, can we go again?" Sybil said, trying to keep on Ethel's good side, she didn't want to annoy her so much she stopped teaching her, she needed these lessons, even with Ethel and her temper.
"One more time, then we have to go" Ethel told her and Sybil remembered this time what Ethel had told her and performed correctly, meaning she didn't get shouted at again. They both landed and started to head back into the school.
"I am sorry Ethel for messing up, I will try harder" Sybil said. She didn't think it was possible but Ethel was walking angrily, she didn't know people could walk angrily but Ethel could. Ethel took some deep breaths, trying to stop herself exploding at Sybil.
"It is fine….." Ethel said and Sybil knew that was as close to an apology as she could get.
"Ethel….are you okay….you seem a but more...tense than normal" Sybil said squeezing her eyes shut because she suspected Ethel was about to shout at her to mind her own business.
"It is nothing….I am fine" Ethel replied, not wanting to admit she was in a bad mood, even if it was obvious.
"Are you sure?" Sybil asked her. She didn't want Ethel to be suffering alone if there was something wrong.
"It is nothing you did, Miss Hardbroom is just so cruel sometimes" Ethel replied and Sybil looked at her confused, she knew that much already, sometimes the woman had yelled at her in a way that was plain nasty, but the woman was normally quite decent to Ethel because she didn't have to keep telling her the same thing over and over when it came to work.
"Why what happened?" Sybil asked, wondering what had gone down that she had missed.
"She has stopped my mirror calls for a month!" Ethel replied, now exploding and shouting as she was getting worked up thinking about it. She made a 'grr' sound clearly annoyed.
"Why what did you do?" Sybil asked, knowing she must have done something to be punished like that.
"Nothing!" What makes you think I did anything?" Ethel asked angrily. Sybil narrowed her eyebrows at her.
"Because you wouldn't of being punished if you hadn't of done anything" Sybil replied and Ethel sighed, knowing she was right.
"I turned Mildred's cauldron into chocolate, and it melted and the potion went everywhere, it was hilarious" Ethel told her sister as she sniggered to herself. Sybil shook her head. At least this prank of Ethel's was harmless, unlike some of her other ones, but she didn't think Ethel should be happy with herself for her bad behaviour.
"How did HB find out?" Sybil asked wondering what had gave Ethel away. She was surprised the woman had not blamed Mildred herself like usual.
"She heard me saying the spell" Ethel said, annoyed at herself for getting caught.
"Ethel, I thought you said you were going to try and behave?" Sybil said. Ethel looked at her and shook her head.
"I try to, but Mildred stresses me out, anyway normally HB gives me detention, but she said the worst punishment she can give me is stopping my mirror calls, for a whole month!? I already cleaned up the potions lab and she made me apologise to Mildred, why did she punish me so badly?" Ethel asked annoyed and upset.
Sybil did think it was a bit of an over-punishment, Ethel had done worst things before and barely got punished, but Ethel shouldn't of done what she had done, still, Sybil did feel sorry for Ethel, Miss Hardbroom had done it on purpose so she had no way of talking to Esmerelda, knowing that will hurt her most, and a month was just really mean.
"Sorry Ethel, I don't agree with you pranking Mildred, but you are right that is a harsh punishment, I will tell you what, you can come and talk to Esmie with me, you are helping me after all" Sybil said. Ethel didn't say anything, but looked like she was about to burst into tears at the kindness of her sister. Sybil just smiled and hugged her, knowing Ethel was not good when it came to words, but she knew she was touched.
The next day, Sybil sneaked Ethel into the mirror room when she saw it was clear, true Ethel wasn't going to be the one mirroring her, but she was sure HB had meant no contact at all, not use someone else's, mirror time Ethel was in a much better mood now and looked at Sybil.
"Thank you for doing this..." Ethel said gratefully, she had being upset she wouldn't be able to talk to Esmerelda for a month.
"Ethel we are sisters, it is fine, plus it will be nice for all three of us to be able to talk" Sybil told Ethel. Normally it was Ethel and Esmie or Sybil and Esmie so it would be nice that they could all talk together as sisters.
Sybil held up the card with Esmerelda's name on and the call started to connect. Esmie was in her bedroom, in the middle of reading when she realised she had company.
"Ethie? Sybie?" the girl said beaming. She had not seen them together in a while and she was glad they had both decided to call her. She closed her book and sat nearer to the mirror, giving them her attention.
"Ethel got in trouble so she had being banned from mirroring you, so I said she can join in on our conversation" Sybil said and Ethel glared at her, wondering why she told Esmerelda.
"Ethie" Esmerelda said shaking her head, knowing Ethel's behaviour was a big problem, but she was glad they were both there, talking to her.
"It isn't my fault HB is so harsh, anyway how are things?" Ethel asked, as if HB being harsh was an excuse for her bad behaviour but she was happy she got to talk to Esmie, she missed her honestly.
"Alright, I am pretty bored but they are not to bad" Esmie said looking down "And how are things with my two favourite people?" Esmerelda asked affectionately. It was true of course, anyone who had spent more than five minutes with the girl knew the girls sat in front of her were her universe.
"They are not bad" Sybil replied happily at what Esmie said before she kept talking."Esmie will you be able to come visit at Halloween? The school is doing a performance for the Great Wizard and we would love you to see us in it" Sybil asked, getting to the main reason for this particular mirror call. Esmie smiled but it quickly dropped.
"I don't know if I will be allowed" Esmerelda replied, wondering if she will get thrown out the school for not being a pupil.
"Miss Cackle already agreed to it, so the teachers won't a problem" Ethel replied and Esmerelda smiled again, feeling much better now she was reassured.
"Then of course I will come, I would love to watch you both, what exactly are you doing?" Esmerelda asked, wondering what the performance was.
"My year is doing flying" Sybil said "Ethie is giving me lessons" Sybil replied and Esmerelda looked at her sisters shocked, she thought they would of killed each other by now doing something like that, but she suspected without her there they were trying not to fight as much, they were close really and only had each other to lean on.
"We are doing a potions display, but I am not telling you anything else it is an suprise" Ethel said and Esmerelda moaned.
"Aww you are going to make me wait?" Esmerelda said and Ethel nodded.
"Sorry sis, but we want you to be surprised" Ethel said. She smirked, she knew her sister hated surprises but she wanted to see her reaction when she saw the performance totally blind.
They spoke a whole longer, just about general sister stuff before they had to leave. The bell was about to ring, and it had gone to quickly. All three girls turned sad but Esmie looked at her sisters and spoke.
"Chin's up you two, I love you both" she said blowing them kisses as the mirror call ended, leaving the younger two sat there, feeling an emptiness inside them that had being there all year.