A/N: Esmie might be slightly out of character in this story but you have to remember she was a lot younger. I imagine her taking a long time to settle without her sisters and unable to hide her feelings as easily as now.

Chapter Two

Esmie woke up feeling her eyes felt heavy, she had not had the best sleep but there was nothing she could do right now, lessons were starting today and checking her timetable she saw she had potions first, somehow she didn't think Hardbroom would be happy if she was late, even if it was her first day.

She therefore got up and washed and dressed in her new uniform before doing her hair, packing her potions books in her bag and leaving her bedroom after stroking her kitten and making sure she had food and milk. First she went to breakfast and felt her stomach turn as what she was served but forced it down feeling sick with each bite, when she had finished her cement she checked the time and saw she still had eight minutes to get to the lab so walked calmly to her lesson.

Arriving she saw other girls already stood there, all looking tired as they were not used to these early mornings at Cackles. She went to the back to wait for Miss Hardbroom to arrive and the woman appeared in front of hem at nine on the dot. She told the girls to go into the classroom and take a seat.

Esmerelda took a seat in the middle row as she listened to her teacher and what potion they would be making. Today would be one of the most simple potions, a simple cure for boils potion. They were told what page to turn to and then HB told them she wanted them to attempt it to see where they were in the subject and at what stage they were at.

Esmerelda read each instruction twice to make sure she didn't misread it and then started to add ingredients to her potion. Looking around though she saw she was the only one who seemed to not be butchering it.

Some girls read their books with wide eyes confused at the instructions or why their potion didn't look how it was in the book. Some looks scared or nervous, and within ten minutes two potions exploded. No-one seemed to be successful in the potion they were making.

Esmerelda though tried not to focus on the others and followed her instructions carefully, the potion was meant to be a muddy green colour by the end and as she mixed it she saw it was indeed this colour and sighed with relief. At least HB couldn't give her detention for it being the wrong colour.

"Time is up girls" Miss Hardbroom said after forty minutes. Some of the girls looked ready to burst into tears as their potions were not finished or plain wrong. The woman started to walk around the classroom to test the potions.

"This is one of the worst attempts I have ever seen, did you even read the instructions?" Miss Hardbroom asked a girl by Esmie's right who nodded and gulped as she was given detention. Soon the woman was at Esmerelda who shook from nerves.

Miss Hardbroom looked at the potion and then looked surprised, it was clearly not usual for the first lesson to ever be a success for anyone. She placed the frog on the desk that she was using to test the potion, placed a little on the wart on the frog and watched as it vanished completely.

"Girls, Miss Hallow has made the potion perfectly, the rest of you should follow her example" she told the class as the bell went and Esmerelda gathered her books to leave the classroom hearing people mutter as she did so.

"Talk about showing off" she heard a dark haired girl say to another as they left the classroom. Esmerelda sighed, clearly her correct potion had not gone down well. It was just making her look big headed.

Looking around she noticed nearly all the girls were already in groups, how they had made friends already was beyond her because she had not even had the chance to speak to anyone yet, she cleared this thought from her head as she walked to her Chanting class.

"Right girls I am going to put you in groups" Miss Bat said as Esmie was put with two other first years who were linking arms, clearly already best friends.

"I'm Esmerelda" the blonde said smiling politely as she introduced herself, hoping maybe she could make some friends soon too.

"Great, I am Wendy Woodstone, she is Millicent Craftwood" Wendy said as she introduced the others and Esmerelda thought they seemed nice, at least nicer than the two who were speaking about her after potions.

"Soooo" Esmerelda said not knowing exactly what to say "Have you got any siblings?" Esmerelda asked trying to make conversation.

"I am an only child" Millicent said in response

"Unfortunately I have an annoying little brother" Wendy answered before laughing but Esmerelda was shocked she was insulting her sibling. Siblings were precious how could she not be head over heels in love with her sibling?

"What about you?" Wendy asked and Esmie smiled at the opportunity to talk about her sisters.

"I have two little sisters, Ethel is nine and Sybil is eight, I miss them a lot and it is a long time until we get to mirror each other, they are the best and cutest" Esmerelda replied and the two girls she was sat with looked at her strangely.

"What?" Esmerelda said wondering what she had done

"You are weird" Wendy said looking at her funny as the girl went on about her sisters. Esmerelda's smiled dropped and she kept quiet for the rest of the lesson.

The rest of her day didn't go any better with her classmates. She had PE after chanting and went to get changed in her room, feeling teary again as she missed Ethel and Sybil and talking about them had brought back them feelings. She wiped her teary eyes as she got changed into her PE kit and then went outside for her lesson.

The girl was still upset as her lesson started and because of this she kept missing the ball when it was thrown to her and sniffled as it flew past her.

"Aww what is the matter? Realised you can't do something and now need to cry about it?" a girl across from Esmerelda said. She looked at the girl sadly as she sniffled more and realised she was the one who had insulted her after their potions lesson earlier that morning.

"Miss Hallow has made the potion perfectly" the girl next to the first girl to have spoken said in a high pitched voice before laughing.

"Girls stop talking and carry on playing the game" Miss Drill told them as she walked over to see what was going on. Esmerelda felt herself pining in her chest for her sisters, she had now being away from them longer than she ever had before and with that tears fell down her face as it really hit her she was away from them. She had been trying to keep her tears in but it was so hard for the girl who lived and breathed her sisters every moment of every day and now couldn't do that. Miss Drill saw this and looked at her.

"What is going on what is the matter?" she asked the young girl who cried softly to herself. One of the two girls who had just picked on her answered.

"She missed the ball, it must be hard when you realise you are not perfect at something" she said before laughing. Miss Drill was not happy.

"Enough! I didn't ask for your input, come with me" Miss Drill said leading Esmerelda away as she started to cry more.

"Esmerelda isn't it?" she asked having heard about her and she nodded as she wiped her tears.

"Is someone being mean to you? Is that why you are upset?" Miss Drill said and the girl shook her head.

"I am sorry Miss...I just miss Ethel and Sybil" she told the woman as she let out a sob

"Who are Ethel and Sybil?" the woman asked not understanding.

"My little sisters, I have never been away from them for more than a few hours and I miss them so much" she told the woman who sighed.

"I see, you are homesick, it is always hard starting somewhere new but you will adjust" Miss Drill told the girl, having seen this before.

"I want to see my sisters" Esmerelda said crying more and Miss Drill touched her back knowing she couldn't do much to help her. Homesickness had no cure, not until someone learned to cope more with being away from home. Many first years suffered with it, Esmerelda was not the first and would not be the last.

"Why don't you go inside and get a drink of water and dry your eyes? I will let you off this once" Miss Drill said feeling sorry for the girl who nodded a thank you and then walked into the castle still crying.

She knew this would not be the first, or last, time this happened. She couldn't cope without her sisters, she didn't know how to do it and as she got a drink of water from the fountain she dabbed at her tears but more fell out of her eyes.

She hated being here and just wanted to go home and look after her sisters. She didn't want to be here without them and it looked as if she would not make any friends to help her cope either as everyone in her class already thought she was odd and annoying.