A/N: So, erm, yet another Weirdsister College fic from me. It's getting slightly predicatable I believe, but for some reason I feel safer writing for these characters than I do for the Worst Witch characters who - let's face it - have utterly fantastic writers on this site writing fics for them. This fic was meant to be up for New Year's day, but I slept through most of it. Sorry! It follows on from Someday I'm Gonna Be Free, and is part of what I hope will be my 'series' of Weirdsister College fics - focusing on what may have happened should there have been a second series.

With my own twist of course.

"It's the New Years Ball, Millie, you have to come," Enid said, grinning widely at her friend. It had been only a few months since she had started at Weirdsister, but she was proving herself to be a capable student, compared with how she had been in Primrose Hill.

"Enid … I don't have a costume," Mildred replied pathetically, well aware of the fact that when Enid had gotten an idea into her head, it was hard to remove it from there. She was persistent, and Mildred couldn't help but wish that wasn't the case at times.

"We'll go costume shopping now," Enid said quickly. "Your shift finishes in ten minutes, and you got paid yesterday, not to mention you've hardly been out in two months, so it's not like you don't have some spare spending money," she pointed out. "So, shopping?"

Mildred sighed, admitting defeat. "Shopping," she agreed.

XXX

"Aren't these fantastic?" Enid cried happily, looking at the costumes that surrounded them with all the glee of a small child in a toy store. "Just look at them … ooh, Batgirl," she grinned, wandering over to one of the rails. Mildred followed somewhat nervously, feeling intimidated by the rather revealing costumes that surrounded them. "Oh Millie! You have to try this on!" Enid said, pushing a costume into Mildred's hands, and then pushing her in the direction of the changing rooms, not giving her a second to reject the outfit. Not that she would, knowing it wouldn't help her 'case' at all.

She changed quickly, paling on seeing her reflection in the mirror. "Enid … I don't think this is quite me," she said in a rather nervous voice. Enid frowned.

"Come out and show me," she said. Mildred opened the door, standing awkwardly in the bunny outfit. Enid studied her friend with a critical eye, which does nothing to ease Mildred's uneasy feelings. "I think you're right," Enid decided eventually. She frowned slightly, biting her lip in thought. "I would help Millie, but I need to find my own costume too," she said. Mildred latched on to this.

"Oh, I'll be fine on my own Enid," she smiled, "you go look for yourself, and we'll meet back here in … say half an hour?" she suggested, trying not to sound happy at the prospect. Enid paused for a moment or two, obviously reluctant to leave her friend on her own. Eventually her desire to get the most eye-catching costume possible overruled her usual loyalty to her friend.

"That'd be fine Millie!" she called over her shoulder, as she half-walked quickly, half-ran towards a rail which seemed to consist entirely of form fitting, tight, pvc cat-suits. Mildred sighed, finding herself sinking back into her cubicle with a sense of ease she hadn't expected to feel.

"Your friend, she hasn't got a clue about what suits you," a familiar male voice spoke through the door. Mildred frowned, not moving from her seat, not wanting anyone else to see her in the outfit.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, interested in what his response would be. A soft chuckle was issued from him, making Mildred smile softly herself. "Well?"

"One so regal as yourself, Millie," he said, sounding deeply amused by the conversation they were having, though there was a serious note to his tone, "should only wearing clothes that match," he concluded. "Why dress a queen up as anything other than a queen?" he added. Mildred didn't response, listening carefully as he walked away. She changed and left the cubicle, finding herself drawn over to the rail which had caught her eye on her entrance to the store. Decidedly more … regal.

XXX

The ball, which was really a party, was in full swing by the time that Mildred and Enid arrived there. It seemed like everyone in Cambridge had come, and it could be that happened to be the case. Over in the corner they could see Ethel, looking effortlessly stunning as usual, only this time in a Catwoman costume, in what seemed to be an enjoyable conversation with Azmat, who, along with Tim, was dressed in a Blues Brother suit. Enid had opted for an outfit that was meant to represent the uniform of a baseball player, but Mildred doubted that female baseball players would wear such a short skirt, especially with that low cut a top, and knee-length boots. Mildred herself had opted for a rather simple white dress, which had been described to her by the nice store assistant who had come over to help her, as a plain princess dress. When she had tried it on, Enid, how had rejoined her by this point, casually remarked that she looked very regal indeed. Which, as Mildred admitted with a soft smile, was exactly the look she was going for.

"Millie! You came," Ben pushed through the crowd to join the two girls, smiling delightfully. He was dressed in what Mildred assumed was a commodore outfit. Enid gave Mildred a sly grin. Ever since she and Ben had, well there was no other term for it than 'broken-up', Enid had been doing everything to get them back together. She was spurred along by the fact that it seemed as though Ben was trying to do anything he could to get back together with Mildred himself.

"I'll leave you two alone," Enid grinned at Mildred, gesturing that this was her chance. Mildred hazarded a nervous smile back to Enid, not liking the feeling of being pushed into something that might not end up right for her. Ben waited until Enid left, smiling his own slightly nervous smile.

"You look … amazing," he said, grinning widely. Mildred smiled shyly back.

"Thanks," she said. "And you look … commanding?" she laughed slightly, Ben joining her. "It suits you," she added brightly, meaning it. Ben beamed at her, obviously pleased with the compliment. "So … erm … " she stuttered, unsure of what to say next.

"How about I get you a drink?" Ben offered quickly, with Mildred nodding feeling awkward standing on her own, waiting for Ben to return.

"A lady should never be left unaccompanied," a male voice spoke behind her, "for there are many dangerous men about." Mildred turned, amused at the statement. Oh, she could see the point in it, but her magic allowed her to be just as big a threat to any 'dangerous men.'

"Well, if you see any, be sure to point them out," she said, a side smile gracing her features. The man laughed, as Mildred studied him lightly. He was dressed in what was obviously a Zorro costume, but whether it was the man or the costume, something about him suggested what could be classed as a rouge-ish nature.

"Millie … who's this?" Ben asked, returning with the drinks, and staring at the newcomer. For his credit, the newcomer stared back, a smirk crossing over his features.

"Call me Zorro," he told them, still smirking. Ben frowned, though Mildred found herself letting out a soft giggle, even though she wasn't sure why she did so. Zorro turned to face her, his smirk turning somewhat into a smile, seemingly surprised at her reaction, but amused by it as well.

"And the man under the mask?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in questioning. Zorro's smirk grew.

"A secret that must be kept," he said to her. "But, if you manage to escape the Commodore," here he nodded towards Ben, who glared at him further, "by the midnight hour, then perhaps I will unmask for you, senorita." Zorro gave Mildred a smile that was half arrogance, half seduction, bowing slightly, and kissing her hand before moving into the crowd.

"He was annoying," Ben scowled. Mildred frowned slightly, taking her drink from him.

"I found him funny," she said simply, sipping at the drink, "possibly even charming," she added, raising her head in what could be seen as an attempt for a confrontation. She was challenging Ben, in the simplest way that was possible for her to do. She could never understand where it had went wrong for them, but if she had to pin point a date, it would lead, as all things seemed to these days, to the Whisperer. No, further than that, to the day he had found out about her magic. In a way, and as much as she hated to admit it, Hobbes had been right. Ben had nothing to offer her, simply because he had such difficulty in accepting such a huge part of her. Oh, he had tried, that much she had to give him, he had tried, but the incident had somehow, instead of showing him that they could cope, proved to Ben that magic created more chaos than harmony. It had been a fast downward spiral from there.

"Charming?" Ben's scowl grew as he repeated the word. "I suppose … if you like that sort of thing," he muttered, displeased with the turn of events.

"Manners?" Mildred remarked, finding herself annoyed with the way Ben was acting. He gave out a light incredulous snort, seemingly believing Zorro's behaviour to be nothing more than a grand show of theatrics. Perhaps it was, but that didn't meant he had to be so rude about it. "I'm going to go find Enid," she said, turning on her heel towards the corner she had seen Enid move in the direction of, leaving Ben standing on his own.

"I take it the big romantic reunion is off the cards?" Enid remarked, on seeing Mildred storm towards her. A loud huff in response from Mildred answered Enid's question, and she patted her friend sympathetically on the shoulder. "Never mind Millie, the night's still young, it could all work out with him."

"I don't think she mind if it didn't," Ethel said with a smirk, coming over to join the girls in the corner. "Or didn't you see her earlier?" she added, grinning a cat-like grin, which was very apt, considering what her costume was.

"Earlier?" Enid questioned, looking surprised. Mildred stared at the ground, slightly embarrassed at knowing that Ethel had overseen the moment with Zorro.

"Yeah, girl, didn't you see?" Cas had joined them, looking stunning in the Goddess of Love costume, grinning sweetly. "Mille caught the eye of tall, dark, and handsome masked hero," she explained to Enid. "The legendary Zorro," she added, when it was clear Enid hadn't seen the incident they were speaking of, and so didn't know who the 'tall, dark, and handsome masked hero' was.

"Wow, go Millie," Enid said, smiling, obviously pleased for her friend. "So … what do we know about him?" she asked Ethel and Cas, who both shrugged. "Hm, we'll need to find out … so where is he?" Enid began looking out into the crowd, but there was no sign of Zorro. Instead, they could all clearly see two Blues Brothers making their way towards them.

"All right girlies?" Azmat grinned good naturedly, with Tim nodding his own greeting. The girls murmured greetings back.

"Maybe you boys will be able to help us," Enid said, grinning almost slyly. Tim and Azmat exchanged looks, wondering what it was she meant. Ethel stepped forward, her costume make her move seem very sleek and stylised.

"I suppose you've seen someone in a Zorro costume yes?" she asked them?

"Yeah, course we have," Tim answered her, shrugging his shoulders in a casual manner.

"He entranced Millie and annoyed Ben in one go," Azmat added. Cas rolled her eyes.

"What we want to know, boys," she said, in a calm tone of voice, "is who is the guy under the Zorro mask?" she asked. Tim and Azmat exchanged glances once more, though this time the glances seemed guarded, as if wondering how to word their response.

"You know," Enid accused them, her eyes narrowing. There was an awkward silence, as Tim and Azmat shuffled, obviously trying to find a way to reply that would paint them in a bad light.

"It's not that we don't want to tell you," Tim began, "because we would," he added, reassuring that he and Azmat weren't just being awkward for the sake of being awkward. "We just …" he trailed off, not being able to express himself properly.

"We can't explain it," Azmat said simply, "whenever we go to tell someone, we just can't," he explained, with a small shrug of his shoulders. Ethel gave a small laugh, causing them to turn and face her.

"It's a simple jinx," she explained. "Obviously Zorro doesn't want anyone knowing who he is, and these two must have accidentally seen him mask-less, probably as he was coming into the party," she added with a shrug. "It'll wear off when the party's over, or when Zorro unmasks, nothing to worry about."

Azmat grinned. "Well since there's nothing to worry about, maybe you'd like to come dance?" he asked Ethel, who blinked slightly, having not expected that request. But quickly a side smile appeared on her face.

"Maybe I would," she told him, allowing him to take her out to the main dance floor. The remaining four stared, none of them having expected that outcome. Enid was first to look up, spotting a boy who was in her own course, and waved at him.

"I think I see my midnight kiss partner," she said to Mildred and Cas, wandering over to the boy - who happened to be dressed as a vampire - with a sly smile on her face. Mildred turned to Cas, confused about something.

"Midnight kiss partner?" she asked, Cas smiling kindly at her.

"People say it's a New Years tradition," she explained. "On midnight exactly you're meant to kiss whoever it is you happen to be dancing with," she shrugged slightly. "Most people use it as a way of getting together with someone."

"An' some just use it as an excuse," Tim shrugged, grinning madly. "Never seen much point in it meself," he added. "But it's just a bit of fun really," he finished. Mildred nodding, understanding the explanations. Tim then turned to Cas, "that being said, fancy a dance?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the dance floor. Cas beamed for a moment before her smile faltered, turning to Mildred, not wanting to leave her friend as a lone wallflower.

"Go on," Mildred said, "I'll be fine," she smiled encouragingly. Cas nodded, taking Tim's hand and wandering off to the dance floor. Mildred sighed, sitting down in a nearby seat, feeling a sense of relief come over her. She loved all her friends dearly, of course she did, but they were so suffocating at times. Though she could just be thinking that because she was feeling slightly put out, added with a high suspicion that she knew exactly who Zorro was.

"Do you want to dance?" Ben asked, approaching her at the chair. Mildred looked up, silent for a few moments. Ben sighed. "Listen, I am sorry about earlier Millie," he said. "Could we wipe the slate clean, and re-start the night?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

Mildred smiled. "Sure," she said, taking his hand and following him to the dance floor. The band that was played had changed to a slower paced song, and couples swayed to the sound. Ben placed his arms around Mildred, as they began sway on the spot themselves. Or at least tried to. As it turned out, Ben wasn't the most graceful of dancers, at least, that's how it seemed to Mildred. He kept stepping on her foot, meaning within a few minutes she felt as though she was going to have bruises that would last a week, Luckily for her the band stopped the slow song, and changed to relativity upbeat, swing dancing style of music. Which wasn't really so lucky, but at least Ben was slightly better at this type of dancing. Mildred tended to prefer this style anyway, it was easier to move to.

Grinning, and laughing, Mildred spun under Ben's arm, her dress flaring out slightly at the bottom, which looked very nice, if she did say so herself. She laughed, spinning back to Ben, who was grinning widely himself. Spinning out once more, Mildred found her free hand being taken, which caused her to stumble, and almost fall when two gloved hands caught her.

"A lot of people fawn at my feet senorita, but you don't need to do that," Zorro smirked at her. Mildred blinked up at him, her voice caught in her throat, causing her to splutter slightly. "Shall we dance?" Zorro asked, taking advantage of her brief inability to speak properly, turning them around so that they began to dance to the music.

In all her life, Mildred Hubble had only danced with three males outside of her family members. The first was Charlie Blossom, who was her 'childhood sweetheart', as the term went. It had been simply disco dancing, and hadn't really involved close contact, but it was still memorable and fun. Secondly was Ben, which had just taken place, and though enjoyable, had left her with sore feet. The last name which came to mind was that of Nick Hobbes. The dance with him was, scarily, how most young girls wanted their first proper dance to be, a slow waltz, with someone who knows how to dance and who won't step on your feet. Almost Beauty and the Beast style.

And exactly like the way that Zorro was dancing with her.

XXX

As the count down began for the midnight hour, Mildred found herself having an inner debate. Did she wait until Zorro revealed himself, or did she take upon herself to remove the mask. She was almost certain that she knew who was hidden behind the mask, and felt slightly put-out that he didn't seem to be trying all that hard to hide his identity. Or perhaps he wasn't trying all that hard because it wasn't who Mildred thought it was, maybe it was just a random bout of adorableness from someone in her course. But even so … she was nearly entirely positive it was him … but what to do?

Then the room exploded with cheers, it was officially a new year. Mildred sighed, smiling softly. Maybe this coming year would be one of those years were everything seems to go right. Maybe, maybe not, all she could do is wait and see. "Millie?" a soft spoke to her. Mildred turned to her side, seeing Zorro unmasked for the first time that night.

She had been right.

"You played mysterious stranger all night," she said to Nick, smiling softly at him, "did you have a reason? Or was it just one of the many mysteries of Nick Hobbes never to be revealed?" she asked, laughing slightly. Nick smiled.

"Call it … wanting to see what was possible," Nick answered, chuckling softly. Mildred frowned.

"Possible in what way?" she asked. Nick stared at her for a few moments. "Nick?" she asked again, frowning, wondering just what his answer would be. He looked around them, hearing the band start back up again.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked her quickly. Mildred blinked, mimicking the actions she had taken earlier in the evening when 'Zorro' had saved her from falling, though she didn't quite notice she was mimicking those actions. She looked at him, and her smile became soft once more.

"Yeah, sure," she said, placing her hand in his, "you can have this dance Nick."