A/N: Hey everyone. I've been tinkering with this for a while- it's a bit long, but that's good because I might not be able to post as often since the quarter's started. I've had a really horrible day today…I could really use some kind words, so please review!

"You two should be okay here on your own for a few hours?" Hecate Hardbroom had never heard more terrifying words in her life. Her fork was suddenly clenched in her hand so tight it felt like an extension of her limb. "Melanie came down with the flu, and I've got to take over the Christmas Food drive at the hospital" Mildred looked thrilled, bouncing up and down in her seat at the breakfast table with glee.

"No need to look so excited to spend time without me, Millie-love" Ms. Hubble smirked, playfully ruffling her daughter's hair.

"Sorry mum" she murmured sheepishly. "It's just we hang out all the time…which I love! But…but.." Julie Hubble feigned hurt.

"I get it. I get it. Miss Hardbroom's the shiny new thing" she sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll not even bother coming back then" Mildred giggled and ran to her mother draped across the door. "No. No please don't do that! Please come back mum" she squealed as she was tickled by her mother. Miss Hardbroom seemed to be in a sort of trance, one eye twitching and her fingernails drumming a nervous pattern on the table top.

"Did we break her?" Her mother asked her daughter in a stage whisper, while Millie kept giggling. "I mean all I said was I was going out for a few hours"

"Miss Hardbroom!" Millie scurried over to her. "Hello? Are you all right?" she waved a hand wildly in front of her eyes, and she blinked slowly, a pale hand snatching Mildred's hand and maneuvering it away from her face.

"Yes, Mildred Hubble, there is no need to stop traffic on my account" she said drolly, smiling ever so slightly. Mildred blushed and took a rather large bite of eggs.

"So, Miss Witchy are you up for it?" Miss Hubble said. "And actually I'm asking but I'm not asking because I really have to go, in, okay right now. Should be plenty of food in the fridge, and wine for you in the pantry if things get too rough. And no studying all day, okay? Fun timetable! All right bye you two! Have fun!" she said hurriedly, grasping for a coat blindly from the closet and smiling slyly as she made her way out the door. HB's eyes had all but bugged out of her head, and her arm, she realized was extended, fingers grasping as if to grab Julie and haul her back through the doorway. And then suddenly it was silent.

"Sooooo" Mildred beamed. "I guess it's just us" she swung her legs a bit.

"I suppose so" Miss Hardbroom said quietly. "Therefore, we'll start with 2 hours of revision of chapters 1 and 2…." Mildred groaned and smacked her head on the table. "And if there is sufficient improvement, the rest of the day shall be free to do as you wish" Mildred's head shot up.

"Really? You mean?" she pointed at her fun table. Miss Hardbroom rolled her eyes, but her lips were uplifted. "Yes. If you give me your best in academia, I shall give you my best in…holiday spirit"

Miss Hardbroom had never seen Mildred so dedicated. She moved through potion after potion slowly, yet confidently, catching her mistakes more often before she could correct them. It seemed the thought of spending time with her in a non-school related manner made Mildred Hubble work with a renewed vigor and motivation she had not yet seen from her before. Though Hecate was reluctant to admit it, Julie Hubble had been right.

"Mildred Hub-ble" she said, leaning down at her pupil who was now the size of a thimble. "An adequate shrinking potion. Although ideally you would have recalled that shrinking potions require coordinating smaller portions of ingredients with your destined height, and thus, you are half an inch too small. However, you did achieve the desired affect, which is well done" Miss Hardbroom finished, nodding approvingly.

"Thank you, Miss Hardbroom! I mean after all, we're not supposed to be doing exact measurements till next year" Mildred Hubble squeaked from the desk, before covering her mouth. In an instant she felt herself being lifted into the air. "Woahhh"

"What was that?" Miss Hardbroom asked lightly, holding Mildred securely between two fingers. Mildred felt very much like the mouse confronted with the cat in the cartoons she used to watch on Saturday mornings. Mildred coughed.

"Nothing, Miss Hardbroom. I'll be well prepared" she squeaked, with an innocent grin.

"I suggest you remember that tiny Hubble" she said firmly, placing Mildred gently back onto her potions book. It was at this exact moment that Tabby jumped up onto the desk, causing Mildred to screech and attempt to burrow her way into her textbook.

"Miss Hardbroom I'm sorry…..There's no need to summon a giant tiger….." she screamed. Miss Hardbroom could not help herself and let out a small chuckle.

"Look again, Mildred" she said plainly. "I think you'll find him less threatening at your proper size" and she waved a hand and Mildred was back to her normal height.

"Tabby!" She grabbed him in her arms. "Wow, now I know how the mice feel. You look real fierce from down there Tabs!" she said scratching his ears.

"The only perspective from which that cat resembles his noble feline ancestors is from two inches tall" Miss Hardbroom said softly, arching an eyebrow at tabby who was currently being cradled like a baby in Mildred's arms, purring loudly. "I concur" Mildred giggled quietly.

"Aw he's a lover, not a fighter" she said, booping the cat on the nose. "But yeah, he could lose a few. I did have to upgrade to a bigger backpack because he was getting claustrophobic. Maybe your cat could help him Miss Hardbroom? What's her name again?"

"Morgana"

"Well I'm sure if you can help me, than surely Morgana could help Tabby" Mildred said hopefully. Miss Hardbroom pursed her lips.

"Morgana is not fond of other felines, or most other people for that matter. It is unlikely, but I will talk to her about it. In the meantime, our lesson is done and you are free to do as you wish"

"You mean we"

"What?"

"We are free to do as we wish" Mildred said with a sneaky grin. "You said I could do as I wish"

"Yes" Miss Hardbroom said puzzled.

"Then I want to do something with you" Mildred said shyly, shuffling her feet slightly. Miss Hardbroom felt her heart flip over in a totally foreign way. It was strange how such simple words could affect her to such a degree…and felt herself grasping the desk for support. She had to turn away briefly to ensure the traitorous moisture gathering in her eyes was seen to, but luckily Mildred didn't seem to notice, bounding over to retrieve the fun table, which she had hand decorated with all manner of Christmas-related doodles.

"Let's see..cookies, check, we have decorating the house, picking out a Christmas tree, ice skating, snow angels, mom and I's cookie-dough eating contest…..and then we drive around and look at the Christmas lights" Mildred sighed. "That one's my favorite" Miss Hardbroom blinked slowly, overwhelmed. "

"Perhaps we should pick one you feel comfortable doing without your mother" Miss Hardbroom said gently. "I would not want to take away an important memory from her" Mildred beamed.

"You mean I get to choose?"

"Within reason" Miss Hardbroom said as firmly as she could manage. And so Mildred set about it, and apparently it was quite a process for her to choose the activity she would most like to do with Miss Hardbroom; and so Miss Hardbroom had curled up in her mother's easy chair to do some markings while Mildred poured over the handmade list.

"Okay, Miss Hardbroom, I've decided" Miss Hardbroom looked up blearily, looking groggy for a moment before slipping into her usual alert demeanor. "We're picking out a Christmas tree" Mildred scanned her up and down, biting her lip.

"So you'd better change, into something less….witchy?" Mildred squeaked. Miss Hardbroom raised an eyebrow and wiggled her black fingertips dramatically over her dress. The tight leather fabric transformed into a velvet black formal coat, sparkling silver scarf, black slacks and a simple white long sleeve t-shirt. Mildred gaped at her whilst grabbing her careworn blue coat that she wasn't fond of (she kept telling her mum she looked like Paddington bear, but her mum loved it), and the rest of her winter accessories.

"Well, am I acceptable now?" Miss Hardbroom asked.

"Woah, see that's the stuff I should be learning. So soft" she said, stroking Miss Hardbroom's arm, before quickly pulling her arm away and blushing slightly. "erm the Christmas tree lot's just a few blocks away, come on!" she said excitedly, rushing out the door. Miss Hardbroom hesitated, as was her nature to be apprehensive about things that might lead to emotions or unfamiliar situations. And as she paused, she felt a familiar and quite literal, nudge in the right direction. "Morgana" Hecate whispered turning around. The cat's eyes were staring at her knowingly. "I need to go, don't I?" Affirmative mrrrow. Suddenly Tabby came yowling into the room, head stuck deeply into an upside down jar of beans. Morgana gave Hecate a long calm blink and hopped off the desk to attend Tabby. And Hecate understood her perfectly:

"I'll take care of mine, if you take care of yours"