(A/N) - RE-READ THE FIRST CHAPTER PLEASE IT'S BEEN CHANGED A BIT! ENJOY!(?)
"I'm going on in ten," Constance breathed in the sports mistress's ear as she passed.
Imogen smiled softly, and looked up in time to see the witch retreating in full fairy godmother costume, complete with tiara. The tall brunette glanced back at her briefly with a reassuring but apprehensive grin.
Imogen smirked, wanting so badly to tease her about the crown, but there wasn't any time left to spare. If she had a moment free to take a breath, someone else was calling her over to get something done.
And soon enough, just like every other day at Cackle's Academy, things went wrong.
Horribly wrong.
The pumpkin that was meant to be turned into a carriage exploded.
Of all the ways to lose a pumpkin!
Constance's voice was getting higher and higher by the second as her composure began to falter – and Imogen naturally found herself getting nervous as well.
She wanted to reassure Constance, but the eyes of their students were upon them. She suggested they could just magic up a pumpkin to magic into a carriage. The deputy headmistress chastised her for not remembering the Doctor Foster's effect. So now, on top of everything, she felt like an inattentive girlfriend.
She didn't have time to worry about that now – Mildred's magic started misfiring, causing her to zap whomever she touched!
And they were still without a replacement pumpkin!
Luckily for them, Ethel knew all of Mildred's lines and was set to go on in her place.
But they were still short a pumpkin.
Mr. Blossom and Ruby Cherrytree made an impromptu scene to fill in while the girls changed clothes, and this bought them some time for Charlie to find a pumpkin.
But soon enough, Constance's scene was up.
She could see her across the stage, waiting to enter from stage right, looking anxious and worried.
She gestured in the air in the shape of a pumpkin with a puzzled, questioning look on her face.
Imogen mouthed back 'I don't know' with a pained expression – she couldn't expect the show to go on without a vital prop!
But sure enough, Charlie appeared with a bag of carrots, and all was well again.
Imogen watched from offstage as Constance said her lines. She was amazed at how quickly and naturally the woman settled into her character, for a moment completely forgetting her reputation and just having fun for once.
Imogen wished she could do the same …
She looked round to check that the girls were getting lined up for the next scene, and the mistletoe caught her eye …
She looked back to her lover as she sent the carriage on its way, curtseying to the audience, her smile broader than ever … Imogen wondered if this had been the first time she genuinely smiled like this in front of so many people …
The witch rushed backstage once the curtains closed, her face still flushed with the afterglow from her smiling.
"You did great," Imogen congratulated as the witch rushed past – she appeared not to have seen her at first for she stopped and looked around at her in surprise.
"Oh … thank you, Imogen," she replied with an awkward smile.
Imogen smiled back, a smile which faded as the witch disappeared backstage.
'I should've kissed her then …' Imogen thought sadly, mentally kicking herself as she grabbed the rope and prepared to pull up the curtain for the next scene.
The backstage area was completely empty since the entire cast was now waltzing in the current scene … well, almost the entire cast …
Slender arms slid around Imogen's waist from behind. Burgundy lips pressed against her neck and she shuddered, stepping out of the witch's touch but her hands remained firmly grasped on the ropes.
"Don't do this," Imogen protested as she watched the play unfold, "Not now."
"Why do you care?"
"I told you why."
"It can't be only because of our jobs. You're ashamed."
Imogen sighed, "I am not ashamed of you, Constance."
"No, you're not," she agreed, "You're ashamed of yourself."
The comment struck a nerve, causing Imogen to tighten her grip on the ropes.
She looked around and cut the fairy godmother a look.
"Do you really have to do this now?"
"Yes, I believe I do, because I've finally figured it out and I want an explanation."
"Just hush up and get ready for your bows," the sports mistress dismissed, hiding her tear-filled eyes from the witch as she kept her back to her, watching the scene.
Constance was silent for a moment before she finally disappeared with magick. Only then was Imogen able to release the breath she'd been holding.
She saw the witch watching her from across the stage, and she wiped her tears away in annoyance, keeping a strong face as she focused on her duties.
The final number finished, and the cast began to pile backstage to change out of their costumes and join the rest of the school in a small after-party event that they'd set up in the chanting classroom.
Imogen began to gather the props, trying to keep herself as busy as possible in hopes that Constance wouldn't bother her and would hopefully just leave her alone for the entire night … but it was soon obvious to her that that was never going to happen, for she saw the fairy-costumed witch march over in her direction.
"Miss Drill, I need to have a word with you."
"I'm busy."
"That wasn't a question," Constance reminded, arms folded, "Now we can talk in private or we can discuss this right here and now. Either way, we are going to talk about it."
"Not now."Imogen replied slowly, almost daring her to bring their personal life out into the open for their students' ears to hear.
She sneered at her, her eyes dark and dangerous despite her current attire, and she opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut short by hushed laughter.
They both looked over to see Mildred and her friends biting back giggles as they glanced at the pair and eyed at something overhead.
"And just what are you all laughing at?" Constance snapped.
Imogen looked up, and her heart began to race.
"Sorry Miss, it's just …you're under the mistletoe." Mildred explained sheepishly.
Constance looked up and sneered at it, "And what have I told you girls about hanging mistletoe? I specifically said, outside the pantomime, there was to be no horseplay or game-playing this year whatsoever."
"But Miss, it was here during the pantomime …"
"Was it part of the play?" she asked sarcastically with a scowl, "No, it was not. Therefore—"
She was silenced as Imogen leaned over and planted a firm kiss on her cheek, causing the girls to erupt in excited giggles.
Constance was so unprepared for this gesture – all she could do was stare at Imogen, her eyes wide as Imogen looked back at her with a nervous grin. Eventually she snapped out of it, chastising the girls.
"All right, all right! You behave as if you've never seen a kiss before!" she sighed in annoyance, brushing it off as she stormed away to her dressing room, not discreet at all as she grabbed the sports mistress by one of her overall straps and dragged her along to her dressing room.
The girls seemed to think nothing of it– they probably assumed Miss Drill was going to get reprimanded for such a dangerous move.
In fact, Imogen expected that was exactly what was going to happen.
But Constance had other plans.
Once in the safety of the dressing room, she grabbed the little non-witch up by her overalls until she was on her tip-toes and kissed her passionately on the lips.
"Are you still ashamed of yourself?" Constance asked when she broke free to gasp for air, her forehead pressed to hers.
"Yes," Imogen replied honestly, and the witch's eyes flickered with concern, "But I'm trying to change that …"
Constance smiled, a smile which turned mischievous, "Good, you can start by helping me change out of these clothes."
Imogen choked back a laugh, "That is not the kind of changing I meant," she corrected, but obliged as she stepped forward to help her out of her dress.
(A/N) - if you didn't like the ending consider that I was up until 3am writing this. Please review! And Merry Christmas!