Bonus bit part one: "Pre-natal depression: Can YOU cope with your baby? "
Somewhere previously on the plot timeline… lol you know when you writing and something pops up that isn't quite with your plot line but still linked? Well this is one of them. Yay bonuses. Though ruddy things longer then most of the story put together grr. Not quite as light as the other chapters and again a little OoC but just a bit of background, feel free to kick me if you spot something wrong. No Surge this time either, Miss Crotchet got a cameo instead (Sorry Davina fans but Bat would have made it a bit too well Batty. Which normally is a good thing but I couldn't get it to work this time).
I don't own any thing and the title comes from one of them stupid articles in one of them trashy women's magazines. (Honestly as if people weren't worried enough as it is.) Enjoy...I hope. Oh dear I think I might have put a few frowns on faces there. We need a sing song! Altogether now to the tune of the late wacko jacko- Cos this is fill-eeerrr! Filler writes!
"Constance I know she asked us not to make a fuss but you must understand it is a matter of-"
"Some delicacy, I know, I know." Miss Hardbroom grumbled. "And if you recall, headmistress, I neither started nor finished it. For a change. She did. then stormed out…And just because my attempts to calm her outburst fuelled it even more doesn't mean I don't know how to treat a woman in such condition!"
"I'm sure you didn't mean to upset her-"
"as if I would-!"
"But bear in mind," Miss Cackle continued as Constance finally stopped pacing about and sat down in her usual seat, having probably now worn out the carpet. "Imogen is under a great deal of stress at the moment. Just perhaps we could be a bit more careful…?"
"It'll be hormones mostly." Lavinia Crotchet shrugged reshuffling her tarot deck. "She'll come around. Personally I think Imogen's doing marvelous considering. And it's probably done her good to let off a bit of steam. But maybe we should do something to feel a little better."
Constance turned in her seat and glared at her.
"This from the woman who keeps messing with superstitious rubbish..."
"Oh, I really don't know what you mean Constance," Lavinia squeaked, cowering back in armchair under the look. "What have my cards got to do with it-?"
"You know jolly well what. You pulled out card with a grinning skeleton proclaiming death! How may I ask was that meant to make her feel better?"
"Actually it's a very good card. Despite its appearance its means a blessing in disguise-"
"Oh and that of course is what every first time mother-to-be wants to hear." Constance said dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I suppose the one with several bloodied swords on it was just a bonus?"
"Eight actually, a seven would have been very bad luck-" Lavinia corrected, thus subjecting her to another withering look. "But they've normally been accurate-"
"Hardly accurate when you've apparently gotten the child's gender wrong is it?"
"Well it's a fifty-fifty chance. Maybe the machine defective-"
"Not as much as you senses-" the potions mistress started but Amelia cut in with a chuckle.
"My, My. I wouldn't have thought you'd have put faith in a machine over magic, Constance." she said with eyebrows raised
"I didn't say I did." Constance sniffed, turning her attention back to Miss Crotchet. "Pardon me for being skeptical but I just have more faith in the technological device non-witches have developed over the years then some bits of paper that are as magical as a used teabag."
"Actually Constance, I think you'll find Card reading has been about for centuries." Lavinia grinned brightly. "And as for tea leaves -"
Miss Hardbroom however, having already held back from snapping at one usual sparing partner, was not in the mood to be informed about the merits of the inner gibberish, especially as the chanting teacher hadn't bothered to rise or even see the perfectly formed, thinly veiled insult in her last comment.
"Look, if you must second guess anyone's fortune, kindly leave Miss Drill's unsaid!" she spat. "It's cruel to mess about and either get her hopes up or frighten her…and don't do it when she's about either! You'll only make her jumpy"
"But you're allowed to pop up out of no where-"
"That's different! And I do not 'Pop up'-!"
"Ladies, please." Amelia interjected, deciding now was not the time for another argument or to point out that HB seemed to defending the gym teacher for a change. "I'm afraid I'm with Constance on this one, Lavinia, it might be wise to leave consulting your cards to when Imogen isn't around."
"As you wish Miss Cackle. Can I still use them to play solitaire?"
"By all means. But I think we can agree that we will have to be a little more careful, around Imogen. Not tiptoe around her exactly but not be overly zealous, understand? "
This was a little hypocritical to say, Miss Cackle knew, as in her mind there was only just a decade between the elder students and Imogen, and there were times Amelia found it difficult to remember, as she knew she really should, that the other teacher was a woman in her prime. But Amelia couldn't help but worry. It was bad enough giving the uncertainty of Miss Drill continuing at Cackles or ever making it to her own wedding in time but now Imogen seemed to be struggling already and they were barely into term, and she was separated once again from her fiancée causing even more distress …But the last thing they wanted to do was upset the young woman further.
"The best thing to do, as the saying goes." she sighed, more to her tea then aloud, "is to 'keep calm and carry on.' Though I doubt anyone would take it kindly if the castle is suddenly decorated with motivational posters…I had hoped Davina's flying visit last week might have raised her spirits at least."
"Perhaps if it hadn't also raised her blood pressure-"
"I know, I know. Thank you for reminding me." Amelia grumbled. "Though I think Imogen's actually more upset what we discussed on Monday," Constance looked up sharply. "I didn't mean to offend her. I'd just prefer it if she had Frank or someone helping with the equipment and supervising the rougher games…"
"It's for the good of her health isn't it?"
"and the baby's!" Miss Crotchet agreed.
"You know that, I know that and we all know Imogen knows that too. But PE is her passion just as yours is Potions, Constance and Lavinia with you music. Imagine if once of us had been told we might want to go easy on." Amelia said wearily. "Don't you think you'd have been slightly put out? I remember when I was younger I broke my wrist falling over on the hills- Or was that time because of Agatha? Anyway, I wasn't allowed to do spell casting for a week. It was terrible so I imagine Imogen to be a little more then gutted…"
The others considered this, Constance pursing her lips not willing to admit her reaction would have been similar.
"And I doubt this weather helps." Amelia continued. "All that slush and ice everywhere really brings a downer on thing, especially with it stopping anyone travelling to and from the castle. Even walking, it's dangerous. Perhaps one of us could bus Imogen out on a broom stick-"
Constance was about to point out that icy winds were tricky enough for even an experienced witch to fly in anyway let alone with a pregnant passenger but was interrupted by a quiet knock on the staffroom door...
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!