AN: This time we find out what Miss Cackle's been up to and see that Constance is starting to crack
Chapter 7
Ethel wasn't used to being ignored. "Miss Hardbroom, it's in the potion." She hollered again. This time her teacher heard her and came over to investigate, "Is it Ethel, well I certainly can't see it." Ethel hung her head, "It was there a moment ago Miss Hardbroom I swear it was." Ethel whined "It disappeared when it knocked over the flask,"
Miss Hardbroom scowled, "and how do you propose it did that Ethel? Invisibility potions, if brewed correctly, only work when consumed by the user and enter the bloodstream, not by standing in it." To prove her point, she dipped her hand into the remnants of Ethel and Drusilla's potion.
Nothing happened.
Ethel's face turned a sort of puce colour. She scowled, inwardly furious about how foolish she suddenly looked, hating the feeling of humiliation that HB had just forced upon her. As she looked down something odd caught her eye, three pronged shapes were appearing in the pallet of sand used for placing hot objects. She opened her mouth, to try and claw back some of her dignity, but before she could say anything Ruby piped up.
"Please Miss Hardbroom," Utterly exhausted, HB focused with difficulty on Ruby, "yes what is it girl?" she asked wearily, acutely aware that her comfy armchair in the staffroom was calling her,
"Frog's have permeable skin," Ruby said with her scientists hat on. Constance couldn't take in the terminology and so in a mildly defeated tone said, "Meaning?"
Ruby continued her explanation, "meaning that they can absorb liquids through their skin, so it absorbed the invisibility potion directly into its bloodstream without needing to consume it." Enid, Maud and Jadu were impressed by their friends fountain of knowledge, Miss Hardbroom however was not, "Oh well there's nothing I can do with it now, we'll need to wait for it to reappear."
xxx
She stalked back over to her desk and picked up her bag, hearing the whispered call of the bottle deep within the folds of material reminded her that she needed to gather those ingredients, before she lost her sanity.
As she slung the sturdy handles over her arm the bell rang in the corridor outside and the whole class noisily began to pack up and leave for break. "Ethel Hallow." She called, Ethel raised her head shyly, "your potion was far too effective," she criticised, somewhat unfairly she realised, but she couldn't withdraw the statement now she had made it; could she?
Ethel said nothing, just nodded and carried on packing away, 'yes' Constance mused, 'that's what everyone always does, carries on as if I'm not there, they've no respect for me whatsoever,' she beat back the tears that were tentatively gathering behind her eyes, edging slowly further and further towards the exit. She was determined not to let them fall, she refused to cry over something so trivial and insignificant.
She let the void of numbness envelope her, suppressing her emotions until they returned to their tiny corner of the deepest part of her mind, burying the pain and anguish and loneliness with them.
All she had to do now was make it back to the staffroom, then she could immerse herself in the regimented nature of her paperwork, and no doubt everyone else's.
No one, much to her chagrin, seemed to fill in any of their own paperwork at Cackle's. This meant that at least four nights a week, she was up until dawn,( with the aid of a bottle of Wide Awake potion) filling out the forms for every subject taught at the academy; including her own.
The rest of the staff relied on the fact that as long as Constance was prepared to do theirs for them, it was safest to just let her get on with it; that way, they argued, not only did it get done, but it was done perfect, down to the last minute detail.
Constance didn't sigh as she entered the staffroom to find Amelia and Imogen with their ears pressed to the stationary cupboard door; no she wailed instead. "Oh for goodness sake Davina, come out of that cupboard this instant, you're an embarrassment to the Academy." At this remark a muffled shriek assaulted her ears. "Please Miss Hardbroom is that really necessary," snapped the usually calm and collected Miss Cackle. The younger woman was taken aback by the harsh tone in her superior's voice, finally tipping over the edge and into the abyss that had been threatening her all day.
xxx
A short while earlier –near the end of the second lesson
Amelia had been enjoying a nice cheesecake at Mrs Cosies' tea room when she had checked her watch. "Gracious Mrs Cosie, I'm going to be late," she leapt to her feet, her grey cardigan hooking around the arm of her chair as she did so, pulling her back down sharply. "Are you really in such a hurry Miss Cackle,?" Mrs Cosie asked, watching the witch struggling to detach her garment from the furniture, "well you know you're welcome any time." A rather flustered Miss Cackle thanked her gratefully for another wonderful cheesecake and dashed to the door, hearing the bell jangle merrily as she threw it open and hurried on her way back to the castle.
Before long a stitch throbbed painfully in her side, reminding her that exercise wasn't one of her strong points, forcing her to lean heavily on a sturdy looking oak tree. The sound of quick footfalls came to her ears, she cast her eyes about warily; who would be out in the forest at this time of day?
It wasn't long before her question was answered when a familiar voice behind her called, "Miss Cackle, what are you doing here?" whirling round Amelia was relieved to be confronted with the piercing green eyes of Miss Drill. "Oh, it's you Imogen, I was just out for a stroll that's all." The witch tried to lie. Imogen raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "A stroll Miss Cackle, so near to Cosies', I find that hard to believe."
Aware that she was failing to withstand this interrogation Amelia admitted defeat, "Alright, alright I admit, I had one cheesecake." The blonde smiled, enjoying this little game, "just the one cheesecake?" she emphasised the amount deliberately, raising her voice to match her disbelief. Miss Cackle briefly impersonated a guppy fish, then said hastily, "well three, but they were only small ones and we really should be getting back," braving the stitch she turned on the spot and marched away before Miss Drill could ask her any more questions.
The blonde jogged to catch up with the older woman, gaining ground quickly until they were side by side again. The castle gates were in view now and Miss Cackle felt rather relieved, not to mention rather full. "Er Miss Cackle, you know you asked me to clear out the gym stall." Imogen asked, finally getting round to asking what she had wanted to ask for the last half mile, "yes I remember that, why?" the pair slowed to a gentle walk as they re-entered the courtyard, "Well, you assigned Mildred to help me didn't you," Amelia confirmed that she had, cocking her head to the side, inviting her colleague to continue the conversation, "Well, Mildred didn't show up and no one has seen her since first lesson," Miss Cackle detected the note of concern beneath the mask of irritation in Imogen's voice. "Silly girl, doesn't do herself any favours, very well we'll ask Constance if she's seen her, she's bound to know where that girl is."
The pair resumed their faster pace and made it to the staffroom five minutes before the bell. No sooner had Amelia sat down the door burst open and in ran a hysterical Miss Bat, heading straight for the cupboard. "No Davina!" she yelled, trying to grab the poor witch before she managed to return to the comfort of her stationary; but was too late. The door shut and the lock clicked.
Both teachers exchanged glances. "We'll be lucky if we can get her out of there by half term," Miss Drill commented drily. Both of them huddled close to the door of the cupboard, listening though the glass to the string of gibberish murmurings that permeated the little window.
They could see the blurred silhouette of the chanting teacher but couldn't get to her, much to Amelia's dismay. "Wonder what's done it this time?" she said to Imogen who smirked, "the first year's inability to distinguish between plants probably, I saw them all gardening by her classroom earlier, well if moving pots around could be called gardening." At that remark a loud sob followed by, "No one understands..." became audible.
"This might take some time." said Miss Cackle, resigning herself over to the fact that today's break was going to be spent coaxing Miss Bat back out into the real world. This was going to be fun.
Next time back to the present