AN: This time we are back to the present after HB has returned to the staffroom to find everyone attempting to get Miss Bat out of the cupboard.
Chapter 8
Out of the corner of her eye Amelia saw her deputy sink into the nearest armchair, shaking slightly, and angrily brush away a single tear that had dared to fall. By now she knew better than to ask the younger witch what was wrong, she simply had to ignore her, though it went against every maternal fibre in her being not to go over and comfort the clearly distressed Constance.
"Imogen," she said, tuning her attention to the PE mistress, "I need you to go ask Mrs Tapioca for a large bowl of fruit salad, preferably with a jug of fresh cream as well." Imogen ran to fulfil the request, leaving her alone with her deputy.
Knowing that it would be a few minutes before Imogen returned, she decided to make the most of her time and ask Constance about Mildred, she hoped that would take her mind off whatever was bothering her. "Constance, you haven't seen Mildred by any chance have you?"
Constance looked up with a confused look in her eyes, as though she had just become aware of her surroundings, and opened her mouth slightly, furrowing her brow as she did so. Amelia watched the emotional drama playing out across the usually statuesque face, peering for only the second time through the tough exterior shell that Constance normally kept seamless, witnessing some of the pain and confusion she was experiencing. "Mil...dred?" she said, sounding very far away, "Mildred?"
Taking advantage of their lack of audience Miss Cackle strode over to the potions Mistress and stood behind her, gently laying her hands on her shoulders and circling them, pinching every so often to attempt to relieve the tight knots of stress that dwelled between her shoulder blades.
Xxx
Under normal circumstances Constance would not have let her guard down to the extent where she allowed someone to touch her; after all the last person who tried to caress her had been turned into a warty toad before he could even register what was happening. Today however, this physical contact was far from abhorrent; instead it felt rather comforting and pleasant. She could feel the extent to which the love and affection was being poured in to this simple action, reminding her that she wasn't alone in the world, that there was someone who cared for her. The knowledge alone that she was loved by someone made her feel warm and fuzzy deep down inside, something she rarely ever felt these days, and brought her back slowly from the cold abyss she had fallen into.
Xxx
Amelia felt the woman soften beneath her touch, the bony shoulders relaxing and slumping forward, making her lose the characteristic upright posture she had become accustomed to. Moving one hand up she subtly detached the pin that held the tight bun in place, noting that it clearly had already suffered some damage as hairs were straying all over the place, escaping their usual restraint and breaking for freedom. The ebony locks cascaded down Constance's back and hung freely around her face; just another thing that proved how much she had let her guard down. The older woman ran her fingers through the velvety strands, puzzled by the slightly slimy texture in places, giving herself over to her maternal instinct completely.
Xxx
Constance closed her eyes and let herself be swept away by the overpowering feeling of happiness that was bubbling up within her, immersing herself in it completely until she wasn't aware of anything else in the world. This was what she had been craving since that morning; or was it longer than that? Probably years she had been longing for this, yet she still couldn't bring herself to talk about the thing that was really troubling her.
Xxx
Imogen re-entered the room and paused to see Miss Cackle standing alone, and rather surprised, behind Constance's chair. The witch had dematerialised the second Imogen had laid a hand on the door, not wanting the non-witch to see her in such an uncomposed state. Amelia acted as though nothing had just happened, "Ah Imogen, you've got them," she said with renewed vigour as she saw the crystal bowl of fruit salad with a matching jug of cream. Now she was sure they would be able to lure Miss Bat out of the cupboard. "Miss Bat," Miss Drill cooed, "you'll never guess what we've got for you," a slight sniff replied, "we've got a lovely bowl of fruit salad for you, but you'll have to come out to get it," she teased, holding the bowl so that it was in full view of the window.
A high voice responded with interest, "with cream?" Davina asked, "Yes with cream Davina," Miss Cackle informed her kindly, hearing the lock click with relief as the witch emerged. Grabbing the bowl and collapsing into the nearest chair she began to ladle spoon after spoon of cream over the assorted fruit, eventually resorting to tipping the jug nearly on its head until she deemed there to be enough dairy for that particular helping. Shovelling the food into her mouth Miss Bat felt quite calm again. The other teachers watched her tucking in, mutually agreeing on how obscene the concept of eating that much was, especially given her thin figure. "Well Davina, what was it this time? The first years?" Miss Cackle asked, finally getting round to one of many questions on today's To Ask list.
Davina shook her head forcefully; giving her flyaway hair even more of a just stuck my fingers in the socket look. "No, No, No, It was Constance, all I did was ask for a little bit of her lesson time and she turned into a positively wild animal, snarling and baring her fangs, Oh I was sure she was going to bite me." The pair exchanged a look, Davina was well known for her overacting after all, "That doesn't sound like Constance," Miss Cackle said cautiously,
"I did not snarl or bare my fangs thank you very much," Constance's voice rang out across the room a second before she actually materialised. This materialisation always caused Miss Bat mild trauma; today she let out a mild squeal and tried to make it back to the safety of her cupboard.
Imogen and Amelia grabbed her and wrestled her back into the chair before rounding on Constance. It was obvious to Amelia that the witch had returned to her room and fixed her hair, given that it was now back in its formal bun, not a hair out of place. 'That was quick.' She thought as she surveyed the woman's face.
It was like staring into a badly painted portrait; there was no life behind those eyes as there had been moments ago, instead there was just the guarded voids that signified that Constance had once again closed the gates to her soul, 'and just when I thought we were making progress,' Amelia mused, hiding her sorrow with annoyance.
"Constance, what have I told you about frightening Davina, you know how emotionally temperamental she can be," she scolded her, hating the words as she heard them, knowing how harsh they sounded. Constance simply raised her head, "Well Headmistress, if she insists on running and hiding in her cupboard every time someone upsets her, she's no different to the students, and as such I feel the need to treat her as one." The reply was cold and devoid of emotion, much as Amelia had feared it would be, she sighed, "Very well Constance, now back to some other matters at hand..."
Next time we rejoin Mildred as she heads out into the grounds