AN: well here we are at the end. Hope you've all enjoyed it and don't be afraid to tell me what you think of my first attempt. PM's and reviews welcome. Thanks go to the ever supportive GloriaNewt for her continuing reviews and encouragement.

Chapter 13

"What did you say Mildred?" questioned Miss Cackle as her colleagues mouth opened and closed furiously,

"I said you're beautiful Miss Hardbroom," Mildred replied boldly holding her head up high and looking her teacher right in the eye,

" Wha... what is the meaning of this?" Miss Hardbroom managed to say, clenching her fists so hard that they shook uncontrollably.

The enraged deputy turned to Miss Cackle while still addressing her student, trying to maintain some air of control and professionalism, "do you really think making inappropriate comments is going to save you?"she uttered furiously with a hint of smugness, then she directed her attention to the person she was facing, "Headmistress, I urge you to expel her immediately, not only has she demonstrated the fact that she thinks she can come and go at will without permission, but she clearly lacks any due respect for her superiors." she got down on bended knee next to a rather bemused Amelia, "is this the image we want for our school, if this is allowed to continue then disorder and disobedience will spread through the ranks like a disease, it needs to be rooted out now if we wish to maintain discipline."

Miss Cackle appeared to consider for moment, then she asked the girl quaking before her, " Why do you say that Mildred? After all, it is clear Miss Hardbroom is not your favourite teacher, let alone your heart's desire, so then why these words of love?" her kindly expression, the complete antithesis of the woman behind her's, gave Mildred confidence to speak up. She swallowed to moisten her dry throat and opened her mouth to answer when the disgruntled potions Mistress interrupted her, "But Headmistress isn't it obvious that this is just an elaborate ruse on her part to try and win us over, clearly she thinks no such thing of me and would sooner see me dead than offer me a genuine compliment. No Amelia it's a lie, a cover for something that is nothing short of ill manners." She sounded very sure of herself as she dismissed the evident emotions as avoiding due punishment.

Mildred was about to protest when Miss Cackle saved her the trouble, "Constance I asked her not you." the stern, authoritative tone in her voice took everyone by surprise, and Constance was powerless to do anything but obey. Angrily she resumed her spectre-like stature, fixing Mildred with a cold steely glare, inwardly fuming at the cheek that her pupil was probably about to get away with.

Mildred cleared her throat again and looked at Miss Hardbroom, a steady determination blossoming in her gaze, "well, I doubt very much Miss Hardbroom would appreciate me saying this but, no one's ever called her beautiful and meant it for the right reasons before." she paused and both she and Miss Cackle looked at Constance whose slender form was now shaking slightly from head to foot.

"And how do you know that?" asked Miss Cackle, cocking her head to the side, indicating for Mildred to continue,

"Miss Cackle I really must protest I..." Constance started to say, eager to prevent any more truth being spilled by her most hated student, only to be silenced by a wave of Miss Cackles hand.

"go on." Mildred got a sense that Miss Cackle was as personally interested in what she was about to say as professionally, evidently Constance didn't hand out her life history when crossing the staffroom threshold, and her colleagues knew as little about her as the students did, this was somewhat reassuring to Mildred. She continued uneasily, quailing under the death ray stare HB had fixed on her. If looks really could kill Mildred would have been pushing up the daisies long ago; on her first day probably.

"This morning down at the pond, you told me that the last person to call you beautiful had only said so so he could get into your bed, and as a result he broke your heart. Then when you were at your most vulnerable you lost him to one of Mistress Broomhead's curses, all because she saw him taking advantage of you as violation of her property. So I thought I'd tell you that even though Mistress Broomhead tortured you for so much as looking at a man, you're still beautiful inside. It's the heart that counts Miss, not the outside, that's what makes us all special, and unique. In that way you are far more beautiful than you could ever imagine." and with that Mildred finally dissolved into tears.

Amelia looked at Constance and saw a spark in her eyes. Once again Mildred Hubble, the worst witch, had said something profound; and it had touched Amelia deeply to hear such wise words from such a young heart. Clearly the words had touched Constance too for she wept silently with a smile on her face.

"Mildred, I believe you, you really were that frog, I've never told anyone that story before I..." then words deserted her.

Miss Cackle took control of the situation, "Thank you Mildred you may go now. I will deal with Ethel Hallow later, and as for you, I am glad that no harm came to you." the old witch said softly, smiling as she spoke. Mildred turned and crossed the room in five paces, something she had done many times before, only to be stopped at the door.

"Mildred wait." Constance called after her, she halted in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder,

"Thank you." the older woman whispered, so quietly Mildred could barely hear, but she knew what she meant. She smiled broadly and departed, shutting the door behind her as she did so.

Xxx

When she had gone Amelia turned, " I'm proud of you Constance." the old witch said, her maternal pride evident in her voice.

"Whatever for Headmistress?" her confused deputy asked, "for showing emotion in front of someone, that takes courage, and I'm proud of you for it." Constance was hardly able to believe what she had heard; Miss Cackle, proud. Her heart glowed and swelled within her, ready to burst from happiness. Absentmindedly she replied, "Thank you mother," then clapped a hand over her mouth when she realised her slip of the tongue. She hoped Amelia hadn't noticed, but no such luck. The older woman turned to her incredulously; Constance tried to avoid catching her eye and stared with the utmost concentration at a fixed point on the wall.

"Constance, did you say mother?"

"No." Constance quickly denied.

"No of course, must have been my imagination." Amelia said fondly with a knowing smile; Constance was never going to change, but that was just the way she liked her.

"Oh one thing before you go," she said, seeing the arms about to fold before the woman dematerialised. Constance looked expectantly, "As you know I consider everyone at the academy to be my family, you're part or that family too Constance, you seem to have forgotten that," Constance looked baffled, "what are you trying to say Headmistress ?"

Amelia stood and drew her deputy into a tight hug, finally expressing the concern she had been felling for her junior since the potions incident, "I would never abandon you Constance, don't ever forget that I love you as much as if you were my own daughter" whispered Amelia. Constance didn't know what to say, " Headmistress I ... I" she couldn't think of anything else to say,

"I love you too." the foreign words so long denied her tumbled from her lips, gushing faster than her tears as she told her guardian angel what she meant to her.

Amelia felt the love radiating from her colleague before pulling away gently and resuming her professional role. "Now Constance, fetch Ethel Hallow for me would you, I need to see to her now."

"at once mother, i mean Headmistress."

"What was that?" Amelia called jokingly, secretly happy to finally be called mother by someone.

"I said at once Headmistress."

"Yes, thought so." she said, the pair of them beaming at each other before flushing slightly red

and laughing loudly.

At last, as she brushed away the tears, after 35 years of searching Constance Hardbroom could proudly say she had a home, with a loving, caring family. And above all, she was happy, happy and free.

Well that's the end of my first fanfic, thanks for reading it through to the end,