Marcia sat on the edge of her desk and watched her apprentice try once more to freeze the small hamster. It zipped around its cage happily unaware of the young Wizard a foot away trying desperately to stop it in its tracks.
Septimus heaved an irritated sigh "It's like it knows!"
Marcia laughed as her apprentice eyed the little fluff ball accusingly as if he expected it to laugh and reveal it's evil plan, as most villains in the books Septimus liked to read did near the end.
"Try again, you haven't even been at this for twenty minutes," Marcia said dragging his attention back to the task at hand.
He grumbled for a moment but soon held the charm firmly, stared unblinkingly at the small creature, and began chanting the three lines of the spell. Just as he reached the last word the door flew open and in came a supremely excited Nico Heap.
Ice crystals formed next to Marcia's left hand as Septimus' attention was drawn from his target.
"Ah" hissed Marcia as she snatched her hand away and then turned to face the unwelcome visitor.
"S-Sorry madam Marcia... I thought you were done for the morning... The duty wizard did't stop me or any thing..."
"The duty wizard never seems to SEE you Nico." Marcia was trying to remain irritated, but failing. He looked so bashful wringing a little journeyman's hat nervously, and yet looking more pleased than apologetic. "That is the third time this month Nico, honestly, can't you work out a schedule, or, better yet, you two figure out when you may both be free to spend your time?"
"It's just that there is this new boat keel design Rupert and I have been working freaking hard on"
"Language." Marcia warning him, knowing if he thought he could all manner of foul words would follow.
"Sorry, and I wanted sep to see it because it looks a bit like a dragon's spine, and once it's in the water it's difficult to pull it out just for a look..." Nico was not reassured by the look the ExtraOrdinary was giving him. "But I...I'll leave. I'm sorry for interrupting you."
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Septimus' face fall. She sighed "If Septimus can freeze the hamster then he is free for the after noon, if he can not he is going sit here and try until he does." The brothers exchanged a glance and Marcia crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow expectantly.
Septimus held the charm so tightly his knuckles turned white, he spoke slowly and forcefully as the little ball of fluff preened, and suddenly it stopped.
"YEAH!" Septimus whooped and jumped.
"Alright," Nico cheered and high fived his little brother as he dashed from the room to get his cloak and boots.
Nico cast a glance backwards half expecting Marcia to be glaring. But now she was smiling and shaking her head.
"Are you serious about letting him go?" Nico asked hesitantly
"He finished his work and the afternoon is his," Marcia said standing up as she snapped her fingers and unfroze the hamster, "Although I do not know what you two see in those boats." She added knowing Nico's pension to tease relentlessly.
"Sep doesn't really get it either, but he does it because he's spending time with family, and to be fair I don't know what all of you crazy Ordinarys see in all this Magyk." Nico said amazed by how Marcia seemed to change with her setting.
"Hey Nic, where are you?" Came a voice from down stairs.
"Go on you two, but remember Septimus must be home by ten." Marcia said once more the authoritative ExtraOrdinary.
"Yes Madam Marcia," Nico called over his shoulder.
"Oh, and Nico," she said she he opened the door.
Marcia heard him gulp from across the room "yes, Madam Overstrand?"
"Next time you decide to sneak past the duty Wizard and burst in on a lesson, you will forfeit Septimus' free time for the whole day, I do not mind you two running around, I thinks it is in fact very good for him, but you need to respect the fact that he is my apprentice. If he burst in on the middle of a lesson between you an what do you suppose her reaction would be?"
"Not nearly so nice as you've been." Nico said sheepishly.
"So long as we are clear on that," and with that she waved and hand and Nico shot down the stairs.
Nico was possibly one of the few Heaps Marcia could tolerate, they did not see eye to eye on many things, but there was a certain amount of professionalism in the young man the Marcia could respect. She cringed as she heard a crash from down stairs, if only he could summon it for more than four minutes at a time.
A/N: This is for myadamsfamily. Hope you enjoyed it and with any luck they aren't too OOC. I just feel like with what is seen in Magyk that they actually tolerate each other fairly well, and could perhaps if they spent they more time together could actually be more like her relationship with Beetle. Any way thanks for reading, please review to tell me what you thought.