A/N: Uploaded early as I can go to the cinema later. Enjoy.

Chapter Nineteen

Room-mates

Esmerelda started her lessons with the fourth years the next day. No one in the class really said anything, it was common knowledge the blonde had lost a year of schooling because of her absent powers so her new classmates just suspected she had fallen behind. Esmerelda knew most people in the year anyway so it was not to bad for her.

Her work quality though was not improving. Try as she might she just couldn't concentrate on her work. It didn't help she was up every night looking after Ethel and was not getting much sleep and this routine she had of wandering around had now gotten her into trouble too.

It was only a matter of time until HB caught her and after two weeks of walking around HB appeared in front of her.

"Esmerelda Hallow what ate you doing out of bed?" Hardbroom asked her, her eyes narrowed in anger.

"I am going to check on Ethel, I do every night" Esmerelda replied with a shrug not caring if she got into trouble for it.

"I can't have you wandering around the school at night, detention" Hecate told the girl annoyed she had been walking around the school every night.

"My pregnant sister could fall out of bed, or choke, or be sick, I am checking on her" Esmerelda told Hecate before storming past her, still tense from their last conversations and arguments. Hecate called after her but knew the girl had a point. Ethel was vulnerable, she shouldn't really be alone but Esmerelda had still broken the rules so she had no choice but to punish her.

Hecate expressed her worries about this to Ada and Ada knew she had to do something. She had messed up in the past but she had to sort this out now. That is why she had come up with an idea she thought with solve the problem and why Esmerelda was in her office again for about the tenth time that year.

"Miss Hardbroom has told me you have being wandering around every night to visit Ethel" Ada started of by saying, stating the fact she had being told.

"You can give me as many detentions as you want, I am still going to do it, I need to be there in case something happens to her or the baby" Esmerelda replied stubbornly. Ada nodded as she agreed. The girl really shouldn't be alone during her pregnancy.

"I agree" Ada told Esmerelda simply.

Esmerelda lowered her eyebrows. Had Miss Cackle just said she agreed with her? She agreed with her about breaking the rules?

"However, we can't have you wandering around the corridors at night, it is not safe" Ada told the girl and then carried on quickly, seeing the teenager was about to answer back.

"So because of this I was thinking the best solution is if you and your sister share a room, Sybil shares a room with her friends and a couple of other students share, that way you can watch over Ethel all you want and will not be walking around" Ada told her pupil, watching her carefully for her reaction.

Esmerelda was shocked Ada had come up with such a brilliant solution and that she actually seemed to care when she had never cared about Ethel before. It did seem like it would work though, that way she would not be panicking the whole time.

"That will be great, thank you Miss Cackle" Esmerelda told the teachers smiling gratefully at them.

"Fantastic, we will get everything set up, who is moving into whose room?" Ada asked the blonde needing to know so they could get the room that was going to be used set up.

"I will move in with Ethie, I don't want her to have to move all her stuff out" Esmerelda explained and Ada nodded.

"It is settled then, keep Ethel in your room for a while if she is tired as we make her bedroom fit for two people" Ada told Esmerelda, needing to do things such as put an extra bed in. Esmerelda nodded.

"Thank you Miss Cackle" Esmerelda said again, grateful the woman was being so nice to her.

"Right you may go" Ada told the girl who smiled softly again and left the office.

Esmerelda went to find Ethel and she found Ethel in the library doing a potions essay and sat opposite her with a smile.

"I am your new room-mate!" Esmerelda said to her sister who paused writing, her pen hovering in the air.

"What are you talking about?" Ethel asked her looking at her confused.

"Well Cackle and HB decided that we should share a room, that way I don't have to come and see you every night, what do you think?" Esmerelda asked her sister knowing she might not actually like the idea, Ethel liked her own space.

Ethel thought about it for a while. She did like her own space but she did like Esmerelda checking on her and it might be fun. Sybil said her Clarice and Beatrice spend a lot of nights talking before they want to sleep and also if she was being honest with herself, she hated being alone whilst she was pregnant, somehow having a little person to look after when it was all dark and she was alone scared her. Therefore she smiled at Esmerelda.

"I think it will be fun room-mate" Ethel told her sister who beamed happy she agreed.

Ethel spent the rest of the day either in Esmie's room or Sybil's as her room was closed of right now, their room was ready about half an hour before lights out and the two girls walked in looking around. It looked pretty much the same except it looked bigger (the joys of magic) and there was an extra bed for Esmie.

"I think this is going to be fun" Ethel said as she lay down on her bed exhausted, touching her bump.

"Not really, I have to hear you snoring" Esmerelda teased, knowing her sister snored really loudly.

"I do NOT snore!" Ethel replied angrily.

"Yes you do, but it is alright I remembered to move my earplugs into the room" Esmerelda replied carrying on with the joke.

Ethel picked up her pillow and threw it at her sister "Stop being so mean to me, I am pregnant, you have to be nice to me" Ethel told her sister but she was smiling.

"I am just being truthful" Esmerelda told her sister with a laugh as her sister glared at her. She did not throw the pillow back at her sister though in case it hit her stomach. Ethel rubbed her stomach and spoke to it.

"Tell your auntie not to be such a meanie baby" Ethel said to her stomach and her baby kicked in response, happy to hear her voice.

"I think they recognise my voice Esmie" Ethel said all happily and beaming.

"I am not surprised, you talk to them about ten times a minute" Esmerelda told her sister who blushed slightly before yawning.

"It is late, let's go to bed" Esmerelda told her sister who nodded, picked up the baby scan photo she had on the night stand, kissed it and then got into bed. Esmerelda smiled doing the same with her copy before they both settled down.

Mildred had sneaked into the mirror room, her stomach in knots and she was feeling sick. She had told her mother she needed to talk to her and mirrored her. She couldn't run the risk of being overheard which is why she was doing this now.

"What is wrong Mildred? You told me you needed to talk to me?" Julie said as soon as she appeared on the screen.

"Mum Christmas is coming up fast and.." Mildred started to say but Julie interrupted her.

"Is this about the Hallows again? Julie asked her daughter knowing exactly where she was going with this.

"Yes mum, you have to take them in, they still have nowhere, you know how scary it is to have a baby by yourself, imagine being a teenager and having no family around you at all" Mildred replied trying to guilt trip Julie.

"Why do you care so much Mildred?" Julie asked not even knowing why she cared so much about Ethel Hallow of all people.

"I honestly don't know" Mildred said looking down "Maybe because I can see that look of fear they have on their faces whenever someone mentions the word Christmas, or because I have visions of Ethel being in a foster home alone as she gives birth" Mildred replied quietly "I am not saying it has to be permanent but what Ethel needs right now is someone who knows what she is going through, all girls need their mother when they are pregnant right? Esmerelda helps her but she is clueless about this stuff" Mildred replied looking at her mother with her brown eyes.

"It will be hard Mildred" Julie sighed knowing it would be hard to have so many children at once.

"Only Ethel is difficult, Esmie and Sybil are really sweet, come on mum, isn't it the job of a foster carer to improve the lives of children?" Mildred commented and Julie looked at her daughter seeing the look of determination on her face, Mildred could be stubborn when she wanted and she knew Mildred was not going to give it up.

"Alright, I will take them in for Christmas and then we can see how it goes and if it goes okay maybe...Maybe they can stay" Julie said and Mildred beamed happy she had finally got her mother to agree.