Chapter 12 – The Quartet

Mildred woke up a few days later, the magic she had pulled out of herself she wasn't ready for. Her friends hadn't left her side since she was in the medical wing.

"Millie are you ok?" Enid asked.

"Mil, thank the bats your OK" Maud stated.

"I'm fine, is Ethel, OK?" Mildred asked the girls.

"Ethel is in a different room she hasn't woken up yet, she too passed out, she put up a bloody good fight" Enid marvelled.

Mildred stood up and a hand gently pushed her back down she looked up and saw Miss Hardbroom.

"Your body is still too weak. Maud, Enid please step outside" she asked in a levelled voice which had warm tone to it.

Enid and Maud stepped outside, and Miss Hardbroom flicked her wrist to ensure they couldn't be heard. She pulled Mildred into a long hug, squeezing her gently. "You were so brave; I have never been prouder of a student in my whole teaching career" Mildred started crying "It's ok let the tears out, no-one blames you in the slightest. rest, I have a revival potion if you would like some,". She pulled an orange potion from her dress and put it on the bedside table. "It tastes of Chocolate Orange, thought you might like the taste, let me know if you don't, I have it in spearmint, liquorice, Cherry and it tastes like cherry as well as lemon and lime". Mildred took some and it tasted like a Terry's Chocolate Orange.

"That's tasty"

"Don't have too much, we don't want you bouncing of the walls" She half laughed as Mildred tried to down the rest of it, she clearly liked the taste too much. She took the Vial out of her hand and put in the draw of the bedside table. "I'm going to check on Ethel now, Nansi took all the energy out of her".

Miss Hardbroom stood up and Mildred grab her hand.

"Is she OK, I need to know she's, OK?"

"She's been asleep the whole time like you have, only time will tell, Physically, she only had a few scrapes which has been healed, in terms of trauma, only time will tell. For now, she looks OK". She looked at Mildred's hand on hers "Would it be possible to have my hand back?" She stated stiffly as she really didn't like being touched in anyway unless she allowed it. Mildred let her hand go realising her teacher had stiffened at being touched.

Miss Hardbroom left to go see Ethel, as she walked into the adjacent room, She, saw Ethel had sat up in bed. She walked up to her and like she did with Mildred, she gently pushed her back down.

"That was Mildred, is she OK?"

"She is fine, Exhausted but fine".

"She is going to hate me" Ethel felt awful, she started crying at the thought of losing Mildred.

"We are talking about Mildred, right? Nothing you have ever done has made her hate you, believe me I've seen you try. She was asking if you were ok. I have a few revival potions each a different flavour, do you like chocolate orange?"

Ethel nodded.

Miss Hardbroom took another orange potion out of her pocket and put in on Ethel's bedside table. She took a really good look at Ethel and noticed how down she was.

"Mmm, I like that".

"Don't have too much or you will end up bouncing of the walls" she took the vial from her and put it in the bedside table draw. She then as she had done with Mildred pulled her into a hug. This set Ethel into a slight panic, if it was any other teacher, it wouldn't be so bad, ever since the end of last year she had become a little scared of Miss Hardbroom, not only that she had never been hugged by anyone especially her own parents, except for Esmerelda, she wasn't used to affection in anyway. "It's ok, there is no need to tense, you put up quite a fight. For once I am very proud of you. Possession is very hard to fight and to come through twice is impressive. Rest, your body needs it". Miss Hardbroom then acted very out of character and kissed Ethel's head. "You were not evil you were just misunderstood".

Maud and Enid entered the medical wing the next day, as Maud sat next to Mildred. Enid surprisingly went and sat next to Ethel in the adjacent room. The four of them in their pairs were talking about Nansi. Enid decided to take the hand brake of the wheels of Ethel's bed and wheeled Ethel into Mildred's room.

"You can't do that" A healing staff bluntly told her.

"We are all talking about the same thing, unless you want us all shouting" Enid responded.

"Fine, but next time, ask, as that is not how you push an occupied bed and these two do not leave their beds or the room without my authorisation" the healing staff stated as she walked of.

"So, Nansi is your Ancestor and she's a psycho?" Enid asked Mildred and Ethel who both nodded.

"I want to know how Felix didn't die" Mildred wondered.

"Who is Felix?" Maud asked.

"He is Nansi's son; she drank poison while she was pregnant with him to kill him as well as stabbed her stomach seven times. She also tried to kill him once she gave birth. I get some people don't want children and are scared to have them, I am not disputing that, what I am wondering is how Felix survived". She looked around they all seemed to be thinking the same.

"My family is just as fucked up as yours is Ethel, I have Nansi, Mirabelle reignited a founding stone and removed magic for twelve generations, If Felix had died, I would never have been born".

Ethel couldn't look at Mildred, she felt guilt and shame, whilst being possessed she was well aware of what Nansi was making her do and she saw the fear in Mildred's eyes.

Maud and Enid left the medical wing an hour later to go to class. This left Mildred and Ethel alone in the same room.

"How are you Ethel" Mildred kindly asked as she looked at her blonde friend.

"I'm fine" Ethel couldn't only look at her hands on her lap as she couldn't bring herself to look at Mildred.

"What did I Ethel, why won't you look at me" Mildred asked her.

"I might see the hate or fear in your eye's again". Ethel again couldn't meet Mildred's eyes.

"I don't hate you Ethel, I thought we were friends" Mildred stated.

"How can we be when I came at you with a chunk of glass". Ethel was close to tears.

"Ethel look, at me" Mildred said in demanding tone of which Ethel did. "Nansi was in control of your body not you this isn't on you, you have been nothing but nice to me, I heard you tell Nansi that I was your best friend. I thought that was Felicity? I also saw you attempt suicide to save me, I have no reason to hate you. Maud said even Enid been talking about it the whole time we have been in here".

"My best friend was Felicity, but she won't talk to me now, not after last year. You're the only friend I have".

"I think you might have just joined our Trio guess that makes us a Quartet, if Enid doesn't change her mind". Mildred stated with a smile. This cheered Ethel up.

"You mean, really, real friends?" Ethel couldn't believe what she was hearing, yet she wouldn't get her hopes up.

By the end of the week the girls were given the all clear to leave the medical wing as they did, they were met with rounds of applauses and a lot of talk regarding what the other students had seen. They both sat with Enid and Maud at their usual round table, which got a lot of the students confused.

"Welcome to the gang Ethel" Enid said as they sat down.

"Are you sure you three don't mind? I don't want to intrude" Ethel responded.

"Your one of us now" Maud confirmed.

"Was a trio now a Quartet" Mildred stated.

Ethel couldn't believe her luck, she had real friends and half term to look forward to as she wouldn't be heading back to her parents.

"oh ye, forgot to say Ethel, my mum said you can join us for half term, it'll be a little crowded at our flat over half term as my dad and Izzy are joining us". Mildred remembered.

"You're a life saver" Ethel told her. "I don't mind if it's crowded, I rather like Izzy anyway".