Two days and three nights later, School is back in session. Among the usual first day back catch ups and scrambling to finish essays, the second years are doing something quite unique to Cackles. Both a and B forms are crammed into classroom five before their shared lesson. And they are sharing out sweets. Something practically unheard of in the boarding school.
'Normal human' sweets at that.
Mildred made especially sure to give Ethel some. And expecting nothing in return, much to the fairy's annoyance. Ethel would complain if Mildred didn't share with her. Or worse, grass them up to a teacher. If being nice to the fairy guaranteed her storming off and leaving Mildred alone for a day or so then it was worth it. Even if it meant losing a bunch of good jelly sweets and fun size chocolate bars to Ethel and Drucilla.
Still, there was plenty to go around. Amii liked coconut chocolates so had a literal bounty of them gifted to her. Beth was trying popping-candy for the first time and the living nightmare's mind was being blown. Gloria and Harriet were trying to out sour one another with 'common' super sour sweets. And Bryony the Invisible had discovered blue raspberry lollipops could make even her tongue go blue (which was very weird to watch); when-
"What is the meaning of this?!" Miss Hardbroom appeared at the classroom doorway.
Izzy had unfortunately just popped an entire gobstopper in her mouth as one might eat a bonbon. And nearly choked on it. Mildred hadn't banked on the vamp being around.
"Miss, we had plant recognition with the Professor-?" Ethel started innocently; trying to hide the bar she'd been eating behind her back. HB for once wasn't fooled.
"Clearly! Given you all thought you'd be getting away with this hooliganism in class! …Professor Gimlet is currently indisposed so I will be covering for her today." Miss Hardbroom scowled.
Mildred didn't have time to wonder just how a being made up of mostly hair and shadows could be indisposed when HB continued.
"What do you mean by filling your mouths with that disgusting rubbish?" she snapped, rounding on the second year's, Bryony and Izzy in particular. "Especially eating anywhere near the laboratory."
"We were sharing Miss." Mildred owned up. And for once the vamp's glare of doom couldn't scare her as much. "I brought sweets from the holidays back with me to share out. Because not everyone got to come to the Boogie Bash or out afterwards?"
"We went trick or treating, like common children." Maud added, excitedly. "That's the treat bit, Miss."
"I'm aware what Americanisms are now Halloween." Miss Hardbroom snapped. then realised what Maud had said. "You went out? all of you? On the streets? In a non-witch human area."
Maud Jadu Ruby and Enid nodded.
"I was under the impression you'd be at a 'disk-co' and that would be it."
"Not all the time, miss..." Enid said, sweetly.
"We were with adults." Mildred gulped, recognising Enid's mischievous tone and insisted, "we made sure to stay safe Miss. My mum was with us too, we didn't go off completely on our own." She doubled down on the proactiveness too. "I promise we didn't use any magic in front of anyone 'normal' except my costume. And that no one non magical and common except my parents knew about the others."
"Well then I'm glad your costumes paid off." Miss Hardbroom sneered. "And that you had plenty of shielding spells."
"We didn't need them, miss." Enid was clearly feeling impish today.
"WHAT?!"
If it was possible for the vampire to go paler, she did.
"You- you went as-! As you are? With no hiding or masks?!"
"No, we went in fancy dress, miss." Ruby replied.
Miss Hardbroom was clearly getting a headache. or burning up patience and brain cells, trying to wrap her head around what her girls were telling her. "But you just said-?"
"We went as ourselves." Maud explained. "It was ruby's idea and Mildred made all our costumes."
"Maud was a werewolf! Ruby was the 'bride of Frankenstein'."
"I was a goth fai- I mean I was a commoner's idea of the fae."
"And no one thought we were REAL monsters."
"But we got loads of treats! So, we agreed we'd share." Jadu said pointing to the pillowcase Mildred was holding out. The still very full pillowcase. Even with them taking their own spoils, and the third year's portion on the night, there had been more than enough to bring back to school for the rest of the second year.
Mildred Decided best not to mention the plastic cauldrons they had used as trick or treat buckets. Miss Hardbroom was frowning so hard she was squinting.
"How did you gather so much?" she said looking into the pillowcase. "And how much have you eaten already? You're all positively vibrating! Enid Nightshade, pick a face to stick with, would you?"
"Sorry miss."
"It wasn't just trick or treating. We all won prizes at the party! Best in show, best ten to thirteen. There was a best duo costume Fen and- Fenella and Griselda. Best werewolf, best witches' cat." Mildred said.
"I was a manticore, but most people thought I was a witch's cat or a sphinx." Jadu shrugged, as the others started talking over one another.
"Ruby got best moves on one of the dancing contests."
"Enid came first in musical chairs and second in stand-up bingo."
"Millie's dad even won the Parents Pumpkin Roll."
"Oh yeah, Mildred got the best scary film outfit!"
"And then went trick or treating!"
"I didn't think we'd get much going as teenagers, but it worked." Mildred admitted.
"It was so much fun!"
"I've never been able to just talk to so many humans?"
"They were really nice actually."
"Then the next morning, the lady next door gave us all the sweets she had left over."
"And she let us pet her normal dog."
"And Mildred's Mum and My gran gave us a bag to share out too."
"Oh, and we got photos! Look miss!" Mildred fished them out of her pocket, fresh from the chemists and held up a photo to Miss Hardbroom. Or more waved it in her tutor's face. HB battered it out of her vision trying to get class back in some sort of order.
"Yes, yes settle down!" The vampire scowled and plucked it from Mildred's hand as the girls passed others that had been taken that night. Mildred's mum had made them pose for it and several more besides, so each girl had their own.
Miss Hardbroom scrutinised the pictures. And it finally clicked,
"you're all…stereotypes." She asked. "Your own stereotypes?"
"Yeah! It worked really well!"
"I am surprised the photography didn't reveal your true natures." She said, with a smidge of genuine curiosity. and maybe possibly even a teeny-weeny bit proud they'd pulled it off. But that might have been Mildred's imagination. "And no one suspected anything?"
"No Miss Hardbroom."
"The power of Makeup and long sleeves, miss."
"Hmm." Was all the vampire said for a moment. "While I'm glad the rest of you put a lot of thought into your 'costumes'… What Mildred, may I ask, are you supposed to be?"
"Erm…" Mildred hesitated, and as straight faced as she could, replied:
"I was a homicidal maniac, Miss Hardbroom. they look just like everyone else."
If HB got the Addams's Family reference, she didn't let on. Just merely quirked an eyebrow.
"You couldn't find a costume that wasn't an approximation of a witch or any of your classmates, could you?" she said.
Mildred sighed, caught out. "No miss."
Then dug through her school bag again "But we've saved these for you Miss Hardbroom!"
"For- me?" the old vampire softened as Mildred gifted her the plastic tub. Then her face hardened reading the packet. Miss Hardbroom's disgusted look was almost withering. "Jelly …fangs?"
"they're blood flavour!" Jadu pointed out.
"Actually, it's Blood orange." Mildred corrected. "Well maybe just red flavour."
"A colour should not be a measurement of flavour young lady." Miss Hardbroom sneers. Then paused regarding the packet. "The thought, while misjudged, is appreciated. I don't eat sweets."
"Oh-. "
"But you may add it back to your spoils." Miss Hardbroom said. Much to the girl's surprise. She even slid the packet back into the pillowcase. "You may share them out with your friends AND the other students. At tuck. You know fine well that eating or food is not allowed within the laboratory or in any potions lesson. Including plant identification."
There was a flick of fingers. And with a puff of smoke the sweets vanished much to the class's disappointment.
"You may all have them back at the break not before!" Miss Hardbroom called. "Too your seats. all of you."
"Yes miss." They chorused.
And as she passed HB Mildred wished her, "Happy belated Halloween Miss!"
"Sit down Mildred." Miss Hardbroom scolded. "…but happy Halloween to you too. I suppose. Now, Girls! Chapter four part twenty pages six two nine in your workbooks, immediately and begin the exercises. Let's have a little less excitement and a little more schooling…"
"Enid was right, I knew she'd just banish the treats." Maud whispered sadly as Mildred took her seat next to her.
"Not completely," Mildred whispered as everyone scrambled to get their books and pens out. "Look, ethel still has hers. Sticking out her bag, see?"
"And Harriet. I think it was just the pillowcase." Enid hissed from behind. Jadu nodded, looking for the right page.
"Besides, HB says we can have them back at break to share? She could have easily said at the end of term like she did with Ruby's gadgets?"
"Or gotten rid of completely. Like the rest of my gadgets." Ruby muttered glumly for Maud's other side.
"Oh." Maud clicked. "Yes, she has! …That's actually quite sweet of the vamp, isn't it?"
"Yeah. And guess what?" Mildred winked with a nod toward their potion's mistress. "I already know how to magic up a black dress now. So, I know who I'm going to dress up as next year!"
The were-cub frowned. Then grinned.
"you'll be a pretend witch again?"
"a vampire witch." Mildred giggled.
"Quiet." Miss Hardbroom droned. "Back there stop your chatter and get on with the exercise."
"Sorry miss!"
"You will be if I catch you chattering again."
Despite the threat, Mildred waited till she was sure HB was distracted by hands (and a tentacle) going up at the very tricky third exercise. Then whispered to Maud.
"Yeah, next Halloween I'll be a pretend real witch again." Mildred Hubble said, with a discreet point at Miss Hardbroom. "Only I'll be the scariest and witchiest witch of them all!"