A/N - Ohh, be warned, this chapter is juicy...

Maud's experience of the party had been rather different compared to Mildred's as she had chosen to remain sober, already feeling like the entire scenario was a disaster waiting to happen - and how right she had been. She stared in horror as she observed her friend in front of her at present who was slurring her words, unable to hold herself upright, and in general, mumbling about how awful her life was.

Mildred didn't understand seem to understand what was happening as Maud recalled her spreading random waffle about Miss Hardbroom, Ethel Hallow and some random boy called Alex, or was it Aldric? However, as Ruby and Jadu burst through the door, shoving past a crowd of concerned party-goers, Maud began to understand how the situation had unfolded.

'Shit, oh my God, you're in here! Mildred? It's been kicking off outside because of you! What on earth have you done?' Jadu cried, speaking on behalf of the both of them as Ruby was also very drunk and struggled to articulate her thoughts. Mildred only continued to stare, her eyes unfocused as she spat out random, one word sentences.

'What do you mean, a fight?' Enid responded, now sitting with Maud after a fourth year had made her aware of the scenario.

'That bitch, Ethel Hallow - she's trying to beat up a boy! Someone's tried to hurt Mildred, and this boy claimed that it was Ethel because she'd given Mildred a potion, but Ethel says it was all his fault and there was no point in denying it - something about purposely giving her laced weed or something? What's going on - what's wrong with Millie!' Jadu yelled, shouting over the continued sound of loud music as she was desperate for everyone to pack up and leave so she could figure out what was going on. However, before she could carry on any further, Charlie Blossom had crashed into the scene, concern etched all over his face as he dashed to Mildred's side.

'OI! Charlie, what the hell have your friends done to Mildred, has she really been spiked?' Enid questioned accusingly, trembling with rage as Maud had to hold her steady to stop her from punching anyone. 'I swear to god if anyone has hurt her, I'll murder them with my bare hands as well as any sad little twat who willingly associates themselves with them.'

Looking down in panic as his eyes welled up with tears, Charlie responded, hurt evident in his voice. 'I think so...but they're not my friends. Please don't hate me, I'd never do something like this!'

However, as Charlie said these words and before Maud could do anything else, Mildred toppled over, falling on her side as she ended up completely unresponsive. No one in this clique could tell if she had simply blacked out from all the substances, or if she was in serious danger as a result of the alleged spiking, so before anyone could do anymore damage, Maud lept up, dragging Charlie with her as she headed for the door.

'You can't leave her here, what the hell Maud?' Enid spat angrily, glaring at the shorter girl who had tried to leave without explaining herself. She had always been the most fierce of the group, barely containing her anger as someone had tried to target their youngest, most vulnerable friend.

'I'm going to get help, we can't do this on our own and it's gone too far. This isn't about avoiding trouble now, it's about saving Mildred's life, and it's a sacrifice we should all be willing to make. Get everyone out if you want, but I wouldn't waste your time. I knew this was a bad idea from the beginning and it serves everyone right.'

'But who are we going to get, Maud?' Charlie questioned, gasping for breath as he tried to suppress his anxiety. He used to have a thing for Mildred in the third year. He adored her, as in really liked her, but she had dropped off the face of the earth over that summer and for the entire fourth year, hurting him greatly in the process. However, he understood the reason for that now, and he wanted nothing more than to help her as he felt all his feelings come back, worried she was going to get hurt again. Something was still going on as she was clearly vulnerable tonight and had dealt with it unhealthily.

'Miss Hardbroom of course! When you're sick, the only person you want is your mum. Even when you're old and grown, you'll still want her, that will never change, and Miss Hardbroom is the nearest thing that Mildred has to that, so who do you think I'm going to go and get, Miss Bat?!' Maud cried sarcastically, frustrated with the incompetence of everyone around her.

'Despite what she may say, I know that she needs her right now, and I love Mildred so much. I want her to be okay and I don't want to loose her again, so suck it up and come with me or carry on here and let me go out into the woods alone, I don't care. Enid, Ruby and Jadu - you need to stay with Mildred and make sure she's still breathing. I'll be back as soon as I can' Maud elaborated, a few tears having trickled gently down her cheeks as she dissolved into a passionate, emotional speech before fleeing from the room, with Charlie close behind her.

-x-

Meanwhile, far away from the chaos that was unfolding at the fourth year party, the corridors of Cackle's Academy were eerily silent, bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the tall, arched windows. The school was quieter than it had ever been, as the staff simply thought that the students were exhausted after their first full week back, unaware that the true reason was because the majority of the girls had wondered off out of the grounds to make some extremely poor decisions. Completely oblivious to Mildred's whereabouts, Constance Hardbroom wandered the halls, her footsteps echoing in the stillness. Sleep had not been kind her tonight, and she found herself restless, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and memories as she reflected on her behaviour yesterday, as well as the excruciating pain that she physically found herself in.

Dressed in her black night robe and purple satin pyjamas, she had forced herself from her bed to clear her mind. She moved with her usual grace despite her poorly state, her sharp eyes taking in the familiar surroundings. The school was peaceful, yet she was still struggling, so the tranquility did little to soothe her troubled mind.

Her thoughts drifted back to Mildred Hubble, the young witch who had become a significant part of her life, as she worried about their interaction yesterday. The events of the their previous conversation, when Mildred had threatened to go to Miss Cackle and accused her of avoiding her, weighed heavily on her mind as she felt her heart sink every time she remembered how crestfallen her face had been. Constance had always known that Mildred's life would be filled with challenges after last year, but seeing her in such a vulnerable, frustrated state had struck a chord deep within her as she found herself feeling guilty for pushing the child away. Of course she had denied it at the time, but she had come to realise that she had not been the most open, welcoming person as she had cowardly avoided the girl. She had done it out of fear initially, worried about her own reputation, but now she found herself wanting to protect Mildred from her own troubles, terrified that they would scare the girl senseless and result in her struggling even more than she had done so last year.

As she walked, Constance passed the portraits of past headmistresses and notable witches that lined the walls. Their stern gazes seemed to follow her, silently taunting her and her failures. She paused before the portrait of Miss Cackle, the current headmistress, whose warm and kind spirit contrasted sharply with her own, her thoughts full of hatred as she despised the way she had shut her out this year. Despite this, Miss Cackle's portrait seemed to smile down at her, offering a sense of comfort, so the only thing Constance could do was sigh, brushing a rouge strand of hair away from her face as she did so. She continued on her journey, her thoughts now turning to the responsibilities that came with her role at Cackle's and being Mildred's guardian. She had always prided herself on being strict but fair, a figure of authority and respect. Yet, her relationship with a certain young witch had introduced a new complexity to her life - an unexpected depth of care, protectiveness, and god forbid she admit it, but love - and she wasn't sure if she liked it anymore because it hurt. It hurt so damn much.

However, Constance's worries experienced tonight soon seemed like nothing - pointless and irrelevant - to the inner turmoil she was about to experience as Maud Moonshine burst in through the nearest door, sprinting down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her, Charlie Blossom right behind.

'A BOY, MAUD MOONSHINE, HOW DARE YOU!' She began, spinning around and yelling at the top of her lungs before getting a closer look at the pair. 'Oh...Charlie...it's you. Well, what on earth do you think you're doing, and what do you think you're wearing?' She snapped, her temple throbbing as she did so, trying to stop her heart from racing as she thought a bunch of boys had just been camping out in the girl's dormitories under her care. Her mind was also foggy and she couldn't understand why Maud was dolled up in a blue dress. It was currently four in the morning, still pitch black outside as the sun had barely risen, the arrival of September signifying that the nights were drawing in and dragging out, so what the hell was she playing at?

'Oh, Miss Hardbroom...please, you have to help us' Maud begged, moving closer to her teacher in a heartbeat as she grabbed her wrist, pulling her down the corridor desperately.

'How dare you! It's four in the morning, so I'd appreciate you letting go of my arm rather than dragging me down the corridor you insufferable girl-'

'No, you don't understand-'

'Of course I don't understand, you haven't told me anything! I swear to you now Maud Moonshine, you'll live to regret this-'

'IT'S MILDRED!' Maud yelled, before suddenly bursting into tears as she refused to look at Miss Hardbroom, continuing to yank her down the corridor, much to her dissatisfaction. 'It's Mildred...I-I think she's b-been spiked at a party.'

Constance's tired expressed shifted instantly from one of frustration to one of alarm and worry. Forcefully yanking her arm from Maud's grip, she grabbed both of her shoulders before shoving the fifth year up against the wall, craning her neck down to meet her eyes, her resolve dangerous and unforgiving.

'What the hell do you mean by spiked?' She growled in a low, raspy voice. 'I swear to God Moonshine, if anything has happened to Mildred and I find out that you're the one responsible...'

Maud trembled beneath Constance, wringing her hands as she tried to steady herself and spit out her explanation. "We were at this party, near the old mill, at Mrs Cosie's. Mildred was drinking a lot, and then some boys offered her something else and she took it. I didn't realize at first, I wasn't with her, but she started acting strange. She's really unwell, confused and scared. I think they put something in her drink."

'You'll know who it is if you see him, he's the tallest boy out of all the lads, there's only about ten of them' Charlie added, praying that HB would catch him in the act before he hurt Mildred any further.

Miss Hardbroom's face grew even more serious, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and concern as she trembled with rage before the children.

"Where is she now?"

"She's still at the party. I left her in a small room to keep her safe. I didn't know what else to do, so I came to get you," Maud explained, her voice breaking with worry.

'YOU LEFT HER BY HERSELF?!' Constance screamed, shaking Maud by the shoulders as she did so. Her eccentrics were sure to have woken up half the castle by now, but she didn't care as she found herself so unbelievably angry and panicked by what Maud had just told her, trying to ignore the hostile welling of tears in her eyes as the nausea that had crept up in her throat.

'NO! Of course I didn't, who do you take me for? She's with Enid, Ruby and Jadu. They're looking after her so Charlie and I came back to fetch you.'

Dropping Maud and stepping back several feet, Constance scraped her long loose hair into a tight pony tail, stretching her entire face as she did so in an attempt to snap herself back into action. Before Maud and Charlie could say anything else to her about the party or how it had happened, she had transferred from the room, leaving the pair in anxious silence as they could do nothing but wait in the safety of the castle, putting all their trust into Miss Hardbroom to sort Mildred out.

-x-

Back at the party, and much to Enid's relief, Mildred had started to stir. After a few more rounds of heaving into the bucket, she had found that the majority of the alcohol had left her system, leaving her in a much calmer state as she focused on her friends, their faces no longer distorted and her heart rate slowing down. She seemed to have passed out from a panic attack, but after a ten minutes, it had resided enough for her to regain consciousness. Despite this, she still felt incredibly anxious as she had very little control over her thoughts and body, finally having sat up but struggling immensely to do so.

'It's okay Mil...how are you feeling?'

'Shit...like...like shit. I felt better when...was...when I was... a literal toad' she choked, still unable to form coherent sentences as the drugs had left her feeling confused, angry and disoriented, almost as if her emotions weren't her own.

'What happened to you?' Jadu questioned, placing a comforting hand on Mildred's bare knee. She needed to know what had happened in order to help her, but she didn't want to sound like she was accusing her of anything.

'Smoked weed...happened after...something after that?'

'So it wasn't Ethel then?' Jadu continued, realising now why that other boy, Aldric, had almost been kicked out before pushing the others off him.

'But I saw Ethel smoking too? If it was spiked then how come she isn't unconscious right now as well? Sounds suspicious' Ruby asked, slightly dazed as she too was in an unfit state. However, Ruby had seen Ethel a few moments ago, actively launching herself at the boy who had been kicked out, so it was clear to see that she hadn't had the same adverse reaction that Mildred did.

'Had two...joints...shared first one... first one fine...second, mine - not' Mildred spluttered, clutching onto Jadu's arms and looking desperately into her eyes, praying that they would convey her message for her mouth was not cooperating with her.

'It's okay Millie. Maud's gone to get help, you're going to be fine.' Enid reassured her, widening her eyes and nodding at her friends, urging them to agree with her as she wasn't convinced that this was going to be the case. Neither of them had bothered to warn the rest of the party that Hardbroom was sure to be on her way as they all found themselves terrified on what was about to unfold next.

'Help...from w-who?' Mildred questioned, turning a concerning shade of white as all the remaining colour drained from her face. She already had an inkling about who was going to walk through the door, as she scrambled up from her spot, unable to walk straight as she did so, desparate to hide.

'Millie! Don't go, she'll be worried about you!' Enid pleaded, but it was too late as everyone within the building met their fate, unable to save themselves quickly enough.

Somewhere in the next room, the front door was suddenly flung open with such force that it crashed against the wall, smashing the front glass window and effectively silencing the room instantly. In the doorway stood Constance Hardbroom, her tall figure shaking with rage, silhouetted amongst the LED lights. Her eyes blazed with fury, and her presence commanded immediate attention. She stepped into the room, her cloak billowing around her like the wings of an avenging angel, anger so fierce that sparks of red were flying from her finger tips.

"ENOUGH! EVERYBODY GET OUT, NOW!" Her voice roared, sharp and authoritative, cutting through the stunned silence like a blade as her girl's cowered beneath it, all trying to hide behind each other yet to no avail. "This party is finished, and so are every single one of you."

The students froze, their expressions a mix of shock and fear. Conversations died mid-sentence, and the music came to an abrupt halt as the DJ scrambled to turn it off. Miss Hardbroom's murderous gaze swept over the crowd, her eyes locking onto each student with a look that promised consequences and revenge. She couldn't recall such a disastrous mess in all her twenty years of teaching, and never again would she let something like this go unnoticed.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves," she continued, her voice low and dangerous. "Underage drinking, illicit substances, and a complete disregard for the rules of Cackle's Academy. This behaviour is not only irresponsible but utterly disgraceful."

She began to move through the room, her movements precise and controlled, yet radiating a barely contained rage. "Anyone found to be under the influence will face severe disciplinary action. And those of you who organised this little soirée and provided these substances will answer to me personally. You will be permanently removed from the school premises - NO IFS, NO BUTS' she screamed in response to Clarice who had just opened her mouth to protest.

As she walked, her eyes fell on Aldric and his group of friends, having immediately recognised them from Charlie's description as the boys who had spiked Mildred, and motherly instinct overtook every bone in her body, pulsating through her in crashing waves. She stopped in front of them, her eyes narrowing.

"You," she said, her voice a lethal whisper so only he could hear, as she grabbed him by the ear and yanked him as close to her as possible, ignoring his pathetic, pained yelps. "If you are responsible for endangering the life of my girl, I will make sure you wish you had never been born, boy. Do you have any idea what you've done, you weak, low-life-"

Aldric opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips as Miss Hardbroom's glare intensified, shoving him backwards into the wall. "Save your excuses. You will all report to my office first thing in the morning and I will be informing your headmaster Hellebore so don't even bother trying to escape. I will also ensure that Miss Cackle is informed of your actions, and there will be consequences."

She turned back to the room at large. "NOW, GET OUT! Everyone else, leave immediately. Return to your dormitories, boys to my office, and do not think for a moment that this night will be forgotten. If you are not all where you are supposed to be by the time I return, then you will be expelled."

The students, still stunned, began to file out, muttering apologies and looking anywhere but at Miss Hardbroom, scared she might murder them. The party had been completely dismantled in a matter of minutes, the once vibrant energy now replaced with a heavy sense of dread as Constance dashed from the main room, searching all around the house for Mildred Hubble.

However, Constance didn't have to look far as she crashed, head-first into the problematic child as she was trying to flee unnoticed through a nearby doorway. Constance simply grabbed her, holding her upright by her upper arms as Mildred lurched forward, unable to support herself in an upwards position.

Mildred for one, found herself very glad that she had already thrown up that night, for if she hadn't, Miss Hardbroom would definitely be receiving the brunt of it right now as her stomach lurched at the sight of her disappointed, unforgiving eyes.

'And where do you think you're going, missy?' Constance shot back, her eyes narrowed as she tried to calm her temper but found it hard to do so. It was during moments such as these where she didn't understand how people were parents. She had given up everything for Mildred, taught her everything she knew, set her clear boundaries, and still, the child was lashing out like this.

'Leave me...alone' Mildred slurred, trying to scramble away but Constance's grip was too strong.

'You have some audacity demanding that in your current inebriated state!' She cried, before turning around to the three nervous faces inside the room, Enid having been in the middle of standing up to drag Mildred back to the couch. 'You three, I want you to clean this place up. It had better be completely spick and span before I see you back at Miss Cackle's office in the morning - and for goodness sake Ruby, sober up!'

'But Miss Hardbroom! None of this was our idea!' Jadu argued back, outraged with how unfair their teacher was being.

'ENOUGH! I am livid with absolutely all of you. Either Mildred talked you into this, or you talked Mildred into this, and either way, it was completely unacceptable for you to do such a thing! As if I wasn't worried enough already after last year, she's dragged out to something like this in the middle of the night with girls who are supposed to be her friends, and look what has happened as a result of it!' Constance spat, turning back to Mildred and trying to move her from the room.

Despite her passionate speech, Mildred let out an audible, strangled laugh as she turned around and snapped at her form tutor.

'WORRIED! Oh, please!' She shouted, causing Constance to jump back and let go of her, almost as if her raised voice had physically burned her hands.

'You're drunk and you don't know what you're talking about. Be quiet, Mildred.'

'NO!' Mildred cried, as suddenly, one thing became crystal clear in her mind as all of her thoughts waded back to Ethel Hallow and their conversation the other evening:

'You need to be more honest with her...don't just ask why she's avoiding you, make her feel guilty by explaining how much it's hurting you instead'

'I will not be quiet...because...because you've upset me...and I don't want you in my life anymore ' Mildred lectured, before pushing Constance aside forcefully and leaving the room. She didn't know where her sudden outburst had come from, inevitably a result of all the unnatural chemicals in her system, but she was hurting. She'd been hurting all night, probably the reason why she'd displayed such risky behaviour, and she needed her old tutor to understand her contribution in all this.

After exchanging a quick glance towards the other girls, only to be met back with one scowl and two sickening looks of sympathy, Constance spun from the room, following after Mildred who had just slammed the door open and retreated outside, determined to walk herself back home without the help of Miss Hardbroom.

'COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!' Constance yelled, rage seeping through her veins as she had endured enough tonight. She was angry and in pain and wanted nothing more than for all this to stop as she found herself getting overwhelmed at the sheer complexity that came with looking after Mildred.

'Piss off' Mildred spat, tears now falling down her cheeks as she tried to walk as fast as she could, but her intoxicated state made it impossible to do so as she tripped over logs and walked into trees, still struggling to see straight.

'Don't you dare speak to me like that, Mildred Hubble! I may have taken you in over summer, but at the end of the day I am still your teacher and you are still unbelievably stupid, so don't you dare-'

'SHUT UP! You see, this is exactly why you've ruined everything!' Mildred screamed back, turning to face her form tutor and throwing Ruby's silver clutch bag at her which she had somehow stolen.

Shocked and confused, it took Constance everything within her not to launch the bag back at her Mildred, choosing to defend herself with words instead.

'OH PRAY TELL, LET IT ALL OUT MILDRED HUBBLE' Constance bellowed back, no longer bothering to remain cool and collected if Mildred wasn't going to respect her back.

'Why are you actually...WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?' Mildred bellowed in response, unable to understand why her teacher was acting so obvious when she believed it to be so simple.

'DOING WHAT TO YOU?'

Letting out a heaving, angry sob, Mildred scraped her hair backwards trying to let out her frustration, but it wasn't enough. She felt all her thoughts come back now, clearer than ever, as her mouth found the proper words again and she launched into an explanation, needing to hurt Constance back.

'Last year, you wrote me that letter, do you remember?' She began, looking like a complete wreck as she trembled before Constance.

'Of course I remember, you damnable girl!'

'Then you'll remember what you put in it then? You told me I was one of the best people in your life. You told me you would throw yourself into danger to save me. You told me that I was the light on your darkest days. You told me that you had the highest level and respect for everything I do, and most important of all, you told me that you would never be far away' Mildred rambled, listing off each statement as she counted them all on her fingers.

'AND?'

'Even when you cannot see me...or you cannot see a way forward...I will be there...cheering you on' Mildred squinted, as she tried to recite the letter she knew by heart having read it so many times. 'Even if I have to cross the Pacific Ocean and I'm on the verge of drowning...even if i have to walk through the Sahara and almost die of thirst...I'll still find my way back...at all costs...at all prices...blah, blah, BLAH! DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN NOW?'

'Yes? No? Damn it Mildred, I DON'T KNOW! I don't understand, STOP SPEAKING IN RIDDLES!'

'EXACTLY! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T MEAN IT!' The younger witch screamed, causing several birds to flee from their trees as the resounding noise echoed throughout the forest. 'You lied to me, because you are far away! You aren't even bothering to look after me anymore. You never tell me these things, you never reassure me that you're not going to leave, and most important of all, you never tell me that you love me!'

'ARE YOU REALLY THAT INSECURE THAT YOU HAVE TO HEAR ME SAY THAT EVERYDAY?'

'YES! BECAUSE I WAS ABUSED, OF COURSE I AM! I am terrified of loosing you, I am terrified of it happening again, AND YOU DON'T FUCKING CARE!'

''OF COURSE I CARE!'

'NO! I shouldn't have to beg for you to say that! You've shut me out HB, you're hiding away from me, and I don't want you lecture me about rules and respect when you're too damn proud to help yourself, and I am suffering as a result' Mildred spat, before finally going mute again and walking off in silence.

Unable to argue anymore, Miss Hardbroom simply stormed after Mildred before grabbing the back of her dress, pulling her close to her as she caught her off guard, taking the opportunity to transport her back to Constance's own bedroom.

'ARGH - GET OFF ME!' Mildred ordered, trying to kick Constance off her before she finally let go herself, unable to restrain a struggling Mildred.

'I know you are drunk, but we both know that drunk words are sober thoughts, so if that's how you really feel then you could have always just damn left. Now get out of my sight! I hope you don't remember this tomorrow for your own sake, because I sure will and I will deal with it when it comes' Constance said cooly, despite the tear tracks which had stained her already worn out face.

Pushing Mildred back onto the bed and chucking a bottle of water at the girl before she could scream back, Constance only looked at her in disgust before she forced her to lie down, slamming the door and locking it behind her.

A/N - Ouch, ouch, ouch - I'm sorry! I think another juicy chapter is coming up next as this argument is definitely not over…

(don't be shy, let me know what you think ;p)