A/N: Writer's block sucks.
Yup. That's the reason why I have taken so long to update any of my stories for 2024. I wasn't planning on having Shadows of a Spare be the one I updated first, but one thing led to another and... here we are. XD I won't bore you all with the details (especially those who have solely clicked on this chapter looking for updates about The Owlcast and Ghost of a Kind), but long story short, I'm suffering with a bad case of writer's block on all three series and have been repeatedly rewriting chapter sections because I just. Cannot. Get my words out. I know what I want to write. I just couldn't find the words. The inspiration just wasn't hitting me. Of course, I've since managed to push through for Shadows of a Spare, and The Owlcast will be the next one on my list because I literally only have one more scene to go for that one. But yeah... Who knew Episode One timeskipping between the opening ceremony and Akko being escorted to her dorm room was going to cause me so much hassle, huh? XD Though I will admit it did give me a chance to ponder over this first fic and maybe stopping it at Episode 7 instead in case I do decide to come back to Chamber of Time later, meaning I'm probably gonna double the fic series number to four. There's something strangely fitting on ending this first fic in the series at the point where Akko almost gets expelled, for some reason... XD
Either way, you'll be pleased to know that for this fic at least, episode one has officially come to a close, meaning Chapter 6 will be the start of the next episode. As always, please stick around at the bottom of the fic for my explanations on some of the choices I've made throughout this chapter (which I highly recommend because there are things that will confuse some of you). But thank you to everyone who has been favouriting, following, reviewing and reading this fanfic in the meantime. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. Also, a special thank you to user CasteliaMoonside for pointing out the layout of the auditorium in Chamber of Time. I originally wasn't gonna go back and change it, but I caved after a bit 'cause... 'perfectionist'. XD Not sure when I will have the next chapter out, but until then, I hope you guys enjoy the first published chapter for 2024 and the conclusion to episode one.
Chapter 5: Breaking Tradition
So much happened in such a short span of time for Delila—an explosive bang, white and sparkling smoke erupting like a volcano towards the ceiling and then a chorus of shrill screams sounding from above and below (and beside her, if Delila counted Hannah and Barbara). The teachers on the stage leaned back with loud gasps. Wide-eyed students on the benches and the stands cowered or huddled together, some hugging each other for dear life (including Hannah and Barbara, whom Delila spotted squishing their cheeks together in their own death-gripping hug), acting as if the sparkling fumes were a sign that the world was ending.
Delila, on the other hand, was glued to her seat, eyes intently fixed on the billowing cotton candy textured smoke as it began splitting off into randomly shaped and sized chunks. Eventually she swivelled towards Diana staring intensely and dagger-eyed at the dispersing smoke and, without thinking, reached out for her closest arm. However, Diana, without breaking eye contact with the smoke, halted her sister's hand in its tracks by raising her own palm.
"Hold on," she said firmly. "I think I just spied a Luna Nova uniform."
"What?" Delila uttered incredulously, turning her attention back to the situation unfolding before the stage.
By this time, the smoke was breaking down into smaller and fluffier wisps and popping one by one like bubbles, slowly exposing three short humanoid figures suspended in mid-air in line with the height of the stage. Cupping her hands round the sides of her eyes and narrowing them to get a better look, Delila identified that they were Luna Nova students, based on the familiar uniform, cape coat and red sash she spotted on the girl closest to her. But her other two companions appeared to be wearing more casual and vibrant clothing, an observation Delila couldn't help arching a brow at.
The trio stayed in the air until the last of the smoke dispersed into its surroundings, only to suddenly plummet to the floor like someone had just yanked a rug out from underneath them. They released brief cries during their descent, with two of the girls flapping their arms about as if they were baby birds attempting to fly for the first time. But in the end, the entire room was left watching the girls' fronts simultaneously collide against the red carpet with a dull thud, all three of them collapsing face-first in the middle of the school's signature symbol.
A tense silence washed over the auditorium. Students cautiously released each other or warily rose a little out of their seats, their gazes collectively eyeing the newcomers with raised brows or frowns. The teachers and headmistress looked down at the three collapsed students from the stage bug-eyed, gawking like spectators at a magic show. And then there was Hannah and Barbara, whose gasps instantly snapped Delila's head towards them to catch both of their hands smacking over their mouths in sync. There was something more to their reactions than mere shock, Delila thought, making the younger Cavendish furrow her brows at her sister's teammates. Even Diana gave the two a sly sideways glance, her lips poised to address them directly on the matter. But then a pained moan shifted Delila's attention back to the middle of the auditorium.
A girl with brunette hair, who was the middle of the trio, pulled herself to her knees, closed her eyes and rubbed a hand at her lower back, her front facing Delila's direction and allowing the younger Cavendish to get a better look at her. She was wearing a red coat, brown shorts and matching coloured boots with a pink backpack strapped to her back, possessing a curtained fringe that swept to the left side of her forehead and her hair styled into a half-ponytail. Several seconds of rubbing later, the girl cracked open an eye, pausing her movement and blinking widely upon taking notice of her current surroundings.
"Huh?" the girl said as crimson eyes darted about the auditorium, forcing repeated blinks at the still stunned audience staring straight back. Delila caught the notable accent in her voice, though she was struggling to discern its origin. However, the girl's nationality was long forgotten once her wandering eyes halted on the benches in front of her, a wide grin breaking out onto her face. "All right!" she cheered and reached her right hand down to grab a beige and thick stick-like object from the carpet, throwing her hands above her head while leaping to her feet like a baby bunny. "I made it in time!"
From there, the bubbly girl excitedly rambled and occasionally let out bouts of joyous laughter while waving her arms about in the air, leaving Delila and the other students just… staring, unblinking. What exactly was Delila supposed to be looking at? She didn't know. But on a positive note, it appeared that this girl wasn't hurt despite the rough landing.
Of course, the younger Cavendish's attention didn't linger on the celebrating girl for long, swiftly shifting to her two companions when they dragged their bodies onto their knees. The girl kneeling on the right had long, lavender hair with a shoulder-length and parted fringe draping over her left eye, wearing a green dress partially covered by a brown shawl over her shoulders. The lavender-haired girl was watching her rejoicing companion with a weary look in her exposed and drooped red right eye, her skin looking unnaturally pale in comparison to the other two girls present, greyish almost; was she sick, Delila wondered. Either way, this girl was clearly unbothered by the antics occurring, suggesting that she wasn't injured, in the least. But the same couldn't be said for the short, bright orange-haired and freckle faced girl sitting to the left, the one Delila recognised to be wearing Luna Nova's uniform. She was clutching both hands to her right knee, her eyes squeezed shut behind her semi-rimmed spectacles.
Delila switched her focus to the stage, seeing the teachers' and the headmistress' postures had relaxed. Their constantly turning heads and exchanged creased brows suggested to Delila they were unsure of what to do, their attention mainly on the brunette girl based on the occasional glances they kept sending her way. That is until Delila spied a pointed witch's hat with a single red feather tucked in its band dipping in between the teachers, the wearer eventually revealing themselves as she hunched her shoulders as much as she could, curled her arms into her middle and shuffled her way past two teachers standing to the right of the podium.
Delila noticed based on the uniform she was wearing that she was one of the teachers of the school, yet unlike her fellow colleagues—whose ages outwardly appeared to range at middle-aged or higher—this adult witch was much younger, likely in her twenties if Delila were to make an educated guess. Her back-length, dark-blue hair was tied into a low ponytail that draped over her right shoulder, her eyes hidden behind black-framed, oval shaped glasses catching the reflective glint of the auditorium's bright lighting.
"E-Excuse me, Headmistress," the young teacher timidly stammered upon getting to the side of the podium, speaking in what predominantly sounded like a British accent, but with a hidden undertone of another unknown accent that Delila frowned at. Though Delila's pondering was cut short the moment the headmistress and the other teachers focused on their younger colleague. The young teacher visibly shrunk under her colleagues' intense stares, yet with the loud clearing of her throat, she mustered the courage to point a finger towards the orange-haired girl. "I-It appears Miss Jansson is hurt."
Upon hearing this, the brunette girl ceased her hyperactive movements and laughter with a sudden gasp, her former joy instantly replaced with a wide gape.
"Oh! Lotte!" she exclaimed. She whirled round on her heels to face 'Lotte' and dropped to her knees beside her with a dull thump, crimson eyes growing wide and watery at the knee her companion was holding. "I'm so sorry!" she wailed, smacking her palms to her cheeks.
Still holding her knee in both hands, Lotte forced a wobbly smile and shuffled backwards on her bottom a little. "I-It's okay!" she reassured in a soft-spoken tone, speaking with a distinct accent Delila couldn't quite identify. "It hurts worse than it looks!"
The headmistress furrowed her brows and lifted a hand close to her mouth. "Oh dear," she mumbled, her eyes momentarily trailing to the top of the stage. "We should make sure these girls are all right. They did drop from quite a height, after all." The headmistress leaned against the podium to peek round the younger teacher, focusing her gaze on the teacher with grey-blue hair standing just behind her. "Professor Lukić, could you please tend to them?"
'Professor Lukić', whose eyes were narrowed into slits, grunted in acknowledgement and turned away from the podium after a curt nod, walking to the steps on the right side of the stage; however, a tall teacher with brown hair standing just to the left of the headmistress stepped closer to the podium in turn, her brows and lips set into a thin line.
"I will accompany them as well, Headmistress," she declared with her hands placed to her hips, her brows deepening as she gave the offending trio of students a stern glare. "These girls need to be reprimanded for their tardiness and rude disruption."
The brunette girl and Lotte both whimpered and visibly shrunk under the teacher's gaze as the headmistress gave a nod of approval, while the lavender-haired student returned a blank and droopy-eyed stare.
"I shall leave it with you then, Professor Finnelan."
With the confirmation given, 'Professor Finnelan' followed Professor Lukić off the stage, keeping her eyes fixed on the trio all the while. "Come along, girls!" she snapped, making the brunette girl and Lotte flinch simultaneously. "No dawdling!"
"Y-Yessum!" the brunette girl stuttered out in a high-pitched squeak.
Recovering quickly from their momentary scare, the brunette girl wrapped an arm of Lotte's round her shoulders and supported the shorter girl's lower back with an arm of her own, slowly pulling them both to their feet and keeping Lotte steady. She kept that beige, stick-like object clutched against Lotte's side as she gently led her companion down the right aisle of the benches after Professor Lukić, with the lavender-haired student being guided out behind them by Professor Finnelan, the girl's posture slouched and her arms dangling limply at her front.
Before long, the inaudible mutters and whispers of the spectating students sprang up around Delila, yet the younger Cavendish paid them no heed. Instead, the younger Cavendish gave Diana a brief sideways glance, only to raise a brow at seeing her sister's eyes fixated on the brunette-haired student, that thousand-yard stare reflecting past her usually composed mask for the second time today. Diana remained that way even after the group of five departed through the double doors at the room's opposite end, with Delila catching further complaining and hushed remarks from Barbara and Hannah respectively.
"Unbelievable."
"This year's already off to a bad start."
Delila narrowed her eyes at the pair within her peripheral vision, mentally wondering what their problem was. Yet she didn't have time to dwell on it.
A single thundering clap sounded from the podium and echoed throughout the room, restoring silence to the auditorium in an instant. Attention returned to the front of the auditorium as the remaining teachers on the stage took their places on either side of the podium in their former stances, their backs as straight as pins and their chins tilted to the ceiling.
"Apologies for the unexpected interruption, everyone," the headmistress addressed the students calmly while scanning around at the stands and benches. "Please return to your seats so we can pick up where we last left off."
The students were swift to comply and settle down properly in their seats, with Delila, Diana, Hannah and Barbara included at straightening their backs, holding their heads high and placing their hands on their knees once more. But as the headmistress resumed talking, Delila dared to peek at Diana within her peripheral vision, noticing Diana's eyes were looking down at her lap this time, that faraway glisten peeking past her stoic mask as her fingers bent inward.
Despite the unexpected disruption nearly scaring the skin off almost every single witch gathered in the room, the opening ceremony proceeded as if three students hadn't just magically teleported themselves into the middle of the auditorium. With the headmistress' opening speech concluded, the students were left to sit through additional announcements other members of the faculty had to give, leading to various teachers taking it in turns stepping up to the podium after a brief introduction and speaking for at least thirty seconds to a minute each. The only exception was the headmistress, who departed from the auditorium before the announcements began while using a long, thin based and oval shaped headed staff like a walking stick. She was accompanied by a small, elderly teacher with rectangular spectacles, a green cloak over her uniform, two red feathers tucked into the band of her hat and short, turquoise hair with a curtained fringe and curled tips round her cheeks, who collected the register from the table on the way out. Delila assumed whatever business they had was likely related to the dormitory arrangements, yet for now, that was none of her concern.
During the announcements, Delila noticed that the students around her were slowly slumping in their seats and fighting off the urge to close their eyes, including Hannah and Barbara. At one point, Delila caught the two girls leaning towards each other until they bumped shoulders, in turn startling themselves and jolting upwards with sharp headshakes. In comparison to them, however, Delila found she and Diana were faring well at maintaining their tall postures and composed masks. However, it was obvious to Delila based on the occasional sly glances she gave Diana that unlike herself, her sister wasn't paying attention to anything at all. Her eyes hadn't lifted from her lap since the three late arrivals and the two teachers accompanying them had departed, her sharp gaze fixed and unblinking as though lost in thought. Delila was sure it was connected to that unknown brunette-haired student, going off what she'd seen earlier.
When the announcements finally ended, the students were instructed to calmly leave the auditorium and head for the cafeteria while the preparations for the dormitories were made, where they were given the option to have lunch should they want it. Yet even with the lively chatter echoing around them from their peers as they walked beside each other and followed Hannah and Barbara out of the room, neither Delila's nor Diana's demeanours changed. They were as quiet and composed as ever, the youngest setting her sights on her surroundings while the oldest kept hers on her feet, still pondering away on a topic that eluded her sister. But once the group of four reached the cafeteria, Diana's focus on the current situation was restored, her thoughts once again prioritising Delila and manoeuvring her younger sister through her new and chaotic environment.
After agreeing to get one of the tables close to the middle of the cafeteria in front of the windows on the far right, Delila and Diana stayed at the table while Hannah and Barbara lined up at the serving station to collect their food first, respectively seated at the head facing away from the stairs and the chair on the right. With Diana naturally having a better idea of the school's menu and the younger Cavendish's food preferences, she'd agreed to accompany Delila to help her choose something close to what she'd have back at home. But while the two sisters silently sat and waited for Hannah and Barbara to return, Delila's attention was eventually drawn to the row of servers behind the serving stations, who were standing on wooden stools and dishing out the school cuisine to the ravenous yet patiently waiting girls.
At an initial glance, it was obvious that they were Luna Nova staff, all of them wearing identical red caps bearing the school's insignia, alongside matching-coloured dress-like outfits and white aprons. But the uniform did little to hide the fact that the toddler-sized and large-headed servers definitely weren't any of the teachers, let alone witches or humans despite looking humanoid in appearance. In fact, Delila was certain based on her knowledge of magical creatures that they were a species of faerie, specifically goblins—their greyish skin, oval and brown-pupiled eyes, pointy ears, protruding lower jaw fangs and lack of a nose was a big giveaway.
"Hey, Diana?" Delila whispered and leaned closer to her sister without taking her eyes off the serving station. "Are those 'goblins' over there?"
Diana hummed lowly in confirmation and responded in kind. "Luna Nova employs numerous magical creatures for non-teaching duties. The goblins are usually in charge of laundry, cleaning and cooking."
"I thought magical creatures didn't know how to speak in human languages."
"Luna Nova runs a training program to teach them English."
Delila's brows shot upwards with a wide blink. "Can the school afford to do that with their current financial situation?"
"Magical creatures are paid using magical energy from the Sorcerer's Stone, due to their dependence on it to function. So, it's given the school more freedom to use the finances elsewhere."
"Ah. That makes sense." Delila's eyes drooped with a small sigh; if only Aunt Daryl had thought to use their Sorcerer's Stone for a similar purpose, she thought.
When it was their turn to collect their meals, Delila wound up returning to her seat with battered haddock served with a side of chips, peas, white bread and butter and tartare sauce. It was a little bit of a bland meal compared to Delila's usually refined palate, but she wasn't complaining. It was cooked thoroughly, hot, filling and it didn't disgust her tastebuds. At least Delila had one familiar taste from home in the form of a frequently drunk beverage, English breakfast tea; one part milk, two parts water, one teaspoon of sugar, just as she liked it. Either way, Delila had a feeling it was going to take a while before her tastebuds adjusted to Luna Nova's food choices, a sentiment Diana did not share, an observation Delila made as the pair ate their meals in contented silence (well, amidst the inaudible chatter coming from the other tables, of course) while Hannah's and Barbara's chatter flew over their heads from where they were sat opposite Delila and Diana respectively.
By the end of their lunch, however, Delila soon found herself unexpectedly brought into the next upcoming topic of conversation, courtesy of Hannah leaning forward over the table a bit to address her.
"We're sorry you had to witness that rude interruption during your first opening ceremony, Delila," she apologised.
Barbara scowled and nodded vigorously in agreement only to tilt her nose up to the ceiling. "We can assure you that doesn't normally happen."
Delila raised a puzzled brow as she glanced between Hannah and Barbara. Why were they apologising for something that didn't even concern them?
"The apology isn't necessary," Delila reassured, knitting her brows together shortly after. "Although, I must admit that spell they used was intriguing." The younger Cavendish cupped her cheek with a hand and rested her elbow against the table as she sideways glanced her sister. "Don't you think so, Diana?"
Diana, who had been in the middle of sipping her tea, lowered her cup from her lips and forced a blink upon meeting Delila's gaze. "Hm?"
"The teleportation spell in the auditorium. I haven't come across anything like it in the magical texts back at home." Delila moved her hand to her chin and deepened her frown. "Is it a spell you've happened upon through Luna Nova's magical texts, perhaps?"
"Not to my knowledge, no," Diana mumbled and closed her eyes, returning her cup to its platter on her wooden food tray. "Though from initial observations, it looked fairly advanced."
Hannah clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair. "Well, it doesn't matter. They were still technically late."
Barbara gave an open-armed shrug in response. "There's no way they're going to allow them to stay at Luna Nova after pulling that stunt!"
"Good riddance to the moron, I say!"
"She should have never been accepted in the first place!"
There it was again: the same 'moron' Hannah mentioned before the start of the opening ceremony, now with a little more context from Barbara. Why did Delila get the feeling they were talking about the first-generation witch enrolling? Maybe because she couldn't think of anyone else off the top of her head who they'd have a reason to criticise? First generation witches were a controversial topic in the magical world, as Delila was already aware.
Delila scowled and pursed her lips as she shared a look with Diana, who gave the younger Cavendish a dismissive shake of the head, like she was dissuading her from saying anything. It looked like Diana possibly shared in her assumptions, Delila thought, and that was all the more reason for the younger Cavendish to fidget a little in her seat at the skin-crawling tingle that shot down her spine.
Who did Hannah and Barbara remind her of?
Luckily for Delila, her frustrated ponder was interrupted by a grating, British accented female voice loudly clearing her throat from behind her.
"Attention, girls!" she shouted to the cafeteria, causing a hush to suddenly descend across the room.
All the students' heads turned to the first-floor entrance doors of the cafeteria, where Delila spied the small elderly teacher with rectangular spectacles and turquoise hair she'd seen leaving the auditorium with the headmistress. She was standing between the stairs with a wooden clipboard in both hands, resuming talking at a lower volume upon making sure everyone's attention was on her.
"We shall now be commencing the dormitory assignments. When I call your name, please come up to the front and I will confirm which dormitory you'll be staying in."
Starting in descending alphabetical order, the teacher proceeded to call the first name from her clipboard, prompting the mentioned student to stand from her table and approach the front as instructed. Delila then observed the teacher quietly discuss the room assignment with them before sending them up the cafeteria vestibule stairs to the second floor, to which the process would repeat for the next student. As the teacher continued to go down the list of names, however, Delila took the opportunity to briefly face Diana and whisper her way, her curiosity piqued regarding the teacher's identity.
"Who's that?"
"Professor Badcock," Diana answered in kind, not once breaking eye contact from the front of the cafeteria. "She acts as the assistant headteacher of Luna Nova in addition to teaching and handles the administrative duties on behalf of the headmistress."
Ah, that explained why she left the auditorium with the register earlier, Delila realised as she returned her attention to the roll call. And maybe why she was wearing such a sour expression, now that Delila thought about it…
One by one, Delila watched the cafeteria gradually get emptier with each student called forward and then disappearing up the cafeteria vestibule, with the younger Cavendish paying little heed to each name that was said. However, that soon changed when Professor Badcock got to the surnames beginning with 'C'…
"Delila and Diana Cavendish!" Professor Badcock shouted to the room.
Delila and Diana raised a brow each in surprise at hearing both of their names instead of just Delila's, the former in particular glancing over her shoulder at her sister with a faint frown.
"Why did she call us both?" she asked in a low voice.
Diana delayed her answer by several seconds before quickly relaxing her expression, responding to the younger Cavendish in kind. "It's probably because we share the same surname. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."
You don't sound so sure about that, Delila wanted to retort. But upon remembering Hannah and Barbara were in earshot, she held her tongue and instead focused on the task at hand.
The two Cavendish sisters barely began rising from their seats before attention from the remaining students in the cafeteria was drawn straight to them, or more specifically Delila. Delila, naturally, wasn't fazed by this in the slightest. Although not as well-known as her older and more talented sister, Delila was still a Cavendish and a recognisable face to the magical community. Still, as Diana made her way to the front and Delila followed closely behind, she had to try her best to keep her gaze ahead and ignore the sea of eyes watching her like hungry predators waiting to pounce, ignoring the inaudible whispers bouncing between the tables. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could easily speculate what they probably were, a thought that forced her to swallow back the bile attempting to climb up her throat.
As Delila and Diana reached Professor Badcock, the former noticed the elderly witch's posture stiffen upon locking eyes with her, appearing to freeze for several seconds. Eventually, though, Professor Badcock relaxed her stance and shuffled closer to the two sisters, cupping a hand over the side of her mouth while talking to them in a hushed voice, albeit a couple of octaves higher than it probably should have been.
"The headmistress wishes to speak to you about Delila's team assignment. She's waiting in her office for you."
Delila blinked a couple of times in surprise and turned to Diana, whose brows raised in what seemed like confusion until she swiftly recovered her composure after several seconds.
Diana wasn't expecting that response either. That was all Delila needed to know that this wasn't part of the new student protocol.
Per Professor Badcock's instructions, Delila and Diana headed straight for the third floor and to the north corridor where Headmistress Holbrooke's office was, neither of the sisters saying a word the entire way up. However, that all changed as the pair stopped in front of the double doors side by side, where Diana dared to glance over at Delila. Delila's facial expression was her default, stoic one, giving away no traces of whatever thoughts were running through her head in that moment. The same couldn't be said for her left hand, though, which currently had the outside of the pocket containing her elixir vial trapped in a white knuckled death grip.
Of course, Diana's sharp eyes were instantly drawn to the latter like a moth to a light bulb.
"There's no need to worry," Diana reassured lowly, looking away once Delila relaxed her hand and dropped it to her side. "I'm sure the headmistress simply wishes to discuss your illness with you before they complete the arrangements."
Whether Diana was saying that to comfort her or herself as well, Delila didn't know. Either way, the younger Cavendish said nothing and watched the older Cavendish raise her right hand to one of the office doors, rapping her knuckles hard against the wood three times.
"Pardon me, Headmistress," Diana addressed the mentioned witch as loudly as she thought to be appropriate. "It's Diana and Delila. Professor Badcock sent us."
There was a short pause before Delila heard the familiar soft-spoken and posh-accented voice of Headmistress Holbrooke responding from the other side of the doors.
"Come on in, girls!"
With the confirmation for entry given, Diana opened the right door and walked straight inside, prompting Delila to follow her sister inside shortly after.
Upon crossing the threshold, Delila was met with a wide and rectangular room decorated with plain white walls and wooden flooring, its rectangular floorboards forming triangular patterns all the way to the other end of the room. Red carpeting outlined in gold and matching the width of the double doors stretched from the office's entrance up to the room's far side, stopping before a matching circular rug. A long wooden desk was situated atop it in front of seven ceiling-high windows, its back surrounded by nine stands in a semi-circle. Each stand held a statue that depicted varying styled hats or headgear, yet at first Delila didn't give their appearances much attention. That soon changed the second the younger Cavendish's eyes caught the third stand from the right, however, which depicted an unusually large witch's hat adorned with the skull of a horned animal.
Wasn't that—?
"Thank you both for coming," Headmistress Holbrooke's greeting halted Delila's thoughts in their tracks, forcing her gaze to where the elderly witch sat on a wooden chair behind the desk. She had her hands clasped together upon the desk's surface, wearing a warm and polite smile that reminded Delila of the rare smiles she recalled Anna giving her and Diana when her stern façade slipped. "I apologise for the short notice."
"The apologies aren't necessary, Headmistress," Diana replied as she closed the door behind them and led the way to stand in front of the desk, Delila slowly trailing after her and joining her at her right side.
Why weren't there any chairs for visitors, Delila wondered.
"And you must be Delila," the headmistress continued as her focus turned to the mentioned witch. "It's nice to finally meet you, dear."
"Likewise, Headmistress Holbrooke," Delila courteously returned.
Delila's eyes flitted between the headmistress' face and her clasped hands, anticipating a handshake per polite protocol. Instead, Headmistress Holbrooke closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, prompting the teenage witch to frown out of confusion; perhaps Diana had forewarned the faculty about her aversion to touch, she assumed.
"Diana has spoken very highly of you and your dedication to your magical studies. She was adamant you would make a fine addition to our prestigious school, and I couldn't agree more. Based on what we've heard, I'm certain you're going to be right at home here."
Delila's brows raised as she dared to shoot the older Cavendish a sly sideways glance, the latter of whom kept her gaze ahead in response. Delila could tell when someone was trying too hard to get into hers and Diana's good graces because of who they were. Yet as she listened to the headmistress go on, it was dawning on her that Diana had been right with what she'd said earlier: the headmistress' decision wasn't down to preferential treatment, but rather the trust and respect she clearly had for her sister, who had spoken highly of her. That realisation alone caused an unexplained warmth and fuzziness to ripple in Delila's chest, the sudden stinging of her eyes making Delila worry that her stoic mask was about to slip.
Luckily, the headmistress was quick to move the conversation along after straightening up in her chair and lifting her chin a bit, her tone taking on a more authoritative one that Delila recognised from her speech in the auditorium.
"Of course, I didn't just call you here for a warm welcome."
Diana nodded stiffly in acknowledgement. "Yes, Professor Badcock mentioned you wanted to discuss Delila's team assignment?"
"That's correct." Headmistress Holbrooke paused to sigh solemnly and lift her clasped hands to rest her chin upon them, flitting her eyes between the two Cavendish sisters. "When reviewing the register earlier, we discovered that the number of students in attendance for the opening ceremony was two less than we were expecting. As it turns out, the absences were from returning students assigned to the Red Team who never arrived, meaning we no longer have enough students to sort everyone into equal teams of three.
"We were originally planning for Delila to join a team of three with the other new students enrolling this year. But because of the unexpected absences, we are going to have to break tradition and assign one group of four." Headmistress Holbrooke winced and hunched her shoulders a little, her next words coming out as a mutter. "A choice Professor Badcock did not like the sound of…"
Delila's shoulders sagged a little upon hearing this, the urge to smack her palm to her forehead slowly growing by the second; of course, this had to happen to her. Still, at least that explained Professor Badcock's nervous behaviour earlier, Delila realised; she should have expected the staff of Luna Nova to be the primary problematics when it came down to changes to tradition.
Diana's brows knitted together in a thin line as she cupped a hand to her chin. "I see. So, what are you proposing, Headmistress?"
"Well, we could place Delila and the other three students together in the Red Team. However,"—the headmistress furrowed her brows at Delila as she addressed her directly—"you suffer with Grieving Heart Syndrome, don't you, Miss Cavendish?"
Delila nodded once and clasped her hands behind her back. "That's correct."
"I am concerned how such an arrangement could impact your condition. I feel it'd be a bit of a squeeze having four students share the same dormitory, and while we can make an exception and give you your own room on medical grounds, you're not allowed to be left alone for long periods of time during the evening, are you?"
"No, I'm not," Delila confirmed, with Diana nodding in agreement. "I did sleep on my own back at home, but I had to be periodically checked on as a precaution."
"Delila's condition isn't life-threatening; however, it can put her into life-threatening situations if no one is around to help her quickly," Diana added.
The headmistress hummed and nodded slowly a couple of times. "I assumed as much. Which is why I called you here as well, Diana."
"Hm?" Diana let out a quizzical hum and a forced blink, prompting the headmistress to elaborate.
"I was wondering if you'd be willing to let Delila become a fourth member of the Blue Team."
In hindsight, Delila should have seen this coming, and frankly, she thought Diana should have as well. The headmistress didn't even need to elaborate on her reasons for making such a suggestion, because they were glaringly obvious to both sisters already. And yet it didn't stop the pair's matching eyes from widening, the older Cavendish's more subtly than the younger one's.
"As her sister and one who is already familiar with her medical condition and requirements, I think Delila could become better accustomed to life at Luna Nova being around a familiar face," the headmistress continued and closed her eyes. "Of course, you don't have to agree if you—"
"Ahem!" Diana was the first of the Cavendish twins to regain her composure then, interrupting Headmistress Holbrooke with the gentle clearing of her throat and her knuckles to her lips. "Actually, I was about to make the same proposal myself."
Delila's head whirled to face Diana so fast, she swore she was close to snapping it off her own neck. Meanwhile, Headmistress Holbrooke's eyes snapped open again with the sharp raise of her brows, a surprised look of her own making itself known.
"Really?"
"Yes." Diana placed a hand to her hip. "If Delila must go into a team of four, I agree she'd be better suited in the Blue Team."—the older Cavendish spared her younger sister a quick sideways glance—"She is required to share her medical history with her potential roommates, and I don't think she is comfortable divulging such personal information to complete strangers at this stage, are you?"
Delila's shoulders stiffened a little when both sets of blue eyes turned to her, her own pair shifting back and forth a couple of times between her sister and the headmistress expectantly awaiting an answer.
"Um…" the younger Cavendish hesitated, only to find her voice again after a quiet and thick gulp. "Yes. T-That's right."
"So, you have no objections to this arrangement?"
Delila shook her head; both Diana's and the headmistress' reasons were valid, after all.
Diana gave an approving nod. "Then it's settled."
Headmistress Holbrooke smiled brightly and gleefully clapped her hands together underneath her chin. "Splendid! Thank you so much for your cooperation, Miss Cavendish!"
"Was there anything else you needed, Headmistress?"
The headmistress held up a hand to give Diana a dismissive wave, her smile dimming down a little. "There is still the matter of where Delila will be sleeping in your dormitory, but I'll leave you to discuss that with Professor Finnelan later." She made a gentle shooing motion with her hand. "For now, you girls are dismissed."
Diana bowed forward a little as a show of both respect and acknowledgement to the elderly witch, with Delila doing the same after several seconds of delay.
"Thank you, Headmistress Holbrooke," Diana muttered before righting herself.
"Yes, thank you," Delila quietly parroted and then stood straight again. "I really appreciate the efforts of the school to accommodate me and my needs."
Headmistress Holbrooke shook her head in dismissal. "You're very welcome, dear. But the gratitude is unnecessary. After all…" She offered Delila a kind smile, the latter of which took the younger Cavendish off guard with a shocked blink. "Those who desire to learn magic deserve to be given the opportunity, don't they?"
Delila wanted to agree, but deep within the crevices of her mind, her aunt's saccharine voice rose to the fore once more to taunt her, restoring that aching tightness to her chest.
"After all, a witch who cannot use her powers, regardless of the reason, is still but a child. Diana has already embarrassed the Cavendish name with that in the past. The last thing this family needs is her sickly spare doing the same."
Delila spent the entire short walk to Diana's— sorry, their dormitory (that was going to take some getting used to, Delila thought) lightly scratching her chest through the material of her cape coat with a hand. The tightness hadn't eased at all since they'd left the headmistress' office, wriggling away under her skin like she'd become host to a maggot infestation. It was so distracting, in fact, that the younger Cavendish was struggling to pay attention to Diana, who was obliviously talking away to her from where she was walking just ahead of her.
"Hannah and Barbara need to be informed about your condition, but we can be vague on the details until you're better acquainted. It's not necessary for them to know what your affliction is at this stage." Diana held her chin between her fingers, resting an elbow on her other palm. "This also means your bed will need to go on my side of the room so you can take your medication in private. Though seeing as there isn't adequate space for another single bed, converting mine into a bunk bed seems like the way to go—"
"Bunk bed?" Delila repeated incredulously as she snapped her head up to look at her sister's back, her scratching stopping almost instantly. Now that had gotten her attention. "You'd sleep in a bunk bed?"
"Don't act so surprised," Diana chided and briefly glanced over her shoulder. "I am perfectly capable of compromising." She and Delila slowed to a stop as they gained on the dormitory at the end of the second-floor corridor of the east building extension, the former returning to facing forwards again. "But I must insist you take the bottom bed, in that case."
"Yes, that's fine." Delila patted at her chest. "Personally, I'd rather not be up the ladder if I suffer a medical emergency."
"I'll ensure to relay that to Professor Finnelan when she arrives then."
"Much appreciated."
Delila wasn't sure how much time had passed since she and Diana were in the headmistress' office; however, she assumed it was long enough that both Hannah and Barbara had been sent up to the dormitory, meaning they were both likely waiting for them on the other side of the door. This was why the moment she saw Diana reach out for the doorknob, the tightness in her chest dug its aching fingers further underneath her skin, the words impulsively leaping from her tongue like a diver jumping from the diving board.
"D-Diana, wait!" Delila slightly stuttered with her hand partly outstretched. Diana's fingers halted inches away from the doorknob, the older Cavendish partially turning to face Delila with a cocked brow. For several seconds, the younger Cavendish's words became caught in her throat, though it wasn't long before she managed to force them out slow and steady, her brows furrowing while she watched her phrasing. "A-Are… Are you really okay with this?"
Diana huffed and allowed her eyes to droop a little. "If I wasn't comfortable sleeping in a bunk bed, Delila, I wouldn't hesitate to—"
"N-No, no!" Delila hastily interrupted and waved her palms about frantically in front of her. "I-I'm not talking about the bed! I-I meant…" She hesitated and halted her movement, recoiling her hands to her chest and splaying both sets of fingers over the area afflicted with pain. "I meant having me on your team."
Both of Diana's brows raised sharply with a wide blink to match, her mouth dropping open a little. The older Cavendish stared Delila down wordlessly for a solid five seconds, then temporarily pressed her lips together again and frowned deeply, her sharp eyes narrowing.
"Why would you think that?"
"… Because I'm breaking school tradition?" Delila stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, tilting her head to the side. "Aren't you concerned what the teachers and students are going to think of you having your sister as a fourth member of the Blue Team, including your roommates?"
Diana scowled sternly and folded her arms. "You were going to end up in a group of four regardless, Delila. Do you really think being the fourth member of another team wouldn't have made a difference to my reputation, considering our relation?"
… Okay, Diana had her there, Delila mentally admitted.
"And besides," Diana continued, daring to step closer to Delila as she did so. "it's not like the headmistress can just expel you to correct the numbers. What happened was an unfortunate occurrence. It wasn't your fault. So, what can the faculty and the students here at Luna Nova judge you for, really?"
"My illness hindering my magic control?" Delila blurted out without thinking, but even if she'd stopped herself, it still didn't make it any less true.
"That's just your lack of self-confidence talking."
"Bold of you to assume I had self-confidence to begin with," Delila deadpanned, prompting Diana to shake her head and sigh quietly in dismay. At least that was a sign that Diana was getting through to her, though.
For a moment, the two Cavendish sisters became engulfed in the silence of the dormitory corridor, the pair maintaining eye contact and not saying a word to one another. And then, without thinking, Diana went ahead to place her hand firmly upon Delila's closest shoulder, not realising what she'd done until she felt the younger Cavendish instinctively jerk in surprise to her touch.
Diana blinked widely at the hand on her sister's shoulder and tensed her fingers a little, an apology springing to the tip of her tongue as she prepared to move her hand back. However, she paused at noticing that Delila's fingers on both hands were constantly twitching at her sides out of discomfort, yet she wasn't making any move to push her sister's hand off her shoulder. In fact, Delila swore the warmth given by her sister's touch was gradually rippling throughout her body, washing away the aching tightness in her chest like a gentle wave.
"You remember the promise we both made to Mother when we were young, don't you?" Diana enquired, her expression softening at the stiff nod and shaky breath Delila replied with amidst her constant twitching. "You and I have spent the last three years keeping that promise vaguely intact through letters. But today, you took a risk and came all this way to protect that promise, to help fulfil Mother's belief that we would be the ones to save our family. The least I can do to return the favour is take a risk of my own to further protect it." Diana tightened her grip a little on Delila's shoulder, a weak smile slipping onto her lips in the process. "I told you not to make yourself uncomfortable for my sake and I meant it, so please don't worry, okay?"
Delila allowed her shoulders to sag a little as the last of the aches in her chest disappeared, Diana's reassurance finally succeeding in ridding the younger Cavendish of her former worries and once again overpowering her aunt's past taunts to the point of shoving them back into the dark crevices where they belonged—'out of sight, out of mind,' as the saying goes. However, as the younger Cavendish prepared to open her mouth to respond to her sister, muffled footsteps charging towards them from the other side of Diana's— their dormitory door forced Delila to shut it.
With Diana retracting her hand from Delila's shoulder, the Cavendish twins faced the door just as it violently swung open, revealing a gawking Barbara in a wide stance in the doorway, her cape coat and hat no longer on her person and exposing her Luna Nova uniform.
"There you are, Diana!" Barbara exclaimed in a relieved tone, briefly turning to look over her shoulder as another pair of footsteps hurried their way over to the door, revealed to be Hannah's when Barbara addressed her. "See, Hannah?!" She gestured her hands to the older Cavendish as Hannah appeared in the doorway beside her, her own cape coat and hat discarded. "I told you I could hear her voice out here!"
Before either Hannah or Barbara could bombard their roommate with a barrage of concerned questions, though, they both took notice of Delila standing behind Diana, prompting the pair to raise a brow each and slowly lean to the left and right respectively to peek round the older Cavendish at the younger one.
"… Is everything all right, Diana?" Barbara asked carefully, sounding genuinely confused, Delila noted.
"Yeah, why's Delila with you?" Hannah quizzically added.
Diana straightened out her posture and tilted her chin to the ceiling, her usual composed demeanour restored.
"All will be explained soon, girls," she answered calmly. "But I can assure you that everything is fine." Diana paused to look over her shoulder at Delila, who returned her sister's stoic stare after righting her own shoulders. "… There's just been a slight change to our living arrangements."
Evening veiled itself over Luna Nova like a thick blanket, plunging the gigantic and castle-like building and its surrounding forest into pitch black. Within the end dormitory on the second floor of the east extension building, its inhabitants lay still and fast asleep in their beds amidst the evening backdrop, content with whatever awaited them following their first official day at Luna Nova. All except Delila, who, now donning a white and long-sleeved nightgown, laid sprawled out on her back underneath the red quilt of her bed. Blue eyes honed on the wooden planks of the bed bathed in the faint silver moonlight above her, listening to the quiet and soft breathing coming from Diana, Hannah and Barbara from both sides of the bedroom. It was a strange sound for Delila to hear after spending the last three years sleeping alone, yet she could admit that it was a welcomed one. It was nice hearing sounds coming from someone other than herself for a change.
The young Cavendish's mind was still reeling from the events that had followed after her return to the dormitories with Diana, from Hannah's and Barbara's overly receptive attitude and excitement to gaining Diana's sister as an extra roommate, to receiving her sash, hat and shoe bands and wand from Professor Finnelan upon making the necessary adjustments to Diana's side of the room. By now, Delila was certain that the fact she was officially a student at Luna Nova would have sunk in, but the fact that she was still lying awake in her dormitory after receiving the rest of her school uniform, and knowing that tomorrow she officially started her magical education, proved that it hadn't. It had literally been twenty-four hours, yet still it felt like she was trapped in a self-induced dream, no matter how much or how hard she pinched her skin.
Of course, that was the least of Delila's problems. Because it wasn't just Delila's self-disbelief causing sleep to evade her. No. She also had the disembodied words from Beatrix's tapestry and its translation playing through her thoughts like a broken record player, the faint voice belonging to a face she could no longer remember and a name she struggled to even say these days, let alone think.
"Civilladura Lelladebura."
"An old tradition and a new power will cross to open the door to the unseen world…"
Delila couldn't remember how long ago it had been when she'd last heard those words spoken from her lips, though it's not like it mattered. Because even after all this time, she still didn't know their true meaning. But as she closed her eyes to try to get some sleep, she at least assured herself that it was fine if she didn't.
After all, she and Diana had the next three years to figure it out together.
A/N:
Okay. First and foremost: Delila's team assignment. I'm sure a lot of you guessed that she was going to wind up with the Blue Team. I did play with the idea of having Delila wind up with the Red Team instead, but... it made more sense for me to put her with Diana. Not only because it makes it harder for Delila once Akko comes into the picture, but also because I think it will really add to the tension and conflict between her and the Blue Team in later episodes. But mainly, it was because of Delila's character. She would not have been comfortable sharing a room with strangers even if she'd gone into a team of three. She has hinted at this in previous chapters already. So... yeah. It was inevitable she wound up with Diana. Outside of her 'Grieving Heart Syndrome' (as you now know it's called) playing into this, I also played with the idea of Lotte already having team members before Akko and Sucy who never showed up. I rewatched the first episode at the part where she and Akko first meet and she does already have a red sash on her, which is what inspired this idea. Even if this wasn't canon in the show, I thought it acted as a nice setup for a potential issue with Delila's team assignment. I will admit the interaction between Headmistress Holbrooke, Diana and Delila was difficult to write, but Headmistress Holbrooke seemed like the perfect fit for the two sisters to talk to about the dilemma. Unlike the other teachers, especially Badcock and Finnelan, Holbrooke came across as more accommodating and accepting to certain things even if they went against Luna Nova's traditions, thus it made sense to me Delila and Diana had the conversation with her.
Also, the bunk bed thing. I know what some of you are thinking. Would Diana actually agree to sleep on a bunk bed? Honestly, I wasn't sure. But when I tried to figure out where Delila was gonna go in the room, it was obvious the only place an extra bed could have gone was by Hannah and Barbara, and Delila wouldn't have been comfortable with that. The Chamber of Time and anime screenshots showed just how small Diana's portion of the room was, so there was no way a second bed was gonna fit in there no matter how much I rearranged stuff. XD But Diana does seem like the type who can compromise on certain things, and she knows how uncomfortable Delila would have been with her roommates at this stage, so… yeah.
Regarding the mention of the food: Not much to say here. Just a bit of worldbuilding I felt was relevant. They are at a British boarding school, after all. It made sense they'd primarily serve British food, which I wanted to make reference to. I did try to find out what food was actually served on Akko's food tray during the second episode for help, but I couldn't identify it from images alone. So, I took inspiration from actual school menus in the UK. Speaking of which, this is also the reason why some of you might have noticed I've been using specific words and phrases for job roles and food. Diana and Delila are British, so expect to see a lot of unfamiliar words in their speech and my narration (i.e. 'chips' instead of 'fries', or 'headteacher' instead of 'principal').
Ursula's accent: I know Ursula is French originally, but as she is in disguise here, it made sense for me to pretend she's taken on a British accent to blend in with her surroundings, with traces of her original accent still there. After all, someone is bound to know her by voice even after ten years, right?
And lastly, the incident in the auditorium. I wasn't sure how to end it, as the way it was ended in the episode wouldn't have translated well to this story. Thus, I used Lotte's bruised knee as a excuse. I know she wasn't badly injured really, but the teachers don't know that. XD This was also the reason why I skimmed a bit over certain teachers' appearances. Delila will be encountering them in episode 2, so the descriptions and details will come in then. And the ending for this particular chapter was also a bit short, admittedly, but... this thing was already over 8,000 words long and it seemed pointless to drag it out any longer. Not to mention Delila has already addressed a lot of things with Diana over the previous chapters, so there was no reason to keep throwing in pointless and drawn out conversations or pondering.
I think that covers everything, though I might add to this later if I remember anything else to address. Or someone points it out. XD