Chapter 7

After dinner, I went to rework my lesson. I even skipped taking a bath for that. Well, I skipped taking a six-hour bath. It was just a short, two-hour one.

I worked through the night. Planning a lesson for three different kinds of people who already knew the basics was much more exhausting. At least Uncle had given me a list with all potions they had brewed and what grade they had received for them. Morgana had excellent grades. Every potion she brewed received the highest grade from uncle. She was as good as I had been in third grade. But I didn't need to attend a lot of courses, so I had more time, so I would say she was really good for a fifth grade student. Merlin was also not bad. A few hic-ups here and there where he didn't gain full points but still quite good. Augustus, on the other hand, was a disaster. At least compared to the others. I was sure he would still be good compared to the other students, or uncle wouldn't have chosen him, but the only potion he got full marks in was the love potion. I had to be careful what I drink. But I guess if he really did that, it would be a suicide potion instead of a love potion. At least for Augustus. If mother or uncle wouldn't kill him before the duration of the potion ends, I would do it soon after. Not that it would take too long. Most potions weren't as effective on me as they were on normal humans.

Oh, it's already time for breakfast. Who would have thought that planning a lesson could take up so much time. No wonder mother always looked tired. But how does she plan so many lessons. I mean, I only planned my first, and it took me the whole night, but mother needs to plan multiple lessons each day. And she needs to sleep too. I should ask her about it. Maybe there is some kind of trick.

No William again. Is he really avoiding me? I should go looking for him. If I remember correctly, HIS common room was behind the picture of that fat young girl with the big sword. Was probably his first love or something like that. Or maybe his sister? His other women were slim like mom, so I doubt he had something with a woman like her.

Why does this castle have so many stairs. Maybe I could save time by just jumping up the stories. No, the other students are already scared enough because they think I will eat them, or turn them, or whatever they think I really am and do. No need to confirm any rumors. I'm just a normal witch with scarlet eyes who walks the stairs. Lalala Lalala.

"Password." Wow, the fat girl is, in fact, really fat. Can pictures gain weight? How much chicken would I need to eat to get that fat? What was the password again? Ahh, I can't remember. I never visited HIS common room. Most of his students are brutes and cowards, so I didn't even visit the place when HE was still together with mother.

"I don't know. Just open the door. I need to see a student in there." I said, fully expecting that the fat bitch would open the door, but noo, she thought she was someone important and had to follow the rules.

"No password, no entry." Her quicky pig voice was annoying.

"Hey, you stupid fat troll. Open the door before I carve my way in." Didn't she see that I just wanted to check on a friend? There had to be some leeway for that.

"How dare you?" To be honest, I didn't know pictures could change colors, but she was fuming in the picture. I didn't care. She was just a damn door and should do her job.

"Maybe I can help. Carpe Diem." Said a girl my height with blond hair. She had nice braids; maybe I should try that too.

"Fine. But I will report your behavior to Professor Lionheart." Said the lady as she swang open.

"You don't even know my name." Well, she didn't need to. She just had to say the color of my hair, and HE would know who she was talking about.

"Thank you for the help." I thanked the nice girl. She spared me a lot of effort, so I thought it was appropriate.

"No problem. Who do you want to meet anyway? I have never seen you here." Yeah, because I never go here. Anyway, maybe she could tell me where Will was.

Oh that is awkward. Everyone was staring at me. Yeah, I know I'm the evil girl everyone hates. Keep your distance, or I will attack you or whatever they say about me now.

Honestly. With how much HE boasts about how brave his students are, they are scaredy cats. Even the bookworms in Aunt Seraphina's tower aren't so scared of me. Maybe HE did tell his students to stay away from me. He never liked me, so that was in the realm of possibilities.

"I want to talk with William. Do you know where he is?" I whispered that. I didn't want Will to become an outcast just because I asked about him in public. To my surprise, that girl looked a little frightened at me.

"You don't want to do something to him, don't you?" What? No, why would I do something to him? Are you stupid?

"No? Why would I?"

"Ohh, I just thought he annoyed you so much. Everyone knows he asks you out every day, and I thought you... you know." No, I don't know. Speak clearly, girl. And what do you mean everyone knows? Ohh right. She is just talking about asking me out. He did that for years, so I guess it makes sense.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I will bring you to him. He is in his dorm. He has a severe cold, so I was about to bring him breakfast. Please don't do something to him." Mean to what? Okey, maybe I should get updated on the rumors that currently circulate around. AND WHY IS SHE BRINGING HIM BREAKFAST? He could have just asked me to bring him some. Just because I sent him away for the night doesn't mean I don't care.

"I won't do anything to him. Just lead the way." The other student's stares followed us up the stairs, and no one moved. Idiots.

"You know, I never understood why you rejected him for so many years. He is such a smart and nice guy. You should see how he takes care of the first-graders or how the professors prize him. I wish he would ask me out." Wait a moment. Did that girl just confess to me that she liked my boyfriend? I will burry her in the forest, where no one will find her. Just because I rejected him one or two times didn't mean I didn't like him. Yeah, maybe one or two hundred times, but who counts something like that anyway? No reason to jump to conclusions, girl.

"He takes care of the first graders? I didn't know that." Okay, girl, I try it the subtle way because I don't know if William likes you or not. But please get the hint that I have some kind of interest in him.

"Yeah, he helps them with homework, or if there is bullying, he steps in. He is really a good guy." Nope, she didn't get it.

"Yeah, he is nice…" Why didn't she ask him out before? Or did she ask him, and he rejected her because of me? They seemed to be close, or she wouldn't bring him breakfast. How do I react to that? Why does our school library only have books about useless stuff like magic and no guides for something like that?

Knock Knock

"Lo- cough-Loraine, come in." I could hear his voice. He was really ill, which meant he wasn't avoiding me. Yippee, I guess, but also, Ohhh noo. He should really have used his wand earlier to dry himself up. If it was so important to him to see me in wet clothes or to show me his well-trained body, he should have just asked. Wait a moment. No, he shouldn't; we aren't that far. My brain is just thinking stupid things again.

"Thank you, I was starving. OOHHH, Charly, how come? How are you here? Why are you here?" he looked pale. Paler than two days ago. He also didn't look as if he had taken a bath today. His hair was wildly pointing in every direction, while he lied in bed in his pajamas, covered by a thick blanket. And while he looked surprised, he also looked embarrassed and also, and that was the most important, happy to see me.

"Lorain, can you give him his breakfast and leave us alone?" That was more polite than I thought. I didn't know what relationship he had with Lorain, but I was sure that I didn't want to talk to him in front of her.

She looked at me, frightened again. Then she looked at William.

"Will? Is that okay with you?" she asked, scared but willing to confront me for her friend. I could accept that. She didn't know me, or at most only knew rumors that were worse than reality, so I didn't blame her. At least not as much as I would have blamed her if she had fled in panic. But I noticed that she also called him Will. Only I was allowed to call him that. Okay, maybe she did call him that beforehand. Will is just the short form of William, so it would make a lot of sense. I need a new name for him. I was good at naming things. Just ask Harvey.

"Yes, its-caugh- fine." Maybe I should bring him some milk with honey. Mother always made it for Percival when he had a cold. I should ask mother how she did it, and when I do, I should suggest that she build an infirmary with a specialist who can brew a potion or flick his wand to keep the students healthy.

Lorain nodded as she left the room, but only not after skeptically giving me one last glare.

The moment the door closed, I rushed forward and gave Will a long kiss.

"I know you had a reason for not coming to see me." Kissing him felt so good, and I felt as if a burden was taken from me.

"Stop it; you will get ill too." He was worried about me. How sweet.

"If you had something that could affect me, you would probably already be dead." It was the truth. I never had a common disease. Just one time, but the disease had the name dragon in it, so I guess it wasn't exactly normal, and it was also when I was so little that I can't remember. Mother just told me I had it when she found me.

He looked a little surprised at that.

"I guess you are full of surprises. But I honestly don't feel so good. Everything arches, and I can't move so well." Was this the famous male flu? HE also had it a few times. Mother needed to take care of him for two or three whole days, and he wouldn't even leave the bed. Maybe I need to do the same. It should be my responsibility now. Right? First date health care or something like that.

"What are you doing?" climbing in your bed and cuddling you till you are well again? Maybe I should have started with the milk.

"I just wanted to… Well, I can't get sick, and I thought you wanted some company. You know I can also take care of you. You don't need that stupid Lorain."

He groaned. Why did he groan? Did I do something stupid?

"Okay, come in first." He pulled up his blanket to let me under it. Maybe I should have picked something different than a dress. Just a normal robe like the other students would have been better for that. But it was my favorite dress. The sky blue one Well, my second favorite now that I could wear the red one without long sleeves.

"Okay, first of all, Lorain isn't stupid. She is nice, and she is my friend. A normal friend nothing more. We grew up together in Bristol, and she is kind of like a neighbor. But you don't need to be jealous, okay?" Okay, maybe I accidentally called her stupid. So she was a childhood friend. Which means they are pretty close. And she definitely likes him. Which makes it a little difficult for me. I mean, I can't tell him to stay away from his childhood friend. That would be crazy. I mean, who would put me over his childhood friend anyway?

"Second of all. Thank you. But I think if you did that, people would ask questions. Do you want that?" Okay, I haven't thought about it like this. I mean, getting him his meals, his milk, and visiting him here would be quite obvious. I haven't even talked with mother about it. What if she hears it from a rumor instead of from me? She would be... Well, I don't know what she would be, but it can't be something good. Okay, I need to calm down. Thing fast, Charlotte; think fast. So he asked me if I wanted that, so he lets me decide that. Does that mean we are boyfriend and girlfriend and just haven't made it public? I think yes. But what if I'm wrong? I should just ask him.

"I wouldn't mind, I guess. I'm not sure. Are we at that stage already? Are you my... my..." Okay, I couldn't say it. It is just too awkward.

"Are you my what?" Was he really that stupid? Okey, no, he is grinning. That ass is just teasing me.

"Are you my boyfriend or not? Now it's out. Are you happy?" Okay, that sounded more angry than planned, but he deserved it this time.

"Yes, yes, I am my beautiful, amazing, caring, and easily irritated girlfriend." Hey, since when was I caring? Never mind. He called me his girlfriend. Mission accomplished. I need to tell mother. Maybe I should ask him if I can tell mother. I know that some of the students in Toadwits who date each other wait because parents have the tendency to arrange a marriage as soon as you tell them that you like someone. But first of all, another kiss. He tastes a little less nice than during our date, but I guess he is excused for that because he is ill.

"Can I ask you something?" Okey, slowly and carefully, I shouldn't come on too strong.

"Anything, Charly." Charly. I really had to get used to it. That reminds me that I need to find another name for him.

"Before I bring you lunch, dinner, milk with honey, and all that, I would like to tell my mom. I don't want her to hear it from someone else." I hope he understood that. I mean, it was really plausible, unlike some of my other thoughts.

"You really like her, do you? Can you answer me something?" That didn't answer my question. Well, I just realized I didn't really ask him a question. I just told him I would like to tell my mom, but he is still an idiot. Still, now he is my idiot and he is ill, so I will let him get away with it.

"Yes, I like her. What do you want to know? I will tell you anything?" This is how you answer a question.

"Anything?" Oh, that gaze.

"Know your limits." I pouted again. Damned.

"Yes, yes, it was just a joke. What I wanted to ask is, why do you always call your mother mother and not mom, like just now? You never do that. It's always mother this, mother that, but never mom." Uff, a personal and not-so-easy question to answer. Didn't expect that. Should I tell him? Well, he knows that she is not my real mom anyway, so I guess it's fine.

"Mother, I mean Helga, is not my real mother, you know that. Sure, she takes care of me, teaches me, and worries about me, and I'm really thankful for that, but she still isn't my real mom. My real mom died to save me. Instead of living eternally as a vampire, she killed herself to save me. She deserves to be called my mom. I wish I could have met her, you know. There is so much I would like to tell her, but I can't. Mother, on the other hand, has taken her place, but I just don't want her to be a replacement. So when I call mother mom, it usually involves topics I would love to talk to my real mom about. Mother knows that, or at least I think she knows. But on the other hand, I know that she likes it when I call her mom. It's as if the barrier between us gets thinner then." That was the gist of it. I don't need to tell him that I sometimes use it when I want something from mother, because I know she gets weak then.

"Hatschu!" "Ahhh""Sorry." At least he had the decency to look in the other direction when sneezing.

"So, when I understand it correctly, you just said mom to her because it was something you would like to tell your real mom. That is kind of sweet and sad at the same time. Thank you for sharing it. I know it's not easy to talk about something like that. Were you ever at her grave? Does she have a grave?"

That question shocked me. I had never been to my mom's grave. I didn't even know if she had one. I need to ask mother about it.

My silence seemed to answer the question.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to."

"Its fine." I interrupted him. It was really fine. While it made me sad to have realized that I never knew or that I didn't come up with this on my own, I think it's good that I realized it now instead of in ten or twenty years.

"You should eat something. Stu...Lorain went all the way up and down this tower for you to get your breakfast, so you should eat it."

He did as I told him, and we remained like that in silence. It wasn't awkward. It was just comfortable. I cuddled him from the left side while he attempted to eat with his free hand.

Knock Knock