𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝐻𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒

2: 𝙵𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚃𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎

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"𝙱𝚎𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎
𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕,

𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢
𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍𝚟'𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍
𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎"

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☀︎︎-----------------------------------

🅕︎🅘︎🅝︎🅐︎🅛︎ 🅜︎🅞︎🅝︎🅣︎🅗︎
🅞︎🅕︎ 🅨︎🅔︎🅐︎🅡︎ 🅣︎🅦︎🅞︎
☾︎
ⁱⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᵉᵖᵗʰˢ ᵒᶠ ᶜᵃᶜᵏˡᵉ'ˢ ᵃᶜᵃᵈᵉᵐʸ

The cool swish in the air was the only thing that reminded Mildred that she had been mindlessly walking around the grounds of Cackle's. She was not the to witch dwell on things much, but it always seems to be Ethel Hallow who brings out her worst insecurities. The blonde witch had made a comment about her father: "If your father unlikely comes to find his daughter was a failure, I wouldn't blame him if he would leave again."

Maud and Enid heard the snide remark from the Hallow girl, bubbling anger in both girls. Maud, being the more peaceful one, went to comfort Mildred instantly, as Enid glared and spouted out her own insult to Ethel. Mildred hadn't heard it though, her mind preoccupied with the comment about her father. And though Mildred was known to be quite the clutter minded child, she knew better than to feel bad about what Ethel said. The only thing Mildred wanted to know about her father is why he chose to leave.

It was now after classes when Mildred decided she needed alone time. Maud and Enid understood of course, they knew she must have needed space after what Ethel said. Enid had even gone as far as suggesting to make a potion to mess with Ethel.(Both Maud and Mildred told her not to.)

Unexpectedly, Mildred found herself walking in front of her magical family tree. She loves her mother and her grandmother a lot, but it's not a secret that Mildred was slightly upset not seeing many other relatives. In her sad daze, she stalked closer to the tree. Emotions raced wildly in the girl, going from thought to thought.

And as if the tree could sense her frustration, she saw the mini version of her mother walk into view from the tree trunk. Julie had her signature messy curls in place, but a pitiful look escaped the mother's face. This made Mildred confused, as her mother said something more puzzling.

"Oh Millie-love, I should have told you."

Not helping Mildred's confusion, her tiny mother disappeared and the branches of her family tree contorted in weird ways. Some branches disappeared, and others twisted and grew.

"Mum? What are you talking about?" the young witch asked bemused, "Hey! come back!"

The tree had stopped contorting.
'Well that was weird.'

Mildred had gone even closer to her tree, examining the changes that just occurred.

"Hello? Mum?"

But it was not Julie Hubble that young Mildred saw, it was another face that set the girl into panic and even more confusion.

"Miss Hardbroom?!"

The strict and brooding tiny version of the potions mistress snapped her head to the sound of Mildred's voice. Neither Mildred nor mini Miss Hardbroom spoke. This gave her time to observe the tree further. She saw the blurry figures of other witches, black clothing, strict demeanor, and the signature bored Hardbroom face. Mildred swore she saw a blur of pink too, but the adrenaline in her screamed at her to run.