Molly knew that Miss Moffat would go ballistic if she could see them now. Molly wasn't meant to take Flame out of the dungeon, let alone take him flying. But he was a winged creature who had the desire to fly and she saw it as cruel to keep him cooped up in the dungeon where he was so restricted. Besides, they were far enough away from the Academy not to be seen.
'Okay Flame, let’s do one more loop-the-loop and then we’d better get going,' Molly announced.
They both flew alongside each other, circling the sky in sync with each other. As they flew to a stop Molly looked at Flame, who was hovering mid-air. It was clear that he wanted to continue flying, but he wasn't going to risk upsetting Molly.
'Okay, that's enough for tonight.'
Flame widened his eyes and gave her his best sad look.
'It's no good looking at me like that, it's getting late and I can't have Miss Moffat notice my absence. Besides, I have to be up at an insanely early time to feed a certain dragon,' she smirked.
Flame could have flown off and dragged Molly with him as he was stronger and quicker than her. He didn't do this because he cared about the blonde girl who had only shown kindness towards him.
'Come on Flame, let's go,' she gave him a smile.
She began to fly and at first he remained static in the air, refusing to budge. Molly came to a halt, unable to go any further with the rope on her broom tethering Flame to it.
'Flame please,' she gave a gentle tug on the rope.
He looked at her and gave a tilt of his head before he coughed out a spark.
'Flame,' she gave him a stern look, but was unable to hide her smile.
She nudged on the rope but he gave a shake of his head, so she let go of the rope, folded her arms and looked away from him. A minute passed before Flame flew alongside her and gently nudged his head against her side. She turned her head away from him and continued to ignore him.
Flame nudged her again, slightly harder this time. She wobbled on her broom and had to reach out quickly and grab onto her broomstick to steady herself.
'Flame, that’s enough, we're going.'
Flame puffed out another spark before he flapped his wings and began to fly forwards.
'Finally,' Molly grinned, as she flew after him.
Back at the Academy, she paused in front of the cupboard door and looked down at a glum looking Flame.
'Come on boy, I'll be back tomorrow.'
Flame shook his head and flew backwards. He didn't want to go back to that gloomy, lonely place, instead he wanted to stay with Molly.
'Flame,' she hissed, as she looked over her shoulder. 'You don't want me to get into trouble do you?'
He sighed before he took a reluctant step towards the cupboard. He paused and looked up at her with puppy dog eyes.
'Fine,' she smirked. 'Just this once, I suppose I could sneak you into my room. It will be a one-off though, so don't get any ideas.'
Flame excitedly stuck his tongue out at her and licked her on the face.
'Come on then,' she chuckled.
Molly snuck him along the corridors, passing the snoring statues and eerily silent classrooms. Flame took in everything with fascinated wonderment, he was used to the confines of the stuffy dungeon, but he was unfamiliar with this new world. They were nearly at Molly's room. Flame was so busy sniffing at a gold grandfather clock, that he failed to hear the nearby footsteps.
Molly jolted her head towards him and aimed out her wand.
'Invisibilia,' she said, just as the Academy's janitor Mr. Bumble waddled around the corner.
Flame vanished in front of her, only he hadn't really gone anywhere. She'd put an invisibility spell on him, one that she'd used often during her final year at the Academy. The only problem was that it only worked for sixty-seconds and them poof, Flame would reappear.
'Ah, Molly, our resident head girl. You give a teenager power and it will go to her head, rules, perhaps rules about sneaking around late at night are not meant for girls like you? This never happened in my day, punished we were, severely. I once got turned into a croak-less frog for an entire month, I still have nightmares about the time another frog tried to steal my lily-pad,' he rambled on, as he ran a hand through his thinning grey speckled hair.
'I can assure you that Miss Moffat is aware of my whereabouts,' Molly forced a smile, as she looked from the spot where she'd last seen Flame to Mr. Bumble's dirt-covered boots.
Flame didn't know who this strange man was, but he liked the boots he wore on his feet. He gave a lick across one of them and a section of the dirt vanished revealing black leather beneath the dust and grime.
Molly kept her arm by her side as she clicked her fingers, but Flame continued to lick away at Mr. Bumble's boots.
'You're up to something, you kids always are. It wasn't like this in my day. I've told Miss Moffat but she'll never listens to me. Be it on her head! I always try to warn her that the youth of today will be our downfall. No respect, they only care about breaking the rules,' he looked down at his feet and Molly's heart paused. 'Strange,' he muttered, looking at his newly cleaned boots.
'Yes, indeed. Now if you don't mind I better get to bed, busy day tomorrow and all,' she clicked her fingers again before she opened her bedroom door and stepped into it, willing Flame to follow her.
She waited for Mr. Bumble's shrieks as the spell wore off and Flame started to reappear, her wand raised. Only these noises never occurred. A dragon shaped creature appeared in the centre of her bedroom and she quickly closed her door.
She let out a relieved snort as she fell down onto her bed. That was a close call, too close. Yet at the same time, having Flame in her room chewing on her curtains somehow made it feel worthwhile.
Molly fell to sleep with Flame happily curled up at the base of her bed.
***
It was the early hours of the morning...the time when night-time isn't quite ready to succumb to the morning. It is the witching hour and even in an Academy full of witches, it is the time when most young and old witches struggle to get out of bed.
Charlotte awoke at this early time to sounds of groaning coming from the bed over by the window. She blinked her eyes and let out a yawn, before she grabbed her wand and cautiously made her way over to the source of the strange noises.
She stopped in front of the bed and knelt down next to it.
'Stef,' she whispered. 'Stef, are you okay?'
Stef let out another groan as she peered back at Charlotte.
'I don't feel so good,' she moaned, as she held her arm to her sweaty forehead. As she wiped it away speckles of blue remained on her hand. 'My head hurts and its hot, I'm so hot,' she pushed the blanket off her and wiped the blue speckled damp strands of her hair back from her face.
Charlotte stared at Stef with concern, she didn't want to tell her friend that she was currently covered in blue patches.
'Hot, so hot,' Stef mumbled, before she rolled onto her side.
'Don't worry Stef, I'll go and get help,' Charlotte said, as she quickly moved away from Stef's bed and hurried from their room.
***
Molly was dreaming about flying in the sky with Flame by her side. The sky was never-ending and there were no buildings or trees in front of them, it was just sky, endless sky. She felt free, alive and untouchable.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sky tore in half and darkness reached out for them, it clutched them both in its grasp and shook them vigorously.
Knock, knock, knock.
Molly opened her eyes and sat-up in her bed. She rubbed her head, relieved that it had just been a dream. She looked at Flame who was still at the base of her bed, only he wasn't asleep, his eyes looked from the door to Molly, concern showing on his face.
Knock, knock, knock.
Molly shot across the room and opened her wardrobe. She gestured for Flame to come over to her and get into it, which he did.
'It won't be for long, trust me,' she whispered to him, before she closed the cupboa
rd door.
What if Mr. Bumble had figured out what she was up to and had told Miss Moffat? What if they were both standing outside of her door…ready to make her a normal and throw her out of the Academy? Yes, she'd been foolish to bring Flame back to her room, but he'd been so lonely and he wasn't doing any harm. Surely Miss Moffat would understand this, wouldn't she?
Molly gulped before she opened the door. Mr. Bumble and Miss Moffat weren't there, instead it was a girl with wild hair and dressed in a nightgown with daisies on it.
'Charlotte,' Molly forced out a yawn. 'What are you doing here at this hour?'
'You have to come right now, it's Stef, she's got a fever and well, I think she's turning blue.'
'Go back to your room and I'll be right there,' Molly said, as she couldn't help but peer over her shoulder.
'Please be quiet Flame,' she thought to herself.
Charlotte didn't mean to read Molly's mind but sometimes, especially when she was worried, well, it just happened.
'Whose Flame?' she asked.
At the mention of his name Flame burst out of the wardrobe, flew around the room and landed in Molly's arms.
Charlotte jumped back in alarm, her mouth opened in shock.
Molly gave a flustered look before she grabbed onto Charlotte's arm and pulled her into her room, shutting the door behind her.
'This is Flame,' she placed him down on the ground in front of Charlotte and gently patted him. 'Don't worry, he won't hurt you.'
'But, but, that's a dragon,' she pointed at him.
Flame lifted his head up and sniffed at her finger before he stuck his tongue out and licked it.
Charlotte stared at him warily, before she bravely held the palm of her hand out to him and watched as he licked at it.
'He likes licking things, especially shoes and hands and faces,' Molly smirked. 'He really is harmless.'
'But why is he in your room?'
'I've been looking after him under Miss Moffat's instructions. Only I wasn't meant to take him out of the Academy’s dungeon. He has been so sad. Imagine how you'd feel being cooped up in a dark, confined cold space? I know for sure that I wouldn't like it. I know he's a dragon and all, but he's still a creature, he has feelings just like we do. I just thought that one night in my room wouldn't hurt.'
'I can't believe we have a dragon living in this Academy.'
'You aren't still frightened are you, he's harmless?'
'No, I'm not frightened. I think he's gorgeous,' she smiled.
'He is, isn't he?' Molly smiled back. 'He must like you, he's only ever licked my hand before. He can't stand Miss Moffat, he always snarls and shoots out sparks whenever she comes to check on him.'
'Really,' Charlotte chuckled.
Molly nodded her head before she bent down and patted Flame.
'Flame listen, I've got to go and check on Charlotte's friend, but I'll be back soon.'
She signaled with her hand for Flame to follow her over to the wardrobe, she opened the door and told him to get into it.
'Stay,' she held her finger out to him before she closed the door. 'Flame, I'll be back soon.'
'Clauditis,' she flicked out her wand at the closed door. 'That should do the trick,' she looked at Charlotte.
'Will he be okay in there?' Charlotte asked.
'You have a kind heart, that's what I've always liked about you,' she smiled. 'And Flame will be fine.'
'Good and erm, thanks,' Charlotte blushed.
'Don't go getting a big head now, you don't want to end up like Margaret,' she smirked.
Charlotte glanced back at the wardrobe as she followed Molly out of the room. They walked alongside each other along the corridor, there were so many questions Charlotte wanted to ask, but she waited for Molly to start the conversation.
'It's become quite a full time job looking after Flame, my grades have been slipping and I'm always tired. I could do with some help, if you're up for it?' she whispered to Charlotte.
'Me, really,' Charlotte whispered back and Molly nodded.
'I'd love to,' she smiled.
'I'll explain more to you about this after I've looked at Stef.'
'Okay,' Charlotte nodded.
'In the meantime don't go telling anyone about Flame! Or you'll find yourself receiving the same fate as Demi and Destiny,' she gave Charlotte a stern look.
'I won't,' she gulped.
'In that case there won't be a problem,' Molly's tone lightened.
Charlotte wasn't going to tell anyone about Flame as she knew better than to get on the wrong side of Molly. She was also curious about Flame and wanted to find out more.
It turned out that Stef had blue-pox fever, which according to Molly only lasts a day-or-so. Charlotte helped Molly take her to sick-bay and made sure she was okay. The two girls walked back in silence, as they reached Molly's room, she signaled for Charlotte to follow her into it.
As soon as Charlotte had closed the door, Molly flicked her wand at the wardrobe door and Flame excitedly flew out and did a lap of the room.
Molly sank down onto her bed and yawned. Flame sat down next to her and licked her face.
'I said I wouldn't be long,' she patted his head.
Charlotte stood awkwardly in the room and looked over at them.
'Come and sit by us, we don't bite,' Molly smirked, as she patted the space next to her.
Charlotte nodded, then she walked over to Molly and perched down next to her.
'So, I suppose you're wondering how a dragon ended up here in the Academy?'
'Yes, I erm, I was wondering that.'
'Your group found the egg containing Flame in the Dark Forest, but the Mistress of Spells put a spell on you all so that you wouldn't remember. Professor Alexander and Mistress Ravenwolf believe that all dragons are dangerous, untrainable beasts and that they must all be destroyed. That is why it is of the utmost importance that no one ever finds out about Flame.'
'They won't find out; I won't tell anyone.'
'I hope that I'm right in trusting you Charlotte? Don't let me down,' she glared at her.
'I won't, I want to help.'
'That's good because being head girl, preparing for my exams and also looking after Flame is all becoming too much for me. I've missed out on the last couple of prefect training sessions with Sonya and Silvia and I'm sure they're beginning to suspect that something is up. I just can't leave Flame for too long, he gets lonely.'
I understand, I'll help you.'
'Great, I'll show you the dungeon tomorrow,' she smiled. 'One last thing Charlotte, how did you know about Flame?'
'I erm, I,' Charlotte trailed off as she looked at the ground.
'Spit it out.'
'I didn't mean too, normally I can block people out but sometimes thoughts just fill my mind,' Charlotte blurted out.
'You can read minds?'
'Yeah,' she blushed.
'That's an extraordinary skill to have Charlotte, does Miss Moffat know about it?'
'No,' she shook her head. 'Please don't tell her, I'm not ready for anyone to know about it just yet.'
'I won't tell anyone as long as you never read my mind again,' she smirked.
'I won't,' Charlotte smiled.
'Good, now go and get some sleep.' Molly leaned over and gave her a hug.
Charlotte hugged her back. She stood up, walked over to Flame and patted him gently on his head.
'Bye,' she gave a wave as she walked across the room.
Molly patted Flame as she watched Charlotte leave.
'I hope I can trust her,' she whispered to Flame.
Flame placed his head on her lap and looked up at her before he flicked out his tongue.
'Yeah, I hope you're right,' she sighed, as she gave his head another pat.
Chapter Five
'Go to the great hall. Go to the great hall. Formal wear, formal wear,' the bats sang, as they flew around the girls’ bedroom.
'What is going on?' Alice sat up in her bed and flappe
d away the bats.
'There is an important meeting happening in the great hall and formal wear must be worn. Hurry up and stop hitting my wings,' the bat squeaked, before it followed the other bats out of the room.
Books for Girls - WITCH SCHOOL - Books 2-6: Book 1 is FREE! Page 28
