Sophie was great at teaching classes. She never got angry, shouted, or punished for loud conversations in the study room. Because of her short stature, she had to use magic chalk that flew through the air and drew on the blackboard everything she was thinking about. Crayon magically wrote long equations, and proportions of ingredients or depicted funny faces of particularly annoying students. And as soon as the next cartoon appeared on the board, fervent laughter rose in the hall and a debate began: who did Sophie draw this time?
Despite all the advantages, she had one big minus. She checked her homework with all rigor and loved to conduct tests. Because of this, the general ovation began to fade slowly, as students had a lot of bad grades. And the once excellent "specialists" of potions have slipped to the very bottom of society. Many of them began to dislike Sophie and wish that the old teacher was returned. But the old witch was sent to a well-deserved rest, so she will never come back.
And all this time Lulu was trying to talk to Sophie and remind her that she was her savior and her new friend, but she pretended that they were just a teacher and a student.
"I'm sorry, but we don't know each other," she said then.
"Since when have we been strangers?! I'm Lulu, I brought you a panacea."
"Nothing like that," Sophie shook her head. "You have an overplayed fantasy. After all, everyone knows that a panacea is a very expensive medicine, and you just couldn't get it."
"But! You just... I am..."
"If you have no other questions for me, I recommend reading more books to better answer my questions."
Lulu tried not to be offended by her new teacher, but the seething feelings of injustice did not allow her to do this. Sofia didn't give a damn about her. It was as if a jagged arrow had pierced her heart and left a bleeding wound. Or maybe she misunderstood something? And the only person who noticed Lulu's inner struggle was her best friend, Nana.
Soon Nana got tired of watching her roommate Lulu drown in feelings. And one cold evening after class, she decided to talk to her friend. Nana met Lulu in their living room, a small square room, four meters by four, which served as a shelter for two people. There was an aspen closet where everyday clothes were stored: shirts, robes, and raincoats for rainy weather. And two creaky beds with bed linen washed to holes were connected to make one big place to sleep. The girls took this step to cuddle up to each other and keep warm on cold nights. Although this idea originally belonged to Lulu. At first, Nana did not know that her neighbor was looking for love among her peers when normal students were trying to find some sorcerer from the neighboring academy. On the sides, they put two bedside tables for storing personal hygiene, jewelry, and boxes of chocolates. After all, Nana and Lulu were still such sweet tooths.
The last attribute of the girls' room was a table with an oval mirror, littered with perfume, powder, and combs. They were not allowed to use lipstick yet, since only undergraduates had this privilege. They even had classes on the special magic of lipstick, with which you could make a person fall in love with you and twist and turn them as you please.
Sitting on the bed, Nana looked at Lulu and sighed:
"Lulu, what's going on with you? Recently you were so energetic and cheerful! Has someone offended you again?"
"It's all because of Sophie. She pretends she doesn't know me!" Lulu complained.
"But she's doing everything right. After all, you're her student, and she's your teacher."
"So what?"
Lulu lay down on the bed and put her hands behind her head. Her eyes stared at the ceiling and focused on one point as if there was something interesting there.
"Didn't you know that according to the laws of the educational institution, it is forbidden for a teacher to have personal relations with students? They can be kicked out in disgrace for this," Nana explained.
"Of course, there is one rule that only spoils everyone's life," Lulu said sourly and turned over on her side.
"There would be no order without rules. And come to your senses as soon as possible, otherwise, I want to listen to the violin playing and see your sincere smile."
"Okay, I'll try to calm down," Lulu sighed. "What are we going to do today?"
"I will prepare for the test, " Nana smiled and took out a huge textbook from under the bed, on which the inscription "Potions for dummies" was emblazoned. "Aren't you going to study for the next test?"
"I was bored last night, so I've already learned everything."
"I wish I had your learning abilities," Nana said enviously.
"Eureka! Lulu suddenly jumped up." I think I've figured out how to communicate with her.
"Another crazy idea?"
"No, the idea is quite feasible. I need to fail the test and go to extra classes."
A sly smile appeared on Lulu's face, which Nana didn't like very much. After all, she knew that really good ideas rarely appeared in her friend's head. And whatever she came up with, everything always ended badly. But Lulu studied well and knew a lot of things. Perhaps now Nana needed to hit her friend on the head with something weighty, for example, a book on potions. Maybe after that, Lulu will wake up and get at least a drop of common sense that will allow her to leave Sophie alone. But Nana could not harm Lulu, so she preferred to lower her eyes and immerse herself in the wonderful world of preparing magical potions, poisons, and medicinal ointments…
***
A few days have passed since Lulu and her peers wrote a potion test. And today Sophie had to return the grade sheets and congratulate the excellent students, and disgrace the bad girls. However, despite how many tests they had written before, everyone coped quite well with this test, although there were many unsatisfactory ratings. Fortunately, Sophie allowed the students to retake their work and increase their scores.
"I want to congratulate everyone on their excellent grades. Nana got the best rating!" Sophie announced the results in a solemn voice. "She answered all the questions and didn't make a single mistake. Congratulations!"
The witches clapped their hands and then began to look askance at Lulu because she was usually a favorite in all subjects. She sat quietly and waited for her test. And as she assumed, there was a bold number "Zero" on it. Everything went according to her plan: not a single correct answer.
"Lulu, why did you do that?" Nana knew perfectly well that she did it on purpose.
"It's all right," Lulu, who was sitting next to her, replied calmly.
Lulu waited for Sophie to publicly embarrass her, but the teacher continued the lesson without any comments. For unknown reasons, she hid this fact, which caused more anger and discontent inside Lulu. But the plan seems to have worked because, after the lesson, Sophie stopped her in an imperious tone: "And I'll ask you to stay."
"Yes, did you want something from me?"
Sophie gave Lulu a contemptuous look and said rudely:
"I'll be waiting for you in my room after class. And if you don't come, I will inform Mrs. Krivda that we have a potential witch for departure!"
Lulu had no idea that the sweetest teacher in the entire Witch Academy could hiss and bite.
"Of course. I will be happy to visit you, as I don't want any trouble from Mrs. Krivda."
Sophie didn't detain her any longer and gestured to the door.
"Well, what did she say to you?" Nana asked first. Shifting from one foot to the other, she waited impatiently for Lulu in the hallway.
"Looks like I pissed Sophie off," Lulu sighed. "I would never have thought that such a charming creature could be a real snake."
"You know: In a quiet pool devils dwell," Nana grinned. "I imagine how she will beat you with a whip so that you study well."
Lulu mentally imagined this moment and immediately shuddered, and her face turned red:
"I don't want such a relationship! It's too rude!"
Nana laughed:
"Be careful. Who knows what she's doing in her room."
And now the moment of truth has come. Lulu walked slowly through the featureless corridors towards the living quarters where the teachers lived. Classes were over, all the students were having fun and relaxing, and she still had to find out what punishment the alchemy teacher had prepared for her. Soon the cherished door appeared with a yellow piece of paper stuck to it on tape. On it was written in clumsy handwriting: "Sophie Mandragora."
After knocking and receiving permission to enter, Lulu opened the door and took a step forward. Her nose caught the scent of medicinal herbs. A whole range of unique scents lived in this room. The walls were lined with shelves filled with vials, flasks, and test tubes. In addition to the shelves, there was the most irreplaceable thing — a wooden bed. To the right of this was a bedside table on which a teddy bear was sitting. To the left of the bed was a half-empty closet with open doors, indicating that the mistress of the room could not boast of a large wardrobe. As for the bear, it was brown, with a scarlet bow around its neck. On the muzzle, the pearl button eyes were sewn with threads by hand, and if you look closely, the right eye seemed much larger than the left. Judging by a large number of stitches and patches on the bear, he was very much loved.
Lulu was a little disappointed, as the teachers lived no better than their students. Meanwhile, Sophie sat at her desk and scribbled with a pen on a yellow piece of paper.
"Come and sit down," she said kindly.
Lulu looked around and didn't find an extra chair or stool to fulfill Sophie's order.
"I don't have much room, so sit on the bed," she corrected herself.
When Lulu took her seat, Sophie took a deep breath and, putting the pen aside, turned to face her. There was a moment of silence, as both girls did not know how to start a conversation with him. Lulu expected to be scolded, and Sophie hoped that her student would admit that she had failed the test on purpose. And it was not difficult to guess about it because to make mistakes in each question, you had to know exactly all the answers.
"Can I touch your bear?" Lulu broke the silence first.
Sophie shook her head:
"It's not a toy."
"Yes, let her touch me?" a dry voice rang out. It came from the head of a plush toy as if it was alive.
Surprised, Lulu stood up and looked at the bear warily. Then she touched it with her finger and immediately pulled it away.
"Stop poking me with your finger. Better hug me," the unknown continued to say.
"I forbid you!" Sophie pouted and picked up the bear.
"Is that your familiar?" Lulu guessed.
"Yes, his name is Bonbon."
"What a delicious name! I love candy too," Lulu was delighted.
"Lulu!" Sophie raised her voice. "Stop acting like we're friends! Think better about your future."
Once again, Lulu was getting hit right in the heart. She was offended and outraged:
"But… You asked for my help back then."
"Nothing like that!" Sophie snorted.
"Forgive me, Mistress, but I must say that you are wrong!" Bonbon broke in.
"Whose side are you on?!" she frowned.
"On yours, of course. But in this situation, you are only harming yourself," the voice of the soft toy was calm and reasonable.
"I get it," Lulu sighed heavily, and the first tears glistened in her eyes in the light of the desk lamp. "I'll rewrite the test and I won't bother you anymore."
"I think your sister will be pleased," Bonbon chuckled. "You are so cruel that you brought this pretty girl to tears."
"Don't you dare mention my sister!" Sophie hissed, but then looked at the crying Lulu. The teacher was at a complete loss and did not know what to do.
"First of all, I advise you to apologize," the familiar prompted her.
Putting aside the Bonbon, Sophie sat down next to Lulu and tried to calm her down:
"Don't get me wrong. I am grateful to you. But I'm your teacher, and I'm not supposed to be friends with anyone by status. Especially with the students. It's taboo!"
And still, Lulu continued to cry quietly. Wiping tears from her tomato-red face with the sleeves of her robe, she tried to hide in a corner so that no one would see her in such a state. After all, the feeling of resentment quickly passed, and a burning shame immediately took its place. Lulu has never shown her tears to anyone: every time she ran away to a secluded place, where she suffered all alone. Now she couldn't leave Sophie's room, as she was afraid that she would tell Mrs. Krivda everything and she would be thrown out of the Witch Academy.
"Sophie, I think it's time for you to attend the witches' evening meeting," Bonbon reminded, realizing that his mistress was simply hopeless in solving this problem with a student.
Sophie looked at the wall clock and exclaimed:
"It's five minutes to five! Why didn't you tell me before!"
"You didn't ask," the familiar chuckled. "I wish you a pleasant run through the floors."
All she could say in this situation was:
"Bastard!"
Forgetting everything else, Sophie ran out of the room, leaving Bonbon alone with Lulu.
"Hey! You forgot about your student!" He wanted to remind her, but she was already gone.
"Okay, I'll go," Lulu said, sniffling. "Thanks for everything."
"Maybe you'll stay for tea?" The familiar suggested.
"Thank you, but I have to go…"
When Lulu tried to open the door, she found herself locked.
"It won't work," Bonbon explained. "It will open only with the permission of the hostess."
" But I still have homework to do!" Lulu objected and pulled the door handle again. "Open up! I'm ordering you! Come on, sim-sim, open up! Abracadabra, open up!"
But it was all in vain. Out of desperation, Lulu kicked her foot against the door and, having received a painful bruise on her toes, hobbled back to the bed. Sitting down and taking off her shoe, she began to rub the bruised place.
"I'm sorry for you, but we'll have to wait," Bonbon decided to continue the conversation.
"How do you get along with her?"
"I admit, Sophie is not a flower, but she is a good mistress. Why don't you tell me why you failed the test?"
Lulu was preoccupied with the pain in her leg, so she didn't say anything.
"Don't you want to talk? But I already know the answer! It is impossible to make mistakes in all the answers in the test without a single correct answer," Bonbon expressed his thoughts aloud: "Either you're a total loser, or you wanted to talk to Sophie alone."
"Yes, I wanted to talk to her because I like her. I need a muse to play the violin," after waiting for a moment, Lulu told the truth.
Bonbon sighed:
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Why? What's wrong with that: loving someone."
"Loving someone?!" The familiar laughed. "You have no idea who you decided to contact. What will happen to your love when you find out about Sophie's true nature? You will definitely condemn her, abandon her, and maybe betray her!"
"Nothing like that! I would never do that!"
"Good. Let's make a deal, I will help you win her heart, and you will fulfill my request."
"What kind of request?" Lulu didn't like his tone.
"I used to be a demon, but one day I was imprisoned in this plush toy," Bonbon told her.
"Do you want me to set you free? Never, you damned demon!"
"It's always like this," Bonbon sighed. "My wish concerns only Sophie. I live for my mistress."
"And I don't believe you!"
"Are you sure?" he tempted her, but she did not succumb to his provocations.
"I don't need your help. I know Sophie is a good person.… Probably… But she just can't be bad! " Lulu resolutely got up from the bed and felt the pain in her bruised foot. "Oh! It hurts!"
"Come on. You won't be able to get close to her without my help. And you know, I like you. Your hair is so delicate, and your face is so charming that if I could, I would give you my fiery kiss."
"Yeah, keep talking. After all, you recently said that you live for the sake of your mistress. And when you kiss me, it will be a real betrayal."
"Treason? There is no such thing as a demon. If I want to kiss you, I will do it. Oh, it's a pity that I'm just a bear…"
The familiar chose to end the conversation, as he realized that Lulu did not succumb to his sweet talk. As for his mistress, she will most likely return very late at night.
And so it turned out. Sophie ran as fast as she could back to her quarters. She wanted to apologize to Lulu for leaving her locked in the room. And she blamed herself for her thoughtlessness and forgetfulness.
"I did everything wrong! I should have talked to her right after the incident," she mused on the way back.
"Then why did you agree to friendship with her?" Bonbon's voice sounded in her head.
"I didn't mean it. It all turned out that way!"
"Admit that you wanted it. She is the only person who has sincerely offered you friendship."
"Lulu is hiding something. She's probably snooping for my sister!" Sophie was making it up.
The familiar didn't agree with her:
"I tried to tempt her, but Lulu was strong in spirit. And she has a pure heart."
"How dare you do this without my permission?! Because of you, I could end up in a dungeon!"
"Mistress, I'm being careful myself, but you're a real heartbreaker," the bear's voice began to echo inside Sophie's head.
"How dare you insult me?!"
But her familiar chose not to answer.
Entering the private chambers, Sofia made a guilty expression on her face and said from the threshold:
"Lulu, I'm sorry, I forgot…"
"Hush!" Bonbon interrupted her. "She fell asleep recently."
And indeed, Lulu was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in a woolen blanket. Sophie wanted to wake her up, but her conscience stood up in time to protect the innocent creature and stopped the teacher in time. So Sophie had to sit on the chair. Then she yawned sweetly and stretched her legs forward.
"Lulu left something for you, my lady," Bonbon said.
There was a piece of paper on the table with the words: "I'm sorry! I won't do that anymore. Lulu." Even the blackest heart could not resist such a note. Sophie smiled and wrote next to it: "I forgive you."