Fall in love in a weekwe get by

“No, nothing,” I shook my head. – Busy day. What could happen when the professor was not at the department after lunch. Although… oh yes, the alchemists had an explosion. On the second pair. Meeting with the headmistress… Why does it seem to me that not half a day has passed, but at least a week?

– There are too many new things around. You have to get used to everything too quickly. And, unfortunately, I also have nothing to please you with. Come on in, Sally. Tea? Coffee? Or maybe we can have dinner together? I just returned from Quebec. We managed to meet the Ghost Bear, he is a shaman, he knows and understands a lot better than our ritualists.

I knew little about shamans. But for some reason, a giant ghostly bear in Indian clothing, with a tambourine in its clawed paw, suddenly clearly appeared, and Charlotte was next to him, tiny, like a lapdog at the feet of a mammoth. The leaflet with the announcement in my purse seemed like childish nonsense.

Is that why Charlotte hardly showed up today?

“Let’s have dinner,” I agreed. – And then tell me. If it makes sense to tell.

The kitchen in Sabella’s house turned out to be small, but very bright, with a soft, cozy sofa and a round wooden table. While dishes and cutlery appeared out of nowhere, I couldn’t take my eyes off Sabella. The polished, smooth, beautiful movements were mesmerizing. This is where Norwood adopted the conductor’s style of casting spells that amazed me during my class with the alchemists!

And the kitchen was filled with the delicious aromas of homemade food. The shepherd's pie was fragrant and steaming, veal chops were brightly surrounded by stewed carrots and green peas, and two types of sauces were waiting nearby, which I could not even identify by eye. Baked potato slices in a golden crust, traditional scrambled eggs and bacon – but, honestly, even scrambled eggs seemed something incredibly delicious.

I swallowed my saliva. I couldn’t help but remember the time when my parents were alive and I spent weekends with them. Mom loved and knew how to cook. I don’t know how and I don’t like it, and my habit of eating on subways and grabbing coffee from vending machines on the run could only be shaken by a neighbor with her signature Yorkshire pudding.

“Now you look like a normal girl,” Sabella said with a smile, sitting down opposite. – With burning hungry eyes after a long day of work. And not on an exhausted sufferer under the weight of all the world's problems at the same time. It's much better this way.

It seemed that we were both equally hungry – until the table was at least half empty, the silence was broken only by the soft clatter of cutlery. I was the first to speak.

– Sabella, everything is amazing! You cook wonderfully, simply incredible!

– Thank you, Sally. I don’t have too many activities, but cooking is interesting. Especially if you are a mother, and your son eats mostly coffee and only occasionally, thanks to you, remembers that there is some other food in the world besides sandwiches from the academic cafeteria.

Tiny cups, a basket of homemade cookies, sugar and chocolate appeared on the table.

– With milk? – Sabella asked. – Or black?

– Black. “I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing the aroma. – Honestly, just the smell clears up your head. Magic! And not at all in the sense of “magic”. – She paused and took a tiny sip. And yet she asked: “You said you wouldn’t please me with anything.” So, it’s pointless to turn to ritualists?

“The best thing you can do, Sally, is to accept what happened as a fact that cannot be changed.” There is a curse. The only way to remove it and stay alive is known to you.

The cookies melted on the tongue and were not at all cloying. It had distinct notes of lemon and ghee. Perhaps, by contrast, I remembered the headmistress’s biscuit.

– Why is Doctor Norwood at the Academy? What is keeping him there? – I put the cup down and clasped my fingers together. “Director Maskelyne called me today. I asked questions. It turns out Charlotte was spying for her. It's all so… disgusting!

– Since childhood, Regan Maskelyne loved to control everything. – Sabella smiled, but the smile came out forced. “Dougal knows about Charlotte. And that his every step at the Academy is monitored in one way or another.

– And he tolerates this?!

– He has no choice. I…” Sabella stopped short, put down her coffee and looked carefully, as if she was looking for an answer to some important question on my face. – This is not a very pleasant topic for conversation over a cup of coffee. But I'm afraid neither you nor I have a choice. This means that you should know about my exceptional naivety and even, probably, stupidity.

I couldn’t believe that Sabella could be “exceptionally” naive or stupid. But… that doesn't happen. First you need to listen, and only then draw conclusions.