There's something about Sybil

Ethel was woken up from a deep sleep by the sound of Drusilla Paddock storming into her bedroom, "Ethel! Ethel!" She shouted, even though Ethel was a mere few feet away, "Come down for breakfast! There's eggs and bacon and!-"

"I think the word you're looking for is 'full English'" Ethel said with annoyance, she could hardly tolerate Drusilla at the best of times, never mind when she'd just woken up, "Well get out so I can get changed then!" Ethel shouted, Drusilla's eyes widened, she was no stranger to Ethel's mood swings, but she hated it when Ethel raised her voice at her, she backed out of the room and went down to the great hall, closing the door behind her.

Slowly, Ethel began to put her uniform on, shirt, dress, tie, but it seemed lately she was never really focused on anything, at least that's what it looked like to others. Everyone knew she was hiding something when they came back for their fourth year. Even Mildred Hubble, whom she hates, was genuinely concerned for her, but she wasn't the only Hallow whose name was on everyone's lips, she'd hear people ask the same question, always the same question when they thought she was out of earshot: Where's Sybil?

The truth is, Ethel didn't have a clue where Sybil was, none of the family did, Ethel hadn't seen her since the final day of last term, she'd been gone all summer, Ethel didn't even know if she was…well Ethel didn't like to dwell on that theory.

Ethel quickly descended the stairs after getting dressed and went into the great hall, and, to her obvious delight, the only available seat was with Mildred's group.

She got her food and sat down between them and began eating, not saying a word to them, not even so much as glancing at them, she chose to ignore the puzzled looks the group exchanged with each other.

"Is everything ok Ethel?" Mildred asked, with the same concern in her voice that she'd had over the past few days,

"I'm fine." She snapped at Mildred, looking her directly in the eye, unwavering and deadly, daring Mildred to push her buttons.

"It's clearly not." Maud Joined in, "I don't care if we hate each other, Ethel, something's wrong."

Ethel was about to hit the roof with Maud, with everyone at that goddamned table, when Clarice arrived just in time to defuse the situation, although what she said next made Ethel's anger rise just as quickly as it went.

"I wonder where Sybil's got to." She spoke innocently,

"She wasn't with Ethel when she arrived." Enid said to Clarice, Ethel hated the fact that they were talking about her and her sister like she wasn't even there, Ethel also hated to admit it, but she missed her sister.

"I'm getting worried about her, she would've said something to me by now." Clarice whined, unbeknownst to her, Ethel was getting angrier by the second, she'd received weeks of this, "where's Sybil?" "I haven't seen Sybil in a while." "What's happened to Sybil?" "you've gotta know Ethel, surely?" "Is she ill?" And she'd had enough of it.

"Don't you have any Idea where your sister is?" Mildred said to Ethel, and that comment, was the tip of the iceberg, and it pushed her over the line,

"I haven't heard a word off Sybil!" She shouted, loud enough to startle everyone on the table, but not loud enough to attract the attention of everybody in the great hall, "Not one word, all summer." She said as she slightly lowered her voice, "I don't know where she is, I don't know who she's with, I don't even know if she's…" She didn't want to think about the alternative, she was about to start crying, and she'd never hear the end of it if she cried in front of Mildred and the others, everyone at the table went silent And Ethel ran from the great hall, not looking back, she didn't notice Drusilla follow her into her bedroom.

"I'll bet anything Sybil's fine." Drusilla tried her best to be reassuring, but she was a fool if she thought she could be the one to calm Ethel's raging temper.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Ethel screamed in her face, "And neither do I, not even a letter Drusilla?"

"Maybe she needs her own space." Drusilla said, but Ethel was having none of it.

"That's all she's ever had. Her own space. We've never been close." Ethel said with sorrow in her voice, "Sad thing to admit but it's true, but I didn't think I'd miss her this much."

"You need to rest, you're in no state to attend class, I'd have a word with Miss Cackle if you like?" If there was one thing Ethel valued in Drusilla, it was her loyalty.

"I'd appreciate that." Ethel gave a slight smile which Drusilla noticed as she left.