Mom was just shy of glowing as we got closer and closer to my Spellcraft classroom. I was trying to not be nervous. Mom had never met any of my teachers before without Dad present. Those meetings tended to be quick and boring.

Your daughter is quiet. Doesn't participate enough but doesn't disrupt class. Her grades are fine but could be better.

B's weren't good enough but Mom and Dad never minded so who cared, really?

"Aww look at this room! It's barely changed! This was the room I taught in. I didn't come in here as a student though. My class was across the hall," Mom was rambling on.

Telvis was late. Or we were somehow early.

"I was in Advanced Spellcraft. Even before…circumstances made me ahead of my year I always exceptional at magic. Mother was proud. Ruby once wondered if helping teach her made me better."

"A theory I still believe in," Ruby's voice interrupted Mom's rambling.

Jarec seemed to have gotten over his initial reaction to meeting my mother. He was back to normal and gave me a wave.

"It's funny, I always dreamed it would be me teaching you your first spells, but it seems the Fates had other plans. Don't worry, I'll teach you whatever spells you want at home," she said it with a wink.

"Serafina!" That was Angelina's voice.

Mom perked up at the sound.

Due to how the schedule ended up, the Pegasus and Sylphid students and parents weren't here. But the Pixies were. Which meant Angelina was about to meet my mother.

Oh gods. I wasn't ready for that.

"You really shouldn't be running off, Angelina," the man next to her seemed nervous and a bit on the fidgety side.

"Dad," Angelina was grinning widely, "This is Serafina Stewart."

I waved. "Um…Hello."

"Ah, greetings. Angelina talks about you often." Angelina's father looked like he was about to reach out to shake my hand when his eyes focused on something, or someone, behind me.

Here we go.

"This is your Pixie friend? Oh it's so nice to meet you! Serafina talks about you too. All nice things, I promise," Mom sounded way too cheerful. Somehow even happier than meeting Celica and Jarec. It didn't sound fake, perhaps a bit exaggerated at worst.

Angelina's father looked like he was seeing a ghost. In a terrified tone he exclaimed, "Lucinda Hearth?!"

And it begins.

Wait, did I tell Angelina?

Oh gods people were staring.

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I hid my face with one of my hands. Here we go.

"I'm Lucinda Stewart these days. It's nice to meet you." Mom was giving her friendly smile and held out her hand. They shook hands even while he continued to look more scared than anything else.

"I'm Cylen Farsee."

I looked at Angelina to assess what kind of damage control I was going to have to do.

She looked a bit confused at her father for a moment before snapping back to her normal self. "I'm happy to finally meet you Mrs. Stewart, Serafina's been pretty excited for this."

Thank the gods, catastrophe averted.

Mom giggled, "Serafina likes to act all doom and gloom, but she's always been a sweet girl."

Jarec's face was a very intentional blank. He was trying to not laugh, judging by the slight amount of shaking in his shoulders.

I was going to have get revenge on him and Mom later. Somehow.

"I was glad to hear her making such a good friend in Pixie Tower, it might not have been the right place for her, but you were her favorite thing about it." At least she was genuine in her warmth to Angelina, who seemed receptive to it.

I sighed. Loudly.

"But that's all for later, now where is that professor?" Mom looked around the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late everyone. It's been a very busy day," Professor Telvis excused. "It's nice to meet you all."

Being just Dragons and Pixies meant that the room was more empty than normal. None of us were sitting in our normal seats.

Except me. I was sitting in the back where I normally was, Jarec and his mother were right in front of us.

Mom looked bored and she leaned on one hand. "So this is your Spellcraft Professor. He seems alright, and you haven't complained about him."

Professor Telvis was speaking, but Mom's muttering was too distracting.

"When I became the first year Spellcraft professor Mother droned on and on about how it was the most important teaching job here. Spellcraft classes are the heart and soul of the curriculum and development of the youth. I must not have done that bad a job for a former student of mine to decide to teach himself."

For years, I had wanted to ask Mom a question but I was too afraid of the answer.

"Were you…" I whispered to her lowly, but then remembered Jarec sitting right there. "Never mind."

"I wasn't disappointed. Was I a little sad I wouldn't teach my little girl all the dangers and secrets of fire magic? A bit. But anything I felt about that was overshadowed by knowing you got to have something I, will all the legacy and power of the Hearth coven, couldn't."

She winked at me. A signal that she wasn't going to give me the answer to that question right now.

She went back to facing forward and looking bored.

Whatever the professor was talking about was done. Mom and I hung back while people started to leave the room.

"Do you want to talk to him?" I asked in a normal tone.

"Perhaps. Anything you want me to say?"

"Nothing I can think of."

"I think I want to run a little experiment," Mom stood up and waited for almost everyone to leave.

I followed after and waited for whatever she was planning now.

"Professor Stewart," Tevlis greeted, "I was surprised to see you here."

Mom's smile was fake but warm. A mask of friendless without any emotion behind it. "I wanted to be here for my daughter.

"Ah, of course." There was an awkwardness to his stance.

"My little spitfire is getting over her difficulties with magic, and I appreciate your role in that."

Not his teaching, his role. I couldn't decide if that was some kind of backhanded insult or a very strange compliment. I stayed silent. I wanted to at least see what Mom was doing before interfering in her interference.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you a question. If you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all." Her fake smile was still in place.

"Why did you teach as Stewart, not Hearth?"

My wrist itched as I felt a faint increase in temperature in the room.

I knew Mom was going to lie before she said a syllable. "There were already three Professor Hearths, it gets confusing. Stewart's easier for everyone."

I had no idea why she changed her name after marrying Dad. She didn't have to. She never talked about it. She barely talked about her life before.

My wrist was starting to burn.

Professor Telvis didn't seem to notice the lie. "That does make some sense. I suppose having four Hearths would be a bit too much."

"I'm glad you see it my way. It was nice talking to you Professor Telvis. Come on Serafina."

I was so glad to get the hells out of there.

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