Flash Fic Day 12: Orange Marmalade.

Prompt: A story about someone who is obsessed with marmalade.

Witches who happen to be no good at brewing tea will usually find another hobby to pour their magic and talents into. Some choose baking, while others try gardening; Izma wanted to have a go at a bit of both. She was obsessed with marmalade, and one of her friends had suggested she make her own, which was the best idea she had heard all year. She set out to plant her own oranges that very spring, with some guidance from her more experienced classmates. They taught her how to choose a spot on the school grounds, prepare the soil, and protect the plant from fungi. The latter was easily achieved with a few spells creating a barrier around the plant so the fungi would be safe as well. Izma had no patience at all, which is partly why she was so terrible at making tea; she spent a couple of days crafting a few charms to accelerate the orange tree’s growth, placing them as soon as it sprouted, despite the headmistress’s advice to wait until the end of spring. That night, she went to bed buzzing with excitement, tossing and turning and completely unable to sleep. She got up three times to peek outside the dorm window, two times to go to the bathroom, and once to doodle her orange tree on a tiny piece of paper. Proud of her drawing, she taped it to her desk and walked back to the window for a final look at the yard. The view was blocked by a wall of… bark? Izma gaped at the humongous tree trunk standing in front of her, placed her palms on the cool windowsill, and poked her head out to look up at the mass of dark green leaves. Citrusy scents filled the crisp night air. There had to be a hundred oranges hanging from the branches, at least. How much marmalade is that?