Disclaimer: I don't own The Worst Witch

A/N: Hello all. This contains some spoilers for Season 3, episode 2, so enter at your own risk. :P

Since last week, I've watched this episode a few times for *ahem* research purposes. ;) While I can't deny that in a lot of parts Hecate was an uber bitch (and I was living for it lol!) , I get the impression that Miss Cackle did not tell her before she hired Julie. Also, I really didn't care for Miss C blatantly setting our Hecabae up to be mentor like that!

Anyway, rant over lol.

I've never written any Hecate/Julie interactions before so ... welp!

*Goes and hides*

On The Same Page

Before she could change her mind again, Julie Hubble rapped on the forbidding door in front of her and then waited to be invited in by the equally forbidding woman inside. With a deep breath, she turned the handle, hoping that by the end of this conversation she wasn't going to be leaving as a dung beetle.

Or worse.

'Miss H?'

In a moment that was worthy of any Bond villain, the desk chair swivelled round to reveal the deputy headmistress. The whole performance was so ridiculously OTT that Julie couldn't help but stifle a giggle. All the woman was missing was a white, fluffy Persian cat.

'Ms Hubble,' the overly dramatic tones began, 'and to what do I owe this,' Hecate paused, as if searching for the most appropriate word to use under the circumstances, '… pleasure?'

'Never mind, Ms Hubble-ing me!' Julie suddenly rounded on the desk with such ferocity that Hecate actually found herself shifting back in her chair. While she had dealt with her fair share of angry parents over the years, Mildred Hubble's mother was quite unlike any she had come across before. 'I was just wondering if you could explain what the hell this is?' As if from nowhere, the new art teacher produced an incredibly familiar looking notebook. She waved it in front of its owner a few times before slamming it down on the desk.

The briefest flicker of panic danced across Hecate's features before she managed to recover herself, quickly schooling her expression back to one that was completely unreadable. 'I believe it's called a 'notebook',' she answered, sardonically. 'We witches generally use them to write in. Record observations, that sort of thing. Now, will there be anything else, Ms Hubble?' Black talons reached out for the notebook, but Julie was quicker off the mark, snatching it up into her grasp. She held it tightly, though she had no desire to read through it again.

Less than a day of teaching experience and she had already racked up nineteen pages of infractions by just being herself.

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'You know, Miss H, in the non-witching world, some would be inclined to call this kind of obsessive behaviour 'stalking'.'

The deputy head didn't miss a beat. 'Well, it's a good job for both of us that we aren't in the non-witching world, isn't it?'

Julie let out a sigh. Okay, so this was getting them nowhere fast. She knew she would be as well just giving up and going to report her findings to Miss Cackle instead, but was also aware the minute she did so, she would lose any glimmer of respect that Hecate Hardbroom may have held for her deep down. Deep deep deep down. Besides, years of being a mother had taught her there was usually more to things than first met the eye. It was time to change tactic. 'You know what, Miss H, you're absolutely right!'

'I am?' Hecate said, mouth agape. She honestly hadn't expected the blonde woman to cave so easily. 'I mean, good. I'm glad you finally see things my way.' She expected that to be the end of the matter. She did not expect for Julie Hubble to sit down in the chair opposite her own and pick up her best pen. 'What on earth do you think you are doing?'

'I'm taking a page out of my mentor's book, literally.' Opening the incriminating notebook to a fresh page, Julie quickly started scribbling away, being sure to turn the page just enough so that Hecate could easily read what she was writing.

'Oh, very funny,' The expression on the older woman's face made it quite apparent that she wasn't amused in the slightest. 'Don't think I don't see what you're doing.'

19:37: Miss H sees what I'm doing.

Julie continued to scribble away, making sure to dictate as she did so.

As she watched the spectacle unfolding before her, Hecate pursed her lips, trying hard to contain her fury. The ability to be incredibly irritating was evidently a Hubble family trait. 'Alright,' she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. 'Alright, you've made your point.'

Seeing that she had successfully got the woman's attention, Julie stopped mid-sentence. Closing the notebook over, she handed it back to Hecate, wanting to make absolutely clear that she wasn't about to go telling tales. 'Now, can we please stop with all the cloak and dagger stuff and at least try to have a proper conversation? Miss Cackle was kind enough to give me this job, and I have absolutely no intention of letting you drive me out of it.'

Hecate narrowed her eyes. 'Well, I have absolutely no intention of apologising, so if that's what you came here hoping for, its been a wasted trip. Be sure to close the door on your way out.' With that, she spun the chair around, signalling the end of the conversation. In the suffocating silence, Hecate held her breath, desperately hoping that the annoying blonde would take the hint and leave. She really wasn't in the mood for this. Barely sleeping since the events of the previous year was really starting to take its toll.

Although she wasn't leaving as a dung beetle, Julie Hubble couldn't help feeling like she had failed. Just before she reached the door, she turned back, in one last crazed attempt at reaching some kind of mutual understanding.

'I would have helped after, you know. If you had gone through with it.'

Without the theatrics of earlier's performance, the chair slowly swivelled around.

'Pardon?'

'Millie,' Julie said, quietly. 'She told me that when everything happened with the Founding Stone … the other girls said that you were going to sacrifice yourself. Give up your magic. Everything. Just like that.'

Hecate nodded. 'I was.'

Even now the enormity of what she had planned to do played heavily on her mind. She tried her hardest not to think about it, but all too often, she found herself wondering just who Hecate Hardbroom was if she wasn't the witchiest witch?

'That night … do you ever think about it?'

'No.'

The reply came too fast to be believable, and Julie nodded as though she understood. For a while, no one spoke. Julie was the one to break the silence. 'I suppose whatever bad she did, we all owe a great debt to Miss Mould.'

'Yes, well, we wouldn't owe her anything if she hadn't infiltrated this school under false pretences!'

The elder Hubble's eyes shifted from Hecate to the notebook and back again, and something finally clicked.

'Is that what all of this is about?'

'It's called 'exercising caution', Ms Hubble. Some of us were much too lax in our approach the last time and look where it got us.'

Julie thought about it for a moment. In a strange, albeit twisted way, it actually made a lot of sense. Although, she was sure it wasn't really necessary to record her every movement. What exactly was the time she went to the bathroom going to prove to anyone? Other than the fact she had a healthy bladder. 'And today at dinner?'

Hecate fell uncharacteristically quiet. Ada had already given her a severe ticking off regarding that particular stunt. The hurt that had appeared on Julie's face in the dining hall all but mirrored the look a young Hecate had worn during her own time at witching academy. Up until Pippa Pentangle had come into her life, mealtimes had been spent largely on her own. In fact, it wasn't long before she had found herself skipping them altogether, finding this option to be much more preferable than listening to the cruel whispers coming from her fellow classmates. Forcing those painful past memories to one side, she turned her attention back to the present, already knowing that her response wouldn't go down well.

'It's what the witches' code says, and I stand by it. It's ... unfortunate if that upsets you, but it's how I feel. While Miss Cackle believes you will bring balance to the academy, I disagree. A magical school is no place for someone who does not have the means to protect nor defend themselves. Today, you were lucky. Next time, you might not be.'

'If I didn't know better, Miss H, then I would almost think that you cared.'

There was a glint in the dark eyes opposite her, but within seconds, it was gone.

'Do not be absurd, Ms Hubble. I'm just thinking about the vast amount of paperwork I'll need to fill in if you were to have a serious ... accident.'

Although she wasn't sure if it was meant to be a joke or not, Julie laughed lightly. It had only sounded mildly threatening, so that was already an improvement in itself. 'Speaking of paperwork, would it help any if I was to bring in a CV or something? Let you do some background checks? Prove that I'm not heading up any evil covens?'

'Yes, well ... I suppose that would be a start.'

For the first time since they had met, Julie glimpsed sight of a genuine smile coming from the witch. Hecate Hardbroom was actually very pretty. At least, she was when she wasn't gunning for you!

'Great! I can bring one with me next week. Or I could pop home now and get one if you'd rather? Only if you wouldn't mind giving me a little help in getting there though. You know what it's like this time of night? The buses are a nightmare! And none of them go up the mountain anyway!'

Incessant babbling was clearly another Hubble family trait.

Hecate nodded, realising immediately what Julie was asking.

'You know, Miss H, it might not happen today, or tomorrow, or even any time soon, but one day, I think you and I might eventually end up being very good-'

'-friend's,' Julie finished off to an empty flat. With a roll of her eyes, she went to dig out her CV.

Some things would never change.