Disclaimer: I don't own The Worst Witch.

A/N: To an extent, this a life-imitates-art kind of scenario in as much as I thought something good should come out of me having sprained my ligament, after my foot had an unfortunate encounter with my laptop plug a few days ago.

If anyone has a better title and/or summary, then be my guest - it's the one part of writing I absolutely loathe!


Ligaments And Lovers

"It doesn't look as though you've broken anything, but it does look like a slight sprain of the ligament. Keep it elevated and try to keep off it as much as possible; you'll be right as rain in a few days."

Hecate shook her head, "Impossible. Friday is the Broomstick Waterskiing Competition, and I-"

"Speaking as the College nurse, I absolutely forbid you from doing anything that involves putting an unnecessary pressure on this foot." As if to reinforce her point, the old woman gently tapped on the still sensitive sore spot of the foot; the action emitted an involuntary hiss of pain from the young witch, who quickly tried to disguise her discomfort.

"But, I-"

"No buts, Hecate," Dolores Darkwaters' brisk tones softened ever so slightly upon noting that the girl before her looked like she was going to burst into tears any second now. "I'm sorry, but it's for the best."

The Hardbroom bit down her lip and nodded, desperately trying to keep her composure intact. She knew that the nurse was most likely right, but that knowledge didn't make having to let Pippa down any easier to bear.

How on earth was she going to break the bad news?

In all honesty, she herself wasn't too fussed over the sport, but it was clearly important to her girlfriend, and so that automatically meant that it was important to her too.

Hecate didn't know what was happening to her.

All she knew was that the annoyingly perky blonde had come into her life and suddenly everything had changed. Where she had once seen only black, she now saw the colours in the world.

The future was looking very … pink.


No sooner had the nurse left their dormitory, the door burst open and a blur of fuchsia bounded over to her, throwing their arms around her delicate frame and immediately checking her over for any sign of broken bones (which in hindsight was a bit foolish given she had just seen the nurse) all the while jabbering on about how sorry she was and how 'she really had planned to put them away later on today'.

"I came as soon as I heard. I'm so, so sorry, Hiccup - I swear I never meant for anything like this to happen. Can you ever forgive me?"

Though Hecate sometimes pretended to be exasperated over Pippa's somewhat … melodramatic tendencies, she secretly loved it. If education didn't work out, then the woman had a fine career as an actress waiting for her. The Hardbroom hooked a fingernail under the blonde's chin, raising it slightly so that they were eye to eye. As she took in the watery gaze staring back at her, Hecate could feel her own heart crash.

She hated seeing Pippa so upset.

As if in slow motion, a loose tear fell from her girlfriends' eyes.

She reached out, gently wiping it away, her fingertips lingering a tad longer than was strictly necessary as she stroked the rouged cheek. "There's nothing to forgive, Pipsqueak."

The blonde let out a soft whimper before nodding in understanding; the relief evident on her face. "What did old Darkwaters say then?"

"Well, it's not broken, Pip, so that's good, but she said that … I won't be able to partake in the competition on Friday."

"Oh,"

"I'm really, really sorry, Pipsqueak. I know how much you were looking forward to it."

Another tear fell, but this time it was Hecate doing the crying as silent tears began to stream down her cheeks; the heartbreak at letting her love down so incredibly overwhelming. In her mind, she was already making a solemn vow that nothing like this would ever happen again.

"Hey, it's okay," Pippa smiled warmly at her girlfriend, "We can always enter the next one. Please don't cry, sweetie."

The truth was that Pippa Pentangle absolutely hated Broomstick Waterskiing! She had only suggested it in the first place as it had meant she got to spend even more time with the dark-haired beauty who had captured her heart and her soul from the word go.

Hecate felt awful. She suspected that Pippa was just telling her what she thought she wanted to hear. "You could still enter as a solo act," she suggested, "I can come cheer you on from the sidelines? Metaphorically, of course - I don't think I'll be doing any pirouettes for a while."

"When did you ever do pirouettes before?"

" … I could start!"

Pippa shook her head,"If we can't do the Competition together, then we won't do it at all. I've told you before, Hecate, it's you and me; always and forever." With some difficulty, she clambered onto the bed and took the injured witch in her arms. She gently placed a soft kiss on her forehead and then one on her lips, and then another one on her lips … just for good measure."

"Hiccup," the blonde began nervously, "I have something to tell you - I probably should have told you sooner, but," She trailed off as the taller witch uncurled herself from warm arms, looking up at her with fresh glassy eyes. "It's nothing bad, so don't worry, well … at least I don't think it is, but I-I," she closed her eyes, deciding just to get it over with, "I really hate Broomstick Waterskiing!"

As her eyes were shut, she couldn't see Hecate's reaction, but after a few moments of unbearable silence, she heard her laugh. Actually, she heard her uncharacteristically guffaw.

"What's so funny?" Pippa asked, opening her eyes, the confusion apparent on her dainty features.

"So do I, Pipsqueak! I only went along with it as I thought it was something that-"

"You wanted to do," the pair finished simultaneously, before erupting in a fit of the giggles.

"God!" Pippa spluttered, wiping tears of laughter from under her eyes, "We're a right pair of idiots!"

"True. For what it's worth though, Pippa Isabel Pentangle, I'm glad you're my idiot."

Pippa grinned. The other witch rarely showed her feelings so what she had said just now was practically the Hecate Hardbroom equivalent to skywriting!


"Hiccup," Pippa began slowly, trying to gauge the reaction to her upcoming suggestion, "Since we don't need to be out training later on today. I've just thought of another more fun activity we could maybe do together?"

"Macrame?" Hecate teased in her usual deadpan humour, though her eyes betrayed her, the desire burning away in the brown of her irises.

The blonde's curls bounced as she threw her head back in laughter. "Not quite, darling. I was rather thinking we could keep that sore foot of yours elevated and," she whispered the rest of the sentence in Hecate's ear, taking her time so as to emphasis every single word, watching with anticipation as muscles rippled and spasmed with the thoughts alone, and the porcelain skin became more and more flushed by the second. "Well, do you have anything to say?"

Hecate swallowed, her mind a whir of pure lust; she couldn't have argued her way out of a paper bag at this moment in time — not that she wanted to. Pippa had her exactly where she wanted her, and Hecate was exactly where she wanted to be. "So, Doctor Pentangle, " she eventually drawled in what she hoped was seductiveness, "Do you think you might need to examine me?"

Pippa nodded in grave pretence, "I think that would be best, Miss Hardbroom. I hope you don't mind, but I do prefer a rather … hands on approach."

Hecate grinned devilishly as she leant back, letting Pippa take charge. The blonde threw the ice pack on the floor, before she crawled back up the bed, beginning to trail intense kisses down the dark-haired woman's collar bone, biting down gently on the skin; marking her territory and proudly showing the world that she was hers and hers alone.

As the blonde worked her magic, light fingers skimming expertly along her bare flesh, Hecate decided, in a brief moment of clarity, that accidentally stepping back onto the plug from Pippa's hair curlers earlier that morning may not have been the worst thing in the world after all.