A/N Special thanks to typicalRAinbow, lemondropseverus, ImpossiblePoet, NextChristineDaae and Duchene-fan for their lovely reviews.

This chapter comes to you a little later than I would have liked due to an episode in my life known as SW's no good, good for nothing day. I swear, I'd sleep for a week if I didn't have a serious amount of procrastinating to do *looks at NCD* I know, I know… I will… ;)

Disclaimer on first chapter.

Chapter 2

4 days earlier…

Heckitty Broomhead forcefully pulled her bag out of the hands of her past student, stealing one last glance at the occupants of the main hall before exiting the building, Mr Hallow in toe. She set out across the courtyard, taking confident strides as the stones clattered beneath her boots, despite the downfall of her plans and the less than flattering state upon which she was found and told to leave in. She gritted her teeth and summoned her broom as the quickened footfalls of the incompetent man behind her drew closer.

She stopped and commanded her broom to hover and slipped the shaft of the broom through the handle on her case before turning to the brown eyed man behind her. As he came to an abrupt stop, the impact sending sharp sand stone pebbles in different directions, he offered his hand to the mighty witch. She regarded the hand with a snarl and a wrinkled nose. Everything about this man was greasy, slimy and annoying, from his groomed grey hair and hairless chin, down to the expensive prim suit and polished shoes. She grudgingly took the hand and gave it a brief shake then met his eyes once more.

"Heckitty-" he said, leaving the name floating in the air between them. Her cruel yellow eyes never moved from his "I have to say-"

"Don't, Mr Hallow" She said as she removed her hat to nurse the singed hair beneath, a parting gift administered by that damn Cherrytree girl's contraption.

"Mistress Broomhead" He said, deciding to utilise the safety of last names "There will be another chance; Miss Cackle can't stay in there forever!"

Heckitty smiled "Mr Hallow, I wouldn't count on it. Her and that deputy of hers are inseparable… for now"

Mr Hallow regarded her with a half curious half worried look "Heckitty?"

"Let's just say, Mr Hallow, that if I know Constance Hardbroom, still waters run deep."

"Mistress Broomhead, I haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about. 'Still waters run deep'? How do you-? What do you mean? "

"My my, Mr Hallow, for a man of your calibre, you're certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer are you?" Mr Hallow suddenly became scarred. He didn't like the way this conversation was going "Tell me, Mr Hallow, have you ever heard the phrase 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder?'" He nodded, dreading the consequences of his actions "The proof of the pudding is in the potion, Mr Hallow, and once Constance is out of the picture Amelia won't even hesitate to retire. She's quite fond of Constance, did you ever notice that? I can't think why-"

"Heckitty stop!" Mistress Broomhead turned to her disruptor "Look, I don't know what you have planned but I'll tell you now I'll have no part in it! You hear!" Mr Hallow ran his hand over his short grey hair and let out a deep breath "I wanted you to take over as headmistress because I believed that you could straighten the school out. The way you're talking, you're suggesting murder just to get there!" Heckitty was silent. Mr Hallow shook his head and drew in a lasting breath as rain clouds began to gather overhead "There's a storm coming, you best be off… consider this partnership terminated." He turned and began to walk back to his overly expensive sports car.

Heckitty narrowed her eyes and toyed with the notion of throwing a spell at him for his insolence. How dare he… besides, the seeds had already been sown so even if she wanted to stop the inevitable, she couldn't. She smiled a grotesque toothy grin and mounted her broom. She didn't want to stop the inevitable… she'd never want to stop the inevitable. Even if she didn't make headmistress, at least she'd have taken care of another problem.

"There's a storm coming indeed, Mr Hallow."

A/N There will be no update next Sunday due to Starfleet Witch having plans to run around a famous University dressed as the Asha'bellanar with random friends and strangers… I'm not even sorry :D