Hannah was the last one to leave the husk of the lab in the Tower.
Sucy, Constanze, and Croix had all elected to stay behind and keep working. Croix was pouring over the simulation of the mana diagram, bouncing the occasional off the two students to see if they could think of anything that could stick. Hannah hadn't been able to make heads or tails of the conversation, but it was clear none of the three of them were making very fast progress.
Diana's words had, at least, invigorated them into action, and they worked with a full, if slightly desperate, determination. Lotte left not long after Diana did. She asked Croix a few questions and went to search for some spirits to talk to, timidly attempting to play her part.
And then there had been Amanda.
She stood in the corner, scowling as the rest of her fellow Witches talked, and once there was enough of a silence, she just left. Hadn't offered to help, hadn't declared she was going to do anything. She simply walked out, not sparing a glance to Jasminka, nor Hannah or Barbara, or anyone else.
Among everything else, it stuck out the most to Hannah. Amanda always gave off the impression that she had never doubted herself a day in her life. She always knew what she was about, what she wanted.
Insecure was a word that was simply not in Amanda's vocabulary. So to see her dropping any pretense of attitude or indifference left Hannah herself wondering where she was meant to go from here.
Because the truth was, she really didn't know what to think of this disgusting parasite Croix laid out for them, or the fact that all these typically confident witches were flailing to react to it. None of them were truly equipped to handle this crisis right now, not when it just been dropped on their lap.
But they were the self-proclaimed Nine New Witches. They were the ones who fought missiles and monsters and everything else. They knew what to do, even if they didn't know how to do it.
Hannah…was not. She didn't know. She wished she knew, but she didn't know where to start with all of this. She wasn't a genius or a biologist, nor was she a specialized healer or an inventor.
The plain and simple truth was Hannah was only here because Amanda was here, and she had a crush.
To her surprise, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Jasminka offered her a comforting smile. "Amanda's fine, Hannah." She assured her. "And we'll find a way to make sure everyone else will be fine too. Don't worry."
Barbara, who had been absently gazing at the mana diagram, jogged over to join the two of them. "I don't think I've ever seen Diana so fired up! Like, obviously she was gonna take something like this seriously, but still!"
Jasminka hummed in agreement. "I hope now that everyone's working together again, everything will turn out okay."
"I-if there's anything Hannah and I can do to help-!" Barbara exclaimed. "You just gotta let us know!"
"Barb." Hannah said. "I…think they got it covered. Maybe we should let the professionals handle this for now."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know the saying about too many cooks in the kitchen. I just think it might be better if I just…stay out of their way for this one. I'm not sure what I'd be able to do anyway."
Barbara seemed indignant. "But Hannah, we can't just-! We gotta do something, right? These are our friends!"
Hannah wasn't sure she wanted to split hairs on that point. "I'm not saying I'm going to do nothing! I'm just…not really sure what you really expect me to do here in the first place! These guys are like, the Nine New Witches, right? What are we supposed to contribute that they don't already have?"
Before Barbara could argue, Jasminka stepped in between the two of them.
"If you think that's best, then I think you should do that." Jasminka said. "But if you two want, you could help Amanda out. I'm going to check on Lotte, so she doesn't have to be alone right now either."
Barbara swallowed. "I…think I'd rather go see Lotte too." She decided. "You know how testy Amanda can get when she's mad. I'd really rather just let her be right now…"
"I don't know…" Jasminka hummed, with a significant glance towards Hannah. "Maybe if you say something, Amanda will listen?"
Hannah crossed her arms, mentally debating herself over the idea. She liked to think she was special like that to Amanda. And she wasn't sure she was brave enough to test the idea.
"How come you don't seem that worried, Jasminka? I could barely even wrap my head around all the things Croix and everyone else were saying back there. How do you manage to be so calm about it?"
"I am worried." Jasminka said. "But so is everyone else. So I think, maybe the best thing I can do to help is to stay and make sure they all have someone to back them up. Or give them a snack break. Whichever they need, whenever they decide."
Hannah's brows furrowed. "…You all really do know what you're doing, huh?"
Jasminka, in turn, smiled. "When you sit back and watch, you can learn a whole lot about people and what they need." She said. "…I'd wink at you, but people say to me they can't tell."
Hannah ran a hand through her hair, and turned to face the trio pouring over the simulation of the mana diagram, wondering if she could finally make sense of the conversation.
"Well, what about mind-melding?" Sucy offered up to Croix. "I know a little something about that. Couldn't we just have someone go into her head and fix her from the inside out?"
Croix shook her head. "Too much strain. Connecting another consciousness is liable to get you both killed."
It wasn't making her feel any better. How nice it would be, to go back to the days when it was just the Blue Team, winning contests and shutting down naysayers. No matter how far she got, she missed those days.
"Hannah."
She turned back to face Jasminka.
"I know Amanda doesn't really like the name, and I know Diana thinks it's sort of silly too. But the Nine New Witches didn't come together because we're the best. We came together because we're friends and we care about each other. Even if it doesn't fit the name…there's always more than enough room for more."
"I…"
Jasminka popped a chip into her mouth. "But do what you think is right. It's not my business."
And with that she, with Barbara in tow, left to go back up Lotte.
Hannah didn't follow them. She didn't truly know what she'd say to Lotte in the first place. So she left to find Amanda. Though, she didn't even know what she was supposed to say to her either.
It almost would've been funny, if it hadn't been her. All these years she had been such a gossip. She had always been the one to repeat What She Said To Her and to tell everyone about The Most Amazing Rumor. Now on her own, she found she couldn't find a voice that actually belonged to her.
She kept her eyes open as she left to find Amanda. The Nine were all busy doing whatever task they could find. She saw a more than few people whispering to each other, passing along who knows what.
The most she saw of Ursula was on the fringes of the campus, where she was having a hurried conversation with Headmistress Holbrooke. It was perhaps a half hour at most after the professor had left the Tower. Hannah couldn't make out any words, but from their grim expressions, it was clear what they were discussing.
And no one, save for Ursula and Diana, had seen Akko since.
It took until around midday for Hannah to find Amanda. The other Witch was in the cafeteria, slumped over in a chair in a corner, laying her head across the table. Her expression was practically a challenge, staring darkly at any witch who passed her by, daring them to speak so she could blow up at them in turn.
Hannah slipped into the seat across from her without a word. Amanda's eyes, even if only briefly, softened, and so Hannah cracked a small smile.
"…So. Some first date we had, huh?"
Amanda let out a single dry laugh. "Yeah…you're telling me."
"I was…" Hannah bit her lip. "I was really waiting until the right moment to ask you, and then I find it and…"
"And we get dragged along on Diana's little bloodspat with Croix, and then…everything else." Amanda finished curtly. "We got…what, like two days to ourselves? Guess that's what I get for teasing instead of just asking you out myself…"
"M-maybe so…" Hannah rubbed her arm. "I mean…for a while I was really wondering if you liked me or you were just teasing. Would've been nice to know beforehand, actually."
Amanda frowned. "Well my bad, then. I thought it was kinda…cute, the way you thought you were being secret, even though pretty much everyone knew about it. I didn't think there was any need to spell it out, y'know?"
Hannah pressed her lips together in a thin line. "Amanda…about Akko…"
Amanda suddenly sat up. "Just save it." She snapped. "I don't need to hear any more apologies or how bad she's doing or whatever. I don't care, alright? I don't care, so do me a favor and drop whatever you were about to say."
"…Sorry."
Amanda looked at Hannah's pained expression, and took a long breath. "…No." She mumbled, as she slumped back into the seat next to her. "No, no, you're good. Not trying to snap at you, Hannah. We just don't need to talk about it."
The glowering expression on Amanda's face did not fill Hannah with any more confidence than she had before.
Hannah tried to sound as neutral as possible. Anything to avoid bringing the mood down even further when everything was already feeling bleak. "I'm…sure you guys don't really need my help. I mean you are the Nine New Witches and all, but-"
Amanda cut her off with a scoff. "The Nine New Witches is just a name. It doesn't mean a single thing."
"Of course it does!" Hannah insisted. "Aren't you guys supposed to be like, the team? You saved the world! You saved magic itself! That's gotta be worth something, right?"
"Like what? It's not like we got jackets made or something, it's just a stupid name that Akko…!"
Amanda stopped. And let out a sigh.
"…She's such an idiot."
"Who?"
"Who do you think?" Amanda huffed. "I mean, y-yeah. She told us, but…but how was I supposed to know she was serious? Why didn't she just…just make someone understand?! Why did she-?!"
Unable to bring herself to finish, Amanda simply brought her fist down on the table, and shot a quick burst of air up towards her hairline.
Hannah chewed on her lip. "I…I know you're better friends than I am with her, but I don't think she-"
"Look, I don't wanna talk about it!" Amanda growled. "…swear to god, I'm about to punch some poor unsuspecting chick's lights out right now. I just…agh. This whole thing is…"
She knocked her fist against the table again, and shook her head bitterly. It was as concisely as Amanda could put it.
Her green eyes snapped open when she felt Hannah's hand come to rest on top of her own.
Hannah quickly pulled away "S-sorry. I just…I dunno, thought you…needed…"
"…Hannah." Amanda's voice was unmistakably soft. "You remember the day you asked me out, when you talked about how some people just…clicked with each other?"
"I think so."
"…I don't think I ever clicked with anyone, really. My family always forced me to be one thing, school forced me to be another, and…I can't just fit into something I'm not. I'm not ever gonna…click. Not with you or anyone else. I've always been just…me against the world, y'know?"
"So what are you saying…?"
"I…" Amanda ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I really don't. But…well, after everything that happened back there…it doesn't make much sense to wait around for this kinda stuff. I just…needed to say it, and you deserved to know."
Hannah swallowed. "It…doesn't have to be just you against the world."
"It ought to be." Amanda said. "That always made the most sense."
"Well…I…I'm here for you anyway."
Amanda glanced up and arched a brow. Hannah flushed under her steady gaze.
"I-I mean…" Hannah's throat suddenly felt dry. "If you need me to…a-and I don't know what you'd need from me, but if there's…um…if you need me to…be something to…"
Amanda sighed. "Okay, okay. Don't hurt yourself…"
"N-no!" Hannah snapped. "Amanda, I…I need to say this too, because you deserve to know. A-and you can do what you want with it, but I gotta say it."
Amanda adjusted herself in her chair to face her. "Alright. So, let's hear it."
Hannah took a deep breath. "I won't talk about…that, if you don't want me to. But I…I do think what you do, what you all do, is amazing, even if you don't. You guys…you totally saved the world."
"I didn't set out to do that. I just wanted to help my buddy, not…be some beholden hero, or whatever everyone thinks I am…"
"Be that as it may, I still think it's…incredible, you know? I think it's amazing what you do, and that you know what you're about and you don't listen to what anyone says about you."
Amanda inched a little closer. "I listen." She said, in a low voice. "I just don't always care."
Almost unconsciously, Hannah found herself leaning over the table. Their faces were getting much closer than she seemed to realize. "And I like that about you. S-so even if it's just you against the world…I…I want…"
Amanda's breath was hot on her lips. "What do you want…?"
Hannah's eyes closed as she closed the distance. "I want…to be…"
And then a third voice jumped into their conversation.
"Hey ho, is that Amanda and Hannah I spy over there?!"
Amanda rolled her eyes as Wangari, alongside Kimberly and Joanna, obliviously approached the two of them. "Oh perfect…" She muttered, flopping back down in her chair.
Hannah shrunk down in her seat, wishing she could just melt into a puddle and end the day that much faster.
"I thought I saw you two hanging out in here!" Wangari grinned. "I don't suppose you got any good news for us at the News Network?"
Amanda did not return her expression. "Shove off, Wangari. Not in the mood."
"Whoa, don't shoot the messenger now! I'm just here doing my duty! All the professors are in an uproar about some curse, and there's a rumor going around something happened! Any chance you can give us an exclusive and disprove it?"
"Ah geez…" Hannah hand went to her forehead, still feeling a bit faint. "Can't we just say No Comment? Put us down for that. We don't need everyone in on this right now."
For a moment, Wangari's smile faltered. "…But…they aren't true, right? The rumors about something happening to ol' Froggo?"
Amanda sat up in her chair, narrowing her eyes. "Where did you hear about that?"
"Got a tip from Sarah."
"What the hell does Sarah know?"
"Her roommate Elfriede is in the book club with Barbara and Lotte, but those two suddenly cancelled their meet. And then just a little bit ago, Nelson and Lukić start going through the lockup and reassessing every single magic mirror. And the word is, Akko was the last one in there!"
Amanda crossed her arms. "…well isn't that just perfect."
"Amanda…" Hannah said gently. "It's okay."
Kimberly lowered her notepad and cleared her throat. "We…ah, thought all of it was connected, but…we were hoping to quiet the rumor mill. If…you guys don't have any comment, then…"
"Well, either way!" Wangari grinned. "You should know you have the full support of the Luna Nova News Network! I can see the next big headline now! Vile curse defeated! Atsuko 'Akko' Kagari makes full recovery!"
Kimberly elbowed her. "Wan."
Wangari's face flushed beneath her wide grin. "…I mean, we…we don't actually have a headline made or…" She quickly shook her head. "I-it was a joke! We're not gonna sensationalize it or nothing! We just…you know…I wanted to show…"
Wangari coughed, shrinking under the combined gaze of Amanda and Kimberly.
"…just…uh, let us know if she gets better."
Sheepishly, the Luna Nova News Network ushered themselves away, and Amanda let out a vindictive snort, before rapidly scanning across the cafeteria, until she finally spotted Sarah.
Sarah was having lunch with Chloe, Avery and Gaëlle. Avery elbowed the redheaded witch to look over. Catching Amanda's eye, Sarah offered her a sympathetic smile.
It only seemed to annoy Amanda more. She suddenly pushed herself up from the table and spun on her heels towards the door.
"Tch. Screw this…" She muttered. "I'm going for a ride…"
"Wait. Amanda, what about…!"
But Amanda was in no mood to talk. Not to her, nor to anyone else.
The thing about Amanda, one of the many that Hannah admired, is that for as much as she shunned responsibility, she would never give up on the people closest to her. Ever. She'd complain, she'd tease, she'd poke and prod, but she was loyal to a fault.
And sitting idly by while the school gossiped about one of her best friends had reached that very fault. In just a matter of hours, it had gone from no one knowing about it, to everyone knowing about it.
The more Hannah strained to listen to the chatter and harsh whispers across the cafeteria, the more and more rumors started to burn her own ears.
One witch looked to another and asked, "Did you hear the professors are all freaking out about some sort of curse…?"
Another said, "What kind of a curse is this supposed to be…?"
And the third would cross her arms and say, "I think they even called Professor Ursula back from vacation..."
"It must really be a bad curse then…"
"Something about a mirror I think…"
"I heard it was really Akko who got…"
"Well, yeah, isn't she the one who's always …?"
Diana Cavendish strode into the room, and instantly cut the gossip short with a sharp, venomous glare. The offending girls did their best to look innocent.
Hannah found it hard to believe she used to be part of that crowd. And here she was thinking she hadn't changed at all since last year.
Diana, against her better judgement, offered a small token of comfort as she noticed the dark expression on Amanda's face.
"…Amanda, is everything-?"
"Don't bother me, Cavendish." Amanda didn't even meet her eye as she brushed passed her shoulder and out the door.
Diana didn't look particularly hurt by the interaction, but Hannah lived with her long enough to know after a day like this, she wasn't going to show pain on her face anyway.
Hannah made her way over to the Witch whom she once thought was one of her best friends. "Hey Diana."
"Hello, Hannah."
Diana, obviously, didn't look any more conversational than Amanda did, But Hannah had known Diana for years, and if she was going to be honest, she had much more experience with a sullen and emotionally-distant Diana than an open one.
Hannah rubbed her arm. "So how is…Akko doing…?"
Diana was quiet for a moment, but whether she was weighing her words for Hannah's sake or her own, it was impossible to say.
"It's…a bit touch and go with her right now." Diana said. "She's having a difficult time even talking about it at the moment. Even if she didn't have this…this thing crawling around in her head, I doubt anyone could blame her for not knowing how to process this."
"No kidding…"
"I came down to see if I couldn't find her something to eat. I highly suspect she hasn't eaten properly since before we…" Diana trailed off. "…some food and water should help ground her more, at least."
"Sorry Amanda just brushed you off like that."
Diana sighed. "I suppose it's fine. Trust me, after our debacle with the Horologium Room, it's clear she's never been one to vent when she's frustrated. I'm sorry she's brushing you off."
"What? She hasn't."
Diana blinked. "No?"
"No. We were talking just now. And then…well, Wangari came over and now she's mad again…"
"…Really?" Diana's brows furrowed. "Usually when she's like this, it's a chore getting her to even talk to Jasminka until she finds a way to let out some steam. It's…rare to see her confide in someone."
"I-it's not that rare." Hannah said. "You guys are way better friends than I am with her, aren't you? She talks to you guys all the time! Doesn't she…?"
Diana opened her mouth to speak, but quickly thought better of it. "I…I need to get back as soon as I can. I know Ursula can handle it just fine, but…"
"N-no, no. Go ahead, Diana. Let me know if you need any help."
"Yes." Diana said blankly. "If…if I manage to find anything…sooner than not, then I'll let you know, I assure you."
As Diana made her way to the service counter, Hannah found her gaze drifting yet again.
Diana had changed so much. The best friend she thought she had in her was never even a person. Just an idealistic image in her head. She hadn't ever understood that until now. For whatever reason, she felt like all the eyes in the cafeteria were on her, judging her for daring to speak outside of her clique.
Still though…
She wondered how much that feeling had ever stopped Amanda…
Diana took far longer to pick her food than she normally did, and when she finally came out, her tray was full of sweets and high-fiber meals, along with more than one bottle of water.
Comfort food, Hannah noted.
She hoped it was just Diana being overprotective, and not a sign. Hannah wisely chose not to ask. Diana was far too eager to get away from the crowded lunchroom in the first place.
Unfortunately, she only got so far before both of them were gently stopped. "Pardon the interruption, Miss Cavendish." Finnelan called out.
She was standing with her fellow professor Badcock, and the two of them were rapidly double-checking a list of names in the latter's hands.
"You monitored the first half of Miss Kagari's detention in the mirror lockup, didn't you?" Finnelan asked. "We…would like to perform a quick checkup on you, if you don't mind."
"Check for what, exactly?" Diana said, the slightest hint of impatience in her voice.
"We just wish to make sure no one else suffered any ill effects from our mirrors." Badcock said. "We should check you too while you're here, Miss England."
Finnelan, somewhat uncertainly, whispered an incantation to her wand, and cast the same spell Croix had done in the lab. A hand stretched out and plucked a seed from Diana's forehead, and it reached over and did the same to Hannah.
And suddenly, two holographic plants manifested in midair before them. The professors wasted no time in scrutinizing them, muttering to each other about signs that Professor Ursula had told them to look for. Diana hardly even looked. She simply huffed.
But Hannah was almost transfixed. Her own magic signature was a fairly simple looking plant, devoid of any of the foreign magic seen in the one in the lab. The branches were slightly denser, and the overall size was just a bit bigger, just a bit fuller.
Diana's signature, in terms of its size and its density, dwarfed both Hannah's and Akko's. Any evidence of rot had long since been cleaned up, and the blooming, ethereal branches in the top face proudly displayed Diana's heritage as Beatrix's descendent.
It made Hannah's look almost…nondescript.
Finnelan, however, was at least satisfied with how the signatures looked. She dispelled the incantation, set a hand over her heart, and let out a sigh of relief. "It looks like you two are clean and healthy, thank the stars. I apologize for forcing you two to do that. I don't fully…agree with this spell, but it's the only way we have to make sure."
"Very well." Diana said. "But I hardly believed Hannah or I would've been infected in the first place. Not without us knowing, at least."
"You've always been capable, yes." Finnelan admitted. "But you must also understand we're working to better understand this case. Rest assured, Luna Nova will do everything in our power to ensure this doesn't happen again."
Badcock adjusted her glasses with a small grimace. "Miss Kagari may be a terrible troublemaker on even the best of days, but she is still nonetheless a student of this academy. What happened to her under my watch was completely unacceptable."
Finnelan nodded. "And on that note, should either of you happen to see Priscilla, Alice, or Xiaolei, could you please tell them to come see one of us as soon as possible? According to the check-in sheet, they were the last students to enter the lockup, besides you and Miss Kagari."
Badcock checked her list. "I believe that should be the last of them. Well…it says here that Rachel checked in, but that was in the beginning of May…She hasn't seemed unwell in the last month, but…perhaps we should double check?"
"It would be best to exercise caution, yes." Finnelan said. "Perhaps what happened to Miss Kagari really was an isolated incident. If we should only be so lucky."
"Wait." Diana called out to Finnelan before she could walk away. "Have you truly not found out anything more about…?"
Finnelan looked at her a long moment. "…We're doing everything we can."
As the two professors left to try and take as many belated precautionary measures as they could, Diana and Hannah were left to read between the lines of everything they had said. With several professors leaving for the summer holidays, they were simply spread too thin to be much help on an individual case. Not when they needed to ensure another crisis hadn't started to brew.
Diana watched the two leave, and slowly turned. "Hannah…" She started. "When she told you and Amanda about…her dreams, did she…did she mention why didn't want to tell…me?"
Hannah bit her lip. "I-it was a few days ago, Diana. I don't really remember what exactly she said."
Diana's pained expression spoke volumes. "…so I see. Thank you."
She tightened her fingers around the food tray in her hands, and walked out the same way she had come in, and Hannah was left alone, watching her friends pass her by.
She really had thought things had started to work out. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going to be part of the group again, finally rejoin Diana and Barbara. She was going to be something with Amanda.
The Nine of them all had a friendship forged in fire, after all. The problem with those seemingly inseparable bonds being, once that spark started to flicker, hope seemed to go with it too.
Unsure what else to do, she found herself drifting over to Sarah's table. She used to be friends with Avery, in particular. At least, her and Barbara did. Whenever they weren't singing Diana's praises, they used to hang out.
She had barely spoken to her since…pretty much the Noir Missile Crisis. This whole year, she had been too surrounded by people to have any energy left to see her old acquaintances. Maybe seeing old friends would make her feel better.
"Hey Hannah." Avery smiled as Hannah sat with them. "Long time no see."
"Yeah, been a while." Chloe said. "I don't even see you hanging off Diana's arm these days. Did you finally move on from her?"
Hannah managed a small smile. "…Maybe the other way around, actually. Diana's changed a lot, you know."
"Not enough, if you ask me."
Sarah perked up. "Hey Hannah! I saw you two talking with the news guys before! It's not true what they're saying, is it? About this curse?"
"I don't really know much about it." Hannah said, surprised how honest the statement was. "So I can't…really tell you guys much. Maybe it's better that I not say anything."
"Aw, c'mon!" Sarah pleaded. "I'm worried! I wanna know!"
Avery snorted. "Sarah's just freaking out because she's part of the Nine New Witches fanclub."
Hannah blinked.
"I'm not fangirling!" Sarah said. "Oh! Is Croix back on campus? She's part of the Nine New Witches too, right? Did she come back?"
Hannah herself made a big deal of the title, but that was because she interacted with at least seven of them on a daily basis. Hearing the name come from someone else was strange.
"How'd you hear about that name, anyway?"
Sarah shrugged. "I dunno where I heard it from, but I know I heard it. I mean it's kind of a big deal, right? Magic used to be declining forever and then just suddenly it's not. I never thought I'd get to see it happen when I was going to school!"
"Big deal is underselling it." Gaëlle said shortly. "The opening of the Grand Triskellion is probably the most significant event in magic history since the Grand Triskellion being sealed hundreds of years ago. This entire thing is completely unprecedented."
Chloe let out a scoff. "And it's just galling that Diana and a bunch of goofballs like the Red Team would be the ones to do it."
Hannah grimaced. "What's that supposed to mean, Chloe?"
"I'm just saying, they're always sticking their noses in everything, right? The reason everyone knows it's Akko is because it's always Akko."
"Hey!" Hannah narrowed her eyes. "She's a total moron, but at least she tries, right? And you're just mad that Diana's got a big title and you don't!"
"I…!" Chloe turned red. "I am not jealous of…of Diana Cavendish!"
Avery was shocked. "Wait, wait. Back up a second. Hannah, are you defending Kagari right now?"
"W-well…yeah!" Hannah said. "It's not like I could do half the stuff she did. And I know what she went though, because I'm the one who put her through like half of it last year."
"Didn't you hate her?" Avery challenged. "You were the one who talked about how Luna Nova admitting her meant they were lowering their standards, now you're on her side?"
Gaëlle shrugged. "She is hurt right now. Wouldn't be right to make fun of someone wounded."
"No!" Hannah couldn't believe her ears. "That's not it at all! Tell me I didn't honestly used to think like that!"
Sarah pursed her lips. "You were…pretty nasty, back in the day." She told her. "Honestly, in my opinion, the fact that Diana never put a stop to you and Barbara kinda made some people think you might've…had a point."
"…Well…well that's got to change!" Hannah declared. "Barb's a great person now! She and Lotte are practically best friends! I see Sucy and Amanda and everyone like every day! And for your information, I want to see Akko to get better, because I owe her a big apology."
The words had spilled from her lips before she even fully thought them. When she had finished, she found herself looking at four different reactions to her sudden confession. Gaëlle and Chloe were looking at her curiously. Avery's jaw had dropped. And Sarah was smiling ear to ear.
"…I gotta go help out." Hannah realized. "I…I'll see you guys later! I gotta go, like now!"
Why in the world was she wasting time here? She needed to go see Amanda. She needed to help Barbara, help Lotte and Jasminka. She needed to see what Sucy and Constanze and Croix needed.
But more importantly than that, Amanda needed to see her.
"Wait!" Sarah called out. "What about the rumors? Please tell me if anyone got hurt because of some curse!"
Hannah started towards the door. "If anyone asks, tell them…"
She wasn't ever going to be one of the Nine New Witches. She was too much of a coward, too much of a follower. Quite simply, she wasn't cut out for greatness.
But if being Diana's roommate, falling in love with Amanda, and watching nine unassuming witches save the world she thought she commanded, taught her anything, greatness was often misunderstood.
Greatness needed someone to speak for it. And if there was one thing Hannah could do, it was to tell the world where to look and who to look for.
"…Tell them the Nine New Witches got it covered!"
A.N. Well, that hiatus wasn't really my plan, but it actually came at a rather nice point. I suppose in some ways you can think of this as the start of a season 2 for this story. Tentatively sitting on a final chapter count of twenty for this, but that's the long estimate.
Next Time, "Brain Storming Part II" I…got a little out of hand with the Hamanda interactions, and it's…probably not okay to start back in with a 10k chapter, so…! Next time, still more Hamanda! And maybe another couple for good measure?