The dark green carpet of ancient woodland parted way as Pippa Pentangle began her graceful descent to the castle. Call her old fashioned, but she wanted to fly over the walls of the castle on her broomstick rather than transfer to meet her friend. Pippa was also not certain she could transfer the whole distance from Pentangle's to Cackle's without needing a long nap immediately after. It was a very long way. Hecate had told her to be inconspicuous with her approach to the castle, but Pippa rarely did inconspicuous. Still, for her friend she had donned a dusky pink flying cape, rather than her usual bright pink one. Pippa supposed that as the teacher had her formidable reputation to uphold, she didn't want her students to think that she had friends.
As she flew closer to the boundary of the castle, she felt her heart leap with excitement. Hecate Hardbroom had been ignoring her for longer than she cared to think about, and now she had invited her to tea.
The skilled witch descended, and dismounted regally. Taking a deep breath and smoothing her dress, she stepped into the courtyard.
"WATCH OOOOUUUTTTT AAHHHHHHHHHH HELLLLLLLLPPPP!" came a loud cry as a young witch came wheeling past her. The young witch was barely clinging to a broomstick as it thrashed backwards and forwards through the sky in front of her. Her long brown plaits flying out behind her. Pippa immediately recognised her as the young witch who had impressed her so much at the spelling bee.
She took a deep breath and waved her hand. Instantly the broomstick stopped its wayward flying and steadied itself.
The girl descended, and dismounted shakily. Holding her broom, she turned to her saviour in shy gratitude, her eyes on her boots. "Thank you," she squeaked out, looking like she half expected to be reprimanded. She looked up "Miss Pentangle! What are you doing here?" Mildred asked the blonde witch in shock, surprised to see her so soon again after the spelling bee.
Pippa laughed. "I'm here for tea with Miss Hardbroom - after the spelling bee, we've decided to make up for lost time."
The girl gawped, she'd not expected this response from the older witch. She frowned. Tea with Miss Hardbroom? She couldn't imagine anything more awkward.
Pippa noticed the girl's shock and opened her mouth to explain further, but the sudden appearance of another witch cut her off. The air immediately cooled and the surroundings seemed to pale and shrink in comparison to the tall witch.
"Mildred Hubble," sneered the other witch. "Did I see you flinging yourself about the sky like a flea infested bat?"
"Miss Hardbroom, it wasn't my fault..." Mildred began, struggling to get her words out. She didn't want to get in trouble with her teacher for the second time that day.
Pippa came to Mildred's rescue, "There's no harm done Hecate. It looks like a spell may have been put on her broom anyway, from the way it was bucking through the sky." Hecate was speechless. She didn't like her discipline to be undermined by anyone. Especially not the headmistress of a rival school. She turned to face Mildred, "I will deal with you later."
Mildred nodded solemnly at her teacher and double took. She noticed that her teacher looked different. She was still the same formidable teacher in a black dress, and she still had the same hard face, but she looked softer somehow. She had changed her formal dress for something slightly prettier, her hair and makeup were slightly different too. Mildred even noted that her teacher had swapped out her signature black nail polish for a slightly more feminine dark purple nail polish, the colour of crushed black cherries.
Before Mildred had time to comment, Miss Hardbroom snapped her long, purple tipped fingers, and the two teachers disappeared. Mildred was left behind in the courtyard with her mouth agape.
Instantly the two women found themselves in Hecate's chambers. "You really shouldn't be so harsh on her," Pippa berated her friend. Hecate looked slightly taken aback, she wasn't used to being told off by anyone. "She reminds me a lot of you, you know," Pippa continued. "Although you were much less clumsy." She added with a giggle at her friends bemused face.
Quickly changing the subject before Hecate could muster a comeback, Pippa turned to survey her surroundings. She was pleasantly surprised by the wood panelled walls and crackling fire. The room was dark, but not imposing. Instead it looked cosy and warm. Books neatly lined every surface, but in true Hecate style, the room did not appear at all cluttered. In front of the fire, a comfortable looking armchair and sofa flanked a solid walnut coffee table. On top of the table sat a wicker picnic basket and neatly folded grey tartan picnic blanket.
"Your chambers really suit you," the blonde witch commented, folding her pink flying cape and placing it with her broom against the door to what she deduced was probably Hecate's bedroom. Hecate quirked an eyebrow. She hoped this was a compliment.
"I imagine the students think I live in a mausoleum," Hecate only half joked. She regularly overheard students in the corridor making comments about her sleeping in a coffin. Pippa laughed at the image. Her friend sometimes really did give off a gothic vampire vibe.
Suddenly embarrassed at seeing her friend in a tight and very flattering pink dress, Hecate lifted the picnic basket from the coffee table and jauntily offered her arm to her friend. Pippa promptly linked arms with her tall friend, and they transferred to the woods.
Pippa gasped at the beauty of the woodland. The clearing was carpeted with soft springy moss and was surrounded by pink foxgloves. Columns of late afternoon sunlight filtered through the canopies that surrounded the clearing, and cheerful birdsong could be heard in the distance. Hecate smiled triumphantly, she knew her friend appreciated beautiful things, and this clearing certainly was that.
Hecate shook out the woollen picnic blanket and lay it on the floor. She awkwardly took a seat on a corner and invited Pippa to sit down too. The blonde witch sat down and smiled.
The silence was pregnant.
"Tea?" Hecate opened the picnic basket and proffered a self heating teapot and two china teacups. Pippa noticed with amusement that they were all decorated with silhouettes of flying witches. Very Hecate, she thought. She accepted her tea, and Hecate pulled a plate of sandwiches and a plate of cakes from the basket.
Desperate to break the silence, Hecate said "This reminds me of our midnight feasts. You always brought the most amazing cakes, Pipsqueak." She took a bite out of a slice of cake.
Relieved, Pippa relaxed. She was so pleased that there seemed to be no hard feelings between Hecate and herself. "Remember that time we were caught after lights out with the box of exploding cupcakes?" She giggled, reaching for a sandwich. "I was washing pink buttercream out of my hair for weeks."
"Only because you didn't know the spell for removing it, besides, I thought pink was your colour." Hecate quipped jovially.
"You always refused to teach me," Pippa said, feigning sadness. Hecate gave a sharp exhale of air, almost like a laugh. "Speaking of buttercream," Pippa continued, licking her thumb. "You have some on your face." The blonde witch leaned forwards and wiped the buttercream from Hecate's face. Hecate turned a shade almost as pink as Pippa's dress.
As day turned to dusk, and dusk turned to nightfall, the two witches continued to laugh, recalling old school memories. Noticing the dark, Hecate waved her hand lazily and suddenly the glade was illuminated by fireflies, glittering amongst the trees.
"Beautiful," breathed Pippa. She lay back on the blanket and gazed up at the sky, now bordered by the fireflies. Hecate lay back uneasily to join her.
Pippa turned to face her friend and propped herself up on one elbow. "Beautiful just like you, Hiccup," she said quietly. Hecate's breath caught. She kept staring straight up at the newly starry sky, not quite knowing how to react.
Pippa thought she was beautiful? Hecate forced herself to take a breath. Friends compliment each other all the time, pull yourself together she told herself.
Pippa reached over with her free hand, and took Hecate's. "I've always thought you were beautiful Hiccup," she repeated, giving Hecate's hand a warm squeeze.
Hecate kept her gaze towards the stars. "Pipsqueak…" she said in barely a whisper. "I-I, y-you've always been the beautiful one, not me." Much to her frustration, a few tears gathered in her eyes. She turned to face Pippa and was surprised to see that the usually very put together witch was also crying. Hecate pulled her hand free from Pippa's grasp.
"Hecate, you have never seen your own beauty, and it is such a travesty," Pippa said, blinking away her tears. She moved herself closer to Hecate and replaced her hand on Hecate's waist. She pulled Hecate towards her, until the two witches' bodies were facing each other. "Please tell me if I'm wrong," her voice changed, nervous now. "I've always felt that we would have been something more than just friends…" She tailed off, and gently caressed Hecate's face. "Even all of these years later, when I heard the spelling bee final was to be held at Cackle's. I could hardly stand the thought of seeing you, but not spending time with you."
Hecate's eyes were wide in shock. This moment played itself out so many times in her mind since she had last seen Pippa, but in no scenario had the pink witch been the one to say those words.
Hecate opened her mouth to reply, but faltered. For once, she didn't know what to say. Instead, almost instinctively, she let her body do the talking. She leaned forward gingerly, and kissed Pippa on her perfect pink lips. Shocked at her own behaviour, she recoiled immediately, certain she had misunderstood Pippa's admission.
Laughing at the surprised witch's almost comical expression, Pippa pulled Hecate back towards her, and kissed her again. She pulled her closer, and closer until their bodies were pressed against each other.
The night grew darker and colder, but the two witches remained embraced. The kiss silently saying all of the things that had been left unsaid.
Their lips only parted when the blonde witch began to shiver in the cold. She had left her flying cape in Hecate's chambers, and cursed herself for the oversight. Hecate wrapped Pippa into a warm tight hug, breathing in the smell of her honeysuckle scented hair. "Stay the night," Hecate murmured into Pippa's neck.
As tempting as it was to spend all night wrapped in Hecate's warm arms, Pippa knew she had to return to Pentangle's. As headmistress, it was her responsibility to be present at the school overnight. "Another time, Hiccup," she said, kissing Hecate's forehead, seeing the disappointment in the other witch's eyes. "I've really enjoyed tonight, you must visit me at Pentangle's soon." She said, sitting up.
Hecate took her hand and transferred the two witches back to her chambers. "At least allow me to transfer you back to Pentangle's," Hecate offered. "It's a long flight back, and I don't want you to be in danger flying alone at night." She knew the reason Pippa preferred long distance broomstick journeys was not for the views.
Pippa hesitated. It was a long flight back, and suddenly back beside the warmth of the fire, she was feeling rather tired. She nodded, and kissed Hecate on the cheek. "Mirror me soon, Hiccup," she said with a smile.
Nervously, Hecate grabbed Pippa's hand, and kissed her one last time. "Goodnight, Pipsqueak," she whispered, and clicked her fingers.