Ada Cackle was a hopeless romantic. Her sister used to tease her for it but Agatha hadn't been around to mock her for a long time now. She had no concern for relationships and romance, deriding them as foolish concepts. Still Ada trudged on with her life, believing that one day it might just happen for her, happily read her trashy books in the bath and enjoyed the sight of Valentines flowers even though she was the never the recipient. She never thought it would come in the shape of one of her colleagues.

Hecate Hardbroom was an enigma. Tall and mysteriously reserved, sparing with words. She worked in a different department, three floors down. They often sat at the same table in the canteen to drink their tea but rarely conversed. Ada found her standoffish but not unpleasantly so and beyond offering her a biscuit every time, did not encroach on her time. She sensed that Miss Hardbroom was somewhat shy. Hecate was more observant than Ada realised, noting the monogrammed handkerchief she carried with her and the exact shade of pink of jumper she wore. The red ring on her index finger and the way she absentmindedly dunked her biscuits into her tea. She secretly thought it was charming but wouldn't have thought to mention it. She liked that the other woman kept a comfortable silence where most people would just chatter incessantly.

The atmosphere in the building changed the hour that the news broke. She saw Hecate standing by a table reading a newspaper and sat down with her usual greeting. She was surprised when Hecate looked up and stumbled back, knocking her cup of tea over. Ada saw fear in her eyes and didn't realise why. She took out her handkerchief and started mopping up the spilt tea.

'Miss Hardbroom, is everything alright?'

Hecate's eyes were drawn down to the handkerchief with the initials. A.C. Ada didn't know why. The back of her neck prickled and she looked around. Half the canteen was looking at her in a most unfriendly manner.

'What's the matter?'

Hecate silently handed the newspaper over in answer. The headline and picture on the front page gave Ada a shock that felt almost painful. Now she knew why Hecate had looked afraid, had glanced at her handkerchief, why there were whispers stealing around the room. Except it wasn't her. That face was hers but it wasn't her. The name so similar yet not hers.

'That's her' another other woman nearby whispered. Ada didn't know who she was. She realised that she'd never told Hecate her name. 'This isn't me.' Her voice shook, her mouth felt dry, ashamed at the tears that were ready to fall. She didn't understand the desperation at which she was trying to assure Miss Hardbroom who looked like she'd been turned into stone. Ada turned tail and fled, trying to shake off the stares and whispers. She felt as if they were about to turn on her, hunt her down and tear her to pieces.

Arthur Weasley saw her coming and ushered her into his office. He was a kindly line manager and not prone to hysterics inspired by public panic. She thrust the newspaper into his hands imploring him to read but he shook his head at her without looking. He'd seen it.

'I will support you in any way I can but I don't know that it's safe for you to work in the office, Ada. I'm going to organise an escort back home and I will send you work by owl for the time being. This is serious. You may need protection.'

Ada couldn't process it. What her sister had done, how it would impact on the rest of the family, she had never thought...

'I never thought she'd go this far' she whispered.

Arthur Weasley studied the distraught face, so alike to the one in the paper but so different. Ada had much kinder eyes. He thought very highly of her and wanted to save her from any grief over her sister's affiliations.

A knock broke their concentration.

Miss Hardbroom was at the door. She held out the now dry handkerchief with Ada's forgotten cup of tea.

'You forgot this.'

She still looked wary but handed them over directly.

'Thanks Hecate' said Arthur wearily.

Ada could only think of one thing to say. She looked up at Hecate.

'My name is Ada.'

For a few seconds, the other woman stayed frozen. Then the tension in her shoulders dropped ever so slightly. She apologised for being so foolish. When the same face from the newspaper that she'd sat with for the last year had strolled in and acted as if nothing had happened, when the initials A.C. had jumped out at her in the handkerchief that she'd seen so many times, she'd jumped to conclusions.

Ada nodded. Hecate surprised herself with a most uncharacteristic gesture and put her hand on her shoulder. Ada felt a surge of warmth flow through her and inexplicably felt her heart lift, just a fraction.

'I'll call Kingsley and he will escort you home. Gather anything you need. But under no circumstances are you being dismissed, nor are you in disgrace. I just want to spare you from what will come next.'

Ada could only nod, not trusting herself to speak.

The shame of knowing that her sister had pledged her allegiance to the Dark Lord was overwhelming. Agatha had been insolent in court and had been dispatched to Azkaban for a life sentence for her role in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom. It was a dark day for the Cackle family.

Ada curled up in her armchair and cried for a week, only being interrupted by her hungry cats and her next-door neighbour, Miss Bat. Gwen had known the Cackle twins since they were born and had shook her head sorrowfully over the path that Agatha had chosen. After Ada had been treated very coldly in public, Gwen offered to do the shopping to spare her the humiliation. She assured her that she would not hesitate in defending Ada in the face of public opinion. Pendell and Morgana made sure to keep close and lick the tears from her face at frequent moments. They never left her side every night and Ada appreciated it more than she could show.

When Gwen next visited, she brought a basket of lemon biscuits.

'You didn't have to.'

'They're not from me. They were tucked into the corner next to the door. I've done the requisite spells to check that they are safe. I don't know who the note is from, hopefully you do.'

It was short and to the point. It was signed Hecate Hardbroom. Ada felt the treacherous tears spill over at being thought of by a woman she barely knew.

'Just a reminder that not everyone is shunning you' Gwen reminded her gently. It was something Ada would never forget, even when the delivery boy had spat at her when she crossed his path. She just had to ride it out.