Hecate Hardbroom had quietly entered her life and now Ada couldn't imagine being without her. She, along with Gwen, was the buffer against the storm that engulfed Ada in the following months. After that first delivery of the most delicious lemon biscuits that Gwen and Ada had ever tasted, she'd responded to Ada's thanks by keeping up correspondence by owl. They conducted an easy friendship through letters and when Arthur judged that Ada could return to the office, resumed their midmorning tea breaks. Only this time, they started talking in person. The more Ada learned about her, the more she wanted to get closer to her. The age difference didn't matter when Ada seemed to be the only person that could make Hecate smile, make her talk a little longer. She found out that Hecate had been sorted into Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. Hecate looked forward to seeing her every day and when Ada tentatively invited her over for the weekend, Hecate was happy to accept. She arrived with a basket of raspberry and pistachio pastries and instantly charmed Gwen and the cats.

'You really should set up a bakery' said Gwen, daintily popping another pastry in her mouth. 'These are so marvellous, I just can't stop eating them.'

Hecate busied herself by making a fuss of the cats. They adored her on sight and Ada gave her permission to thoroughly spoil them. She looked up and saw Ada smiling at her. Most surprisingly, she blushed.

'Thank you for the most wonderful weekend' she said as she was leaving.

'We've very much enjoyed your company. You are so welcome to come and visit whenever you like. I hope you do.'

Ada looked up at her with that lovely smile and Hecate felt like her heart was skipping faster. She took her time to answer.

'I will.'

It took a while for people to start to talk to her normally again, satisfied that her she wasn't secretly harbouring Death Eater tendencies. Gwen made sure to chastise everyone on her behalf.

'As if you think Ada Cackle could ever be one of those scum' she'd retort. She'd even made sure that the delivery boy had tripped over into a puddle on one occasion. Spitting was a filthy habit, she declared. Hecate smirked at that.

Ada hadn't realised just how much she'd fallen for Hecate until she invited her to stay for Christmas. Hecate objected when Ada gave up her bed for her guest but Ada would not be swayed.

'You can't possibly think I will invite someone to stay and give them the sofa to sleep on. That is abject rudeness.'

'It doesn't matter to me.'

'Absolutely not.'

Hecate had a good night's sleep in her borrowed bed and repaid her hostess with as much baking as she could do. They went walking in the snow and curled up with the cats and both wished that the week would never end. End it did but not before staying up all of new year's eve with the radio and the firelight for company.

'Ada. I've had the most wonderful holiday. I can't thank you enough.'

Ada looked over. Hecate was soft and inviting, swathed in cat and a shy smile.

'I'm so glad. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your kindness.'

Hecate seemed to think about saying something but stayed silent, fingers roving through purring black fur. To Ada's surprise, she found her reading in bed the next morning, one of Ada's trashy romance novels. Hecate had started to join her for breakfast in her pyjamas but never had she lingered in bed. She looked up as Ada brought her a cup of tea, the cats wreathing around her ankles. They had stuck to Ada when she slept on the sofa, warming her feet in a bundle of tangled limbs.

'I didn't realise you liked these.'

'I don't. I just wondered what you saw in them. Thank you' she took the tea.

Ada laughed.

'It's escapism.'

'Muggle nonsense.'

'There's nothing wrong with a bit of muggle nonsense. Ask Arthur. Books are the best to lose yourself in. Gives you something you've never had, travel to unknown places or try to give you an understanding of a character you wouldn't think of getting to know. You don't have to like all the characters or their motivations. You just have to watch the story unfold. Some people can never do that because they're always the centre of attention. Sometimes that is a real hindrance.'

Hecate stared at her, wondering how it was someone so different to her could share such a similar feeling. They both lived their lives observing everyone else from the side-lines, never getting involved enough. Often she felt like it was only her watching everyone in a bubble.

'What?' Ada looked enquiring.

Hecate sipped her tea.

'I should get up. I'm being incredibly lazy lounging around in your bed.'

'Please continue. I hope that you'll feel comfortable here.'

And you look very pretty in my bed she thought. A thought that made her feel equally guilty and elated. She'd never had the chance to think it before.

Hecate glanced up at her, smiled and thanked her in answer. Ada hoped that she hadn't been too forward. She felt like Hecate had sensed her mood and hoped that she wouldn't be frightened off. She could keep her feelings under wraps for the sake of their friendship.

It seemed natural after that first Christmas, to begin to shift slightly towards each other, month by month, season by season, until the time had come for them to spend another Christmas together and this time, there was no hesitation. No hesitation in eating a late lazy breakfast without formality (Hecate briefly chastised herself for lingering on the sliver of bare skin the open collar of Ada's lilac linen pyjamas had revealed), no more hesitation sleeping in the bed that Ada offered her and no hesitation in sharing it. She'd borrowed a couple of books from her and managed to get through them by trying to see the story and characters through Ada's eyes.

'Ada?'

'Yes?'

'Come and read beside me. It seems silly that you'll go back downstairs to read.'

'Don't let me get comfortable' Ada warned, walking round to the other side of the bed. Hecate smiled secretively, turned another page. She encouraged Ada to get under the covers and promised to wake her if she got drowsy. Ada wasn't to know that she was lying.

The next morning Ada woke to a cup of tea and a pileup of cat on her bed. Hecate looked snug sitting at her feet playing with them. Ada realised that her book and glasses hadn't neatly removed themselves and knew she'd been sabotaged.

'Did you sabotage me?'

Hecate looked smug.

'I don't know what you mean.'

'Hmmph.'

Ada sat up and observed the cats.

'They've been fed' Hecate informed her quietly.

'I see.'

There was a brown sugar and cardamom biscuit sitting on the rim of the saucer. Ada had decided that year that they were her favourites. She excused herself to freshen up and when she got back, they had breakfast in bed. Hecate kept the radio on low and they munched their way through the contents of the tray she'd brought up. Neither would say no to a cheese scone.

It didn't snow that year. It didn't matter. Hecate leaned over the kitchen counter, pointed out where Ada had rolled the pastry too flat, then drew her finger to tilt the other woman's chin up. She kissed Ada's slight frown away and let the day's events meander from there. They wasted no time in their affection for each other from that point on. The books stayed on the shelf while Ada and Hecate re-enacted several of the chapters. Both confessed that they had never felt like this before. Their happiness was indestructible.

Until they read the newspaper the morning after the mass breakout from Azkaban.