It feels natural to Hecate to climb to the rooftop from then on. Every night, just when it gets dark, she pulls out the book and reads about a new constellation. If she can, she attempts to find it, but she's not always successful. Sometimes she sits there for hours staring into the deep blue sky. Then, being tired from a long day of ignoring bullies and their nasty comment, she tries to rest. Each time she gets shoved into the wall during the day she just recalls the lights in her room and reaches for her wooden figure. After a few nights the sky starts to change, another constellation rising up over her, she has taken her notebook, capturing the image with a black pen and ink.
"I have a new task for you." She sits in the potion lab now speaking about her extra homework, showing her teacher her new findings. It has become a regular thing for them to sit together. Hecate mostly listening and writing down everything she hears.
"As you know, astrology is an ancient art. It has to be carried on so we depend on new findings. Your task is to write down anything you think is worth being read. Her dark eyes glare down. "I've seen you on the rooftop, Hecate." the little girl flinches, tucking her head in as if she would expect to be slapped. "You are not allowed up there," her raspy voice says with finality.
"But…" a tear has formed in those dark eyes. Then Hecate turns around. It would be stupid to fight her teacher.
"Unless you have a task, which you do, you are not allowed up there. Now go." The door opens itself and she runs outside.
"I have permission to go on the roof now!" she smiles to herself. It's the first time she'd smiled while she has been here.
Her set up is different from now on. She not only brings paper and a pen, but an array of different supplies, to capture the movements of the stars. She also does not have to participate in the potions class, getting a few minutes of sleep and a frown from her fellow classmates and other teachers.
"Hey loser, what are you drawing?" Felicity's hands are faster then hers, they grab the piece of paper. Prying eyes wander over the picture. "Why are you drawing this?" She shows it to her friends, they laugh, but look a bit confused.
Pippa takes the paper carefully in her hands. "They are stars, Felicity." giving it back to Hecate, she turns to her friends. "Come on, let's go." Her lips are thin, like she's pressing them together in anger, her voice icy.
After a few weeks Hecate had started to notice the changes in Pippa's behavior. She does not smile often and when she does Hecate can tell that it is forced. Her voice is still beautiful, but she is lacking any passion or power she had in the beginning. Even her hair looks a bit dull and not as shiny. Hecate notices all these things in chanting class, when she stands in the last row watching Pippa sing. Sometimes their eyes cross and Hecate looks away really fast, not wanting to be caught staring, but Pippa never turns away.
"Its not okay that you give her special treatment." The headmistress sips her tea slowly, swirling it around in her lilac cup.
"She is quite special. I feel it. Also, she is much more advanced than the other students in my class. That is why other students don't understand her; that's why they call her names." The dark witch had brought her own teacup to the headmistress's office. She sips on her third coffee of the day.
"You like her?" a smile washes over a wide face. It's less of a question and more of a statement.
"No I don't." Arms crossed, she shakes her head.
"Yes, you do. She reminds you of yourself. Please consider making it official, she could learn so much from you and I would not have to defend your actions all of the time. She's good in any other class, but in chanting, doesn't that remind you of someone?"
Back to chanting again, Hecate gets out her sheets. Even after all these weeks she is nervous to sing. "Now take it from the top, Ladies!" The old lady beams at the group of girls as they start to sing.
It's a beautiful song and Hecate's thoughts drift away, carried by the music. Pippa smiles while she sings. Then her hair falls into her hair into her face and Hecate stops singing for a second. "She's really pretty," she thinks.
Suddenly flustered she tries to find back into the song, but then Pippa looks at her and her smile suddenly changes into a genuine one. Hecate drops her sheets, 23 pieces of paper falling slowly; she drops to the floor and some students start picking up sheets.
"She is so stupid. Can't even hold onto your papers Hecate?" Felicity's voice rings in her ears, as her face grows even redder. They set stands up again, and continue. Hecate cannot bear to look at Pippa again. Reaching into her pocket she touches her wooden raven, calming down a bit.