After sitting for so many nights on the roof Hecate really starts to notice things. She notices the light that's always on, in her potion's teacher's room. She also notices the silhouette of the two teachers in the window. She sees the groups of older students leaving the castle at night and recognizes some of them as they return in the morning. The dark circles under their eyes the next day tell stories of long nights.
So it's really no wonder one night that she recognizes Pippa leaving the castle, alone. The small figure down on the ground walks slowly, a cape wrapped around her waving in the wind. She sits down just below Hecate on a bench outside the castle. Slowly, Hecate stands up and silently climbs higher not wanting to disturb Pippa. At night the rules are different, Hecate has learned. Everyone is alone and nobody tells anyone anything.
Then one night she hears a cry. It's just a tiny noise, but still it rings in her ears. She scoots down to the edge of the roof and looks down. Pippa has curled into a tiny ball, sobbing into her cape. Her noises are muffled and covered. Pippa is trying not to make noise but Hecate hears her anyway. A tiny voice in her tells her that Pippa deserves to cry, that this girl is her enemy. But it's an extremely tiny piece of her, and she does everything to push it down and away. Still she doesn't know what to do. She surely can't go down there and just show up... Pippa is shaking now under her layers of fabric and it's starting to break Hecate's heart. Even though Pippa is friends with Felicity. Even though she's her enemy. And even though she wants to help she can't figure out how. Eventually she climbs back up to her window and slips back inside.
"You are distracted today, Miss Hardbroom." It's the third time today she had stirred her potion the wrong way. "I'm sorry, Professor. It's just that I am tired."
"Well, maybe you are not able to do the task I gave you?" The dark eyes pierce into hers.
"No, it's not that, you have to believe me!", Hecate pleads, "I saw someone yesterday...", her voice quiets down. "I should not tell you this." She fiddles with knife, cutting some leftover flowers.
"Good." The dark witch looks down at Hecate. "Then please finish this potion, we will need for our next class. And, Hecate?" It's the first time she'd call her by her first name and a slight mildness appears in her face, which that usually only consists of sternness. "If you see that person again, maybe you should talk to them. The night forgives many things."
The message is clear and Hecate smiles at her teacher.
"Now," suddenly the moment is gone and the tall witch snaps back to her old self. "Finish this before class, otherwise I'll be quite mad." And with a swing of her coat she leaves Hecate alone to her thoughts.
"I could not possibly talk to her," Hecate thinks to herself. But, she is wrong. She not only can talk to Pippa, she absolutely has to for class. In the next potions lesson, the teacher pulls a small pouch out of her desk. "We will work in groups for the next few weeks. I have every name here, and to ensure fairness I'll draw pairs of two." Her eyes roam around the dark cellar.
"God, If I have to work with Hecate I'll throw up," Felicity shouts out clear and loud. There are several approving mumble forming in the room. This mumbling quickly dies down with a glare from the raven-haired teacher. "First name. Felicity." Hecate's heart starts to pound. If she has to work with her, she's actually going to throw up. "Gemma," the teacher calls and the two girls scream. "OMG I'm so gla-" their screaming is interrupted again.
Name after name gets drawn. Then it's Hecate's turn finally. A slender hand reaches into the velvet, drawing a name. "Pippa." It's her; of course it's her.
"Oh no, Pips, you poor thing. Working with that..." Felicity smiles at her friend. "I hope you will survive this."
Pippa stands up, to move her things to Hecate's table. "Oh shut it Felicity," she says quietly. "Please don't mind them." Her voice is soft and Hecate could have missed the words if her hearing wasn't so good.
"It's okay." They don't look at each other, but start to work in tandem, filling the base potion that Hecate made this morning.
"I wonder if the Professor makes these potions in advance," Pippa suddenly blurts out.
"No. She does not. I do." Hecate looks up and finds Pippa looking at her in disbelief.
"Nooooo way." Her mouth stands open. "That's such a difficult potion! You couldn't have!"
Hecate looks away. "You don't have to believe me. It's okay."
"Oh no, I didn't mean it like that! It's just... that's cool." Pippa stammers.
"I guess it is.", the young witch blushes. She had not told anyone about this. Not her parents, not any others. Pippa cuts open a snail, the shell breaking.
"Oh no." Hecate grabs her knife. "You have to do it like this!" Breaking open another snail, she shows Pippa the right technique.
"Like this?" Pippa tries again, the shell breaking open much easier.
Just as they are about to finish the first part, the bell rings. "Come on, Pippa. Let's go." Felicity drags her away. Pippa smiles back and waves behind her back, bringing a small smile to Hecate's face. She waves back awkwardly, then she starts packing and leaves for the library.
"Maybe it's not that bad.", she thinks as she opens a book on the roof that night. Minerva cuddles with her up there. Even though the days have grown chillier she's still warm under her blanket. Looking over to her professor's window she smiles as she observes the two witches laughing together, kissing in between like they always do. Then she opens her book to learn about a new constellation. Just before she's about to leave to go to sleep finally, she hears footsteps on the ground below. It's Pippa again.