When Hecate opens her eyes the next morning, she still smiles. Somewhere between falling asleep and sunrise she had transferred herself into her bed, the warm and soft blanket weighting down on her.
. It's very early, but she still get up, recognising the opportunity to avoid Felicity this morning. Opening the dining hall door, she sneaks into the big room.
It seems like she is the only one, until her eyes get used to the brightness of the light, shining through the tall windows. Pippa sits at her table, sipping tea, staring into the air. Hecate gets her Porridge, quietly, then walks over. Pippa looks up, deep rings under her eyes.
"Good Morning!", she stills smiles.
Hecate sits, suddenly self conscious, wondering if it was okay to sit down next to her, to disturb her.
"I couldn't sleep, that's why I'm up so early.", pippa sips at her tea.
Then she starts to hum. It's the song Hecate has played for her the last nights. Hecate freezes in place, forcing herself not to wince, not to react, then she starts to eat as fast as she can. she stands up, her motion too hard, not natural enough not to be noticed.
"I need to go." slamming her bowl on the card, she leaves the dining hall, basically running from the girl. „She can't know. She can't."
„Miss Hardbroom. Potions lab. Right. Now."
Her teacher had appeared right before her, barking the order out, just before disappearing. She hurries after her.
„I need a plant. It's rather important, so you better hurry."
The dark teacher hands her a basket and a sheet of paper, sending her outside and then sinking back into a chair.
„She was going to bump into that damn Hallow girl.", she explains to her familiar, a very small black cat, that only purrs and joins her, while she stirs her potion.
Wandering around the grounds she starts to look for the plant.
She knows how it looks, bright pink, with white in the middle, and very green leaves. It's not a very common flower, especially not during the autumn, that's why it takes her a while. Then she finally spots one. The flower grows rather deep in a small area full of trees and bushes, bowing down Hecate strokes the pink petals. It's so delicate and fragile, it reminds her of Pippa.
"It's beautiful!", a voice from behind says. Hecate looks up, nearly stumbling, catching her balance barely. Pippa emerges from behind a tree, a basket in her hand.
"She sent me to get that, but you found it first.", she kneels next to her.
"I don't want to cut it.", Hecate whispers, touching the petals again. "It's so beautiful."
She swallows, thinking: "it reminds me of you."
But Hecate would never say that. It would mean something, something that would lead to her being expelled. Her mother would never take her back, after something like this.
Even thinking about it makes her feel the pain of the beating up she would expect of something like that.
Pippa cuts the flower with a pair of golden scissors, the stem bending under the pressure, the breaking.
A bright pink petal falls to the floor, Hecate grabs it, putting it in her basket.
"Why did you leave this morning?", Pippa asks, as they walk back together.
"I...", Hecate blushes, deeply, her mind racing. Should she tell her? Would this ruin everything? Pippa probably would look at her in disgust.
"I don't know.", she starts to walk faster.
Pippa speeds up as well.
"You don't have to tell me, that's okay." Grabbing her wrists she turns Hecate around.
"I don't want to hurt you Hecate!", stern eyes look into brown, but she could be lying, how would Hecate know.
This could all be a trick, so she looks away, nods and then rubs her wrists. The touch has burned into her skin, as if it had been fire not Pippa. They walk back in silence until Hecate can't take it anymore.
"Why didn't you sleep tonight?", the question stumbles out, falling out of her mouth without being filtert. Pippa stops, then sighs.
"I often can't sleep. I get nightmares and I get scared of Felicity finding out. I usually sit on that bench."
She points at the wooden bench under Hecates window.
"If Felicity knew she would make fun of me.", pippa sighs, as they walk into the stone house.
"I could make you a potion, if you'd like?", Hecate offers, looking at her feet.
"Oh, Hecate. No, you don't have to do that. I'll be alright. I think somebody is watching over me while I'm outside. We should get that flower back.", changing the subject they leave.
"Miss Pentangle, you can leave, Hecate you stay!", they are greeted.
"Yes, professor.", pippa touches her head, turning around to leave, shutting the door behind her in a very quiet way.
"We're making a difficult potion today, so take notes." Instructions rain onto her and Hecate struggles to write them down but manages barely. For the rest of the day, both witches work in tandem and just as the sun goes down they finish.
"Hecate?", just as she is about to leave, the dark teacher calls her name,
"you are a talented witch.", she says without looking up from her grading book, with that she is dismissed and leaves the room. It's the first time, someone said that.
Back In her room she pulls out a book, pressing the pink petal between the pages, conserving it that way.