#hecate hardbroom character study

[heathtrash]

the tragedy of 4x03 Happy Birthday, Indigo Moon is not that Hecate is sad that she never had the chance to become Indigo Moon's legal guardian.

the real tragedy here is that Hecate was so desperate that she challenged a part of herself that she has never had to deal with before - that of being in a guardianship role - even though it goes against every bone in her body.

the utter, gut-wrenching shame that she feels here is that of personal debasement, when she would have forced herself to go against her instincts and "embrace" a maternal role that she never wanted. it was the only way she saw of absolving herself of her deadly mistake in the past, but it would have been a terrible existence for them both. in this moment, she's processing the role she would have diligently lived even though it would only remind her of her crimes constantly, and also mourning the life she would have lost. she would never have been able to have a romantic relationship with an adult in quite the same way if she had had Indigo Moon to show responsibility for foremost.

she knows she could never "make a wonderful parent", despite what the Great Wizard wrote. it's just something people say when they find out you are having or adopting a child; a statement of willing the "good parent" traits on someone. responsible people do not always make good, loving parents. Hecate could never give all of that to any child, and especially not Indigo Moon.

an emotional outburst like this is also very expected, given that Hecate just was faced with her best friend not knowing her - but she still remembers those thirty years of emotional trauma and self-torment. she almost had her best friend "back", but their relationship was changed irrevocably by meeting as teacher and student. sending her back was a sign of so much greater strength, because she acknowledged that motherhood would never have been a good option for her, and that she was not going to give the child the upbringing she deserved. as a consequence, Indigo Moon had to opportunity to give her own child a "magical" upbringing enough that she was accepted into Cackle's.

nothing ever positive could have come out of the Indigo Moon affair, and there was no outcome that would not have hurt Hecate or involved her sacrificing herself in some way. it's genuinely a tragedy in that sense, but never because Hecate wanted to be anyone's mother.

[marvellouslymadmim]

Hecate Hardbroom and Conflict-Avoidant Behavior.

As requested, here’s the breakdown.

First, I think it’s good to acknowledge that Hecate Hardbroom also exhibits many traits of an avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) in general (side note: I’d peg her as a hypersenstive-avoidant subtype). AvPD is characterized by social anxiety/inhibition, feelings of inferiority, extreme sensitivity to negative feedback/rejection, and ���avoidance of social interaction despite a strong desire for intimacy.” (great green goddess, who does that sound like???)

Now a lot of us can feel these things (as someone with anxiety, I feel all these things quite often), but an important factor is the severity of these behaviors and feelings, as well as how deeply it affects and disrupts an individual’s life.

Interesting side note: theories on AvPD occurrence point to childhood emotional neglect and/or “innately high” sensory processing sensitivity. Which are two fandom theories that are often applied to HB. So...there’s that.

I won’t do a full break down, but I’d like to note that Hecate only ever seems at-ease when she’s in her classroom (safe space, total control, reciting lessons as part of a script she’s practiced for 25+ years), having one-on-one interactions, usually with Ada (safe space, no outside audience to judge her), and in small group settings when she’s firmly in-character as Miss Hardbroom (I think a lot of her “becoming” that character stemmed from operating as someone outside herself to overcome social anxiety, much like Beyonce’s former alter ego, Sasha Fierce).

Now we get to the meat of it: actual conflict-avoidant behavior (CAvB).

For most of us, avoiding conflict is a natural impulse. It creates tension and stress in our body, so it makes sense to shy away from it. But there comes a point where we do have to confront conflict head-on. For people with conflict-avoidant behavior, that’s literally the dead-last thing they want to do. And their attempts to avoid conflict ultimately rearrange their lives in unhealthy ways.

CAvB is as varied as the people who engage in it. Behaviors can include simply leaving the room when conflict arises, rather than discussing it (a move we’ve seen HB pull, particularly in season 3), abruptly changing the subject without addressing the issue (sounds familiar), and in rarer form, actually becoming so aggressive that they effectively “shut down” the opposing party (whooo boy, doesn’t that sound familiar?). The hallmark of all these behaviors is that in the end, the conflict itself doesn’t get resolved, just ignored and swept back under the rug. On that note, CAvB exhibitors tend to “bury” their feelings rather than discuss them, due to fear of displeasing others or otherwise creating negative reactions, thus building up resentments and unresolved grievances/problems that eventually explode. 

At first blush, you may look at Miss Hardbroom’s aggressive ways and think “nah, this bitch doesn’t avoid conflict AT ALL.” But let’s unpack it a bit. To paraphrase a quote from The Aristocats, Hecate Hardbroom does not start fights, but she certainly finishes them. The most important word in that sentence is finishes. Her main goal is to end whatever the disagreement is, as swiftly as possible, by any means necessary. Whether it’s simply transferring away from Ada (season three), or bellowing at a student until they stop arguing with her (basically every interaction with Mildred Hubble), or reacting so venomously that her target immediately leaves (the dining room scene with Julie Hubble comes to mind), she usually gets her desired results: the conflicted discussion ends.

For me at least, it’s the way Hecate often tries to overpower whomever she’s disagreeing with that screams CAvB the loudest. She looms in, makes her self larger and more imposing, using every ounce of her vocal range to impart a harsh severity that would terrify most adults, and more so the children she’s usually using those tactics on. She isn’t beyond scaring them, so long as it makes them stop, therefore making the conflict stop. She often tends to over-react to seemingly innocent questions--her vehemence suggests that she senses potential conflict incoming and is doing her best to shut it down before it actually gets to the point of conflict.

Now that’s not to say that you shouldn’t avoid conflict at times, or that HB is always wrong in shutting down some arguments before they begin, or that it isn’t perfectly healthy to acknowledge you’re feeling overwhelmed and leave a discussion for later. And as someone who works with kids, I have absolutely used what they call my “thunder voice” to immediately stop wayward or dangerous behavior in its tracks. The issue is that this is always her go-to maneuver, and that at no point does she ever go back to discuss the issue in a calmer state (I will stipulate that she might, in her discussions with Ada, but certainly not anyone else), and most importantly, that this behavior has come to overly-influence and negatively impact her life.

I want to add that I do feel we’ve seen character growth in that department, on some level, particularly in season three. In 3.08 (25min marker), Hecate actually allows Mildred to argue her case, even though she’s against it, without completely shutting her down. Granted, in the end, Hecate transfers out of the discussion, but I think we should give her points for trying.

In calmer times, Hecate does engage in trying to delicately pick at issues, and I like to think there’s scenes we don’t see on the show where she begins taking the small but monumental steps towards dismantling those behavioral patterns. (My personal headcanon is that Ada makes her feel safe enough to engage in conflict, knowing that in the end, Hecate won’t “lose” her or otherwise upset her past the point of no return. Also interactions between HB and the rest of the staff at the end of season three help allay her fears and paranoia from her AvPD, which helps tremendously.)

Basically, Hecate Hardbroom is a product of her environment. What little we saw of Alma Cackle, I would hazard a guess that she also has CAvB, given how she reacted to her issues with her daughters. Regardless of what Hecate’s home life might have been (though what little we know of it points to not so great), Hecate would have spent the majority of her life, from age 11 onward, under the influence of Alma (at least until Alma’s retirement, which seems to have been not too long before the start of the show itself). So while she is unpacking that baggage, it’s going to take a long time before she’s able to fully dismantle a behavioral pattern that she’s been repeating for decades. There’s hope, even if the cure isn’t instantaneous.

Which is why I submit, yet again, that everyone--real and fictional--should be in therapy. We all got fucked up, in our own way. Some of us are better at adapting that fuckery into semi-productive behavior. But it’s still there. And it can’t always be eradicated, but it can be managed in a way that allows each of us to live our best life, however and whatever that might be.

[spoilmesweetie]

I was tagged by @doctorjameswatson.  I almost never get tagged in these - so thank you very much and apologies in advance for the dull as dishwater answers!

Rules: answer 20 questions, then tag 20 people you want to get to know better.

1. name: Christy

2. Nickname: Crusty (thanks to a friend’s mother entirely mishearing) and Gary (long story involving many drinks and old friends)

3. Zodiac sign: Aries, though the shift in 2020 landed me under Pisces. A quick Google search suggests it might be a better fit personality wise, but I’ve never put too much stock in these things.  And after almost 3 decades as an Aries, I think that’s where I’ll stay.

4. height: 5′ 2 1/2″ (yes, the 1/2 counts)

5. languages: English. I studied French and German at high school but only remember a handful of words and phrases of each.

6. nationality: Scottisjh

7. favourite season: Autumn

8. favourite flower: Lily, Roses or Orchids.  I was lucky enough to see the Lily Greenhouse in the Jardim Botanico in Rio De Janeiro.  They have every size, shape and colour imaginable.  

9. favourite scent: I don’t have any one favourite, but it rather depends on my mood.  I like spicy, warm scents, but also enjoy clean, sharp citrus/minty scents.  

10. favourite colour: Again, depends on my mood.  Purple?  Or Deep Blue?  Like the sky just before it gets pitch black.

11. favourite animal: Cat

12. favourite fictional character(s): An ever changing list, but atm:  RIver Song,  (always) Bernie Wolfe (for all her faults), Serena Campbell, Hecate Hardbroom, The Doctor, Mrs Hudson, Sherlock Holmes, Vera Stanhope, Captain Kathryn Janeway, Seven of Nine, Morticia Addams, Sister Monica Jones, Sister Michael and the Derry Girls bunch and on that note, I’ll stop rambling.  

13. coffee, tea or hot chocolate: Tea, at least 6 cups a day.  But nothing better than hot chocolate on a cold day or in front of a cosy fire.  

14. average sleep hours: 6 hours a night?  Though having been someone who never napped as a kid or teen, I seem to enjoy a good nana nap these days.

15. dog or cat person: You don’t get the tag ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ for nothing - so cat.  Though working in a vet practice, I also love dogs and furry creatures of all shapes and sizes

16. number of blankets you sleep with: I have a duvet with a faux fur duvet cover on atm.  Love nice soft blankets and fabrics.  

17. dream trip: My dream trip was always to Venice, and I was lucky enough to visit with my uncle a few years back.  I love the pace, the architecture and the people.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  As for places I’ve never been, Paris is still huge on my list.  I’d also love to see the Northern Lights.

18. blog established: Apparently September 2012

19. followers: Apparently 256 but that seems awfully high, so I suspect a large number of porn bots...

20. random fact: I have a degree in Scots Law.  

Tagging: 20 people seems a bit too many, so I’ll tag just a few (and hope you haven’t already been tagged too recently and don’t mind!)

@hecateandhoney @justbeinggayandstuff @lesbiangracehanson @quirky-ginger @raffaela-musiker @rachelhills @whenitwhen

[pellucidthings]

Both @gabolange and @rahleeyah tagged me for this, so I suppose I ought to do it! My top five favorite pieces of my own content:

1. The Signs that the Signmakers Made (BSG, Laura Roslin character study, some background ambivalent Roslin/Adama, rated T). I posted this to AO3 long after I wrote it, and in the notes, I said, “This is the Laura Roslin of my heart, no matter what happened afterwards.” That’s still as true today as it was when I posted it in 2014, as it was when I wrote it in 2007. Never have I loved another character this much. Never have I been more angry and heartbroken over a show. Never will I write a story I love more than this one.

2. Times that Walk from You (The Worst Witch, Hecate Hardbroom character study, Hecate/Pippa, rated G). “Signmakers” only retroactively became a defense of the character I loved against a show that mistreated her. This one was that story from the beginning. The season 3 revelation/retcon/hot mess that Hecate had been confined to Cackle’s since childhood was horrific. This story is my attempt to work through the psychological implications of that. Five things that never happened to Hecate Hardbroom, and one that did.

3. The Sea with its Deepness (Stargate: SG-1, Janet Fraiser character study, gen with some Daniel/Janet if you squint, rated G). Janet was always my favorite character on SG-1. This story is less about why and more about what happens when you center her perspective. (Yet another character study of yet another character hard done by in her show. Possibly there is a theme here.)

4. Five Things Gillian Foster has Never Told Anyone (Lie to Me, Gillian Foster character study, a little background Gillian/Cal, rated T). I wrote this in a hurry, I don’t think I had it betaed, and I never gave it a proper title. But it’s had a lot of staying power as a character study and a story, for me, and apparently for others--it’s the one story among those I originally posted on LJ and only later archived on AO3 for which I continue to get fairly regular kudos. Gillian never got shafted by the show, at least, but she still had so much more potential than we ever got to see, and she always deserved better than Cal and his ego. 

5. To Make the Wounded Whole (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries/Doctor Blake Mysteries crossover, Elizabeth “Mac” Macmillan/Alice Harvey, rated T). And now that I’ve established a pattern, let’s break it. This one is just fun, and while I hope it works as a character study for both of them, it didn’t come from a place of dissatisfaction with what was happening to them on their respective shows. Rather, it occurred to me that, as women in the same state and the same profession in time periods that would at least overlap, Mac and Alice would totally have known each other. And then I started shipping it really hard. Like, this is canon now. Fight me.

I tag... @nike-sga, @moocowmoocow, @twtd11, and @amillionmillionvoices. If you want. And anyone else who wants to play, feel free!

[theworststoryteller]

The answer lies within

(4X10 did not give us the scene where Izzie answers correctly and Hecate’s reaction to it so I wrote it. Enjoy) “Hey, Izzie. Guess what my mom sent me in the mail this morning!” Azura practically ice skates on the corridor “A copy of ‘Magic for dummies‘, signed by the Pippa Pentangle herself!” “No way!” Izzie cheers “Check this out!” Azura pulls the yellow book out of her bag enthusiastically. She flips it open, impatiently. The duo stares at the signature as well as the lines written in gold ink that read “To Azura” in awe. They turn the pages and despite the piercing noise of pupils galloping across the hallway, they soon get deeply absorbed in the reading of the incredible narration of magic history, only pausing to let the occasional exclaim of amazement out. Suddenly a dialogue between two pupils pulls them out of their thoughts.

“We’re going on a field trip. That’s what Clarice said. And Mr Daisy is going to show us his new invention” Sybil Hallow announces to Beatrice Bunch who is walking alongside her. They look up to the third graders in admiration. They’re only two years older than them yet they seem so much bigger and so much more knowledgeable. Azura wishes she could go with them and learn about new inventions instead of exercising on basic skills. She looks down at magic guide for a second before turning to her friend, her focus now directed elsewhere “What do you think the invention is?

“A gigantic robot. Or a rocket that goes up into space!” the ginger headed girl offers. She barely has time to allow her imagination wander to depictions of what these ideas would look like when a familiar voice shakes them both out of their trance.

“These are non magical ideas Isabella Jones!” Hecate Hardbroom notes sternly “Witches do not use rockets. Or rrrobots. You have so much to learn about our way of life” she now stands in front them. She resists the urge to add “And you won’t find it in there” as her eyes fall on the book. For all its faults, modern magic is still…magic.

“I’m sorry, Miss Hardbroom. I am trying” Izzie states firmly in defense despite her disappointment in having failed in front of their favorite teacher, no less.

“Then answer me this” Hecate proposes Her earlier encounter with the eccentric spell science teacher and his methods of questionable quality has left the deputy in a funny mood which is not by any means improved by the material her pupils choose to study or their parents choose to gift them.  “What is the mark of a great witch?” she asks promptly, a question the answer of which she is certain does not lie within these pages. Not so much because of her in depth awareness of the differences between modern and conservative approaches-although they are very telling in themselves-as much as the fact she owns a copy of this very book. She had bought it when the first edition was released out of curiosity. ‘Research’ was what she had called it back then. “Come and find me when you know” she concludes, satisfied at her success in both provoking the interest of her pupils for the right ideals and simultaneously having a go in her former friend’s controversial beliefs. Or so she thinks. Because as she raises her hand, ready to depart, she doesn’t notice the glow in the young witch’s eyes who look as if she was just struck by lightning. Mildred’s words come to mind and she pieces everything together so quickly that if she was a cartoon character, a series of turned on lamps would be now hovering around her. “A great witch relies on her wits. Not just her magic” Izzie takes a step forward as speaks, just as courageous as before, if not more. Hecate stops in her tracks, dumbfounded. “What did you say?” she turns around, unable to believe in her own ears. “I said: a great witch relies on her wits, not just her powers. Isn’t that the right answer?” the young repeats, slightly less confident now. “Very well. It seems like your efforts have paid off, Isabella” Hecate regards the child, impressed “I suppose I should expect you to learn Merlin’s three principles of magic soon, shouldn’t I?” she asks, half-teasing and half-challenging her further. “Oh I know this one!” Azura chimes in for the first time during the whole exchange “Number one: Always have the best interest of your fellow witches at heart. Number two: Always use magic precisely and responsibly. And number three-“ she taps her dark curls thoughtfully “Come on, Az, you’ve got this-AH YES!” she throws her first in the air “Only use magic in the appropriate situations. You only have a certain amount of magic whether that is small or big: Use it wisely” she offers with a wholehearted smile. Izzie joins her. Hecate’s gaze alternates between the two girls in astonishment, the hand that is not resting on her watch shaking lightly. She had only meant this as a joke. This was knowledge that was taught in form three. Had they been taking a test she would have accused them of cheating. Instead, she swallows her ego and smiles proudly “You two will make great witches one day” At that moment the bell rings, signaling the end of their free period. “Now off to your classes” she gently urges them, giving the book one last suspicious look before vanishing. She really needs to check the latest edition. Izzie and Azura share a conspiratory chuckle of pure joy before bolting for their chanting lesson. ‘I don’t know how Mildred knew about this’ Azura thinks as she pushes Indigo’s gift back in her bag ‘But we need to thank her when we see her at dinner later’ Read and review on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23296753

[saltbroom]

S3 Meta: How the Joy Hardbroom Arc Could Have Worked Without the Confinement

I want to preface this by saying: I’m not a TV writer, and I don’t want to act like it’s an easy job in the slightest. All of this is very easy to fix with hindsight, and I have certain ideas about why the confinement was included narratively that I’ll get into, but looking at my problems with s3 and s2 to an extent, what has bothered me is the style of writing that places plot over characterization, and even actively hurts characterization in favor of the plot. Kids TV can get away with doing this, but I think the reason so many of us are so dissatisfied with how the show has gone is that s1 set a specific writing precedent where character arcs had a lot more weight, and the plot tended to be written around the characters rather than vice versa. That, however, is another post entirely. So let’s get into how I would have liked to see s3 change. There are a lot of things about s3 I liked, and I actually really like parts of Hecate’s backstory and the addition of Indigo to her story. Here, however, is how I would have liked to see it changed:

1. Joy is a child who thinks the code doesn’t apply to her. This can stay because I think that it’s an important aspect of this arc. It's also one of the first things Hecate mentions when she tells Mildred this story.

2. Joy meets Indigo Moon, they become best friends, they do everything together, Indigo can see her because she believes in magic, etc, etc

3.Joy never gets caught by the teachers and is never confined. 

4.The episode Finding Joy establishes that Indigo talked to Joy extensively about her family life. It's clear Indigo hasn't had it easy and likely lost her parents, then moved in with her extended family who she doesn't seem to think like her presence. I think it's heavily implied that she's a runaway child, since she would often live outside, even in the rain, despite the fact that she had an aunt and uncle who must have taken her in. Some more details about Indigo’s situation would have probably helped tbh. 

5. Joy feels tremendous sympathy for Indigo's situation (I’ve talked with people about this, but we know nothing of Hecate’s family and it’s entirely possible it wasn’t a good situation either, so maybe she feels a specific kinship with Indigo for that reason) Joy decides that because Indigo has nowhere to go (at least, no where she feels she belongs), and because Indigo can see magical people, she should come to Cackles. They could establish Joy knowing about a wishing star in the main office and plan for Indigo to sneak into school during half term (its established in Selection Day that students can stay over break to help the teachers which is what esme was doing) so that Joy can give her magic, and then maybe help her study over the break so Indigo can apply during Selection Day. This basically sets up the entire necessary plot without  Joy needing to be confined. It also establishes a good motive for Joy to give Indigo magic (because Indigo is her friend, she wants Indigo to feel like she belongs somewhere, and she wants her to have somewhere to physically stay)

In this case, Joy would be making a conscious decision to break the code for a reason she believes is totally justified. Imo this would make the consequences of her actions far more impactful and far more devastating. I honestly think the confinement was meant to add sympathy to Joy's decision, where rather than breaking the code out of a disregard for the rules and consequences, Joy is driven to break the rules through the magnitude of her loneliness and isolation. But to me, the tragedy of the situation should have come from the hubris: Joy has to learn the hard way the enormous price of not taking magic or rules seriously, even with good intentions, and this situation proceeds to inform the Hecate we know now and all of her motivations. Honestly, that’s still the tragedy of the situation to me, but the confinement has significantly overshadowed that aspect of it despite the fact that I really don’t think it’s what we’re meant to focus on.(For example, the entire Indigo tragedy is the basis of her arc this season, whereas the confinement is barely touched upon outside of Bad Magic and only brought up again when it’s being lifted. Narratively, it didn’t take a lot of president in the story, which makes me think the writers didn’t think of it as that big of a deal)

 I think this method also would have created a stronger parallel between her and Mildred. Mildred was on the fence about giving her mom magic until Hecate humiliated Julie in front of the school. While I still don't like that scene, I might have liked it a lot more if they let Mildred call Hecate out on it later, and brought it up in connection to the Indigo arc. Mildred says something along the lines of “If [Julie] doesn’t have magic, she’ll never fit in” while not directly the same situation, Mildred wanted her Mom to belong and knew that having magic was the only way to accomplish that. This could add a ton of weight and meaning to Hecate’s line in The Cackle Run; “The girl does not belong here. And she never will.”, Imagine hearing that if this was previously established, it would show how far she’s fallen in the tremendous care for Indigo she had as a girl. Something this season really needed with the constant parallels being drawn between Mildred and Joy’s actions, was an actual frank conversation between Hecate and Mildred, where Mildred brings up her motivations in giving Julie magic and how similar Joy's motivations were with Indigo, and use it as a way to call out Hecate's refusal to tell Indigo the truth. I think the dialogue would sound something like this:

"You told me you wanted Indigo to belong. I wanted my mum to belong too. Why can't you make Indigo feel like she belongs now?" 

I think this type of conversation could open up a lot of interesting avenues for Hecate's character arc, where she would have an internal battle over the years she spent suppressing her feelings about what she did to Indigo and her personal morality that she formed about breaking the code, vs. the reality in front of her, where keeping her identity from Indigo and refusing to move forward is detrimental for everyone, including herself. 

Basically, most of the events that happened with Indigo returning to Cackles and Hecate's reactions to them could have been the same. Plus they could have had an even more thought out conclusion to Hecate's self blame and guilt with her eventually accepting that 1) she was a child who made a mistake and 2) she needs to face up to her problems and fulfill her original motivation in giving Indigo magic; to give Indigo a place to belong. In concealing her identity and treating Indigo similarly to Mildred in s1, Hecate became another adult who let Indigo down, and while I love the scene where Hecate apologizes, I would have loved to see a more full-circle arc in terms of characterization. Hecate maintains the lessons she carried into adulthood about breaking the code but also forgives the child she used to be and fulfills her childhood wish for Indigo.

AND FINALLY, this wouldn't make her presence at Cackles problematic or paint the entire academy in a weirdly sinister light, which I seriously doubt was the actual intention when the confinement was written. I think functionally, the confinement was a means to an end in terms of moving the plot in a specific way, setting up the situation for Indigo to come to the academy, a way to add more tragedy to Hecate's background, and a symbolic way to show Hecate moving forward when she asks for it to be lifted to look for Indigo. Beyond that, there didn't seem to be a lot of thought put into what the actual ramifications of this would be for her as a character.

What do y’all think? Did I do ok? Discussion would be lovely, if you have thoughts or even disagreements hit me up.

[cosmic-llin]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Ada Cackle/Hecate Hardbroom Characters: Hecate Hardbroom, Amelia Cackle | Ada Cackle Additional Tags: 5 Things, Backstory, Character Study Summary:

How could she keep to one small castle and its small grounds and its small rules when there was a whole, big world out there, waiting to be explored?

[regalgeek-blog]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Worst Witch - All Media Types, The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Hecate Hardbroom Additional Tags: Character Study, These Hecate Centric Character studies are a thing, that I keep writing, for whatever reason, But hey Hecate's thoughts on being a teacher, there's a touch of angst because its Hecate, There's also a touch of fluff, Canon Compliant Summary:

It was easier for her, because she didn’t care what her students thought of her, could harden her heart and be as unyielding as stone if necessary. And, far too often, it was necessary.

Because she did care.

Or: Hecate's thoughts on teaching.

[iliveinfantasylife]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Worst Witch - All Media Types, The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Hecate Hardbroom/Pippa Pentangle Characters: Hecate Hardbroom, Pippa Pentangle Additional Tags: ww2018winterfluffevent, why am i an angst baby, Baking, Hicsqueak Series: Part 5 of The Worst Witch 2018 Winter Fluff Event Summary:

To Pippa, Christmas smelled like primrose.

Not the rich, steamy tones of eggnog, or the sweet, spicy notes of cinnamon; but primrose, and jasmine, and the sharp, damp mustiness of ice crystals turning in frozen earth.

Hecate had let slip to Pippa once, in a croaked half-whisper, that her family wasn’t much for holidays.

That her father found the task of celebrating Christmas arduous and frivolous; that the time Hecate stayed at home during the Christmas season was spent studying, and practicing, and locked into dark closets on the heels of accidental misbehavior.

As such, Hecate was not overly-fond of the holiday season, and often got just a bit overwhelmed with the lights and the laughter and the increasing crowds of people. She’d tuck into herself, shuddering when she thought Pippa didn’t notice, and Pippa would casually grab her hand and lead them both outside with a light, “let’s go for a walk!” ———— Day 5 Prompt: Baking

Pairing: Hicsqueak

I swear that baking does actually come up in this, though it’s a bit loosely tied to the prompt. Sorry!

———-

Avalance shippers, I haven’t forgotten about y’all, don’t worry.

[lamiaward]

Disaster Lesbians and how their pining nearly destroyed Cackle’s

I don’t own the Worst Witch. I also have no idea when exactly this is in the Canon timeline, but it is definitely after the first season finale, before the second season finale and additionally ignores some parts of canon. Also, I got the initial idea from when I was looking up potions in the Worst Witch universe and then it sort of ....spiraled. The angst in this was largely inspired by a post by quirk-y about Angsty Cliches they love.

Warnings: mindcontrol/reading, duels, Agatha is darker in this than in the show, someone nearly dies.

The italicized text is either flashbacks or thoughts btw.

Hecate is known to be cautious, serious, strict, socially awkward and at least six more character traits to make it notoriously difficult to slip something into her drink. On top of that, she one of – if not the – most well-respected and most brilliant minds in her field. Therefore, she curses her own folly when she makes three glaring mistakes, in this order:

Somehow being goaded, teased and gently manipulated into joining another party (alternatively; Dimity, Mould and Ada). Letting her guard down enough – perhaps Ada was right, and she did need to unwind “desperately”- to enjoy a few drinks. And finally, the most glaring, obvious, moronic mistake she has made the last two decades; to not immediately notice it when there had been meddled with her last drink (more foolish still, to even accept anything from that woman, bloody inebriation and the twin voices of Ada and Pippa pleading with her to try, Hecate, to be friendly)

She is reprimanding herself harshly- the girls think her very strict and downright awful but her comments towards them is sweet and even coddling compared to what she throws at herself in her own head- with Mould’s arm around her. She doesn’t know what is going on, the uncertainty adding to something sick and cold in her stomach. Once, a vicious student of hers, started the rumour that there was an accident that made her incapable of all feelings, but Hecate does feel. Deeply. And right now, her mind still slightly sluggish and sometimes getting too stuck on things like the tangy smell of Marigold’s perfume or shampoo, there is a very rare emotion that threatens to overpower her: Fear.

The fear is the only emotion left that is still strong enough to push through the veil created by the potion, and worsened by the alcohol she has consumed. It is not just that everything registers differently, the familiar corners and staircases from the castles passing by with Hecate struggling to hold on to the knowledge of where they’re going, but the fact that all her senses are rapidly beaten down.

She has always had insomnia, and once or twice, this was accompanied by sleep paralysis. It is a little bit like that, how she is completely aware that Mould looked chillingly guilty when Hecate stumbled, and she caught her and how her symptoms cannot be merely caused by intoxication( she knows which potion it, Goddess help Ada and everyone in the school, she knows ) but how her traitorous, useless excuse of a body refuses to act.

She is deposited in a chair, Mould muttering a quick absent-mindedness spell. They will not quickly arrive to stop this. She attempts to yank her head away when Mould gently places her hands on her cheeks, staring into her eyes. She manages nothing more than a pathetic shake.

“We’re almost there” the other woman whispers, and Hecate stares at her. Her heart is racing still, her dress sticking to her body with sweat, but for now, her physical reaction is all that is left of an initial wave of panic, pain and anger. And even that is quickly fading, her heart slowly down, her muscles relaxing almost enjoyable (like she is sinking in a bath with the perfect temperature) and the sweat cooling at her back.

She glances away from Marigold, which is about as much as she can still do. Something- why would I not just- that is the potion thinking. Symptoms; laxness of muscles and mind. A complete indifference to all factors, even life-threatening situations. An almost pleasant sensation, which in some, leads to addiction. You have approximately two minutes left, use them.

She takes in the room, counting the seconds in her head and trying to focus on Ada and the girls ( Ada is still wrong that she has a soft spot for Mildred Hubble, even if that is the first girl she thinks of) and the other teachers- to imagine what could happen to them if she doesn’t stop this woman. Right. Now.

She gathers every last bit of strength in her body, forces herself to access her magic- nearly impossible- and makes to transfer far away, using the twenty seconds she has left. The world shifts into and out of focus, dizzying images interspersed with darkness until – she lands against a wall, she has no idea where she is, and her clothing is absolutely soaked now. Her knees give out, and she slumps against the wall.

She is still sitting there, not able to think apart from a very soft, faraway I need to get Ada when Marigold Mould shimmers into being, and kneels before her. She is taken back to the small room, and this time, Marigold is less gentle (though still far from rough) when she cupts Hecate’s face and –

The corridor disappears, and she does everything else apart from Marigold’s dark brown eyes. She no longer feels connected to her body, can’t move her fingers, can’t even feel them. Her own magic struggles feebly in her, struggling against the potion and Marigold’s own tentative magic. Hecate is one of the most powerful witches of her (and truly, any) generation; normally, stopping Marigold Mould would not be an issue.

But now, her magic struggles once, twice and then dies out.

If Hecate were the sort of person who ate ice cream, and ate it too quickly, she would describe the feeling of Marigold rummaging in her head as having brainfreeze. However, the pain starts increasing, her fingers twitching and –

Stop fighting it. It makes the pain worse, and I truly do not wish to hurt you Hecate.

Miss Hardbroom, and that is as believable as Ethel Hallow genuinely wishing to start a friendship with Mildred Hubble.

And that is the last thought she has, before Marigold pushes, her own magic feels like it shatters against Marigold’s and she is plunged into memories, distantly aware that she doesn’t want anyone to see, let alone Marigold Mould- before she loses that awareness as well.

Her dad towers over her, a giant in front of three-year old Hecate. When he bends over her, allowing her to see his expression, it is one that will become familiar to her over the years. His stern looks almost perfectly matches her own more than four decades later, but his sternness was never about her being the best she could be for her own sake. It was always about the Hardbroom reputation, or what he could gain from his daughter being a potion prodigy, already casting charms at the age of four, having perfect posture on a broom at the age of six.

“ Do not disappoint me, girl. Do you know what happens to little girls that disappoint their fathers?”

Hecate has three seconds of remembering she is not three-years old, and what is happening to her right now is even more terrifying than her father before she is thrown back into her own memories.

Her mother is humming softly, one of the only melodies there ever will be in Hecate’s life that will not be linked directly to spell-casting. Her fingers are far more gently in Hecate’s hair than her father’s ever are, and she is patient enough to carefully get rid of the tangles without it hurting as much as when her daddy’s does it. She tickles Hecate, making her giggle. When Hecate reaches for the spell-book again, knowing her father does not wish her to ever abstain from studying, her mother gently takes it from her. Hecate stares at the new book in her hands, the cover nothing like the sensible ones that her usual books have. When she traces the letters, they’re gold beneath her fingers. The background is a sea,  a mixture of varying shades of green and blue with two women standing in front of it. Their foreheads are touching, their hands tightly intertwined and one has a broken crown laying at her feet. The other has a gorgeous seal coat resting on her shoulders, worn almost like a cape. Her mother opens the book, and starts to read.

“Once, there was a queen as kind as she was beautiful…”

It feels like drowning, and then coming up for water. She is plunged in immediately this time.

Her mother’s still face, peaceful and quiet the way she never was in life. The flowers are wrong- they’re not her mother’s favourite, those are roses, just like Hecate’s. Her skin is cold but she still smells the same when Hecate kisses her forehead in goodbye. Her father grips her shoulder tightly, enough that Hecate can almost feel the skin bruising. She is torn away from her mother, pushed towards relatives she hardly sees, and good riddance, because she likes very few of them.

Her father behind his desk, his expression almost gentle as he explains what will happen now. He is as curt as always, but there is a slight sheen to his eyes and he almost smiles at her. When he stands up and leaves the room, he pauses next to her and claps her shoulder briefly. He doesn’t offer empty comforts, doesn’t promise it will be all right, doesn’t say anything at all. She stands in the room for a long time, staring at the spot on the desk where there used to be one of the few ‘frivolous’ things her father abided ; the wedding picture of her parents.

She packs her belongings; a few dresses, her books, some shoes and the presents from her mother she has fortunately managed to hide from her father. Her father doesn’t accompany her, but he leaves his study for a short goodbye, a reminder to perform to Hardbroom standards, and a quick squeeze of her arm. She leaves for her new school immediately afterwards, ignoring the sharp pain in her eyes whenever she sees girls hug their mothers, and introduces herself to the headmistress with a perfectly executed ‘well- met’. When she walks inside, she rolls her eyes at the girls huddling together, giggling. There is one in particular that looks like the frivolous type of girl her father always warns her she must never become, or never get close to : her blonde hair is styled perfectly, with a gaudy, rainbow butterfly clip stuck to it. She makes a mental note to avoid these girls.

She doesn’t know who the witch in front of her is, nor why they are in a corridor. Before she can solve the mystery, there is that coldness in her head again and a new memory is forced upon her.

The forest behind the school is quiet, her footsteps unnaturally loud as a result. She walks until the sounds of the first-years being yelled at by the sports teacher fades, and all that is left, is the soft, bearable sounds of birds chirping and animals moving through the bushes, or beneath the ground. She looks down at the book she brought, naming the ingredients, when a voice calls her name.

“ Hecate!” she blinks, freezes as Pippa Pentangle barrels towards her. She is wearing pink as always, both her headband and the sweater tied around her neck a particularly bright shade of pink.

“ You look like an Ordinary person” Hecate tells her as she skids to a stop in front of her, eying Pippa’s jeans and her t-shirt with disdain. She eyes the picture of a witch’s familiar with the words “me-WOW” with an especially large amount of disdain.

Pippa just rolls her eyes. “ Good morning to you too, Hecate Hardbroom”

“ I doubt that the teachers have approved of this outfit” Hecate tells her

Pippa grins at her “Are you concerned for me, Hecate?”

Hecate bristles. “ Hardly. I merely am wondering how you remain at this school, with your lack of respect for Tradition and the rules”

“ I respect Tradition” Pippa protests. “ I just do not blindly follow it, unlike some” her voice drops slightly at the last word, becoming almost cold.

“Well. If that is the reason you felt inclined to barge towards me, I will just- “

“ No, wait, Hecate- “ Pippa grabs her wrist, then immediately lets go when she flinches and frowns at her. She shakes it off a second later, giving Hecate a sheepish smile. “ I apologize, all right? That was uncalled for”

“ I accept your apology” Hecate says stiffly. “ If that is all, I really- “

“ We could gather ingredients together” Pippa blurts out.

“I- how did you know that that was why I was here?”

“You are a witch abiding to strict rules you set yourself, which seem to mainly focus on constant study. If I were to guess, I would think you even find a nice walk in the woods ‘frivolous’, so it isn’t truly that difficult to come to the conclusion you are here for academic reasons, aka gathering ingredients for the potion exams which are only next month”

“These exams require practise. If you wish to waste your time giggling in the library with the others, that is your decision but- “

“ I don’t. That’s why I am here – because I enjoy the quietude of the woods of course, but also because I was trying to prepare for the exams’.

Hecate stares at her. “ It is hardly conductive to studying to be distracted by another person”

Pippa rolls her eyes again. “ It will be quicker, and I promise not to distract you with my ‘silliness and frivolity’. Come on!”

She takes Hecate’s hand, who pulls away immediately but follows her after a short hesitation.

There’s the witch again, and the corridor, and then she loses herself in the next memories.

Pippa, her eyes bright, as she waves at a gaggle of girls but further ignores them, sitting down next to Hecate and apologizing when Hecate flinches. She is quieter than Hecate has ever known her, only interrupting Hecate to ask insightful questions or discuss the text whenever it is too dense and vague to truly make sense. She offers to walk Hecate to her room. Hecate declines.

Pippa, running after Hecate when those witches are done laughing, throwing an arm around her and not even looking bothered when Hecate shrugs it off. They walk to their next class together, and Pippa manages to distract her by asking her about Hecate’s project for the midterm exam. They discuss the flaws of their potions’ textbook until they walk into charms, and Pippa tugs her to two empty seats.

Pippa barging into her room, jumping on the bed and singing with her hands cupped around a cupcake. Her absolutely furious and affronted expression when Hecate explains she never really celebrates her birthday, apart from a sensible gift and a short talk with her father about what it means to be a Hardbroom. Stumbling into the room too late , the pink of Pippa’s dress unrecognizable beneath a layer of mud, and collapsing on her bed together. The book Pippa bought for her in London is still in her hand. The other is held tightly by Pippa.

Singing falteringly for Pippa, looking down as she happily unwraps the paper. Falling off the bed as Pippa throws herself at Hecate, hugging her tightly. Listening to Pippa’s cackle as they untangle themselves, and accepting her help to climb on the bed again. Sneaking outside to lay down in their usual spot in the woods, whispering stories to each other long into the night.

Heaving over the small toilet in her room, the words ringing in her ears. A headache pounding behind her eyes, her shoulder sore from where they pushed her against the wall. Sitting down on her bed, books opened around her, but not taking in anything. Falling asleep until Pippa barges in her room, concern turning to hurt turning to fury turning to hurt again as Hecate ignores her and finally, pushes her away.

The corridor is darker, the witch looks tired. The spell allows her to remember, for a moment – Ada, the girls, I- and then she is lost again.

Long nights studying, ignoring classmates that invite her or that ask her to be in their group. Graduating, the apprenticeship. Brewing potions, short talks with the other witch, correspondence with one of her other professors, the witch she met at a conference, an expert on flower-based potions.. Her interview for Cackle’s, discussions with Ada, being dragged to staff nights, teaching, correcting papers, conferences, teaching, corresponding, tea in Ada’s office, Ada, arguments with Dimitry, another graduation, late-night discussions with Ada, Mildred Hubble screaming “watch out”, Mildred’s Hubble flying, broom-less, into the room, the duel, Ethel Hallow’s nose turned into a pig nose, Ada laughing good-naturedly at her, Mildred Hubble, correcting papers, correspondence, the mists, the –

The corridor appears abruptly, and the witch in front of her gasps and stares at her, wide-eyed. She slowly starts to smile. It is not a good smile. It is not her usual smile, either .

“ Ada Cackle is not the oldest daughter. The castle belongs to Agatha”

Hecate wakes up feeling truly horrible.

She has not had a headache this terrible since the time Dimitry spiked the punch at a staff party. Her limbs all feel as though someone has cast the Bivirgata hex on her. She gags, shuddering as her entire body seems to revolt at the small motion. Sweat is sticking to her everywhere, but her skin is goose bumping at the same time.

She tries to push herself up, her arms trembling. Ada. I need to warn her. She pushes herself up more, ignoring her body’s protests. Ignore the pain, you foolish woman. How could you not recognize that potion, are you a potion mistress or not. And you knew that that woman was not to be trusted, you should’ve – a low laugh interrupts her inner tirade, and she looks up.

She is immediately struck by rage and loathing, and her magic burns through her. She has to hold back a scream at the pain, then slumps slightly as the headache lessens, and she can actually feel her limbs again.

“ Agatha” she spits

The other woman smiles, and summons a throne-like chair to sit in. “I am here to reward you for your help”

Hecate grits her teeth, her heart stopping for a moment at the thought of Agatha already in charge of the school.  “ Are you ?” she questions, trying to gather her thoughts enough to think. She’d sooner hug Mildred Hubble than she would betray Ada, but if she pretends to support Agatha, she might find a way to help Ada.

Agatha smiles and Hecate is struck by the differences between the two sisters the way she always is. Whereas Ada’s smile is kind and easy, Agatha smiles as though it is a tool and there is never any kindness in it. “ I have always admired you, Hecate Hardbroom. You are renowned for your expertise in potions, and a prime example of the Hardbroom line. It would be difficult to find a more powerful witch than you, and your methods of teaching align far more with my own than they ever did with Ada’s”.

Agatha approaches her. “ It is a pity that you choose to support my sister, but I suppose we all have our flaws” Hecate is tempted to hex the other witch when she waves her hand and transfer Hecate upright, closer to Agatha than she has any desire to be.

“Ada deserves my loyalty” Hecate owes everything to Ada, whose fondness and belief in second chances sometimes frustrates Hecate to the point of insanity, but who offered her a job she loves (almost always) and a place to call home.

“ Does she? “ Hecate stumbles when Agatha pushes her away. Her body still feels battered, but she is slowly starting to regain her strength and even manages to keep her balance. “ I suppose I should not have surprised that you kept the true heir of this place a secret for her, but I still was a little. There is nothing you value higher than Tradition after all, is there?”

There is something about Agatha that makes Hecate even more tense and on guard than usually . And the way she phrases it- Hecate feels shivers shoot up her back. Hecate manages to make her voice calm and aloof, but if Agatha had turned around, she would have seen the split second where Hecate cannot hide the emotions she manages to keep out of her voice.

“ I judged that she did” she apologizes to Ada in her head for the ambiguous answer while at the same moment hoping desperately that she can manipulate Agatha in trusting her enough to not dispatch her.

Agatha turns around, still smiling thinly. She walks towards Hecate with two cups of tea; waves her hand again to summon another chair. “ Sit” she commands, waiting until Hecate has sat down very stiffly before settling in her own chair.

While Agatha sips her tea, the other cup of tea floats towards Hecate. She regards it coldly. “ Considering recent events, you will have to excuse my hesitance to accept any offerings from you “

Agatha’s smile becomes that bit more sinister. “ You already gave me all the information I needed, and quite a bit more” she nods at the tea which is still floating in front of Hecate. “ I did not add anything to that, nor did miss Mould. It is simply tea, taken from the kitchens”

Hecate concentrates, pushing the tea away from her with magic. It lands on a table next to her.  “ Why are we here, miss Cackle?”

Agatha sips her tea, then vanishes it with a snap of her fingers. “ You could be very useful to me, Hecate Hardbroom. The only true obstacle is your loyalty to Ada, but perhaps your respect for the Craft and Tradition will be enough to keep you from doing anything… foolish”

“Are you offering me to remain as deputy headmistress if you take over Cackle’s?”

“ I am offering you the chance of a lifetime. If you promise loyalty to me, and I can be certain that it is not merely a ruse, you can remain not just deputy of this academy but you can be my right hand in everything”

Hecate feels her chest hurt the way it usually only does if she has physically exerted herself, especially by running. “ You will not stop at Cackle’s”

It is not truly a question, but Agatha answers it nonetheless. “ I suspect that I will find the Great Wizard to be unwilling to acknowledge my right, despite the proof I will have – “

“ Proof that you acquired illegally. According to the Code, subsection- “

“ A witch is not allowed to use magic on another witch that brings harm to her in any way, yes. Just like it is against the Code for Ada to be headmistress, and you have broken the Code as well. But this is not about the Code, Hecate, and I will not be using your memories to justify my position as headmistress”

Agatha summons a familiar piece of paper into the office, and Hecate stares at it with horror. She clears her throat, and quickly smooths over her expression.  “I see. And do you believe that will allow you to take command of the school?”

“ Well, I imagine a few people will attempt to complain, but I do not require your help with those. However, the Great Wizard is another issue altogether, one that will be needed taken care of with your help”

“I hardly think the same plan will work a second time, the Great Wizard is not a complete fool”

“I will have my coven here, including miss Mould. While the members of my coven are taking care of whoever he brings with him, miss Mould and I will use a spell I have prepared to trap him long enough for you to act”

“ We will not have time to evacuate the building, and bring all the girls to safety”

“they could be valuable for- “

“Are you suggesting we force children to duel our best duellists?” Hecate thought she could never be more revolted and disturbed by Agatha Cackle than she already was. She was very wrong.

“ Not necessarily, but their very presence in the castle will be a powerful defence- after all, we can expect that the Great Wizard does not wish the bad press that he allowed children to be slaughtered- “

Hecate stares at her, rapidly considering her options. She remains too weak to duel Agatha with enough chances of winning. Ada is likely locked up; the other teachers are either similarly detained, or are otherwise kept under Agatha’s thumb. If she transfers away to get help, this just leaves the girls even less protected. Her mind processes this all with enough speed to force her initial reaction down, using a Herculean amount of strength to push down on her feelings, and force a neutral expression.

“What about the other teachers? They will likely attempt to act against you”

Hecate never thought that Agatha was insane- she knew she was cruel, selfish, downright narcissistic yes, but she did not think she was insane. But this- this entire plan, the decision to carelessly sacrifice children and Agatha’s little smile right now. Hecate needs all her famous self-control to not speak this realization out loud.

“ Your former colleagues are all taken care of, I promise you. They will not be able to throw a broomstick in our plans”

You are insane.

Agatha stands up.  “I will leave you now, to think about what we have discussed. Miss Mould will keep you company”

Agatha fades, transferring away, and Hecate is left with one of the people she despises most right now.

Apparently, Agatha truly does not use the same tactics twice. Hecate is standing in her office, but Ada has not been trapped in the painting this time. In fact, Hecate has no idea where the best friend she has ever had is , and she knows that asking after Ada will only lead to suspicion, and more trouble. She mutters an apology to Ada again, and allows herself to show her agitation only by grabbing her watch tightly, a gesture only a few will recognize as her attempting to calm herself.

She stands quietly next to Agatha as she gives them their respective orders.

“Marigold, you will remain with the brats- “ Hecate reminds herself that turning Agatha into a frog will not be a smart course of action, as one of her lackeys will simply turn her back and the girls will be in even more danger. Morgana will not arrive in the room quickly enough to eat frog Agatha.

“ I want them locked up in their rooms, and under supervision. Delilah and Jenny- “

Marigold swallows. “ May I suggest – “

“ What” Agatha hisses.

“ It is just- perhaps it is wiser to assign a different function to Jenny?” Marigold looks slightly pale and sweetish and smiles at the woman Hecate supposes is Jenny, someone who makes Hecate look sweet and cuddly in comparison. Marigold laughs awkwardly.  “ You never enjoyed the company of children, did you? Bats, I remember- “

“On the contrary, I have always found it hilarious how much they scream when you…. play a little with them”  

Agatha raises her eyebrows slightly. “ Jenny, you will be positioned close to the castle doors. You will remain in position unless the castle is attacked, in which case you have my permission to use any means available to defend me”

Agatha finally turns to Hecate. “ You will have to convince him to drink this”

Hecate actually takes a small step back, her body reacting without her permission. Fortunately, she has herself under control two seconds later-

Marigold has seen. She stares at Hecate for a moment and despite Hecate’s contempt for the woman and her general opinion of arts, the woman is not stupid. Hecate knows she is found out, is readying herself for a duel, a spell already half-formed on her lips and in her hands-

Marigold nods, once, and looks away. Hecate focuses on the vial again, forcing herself to reach out and take it. She takes it in a very loose hold, considering the consequences if she merely dropped it on the floor- another plan starts to form, slowly. “ You wish to take his powers?”

Agatha smiles. “ He could accomplish great things, but he is too fainthearted to accomplish anything” she eyes the potion in Hecate’s hands, then snaps her fingers and has the vial appears in her own hand again. “ Agatha the Great sounds lovely, does it not?”

Hecate keeps her thoughts to herself. She hardly thinks Agatha would react well if she released them from where she used to think they would be safe. “ This is a gross violation of the Code, there is hardly a witch who has earned her cauldron that would accept it. Even wizards would have enough wits between them to- “

“ I prepared for that reaction” is Agatha’s reaction and Hecate does not understand her tranquillity , does not understand how bloody smug she is – until she calls out to one the lackeys guarding the door and –

The lamps next to the door explode, leading to the lackey that came in cursing as the shards of glass cut into her face and arms. The woman half-leaning against her, however, is protected by a shield that appeared at the same time of the explosion, and Hecate frowns down at her hands with confusion.

“ Your magic will not work on her, Hecate. You will be unable to transfer her away, or heal her”

Hecate curls her fingers, shifting through a dozen spells that could incapacitate Agatha and two of the four remaining lackeys- then glances at Pippa. Her usually glamorous hair is sticking to her face where she is bleeding, her clothing is torn, and Hecate almost loses control again when she spots the bruising at Pippa’s neckline.

“Why is she here?” she forces herself to ask, to sound calm, to keep herself from transferring Agatha into a wall, where she will slowly choke.

“ As I told you before Hecate, your memories were quite enlightening”

Hecate would not be surprised if she threw up on her shoes. “ I – “

“ This is very simple, Hecate. If you pledge your loyalty to me, I promise not to harm miss Pentangle nor the girls of this academy. As long as they cooperate that is. As for my sister, I am afraid I have plans for her, but you can help Ada’s incompetent staff as well. If you prepare to betray me once again, however- “ Agatha glances at Pippa, who is groaning softly now. “ The alternative… I promise you will not enjoy that”

Hecate grits her teeth. “You are the rightful headmistress”

“ I thought you were above silly things such as love, Hecate” she glances in Pippa’s direction. “ I suppose I understand the inclination however, all that pink hides a powerful witch. She was not easy to calm down, was she?”

The woman still holding Pippa( and also still bleeding thanks to Hecate losing control of her magic) smile-grimaces. “Not at all, miss Cackle”

Agatha smiles. “ Lock her in my chambers” she turns to Hecate. “ You can have her back when we have succeeded”

Hecate has to use all her considerable self-control to not do something to Ada’s sister that their friendship -even a friendship as strong as theirs - would not survive. “ Do not- “

“You no longer possess any authority” she turns to one of the two witches that are not holding Pippa (are in fact putting a fair amount of distance between themselves and the pink witch; obviously they had made the common mistake to underestimate Pippa) and points at one of them. “ And bring me Mildred Hubble. I have special plans for that girl”

Over my dead body will you touch her. Hecate rationalizes that she would be this enraged if anyone attempted to hurt any student under her protection; it certainly does not mean that Hecate has a soft spot for Mildred, despite Ada’s claims to the contrary and Pippa’s attempts to goad her into admitting something as ridiculous as that.

Agatha transfers away once again, seconds after the lackey took Pippa away from her. Hecate feels a stab of panic powerful enough that she blasts the remaining lamps into oblivion.

“ Pipsqueak “ she whispered, staring at where Pippa had just been. I love you.

It is full-blown chaos.

There are explosions happening, stray spells are causing all manner of injuries- from almost comical changes in appearance to paralysis and limb loss- and Hecate is running away from it, only one thought in her mind. The girls.

She does not dare to waste magic transferring, her body already feeling the effects of the fight against the Great Wizard and the short duels with four guards, and she knows she will likely require a great deal of magic for what is to come. The fact that she has to run of all things, is just something she adds to her list of reasons to force some sense into Agatha Cackle, using a great deal of words the students would swear she would never use, and spells that would have even great-great-great grandaunt Hella ( who the later Hardbrooms attempted to erase from history all together, which is why Hecate is still not quite certain how she earned the epithet “Scourge of lands”) wincing.

She snaps her fingers while she runs past two people clad in the recognizable attire of his Greatness ( Hecate respects authority greatly, but this does not mean she can ignore the stupidity of making your guards easily recognizable), having large vines erupt from the ground and push them into the walls, before having flowers bloom that immediately release a sedative.

She pushes open the door, finding three more girls. She quickly transfer them, before they have even finished saying her last name. The other three rooms she checks have similar results, apart from one notable occasion where a guard actually manages to hit her shoulder and slices it open. However, that guard is also quickly taken care off and the next duels are over very quickly.

It is only when she approaches one of the last rooms that she runs into trouble. Agatha’s croons are here as well, and they are remarkably competent. They attack her with a speed that is almost inhuman, and whenever she wields off one of them, the other suddenly attacks out of nowhere.

Her eyesight is blurring badly, and her legs nearly give out. She barely manages to deflect three spells send towards her at the same time, and nearly screams when her shoulders slams into the wall behind her. She raises her hand, thinking desperately with the two shapes in front of her barely distinguishable as the world is fading out when she slowly drops it.

One of the two people in front of her was just hit by a broom , at the exact same moment that the other is hit in the face by a basketball. She stumbles backwards, blood dripping from her nose. It is just the opening Hecate needs, and she quickly blasts the other witch away from her, wincing at the sound when the fighter slams into the wall. She turns to face her mysterious sav-

“Miss Drill?”

Dimitry grins, still on top of her broom. She has a black eye, her robes are slightly torn and very rumpled and there is something odd about her hands- almost as though she has been improperly transfigured into a human form after having been an animal.

“ Who – “

“ A couple of older students came running to get me. They managed to turn me back- “ she wriggles her fingers, which are longer and have some sort of slimy substance attached to them. “ but obviously, it was rather advanced magic, finding me and all”

Hecate inhales sharply. “ Who – “

“ I will get the others, you keep being absolutely terrifying, okay?”

Hecate frowns at her. “ Miss Drill, please do make sense- “

“ I always knew you were bloody powerful, but it is quite something, seeing Hecate Hardbroom duel” the other witch flies away after that fanciful exaggeration, manoeuvring her broom in a way that has one person not just scream in pain but what might be admiration as well.

Hecate watches Dimity somersault over a person, her broom breaking their nose, and landing flawlessly on the broom again. She rolls her eyes (would sooner sell her witch’s hat than admit to the small smile) and turns to the few that have survived the rare talents of the first witch to become “star of the sky” not two, but three times in a row.

She makes quick work of the remaining four – thanks the three-faced Goddess for the first time ever (likely the last time as well) for Dimity Drill: they are all stumbling around, dizzy from being whacked in the face by the rear end of a broom and one even has an imprint of where Dimity’s frankly dangerous throw slammed that bloody ball she carries with her into the witch’s face. Hecate runs away, leaving three witches and a wizard in varying degrees of pain, stupor and restraints.

She barges into Ada’s office- and finds it empty. That would not be too concerning- Agatha has always been a coward, she simply went somewhere less predictable, she choose her own safety over drama and-

Hecate was once privy to a fistfight ( if it can be called that when one party immediately starts screaming and crying) between Pippa and a particularly vicious witch. Pippa was small and pink and always had sweet smiles for everyone- but she punched that particular girl so hard that she fell back against a wall. It is like Hecate is hit by a punch like that now, quick and painful and harder than you expect it to be possible.

She gathers her magic, throws it out to search for Mildred’s and transfers the moment she finds it. The world solidifies into the great hall, and one of the most enraging things Hecate has ever seen. There is magic that keeps the people inside locked in, or more accurately, to keep students locked in.

A small group of students is huddled into the corner, some burying their heads in their friend’s shoulder; others staring at two animals in the middle of the room. One of them is a cat species that honestly look likes a disguised member of the Sidhe, with thick and silky fur. Despite its considerable size, Hecate knows it is not an adult. Even if she had no knowledge of cat species, she would recognize her students anywhere, in any form.

She is looking at Enid Nightshade , and beneath her paw- there is a chubby, nervous mouse. It doesn’t have glasses nor the usual ponytails, but Hecate recognizes Maud immediately. There is just one-

Her magic actually cackles when she sees it.  Agatha’s cat, usually an average-sized black cat, prowls around Agatha as a 132-pount black panther. Hecate has researched and debated the effect of witches on their familiars (and vice versa); Agatha’s cat obviously has the same rotten character as his mistress, or otherwise he wouldn’t threaten a student.

Because in front of is a trembling, tied up deer easily recognizable as Mildred Hubble. She twitches her ears nervously, which is the last thing Hecate sees of Mildred before her magic is fuelled by the rage at the realization that Mildred is bleeding (a nasty cut on her side), Agatha is using her students for a deranged game and finally, she has somehow managed to destroy that infuriatingly optimistic-bordering-on-reckless spark Mildred always has.

She has given Hecate the perfect opening to destroy her. She mutters a quick apology to Pippa ( Pippa would be almost as furious as Hecate herself if she would endanger students in order to protect Pippa) and throws a Medusa hex at Agatha.

She deflects it, the way another person may swat a fly. “ Once, just the name Hardbroom was enough to command respect from even the oldest, strongest families. Is that all one of only three remaining Hardbrooms – or at least the- “

Agatha quickly vanishes when Hecate releases breath of dragon. She is one of the few people in the witching world that has the knowledge needed to bottle that particular ingredient, something Agatha obviously was not aware of, judging by her split stunned expression.

“ Do you possess a dragon, Hecate Hardbroom? That might be just enough to liberate these worthless- “ she casts a spell in the direction of Hecate’s students, something green that hisses and pushes against Hecate’s magic when she throws up another shield.

“ Dragons are free, independent creatures. A witch learns that they are not pets or possessions before she even rides her first broom. Something you would know if you ever had the good sense to listen ,Agatha Cackle”

Agatha sends a flash of light her way, a nasty combination of spells that drives needles of pain into Hecate’s barely closed injury when she halts it. “ Dragons are merely independent creatures because there has not been a witch bold enough to subdue them- and such is it with everything. You- “

Agatha blocks two spells Hecate sends towards her, staggering and quickly righting herself. Hecate bats her reaction, an elemental spell that fizzes and sparks as Hecate rips it apart, away. “ Ada may have treated you kindly, and pretended that you could be changed Agatha Cackle, but I am not Ada”

Agatha smiles nastily. “ And you pretend that my sister would ever forgive you if you truly hurt me? You are many things Hecate, but I hardly think you are a fool”

She sends another spell at Hecate, a bolt of magic that separates, and leaves Hecate with only a second to decide whether she wants to channel more magic into the shield that is protecting her students or protect her own body. She drops her own protective shield, angling her body away from Agatha spell at the same time that she feeds enough magic into the protective barrier that the air ripples and smokes, but the spell defuses without hurting her students.

Hecate, on the other hand, has to grit her teeth against the pain in her shoulder. She actually stumbles, and Agatha pounces on the perceived moment of weakness. She ignores the students, and instead sends three consecutive spells at Hecate.

She stumbles, and curses when they are immediately send back to her. she pushes a spell towards Hecate that makes the hairs on her neck stand on etch, and her dress starts to smoke as the spells get near her. Instead of deflecting, she allows them to get so close that she feels her dress almost attach to her skin, and hears her hair sizzle where the spells make contact-

She waits until the exact last moment that it remains bearable, and then uses all that energy against Agatha. She attacks the weak spots and pushes the magic away. As Agatha is forced to deflect and side-step, Hecate quickly casts another spell that cuts through her defences, and rips open part of her dress, and part of her shoulder.

Agatha grits her teeth. “ It is truly unfortunate that you choose the wrong side- we could’ve done great things together”

Hecate ignores her, as she knows it will no longer be necessary to spar verbally with Agatha as well. A window breaks, there is a yell and Dimity Drill jumps off her broom, nearly kicking Agatha in the face. Unfortunately, that does not happen but she does immediately throw up a shield, allowing Hecate to vanish her own.

Now that she no longer has to duel and protect the students at the same time, she fires off spells so rapidly that Agatha is forced on the defensive. The room sparks, fizzles and starts to heat up – Agatha’s carefully managed wig slants and sticks to her head pitifully as the spells strike her skin, deflect and rapidly miss her face, explode in front of it.

As Hecate uses a simple fire spell, cast on the floor and forcing Agatha to cool the floor before she gets stuck or gains a dozen new blisters, Hecate wields her magic, and cuts Agatha’s hands at the same time.

It is the oldest trick in duelling; attack your opponent’s hands, and weaken or turn spellcasting impossible. Agatha shrieks, and vanishes. Hecate casts a quick spell that shows her the other witch is outside, then marches towards her students.

“ Get them out of here” she orders Dimity, ignoring the stunned and terrified expressions. She snaps her fingers at the mouse, cat and deer; she holds back a curse when only Maud and Enid immediately reappear, looking confused and dizzy but – apart from a few scrapes- unharmed.

“ What about- “

“ We will return her to her usual state later” Hecate is not certain why Mildred has not been turned back, but they will have to figure it out. They will.

And Dimity tries, it is just- Hecate rolls her eyes. “ Mildred Hubble – being turned into a deer does not give one permission to act as one, now stop wasting our time eating that leaf and- “

She sneers at Dimity, who slowly lets go of her arm. “ It is not that, look” she points at the leaf, and Hecate is about to make a sarcastic remark, and leave them to it when she spots it, on top of the leaf that Mildred is keeping carefully in her mouth.

“ Mildred Hubble, what are you doing with that caterpillar ?” she questions, and honestly how anyone can believe she would ever see this frustrating, illogical, ridiculous girl as her favourite student is a mystery to her.

“ I-it is miss Mould, miss Hardbroom” Maud’s voice is still slightly squeaky as she speaks, although she manages to meet Hecate’s eyes bravely. “ She tried to help us but then miss- Agatha noticed, and she turned her into a caterpillar. Millie quickly hid her, because- “ her voice trembles again and for a horrible moment, Hecate expects Maud to start sobbing.

“ Agatha wanted to step on her, or something “Enid takes over, hesitating a moment before throwing an arm around her friend. She seems relieved when Maud immediately cuddles against her, sniffing quietly.

“I see” Hecate stares at the caterpillar, imagining Marigold in its place. Mildred is looking at her with actual doe eyes, and she can almost imagine the girl’s pleading- please, miss Hardbroom, just ignore the Code and instead make decisions all willy-nilly- when there is a loud crack, and Dimity yells at her.

Which would offend her greatly, were it not for the fact that it quite likely saves her. After all, it is Dimity’s yelling that has Hecate jump and flinch, just enough that the spell narrowly misses her. She turns around, hesitating as she sees his Greatness. He has four people with him, all dressed in the shade of blue that tells Hecate they are part of his extensive private guard. She stops hesitating when they fire haphazardly, not even paying attention to the dozen or so children behind her.

She hears gasps and murmurs and even yells behind her, but she ignores it. She quickly freezes the fourth guard, and takes a step towards the Great Wizard. “ Your Greatness, I- “

“I let it slip once, Hecate Hardbroom. No harm was done, and it would be unfortunate to lose a witch of your renown and strength- but I do not tolerate this complete disrespect a second time”

He attempts to cast a spell, and Hecate struggles to deflect it. Not because she lacks the strength- but because he is the embodiment of Tradition. He is everything her father wanted her to respect. Her father’s memory may be corrupted, nothing more than ashes and curse words, but she always clung to his lessons long after he disappointed the entire magical world.

As the Great Wizard prepares to – she is uncertain, her mind struggling to remember what they did to him, what part of the plan succeeded, which penalty he will choose of all the rules she has broken by now- there is a light shimmer, a flash of pink and the Great Wizard pummels over.

She gapes, her eyes flicking from the pitiful form on the floor, to a pink vision, from his hat, to her slightly bruised knuckles.

Pippa chuckles. “ To be completely frank, I have always wanted to do that”

Hecate stares at her. “ How- what- “ she stammers, then grabs her watch tightly. “ That was a violation of- “

“Pretty much the entire Code because – “ she mimics the Great Wizard’s voice whenever he says that (it happens a lot) “ I am the Code”

Hecate is still gaping, approximately a million questions racing through her head when Pippa rushes towards her and grabs her in a tight hug. She decides to focus on how Pippa is alive and warm and gorgeous okay instead of how she just punched the leader of the witching world as though it isn’t treason, honestly.

Pippa pulls back, just enough to gently put out the part of Hecate’s hair that is still smouldering, thanks to Agatha’s spells. “ Why is it that I keep having to punch people for you, Hic- Hecate?”

Hecate feels as though her magic is expanding inside her, growing until she is going to explode , like in the old stories her father used to read her about what would happen to frivolous witches. “ I hardly – “

“ Uh not to interrupt your tearful, sweet reunion, but- “ Dimity points at the window which shows – or rather, not shows- the clear absence of the sun. “I would bet my title as Star of the Sky that that… is not meant to happen”

Hecate and Pippa look at each other. Before Dimity can call out “ hey you’re not the only ones that want to burn her hat through her head” they have already disappeared together.

  It’s Ada.

Agatha is using her, siphoning her magic from her, her injuries healing as rapidly as Ada’s strength diminishes. Hecate throws her away from Ada the second she notices what is happening- or tries to, because the remaining witches working for Ada combine their magic and blast it right back to her.

It is only Pippa’s quick reflexes that save them both. Hecate feels the impact of the spell in her bones, as she is pushed back and feels one of the dozen injuries torn open. She pushes back before the last spell has completely faded, before Pippa can warn her.

This spell rips through the witches defending Agatha, but Hecate stares and swallows back bile as one of them is pulled in front of Agatha, and is almost literally torn apart by her spell. Agatha seems more bored than anything, barely glancing in the direction of the witch as she shrieks and falls to the ground a second later. The others are just as dispassionate, not so much as flinching as they hold their ground in front of the Cackle sisters.

Pippa grabs Hecate’s hand. “ Wait”

“ We do not have time –“

“ If you are going to blindly attack them, you will not help her” Pippa’s grip tightens. “ And both Ada and I would never allow you to sacrifice yourself like that”

Hecate almost transfers away from Pippa. “ Then what do you suggest?”

“ We create a distraction” Pippa deflects spells fired their way, so casually that Hecate is reminded that for all Pippa’s games-and-rainbows attitude to magic, she is one of the most brilliant and powerful witches of her generation. Not that Hecate ever forgets it, she couldn’t, but Pippa hardly ever flaunts her magic.

Pippa lets her wrist go. Hecate glances at her, taking in the thoughtful look. “ Complete focus is necessary for this spell, is it not?”

Hecate inhales sharply. “ If she allows herself to be distracted for even one second- “

“ It might be enough to transfer Ada’s powers back to her”

Pippa nods grimly, presses a quick kiss to Hecate’s cheek. “ You take Ada”

She transfers away before Hecate can even gather her thoughts, appearing in front of one the remaining witches, and using a variant on a simple weather spell to blast the witch back. She lands on the grass, her protective robes steaming. She doesn’t get up, but Pippa only looks grim as she immediately turns to the other four.

She averts her gaze, focuses on Agatha instead. She is still casting, and Hecate takes a step towards her. There is a thick web of protective spells in front of Agatha, and she raises her arms, prepares to use the last of her strength to tear it apart, and take Ada to safety. With every spell she mutters, or flings, the headache gets worse, the air pressing down on her ears until she is grimacing and tempted to wipe away what she suspects is blood.

Finally, the last strand breaks, and she quickly gathers Ada in her arms, preparing to take her away. Instead, she screams in agony as a spell rips into her back, cutting off all feeling from her legs. She and Ada both tumble to the ground.

Agatha laughs, and Hecate tries to get away when she feels the magic rip into her. She understands now; taking Ada’s magic was a trap, meant to enable Agatha to take all the power she needs. Hecate gasps and shudders, trying desperately to throw up barriers but Agatha’s magic tears through them.

She has taken enough from Ada to recover from the duel with Hecate.

Hecate still has remnants of that damnable potion in her system, even after days. On top of that, she has injuries- both physical and magical- as well as exhaustion to battle with. She weakly pushes herself up, grabbing Ada’s arm; she might not be able to transfer both of them, but she has just enough strength left to safe Ada.

She has only one regret. I love you pipsqueak.

She hears Agatha’s laugh at first, the moment Ada’s disappears and she slumps. It has be shortly thereafter that she hears the pained and furious yell, but she sinks into unconsciousness before she can identify it. She hopes she doesn’t wake up; what use is she to anyone if she no longer has magic?

She allows herself to sink deeper, until the pain in her shoulder and head is a distant thrumming, a phantom pain, as she feels herself detaching from her body, floating away- only to be plunged into ice-cold water, torn into her body violently by electric shocks and nails buried into her arm.

Wait, those are actually nails. She stares at them, pink and perfect. She stares into Pippa’s face without breathing, more because she isn’t sure her lungs work properly again then because of her beauty. Because she is gorgeous like this, tears clinging to her lashes, eyes narrowed in concentration and fury, lips muttering spells and cursing at Hecate in equal amount.

She groans when she breaths again, the feeling horrible enough to bring tears to her eyes. Pippa slowly lessens her grip, leaving deep imprints in Hecate’s arm. She rests her forehead against Hecate.

“Take it” she whispers against Hecate’s lips, and Hecate sighs as the pain starts to change, the ice and electricity that made her cry out slowly turning into tingles until even that fades away. It is only when she feels her shoulder healing, a few broken ribs mending, that she realizes it is impossible. Her magic was nearly entirely gone, so how-

Her eyes snap to Pippa’s face, suddenly realizing the familiar brown eyes are hazy and a tint darker than usual  -unfocused, sleepy, as though she is only half-awake- and her skin is at least a shade paler than usual, her chest barely moving-

She screams when Pippa slumps, her forehead landing on Hecate’s shoulder. “ NO “ she yells, her voice breaking. The magic in her, Pippa’s magic, burns as it reacts to her emotions, but she ignores it. Tries to push it towards Pippa. She sits up , forcing her shaking hands to pull Pippa into her lap. She strokes the blond hair, then grabs her shoulder, and tries to push the magic back. It sparks against their skin, hovering in between Hecate’s hands and Pippa’s bruised shoulder, before falling back into Hecate.

She can hardly think. Physically, she is far better but everything in her hurts. She feels like she can breathe less than when there was a rib pushing into her lung, than when her magic was being sucked out of her.

“ Hecate- “ Pippa’s voice is so weak that she only notices when something pushes against her arm. Pippa’s hand drops almost immediately; she clearly doesn’t have the strength to push Hecate away. “Stop. You will hurt yourself” she slurs.

Hecate swallows.  “Pippa Pentangle, you – “

“I know” Pippa murmurs. “ Know, okay? Am an idiot”

“ Pippa, you are going into shock” Hecate’s voice raises an octave. “ Pippa, focus on my voice”

“ Is pretty” Pippa mumbles, her eyes falling closed.

“ Pippa, Pip- Pipsqueak”

“ Hm?”

She barely keeps herself from shaking Pippa, instead grabs her shoulder. “ Pipsqueak” she repeats, her voice breaking.

“ Hm what’s it?”

“ Why?” she chokes out.

Pippa struggles to focus. “You, Ada- you’re a great team”

Hecate only realizes she is crying when she sees a tear fall on Pippa’s face. “ You shouldn’t – you cannot- “

“ Couldn’t have you leave again” Pippa slowly brings her hand to her chest. “ Hurt too much – you’re happy, right? Cackle’s makes you happy?”

Hecate doesn’t understand, what is – “ No, no of course not” she leans in, and she despises herself for how she still cannot say it.

“You will be”

Pippa sounds so certain, as though Hecate ever stopped missing her. As though it wasn’t hard enough when she knew at least Pippa was happy, at least she had a good life now. “ Don’t leave, please” she is surprised how young she sounds. She doesn’t know when she has last sounded and felt so young, and desperate.

At her mother’s funeral, perhaps.

Pippa is still smiling, her chest barely moving. Hecate gently pulls, until Pippa’s forehead is resting against her again. “ I offer you love in friendship, in coven and in soul. I return magic freely given, to once again make you whole”

She closes her eyes, chants it again. Doesn’t hide her love for Pippa, for the first time the others realized what it was, and convinced her that she would only drag Pippa down, make her less. Decided that she would do for Pippa what Pippa could never do herself.

She feels Pippa’s forehead against her, clammy and rapidly cooling. She wraps Pippa more tightly against her body, breathes in and out slowly. Her eyes snap open when she feels Pippa shudder, hears her gasp. She doesn’t stop the chant, keeps it going as Pippa slowly opens her eyes.

“Pipsqueak” she croaks,

Pippa stares at her, long enough that she is starting to pull back. “ Goddess, we are quite the pair, are we not?” she finally says and cuts Hecate of mid-apology. Hecate nearly chokes as Pippa’s way of shutting her up, is to press her lips to Hecate’s.

She pulls back, smiles. “ I felt that, and- “ she shakes her head. “ We wasted so much time”

“I – “ Hecate swallows. “ I did not wish to be a burden to you”

Pippa laughs, rolls her eyes fondly. Cups Hecate’s face between her hands. “Hecate Hardbroom, you impossible dolt. I was in love with you too”

“No, you were not”

“We can argue about this later, and you can apologize to me”

Pippa grins, eyes Hecate in a way that makes her flush all over. “ I have decades of cooking up very elaborate ways that you can make it up to me?”

Hecate decides to save her brain from combustion, and focus on something else. “ If this is true, you also- “

“Oh hush” Pippa says, and kisses her again.

[dreamsinlilac]

Hackle. Confess

Send me a “Confess” and I’ll write a drabble about one character confessing to the other

Just a quick one I put together hope you enjoy. 

Dear Hecate

Dear Hecate,

How I wish I could begin this letter with Darling Hecate, or My Hecate.  Perhaps even Beautiful Hecate, for that is how I think of you.

Yes, you read that correctly, I think about you in a way that may surprise you.  It surprised me at the beginning. Oh, not because it’s you, please understand this.  No, it was because, without even realising they were blossoming within me, one day my feelings for you were in full bloom.  I was in love with you.  

I am in love with you.

I know that last night you found my behaviour odd, I’m sure you thought I was avoiding you.  I saw the look in your eyes when I declined your invitation to take tea together as we so often do and I apologise but I needed some time alone to process my thoughts.  You see, yesterday was the day I realised I could no longer keep my feelings a secret from you.

Why yesterday?  I can picture the inquisitive look on your face as you ask that question in your mind. You squint slightly when you don’t know the answer to something, did you know that?  It’s just a small movement, usually followed by an eye roll, but it tells me when you’re confused.  I would also guess that you are rolling your eyes right now because I am rambling.

Yesterday morning I received the sad news that an old school friend had passed away after a short illness.  You may have heard me mention her,  Rosemary Spindle.  We became friends the day she arrived here and maintained that friendship until the very end.  Rosemary had more life in her than anyone I have ever met.  She travelled the world multiple times, married four times, it may even have been five but she was never quite sure if that last one was official.  Where I always played things safe, never wanting to rock the boat, Rosemary took every opportunity life gave her and even if things didn’t work out, she found a way to enjoy herself.  If she wanted to go somewhere she went, if she wanted to learn something, she studied, and if she had feelings for someone, she told them.

When her brother mirrored me to tell me that she was gone, there was one thing he was absolutely clear on, something she wanted everyone to know.  She had no regrets.

If I were to die tomorrow, I know I would not be able to say the same because the one thing I would regret more than anything else would be never having told you how I truly feel for you. For so long I worried that my confession would ruin our friendship and our professional relationship, those worries remain, but for once in my life, I have decided to channel my inner Rosemary and take a risk, albeit a modified one.

That is why I have chosen to write to you rather than tell you this face to face.  Cowardly perhaps but I know my limits and I am not brave enough to hear you turn me down. I don’t expect you to feel the same way that I do, and I am not telling you this to pressure you in any way, I simply wanted you to know that you are very much loved.  Perhaps it is selfish of me to do this and if that is what you think, I apologise but I could think of no other way.

This letter is yours to act on as you see fit, including berating me for my unprofessional behaviour. You may rip it up, vanish it or even burn it and we need never speak of this again.  You have my word that I will remain your principal and most importantly your friend as I have always been.   However, and I realise this is virtually impossible, if you do feel the same way that I do, please know that I am yours completely and I love you, unconditionally.

Ada

“Woah.”  Mildred, Maud and Enid’s jaws dropped as they saw their potions teacher practically run past them.  “Miss Cackle’s office must be on fire or something.”

Hecate was too focused on her destination to even hear them, there was only one place she wanted to be and one thing she wanted to hear at that moment.

“Tell me to my face.”

Ada’s heart was in her mouth as a wide-eyed Hecate burst through her office door, she had been half expecting a visit though possibly not so soon.  “I…Hecate I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Tell. Me. To. My. Face.”, Hecate demanded, waving the letter in Ada’s direction.  “Tell me what you wrote in this.”

“I love you.”, Ada whispered softly.  “I’m sorry, I….”

“No, don’t say you’re sorry.  Say it properly.”

“I love you Hecate Hardbroom.”  Ada didn’t get a chance to say anything else as straight away her lips were captured in an almost bruising kiss.

“I love you too.”, Hecate whispered when eventually she broke the kiss.  “But I was never brave enough to say it.”

“You do?” , Ada gasped.

“Yes.”  To prove her point Hecate went in for another kiss, this one even deeper and longer lasting than the last.

“I am sorry about your friend.”, Hecate murmured sometime later when they could finally sit down and talk properly.  “I do remember you mentioning her several times.  She sounded like a very special person.”

“She was one of a kind.”  There were tears in Ada’s eyes but still, she was smiling.  “Always trying to push me out of my comfort zone, I think she finally succeeded and you know something?  I know wherever she is, that knowledge is making her very happy.”

“And you?  No regrets now everything is out in the open?” , Hecate asked, hoping she knew the answer.

“My Darling, Beautiful Hecate.”  Ada pulled her love into her arms.   “I regret absolutely nothing.”

[clearrx7]

Okay, soooo I filled this list of questions out for Hecate (obviously not my character) even though it’s past 4 am and I most definitely should be asleep by now. Obsession at it’s finest. Send help pls xD

Anyways, here’s a bunch of random headcanons that may or may not be flaming hot garbage. 

1. How does your character feel about personal space?  Do they tend to make others uncomfortable with how close they get, or are they the ones constantly being uncomfortable with anyone getting too close to them? Or do they not care either way?

HB prefers to be in control, and part of that involves being aware of everything and everyone around her at all times. She’s not a fan of people being in her personal space because it threatens that sense of control, since she doesn’t know what to expect. The only exception to this rule is Pippa. She trusts her implicity and knows that she would never hurt her.

On the flip side, Hecate likes to transfer right behind her students when she catches them doing things they aren’t supposed to. This obviously makes them uncomfortable, but that’s the point.

 2. What is your character’s dream career?  Are they actively trying to pursue it, or is just a wish/fantasy they have that they know can never come true?

Hecate’s dream career is teaching. I don’t think she would settle for anything less than exactly what she wanted to do, career-wise at least. (Her personal/social life may be a disaster but academically and professionally, she’s always been on point) Like, if she wanted to be a clock maker then she’d be out there right now in her secluded workshop making the best clocks the world has ever seen looool, but what she wants to do is teach, so teach she does. Maybe at some point during her studies, she seriously considered potions research as an alternative, but in the end, being able to shape young minds and help save the craft one generation at a time won out.

 3.Would your character have fun in an art museum?  Or would they be bugging their friends to leave the whole time?

Hecate is not a fan of art in general. She thinks it’s frivolous and a waste of time. The only reason she’d even go to the museum is if Pippa dragged her there. She’d try to hold back from making too many snide comments because she wants Pippa to enjoy herself, but occasionally she just can’t help herself. (She especially hates abstract art, like, with traditional art she can understand that at the very least it’s aesthetically pleasing, but no matter how she tries, she just can’t see the value of “2 Triangles 1 Square”)

 4.If your character is in pain, do they let everyone around them know just how bad it is, or do they tend to try and cover it up and say they’re fine? Does this ever result in negative consequences, whether it’s people ignoring their complains when they actually do have a bad injury, or their injury going untreated when they really do need help?

Haha I think Hecate would literally be on death’s door, like… bleeding from her eyes, ears, mouth and nose, unable to even walk or stand, and she’d still drag herself to class, telling everyone that she’s fine and can teach. Even when she was a student, she would never admit to feeling ill, which led to at least 1-2 classes every year where she’d be hacking up a lung during lessons. Pippa gave up trying to convince her to stay in bed and rest during school days, and instead just got really good at making charms to ward off illness/alleviate the symptoms.

5.Does your character tend to make decisions based on instincts or “gut feelings,” or do they rely more on logic and careful consideration? Do they ever try to find a balance between the two?

Definitely logical! She has to consider all possible outcomes, which sometimes works against her because she ends up overthinking things.

 6. Is your character easily creeped out by ghost stories, horror movies, scary images, etc.? If so, what kinds of stories scare them the most? Why?

Hecate doesn’t believe in ghosts, so ghost stories don’t scare her. She also doesn’t know much about non-magical entertainment, so she’s never seen any horror movies.

But there is one story from her childhood that’s always terrified her. Miss Broomhead used to tell Hecate about a witch she’d known, a girl with great power and little discipline. Unable to control her magic, it began to consume her, corrupting her mind and driving her mad. She turned to dark magic, stealing the life-force of witches around her (many of whom used to be her friends) in order to keep her body from deteriorating until she was stopped(killed) by Miss Broomhead’s coven.

It’s always followed up with a strict warning that if Hecate’s not careful, she could end up exactly like the witch in the story, and that if she did, Miss Broomhead wouldn’t hesitate to stop her the same way.

 7. Has your character ever had to overcome a big fear in order to complete an important task?  If so, what was the fear, and what did they have to do to overcome it?  If not, have they ever failed at a task because of a fear?

Oh man, 3 words, Broomstick Water-skiing Display loooool. I think one of Hecate’s biggest fears is not being good enough, and I think SOMETHING happened right before the competition to make her feel like she didn’t deserve to be around Pippa anymore, so she decided she would “save” Pippa from herself by staying away from her.

8.Describe how your character deals with failed or failing relationships, whether familial, platonic, romantic, sexual, or otherwise.  Do they easily let go of people, or are they more likely to hold onto a relationship for as long as they can? Does this affect how they form relationships?

Hecate seems like she’d always be waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to relationships loool. Like, if Pippa ever says she wants to break up (not that this would ever happen), Hecate would be devastated, but wouldn’t argue because she’s pretty much been expecting it to end since before it even began. It’s not that she easily lets go of people, more that she’s scared to hold them back. I think her way of trying to “hold on” to the relationship would be to do everything in her power to be what she thinks the other person wants.  

9.     Is your character gullible, or do they tend to be more skeptical? If they’re gullible, do people ever take advantage of them for it? And if they’re skeptical, is it hard for others to convince them of things that are actually true?

Yeah she’s skeptical about EVERYTHING (*Cough*Marigold*Cough). The sky is blue? Show her the receipts please. 

10.  If your character emptied the contents of their pockets/purse/backpack/etc., what would be inside? Do they often have a lot of stuff on them from day to day, or are they light packers? 

Wide-awake potion a la Constance Hardbroom? Haha, I don’t think HB’s dress has pockets, and I’ve never seen her carry a bag… I think she’d be more likely to just summon an item if she needed it. The only thing she always carries with her is her pocketwatch.

 11.  Just for fun: If your character was the protagonist of a fantasy RPG, what would their class be?

This one’s obvious! Definitely a mage. (Although, omg. Now that I think about it, Hecate kind of reminds me a little of Knight Commander Meredith from Dragon Age 2)

[thebestdressedrebelinhistory]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Worst Witch - All Media Types, The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hecate Hardbroom/Pippa Pentangle Characters: Pippa Pentangle, Hecate Hardbroom Additional Tags: hecate is a space heater, and pippa has cold feet, LITERALLY Series: Part 15 of The Worst Witch 2018 Winter Fluff-A-Thon Summary:

Pippa had always been a snuggler, for as long as Hecate could remember. Even as girls, she had never hesitated to climb into Hecate’s bed at school and make herself comfortable when she was inevitably the first to bore of studying for the night.

(Based on art by BlackDistraction on Tumblr. Link in notes.)

[heathtrash]

prefacing this by saying that these are all headcanons, the original post was tagged as being headcanons, and that no one needs to agree. but if you're going to disagree in a reblog, that was your choice!

we have SO many options for maternal characters in TWW, and absolutely none of those need to be Hecate. i've spoken previously about this in this post, which is a brief dive into my thoughts on Hecate and queer monstrosity.

Hecate's personality aside, upon which i think we respectfully disagree in terms of our interpretation on a fundamental level, it's so important to me that we have representation of childless women on television. i'm so grateful we have that representation with Hecate (and that it coincides with a canonically queer character who is known for her rejection of norms of femininity and practically canon neurodivergence, but would also be thrilled with any rep).

also, as a child of people who are not naturally nurturing, who has suffered because of that, i'm absolutely begging for representation of traditional gender roles being forced on people to end for good. we really don't need any more generations of kids growing up in unloving families, purely because the nuclear family is constantly being forced on us as this sparkling ideal. it's far from ideal for everyone, and Hecate proves that to us time and again. (no, not everyone needs to be a born expert, but like,,, consider the effect on the children who have to grow up and live with the effects of starting a family out of narcissism or a sense of duty)

Hecate isn't a representation of every woman, and nor she is typical in the ways she approaches things. she is designed to be queer, Other, and to challenge our preconceptions of what women are and what we expect women to be like. assuming she will be able to adapt to circumstances is to sand off her edges, and assume a level of neurotypicality that i'm personally very uncomfortable with, as a neurodivergent person who identifies a lot with Hecate.

to bring this back to my original point, Hecate's shame in this scene in Happy Birthday, Indigo Moon is such a valuable piece of television for a children's show!! it's not just "I'm sad I don't get to be a mother". Raquel's performance gives us so much more than that; it layers her unfulfilled sacrifice, her grief over her own lost years, her brief entertainment of adopting the role that she offered as a last-ditch resolution out of her own martyr complex. i feel like it's so important to recognise and celebrate this kind of nuance and intelligence in children's television, which was my intent with my post.

i welcome people to have their own "maternal hecate" headcanons if they so choose, but please consider before reblogging obviously anti-maternal hecate headcanons with maternal hecate headcanons! this is pretty personal for me and a lot of others. i'm keen for more people to express their headcanons and have their own voices heard, but those shouldn't be pitted against each other like it's a war of the Most Correct Headcanon. the point of fandom is to enjoy and explore your own interpretations and interpretations that fit with your own, and to think about and be respectful of other interpretations if you're interested in doing so. this was the sort of thing that would be better received in a separate post for the sake of fandom harmony! :)

the tragedy of 4x03 Happy Birthday, Indigo Moon is not that Hecate is sad that she never had the chance to become Indigo Moon's legal guardian.

the real tragedy here is that Hecate was so desperate that she challenged a part of herself that she has never had to deal with before - that of being in a guardianship role - even though it goes against every bone in her body.

the utter, gut-wrenching shame that she feels here is that of personal debasement, when she would have forced herself to go against her instincts and "embrace" a maternal role that she never wanted. it was the only way she saw of absolving herself of her deadly mistake in the past, but it would have been a terrible existence for them both. in this moment, she's processing the role she would have diligently lived even though it would only remind her of her crimes constantly, and also mourning the life she would have lost. she would never have been able to have a romantic relationship with an adult in quite the same way if she had had Indigo Moon to show responsibility for foremost.

she knows she could never "make a wonderful parent", despite what the Great Wizard wrote. it's just something people say when they find out you are having or adopting a child; a statement of willing the "good parent" traits on someone. responsible people do not always make good, loving parents. Hecate could never give all of that to any child, and especially not Indigo Moon.

an emotional outburst like this is also very expected, given that Hecate just was faced with her best friend not knowing her - but she still remembers those thirty years of emotional trauma and self-torment. she almost had her best friend "back", but their relationship was changed irrevocably by meeting as teacher and student. sending her back was a sign of so much greater strength, because she acknowledged that motherhood would never have been a good option for her, and that she was not going to give the child the upbringing she deserved. as a consequence, Indigo Moon had to opportunity to give her own child a "magical" upbringing enough that she was accepted into Cackle's.

nothing ever positive could have come out of the Indigo Moon affair, and there was no outcome that would not have hurt Hecate or involved her sacrificing herself in some way. it's genuinely a tragedy in that sense, but never because Hecate wanted to be anyone's mother.

[pellucidthings]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (◠‿◠✿)

Hmm! I think I will call these the five favorite today, because I hesitate to be definitive about this sort of thing. In reverse chronological order.

Tell Me Where All Past Years Are (The Worst Witch, Hecate Hardbroom character study post s2, Hecate/Pippa) Written June 2018, and possibly some recency bias here, so I will be curious whether this is still on the list in a few years. But for now I continue to be quite fond of it.

Five Things Gillian Foster has Never Told Anyone (Lie to Me, Gillian Foster character study, some background Gillian/Cal) Written January 2010, and the fic I have pretty reliably been getting kudos on, here and there, for years. This was one of those rare things that I dashed off in a hurry, appear not even to have had it betaed (?!!), and still really love in pretty much all ways. Lie to Me was such a mess of a show, and I sort of hated Cal by the end, but oh, how I loved Gillian Foster.

The Sea with its Deepness (Stargate: SG-1, Janet Fraiser character study, basically gen with a suggestion of Janet/Daniel if you want to see it, set s3) Written March 2008, not quite my last Janet fic, but close. And it remains the one doing the character work I’m most proud of with her.

The Signs that the Signmakers Made (Battlestar Galactica, Laura Roslin fic of my heart, contains some deeply ambivalent Roslin/Adama, set late s3) Written June 2007, before it all fell apart. I recently wrote more about this fic in another meme response here. 

Ages Hence (Farscape, Chiana, gen, set very far in the future) Written sometime in 2006, 250 words, still very much beloved. (There are a couple of other short Farscape pieces archived with that one, but I’m not nearly as fond of those.)

So. The Chiana piece is the exception in the sense that it is in many ways a 250-word love letter to the show itself. But everything else is a character study of a favorite complicated, badass middle-aged woman, with a side of hesitant and/or deeply ambivalent ship. Why yes, I have been fairly predictable for rather a long time. 

(Also notable: all the het ships are super ambivalent. Janet/Daniel less so in this piece but definitely in other stuff I wrote at around the same time. Hecate/Pippa only hesitant, not ambivalent. So we could perhaps contemplate why it took me so long to fall headlong into femslash when the signs have been there for a while…)

[pellucidthings]

Because this is the hardest question ever, right back atcha: 5 fics you wish existed but will never write.

As we have said, I think your brain finds this harder than mine does! I always have quite a list of such fics… And as we can tell, I love a good canon divergence AU, but also that sort of thing is so not in my wheelhouse as a writer. (Though…stay tuned, maybe.)

1. The Hecate gives up her magic post-s2 AU. There have been a few attempts at this, but they’ve all either been pretty short or are unfinished wips. I want the looooooong, slow developing, character study version. Hicsqueak endgame, no deus ex machina where she gets her magic back after all. Who is Hecate Hardbroom without her magic? This is the story I most want in life right now, but also not a story I feel particularly inspired to write myself.

2. The Babylon 5 AU where Talia is not a secret sleeper agent. It’s pretty clear, I think, that the original plan was for Talia to stick around, and a lot of what becomes Lyta’s plot in seasons 3-4 would instead have been Talia’s. And we also know that JMS wanted to do more with Susan/Talia. But then Andrea Thompson left the show, and all we had left were the broken dreams of all the Susan/Talia shippers. I would LOVE for someone to write this version of the show. What changes if Talia stays? What doesn’t? 

3. Also in Babylon 5 AUs, the story where John stays dead at Z’ha’dum and Susan and Delenn save the world their own damned selves. AU from 4.01. Again, what changes? What stays the same?

4. For Blake, the story Mei Lin deserves. I haaaaaaaaaate the Mei Lin storyline in s4 because the show is so utterly unfair to Mei Lin. Here’s this character (the show’s ONLY character of color to appear in more than one episode omfg) whose sole purpose in the emotional arc of the show is to get in the way of the ship. It’s horrible. I very nearly hard quit the show over this. And the story I deeply would love to have the capacity to write is Mei Lin’s story. What have the past 17 years been like for her? What does this whole thing look like from her pov? (Incidentally, also super here for your version of the story Mei Lin deserves.)

5. For SG-1, the Janet Fraiser/Cam Mitchell story of my heart. Possibly I’m the only person who wants this and therefore the only person who would write it. And I imagine I never will because that ship sailed years and years ago. But oh, I would have loved the two of them together if Janet hadn’t died left the SGC to go work somewhere else while remaining happy and healthy. 

Ask me my top 5/10 of anything!