#this isn’t- I swear it’s not like th-this is my favorite ch-chapter or anything!

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Winter Song

Ch 20 Drive the Cold Winter Away

Chapters: 20/31 Word Count: 1,737 Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017) Rating: Teen Warnings: some angst and unpleasantness still lingers from the Big Freeze. Alcohol is a feature here as well. Summary: The blizzard is gone, and a new day shines cold and bright. Hecate sees the last of her charges off for the winter break. Still struggling from the aftereffects of the Big Freeze, Hecate and Ada search for new beginnings with good friends and good drinks.

Notes: This story is part of the B-Sides: Stories from the world of Hecate’s Summer Playlist series. It is a prequel to Hecate’s Summer Playlist. This whole thing is really a slow burn leading up to that.

The author of this hymn has been lost to the Mists of Time, it seems. It comes from somewhere in the 17th century, first appearing in a broadside circa 1625, apparently.

The Tom and Jerry is a delicious alternative to eggnog. It’s labor intensive but well worth it. It’s been around since the 1800’s, invented by a Brit it seems, but really taking off here in the states. My favorite recipe comes from here: http://imbibemagazine.com/classic-tom-jerry-cocktail/  It gives you the basic recipe and then links to the batter recipe below.

This fic almost escaped while Sparky was taking a nap. Luckily, she woke up just in time to save us all from my split infinitives.

Hecate stayed in the courtyard until the last student disappeared into the cold, clear sky.  She shivered and strengthened her warming spell. The blizzard had broken during the night, leaving in its place a glittering white landscape, sound muffled beneath the snow. Peaceful.

She stood for a few moments enjoying the softness, watching her breath fog every time she exhaled. She felt the beginnings of a yawn as it tried to escape the confines of her lungs. She let it go - loud and lazy and relaxing in its own way. She and Pippa had stargazed from their respective roofs far longer than she’d intended, both wrapped in blankets and warming spells. Pippa had come up with the brilliant idea to transfer a floor mirror with them to the roof instead of having to hold hand mirrors. Hecate had to admit that sitting on the rooftop next to the mirror was almost – almost – as nice as having Pippa there in person. They’d spent many nights on the roof of Amulet’s as girls. It was nice to get a bit of that tradition back. 

It had also been somewhat cathartic. One thing she was discovering was that Pippa Pentangle still had the power to both unnerve and steady her at the same time. She’d been so focused on the stars and Pippa’s voice and not saying or doing anything that might bring their visit to an abrupt end that she hadn’t been able to obsess about an ice-covered Cackle’s or magical black spots. She hadn’t fretted over frozen girls or a frozen Ada – or how it had been Mildred Hubble who had offered up her magic, rather than Hecate herself. And how shamefully thankful she was that Miss Mould had ultimately made the sacrifice.

A sharp crack pulled Hecate out of her memories. A thin branch of a nearby tree had finally succumbed to the weight of the snow. That could be me, she thought ruefully, a maudlin old fool who can’t step out of the shadows of dark memories, carrying it until I break.  Well, no more.  She’d moved on from far worse than a bit of ice.

She dropped her warming spell and allowed the cold to seep into her. She closed her eyes as she opened her cloak, mindful of the way her body reacted: the goosebumps, the shivering, the way her nose started to burn when she breathed in the frigid air. “It’s only the cold,” she said to herself. “You are not freezing. You are not without magic.” She repeated this, over and over, pushing her anxiety deeper and deeper inside. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there, but the faint ripple of Ada’s magic materializing behind her told her it must have been a while.

“Hecate?” Ada’s soft voice carried over the snow. “You’ve been out here quite a while. I thought I’d see what was keeping you.” In truth, Ada and Gwen had been watching Hecate from the staff room window for quite some time. Ada had wanted to come check on her deputy’s well-being immediately, but Gwen had been quite firm.  ‘Processing,’ Gwen had said. ‘Hecate is processing her feelings – and it’s well past time. Leave her be, Ada.’

So, Ada had left Hecate to herself – at least until she had seen her open her cloak and expose herself to the elements. After an agonizing wait, Gwen had finally agreed that it was time for Ada to fetch her deputy back.

Hecate managed to repress a sigh of annoyance as she pulled her cloak back on. “I gather everyone is waiting on me?”

“Not at all,” Ada reassured her. She looked around, blinking in the brightness. “It is beautiful, isn’t it? At least when I can look at it without thinking of being a great chunk of ice myself.” Ada saw Hecate stiffen. Spot on, then, she thought. “I still feel cold at odd times. Are you finding that to be true as well?” Ada waited, but Hecate didn’t speak, or even look at her. At last, though, a slight dip of the chin. “I’m sorry, though I must say I’m glad it’s not just me.” Ada stepped closer. “I have a confession. One of the reasons I was so keen on a games day yesterday is that I knew it would be too boisterous for me to think about the storm.” Ada braved slipping an arm around Hecate’s waist and giving her a squeeze. “It still bothers me too, Hecate. Perhaps over the break we might…talk about things? I’d love to know that I’m not the only one still struggling.”

Hecate felt Ada’s arm around her waist, as comforting as the warming spell she’d felt Ada slip over her as soon as she’d joined her. Her first instinct was simply to say that she was fine. She was fine. She would be fine. Instead, she squeezed the hand at her waist and said, “I think I’d like that.”

“Very good, then. I shall look forward to it.” Ada let her arm drop. “Now…I do believe we have another Cackle’s tradition to attend to. One that I know you enjoy.”

Hecate barked out a laugh. “You very well know I do NOT enjoy this particular tradition.”

“That’s why I had Miss Drill add extra rum, dear. Why I always have her add extra rum.” With a snap of her fingers Ada transferred them both to the staff room.

****

“Miss Cackle! I see you’ve found our lost Deputy!” Dimity ladled a serving of their traditional Tom and Jerry punch and handed it to Hecate. “You first, HB, you look like the frosty bits of an old ready meal.”

“Delightful.” Hecate drawled, but took the drink anyway, cradling the warm mug in her hands and breathing in the scent of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Not that she’d ever mention it, but Dimity’s Tom and Jerry punch had become one of her favorite parts of the holiday season. Rich and frothy from the egg whites, sweet and spicy from the sugar and cloves and warm, warm, warm from the hot milk and the rum. “Thank you, Dimity.”

“Anything for you, HB,” Dimity gave Hecate a knowing look, before winking at her and filling Ada’s mug.

Hecate took in the circle of chairs in front of the fireplace. Ah, yes… the rest of Ada’s end-of-the-winter-term tradition. Sharing their feelings about the term. She took her place in one of the chairs by the fire, letting its heat and the warmth of her drink drive the last of the chill from her bones. Soon Ada took her place in the seat next to her, and it was time to begin.

“Good afternoon, dear, dear, friends.” Ada lifted her mug. “To surviving, if not thriving, this past term. May the next term be as glorious as this one…” Ada’s voice cracked, and tears sprang to her eyes. Hecate placed a steadying hand on Ada’s shoulder. “May it be as glorious as this one was awful.” Ada held her mug up a moment longer before slumping back in her chair and taking a drink.

Hecate looked at the faces surrounding her. Her friends. The closest thing she had to a family. The people she would have lost if… she raised her glass. “To a better spring term. And… to Julie Hubble, a most extraordinary Ordinary woman, without whom I daresay we wouldn’t be here.”

“To Julie,” they said, each sipping their drink.

“And to that determined little tadpole of hers, Mildred Hubble,” Algernon added. “The girl who never gives up.”

“To Mildred Hubble, the Girl Who Won’t Give Up,” Ada repeated, raising her mug again. “And quite the impressionist, wouldn’t you agree, Hecate?”

With that, conversation lightened considerably. Soon the melancholia had lifted, replaced by laughter and ribald jokes from Dimity and Algernon, with a healthy dose of Dimity poking at Hecate whenever she could until Hecate resorted to using a cooling spell on Dimity’s drink every time she was about to take a sip.

One by one, the teachers took their leave, everyone eager to begin their holiday. Gwen and Algie, who had rented a seaside cabin for the break, were the first to depart, followed by Miss Tapioca and the rest of the kitchen witches.

Finally, only Hecate and Ada remained, neither of them leaving the castle anyway. “Would you care for a refill, Hecate?” Hecate nodded and handed Ada her mug. “I must say, I had my doubts when Dimity first offered to make this instead of our traditional eggnog, but…”

“Agreed. These are much better,” Hecate arched an eyebrow Ada’s direction. “But if you ever tell Dimity how much I adore these, I’ll swear this conversation never took place and you will wonder why every jumper you own is suddenly a muddy brown color.”

Ada burst out laughing… and laughing… until tears streamed from her eyes. “Thank you, Hecate,” she wheezed, “I needed that.”

Hecate leaned back in her chair and sipped a bit more of her drink. She loved the times when she was able to make Ada laugh.

“Are you and Miss Pentangle doing anything for Solstice?” Ada asked, as soon as she could speak again. “That’s tomorrow, you know.”

Hecate blinked rapidly at the unexpected change of subject. “I… uh… Yes. Pippa is coming here. If that’s all right?” she added quickly. “I should have asked first.”

“Nonsense! You don’t need to ask if you can have a guest. You’ve never needed to ask.” Ada leaned forward and placed one hand on Hecate’s knee. “I want you to know, Hecate, that I am absolutely delighted that you and Miss Pentangle have decided to rekindle your friendship. I know how important she was to you. It’s wonderful to get this second chance.”

Hecate smiled, a rare, full smile that few people ever got to see. “It is… wonderful. And terrifying.” Her smile faltered. “I’ve never told you this, but… our estrangement was my fault. A mistake that seemed the proper thing to do at the time and… well… I never thought I’d get the chance to make amends for that.” She shrugged, hoping Ada would understand.

“And now you have the chance to get that friendship back, not just make amends. You are very fortunate, Hecate, very fortunate indeed.” She clinked her mug against Hecate’s. “To new beginnings of all sorts.”

“To new beginnings,” Hecate said, smiling again.