Whispers at Witching Hour

Chapter 1

Note: this was my very first real fanfiction and it's showing! I lowkey get embarrassed when people read it these days but it's a part of my journey. I'm happy if you can find something enjoyable here anyway. It does get better approx. from the middle on. :)
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Musical inspiration: Season of the Witch – Lana Del Rey

"Lilith behold, I'd kill the girl if she wasn't my own flesh and blood!" Zelda mumbled to herself as she made for the front door after this truly preposterous day.

She'd left the house in almost mockingly bright sunlight when she had left earlier to walk into the Academy with her head held high, her last bit of dignity, to face Father Blackwood. Sabrina had left the entire family in utter humiliation at the judicial proceedings and all she could do now was try to fix whatever she was able to. Though it had left her in pure exhaustion, coming home in the dark, in need for a cigarette or something stronger.

Entering the house, she wanted nothing more than to smoke a cigarette in the comfort of her own home. Sighing, walking into the hall, she noticed a woman coming down the stairs and could not help but roll her eyes. Why could she not get a minute of peace in her own home?

"Excuse me, may I help you?" she asked, moving towards the strange visitor.

"So sorry." the woman replied, descending the stairs elegantly while holding eye-contact, "I was looking for the powder room, and that lovely little English lady that told me to wait has been gone for so long."

Zelda could not ignore the decisiveness and sharpness of the woman's gaze, who kept walking towards her with slow, graceful steps.

"And you are?" Zelda grumbled impatiently, eying the brunette with narrowing eyes.

"Ms Wardwell," the brunette replied, appearing slightly intimidated by Zelda's harshness – Much to her likeness, since she had always considered herself a natural authority.

The woman kept on telling her she was Sabrina's teacher and something about a funeral, but as she stopped in front of her, Zelda could not help but examine the brunette from top to bottom, not really listening to her talk.

There was something oddly distracting about her. She was dressed rather unusual for a teacher, but taste she had for sure. Alluring black leather coat, voluminous dark brown locks and perfect red lips that Zelda's look was glued to briefly. Still, Zelda felt like something about Ms Wardwell was strange and pulled herself out of her thoughts as she watched her leave through the main door.

~

Madam Satan was relieved to have made it out of the Spellman's house without causing too much suspicion. She found herself being quite pleased with her accomplishments and headed back home.

While strolling through the woods, she remembered Father Blackwood telling her Sabrina's aunties would be vulnerable while the girl was gone. Judging from the brief encounter with Zelda Spellman, Sabrina's aunties were almost the opposite – at least one of them.

Zelda had impressed her with her intensity, although she had managed to cover it fairly well. Being the Mother of Demons, she had felt her growing irritation, exhausted anger and mistrustfulness in every colourful shade and had seen the fiery spark twinkle beautifully in her emerald-green eyes. After all, Zelda Spellman could be a fun opponent to challenge along the way of getting Sabrina to sign the Book of the Beast, the demoness thought to herself and could not suppress a tiny smile.

A few days later, Madam Satan decided to check up on Sabrina, see what the Spellman's were up to. So, she took a look in the mirror only to see a vicious sleep demon stare back at her. Her misfit of an offspring-demon Batibat had the Spellmans trapped. For Satan's sake! How was she supposed to get Sabrina to sign her Dark Lord's book when she was tortured and eventually killed by one of her little demon brats?!

It was Ms Wardwell's turn to save the day, she supposed – Again. She rolled her eyes and quickly went to free the witches, having to wade through everyone's dreams until the right one. She jokingly wondered what her sweet Zelda was being haunted by. Though a part of her sincerely wanted to know what had the power to dread the apparently fearless woman.

And just as she thought about her, she stumbled into Zelda's nightmare. Watching the scene of Zelda desperately trying to get the Dark Lord's attention, the demoness started sympathising a little. For a brief moment, she recognised herself in Zelda's fruitless attempts to please the Dark Lord, stopping immediately when she realised what she was doing and switched to her nasty self.

Oh, poor Zelda, never getting the male recognition she so desperately craves. Pathetic, how she brownnosed the Dark Lord, her Dark Lord. She giggled diabolically at the thought and reminded herself that she should be looking for Sabrina instead of hanging around in her aunt's mind. But something made her want to keep watching, a strange force holding her in place.

Now the scenery started to captivate Madam Satan even more, following the events attentively. Oh, could she have some popcorn! Guilty conscience about picking on – or rather killing – her sister... You've been a bad girl, sweet Zelda, she thought, while unknowingly biting her blood red lip at the sight of the red-haired beauty crying heartbreakingly on the kitchen floor.

Even pretty when you cry...

To her surprise, it somehow felt more and more wrong watching her suffer. She was the Mother of Demons, straight from hell, she enjoyed people's pain and kept trying to persuade herself she was having fun – But she did not. So, she left Zelda's nightmare and focused on her main quest.

Although successful in helping the Spellman's escape Batibat, the demoness was not satisfied with her doing once she had returned to the cottage. Why did she let herself pity Zelda? Why did her mind keep getting stuck on this witch? She had barely any relevance to her objectives. It bothered her, made her feel weak and ashamed for being so fascinated by Zelda's every move.

A knock on the door interrupted her pondering. Another eyeroll knowing it was Sabrina followed before she opened the door. This was going to be a long night.

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Edited 30/03/2022