A/N: please excuse any ooc-ness , because I swear I am trying my best here. reviews and stuff are always appreciated !

i.

The day Hester met Anadil and Dot, she was a young Evil student, excited about her classes and about attending the school, with an air of disdain and a dangerous glint in her coal-coloured eyes. Already she had received many nervous looks from her fellow Nevers, no doubt from the bored scowl she'd spent hours perfecting. Hester was very excited to attend the School for Evil. She'd spent at least an hour applying her black lipstick and eye makeup, carefully dying red streaks in her raven-coloured hair.

As she made her way to her room, she wondered what her roommates would be like. A loyal henchman, who was skilled enough, but not too skilled, and who wouldn't dare to disobey her orders. Preferably a girl, since she absolutely despised boys. Just one roommate would be nice. Two, at most.

Hester barged into Room 66 without bothering to knock, assuming that the room would be empty. Much to her displeasure, it was not. A short, round girl with brown hair the colour of dark chocolate was sitting on one of the four beds in the room. The girl was chomping on what looked like a chocolate notebook.

Hester groaned inwardly. Two roommates would've been bad enough, but three? Having to interact with so many people every day was probably going to give her a headache.

The girl told her she was Dot of Nottingham, daughter of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and extended a pudgy, chocolate-stained hand to Hester. Her voice was gentle and wispy, almost like an Ever's. Hester walked over and shook it, introducing herself as Hester of Ravenswood, child of Gertrude of Ravenbow, Hansel and Gretel's witch. Standing next to Dot, she looked even taller and thinner than she was. She took the bed on the other side of the room, with one of the beds between the two of them. The other bed was wedged between Dot's and the wall.

So far, the only Never Hester had make an awful henchman. Dot was too cheerful for her. She was in the process of setting up her things, when the door opened. She wanted to snap at the newcomer to knock, but bit back the remark in case it was a teacher or something.

The person who stood in the hallway clutching their things was a tall, slender albino girl, slightly taller than Hester herself. Her skin was so pale it looked almost translucent, her expression cold and indifferent. Her eyes were a bright, almost inhuman shade of red. Her hair was silvery-white, and longer than most Nevers would keep their hair.

The albino girl introduced herself as Anadil of Bloodbrook, granddaughter of the White Witch. Her voice was soft and raspy, very much unlike Dot's. Her demeanour was just a little friendlier than Hester's. Hester studied her intently as she unpacked her things. She could definitely see the resemblence between her and the White Witch. Good looks ran in the family, it seemed.

Weak rays of light streamed through the window, illuminating Anadil's pale hair and skin. She reminded Hester of starlight. And Hester has always liked stars.

ii.

Hester excels at all her classes, naturally. She's been excitedly studying for her classes since the day she arrived, carefully keeping her enthusiasm hidden with a scowl. The Reader, Sophie, despite being an incompetent twit, has been stealing the first-place rankings she so richly deserves, and she despises it.

If one discounts Sophie, Hester is easily the best Never in the class. Dot does quite poorly in pretty much everything, Ravan is formidable but nothing special, and Hort is too busy ogling Sophie's shiny locks of golden hair to get anything done. To her surprise, Anadil always places right behind her in all the class challenges, sometimes even almost beating her. Looks like she inherited more than just looks from her grandmother then.

During lessons where they have to split into pairs, Hester always pairs off with Anadil, both of them agreeing to be partners from day one. The two of them had clicked from their first conversation, since they are very similar, and so far she is the only person Hester can actually tolerate.

They work well as a team, tackling challenges set by teachers with ease, with Hester usually the leader of their team, but relying heavily on Anadil's support. Of course, not like she'd ever admit that she needs someone else's help.

Hester is like the sun - bright and burning. Anadil is more like the stars, with a cold, less blinding light.

Like she's said before, Hester has always liked stars.

iii.

Hester's earliest memories were of peeking out from behind a door and watching her mother cackle as she cooked children. They would always try to appeal to her, of course. They would cry and scream and beg her to save them. Young Hester, with her pasty skin and her greasy black hair, probably seemed like a hero in the Ever children's eyes, their very last hope for survival.

Hester would watch them silently, her black eyes glittering, a little smirk on her lips, as they shrieked for help that never came.

When Hansel and Gretel killed her mother, all little Hester could do was watch in mute horror as her mother was the one roasted, her screams piercing the air, while those gluttonous brats got to run away with their lives. It was their own fault, for eating her house. And now they got to escape with their lives, while Hester's mother didn't get to keep hers? It wasn't fair.

After Hansel and Gretel left, the Evil child dragged her mother's burnt, putrid body out of the candy house, charred flesh dirtying her long fingernails. After that, Hester sat outside her house and cried. She cried and cried and cried till she fell asleep on her mother's corpse, the smell of burnt flesh the last thing she remembered.

When she awakened a few hours later, in the middle of the night, her mother's body was gone, taken away to Necro Ridge. Hester remembered looking up at the night sky, splattered with stars, and just sat there for a while, wondering what to do. She didn't know how to find her own food, or to live on her own; she was just a child, for heaven's sake.

She began to eat her house. That was the only thing she had left. That, and the demon tattoo on her neck. It had been there for as long as she could remember. She was too weak at first, to unleash her demon. Even letting it out for a minute or so would drain all her energy.

Still, Hester didn't give up. After the Hansel and Gretel incident, her house was constantly being swarmed by Good people treating her house like a museum. She hated it, so much. She spent her days hiding in a closet upstairs, while the simpering women and the blustering men, along with their spoiled children would violate her home. Hester particularly hated the children, because some of them were even younger than she was, and yet they still had their families. Hester didn't have anyone left. Sure, her relatives were still around, but no one was willing to take her in. She didn't blame them. It wasn't in Evil's nature to help.

She only came out at night, when it was just her, and occasionally, her demon. As she ate tiny chunks of gingerbread from the walls, carefully extracted with her small, clumsy hands, she always looked up at the stars, and as always, she would think of her mother.

As she grew older, Hester learned to hunt, and practised releasing her demon while Ever tourists bustled around her home. She didn't have to rely on her own house as a source of food anymore. She learned to rely on herself. She doesn't blame Hansel and Gretel anymore either. If it were her, she'd have done the same.

Hester has never cried once, not since that night. Even on cold nights, when her demon has drained her of all her energy, and she's hungry but too tired to eat, she would sit outside her house, all by herself, biting her lip and refusing to let the tears fall. She looked up at the stars, like she did every night, since the night her mother died. It was stupid, she knew, but oddly reassuring. The stars were a part of her, the way her demon was, or the way her strength was.

That was probably why Hester liked stars so much.

iv.

Friends were never part of Hester's plan. Allies and henchmen were, sure, but not people she genuinely liked and wanted to be around.

Anadil is the first person she actually sees as a friend. Her classmates are afraid of her, Dot's cheerfulness tends to annoy her, Agatha is so irritatingly Good, and Sophie is a blonde-haired, green-eyed moron. And yet, the white-haired Nevergirl went from being her top henchman to actually being her friend. But of course, that didn't mean Hester couldn't boss her around anymore.

One thing about Hester is that she has been alone for so long that she doesn't want or need anyone anymore. Anadil is her ideal person - Evil, powerful (but not too powerful), and as snarky as she is. When they first met, they somehow ended up as friends, despite their similar lack of desire for friendshp. As she has mentioned before, friends were not part of the plan.

Being friends with Anadil comes with its perks. Her rats get along very well with Hester's demon, for some reason. The two of them like to watch the black rats squeaking excitedly at the shoe-sized red demon, who gives little snarls and puffed smoke in response.

Hester's cold, dead heart is more open now, and she begins to learn how to accept friends. She can now count three people as her friends - Anadil, Dot, and Agatha, all of whom she genuinely cares for, though she does want to throttle Dot a lot. Still, she's closest with Anadil.

Their friendship is filled with a lot of snarkiness and insults, sometimes towards one another, sometimes at other people (usually Dot or Sophie).

One thing about them is while they seem like the same person on the surface, Hester is very much not in control of her emotions, especially her anger. Anadil is much calmer, using logic to persuade someone rather than bullying them like Hester would. The tattooed witch is always flying into a rage about one thing or another, and needs her albino friend's level-headedness to keep her grounded.

They also seem to share a mutual dislike for many things, including, but not limited to Evergirls, boys, Sophie, fairies, flowers, Hort, and so on. When it comes to planning ways to kill Sophie, Anadil is surprisingly bloodthirsty, almost as much as Hester. Beneath her cool demeanour, Hester suspects that the pale Nevergirl is actually not a force to be reckoned with, which makes her extra glad that Anadil is on her side.

In addition to all that, the two girls also have a rare handful of gentle moments here and there, like the time Anadil opened up about being afraid she'd never live up to her grandmother's legacy, and Hester talked ahout what it was liked watching her mother being killed. It is nothing like what Hester imagined having friends would be like, but to her surprise, she quite likes it.

Though Hester has had to make her own meals since she was a kid, Anadil is still a better cook than her. After Dot goes to sleep at night (which is quite early, since Dot cannot function without a solid 9 hours of sleep), the pale witch would brew some gruel in her cauldron, and she and Hester would study under the light of Hester's claw-shaped candle while sipping the yellowish broth. When Sophie tried it she had gagged and gone to throw up (Anadil had attacked her with a ladle when she returned), but Hester and Dot deemed it satisfactory. Of course, Dot would eat almost anything, but Hester had standards.

Some nights they liked to just relax, eating while talking about their lives. Anadil reminisced about growing up in Bloodbrook, while Hester ranted about the Good tourists who barged into her house every day. The two of them spent many hours together happily compiling ways to brutally murder the Evers who visited Hester's home.

Some nights, they would sit by the window, and they would silently watch the stars. Hester is no longer the sad little girl who cried over her mother's body, nor is she the scared child who is determined to be strong. She is now a promising Never, with a ring in her nose, red streaks in her hair, and a desire to spill Ever blood. Still, old habits die hard.

Anadil has noticed that Hester seems to like looking at the stars. She'd asked her about it once, and almost got her head bitten off. She didn't ask about it again.

At first, Hester would shoo Anadil away when she wanted a little time alone with the stars. Eventually, after weeks of building up her relationship with the other Nevergirl, Hester finally caved in and allowed Anadil to sit with her when she looked out to the stars at night. It was an oddly intimate nightly ritual of Hester's, but she trusted Anadil enough to let her into the deepest, darkest part of her heart. She may be her henchman, but she is also her friend.

With a red-eyed, white-haired witch by her side, the stars had never seemed so bright.

v.

They split up during the Trial by Tale. Both of them were so intent on killing Sophie, they never stopped to consider that joining forces to attack her would be a much better plan. Hester had gone on her own, and Anadil had used Arachne before betraying her.

Anadil managed to escape the woods relatively unscathed, but Hester paid the price for her arrogance.

She hadn't been this exhausted since the first time she'd ever unleashed her demon. Hester had fallen into a weakened, feverish daze, and could barely even stand, or do anything at all. This time, it was ten times worse, as it wasn't just her physical body that suffered, but her ego as well.

In her powerless state, Hester is extra grateful for Anadil's company. Every now and then, the albino witch would push stray strands of black hair out of her pasty face, her cool hands a relief on Hester's burning skin. She stays by the tattooed witch's side, feeding her gruel to keep up her strength, and murmuring reassuringly while Hester mutters feverishly.

Dot hangs around too, but takes care not to disturb Hester. She's terrified of her, and not without good reason. Mostly she just lounges on her bed eating and making the odd comment here and there in her soft, wispy voice. Though she'd rather tear out her own toenails than admit it, Hester is glad she's there too.

When Hester is a little stronger, Anadil doesn't carefully spoon the gruel into her mouth anymore. She knows how humiliating that would be for Hester. She perches herself on the edge of her bed, and lets the raven-haired Never try to eat without any help, though she knows she is still too weak.

Hester manages to murmur that she shouldn't have underestimated Sophie in between wheezing breaths. Anadil, loyal as she is, soothes her and tells her not to strain. Dot pipes up that Sophie thought she loved Tedros, which was the thing that had gotten them into this mess.

Her words pierce deep into Hester. She knows she's had feelings for people before. Feelings that Nevers weren't supposed to have. When she first developed a tiny crush on a boy, she had forced every last inch of those feelings from her heart, till she felt nothing but disdain for him. Hester managed to tackle every single one of her crushes the exact same way.

The only person she did still care for is, of course, Anadil. The black-haired witch knows that the white-haired witch will always have her back, no matter how stupid or reckless she's being. Hester knows that she's happier when she's with her than anyone else.

She knows that when she pictures her Nevermore, it's no longer of her ruling a kingdom, alone. In her mind's eye, Hester can see it. A vast kingdom, filled with regular folk who are afraid of their king, or in this case, queen. She can see herself, lording over the citizens with an iron fist, only now, she can see Anadil there with her too. Not as her queen or anything, of course. Her best friend is just there, by her side, supporting her as always. These feelings are alien to Hester, because she has never really needed anyone's company before, and therefore, she deems them stupid, unnecessary, and confusing.

She admits to having stirrings, stirrings she knows are wrong, curious to see how her best friend would react. The pale witch tries to stop her, but there's no stopping Hester. Anadil says that she knows these feelings are wrong, no matter how strong they are, and for a second Hester catches a glimpse of her friend's expression, before she rearranges her expression into a cold, blank look again. It's odd; Hester could swear she saw everything she felt for Anadil in her red eyes, her own emotions written on someone else's face.

Hester changes the subject smoothly, and Sophie bursts in abruptly, dressed from head to toe in black. For once, Hester is happy to see her. She and Anadil eject Dot from the room, and they can hear her wailing and pounding on the door outside.

Sophie waltzes in and makes herself at home, like Hester and Anadil hadn't just been plotting to kill her in the Trial by Tale. The witches exchange glances. Things are going to be very different in Room 66 now.

Hester can feel Anadil's cold fingers shyly reaching for hers, silently asking if she can take her hand. Hester allows her to intertwine their fingers together. She looks at her friend, noticing, that her ghostly white cheeks are slightly pink. Again, she is struck by how much Anadil reminds her of starlight. A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips, and she squeezes the albino Nevergirl's hand, ever so softly.

At least Hester will always have the stars.

vi.

It is the Nevers' first ever No Ball, and Hester is dancing with Ravan, while Anadil sways with Vex. Dot and Hort are waltzing together, relentlessly stepping on each other's feet, but still managing to have fun.

Hester is surprisingly enjoying herself, but she would prefer it if she had a dance partner she knew better. She also happens to really, really hate boys. The problem is that the only person she does want to dance with is in the arms of another person. She catches Anadil's eye from across the room, and they smile wryly at each other, both of them clearly having the same thoughts.

Agatha's arrival is a momentary distraction from the thoughts raging in the young Never's head. She invites the Evergirl to stay, even though that goes against her better judgment.

After that, Hester is about to leave Ravan so she can ask Anadil to dance, but before she can, Sophie sweeps in, her long tresses of golden hair gone, her creamy, flawless skin marred with warts and wrinkles. And as she bursts in, Hester's chance of dancing with Anadil goes straight down the drain.

With Sophie, panic and chaos follow, and within minutes, their dance is ruined. In the disorder, Hester manages to slip to her coven, wedging herself between pudgy Dot and slender Anadil. She has never been so glad to see them.

All she can do is watch in horror at the Evers charging in, and at Sophie's bald, wrinkled face, the witch smiling wickedly at the identical expressions of shock on Tedros and Agatha's faces as she reveals her schemes to all of them.

And then, everything changes.

Dot's body slims and grows curves, her hair lengthening and falling in auburn curls down her shoulders. Hester's own thin black hair thickens and tumbles down her shoulders, her demon tattoo returning to a magnificent shade of red. Anadil's transformation is the one that shocks her the most.

Her wispy white hair transforms into thick, dark brown tresses, her red eyes turning sea green, and colour entering her cheeks. Hester cannot deny that she's still beautiful. But she doesn't know this pretty, green-eyed Good girl. She suddenly feels a pang of longing for the ghost-like Anadil, the one who somehow wormed her way into her heart and became her best friend.

All around her, ugly Never students are transformed into gorgeous teenagers. They gasp at each other in wonder, their eyes wide with a sort of sad innocence. These people have never been beautiful before.

Which makes it even worse that all that beauty is short-lived. In the ensuing fight, both Good and Evil go from pretty to ugly and back again faster than Dot could stuff her face with chocolate.

The coven do what they can to help Agatha get to Sophie, their fingerglows the only illumination in the darkness of the Evil castle. They watch Agatha sink her hands into bricks made of fudge, and absently, Hester reaches for Anadil's hand. She can feel the albino witch's cool fingers gripping hers tightly, reminding her that their future is resting on Agatha's shoulders.

Hester's black eyes follow the young princess's movements. They flicker towards the skies, and just for luck, she looks up at the stars, wishing upon them, for Agatha to succeed.

vii.

Hester hates it at the School for Girls. She hates the food, the new uniforms, the new Dean, and most of all, she hates the fact that everyone at the school is either an idiotic Ever pretending they're independent, or a ridiculous Never trying desperately to be like Good. She hates that Dot has been swept up in the tide, slimming down and growing out her short brown hair, letting it flow down her back in silky auburn locks.

One thing Hester is thankful for is that she doesn't have to wear the skimpy uniform for Girls. Thanks to the spell given to her by Professor Sheeks, she has no choice but to wear her old uniform, as horrible things happen when she puts on the blue bodice.

Things are so strange now, and Hester doesn't like it a single bit. Nevergirls, wearing makeup and dieting. Evergirls, cutting their hair and training to kill boys. Dean Evelyn Sader's blue butterflies, at every corner she turns. It almost makes her miss Agatha and Sophie.

They're even forced to stay in the Good tower now. Her new room window directly faces the School for Boys, and the large black castle blocks her view of the night skies. Her most intimate ritual, taken away from her. Hester's world has practically been turned upside down, and she hates it, so much.

The only constant is Anadil, who stoutly refuses to put on makeup or style her white hair. The two of them have been apart from the new school from day one, refusing to wear the uniforms and acting like 'proper girls' should. Hester even taught her the spell from Professor Sheeks. During mealtimes, they usually just order takeout, as it's difficult for Anadil to procure ingredients for cooking. The Evil girls always eat in the bathroom together, or on the roof, hiding from those damned butterflies.

They spend their days and nights plotting and scheming, trying to find a way to return the schools to Good and Evil. Gone are the times when the young witches could gaze at the stars and talk about nothing. They huddle together on Hester's bed every night, and pore over books by the light of her claw-shaped candle, falling asleep in each other's arms, with a pile of books surrounding them.

In this time of madness, Hester is more thankful than ever for her white-haired, red-eyed star.

viii.

When Agatha and Sophie return, Hester is genuinely glad to see them, despite the circumstances. But Sophie is intent on keeping the schools this way and having Agatha to herself forever, and the Evil witches cannot have that, and neither can the bug-eyed princess.

With every plot and every scheme Hester and Anadil hatch with Agatha, she can feel them getting one step closer to going back to the Good and Evil. Anadil cozies up to her one day, wrapping her arm around hers, and the two witches happily reminisce about their time at the School for Evil while Agatha tries to cut into their conversation.

Hester grins at her friend and resists the urge to lace their fingers together. Nevers aren't really a fan of physical contact, but ever since the war between Good and Evil, reaching out to take her friend's hand has become second nature.

Every step Agatha takes towards Tedros is another step closer to the peaceful days of Good and Evil, and another step closer to the nights Hester and Anadil can spend sitting by the window and talking under the stars.

viiii.

They've been fighting a lot.

Hester thought that once Tedros and Agatha kissed, the schools would return to Good and Evil, the way they were supposed to be.

Instead, here they are at the School for New Evil, or just the School for New. The Evil lessons have resumed, and they are much more hardcore than ever. And though Hester knows it's dumb, a small part of her genuinely likes it at the school.

Still, it will never compare to the School for Evil, because Hester is supremely stressed out. She, along with Anadil and Dot, have been brainstorming night and day, cooking up plans to return the schools to Good and Evil, and it is much worse than their time at the School for Girls. As a result, Hester is extra snarky, being downright insulting to her coven members, even to Anadil.

The albino witch is now her henchman, nothing more. And the job of a henchman is to shut up and follow orders. They just haven't been able to get along, for some reason. It's probably because both of them are so consumed with worries that they lash out at each other all the time, losing the gentle rapport they had built up together.

The last time they had spoken properly, as equals, was the day of the Trial by Tale, when Aric had stabbed Hester. The tattooed witch had dropped her handkerchief and reappeared in the Clearing, crawling along the grass while clutching the wound in her stomach, leaving a trail of blood and refusing the nymphs' help.

A short while later, Dot and Anadil had appeared behind her. Immediately, the pale witch rushed to her side, holding Hester in her cold arms. Blood gushed from her wound, drenching Anadil's clothes. As Hester drifted in and out of consciousness, pain wracking her whole body, all she could feel was her friend's arms cradling her, stroking her greasy black hair and murmuring soothingly. From there, everything just went downhill.

Without Anadil by her side, Hester feels oddly hollow, as though something is missing from her. It doesn't take a genius to find out what. She misses her best friend.

At this point, they're not friends anymore, just a Leader and a henchman. Therefore, there are no more late night snacks together, no more murder schemes, no more falling asleep in each other's arms, no more reaching out to grip the other's hand, and worst of all, no more secrets whispered underneath a blanket of stars; no more talking at all. All they discuss now is ways to free Professor Dovey and the rest of the Good professors to fight Rafal.

Hester doesn't just feel like she's lost her best friend, she feels like she's lost her stars too.

ix.

The day the three witches are caught trying to help Agatha and Tedros, they know that they're most likely going to die. Not even Hester's demon, or Anadil's rats can help them cut through their binds. Dot has tried turning the ropes to chocolate, but it doesn't work. The three of them are doomed.

Hester, who would rather pluck out her eye than plead for mercy, is scared out of her wits, as she gazes down at the freezing Brig of Betrayers where the Good professors are locked up. Next to her, Dot looks like she's going to cry, and Anadil is biting her lip and trembling.

A flood of regrets engulfs Hester, and her fingers twitch a little as she tries to reach for Anadil. Her black eyes meet her friend's red ones, and she tries to convey with her eyes what she cannot say out loud.

I'm sorry.

Suddenly, Merlin whirls in out of nowhere and whisks the witches away, much to Rafal's rage. The last thing Hester thinks before she vanishes with the wizard is that she will live to see the stars, for at least one more day.

xi.

Hester looks up at the stars dotting the crystal clear skies, and already she can feel her heart beginning to lift a little.

Merlin had dropped them off for lunch at Guinevere and Lancelot's place, along with a bunch of old Good heroes. And if Hester's day wasn't already weird enough, Dot, for the first time in her life, had stood up against her, making the tattooed witch feel like a small child again.

She had made a conscious effort to be nicer to people from then on, and had given up the instant she saw Tedros. Being nice was overrated anyway. She hadn't been particularly nice to Anadil in the beginning, and yet they still managed to become friends. Speaking of Anadil, she hadn't had a chance to talk to her yet.

Later on, when Merlin briefed them on their mission to take down Sophie and Rafal, Hansel and Gretel mentioned staying in her house, and even eating a part of her roof. Hester could feel her blood boiling and her demon twitching, but she didn't say a word until she had to impatiently explain to Agatha why, despite her rage, she wasn't going to do anything about it.

Their stories weren't part of hers anymore. Hester is a smart girl, and she knows that, no matter how much she wanted to tear their wrinkled fingers off their hands and jam them into their eyes, she shouldn't, and she won't. It's not worth it. She noticed the looks of admiration on her friends' faces, and that was good enough for Hester.

Anadil walks out to join the tattooed witch in the field, starlight shining off her pale hair. They can hear Tedros's low voice rumbling in the distance, along with Guinevere's gentle voice in between his words.

The two of them sit in silence for a while. Hester can feel Anadil fumbling for her hand, and she laces their fingers together, and it's like suddenly all the anger and the fights from the past few weeks melt away. Hester looks over and smiles, Anadil mirroring her movement.

They look up at the stars for a while, and Hester rests her head on Anadil's shoulder. In those few precious moments, everything else falls away, and they aren't two young witches preparing to take on the most powerful Evil in the land. They're just Hester of Ravenswood and Anadil of Bloodbrook, two best friends who've been through so much, sitting and watching the stars together, just like they used to.

xii.

Over the next few days, Hester begins to build up her friendship with Anadil again. She makes an effort to be nicer to her friend now, and in turn Anadil too is trying to be more friendly towards Hester.

At first, it seems that two of them have forgotten how to be friends, even after the moment they shared underneath the stars. Eventually, after Tedros eavesdrops on one of their (very awkward) conversations, he snarks that the two of them are acting like children who claim that they like each other but don't know how to be in a relationship.

Immediately, Hester's demon swoops down on Tedros, slashing at him and breathing fire while Anadil's rats crawl up his shirt and bite him. As the two witches laugh derisively at the shrieking prince, Anadil catches Hester's eye and grins, and the awkwardness between them melts away right in that instant.

Every night the two of them, along with Dot, will get together and complain about their respective mentors. Hester is annoyed because she has to team up with her mother's killers, Anadil is grumpy because Jack and Briar Rose are so in love it makes her want to retch, and Dot is irritated because Red Riding Hood is just plain useless.

However, they find common ground with their mentors soon enough. In no time, Hester and Gretel have already hatched an excellent plan to defeat her mother, and Dot and Riding Hood are bonding over their similar taste in men. Anadil, on the other hand, is struggling, because she can't even look at Jack and Briar Rose without wanting to kill someone, either them or herself.

Dot tries to justify their constant nauseating displays of love, but only Hester understands her struggle, making snarky comments about them every time she sees them, trying to get Anadil to laugh. It works, and soon enough Jack and Briar Rose's shows of affection become an inside joke of Hester's and Anadil's.

The three witches all squeeze into a single bed every night, since Agatha insists on being noble and sleeping on the floor while the three young Nevers take the bed. A lot of the time, even though the three of them lie in a row like a couple of sardines, they always wake up in some sort of weird position. Once, Hester woke up with Dot's foot in her mouth and yelled so loudly that Anadil rolled off her and fell onto Agatha.

On a typical night where Agatha is snoring on the floor while the three witches lie stiffly in their bed — Hester on one side, Dot on the other, Anadil squashed between them — the raven-haired Nevergirl can feel a finger gently prodding her side. A scratchy, raspy voice speaks up in the darkness, asking if she's awake.

Ever so slightly, Hester nods, knowing Anadil can feel it, since they share a pillow. She asks if everything is okay, her voice much gentler than usual. Anadil hesitates, seeming to regret speaking up, and shakes her head, apologising for wasting Hester's time. If it were anyone else, Hester would snap at them and possibly threaten to kill them, but it's her best friend. She knows Anadil wouldn't pull something like this if nothing's the matter.

Hester laces their fingers together, Anadil's hand fitting perfectly in hers. In a voice softer and more vulnerable than Hester has ever heard her use, Anadil asks her softly, who is she to her?

Who is she to her? What an odd question. Hester asks her why she would ask such a thing. And suddenly, the words are flowing out of Anadil, forcing their way out as though she's been holding them in for a long time. She tells the tattooed witch that she knows that everyone thinks she's always just going to be in Hester's shadow, and that she will always just be her henchman. The white-haired Never has been putting up with Jack and Briar Rose and the double challenge that comes with being paired with them, all so she can prove that she is not just Hester's sidekick.

But she wants to hear it from Hester herself. Is she, or is she not, just a henchman to her?

Hester's cold, dead heart melts a little. Her fingers tighten around Anadil's hand.

The pale witch is her best friend, and her other half. She is the one person Hester can always count on, the person she trusts more than anyone else. She means the whole, entire world to her, and Hester would do absolutely anything for her.

So as to the question of who Anadil is to Hester? She is the stars.

xiii.

The night before the war against the School Master, Hester wants to tell Anadil everything. She wants to tell her about her feelings for her, feelings she doesn't understand, feelings that she even hates, at times.

Feelings along the lines of warmth and affection, that envelop Hester every time she thinks of Anadil. She knows that Nevers aren't supposed to feel this way about anyone or anything, or to even feel this way at all. At the same time, she can't help it. Hester feels for Anadil.

She supposes it's because she's her best friend, and she can't stand to lose her. Hester lies awake for hours into the night, unable to sleep, debating with herself whether or not to wake her up.

She watches Dot and Anadil shift till somehow the albino is sleeping horizontally, her legs dangling off the bed, with the chubby witch's head resting on her flat stomach. A small part of her wonders how she, or anyone, for that matter, managed to fall asleep with the unholy noises Agatha and Dot make when they're asleep.

Hester makes a decision, and gets up from her stiff position at the side of the bed, climbing in next to Anadil, carefully wrapping an arm around her so as to not awaken her. The white-haired witch murmurs something in her sleep and turns over, her hand flopping onto Dot's face, the chubby Never's head flumping onto the bed. Hester grins at the thought of Anadil waking up to find her hand coated in a layer of Dot's drool.

Anadil's body is just as cold as it is white, but Hester does not mind at all. The coolness of her skin is oddly comforting.

Hester shifts a little closer, her face pressing into Anadil's soft silvery hair. She closes her eyes. The last thing she thinks before she finally falls asleep is that Anadil's hair really does remind her of starlight.

xiiii.

A lot had happened on the day of Lady Lesso's funeral. Early in the morning, Hester, Anadil and Dot were all fully dressed in their old Evil uniforms, comparing battle scars while waiting for the event to start.

Hester had a long, painful wound stretching across her stomach from when a zombie tried to cut her in half (it is much more fun chopping someone in half when you're the one holding the axe, she learned). At the very least, it made a nice accompaniment to the ugly stab wound she received from Aric in the Trial by Tale.

Dot had a nasty cut on her leg and burns all over her body, and a deep, jagged cut ran along the length of Anadil's forearm, an ugly wound on her shoulder where a zombie had impaled her with a sword.

As Professor Dovey gave an eulogy, Hester kept her head bowed, her eyes hard. Lady Lesso had always been her favourite, most admired teacher. She could feel Anadil's fingers interlocking with hers, and she let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. She smiled slightly.

Thanks, Ani.

Cinderella's funeral surprisingly hurt more than it should've. Hester had almost tolerated the obese princess, and hadn't actually hoped for her death. Most of all, Hester was well aware of how close she had come to dying the same way. She had been able to be rational; Cinderella had not. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, still gripping Anadil's hand as though it is a lifeline.

And after that, Agatha and Tedros had gotten on a carriage to Camelot. Hester, to Agatha's initial surprise, had hugged her goodbye, whispering that she'd send her demon all the way there to brutally murder her in her sleep if she forgot about her friends. She also told Agatha that if Tedros even remotely annoyed her, to write her and let her know so that she could brutally murder him in his sleep.

And to top it all off, just as Hester and Anadil had admitted that they were going to miss Sophie, she emerged from the castle, clad in Lady Lesso's purple gown, announcing that she was the new Dean. Hester had broken the cup in her hand and Anadil dropped her scone in response to the news. Dot was the only one excited.

Thankfully, that was the last bit of excitement of the day.

At night, Hester had been staring out of the window at the smattering of stars across the sky over the Blue Forest. She could just barely make out the gravestones in the distance. There was an odd sense of loneliness hovering over her that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

A lock of her greasy black hair fell into her face, and she felt a cold hand push it away.

Hester's black eyes flicker over to see Anadil, her red eyes focused on the stars. The tattooed witch smiles slightly. She wraps her arms around the white-haired Never, and holds her close. She can feel Anadil resting her cheek against her head.

Hester knows what's missing now. The stars no longer belong to her alone; they belong to Anadil too.

xv.

Three years ago, on this very night, Hester's life had changed forever. It was the night of the School for Evil's first ever No Ball, the night Sophie overcame her own Evil heart and saved her best friend. Sophie had also ruined the ball for the entire school, but the Nevers had already forgotten about it, for the most part anyway.

On the Nevers' second ever No Ball, things have improved drastically. The decorations are extravagant yet tasteful, the music is to Hester's liking, and the food is actually pretty good. Maybe someone bribed Sophie to let them have actually edible food, for just one night.

Hester watches her fellow Nevers dancing, standing alone by the sidelines, a drink in her hand. Dot is jealously gazing at Hort and Sophie dancing, while snarfing a bowl turned to chocolate. A twinge of sympathy squeezes Hester's chest, and for a second she wonders if she's having a heart attack. And then she realises she's feeling sorry for Dot, and recoils in shock.

Speaking of feelings, Hester notices that her tattoo isn't twitching on her neck like it usually is. Panicking, she looks around for it rapidly, to find the little red demon gliding around the Nevers, swooping around cheerfully. She relaxes again, laughing a little. Her raven eyes flicker to Dot, who is now dancing on her own, looking perfectly happy all by herself.

Hester taps her foot in time to the music, her expression scaring off any boys who try to ask her to dance. At the end of the song, Anadil walks up to her, her pale cheeks pink, looking very grumpy. A small, strangely familiar, nasty-looking bite marrs the smooth white skin on the side of her neck. Anadil lets her silvery hair fall forward, covering up the bite mark.

The next song is a slow one. To Hester's surprise, Anadil extends her hand, and mumbles a soft "dance with me", her already-pink cheeks turning even redder. The black-haired witch blushes a little herself as she takes the albino's hand, allowing her to pull her onto the dance floor.

Hester places her hands on either side of Anadil's waist, and Anadil rests her hands on Hester's shoulders as they sway in time to the music. They draw a lot of stares from their fellow students— because Hester is dancing, and she's dancing with a girl— and Hester deals with it by glaring at anyone who looks at them funny. She notices that Dot has finally managed to score a dance with Hort, and the two of them look like they're having fun. It's almost like their first year all over again.

The two witches don't look each other in the eye as they move awkwardly, keeping their eyes on their feet instead. They keep close to the wall, away from the eyes of their fellow Nevers. Hester likes it better this way, since it gives them more privacy.

Very softly, Hester mutters that three years ago, she had really wanted to dance with her. In a voice just as soft as Hester's, Anadil replies that she knows, because she had wanted the same thing. Hester mumbles something about being glad that they managed to live long enough to dance together, at least once. Anadil doesn't respond, but smiles very slightly, clearly a little shy, but still happy to be dancing with her.

Hester looks at the nervous, slightly wonderstruck expression on Anadil's face, the emotions in her piercing red eyes, and oh, all she wants to do is kiss her, in front of all her fellow students. But she can't, she can't. Nevers don't do this kind of stuff. She knows that. She doesn't even like her that way. Not at all. She can't. They're both girls, for heaven's sake. So why does she want to kiss her so badly, then?

Hester shifts closer to her best friend, their faces barely a few inches apart. She is so close, so incredibly close, and yet at the same time, she is so, so far away.

Hester can hear the other Nevers whispering about them, but she doesn't care. All she sees is the stars.

xvi.

The first time Hester and Anadil kiss, it is months after their dance, and the first night they spend in Neverland.

The Three Witches of Room 66 had been travelling to Neverland, in search of the next School Master. Neverland is the third stop on their list, and so far, Hester is having the time of her life.

The three of them arrive there after a few days of travelling. Exhausted, weary, and grumpy, the witches decide to set up camp in the forest on the outskirts of Neverland before they pass out. As usual, Anadil is in charge of erecting the tent, Hester is in charge of scouting their location, and Dot is in charge of food. Of course, half the time Anadil ends up cooking, as Dot's idea of a meal is just a large pile of leaves turned to chocolate.

The forest on the edge of Neverland does not offer much in the way of food, so Dot just magicks a bundle of sticks into chocolate. She falls asleep halfway through dinner, bits of chocolate staining her mouth and her clothes. Anadil is curled up under a blanket, stroking her rats and crooning at them softly, feeding them chocolate crumbs.

Hester scoots over to her side, making a comment on how far her talent has come along. The black rats can practically read their master's mind now, carrying out her orders like dutiful henchmen. Anadil points out she sees her rats are more of pets than anything else, and in addition to that, one does not usually get attached to their henchmen. Hester raises an eyebrow at her, choosing not to comment on that.

Anadil's rats sniff the air and abruptly shoot out of the tent, scampering into the darkness. The albino rolls her eyes and goes outside to look for them, muttering that if they weren't her pets she'd drown them in the moat. Hester gets up to join her, since she isn't tired anyway.

Her coal-coloured eyes widen as she sees the stars illuminating the night sky. The stars of Neverland are much brighter than those of any other land Hester has ever seen. They look like millions of silver lights splattering a flat black surface.

She is aware of Anadil staring at her, and tears her eyes from the skies to meet her friend's gaze. The light of millions of luminous stars paint her ghostly pale face in shades of brilliant silver and turn her white hair to starlight. Her piercing red eyes stand out amidst the pale colour of her face, like two shining rubies. Hester's breath catches in her throat because goddamn, this pale-skinned, red-eyed witch is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

Anadil's eyes are full of something she can't place, and Hester wants to ask what's wrong, but she can't quite force the words out. They remain stuck in her throat. Anadil looks like she wants to speak, but is having the same problem as Hester. She takes a step forward. They're standing so close together, even closer than they did at the No Ball.

Anadil cups the sides of Hester's face in her hands, and leans forward, pressing her lips against hers gently. Hester is too shocked to react, and Anadil, taking this as discomfort, shifts away immediately. She mutters an apology, shuffling away quickly, her pale cheeks burning red.

Hester is surprised that it isn't her who snaps and does something like that first; Anadil has always been much more in control of her emotions than Hester could even hope to be. She reaches out for her friend's hand and pulls her back. Anadil turns, and Hester catches sight of the emotions in her bright red eyes, and she suddenly understands - the feeling she's been feeling for her is love. She loves Anadil. And from what had just happened, she's fairly certain that Anadil loves her too.

Love. Such a strange word. Lady Lesso once told them that Nevers only mention one or none of their parents because Evil children aren't borne of love, because Evil doesn't love. Evil families are like dandelions, she had said. Fleeting and toxic.

Hester has heard the stories of her classmates' parents punishing them cruelly for having crushes. She remembers how Sophie and Rafal's love nearly ended the world. She knows that only Evers are supposed to fall in love.

Boys don't love boys, girls don't love girls, and Nevers don't love anyone. That is what she knows. She's recited the words in her head so many times already. But the problem is that she also knows that she loves Anadil. And you know what? To hell with what the Evers say about love. Hester does not give a damn. They can back the hell off with all their rules and regulations about who's allowed to love who.

Hester wraps her arms around Anadil's waist, and Anadil's arms go around Hester's neck, and it's almost like they're back at the No Ball, only they're standing so much closer now.

Their faces are barely an inch apart, both too shy to move forward, yet unwilling to pull away. Hester is transfixed by Anadil's bright, scarlet-coloured eyes, thinking about how she's never seen eyes that colour before, and wondering what it is about them that she likes so much.

Finally, Hester gathers up the courage to close the distance between them. And here she is, having her first proper kiss. Anadil tastes faintly of chocolate, and Hester gets the distinct feeling that neither one of them really knows what they're doing, but she doesn't care, at all, because she's never felt so close to the stars before.

xvii.

Things have been very different ever since Hester and Anadil kissed. For one thing, the dynamic in the coven is different now. Hester and Anadil have always been apart from Dot, but the rift is even bigger now. Dot can sense it, and she works extra hard to be included in the witches' plans. Of course, a lot of the time she ends up ruining said plans, so Hester or Anadil always have to save her from whatever situation she's gotten herself into. At this point, Dot is almost like their child.

Another thing is that neither one of them hesitates to reach out for the other anymore. They don't always touch, but when they do it's usually something innocent, like hand-holding. Sometimes Dot likes to tease them when Hester or Anadil reaches for the other's hand. She usually ends up with a lock of singed hair for her bit of fun, courtesy of Hester's demon.

The two of them always sleep together, alternating between their roles as the big spoon or the little spoon. Some nights, they like to lie awake all snuggled up together underneath a blanket, and they talk. Just like they used to, back at the School for Evil. They talk about their quest, about Dot, sometimes even about the war; anything at all, really. Anadil's body offers no warmth to Hester at all, and yet Hester has never felt safer, lying in her cold arms.

The two girls haven't kissed again, since that night. Their relationship is so innocent and pure, it almost makes Hester want to throw up.

Hester is fairly certain Dot is beginning to suspect something is going on between her and Anadil, even though they're both girls and they think romance is stupid. The chubby Nevergirl has always been intuitive that way.

One night, as Anadil cooks gruel over a fire while the witches camp out in a cave, she asks Hester to pass her a bottle of snake oil while she stirs the contents of the cauldron. Hester passes her the item, and Anadil absently presses a kiss to her cheek as thanks.

The two of them turn as red as the flickering edge of the flames, while Dot just smiles and tells them that she's known it all along. She really is much smarter than Hester gives her credit for.

The next time Hester kisses Anadil, it is almost a week after their first kiss. It had been a long day of walking through the winding paths of the Endless Woods. The three witches had set up camp in an empty clearing, and as always, Dot had fallen asleep within minutes after dinner.

Once again, it is just Hester and Anadil lying awake, her three black rats nestled in her white hair. The two girls are snuggled up under a blanket, talking by the faint red lights of a dying flame. Anadil stifles a yawn, her rats doing the same. She apologises for dozing off, a sleepy smile twisting her lips.

Hester snickers and waves her hand over the flames, extinguishing them instantly. She can just barely make out the faint silhouette of her pale companion.

Without thinking, Hester snuggles closer and kisses Anadil goodnight. Despite her sleepiness, the albino witch reciprocates the gesture, her fingers bunching the fabric of Hester's black shirt.

Hester closes her eyes, because she feels like she's falling, so, so far; but she also feels like she's flying so high, she can almost touch the stars.

xviii.

Their quest, despite it being a Good one, does not come without its challenges.

One time, a king sent his entire army to kill the witches because Hester lost her temper and called him a series of very rude names when he turned down her offer to become School Master and had the audacity to flirt with her after that. Another time, one of Anadil's rats snuck out of her pockets and bit a princess during her coronation, and the Evergirl shrieked, accidentally knocking the tiara off her head and into the crowd, promptly sending all the citizens into chaos. And a wealthy traveler once caught Dot munching a pile of his gold coins turned to chocolate and would've set her on fire had her coven-mates not intervened.

The coven of Room 66 are travelling to the land of Jaunt Jolie, looking for a prince (who bears a suspicious resemblance to Beatrix) whose name is on the list given to them from Professor Dovey. The three of them decide to hole up at Hester's gingerbread house for a night or two, as it happens to be along the way. Hester sneers at all the prissy Evers staring at the trio as they barge in, Anadil's rats squeak menacingly from her pockets while their master glares threateningly, and Dot obliviously chomps chocolate frogs.

With a few well-worded threats punctuated by a swear word or two, as well as a couple firebolts from her demon, Hester manages to scare all the Evers from her house in 10 minutes. Other than Dot constantly trying to sneak gumdrops from the wall when she thinks Hester isn't looking, they don't run into anymore issues with staying at her house.

Dot leaves to go 'collect food', which is just code for 'eat chunks from the walls without Hester breathing down my neck'. Hester gives up on her, allowing her friend to head outside and pick bits of candy from the walls, letting her have some time alone with Anadil.

The two witches spread their map on the chocolate table, going through their list and trying to find shorter routes to take. Their ways are taking far too long, and they are getting impatient. As they debate over the pros and cons of various routes, one of Anadil's rats runs across the paper, waiting for a command from its master. The two witches don't notice when a figure slips into Hester's house softly, their footsteps covered by the sounds of the young Nevers' voices.

A young Everboy steps out of the shadows, pointing a sword to Hester's throat and demanding that the witches depart the house, that the Everwoods Preservation Society has deemed it a historical landmark, and so on with the usual rubbish. He has blonde hair, blue eyes, and an air of self-righteousness about him.

Hester has had to deal with this kind of stuff so many times over the years, but it never stops boiling her blood. She swells with rage, red splotches appearing on her pasty skin.

Anadil's rats leap towards the boy, clawing at his face. He screams, brandishing his sword wildly as he tries to get the black rats off his face. Hester's demon leaps off her neck, spewing firebolts at the boy, who begs for mercy.

One would think that after they defeated the School Master, Evil would actually be allowed to win every now and then. Sadly, that is not the case.

The first boy is backed into a corner, the two witches attacking him mercilessly with their talents, taking care to hurt him, but not kill him. They still remember Lady Lesso's words from their first year.

The Nevergirls don't notice the other boy sneaking up behind them, a blade in his hand. He clearly intends to attack Hester, but he makes a tiny mistake before making his move. He breathes in softly before raising his arm, and Anadil's rats squeak a warning from the blonde Everboy's head. She turns and lunges at the other boy, intercepting the knife before it enters Hester's body.

The knife slices her throat, and blood bubbles from the wound, startling red against her ghostly white skin. Anadil's rats squeak and scamper towards their master, Hester's demon faltering in its attack. Both the boys turn as pale as Anadil herself, the one who stabbed her babbling about how he didn't intend to kill anyone, that he just wanted to give the witches a warning, and they run away as fast as they can.

Hester is frozen. She shakes her head. No, no, no, this can't be happening. Not again. It's not fair. She can't die, she cannot die.

Hester can hear someone screaming, and wants to tell Dot to shut up, until she realises it's her who's screaming. She falls to her knees as reality slowly sets in. She doesn't even dare to look at the dying witch. Bracing herself, she forces her black eyes towards Anadil's twitching body.

Hester cradles Anadil in her arms as she chokes on her life's blood, muttering lies under her breath — it's okay, it's okay, Ani, you're going to be fine, you're not going to die, I promise — as she pushes strands of silvery white hair out of her pale face. She is so, so pale, even paler than usual.

Hester is not delusional, and she knows she can't be saved, just like how she knew her mother was doomed from the second she saw Gretel sneaking up behind her. There is nothing she can do. Anadil's body slowly grows still in her arms, her red eyes wide, crimson blood staining her white hair and skin. Hester reaches out, and gently closes her eyes.

For the first time in over ten years, Hester of Ravenswood breaks down crying, tears running down her face as she sobs against her dead friend's cold skin. She holds Anadil's body as tightly as she can, warm blood seeping into her clothes, as the brightest star in her sky fades in her arms.

xviiii.

Dot wants to bury the body outside. Hester says no, because not only is there a chance of Evers defacing the gravestone, she also wishes for Anadil to be buried at Necro Ridge, where all the greatest villains are buried. That's the only place she's willing to let her best friend's body go.

The chubby witch had apologised again and again and again, for bursting in a little too late. Hester doesn't blame her. It wasn't her fault the Everboys knocked her out before they came in. She doesn't blame the boys either. They didn't mean to kill her. She knows how dangerous it is for a villain to get caught up in revenge. It's not worth it.

Dot scoops up Anadil's rats and walks away, leaving Hester to mourn alone. The tattooed witch is sitting outside with Anadil's body by her side, waiting for the stymphs to take her corpse to Necro Ridge.

A little over ten years ago, Hester had been sitting in this exact position, waiting for the exact same thing to happen, to another person she loves dearly. She stopped crying a while ago, and just stares numbly at the skies, the stars failing to lift her spirits for the first time in forever.

Hester doesn't want the stars anymore. She doesn't want to finish her quest anymore. She doesn't want to do anything anymore. All she wants is her best friend back. But she's gone, forever, and the only thing that can change that is...

True love's kiss. Hester's eyes widen. That is the only thing that will bring Anadil back to life. Evil doesn't love, not the way Good does. The last time Evil had love on its side, the world almost ended. But true love is true love, no matter which side it's on. Sophie and Rafal's kiss was proof of that. She's never believed in all this, deeming it as rubbish, but at this point she's willing to try anything.

Hester gently scoops Anadil's body into her arms, brushing her silvery hair away from her face. Her body is as cold as it always is. Hester had wiped away all the blood earlier, and she almost looks like she could be sleeping now.

Hester takes a deep breath, and prepares herself mentally. She needs to accept that it might not work, to avoid total devastation later. She closes her eyes, and kisses the albino witch with all her grief, all her desperation, all her love. Her arms tighten around her body, as she prays for Evil's love to win. She loves Anadil, the way Rafal and Sophie claimed to love each other, the way Agatha and Tedros actually do love each other. She just hopes that it is enough.

Hester pulls back, and nothing happens. Her heart sinks, and even though she'd prepared herself for this, she feels like she's lost her all over again. She closes her eyes, unable to bear looking at her best friend's pale, unmoving body for another second.

That's when she hears it. The voice. The scratchy, raspy voice of the person she loves most in the world, whispering her name.

Hester opens her eyes, and she sees Anadil's pale eyelids fluttering, struggling to reveal her red eyes. She doesn't dare to believe it. She holds her breath. Anadil croaks out her name again, this time slightly louder.

Tears of joy run down Hester's face as she tightens her arms around Anadil, holding her so tightly, silently promising never to let her go, ever again. She can't help but laugh with relief, stroking the albino witch's hair, kissing her forehead, her nose, her lips.

Anadil laughs softly in her arms, the sound like music to Hester's ears. She is still weak, but she is alive, and she's going to live. She's not dead anymore. Hester is on the verge of tears. The thought that she almost lost her forever still scares her.

It took Anadil dying for her to realise that she had so many things she still wanted to tell her, so many feelings she's never expressed to her. Well then, that's going to change. She's going to start with the simplest feeling, the one that was once the most confusing to her, but is now the only thing she is sure of. Anadil is her stars, and you bet Hester is going to make sure that she knows that.

Hester closes her eyes, and whispers the three words she's vowed never to ever say to anyone, no matter what the circumstance. Anadil doesn't say anything. She just clings to her a little tighter, and Hester knows that's her way of saying it back.

xx.

It's been so many years. The coven doesn't spend as much time together anymore. They'd finished their quest a long time ago, thankfully without any lasting harm to any of the Nevers. Dot has a child of her own now, and she and Hort are raising the kid together in Nottingham, after getting married in Bloodbrook. Hester remembers crying her eyes out in Anadil's arms during the ceremony. Dot comes by on weekends, and sometimes she even brings her child.

Speaking of kids, Tedros and Agatha have two children of their own. The black-haired queen comes to visit once a month, occasionally bringing her husband with her. Hester remembers their wedding too. Dot had cried almost as much as Tedros himself did, and the two witches had teased their coven-mate mercilessly. Once a year, Agatha throws a huge banquet at the castle, and invites all her friends, to catch up with them. None of them have ever failed to show up.

Sophie never found love. Eventually Hort realised that his infatuation with her was unhealthy, and moved on, falling for the one person who'd cared for him from the start. So now Sophie is all alone, but she is happy, as the Dean at the School for Evil. Despite Hester's personal feelings towards Sophie, she has to admit the blonde Never has been doing a remarkable job. Every now and then, the coven drops in to give talks to the young Nevers, and to give them helpful tips on ways to kill Evers.

Hester never became a Lead Villain, even though she's been dreaming of becoming one since she was a kid. She's been living in her gingerbread house together with Anadil, her three rats, and their cat. The cat was a new addition to their little family, after they attended Reaper's funeral in Camelot. The Nevers had decided then that they wanted a cat of their own.

The two witches sell potions and spells from their house, giving magical assistance to those who require it. The fact that they live in the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel's well-known tale helps with business. Most of the time their customers are Evergirls looking for ways to get back at boys who reject them.

Every night, the two of them will sit together and watch the stars for a while before they go to sleep. It's not just Hester's nightly ritual anymore. It's Anadil's too.

Before this, two of them had gotten to know each other, as friends, but it's different now, since they're together. It's not so difficult to say nice things to each other and to talk about personal things as before. Sharing random thoughts and whatnot with one another comes naturally to them now. For Hester, who has kept all her fears to herself and projected an image of strength, this has been amazing. She's always been tough, but it's nice to let down her walls every now and then.

Every now and then, Anadil will bolt awake, shaking and sweating, from dreams of her brief death. Hester is always there to soothe her, stroking her hair and kissing her softly till she calms down. Similarly, whenever Hester has a nightmare of her mother's death or of losing Anadil, the white-haired witch is always there to hold her until everything is okay again.

The two of them never got married, but they loved each other, and that was enough. The years they've spent together have been happy and full of love and bickering and magic, and have never, ever been boring.

Now that Anadil isn't a teenager anymore, her skin isn't very smooth and her face isn't as pretty as before, but to Hester, she's as beautiful as she ever was. Hester herself is getting old. She hadn't bothered with the red streaks in her hair in a long time, but she kept the nose ring. Some things never change.

As they sit together one night, quietly watching the stars, Anadil's voice, scratchy as ever, breaks the silence. She asks Hester, in the same soft voice she used all those years ago when asking who she was to her, if she regrets it. Giving up the glory of being a Lead Villain, and living with her henchman instead.

Hester doesn't think of the Nevermore she's been dreaming of since she was young, or of the fame and renown she'd achieve. Instead, she thinks of the years she's spent together with Anadil. Of all the laughter, all the arguments, all the pranks, all the fights, all the conversations, all the kisses, and everything else in between.

She thinks of the day the Evers were finally forced to leave them alone, of the birthdays they'd celebrated together, of the funerals they held when their pets died, of all the tricks they've played on unsuspecting Evers, of the time she brought home a vampire bat as a pet and it ate Anadil's rats, and so on.

She chose to live with the girl she loves instead of being in a fairy tale of her own, and so Hester gave up her status as a Leader. Anadil is not her henchman anymore. She hasn't been for years. The best years of Hester's life.

She kisses Anadil's cheek, and tells her she wouldn't trade this for anything in the world. The three words, the ones she had said on the night Anadil died, are rising to the tip of her tongue. Hester only ever says them on special occasions. Even then, she sees no reason not to say them now.

I love you.

Anadil smiles, and closes her eyes. She whispers her next few words, squeezing Hester's hand.

I love you too.