Work Text:
Hecate Hardbroom sat quietly in her office, gazing down her long nose at a blank piece of parchment. On a regular day, she could easily plan out the day's potions lessons, but today was not one of those days. She felt a tickle in her sinuses, which slowly crept its way down her nose. She ran a single finger under her nose and sniffed, fighting the urge to sneeze. She had to get this lesson written out before breakfast. She glanced at the clock, which read a quarter to six. Yawning, she decided to take a break. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night, and her head was pounding like crazy. The urge to sneeze was becoming harder to suppress, but if she gave in, she would wake up the first years. She took out her handkerchief and tried to get rid of this sensation by blowing her nose. However, it only made it worse. "Heh...hehuh...huh..." The sneeze was messing with her. There was no way it was going away. She closed her eyes and ducked down under her desk where it was dark. She waited there for a little bit until her eyes adjusted to the dark then quickly popped back up, staring into the light. "Heh..ah...errSHH! ArrSHH! Kuhhuh...KERshh!" Hecate had always relied on looking into a bright light if a sneeze wouldn't come, which would always do the trick. Though she isn't very fond of sneezing, sometimes she just has to let it go.
She sniffed subconsciously and walked to his door. Peering out, she realized that her sneezing didn't appear to have awaken anyone, thank goodness. However, just as she went to close the door again, a violent sneeze caught her off-guard. "ErSHH!" She sneezed freely and immediately fidgeted for her handkerchief, bringing it up to her nose to catch the next few, "HitCHOO! IsSHOO! Heh...HehSHH!"
She sniffed and backed up into her office when she heard someone walking down the corridor. She quickly closed and locked the door, sniffed, and blew her nose. She walked back to his desk and looked at the parchment, picking up his quill as she heard a knock at the door. Hecate's feverish pale face turned even paler at the sight of Ethel Hallow’s concerned face. "What do you think you're doing out of your room this early in the morning?" Hecate asked coldly as she walked to the door and unlocked it. She sniffed softly as Ethel walked in.
"Miss, I was...I was just..." Ethel began. She gulped when she met Hecate's eyes with the flushed cheeks and paler-than-usual skin.
"Spit it out," Hecate said impatiently.
"I just...I heard you sneeze," Ethel looked away from Miss.Hardbroom. She knew her professor doesn't like to show weakness. "Bless you, m-miss."
"You came into my quarters this early in the morning just to bless me? How disappointing. Surely, you came to discuss something much more prudent, Ms.Hallow?"
"Um, y-yes miss. Are you getting ill?"
Hecate leaned over Ethel, drawing up to her full height and said with as much intimidation as she could muster while on the edge of a sneeze, "Is that ihiht? Well, I assure you that I am p-perfectly fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to uh-atten...," The sneeze did not want to stay any longer. Hecate sniffed wetly and ran a finger under her irritated nose, "attend...HIHshh! IsSHOO! Ack...UHshh! Sniff! IHshoo!" Hecate just barely had time to pull out her handkerchief and turn away from Ethel when the sneezes came. She hadn't had time to try to stifle them, and when he turned back to Ethel, who was red from embarrassment, she stuffed away her hanky and said while brushing her black hair out of his eyes, "I have work to attend to" as if nothing strange had just happened in front of her student.
"I see, miss. I-I'll leave you alone," said Ethel, and she half-ran, half-stumbled out of Hardbroom's office.
Hecate sighed and locked the door after Ethel left. She took his used handkerchief and blew her hooked nose into it with the sound like a trumpet. She walked back to her desk and put her attention back to the parchment. According to the clock, it was now quarter after six. She only had fourty-five minutes until she and her students would be called down to the Great Hall for breakfast. She racked her brain for ideas and eventually settled on having the students brew a batch of Wiggenweld Potion.
Hecate laid her head down on her desk and closed her eyes. Her head was throbbing, but she insisted on trying to get some extra sleep before breakfast. "Ihshh! Hih..hihshh! Hihshh! Sniff!" She laid her head back down and dozed off.
----
Hecate awoke with a start to Dimnity Drill yelling her name. "Dimnity, whad was thad for?" She sounded congested, and her throat was scratchy. "I was trying do sleep."
"Hecate, that's the whole point! You're late for breakfast!" Drill called back.
Hecate moaned, tiredly saying, "Jusd five more midutes," and laid her head back down.
"Alohomora!" Dimnity said from behind the door, which flew open at the touch of her wand. She looked at Hecate, who was even paler than last night, if that was even possible. "My goodness, Hecate. What happened to you?"
"I'm gedding a cold," She admitted miserably.
"I see. Would you like me to have Ada get you a PepperUp?"
"No," She sat up quickly. Her vision blurred, and she fell backward, her head pounding harder than ever. "I'm...find..." she said breathlessly when Ms.Drill walked over to her. "Just...sat up too fast...Sniff!"
"Hecate, you need to eat."
"I'm nod hungry."
Dimnity picked Hecate up by the arm and let her lean against her side. As she went to leave the office, she felt her stiffen. "What's wrong?"
"Heh...heh...hehSHH!" She sneezed over her shoulder to avoid spraying her. Then, she pushed her away as she reached for her handkerchief, her nose twitching furiously. "HihSHH! Huh...UhSHH! KerSHH!" She couldn't reach her handkerchief in time, so she sneezed freely. "Sorry aboud thad," she apologized, and she finally got out her handkerchief and blew her red nose into it.
"Let's just get you breakfast," Ms.Drill replied, not showing any sign of being grossed out by what just happened. She led her to the Main Hall, and she was able to stand up straight again. She stifled a few sneezes on the way, and once they arrived, they took their places at the staff table.
Ada gave her normal lecture before the plates were filled with food. Even then, when seeing all the delicious food, Hecate wasn't hungry. However, Dimnity insisted that he would eat. Therefore, she ate little, but reluctantly.
Halfway through breakfast, Hecate couldn't stand holding in her sneeze any longer. She bowed beneath the table with her handkerchief in her hand and tried to get it to come. "Huh...huh...hih...HihSHH!" She sniffed and made sure no one was watching. Even Ms.Cackle was still focused on her food. Hecate blew her nose softly and emerged from beneath the table. Her eyes met those of Mildred Hubble, who immediately looked away to break the eye contact. Hecate swore under her breath.
Thinking of how Hubble should be punished if she brought this up, Hecate waited impatiently for the end of breakfast. When everyone was dismissed, she went back to her office, laid down at her desk, sneezed, and dozed off, hoping this time to not to be awaken by anyone or anything but her own circadian rhythm.