Accusations & Babble-Fests

Author: Jaded
Story: Bloody Ghost
Pairings: Not sure yet.
Disclaimer: I own no one. I do this merely for fun, not profit
Summary: Willow dies and finds herself as a ghost in Hogwarts...and decides that Draco Malfoy needs a real friend, whether he wants one or not.
Warnings: Character Death…kinda.
Author Notes: I told myself I wasn’t going to do another fic right now, what with planning a non-crossover, writing another non-crossover, and making graphics but do I ever listen to myself? Nooooooooooooo.



“POTTER!”

Harry Potter turned around at the sound of someone calling him—a very familiar someone. Marching towards him, looking murderous, was Draco Malfoy. Gliding just behind him, looking extremely bemused, was a ghost dressed in muggle clothing.

He turned back to the irate Slytherin, slightly glad Ron was in the hospital for a botched Charms class. He had a habit of irritating Malfoy and from the looks of it he didn’t need Malfoy angrier than he already was. “What do you want?”

“Get her away from me!” he demanded and Harry blinked, confused. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Potter. Only you would think saddling me with a babbling muggle ghost would be amusing—you or the gorilla’s brothers!”

Harry scowled, looking at the young woman behind Malfoy. Catching his eye, she shrugged and grinned.

“Malfoy, you should know it’s physically impossible to tie a ghost to any person, artifact, or place,” Hermione told him and completely steamrolled him when he opened his mouth to make a nasty retort. “And besides, if she was dangerous, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape would have already been called in. Ghosts have a very strict social code.”

“Darn tootin! Do you have any idea how hard it was getting the Bloody Baron to let me have some fun, Spike-alike?” the ghost asked, slightly irritated. She made a face, turning to Hermione. “What's a muggle he keeps going on about? Wicca, Jewish, a Scooby, Slayerette, yeah, sure, no biggie. Muggle? I don’t think so.”

“A muggle is a non-magical person,” Hermione told the ghost before turning to the Slytherin who was still fuming. “And she can’t have been a muggle when she was alive Malfoy; only ghosts who were once witches or wizards are allowed within the boundaries of Hogwarts.”

“How do you know that?” Harry asked, despite himself. Hermione rolled her eyes.

“One of these days I’m going to sit both and Ron down and force you to read Hogwarts, A History,” she informed him hotly. Harry made a face while the ghost looked amused.

“Where can I get the book? And is there anyway I can, you know, turn the pages? Cause so far, I haven’t been able to touch anything!” she complained. Harry watched, entertained, as his best friend shot the ghost a beaming smiling.

“There maybe something in the library about spells to help ghosts--” she was cut off by Malfoy, who growled.

“NO! You are not showing her how to touch things, Granger, is that understood? I’m not going to have a ghost who’s pestering me also able to touch!” he yelled before stalking off. The ghost in question smiled mischievously at the two Gryffindors.

“I’m Willow by the way,” she introduced herself. Hermione smiled politely just as Dumbledore appeared at her elbow.

“Professor!” she exclaimed, startled. He smiled kindly down at her before turning to the new ghost.

“Ah, yes. Professor Snape said we had a new ghost who had taken a liking to a certain Slytherin,” he said pleasantly. Harry watched, amazed, as the ghost who just moments before had been happily withstanding the Hurricane that was Malfoy, began to fidget and babble.

“I’m Willow Rosenberg, sir, and you would probably be the Headmaster the little Friar guy was telling me about—definitely got the non-magical magical look going on, like he said. I don’t mean to disrupt school but when I…er….died, I found myself here. Well, not here here, actually I was down in the dungeons. And by the way can I just say yeaugh! Dungeons are definitely what I’d expect dungeons to be like—including the guy who’s trying to do a vampire impression—he’s failing horribly by the way. Vampires may be up to theatrics yeah, but not that kind of theatrics. And I heard some of those students planning something and Malfoy’s name kept coming up in conjecture of being the one they’re planning it on and it didn't sound very pleasant and yeah, normally I wasn’t too brave back in high school but I’m already dead and there’s not a whole lot they can do to me now so I figured, a little protection wouldn’t hurt but he’s being a—a poopyhead and this is a magical school and I’m a self taught witch, or at least I was, I can’t really do anything any more which is really kind of annoying and I really would like to stay, please, professor,” she finished quietly, looking down at her feet.

Harry, despite knowing she was ghost, was amazed at the rush of words that had poured out of the young woman’s mouth. He glanced at Dumbledore and wasn’t surprised to see him grinning.

“First of all, yes, you may stay at Hogwarts, Ms. Rosenberg,” he told her and she snapped her head up, a smile on her face. He held up a hand.

“However, I must restrict you from all the dormitories—you may enter the common rooms like all ghosts once you have gotten the permission of the House Ghost but the actual dormitories are off limits to every ghost,” he informed her. She nodded.

“Now, I do believe the professors won’t mind you attending the classes just so long as you don’t interfere with the other students work,” he looked at her over the top of his glasses and she nodded.

“I can’t actually do any magic anymore so it’d just be me learning for the sake of learning and I’m going to shut up now before I have another babble-fest,” she murmured, her cheeks dark with what Harry assumed was a blush. Dumbledore nodded.

“One more thing. I’d like to talk to you later tonight in my office about the conversation you overheard,” he pinned her with a look and she nodded, straightening.

“Yes sir,” she answered and Dumbledore smiled.

“After dinner then?” he asked and she nodded. He beamed at her. “Wonderful! Good day Ms. Rosenberg, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger.”

As Dumbledore walked away, Willow looked in the direction Malfoy had gone. “I really should go and keep and eye on him. TTYL?” she asked hopefully. Harry looked baffled at the last and looked to Hermione for help. The Gryffindor girl smiled slightly.

“Definitely, I’d like to try and help you learn to touch; I think it’s ridiculous to think no one came up with a way,” she muttered and Harry sighed—library time.

“Do you want to come to Gryffindor tower tomorrow night then? We can talk to Nick and get his permission for you to come,” Harry invited, instinctively knowing that the ghost was going to become a good friend. Willow grinned at him.

“Sure!” she agreed enthusiastically. She looked over her shoulder again. “I really should go find him before he gets hurt.”

Harry couldn’t help the snort at that. She looked at him, smiling slightly. “See you two later!” she called, gliding away. He could just hear her mutter something about Cordelia, Buffy, and history repeating itself before she disappeared from sight.