Fanfiction: Ghostly Conversation
Searching through Harry’s kitchen cabinets, Murphy frowned a little. She had brought coffee over here, she knew she had. As nice as Harry’s teas were, she really wanted some coffee.
“Third from the left, Lieutenant.”
Murphy jumped and glared over her shoulder at Bob. The ghost stood behind her, smiling in amusement. She still hadn’t gotten used to Bob popping in and popping out without a sound or warning. Harry didn’t mind, but Harry had been living with the ghost for a long time. Before, Murphy had just spent the night. Now she was living with Harry, which was a very different experience. Part of that experience was living with Bob, a roommate that could walk through walls, didn’t make any noise and often said whatever he thought with little tact.
He also had an amazing memory for things. He knew every place Fathead hid socks and where Harry left books. Apparently, he also remembered where her coffee disappeared to.
“Thanks.” She said, closing the cabinet she was looking through and moving over to the cabinet he had mentioned. “I take it Harry told you to babysit me again?”
“He’s worried about you.”
Murphy sighed as she grabbed the coffee can. “I know, but I am old enough to be left on my own. Any idea where he put the coffee filters?”
“Two cabinets to the right. He knows that, but he also loves you and that means your care comes first in his mind.”
“What could happen to me in his apartment? It’s not like I can mess with any of the magical things he has.” She tried to treat Bob like he was any other person. He looked like one, except for the clothing and Harry treated him like any normal person. She was just trying to fit in to their little family. She didn’t like feeling like an outsider though whenever the two of them started talking about magic, she was one.
“It isn’t what can happen to you, but what you’re going through. He has killed as well, Lieutenant.”
Murphy stopped rooting through the cabinets and turned to face Bob, holding the coffee can in her hands. “I know. What was he liked back then?”
For a moment, Bob said nothing. Then he sighed, “A lot like you are now. He was perpetually distracted, and lost quite a bit of sleep. Of course, he also had a death sentence hanging over his head, but what bothered him most was the belief he had become his uncle.”
“He’s not a monster.” Murphy didn’t know much about Justin Morningway, but from what Harry had told her, she could guess that the man was not good in any way, shape or form.
“And neither are you.”
She looked away, staring at the wall across from the kitchen. “Sometimes, I just can’t believe he’s stayed with me this long. Even before now, when we were just friends or just working together. I couldn’t make him leave me alone and there are times when he should have.”
“Lieutenant, Harry has an amazing capacity for love.” Bob said, taking a step towards her. “I am constantly amazed that he isn’t more bitter about things. Many people have taken advantage of that. I have done… terrible things in the past, acts that led me to be bound to my skull for all eternity. Even after that, I continued to help people commit simply brutal acts. In spite of that, Harry has treated me like a friend and a brother.”
Murphy looked at Bob and watched the ghost compose himself, then he smiled at her. “He loves you and what you’ve done, what you might do, has no bearing on that.”
“So, do I meet your standards?” She asked, oddly touched the ghost would take the time to comfort her.
“You surpass them, Lieutenant.”
“Then you should start calling me Murphy.”
“Third from the left, Lieutenant.”
Murphy jumped and glared over her shoulder at Bob. The ghost stood behind her, smiling in amusement. She still hadn’t gotten used to Bob popping in and popping out without a sound or warning. Harry didn’t mind, but Harry had been living with the ghost for a long time. Before, Murphy had just spent the night. Now she was living with Harry, which was a very different experience. Part of that experience was living with Bob, a roommate that could walk through walls, didn’t make any noise and often said whatever he thought with little tact.
He also had an amazing memory for things. He knew every place Fathead hid socks and where Harry left books. Apparently, he also remembered where her coffee disappeared to.
“Thanks.” She said, closing the cabinet she was looking through and moving over to the cabinet he had mentioned. “I take it Harry told you to babysit me again?”
“He’s worried about you.”
Murphy sighed as she grabbed the coffee can. “I know, but I am old enough to be left on my own. Any idea where he put the coffee filters?”
“Two cabinets to the right. He knows that, but he also loves you and that means your care comes first in his mind.”
“What could happen to me in his apartment? It’s not like I can mess with any of the magical things he has.” She tried to treat Bob like he was any other person. He looked like one, except for the clothing and Harry treated him like any normal person. She was just trying to fit in to their little family. She didn’t like feeling like an outsider though whenever the two of them started talking about magic, she was one.
“It isn’t what can happen to you, but what you’re going through. He has killed as well, Lieutenant.”
Murphy stopped rooting through the cabinets and turned to face Bob, holding the coffee can in her hands. “I know. What was he liked back then?”
For a moment, Bob said nothing. Then he sighed, “A lot like you are now. He was perpetually distracted, and lost quite a bit of sleep. Of course, he also had a death sentence hanging over his head, but what bothered him most was the belief he had become his uncle.”
“He’s not a monster.” Murphy didn’t know much about Justin Morningway, but from what Harry had told her, she could guess that the man was not good in any way, shape or form.
“And neither are you.”
She looked away, staring at the wall across from the kitchen. “Sometimes, I just can’t believe he’s stayed with me this long. Even before now, when we were just friends or just working together. I couldn’t make him leave me alone and there are times when he should have.”
“Lieutenant, Harry has an amazing capacity for love.” Bob said, taking a step towards her. “I am constantly amazed that he isn’t more bitter about things. Many people have taken advantage of that. I have done… terrible things in the past, acts that led me to be bound to my skull for all eternity. Even after that, I continued to help people commit simply brutal acts. In spite of that, Harry has treated me like a friend and a brother.”
Murphy looked at Bob and watched the ghost compose himself, then he smiled at her. “He loves you and what you’ve done, what you might do, has no bearing on that.”
“So, do I meet your standards?” She asked, oddly touched the ghost would take the time to comfort her.
“You surpass them, Lieutenant.”
“Then you should start calling me Murphy.”