This Is Just A Dream (Ghost Ethan)

[Deleted]

April first. Dom was really trying to forget the fact that it was April first again, but that was impossible. One year ago today, her whole world changed, which wasn't something that could be forgotten so soon. One year ago today Elaine came out to the community add the evil witch she was. One year ago today she killed Ethan. The night before, Dom couldn't sleep. She laid awake in bed for a while and then gave up. She rose and tried writing in a journal like Séamus suggested, but that didn't hold her attention for long. She wandered the common room until a decent enough hour that she wouldn't get in trouble for moving around. Then she wandered the castle, the grounds, everything. She couldn't help herself. The only thing she actively tried to do was avoid people. Dom did not want to talk to anyone today. She also couldn't focus on school. She refused to think about the classes she might be missing throughout the day. It wasn't hard to forget about school right now though. Her mind was entirely focused on that day. On her last few moments with Ethan, of the battle with Elaine. If all the things she should've done differently. If she had, maybe he would still be alive. But she hadn't and still blamed herself for Ethan's death, though that was something she tried to keep to herself.

It was early afternoon when she found herself climbing the staircase up to the fifth floor. She knew she shouldn't go there, where he died, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Finally, she made it and immediately froze.

@ghostethan

[Deleted]

The only thing Ethan could remember was that one moment to go he was incredibly warm and comfortable and suddenly he felt cold and rigid. He was shaking, violently, almost as if he was having a seizure, he couldn't be sure, because he had never had one before. Then, he felt like he was choking, choking so much that he thought he was going to throw up. Then he realized that he wasn't making any sound. He tried, attempting to make his choking sounds more audible and using his voice to cry for help, but no sound came. Or maybe he just couldn't hear. He started to cry, and he couldn't hear that either. His body stop shaking as violently, because all of his bodies energy and attention had gone straight to his sobs. He was sure he should be able to hear himself, he was crying incredibly loud. But still nothing.

Then, it was very loud.

Familiar screens, explosions, and the sound of Elaine's voice. Muttering the spell that killed him. He gassed, his hand flattening over his chest, realizing something was carved there. He pulled his hand away but couldn't see any blood. In fact he could barely see his hand. He stumbled backward, hoping to lean against the wall, but instead fell right through it. He shouted loudly, and move forward again. That's when he looked around. He was in the 5th floor hallway, the spot where he died. His hand covered his mouth and he turned as he heard a sound.

Dom.

@dominique

[Deleted]

Dom held her breath as she stared at the figure in front of her. Ethan. Her eyes widened and she felt a little shaky. She should have eaten something today. It was Ethan, but it wasn't at the same time. He was pale and ... see-through. A ghost. How? Why? She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of what to say. Was it really him or was she just imagining this. She stepped forward a few times, moving closer. As she did so, she started to believe that our actually was him and not her active mind. "Ethan," she whispered, stopping only a few feet away. "Is that really you or am I going crazy?" This couldn't be happening. Ethan was gone. He died a year ago today, right here. How could he possibly be back?

@ghostethan

[Deleted]

Dom opened her mouth and closed it again. Then, she took a few steps forward and he immediately floated backward. Floated. His hand that was just on his chest lifted to his mouth and he let out one sob into it.

She was asking if it was really him, he gently moved his hand from his mouth. "I don't want it to be," he said. His voice sounded distant to him, as if someone else was speaking the words. "I don't want to be here..." he muttered again. He felt his body convulse again and he took another step back. "I don't want to be here," he repeated, his voice even softer now.

@dominique

[Deleted]

He was ... moving away from her? Dom tried really hard to not feel hurt by this, but she was. If Ethan really did come back as a ghost, would he avoid her the entire time? Then again, he was emotional. It was obvious by his sobs and how he was repeating himself. The problem was that this time Dom had no idea if she could do anything to help him. She'd never really interacted with someone who just came back as a ghost. "Ethan, it's just me. Dom. You don't have to leave," she said softly, trying to sound encouraging. Sure, she was confused as all get-out, but she wanted to help and she wanted to understand what was going on. 

@ghostethan

[Deleted]

He took another step back as she spoke. "Where am I going to go, Dom? I'm dead," he emphasized, shaking his head. He eventually settled for 'sitting' on the ground. Really just floating above it. He brought his knees up to his chest and lowered his head to hid behind them. "I can't believe I'm dead," he whispered, shaking his head.

Then, suddenly, he looked back up at her. "Annie. Who told Annie?" Of course the school board would have notified his parents and they would have told his sister, but he really wasn't thinking that clearly now. "And Elaine? Where's Elaine?" there was so much he had missed, so much...

Wait, how long was he gone for? "What day is it, Dom?" 

@dominique

[Deleted]

He seemed stunned, but also a little annoyed when she asked him to not leave. Well, his answer annoyed her. She made a pained face at him. "Ethan, you could go anywhere you want. Through the walls and corridors and everything. If you wanted to, you could "leave" and there would be no way for me to catch up." Obviously, she didn't want that to happen, which was why she asked him not to leave, but she didn't want him to treat her like she was dumb. Even unintentionally. He floated to the ground, his position entirely closed, but at the same time vulnerable as he whispered that he couldn't believe he was dead. Dom sat down where she was, her legs crossed in front of her. "I can't believe you're here," she breathed in response. It wasn't a happy comment, just an honest one. 

All of a sudden, his attitude seemed to change and he was talking about his sister. Dom's face was pained now. "The school board notified your family while I was still in school. They wouldn't let me go," she explained. "But when school got out I went and visited your sister and parents. We ... still write each other now." Dom wasn't sure if that would be a good enough answer for Ethan, but she tried to take care of his family, especially Annie. She was trying to be a good friend to the young girl. 

At his next question, Dom shook her head, her expression darkening. "We don't know. She disappeared. She kidnapped a bunch of pure-blood seventh years and kept them for a while and then she was gone. I haven't heard anything about leads for her whereabouts lately." Not that Dom was the most informed person, but she was sure if there was news she would find out about it from at least one of her cousins.

She looked up at him again. "April first," she answered shortly, forcing the flashbacks to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to get overwhelmed with those.

@ghostethan

[Deleted]

She made a face at him. Was she REALLY making a face at HIM!? HE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS DEAD HERE. She said he could go anywhere he wanted and he was half tempted to do just that. But, then it hit him. He couldn't go to Annie. Ghosts were stuck, bound to the place where they died. He could never leave Hogwarts. That sobered up his anger. That grew inside him like a poisonous vine.

She said she couldn't believe he was there and sat down, and he just shook his head. She answered his questions, saying that the school board notified his family. That they wouldn't let her go. He looked down, his eyes welling with tears incredibly quickly. They weren't real tears, though. In fact, he didn't think his ghost form could produce actual tears at all. Didn't Myrtle just represent crying by turning on all the faucets? He started to get that now. It was just plain awful that he couldn't even cry

She wrote Annie? She was writing his baby sister? He made that choking/sobbing sound again and bowed his head even more. Then she said they didn't know where Elaine was and that she... kidnapped people? What? Then the hard part came. The day.

April first.

April first.

"Of.... of..." he was going to guess the year. Twenty Twenty-Four. But he couldn't get the words out. He bowed his head even more, as far as his neck could possible bend and he tried to cry. But, as he figured out already, there weren't actual tears. He clenched his fists and held them both against his mouth, and then he started to rock back and forth.

@dominique
(prolly gotta cut this short and get him to McGonnagal or Parvati soon. Just drop him off at some point when Dom can't deal anymore haha)

[Deleted]

He was angry at first and Dom wasn't sure why. Was it because she argued with him a little about where he could go? She couldn't really remember what exactly she said, so she didn't know if he actually had reason to be upset or not. She leaned toward not though, naturally. However, his anger seemed to drain away rapidly and he was clearly upset, though still not saying anything. Dom started to feel an immense guilt start to well up inside her. Did she say too much? Not enough? Was he upset that she was still in contact with his family? Did he wish she would leave him alone? Did he think they should have caught Elaine already?

Dom bit her lip anxiously as the questions flashed through her mind. The thing was, she had no idea how to react to this. She didn't know what to say or think, especially since he was being quiet. Watching him, it was easy to see that he was very upset, but Dom didn't know if there was anything she could do to help. He already showed that he didn't want her to approach him, for some strange reason that kind of hurt, but she was trying not to dwell on it right now. Later. 

Then he started stammering "of" after she told him it was April first. Dom nodded her head. "Of 2024, Ethan," she said softly, hoping she wasn't making things worse. "Do you want me to go? I could ... find a professor or something for you?" Of course, she didn't want to go. This was Ethan and he was clearly in pain, but it was also clear to Dom that he didn't want her to try and help either.

@ghostethan (muahaha up to you whether to end or extend)

[Deleted]

Ethan could barely hear her when she answred his question. He had been dead for a year. She asked if he wanted her to leave or find a professor and he just shook his head. "Just get out of here," he muttered, head still bowed.

It wasn't that he didn't care about her, of course, but he was a little more concerned about being dead right now. He didn't have the energy to worry about her feelings. He was getting frustrated that she even was the first person he saw. If he ever knew this scenario would happen of course he would want it to be her but... He was just feeling miserable. And he hated Dom seeing him like this.

Speaking to a professor was a good idea, though. He slowly let himself float above the ground a little, even still in his fetal position, and floated backward through the wall. Where Dom couldn't follow.

@dominique
(The end. You suck )