charming a spirit
Jan. 16th, 2026 10:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabbitsquibTitle: charming a spirit
Author: rabbitsquib
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Nearly Headless Nick/Original Character
Rating: General Audiences
Date Written: Jan. 16th, 2026
Word Count: 1.5k words
Summary: Pippin Berrybun finally gets to encounter the Hogwarts ghost they've been wanting to meet for quite some time -- Nearly Headless Nick.
Also on AO3!
~
A/N: IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK WRITING HP SHIT AGAIN. GOD I'VE MISSED IT.
~
Yet another supper in the Great Hall. After many months of struggling to find a seat, loathing not knowing what kind of food to expect, and being surrounded by the constant reminder that they didn’t really have that many friends, it lost its charm to Pippin Berrybun.
Although, there was one sight that always managed to lift their spirits, no matter how drab the Hall felt.
It was the sight of an actual spirit.
Of course, there were many spirits who were common to see in the Great Hall, especially during meal time when the students were gathered there. But only one of them piqued Pippin’s interest whenever he peeked his head out.
Not that he wanted to have a head.
Today, Nearly Headless Nick gave everyone a surprise by popping his head up from under the Hufflepuff table.
“Hello there!” The voice of Sir Nicholas rang out, and a cheeky smile was plastered on his face as he observed the startled reactions around him. “Thought I’d give you lot a start for a change.” He laughed.
Then he floated a little higher, so it was his chest that was in the middle of the table. “Nearly Headless Nick!” One of the Hufflepuff students exclaimed.
“Must all you students insist on calling me that?” Sir Nicholas complained with a huff, and sharply turned.
That turn led his gaze right to Pippin, who had their elbows on the table and their chin in their hands as they were staring with big, wide, sparkling eyes, and a slightly agape mouth. This was the closest they’ve ever been to him, and they were trying to savor every moment of it.
Sir Nicholas couldn’t help but make a comment about their awestruck expression. “Is this your first time seeing a ghost?” He teased.
Little did Sir Nicholas know that Pippin had been something of an admirer of his, ever since they first saw him floating about at that year’s Start-of-Term feast.
But after he made his remark, he took a moment to look them over, and realized, “Wait a minute. You look older than a first year… but I’ve never seen you before.”
He floated out of the table to their side to get a better look at the Hufflepuff. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to recognize every student, but Berrybun in particular had two clear identifiable traits that made them stick out like a sore thumb: short brunette hair with dyed ends the same yellow as their house scarf, and two tall and very real rabbit ears protruding from the top their head like antennae. Sir Nicholas was a bit baffled that he had never seen such a student before, even in passing.
It took a generous moment for Pippin to lose the dumbfounded expression on their face. Their gaze had followed Sir Nicholas to their side, and a few seconds after his last statement, they shook their head, snapping them out of their daze. It also made their short hair a bit fluffier. “Oh!” They laughed. Pippin did that when they were nervous. “I’m a transfer student.” They confessed with a bashful smile. “This is my first year here.”
“Ahhh.” Sir Nicholas nodded, finally understanding the situation fully. “From Ilvermorny, I’ll bet?” He asked, having picked up on their American accent.
“Ah..!” Berrybun was caught off guard by his correct assumption. They had gotten so used to Hogwarts already that their old school felt like a distant memory. “Yeah…” Berrybun answered. They looked away and smiled nervously, having gotten bashful at Sir Nicholas picking up things about them, even though that one was obvious. Their rabbit ears slightly flattened in time with their change of expression.
That is something Sir Nicholas had never seen before, which was something that could hardly be said about anything these days.
“Hah!” His face lit up, showing how amused he was by that. “Your rabbit ears came down. How about that?” He laughed. “That’s quite cute, that is.”
Berrybun’s reaction to that praise was physical – it gave them a little start, and it showed by the way their body jolted as if they got a small static shock. The sentiment (especially from him in particular) stunned them a bit, so they didn’t have an immediate vocal response.
Sir Nicholas was a bit surprised by how strongly they reacted to such a simple sentiment, but it intrigued him greatly. Not too often do you see super reactive types like that. “Are you alright?” He laughed.
“I-I-I’m fine…!” Berrybun sputtered, their cheeks flushing with a shade of pink. “I just… didn’t expect you to say that…” They said, their voice strained. But their smile showed Sir Nicholas that they weren’t uncomfortable.
“Um…” Berrybun spoke up, in a moment of bravery. “Thank you for talking to me.” They shone him a more intentional smile, a sweet one that gave Sir Nicholas’ heart the startling feeling of being pierced with an arrow.
“Tha- thank me? You’re thanking me? For talking to you?” Sir Nicholas’ voice had a rare falter of its own, and now he was caught off guard by their flattering sentiment.
“Um… yeah!” Berrybun exclaimed, awkwardly but sweetly. “I’ve never had the chance to talk to you before, and I- I was never really able to catch you before. …Or I got too shy.” They admitted, looking away down at the floor from the shame of their own spineless nature.
“But!” they were quick to perk their head back up again, their dark eyes meeting Sir Nicholas’ ghostly own again. “I get to now!” They beamed.
Seeing this student’s eyes go starry and their smile go bright at the thought of talking to him made Sir Nicholas realize that the tip of that arrow was dipped in poison, for it began to sting. Flattery went everywhere with him, and theirs was the most genuine he had ever seen. His fondness was growing each second like a snowball tumbling down a hill.
He didn’t quite know how to hold himself, or how to respond. So he settled for something polite, something well-meaning, as to not engage with the internal fire that so quickly started. He gave Berrybun a deep bow. And as he stood from it, he said, “I’m glad somebody around here realizes what an honor it is to talk to me.”
It was almost as if Berrybun’s initial bashfulness had faded, as they clasped their hands together and quickly responded back, “I do!!” And they unclasped their hands and dipped their head a bit. They didn’t want to stand up in the Great Hall and cause a scene, so they did what they could at their seat at the table.
Sir Nicholas felt lucky at that moment that you couldn’t see a blush on a ghost, (no actively rushing blood to fill their cheeks, you see) or else he would’ve been as red as a tomato. Completely and utterly charmed, he was.
In an attempt to compensate, and also to not make a fool of himself in front of dozens of students, he was quick to make an inquiry. “What’s with the rabbit ears, anyway? Are you perhaps a Metamorphmagus?”
Right he was again, but it didn’t take a Ravenclaw with perfect grades to figure these things out. And with hundreds of years of experience, Sir Nicholas was excellent at picking up on things.
One of Berrybun’s ears – the closest one to Sir Nicholas – raised curiously as he began to speak, to hear his question better. This absolutely charmed him, and it showed, as he couldn’t help the pleased smile that plastered his face.
“Yeah, I- I am.” Berrybun smiled, finally meeting Sir Nicholas’ gaze again.
“How about that!” He exclaimed. “You’re a rare breed. And I see you can’t hide it, good on you.” He spoke genuinely. “But tell me, why rabbit ears? Is that the species of your Patronus, perhaps?”
“No- well, yes, but- but that’s not why.” Berrybun sputtered out. “I just ah…” They knew their meal time in the Great Hall was coming to an end soon, so they tried to put this as simply as possible. “I have a… a kinship to rabbits. I feel like I am one. So I- I like being seen as one.”
Sir Nicholas had never heard a thing like it before. Not only were they an absolute charmer with some kind of fondness for him, but this was also the first time he had heard of an experience like that. He was already caught off guard by being baffled once, but multiple times? He was already looking forward to future encounters with this one.
He opened his mouth to react to what they had said, but alas, it was time for supper to conclude.
“Well!” Sir Nicholas said instead. “Now that I know what you look like, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” He winked, before making his departure, leaving them to their own devices once again as students began to file out.
Berrybun sat there, once again stupefied by his response. They got winked at…!! By Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington…!!! They finally got to their feet, as they now had to. But then their foot began to thump. And their hands began to flap. Elation crawled all over them.
And from a different angle, Sir Nicholas was able to catch it.
Author: rabbitsquib
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Nearly Headless Nick/Original Character
Rating: General Audiences
Date Written: Jan. 16th, 2026
Word Count: 1.5k words
Summary: Pippin Berrybun finally gets to encounter the Hogwarts ghost they've been wanting to meet for quite some time -- Nearly Headless Nick.
Also on AO3!
~
A/N: IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK WRITING HP SHIT AGAIN. GOD I'VE MISSED IT.
~
Yet another supper in the Great Hall. After many months of struggling to find a seat, loathing not knowing what kind of food to expect, and being surrounded by the constant reminder that they didn’t really have that many friends, it lost its charm to Pippin Berrybun.
Although, there was one sight that always managed to lift their spirits, no matter how drab the Hall felt.
It was the sight of an actual spirit.
Of course, there were many spirits who were common to see in the Great Hall, especially during meal time when the students were gathered there. But only one of them piqued Pippin’s interest whenever he peeked his head out.
Not that he wanted to have a head.
Today, Nearly Headless Nick gave everyone a surprise by popping his head up from under the Hufflepuff table.
“Hello there!” The voice of Sir Nicholas rang out, and a cheeky smile was plastered on his face as he observed the startled reactions around him. “Thought I’d give you lot a start for a change.” He laughed.
Then he floated a little higher, so it was his chest that was in the middle of the table. “Nearly Headless Nick!” One of the Hufflepuff students exclaimed.
“Must all you students insist on calling me that?” Sir Nicholas complained with a huff, and sharply turned.
That turn led his gaze right to Pippin, who had their elbows on the table and their chin in their hands as they were staring with big, wide, sparkling eyes, and a slightly agape mouth. This was the closest they’ve ever been to him, and they were trying to savor every moment of it.
Sir Nicholas couldn’t help but make a comment about their awestruck expression. “Is this your first time seeing a ghost?” He teased.
Little did Sir Nicholas know that Pippin had been something of an admirer of his, ever since they first saw him floating about at that year’s Start-of-Term feast.
But after he made his remark, he took a moment to look them over, and realized, “Wait a minute. You look older than a first year… but I’ve never seen you before.”
He floated out of the table to their side to get a better look at the Hufflepuff. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to recognize every student, but Berrybun in particular had two clear identifiable traits that made them stick out like a sore thumb: short brunette hair with dyed ends the same yellow as their house scarf, and two tall and very real rabbit ears protruding from the top their head like antennae. Sir Nicholas was a bit baffled that he had never seen such a student before, even in passing.
It took a generous moment for Pippin to lose the dumbfounded expression on their face. Their gaze had followed Sir Nicholas to their side, and a few seconds after his last statement, they shook their head, snapping them out of their daze. It also made their short hair a bit fluffier. “Oh!” They laughed. Pippin did that when they were nervous. “I’m a transfer student.” They confessed with a bashful smile. “This is my first year here.”
“Ahhh.” Sir Nicholas nodded, finally understanding the situation fully. “From Ilvermorny, I’ll bet?” He asked, having picked up on their American accent.
“Ah..!” Berrybun was caught off guard by his correct assumption. They had gotten so used to Hogwarts already that their old school felt like a distant memory. “Yeah…” Berrybun answered. They looked away and smiled nervously, having gotten bashful at Sir Nicholas picking up things about them, even though that one was obvious. Their rabbit ears slightly flattened in time with their change of expression.
That is something Sir Nicholas had never seen before, which was something that could hardly be said about anything these days.
“Hah!” His face lit up, showing how amused he was by that. “Your rabbit ears came down. How about that?” He laughed. “That’s quite cute, that is.”
Berrybun’s reaction to that praise was physical – it gave them a little start, and it showed by the way their body jolted as if they got a small static shock. The sentiment (especially from him in particular) stunned them a bit, so they didn’t have an immediate vocal response.
Sir Nicholas was a bit surprised by how strongly they reacted to such a simple sentiment, but it intrigued him greatly. Not too often do you see super reactive types like that. “Are you alright?” He laughed.
“I-I-I’m fine…!” Berrybun sputtered, their cheeks flushing with a shade of pink. “I just… didn’t expect you to say that…” They said, their voice strained. But their smile showed Sir Nicholas that they weren’t uncomfortable.
“Um…” Berrybun spoke up, in a moment of bravery. “Thank you for talking to me.” They shone him a more intentional smile, a sweet one that gave Sir Nicholas’ heart the startling feeling of being pierced with an arrow.
“Tha- thank me? You’re thanking me? For talking to you?” Sir Nicholas’ voice had a rare falter of its own, and now he was caught off guard by their flattering sentiment.
“Um… yeah!” Berrybun exclaimed, awkwardly but sweetly. “I’ve never had the chance to talk to you before, and I- I was never really able to catch you before. …Or I got too shy.” They admitted, looking away down at the floor from the shame of their own spineless nature.
“But!” they were quick to perk their head back up again, their dark eyes meeting Sir Nicholas’ ghostly own again. “I get to now!” They beamed.
Seeing this student’s eyes go starry and their smile go bright at the thought of talking to him made Sir Nicholas realize that the tip of that arrow was dipped in poison, for it began to sting. Flattery went everywhere with him, and theirs was the most genuine he had ever seen. His fondness was growing each second like a snowball tumbling down a hill.
He didn’t quite know how to hold himself, or how to respond. So he settled for something polite, something well-meaning, as to not engage with the internal fire that so quickly started. He gave Berrybun a deep bow. And as he stood from it, he said, “I’m glad somebody around here realizes what an honor it is to talk to me.”
It was almost as if Berrybun’s initial bashfulness had faded, as they clasped their hands together and quickly responded back, “I do!!” And they unclasped their hands and dipped their head a bit. They didn’t want to stand up in the Great Hall and cause a scene, so they did what they could at their seat at the table.
Sir Nicholas felt lucky at that moment that you couldn’t see a blush on a ghost, (no actively rushing blood to fill their cheeks, you see) or else he would’ve been as red as a tomato. Completely and utterly charmed, he was.
In an attempt to compensate, and also to not make a fool of himself in front of dozens of students, he was quick to make an inquiry. “What’s with the rabbit ears, anyway? Are you perhaps a Metamorphmagus?”
Right he was again, but it didn’t take a Ravenclaw with perfect grades to figure these things out. And with hundreds of years of experience, Sir Nicholas was excellent at picking up on things.
One of Berrybun’s ears – the closest one to Sir Nicholas – raised curiously as he began to speak, to hear his question better. This absolutely charmed him, and it showed, as he couldn’t help the pleased smile that plastered his face.
“Yeah, I- I am.” Berrybun smiled, finally meeting Sir Nicholas’ gaze again.
“How about that!” He exclaimed. “You’re a rare breed. And I see you can’t hide it, good on you.” He spoke genuinely. “But tell me, why rabbit ears? Is that the species of your Patronus, perhaps?”
“No- well, yes, but- but that’s not why.” Berrybun sputtered out. “I just ah…” They knew their meal time in the Great Hall was coming to an end soon, so they tried to put this as simply as possible. “I have a… a kinship to rabbits. I feel like I am one. So I- I like being seen as one.”
Sir Nicholas had never heard a thing like it before. Not only were they an absolute charmer with some kind of fondness for him, but this was also the first time he had heard of an experience like that. He was already caught off guard by being baffled once, but multiple times? He was already looking forward to future encounters with this one.
He opened his mouth to react to what they had said, but alas, it was time for supper to conclude.
“Well!” Sir Nicholas said instead. “Now that I know what you look like, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” He winked, before making his departure, leaving them to their own devices once again as students began to file out.
Berrybun sat there, once again stupefied by his response. They got winked at…!! By Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington…!!! They finally got to their feet, as they now had to. But then their foot began to thump. And their hands began to flap. Elation crawled all over them.
And from a different angle, Sir Nicholas was able to catch it.