A/N: This is a M&MWP – founded by mew-tsubaki, so give her a little shout-out of you write them. I don't own HP. For the winner of week 5, aka my buddy Marcus. You rock, dude.
Haunt me
It was a humid day. Bot hot, not cold, just right. The air was moist – as was his cheeks. He didn't know why he was so upset, he just was. Perhaps it was because he had heard some of the critics of Hogwarts judge his teaching style, calling it 'boring' and 'without any equal entity'. He hated to admit it, but they were right. His heart wasn't in teaching – the only reason he'd decided to come back to this place was because of his favourite portrait. Though his affections to here not entirely platonic.
"Binns? Dear, what is it?" Her sweet voice asked.
He looked up at her. She was in his office portrait, having chased his usual guardian away. Her plump body was situatexd in the latter's chair and she was panting. It was obvious that she'd run a few floors to meet him.
"Oh, nothing." He sniffed, refusing to cry in front of the lady.
"You do realise you can tell me? How long have you and I been friends?"
"Quite a long while, m'lady?"
"Exactly. And seeing you like that isn't a hobby of mine."
He nodded. "It's just the students, m'lady."
"Oh. I know what they all say about you."
"And you never told me?"
"My dear, why would you ever need to care about what others say?"
"It' is not always that simple."
"Life isn't supposed to be simple. Take me, for instance. I am a portrait. I do not exist, yet I feel. I'm in love with a very alive person, but I can't make anything of my feelings known – it'll just end in heartbreak."
"You are in love, m'lady? And here I thought you and I were friends."
"We are. I just… I see us as more, even though we can never be."
Binns' eyes widened the tiniest bit. "Truly? Well, m'lady, you are not alone in those sensations."
"Say you'll haunt me?" She nearly begged him. "I don't want to be alone."
"I won't leave you alone, m'lady. Never."
It proved true when he died and didn't move on. He stayed with her, and they watched the several wars pass. Not truly being able to contribute, they sat on the side-lines and watched, as though it was a muggle film. Sometimes they would get together to add commentary. Other times they didn't speak at all. Side by side they would… well, she would sit and he would float.
What was hard for them; was that they could never embrace, or even do something as simple as hold hands. Yet all they wanted was the other's company.
He'd kept his promise – he was haunting her. So they could be together, forever. Forever… it didn't seem enough for them.
