It's been so long since I updated this fic collection...! I posted this to Tumblr earlier this month, I received this fic prompt months ago for Jemima learning a new song and saved it for Halloween season, so happy Halloween~!

NOTE: this does not align with my actual headcanon that living people only hear Jemima sing the one specific song


Come Little Children

She was sad to hear of Mary's moving on. Despite the briefness of her interactions with most of the other ghosts, Jemima had been quite fond of Mary; she was kind and motherly, and back when they were all still adjusting to her presence at group events, she would often defend Jemima against some of the crueller comments made, at least after Mary herself had warmed up to her. When Humphrey told her she was gone, she had huddled up in her pantry for days, the first time she'd done so in the last couple of years.

She had come to terms with the loss now, as had the others. And as much as they all missed her, now that they needn't worry about frightening her, it opened up some new options at Film Club. According to Alison, at least.

Jemima didn't always join the other ghosts for Film Club; the films they watched often weren't especially child-friendly, and she wasn't always interested in the ones that were. However, when October came around, Alison insisted that she come along.

Humphrey came to collect her, along with Pat. Jemima quite liked Pat, if she was honest, and she was glad to see him, even if it didn't show on her face.

"Jemima!" Humphrey grinned when he saw her, "It seems you've been invited to Film Club tonight, Alison's picked something special seeing as it's almost Halloween. She's quite excited about it, actually. Been wanting to show us this one for a while."

"Why hasn't she?"

Both men cringed slightly. Pat decided to explain.

"For Mary's sake, she said. Apparently it's about witches."

"Oh," was all she said in reply before taking Humphrey's head from Pat and leading the way upstairs.

They joined the others already congregating around the TV. Jemima took her usual place sitting cross-legged on the floor, in front of Kitty this time, briefly handing Humphrey's head over to Pat so she could get comfortable before taking him back and placing him in her lap. Mike entered then with a bowl of popcorn and Alison directed him to the empty spot beside her. The film began.

Hocus Pocus.

The opening scene - a little girl about her age drained of life by the three sister witches - both intrigued and frightened her, and she pulled Humphrey's head close to her chest. He gently reassured her it was only a film, and she simply nodded once, and hummed the little song one of the witches had sung to herself.

There was another little girl, named Dani, who Jemima quickly decided was one of her favourite characters, and whenever she teased her brother for his feelings towards the older girl, Allison, Jemima shot Thomas a pointed look. He pretended not to notice, but the way he turned his head, propping his elbow on the arm of the chair and resting his chin in his hand as he crossed his legs, only served to make him look more awkward. Jemima bit back a smile.

Billy, at first, also frightened her, but she soon warmed up to him, especially when he lost his head. She again held her papa closer, her lips brushing his hair.

When Binx the cat was run over, Jemima tensed up, hearing a few gasps behind her; in particular, from Kitty, Pat and Lady Button, but all heaved a sigh of relief when he was revived.

And when the witch called Sarah sang her song once again, Jemima's eyes were locked, unblinking, on the screen. Humphrey, of course, noticed and chuckled.

"Well, Jem," he whispered, "I'm afraid you'd be done for if this were real. Lured you right in."

She only smiled, and sang along as the song continued:

"The time's come to play, here in my garden of magic…"

Mike suddenly sat up, looking around in confusion, then stared at Alison, who stared right back.

"Was that…" he frowned, "… Jemima?"

"You heard her?"

The ghosts, apart from Humphrey and Jemima herself, all started muttering amongst themselves as Mike and Alison continued.

"… That is what she does, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, but I thought it was only with Ring Around The Rosies, wasn't it?" Alison glanced over to Jemima.

As did everyone else.

Jemima stared back at them, suddenly shy.

"… I never tried any other songs before…" she said in a small voice, "Not around the living."

Alison relayed this to Mike, and he nodded.

"Huh. Well, that's a new discovery."

They all settled down again soon after that, but Jemima's attention was now divided, as was Alison's.

By the time the 31st came around, half of the household was nearly sick of hearing Come Little Children multiple times a day (although only Julian ever dared to complain in Jemima's presence). Kitty, always up for a sing-along, would often join in.

It gave Alison an idea.

She and Mike decorated the front of the house ready for trick-or-treaters to arrive; Button House was so distanced from the village nearby that they didn't often get visitors on Halloween but this year, they wanted to give Jemima an audience. Alison made two rustic-looking signs to hang on the front gate: "Trick-or-treaters welcome!" with an arrow pointing towards the house, and "Beware of ghosts!".

As the first group of children came up the drive, a single adult a few steps behind them, Jemima watched from nearby, clutching Humphrey's head.

"Ready?" he asked.

There was an anxious pause before she answered, "I don't want them to be scared of me."

"Oh, Jem," Humphrey said softly, "Scaring is what makes Halloween fun, isn't it? It's all just pretend, remember. They're expecting to be scared a little bit. And they'll probably know the song."

She took a deep breath and began to move toward the group.

"Come little children-"

The little boy and girl closest to her both jumped and squealed and Jemima stopped, worried.

"Keep going," Humphrey whispered.

"I'll take thee away," she sang, following them as they kept walking, "Into a land of enchantment…"

She heard one of the children saying "It's Hocus Pocus!" and smiled, growing more confident. She raised her voice ever so slightly, moving around between them now.

"Come little children, the time's come to play, here in my garden of magic…"

She was leading them towards the door where Alison was waiting in a witch costume with a bowl of sweets and as they approached, she winked at Jemima.

By the end of the night, Humphrey was watching Jemima from his new vantage point on the small table Alison had brought outside as she drifted and danced about in amongst the trick-or-treaters, singing to them all the while, as they continued squealing in both fear and delight.