The Keep

7. Those Who Left

Sitting in the warm bubbling calmness of her bath, Hazel let her mind roamed back to the prophecy she was working on. Another one by Sybil Trelawney, a very tricky Seer to her opinion. Hazel dove into her clawed bath and rose back up again, trying to get rid of the puzzling prophecy out of her mind.

In Hazel's attempt to clear her head, her mind shifted to the stiffening on her neck and shoulder instead. And it didn't stop there. Hazel felt the weariness of her spine, the heaviness of her head, and the soreness between her knuckles.

Hazel breathed in the calming lavender scent of the bath and breathed it out in length, hoping to scour for a piece of peace needed for a good night sleep.

Then suddenly, the bath shuddered, sending the water inside in ripples. Aunt Gilly, as Leanna Gillivray's ghost liked to be called, glided up the bath and sat on the lip of the clawfoot tub. 

"I can NOT believe what your great-granddad just said. He likes it more maggot-y, he said. The fungus weren't mature enough for his taste, he said. Did he ever use his brilliant head for once, to think that it's not that easy to spoil and age meats in this icy weather!? Beard of Merlin!! If he insult my food, once more, just once more, I'd have Whimpy serve him the freshest of our meat, see what he can smell from that!!!"

Aunt Gilly ranted on, undoubtedly about Hazel's great-grandfather and her son, Logan Gillivray. He was, to Hazel's opinion, the gloomiest ghost of the Keep.

"Aunt Gilly," Hazel called.

"Yes, love?" Leanna Gillivray's ghostly eyes softened as she answered.

"You're freezing up my water," Hazel said. The warm water had turned cold, and a thin layer of ice has started to spread from the lip of the bath where Aunt Gilly was sitting down (or more correctly, hovering over in seating position).

"Oh," Aunt Gilly glided aside so fast that the tub swayed with her a bit. 

Hazel was just about to turn the hot water tap on when Aunt Gilly decided another way to remedy the situation. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I'm sure Waldo can fix that." 

And even before Aunt Gilly finished her sentence, Waldo, the house-elf who was most devoted to her, appeared by her side.

"Warm the Mistress' bath, please, Waldo," Aunt Gilly said as she offered her ghostly dimpled smile to the grumpy-looking house-elf. 

After throwing a disagreeable look to Hazel, Waldo warmed the water with the flick of his long fingers. "Very well, Waldo. You may go back to your duties," Aunt Gilly said.

"Thank you," Hazel said hastily, but Waldo had Disapparated without hearing it.

Waldo was, of course, bound to serve to Hazel as Mistress of the Keep, but in his heart, Aunt Gilly was his only mistress. This may have to do with Hazel's utter ignorance in her duties to maintain the Keep.

"Sweetheart," Aunt Gilly's ghost glided to her side (carefully not to touch the tub, now), "Are you still using Aunt Gilly's Forever Young Face Moisturizer?" she asked as she examined Hazel's face closely.

"I am," Hazel answered shortly, while, of course, she has neither the time nor the care for such vanity.

"Hmm..," Aunt Gilly's nose gathered in disagreement, "It may be time for you to swift to Aunt Gilly's Young Again Facial Serum, pet."

"I will, Aunt Gilly," Hazel provided another short answer.

In her life, Leanna Gillivray was a Legilliment. While the ability didn't transfer to the afterlife, Aunt Gilly's ghost apparently knew that she was being lied to. She stood up, gathered her brows, and perched her hands on her waist.