Hello readers! Welcome to another AU. :D
I've seen several of these Ghost AU's floating about, and I've read every single one of them that I can find. But seriously, only a hand full of these is not enough. I love Ghost AU's, and this fandom definitely needs more of them! So, here's another one to add to the list. If you like this chapter, please let me know, and I'll continue it. I was planning on prewriting the whole thing, but I didn't want to write 75k words and discover that people don't like it. So please, let me know if you want more. :) This is a Hiccstrid story by the way, because I just can't get enough of those two dorks. Other canon characters will be here as well, including the entire gang and some of the dragons. (only they won't be as dragons… but… well you'll see ;D)
Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Astrid climbed out of her car and paused to stare at the mansion towering over her. She smiled and clutched her rolling suitcase tighter, taking in the entire scene.

"It's so…" Taylor whispered, coming up beside her.

"…cool." Astrid agreed in awe.

"I was going to say big. And old. And-"

Astrid sighed and gave her sister a little nudge with her elbow. "Stop complaining! I had to listen to it the entire drive here, and I'm not listening to it any longer. You don't like it, you can go buy your own apartment."

Taylor picked up her bags, holding them under her arms as she continued to stare at the mansion. "I wasn't complaining… just stating true to life facts."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Mhm…" She took in the sight again, noting how the house looked to be about four to five floors tall- that counting the attic. The house definitely looked old, but not worn or like it was going to collapse at any given moment. It looked like it could use some work, but nothing that needed to be done immediately. Most of the outside looked to be cosmetic, and she could only hope the inside looked much the same. True, she got the house for extremely cheap- as well as the estate- but she still didn't have enough money to keep an entire mansion upkeep.

She shouldered her backpack and began to trudge up the badly overgrown sidewalk, noticing that the place had obviously been vacant for a long time, for there were even small scrubby bushes growing in the lawn and gardens where they didn't belong. She'd have to get the mower out- maybe hire one of the neighbors to do the first big clean up job for her, since she didn't have much experience with that type of stuff.

"How old is this place?" Taylor whispered as they reached the steps. Again, Astrid had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Sometimes, Taylor tended to be flighty, and easily forgot things when upset… And she'd been upset the entire ride there.

"It's been here since 1890. So 127 years."

"…That's so old."

"Yes, but Mr. Rochester insisted that the house was in amazing condition for its age." Astrid stepped onto the porch, pausing for a moment to peer down it and notice the two swings suspended from the ceiling. Besides that- it was empty.

Astrid dropped her luggage and began fumbling with the keys, Mr. Rochester having given her a whole ring of them. Said that it had every key to the house, and she was certain it would take her years to figure out which one goes where.

"Astrid, I'm not sure about this…" Taylor murmured uncertaintly, shifting from foot to foot in nervousness. "We actually have to sleep here?"

"We can share a room, if that'll make you feel better." Astrid murmured, turning to the door and noticing with a little curse that there were boards hammered across the top part, so she turned and looked for something to hammer it open with. When she caught sight of a large stone, she didn't hesitate to pick it up and start hacking away at the wood.

"But… but that won't help either of us! Astrid, this place has so many bad rumors…" Taylor shuddered and shifted again. "I don't like this at all."

Astrid sighed and pulled the board of the rest of the way, displaying a brass doorknob that looked near ancient. She pulled the keys again, ticking through each one in hopes that she'd find the front door's within the next year. How many blasted keys were there to this mansion!?

"Ghosts? Hauntings? Glowing green eyes, blood drooling on the floor… don't you question that, Astrid?"

Astrid shoved a key into the lock, giving a breathy laugh of relief before twisting it and pushing the door open. She picked up her bags, and turned to her sister before entering. "No." She replied simply, ducking under the wood and into the house.

She gasped at the sight, for it was truly beautiful. Something you'd see in one of those old sixties movies. She dropped her bags beside the door mat, staring at the large double staircase that wrapped around one half of the room, displaying three doors on top of the railinged banister. Below that was a large open archway, which looked like it led into a living quarters of some sort. The ceiling of the room was tall- probably extending up into the second floor, maybe taking up a whole chunk of it. Astrid stepped further in, wishing for a light to see better…

She turned to the door and saw a round medal contraption with a small button in the middle. She pushed the button, but nothing became of it, so she twisted it instead. The bright chandelier overhead flooded the room with brilliant light, sending Astrid gaping in awe all over again.

Taylor shoved herself in, crawling up behind Astrid and staying as close as possible. "Oh, I'm already freaked…" Taylor whimpered, her eyes scanning their surroundings without much of a second thought. "Pretty, but…" Astrid could feel her shiver against her.

"For crying out loud…" Astrid huffed, swinging the keys about her finger as she began to walk forward. "Leave your bags by the door, we should do a bit of exploring and cleaning before we do anything else."

"This place will take the rest of our lives to clean." Taylor muttered, gesturing softly to the floor that left prints in it as you walked from the dust.

"Oh!" Astrid skidded to an abrupt halt, causing Taylor to nearly tumble into her and have a panic attack. "Calm down, Tay." Astrid laughed, pointing at another open doorway to their left. "I think I see a table in there… that must be a dining room!"

"Yay…" Taylor responded unenthusiastically. "I don't trust this…"

"Come on." Astrid grabbed her wrists and dragged her sister to the door, pausing with a gasp at the sight of an extremely long table, probably near twenty feet long. It was gigantic, and it looked like it was made of oak too- heavy and bulky looking, but very elegant. It was standing atop what looked to be a rich rug of some sort- maybe a blue color, she couldn't be certain, while the floors surrounding that were hard wood.

"That's huge." Taylor squeaked.

"We're going to have to have the gang over just so we can fill that table!" Astrid laughed, stepping forward to run her hand along it's dusty surface. "Hm, it's shiny too…"

"These chairs need to meet a vacuum." Taylor coughed, patting one of the padded seats with her hand and sending puffs of dust into the air. "We might need the gang to come over just to help clean…"

"That's not a bad idea, actually." Astrid agreed, dusting off her hands. "But first, let's see what's behind those two doors." She pointed to one side of the room, and instantly headed for it, Taylor trotting to keep up the pace.

"It's so quiet…"

"Well, once we get some music playing it won't be."

"Music… noise… distraction from the suffocating silence… heavenly." Taylor breathed.

Astrid smirked and rolled her eyes at her sister's antics, and paused by the first door out of the two. "Say your prayers, sis." Taylor closed her eyes shut and shuddered.

Astrid cranked the door open, but found it locked. So with a grown she began flipping through the keys, until she found one that looked like it'd match somewhat, and slipped it in the key hole.

She pushed the door open, giving a yelp of surprise when it came swinging back. A swinging door! She already had a good idea what this room was going to be like- even without looking.

"Kitchen!" She called out happily, struggling for the light switch and turning it on upon finding it. "Oh… Tay, look at that stove!"

Taylor stepped inside, eyes widening at the old wood burning cooking stove that was shoved up against one wall, tightly compacted in by two counters on either side. There was a door that Astrid suspected lead outside, while another door lead to probably the servant's quarters.

There was also a sturdy wooden table in the middle of the room, a medal rack suspending over it for hanging pots and pans. On either side of Taylor and Astrid by the dining room door was more counters with open cupboards underneath.

"Huge doesn't even start to cover it." Astrid said, turning about in awe as she stepped further into the room. "Hm..." She trailed a hand on the wooden table in the middle, surprised by the lack of dust. "Not as dirty in here."

The lights flickered on and off, and Astrid looked up to see Taylor playing with the button light switch.

"What is this thing?" Taylor asked, pressing it again and again.

"It's an old fifties light switch- great grandpa had some in his house. You probably don't remember much, but just because those things are old, doesn't mean they don't work. Grandpa had one for years and it never failed on him."

"Does the whole house have these?"

"I don't think so- just the bottom half."

Taylor looked up- a bit fearfully. "O-oh…"

"Don't worry." Astrid grinned. "This is where we're living anyways. There is no way we need this entire mansion to live in." she looked back out at the dining room. "We should open a Boarding House!"

"No one would come!" Taylor exclaimed. "This place is rumored to be haunted- not exactly the best way to attract guests."

"Oh, come on…" Astrid shook her head. "You know as well as I do that ghosts do not exist."

"Yes they do! Gobber was telling me all about them-"

"Heh, Gobber is Gobber, he'll tell you anything he thinks you'll believe."

"No, no, no…" Taylor side stepped the table and came to stand by Astrid. "He said that there've been rumors and tales- all the way from the 1910's! How there's a ghost here, with glowing green eyes and large protruding teeth, ready to devour your soul without a moment's notice-"

"Oh Tay." Astrid sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "And you believe all of this?"

"Yes… lots of neighbors confirmed it!"

"It's a legend, Taylor." Astrid said firmly. "Ghosts are not real. So stop freaking, and let's keep moving on."

Taylor huffed in annoyance but agreed to follow her sister to the next door in the dining room, one that took Astrid five minutes to find the key for.

"Do you think we have cell service here?" Taylor suddenly asked, pulling out her phone and quickly punching it with her thumbs. "Woah, impressive. Four bars!"

"Mhm…" Astrid murmured distractedly, still focused on trying to find the right key. "There must be a hundred doors in this house…" She muttered.

"Well, I can believe it." Taylor glanced about. "This place is gigantic. I even heard that there's a ball room!"

"I don't know if it's that gigantic." Astrid laughed. "But there might be one upstairs…"

Finally, the key slipped in, and she pulled the door open to reveal a hallway, and what looked to be stairs at the end, but she couldn't completely tell given to the lack of light. She fumbled for a light switch, thanking God when she found one.

"I think this is just a shortcut from the upstairs floor to the dining room." Astrid mused, taking a few steps inside. "Yep, there are stairs back there going up. Second floor passage."

"Good, good, good… how about we… uh- close the door now?" Taylor whispered. "We haven't been upstairs yet."

Astrid sighed and pulled the door shut, not bothering to relock it since she did not want to fumble for five minutes searching for the right key.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're even a Hofferson. Fearless!.. You know?" Astrid laughed at Taylor's blush, but continued on back into the entry.

"Living area next." Astrid stated excitedly making a mad dash for the room beneath the stairs. "Wow, this staircase is huge…" She said, looking up at the mahogany wood above her. "Like… huge."

"Like the rest of this place. I don't think we'll fine a normal sized thing anywhere." Taylor agreed, staring up in awe. "This place is very historic."

"That it is." Astrid pulled Taylor inside the next room, switching the light on to laminate the room in light- although several of the chandeliers on the walls weren't working- Astrid figured they were dead or broken bulbs.

The ceiling was tall in here as well, but not nearly as tall as the entry or dining room. It was probably around ten feet, with a white painted ceiling that looked to carry a unique design. It was beautiful, and not too glam glam that it was almost overbearing, but evenly distributed. Not too much, not too little.

And towards the middle of the room was too settee's, the old ones on those studded legs. There were small tables beside the settee's, and two large chairs at the end of the room between two large bay windows. Astrid hurried forward to open the curtains, letting the natural sunlight fill the room.

"Look at that clock!" Astrid explained, scrabbling off the dusty pillows of the window to the large face clock, wondering if it still worked. "Don't you have to crank something to get it started..?"

"I think so." Taylor mused, coming up beside her to fumble behind the clocks face. "Ha! Found it!" She called out, giving it a few sharp twists until it began ticking cheerfully.

"I am in love with this place." Astrid said happily, turning and beaming at the room. "This room is my favorite! It's not too big, not too small, not too glammy, not too plain… it's perfect!" she ran a hand along the top of one of the settee's, noting how this too didn't have as much dust on it. Probably the lower ceilings or something. "I call this… our work room!" She dubbed with a smile. "Comfy, huh?"

"Yeah… yeah it is…" Taylor agreed reluctantly. "So, is that all?"

"Sis, we still have three floors to explore." Astrid laughed. "And we still have one more room down here to look at too."

Back out to the entry they went, Astrid dragging Taylor along until they made it to the door on the right. This one also had a lock, and Astrid quietly cursed as she fumbled to find the right one.

"Nope… not this… ha!" She twisted the key and pushed the door open, hand going to the wall to turn the lights on. It lit the room, and she realized with a little laugh that this was a music room.

"Taylor! Just your place…" She stepped inside, pushing the curtains open to let more light stream in, displaying the Grand Piano and an empty stand that was meant to hold instruments. Astrid went to the piano, letting her fingers drum a few keys to see how well it was tuned.

"Not bad…" She shrugged; she'd played on worse. "Now…" She pulled out her flashlight, clicking it on and off with a sneaky smile. "The second floor!"

"Second floor?" Taylor murmured. "B-but… this floor suits me just fine. It's nice and open and- and has lights…"

Astrid grabbed Taylor's arm, not letting her finish her sentence before dragging her to the stairs, where her sister refused to budge.

"Let's stay down here!" She called, hugging the stair railing tightly to keep from moving. "Please!"

Astrid let go and huffed in annoyance. "Fine! Then I will just go without you…" She began to trot up the stairs, hearing the scramble of feet behind her. She smirked, already knowing that her sister wouldn't let herself be left behind and alone in the eerie mansion.

"Wait for me!" She called, but Astrid just continued trotting up the stairs until she reached the topmost step, breathing a bit heavily from the exertion. There were probably over twenty steps…

She turned to face the doors while she waited for Taylor to catch up, and she mused as to which one to open first. She resolved for the double doors in the middle, pulling out her keys once more to find one for the lock.

Taylor stumbled to a halt beside her, breathing heavily and doubling over so as to catch her breath. "Good… grief…" She gasped. "Why so… so many stairs?"

"Dang it!" Astrid explained with a yelp, wiping her injured thumb against her jeans. "Pinched my finger on these keys…"

"Hm, these are quite the doors." Taylor fingered the white painted wood. "It's actually pretty smooth- and not covered in dust like you'd think it would be."

"I noticed that too." Astrid agreed, looking up from her search. "Some of the rooms aren't as dusty either. Like, the piano was hardly dusty at all, while the rest of the room was covered in it. Or the living area, which wasn't too bad either. But then-"

"You're just trying to freak me out!" Taylor explained, giving her sister a light punch in the arm. "You are evil…"

Astrid laughed, letting it die out as her tone deepened, "But… no, seriously. Didn't you notice? I wonder if it has something to do with the lower ceilings… and where is this stupid key!?"

"Maybe it's not locked?" Taylor suggested, Astrid freezing in mid key shift to glare at her sister.

She gave the handle a tug, pushing it open. "See! I just need to..." Her voice trailed off when the doors swung open. "Oh come on…" she muttered, while Taylor smirked.

She clicked on her flashlight, pushing both doors open before carefully venturing inside. Taylor added her flashlight as well, letting them see with a gasp that Taylor had been correct, there was a ballroom.

"Woah…" Astrid gaped, flicking her flashlight about. "This is amazing…"

"Hey… there's a switch here!" Taylor said excitedly. She quickly flipped it, sending a large chandelier in the middle of the room aglow.

The two gaped and stared at the sight, amazed that something so… majestic as a ballroom was in their home. The ballroom wasn't huge, A little smaller than a gym, but it was still impressive. And they found themselves standing right in the entry, with a balcony extending over them.

"This is amazing…" Taylor whispered. "We have to have a dance! Just so we can use this room."

"Yeah… wow…" Astrid was still shocked by it, staring down at the marble looking floors in amazement. "Wow…"

Taylor laughed and was about to say more when there was a small crash towards the back room, causing both Astrid and Taylor to freeze in alarm. There was silence… almost a disturbing silence.

"What… what was that?" Taylor whispered fearfully, sounding much like a small child afraid of the dark.

Astrid stared towards the back of the room, where she knew the sound had taken place. She motioned for Taylor to follow as they made their way across the large high-ceilinged room, both trying to move as quietly as possible.

"Ast I'm scared…" Taylor whimpered pathetically. Astrid glared at her and silently hushed, motioning for silence.

Astrid stopped after going behind a bend, behind the fireplace. There was a small kitchenette, as well as a locked door that was most likely the steps she'd seen below in the dining room. She looked about, noticing pans on the floor from what most likely caused the noise.

"It was just these pots." Astrid sighed in relief, bending down to retrieve them and stack them neatly on a small stove against the large chimney. "Nothing to worry about. Must've grown unsteady or… or something."

"That… that cut twelve years off of my life." Taylor wheezed, hand over her heart as she closed her eyes tightly. "That… that was so scary…"

Astrid smiled and headed back into the empty room, doing a little twirl for emphasis. "We have to get the gang over here! They'd have a blast!"

"Blast to the past…" Taylor murmured in agreement. "But I'm still uneasy. Somehow, I doubt those pots tipped over on their own."

"You worry wart." Astrid teased, "It's fine! Nothing is wrong."

"I still thi-" There was the sound of scuttling and… and something that Astrid could've sworn sounded like a not so pleasant curse word. She frowned, while Taylor began quaking in her boots and her face paled dramatically.

"Don't faint on me." Astrid muttered, swiveling her flashlight about the room. "We have to find out what's making that noise. I have a feeling a bum snuck in or something."

"With all those locks!?" Taylor pointed out, but Astrid chose to ignore her. She stepped further back towards the other side of the chimney, jumping in shock and surprise when she caught sight of a flick of fabric and movement.

"I see you!" Astrid shouted, leaping forward. Whoever it was scrambled back behind the fireplace, jingling those pots again and sending them crashing. Astrid continued to chase after the form, while Taylor merely screamed from her place safely in the middle of the room.

"Come back here you bum!" Astrid shrieked, tossing her flashlight aside so she could run faster. The form ahead of her looked skinny and tall- with a shock of black hair but that was all she could tell from the view she was at. The guy was fast too, racing about as though he'd lived there his whole life.

"Stop it!" Astrid shrieked, picking up speed and gaining on runaway. "Taylor, help me!"

The guy was trying to run for the stairs or doors, and Astrid couldn't let that happen. Once he was out the doors, he could hide basically anywhere, and if he went up the stairs… she had no idea what was up there, so he'd be lost for sure. Especially if the doors were all unlocked.

Taylor was sobbing as she rushed to close the doors, then going to stand by the stairs. But since there were two staircases, the man merely swerved and tried to scramble for the other set. But in that sharp turn, he slipped on the slick floor and stumbled, giving Astrid just enough time to leap and tackle him to the ground.

"Haha!" She shouted in victory, arms wrapping tightly around his thin arms as she wrenched them behind his back. "I've got you! Taylor, get over here and give me a hand!"

Taylor rushed over while Astrid struggled to keep the writhing man captive. He was face down on the hard floor, Astrid sitting on his back and pressing against his arms to help keep him in place.

Taylor tossed her her jean's belt, which Astrid hurriedly used to tie the man's wrists. He continued to struggle, but had yet to say a word.

Astrid breathed heavily as she leaned back, flipping her messy hair out of her face in satisfaction. Hofferson's never lose. "Alright, let's see who you are and what you've got to say for yourself."

She got off and rolled him over onto his back, startled by how young he looked. From the tall lean figure, she'd supposed he'd be a scruffy man in his thirties. But this guy looked to be in his late teens- somewhere around Taylor's age. He stared at them through bright green eyes, looking quite angry and upset.

"Well?" Astrid tapped her hand on the floor impatiently. "What're you doing here, and how long have you been here?"

"None of your business." The man growled, trying to roll over but failing when Astrid sat on his chest, keeping him in place. "Get… off…"

"Tell me why you're here, how long, and what you were trying to do."

"Escape?" the man stated sarcastically, flicking his eyes towards the door. "You know, so these strange people who suddenly move in won't try and kill me?"

"How long have you been here?" Astrid asked again.

"My whole life." The boy replied grudgingly, refusing to meet her eyes. "I've lived here my whole life, I've hunted for food, I don't have anywhere else to go, and I don't have family. So please… just let me go, so I can escape and no one will try and find me."

"You look like you're old enough for a job." Astrid said firmly. "How old are you?"

"Nineteen." He answered reluctantly. His eyes remained staring at the wall, but then he suddenly flicked them towards Astrid, giving a heavy sigh. "I just needed a place to stay. I tried getting a job, but I didn't… I didn't finish school, so no one really wants me, okay? So just- let me go, and I'll leave… but… my family- long time ago. The Haddock's? They used to live here. That's why I've been staying here. Kinda… kind of a historic meaning, you know?" He stared at her for a moment longer, before sighing heavily and looking away again, surprising Astrid by how defeated he looked. "Fine… fine…" He mumbled.

"Astrid…" Taylor whispered. Astrid looked up, eyes questioning why she was interrupting. "Um… you know... This place is huge…"

"Oh for the love of-" Astrid growled, standing up and dragging the boy up with her, holding onto him by the scruff of his black shirt. "You seriously think I'm naïve enough to let this strange man stay in our house? Are you crazy, Tay?"

She blushed. "No, I just thought-"

Oh no… Astrid's brain lit ablaze with fireworks when she realized the truth. She looked to the boy in her hold, who was looking extremely uncomfortable, then to her red-faced sister.

She has a crush on him… just great. I let him go, she whines and sobs for the rest of the week about it. I let him stay, she'll moon over him like a love-struck dog.

"Taylor…" Astrid marched over to her sister, dragging the poor boy with her. "None of this. Get that idea out of your head this instant, understood? What about Max anyways?"

"Max?" The boy asked, earning a swat on the head from Astrid at the interruption.

"But… Astrid, still…. He's homeless! And this place is gigantic, I'm sure there's room somewhere…" Taylor begged.

Oh my young and immature sister… Astrid sighed and facepalmed. But… then again, Taylor did have a point. The place was huge, probably had fifty rooms. Maybe she could give him the servants quarters and lock their bedroom doors… hm…

She looked at her sister again, noting the begging blue eyes and innocent gaze. She sighed heavily and nodded slightly, Taylor smiling in response before Astrid whirled around and came nose to nose with the frightened teen.

"Alright. You can stay if you want to, but that means you're going to follow the rules, and you're going to stay in the servants quarters-"

"C-could I stay in the west wing?" He asked carefully. "That's… that's where I've normally been sleeping and stuff. In a room over there- opposite side of the house. Past the ballroom…"

Astrid stiffened for a moment, before sighing and giving him a harsh glare. "Fine- but I need to look into it first. Understood? We're in charge…" She gestured to Taylor and herself, pausing and frowning before correcting herself. "Actually- I'm in charge. Anything you want to do, you have to run by me. Not Taylor, got that?" Taylor pouted, but Astrid ignored her, knowing if she let Taylor have say, the boy would have free reign of the house. She stared hard into his eyes, waiting for an answer.

He nodded quickly, gratefulness filling his green orbs as he slumped in relief. "Thank you… I promise, I won't be a bother. I know this house like the back of my hand too, so if you need a guide, I can help." He offered willingly, looking honest and like he meant the words. Astrid stared for a moment more, before nodding and releasing her hold on him, turning to unbuckle the belt around his hands.

"Alright. Show us the rest of the house- including the West Wing. Then we'll talk and figure this out."

The teen bit his lip, but nodded slowly. "O-okay… I promise. I won't do anything wrong."

"You better not. And if you even attempt to do anything with either of us." She gestured to herself, then Taylor. "Especially my sister- you're dead meat. Understood?"

He nodded, "I understand. I would never think to take advantage of you two… especially two women."

Astrid thought about giving him a punch for that- just women!? Since when did that have anything to do with it!? But since he said it respectfully, she begrudgingly let it slide.

"Alright." She huffed, waving a hand before her. "Lead on- and remember! One wrong move-"

"I understand." The boy held his arms up in defeat. "I'll behave."

"Better." Astrid growled, before picking up her flashlight and switching it on and off to make sure it still worked. "Okay. Let's go-" She paused, sighing and turning around. "What's your name again?"

"Tom." He answered shortly, not offering a last name.

"Last name? Is it Haddock?"

Tom swallowed obviously, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "Uh… no. Just Tom."

Astrid eyed him suspiciously, but decided that that would do for now. She'd have to figure out his last name later on.

"I'm Astrid Hofferson, and that's my sister Taylor." She introduced shortly. "Now…" She waved the flashlight's beam towards the stairs. "Let's go see the West Wing."

Let me know what you think of this! :) See you next chapter if you think this looks interesting and like I should continue…