Chapter one: Elf
The day started ordinary, a day before Dove's birthday. She, Ron, and Draco were riding their bikes, gifts from Uncle Lucy, around the small village of Ottery St. Catchpole. Racing. Now, their parents- aside from Remus- didn't approve of racing. Especially after the wreck it caused last time on those bumpy and uneven trails through the wood. Ridiculous! The whole point of having bikes was to race each other and gloat afterwards, right? But I digress. Racing.
The sun was high in the sky and there was not a cloud in sight. It was the nicest day they'd had this wonderful summer. Dove spread her arms out as she rode, wishing she were on her broom.
Draco was in the lead by half a bike length, Dove right behind him. Ron was spectating a sandwich Molly had sent with them for a picnic lunch.
"Oh, come on, Dove." Draco said over his shoulder. "You can't catch up. You might as well stop trying."
"Draco! Watch out!"
Dove was able to just barely turn her bike away, but Draco wasn't that lucky. He crashed into a pyracanth bush. He screamed, as they were simply riddled with notoriously sharp thorns. Ron and Dove ran over to help him out, but it hurt more when they tried. So he was stuck, tears running down his face. Dove paced. What were they going to do? They were going to be in so much trouble for this.
"Ron," she said. "You go home, find your dad and bring him. Ok? He wouldn't get so upset like mine." Ron nodded and looked at Draco again before getting on his bike, more hesitant than before.
Fifteen minutes later he was back, with Severus, Molly, Remus, and Lucius. Dove tugged on her locket in anxiety. Severus or Remus said nothing to her as the adults assessed the situation and then vanished he bush, leaving a prickled Draco whimpering on the ground. Then it seemed a long trek back to the Den, Dove's house, where Lucius took Draco home. Severus turned to Dove with a hard look. She gulped.
"You know how we feel about racing. This is the second time something like this has occurred. I encourage you all to go out, explore the area, have fun. But racing on the roads can be dangerous. If they were smooth I would have no problem against it- you know that." Then he paused. "You will not ride your bike for the rest of holiday. Am I understood?"
Dove nodded, feeling terribly guilty about upsetting him and wishing she hadn't. "And Miss Granger will not be coming to spend the night tomorrow."
Her head snapped up. "But we've been waiting all month! You promised!"
"Silence!" He raised his voice. "Yes, I promised. But you promised to stop racing. You lied to me, Dove. I do not like being lied to. Perhaps this will discourage it from happening again! Now go to your room and I don't want you out of it until dinner."
With tears in her eyes threatening to leak, she ran up the stairs and slammed her door before flinging herself rather dramatically on her bed.
As soon as the door slammed upstairs, Severus collapsed into his armchair. "Was I being unreasonable?" He asked Remus, who'd been watching the scene from the doorway. "I told her why I didn't want her racing. I laid it out perfectly. I told her what would happen if she did go racing again. She promised not to. I will not raise a liar."
Remus said nothing and Severus asked again. "Was I being unreasonable?"
"Unreasonable, no. Unrealistic? Very." He sat down across from him. "She's a child. She's going to get herself into trouble. It's what they do. You're right. She did break her promise, but that's not quite the same as lying. I have no doubt at the time she said it she meant it."
"And, was I too hard on her?" Severus asked nervously.
Remus leaned back and thought. "You told her that if she raced again you would take away her bike. That is a very reasonable punishment as is making her stay in her room for the rest of the day. However, it's a bit unfair to punish her twice for the same crime. Perhaps not allowing her friend to come over was a bit much."
Severus ran his hands over his face. "I don't know what I'm doing. At Hogwarts it was easier. I was her teacher. Here, I just don't know. At dinner, I will take it back."
Then they heard Dove scream.
Dove had bitterly been imagining herself yelling back at Severus, which she would never do, but in her mind- she was a rebel and no one told her what to do! Hermione was going to be so disappointed! Then, there was a crack! And she jumped, looking over to see a house elf that she'd never seen before. She screamed, though she felt silly about it later.
"Dobby is sorry!" It wailed. "Dobby never meant to frighten Dove Potter… Dobby has long wanted to meet Dove Potter… Such an honor it is… "
"U-um, right. Well, Dobby, what are you doing in my room?"
"Dove!" Severus burst the door open with his wand raised, binding Dobby in an instant. Remus came over to check her.
"Are you okay?" She nodded.
Severus looked to the elf. "What are you doing in my daughter's room?"
"Dobby has come to tell you, sir . . . it is difficult, sir . . . Dobby wonders where to begin. . . ."
"The beginning is usually the best start," Remus said. "Sit down."
Dove watched him start wailing. "Never, oh, s-sit down… "
"He didn't mean to offend you or anything," she said quickly.
"Offend Dobby?" He asked, crying. "Never has Dobby been asked to sit down by a wizard. Like an equal."
"You can't have met many decent wizards then," Severus said dryly.
"No," Dobby replied. "I haven't." Then he was off, banging his head furiously against the window. "Bad Dobby. Bad Dobby."
Remus stopped him, the poor house elf now cross eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family."
"Why are you here?" Severus said, getting impatient.
"Dove Potter is valiant and bold. Dobby has heard she faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named just a few weeks ago and escaped yet again. Dobby has come to warn Dove Potter, even if he must shut his ears in the oven door later… Dove Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."
"W-what?" Dove asked, stunned. "But I have to. Hogwarts is Hogwarts. It's home."
"No, no, no." Dobby squeaked, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Dove Potter must stay here with her family where she is safe. If she goes back, Dove Potter will be in mortal danger."
"What are you talking about," Severus growled.
"There is a plot. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," the elf whispered, trembling. "Dobby has known it for months. Dove Potter must not put herself in peril. She is too important!"
"What kind of danger? Who's plotting?" Remus asked, furious someone was threatening his pack.
Dobby frantically banged his head some more against the wall, leaving a dent.
"Stop!" Dove yelled. Zara never acted like this. "Please! Stop hurting yourself!"
He stopped and gave her an awed look. "Dobby has heard of Dove Potter's greatness, miss, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew. Which is why Dove Potter must not go."
And the elf was gone.