Hey everyone. I'm back with another assignment for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Challenges and Assignments. I chose Muggle Studies this time and the task was for the Nightmare Before Christmas. So here is Winky's First Christmas. I hope you all enjoy.
Sunlight sparkled down on the little bed in the Hogwarts kitchens almost blinding it's occupant. Blinking as she sat up Winky realized it wasn't sunlight beaming down on her. It was wand light. Blinking once more to finally readjust her eyesight Winky realized there several different beings in her space. One of them being Dobby.
"What is Dobby doing in Winky's private space?" asked the disoriented house elf.
"Dobby is here to invite Winky to join Dobby and Dobby's friends to celebrate the Christmas," Dobby told her in a voice full of awe.
Winky grunted a sharp no and tried to turn away from Dobby. Dobby wasn't having that. Neither was the girl with the bushy brown hair.
"Come join us, Winky, please," said the Granger girl.
Dobby looked at Winky pleadingly. He seemed to think it was a good idea. But how did one ever celebrate this holiday? Winky only ever worked for every holiday.
"But how do you celebrate this holiday?" Winky brought her tear brimmed eyes up to the gathering of beings in front of her. "I've only ever worked during the holidays."
"Come on we'll show you," the Potter boy told her holding out his hand to Winky.
Winky looked at offered hand. Winky had rarely been offered a hand in all her years of duty. It wasn't what people did in regards to house elves. Looking up Winky saw the kind look not only on Potter's face but all those who were with him. Meaning the Granger girl, the Weasley girl, and all three Weasley boys.
"Winky will come with you," she said looking around in case someone would tell her no. Seeing that no one was going to do that she took the Potter boy's hand.
"We'll be going to the Weasley family's house," the Granger girl, who told Winky to call her Hermione, said. She lead the trembling confused house elf towards the fireplace.
They all used Floo Powder to get to the Weasley home. Winky had never liked using Floo Powder when she worked for the Crouch family. Or any of her other families she had worked for. It always made her feel sick and disoriented.
As Winky made her way out of the Weasley family fireplace she blinked at all the lights and activity around her. There stockings in the fireplace. Maybe that was how the Weasleys dried such articles of clothing.
"What's wrong Winky?" the youngest Weasley boy, Ron, asked as furrowed his brow.
"Why are your socks hanging in the fireplace?" asked the confused elf who was still trying to take in all of her surroundings. "And is it custom to bring in a large tree like that one?"
The Weasley parents shared a look between each other.
The Weasley mother, who told Winky to call her Molly, lead the dazed elf over to the table. "Why don't you take a seat, dear?" she smiled down on the shaking elf. "Have you ever celebrated Christmas with any of the families you worked for."
Winky shook her head trying hard not to look as afraid as she felt.
"Then consider us your family, deary," was the friendly reply.
Winky went to go get started cooking or do something productive. When she felt the restraining hand on her arm surprise surged through her veins. Hadn't she been told to think of these people as her family.
"What are you Winky?" asked the girl, Ginny, looking at her quizzically. "You don't have to do anything. Your here as our guest."
Winky blinked again in surprise as a cup of juice was placed in front of her. She watched as Ginny picked up a glass of the same juice and raised her glass in a toast waiting for Winky to join her. Winky slowly raised her glass.
"There," said Ginny, "that's not to bad. Right?"
Winky nodded as she took a sip. She watched as Dobby and Ron played a game of exploding something or other. It looked fun.
"May Winky play too?" she asked shyly.
"You can play the winner," said Ron.
Ron had won that game. Winky couldn't help but smile as she listened to rules of the game being explained. Winky then went on to lose her first game of Exploding Snaps. But it was fun to watch the other play.
"Winky play more round, please?" asked Ginny, the current winner.
Winky nodded. And just as Winky won her second game of the day Molly came and announced that dinner was ready. Winky looked around for the table for the house elves but found none.
George motioned her over. "Hey Winky," he called. "Why don't sit here next to me?" He indicated the seat between him and his brother Percy.
Winky walked over and sat down in the offered seat. She'd never been offered a seat at the family table before. Or even offered the same food as her human family. She filled her plate multiple times with as much of the food as she could. It was like a perfect feast. This must be what heaven felt like. Or at least in a house elf's mind.
"Present time!" exclaimed Molly Weasley as she started to hand out parcels.
Winky blinked in surprise yet again, as a parcel was placed in front of Dobby and herself. She pucked up the parcel and slowly unwrapped it. Inside was a lumpy purple jumper with a big yellow W in the middle. Winky had never been given anything from her family in friendship. Tears began to slowly slide down her face.
"Winky thanks you for your kind invitation to dine," she said through her tears. "And your kind gift." She held the sweater to her chest as she cried.
The rest of the night passed as a blur and soon Winky found herself back at the castle. Maybe Dobby was right after all, Winky thought as she drifted off to sleep snuggled into her new sweater.
There you have it. Another bit of fluff for my fluff collection. I hope everyone enjoyed it.