Under the Mistlytoe
I is remembering it like it is yesterday.
Miss must understand that Pokey is not usually talking to students about things like this, because it is not good or proper for a house elf to be talking of their personal businesses, but miss is asking so sweetly and Pokey is not having the heart to tell her no. But miss must listen carefully, because I is only going to tell it once.
The story is happening like this...
We is in the kitchen with all of the other house elves and is getting ready for the Christmas feast. We is already finished with the decorating and is now helping in the kitchens and all of the house elves is not talking or singing because we is so busy with our preparations.
Pokey is making the mashed potatoes, like she is doing every year, and is sticky and sweating because the potatoes is very very hot; but they is needing peeling, and we is not minding because we is seeing the smiles on sirs and misses faces and is knowing that the students is very much enjoying what we is making for them.
Pokey is thinking that the potatoes is turning her hands into red blisters when she is hearing a very strange noise coming from the door of the kitchens. Pokey is sometimes too curious for her own good, so she is going over to see what the noise is and is jumping very high in the air when the door opens in front of her.
We is seeing Dogey, the house elf, and is being frozen still because we is thinking that Dogey is the most handsomest of all the house elves at Hogwarts and Dogey is looking at Pokey with the biggest and bluest eyes of all. He is always having the cleanest pillowcases to wear, even though Pokey is knowing how hard it is to get the stains out. Pokey is feeling her knees wobbling and is having to hold onto the door handle so that she is not falling over. She is not even thinking of the cold air that is rushing into the kitchen and of the potatoes that are getting cold because of it. But we is very soon forgetting that Dogey is even there, because then we is seeing two students who is shivering from the cold.
We is remembering our manners and is quickly inviting them in and bowing low, low to the ground.
"Come in, come in, sir and miss!" We is telling them, "It is below freezing in the hallways and Pokey is to be feeling very very sad if sir and miss is dying from the cold!"
We is taking miss by the hand and bringing her into the kitchen and we is happy to see that she is not shaking anymore when she is in the warm room.
"We is terribly sorry for the state of the kitchens," We is saying to them, and we is shaking our head because we house elves is usually very clean, but today we is so busy that it is difficult for even us to stay organized, "We is busy preparing the Christmas feast for tonight! You is welcome to sit down on a stool, but masters should be careful of where they is putting their bottoms. Two house elves is already having to go to the hospital because they is getting pinched and pinched and pinched by something in the kitchens."
We is not wanting to frighten them, but we is thinking that it is important to tell them.
"We is thinking it is the nargles, sir, because of all the mistlytoe that we is hanging around the school, so sir must be very careful to not let them get him or his missus. Pokey is happy to be cleaning a spot for sir and miss to sit. Is sir and miss needing something from the kitchens?"
Sir and miss is not looking like they believe Pokey, and Pokey is only hoping that the nargles do not decide to pinch them because then what will Pokey be able to do to help? And she is thinking that she will be very very sad if sir and miss must go to the hospital because she is telling them to sit down in the first place.
They is wanting hot chocolate so Pokey is making sure that Dogey is getting it for them, even though Dogey is saying that he is wanting to help Pokey peel her potatoes.
"Dogey! Sir and miss is wanting a hot chocolate!" We tells him. "I is not needing help with the potatoes, we is having more important things first!"
And we is almost forgetting my manners, so we is turning to them very quickly and asking, "Is you be taking your hot chocolate with marshmallows?"
Miss and sir is very kind to not be thinking less of Pokey for her forgetfulness, and miss is even smiling when she answers.
"Dogey! Miss is wanting hers with marshmallows!" we is yelling to Dogey.
Pokey is thinking to herself that it is a strange thing for sir and miss to come all the way down to the kitchens if they is only wanting a hot chocolate, but Pokey is not wanting to offend so she is only asking one more question.
"Is that everything that masters is needing? We is in very much of a hurry as we is not having much time to finish before we is needing to send food up to the Great Hall."
They is then telling me that Dogey is bringing sir and miss specially to see Pokey.
We is so happy and honored that we is almost falling off of the pot that we is sitting on, but we is still wondering how sir and miss is knowing to find house elves in the first place.
"We is never seeing these faces before," we is saying, "how is sir and miss finding the kitchen?"
They is looking at each other in a strange way and we is thinking that they is looking guilty of something, but we is immediately feeling bad because it is not proper to be thinking such terrible things. We is still gulping, though, because we is scared of what they is going to say.
"You is following Dogey while he is mopping the hallway?" We is shocked to be hearing this, "Meaning no insult, sir and missus, but that is not a very good thing to be doing to a house elf. We is taking pride in going abouts our business without students seeing us. We is part of what is making Hogwarts even more magical."
They is looking at each other like they is very ashamed now and Pokey is feeling even worse.
"We is not meaning to offend," Pokey is telling them, "We is only meaning to explain our duties to our master."
Sir and miss is still being kind and is saying that they is understanding how Pokey is feeling. We is thinking that they are the kindest students we is ever meeting since we is working at Hogwarts. We is feeling our eyes start to fill with tears.
Miss is very quickly telling Pokey not to cry and she is reaching into her bag and pulling out a box that is wrapped in sparkling blue paper. We is thinking that she is wanting us to put it under a Christmas tree in a house that she is not in, but she is then telling Pokey that it is a present for her! We is not able to stop crying now and we is not able to be talking because we is blubbering for at least five minutes after we is opening it.
"You is giving Pokey a Christmas bauble? Christmas baubles is Pokey's most favorite Christmas decoration! She is decorating hallways and common rooms always with them! We is always wanting a Christmas tree of our own! And we is collecting all of the broken baubles that we is finding falling off where they is hanging and putting them on branches that is breaking off of trees. We is keeping it in our room, but we is never having a new one all our own!"
Sir and miss is then telling Pokey that she is not to be worrying about her present and they is needing a favor from her.
"Sir and Miss must be needing something very special is Dogey is sending you to Pokey," we is telling them, "Pokey is the smallest and the quietest of the house elves that is working at Hogwarts and Pokey is the best at sneaking when sirs and misses are sleeping and is needing more water or fire wood. Pokey is never being seen by students unless Pokey is wanting students to see her." We is very proud of this.
They is looking like they now is believing what Pokey is saying.
"You say you is needing special, secret help from Pokey? We is sometimes helping sirs and misses when they is needing house elf magic."
Then they is telling Pokey what they is needing from her.
"You is needing a Christmas tree? But we is not supposed to be giving students... what is you needing a Christmas tree for?" We is not thinking in our right mind when we is saying this and we is immediately covering our mouths when we realize what we is saying.
Pokey's Christmas bauble is hitting her in the face now, and Pokey is then thinking that she is maybe able to help sir and miss.
"You is really needing it sir? Well, if you is really needing it... Pokey may be able to help sir out. We is willing to try, but sir and misses must be understanding that Pokey is getting in a lot of trouble if other house elves is finding out that Pokey is showing sir and miss this secret. I is maybe knowing where Hagrid is keeping extra trees."
Sir and miss is very happy and is jumping up from their seats ready to go. We is then remembering that they is not getting their hot chocolate and we is looking for Dogey to yell at him for forgetting, but sir and miss is saying that they is not needing it anymore.
We is then hearing a hiccough and is jumping when a crashing noise is knocking over pots and pans. Sir and miss are rushing over to see what the noise is, but I is already knowing and is running after them and trying to block their view.
"No no no sir and miss! You musn't be looking that way! Tobby is taking care of that misses," and I is waving at Tobby so that he is coming over with a blanket, "We is going this way! This way! No, no, we is not to be talking about it sir! We is very very embarrassed by all of it!"
But sir is insisting we is telling him what is happening and we is very reluctantly telling him the story of Winky the house elf, who is sacked by her master and is now going through six bottles of butterbeer a day.
"We is covering her with a blanket, see? We is covering her so she can sleep it off sir! Now we is needing to hurry because I is still having to peel a thousand more potatoes before I is able to start mashing them. And mashing potatoes is taking a long, long time to do."
We is finally leaving the kitchens, and Winky, behind and I is feeling like I is needing to hurry back to help so we is going very very fast.
We is out of breath before we is even half way there, but we is making sure to stop for a moment to show sir and miss the Christmas decorations.
"Is sir and miss seeing the baubles on the railing? Pokey is doing that herself and is having to reach very, very high to puts them up there." We is standing on our tiptoes to show them, "But I is happy to be doing so to see the students is smiling when they is coming down for the Christmas feast. And if we is looking up there, we is seeing where Dogey and Tobby is hanging the garland."
Miss is almost stepping on the bad spot when she is looking up, but Pokey is only seeing at the last moment, so she is having to shout at miss, which she is not liking to do.
"No misses! Do not be stepping on that spot miss! That spot is leading to the vanishing step! Miss must be minding her step. Please, miss, Pokey is not able to watch hallways and witches at the same time!"
We is finally making it to the very secret storage room and is whispering to sir and miss to keep quiet. They is standing very close behind Pokey and she is feeling how warm they are next to her, for Pokey is only wearing a kitchen towel and the hallway is very cold for house elf.
We is slowly pushing open the door, and carefully looking around the hallway, until we is sure that we is alone. Pokey is leading sir and miss through the door, but she is stopping suddenly because there is only one Christmas tree in the storage room.
It is the fullest tree that Pokey is ever seeing and it is decorated with hundreds and hundreds of baubles. It is having all of the pictures of Pokey's most favorite wizard Christmas items. Pokey is thinking that it is the most beautiful thing she is ever seeing, but then she is seeing Dogey coming out from under it and is changing her mind.
And we is finally understanding that sir and miss is not needing help from Pokey, they is only trying to help Dogey surprise us!
Dogey is walking to Pokey and is giving her another bauble. She is now having two all of her own and is feeling tears again in her eyes.
Dogey is saying that he is knowing how much Pokey is liking human traditions and he is listening to all that Pokey is saying when she is in the kitchens with him. He is remembering how she is collecting broken pieces, and he is fitting them together until he is having enough to fill the tree and to make her present. We is so happy that we is not able to stop crying now and Dogey is standing next to us and giving us his cleanest handkerchief to blow our nose.
We is crying for a long time and Dogey and sir and miss is being very kind and not ordering us to stop. When we is finally stopping crying, we is looking up at the ceiling because we is ashamed for sir and miss to see us so blubbered.
Then, as we is looking up, we is seeing the mistlytoe hanging above us from the ceiling. We is then looking at Dogey, and he is first looking at the ceiling, but then he is looking at Pokey. I is wobbling at the knees again and I is sniffling and holding his handkerchief in my hand, but I is so happy by Dogey's words, and the mistlytoe above us, that I is giving him a kiss on the cheek!
Sir and miss is clapping and Dogey is touching his face with his hand and looking like he has drunk a dozen butterbeers! And we is dancing under the most beautiful Christmas tree that we is ever seen and when we is going back to the kitchens, Pokey is hanging her hundred different colors bauble above her work station and is mashing her potatoes twice as fast as any elf is every mashing.
We is knowing that marriage is a human tradition, but we is insisting to Dogey that we is wanting to do it anyway. We is not having time right now to think about such things, and they is saying that dark times is coming, but we is thinking that one day we is able to have a family at Hogwarts. Of course we is needing to get permission from the headmaster first, but we is hoping that when we is able to finally do it, we is setting the date on Christmas and Pokey is having a bouquet made of mistlytoe!
I is not even worrying about the nargles! I is happy to be pinched and pinched and pinched by nargles because I is wanting to show the world where we is having our first kiss.
No miss, Pokey is not crying. She is just remembering cutting onions this afternoon.
Is miss needing a refill of her hot chocolate?
That was a lot of fun! Taking a short break from my usual writing to enter a fanfiction contest, and spent the better part of my night writing it, so now I'm pooped. Off to bed for me!