Took a quick break from my main story to write this just because I can and wanted to. Hope you enjoy.
The Battle of Hogwarts was over and the house elves were all in the kitchens cheering and making food like they always did, this time for a celebratory feast they planned to present to the noble witches and wizards, their masters, who had fought against the evil Dark Lord.
Winky stood at a pot, stirring its contents, as another elf, singing and excited, cut up ingredients and tossed them into the pot.
As she stirred, Winky cast the great kitchen a sweeping glance and froze abruptly at the sight of him popping into appearance.
Cheers went round and excited hoots and banging of cookware as all the elves welcomed Kreacher into the kitchens. Stooped though he was, Kreacher seemed to carry himself like a King of the Elves and the corners of his smile could be seen on either side of his dipped nose. He walked amongst them, double-checked that they were each well and then stopped some distance away from Winky to survey the cooking. He told them there was no rush as everyone upstairs were all still too happy they had survived to be worried with food yet.
Than his eyes rested on Winky and, for a moment, he didn't seem to recognize her, but the recognition flooded his eyes soon after. He sauntered over to her, the barest hint of a limp in his step, and stopped beside her. Blush came to her cheeks and she looked pointedly at the contents of the soup she was stirring.
"Winky?" He asked.
"Y-yes, sir." She almost whimpered.
"Dobby was Winky's friend."
"Yes!" She turned to him, forgetting about the soup. "D-Dobby was Winky's friend!"
Fat tears began to roll over her cheeks as her voice rose in pitch. "Oh, Dobby! Poor Dobby! Winky heard! Winky learned of Dobby...and...and...and what happened to Dobby! Poor Dobby!"
"Dobby was noble." Kreacher growled. "Dobby did what was right. Dobby was a good house elf."
"Winky wants to be a good house elf too." She cried, using her blouse to wipe at her tears. "But Winky doesn't know how!"
"Winky already is a good house elf." Kreacher told her and her head raised, eyes wide and hopeful. "Winky helped Kreacher fight off the nasty wizards and witches. Winky was brave and noble just like Dobby was."
Swallowing the lump welling in her throat, Winky shook her head. "No, Winky is a bad house elf. Winky drinks butterbeer and doesn't know how to stop. Winky is bad. Winky is very bad."
Kreacher's face became suddenly gentler as a small smile spread across his lips. "Kreacher can help Winky. Kreacher will help Winky because Dobby would help Winky."
"Dobby tried so hard to." Winky cried more. "But Winky was a bad house elf. Winky only thought about Winky."
Abruptly she felt Kreacher wrap his arms around her in a hug and her tears stopped coming from her eyes. "Winky can be a good house elf now. Kreacher can help."
She nodded into him, but didn't say anything as she buried her face into his neck and snuffed out the last of her sobs. By then, she felt as if she really could be a good house elf. She would never be like Dobby and she would probably never stop drinking butterbeer, but she could be better...with Kreacher's help.
Looking up at him, she gave a timid smile, which he returned, though not nearly as timidly, and she became instantly confident that she could move forward now.
Just had the urge to write this. :D Hope you don't mind it.