A/N: Written for the Best Friends Competition Take Two at the HPFC forum. Please review!
/insert obligatory disclaimer here./
A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself.
~o~
"Drink is bad for Winky!" the others chide, but Winky is oblivious to all of them. Empty bottles litter the tiled kitchen floor around her, and in her mouth, yet another bottle is rapidly being emptied.
Dobby sighs. He shuffles over to Winky and attempts to prise the bottle out of her grip.
"Winky works for Albus Dumbledore now. Winky does not need to be sad anymore!"
"Dobby tells Winky what to do, but Dobby is not such a good example himself…" One of the older house-elves mutter sullenly, a disapproving frown on his face. He seems to think nobody can hear him.
But Dobby can. "Dobby wants to help Winky!"
The older elf grumbles under his breath but doesn't retort.
Winky hiccups. She reaches down for another bottle but topples off the wooden stool. She curls up and starts snoring.
Dobby helps her up. "Winky has had too much to drink! Winky needs to rest somewhere." He gathers a pile of rags from random nooks and crannies, but is stopped by a snort of disgust.
"Not here, in our kitchens? Winky is not doing work! Winky is a disgrace! We's not letting Winky disgrace our kitchens!"
Dobby's always tried to be nice to others, but he snaps. "It isn't Winky's fault! Winky is a very loyal house-elf. Winky is not a disgrace!"
"Without his Winky..." comes a moan from the pile of rags and wrinkly skin that is Winky. "Poor Master... Winky is properly ashamed..."
Dobby grabs her hand and closes his eyes, letting his magic guide him. A place at Hogwarts School...a place for Winky to rest...a place where no one will disturb Winky...
He hears a loud pop! and opens his eyes.
A broom cupboard. Not exactly what he was looking for, but it would have to do. Dobby opens the door and, with some difficulty, carries Winky in.
He gasps. It's not small and stuffy, like he expected. It's huge and it's got beautiful shiny floaty things everywhere. Dobby's not sure what they are, but he knows Winky would like them.
There's also a nice elf-sized bed, and a small table with a bottle of potions. He sets Winky down on the bed and reads the labels on the bottle. It says 'Antidote for Butterbeer'.
"Such a thoughtful room," Dobby thinks to himself and smiles. "It must be the Come-and-Go Room the other house-elves told about!"
"Wait for Dobby," he tells Winky. "I's going to get you some nice, warm blankies."
"Winky is ashamed of being free... Poor Master..."
He Apparates into the kitchens and grabs the pile of rags, then decides he might as well get rid of the empty Butterbeer bottles, if the other house-elves are so disgraced by them. He puts them all in a basket and Apparates again.
When he gets back into the Room, he sees the Headmaster of Hogwarts School at Winky's bedside. Albus Dumbledore gets up and winks at Dobby.
"Remember to believe in yourself, Winky, just like Dobby believes in you."
The Headmaster strides out of the room so quickly that Dobby wonders he was ever there. Maybe Dobby imagined everything. How would the Headmaster have known to come and visit Winky?
He sees that Winky's already tucked in with clean sheets, but it doesn't matter. For the first time in weeks, Winky's not wallowing in self-pity.
"Believe in yourself... Winky believes..."