20th August 2018

"Dippy!"

"Yes master Scorpius?"

"There's a loose thread on my dress robes."

"Dippy will fix that right away master Scorpius."

"I need them tonight."

"Yes master Scorpius, anything else Dippy can do for you?"

"No."

"Very good master Scorpius."

The young wizard watched as the house elf ran off almost buried under his dress robes and he continued inspecting his clean clothes.

20th August 2018

"Oh, a pull!"

"Dippy!"

"Draco, there's no need for….Hi Dippy."

"Evening mistress, master Draco you called?"

"Astoria has a pull on her dress Dippy, sort it."

"Draco! Dippy it's fine, you may leave."

"Thank you mistress."

Astoria looked disapprovingly at her husband. "I told you to stop speaking to her like that!"

"Astoria, she's a servant, she's used to it."

"She is not, my family never spoke to her like that. We never speak to anyone like that." Picking her wand up from the bed the woman tapped the pull wordlessly and it smoothed out instantly.

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. "You sound like Hermione Granger."

"You sound like your father." She replied, unfazed. "From what I've heard Hermione WEASLEY has her head on right."

"I'll get you a Spew badge for your next birthday." Her husband chuckled as he straightened his bow tie.

"Draco, I mean it." The brunette turned from her mirror to face her blonde husband. She was tall and had a kind face with deep green eyes accentuated by the extravagant moss coloured dress she wore. "Dippy has been a part of my family since I can remember, she's not just a servant she's my friend and she is not here to carry out every little whim or issue that we have." She stepped over to the man she married and looked straight up into his grey eyes that were too much like her father-in-law's. "Her job is to cook and clean because quite frankly she's rather good at it. I'm not asking anymore, show her some respect and gratitude."

She knew that were she speaking to Lucius Malfoy himself the grey eyes would have turned cold and she would have received a sharp slap across the face. In fact that would probably have happened were she saying this to the man in front of her 14 years ago. As it was the eyes of the man she knew and loved softened and his face took on an ashamed expression that she had only ever seen once before.

"I'm sorry my love, if it makes you happy I will endeavour to treat the ser… Dippy, with respect."

The woman knew there was more work to be done and that the change wouldn't happen overnight, but she also knew that Draco Malfoy would be true to his word and try to change the way he spoke to her friend.

31st August 2023

"Evening Dippy, let me help you with those."

"Thanking you very much master Scorpius. Would master like Dippy to pack his trunk for Hogwarts this evening?"

"No you're OK Dippy, I can manage. What's for tea?"

"Dippy was going to make master Scorpius' favourite, steak and kidney pie for his first night at home before his final year. Does that please master Scorpius?"

"Sounds great to me Dippy, thanks for the clean clothes I'll see you at tea time."

The young wizard carried the pile of his clean robes up to his bedroom where he placed them neatly in his packed trunk and closed the lid.