Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.

Chapter Summary: True love is not just a feeling. It's displayed in your actions. True love is about being there for the person you love, no matter what, and no one understands this better than Dobby the House Elf. Dobby/Winky

By Your Side

No one paid any attention to House Elves. On most days, everyone was okay with that arrangement. Wizards took House Elves for granted; House Elves worked from the shadows, and were never in the spotlight. It mostly worked.

But there were some important things that had been lost in this "understanding."

Over the centuries, House Elves had lost their identity. They had ceased to be individuals, with a history and culture, and instead became objects — commodities to be owned and abused. Despite possessing powerful magic, strong enough to rival most witches and wizards, they were seen as less than those they served.

No witch or wizard could imagine them having separate lives and identities than servants.

No one could imagine them falling in love.

.oOo.

Winky was devastated.

She had been given clothes. There was no greater dishonor, no greater shame, than being dismissed. She had tried to keep her Master's secrets, but had instead embarrassed him in front of other wizards.

Winky had tried to be a good Elf, to follow Master Barty's orders, but what could she do when she had been given contradictory instructions? He had ordered her to stay behind in the tent, but before that he had told her to stay with his son, and to not leave him under any circumstances. Master Barty had never relieved her of the first order, so what was Winky to do when Master Barty Jr. left the tent?

Winky was a bad Elf.

Crying, she had left the dark forest and began the long search of trying to find work. But no one wanted her. Everyone knew what had happened and no one wanted a bad Elf. Then, one day, she ran across a very strange House Elf.

"Why is yous crying?" the Elf had asked.

"W-Winky has been g-g-given clothes!" she had wailed.

The Elf had awkwardly patted her head, his ears quivering slightly. "Winky should come with Dobby!" the Elf had said excitedly. "Dobby be hearing the the great Albus Dumbledore wants Elfs to work at Hogwarts. Dobby might be paid!"

Winky, horrified at the idea of being paid, had almost not gone with Dobby. But the genuine excitement in his eyes had swayed her and she took his hand.

Bouncing on his feet, Dobby had grinned widely and with a sharp crack, the two elves vanished.

.oOo.

Dobby held a damp cloth to Winky's forehead. Hogwarts had not helped Winky like he had wanted. She still deeply wanted a family. Over the course of the last two months, she had started drinking Butterbeer regularly and it was now taking a toll on her body. Master Dumbledore had talked with Dobby about Winky on several occasions.

"Dobby," Master Dumbledore had said on one such occasion, "Winky is depressed. Without a family, I fear she will not get better."

"But Dobby is Winky's family!" Dobby had shouted.

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes had faded and was replaced with sadness. "I'm afraid," he had said gently, "that might not be enough."

Why wasn't Dobby enough for Winky? Ears dropping, he continued to quietly tend to Winky. Later that night, when it was time to clean the Gryffindor Common Room, Dobby got up to leave. Laying a blanket across Winky's small form, he patted her head.

"Please let Winky come back to Dobby."

.oOo.

It was a wonderful day! The great Harry Potter had come to visit Dobby! Dobby was so excited that he tackled Harry Potter as he entered the kitchen.

A brown-haired witch was with him. She laughed as she pulled Harry to his feet, Dobby still clinging to his chest.

"Dobby! How have you been?" Harry laughed as he gently pried the little Elf off of him.

Dobby pulled the great Harry Potter and the pretty witch to a couple armchairs by the fire, and told them his tales. He spoke about adventures in Egypt and serving Gringotts curse breakers. He told them about returning to Europe and how no one, except Albus Dumbledore, wanted a free Elf. But most of all, he spoke about Winky.

"Winky?" the witch interrupted him. "You mean the Elf Mr. Crouch dismissed?"

Dobby nodded slowly and the witch frowned to herself.

And then Dobby lost it.

He was so tired of people looking down on Winky and not helping her. So tired of the pity, that he angrily stood in front of the witch and started to yell.

"Yous is just as bad as they rest! Yous hates Winky when Winky do nothing bad! Winky is a good Elf! A kind Elf! And yous treats Winky nicely, or else!"

The rest of the House Elves in the kitchen rushed onto the scene and tried to calm down Dobby, but he wasn't having it. Dobby started shouting at the other Elves.

"Dobby loves Winky! They talk bad about Winky! That not okay!"

It took a moment before Dobby's statement sunk in and everyone became quiet. The silence lasted all of ten seconds before Harry started laughing.

"Dobby," he said, motioning for the Elf to calm down, "I know how you are feeling. I just had a similar … conversation with someone about someone I love." Harry glanced at the witch sitting next to him. She smiled at Harry and held his hand.

"Yous is the great Harry Potter's mate?" Dobby asked fearfully. Harry Potter was a great and noble wizard and Dobby just shouted at his one love.

The witch blushed and Harry grinned. "Let's stay on track, shall we?" she said, nudging Harry in the side with her elbow.

"Dobby, my name is Hermione. I don't like how Crouch treated Winky. Neither of us do." Harry nodded at this. "Winky sounds like she is having a hard time. What will make her better?"

"Winky be needing a family, Miss."

At this, Hermione turned to look at Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow, which caused Hermione to smile.

"I think we might have a solution to your problems, Dobby."

.oOo.

Many years later, Dobby held Winky in his arms as they watched their children run around Potter Manor. The transition to working for the Potters had been a strange, but pleasant one. They had odd rules, like not punishing themselves or eating dinner with the family every night. The strangest thing, though, had been that they were treated with respect. For the very first time, Dobby and Winky had been a part of a family, not just serving one.

"Winky should be resting," Dobby said.

"Winky is fine," she replied. She rolled her eyes when one of her children, Mipsy, apparated on top of one of the Potter children's heads. Winky snapped her fingers, which caused her child to disappear off the poor girl's head and reappear next to her. After giving Mipsy a stern talking to, she allowed her to go back and play.

"Winky should still be resting," Dobby murmured, his ears quivering in concern.

Winky had never fully recovered from her period of drinking Butterbeer and grew easily tired. Her magic was not as strong as it used to be and she relied on Dobby to help with many of the chores around the house.

"Winky is resting," she replied. They had been sitting side-by-side on a couch by the fireplace for the last hour. Except for using magic to remove her silly child of the Potter girl's head, she hadn't used magic since breakfast.

Dobby anxiously looked at her and whispered, "Yous promise?"

Winky nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Can we be staying here a little longer?"

Dobby smiled and nodded his head.

"There is no place Dobby would rather be."

Prompt (Year Long Scavenger Hunt — Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges): (pairing) Dobby/Winky [10 points]

A/N — We're just going to forget S.P.E.W. ever happened, okay? Okay.