*A/N: Yay for house-elves!*
Chapter 8. A Brief Interlude.
Dobby, down in the kitchens frantically stirring a fragrant soup, glanced with slight concern over to Winky. After all the events last year, and her sudden shock at Mr. Crouch's wrongdoings, she was as dazed as if she'd drunk a barrel of butterbeer. "Is Winky doing all right? She needs some rest!" Winky didn't even respond, she just looked with unfocused eyes at a nearby brick wall, ran over, and started smashing her head against it. Dobby stopped her before she passed out, shook her violently, and sat her down right in the middle of a beautiful dessert intended for the Slytherin table (some experts believe this was an accident, but as there was a perfectly empty seat nearby, it is seriously doubted). "Wake up, Winky! What has you done to yourself?"
Winky, finally coming to her senses, looked at Dobby mournfully and said, "Winky has no need to exist. Nobody is there for Winky now!" She began wailing, nearly upsetting Dobby's tea cosy, which he immediately straightened. As if he'd just realised something, he looked at Winky strangely and said, "But Dobby shall always be there for Winky, if she wants him."
There was no immediate response to this sort of talk. After all, how could a respectable house-elf like Winky talk to a…freedom-desiring house-elf like Dobby? But…she'd heard about his experiences at the Malfoy residence, and realised how awful his old family really was. In fact, listening to him, Winky pitied his experiences. She wondered what her family would think of a house-elf like Dobby. In fact, she could just ask her brother Rixy, who was also in the kitchens. Jerking out of Dobby's grasp on her shoulder, she walked over to a nearby table, where Rixy was frantically chopping vegetables.
"Rixy! Me needs to talk to you!" Rixy frowned and looked at Winky. "Is you not understanding that I is working now?!" he said semi-angrily. "Come later when I is not so busy!" Then, in a softer tone, "How is you doing?" Winky smiled joyfully and said, "Great, because…you shall see later." Rixy wondered why his sister was so happy. Scratching his tomato-shaped nose that made them look almost identical, Rixy returned to work.
Two hours later, Winky and Dobby were creating wedding invitations using their magic. Three would also be sent to Hermione—even though many of the house-elves were still afraid of her—Harry, and Ron. As custom dictated, every single resident house-elf was required to come and bring a present. Even though humans normally didn't attend the weddings, the happy couple decided they could make exceptions. After all, they shouldn't have been marrying in the first place, since their clans knew each other well—but who would notice?
The wedding was set for December 30th, a Saturday only three months away. The house-elves were planning something grand, without a doubt.
*A/N: Aww…wasn't that a cute ending. So unlike me. sighs and then returns to the eating of fine chocolates*
