Chapter 11: There's a Book by Jane Ingles
"Where was I?" he stopped walking for a second and stared at the darkening sky as he retraced his verbal steps. "Ah, right, I gave them the land. My lawyer made me write the contracts myself as he said it was too murky an area. Coming from a man who works for a Malfoy that's saying something." he hooted at his own joke, "so I drew up something quite airtight to ensure the Elves couldn't be evicted in the event of my death, that their produce from the land couldn't be sold to profit anyone but themselves… I tried to cover all the eventualities. Then I left them to it. They took turns coming up to the house to look after me because they wanted to, and apparently, I have no control in my own home" he shrugged with a grin. "Three months later, I'm being summoned to what was then a growing camp of dispossessed elves, to be looked upon by the oldest elf in the world."
"The oldest elf in the world?"
"Yes, well, that's what Jake said." he beamed. "He's the elf who interrupted us."
"There's an elf called Jake?" she wasn't sure why this was her major takeaway from the story, but it was.
"His free name…." Draco nodded. "They picked their own names when they started building. We'll get to that. Now, please keep an open mind, Hermione and know that I asked for none of this, alright?"
"The part where you've created a ministerial nightmare in your back garden wasn't the bit I was supposed to be open-minded about?" She questioned as they entered the first street in the grid of miniature homes and were greeted by ten bizarrely dressed elves.
"It's the king!" they squealed in unison.
"Yes, hello everyone. Nice to see you all again," Draco greeted them tightly, clearly uncomfortable with the attention "my, isn't that a fabulous gown." he noted of a female elf who was dressed like she was about to attend a ball.
"King?" Hermione questioned, her voice high and severe enough that the crowd around them fell silent.
"Yes." Draco nodded, shooting her a fake smile and pulling her close to him "not by choice." he whispered into her ear through gritted teeth. "May I present Hermione Granger." He spoke loudly to the growing group of tiny Elves, "you freed a fair few of them" the elves were screaming excitedly now, stretching out to tug at the hem of her skirt.
"Hello." Hermione smiled nervously down at the hyper crowd.
"MISS HERMIONE GRANGER!" a tiny elf wearing an entirely woollen outfit almost toppled over, trying to get to her. "I'M WEARING YOUR HAT!" he squealed breathlessly, and Hermione couldn't help the grin that cracked her face as she crouched down, her hand now raised as it remained clutched in Draco's… for stability . Crouching could be difficult.
"so you are!" Hermione smiled fondly at the elf, who reminded her of Dobby around the eyes. "it's held up well." she noted as she tugged at the brim a little, causing the elf to swoon. "It's one of my older ones before I learned to make pompoms." she chuckled.
"pompom." the elf repeated dreamily, clearly just enjoying the sound of the word.
"When I get home, I can make you one and send it over to Malfoy's if you like? It only takes a few stitches to attach it to the top of the hat." it wasn't a big deal, she liked making pompoms, and it would only take a few minutes.
"THE HERMIONE GRANGER IS OFFERING TREVOR GIFTS!" the elf wailed as tears filled his eyes.
"Trevor…" an elf called Trevor, madness. She tried to soothe the emotionally charged and wool clad male but found him past the point of calmness.
"come on, Granger." Draco was tugging her back to stand. "We need to go before they dispose of me and crown you." he turned to the gathered elves "we have to go help Meryl, please excuse us."
"KING?" she asked again when they were finally out of earshot of the elves and heading toward the centre of the village where a small but human-sized cottage sat.
"Did you know House-Elves have a prophecy?" he asked her with a smile.
"No." she responded in awe of the new and exciting information, "but they're magical beings. Why would they not have prophecies?"
"A prophesy, just one. One big prophesy." He clarified as he pulled her toward the small cottage's front door. "Welcome to the royal palace." he laughed as he pushed the door and revealed a single room abode, the fire blazing and general panic erupting in the corner where a large brass bed stood.
"we brought Meryl here like you asked!" one of the four elves occupying the bed yelled in Hermione and Draco's general direction.
"I've brought Hermione Granger, she works for the Department which helps magical creatures… She's the brightest witch of her age, and she's going to help you, Meryl." Draco called to the bed, wincing when the clearly pregnant elf screamed in response.
Meryl was lying on her back. Her large top hat sat just above her head on the pillow. Hermione made a mental note about the importance of the four original elves headwear, she'd seen many hats on the other elves, but only the core four seemed to be permitted the fancy elf-sized top hat. The three male elves stood around the distressed female on the mattress, flailing and in turn jostling her.
"I thought we had a few more weeks," Draco explained as he placed Hermione's bag in her hand and watched her eyes widen. "You can help her, can't you?"
"yes… I mean… I think." Hermione released her hand from his finally and turned a circle as her brain whirred. "ok." she walked to the bed with purpose and calmed her breathing. "Gentlemen, unless you can stay calm and help, I'm going to have to ask you to get off this bed." Hermione addressed the three squealing boys gathered around Meryl. As though they'd been waiting to be told to leave, the three leapt with enthusiasm.
"Hello Meryl, I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled as she took a gentle seat on the edge of the bed and placed her open bag beside her.
"Ah, it's your friend, young master Draco." Meryl smiled then winced when a wave of pain hit her.
"You know how to deliver House-Elves?" Draco was standing close. Consternation and fear wrote over his brow.
"I know how the breeders do it. It's barbaric." she hissed back, "I need to think, just give me a minute." she rummaged in her bag as she cast through her extensive and retentive brain for everything she'd learned about house-elf breeding. In the few breeding houses that still remained operating in France, the infant was cut from its mother and removed to a nursery. Hermione did not want to do that. There'd been accounts of House-Elf like creatures in most countries, and given Elves had been her passion since childhood, she'd read all of them.
"Godrick Gryffindor," she finally muttered and drew a jar of something from the depths of her carry-all. "Here, chew this. It's willow bark." she placed a strip in the elf's maw "pain potions aren't very effective on elves but willow bark, for some reason is." she informed the onlookers. She continued to speak calmly as she dipped her head to peek under Meryl's skirt as if aiding a magical creature in delivery was something she'd done every day. "Gryffindor wrote in his diary about a group of house-elves injured in the building of the school, willow bark was, in his words 'particularly effective'" she pushed herself back up and looked at the elf. "Meryl, I'm going to need you to kneel," she said calmly. "The baby is coming but, laying in that position isn't helping." She took the little elf by the hand and helped her into the position. "There's a book by Jane Ingles, I read when I was twelve about a tribe of elf-like creatures she met in the Amazon. She lived with them for seven years and helped the midwife deliver babies." she continued to talk as she rubbed Meryl's lower back and held her hand. "All of the women in the tribe delivered just like this Meryl, perhaps your ancestors did it this way too?" Hermione continued to talk as she waited for the next contraction. As if on cue, Meryl screamed, "now push down from your tummy Meryl." She instructed, moving her free hand back to the elf's undercarriage. "You're halfway there. Next time you feel the pain, I want a big push from you, alright?" Hermione fought to keep her voice calm. She was about to faint. She was faking, quite successfully, being a midwife and was sure at any moment was about to make a mistake. Trust yourself, Granger . She wasn't sure if her subconscious had taken on his voice or if he was back in her brain. She glanced at him and saw only concern written on his features as he hovered next to the other elves.
Meryl let out a primal scream. "Last big push," Hermione commanded encouragingly, releasing the elf's hands and reaching between her leg's.
Draco's heart hadn't slowed since they stepped into the room. He could feel Jake trembling to his left. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder but remained silent. Hermione Granger was a goddess at work. He could tell she was faking it. He could tell she was putting on a calm facade for the wretched creature before her. It was admirable. When her hands returned from between Meryl's legs, he realised he'd stopped breathing and gasped.
Hermione caught the little thing in a gauze lined palm. It was perhaps the size of a ripe green pepper and as heavy as a cup of tea. Its eyes remained closed, and all the air left the room in the second it took her to stroke the newborn infant's chest. As if the touch had sparked consciousness or activated the babe, a broken cry burst from its lips.
"it's a boy." Hermione grinned, passing the now swaddled and crying baby into his mother's arms.
"no afterbirth for elves. They feed directly from their parents." Hermione said in a stupefied satisfaction as she gazed upon a scene, the magnitude of which she hadn't fully comprehended. She stood and watched as the other elves approached Meryl and her child tentatively. She wondered who the father was if they even knew? If they cared?
Draco was by her side in a beat, ready to shock her from her reverie by exposing the gravity of their situation. "The first free elf, born on elf-owned land." he whispered as he pressed a grateful kiss on her cheek "that's what we just witnessed, what you just brought into the world, Hermione."
"I'm going to have to… write so many reports." her head spun as she looked at the four elves sitting on a bed, the baby being passed between them.
"Master Malfoy, please, come meet our son," Meryl called tearfully.
"yes." Draco nodded nervously and shuffled toward them. Hermione rummaged in her bag, pulling a camera from it.
"We should document this." She muttered as she set the contraption up on its tripod. She turned round to see Malfoy gleefully cradling the baby in one hand, holding it close to his face. The sight made her stomach heat and flip.
"come here." He waved her over. "Can't very well document this moment without the midwife in the picture, can we?"
Hermione set the timer and moved to sit at the head of the bed next to Draco. The three male elves gathered around Meryl at the bottom nearest the lens. Draco handed the baby over to Hermione, who handed him down to his mother. They sat in silence, all eyes fixed on the new life as the magical camera clicked. Hermione felt his hand on her hip as he leaned over to look at the elves. Click . She wondered what her friends would say when this picture of them being so familiar was published. Click. She turned to look at him, to shoot him a scowl, to tell him to behave. Click. He wasn't looking at the child. He was looking at her. Their eyes locked. Click. His hand slipped around her waist. Click.
" I think it's done, Miss." An elf piped up when Hermione and Draco remained in a silent, erotically charged staring match. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? She mentally screamed. She'd probably ruined every picture of this monumental moment by eye-fucking Malfoy.
"Yes." Hermione shot up from the bed and began disassembling the camera. She didn't see the door open or a figure enter.
"It's you…." a croaking voice came from the table on the far side of the one-roomed domicile. Hermione spun around and noticed for the first time a very wrinkled, very ancient elf. "the freer."
"I'm Hermione Granger…" Hermione gasped when the ancient being snapped her fingers and appeared hovering before her face. Draco was sure the elves wouldn't attack her, but he was ready to defend her on the off chance.
"I know who you are." the house-elf reached out and placed a finger on Hermione's forehead. "I was the first elf brought to Hogwarts at its founding. I worked there for hundreds of years until I was freed. By. You." she punctuated her story with taps on Hermione's face. "And I knew it was time."
"Time?" Hermione's voice was tiny. The cabin had fallen silent.
"For the change." the wizened being turned her attention on the babe, "Wizards trap prophecy in glass and paper, but elves keep it in one of their own. To tell. To hope. To see." the floating elf's voice was breathy and reminded Hermione of Luna. "I know it from start to finish. I see it here." she declared. The elves on the bed cheered excitedly. Hermione's eyes swivelled to Draco, who was moving toward her.
"We were promised a King to protect us and bring us the saviour. He has succeeded!" The elf cried with joy.
"yay!" Draco said, not sure what else to do. Hermione had gone very pale indeed.
"This is how Harry feels?" She looked like she might vomit. "I… I'm no saviour! I'm the sidekick!"
"You will be the voice of the elves Hermione Granger, it has been written, and so it has been said." The elf was brokering no argument on the point.
"So it has been said," the elves on the bed parroted.
"So much paperwork," Hermione muttered as she steeled herself, because of course, she was going to be the voice of the Liberated Elves Solidarity of Britain Organisation. That spells Lesbo! why was she so bad at naming organisations. "I'll advocate for you all, of course." She nodded.