Chapter Fifteen - Elderly Elves Give Good Advice
Dobby sat sadly on Winky's old stool in the Hogwarts kitchen clutching a big bottle of butterbeer, his huge green eyes brimming with tears. Over and over again in his mind he kept hearing Winky squealing "HOUSE ELVES ISN'T SUPPOSED TO GET ENGAGED!" The ring hadn't been on her finger more than fifteen seconds before she pulled it off and put it back in its box. It had been useless for him to argue that they had Professor Dumbledore's permission, so he finally ended up leaving the ring box on Winky's table before he ran out of her room, choking back his tears.
He had no way of knowing that after he left, Winky had collapsed into a chair sobbing violently, face in her hands. She cried harder than ever in her entire life, if that was even possible. Madame Pomfrey had heard some of the commotion, and after seeing Winky in such distress, told her she didn't have to return to work in the hospital wing that evening.
Dobby took one last gulp of his butterbeer and dried his eyes. He got unsteadily to his feet and staggered towards the elf quarters, where he crawled into bed. The combination of emotional exhaustion and butterbeer put him to sleep almost immediately.
Very early the next morning Dobby climbed to the Hogwarts owlery with two small envelopes in his hand. He attached one to each leg of a brown owl, and watched as it flew away. The first stop was only a short distance away in Hogwarts, where Nobby was startled to see the owl with a letter for her at the window. After she retrieved it, the owl continued his journey to Frederick Hightower's house so he could deliver the other letter to Binky.
Dobby returned to the kitchens and threw himself into his work, barely pausing between one task and the next. In the hospital wing Madame Pomfrey was amazed to see that Winky had scrubbed the entire ward from top to bottom before breakfast. When Winky went to the elf quarters for morning sick call, Dobby made sure he was busy in a very distant part of the castle.
They continued to avoid each other for more than a week, both of them far from happy. Elves who saw Winky's sad face worried that she might revert to the horrible state she had fallen into after her old master dismissed her, but she remained extremely busy and very clean.
Early one afternoon she came back into the hospital wing after running an errand and found Toby just leaving Madame Pomfrey's office. His face was impassive as he squeaked "hello, Winky" in passing.
"Winky," Madame Pomfrey said, "Toby has just brought me a message from Cubby. He's requesting that you bring them more Joint-Ease ointment at the retirement village." As she handed a large jar to Winky, she continued "please take this to them, and attend to any other problems or conditions they might have."
Winky dropped the jar into her bag of medical supplies, where it shrank to a manageable size and weight. "Winky will go right away," she said as she hurried to put on her hat and cape.
It was a rainy day, so not many elves were outside at the retirement village when she arrived there. She pulled an elf-sized door open and walked into the largest building, where she found Zinny and most of the other elves in wheelchairs sitting near the fireplace of a large central room. The room was comfortably furnished will elf-sized furniture, and there were flowers on most of the tables.
Zinny saw her come in and smiled. "Zinny is so glad to see Winky again," she said.
Winky could see that the damp, cold weather had made the joints of the rheumatic elves extremely sore, and she silently scolded herself for forgetting to bring the medicine she had promised sooner.
This time she had each elderly elf come into a smaller room where she was able to give them a more thorough going-over, and also get the Joint-Ease on joints other than in fingers. Zinny was the last patient.
As she examined Zinny's stiff, sore joints, Winky asked "has you been this way for a long time, Auntie?"
Zinny answered. "Yes, for some time. Zinny's old master made her sleep in a cold, damp cellar, and Zinny could not get much medicine."
"How long has you been at the retirement village?" Winky asked as she worked on Zinny's stiff knees.
"About two years. Zinny's old master is casting her out when she is no longer able to climb the stairs." As the spoke, she flexed her knees without pain for the first time in years.
"Your master is cast you out?" Winky squeaked.
"Yes, after 40 years of faithful service," Zinny said sadly. However, there was a twinkle in her big brown eyes as she continued "Zinny's old master, like most wizards, is not knowing that the memory charms what they tries to cast doesn't work on elfs."
Suddenly Winky realized the implications of her great-aunt's words; unkind masters tried to put memory charms to elves they cast out, believing that their secrets would remain safe. "You isn't forgot anything?" she asked.
"Not one thing," Zinny responded. "Zinny and several other old elfs has been working a long time writing down much information about our old masters."
"Where is you keeping all this information?" Winky asked.
"'Tis all here in a very safe place," Zinny answered. "We isn't going to reveal our old masters' secrets unless there is a good reason for us to reveal them."
Winky wheeled Zinny's chair back towards the fireplace just as the other old elves were having tea, and they invited her to join them.
Once Winky was holding a tiny cup and saucer on her lap, one elf asked her how she came to be working at Hogwarts. This time Winky wasn't reticent about telling her entire story, including how she had participated in harboring a dangerous dark wizard, and how badly she had behaved when she first arrived at Hogwarts.
Another elf spoke. "Dawny is thinking Winky is lucky to be here now working for Professor Dumbledore. She would be dead if she had stayed in her old master's house."
At this point, even Winky had to agree, but she only nodded her head.
Zinny said "I is wondering if Winky can tell us if Dobby is sick."
A tiny tear appeared in one of Winky's brown eyes. "No, no Winky does not think Dobby is sick," she squeaked.
"Dobby is looking sad and tired this last week," Dawny said. "Does Winky know why? Come to think of it, Winky is not looking so good herself. What is wrong?"
Winky couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Between sobs, she told them how she had refused to accept Dobby's ring because "House elfs doesn't get engaged."
Cubby had joined the group, and they all remained silent for several moments after Winky had stopped talking.
As Winky tried to dry her tears, Cubby asked "is that the only reason you is turned him down?"
"What does Cubby mean? Winky squeaked.
"Cubby means you is only turned him down because you thinks house elves isn't supposed to get engaged? No other reason?"
"No..." Winky said slowly.
"And you likes Dobby?" Dawny asked.
"Yes, Winky likes Dobby lots," she answered quietly.
"Does you like any other elf better?" Dawny persisted.
"No, Winky is not liking any other elf better than Dobby."
"Does you love him?"
"House elfs isn't supposed to fall in love," Winky protested in a tiny squeak, tears starting to stream down her cheeks again.
"IS WINKY CRAZY???" Zinny squealed.
"C... crazy?" Winky asked.
"Yes, crazy," Zinny continued. "Winky must know that house elfs is almost never allowed to choose their mates themselves! You has the chance now, and you is letting it slip through your fingers, you is!"
More quietly, Cubby added "Winky must realize that Dobby loves her, else he would never have offered her his piece of the Elf Stone. Winky must know 'tis the most precious thing a house elf could ever own."
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Finally Zinny spoke quietly and kindly. "Winky must think very hard about this. We's told you that 'house elfs isn't supposed to get engaged' is not a reason to tell Dobby 'no.' There may be other reasons, but that is not one of them. Think carefully of what is been offered to you, and if you does say 'no,' then let it be for a good reason."
"Zinny is given good advice," Cubby said. "'tis time Winky returned to Hogwarts now."
Winky hugged her great-aunt and thanked everyone as she got ready to leave. "Winky will be back again soon. She thinks there is much more she can to for you all. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!" the other elves all squeaked as she headed towards the door.
Outside she broke into a run and covered the distance to the castle in record time. When she arrived back at the hospital wing she was relieved to discover there were no patients there. She would be able to eat in the elf quarters that evening.
Time seemed to pass incredibly slowly, but it was at last time for the elves to eat after the students. Winky ducked into the elf passage wearing her green dress with matching ribbons in her admittedly sparse hair. Pinky had worked her magic on the dress, and all traces of tear stains were gone.
Winky carefully and quietly slipped into the Elf Hall and looked around until she spotted a bright pink shirt at one of the tables. Without a sound, she crept up and took the stool next to Dobby, who was resting one hand on the edge of the table. Dobby didn't see Winky, and only turned in her direction when he felt someone touching his hand. As he looked down, he saw Winky's hand clasping his, and the elf stone on her finger.
A/N: :::ducking a flying brick::: Sorry, :::dodging a rotten tomato::: but I couldn't help myself ::: jumping out of the way of several eggs::: I just HAD to write this chapter ::: avoiding an airborne copy of Goblet of Fire::: don't hate me too much!
