The Mirror of Erised
Chapter Eighteen
By Jewel Little Bird
Fleur pretended to be unconscious still, listening as the house-elf called Winky set down her tray on the chair next to the bed. So, she thought. Snape is a Death Eater; or, he was, but isn't now. That seems more likely, considering Dumbledore.
She's seen his Dark Mark as he took the cloth from the Mirror of Erised, though he hadn't known she was awake, and it had awoken in her a little flame that only later she would recognize as obsession.
"Winky knows you is awake, miss," the house-elf said right next to her. "No use pretending otherwise, so you open your eyes and eat, or Winky will be forcing the food down your throat."
Fleur opened her eyes and looked at the elf. Winky wore a matching skirt and blouse that seemed to have been dragged through Hell and brought back again as well as a cute blue hat with hole cut in it so that her ears would fit through. At the moment, the house-elf looked rather stern, so Fleur sat up, took the tray from the chair, and put it on her lap. She didn't feel very hungry, but one look at Winky convinced her it was either eat it willingly or be forced. She ate.
Winky seemed satisfied that Fleur was eating, so she sat on the chair the tray had been resting on, and looked back at Fleur. "Snape said that Winky is to cheer you up."
"Oui. I 'eard 'im."
"Miss has lost her family?" Fleur nodded. "Winky has lost her family, too." The house-elf's eyes looked watery, but Winky seemed to be beyond tears. "Master Barty killed his father, he did. Killed Master. He was a bad boy, and it's all Winky's fault. If Winky hadn't let him get a wand, she would not have been freed." She fiddled with her skirt. "But I has decided I will keep living so I can make up for my mistake." The last was whispered quietly.
Fleur blinked. "You were Barty Crouch's 'ouse-elf!"
Winky nodded. "Yes."
Fleur bit her lip. "I'm sorry. About what 'appened."
Winky shrugged. She looked very unhappy, but then seemed to cheer up about something. "It hurts, but Winky is not the only one who is hurting. Snape and Filch hurt, too. They comfort Winky when she is needing it."
Fleur nearly dropped her spoon. "Snape and Filch?!"
"Yes. Filch lost his sister and brother-in-law. They was killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He named his cat after his sister, he did. Snape lost someone, too, but Winky is not sure who; he keeps a picture of her in his night table drawer. Winky has had to put it back when he falls asleep with it in his hand."
You are not the only one who had lost someone and feels guilt about it, Dumbledore had said, and if they can survive, so can you. Fleur had thought he meant Harry.
He had meant Snape and Filch.
@
End of Chapter Eighteen
Fleur pretended to be unconscious still, listening as the house-elf called Winky set down her tray on the chair next to the bed. So, she thought. Snape is a Death Eater; or, he was, but isn't now. That seems more likely, considering Dumbledore.
She's seen his Dark Mark as he took the cloth from the Mirror of Erised, though he hadn't known she was awake, and it had awoken in her a little flame that only later she would recognize as obsession.
"Winky knows you is awake, miss," the house-elf said right next to her. "No use pretending otherwise, so you open your eyes and eat, or Winky will be forcing the food down your throat."
Fleur opened her eyes and looked at the elf. Winky wore a matching skirt and blouse that seemed to have been dragged through Hell and brought back again as well as a cute blue hat with hole cut in it so that her ears would fit through. At the moment, the house-elf looked rather stern, so Fleur sat up, took the tray from the chair, and put it on her lap. She didn't feel very hungry, but one look at Winky convinced her it was either eat it willingly or be forced. She ate.
Winky seemed satisfied that Fleur was eating, so she sat on the chair the tray had been resting on, and looked back at Fleur. "Snape said that Winky is to cheer you up."
"Oui. I 'eard 'im."
"Miss has lost her family?" Fleur nodded. "Winky has lost her family, too." The house-elf's eyes looked watery, but Winky seemed to be beyond tears. "Master Barty killed his father, he did. Killed Master. He was a bad boy, and it's all Winky's fault. If Winky hadn't let him get a wand, she would not have been freed." She fiddled with her skirt. "But I has decided I will keep living so I can make up for my mistake." The last was whispered quietly.
Fleur blinked. "You were Barty Crouch's 'ouse-elf!"
Winky nodded. "Yes."
Fleur bit her lip. "I'm sorry. About what 'appened."
Winky shrugged. She looked very unhappy, but then seemed to cheer up about something. "It hurts, but Winky is not the only one who is hurting. Snape and Filch hurt, too. They comfort Winky when she is needing it."
Fleur nearly dropped her spoon. "Snape and Filch?!"
"Yes. Filch lost his sister and brother-in-law. They was killed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He named his cat after his sister, he did. Snape lost someone, too, but Winky is not sure who; he keeps a picture of her in his night table drawer. Winky has had to put it back when he falls asleep with it in his hand."
You are not the only one who had lost someone and feels guilt about it, Dumbledore had said, and if they can survive, so can you. Fleur had thought he meant Harry.
He had meant Snape and Filch.
@
End of Chapter Eighteen