Here's the next chapter to make up for being tardy...
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Hermione tossed and turned, the thoughts of the incomplete homework making sleep impossible, 'Why don't you just get up and do it?' she asked herself.
She quietly got out of bed, slipped on her robe, grabbed her satchel and tiptoed downstairs to the Common Room. She was happy to see a cheerful fire in the grate, as the night was quite chilly, and sank down the nearest table. She did her work quickly, but didn't feel sleepy once it was done, so she relaxed in the over-stuffed couch opposite the fire and stared into the flames.
She was so engrossed in the ever-changing colours that she didn't notice a sound at the top of the stairs and started as a red-robed figure settled next to her, it was Ron.
"Couldn't you sleep?" he whispered
"I needed to get some work done," she explained, "couldn't you?"
"Nah, I needed to-" he broke off as they heard a noise behind them, they both turned and looked over the back of the couch. In the corner, quivering in fright, was a house-elf, he looked at them with terrified, bulbous eyes.
"B-begging your pardon, M-master and M-mistress, I didn't mean it..." it stammered.
"Mean what?" asked Ron
"To make n-noise and disturb you..." it's eyes filled with tears, "I-I'll iron my feet as p-punishment."
Hermione looked horrified, "There's no need for that, what's your name?" she asked gently
"Nappy, Mistress"
Ron smothered a laugh, Hermione glared at him and continued, "How long have you been working here, er...Nappy?"
"Me started last week, Mistress, everyone here has been so kind to me..." he put his long fingers over his mouth, as if scared for giving too much information.
Hermione smiled, "That's good that they're treating you nicely, where did you work before?"
He looked scared again, "Me worked at inn in S-Scotland, then inn close 'cause my master die...no one t-take poor Nappy, except Professor Dumbledore, he knew master and he bring me here."
Ron looked a bit mortified for laughing at Nappy's name, he dug into his pajamas pocket and pulled out a slightly crumpled packed, "Come here Nappy, here's a Chocolate Frog for you..."
The house-elf's eyes filled with tears again, "Master is s-so good, so g-generous to Nappy..."
"It's just a chocolate"
"Me know, master, but it is nicer to be given something than to take it, me can eat what me wants in the kitchen, but this chocolate will taste sweeter because it is a gift..."
Hermione and Ron smiled while looking at the philosophical house-elf, then Hermione expression darkened, "Nappy, you don't have to call us 'master' and 'mistress', I'm Hermione Granger and this is Ron Weasley"
Nappy nodded, "Yes, mistr-Hermione Granger"
Ron stifled a yawn, "Now I'm feeling sleepy, I think I'll head upstairs now..."
"Me too, " Hermione smiled again at the house-elf, "It was nice to meet you, Nappy."
"Will Nappy never see Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley again?" asked the house-elf fearfully
"You can come see us again."
"How?" asked Nappy
"Ummm, you could leave a note for us under this sofa, can you write?"
Nappy shook his head mournfully, then his expression brightened, "But me can write my name!" he exclaimed
Ron found a solution, "So leave a note with your name on it under the cushion and we'll meet you here that night, OK?"
Nappy nodded, and then scurried off to carry on with his duties.
Hermione and Ron slowly climbed up the winding stairs to their dormitories, they both hesitated at the top, "Well, that was fun." said Ron brightly
"Yeah, he's a sweet, little guy...I wonder if we'll see him again?"
Ron nodded; "probably will...Good Night" he ended abruptly
Hermione smiled, "Sweet dreams" and entered her dormitory and closed the door quietly behind her.
She slipped into her bed, snuggled into her pillows and fell fast asleep.
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This is my longest chapter! I'm not exactly sure why I introduced Nappy; maybe he'll play the part of a matchmaker...we'll see. Anyway, I wanted to start another story, while I'm writing this one, but I can't think of a storyline, Any Ideas?
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Hermione tossed and turned, the thoughts of the incomplete homework making sleep impossible, 'Why don't you just get up and do it?' she asked herself.
She quietly got out of bed, slipped on her robe, grabbed her satchel and tiptoed downstairs to the Common Room. She was happy to see a cheerful fire in the grate, as the night was quite chilly, and sank down the nearest table. She did her work quickly, but didn't feel sleepy once it was done, so she relaxed in the over-stuffed couch opposite the fire and stared into the flames.
She was so engrossed in the ever-changing colours that she didn't notice a sound at the top of the stairs and started as a red-robed figure settled next to her, it was Ron.
"Couldn't you sleep?" he whispered
"I needed to get some work done," she explained, "couldn't you?"
"Nah, I needed to-" he broke off as they heard a noise behind them, they both turned and looked over the back of the couch. In the corner, quivering in fright, was a house-elf, he looked at them with terrified, bulbous eyes.
"B-begging your pardon, M-master and M-mistress, I didn't mean it..." it stammered.
"Mean what?" asked Ron
"To make n-noise and disturb you..." it's eyes filled with tears, "I-I'll iron my feet as p-punishment."
Hermione looked horrified, "There's no need for that, what's your name?" she asked gently
"Nappy, Mistress"
Ron smothered a laugh, Hermione glared at him and continued, "How long have you been working here, er...Nappy?"
"Me started last week, Mistress, everyone here has been so kind to me..." he put his long fingers over his mouth, as if scared for giving too much information.
Hermione smiled, "That's good that they're treating you nicely, where did you work before?"
He looked scared again, "Me worked at inn in S-Scotland, then inn close 'cause my master die...no one t-take poor Nappy, except Professor Dumbledore, he knew master and he bring me here."
Ron looked a bit mortified for laughing at Nappy's name, he dug into his pajamas pocket and pulled out a slightly crumpled packed, "Come here Nappy, here's a Chocolate Frog for you..."
The house-elf's eyes filled with tears again, "Master is s-so good, so g-generous to Nappy..."
"It's just a chocolate"
"Me know, master, but it is nicer to be given something than to take it, me can eat what me wants in the kitchen, but this chocolate will taste sweeter because it is a gift..."
Hermione and Ron smiled while looking at the philosophical house-elf, then Hermione expression darkened, "Nappy, you don't have to call us 'master' and 'mistress', I'm Hermione Granger and this is Ron Weasley"
Nappy nodded, "Yes, mistr-Hermione Granger"
Ron stifled a yawn, "Now I'm feeling sleepy, I think I'll head upstairs now..."
"Me too, " Hermione smiled again at the house-elf, "It was nice to meet you, Nappy."
"Will Nappy never see Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley again?" asked the house-elf fearfully
"You can come see us again."
"How?" asked Nappy
"Ummm, you could leave a note for us under this sofa, can you write?"
Nappy shook his head mournfully, then his expression brightened, "But me can write my name!" he exclaimed
Ron found a solution, "So leave a note with your name on it under the cushion and we'll meet you here that night, OK?"
Nappy nodded, and then scurried off to carry on with his duties.
Hermione and Ron slowly climbed up the winding stairs to their dormitories, they both hesitated at the top, "Well, that was fun." said Ron brightly
"Yeah, he's a sweet, little guy...I wonder if we'll see him again?"
Ron nodded; "probably will...Good Night" he ended abruptly
Hermione smiled, "Sweet dreams" and entered her dormitory and closed the door quietly behind her.
She slipped into her bed, snuggled into her pillows and fell fast asleep.
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This is my longest chapter! I'm not exactly sure why I introduced Nappy; maybe he'll play the part of a matchmaker...we'll see. Anyway, I wanted to start another story, while I'm writing this one, but I can't think of a storyline, Any Ideas?