Coincidence
No one knew when the Weasley's employed a house elf. No one. Some think that Molly might have taken him in out of the kindness of her heart, and others think that it was a gift from Bill and Charlie to her because she worked so hard, but no one really knew. All they know was that one day the Weasley's had a house elf who was supposedly the meanest house elf the wizarding world had ever come to know. That was because this house elf came from the far south, Egypt, to be exact.
Street fighting and vicious house elf fights had hardened Abram into a fugitive willing to go with two red headed strangers. And even though he despised people, he still held high esteem for women. The reasons for this are speculated, but it is believed that the misses who employed him last pitied him and scorned her husband for enrolling him in the dirty fights. Whatever the reasons, he was grizzly for his stature.
Everyone knew that the Malfoy's had house elves. It was common knowledge. Just the name Malfoy made house elves shiver with fear. The few but praised house elves that came from the Malfoy house were held in high ranks with their master and rightfully so. They were his henchmen, the wee fellows who had no choice but to do as he bid. And, over the years, Lucius had rewarded a few with random things like beads and silk pillow cases, but only a few.
So it is natural that his two best and beloved house elves would be walking about one fine summer afternoon, out on a simple errand for their master. Rarely were house elves allowed to travel in pairs, but the message required two parts to be delivered to two separate people, and Lucius decided that they could travel together. So there the two well clad house elves could be found, walking the streets of Hogsmead and conversing with themselves. However, they had been out too late, and unbeknownst to them, Lucius was out looking for the messages he needed.
"I really think we are spoiled," Sampson said to Gregory as they rounded a corner. He was wearing a dark green silk pillow case and his comrade was sporting a black case.
"I think so too," Gregory replied as they trundled along. "I mean, I'd like to see a house elf dressed better than us." He smiled a little at his friend and his friend returned the grin.
"I don't think there is one." Sampson turned his head to admire his reflection in one of the store windows as they were walking and he rammed into something small and elf like.
"Sorry!" He called out instantly, lowering himself to the ground. He glanced up, and saw only another house elf brushing himself off. Not any house elf, but the Weasley house elf...the free house elf. The blood rivalry did not stop at the people who it automatically effected, no. It extended to children and indentured servants all the way down to house elves. Even they had a hate for the people and servants of the Blood Traitors.
"Sorry yourself!" Abram ruffed. He pulled his packages together and began on his way again.
"Well isn't that touching!" Gregory called to the rushing elf. Abram stopped and turned to face his attackers.
"Yes, all dressed up nicely in your wool and pants," Sampson hissed. He looked over to Gregory, who laughed a bit.
"Are you insulting me?" Abram asked slowly and roughly. "Are you insulting that which you long for?" He was itching to pull out his wand and obliterate these scums, but they were of the house of Malfoy, and he couldn't do that.
"I don't know..." Sampson began, unsure of himself. He turned to Gregory and hissed, "What are we doing? Would we fall in bad favor with the master if we further this?" Gregory furrowed his brow and thought hard.
"Well?" Abram pressed. He knew Molly and Arthur Weasley would be looking for him soon, and if he didn't scat, they might get angry and send him away. That would be bad. "Hurry up, I have to get going." He prompted the now frightened house elves before him.
"No, we are not insulting him," Gregory hissed in Sampson's ear. "It would prove bad if he fought us. We would lose everything with the Master." He pulled back and stared at the well dressed elf before him with envy.
"No." Sampson replied quickly.
"No what?" Abram roared.
"You are all dressed up nicely in your wool and pants," he covered. "I mean, I mean... you serve a very good master." He smiled weakly at Abram, but Abram was not amused.
"No, I serve a master better than yours." He huffed. "Don't I?" He asked the cowering elves. "Eh?" He put his hand in his pocket and fingered his wand.
"Oh, say it, Sampson," Gregory pleaded his mate.
"Well..." He contemplated. "Master is not a blood traitor..." That was the ticket that sent Sampson to the ground in a rustle, with Abram on top of him.
"Oh..." seethed Gregory. "Stop! Someone is coming!" He put his hands over his eyes. He couldn't watch his mate get smashed by some crazy person.
"Abram, stop!" It was a man. Abram pulled away from the bleeding Sampson and rose.
"Sorry, young master Harry, sir. I only meant to right an offense is all." He bowed and stepped aside.
"Offense or not, you don't go attacking people just because." He offered his hand to the elf, but the elf refused. Just at that moment, Crabbe came bounding around a corner in the direction of the elves.
"Get away from that house elf!" Crabbe boomed as he bounded toward Harry. He had his wand out instantly, and Harry returned the gesture. They bared teeth and prepared to duke it out, right then and there, but a stern and cold, yet familiar, voice stopped them.
"Sampson and Gregory!" The anger in the voice let all know that Lucius Malfoy was drawing near.
"What were you doing?" Crabbe asked Harry angrily and loudly.
"Protecting the house elf!" Harry shouted. "Why were you here? Were you going to cause trouble? Is that it?" Harry walked forward, coming close to Crabbe. They had recently just graduated from Hogwarts, where many partings were hard to take. At any rate, they were both touchy toward each other; Harry had killed Voldemort in his sixth year, and Crabbe's father had died during the battle. You could say that they weren't on the best of speaking terms.
"I ought to teach you a lesson..." Crabbe growled. He took a step forward and shoved his wand in Harry's face. Harry pointed his own wand and the tip began to glow.
"Do you want to mess with me?" Harry asked Crabbe. "I am dangerous with this thing; everyone knows it. I might as well take you down right now!"
"Hello boys." Lucius Malfoy's words nearly froze both of their hearts.
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," Crabbe began terrified, but formally. He nodded at his best friend's father politely and backed away a few feet. Harry didn't move.
"Are you causing trouble?" He purred deliciously as he took another step closer to Harry.
"Harry, what is going on?" Molly Weasley's voice penetrated the dense air between the men.
"Nothing," he said quietly but intensely.
"Abram?" Arthur called out. The elf stood straight and checked the packages he was carrying.
"Yes, sir?" He looked around, and Mr. Weasley could finally be seen. He was wearing fine robes to go with his management position, and he strode over to Harry.
"Just checking to see if you were all right," he bustled as he stared into Lucius' eyes.
"Yes sir, I'm fine, sir, I'm touched you asked, sir." The house elf was beside himself with gratitude. He bowed low and smiled profusely.
"That's really all right," Arthur told him as he held out his hand. The elf ran forward and touch him slightly before running back to Molly's robes and hiding there.
"I should have known," Arthur hissed at Lucius.
"Known what?" He yawned as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"You were behind this. Ever since Voldemort was slain you seem to want to torture my children and servants." Arthur shook his head and sighed. "But I guess that is to be expected." He smiled a bit at his harsh words and gazed intently into the other man's eyes.
"Really?" Lucius smiled in spite of himself. It was delicious to be mean to this Blood Traitor.
"Yes..." Arthur took another breath to say more, but a glimpse of red face shut him up.
"Well?" Lucius asked him intently. "Are you going to say it?" In his fingers he clutched his wand, ready to send this man where he belonged.
"Say what?" Cornelius Fudge asked him pompously. He had a slight, sad grin on his face as Lucius whirled around to face him.
"Fancy meeting you here," Arthur chimed in flawlessly. He grinned a bit at the Minister, who only glared.
"Really...And I assume Potter and Crabbe would verify this?" He looked to the two boys. They glared at each other for a second before turning to face the Minister.
"Yep," Harry smiled foxily. "You bet. We just happened to run in with each other, and we about to say hello when you arrived." He squinted an eye over at Crabbe, who glared back.
"I don't think so." Fudge walked in between the people and they stared at him, almost ashamed. "This is the third time there has been a fight between you two..." He indicated Arthur and Lucius. "And it will stop. Now, if anyone concerned with these two parties is caught fighting, and I don't care who you are or who you've killed in the past, I swear on my honor that you and everyone else in the lot will be sent to Azkaban. And I mean it when I say I don't care who you are!" He turned an eye to Harry, who only gulped and shrank a bit.
"Yes sir, we'll heed that right away," Arthur nodded to him.
"Yes, sure," Fudge yawned. "Now, Arthur, go home and enjoy your day off. Big cases tomorrow, big cases. Lucius, bring your vermin and come this way. I'd like to talk to you for a bit before you run back home." He smiled big and held out an arm to the old Death Eater. Crabbe slipped out of sight and into the shadows in a fraction of an instant. He was off to find Draco and tell him of the news. He would be slightly crushed, but that was all right. He would risk the trouble and fight anyway.
Lucius rolled his eyes and walked toward the man's outstretched arm. He didn't take it, oh no, he was above that, but he did walk by his side with is head and shoulders held high. His house elves were about to sneak away, but a sharp word from Lucius brought them back to his heel, bowing to the people as they passed. They were gone and in an instant Molly was all over Harry, checking to see if he was all right.
"Did he hurt you dear? Are you hurt?" She tried smoothing out his ruffled hair and he nodded, his eyes growing distant and fuzzy.
"Harry, m' boy," Arthur took a big step toward Harry and held out his hand. Harry shook it gingerly and his nose twitched deliciously as he caught the aroma of the Weasley home. It was a place he knew he could always go… the fresh baked apple pies, the baked bread, cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves. Pumpkin pies with turkey and a nice big log on the fire. Their new home didn't have half of the interesting odors as the Burrow did, but it felt like home nonetheless.
"Arthur," Harry nodded his head as he focused back on the present.
"So tell me, what really happened back there?" He back walking down the street with Harry under a fatherly arm. Harry almost squirmed.
"Well, to be honest, Abram was fighting with one of Malfoy's house elves. I stopped it as soon as I saw, but according to Abram, the house elf insulted him and he was making the terms square." He paused to take a breath and Arthur stopped walking. "Then Crabbe rushed by and pulled out his wand, and if I didn't know better I would have thought he would have shot me down in an instant." He looked into his best friend's father's face, but couldn't find a visible reaction.
"I see. Just like a Malfoy to cause all the trouble." He shook his head and held Harry out at a distance. "Well, I think you did the right thing. No matter what Fudge might say." He tapped the tip of his nose with his finger. "But he was right about one thing. I have to enjoy my free time. Why don't you see if you can find Ginny for me. I believe she is spending some hard earned money." He smiled at Harry, who only smirked sheepishly back.
"Yes, I think we best be getting home. I have lots to do! Lots to do!" Molly clucked as she pushed Harry away slightly and took Arthur's arm. "Let's go home, eh love?" She rubbed noses with him and kissed him affectionately. Harry turned his head away and sighed.
"I'll find Ginny and bring her straight home," he sighed again. The Weasley's didn't hear him, but he knew they knew he would bring her home. He shrugged and began to whistle a little. So much for his afternoon. Now he had to hunt down the wizarding world's most flirtatious witch. She might be anywhere… out shopping? Harry spat and shook his head with a touch of mirth. It was a joke. He walked the streets of Hogsmead merrily and peered into all of the shops, looking for the youngest Weasley.
"Oh Ginny," he sang out to the empty streets. He laughed a bit at himself and shook his head. Like she was going to respond to his call.
"Yes Harry?" her voice trilled sweetly from the shadows.
"Where are you?" he sang to her. She laughed and ran out into the streets, her cloak billowed out behind her happily and she jumped into his arms.
"Here!" She breathed happily into his face. He set her down, but not before her arms wound themselves around his neck in a hug. She pulled back and beamed at Harry. He didn't understand; her face was bright and glowing, her hair was gleaming, her lips were trembling in their happy place.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked her as he plucked her off of him. This might be seen in the wrong way, with her rushing out to him like that. Hermione might take the wrong side and kick him out… again.
"I'm in love!" She sighed to the heavens and ran down the street. "You hear that Hogsmead! I'm in love!" She ran back to Harry, laughing giddily. "It's the most wonderful feeling in the whole world, Harry. It is so warm, and it makes me just so… so happy!" She fell away from him and laughed, and as she twirled around a lamppost, she laughed.
"I know," Harry told her. He though back to the day he first realized he loved Hermione, and he smiled. "It is warm, isn't it?" He laughed with her and she bit her lip.
"He is the most wonderful person in the whole world. I never thought I would ever meet someone like him, ever!" She laughed and raced around Harry, her childlike glee a relief to his full heart.
"Well, who is he?" Harry reached out a hand and she stopped, breathless, gazing into his eyes. There was a definite fire burning there, although he knew a fire burned else where, too.
"Dean William Thomas," she sighed happily. Harry nearly choked on his saliva. Dean? She couldn't be serious. That guy had seen so many women in the past year that he a new girl for every day of the week.
'Ah, oh no,' Harry thought. 'She is the new flavor of the week. She'll be swept off her feet, shagged senselessly, then shoved out for fresher meat.' He sighed and shook his head. He had to tell her.
"Ginny, there is something you have to know about Dean before you go devoting your life to him."
"What else is there to know? He is handsome, he is artistic, he keeps flirting with me. What is there not to love? A flirt for a flirt, I say, is a smart match. That way, we'll only flirt with each other." She sighed and clutched her heart. Harry shook his head.
"He's been my roommate for the longest time, you'd think I'd know him pretty well by now," Harry told her. She looked at him, her eyes suddenly glazing over. She was known for her quick temper and rash decisions, but he knew she wasn't really getting angry. He hoped.
"Well, what is so important about him that I should know about?" She pressed him, her eyes suddenly alight. She was smiling wickedly at him, like she held something in store for him that would be the death of him. Her hair was flying away in a sudden breeze, and if Harry hadn't known her well enough, he would have sworn that she looked like the devil.
"He had a girl just last week who swore her undying love to him." He raised his eyebrows at her and her smiled faded.
"So… so you're saying I am just the flavor of the week?" She asked in a hiss. Harry nodded, his fingers twitching as if the snitch was millimeters away. If she became violent, he'd have to stop her, and fast, before any… gulp… permanent damage could be done. "You're saying I've wasted the last week of my life on a wanker?" Her voice was growing and so was her rage.
"'Fraid so, poppy," he choked out, her fingers closing around his neck tightly. Her family ring was still on and it was digging into his trachea. He gulped and closed his eyes in the fashion of a long blink, but she let go and began laughing.
"You are such a wanker." She laughed at him. He opened his eyes and relaxed. The situation had passed as quickly as it had came.
"You have obviously never lived with Hermione during 'that time' of the month. She throws things." He laughed with her. She took his arm in hers and squeezed his biceps tightly as they began walking toward the fireplace at the end of the street. "The only way to calm her down is to buy oodles of chocolate and ice cream, and then leave the house."
"Well, I guess all women are kind of crazy when they are bleeding internally." Ginny laughed at her own joke. She was very happy, even though Dean was a wanker. She would simply not return his calls, and would torch the paintings he had given her. Wait, maybe not the paintings. They were rather good, and who knows, he might be famous one day. She smiled and let go of Harry, who reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin.
"Have a nice trip," the floo network operator called to them as they stepped into the fireplace. Ginny knew they were headed back to her new place, so she threw down her powder and shouted "Weasley's!" Harry laughed a bit at the joke of the day and threw down his handful of green powder as he called out his destination.
