"Winky- please! Dobby is only trying to help!"
He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled, but she remained firmly planted on ground, head titled back, tears streaming down her face, and wailing her heart out. Winky was wearing a piece of cloth, tied to resemble a toga. It was covered in dirt; she had spent the last hour rolling around in it, screaming and crying. A greenish gray sock was clutched in her hand, and she was continuously pounding it into the dirt.
"Bad Winky! Winky fail master!" All of this was in between hysterical sobs, "Winky got clothes! Oh, oh..." More sobs followed this statement. "Winky is- Winky is-"
"Free?" supplied Dobby, trying oh so hard to be helpful.
Winky screamed.
Dobby clamped his hands over his bat-like ears, a squeezed shut his eyes, "Stop!"
The tears did not stop, but the screaming did. You could see she was still screaming on the inside through her puffy, red eyes.
"Come on Winky! You and Dobby will work at Hogwarts together!" He smiled reassuringly.
Winky had stopped crying, although her slim frame was still shaking. Her eyes were fixed on Dobby, and she stood up slowly.
"And we can get paying now!"
She collapsed- screaming once more.
"Oh dear..." muttered Dobby.
----
Crack!
Two house-elves appeared at Hogwart's gate. They were holding hands- well, one of the elves had grabbed the other by the wrist and was pulling, despite her shrill protests. No need to say which was which.
"You is making me come here! You is a bad elf Dobby!"
Dobby ignored her bickering as he led her to the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office.
"Umm..." Dobby hesitated- what was the password?
The gargoyle sprang to life- and Dumbledore himself came down the spiral stairs. "You wanted to see me?"
Winky stared at the floor, but Dobby nodded.
Once they were comfortably seated in Dumbledore's office Dumbledore said, "You wanted to see me about a job at Hogwarts, is that correct?"
"Yes Professor Dumbledore, sir," Dobby mustered up his courage, "But Dobby wants paying now!"
"I assumed as much," Dumbledore said, "I believe 10 Galleons a week and weekends off is fair."
Dobby's eyes grew wide, "No, Professor Dumbledore, sir, no. Dobby likes freedom, but he is liking work better, sir."
Winky remained silent.
"How is you pay Dobby 1 Galleon a month, Professor Dumbledore, sir?"
"A week."
Dobby felt reckless, "Alright, sir. And... one day off a month."
"A week."
"A month," Dobby put his sock-covered foot down.
Dumbledore nodded, then directed his attention toward Winky. "And how much shall I pay you?" he said gently.
"Winky is working for free, sir," she said meekly, hiding her face in her white piece of cloth.
Dumbledore surveyed her though his half-moon glasses. "At least let me give you this." With a wave of his wand Winky's toga had become a light blue blouse and a matching plaid skirt. Dumbledore smiled thoughtfully, "It's missing something... Ah!" He conjured up a blue hat, with hole for Winky's ears.
He looked over at Dobby, but he said," Dobby is buying clothes with his paying, sir."
"And now I must insist: Feel free to call me whatever you please, and recite my secrets for the world to hear."
Both of the elves look terrified, "Anything sir?"
"Yes- you may refer to me as a barmy old codger if you ever feel the need."
Both the elves stared with wide eyes.
"Now I will escort you to the kitchen, where I am sure you will be welcomed by the other house-elves." Dumbledore stood and lead Winky and Dobby out of his office.