Kreacher my Love
Chapter 3
New O character Kereston Boxwood belongs to me as does Magritte Westcraven, all other characters are of course property of JKR.
They had been invited to a party at Magritte WestCraven's family manor, but Kreacher did not wish to be there. He never willingly left Master Regulus's side even before they became a couple, so he would never send Master Regulus to a party alone, but he was uncomfortable here considering how Magritte and Severus Snape had behaved last night at dinner.
Kreacher hated even admitting to himself that he had been made uncomfortable at the way Master Regulus's friends had reacted to their new found love. Not Kreacher's friends, the elf thought darkly. No one who behaved that way about something most precious to Kreacher were going to be his friend. Master Regulus had always insisted that his friends were Kreacher's friends, the two went everywhere together and if someone didn't like Kreacher, Master Regulus would never welcome them into his confidences. To Kreacher's mind Severus Snape and Magritte WestCraven had been unforgivabley rude to both of them. When he expressed as much to Master Regulus, Master Regulus said they were just shocked and would come around. He did not seem bothered, but Kreacher was very much bothered.
The two had made him feel...uncomfortable and wrong about the new found happiness he and Master Regulus found together. Nothing was wrong with it! It was legal and they were consenting adults, and deserved any bit of happiness they could get.
"Are you alright?"
Kreacher looked up to see that the small blonde girl with long curly hair speaking, addressed her question to him. He started slightly, realizing that he had been tugging at the skirt of his dress in agitation as he thought. He sat in a chair in the corner of the WestCraven library while Master Regulus looked at books. Normally Kreacher would've looked at books too, but his heart was not in it today. Perhaps because his heart was on the edge of its seat waiting for someone else to be unkind about their relationship.
Kreacher studied the skirt then his gaze rose to the blonde. The dress was one of the former mistresses that he'd found in the attic and altered with magic to fit his new female form. Feeling the unfamiliar hair that elves didn't have falling across his cheeks, Kreacher reached up to push back the light brown tresses. Pretty hair, he thought.
"Kreacher...Kreacher if fine," he replied, but the blonde looked doubtful as she sat down beside him.
"I'm Kereston," she said. I'm about to start my last year at Hogwarts. Let me tell you it can't begin then end soon enough!"
Is Kereston a friend of Magritte," Kreacher asked suspiciously, already suspecting the answer. She was at Magritte's stupid party, after all.
"Usually," Kereston said dryly. "We're both in Slytherin house, but she's a year older, of course. She was rude and nearly fell asleep today while I was talking about my issues with the Ministry, and that's rude so today I'm not feeling very friendly."
"You talk as much as Kreacher, so the two of you should get on," Mag said from near the snack table where she was standing with her parents. Kreacher remembered her parents from long ago. They were Slytherins then along with Master Regulus, but a few years ahead of him. They usually spent their time with Severus Snape, though they had graduated before him. Both of them had always treated Kreacher properly and kindly so he gave them a nod of greeting.
"That's just fine," Kereston told Mag, then pointedly turned away from her and toward Kreacher. "I wanted to offer...Like if you want some help adjusting to being a girl, getting things for your hair and like getting new clothes, and such, I"d be glad to go shopping with you," she offered.
Kreacher hesitated. That was very kind, surprisingly so, but he didn't like to go anywhere without Master Regulus.
"We can go during the day while Regulus has to sleep if you want, then it won't cut into your time with him," Kereston added. That did seem interesting, but Kreacher liked to guard Master Regulus during the day. Master Regulus had already assured him that Mortis, his death phoenix, could do that, so Kreacher nodded slowly after a few seconds of consideration. "Kreacher supposes that may be nice," he said slowly.
"He thinks he would appreciate Kereston's help with such things."
Kereston smiled. "Great then! It'll be fun. You are very pretty. There are just so many styles of clothes, and you should get to look at them and decide what you like."
"Kreacher thinks he would like whatever Master Regulus likes," he said.
"Well we can take him the next time and go at night, but you should develop your own style too," Kereston insisted. That reminded Kreacher of Master Regulus wanting him to be free. He'd refused tearfully when Master Regulus was a teenager and wanted to free him so they could travel together as equals after he graduated Hogwarts, but recently he had handed him the Mistress's dress and tricked Kreacher into his unwanted freedom for which he was still a little resentful.