Disclaimer: The great JKR Rowling owns everything, we just like to play with her genius.
A/N: It is very likely that the stories published in this collaborative piece may also be published individually, by their authors, as oneshots. You have been warned.
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Hermione set out with determination between her brows. She knew that she had to do this for the good of house-elves everywhere. S.P.E.W. was not being taken seriously, people like Ronald had insisted on disgracing it, 'spew, honestly', the only way she was going to rally support was to attack from the inside out. What was it like to be an elf? What did they go through everyday? Most importantly what was it like to be freed?
This was why Hermione was power walking through the castle, her bushy hair bouncing around her shoulders. She was on her way to the kitchens; where she was sure she could get tangible evidence that house-elves were better off free.
Tickling the pear and grasping the large green handle, she let herself into the grand kitchens. One passing elf stopped immediately in its tracks to bow to her.
" Um, yes that's all right…I'm just here to speak with Dobby?" she asked politely; cringing at the way the little elf scurried off, as if she'd personally kicked it or something. Soon she was being seated and served tea, through her multitude of polite 'thanks but no thanks' while she tried not to accept their offerings; she'd be offending them if she didn't.
"Harry Potter's friend has asked for Dobby, Miss?" Hermione turned to watch the happy creature bounce on the balls of his feet with joy. He was as mismatched as always, his tea cozy resting haphazardly on his head and his little tie askew.
"Yes, I was wondering if I could get sort of, an interview with you? About being freed?" she asked, as Dobby started nodding vigorously, sending his cozy wobbling dangerously.
" A friend of Harry Potter is a friend of Dobby! Any thing you wish, Miss!" soon Hermione had Dobby sitting before her swinging his short legs freely from a standard stool, while she rolled out her parchment and inked her quill.
"Well, the family you belonged to before being freed was…the Malfoys?" she asked, smiling as Dobby nodded vigorously again, "Well, what was your life like then? Before being free that is," she clarified.
"Dobby served one house, one family, he never thought he would be free, Miss! Dobby wore a pillowcase; Miss, like all the other elves. Dobby worked everyday; he cleaned and cooked, Miss." Dobby looked gleeful as he ignored the other elves' stares at him for speaking happily of being freed.
"And, were you punished?" Hermione asked deftly, knowing from Harry's stories that Dobby had a bit of a self-abuse habit.
"Yes, Miss, Dobby punished himself for being a bad elf, Miss!" he nodded again, his bat like ears waving from the force. She grimaced making a note that elves were taught to be proud of a job well done, including beating themselves.
"How were you set free?" Hermione shifted, watching as the small being before her trembled, his eyes wide.
"Dobby's Master brought him to the school, Miss; he needed to speak to Professor Dumbledore. Master was furious; Harry Potter is saving Hogwarts again, Miss. When the meeting was over, Dobby was taken to return home, Miss. Harry Potter handed Master a Diary, a diary inside a sock, Miss. Dobby caught the sock when master is throwing it. Dobby had been given clothing, Miss, Dobby was free." Joy was apparent on Dobby's little face at the memory of being freed.
"So what was it like after that? Did you feel different?" Hermione questioned furrowing her brow as Dobby thought.
"Yes, Miss, very different. Dobby's world was very bright, Miss. Everything was different, Miss, at the time Dobby did not understand what it was, Miss. Now Dobby knows it was colour, Miss. Dobby had colour." He smiled toothily as Hermione frowned.
"Colour? As in, you saw colour for the first time?" she asked surprised as Dobby nodded.
"Yes Miss and it was beautiful," he said dreamily as Hermione smile.
"IT IS A CURSE!" Hermione jumped at the loud squeak from behind dobby. Shifting, they both looked to find Winky swaying before them, one arm extended, pointing at Dobby. "It is a curse, Dobby is a bad elf, he likes the colours, but Winky knows, Winky knows it is a curse," she shook her small head lowering her arm. Hermione frowned.
"Dobby is sorry Miss, Winky does not like being freed, the colours hurt her eyes, Miss," he explained as Winky flopped back into her place by the fire.
"Winky does not like it, Winky is a disgraced elf!" she began to pull on her ears as great tears bubbled up in her eyes and began splashing down her front.
"Oh, Winky don't cry! You aren't disgraced, the colours are good, don't you like them better than just gray?" Hermione asked gently, but all she got in return was a high pitched wail.
"Winky is not adjusting, Miss, but Dobby enjoys the colours," he nodded before fingering his tie, stroking the vibrant orange. Hermione nodded, inspecting his wardrobe again; obviously he liked all the colours mashed together, the more garish and bright, the better.
"Well, what's your favorite colour Dobby?" Hermione asked leisurely, still glancing over at the blubbering Winky every now and then. Dobby's eyes grew wide at her question and he began considering it seriously.
"Dobby's favorite, Miss? But Dobby is liking them all!" he exclaimed, "Dobby has seen once, Miss, once in the sky, all the colours together! It was the most beautiful thing Dobby has ever seen, Miss!" he whispered conspiratorially. Hermione laughed.
"Why, Dobby, I believe you saw a rainbow. Had it just been raining?" she barely got the question out, before he was nodding again. Gnawing her lip, Hermione looked down once before glancing back up at Dobby.
"Say, Dobby," she picked up her robes to reveal one of her shoes and one lucky rainbow striped sock. His eyes grew wide as he took in the piece of fabric, "would you mind trading me a sock?" she asked him shucking her Mary Jane and slipping her sock off. Offering the limp clothing to him, she watched as Dobby scrambled out of one pink and orange striped sock, while leaving Harry's old black, one in place on his other foot.
Together they both pulled on the other's sock and looked down at them appreciatively.
"There, now you'll always have a rainbow." She smiled affectionately, as Dobby nodded once more, giving her his toothy grin.
"Thank you, Harry Potter's friend, Miss!" he squeaked excitedly bustling around proudly, as she gathered her things. Hermione smiled to herself as she left, leaving one very happy elf behind, with his very own rainbow.
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Witblogi
A/N: This story takes place somewhere in the Goblet of Fire time line. If you didn't get the jist of it, enslaved elves are colour blind, and only get to see the colours when they are free. It is surprisingly hard to write a first person story from a being who only speaks in third person, (with bad grammar) therefore I fudged things a bit and had Hermione interrogate our furry little friend.
I was inspired to write this after reading Deathly Hallows, Dobby rocks on.