A/N - Written for the Colourful Phrases Competition
Prompt: True blue
Title: A Thoughtful Gift
Rating: PG
Word Count: 707
Warnings/Notes: None
.
If Harry had been asked what was the hardest thing he had to do two years after the fall of Voldemort, he wouldn't have to think before replying. The answer was easy: keeping Hermione away from Kreacher.
"Honestly!" Hermione huffed as she blew off the loose tendrils of curly hair off her face for what seemed like the tenth time. With a forlorn sigh, she held out the package that was wrapped in attractive yellow paper. Again.
Harry simply watched her while taking languid sips of his cup of tea.
"Harry!" Hermione immediately turned to chastise him. "Tell him to accept my gift."
Kreacher simply looked up at Harry with dread before muttering a few choice words under his breath. Harry chose to ignore that. "You've tried, Hermione. Maybe it's time to admit that you can't give a house elf a birthday gift."
"Harry Potter, have you met me? I'm not the type to give up."
It was at this point of time that Harry thought it prudent not to tell her exactly what he thought of that, and instead chose to mutter his thoughts under his breath in a very Kreacher-like manner. Hermione, of course, immediately noticed the behaviour and narrowed her eyes at him. Harry responded by sending a sheepish grin her way in hope that it would lighten her mood. It didn't.
"Hermione, just let him be. He's happy simply by stealing things and pretending that none of us exist." The house elf shot him a look of cautious respect. It nearly freaked him out.
Hermione sighed again, and Harry knew she was about to start off on a rant. He couldn't let that happen.
"For one thing, you don't know when his birthday is."
"But-"
"And you know he won't accept gifts from anyone."
"Yes, but-"
"And it's not like he would become happy when he gets a gift. If anything, you'll be making him unhappy." When she frowned, he decided to go in for the kill. "Make Kreacher happy by not giving him the gift."
"Harry, that doesn't even make sense. What are you suggesting? That I..." She paused when she noticed him look at her meaningfully. "Oh." Placing the box on the kitchen table, she winked at Harry and made her way closer to him, stepping away from the frightened house elf. "Now that Kreacher doesn't want that gift, I guess I can give it to Ron's house elf. You know how Winky loves gold chains."
From the corner of his eyes, Harry saw Kreacher's ears twitch lightly at the mention of gold.
"Oh yeah," he said, trying to hide his smile. "Winky will just jump at all the gold you will be giving her."
Kreacher's ears twitched again, only this time while the house elf came closer to Harry. "If Master wishes Kreacher to have the gift, it will be Kreacher's honour to accept the gift," the house elf said grandly as he bowed low.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. With a wide grin, Hermione handed the box to Harry, who in turn gave it to Kreacher, who accepted it with curious eyes. "Open it," Harry said before taking another sip of his tea.
With a cautious glance towards his master, Kreacher opened the yellow paper to reveal a box. With greedy eyes, he opened the box only for his eyes to be shadowed with something akin to disbelief before he fell to his knees and started sobbing.
Harry looked at Hermione as she stared worriedly at his former house elf. "Are you happy now? You just made a mean creature cry."
Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully. "You don't think the shirt is too big for him, do you?" Kreacher only wailed louder.
"I told you he wouldn't be happy," Harry said dryly as he watched the house elf roll over on the kitchen floor while crying out in emotional pain. "You're too much of a true blue activist, Hermione."
Hermione shook her head, wincing when the wailing only got louder. "Not really, Harry. I still have another forty seven registered house elves to set free. And.." She looked at him suggestively. "You're going to help me."
Harry couldn't help but give into his compulsion at that moment. He groaned in dread.
.