Yes, bookworm Hermione was going to the ball with a fellow of age wizard, and it was exciting. She took small amusement in how similar he looked to her potion's master minus the finesse. Thin, sallow skin, dark hair, hooked nose, he seemed surly and brooding, and like her professor, he was blunt with his words just less acidic with them. There were differences such as his thick eyebrows, while Professor Snape's were more defined, and he was duck-footed and hulking, their voices were more definite. However she had to acknowledge that Professor Snape had a 1 in a million voice, but Viktor's accent was also attractive.
Of course she would tell this to no one else but Crookshanks. He never judged or doubted her, he even put up with her rants and baby talk (and was more often pleased with it than tolerated it). Hermione laughed under her breath.
"Because Crookshanks is the most handsome regal creature in this castle." She'd croon at him.
Just as she was leaving to go back to the tower, she felt a subtle tug on her skirt. She knew she instructed Winky to meet with her in private after she felt better, and she was pleased with her discretion. She kept walking and seeing as there were 3 Ravenclaws nearby she spoke softly under her breath without moving her lips as much.
"Good job, Winky. We're going to that room you were in yesterday."
With that she kept walking until she reached the correct corridor. She noticed the door wasn't there as it was last night, but she knew for a fact that it was there. She looked at it perplexed before Winky spoke to her.
"It is known by us as the Come and Go room, Miss. It is a room that is always equipped with the seeker's needs. It is the Room of Requirement." Winky spoke softly.
With Dobby's help Winky had slept off her drink, and woke with a glass of water being shoved into her hand. She drank it, knowing it would help with the hangover she was sure to have, but it also helped knowing Dobby was there for her. Dobby was her mate, but they said friend in front of the humans so their relationship wouldn't be abused. It was for that reason that Dobby had come to visit Winky when he couldn't find a home to be of service. She knew how his old masters were, and how they were dark and mean, but being an elf she encouraged Dobby to find a new house to work for. It had taken him 2 years before he decided to face Winky, only to find out that she had just been dismissed from her own service.
His little elf with the nose like a tomato, was proud of being the 3rd generation to serve the Crouch's. She hadn't been able to live up to their legacy and let Dobby talk her into finding service at Hogwarts of all places. She had asked where they would find a place that would take not one, but two elves into service. Dobby had come through, thinking about her.
Here she was crying in her shame at not being a proper house elf in proper service, and here was Dobby taking care of her when the other elves would rather not look at her. There were children about and she acted disgracefully, and Dobby pretended that there was nothing wrong for her, so that they would hopefully look over her.
Her new Mistress didn't. Instead she bad mouthed her old masters, and now she could barely find it in her to be mad at her new Mistress. She had asked and cared, and even though she was ignorant and insulted her as a proper house else, she took her into service to be a proper house elf. She had promised to keep Dobby's secrets. Her new Mistress was a young witch and her magic was large and kind, but she knew underneath it, her new Mistress was strong. The Kind Hermione Granger, Dobby was calling her. Kind enough to fight for elvish welfare and rights, kind enough to care about house elves, kind enough to take Winky in even against her ideas on how house elves should be set free.
"Thank you, Dobby… you is the best mate Winky could ever hope for," she said mutely.
She remembered most of last night and was fully aware of her new Mistress, new rules, and current orders. She was embarrassed for the way she behaved, but pleased to be in a proper service even if it was for a new house.
Dobby leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. House elves were rarely afforded niceties and pleasantries. As long as they did their jobs to serve their masters well, they were for the most part left alone unless their master constantly needed an elf on hand at all times. Crouch was one of those masters. Winky was always there, always on hand, and always given something to do, and had been taking care of Crouch Jr since he was sentenced. That was over a decade of constant service. To suddenly have to stop, was cruel to a house elf.
Dobby was usually given orders and left to mind them and himself. He was in a household with other elves, so they shared the work. However Dobby was alive and in service long enough to hold and care for Draco as a babe. He kept an eye and ear out for him and watched him interact with the Potion Master, who spoke quietly to the babe about Harry Potter. How there was a Harry Potter who was supposed to defeat the Dark Lord so he could grow up safe. Dobby listened and kept his silence like a good house elf.
However when bad things were to happen, Dobby took his now free time, to interfere with Harry Potter and try to protect him. He admittedly went too far, but so did Harry Potter in getting around his obstacles.
Dobby now took care of his mate Winky, and would be walking the Kind Hermione Granger through owning a house elf and proper care of them. She was willing to learn, and would catch on quickly. He also knew that she would rarely if ever require Winky to punish herself. Winky was a good house elf, and the Miss Hermione Granger was a nice witch. She was also a smart witch and knew that much like her half-kneazle, wouldn't tolerate stupidity for long. It would work out well. He was sure.
"The Room of Requirement…" Hermione murmured under her breath, staring at the wall.
"You must walk by it 3 times thinking of what it is you need most, miss." Winky said softly.
She had been sleeping in this room since she came here, she knew how it worked. The other elves refused to share their sleeping quarters with the likes of her. She was rude and a… bad elf.
Hermione noticed this new subservient Winky and walked by the room 3 times thinking of a place to speak. Some place cozy and inviting for her and 2 elves, some place private.
The door appeared and she walked through smiling at the soft cream and coffee colors that were hard to come by in Hogwarts. They were neutral, muggle even. The furniture seemed as though it belonged in the Gryffindor common room, but was a less gaudy color. Less used as well.
There was a large comfy looking chair and a small loveseat, both cream color with a two level coffee table, coffee colored, with a cream colored rug under it that had coffee colored designs. The walls were and eggshell off white, there was a small fire going on a few feet away from the setting. There was enough space between the furniture and the walls to avoid a cramped, claustrophobic feel.
She walked in taking the seat that was obviously meant for her, as the loveseat was cozy the proper height for a house elf to sit comfortably. She didn't even have to look to know that Winky followed and sat down, quickly followed by Dobby who closed the door behind him, letting the room know that they did not want to be found.
What the young witch didn't expect was for Dobby to come prepared with 3 cups of tea, each prepared differently. He set them out expertly of course, sitting down next to a demure clean looking Winky, who took hers off the table with a very small whisper of "Thank you".
Hermione decided to let her cup sit and cool, as she could see the steam dancing up from the hot drink like a mythical siren. She did stare at the steam however, letting it calm her as she settled her thoughts and organized them the way she liked them, still feeling a bit of nerves fluttering in her stomach. She'd only had to do this one other time, and that too was nerve wrecking, as practice even at home. She stopped thinking about it. She looked over at her small house elf, who had a cute tomato like nose and brown eyes like she used to have.
"Winky, what are you afraid of?" she asked abruptly.
Winky looked at her with dread filling her stomach. She worried that this new witch would hold her fears against her… but she was also her new mistress and she had given up something important for… a bad elf.
"Winky is afraid of being free and Winky is afraid of heights." She said softly looking at the table top.
Hermione smiled at the little female elf. She could tell she was nervous and scared, a little depressed, but also trying to make an impression. She was sure Dobby had something to do with it, but that was neither here nor there.
"Looks like we have something in common. I'm afraid of heights too."
Winky looked at the bushy haired witch as though she was standing in a new light.
"Winky who named you?"
Winky looked over to Dobby, who nodded reassuringly. Hermione didn't miss this and filed it away for later. In the meantime she let it fall under the category of 'Dobby's Secrets'.
"Old master Crouch Sr did, miss."
"Would you be averse to having a new name Winky? You're starting a new service, practically a new life. I wouldn't want you to suddenly think back to your old service because I said your name a way to remind you of them. I want you to be healthy; that includes your mental health too. I also think it would be for the best so you're not mistaken for a bad elf who used a wand, of which I know you were framed."
Winky looked up startled, as though that was never an option or a thought in her head. She had never in her life heard of such a thing for an elf. She quickly turned her head to Dobby to see if he too would be okay with it. She wasn't the only one who used her name, and neither was her new Mistress. Of course if she ordered her to have a new name, she would, but she was asking, so she had a choice.
Dobby squeezed her knee in support, his green tennis ball like eyes seemed as though they were almost twinkling. He was quite pleased with the young witch's thoughts and concern.
"Winky would… would like that, miss. Winky would like that a lot." She said looking at her new mistress fondly, if still a bit subdued compared to her theatrics yesterday.
"Would you like to name yourself, or would you like me to give you a new name?"
The poor female elf was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar kindness and her eyes misted slightly, "I would be most honored if you were to give Winky a new name, miss."
Hermione nodded kindly at the elf's decision. She wanted to give Winky a clever name, but not one that was too long, nor one that seemed stupid. She didn't want Winky to have a… a … trinket name. But she also wanted it to be easy for Dobby and the other elves to say when speaking to her. Sadly she noticed they were either one or two syllable names, but she would work with it.
"Thimi, Thi for short." She said after a while of giving it thought.
"W-Thimi is most honored Miss." There was a small smile on the elf's face finally.
"Dobby likes the name Thimi Miss, Thimi is a good elf name." Dobby said nodding his head while holding his own cup of tea.
"Thimi I'm pleased to see you cleaned up. I was quite serious about the cloth though, for uniforms. I understand most owned elves have togas of sorts, and if it must be a toga, it will be fitted and it will look nice. I would also ask that you wear socks or something of the sort, I don't want your feet being cold." Thimi froze up and Hermione pushed through, "I'm not giving you socks, or any clothes. But I will get you cloth if that's to be the case. Yards of cloth for uniforms so that you may be presentable as is an order."
Thimi's shoulders relaxed as she took in her new owner's words.
"Is there anything you would like to ask or say?"
"Dobby told Thimi, that Mistress Hermione, is smart and likes smart people and creatures. Dobby says even your cat is smart, so that Thimi is to be smart and sound smart. But Thimi is not smart, but Thimi is trying."
"Ooh! Thimi, you're doing fine. If I have to, I can give you grammar lessons on the weekend. I do very much appreciate you not groveling about and sounding as though you have self-worth and some sense about you. I know Dobby does and his grammar is splendid, when he chooses to use it." She threw Dobby a shrewd look.
She noticed when he saw Harry that his eyes lit up like Christmas, but his speech went back to those who were subservient without a mind to think. When he was explaining things, he spoke well.
"I promised to keep Dobby's secrets, so if one of them is that he can speak properly and chooses not to, that's his business. But now… now you're my business Thimi, and I cannot tolerate a weak willed living being sobbing or tripping over themselves to please me. You are going to speak proper, or as proper as I can get you, or even Dobby to get you should he choose to help you. That and if you show any weakness, Crookshanks will pounce on you and make your life miserable, and I don't want that."
Thimi nodded her head in agreement, "Yes, miss. Thank you, miss."
Hermione sighed; it was a start.