Bad Dobby

"Dobby is getting tired of this," he muttered to himself. Hermione would think him a saint for doing this; the other house elves thought him a weirdo. Dobby was finding it hard to disagree with them. Here he was in the middle of the night carrying a semi conscious Winky on his back. Dobby knew where he had to go, it was getting there without being seen that was the trouble.

He dragged himself up the last flight of stairs, spotting the Room of Requirement ahead. He made his way over but froze when he heard footsteps. He quickly hid in the shadows, crouching against the wall. Argus Filch appeared at the end of the corridor. Dobby shut his eyes and prayed that Winky stayed quiet. All it would take was one groan or hiccup and they would both be in trouble. Filch strolled down the corridor and stopped right by Dobby. This was it, Dobby knew he would be found and then he'd be kicked out of Hogwarts. He didn't want to leave, he liked it here. What would Harry Potter say? Harry Potter would stick by him. Filch, however, kept on walking. Once Dobby was sure that Filch had left, he started inching closer to the Room of Requirement.

"Winky is a g-'hic' good house elf, isn't she?" mumbled Winky. Dobby said nothing in reply, thinking it best to leave Winky with her thoughts. "Poor Mr. C-C-Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He'll be all alone, no Winky to take care of him."

Dobby sighed. The ordeal with Barty Crouch Junior last year had left Winky mostly inconsolable. At times she completely forgot the graphic nature of her master's death.

They had arrived. Dobby set Winky down gently and began pacing back and forth, concentrating hard.

"Dobby needs somewhere for Winky to rest," he thought, "Dobby needs antidotes for Butterbeer, somewhere for Winky to sleep."

Sure enough, a door opened which Dobby entered, carrying Winky on his back. He found everything he needed, an elf sized bed and several alcohol recovery potions. He carefully put Winky down on the bed and began looking through the potion bottles. Winky sat up slightly.

"What is Dobby doing? Winky doesn't know! Oh, Dobby is 'hic' nosing he is!"

"Dobby is not nosing, Dobby is helping Winky feel better." Winky gave him a funny look, and then threw up on the floor. Dobby was exasperated by now. Something more for him to clean up.

"Oh! Winky is 'hic' making a mess she is!" She started to giggle, quietly at first then louder.

"Winky must be quiet or Mr. Filch will hear! Dobby and Winky will be thrown out of Hogwarts," whispered Dobby pleadingly. Winky's giggles gradually became terrible sobs. She curled up on the bed, crying into her blouse.

"Poor M-Mr. Crouch, 'hic'. And young master Barty! Why do they 'hic' why do they say nasty things about him! Master Barty is a g-g-good boy; Winky is a 'hic' good house elf!"

Dobby brought over a potion and managed to get her to drink it. The potion calmed her down and she fell into a drowsy sleep. Dobby was about to pull the covers over her then stopped. Temptation gnawed at him. His eyes darted to Winky's skirt and he thought bad, bad thoughts.

"Well," he said, "Dobby has been very good looking after Winky. Dobby deserves to be bad now and then, surely?"

"No Dobby doesn't," said Winky as she stirred, "and don't call Winky 'Shirley'."