The Life and Loves of a House Elf

"How are you?" Hermione asked.

The House elf didn't answer her and had a very odd expression on his face – well, odd to Hermione at least.

"Are you feeling better?"

What does Granger want?

"Ger?" Draco shut his mouth as he heard the odd sound. What was that? he wondered as he curiously looked left and right. When he spotted a House elf nearby, he ordered it to bring him breakfast. But it seemed as though that House elf didn't hear him, and was mocking him by imitating his movements.

Hermione stared at the creature, bemused. She followed his line of vision and noticed he was staring at a silver platter reflecting his reflection.

Insufferable creature! Who does it think it is? Mocking me?

Hermione arched her brow, she looked at the House elf and then back at the platter. The House elf appeared to be angry at its reflection for some reason. Oh no! The poor thing. He's gone mental from the fall!

Draco's breath became ragged. He would order that disobedient House elf to put its head in the oven!

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione shouted, "Come quick!"

The Healer pushed the curtain aside and asked what was wrong. Hermione informed Madam Pomfrey of her observation and her theory. The Healer quickly went to work.

Astoria entered the hospital wing in order to pick up her allergy potion. She had a rare allergic reaction to raw tomatoes, which cause her to develop a terrible cough. The witch was able to eat processed tomatoes such as ketchup and soups, but could not eat them raw. As if she would ever eat them raw. She tried it once, a few years ago, and never wanted to do it ever again. But her mother wanted to be cautious and ordered her to drink her potion monthly. Because she didn't have to eat the fruit to ensure an allergic reaction, if Astoria made skin contact with it, hives would quickly develop on the area it touched.

"Hello. Is anyone here?" Astoria asked.

Madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain aside as she looked to see who had entered. She nodded at Astoria and closed the curtain behind her. The Healer walked to her storage, took the vial from the shelf and handed it to her. Astoria thanked Healer and was about to leave but stopped the moment she spotted a House elf as the Healer pulled the curtain aside. There was something familiar about it. Her curiosity got the better of her, and instead of leaving she headed toward the closed curtain.

"Excuse me." Astoria said as she pushed the curtain aside.

"RA?" The House elf screamed as he backed away.

"Yes, dear." Madam Pomfrey said softly, "Anything else I can help you with?"

"No, but..." Astoria voice trailed as she examined the House elf. "Is it all right?" she gestured toward the trembling creature. For some reason its large gray eyes were watering at the sight of the witch.

"I found him unconscious on the floor." Hermione hesitatingly said, when she saw that the witch was a Slytherin.

Hermione glanced at the witch and then the shaking House elf.

"In the corridor, next to the portrait of fruits?" Astoria asked.

"Yes." Hermione answered, eying the witch suspiciously.

Astoria sadly gazed down at the House elf. "Is he all right?" she said as she stepped closer, "I meant to bring it here, but it didn't appeared injured - it bumped into me and fell rather hard on to the floor." she answered their bemused faces.

"He was unconscious on the floor, when I found him." Hermione scolded the younger witch, upset at her for leaving him in that state. "You should have brought him here - right away."

"I planned too," Astoria tried to explain, "but he was fine, last I saw. A bit shaken, yes, but not this bad."

Hermione took deep breaths and counted to ten. She told herself to remain calm - she was not Ron after all. After Hermione finished counting, she studied the younger witch and saw that for a Slytherin - she appeared rather remorseful.

"I'm sorry." Astoria said to the House elf, much to Hermione's surprise.

Draco was still shaking in fright. If Astoria was here that meant the dream he had - him being a House elf - was real - he was a House elf!

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Draco screamed, falling on his back, kicking and punching the bed.

The two young witches stared at the tearing House elf as Madam Pomfrey took out her wand. With a flick of her wrist, the House elf was asleep. Madam Pomfrey told the witches that he needed some rest and asked them to leave, since it was very late.

%

Astoria returned to the hospital wing to check on the House elf the next morning. He was still trembling in fear at the sight of her and screaming bloody murder. In the end, she had to bid Madam Pomfrey good day and left for breakfast.

"Where were you?" asked Daphne as soon as she saw her sister.

"In the hospital wing." Astoria replied.

"Oh." Daphne assumed Astoria was there to pick up her monthly potion for her allergies. "Com' here," she said pulling her sister with her into a dark alcove.

Astoria arched her brow, curious at Daphne's actions. "What's the matter?"

"Shh." Daphne silenced her sister as she made sure no one could hear them, "If anyone asks, say that your mum is my mum. Got it?"

"Okay." Astoria agreed.

In truth, Daphne and Astoria are half sisters with different mothers. Their father had an arranged marriage to Daphne's mother but divorced her. A few months later he moved to the states and married Astoria's mother, taking Daphne with him. For the first half of her life, Daphne didn't know her biological mother, even when the family went to visit their relatives during the holidays in England. Then one day her real mother showed up, claiming that she wanted her daughter back. Their father refused, but her mother stood her ground and tried to drag Daphne to the floo. She even called the authorities and screamed to them that he was an unfaithful and cold-hearted wizard, by refusing to let her see her own daughter. They went to trail and got joint custody. Daphne had to stay with her mother for one week and her father the next. During her weekly visits, Daphne learned that her mother only wanted her as leverage over her father so he would send her money. Apparently, her mother's family went bankrupt and it was then that she remembered she had a daughter she could use.

"Good." Daphne nodded.

With Astoria's confirmation, everyone will believe it. It wasn't like her real mother had actually acknowledged her and gave her much attention. She was just another object in the house. She couldn't count how many times, she would secretly floo to her father's house and played with Astoria, when she was suppose to be with her mother. They played together every day, until Daphne had to start Hogwarts, and they had to owled each other on weekends.

"I can't believe dad made me come back." Daphne whispered to her sister, for the millionth time, as they made their way to the Great Hall. "Now I have to take my classes again."

"It's either that or get a job." Astoria repeated their father's words at the beginning of the school year.

Daphne ignored Astoria's comment as she does when their father said them and continued her ranting, "I could've finished school last year, but no! We just had to have a war."

"War was inevitable." Astoria stated, though she didn't know the actual details to prove her statement, having recently moved from the states. But was repeating what their father had said.

"A travesty, it was." Daphne said, "I was so traumatized by the horrible events that my beautiful hair has lost its shine." She held up strands of her hair for her sister to see.

Astoria examined the strands of hair and didn't see anything wrong with them, but humored her sister anyways.

"Oh! You poor dear." She gasped.

"Isn't it just awful!" Daphne exclaimed as she took her seat in the Slytherin's table.

"What's awful?" Pansy curiously asked.

"My hair." Daphne replied.

"Well now that you mention it." Millicent Bulstrode butted in. "It's quite dull and lifeless. Oh! And you've seemed to have gained a few." she ended by scratching her head.

Daphne glared at Millicent for saying such a thing and was going to give her a nasty retort about her uncontrollable weight, but Astoria beat her to it.

"Daphne has never looked better." Astoria stated, "And her hair is absolutely stunning." She said as she ran her fingers through her sister's hair.

Daphne straightened her posture and smirked at her sister's praise. The witches at the table made sour faces and began whispering. Astoria continued on with her breakfast, then suddenly she shirked and jumped off her seat.

"What's the matter?" Daphne asked, worried that someone had hexed her under the table. The witches at her table are always jealous of the pretty new girls, and pull horrible pranks on them.

"Look there!" Astoria shouted in a frighten voice, pointing at a dark little spot on the floor.

"What? What is it?" Daphne demanded. If anyone dares hex my sister...

"Oh! It's was just a little ball of hair." Astoria said, sighing in relief.

"What did you think it was?" Daphne asked.

"Lice."

"Lice?" repeated Pansy. "What is that?" She was confused and curious, as were the others around their table.

"Nasty little critters." Astoria said in a low voice as she cautiously sat back down. "They latch onto your head, sucking on your blood until you're completely dry, making your hair fall off. One strand at a time."

The Slytherin witches gasped, cupping their hair. The thought of being bald truly terrified them as did having bad skin.

"When I attended the Salem Witches' Academy last year, our Care of Magical Creatures told us about it." Astoria voice began to shake, "They cannot hop, fly or swim. But remain on the hair of a person, their hats, robes, sheets - anything that the person laid their head on."

The table was silent as they anxiously waited for her to speak with anticipation.

"The creature has six legs, the size of a sesame seed, and is tan to greyish-white. But they are known to turn darker over time as they blend into the color of your hair."

"How can you tell when someone has it?" A follow Slytherin asked her.

"When the lice bites you, it makes you itch. Whoever has it, is constantly scratching their head or any areas with hair."

"Scratching?" Pansy said, her head and many others were slowly turning toward Millicent, who was unknowingly scratching her head.

The Slytherin witches stared in horror for a few moments before they began to scream, pulling away from the witch with fright and clucking the hairs on their heads. Soon rumors were spreading that there was an epidemic of lice going around the school that had originated from Millicent Bulstrode. The witch and a few others had to be escorted out of the Great Hall by Madam Pomfrey, with everyone snickering and whispering as they walked out.

"Only your second day at school and you've already got ridden of your dorm mate." Daphne whispered to Astoria.

Due to irregular numbers in Slytherin's dorm room, some seventh years students had to share their rooms with those of lesser years. By sheer luck, Astoria was paired with Millicent instead of her sister like they both wished.

"I don't mind her loud snores," Astoria whispered back with a smirk, "but she dared to insult my favorite sister."

Daphne smiled at her words and playfully pushed her shoulder, "I'm your only sister." she giggled.

Blaise watched as the sisters shared a laugh, paying particular attention to the Astoria. The wizard had witnessed the fire blazing in Astoria's eyes when she heard what Millicent had said about Daphne. He also saw her pulled off a strand of her own hair, crumpled it into a ball and dropping it on the floor. Obviously, to Blaise, the whole show was a ploy to get back at Bulstrode for insulting her sister. Blaise chuckled to himself. She hasn't changed one bit.