A House-Elf's Story

A/N: You can thank the wonderful RobisonRocket for the quick turn on this chapter. She is one of a kind, and I don't know what I'd do without her. Bless you, RR!

A House-Elf's Story

Chapter 24

The atmosphere at the Leaky Cauldron was excited. There were people running in and out, and Tom the barman was at the top of his game. Draco and Ron took the only table available, which was in the corner. After placing their orders, Draco sat back, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"What?" Ron asked, slightly uncomfortable at Draco's display.

"Weasley, my friend, I am a very happy man today – very happy indeed. And tonight, if Gin will watch Violet for us, Hermione will be very happy as well."

Ron grimaced. "Draco, there are some things a bloke doesn't need to hear about his best friend – especially if that best friend in question is a girl. I don't want to know about what you and Hermione get up to that makes you so happy."

Draco chuckled. "No, no – nothing like that. I would tell you, but it's only right that I tell Hermione first. You understand, right? So, let's make a toast, shall we?" Draco raised his glass. Ron hesitantly followed suit.

"Okay, to Hermione, our future, and the thing that I can't tell until I tell her." Draco clinked Ron's glass and smiled.

Ron took a drink of his Firewhiskey and regarded Draco thoughtfully. "You really love her, don't you?"

Draco almost spit his drink out, but recovered in time. "Yeah, I do. I don't know how it happened, but I guess just going through the things we went through and spending so much time with her, I fell for her. I am sorry that it took something so horrible to bring us together. I wish I had a Time Turner so I could go back to first year. If I could do that, I'd change a lot of things." Draco said this last bit more to himself than to Ron.

Ron nodded his head in understanding. "It's not your fault, you know. You can't help the kind of man Lucius tried to turn you into. You were just a kid. You should be proud of yourself, though. Not many men do what you did, you know, go against your father."

Draco just stared at Ron.

"What? It's true. I mean look at it this way: I've known all of my life what a foul creature Voldemort was. I've always been on the side of the light, so I never had to do anything that brave. It is one thing to fight for what you believe in, mate, but quite another to fight against what you thought you believed in. Seems to me that it could all get very confusing." Ron sat back and took another drink.

Draco was absolutely gobsmacked. "You know what, Ron? You are a lot wiser than people give you credit for."

Ron smiled. "If I were cleverer, I would never have let Hermione get away from me. However, I believe you're the right one for her. She's too intelligent for her own good, and I don't think I'm a match for her. You're not either, but you might keep her interested, at least."

"You loved her, didn't you?" Draco asked pleasantly.

"A part of me will always love her, but that part is still at child at Hogwarts. I don't think I could take the grown up Hermione. She's a bit scarier than the one from school, and that one was downright mad sometimes. Brilliant, though."

Draco smiled. "Yeah, brilliant," said Draco, swelling with pride for being the lucky one to have Hermione. Then, remembering something that he meant to ask, he looked intently at Ron again.

"Do I have something on my face? It wouldn't be the first time," Ron said.

"No, mate, I want to know what's going on with you and Pansy."

It was Ron's turn to smile like the Cheshire Cat.

**********

Back at Hermione's flat, the silence that descended upon the room was deafening. Hermione gaped at Pansy.

Blinking rapidly to shake off Hermione's penetrating glare, Pansy asked, "Granger, did you hear what I said?"

"I – what? What are you on about? I've read about the bond. I've talked to the Weasleys, who happen to be a very old pureblood family. I've talked to Draco, who knows quite a lot about it. How on earth would you know more about it than anyone else?"

Pansy sighed. "I didn't talk to the humans, Granger. I did what you would have done – what you should have done. However, in your defense, I understand you were a bit preoccupied."

"Alright, I'll bite. What did you do?"

"I talked to an old house-elf," Pansy said simply.

Hermione's face contorted into a look of absolute self-hatred. "I can't believe I didn't go to a house-elf." She rubbed her forehead in exasperation.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Granger. You wouldn't have gotten it anyway with just any house-elf. I don't think Dobby could have given you the information that I got from Willa."

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Who is Willa?"

Pansy smiled. "She's my family's house-elf. She's worked for my grandmother forever. Willa's a descendant of the first house-elf to ever work for the Parkinson family. Her family has been a part of mine since the time of the founders of Hogwarts."

Hermione grimaced.

"I know what you're thinking, Granger, but not all pureblood families are horrible to their elves. To be perfectly honest with you, my great-great grandmother freed one of Willa's ancestors when she was very young. The house-elf refused to leave, even though she was free. She stayed with my family, and her descendants did the same. Granger, I love Willa. She has taken care of me since I was born. She took care of my father when he was born. Regardless of what you might believe, there has never been a Death Eater in my family. We are good people."

"Why did your great-great grandmother free her elf? If your family is so good to their elves, why would she free her? I remember with Crouch freed Winky, and she was devastated."

Pansy giggled. "My great-great grandmother was only a child when she did it. She was a lot like you. She didn't think house-elves should be enslaved either."

Hermione smiled. "So, tell me what you know. How is it that Draco and I aren't bonded?"

"Well, I was doing research on it, and Willa happened to come into the room. So, I asked her how it worked. She said that books and legend never got the workings of a house-elf quite right because most wizards don't understand the ancient history of a house-elf."

Hermione looked at her incredulously. "I've never heard of a house-elf being so frank with their family. Dobby still tries to punish himself, and he's free."

"I told you that my family doesn't treat house-elves the same as most families. I've always told Willa that I want her to be completely honest with me at all times, and she's forbidden to punish herself. I told you, Granger, I love her. Willa is family to me."

Hermione nodded and gestured for Pansy to continue.

"I told Willa about you and Draco. She told me that the only way the binding can be complete in a marital state is if you consummate your bond. Like everyone else, I thought Lucius was Violet's father, so I dropped it. When we found out that Draco was the actual father, I asked her again. She said that you would have to consummate your marriage. I told her that the marriage hasn't actually taken place yet, but the bond had already been consummated. Willa was a bit confused by that. So I asked her if a bond could be broken if the caster was dead."

"And what did she say?"

"Well," said Pansy. "She said that could only happen if the caster's death was by his own wand."

Hermione could not believe what she was hearing. "What of a marriage bond?"

Pansy smiled. "If the marriage has not been consummated, then there is no bond. When the marriage is consummated, you still aren't bound because the caster died by his own wand."

Hermione didn't know how to take all this. "Why are you telling me all of this? I thought you and Ron were happy together. Why would you go to all of this trouble to split up me and Draco?"

Pansy didn't speak for a moment. She seemed to warring with herself on how to answer Hermione's question. Deciding the best way to react was to act. "Do you love Ron? I mean, not in the way a husband loves a wife, but in the way you would love someone you'd die for."

"Of course I love Ron. What sort of question is that? Ron and I have been through more together in our short lives than most people go through in an eternity. Harry and Ron are my family. Everyone knows that. And, yes, I would die for him."

"But there was a time, wasn't there, that you loved him in a different way. You probably would have married him if all of this hadn't happened."

"Yes, Parkinson, I suppose I would have. What is your point?" Hermione was getting angrier by the second.

"I'm not incapable of love, Granger. Not even the kind that you have for Ron and Harry. Draco means the world to me. He understands me better than most. I didn't do all of this because I wanted to split you up. Ron and I – yes, Ron helped – did this because of the respective love that we have for you two."

"I don't understand," said Hermione.

"For the smartest witch of your age, Granger, you can be so stupid. I started all of this, not because I wanted Draco for myself, but because I care enough about him that I wanted to help him. I wanted him to be free, Granger. I wanted him to be free to make his own choices. Ron wanted you to be free as well. So, you see, there was nothing sinister about it."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Free, she thought. She stood with Violet and placed her in her bassinet. She turned back toward Pansy.

"How do you know for sure that the bond has been broken? Is there a way to tell?" Hermione inquired.

"I believe there is a way, but you'll have to ask a house-elf."

Pansy stood. "I'll just show myself out. I want you to know something, Granger. I really do love Ron. I'll never do anything to hurt him. He's good to me."

Hermione regarded her and gave her a nod. "I believe you. Um, thanks, Pansy, I know this wasn't easy for you."

Pansy grinned. "You're welcome, Hermione."

Pansy took one last look at the baby resting peacefully in her bassinet and smiled. "I would love to be able to sleep like that, like there's no care in the world. Then again, thanks to Harry, we can all sleep a little easier." More to herself, she whispered, "I hope you always find peace Violet Ginevra Malfoy."

Without another word to Hermione, Pansy let herself out.

**********

Hermione was deep in thought when she heard a distinct pop.

"I'm back, love." Draco's voice sounded from the entrance of the flat.

Hermione came into the living area, carrying a freshly fed Violet.

"I'm sorry it took so long. I ran into Ron, and we had a couple of drinks. Did you talk to Ginny about watching Violet?" Draco decided not to mention his run-in with Nott as he dropped a kiss on Violet's head.

"I did talk to Ginny. She'll be here soon to pick Violet up. What time do you need me to be ready to go?"

Draco looked at his watch. "Probably by seven o'clock. I've made reservations, so I don't want to be late. Are you alright?" Draco couldn't help but notice a distance in Hermione's eyes.

"I'm fine." Deciding not to let anything linger, she asked Draco to have a seat.

"I had a visit from Pansy Parkinson today, Draco."

Draco's demeanor changed instantly. "What did she want? Surely she's not still trying to get us to split up. Ron told me that he was in love with her, and he plans to ask her to marry him. He has the ring and everything."

Hermione beamed. "That's wonderful."

"It is? I mean I'm happy for them, but I didn't think you would be. You hate Pansy."

"Draco, Pansy brought me some news that might change the way you feel about me." Hermione went into the long speech about the house-elves and their bond, and when she was finished, she finally chanced a glance at Draco.

He looked at her with his mouth gaping open like a fish. "So, we're not bonded?"

"No," Hermione said. "Draco, I can understand if you don't want to go through with the wedding. I mean Pansy's right, you're free."

"So are you, Hermione. You know what, I'm glad Pansy came here today. I'm glad she figured everything out."

Hermione looked at him, slightly taken aback. "You are? I mean, of course you are. I understand completely. Listen, you can have visitation with Violet. I won't stand in your way. We can work something out."

Draco stood and grabbed Hermione around the waist, forcing her to look at him. "Is that what you want?"

"I want you to be happy, Draco. And I want our daughter to be happy." Hermione fought hard against the threatening tears.

"Then, I would suggest you put on that pretty blue dress of yours and get ready. We have reservations that I don't want to miss."

Hermione just stared at him.

Draco sighed. "I'm glad she did it, Hermione, because it means we are both free to make a choice. If you'll have me, I still choose you. I love you, you crazy witch. And now the whole world is going to know that I chose you because I love you and not because of some stupid bond. Now, go get dressed."

Draco left before Hermione had a chance to answer. She looked down at the baby in her arms and, remembering Pansy's parting words, whispered, "You know something, Violet Ginevra Malfoy? You might always find peace after all."

A/N: Only a couple more chapters and an Epilogue.