The competing champions

Chapter 4.19 (The golden dress)

Aurora awoke very suddenly on Christmas Day. Wondering what had caused her abrupt return to consciousness, she opened her eyes, and saw something with very large, round, green eyes staring back at her in the darkness, so close they were almost nose to nose. "Dobby!" Aurora yelled, scrambling away from the elf so fast she almost fell out of bed. "Don't do that!"

"Dobby is sorry, miss!" Squeaked Dobby anxiously, jumping backwards with his long fingers over his mouth. "Dobby only wanting to wish Artemis Lupin 'Merry Chistmas'  and bring her a present, miss! Artemis Lupin did say Dobby could come and see her sometimes, miss!"

"It's OK." Said Aurora, still breathing rather faster than usual, while her heart rate returned to normal. "Just - just prod me or something in future, all right, don't bend over me like that..."

Aurora pulled back the hangings around her four-poster bed just to see that her yell had awoken Elizabeth, Victoria, Hermione, Giselle, Lavender and Parvati. All of them were peering through the gaps of their own hangings, heavy-eyed and tousle haired.

"Someone attacking you, Ara?" Elizabeth asked sleepily.

"No, it's just Dobby." Aurora muttered. "Go back to sleep."

"Nah...presents!" Said Elizabeth, spotting the large pile at the foot of her bed. the others decided that now they were awake they might as well get down to some present-opening too. Aurora turned back to Dobby, who was now standing nervously next to her bed, still looking worried he had upset her. 

There was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea-cosy. "Can Dobby give Artemis Lupin her present?" He squeaked tentatively.

" 'Course you can." Said Aurora. "I've got something for you too." She walked over to her closet and took out a in purple wrapped gift. She carried it back to her bed. She sat back down and patted the spot next to her for Dobby to sit on, which he did enthusiastically. She handed him the gift and he looked at it with big eyes. "Open it!" She urged him. 

Dobby nodded a bit, still staring wide-eyed at the present in his hands (Lavender was in the background cooing at him.) and then he ripped the present open, holding a small black box in his hands. When he opened the lid of the black box he saw the pendant inside. It was small but big enough to be the size of Dobby's eyes and it had the Black seal on it. "It's given to a Black family member's most-respected house-elf." Aurora smiled. "And you're my favourite house-elf in the world, Dobby." She cleared her throat. "So as a member of the Black family, I hereby declare you a respected Black family elf." 

Dobby got tears in his eyes and began to wail, falling over Aurora's lap. "You don't like it?" Aurora's smile faltered. "I could buy you something else..."

But Dobby only cried harder. Aurora looked around for help, and Hermione sped towards her to sooth Dobby. "This is the best gift Dobby could have ever gotten, miss!" Dobby wailed. "Dobby is honoured!"

Aurora let out a sigh of relief. "Well, I'm glad...."

Dobby abruptly stopped crying but was still holding the pendant close to his chest. "Dobby almost forgot." He then reached for something beside him and handed Aurora a small package, which turned out to be socks. "Dobby is making them himself, miss!" The elf said happily. "He's buying wool out of his wages, miss!"

The left sock was bright pink, and had a pattern of hearts upon it. The right sock was green, with a pattern of suns. "They're really...they're really...well, thanks, Dobby." Said Aurora, and she pulled them on, causing Dobby's eyes to leak with happiness.

"Dobby must go now, miss, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens!" said Dobby, and he hurried out of the dormitory, waving goodbye to Hermione and the others as he passed.