FIC: Bucking Tradition (NC-17)

[iulia_linnea]

Title: Bucking Tradition
Type: Fic
Prompter: Anonymous Two
Creator: worrywart1966
Beta(s): timandsophsmom, velveteenrabbit
Rating: NC-17
(Highlight to View) Warning(s): None.
(Highlight to View) Prompt: Bucking "tradition": When a very young female house-elf (still in training) decides that service isn't everything and is shunned by the other elves, Professors Granger and Snape must take charge of her (SS/HG).
Note: Thank you so much to timsandsophsmom and velveteenrabbit who bore this with me as I realised I needed a total re-write the week before it was due. Thank you so much to the mods of the fest who allowed me to participate even though I was a late comer to the fest!
Summary: Teddy Lupin learns a lesson about bullying during a detention where he learns about 'that elf' that stays with his aunt and uncle, Hermione and Severus.



Hermione and Severus Snape walked down the hall toward her office. They were about to attend to a detention together, which was unusual for them, but given the circumstances, felt it was necessary.

"Hermione, you must remember that you're a professor this evening. Teddy knows us from occasional interactions outside of Hogwarts, and the situation is too close to us."

Hermione sighed, "I know, Sev, I know. But Artis is practically our daughter! I can't let someone whom we know and is so young, get away with bullying, especially given who his family is. Now is the time to make sure he understands his behaviour."

Severus stopped and bade Hermione to stop as well. "Ever the advocate," he chided gently. "Come here." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her gently. "I know you love Artis and will go to battle for her. But you must put your personal feelings aside in this case."

Hermione snorted. "You're one to lecture me on putting personal feelings aside."

"Let's not argue, my pet. Indeed, I am probably not the one to lecture about feelings, but time has passed, and you have helped me to grow in that respect."

"I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to bring up. It's just-"

"You're a mother lion fighting for her cub. I can understand that. Now, let's get this over with. Detention was not how I wanted to spend this evening, one of the few we have left before the onslaught of homework takes over our lives."

"What did Minerva do with the other student?"

"The usual," Severus replied glibly, "sent him to Filch."

"That hardly seems enough."

Severus smirked. "Argus was instructed to ensure Mr. Cavendish sees things from a house elf's point of view so far as his punishment is concerned."

The couple arrived at Hermione's office and entered to find Teddy Lupin, slightly trembling, sitting at a desk. Hermione stood in front of her own desk, while Severus sat behind it.

"Mr. Lupin, do you know why you're in detention?" asked Hermione as she leant back against her desk, arms folded across her chest.

Teddy shook his head, his eyes giving away how worried he was.

"You were disrespectful to a member of staff who happens to be an elf. You told her that she was a freak and that she should go back to the kitchens."

"Well, Michael Cavendish said…"

Hermione snorted at the mention of the young pureblood boy whose family was well known, but was not given the chance to respond as Severus spoke instead. "We are not here to discuss what Mr. Cavendish said. He has been assigned detention for his part in this. Professor Granger is your Head of House and in charge of your punishment. However, there are extenuating circumstances, and we felt it was important that both of us be present this evening."

"You've been here a grand total of two days and are already in trouble; we find this very disheartening, Teddy. You are normally such a well-mannered boy," Hermione said. "Tell me," she turned and walked to the desk beside Teddy and sat. "What do you think you know about Artis from the few times you've seen her?"

Teddy shifted in his seat and twiddled his clasped fingers. "Well, she's short… she talks funny…her clothes are..."

"Not good enough," interrupted Hermione. "I'm short and depending on where we live in the UK, we all have dialects and accents. Goodness, when Professor Snape and I go to his hometown, he slips into a Mancurian speech pattern, and I can't even understand him. Artis wears the same sort of robes I do as befits a member of staff. Regardless, tell me what else you think you know about her."

The young boy blushed and his hair turned blue. He looked around for something to say. "She lives with you?"

Hermione snorted. "Is that it?"

"What do you know about house elves in general, Mr. Lupin?" asked Severus.

"Gran has one. He's quite old, but rather nice. Auntie Cissa gave him to us when I was a baby; he helped Gran raise me."

"And what exactly did Mr. Cavendish tell you about house elves?" asked Severus.

Teddy shifted nervously in his seat. "He said they are beneath us and worthy only of serving."

"That's not entirely true," Hermione corrected. "They are not beneath us, and they are worth so much more than just service. It's only their desire to remain in service that drives the stereotype that they are only worthy of serving." She stood up and offered her hand to Teddy. "Come with me; I want to show you something. Won't you accompany us, Professor Snape?"

Curious as to Hermione's intention, Severus spoke through their Legilimentic bond. "Where are you taking us?"

"To the Astronomy Tower," Hermione replied back through the bond.

"Why?" Severus felt her smile before she responded.

"Because it all began there; don't you remember?"

"How could I forget?" he said sarcastically and then slipped from her mind before she could retaliate.

The three of them arrived at the stairs to the Astronomy Tower in no time.

"This is the Astronomy Tower. Your lessons here will begin next week, I believe. Teddy, you go on ahead. Professor Snape and I will follow behind," said Hermione.

As they climbed, Hermione reached out and pinched Severus' bottom. He jumped slightly and then, using their bond, asked, "What was that for?"

"Your sarcasm, mister."

"There will be retaliation, wife."

"I hope so, husband."

They climbed to the top of the tower and stood, looking out one of the openings. The September sky was dark to the east and the glorious purple-red of the final rays of the sun to the west. Teddy gasped at the sight before him.

"It's so beautiful!"

Hermione smiled. "It is."

Severus walked to one of the windows. "This tower is the highest spot in the castle and has been the Astronomy observatory for hundreds of years. There are other reasons that the tower is well known, but you'll learn that in History of Magic," he finished as he walked over and stood near Hermione. He opened the connection again. "I will never forget."

"I know, love," Hermione answered back. "It's in the past, and you are loved and cared for now; you'll always be safe beside me."

Out loud, she addressed Teddy. "I'll never forget the first time I saw the sky from up here. It was breathtaking. Artis told me she felt much the same way when she first came to the tower. In fact, her story begins here. You see, Professor Snape and I are guardians of Artis; did you know that?"

Teddy shook his head.

"The reason she is our ward is what we want to tell you about tonight."

She conjured three comfortable chairs and a tea service, arranging everything so that they were looking at the stars as she began to tell Artis' story.

"As you probably know, house elves come into being in much the same way as human babies do. However, just like baby pigeons, you rarely see a young elf untilit leaves its nest. Babies are often placed on display the moment they leave the womb, which is why we know so much about them, but so little about baby house elves.

"Infant elves are cared for by nanny elves as their mothers and fathers must continue to serve their masters, either in private homes or in institutions like St. Mungo's or Hogwarts. The young elves spend much of their time playing and learning to take care of humans by way of simple games the nannies play with them and with each other. They learn enough maths and reading so that they can make sure they are putting the correct ingredient and amount into the food they prepare or the right perfume that a mistress particularly wants in her bedroom. They even learn to change nappies the same way young witches do…by playing with dolls.

Teddy interrupted, "I never knew that!"

"There's a lot people don't know about house elves," Severus answered. "Young elves learn their magic the same way magical folk do; through their parents and by experimenting with their own natural magic."

"The exception being a Muggleborn in a family with no other known magical person in the family, like me," Hermione added.

"The magical core of an elf develops from the moment of conception, as with witches and wizards, so much of their magic is inborn and natural. It develops as they grow, and each elf has their own style of magic, their own strength, and ability. Unlike witches and wizards, a house elf's magic does not need a wand to focus their power as they perform magic. It can be done at will. There are witches and wizards who can learn wandless magic, but it takes a very strong witch or wizard to do so as flawlessly and as effortlessly as an elf."

"Can you perform wandless magic, Auntie Her-I mean Professor Granger?" asked Teddy.

"Yes, I can. And so can Professor Snape. There are a handful of others who can, but it takes a great deal of power, so it's easier to use a wand. Now, where were we? Oh, yes.

"Very young house elves even have nap time. The nanny elves gather them all together into a large, comfy nest and tell them stories. Most of the stories are Aesopian in nature, which furthers their education, but there are also a lot of fairy stories and even stories about famous house elves.

"Artis told me her favourite stories were about Dobby. Have you heard of him, I assume?" asked Hermione.

Teddy nodded. "Wasn't he a sort of outcast among the elves?"

"I prefer to think of him has being a revolutionist," Hermione said proudly. "Anyway, whenever it was her turn to choose the story, Artis always chose the ones about Dobby, much to the disgust of the other baby elves and to the dismay of the nanny elf. Nanny tried to tell the story in such a way that the other elves would realize Dobby was not, shall we say, a usual house elf."

"No, he was not your usual elf," Severus agreed. "But he was a hero in his own right."

Hermione beamed at her husband as he spoke and watched him with interest as he continued in teaching mode.

"When enough time has passed and it is determined that the young elves can begin their formal training, they leave the nest and begin to work with a more experienced house elf. Artis' turn had come, and for a couple of months, she diligently worked side by side with Horatio, an older male elf, learning how to care for the professors. Horatio took care of Headmistress McGonagall's rooms as well as our quarters.

"Horatio taught Artis all she needed to know about her duties in the castle. She learned that the tartan bedspread on the headmistress' bed had to be just so and that a tin of shortbread was to remain full at all times and in place on her bedside table. She learned that taking care of Professor Granger and me could be a challenge because I'm so neat, and Professor Granger isn't always as tidy as she appears."

Hermione glared at Severus. "Don't you dare!"

With a smirk, Severus continued, "Professor Granger, while neat and organised in class, will tend to leave her socks and parchments and ink bottles all over. I'm forever taking her to task about it. And she will leave her sweet wrappers lay about!"

Teddy giggled at the pair as Hermione swatted Severus.

"Anyway, as time passed, Artis became very good at her job, and she became the main elf for Professor Snape and me. However, she often seemed sad and resigned whenever we called her. I'll always remember the night she saw this same view," Hermione waved a hand around the tower. "Professor Snape and I were celebrating our anniversary with a picnic up here on the tower. Artis had been tasked to bring a hamper of food and leave it for us.

"We arrived on the tower, but Artis hadn't heard us coming. We watched quietly as in awe she moved, open-mouthed, from window to window, looking out at the sky... "

"The elf was to leave the basket and then go," Severus whispered.

"Oh, Severus, don't be so growly," responded Hermione. "It's obvious this is her first time up here, just look at her face. Surely you remember your first time? It is an amazing view, you must admit."

Severus grunted, "I suppose. However this is to be our little rendezvous, so could you get her leave?"

Poking him in the ribs, she giggled and then asked, "How are you tonight, Artis?"

The elf jumped a bit, but answered, "I am well, mistress."

"Is everything ready for our picnic?" Hermione inquired.

"It is."

"Then you may go."

With one last look at the sky, Artis popped away.

Hermione noticed Teddy's plate was empty and prodded him to help himself from the trolley. She watched the young lad filled his plate and then wandered to a window to look out, leaving the couple with their thoughts a moment. One glance at each other and each knew the other was remembering that particular night.

Hermione turned to Severus and smiled. "There," she said, "now we can continue our evening."

The couple picked up the hamper and moved so that they were near the window where they first kissed. With a sly look at his wife, Severus leant down and kissed her.

"I'll never forget the first time I kissed you," he said. "To this day, kissing you is an incredible experience."

Hermione hid her face in his robes. "You're making me blush!"

"It's true, pet."

Hermione gave him a playful shove and said, "Ah, go on wiv ya!"

Laughing, they laid out their picnic. Severus conjured a double wide chaise, low to the ground, so that they could sit comfortably while they ate. Artis has followed their instructions, and their repast consisted of the same foods they had had at their wedding.

As Hermione pulled out the pasta alfredo, she laughed. "I'll never forget what happened at our wedding. Molly Weasley nearly fainted when the table with the cake collapsed."

Severus chuckled. "She had worked so hard on it, too. I suspect George had something to do with it collapsing, but he has never confessed."

Hermione was giggling madly by now. "And then," she wheezed, "James Potter and Victoire Weasley ran to the mess on the floor, slipped on the frosting and both fell, face first into it. James was stuffing as much of it as he could into his mouth before Ginny was able to snatch him out of it."

Severus was laughing heartily as well. "Do you remember what happened when we tried to cut what was left of the top?"

Hermione chortled. "Of course! George, the rascal, had replaced our knife with one of his trick wands transfigured to look like a knife, and it burst into a chicken when we tried to cut the cake."

"I had to use my wand and a Sectumsempra to cut it," remembered Severus.

Hermione nearly rolled off the chaise. "And you forgot to narrow your range of focus and accidentally cut the braces on Arthur, and his trousers slipped right down!"

Severus pulled Hermione away from the edge of the chaise and into his arms.

"It could have been a disaster, but in the end, our friends had fun." He kissed Hermione. "My pet, these past seven years have been incredible. I love you. I'm so glad I get to share my life with you."

Hermione blushed again. "Oh, go on wiv ya," she said and returned his kiss and more.

While the couple was remembering their wedding day, Artis had burst into the kitchen, atwitter with the joy had she felt and tried to speak to some of her friends about the stars. Did they know about the ones that moved, shooting across the sky? Did they see that some were bigger than others or seemed to make shapes? Her friends, busy with their nightly chores could not be bothered. They told her to get to work and not be bothered with the things of the humans.

Disheartened, Artis finished her chores and went to bed. As she lay in her nest, she thought about the sky and wondered what those stars were doing. How did they move? Why did they move? Where did they go during the day? Her thoughts turned to the human students. There was a class, Artis knew, all about the stars; it took place at night on the very tower she had seen the stars from. How she would love to know what they were learning. Was this the sort of thing Dobby wondered about? Could she learn about the stars?

The next morning, she asked Horatio about it and was roundly and soundly told that stop thinking such nonsense and get to her work. House elves are proud to serve Hogwarts and the professors and that's all Artis needed to know. Horatio insisted she be a good and loyal elf and clean the professors' rooms. She should be proud that she was and someday, she might even get to take care of the headmistress or headmaster!

The weeks went by, and Artis did not give up her relentless questions about the stars and in fact, she began to question everything she did, learned, and how to learn more. She had begun to speak about Dobby and his dreams to any elf that would listen. It wasn't until she began to speak outright about her dissatisfaction-horrifying the other elves who had visions of Dobby reincarnated-that the real problems began.

The snubbing was subtle at first; she would run to her former playmates at the end of the day only to have them turn their backs on her and play games without her. The older elves would shoo her away as soon as she began to speak to them about her feelings. It hurt her deeply, but wounded as she was, she still spoke her mind, even though it began to earn her punishments from the head elf.

"We didn't know what truly had happened in the kitchens until Artis told us her side of the story months after she came to stay with us, but," continued Severus, "we had begun to hear rumours that she was not treated well and that the other elves her own age were bullying her."

Hermione said, "You can imagine my surprise when she approached me one morning when I had returned to our quarters to retrieve a book I had forgotten. Artis was there, cleaning the rooms. I noticed she seemed to hang about near my desk and several times, opened her mouth as if to speak and then change her mind. Finally, she did.

"Mistress, how do the stars move?"

Hermione stopped what she was doing. "I'm sorry?"

Artis took advantage of her mistress' attention. "I was up on the tower that night and saw all the stars." She moved closer to the desk and put her hands on it in her eagerness. "There were millions, Missy Hermione! They moved and made patterns!" All of a sudden, her boldness overwhelmed her, and she looked down and mumbled, "I want to learn how they move."

Hermione, ever sympathetic to an elf's plight, knelt down and took Artis' hands in her own. Artis flinched, thinking she was going to be punished. "Sh, sh, sh," Hermione soothed. "I'm not going to harm you. I just want you to repeat what you said."

Artis quietly spoke about the stars and Hermione listened. Finally, she asked, "Are you able to read?"

"Yes, Mistress; some."

"Tomorrow, when you clean my rooms, you will find a small book; I'll leave it right here for you," she pointed to a spot on her desk. "I think you will like it very much. I won't tell you what it is; it will be a surprise and a gift for you."

"Oh, Missy Hermione!" Artis gushed. "Thank you!"

"I must go to class. You're doing a fine job, Artis; Professor Snape and I thank you very much."

The next day, when Artis went to clean the Snape's quarters, she did indeed find a small book, all about the stars, just where Missy Hermione had said it would be. With joy, she finished her work in a snap and fled to the kitchens where she began to show the other elves her treasure. A few took a mild interest, but because it was the middle of the day, she was quickly dismissed by the elves in order to complete their tasks. She shrugged, stowed her book away in her nest and went back to her chores.

"Not long after I gave her the book, we began to notice a change in Artis. She seemed even more unhappy doing her work. She cleaned as neatly as ever, but she also began to make comments as we or the headmistress passed by about someday not doing it anymore. She began to say that she would learn all about things and leave Hogwarts forever."

"But she didn't, did she," Teddy commented.

Severus snorted, "Obviously."

Hermione added, "Not even for a short time, either. She has never left Hogwarts, but she has found her happiness."

"How so?" asked Teddy

"I admit I feel a bit responsible, to be honest. I had given her a new book, this time about the moon, and I know she was excited to share it with the other elves," replied Hermione. "The other elves had heard about her comments and began to snub her more openly. Prior to that, there had been subtle bullying incidents; most would suddenly 'hear' their miss or master calling and pop away. Others would simply ignore her. Then it began to escalate-name calling, hitting, that sort of thing. Even the nanny elves and Horatio himself would punish and berate her for her foolishness. Finally, in June of the year, just after the students had left, it came to a head."

With a limited staff presence now that term was over, the elves would finish their chores sooner and gather as a whole in the kitchens for fellowship. Artis had been showing the new book to her friends when an older male elf took the book from her hands and tore it to bits. With shouts of 'freak' and 'Dobby lover', she was teased and taunted. Several other older elves joined in and the bullying was blatant. Finally, as though the elves were of one body, they all turned their backs to her.

Artis gasped in shock. She had heard of this in the stories that Nanny elf told, but she never suspected it was true. In that moment of time, Artis was formally shunned.

Dismissed.

Abandoned.

Blindly, she stumbled from the kitchens and into the hallway outside. She didn't know where to go, so she went to the one place she knew no elf would follow; the Astronomy Tower. Once there, she tucked herself in a corner and cried.

Artis was not sure how long it was until Missy Hermione came to retrieve her. "Come, Artis; we must go the Headmistress' office."

With her head hanging, she followed Hermione out of the tower. As they walked, a hand came into view and Artis shyly took it, feeling a small squeeze that felt comforting.

"I didn't know the house elves could toss each other out of their homes; I thought only their master or mistress could do that," said Teddy.

Severus answered, "They can. In fact, many societies have some form of shunning process by which they discipline their members. The Amish of North America, for example. It can be very traumatic, as it was for Artis. And if a group of elves shuns another elf, then the master or mistress either gives them clothes or sells them to someone else. Suddenly, it seemed, Artis had nowhere to go, no family to take care of her, no job to perform."

"Then how did you become her guardians?"

"It wasn't easy," began Hermione, "and Professor Snape wasn't agreeable at first. We had a meeting in the Head's office that night. Because she was the elf assigned to us, we needed to be included in the decision of what to do next. According to protocol, Headmistress McGonagall could have given her clothes and made her leave, or given her clothes and continue to employ her with a small wage, or allow her to be bound to a new family. She was not able to make a decision that evening, but felt that Artis should stay in the hospital wing for the night. However, when I saw her face… so sad and scared, well, I couldn't help myself!"

Severus dragged Hermione over to an alcove in Minerva's office and said, "I know that look on your face, woman. Last time you looked at me like that we wound up with two more cats. The elf is not a cat!"

"But Severus," Hermione pleaded, "just look at her; she is scared, and she has nowhere to go!"

"Minerva will put her up in the hospital wing," Severus said through gritted teeth.

"And then what? Keep her there forever? Send her out with a reference and enough galleons for a room for a few nights? You know she won't find a place. Dumbledore only took in Dobby out of pity and you know it. Even if the Minerva kept her as a free elf, she would not get along with the others now they've shunned her."

"Hermione…" Severus said warningly.

"Please, Severus? Can't we take care of her for just a while? Until she is recovered, and we can help her figure out what to do next?"

Severus looked at his wife and knew he'd give in. Those damn brown eyes of hers may as well have led him straight to hell. "Until, and I stress until, she is recovered then."

Hermione bounced on her toes and then leant up to kiss her husband. "Oh, thank you, Severus, thank you!" She turned to Minerva and said, "Since Artis knows us, we will take her to our quarters for now. We will help her recover and then decide what to do next."

Minerva looked at Severus who shrugged his shoulders in resignation. "Well, if that's what you want then," she said. "However, I must release her from her bind to Hogwarts since she has been shunned. I will leave it to you two to decide what to do next."

She then pulled her wand from her sleeve and performed the incantation to sever Artis' bond with Hogwarts. All four occupants of the room felt the magic shift. It caused the elf to swoon a bit, and Hermione dashed over to help her steady herself. Once she seemed fit to move, Hermione, Severus, and Artis left the office.

"What happened next?" asked Teddy. "Uncle didn't sound like he was too happy about having an elf in his quarters."

"No, I wasn't, but I also understood where your aunt stood on elf rights. Once we put Artis to bed in our spare room, we spent some time discussing what to do next."

"Severus, I know you aren't happy about this," began Hermione, "but it may not be for long. I'll do some research and see what to do next."

"Hermione, there is no research to do. She will either be freed or taken in by another family. It's the way it's done."

"And by 'taken in', you mean sold, I suppose," Hermione grumped.

"Come here, little witch," Severus said softly, as he pulled his wife into his lap, pressing her head to his shoulder and a kiss to her temple. "I know you're not happy about the treatment of the elves, but you must know, this is their way of life. They are happiest when they are serving. It's in their blood, so to speak. They actually become quite unhinged when they are not serving a family."

"What was Kreacher's excuse; he was unhinged and served the Black's forever."

"He had been exposed to so much dark magic, but he seems less dotty now that he works here at Hogwarts."

Hermione hummed in agreement. "Still, couldn't she stay with us for a while? She cleans our rooms anyway, what would be the difference? And I could teach her."

"The difference is that she is not used to interaction with humans on an equal footing. As much as I know it pains you to hear this, and however much I agree it's wrong, there is a certain class status in the magical community. It's all what we just had a war about."

"That war was for humans, Severus, not magical creatures."

"She will struggle to find her way in the human world, Hermione. I think it would be better for us to find her a small home with a witch or wizard who might be sympathetic to her desire to learn. She can learn and serve and be happy."

Hermione sat up, looking Severus in the eye. "She could be happy and learn with us."

"Budge up, would you; my leg's numb," Severus said, giving Hermione a bit of a shove off his lap and onto the couch. "She can stay with us for a few days. That's it. I mean it, love. She is not a cat."

"I know she's not a cat," Hermione growled, glaring at her husband.

"It's getting late, and we have classes in the morning. Let's go to bed, and we'll talk more tomorrow."

"Are you mad at me?" Hermione asked as she walked to their bedroom.

"I'm not happy, but I'm not mad. Let's just sleep on it; we don't need to make more rash decisions now."

"Well, obviously, she stayed more than a few days," Teddy said.

Hermione laughed. "Indeed she did! It was slow going at first; she was confused about why the elves had shunned her and why Professor Snape was unwilling to answer her questions. She seemed to gravitate toward me."

"That's because you're kind, Auntie," Teddy replied shyly. "All my dorm mates say you're fair and nice."

Hermione's cheeks reddened. "Thank you, Teddy. Let me tell you a bit about how we all adjusted and what ultimately made us decide to become her guardians."

Hermione nestled into her pillow, sensing that it was nearly time to wake up. However, just as she sensed this, she also sensed something else, or rather, someone else.

That someone else was not her husband, but a small female elf with big brown eyes and a longish nose that was nearly tip to tip with Hermione's own. When Hermione opened one eye, she screamed, causing Severus to snatch his wand from under his pillow and throw himself over her body.

"What is it!" he cried. "What's the matter?"

Hermione attempted to push Severus off with a 'gerroff me' to no avail. When Severus finally realised they were not under attack, he removed himself from Hermione and flopped back down in bed.

Artis was punishing herself and mumbling how bad she was to scare her master and mistress. Hermione got up and implored, "Artis, stop. Calm down. You gave a scare is all. There, there. Severus, perhaps you could get a Calming Draught?"

Grumbling, Severus left their warm bed and went for the potion. While he was gone, Hermione took Artis into her arms and sat in a nearby chair. She rubbed the elf's back, while she cried into Hermione's shoulder.

"Why did they do that? Why did they make me leave?" she sobbed.

"Oh, Artis, you know from your experiences that the other elves don't like change. They are used to their ways. Your ideas, while not unheard of by witches and wizards, are frightening to them, just like Dobby's were. But, you're safe here with Severus and me."

"He doesn't want me, either."

Hermione was about to answer when Severus returned and said, "It's not that I don't want you, elfling, it's that I want you to be where you are happy the most. I don't know that being with us will be where you are happy. Do you understand?"

Nodding, Artis replied, "Yes, sir."

Severus handed Hermione the potion. "Give her this, and I'll order some breakfast from the kitchens. Once we've eaten, I think she should spend the day with Poppy while we teach. I'll speak to her after I've dressed."

"That is a good idea, love," said Hermione. "What do you think, Artis?"

Sniffing, she answered, "I like Missy Healer lady."

"Good. Now go get washed and dressed, and I'll take you to Poppy after we eat."

"It wasn't easy," Hermione told Teddy. "She was so confused and afraid. Often times, she would come to my classroom, and I would just let her sit at a desk in the back and read."

"So you let her have clothes?" asked Teddy.

"That was a problem at first," said Hermione. "I was eager to see her happy, and I would get, erm, a bit carried away."

Severus and Hermione had popped into Muggle London one weekend to shop for a gift for Ron and Lavender's new baby, a sweet little girl. As Hermione eagerly shopped, and Severus reluctantly held the bags, she came across a rack filled with very pretty summer dresses for toddlers. She was drawn to them and began to look at the different designs.

"Hermione, the newest Weasley will not be ready for that for several years."

"I know," she said wistfully. "I was just thinking that Artis could wear something like this."

With a huff, Severus said, "Hermione, how many times do we need to discuss this? We are not giving her clothes; she is not staying with us!"

Shoving the dress back into the rack, Hermione angrily turned to her husband. "So, you've already decided to send her on her way then? Sell her off to the highest bidder?" She flounced away to look at the infant toys.

Rolling his eyes, he took off after her. "I did not say that, and do not to put words in my mouth!"

"You said she wasn't staying with us!"

"You agreed that it would only be temporary, Hermione. You said that it would only be until she is recovered. She is doing well now, and we'll need to find her a new home."

"You act as though we're re-housing a cat, not an elf!"

Severus quickly looked around. "Lower your voice, dear," he said with a hiss. "I didn't say we would sell her, I just said we needed to find her a new home."

Hermione lowered her head a moment. When she looked back up at Severus, she had tears in her eyes. "She's such a sweet thing, though. And," she took a deep breath in, "and she fills a space within me."

Severus realised what Hermione meant, and shifting his bags to one hand, pulled her closer with the other. Kissing her on top of the head, he said, "I know, love. And shopping in this sort of store isn't helping. However, Artis is not a human child, she can't be our child."

Hermione nodded against his chest. "I know." Sniffing a wet sort of sniff, she said, "Look, let's just get the gift and leave. I think it's best if I weren't in here much longer."

"Alright," replied Severus. "Would you like to go for some tea? There's a shop down the road."

"I'd like that."

"We did try to offer her clothes, but she wasn't ready," said Severus. "She said she felt comfortable in her Hogwarts uniform, and so we decided until she was ready to accept clothes, she could continue to wear it."

"And a place to stay?" Teddy asked.

Hermione stood to refill everyone's mugs with fresh tea. She said, "Since she was still young by elf standards, we couldn't allow her to stay on her own, nor would the headmistress; she had ultimately decided not to give her to another family. Even though she'd been shunned, she was still a resident of Hogwarts; free to come and go as she pleased. She wound up staying with us simply because it was convenient, and she felt safe with us."

"Was it hard for her to adjust to a life of not serving?"

Hermione nodded as she returned to her seat. "In a way, yes. Since the whole reason she was shunned was that she didn't like to clean, she was torn between whether she should do it or not do it when she was in our quarters. Professor Snape was willing to allow it since he was used to it more culturally. I, however, was not, so I attempted to divert her attention at every opportunity.

"At first, she was easily placated by books. I helped her with her reading skills, and she improved very quickly. However, because we had to be in classes, we could not attend to her all the time. We allowed her to come into our classrooms provided she sat quietly. Sometimes, Madam Pomfrey would let her come into the hospital wing, and there were times she even went to the headmistress' office. The one time we allowed her to go with Hagrid did not work out well at all. She'd been with us for about three months then."

Severus reached over and squeezed Hermione's hand. "It was a scary moment for us. I did not realise until then how the elfing had grown on me."

"Thank you, Hagrid, for allowing Artis to visit you while we're in classes today," Hermione said as she, Severus, and Artis stood at the door of the Entrance Hall, shortly after breakfast one morning. "I'm sure she'll find some of the creatures you attend to quite fascinating."

"Anything for her 'Ermione; you know that."

Hermione bit her lip. "You will keep her away from the more dangerous creatures, won't you?"

"All the animals is fine, you know that. They just need a little lovin' and carin'. The elf can help me feed 'em."

"Well, if you're sure. Artis? Are you ready?" With an excited nod, the elf and Hagrid left the building.

Hermione was teaching her fourth years a couple of hours later when a frantic Patronus interrupted her demonstration of a Muggle cooker.

"Hermione, please come to the hospital wing immediately," Madam Pomfrey's voice issued from the nightingale's beak.

Hermione, wasting no time in dismissing the class, rushed to the hospital wing. Along the way, she was met by Severus, who relayed that he had also had a Patronus from Poppy.

"It's Artis, I'm sure of it," cried Hermione. "I told Hagrid not to take her near the more dangerous animals!"

The sight that met their eyes as they entered the wing was rather pitiful. Hagrid stood near a bed, crying heavy tears and mumbling that the 'Skrewt never hurt a flea before'.

Poppy was waving her wand gracefully and skilfully over a small child on the bed before her. Only it wasn't a child, but rather Artis, the house elf.

Hermione rushed up to the bed. "What has happened?! Oh Merlin! She's burned! There's hardly anything left of her uniform! Is she all right?"

Poppy answered, "She is unconscious, thankfully. Hagrid said she got the brunt of a brassed off Skrewt. She has a few second degree burns on her face and a third degree one on her chest. I'm afraid one of her ears is quite done for."

"Is that why she wears the head band?" asked Teddy.

"Yes. Poppy was able to save only half of the one ear. Artis asked me to help her hide it some way, and we discovered that head wraps aren't technically clothing. She really likes them and learned how to make her own. She has hundreds of them!"

Teddy laughed and then said, shyly, "I admit I did like the one she had on when I saw her."

Hermione looked pointedly at the girl. "Even though you disparaged her otherwise?"

Teddy looked ashamed. "Yes, ma'am."

"I imagine you're learning there is always more to someone than just their clothes or status as a being?" asked Severus.

"Yes, sir."

"Would you like hear more before your detention is over?"

"May I? I'd love to learn about why she works in the library."

Before she began to tell the story of how Artis came to be working in the Hogwarts library, Hermione giggled.

"What is it, Auntie?" Teddy asked.

"I just remembered the first time I left Artis and Severus alone to go to an appointment."

"Oh, not that story!" growled Severus.

Hermione laughed a bit harder now. "Well, you told on me about my sweet wrappers!"

"Severus!" called Hermione. "I'm leaving now!"

Severus and Artis both came from other rooms in their quarters to say goodbye to her. Pulling her toward him for a kiss, Severus asked, "How long will you be gone?"

Kissing him back, she answered, "I shouldn't be gone more than a few hours. I'm meeting my mother at her house and then we're going to the salon. We're having our hair and nails done."

"Can I come?" asked Artis.

"I'm sorry, dear, but you can't. We're going to a Muggle salon."

Artis' ears drooped. "I understand," she said.

Hermione swooped the little elf in a hug. "You will be fine. Tell you what; I'll buy you a special colour of nail varnish and when I come home, I'll make your nails pretty; how's that?"

Artis smiled. "Yes, please!"

Hermione set her down, gave Severus one last kiss, snatched her bag from the table by the door and yelled, "Ta!"

The first hour she was gone went by quickly. Severus had some grading to finish, and Artis was tidying up the house (she didn't mind doing the few small chores Hermione set her to do each day; it earned her books!) When Severus had finished, he found the novel he was currently reading and sat on the couch. Artis, always eager to imitate Severus, hurried to her room for one of her own books.

Hermione had spent time with Artis, furthering her reading ability, and she adored the Thomas the Tank Engine series. Artis hopped up onto the couch and settled with her book. After a few moments, she asked, "Professor, what's this word?" she pointed to a spot on the page.

Severus leant over and looked at the word. "Quarry."

"What's a quaw-ree?" Artis stumbled over the word.

"It's a large hole where they dig out stone or gems."

"Thank you," she said and returned to her book. "What's a gem?"

"It's a coloured stone," Severus answered amiably.

Several moments passed, and Artis put her book down. "What are you reading, Professor?"

"Hamlet."

"What's a Hamlet?"

Severus, having once or twice before been exposed to Artis' unending questions, knew where this was going and decided to have a bit of fun. He knew that if Artis asked Hermione about anything dodgy he told her, she'd get mad. He loved to bait Hermione…she was gloriously beautiful when she was mad. He would deny it to his death, but he also liked to rile Artis because she had taken on some of Hermione's mannerisms and that amused him to no end.

"It's a small pig."

"I thought a small pig was a piglet?"

"Oh yes, there are piglets, but hamlets are ready to eat. Where do you think Hermione gets the kebabs you like so much?"

Artis looked perplexed and touched his book. "They wrote a whole book about kebabs?"

"No, just the hamlets."

"Oh."

Severus chuckled and went back to his reading.

"Where do kebabs come from?"

"From the kiosk just outside the Leaky. You know that; Hermione took you once."

"But I didn't see any hamlets."

"They keep them in the back."

"The back of where?"

"The back of the kiosk."

"Oh." She fingered the hem of her dress before asking, "What's a kiosk?"

"A place where they sell keys."

"What's a key?"

"It's a large-"

"Severus Snape! If you finish that sentence, you'll be sleeping in the Astronomy Tower tonight!" cried Hermione.

Severus and Artis turned to face the woman. "How long have you been standing there?" asked the wizard.

"Round about the time you told her about the Leaky. Artis, not everything he told you was true."

Artis turned and glared at Severus with a look so reminiscent of the man that Hermione burst out laughing.

All three chuckled as Hermione finished the anecdote. "After the incident with Hagrid, life sort of settled into a routine. I formed a more structured time table for Artis. While she didn't have to clean our entire quarters, she was responsible for her sleeping area and looking after her uniform. Once she was done, I set small academic lessons for her to complete, and then she was free until we were done teaching." Hermione finished.

"Look, Aunt Hermione!" cried Teddy, interrupting Hermione's story. "Shooting stars!" He got up and went to the windows to watch the show.

The couple silently watched Teddy, until Severus reached for Hermione's hand and asked, sotto voce, "Do you remember the first time she burst into our room while we were…" he trailed off.

Hermione chuckled. "I thought you'd die of embarrassment!"

"Well, she certainly saw more than I would have wanted!"

Sunday mornings were the best mornings ever, thought Severus as he sheathed himself inside his wife. It was the one morning of the week that neither of them had any obligations and so it was often the time where they spent longer making love than during the week. Severus cherished each and every Sunday since their marriage.

The sight and sound of Hermione's response to his love making never failed to make him hard and eager to be inside of her, showing her how much he loved her.

"Let me be on top, Sev," Hermione said, breaking through his thoughts. " I want to ride you."

The couple quickly switched positions and resumed their rhythm. Hermione had already come once, and Severus could tell he was well on her way to a second one, which he knew would tip him over too when their bedroom door burst open.

"MISSY H!" cried Artis.

Hermione dove off Severus, leaving him fully exposed to the elf, his cock firmly erect and shining with her arousal.

When Severus realised what had happened, he was unable to grab the sheet as it was firmly wrapped around Hermione. His only recourse was to lie there, cock wilting as the elf flew toward the bed.

"ARTIS!" hollered Hermione.

"MISSY H! The kitties is here! The kitties is here!"

"Delilah had her kittens?" Hermione asked as she summoned her nightgown to her. "Let's go see!" She slipped her nightgown on and bounced out of bed.

"Oh, sure," said Severus, "I'll just lie here, shall I?"

"Come and see the kittens, love!" Hermione cried as she flew out of the bedroom.

Severus rolled over. "Cock blocked by a litter of kittens. I'm getting Crookshanks fixed tomorrow," he mumbled.

Teddy returned to his seat after a few minutes and Hermione continued with the story.

"She became more and more a part of our lives, even though Professor Snape and I often talked about what to do. I admit I was reluctant to make a firm decision to send her away, even though that's what Severus wanted.

"As I told you, she would wander into my classroom, but she also wandered into Professor Snape's classroom. Little did we know, that was the beginning of what turned out to be her true calling."

"How so?"

"We never thought just giving her a bit of parchment and something to draw with would open a door of opportunity for Artis," said Severus as he began the story.

Severus was teaching sixth years on a Friday afternoon. He hated the class. The students were ready for the weekend and were definitely not paying attention. He had to continually patrol the class to catch the cauldron explosions before they happened. Artis slipping into the classroom was a distraction he could not afford at the moment.

"Take a seat in the back, elf," he said.

Once seated, Artis began to fidget. She had been told previously on a visit to his class that she must be absolutely quiet. However, she wound up asking questions and was told to leave.

Severus could see her fidgeting, and that added another layer of distraction for his students. He conjured a book, but she only looked at it for a few minutes before tossing it aside. He conjured another one, and the same thing happened. At his wits end attempting to placate the elf, he simply conjured up a box of crayons and some parchment and told her to make pictures.

"Why crayons, sir?" interrupted Teddy.

"One time when we visited the Potters, young James was fussy. Uncle Harry gave him a box of crayons and a colouring book, and he calmed right down and happily drew and coloured for the longest time. I was at my wits' end trying to keep and eye on the class and limit the distraction Artis was creating. I remembered what Harry had done and so did the same. It was only afterward, when class was over and I went to tell Artis that it was time to leave, did I see her pictures."

"Were they good?"

"It takes a lot to gobsmack Professor Snape," Hermione answered, "as I am sure you've already learned in just two days of being here, what with the older students telling stories."

Teddy snorted. "You're not wrong there!"

Hermione chuckled. "I, too, was flabbergasted when he showed them to me. He told me that he had asked her if she had had experience with drawing as part of her life with the other elves."

Severus stepped toward the desk where Artis sat drawing. As soon as she had received the crayons and parchment, she became focused and quiet. "Artis, he said, "It's time to go. Put away…" his voice trailed off as he looked at the picture. He stepped around to the back of the desk so he could look at the drawing properly. It was amazing…the detail and colour. It was a picture of his quarters, down to the worn carpet around the perimeter of the room, from the years he had paced due to his insomnia. Even the frayed fabric on the back of the couch was drawn in. And on the couch…he felt as though he was looking at the real him and the real Hermione, so luminescent and well, alive were the figures. Crookshanks too, looked as though you could see him purring.

"Artis," he asked, touching her shoulder and startling her slightly as she was so focussed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you. Did you learn to draw when you lived with the other elves?"

"No, Professor. I just moved the coloured stick you gave me, and it came out of me."

"Did you use magic to make it so real looking?"

"No. It just…comes."

"It is really lovely, Artis."

Artis picked up the drawing and shyly handed it to Severus. "It is for you and Missy Hermione; for taking care of me."

Severus placed his hand on the elf's shoulder and squeezed it carefully. "Thank you, Artis. I know Hermione will treasure it. Let's go give it to her, shall we?"

"I was amazed by the picture. It was as though someone took a photograph, it was that detailed and that colourful. Her elf magic imbued the picture and it was, well, alive with colour, detail, luminescence, and motion, of course."

"Like the portraits and the pictures in The Daily Prophet?"

"Somewhat. I think because of her magic, though, they were even better. Something about her drawings was…well, it's hard to describe. However, Severus giving her the crayons was the beginning of something even we couldn't have imagined for her.

"Artis had been with us for eight months. We had finally decided to formalise the guardianship, although it was not without its problems," Hermione said.

Severus added, "No, it wasn't. It took quite a bit of Professor Granger's part to finally convince me, and then the Ministry hurdle."

"Severus, why? Why can't she stay with us?"

"Because she is not a pet, Hermione. She is not a human. She will find it hard to live with us in a way that is not bound by service. It's part of her blood!"

"But it doesn't have to be! Dobby realised that."

"I know, Hermione. Dobby was unique, you must admit, but there have been no mass desertions of elves looking for freedom since his time."

"What about Artis? She wants to be free."

"She doesn't and you know it."

Hermione flopped onto the couch with a huff. "I know. She wants to be free to choose what she does, but she wants the security of a family. We can be that family, though!"

Severus sat next to her. "Hermione, why are you so adamant to keep her?"

Hermione leant into the warmth of her husband. "Because, like that time in the shop; she fills a space within me."

"You must logically understand that this is not a child."

"She's a child elf."

"Don't be obtuse."

"Severus, why can't we stand as foster parents to her? You know, like Muggles do. She won't really be ours from an elf/master binding standpoint, but she will be our responsibility, and then no one can force her into servitude."

Severus rubbed his chin. "I will admit she is a good little elf. Not too much of a bother. Your idea has some merit, but I will need to think about it."

"That's all I ask. Thank you."

"In the end, Severus stated that although she couldn't stay with us forever, she was not really a bother and respected our quarters and our private lives. He agreed that she needed the protection of being bound to a family would offer her as she tried to make her way in the world. Short of a true bonding, a guardianship was the next best thing. He said she could stay until she was settled in a job."

"We both asked friends in the Ministry," said Severus, "and in a few shops if there was something she could do, but everyone said no. The perception about house elves still permeated the general wizarding population, much to Hermione's dismay, although I had suspected it would be hard to find her something outside of Hogwarts."

"It's true," Hermione said. "I was so disappointed at not being able to find her something. It wasn't until I went to check out a copy of a Muggle book in the Hogwarts library one afternoon that I discovered the state of some of the books. It was as though Merlin himself created the opportunity."

"Severus, I was at the library today and learned something very interesting."

"No!" he gasped, clutching his chest. "You at the library? Why I never…you went to the library?"

Hermione laughed. "You git!" She was rewarded with a kiss for taking his teasing so well. "Seriously though, love. Madam Pince told me today that a lot of books were damaged during the battle. She has had to send out books to be repaired, but there are literally thousands more, even now, years afterward. Some of the books were illustrated hundreds of years ago, using techniques that have been lost in time. I was thinking; what if Artis used her talent to repair them? She could easily be taught how to repair bindings, and she would enjoy re- illustrating them, I'm sure."

"That is an excellent idea. Do you think Irma would object to an elf in her domain?"

"I would hope not, but given the extent of the work Artis would need to do, surely a small room could be created off the library for her to work in? To keep her supplies in?"

"That seems feasible. We'd have to run it by Minerva and Irma first though. And of course, Artis."

"We asked the headmistress and Madam Pince the next day and they agreed to our plan. The next step was to convince the Ministry that she was a free elf and willing to be placed in our care. If it weren't for the headmistress having a few contacts in the Family Affairs department, we might not have done it, but we were able to present a file with the facts and Artis' pensive memories of being shunned. After a few sessions with a counsellor, we were granted our petition and became her guardians.

"Before we knew it, all was in place. We had a long talk with Artis about working in the library, and she said she would try it for a bit first before deciding if she liked it or not. However, from the first day, we knew she had found her place, and she's been there for two years now."

"How did her uniform come about? Did it count as giving her clothes?" asked Teddy.

Hermione laughed. "I found a sort of loophole as far as that was concerned. Since the house elves do wear a uniform as part of their service to Hogwarts, we told Artis that the clothes she'd wear in the library would only be a uniform, so to speak, of her work. That way, she did not feel as though she was being freed, even though, technically she was.

"When we petitioned the Ministry to obtain guardianship, we also petitioned to allow her to use our family name so that she could be paid and have employment records. She is the first house elf ever to be working independently and have a last name."

"So she's Madam Snape just like you?"

"I am Madam Snape, but I use Granger here at school so the students are not confused by two Professor Snapes. Artis prefers to be called Miss Snape. Do you see now why she is so much more than what you thought?"

"I do, Aunt Hermione. I was very wrong to call her names," he said quietly.

"You were also wrong to allow your new friends to influence your thinking in such a negative way," Severus added.

Teddy looked down and whispered, "I know."

Hermione stood, beckoned Teddy to do the same, and cast a quick Tempus Charm. "I didn't realise we'd be so late. I will walk you to your tower so you don't lose any points for being out after curfew. To complete your detention, I want you to write a note to Miss Snape and apologise. Have it on my desk by first break tomorrow. If I approve of it, you will deliver it to her in person at the library."

"Do you think she'd show me some of her drawings if I asked politely?"

"She would be thrilled, I know."

The pair reached Gryffindor tower in silence. "Good night, Professor Granger," Teddy said as she went through the portrait hole.

"Good night, Mr. Lupin."

Once back in her quarters, Severus called for her to come to bed. She wandered into their bedroom, beginning to undress as she went. "Do you think we made a difference?" she asked, picking up her nightgown.

"I think so," Severus said, shifting under the sheets. "If anything, he has a lot to think about. Now, hurry to bed, I'm in need of you."

"Oh?" asked Hermione. "Should I put on the nightgown or not?"

"I think not," said Severus. He threw the sheet back, revealing his naked form. "Come here, witch."

Hermione laughed and joined him on the bed.

Epilogue: Two more years later

Artis sat, humming away while putting the finishing artwork on the book, How to Avoid Quidditch Fouls. She was a happy elf. She worked every day in the library restoring the books and illustrating them. She and Madam Pince were content with their working relationship; Irma was pleased the books were being restored, and Artis was pleased to share tea with her throughout the afternoon.

She had very little contact with the elves of Hogwarts; they did not clean her rooms even though she was considered a staff member. Artis was not bothered by this since she was a neat little elf to begin with.

Artis had one true friend at Hogwarts, and that was the student who learned a great lesson one night during detention at the start of term two years ago. Once the letter of apology had been delivered, Teddy had been curious to learn more about Artis and had begun to hang about the library. Artis and he talked, and a friendship was born. Teddy had wanted Artis to teach him to draw, but it didn't go too well. Artis' drawing was simply part of her magic; it could not be taught.

Teddy's relationship with Artis helped eased her interactions with the other students of Hogwarts. While she normally stayed in her workroom, if she was putting a freshly illustrated book back in its location and encountered another student, there was usually a moment of two of idle chit chat. Artis especially loved running into any of the students on the Quidditch teams; Hermione and Severus had taken her to a game once, and she fell in love with the sport! Hermione had even knitted her four scarves in house colours so that she could choose the team she wished to support at each match.

Artis was accepted by the staff as a colleague; her age precluded her from some of the deeper friendships the staff enjoyed, although her own shyness was a larger factor in that aspect. Ultimately, however, Artis' heart would always belong to the Snapes.

It was to them she was closest, almost a daughter, and her elf magic was attuned to them, even though she no longer resided with them. After a year and a half of living in their quarters, she felt she was ready to live on her own. She didn't move far from them, though. She was given a small room at the end of the hall where the Snapes quarters were located. It was small by human standards but gloriously large to the elf. It held a small bed, a three-drawer bureau, and a bookcase. There was a small bathroom as well.

It was because of her proximity to the couple that allowed her magic to learn a secret that was the impetus for their Christmas gift.

On Christmas morning, she had been invited to open gifts with the Hermione and Severus. Hers to them was a drawing of the couple, but in this particular drawing, Hermione was with child.

"Why would you draw this, Artis?" Hermione asked, confusion and pain lacing her voice. "I'm not having a baby."

Artis blushed. "We elves have powerful magic as you know, Missy Hermione. We know about these things even before humans."

Hermione and Severus looked at each other. "We were told I wouldn't be able to have children. The war…I was cursed, you see."

"Hermione," began Severus tentatively, "I know what we were told, but I also know house elves have powerful magic. Perhaps we should perform the spell?"

"I'm afraid," she whispered.

"Don't be afraid, Missy H," Artis said. "I would not have drawn this if it wasn't so. I sensed it several weeks ago."

"Okay," she said faintly.

Severus shakily drew his wand. "May I?"

Hermione nodded and Severus performed the incantation. Once he was done, a small light glowed near Hermione's lower abdominal region.

Artis smiled as the couple hugged and kissed.

~*~
End Note: The bit above where Artis mispronounces 'quarry' is based on the real life Worrywart Jr. He had such trouble with the word as a toddler and said, 'quaw-ree'. We tease him about it occasionally now, nearly 25 years later.