Chapter Text
Bucky watched Harriet closely, absently twirling a switchblade in his flesh hand, as she moved through the kitchen with ease. She prepared ingredients manually but didn’t hesitate to throw in a bit of magic with subtle flicks of her hand this way and that. Each of those extra flicks Bucky tracked, finding the corresponding magic before looking back to the black haired witch.
This intense scene is what Steve and Natasha walked in to, coming up from their midday training.
Natasha dropped into the seat next to Bucky and raised an eyebrow, “There a reason you’re staring at Harri like she’s going to poison our lunch?”
Clint popped out of the nearest vent, “He’s been like that the entire time she’s been here.”
“I’m trying to figure out where those two spells come in.” Bucky muttered under his breath so Harri couldn’t hear him.
“What two spells?” Steve asked.
“The food spells.” Bucky huffed, “I can’t figure out where they come in.” He narrowed his eyes as Harriet gave a bowl a tap with her wand, sending the spoon stirring.
Natasha nodded seriously and joined Bucky in watching Harriet closely. “What are these spells supposed to do?”
“Summon food? Create food? Something along those lines.” Bucky replied, “She’s done it after a couple missions, when we’re too tired to cook. The food will just appear on the table.”
“Why don’t you just ask her?” Clint asked, perching himself on the table, “They’ve not been really hiding this stuff after we got clearance from their Ministry.”
“Conjuring food from nothing has got to be a secret magic thing.” Bucky growled under his breath, “I imagine if she can call it from thin air she could probably end world-“
“Hey Harriet!” Clint called out.
The witch looked up at them with a polite smile, “Lunch is almost ready.”
“That’s great,” Clint nodded, “but why didn’t you use that food making spells to make lunch?”
Harri frowned and cocked her head, “Food making spells?” She questioned, gesturing to the self stirring spoon hesitantly.
“No, the one you used after missions.” Bucky grunted, “The ones that pull it out of no where? I think you said something like doby and winy?”
Harriet blinked once before snorting and breaking into a fit of giggles. She abandoned her spatula to clutch at her stomach, bending over to catch her breath as it continued.
“What?” Bucky huffed, “It’s not that funny.”
“Oh...Merlin...but it is!” Harri got out before her laughter started up again.
Bucky slumped in his seat, practically pouting, while Steve frowned, Clint raised an eyebrow, and Natasha rolled her eyes. “Care to share?”
Harriet forced several deep breaths and eventually straightened, wiping at her eyes with a smile on her face. “Food can’t be conjured from nothing, at least not food that could actually sustain someone.”
“Then what do those spells do?” Steve asked.
Harriet gave the group an amused smile and stepped out from behind the counter. “Dobby! Winky!” She called out clearly.
With a light pop two small figures appeared in front of Harriet, sending the four muggles jerking backward and reaching for hidden weapons. The figures came up to Harriet’s knees and had large pointed ears that extended far past their bald heads.
Harri rolled her eyes at the weapons and smiled down at the two beings in front of her. “Dobby, Winky, I’d like you to meet a few people.” She waved toward the team and the two figures turned toward them, looking at the with big curious eyes. “This is Steve, Clint, Bucky, and Natasha. They’re part of the team I and the twins are on now.” Harri looked up at the bewildered muggles, “Guys this is Dobby and Winky, our house elves.”
Dobby bowed, his ears flopping as he moved, “Dobby is bein happy to meet friends of his Great Miss!” He squeaked.
”Um, h-hi.” Steve stuttered in shock. Clint cocked his head and lowered his bow to give a tentative wave.
Winky eyed the group with a wary gaze but inclined her head respectfully, “Greetins to teammates of Winky’s devilish twins.”
Natasha snorted at the statement and was the first to put away her weapon. The others followed suit. Clint leaned forward curiously, “So what do you guys do?”
”We bes doin anything our Masters require. We be takin care of them.” Winky said primly, “Winky’s twins be needin much lookin after.” Clint chuckled and nodded.
”Dobby does whatever the Great Harri Potter aks!” Dobby squeaked, “She saved Dobby! Dobby will not let his Great Miss down!”
Harriet gave him a fond smile before looking back to her teammates, “Dobby and Winky also prepare our food if I don’t have time to cook. They sent the food to the space directly in front of me when I called.”
Clint’s face lit up as he looked at Dobby and Winky, “So one of you made that white chicken chili? Because that was awesome!”
Winky’s expression softened a bit and she nodded, “It is bein a favorite of Winky’s twins. Winky makes it often.”
Clint practically drooled, “Don’t suppose I could get a bowl every once in a while.”
”Winky would being very happy to give chili to twinses friend.” The little elf answered, Clint did a fist pump.
”Harriet.” Natasha started seriously, the wotch looked over to her, “Can they be trusted?” Bucky crossed his arms over his chest and nodded, looking to Harri expectantly.
Winky and Dobby protested before Harri could say anything.
”We never be betrayin our Masters!” Winky screeched. “It bein impossible!”
Dobby however had turned and threw his arms around Harriet’s legs, sobbing into her knees. “Dobby would never betray the Great Harri Potter! The Great Miss cannot be believin Dobby would!”
Harriet shot Natasha an exasperated look before picking up Dobby to give him a hug. “Hush Dobby. I know you wouldn’t.” She soothed, “I’ve known since second year when you saved me from Lucius. They’re muggles, they don’t know.” The elf buried his head in Harriet’s shoulder and she let him. She looked back to her teammates with Winky glaring at them by her feet. “It is impossible for a fully bonded house elf to betray their witch or wizard. There are some elves who are bound to family lines and magical properties that are exceptions but for personal house elves its a more powerful connection. House elves have to bond to us to survive, they use our magic to power their own and keep them healthy. The bond also binds them to our will to a degree, so they can’t be ordered around by an enemy or something.”
“That sounds awful.” Steve winced.
”It’s only awful if the one their bound to is abusive.” Harri said, rubbing at Dobby’s back gently, “Some people forcibly bind house elves and beat them or force them to punish themselves for the slightest mistake. But the most humane and fair way is an agreement between the wizard and elf. I, Fred, and George didn’t force Dobby and Winky in the bond. Dobby actually brought it up with me and he brought Winky to bond with the twins.”
”Winky’s twins is very kind.” The little house elf spoke up, “They is bein nice masters and has not punished Winky once.”
Dobby gave a horribly wet sniff (making Harri wrinkle her nose) before he looked up. “Dobby’s Great Miss saved Dobby from a horrible Master. Dobby is bein happier than ever when the Great Harri Potter agreed to take Dobby as her elf!”
Steve smiled at them, “I’m glad you found them then.”
Clint got up and walked over to give Dobby a conspiratorial smirk, “I think you can be trusted. What was this about you saving Harriet? Was she as much of a trouble maker as she is now?”
Dobby’s ears perked up a little, “The Great Harri Potter was bein a handful as a youngling. She bes ignoring Dobby’s warning and running into dangers!”
Harri rolled her eyes, “I hardly think going to school counts as ‘running into danger’.”
Natasha rolled her eyes with a sigh, knowing that with Steve and Clint’s approval, she’d lost this fight. As Steve joined Clint in questioning Dobby about this ‘danger’ that Harri had apparently charged into and Winky moved into the kitchen to continue Harriet’s lunch preparations, Natasha exchanged a glanced with Bucky. They would accept the magical explanation for now but they would still keep a close eye on these new creatures until they had more proof.