Closed Painting Practice

[Amy Jewel]

Amy came into the arts room, mostly to get away from her studies, but also to practice her painting. Over the holidays she'd had some lessons, but hadn't been able to come practice. She put her bag down and pulled out a picture of the beach back home. She knew it would take her forever to paint this image, and it probably wouldn't look any good, but she wanted to at least try. Picking up a brush, she began to paint.

It didn't take long before she messed up. Amy crossed her arms and blew the hair out of her eyes. Surely she couldn't make it worse than it already looked. She tried to cover the mark, but the paint was still wet. Instead of covering it, the paint smudged and made it look even worse. She sighed, and wondered how she was going to fix that. It seemed impossible. Music was a lot easier for her, especially since it was easier to cover up a mistake than on a painting.

 

[Teebo]

Arts room was certainly Teebo's favorite place at Hogwarts to clean. The free house elf enjoyed any type of art and could spend hours admiring the paintings that the students were leaving here at the end of their session. Teebo would never admit it but sometimes he would interfere to add a touch to incomplete works or correct mistakes that could only be undone with magic.

The elf was in high spirits today. His last chore of the day was to clean the room to be presentable for the art enthusiast students. Then he was free to observe unnoticed from distance. He could spend hours watching pieces of arts coming progressively in life or listen to music. It reminded him of the time he served a painter, a period of time that even though he wasn't granted his freedom yet, he still cherished the memories dearly.

After meticulously dusting off the room, he quickly took his place on a high shelf, among ceramic statues of gnomes, imps and house elves, made by the students. It was easy for him to blend in amongst them while at the same time remaining silent and as still as possible. He had also made sure he was wearing not so colorful clothes. A plain brown sweater with a golden, capital 'W' on it, just one Slytherin beanie he had found in the Forbidden Forest and a pair of purple socks.

He remained patiently on the shelf until a girl finally appeared in the room. Teebo recalled seeing her here before a few times and he was excited to find out that she was going to paint today, using for reference a picture that Teebo could make out from the distance that it was probably a beach. He observed what brought to life each of her brushworks. Of course her technique needed improvement, compared to Teebo's former master but she was still young and she was doing a fine job. Until she seemed to have made a mistake. The girl tried to fix it only to create a bigger smudge in her painting. Teebo's knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the the shelf's edge, sitting there with his thin legs hanging down. He shouldn't interfere but he really wanted to save the girl's progress. A brief finger snapping might have betrayed his presence but his magic did the work. The smudge disappeared like it never was on her painting. A trick he had mastered after years of apprenticeship at his former master's atelier. Now she had a second chance to do it right and Teebo remained completely immobile on the high self, pinning his wide-opened gaze in the distance to immitate the lifeless ceramic statues around him.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy's mouth dropped open when suddenly the mistake disappeared. She looked up and around, but there was no one else in the room. She looked at her painting again, and shook her head. Something was going on. She rubbed her eyes, but the image stayed the same. Deciding to accept this new development, she continued on. A little more carefully this time.

She had painted a decent base and decided to read while she waited for it to dry. One thing she thought she remembered from her lessons was to never paint over wet paint. Humming quietly to herself, she leaned over to pick her bag up and accidentally knocked over the cup of water she was using to clean her brushes. She gasped, throwing her bag on the chair and pulling out her wand. All spells vanished from her mind."Oh bother!" she muttered. She began to look around for something to dry it up with.

 

[Teebo]

When the girl gave up looking around and resumed her drawing, Teebo's smile streched on his face to almost reach his ears that twiched in excitement. Glad that he had helped the girl, he continued watching her progressing with her painting like her previous mistake never happened. She wisely waited this time for the paint to dry and Teebo wondered what kind of book she started reading. He pondered for a while what could be like to attend the classes that those young witches and wizards had. He was only allowed to be in those rooms when they were empty for cleaning and all house-elves were ordered not to interrupt classes for any reason.

His thoughts had strayed for too long. He zoomed back into reality when the sound of rolling glass on hard surface echoed in the room. Colored water was spilled on the floor, and as the girl was looking around to find probably something to clean it, Teebo apparated from the top shelf to the girl's whereabouts with a faint pop.
"Hello." He flashed a smile and snapped his fingers to conjure a mop of his size that was easier for him to utilize.
"Miss shouldn't bother with it. Teebo will clean it in no time." He reassured the girl and started immediately mopping the floor. He glanced at her painting drying on the easel and the photo she was using for reference.
"Has the young Miss, visited the place in the picture?" He asked sheepishly and lowered his head while he kept mopping.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy jumped at the sound of a voice next to her."Hi," she replied, not knowing what to say."Oh, really I'm happy to help, it's my fault anyway." Still, she stood there awkwardly, bouncing on her toes. She guessed that the creature in front of her was a house elf. Never having met one before, she wasn't quite sure how to react. Listening to the question and looking at the photo, she smiled."Yes, I have been there. It's a beach not far from where I live." Watching the cleaning take process, she felt bad."Sorry about the mess, I should've been more careful and looking at what I was doing."

 

[Teebo]

Teebo paused mopping for a moment, looking at the painting as the young witch shared that the beautiful beach was close to her house. "Teebo has never seen the sea." He sighed and resumed mopping the remaining water on the floor. If Hogwarts' lake provided so many raw material for the creation of his handcrafts, he could only imagine what the tide would bring to the shores.

Teebo cleaned everything up and picked up the girl's cup to magically refill it, the same way goblets and plates were refilled remotely at the Great Hall. He offered it back to her to keep on using it to clean her brushes, with a kind smile on his face. Teebo blushed when the girl expressed her gratitude. The majority of Hogwarts' students were unaware of the house-elves' contribution to the castle's cleanness. It was a rare occurance to have one appreciating for once his work. "No, no, no, it is fine. It is Teebo's job to keep today the arts' room clean." He shook his head wildly, his long ears flapping like bat-wings and his cheeks flooding with the rosy color. The elf then glanced once more at her painting and decided to give her a tip. "Teebo's former master used hot-air charms to dry faster paint." He shared sheepishly, looking at the floor with his arms behind his back.

 

[Amy Jewel]

"I've only seen the sea a few times. It's rather nice, a lot prettier than in the picture." Amy smiled in thanks when the house elf handed back her glass."Thank you." She wondered if the he enjoyed cleaning the arts rooms. She liked spending time here, but had never really thought about the fact a house elf would clean it all the time. She looked at her painting when he mentioned a charm to dry it quicker."Was your former master a painter?" She stopped, wondering if it was a bad question to ask. She didn't know how to talk to house elves."Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." She hoped she hadn't caused any offense.

 

[Teebo]

Teebo really enjoyed talking with humans. A reason why he was reluctant to indulge in similar conversations was primarily the way wizards were considering his kind inferior. But this young witch didn't seem to think similarly.
"Oh yes, Teebo's former master was a magical creatures' painter. He was making their portraits or painting them in their natural habitants." Teebo had no problem to answer the girl's question. Serving the particular wizards was a pleasant experience and the reason why he wanted to keep assisting wizards even after he was granted his freedom.

Teebo pondered whether is was right to ask the next question he wished to ask.
"Erm, w-what is Miss' name if I may ask?" He asked for the girl's name and pulled down the Slytherin beanie to cover his eyes in timidity. He was aware that house-elves were punished for similar, direct questions towards wizards but Teebo hoped he could become friends with this one.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy was intrigued about Teebo's former master."That sounds amazing!" she said."And you went with him?" She turned red when he asked for her name."Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My name's Amy. I'm guessing you're Teebo?" She smiled at him."I like your beanie. Do you clean the house common rooms too?"

 

[Teebo]

Teebo nodded several times when the girl asked him if he joined his former master in his excursions.
"Yes, Teebo was making sure that master Engels wouldn't get hurt. Teebo's former master was...umm...a bit of a prone accident." The house elf brought both his hands over his mouth, as if he had let loose a curse word. He then shrugged and gave a goofy grin. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Amy." He bowed so low that his face reached a few inches away from the floor. He might was free but he hadn't renounced his good mannerism, especially if his interlocutor was venerable. "Teebo, at your service." He smiled, always happy to help people in need, whenever he could and that wasn't at his chores' expense.

A gentle flush of pink had arisen in Teebo's cheeks once more, at the sound of Amy's compliment about his beanie. The house-elf had a huge collection of them and it was his biggest pride. "Thank you! Teebo has also the blue one with the raven!" He shared excitedly, having obtained the two house beanies by two students of the respective houses, when they realized that Teebo could be of service to their own matters if he was going to be gifted one.
"Teebo has a whole collection of them. Teebo could show his collection to miss Amy if she wants to one day." the elf offered, already growing fond of Amy. The truth was that Teebo was collecting almost anything, from strange, to him, wizards' objects to insects and little things that humans disregarded as useless. Teebo was good at making useful or significant even the smallest things. "Does miss Amy collect anything?" He asked curious to find if there was anything else that he hadn't started collecting yet.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy smiled. Teebo was quite friendly and cute. He seemed super excited by the fact she had complimented his beanie."If you wanted to get another one, I'm sure I could find a Hufflepuff one. Something to add to your collection." She didn't really have a use for the beanie, since she rarely left the castle, and she had another one back home that her mother had gotten in case she lost it."I would love to see your collection someday!" She thought about something she had collected."Well, when I was little I collected fairy lights. But they don't work in the castle, because of the Muggle technology." She was a little disappointed to find that out when she spoke to her older sister once."Maybe I could bring some in next year, or even bring some photos!" She loved the idea of showing Teebo something new.

 

[Teebo]

Teebo's bulging, round eyes welled up with tears of joy as it was the first time since he was free that someone was that kind to him. "Miss Amy will do that for Teebo?" He pulled down the oversized beanie to hide his face, bending his long ears to his shoulders. "That will make Teebo so happy." His voice came muffled from behind the beanie and he eventually adjusted back on his head. The elf started thinking of a gift he could give her back but his thought was cut short at the sound of fairy lights.

"Fairy lights?" He repeated frowned, in an attempt to imagine what they could look like. His curiosity was peaked even more when she mentioned that it was muggles' technology. "Hmm, Teebo has been collecting lightning bugs and has met fairies in the forest but no fairy lights." He confessed and then turned to the easel where her painting had dried out. "Maybe miss Amy could paint Teebo surrounded by fairy lights" He said with a puckish smile. "Or flying on a broom. Teebo would love to fly on a broom!" He chirped with dreamy eyes.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy grinned."I'll bring it to you as soon as I can," she promised. Amy looked towards her dry painting. She smiled at the thought of Teebo surrounded with fairy lights."I don't think I'd do it or you justice. I'm not good enough at painting." She laughed when he mentioned flying on a broom."Yes, that is a lot of fun. I'm sure that you would enjoy it, once you get the hang of it, it's quite nice." She had been enjoying being on the Hufflepuff quidditch team, even though they hadn't won the cup.

 

[Teebo]

The house elf was thrilled to have a proper conversation with the young witch. If only all humans were as kind as her, the world would have been a better place. "Miss Amy can try and paint outdoors. Nature sometimes can be the best muse. Teebo finds all sort of things in nature to make his handcrafts." He encouraged her to not give up on painting and practise to become better.

It was quite unusual for a house elf to be so intrigued by the prospect of flying while capable of apparating even at places that magical humans couldn't. "Teebo would be thrilled to watch one of these matches you play on broomsticks. Does miss Amy play for her house?" He asked interested to learn more about the rules and the games' goal.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy laughed."I'll have to try painting outside. I wonder how it would go." She nodded when Teebo asked if she played Quidditch for Hufflepuff."I've played on the team for maybe two years now? It's a lot of fun! Quite dangerous, but it's worth it. I hope I can get into the team again next year. I've been playing as an alternate chaser."

 

[Teebo]

"Teebo could cheer for miss Amy at next match" He squeaked and jumped twice excited in the air.
"Teebo can also help miss Amy practise. Teebo can enchant the iron balls and broomsticks to be like a real match." He pondered, taping his chin with his index finger. The elf wasn't sure if the girl really needed his help to practise but he was always eager to offer assistance whenever he could. Especially if in this way he was going to experience something new, like training in Quidditch with a witch at the Quidditch pitch.
Teebo raised his finger and his ears fluttered as he had an idea.
"Teebo is right back." He said and snapped his finger to vanish in a blink of an eye.

A few moments later, the house-elf reappeared before the girl, holding a worn quaffles. The stitches holding the leather patches together had loosened, the core's foam ready to burst out of it. The scarlet color had faded into brick-brown. Several autographs of long deceased, professional Quidditch players were in inscribed in everlasting ink on the leather.
"Teebo would like miss Amy to sign Teebo's quaffle. Miss Amy might become one day a well-known Quidditch player." He said and offered her his quaffle. Teebo took off his Slytherin beanie and shoved his arm inside it, all the way to his elbow. A moment later he pulled out of the beanie, which it was enchanted with an extension charm, a crumpled quill and a half-empty ink bottle. Slightly embarassed, Teebo tried to straighten a bit the quill before offering it along with the ink to the young witch for an autograph.

 

[Amy Jewel]

Amy grinned when Teebo offered to help her practice."I would love that!" She waited for Teebo to appear after he disappeared, wondering where he could've gone. When he appeared again holding a Quaffle, she was a little confused. After being asked if she could sign the Quaffle, she blushed and smiled wider."Oh, of course!" She took the Quaffle and quill from Teebo and sat down on the chair she had been using for her painting. She signed her name, quickly and neatly. If wasn't anything too fancy, but she imagined it would mean the world to Teebo."Here you go!" she said, handing the Quaffle back to him.