~ Yet Another Christmas! 24th Dec. ~

Yup, it's another one!!!

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All was quiet and peaceful - unusual as such a thing might be - on Christmas Eve.

This peace was broken by a sharp crack.

A snoozing Darien leapt out of his chair, temporarily blinded by the newspaper over his eyes. "What-"

A small elf spun around in the middle of the living room before drawing to a halt and bowing low. It then proceeded to state, with much dramatic emphasis and occasional jazz hands, "My name is Doodle! I am here to serve!"

Bewildered, Darien looked around for help.

"What was that?" Darius said popping his head to the living room at the sound of the cracking noise.

"Uh...it was...um..." Darien's gaze flicked between the spontaneously appearing elf and his son as he edged towards the latter. "Doodle."

The elf bowed again at the sound of his name, grinning. "I am Doodle!" He declared again, in case anyone was still unclear. "I was the house elf of Master Darien's great uncle, Alfred. Unfortunately, my master has now been taken into another place, and I am here as his last request."

Darien vaguely remembered old uncle Alfred, but not enough to burst into floods of tears. "...I'm sorry to hear that."

Doodle sighed. "We must carry on, yes? I am here to help!" At which point, he bounced over to the younger human and bowed. "Young master is looking forward to Christmas, yes? Doodle likes Christmas! I cook for you!" This was accompanied by a beaming smile.

"Doodle?" Darius was a little confused. He looked towards his father.

"Um..." Darien was equally baffled. "What do you mean Doodle?"

Doodle backtracked slightly. "My sincere apologies! Doodle has not made himself clear! Bad doodle!" He hung his head in shame.

"This for master." He held out a small slip of paper.

Darien,

Upon my death or departure from this world, or whatever else Doodle shall call it, I bestow this house elf (Doodle) to you. And that unfinished chocolate boot polisher you once commented on. But for god's sake don't let your sister near it. The rest of my estate and all shall revert to next of kin and all that. That might be you, actually. Can't say I'm sure. Didn't make a will, if I'm honest. Ah well, by the time you're reading this, nothing I can do.

Best wishes and all that,

Alfred.

Darien's eyes widened. "Oh. Um...Doodle's coming to live...here."

"Is he... what is he Dad?" Darius whispered to his father when he said this so Doodle wouldn't overhear. Though, young as he was, his whispering skills weren't exactly the best.

"I am house elf!" Doodle declared, bowing again. "I cook, I clean and I fix machinery!"

"The machinery part will not be necessary." Darien hastily interjected. Despite his great uncle's love of tinkering with and creating machines, using magic as power and trying to prove to the world that metal and magic could mix, and his every confidence that Alfred was competent, this young elf was probably not quite so. And he didn't need a novice tinkering with toasters.

"An elf?" Darius said his eyes wide. He looked at his father. "Like what Santa has in the North Pole to help him make his toys?"

Darien laughed. "Not quite. A house elf. Like Bob at your grandfather's house." He smiled at the elf.

For some reason, Doodle took this as a sign to expand, and took a deep breath. "I clean, I cook, I fix things, I build things, I do shopping, I make fires, I burn documents, I water plants, I do gardening, I ensure the house runs smoothly, care for pets, banish unwanted callers, I chaperone, I can juggle, ride a unicycle and test experiments!" As an afterthought, he added "I attend to your every wish! I even get the Christmas presents!"

"Get presents?" Darius said interestedly. "Did you hear that Dad? He's like Santa's elf!"

Darien laughed. "Well, you just wait here one moment Darius while I go talk to your mother quickly."

"Doodle look after young master, sir!" Doodle grinned.

As Darien left, the elf suddenly realised he had no other commands. He felt he needed some. "So, what does young master want for Christmas?"

((Hehehehe))

Darius blinked and thought about it. "I want a new Quidditch cape!"

Doodle grinned. Something to get. "Master wants quidditch cape..." He muttered to himself to remember.

"Doodle will tell Santa!" He declared, proud of having remembered the children's myths of humankind. Oh yes, he was down with the kids.

"Yay!" Darius said convinced he was one of Santa's elves. "Could you tell Santa that I want... I want a broomstick as well?"

Doodle's notepad-a gift from his old master, spontaneously appeared. "Broomstick, quidditch cape."

He glanced up. "Any particular model?" Oh yes, technical terminology was so his forte.

"A Golden Arrow!" Darius exclaimed. "But a Nimbus or a Firebolt would be great too!"

"I also want... a Dragons Quidditch robes, sweets! ... and... and..." his little mind work furiously trying to think up some of the things he wanted. "I want a sword - a laser-sword!"

"Doodle." Darius said. "Can... can Santa get me a baby brother?"

Doodle jotted down the requests on the pad.

Goldn Awow, Dragnon robes, sweeeets, nimbs, firbolt, lazysword, Yet another skill he possessed. Serious literary talent.

His pencil came to a halt.

Well, his master wanted a baby brother. And people always said santa could get anything...

"Yes! Doodle ask him for you! Santa can get anything, yes?"

Darius nodded. "Hmm."

"I'm hungry."

Doodle beamed. Another task. Life was full of them

"Doodle get you food! What does master want?"

Darius took a moment to think. What did he want? "Ice cream!"

"Ice cream!" Doodle vanished with a crack, reappearing within a minute carrying around fifteen tubs of ice cream.

"We have chocolate, we have strawberry, we have vanilla, we have chocolate and mint, we have chocolate strawberry, minty vanilla, vanilla-mint-cream, creamy vanilla mint, creamy mint, chocolate cream, cream cracker, strawberry and cream, blueberry and strawberry, pineapple and toffee, toffee-biscuit-jam..."

Darius grinned with happiness. It was like an entire ice cream store. So many choices! "I want chocolate and strawberry first!"

Doodle, somewhat unversed in ice cream eating techniques of humans, summoned an ice cream scoop and spoon, and handed them over along with the tub.

After pulling the lid off, of course. He knew that much.

Darius not entirely too bothered with it, just took the spoon and started eating the cold creamy goodness from the tub.

Doodle grinned, pretty pleased with himself.

They would see what a valuable asset he could be. He knew how to feed children, and how to continue mythical lies that ensured an innocent childhood.

Haha, he thought to himself, as he began arranging the ice cream tubs into a neat, 3 dimensional pyramid out of some odd compulsion, he could do this job.