Draco remembered the Crouch family's House-elf not only because his father had been invited to the Quidditch World Cup and he had attended as well, where he happened to see Winky.
More than that, it was because of the rather unconventional outfit she wore.
Her dress had been cut and stitched from thick woolen socks bearing the emblem of the Ministry of Magic.
Coupled with the unmistakable air of melancholy and grief that clung to her, she was not someone easily forgotten. Especially not for Draco, whose memory was quite good.
Of course, the main reason was still her master.
Recently, there had been considerable trouble surrounding the Crouch family. Draco's desk had accumulated no small number of reports detailing their current situation.
In particular, Voldemort's most loyal follower, Barty Crouch Jr.
Murmuring to himself, Draco's gaze on Winky gradually sharpened.
"A Crouch family House-elf appearing here? That's rather unexpected. I wonder whether Dumbledore is aware of this."
"Draco?"
"Speaking of which, Hermione, you should know that under normal circumstances, a House-elf can never escape a master's control throughout its entire life."
"Hm... In Ancient Wars, it says, [They are a lowly race, bound to serve their masters for generations, responsible for all household duties, constrained by their masters, and forbidden from disobeying orders at will.] That's how it was written, if I remember correctly."
"Exactly. The only way to break that bond is to receive an item of clothing from the master's own hand, something that can be worn."
Their conversation was not hidden from Millie, who stood quietly at their feet.
Unexpectedly, the usually reserved House-elf suddenly spoke in a low voice, almost as if she were talking to herself.
"Drinking... grieving... it seems something happened to her. We took her in quietly."
Draco paused.
He cast an odd glance at Millie, who had lowered her head as though she had not spoken at all.
Then he narrowed his eyes at Winky, whose body was swaying unsteadily.
Just as Millie had said, there were bottles in her hands and scattered at her feet.
She was clearly drunk. It was entirely possible she had not noticed Draco and Hermione's arrival at all.
Her already wrinkled little face now looked even more weighed down with sorrow, as if she were carrying some enormous secret.
"Is it because she was expelled from the Crouch family?"
"If not..."
Not wanting to disturb the House-elves at work, and with the hour already growing late, Draco and Hermione said their goodbyes and left the remarkable underground kitchen.
In truth, Draco had come this time to see for himself how these masterless House-elves truly felt about Hermione's Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.
If they were not overly resistant to her, then perhaps the plan could move forward another step.
And it had to be said, judging from Millie's attitude and the way the other House-elves treated him, Draco felt far more confident about his plan than before.
On top of that, he had gained an important piece of information.
In short.
After leaving the Hogwarts kitchen, Hermione noticed that Draco seemed distracted, as though he were turning over something significant in his mind.
She glanced down the empty corridor, then peeked at the darkening sky outside the window.
Her eyes shifted slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, she reached out and tugged gently at the hem of Draco's robe.
"That House-elf... Winky. Is she important?"
"It's not Winky herself that matters," Draco replied absently. "It's what her appearance here represents."
"You mean... Barty Crouch? The one who was expelled from the Ministry?"
"To be precise, the former Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation resigned of his own accord. It wasn't what the Ministry claimed publicly."
"Mm..."
Hermione did not fully grasp the difference, but she had little interest in pursuing the details right now.
Her gaze drifted instead to the small hand that had tugged at his robe and never quite let go. As their arms moved slightly with each step, her heart swayed along with the motion, like a swing set gently in motion.
Without drawing attention to it, she subtly adjusted her pace, inching a little closer to Draco with every step.
Each light brush of their shoulders felt like the softest touch of down.
Compared to Pansy's boldness, Hermione preferred this kind of closeness, quiet and steady like a drizzle of rain.
She stole a glance at Draco. He still seemed completely unaware of her small movements.
A bright smile curved her lips, her eyes narrowing happily.
But worried he might notice, she quickly schooled her expression and changed the subject as if nothing had happened.
"So according to what you're saying, Barty Crouch must have done something wrong. Or perhaps his House-elf did something. That's why he..."
Draco suddenly stopped walking.
"Ah! Why did you stop all of a sudden?"
Hermione's face flushed at once, thinking he had noticed her subtle approach. She snapped at him with feigned annoyance, her flustered gestures only making her look more adorable.
"Not Barty Crouch," Draco corrected sharply. "Barty Crouch Jr."
"...What are you talking about?"
"I see now. That explains how he was able to interfere with last year's Triwizard Tournament. And it also explains how they managed to enter the Quidditch World Cup. With a House-elf and that kind of identity, it would have been easy."
"..."
"Yes. Only House-elves, who aren't restricted by ordinary magical limitations, could pull that off. Which means her drinking and her current condition are very much worth investigating."
As if something had finally clicked into place, Draco leaned closer as he spoke, his eyes gleaming.
The sudden closeness made Hermione's breath catch.
Her heart had already been racing, but now it felt as if it might leap out of her chest. Draco's bright, deep eyes were so near that her mind went completely blank.
She did not hear a single word he was saying.
All she could see in his eyes was her own reflection.
As if she were his entire world.