If Faustine isn't a close friend, she shouldn't be asking all those questions to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Have No Privacy.

Is the sting that Harry feels at Draco's office important?

It's difficult to know what's the real nature of the house-elves. Dobby seems to be an exception; I can't see Winkie or Kreacher accepting money from their owners. And the Hogwarts elves seemed to be ashamed of Dobby's behaviour. I think it would be far more interesting if they were like Draco explains; obvioulsy they're more than just simple machines becasuse they can think and feel, but that doesn't mean that they have to be judged according to human standards.