AN: Prompts, as always, are displayed at the bottom.


Fever

AlwaysPadfoot


When the news of Dobby's death reaches you, the war is long over. The trials of your friends, of your family, are over.

What isn't over is the reputation you will have to scrape back. At the very least, you had hoped to have some guidance from the only person you ever truly loved.

Dobby wasn't like a brother; he wasn't a proxy parent when yours were absent; he was your best friend.

When your father accidentally freed him, you spent the summer between second and third year at war with yourself. Your heart ached and you didn't know why. You suddenly had to deal with your problems alone — you had nightmares that Dobby wasn't there to soothe. It was the worse summer of your life; worse even than the physical trials and endless pain that you incurred before sixth year. That summer had been better — somehow — than the emotional turmoil you had faced at just thirteen years old because of the absence of Dobby.

Then suddenly you were back at school where Dobby was now a Hogwarts House Elf.

You plucked up the courage to seek him out in the kitchens. You didn't say much, but you apologised on your father's behalf. The green-eyed elf blinked at you and then offered his thanks before pushing a hot chocolate into your hands. You watched him after that, running around the kitchen fulfilling his chores, and felt at peace. So you kept going back, again and again, until you got sick in fifth year.

That's the first time he comes to you.

You were feverish and suffering from sickly hallucinations. Dobby sat at the edge of your bed, took your hand with both of his, and he sang softly. It was like instant relief; it soothed your pain, or at least, it made you forget about it for a split second. Surrounded by the melodic sound of Dobby's singing you could pretend that he would always be there to fix all your ailments. It was the first time you smiled in weeks. When the elf finished singing, he climbed up onto the bed so he could reach you, and placed a tender kiss on your forehead.

That was the first time you mumbled a shaky 'I love you'.

You never got to say it again.

A feverish moment is the only thing you can cling to when you hear that Dobby didn't make it through the war. Your heart breaks.

You will never know whether he truly loved you.

You will never know.


Comp: You have to write a 100-500 word drabble, using the character: Draco Malfoy

Pairing Selected: DracoDobby (I know - I'm insane)

Word Count: 425