"Ron Weasley?" Eyes flew open and Ron stared back, shocked.
"Dobby? What the hell are you doing sleeping with Harry? Wait, that didn't come out right…"
"Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend!" The house-elf sat up quickly, staring wide-eyed at the bewildered Griffindor. "Dobby was not…Dobby would never…uh…"
"Sound awfully guilty for somebody who denies everything." Ron quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms. "Man, I knew you liked him but not this much!"
"Wha-?! No, no, Ron Weasley must NOT think…wh…whatever Ron Weasley is thinking right now." Dobby trembled and his eyes began to water. The freckled boy was alarmed.
"Don't cry Dobby! I was just kidding- I wasn't thinking anything!" Ron wryly imagined Malfoy's retort to that one.
Dobby sniffed and raised his arm, pointing to Ron with a quivering finger. Ron reflexively took a step backwards, but suddenly there was a flash of white light and Ron yelped, falling off the bed. Touching his chest to find he was unhurt, he yelled, "What was that?!"
"Dobby is sorry!" the house-elf said tearfully, wringing his hands. "Dobby used elf magic to make sure no one hears what goes on here."
"Fine!" Ron snapped, standing up and sitting back on the bed. "Next time warn me before you use any of your elf magic, okay?"
"Yes Ron Weasley." Dobby hung his head, and Ron sighed. Snuggled comfortably beneath the covers, Harry slept soundly.
Noticing Ron's line of vision, Dobby said quietly, "Harry Potter does not have bad dreams when best friend Ron Weasley is here." Ron blushed.
"It's not me," he protested. "He has bad dreams whether I'm here or not." He looked up at Dobby. "Is that why you're here?" he asked, frowning. "To make sure Harry doesn't have any more nightmares?
"No, I'm here to admire his remarkable physique, what do you think?" Dobby gasped and clamped his hands over his mouth. Ron was taken aback.
"Dobby," he said, knitting his eyebrows, "is this something that developed overnight, or did you always make drawling, wisecracking remarks and I just never noticed it?"
"Dobby…Dobby never…" He shook his head furiously, frowning hard. Suddenly, as if a light had been switched on, Dobby jerked his head up and ran headfirst for the bedpost.
"Dobby!" Ron shouted in dismay as Dobby slammed into the wooden post, tottering on his spindly legs before falling off the bed. Rolling his eyes, the red head walked around the bed and picked up the house-elf by the arm, dumping him onto the red quilt covers. Dobby sat cross-legged and looked down at his lap.
Ron took a deep breath. "Dobby," he said with restrained patience, "you don't belong to anyone now. You're a free elf! You don't have to beat yourself up every time you do something you weren't supposed to do because now you can do it." Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Did that sentence make any sense?" He shrugged. "Hey, I'm meant to be asleep. I have an excuse."
"Dobby was just…" Dobby sighed. "Perhaps after so long being servant to the Malfoys, Dobby has picked up a few…catchphrases?"
Ron eyed the creature for a while and gave in. "Fine, we'll blame that strange little outburst on Malfoy's bad influence." He folded his arms and looked at Dobby sternly. "Look Dobby," he said firmly, "if you're here to help Harry and not hurt him, that's fine with me. I just want to go back to bed. But I need to know, that's what you're doing, right, helping him?"
"Yes Ron Weasley," Dobby nodded affirmatively. "Dobby would never want to hurt Harry intentionally."
Except for that time you knocked Harry off his broom with your rogue bludger, Ron thought irritably, and the time we nearly got killed by the Whomping Willow because you blocked the barrier to Platform 9 ¾…
"You're making sure he has no
more nightmares?"
"Yes."
"And making sure he has no more nightmares involves you sleeping next to him?"
"Y-yes Ron Weasley." Dobby bowed his head, but Ron decided he couldn't bother pressing the matter.
"And why the hell hasn't Harry awoken with all this noise we've made?"
"B-because, Ron W-Weasley," Dobby stammered, gripping his hands tightly together, "Dobby cast a s-spell on Harry Potter so he w-will not be awoken by any outside n-noise till morn-ning?" He voice lifted at the end of his sentence, as if asking Ron if he accepted his response. Ron gave him a skeptical look, but accepted it with a wave of his hand.
"Fine Dobby," he muttered, turning around. "Goodnight." He pushed aside the curtain and stumbled back to bed.
Coming up...Chapter 3- Wake up Harry!