adored by him | *under editing*

fourth year × 52

Nadia, Ashton and Sam were strolling through the corridors just having time to themselves.

Nadia noticed how everyone was wearing bright yellow badges that stated 'Cedric rules!' However, something caught her eye. The badges spun and started turning green with a horrible picture of Harry and the words 'Potter stinks!' Nadia knew immediately who made those badges and couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

That was soon stopped as Harry brushed past her, not even acknowledging her presence. She rolled her eyes. Nadia was used to this by now.

"So are you excited?" Sam asked, nudging Nadia.

"Hm?"

"To see Harry in the tournament." She stated as though it was obvious.

"I hope the dragon eats him." Ashton muttered to herself but Nadia heard.

"Dragon?" She knitted her eyebrows together and stopped in her tracks.

"Yeah. That's the first task. Fleur told us this morning once Viktor told her." Ashton explained.

"Wow. This tournament definitely isn't for the faint-hearted." Suddenly, something caught Nadia's attention.

"Why so tense, Potter?" The others heard it too, turning towards the tree in the courtyard where Draco was currently residing.

"This won't end well." Nadia murmered, making her way to the scene.

"My father and I have a bet you see. I think you won't last ten minutes in this tournament." With a sneer, he jumped from the tree, landing on the ground with zero difficulty. "He disagrees. He thinks you won't last five!" Him and his cronies burst into laughter but Harry wasn't happy.

He stormed over to Draco and shoved him. "I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy!" Draco grunted with anger as Harry got up into his personal space. "He's vile and cruel. And you're just pathetic." He spat then turned on his heel. Nadia made a bee-line for him.

"Hey. Just calm down." She reached for his hand but Harry slapped it away and looked dead into her eyes. His emerald orbs held something dark; something she'd never seen before.

"No! Just get off me!" Nadia retreated immediately, shocked by his tone. Ashton and Sam rushed to her side. "You know what? I'm done with this! We're done!"

"Just like that?" She breathed out, her voice cracking.

"Just like that." He hissed.

Ashton lunged but Nadia pushed her back. "He's not worth it." Harry turned to leave but Draco had other ideas. Furious at what he had just done, he tried to grab his wand to throw a curse but Moody appeared.

"Oh no you don't, sonny." Within a second, Draco had become a small, white ferret. Nadia and the girls gasped whilst Harry was dying with laughter.

"I'll teach you to cast when someone's back is turned." Moody lifted the ferret up and down before putting it down Crabbe's pants. Goyle tried to fish him out but quickly withdrew his hand. Nadia assumed Draco bit him.

"Professor Moody! What are you doing?" Professor McGonagall raced over, eyeing the scene with shock.

"Teaching." He said dryly.

"Is that...is that a student?"

Moody smiled sheepishly, still dangling ferret Draco in the air. "Technically it's a ferret."

McGonagall quickly took out her wand and turned Draco back to normal. His stormy eyes darted around as he scrambled up from the ground. As they landed on Moody, his face contorted with anger. "My father will hear about this!"

Moody took threatening steps towards Draco who was backing around the tree. "Is that a threat? Is that a threat?" He yelled.

Draco dashed away, his goons following after him. "I could tell you stories about your father that would curl even your greasy hair boy! This doesn't end here!" He called after him.

"Professor Moody!" McGonagall snapped. "We never use transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Dumbledore told you that."

Moody looked down. "He might have mentioned it."

"Well you'll do well to remember it!" With that, she cleared the crowds that had formed to marvel over Draco's misfortune as Moody took Harry away.

Sam took Nadia's hand. "Are you okay?"

Nadia let out a breath. "Yes"

Ashton huffed. "I'm going to kill him. I swear. He is a dead man."

"I can't believe he did that." Sam furrowed her eyebrows. "I just thought he was good. He seemed so happy with you before."

"Yeah, well. All good things must come to an end. Uh, I think I'm going to find Draco. I mean, he did just try to stick up for me. I should thank him." Nadia said.

They nodded in understanding. "Okay." Sam leant down by Nadia's ear. "I'll try to keep Ashton from murdering Harry while you're gone. I doubt you want your best friend heading down that road."

"Good luck with that!" Ashton called over her shoulder as she ran in the direction of Moody and Harry.

"Shoot!" Sam raced after her. "Ashton! Come back here you psychopath!" Nadia laughed quietly before going off in search of Draco.

•••

"Hey." Nadia found the blonde where she thought she would; the large tree by the Black Lake. His bag was abandoned on the ground and he was skipping stones across the peaceful water.

"Hey you." He skipped the last stone then turned, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"How are you, ferret-boy?" She questioned, a teasing smirk on her face.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "That was not funny. It was humiliating."

"I know, I know." She raised her hands in defense, giggling slightly to tell him she was joking. "I just wanted to say thank you."

He took a step closer to her. "For?"

"Attempting to defend me earlier." She gave a small smile. "And then you got turned into a ferret because of it."

"Well, you're welcome. You didn't deserve to be tossed to the side like trash, especially by Potter." He grimaced before his eyes softened. "Honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it came to it." He smirked and took another step, slowly closing the space between them.

"You would?" She asked from under her eyelashes, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks.

"I would." Another step. They were now mere inches apart. His warm breath fanned over her pink features.

"I'm going to do something that I might regret." He whispered, wrapping his hands around her waist, pulling her even closer.

Nadia looked up, mindlessly placing her arms on the back of his neck. Before she could say anything, Draco caught her lips in a deep kiss. It was open. It was hot. It gained speed quickly. But all the while, still soft and sweeter than Nadia would have ever thought anything could be with Draco Malfoy.

They broke apart, gasping for oxygen. "Did you regret it?" Nadia questioned quietly, gazing into his eyes.

A small grin crept onto his face. "No. Did you?"

She mirrored his expression. "No."

Draco chuckled. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that." He admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I could take a guess." She retorted with a beam.