adored by him | *under editing*

summer × 73

"Hey, Nadia?" Ron beckoned as the Hogwarts Express slowly came to a halt. She hummed in response, packing her book away.

"Mum said that you're staying with us since, you know..." He trailed off, his ears turning red.

Nadia smiled sadly. "Please, she really doesn't have to. Mrs Weasley already has enough with all of you lot, I wouldn't like to impose."

Ron shook his head with a chuckle. "I guess I forgot to mention that the letter said you had no choice."

"But--"

"You're family, Nadia. Whether you like it or not." He helped her pull her trunk down and gave a lopsided grin.

Nadia sighed, thinking for a minute before she finally gave in. "Fine. I can't say no to Mrs Weasley."

As they stumbled off the train (thanks to the hordes of excited students), Nadia embraced Hermione, Ashton and Sam tightly, bidding their goodbyes as they set off to find their parents admist the crowds.

Harry and Nadia shared a brief hug as Ron and Harry had one of those brotherly hugs before, he too, disappered into the crowd.

Suddenly, Nadia was being tugged by a familiar red-head. "C'mon. Mum's waiting." Ginny commanded, weaving through the rabble. Ron chortled from behind the girls.

As soon as they'd survived the mass of people, Nadia let out a breath. But that was quickly taken away by an affectionately suffocating hug. "Oh, Nadia. It's ever so wonderful to see you again."

Mrs Weasley pulled back and patted her shoulder. "Let's go home, shall we?"

The Weasleys cheered in unison as Nadia beamed. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

•••

That summer was dreadful.

Of course, she loved staying with the Weasleys. They were her second family and they had taken her in as their own.

But the events of a few months ago always plagued her mind. Not to mention the countless nightmares she had been having again.

This time, she was watching as her mother drifted through the archway, a distant look in her usual bright eyes.

Nadia would scream through the night, unbeknownst to her, and wake up in the morning, her mouth dry and her throat hoarse.

Mrs Weasley was becoming increasingly worried but the girl just wouldn't speak about it. At any time the woman asked, Nadia would dodge the question and change the subject. Hermione had even come to stay around half-way through the summer but not even her bushy-haired best friend could get through to Nadia.

It was becoming so much that Nadia had stopped sleeping most nights. She would just lie there, staring out the window at the stars. The occasional tear would fall as the images of that night replayed like a broken record.

However, one night as she was staring out of the window, a familiar cracking sound startled her.

Someone had just apparated to the Burrow.

Shoving on some slippers, she pulled Draco's hoodie over her head, grabbed her wand and headed down the creaky stairs.

As she arrived at the bottom, she noticed Ginny with an excited look in her eyes. Nadia could tell why.