𝘋𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘋/𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 (English version)

Flashback

Fourth Year, 1994

Sarah was sitting in the school library, surrounded by stacks of books that almost made her invisible to others.
Snape was more irritable than usual during that period, as were many of the other professors.
New assignments in every subject piled up each day, and she found it hard even to sleep,she was exhausted.
Christmas break was approaching, but Sarah would only leave a few days later to go home.
The Yule Ball, organized in honor of the Triwizard Tournament, would be held on Christmas evening, and no one seemed inclined to leave school to avoid missing the big event.
Black was still far from prepared, both in finding a dress and choosing the right escort for the evening.
Some boys had tried to approach her, but always with little success:
Ernie MacMillan, Michael Corner, Terry Boot.
And all had been mocked by the entire Slytherin group, something that was starting to irritate Sarah. It was frustrating to see everyone around her already prepared; she was beginning to convince herself she'd spend the evening alone in her room.

Suddenly, the chair next to her was pulled out, distracting her from her work. Tom took a seat beside her, though he didn't have any books with him.
"Not studying today?" she asked, turning her eyes back to her parchment.
"I finished everything yesterday," he replied with a small smile. "But it looks like you're having a hard time."
Sarah sighed at those words, trying to brush it off.
The boy moved a row of books aside to get closer to Black.
"The Yule Ball is coming up," he began, trying to stay calm.
"Mhm, yeah," Sarah nodded, picking up a second manual to consult, listening passively to the Slytherin's words.
Tom cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He cursed himself, trying to appear casual and relaxed even though he felt his stomach turning.
"I noticed you're still... alone."
Sarah looked up quickly, giving him a scornful glare.
"Alone? Oh, well, thanks, Tom, that's very kind of you."
The boy's eyes widened, realizing he'd made a grave mistake. He had no experience with girls, and every attempt seemed to make things worse.
"I meant... you still don't have a date."
"Very perceptive," Sarah retorted, turning her attention back to the large books.
There was a moment of awkward silence, but Tom didn't want to back down so easily.
He moved his hand to Sarah's shoulder, trying to catch her attention again. Surprised by the gesture, she looked at him.
"Would you go to the ball with me?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"CAN SOMEONE HELP ME WITH MY DRESS?"

The Gryffindor dorm was a disaster, with makeup and brushes everywhere, shoes and uniforms worn throughout the day now scattered messily across the beds. Ginny was already ready, waiting on the bed as she watched Hermione and Sarah rushing around.
"Instead of just sitting there, maybe you could zip me up?"

Sarah stepped out of the bathroom, a long emerald green dress hugging her frame, which was becoming more defined over time. The black heels, borrowed from her mother, added a few extra centimeters, making her taller than usual. Ginny sighed, getting up to help her, while Hermione continued fussing nervously with her hair in front of the mirror.
"If you dare ruin it, I swear I'll throw you off the tower," Sarah joked, joining her. They looked at each other, both looking stunning and almost unrecognizable with that makeup. It wasn't overdone, but it gave them a different look. Ginny stood and went to the door.
"So, are we going?"

They descended the stairs slowly, at least Ginny and Hermione did. Sarah walked with absolute ease in those heels, having been taught by her mother from a young age to wear more uncomfortable shoes than usual.
"How do you do it?" Hermione asked as they approached the stairs that led to the Great Hall.
"Charm and elegance. I'll teach you someday," Sarah replied jokingly. She stopped Hermione before she could be seen by Ron, turning her around to adjust a stray lock of hair that had escaped her updo.
"Alright, um, I'm going down first! You know, my entrance has to be like, wow or oh my God! You... you wait," she said, trying to hide her smile. Ron clearly had a big crush on Hermione, and seeing her would be a shock for him. Sarah wanted her friend to have her moment and feel beautiful.

She descended the stairs gracefully. The dress was exactly what she'd dreamed of all her life. Long to her ankles, it revealed the expensive shoes, and the bodice had a slight neckline but not too much for a fourteen-year-old girl. All eyes were on her, and she felt slightly uncomfortable but kept her composure. At the bottom of the stairs, a group of people stood with their backs turned, chatting casually. Pansy, accompanied by Blaise, wore a midnight blue dress that suited her perfectly. She turned and noticed her friend, her mouth dropping open in surprise.
"Guys..." she pointed towards Sarah, making everyone turn around.
Tom was mesmerized; he had never seen anyone as beautiful as Sarah Black in his life. He approached her, took her hand, and kissed it. They looked at each other without speaking until he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself any longer.
"Enchanting," he said, few words but words Sarah deeply appreciated. Her cheeks, already rosy from the makeup, blushed even more.
"Thank you, Tom. You look great too," she smiled shyly, admiring how the black suit fit him perfectly.
"Divine!" said Pansy, hugging her.
"You look stunning, Pansy! I knew this dress would be perfect for you!"
"Stunning, unique, incomparable," Blaise joked, joining them.

They watched everyone enter the hall, and each of them, accompanied by their partner for the evening, approached the entrance. Sarah felt everyone's eyes on them; no one had actually expected Tom Riddle to invite anyone to the ball, but here he was, surprising everyone. They stood aside, waiting for the champions' arrival, including Harry. Sarah noticed Ron's expression when he saw Hermione enter with Viktor Krum and couldn't help but laugh.
The dancing began, and the Gryffindor girl felt Tom's hand gently touch her arm, and she immediately panicked.
"What are you doing?"
"We practiced so much; I'm not missing my chance," he replied, leading her to the center of the hall.
The dark-haired boy wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. They started dancing, a bit awkward at first, but soon found their rhythm. They laughed when Sarah stepped on his foot and again when they almost lost their balance during a spin. They danced lightheartedly, occasionally joking about the other attendees.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm telling you, Ron has a huge crush on Hermione! How can you even deny it?"
The two were on the astronomy tower, with Tom's jacket over Sarah's shoulders to keep her warm in the winter chill. They were eating a sandwich they'd grabbed from the kitchens, too hungry for the sparse appetizers at the party.
"Just two weirdos finding each other, nothing extraordinary," Tom said, taking a bite of his food.
Sarah rolled her eyes.
"Always charming, even on Christmas night."
Their gaze shifted to the sky, and Sarah pointed to a precise spot above them.
"That's Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. My dad is named Sirius after that star," she said, visible even to the naked eye that night. Tom smiled, watching the happy look on her face.
"Shame they didn't name me after a constellation. That would have been cool."
"Sarah means 'princess' in Hebrew; you should be happy about that," Tom said, gazing at her with fascination.
She turned to him, surprised.
"Really? It means princess? And how do you know that?"
He didn't respond. What could he say? That he was so smitten with her that he'd looked up the meaning of her name in books? No, he couldn't.
After finishing their snack, they moved closer to the tower's railing to get a better view of the surroundings. The lights of the castle illuminated the surrounding area. But Tom's eyes were only on Sarah, observing her intently.

"You look beautiful tonight," he said with disarming sincerity.
Sarah, surprised, felt her heart race.
"What? Oh no, Tom, don't say such things," she replied nervously.
He moved even closer, his hand sliding onto her waist, pulling her closer.
"Sarah, there's something I have to tell you," he began, but his words were cut off by the arrival of Pansy and the rest of the group. They pulled away suddenly, as if burned by the closeness, trying to look casual for the rest of the evening, spending the whole night together.

Before entering the Gryffindor common room at five in the morning, Sarah stopped Tom, placing a hand on his arm.
"It was a wonderful evening," she said, and he smiled, nodding.
But she didn't let him go right away.
"What were you going to tell me? Before we were interrupted."
The dark-haired boy shook his head, embarrassed. "Nothing, just that I had a good time too."
The Gryffindor nodded, smiling as she entered the common room, leaving him alone. Tom brought his hands to his face, realizing he'd almost ruined everything by telling her he'd wanted so much to kiss her that night.