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

Chapter 33

"Absolutely not! It makes no sense to only get alcoholic drinks! What if someone is allergic to something or simply doesn't drink alcohol?"
Sarah had been sitting at the table in the Three Broomsticks for two hours with Tom, Sophia, and Anthony. Organizing the party had become the main issue for the Gryffindor, who couldn't find any compromise with the choices initially made by the Hufflepuff. The two boys watched them, enjoying the show they were putting on in the pub.

"So what? It's not our problem, Black. They can bring something from their rooms."
Sarah put her hands to her face, trying to calm herself. She turned to the boys, seeking support.
"Could you help me instead of laughing?"
Anthony cleared his throat.
"Well, Sophia, Sarah has a point. The party is for everyone, and we need to accommodate everyone. So yes, I think limiting alcohol to increase the amount of water is the right choice."
Sarah smiled triumphantly at the boy's words, and the Hufflepuff huffed loudly.
"Fine... but I want the cobwebs and fake blood!"
They all nodded, agreeing to her choice of decorations.
Sarah wrote everything down on the sheet they would consult when they asked the Weasleys for all they needed. The twins had offered to help their friend in exchange for important sponsorship of their shop, and Sarah had gladly agreed. They'd even bring some of their products to the party, which would only be a bonus for the organizers.

"I need a Butterbeer," Sophia said, standing up and walking to the counter, leaving the three of them alone at the table.
"You could have said something earlier, don't you think?" the Gryffindor said, looking at them nervously.
"And miss all of this?" Tom said, placing a hand on her leg under the table. He squeezed his fingers against her smooth skin, and she flinched slightly, blushing.
"And besides, in the end, everyone got what they wanted, right? We just need to give everything to the Weasleys. The party is ready, and there are only three days left."
"Too few, you mean! We'll spend all of Saturday decorating the entire hall. We'll need a hand," the girl said,trying not to be distracted by Tom's fingers moving on her leg.
"My brother and the others, you know they'll be with us. I already informed them," the Slytherin said, basking in his girlfriend's reaction.
Sophia returned with a tray of four Butterbeers, handed them out, and sat back down next to Black.

They left the pub when the sun had already set. Sophia and Anthony began walking back to the castle, exchanging opinions about the party. Sarah and Tom, however, were side by side and walked more slowly than the other two. Their hands were intertwined as they headed back to school.
"It didn't go so badly, did it?" Tom asked.
Sarah nodded. "Luckily, Sophia was more tolerable than usual."
They laughed, watching the girl ahead gesturing wildly with the Ravenclaw, who was trying to keep up with her chatter.
Tom pulled Sarah closer, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"Will you come to my room tonight? The guys wanted to spend the night together. Of course, Pansy will be with us too."
But she shook her head. "I still have to finish my Potions homework, Tom; I don't have much time."
"I can always give you mine if you want," but again, she declined, as a long study session awaited her.

They returned to the castle before it started raining.
"See you tomorrow?" Sarah asked when they arrived outside the Gryffindor common room. Tom stroked her right cheek with his fingers, noticing the tired look on her face.
"Sarah, I can always help you. You look exhausted."
"I'm fine. The sooner I start, the sooner I finish, right?"
The Slytherin nodded uncertainly, leaving a kiss on her forehead before watching her walk away. He then took the long path down to the dungeons and entered his house's common room. His friends were already in his room, sitting on the beds. Only Pansy was missing.

"Pansy?" he asked, closing the door behind him.
"She's asleep. She's postponing her crazy pajama party to after the Halloween party," Enzo said as he went over his notes for Transfiguration.
"Sarah?" Mattheo asked, noticing her absence.
"Studying. We spent the whole afternoon organizing the party for Saturday," everyone nodded, knowing this gave them a chance to talk about more important matters.
"How's it going?" Theo asked Draco, who was staring out the window.
He shrugged, looking tired.
"The cabinet still doesn't work, and I don't know how to give Dumbledore the necklace. Plus, Potter is always around; I can see him watching me from a distance."
Tom sat on his bed, unbuttoning the first buttons of his white shirt.
"You'd better find a way, Draco; you know he doesn't like to wait."

Sarah's POV

I opened my Potions books in front of me, trying to find the will to keep writing about Amortentia without falling asleep on the desk. I got to work quickly, finishing everything while Black curled up on my lap, falling asleep almost instantly.

I looked at the clock on the wall after I finally closed the books; it was just eleven. I organized my things for the next day so that everything would be ready in the morning and decided to go down to the common room, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still sitting.
I found them by the fire, discussing the book Harry had had with him since our first class with Slughorn.

"Hermione, how likely is it to get caught wandering around at this hour?" I asked, resting my hands on the back of the red armchair.
She looked at me, confused. "Why?"
"I'd like to go say hi to the others. I ran to my room to study without saying goodbye."
Harry wasn't looking at me; his eyes were fixed on the book in front of him.
"Very unlikely; Tom and I will have rounds soon, but I'm sure the coast is clear. Just be careful, please."
I smiled, clapping my hands happily, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran off. I used the more isolated and lesser-known corridors to reach the dungeons. But before going down the stairs, I noticed a figure walking quickly toward the seventh floor. I'd recognize that blond hair anywhere, but he had a nervous and wary look on his face, checking to see if anyone was around.

I saw him moving further away and didn't think twice about following him, curious to see where Draco Malfoy was headed. I hid behind a pillar when he turned around to make sure no one was there, and my heart raced with anxiety.
We reached a dead-end corridor, and I saw him stop in front of the wall, not doing anything. "What's he doing here?" I wondered, trying to get a better look from behind the column.
Suddenly, a door materialized, and Draco entered, closing it behind him. He vanished without a trace.

I stepped out of my hiding spot, approaching the wall and touching it gently, trying to feel if there was still a handle somewhere... but nothing.
I waited a few minutes, my heart pounding in my chest.
Could he be in danger?
After a while, I lost all hope. I was also extremely tired. I turned away, looking back every so often, hoping to see him again, and started walking toward the Slytherin common room, still confused by what had just happened.
I knocked on Tom's door several times until he opened it, looking puzzled to see me there at that hour.
"Weren't you supposed to be studying?"
I walked in without answering and sat on his bed. I brought my fingers to my mouth, nervously biting my cuticles, growing more and more confused.
"Draco. Where's Draco?" I asked.
I saw him tense up at my words,bingo.
"He's asleep, Sarah. He was tired and decided to go to bed."
I looked at him as I kept biting my fingers.
"And the others, hmm?"
"Pansy's room. She woke up and wanted company."
I got up and moved closer to him, resting my hands on his chest, covered by a black shirt.
"You'd never lie to me, would you?"
I looked him straight in the eyes and was surprised to see him calm and collected.
"Sarah, I'd have no reason to."
I nodded, maybe I had the wrong person...
Maybe it was someone else, or perhaps I was just tired and had imagined the whole thing. I let him hug me, resting my head on his chest, closing my eyes, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind.
"Why are you asking me this?" he asked.
I shook my head, continuing to hold him close to hide my uncertain gaze.
"Nothing, I just need some reassurance."
He slowly pulled away from me, only to take my face in his hands.
His fingers gently caressed my cheeks, and his eyes examined me as if he were inspecting me.
I relaxed under his touch, closing my eyes and savoring that moment of total serenity. When we were alone, he revealed a side of himself unknown to most.

"Everything's fine. You just need to sleep," he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
He moved away, taking my hand, and led me towards his bed. We lay down, and I moved closer to him, resting my head on his chest. I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat in my left ear; strangely, it relaxed me.

But it wasn't a peaceful sleep. Draco Malfoy was hiding something from me.