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

Chapter 42

Tom's POV

I hated the infirmary more than anything else; that place triggered such negative feelings in me that I tried to avoid it at all costs.
Students of all ages sat on the clean, white beds, seeking relief from the usual seasonal ailments. Others, less fortunate, were lying down, waiting to be helped by Madam Pomfrey.

I walked silently behind my friends.
After days of waiting, we had finally received permission to visit Malfoy,he still hadn't been able to leave the infirmary.
He was lying on the bed, covered by a white sheet. His slightly bluish pajamas stood out against his pale skin, and his eyes were shadowed by two large, dark circles.
He watched us approach with a lifeless, uninterested gaze; he clearly would've preferred to remain alone as long as possible.
Pansy rushed to his side, as usual, bombarding him with questions until Blaise lightly touched her shoulder, signaling that it would be better not to make a fuss.
I moved next to my brother, Mattheo, so I could get a closer look at the blond boy, who kept staring out the window, perhaps unable to fully face the conversation he knew we were bound to have.

I mustered the courage,something most of us lacked,and spoke.
"So? Can you explain what happened? Snape didn't give us any information about your... incident. Who did this to you?"
Draco fixed his tired, light eyes on me. I could clearly see his hesitation about revealing what had happened.
He briefly shifted his gaze to Pansy, making it clear he wouldn't speak with her present.
"Oh I forgot the cookies we were going to bring you. Pansy, want to come with me to fetch them?"
Blaise said, looking at her. She nodded and followed him out of the infirmary.

"Potter," Draco suddenly said, breaking the heavy silence that had settled around us.
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Had Harry Potter really almost killed him?
"What?" I asked.
"He cast a spell at me, I don't know which one. But now I'm here, and the cabinet still isn't ready!"
His face was red with anger now, but the fear of failing the mission assigned to him by the Dark Lord was painfully clear.
"We can always try it ourselves, Draco," Enzo offered, looking to us for support.
But Malfoy shook his head firmly.
"No, no. You haven't been with me throughout the entire process of perfecting the cabinet. You could ruin everything."
I watched him glance toward the rest of the students in the infirmary. When he was certain no one was within earshot, he continued.
"I'll go tonight. I just need to make sure it's completely ready to use. Then they can..."
But he didn't finish the sentence. It wasn't easy for any of us to accept that we would be responsible for letting the Death Eaters into the school.
We had often wondered what they would do once inside, whether they'd only harm their immediate targets or go after anyone else in their path.
But it was obvious that Draco feared the wrath of Voldemort's followers more than anyone.

"The important thing is to finish the project, Draco. If you fail, we fail too," Mattheo said, his eyes flicking toward me as if asking for support.
I nodded, returning my gaze to Draco.
"Sarah saw you in the bathroom."
His eyes widened. He clearly hadn't been told this.
"What? What do you mean?"
"She saw you covered in cuts. What part of that don't you understand? She's been more withdrawn than usual lately," Theo said.
Draco ran a hand over his tired eyes. Of all the things he could have dealt with, this was the last thing he wanted.
"How is she? Did she try to come today?"
We all nodded.
Enzo reached for the bag he had placed on the chair beside the bed, opened it, and pulled out a shiny green apple. He handed it to Draco.
"She sent this for you. She says hello."
Draco took the apple in his hands, staring at it without saying a word.
Despite everything that had happened recently, and despite the harsh words Malfoy had thrown her way, Sarah remained her usual self.
Draco sighed and placed the fruit on the bedside table to his left.
"She needs to know."
I laughed bitterly at his words. Was he serious?
"What? That this school will soon be crawling with Death Eaters, including her dear aunt who tried to kill her at Christmas?"
He glared at me, eyes wide, I'd struck a nerve.
"She wasn't supposed to find out! I was talking to Mother that day, and she must have overheard us. I would never hand Sarah over to her!"
I stepped closer to his bed, narrowing my eyes. His explanation made no sense.
"The damage is already done. But I won't let you cause her any more pain."
"Do you think she isn't already suffering?" Draco shot back. "What do you think she'll feel when she sees us siding with the Death Eaters? When we aren't there with her or Pansy? Do you think she'll still look at you as her great hero, or will she hate you enough to kill you when she sees you?"
I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. We were still in the infirmary, after all.
"You won't be the one to tell Sarah the truth. Give me time."
Draco smirked, picking up the apple again and taking a bite.
"If you don't tell her, I will, Riddle. You're on the clock."
~~~~~~

Same place, Astronomy Tower.

The sky was dark, threatening rain, and the wind howled fiercely, making my black cloak whip around me.
Sarah stood by my side, her gaze carefree as she took in the view before her. Every now and then, she brushed strands of hair out of her face.
I watched as she moved closer, resting her head on my shoulder. I smiled at the gesture.
I kissed her forehead tenderly, and she lifted her eyes to meet mine.
"You seem more thoughtful than usual, Tom. What's going on?"
"More than usual? Do I have a record to beat that I wasn't aware of?"
She laughed, lifting her head from my shoulder to get a better look at me.
"Tom, can I ask you something?"

Fear.
I swallowed hard and nodded. My hands, gripping the railing, were slick with sweat from nerves. Only she had the power to make me feel this way.
I saw her hesitate before speaking.
"Are you hiding something from me? I feel like there's something you're not telling me. I thought our relationship was based on complete trust."

I'm the worst.
I tried to appear calm and collected, but her words weighed on me like boulders.
"No, Sarah, I'm just really stressed about the exams. There's so much we need to do."
She nodded, but it was obvious she wasn't convinced.
I turned so I could face her better, moving closer and cupping her face in my hands. My thumbs brushed her soft cheeks, and I kissed first one, then the other.
"Do you trust me?" I asked.
She opened her eyes, which had fluttered shut at my touch.
"Of course I trust you."
"You don't need to worry, Sarah. As long as I'm alive, nothing will ever happen to you. I promise."
I pulled her into a hug, feeling her rest her head against my chest, which was rising and falling quickly with the anxiety I couldn't quite hide.
This lie had gone on for too long, and when it finally became too late, there would be nothing I could do to fix what I had caused.

Sarah's POV
I rested my head against his chest, closing my eyes, which brimmed with tears, to hide them from him.

He's hiding something from me.