Chapter 17
It was early Valentine's morning, and the Great Hall was decorated in soft shades of pink and red. The candles above the students' heads were a little brighter than usual, adding a festive touch to the atmosphere. Sarah, who usually sat at the Ravenclaw or Slytherin table, had taken a seat at the Gryffindor table for the first time in months. She was about to witness one of the most anticipated moments of Valentine's Day this year.
Sarah had spent hours with Alice the night before, helping her carefully choose the words for a Valentine's card for Frank Longbottom. Alice, nervous and in love, was trying to find the right combination of words to accurately express her feelings. Sarah supported her friend with a smile, occasionally adding a romantic phrase or a witty remark to cheer Alice up.
Now, in the middle of breakfast, the moment of truth had arrived. Frank Longbottom picked up a beautifully decorated parchment from the table and began to read it. His eyebrows raised in curiosity, but his expression soon brightened as he finished the last sentence. He turned to Alice, who was almost invisible behind the flush of red in her cheeks.
“Alice,” he said, standing up. His voice was calm, but his eyes were shining. “I want to ask you… Will you go on a date with me?”
There was a moment of silence, everyone in the room staring at them. Alice looked at Frank, her hands shaking slightly, but then she gave a shaky smile and replied quietly, “Yes.”
The great hall exploded with cheers. The students around them began to clap and boo, while Alice and Frank exchanged shy smiles. Sarah laughed and hugged Alice, who was still flushed and almost overcome with emotion.
"I told you it would work!" Sarah whispered to her with an amused smile.
At that moment, James and Sirius, who were sitting nearby, couldn't resist and decided to celebrate the occasion in style. James pulled out his wand and muttered a spell, while Sirius quickly added a dash of his own magic. They both raised their hands, and fireworks shot from their wands, exploding above the students' heads in the shape of red hearts and gold stars.
"That's the Potter touch," James announced loudly, while Sirius feigned a bow.
The teachers at the front table looked at them in bewilderment and sternness, with McGonagall massaging her temples as if wondering whether to intervene or let it go this time. Dumbledore just watched the situation silently, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Sarah looked at Alice, who was still in shock, and smiled and whispered, “Well, I guess everyone knows now.”
Alice laughed, relaxing for the first time all day. Frank leaned in close and added quietly, “This is the best Valentine’s Day I could have asked for.”
•••
Sarah and Pandora walked down the quiet corridor towards the Great Hall for lunch. Pandora was tossing a strand of her blonde hair, clearly lost in thought, after Sarah had explained her situation with the Smith boy who had tried to ask her out in the middle of the corridor.
It was just after second class and the corridor was full of students hurrying to their next classes. Pandora noticed Mathias Smith, a Hufflepuff boy, standing a few feet away from Sarah, who was leaning against the wall as she waited for Pandora to join her for next class. Mathias turned to her with a nervous smile, and for a moment it seemed as if he was searching for the courage to say something.
"Sarah," Mathias began quietly, and Pandora noticed Sarah raise her eyebrows slightly, clearly curious as to what he wanted from her. "I wanted to ask you... if you'd like to go on a date with me?"
Pandora remembered how she had stiffened. Not that Mathias’s question was shocking—he was a nice guy, but not exactly the kind of guy she could imagine with Sarah. What followed was much more interesting, though.
Before Sarah could answer, Benji Fenwick, Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, appeared out of nowhere. How he had gotten there was a mystery to Pandora—it was as if he was drawn to the idea of someone wanting to ask Sarah out.
“A date?” Benji repeated, his expression balancing between amusement and mild irritation. “Mathias, seriously? You want to ask Sarah out?”
Pandora vividly remembered Mathias blushing a little, but eventually nodding, though his confidence had clearly waned. “Yes. Why not?”
“Why not?” Benji’s tone was sharp, but not malicious. More like he was surprised that Mathias would even think of it. “Because Sarah is not the type of girl to just go on a date with someone.”
Sarah frowned at him and folded her arms across her chest. “And you’re my spokesperson now, Benji?”
Pandora remembered the chaos that had ensued. Mathias stood there, clearly unsure of what to think, as Benji and Sarah began to exchange opinions. Sarah had told him clearly not to get involved, while Benji had defended himself, saying that he was really just helping her because Mathias clearly “didn’t know what he was getting into.”
“You’re incredible,” Sarah finally said, before turning back to Mathias. Pandora remembered leaning over and saying with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry, Mathias, but I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Mathias just nodded, clearly disappointed, and quickly disappeared into the crowd. Benji folded his arms and looked like he wanted to add something, but Sarah just glared at him. “What now? Do you want to play my old accompaniment again?”
Pandora remembered Benji sighing and shaking his head before leaving. It was strange—for a moment, it looked like Benji wanted to say something, something important. But he let it go.
And Sarah? Pandora remembered the look on her face. She wasn’t angry or disappointed, more like… tired. As if the whole situation had just seemed pointless and pointless to her—her spirits had not returned since then, and she had been quiet for the entire two-hour herbalism class.
“You know, I know this older boy. "He's... well, he's a pureblood, but my family would never approve of him," Pandora said suddenly, hoping that would distract Sarah from her delicious thoughts.
Sarah shot her a look. "Why not? He's a pureblood, right?"
Pandora sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, but that's not enough. The Lovegood family is... well, they're kind of cut off from the rest. And him? He's a blood traitor. According to my parents, he's absolutely not up to the standards of a pureblood family. But I can't help it. He's just different."
Sarah smiled slightly and shook her head. "At least you know what you want. I'm not at all sure about that."
"What are you talking about?" Pandora asked, raising an eyebrow. It certainly wasn't just today's fiasco.
Sarah ran a hand over her face, her eyes somewhere between frustration and thought. “I feel like I have no idea what my type is. Or if I even have one. I mean… I’m a little weird about this. My relationships never last.”
Pandora looked at her sympathetically. “That’s not true. You’re just… picky.”
Sarah laughed slightly, but there was something bitter about the laugh. “The only relationship I’ve ever had was with Benji Fenwick. And we all know how that turned out.”
Pandora was about to say something, but before she could open her mouth, a familiar voice came from around the corner. “And what exactly was wrong with Fenwick?”
The two girls turned to see Rabastan watching them with an amused smile. “How long have you been listening to us?” Sarah asked, but there was no real anger in her voice.
Rabastan shrugged and joined them. “Long enough to hear that you’re looking for someone who isn’t hot-headed and can think.”
Sarah glanced at him. “Yeah. I think I’d need someone calm, who knows what she wants. Someone who can think and doesn’t lose control.”
Rabastan frowned thoughtfully, then nodded, as if he understood something. “That sounds like a pureblood.”
Pandora laughed, while Sarah rolled her eyes and grinned. “Of course you think so, Rabastan.”
Rabastan just grinned and shook his head. “You girls are weird.”
“We are weird?” Pandora repeated with a hint of disbelief.
“Yeah,” Rabastan replied, looking at them both briefly with the hint of a smile. “You’re just making everything complicated. As if it wasn't enough to just find someone and be done with it."
Sarah smiled in amusement and sneered. "Says the one who's never started a relationship."
Rabastan laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You win. But you're still weird." The trio entered the great hall and to everyone's surprise, they were greeted by the sight of two Gryffindors kissing in the middle of the hall. Everyone sitting around applauded enthusiastically and Sarah couldn't help but be glad that she had hrlped Alice that evening. Frank and Alice looked happy.