Glory |A. Potter|

Sixty-Five

The Christmas holidays passed quicker than Jane would have liked. She hadn't had so much fun in a long time. There wasn't a day where she didn't take her new broomstick to fly around the grounds of the Manor, more often than not, joined by Antonio. When it was time for her to return to Hogwarts, she knew she was going to miss living with the Zabini family.

Blaise was the one to see them to the platform, as Diana had a photoshoot early in the morning and couldn't have been present for that reason. As a result, a few hours after waking up, Jane found herself in the platform with Antonio and Blaise close by.

"It's just a couple of months until the next holidays," Blaise attempted to console Antonio who was groaning about having to get back to studying. "You can do it."

"And then I'll have to study for OWLs," he whined. Jane, a few ways away, couldn't help but chuckle.

"It might seem unlikely but you will survive," she quipped. Cleopatra meowed in her arms, pushed Jane's arm with her paw in a signal she was bored of staying in her arms without any petting. Jane smiled down at her, reached over to lovingly scratch under her chin. "Just a little longer, Cleo, wait a bit longer."

"I see my friends," Antonio announced, quickly took a few steps back and waved at his father, "bye dad!"

"Take care!" Blaise called out after him before he turned to Jane with a small smile. "He's always eager to leave."

"Well, he hasn't seen his friends in a while," Jane attempted to justify his behavior. She movdd forward, loosely hugged Blaise in an effort to not hurt Cleopatra. She was pleasantly surprised when he returned her embrace. The cat purred in between them, although they didn't pay her any mind. "Thank you for letting me stay."

"You don't have to thank me," he murmured, "you are welcome to stay with us whenever you want."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," she frowned slightly as she pulled back.

"Diana and I stay on our own long enough," he pointed out, "you aren't intruding."

"Thank you," she smiled once more as she took a couple of steps back, grabbed Cleopatra with one hand, her broomstick and her suitcase with the other. "I'll see you in a couple of months, father."

Blaise was too stunned to respond in time, and by the time he had composed himself, Jane was already far away. With a last look at the girl walking further and further away, he turned on the spot and disappeared from the platform.

"Now, where would they be, Cleo?" Jane murmured as she navigated the corridor of the train, looking through the compartments as she did. "Do you think they haven't arrived yet? That doesn't make much sense, does it, they are always here early."

"Did you finally turn mad?"

Jane looked up, expression turning blank as she noticed Annabeth standing a few ways away, an eyebrow raised as she looked over at her. There was a taunting smirk curled in the corner of her lips, yet Jane didn't give in. She only rolled her eyes at her as she moved past her, completely disregarding her.

"That's what I thought."

It took everything in her not to turn back and tear her to pieces. But Jane had spent a while not thinking about her, even though Annabeth certainly hadn't done the same. She found her friends soon enough.

"Annabeth is the most annoying person I've ever met."

Albus, Scorpius and Ramona looked up as Jane entered, slid the compartment door closed behind her and let Cleo on the floor. The cat walked around for a little while and then, without hesitation, jumped on Albus's lap. The boy briefly glanced at her before he started petting her, his eyes on Jane.