Glory |A. Potter|

Fifteen

The chatter of the Great Hall was a permanent background sound for the students having their breakfast, and Jane wasn't bothered by it after all the years she had spent in that room. She had learnt long ago how to block the sound of nearby chatter so she could focus on what she wanted. At the moment, her focus was down the Ravenclaw table, where Ramona was saying goodbye to Louis, her boyfriend. Opposite her sat Scorpius and Albus, both of them minding their own business as they ate and on her right sat Charlotte, acting as a barrier between her and Annabeth. Jane followed Ramona's retreat with her eyes as she made her way over and sat down on the spare seat beside her.

"He won't snitch but he claims his team is rather good," she announced in lieu of greeting as she turned to Jane. "What am I supposed to do? Cheer for my house or his?"

"You've only been in a relationship for a week, Ramona," Albus drawled as he looked up, pining her with an unimpressed stare. "What's more important, your friendship of five years or the boyfriend of one week?"

"You convinced me," she rolled her eyes and Jane couldn't fight the smile spreading on her lips. A few ways away, Annabeth cleared her throat.

"Why did they make Slytherin play with Ravenclaw first? I've always thought the first game of the term was with the Gryffindors."

"Obviously, it isn't," Ramona muttered under her breath as Jane leaned forward to face her.

"We're lucky it's not with Gryffindor. They have some pretty good players. The Beater Fred Weasley, the Chaser Lily Potter and the Keeper Rose Weasley are particularly tricky to get past. Not that Louis isn't a great seeker," she turned to Ramona, "I'm more focused on the chasers, beaters and keepers, though, they are the ones I'm more worried about."

"Our team is good enough," Scorpius defended, "we have you and there's also Roxanne Weasley. You're a great duo and our third Chaser can usually catch up."

"Nevertheless, the Gryffindors are opponents to be taken seriously," she insisted as she looked around for any members of her team.

Jane wasn't friends with any person in her team, not the way she was with Ramona, Albus and Scorpius. She hardly talked to most of them outside of classes when they didn't meet to train and even then conversation was scarce, but if there was one person she talked to the most that had to be Roxanne Weasley. Both of them respected the other for their skills and they had good communication on the Pitch. With Roxanne being a year younger than her, though, there wasn't much chance for them to see each other when they weren't training.

Now she could see Roxanne though, talking with some of her friends, the last Chaser of the team—the son of famous Blaise Zabini—eating a few ways away. It was as if he could sense her stare and so he looked up. Jane met the dark gaze of Antonio Zabini and at once, he offered her a small smile she returned with a nod of her head before she turned her attention back to her friends.

"I have to go," she told them, "I need to do a couple of laps before the game."

"We need to talk after the game," Ramona told her softly as she stood up, instantly catching her attention and Jane momentarily ignored the goodbyes of the rest of their companions.

"What for?"

"Nothing dreadful," she assured her, "go. Be safe."

Jane's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before she nodded, grabbed her broomstick and walked away. As she passed the Slytherin table, first Roxanne and then Antonio stood up, and she slowed down slightly so they could catch up to her. Soon enough, they had reached her.

Roxanne's dark curly hair today was pushed back by a bandanna so it wouldn't get in the way while she flew, uncharacteristically light eyes appearing amused as she looked from Jane to Antonio and back before she shook her head and looked away. Antonio didn't waste a moment to raise an eyebrow at her, and even though he was just a fourth-year, Jane couldn't help but think he would grow to become a devilishly handsome man.