Glory |A. Potter|

Sixty-Three

The long mirror in the guest room of the Zabini Manor Jane had been offered to stay at for the couple of weeks during the Christmas holidays hid no imperfection, but as she looked, she couldn't find one. Then again, the girl doubted whether the one in the mirror was actually her.

The dress she and Diana had settled for was purely white, a great contrast against her skin. Jane didn't remember the last time she had worn a white garment, but she had to admit, it looked nice. The dress was form fitting from the waist and above while it was more loose from the hips and below. It was so long it almost grazed the floor even though she was wearing heels of the same colour as her dress. The neckline was wide, no sleeves hindering the movement of her arms.

With some aid from magic, she had managed to set her hair in a half-bun—half of it set in a bun while the rest fell to her back in tame curls—managing to keep her shoulders bare. Her make-up wasn't all that different than it usually was, with the exception that her lips were painted a lively red instead of the usual muted tone of brown. Her numerous rings were in place, her hoops around her ears not missing. She supposed she still looked a bit like herself, even if the general picture was rather different.

"We need to leave now if we want to arrive fashionably late to the ball," Antonio called out from the other side of the door as he knocked. "Are you decent?"

"You can come in."

Antonio entered the moment he had heard her positive reply and Jane almost at once took in his appearance. He was dressed in a rather complimentary grey dress suit, his hair carefully styled to the side. He had shaved the little hair he had on his face. The moment he took her in, he smiled.

"I like you in white way more than I like you in red."

Jane chuckled as she looked at herself one more time before she followed after him to the corridor and took the route to the living room, where they would take the floo network to arrive to Malfoy Manor. "How come?"

"I've associated red with Gryffindor house," he admitted with a shrug, "you're nothing like them."

Jane hummed in agreement, aware herself she was nothing like a Gryffindor, and so the two of them walked on until they reached the living room where Blaise and Diana already stood.

Blaise was dressed in black dress robes, looking poised as always, while Diana had chosen to wear a light yellow dress that suited her and made her seem more soft. Both of them smiled at the sight of them.

"You look good," Diana appraised, eyes quick to rake over their forms. "Are you ready?"

"We are," Jane answered for both of them.

"Go ahead, then," Blaise suggested. Before Jane could take a step forward, Antonio headed to the fireplace, a teasing grin on his lips as he threw the powder at his feet.

"Malfoy Manor."

He disappeared a moment later. Jane followed suit, threw the powder at her feet. "Malfoy Manor."

She was engulfed in green flames. When she opened her eyes she noticed Antonio standing a few ways away and she hurried to leave the fireplace in case anyone arrived and crashed her. She had just reached Antonio's side when Blaise appeared and made his way over.

"We may enter together but you are free to move to your friends if you wish," he spoke softly, "we'll get back together to return home."

Diana arrived at this moment, a small smile on her lips as she walked forward. "Shall we?"

And so they headed to the room where the ball was held. There were many people around, some Jane recognized, some she didn't, either way, she stayed a few ways behind Blaise and Diana beside Antonio. The boy would whisper things about people they passed on their way, comments that would make her chuckle at points, while both of them looked for their friends around the place. It didn't take long for them to meet the first familiar face.