Glory |A. Potter|

Sixty-Six

The start of second term found most of the students in the higher years in the library, studying for the exams that were just six months away. Everything needed to be revised, they needed to have knowledge of all topics their textbooks covered, know every single spell, charm, potion there was. It was a lot of work, for sure, and after Christmas, it seemed like the students had taken a brief pause before they threw themselves at their studies once more.

Jane was one of those students.

Whenever she wasn't in class or with Scorpius to their Prefect duties, she was in the library, for as long as the doors were open to students. She had come to associate the desk she used to study as her own, and it seemed as if the rest of the students had come to the same conclusion, for they usually left her all alone. Then again, Jane didn't appear as the friendliest person when she wasn't with her friends—even Scorpius had admitted to thinking she was a snob before they started talking—so she wouldn't have been approached at her table unless there weren't any more seats around, she was sure.

She definitely didn't mind her solitude. If anything, she thought it was pretty nice. After all, she had silence, privacy, and if one of her friends ever wanted to join her, they always had a seat beside her.

She was usually left alone, though. Scorpius, even though he was studious, wasn't overly fond of the library. He claimed he focused just fine on his dormitory, so he studied there, only set foot in the library if he really needed to look for something – and now Albus had gifted him the potions book of the Half-Blood Prince, he had even less reason to make an appearance in the library. If Jane hadn't known any better, she would have been convinced he was infatuated with the book, judging by the frequency he mentioned it. She couldn't really blame him, though. She had read only a page of that book and she was impressed to say the least.

Ramona didn't like the library. She claimed it was too quiet, the books around cut off her perspective of the world, and as a result she hardly ever set foot in the library out of her own accord. Then again, she wasn't all that anxious about the upcoming NEWTs. She already had a career outside of Hogwarts, she didn't need something else.

Antonio was much like Jane when it came to his studious nature, although he always came to the library with friends and never sat with Jane since he had his friends' company. He never failed to greet her when he entered and when he left, though, so he always made his presence known.

Albus only got in the library to keep Jane company. He never said that, of course, but there really wasn't another reason. Much like Scorpius, he preferred staying in his dormitory to study, although he always had some work to do when he got in the library.

This time was no different. When he sat down beside her with a small sigh, she noticed he had his supplies ready.

"What are you doing?"

Albus briefly glanced at her, slightly surprised to hear her question. He had expected to have her ignore him and keep on studying, although he was pleased to see that wasn't the case. "I'm completing our assignment in Care for Magical Creatures that's due tomorrow. Have you completed your part of the assignment?"

"Last week, after Hagrid assigned it to us."

His lips curled into a fond smile. "Of course you did."

He leaned forward, pressed a kiss on the corner of her lips. Jane's eyes widened, on instinct her gaze falling on the only table a few ways away only to meet the gaze of one of the students occupying it before she looked away. Slightly flustered, she peered over at Albus.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing," he replied with a small shrug. Jane's brows furrowed in slight confusion, yet Albus didn't look her way. He only dipped his quill in ink and started writing the rest of his assignment on the Hungarian Horntail, the dragon Professor Hagrid had assigned them to look into. Jane returned to her own reading—of all classes she took, Transfiguration was proving rather challenging so she spent more time poring over the lectures than the rest of her classes—and for the next couple of hours, the only pause in their studying was only because one of them had a sudden question on what they were studying.