Chapter 21: Sarah

Jane woke up to silence on the train. Everyone on the train was gone including that delightful and considerate trolly-cart lady. Where did everyone go? Thought Jane as she grabbed her backpack and walked down the aisle towards the doors that lead outside.

She could hear everyone outside; chatting, laughing, and talking about their first semester at Hogwarts School of Wizardcraft and Wizardry.

As she walked out onto the station, it feels like she had just walked into a theme park, for everywhere she looked, there was always someone or something, such as luggage or an owl's cage, in front of her. How in the world am I going to find Sarah, Jane questioned herself as she walked slowly through the dense crowd of muggles, wizards, and squibs alike.

Suddenly, there was a shout amongst the chitter-chattering of the crowd. It wasn't a loud one, for not many people looked at the person who had shouted. Jane was not one of those people because the first time she heard the shout, she thought the person shouting was shouting out her name. She could have been mistaken, but there's only one way to find out.

Jane pushed through the mass of people on the platform and soon found herself face to face with Sarah.

"Jane!" shouted Sarah as she grabbed her and gave her a huge hug.

"Sarah . . . Sarah," stammered as Jane tried to get a breath of air into her lungs. "You're squeezing me too hard."

"Oh, sorry," apologized Sarah after letting go of Jane. She stared down at her, looking her up and down.

"You've changed," she finally said.

"No, I haven't," Jane said.

"Well, if you haven't changed since the last I saw you, then it must be that you have something on your mind," suggested Sarah, her voice sounding over the hundreds of people around them.

Jane just stared at the ground as a boy and his family walked past them towards the gateway to the other platforms.

"I'll take that as a . . . yes, but we don't have to talk about it right now, not here anyway," Sarah said. "Ready to go home?"

"Oh, I am, definitely," Jane told Sarah as she grabbed her luggage.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Sarah grabbing her owl's cage. They both walked away from the train and off into wherever the flow of the crowd was taking them.

When upon arriving at home, Jane ran into the house and flipped out onto the couch in the family room.

"Well, someone here looks like they missed home badly," Sarah said as she dragged Jane's luggage into the house.

Jane nodded her head in reply.

"You know. I could use some help with bringing in your luggage," suggested Sarah. "Or I could just leave it in the car and have you get it."

Jane stared at Sarah, wide-eyed.

"You wouldn't," she told Sarah.

"I would if you don't help me," Sarah implied.

Like a flash of lightning, Jane was up off the couch, helping Sarah with her items.

"Thanks fro helping," Sarah smiled at Jane who was hulling her suitcase up the steps to her bedroom.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," muttered Jane as she disappeared upstairs.

Later that day, when Jane was downstairs reading The Last Battle, which was the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Sarah came over to Jane and sat down in the chair across from the couch.

Jane's long red hair was in a pony-tail that slid down onto her shoulder. She looked so beautiful there, just sitting there on the light red couch, sitting with her legs straight out in front of her; not having a care in the world.

"So, how's the book?" Sarah asked Jane, interrupting her reading.

"It's really good," Jane said without taking her eyes off the book.

"What's good about the book?"

Jane put the book down and looked at Sarah.

"Were you really going to leave my luggage in the car?" Jane asked changing the subject.

Sarah thought about it for a moment and then simply told Jane, "No."

"Then why did you say that you were going to leave my luggage in the car if I didn't come to help you?" questioned Jane.

"I merely needed help and I wasn't going to do it all on my own," answered Sarah.

There was a moment of silence between them as they listened to the cars go by outside.

"I understand that you just got home and are looking forward to the Winter Break," Sarah started. "But, you still need to be responsible for your own items. I can't be there all the time to help you."

Jane nodded her head acknowledging.

"So, how's Hogwarts?" Sarah asked.

"It's great. I've met new friends, had fun in many of my classes, and down lots and lots of homework."

"Well, that's to be expected," laughed Sarah.

"You're right," Jane smiled.

"But, besides the work, what new friends have you made?"

"I met Harry's friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They're both in Gryffindor and are Harry's age," concluded Jane.

"So, you have met your twin brother?" inquired Sarah.

"Yeah, I have. He's really nice. He got jet black hair that is always untidy no matter what you do to it and he's got our mum's eyes, sparkling emerald green."

"I kind of figured he would look a lot like James," Sarah said sitting back in the flowery chair.

"He's also got round framed glasses," added Jane.

"Hm. Definitely sounds like he looks like James a lot."

There was silence as Jane thought about Malfoy and what Ginny had told her a couple weeks ago. I think Draco Malfoy likes you. That phrase kept repeating over and over in her head like a rolling pin rolling over dough.

How can he like me? I mean, he hates Harry, so he should hate me. I'm a Potter and I am in Gryffindor. Now hold on, get a grip of yourself, Jane. Hate is not the right word, it should be disliked. Yeah, thought Jane.

Strings of thought were just running through her head and they were all about Malfoy.

Jane was so deep in thought that she didn't hear Sarah calling her name.

"Jane? You there? Jane?"

"Oh . . . yeah, Sarah?" Jane asked snapping out of her train of thought.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked looking a little worried.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine Sarah," lied Jane.

"It doesn't look like it."

"No, Sarah. I'm fine."

"Okay, but just as an observation, I can tell that something is on your mind."

Sarah started to lean forward in her chair, for she was worried that something was wrong.

"Did something happen at school that you got into trouble with a teacher or a student?" wondered Sarah.

"No, no, no. Nothing of that sort. Actually, it was quite the opposite."

I can't believe I am going to tell Sarah about Draco Malfoy, thought Jane as she sighed.

Jane was just about to open her mouth when Sarah interjected and said,

"We can talk about this later if you would like because I can sense that this has to deal with a boy, doesn't it."

Jane nodded.

"I figured. Let's talk about this later okay? If that makes you feel better?"

"Makes me feel a lot better," Jane whispered.

"I'm glad. Now, how about we watch some Star Trek Deep Space Nine? Is that alright with you?"

"Sounds great," smiled Jane.

As Sarah got the first disk to the first season of Star Trek, Jane asked Sarah,

"How did you know?"

"What?"

"How did you know I was having, well, um, you know boy problems?"

"A woman can always tell Jane, even if she doesn't have any children, she just can," Sarah responded after turning on the T.V to show the main menu of the disk.

"Ah, okay," was all Jane said.

"Someday you'll be my age and get to see what I mean. But, for now, let's watch some DS9, shall we?"

"Yes, let's start," beamed Jane.

AN: I don't own Harry Potter. The only characters I own are Jane, Sarah, and any other characters that I made up. (Last edited 3/21/17)