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Josie sighs, her gaze fixated on her reflection in the mirror. The moment she has been waiting for has finally arrived—the first patrol with Regulus is scheduled to start at 9:30 PM. Glancing at the clock, she realizes it is already 9:20. Their plan is to meet at the great hall doors and cover all the assigned hallways together.
However, Josie finds herself hesitant to leave her dorm. Nervousness courses through her veins. She decides to change into pants instead of a skirt, feeling more comfortable that way. Since all the other students in her dorm are older, their curfew extends until 10:00 PM, and they are still out and about.
Absentmindedly picking at her nails, Josie reaches for her bracelet—the one infused with a calming charm. She only wears it on occasions when she truly needs it.
After double-checking her boots, and applying strawberry scented perfume, she finally steps out of her dorm and immediately bumps into Pandora.
"Oh, sorry Pandora," she apologizes, her gaze fixed on the taller girl. Pandora stands at around 5'9", definitely taller than Josie's 5'6" frame.
"It's alright! Have fun on patrol," Pandora's soft voice reassures her as she walks past.
Josie spins the bracelet on her wrist, finding solace in its presence, as she makes her way towards the great hall doors. She knows exactly why she feels nervous—Regulus is undeniably attractive, and she rarely has the opportunity to interact with boys she would genuinely consider dating. Not that she believes Regulus would be interested in her.
Finally reaching the great hall doors, Josie notices Regulus leaning against the adjacent wall. She approaches him slowly. "Hello, Regulus."
He turns to look at her, his gray eyes sweeping over her figure. "Josephine," he acknowledges, ceasing his lean and positioning himself beside her.
Merlin, he is tall.
She offers him a smile before they begin walking along the designated route assigned by the other prefects. The route encompasses a few hallways.
"How was your day?" His question catches her off guard.
"It was good. How about yours?" She turns her head to look at him, catching his gaze already fixed on her. She quickly averts her eyes.
"Good," he replies simply.
They continue walking through the hallways in silence until Regulus breaks it once again. "How is my brother?"
Ah, yes. Sirius lives with her. For a brief moment, she forgot they were even siblings. They are so different, yet there are undeniable similarities.
"I think he's doing well. He seems to enjoy living with us, but... he misses you," she admits, knowing the truth. There was a night when Sirius was asleep, and she heard him sobbing in his room, apologizing to Regulus as if he were there with them.
"You think he's doing well?" Regulus responds, focusing on the first part of her answer and completely ignoring the latter.
"I'm not close to him or any of my brother's friends," she replies, almost adding that she isn't even close to her own brother.
"Why is that?" His attention shifts back to her once again.
He really needs to mind his own business.
She simply shrugs. "I'm just not close with them."
"He doesn't miss me," Regulus declares after a brief pause, finally addressing the last part of her earlier statement.
"He does. He regrets leaving you behind in that house," she insists, realizing immediately that her words strike a nerve as she watches a mask of coldness fall upon his face.
"I thought you weren't close to him," his voice turns cold.
"I'm not," she replies curtly.
The laugh that escapes him holds no warmth. "You seem to know a lot about my brother for someone who claims not to be close to him," he says the word 'brother' with a hint of disgust.
"I notice things, Regulus," she retorts, not backing down.
He merely hums lightly in response, and they resume their patrol in silence. Josie feels the urge to apologize, even though she technically hasn't done anything wrong. But the tension between them weighs heavily on her conscience.
The silence persists throughout the entire patrol, causing Josie to nervously pick at her nails. She contemplates initiating a conversation, but the fear of inciting Regulus's anger holds her back.
Finally, they find themselves back at the great hall doors. Regulus turns to leave, heading in another direction. "I'm sorry," she blurts out without even thinking. It seems to be a common occurrence when she is around him.
He turns slightly, facing away from her. "What for?" he asks, his voice tinged with indifference.
"If I upset you, I'm sorry," she replies, her words filled with sincerity.
He turns away once more and walks away.
Fucking idiot.
She turns and makes her way back to her common room.
"I am taken from a mine and shut in a wooden case, from which I am never released. Yet, I am used by almost everyone. What am I?" the eagle-shaped knocker asks.
"Graphite," she answers, and the door opens.
Merlin, she is already so tired of everything. Each year, the weariness seems to creep up on her sooner.
