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Josie finds herself once again in the library, engrossed in her extra assignments. Normally, she would tackle them on Saturdays, but with the Hogsmeade trip taking precedence, she has to catch up on her work.
The bruise on her arm has grown darker, prompting her to conceal it as best as she can. She doesn't want anyone to worry unnecessarily. Josie contemplates seeking out Severus and giving him a well-deserved punch in the face, but the thought of detention deters her. With a sigh, she refocuses her attention on her tasks.
"Jo," a voice calls out from beside her.
She looks up to find James and Sirius approaching. "Hello," she greets them, curious about the kind of nonsense they would spew this time.
They settle down beside her, and Josie makes sure to keep her bruised arm hidden. They can be quite protective at times.
"What are you working on?" Sirius inquires, leaning his head on his hand.
"School stuff," Josie replies, her tone indicating her disinterest.
James, sitting on her other side, questions, "Are you okay?"
Furrowing her eyebrows, Josie responds, "Yes, why?"
"We saw you with... Slytherins yesterday," her brother states, adjusting his glasses.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake," she mutters under her breath, gathering her belongings. She's fed up with him.
"Wait," James reaches out and grabs her bruised arm, causing her to wince before quickly masking her expression.
James' brows furrow as he examines her arm. "Why is your arm bruised?"
Josie lets out an exasperated sigh. "It's fine, I'm fine. Now, leave me alone."
She makes a move to leave, but James still holds onto her arm. "Did those Slytherins do this?" His disdain for the word Slytherin is evident in his tone.
"No, you bloody idiot," she snaps, forcefully pulling her arm free from his grip. Sirius observes the tension between them.
"Then what happened?" Sirius finally speaks up.
"It's none of your business," Josie replies curtly. "And no, it wasn't the people I was hanging out with yesterday. If they were responsible, do you think I would continue to associate with them? I'm not stupid." She turns and storms out of the library, muttering angrily under her breath.
In her frustration, she accidentally bumps into Evan.
She mutters a quick apology as she tries to pass Evan, but he lightly touches her arm to stop her.
"Are you alright?" he asks, glancing in the direction she came from, as if expecting someone to be following her.
