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From a distance, faint whispers rouse her from her slumber. A foreign scent fills the air, distinct from her own. It possesses a deep and captivating aroma.
"What the fuck?," she mutters, raising a hand to rub her face. Her head throbs, causing her to wince as she sits up.
To her surprise, she finds herself in a Slytherin dorm room. Casting her gaze toward the source of the whispers, she spots Regulus Black engaged in conversation with Barty and Evan.
Glancing down, she notices she is still clad in the same attire she had worn to the party the previous night. Her eyes squint in thought.
It appears that Regulus, Barty, and Evan are oblivious to her wakefulness. She pushes her hair down. It was really frizzy.
What in Merlin's name happened?
Her memories are hazy, save for catching a glimpse of Regulus with a girl and making the ill-fated decision to indulge in a few drinks.
Observing the bed she occupies, she tries to calm the fluttering butterflies in her stomach. However, her mind races incessantly. She hopes that she looks...at least a little presentable. She probably still had some makeup on from last night. Which will be okay for now but will most likely make her break out.
"Josette!" Evan exclaims, approaching her with a hint of volume. She winces. "Oh, my apologies," he whispers as he draws nearer.
"What the fuck happened?" Her voice sounds hoarse, and she suddenly realizes how parched she is.
Suddenly, a glass of water is thrust before her face. Her gaze lifts to the hand that holds it — Regulus.
Offering him a faint smile, she swiftly downs the glass of water. Honestly she feels...insecure in a way. She pushes down the thoughts.
"Do you not remember last night?" Regulus inquires, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.
She ponders for a moment. "Not really, no."
Her headache persists, aggravated by the limited light within the dormitory, which stings her eyes.
Evan reaches out to touch her hair. "Merlin, your hair is incredibly tangled," he remarks.
"That's what happens when you have curly hair," she mutters, swatting his hand away.
"Now, what happened last night?" she inquires.
Barty provides a brief explanation. He mentions finding her highly intoxicated and then allowing Regulus to take care of her. Regulus mentions ensuring her well-being and letting her sleep in the dorm room.
"My head is pounding," she complains after they finish the explanation.
"I wonder why," Barty retorts sarcastically.
She glares at him. "I'm going back to my dorm now," she declares, placing the empty glass of water on the nearby table.
Evan and Barty walk away to attend to their own tasks.
"By the way, thank you," she says to Regulus, who remains seated at the edge of the bed.
He nods. "Your rings and bracelets are over there," he points to a spot on the table beside the bed. "Your shoes are nearby as well."
She attempts to run her hand through her tangled hair but finds it impossible.
"Do you really not remember anything?" he asks as she adorns her rings and bracelets.
"No... Did I do something?" she winces, hoping she hasn't. She bends down to put on her shoes.
Regulus falls silent for a moment before replying, "You didn't."
She sighs with relief. "That's good," she says, rising from the bed, with Regulus following suit. As soon as she stands, her head begins to throb. She desperately needs to go back to sleep.
"I'll go check if the common room is clear," he offers.
She contemplates his actions for a moment before realizing why he would do that. "Oh, alright," she replies, absentmindedly picking at her nails as he walks out. It's kind of him to take care of everything. Weird, but kind.
It causes an unexpected surge of emotions within her, intensifying whatever feelings she holds for him.
He reenters the room. "No one's there. Come on," he beckons.
She walks out, and he follows suit.
"Thank you, Regulus. I'll see you later," she smiles at him before leaving.
Taking a deep breath, she makes her way back to the Ravenclaw common room, only to be interrupted by someone.
"Josie!" Marlene calls out.
She turns and sees Marlene and Lily approaching her.
"Hey, guys," she greets them.
Marlene tilts her head and smirks. "Are those the same clothes from last night?" she chuckles, while Lily's eyes widen.
"Josie! Did you..."
She interjects, "Nothing happened. I just got drunk and fell asleep. Please don't tell James," she pleads, giving Lily a pleading look.
"Of course, I won't tell James," Lily assures her.
"Were you safe?" Marlene inquires, stepping a bit closer.
"Yes, I was fine," she reassures them with a smile. "Now, I'm going to my dorm to sleep all day."
They both laugh, and she finally arrives at her common room. However, the riddle takes her significantly longer to solve.
Placing a hand on her forehead, she proceeds to her dorm room. She hopes Dorcas is alright, although Dorcas had left her the previous night, leaving her somewhat angered.
As she enters the dorm room, she notices Dorcas still fast asleep in bed. Josie is too exhausted to wake her up and confront her, so she simply climbs into her own bed and lies down.
Merlin, she is exhausted, and her head throbs relentlessly. The lights in the dorm room are still on, causing her to wince. She reaches out blindly for her wand, which she had left on her bedside table.
Waving her wand, she extinguishes the candles. A sigh of relief escapes her lips as she settles back down.
