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The next day, Josie finds herself unintentionally ignoring Dorcas, though she isn't proud of it. After all, Dorcas has left her alone at the party. However, Josie realizes she needs to address the situation and plans to talk to Dorcas later.
For now, she focuses on reading her final book on Occlumency, contemplating whether she should learn it. Earlier that morning, she discussed it with Helena, who expresses that learning Occlumency could be beneficial, but Josie would have to figure out how to hide some thoughts.
As Josie immerses herself in her reading at the library, she notices someone sitting across from her. It's Regulus. A smile involuntarily spreads across her face as she greets him.
"Regulus," she says warmly.
"Josephine," he responds.
Curiosity piques, she lowers her book and closes it, ready to engage in conversation. Regulus seems slightly uneasy as he speaks.
"Listen, I may have lied yesterday when I said you didn't really do anything," he confesses.
Josie holds her breath, her curiosity turning into mild concern. "Oh?"
Regulus must have noticed her reaction. "It's nothing... bad," he quickly adds.
"Why does that sound like a question?" she asks, her anxiety rising.
He lets out a sigh. "Well, you mentioned getting drunk because of me and then started talking about murder."
She nervously picks at her nails. "Oh."
"And later, you told me that your father dislikes you because you aren't James," he continues.
Josie's frustration and embarrassment take hold as she buries her face in her hands. "Oh my fucking Merlin."
Regulus tries to reassure her, saying, "Listen, it's not that bad."
"It really is," she laments. "We aren't at the level of friendship where I can joke about those things." She looks up at him, and he tilts his head, understanding her point.
"I just wanted to tell you because it seemed like you didn't believe me when I said that nothing happened," he replies, his hands placed in front of him.
She narrows her eyes. "Thank you for telling me, but it's so bad, you lied when you said it wasn't bad."
Leaning back in his chair, he acknowledges their past conversation. "Well, we both are liars again."
Her laughter fills the air, accompanied by an exhilarating flutter in her stomach. She can only imagine how red her face has become.
"You're still reading books on Occlumency, I see," he remarks, gesturing toward the book in front of her.
"Yes," she glances down at the book. "The topic is fascinating."
