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Dumbledore announced the upcoming Valentine's dance, with the intention of "lifting their spirits."
Josephine nearly burst into laughter at the notion. "Lift their spirits," she thought, as if a dance can erase the grim reality of war.
But that all occurred earlier in the day.
Now, Josephine finds herself poring over her notes from earlier classes. Most of her fellow Ravenclaws are sound asleep in their dorms, while she sits at a table, enduring the discomfort of a less-than-ideal chair.
With a heavy sigh, she turns a page in her book. The potion-related notes she has scribbled down are starting to merge into an indistinct blur.
Merlin, she hates how bad she is in potions. In every other subject, she excels, but no matter how diligently she tries, potions remain a challenge.
Frustration wells up inside her as she closes the book and rests her head on the table.
"This stupid fucking class," she mutters under her breath.
Josie is on edge, half-expecting yet another misfortune to push her to her breaking point.
She gathers her books, shoving them into her bag.
Perhaps a visit to the astronomy tower will provide solace. It might help clear her mind, and she can use the solitude for some additional studying.
Determined to give it a try, she slings her bag over her shoulder and makes her way through the echoing hallways.
On her way to the tower, the sight beyond the windows catches her attention – a sky filled with countless stars.
Her footsteps echo as she ascends the tower, and when she reaches the top, she hears it – rapid, frantic breathing from within.
Brows furrowing with concern, she cautiously pushes the door open a bit wider and peeks inside.
There sits Regulus on the floor, his knees drawn to his chest, breathing rapidly with his head buried in his hands.
Startled, Josie meets his wide, fearful eyes.
His breath quickens as he realizes someone else's presence.
Josie immediately recognizes the situation. Regulus is in the midst of a panic attack.
She ponders her next steps carefully.
Stepping further into the room, she gently closes and locks the door, ensuring no one else can intrude.
Josephine approaches Regulus, who appears utterly unable to focus on anything but his own distress. His rapid breathing persists, his hands trembling. She sits down on the floor near him.
She whispers softly, "May I touch you?" Regulus seems at a loss for words.
Understanding his hesitation, Josie continues, "Okay..." She recalls a method she has read about in a book once. "Can you name five things you can see?"
"The stars," he stammers, making an effort to slow his breathing, "old books, the blue wall, the railing on the tower... and you."
"That's good. Can you name four things you're touching?"
"The ground, the wall, my clothes," his breathing gradually steadies, "my shoes."
She nods. "Alright, good. Can you name three things you can hear?"
"My breathing," he shifts his gaze to a wall, "that clock ticking, and you tapping on the floor."
She hadn't even been aware of her own tapping until he mentioned it.
"Can you name two things you can smell?"
"Your perfume, the strawberry one," he whispers, "the old books on the shelf."
He seems to have calmed slightly, though his hands still tremble.
"Good job, darling," she says without even realizing the endearment. Josephine conjures a glass of water and hands it to him.
"Can you name one thing you can taste?"
After taking a few sips, he murmurs, "The water."
Josie leans against the wall, and Regulus appears to be improving. His breathing slows, and his hands steady.
"I'm sorry," he nearly whispers.
"Don't apologize," she reassures him, tapping the ground beside her in a comforting pattern.
"Do you want me to leave?" she asks, turning her head to gauge his response.
"Don't leave," he replies promptly.
They sit in silence for a few moments. Regulus continues sipping the water.
"Where did you even get this from?" he asks, lifting the glass.
She covers her mouth as she chuckles. "I did a spell."
"You don't even have your wand."
"I'm quite skilled in wandless magic."
A faint smile appears on Regulus's face.
Josie wonders what has triggered his panic attack. She knows that sometimes there is no discernible reason, or there can be multiple causes.
"I had a nightmare," Regulus suddenly admits. "Or rather, a dream about something that has already happened."
She has experienced those too—dreams replaying past memories.
"Do you think you'll be able to go back to sleep?" she inquires.
"Probably not."
"Alright, then let's find something to do until classes start." Her bag has fallen to the floor, so she picks it up and slings it over her shoulder before looking back at Regulus.
"Classes don't start for hours, Josephine," he points out.
She shrugs. "It's not like..." She catches herself before finishing the sentence. Clearing her throat, she continues, "It doesn't matter. Come on." She stands up, and Regulus follows her lead.
"We can... read or something." She walks over to the door and unlocks it.
Josie and Regulus roam Hogwarts for several hours. Occasionally, they find empty classrooms to read in, or they simply wander the halls.
Now, with only two hours remaining until classes commence, Josie and Regulus bid each other farewell before a professor can catch them sneaking around.
