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Josephine is bored. Although she has a plethora of tasks to aid her in uncovering information about Tom, she yearns for a brief respite. Thus, she finds herself lounging on her bed, engrossed in a book. Nevertheless, the persistent guilt of neglecting her responsibilities gnaws at her conscience.
With a weary sigh, she reluctantly sets the book aside.
Dorcas interjects, "You know, there's a party happening tonight."
Josephine shoots Dorcas a sidelong glance, a party, yet again.
It's truly astonishing how these students manage live amidst the never-ending parties. There were parties that happened that Josephine didn't ever go to. So compared to others she rarely ever went to parties.
"Are you interested in attending the party?" Dorcas inquires.
Josephine pauses for a moment, then asks, "Will Regulus be there?"
A smile spreads across Dorcas's face as she replies, "Indeed, Josie. Your boyfriend will be there."
With a secret smile playing on her lips, Josephine rises from her bed and declares, "It seems I'm headed to another party."
~~~
She deeply regrets her decision now. Slytherin parties are loud, but the Hufflepuff gathering is even worse.
Her eyes roam the crowded room as she searches for a vacant corner. Navigating through the throngs of people is proving particularly challenging this time.
"Move," she attempts to squeeze past a person, only to realize it's Barty.
Her eyes widen, and she quickly apologizes, "Oh, I didn't realize it was you."
Barty chuckles, seeming surprisingly nice to her after the dance. It's a pleasant surprise.
Josephine's gaze shifts beyond him, landing on Regulus. She waves at him before sidestepping Barty and making her way to the corner she had originally intended.
Regulus seems to start moving towards her but is intercepted by someone else, a boy who is engaged in an animated conversation.
Suppressing a laugh, Josie decides to get a drink. Not of the alcoholic variety, though; she has sworn off alcohol after getting drunk that one time.
Her eyes scan the table for water or something non-alcoholic, but there's nothing to be found.
Rolling her eyes, she heads back toward the corner. However, as soon as she leans against the wall, a guy appears in front of her. "Hi?" she arches an eyebrow.
"Hey," he beams, practically vibrating with excitement and resembling a puppy.
He starts speaking to her, but the loud music makes it challenging to hear. She moves a bit closer to try to make out his words.
"So, for the next Hogsmeade trip, I'm thinking we could go together?"
Oh fuck.
How can she reject him without being mean?
Suddenly, an arm encircles her shoulder, and Regulus interjects, "Oh, we would love to, wouldn't we, darling?" his tone decidedly chilly.
Merlin, Regulus is going to get them caught.
The other boy's eyes widen, and he stammers, "Sorry," before bolting away.
She looks up at Regulus, who is still staring in the boy's direction, now far away.
"Your jealousy is going to get us caught," she cautions.
"I don't care," he replies.
"But you will," she warns. Before she backs out of his hold, she plants a small kiss on his jawline, leaving a faint lipstick mark.
She then slips out of his embrace and makes her way to Evan.
"Josette!" Evan greets her enthusiastically, clearly inebriated, and kisses her cheek.
"You're going to ruin my makeup," she protests.
He gives her a dazed smile. "You're so pretty."
"Thank you, Evan," she replies, noting his advanced state of inebriation.
"I think it's time for you to go to sleep," she advises, taking his arm to lead him back to his common room.
"I want to sleep," he concurs. She chuckles, surveys the room, and resolves to return to ensure the rest are okay after seeing Evan safely to his dorm.
"Come on," she urges, guiding Evan out of the common room as they start their journey to the Slytherin quarters.
"We should go get cookies," Evan suddenly halts in his tracks.
"Tomorrow," she promises with a gentle smile.
"Fine," she can't help but chuckle.
Several minutes later, she's gently pushing Evan into the common room. "Go to your dorm," she instructs.
He nods, replying, "Okay, Josette."
Turning around, she retraces her steps, heading back to the Hufflepuff common room. Upon arrival, she spots Barty and Regulus. Barty is considerably more inebriated than Regulus.
"How much did he drink?" she inquires, raising her eyebrows as Barty slouches in a chair.
"A lot," Regulus mutters. Spotting Dorcas with Marlene, she's relieved. But where is Pandora?
As Pandora approaches, Josephine sighs with relief. "Are you okay?" she asks.
Pandora nods with a smile.
"Where's Evan?" Barty's words slur.
"In your dorm," she replies.
"Then let's go!" Barty perks up. Josephine seizes Pandora's arm, and Regulus takes hold of Barty's. They exit the common room and reach the point where they would have to part ways.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" She notices the lingering lipstick mark on Regulus's jaw from her and finds it oddly hot.
Regulus nods. "Goodnight, Josephine, and goodnight, Pandora."
