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Josie fixes a concentrated gaze on the professor, determined to grasp the lesson's essence.
Seated next to her, Regulus appears restless, as if itching to escape the class.
She quirks an eyebrow at him and inquires, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he replies tersely.
Suspicions linger in her eyes as she redirects her attention to the lecture.
A few minutes later, the professor announces the end of the class. Josephine packs her bag and exits with Regulus. Just as she is about to speak, Regulus gently clasps her wrist, leading her in an unexpected direction.
"Where are we going?" she asks.
He offers no response.
Turning a corner, Regulus surveys the hallway, then opens a cupboard door and ushers Josie inside.
"What—?" She turns around, puzzled, as Regulus joins her in the cupboard, closing the door.
"What's happening?" she inquires, her brows furrowing.
Confused, Josie watches as Regulus pulls a book from his bag. It happens to be her book.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't be overly concerned about him finding her book, but this particular one is a dark romance.
"Oh," she mutters, extending her hand to retrieve it, but he slyly pulls it closer to him.
"You left it in the library the other day," he states.
"Give it," she insists, attempting to reach for it again, but he keeps the book behind his back.
She glares at him. "Regulus, give it back."
"You bookmarked it on a certain page," he teases with a smirk.
Her eyes widen, and she pleads, "Regulus, just give it back. Please."
"I knew you enjoyed reading these types of books," he remarks, still withholding the book. "I just didn't expect you to read something this dark."
A rush of nervousness stirs in her stomach.
"How much of it did you read?" she asks.
"Enough," he responds, leaning closer, causing her breath to hitch.
Then he presses his lips to hers, his hand gently cradling the left side of her face. She involuntarily takes a small step backward, her back meeting the wall, as she lifts her own hands to caress his face.
His other hand finds its place at the side of her neck. She hopes he has carefully set the book down somewhere, rather than letting it fall to the floor.
This is new. Very new.
Especially when she senses his tongue delicately tracing her lips. She parts her lips slightly in response.
His tongue ventures inside her mouth, causing her heart to race even faster, an unexpected surge of excitement. Her hand reaches up, entwining itself in his hair.
With her hand in his hair, his grip on the side of her neck tightens, applying a bit more pressure. It sends a shiver of pleasure down her spine, and she finds herself relishing it.
They pull apart, both gasping for breath. The hand that had been on her neck returns to his side, and Josephine allows her own hands to lower. Her gaze fixates on his lips, and she chuckles.
"What's so funny?" he asks.
"You've got my lipstick all over your lips," she remarks, her eyes shifting back to his, where she detects a certain look.
"Your lipstick's smudged," the hand that had been on the side of her face moves down to her lips, gently attempting to rub off the smudged edges.
"It's not coming off," he mutters, his brows furrowed. She smiles at him. "It's fine. I'll just go wipe it off in my dorm... and you might want to do the same in your dorm."
Regulus offers a small smile and turns to retrieve her book.
Her cheeks redden as she reaches for it and hastily stashes it in her bag.
"I'll leave first; you can follow in a few minutes," she suggests. Regulus nods in agreement, so she cautiously opens the cupboard door and peeks out before stepping out completely.
"Josie?" she hears a familiar voice.
She turns and spots Sirius and Remus.
"Oh, hi Sirius, hi Remus," she greets, clearing her throat as they give her quizzical looks. Sirius inspects her smudged lipstick and disheveled hair, then smirks.
