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Josephine,
I'm okay, I promise. I apologize for not writing sooner; things are quite overwhelming lately.
How's your summer going?
Regarding the Quidditch World Cup, my father secures tickets, but honestly, I'm not particularly keen on going.
I hope everything's well with you. Let's catch up soon.
Best,
Pandora
Josephine neatly folds the letter, planning to respond later when her thoughts aren't in such disarray. She can't shake off the memory of the elderly man, whose name she doesn't even know. Staring up at her ceiling, she fights back tears.
Sleep eluded her the previous night; she spent hours blankly staring at the wall. After a few more moments at her desk, she decides to leave for work, putting on a facade of normalcy.
"You're going to burn something," Alora remarks with a sigh as Josephine enters the kitchen, feigning a smile.
Karina, busy at the stove, defends herself, "I won't burn anything."
Alora's attention shifts to Josephine. "Oh, hello dear! Good morning."
Seating herself on a stool, Josephine manages a slightly more genuine smile. "Good morning," she greets, but guilt tugs at her for feeling anything akin to happiness. Is she even truly happy?
Her thoughts are interrupted as Alora hands her a letter. "This arrived for you earlier; I think it's your OWL exam results."
Josephine's eyes widen at the envelope, hesitant to open it. "What if I failed everything?" she frets.
"Josephine, you're brilliant; there's no way you failed," Alora reassures.
After a moment, she unfolds the parchment and a genuine smile spreads across her face. O grades in everything except Potions, where she receives an Exceeds Expectations.
"You practically aced them all!" Alora cheers.
Karina chimes in, "Great job!"
As Josephine examines the papers, she discovers another page—a letter stating she'll be advancing to seventh-year Charms instead of sixth.
"I'm moving up to seventh-year Charms," she exclaims.
"Really?!" Alora claps in excitement.
Josephine feels a rush of excitement and pride. Yet, she can't ignore the looming prospect of a challenging exam in that class and the possibility of sharing it with James.
She hastily folds the papers as Karina hands her a plate of food. "Eat before you head to work."
Alora leans in closer. "I managed to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup," she whispers.
"Really?" Josephine perks up. Though not a massive Quidditch enthusiast, the event sounds enjoyable. Alora nods.
"Karina can't make it, so it's just us two. Would you like to come?" Alora offers.
"I'd love to," Josephine beams.
~~~
Willow turns to Josie. "Could you go get the table by the window? That couple just came in."
"Sure." Josephine quickly finishes rebraiding her hair before heading over to the table. The pair appears older, maybe in their forties. The man seems distressed while the woman tries to console him with whispered words.
Nervousness always accompanies Josie when attending to customers, but she forces a smile as she approaches them.
"Welcome to Hazy Days Cafe. Is there anything I can start you with?" She notices the couple's apparent distress, which furrows her brows.
The woman sniffs softly. "I'm sorry, dear. Could we simply have two black coffees, please?"
"Certainly," Josephine nods. Concerned, she asks, "Are you both alright?"
The man, with watery eyes, turns toward her. "Not really. My—" He pauses to cough. "My dad passed away, which is why we're here."
Josie feels a sudden freeze within her. "I'm so sorry," she offers sympathetically, her mind racing through potential connections to the man she had tried to help earlier. She hopes it isn't true, desperately wishing that this man's father wasn't the person she had encountered. But the grim possibility lingers.
Rubbing under his eye, the man continues, "It's okay. I'm sorry for dropping this on you. It's just... a lot. The authorities don't have any leads on who did it."
Observing Josie's perplexed expression, the woman adds, "He was murdered."
"I'll fetch your coffees. Again, I'm sorry," Josephine murmurs. Her mind is reeling, attempting to maintain composure until she can be alone. She goes behind the counter and places the order with Emmie.
"You okay, Josie?" Emmie asks, concern etched on her face.
"Yeah, I'm going to take my break now, if that's alright?"
"Sure."
Josephine can't muster another smile. She hurries to the bathroom and locks the door.
Of course, the man had a family who cared for him. The selfish thought races through her mind. Why does this have to happen at this cafe?
Josie paces in the confined space, feeling the weight of a universe seemingly against her. Self-loathing surges within her. Her breaths quicken, signaling an impending panic attack. She halts her pacing, attempting to calm herself, yet tears flow uncontrollably as she covers her mouth.
She doesn't have time for this. As much as she wants to scream and cry and complain that this isn't fair, she has to return to work.
Her hand instinctively reaches for the necklace Regulus has given her. She scolds herself for feeling so feeble and forces herself to stop.
Taking a deep breath, she approaches the mirror, quickly fixing her makeup before leaving the bathroom. The couple remains, the man still in tears.
Seeing them makes her long for the presence of parents she never had. If she had had a father, perhaps that night she would have embraced him tighter. Maybe she would have felt remorse for the deceased man, rather than guilt over knowing who had killed him, her breath catches once again. Yet, she pretends to be composed as she finally brings the coffee over to their table, apologizing once more.
~~~~~ Guys make sure you're on the right chapter btw!! wattpad keeps glitching😭
