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Josephine's eyes flutter open. Fortunately, it isn't sunlight that rouses her. She isn't entirely sure what has awakened her.
A deep breath in, and an arm around her waist shifts.
Brows furrow in thought—oh right, Regulus.
The events from the previous night flood her mind. Sitting up in Regulus's bed, his arm sliding off her waist, she notices he is still asleep.
What time is it? A quick glance at the wall clock reveals it is early morning. The dorm is empty, each bed vacant. Perhaps Regulus was correct; Barty and Evan might have stayed elsewhere.
Her mind then replays the events of the previous night—every detail. Her thighs squeeze together involuntarily, but she swiftly redirects her thoughts.
Josie had attempted to remove all her makeup the night before, but some stubborn mascara remained, leaving a hint of eyeliner.
It strikes her that she hasn't had a nightmare last night—the first time in a while.
"Josephine," a deep, tired voice murmurs from behind her.
Turning to face Regulus, whose eyes are still slightly shut, she whispers, "Good morning."
His messy hair and sleepy eyes make her appreciate the disheveled look on him.
"Are you alright?" he asks, sitting up with the covers near their waists.
"I'm fine," she replies. His attempt to kiss her neck makes her catch her breath, and she feels his smile against her skin before he pulls away. "Are you alright?"
"I'm great," he answers. Leaning forward for a kiss, she lifts a finger to his lips. "After we brush our teeth, I'll kiss you." With that, she moves away, pushing the covers off her.
"Mm fine" Though his tone sounded like it wasn't fine at all. She rolls her eyes and heads to the bathroom.
Josie didn't scrutinize herself in the mirror until she begins brushing her teeth. Her eyes widen at the numerous bruises on her neck—various shades of blue and black. Swiftly finishing, she exits the bathroom.
"What did you do to me?! I look like I was attacked!" Regulus lifts his head from where he lies. A smirk tugs at his lips as his eyes roam over her neck.
"I think they look good."
She glares. "Wait until you see yourself," she mutters. A few hickeys adorn his neck.
Regulus lets out a deep laugh, and Josephine rolls her eyes playfully before returning to the bed and lying back down. Regulus eventually gets up to go to the bathroom, presumably to brush his teeth.
Oh, she definitely needs to discuss this with Pandora and Dorcas.
Smiling to herself, she flips onto her stomach to peer at Regulus's bedside table. A few parchment pieces catch her eye, flipped over. Checking to see if Regulus is looking from the bathroom, she finds him not paying attention.
Seizing the moment, Josie reaches over and snatches the parchments.
Drawings of her. She knows he draws her, but she had assumed he might have moved on to other subjects by now. These seem new.
One, in particular, she recognizes from a few nights ago. It depicts her in the Great Hall, sitting at the Ravenclaw table, lost in thought. Her face seems blank, immersed in contemplation.
Her dark eyes flicker to the small note above the drawing:
I want to know what she's thinking about at this moment. What causes her to be so deep in thought? She didn't eat much at this meal again. Maybe that is what she was thinking about? Or perhaps she was thinking about one of her books?
She remembers the moment vividly, recalling her concerns about Tom and the horcruxes. Frowning at the drawing for a moment, she swiftly returns all of them to their original spot and leans against the headboard.
"I suppose we ought to leave the dorm at some point," Josephine remarks as Regulus emerges from the bathroom.
"Soon," he replies, joining her on the bed for a kiss.
She kisses him back, then they break apart.
"I need to go to my dorm and change," she mumbles as Regulus settles beside her. "Or else people will think I'm weird for going to breakfast in these clothes." She starts picking at her nails, but Regulus takes hold of her hands to stop her. "And I need to cover all of these hickeys." She gestures toward her neck.
"I like them," Regulus mutters.
"Of course you do, you gave them to me."
Knocking at the door interrupts them. "Let us in!" Evan's muffled voice comes through.
Josephine can't help but laugh, while Regulus stares at her with a soft expression.
"I'll see you later." Josie gives him a quick kiss before standing up, grabbing her things.
Once she has everything, she unlocks the door and swings it open. Evan and Barty both look tired, but their eyes are alert enough to notice the bruises on her neck.
"Merlin, Regulus, what did you do?" Evan's shocked voice exclaims.
"Shut up," Josephine replies. "Is the common room empty?"
"Yes," Barty replies.
"Thank you." She offers them a small smile before brushing past them.
Exiting the Slytherin common room swiftly, she opts for the longer route back to the Ravenclaw tower, ensuring no one will spot her. Upon reaching her destination, she practically sprints up the girls' dormitory stairs and enters her room.
Fortunately, only Pandora and Dorcas are present, and Josephine wonders why Pandora is even there.
"Josie!" Dorcas exclaims as soon as she sees her. "Where have you been—oh." Her gaze fixates on Josephine's neck.
Pandora glances up from the spread of tarot cards on Dorcas's bed, her eyes widening.
"Don't say anything," Josephine instructs, closing the door behind her and heading to her bed. Once she sits down, Pandora and Dorcas immediately join her.
"So..." Dorcas begins. "Did you do it?"
"Maybe."
"There is no 'maybe'; your neck is covered in bruises," Pandora chuckles.
A smile breaks out on Josephine's face.
"I'm very curious about what happened," Pandora admits. "But Regulus is like my brother, and it feels weird."
"Well, I want to hear what happened," Dorcas says.
"Was he at least respectful?" Pandora inquires.
"Yes," Josie nods.
"Come on, Jo, tell me! Just whisper it in my ear so Pandora doesn't have to hear." Josephine laughs before sharing all the details of what happened with Dorcas.
