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"Not again," Josephine sighs, gazing at her reflection as Aras's face unexpectedly appears in the mirror.
She had risen early this morning to prepare for an upcoming test in Heleans dorm.
"Why, hello, little spy," Ara purrs, but something about her feels different—still arrogant, yet off in some way.
"What do you want?" Josie observes the identical braids in both their hair, a peculiar and unsettling detail.
"What? Don't you enjoy our talks?"
Josephine sighs, sensing that something is amiss with Ara.
"Are you—" Josie stops herself, incredulously contemplating whether she is genuinely asking the Death Eater who had attacked her if she is okay. "Are you alright?"
Ara freezes, caught off guard. "I'm fine," her voice is cold, but an underlying emotion lingers.
Josephine nods, absently picking at her nails.
"Do you know who my brother is?" Ara questions.
Josie nods again.
Ara hesitates, as if surprised by her own desire to speak. "He's married to Narcissa Black," her voice carries emotion and anger. "I will never understand how she loves him."
Josephine furrows her brows, suspecting some tension between Lucius and Narcissa. "Brothers can suck," she muses, reflecting on her own past with James before they grew closer.
Ara subtly nods in agreement.
"I need to get to class," Josie breaks the silence, placing the mirror on her lap and absentmindedly picking at her nails.
The enigma surrounding Ara intrigues her. Despite knowing little about Ara, except her proficiency in lethal activities, Josephine can't fathom why their discussions are kept secret from Tom.
Taking Ara seriously stems from the mystery surrounding her allegiance to the Death Eaters and her swift ascent in their ranks.
Admitting it begrudgingly, Tom is easier to comprehend; their similar thought processes often feel like staring into a mirror, a reflection that triggers a wave of self-loathing.
Josie takes a few extra moments in Helena's dorm before rising from the chair and departing. She bypasses her own dorm, continuing through the common room.
Today marks Sirius' birthday, a reminder she mentally notes to wish him well.
Turning a corner in a hallway, she collides with someone. "Sorry," she steps back, realizing it's Regulus.
Regulus wears a somewhat blank expression, attempting to suppress emotions. "Josephine," he says, allowing a trace of warmth to lace his tone.
