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TW blood. (Also this chapter takes place over a couple days!!)
Josephine shifts her gaze away from the paper, another report detailing a Death Eater attack. The stark contrast with the frivolous news of a wedding right under the attack irritates her.
It bothers Josie how indifferent people seem to be about the gravity of the situation. She sighs and sets the paper aside, contemplating Regulus's recent strange behavior.
Is he purposefully ignoring her, or is "weird" the right word? She supposes so; he isn't going out of his way to avoid conversation, but he certainly isn't making any effort to engage with her.
What bothers her more is the absence of an apology. It lingers in the air, unspoken and unaddressed.
Pandora's light voice interrupts her thoughts, "Are you alright, Josie?"
"I'm fine," Josephine snaps back from her thoughts, refocusing on her plate with minimal fruit. She has already taken a few bites, feeling a bit queasy. Josie arrived a bit early, and Regulus hasn't joined her yet.
Now, as he walks to his table, disappointment washes over her when he fails to acknowledge her presence.
~~~
"Josette?" Josie blinks as Evan snaps his fingers in front of her face.
"What?" she asks, the two of them in the library for a study session. Well, she is helping Evan study, while Regulus continues his unexplained silence, stretching for days.
Though she promises herself to address the issue with Regulus soon, an internal hesitation holds her back from confronting him at that moment.
Evan furrows his brows. "You've been acting weird."
"Thank you," Josephine replies, a touch of sarcasm in her tone.
A small twitch appears on Evan's lips. "You can talk with me if you want to, you know?"
"I know." A sad smile graces Josie's face, and beneath the table, she absentmindedly picks at her nails. "It's just about Regulus. He's been acting weird, and we haven't talked."
"Want me to ask him what's wrong?" Evan offers.
Josephine slowly shakes her head. "It's alright. I'm probably overthinking it." Despite her words, a lingering feeling tells her that she isn't overthinking at all. Something is amiss with Regulus, something has happened.
~~~
Josephine delicately uses the dagger that Hagrid has gifted her to prick her finger. The crimson droplet smears onto the lock, and Josie hears a soft click, indicating that the box now containing the horcrux, the ring, is unlocked. She just wants to ensure everything is as it should be.
With cautious anticipation, she opens the box. The gleaming ring sits perfectly in its place. Satisfied, she closes and locks the box once more before leaving Helena's dormitory.
Navigating down to the common room, Josephine is intercepted by Dorcas.
"Where are you going?" Dorcas inquires, looking up from the spread of schoolwork across the table.
"Class."
"Could you bring me the book I mentioned earlier from the library?" Dorcas requests with a smile.
"Sure," Josephine replies with a reciprocal smile before leaving the common room.
As she makes her way to class, Josie ponders the possibility of Regulus being there and perhaps initiating a conversation. She is willing to overlook the duration of his silence if he would just say her name with that warmth in his tone again.
Upon reaching the classroom, Josie notices that Regulus isn't in his usual seat. Instead, he sits at the back. While the class doesn't have assigned seating, they have habitually sat together for the past few months. Regulus, however, doesn't even glance her way, his gaze fixed blankly on his book, devoid of any emotion.
He looks tired and sad.
Frowning, Josephine approaches and takes her seat at their usual spot.
~~~
"Sure, Sirius," Josephine mumbles, shifting her chair closer to him in the Charms class where the professor has instructed them to work together.
She manages to force a smile at James before assisting Sirius.
Concerned, James leans closer and asks, "Are you alright, Josie?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," she lies effortlessly, redirecting her attention back to helping Sirius.
Surprisingly, Sirius doesn't require much assistance; he proves to be quite intelligent.
By the time Josephine finishes helping, the class is already coming to an end. Gathering her belongings, she walks out of class alongside James and Sirius.
Her heart skips a beat when Regulus walks right past her without uttering a word.
Fortunately, James and Sirius remain oblivious to the encounter. Josephine maintains a façade of composure, even though she can't resist glancing back at Regulus twice as he disappears around the corner.
Once he is out of sight, she refocuses on the conversation with James and Sirius, pretending everything is fine. Deep down, though, she feels a mix of frustration and sadness regarding Regulus's inexplicable behavior.
The turmoil within her intensifies, leaving her grappling with the question of what she might have done wrong.
~~~
"Can I sit here?" Josephine asks Mary. Once again, she finds herself in the library, and with most seats occupied, the only familiar face she spots is Mary.
Mary looks up with a smile. "Sure!"
Josephine settles into a chair, pulling out her notebook and book. There are several upcoming assignments demanding her attention, particularly in Potions.
The mere thought of anything associated with Regulus brings a wave of sadness over her.
Sighing, Josephine tries to divert her mind from him. However, she has barely read a few pages when his image intrudes once more.
Desiring a mental break, she glances up, only to find Regulus sitting at another table in the library, isolated and not engaged in conversation.
Josie averts her gaze, feeling a surge of anger and sadness coursing through her.
