Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
TW panic attack.
"No, Evan," Josephine mutters, their footsteps echoing as they head to potions class.
The prospect of attending the class is not appealing to her in the slightest. Nevertheless, Josie doesn't want Regulus to perceive her as overly emotional by refusing to go.
Evan chuckles, a huff of amusement escaping him.
It seems he is trying to lighten the mood and distract her, a gesture she appreciates.
At least Evan isn't eyeing her as if she is on the verge of breaking down.
Entering the classroom, Josie's attention is immediately drawn to what is written on the front desk.
In bold letters on the board, the potion's name is displayed: Amortentia.
Of course.
Josephine absentmindedly picks at her nails as she takes a seat beside Evan. The seating arrangement has changed due to some rearrangements involving other students, a silver lining as it spares her from sitting next to Regulus while concocting a love potion.
A potion that will inevitably make her catch a whiff of Regulus, forcing her to realize that she loves...
Yeah, she isn't ready to voice those emotions just yet.
Pretending to immerse herself in her book, Josie observes Regulus entering the class. He too hesitates at the sight of the potion's name on the board but swiftly composes himself, taking his seat a few tables away from her.
Slughorn strolls past her desk, his robes swaying, and begins discussing the day's lesson at the front of the class.
However, her attention is more on the act of picking at her nails than on the professor's words.
The only crucial information she absorbs is related to the directions for the day. "I'll go get the ingredients," Josephine informs Evan, rising and making her way to the shelf on the opposite side of the room, away from Regulus.
Once she gathers the ingredients, she returns to the table. The only drawback of partnering with Evan is his inclination to get easily distracted.
He displays remarkable intelligence in certain subjects, but frequent distractions or moments of mental blankness hinder his overall performance.
Now more than ever, she realizes the urgent need to excel in potions.
Compounding the issue is her own tendency to lose herself in thoughts, resulting in occasional mental lapses. Despite her best efforts to concentrate on the potion, her mind inevitably drifts to Regulus as she stirs the cauldron.
A persistent fear lingers in the recesses of her mind—that everyone will eventually abandon her. They will find companions who are superior, kinder, prettier—someone who is essentially her but better, a version she can never attain.
