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Josephine sits entranced by the melody flowing from the piano, her envy of Regulus's skill evident in the way her fingers tap rhythmlessly against her thigh.
As the final note cascades softly, Regulus exhales, his body easing away from the instrument with a slight lean.
Dusk is settling outside, casting long shadows through the room.
"I absolutely loved that," Josephine murmurs from her spot on the couch.
Regulus turns towards her, a subtle smirk dancing on his lips.
A faint twitch graces Josephine's lips as she sinks further into the cushions, a slight dizziness washing over her momentarily. She blinks it away, determined to remain composed.
Regulus emits a soft hum. "While playing, I... I recalled that my parents are adept at legilimency. They taught the basics to me... though I suspect they intended to delve deeper," he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her eyebrows arch in curiosity.
"If you wish, you could attempt it on me. I'll lower my defenses," Josephine offers.
Regulus casts her a cautious glance. "You truly trust me enough to let me into your mind?"
"Without a doubt," she replies, though she harbors reservations about granting him unfettered access to her thoughts.
"May I try it now?" he inquires.
Josephine nods, then focuses on clearing her mind. With deliberate intent, she allows certain barriers around her thoughts to dissolve, revealing a single, guarded memory.
Though she doesn't hear the incantation, she feels its subtle pressure, like a weight upon her consciousness.
Her eyelids flutter shut as she fixates on tantalizing him with the memory. Without hesitation, he seizes upon it, interpreting it as an invitation.
"You tricked me," Regulus teases, his voice resonating lightly.
They stand in the Hogwarts courtyard. The memory he grasped depicts a joyous gathering of themselves and their friends frolicking in the snow.
"You fell for it," Josephine retorts with a casual shrug.
As the scene unfolds, she watches Evan being bombarded with snow, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Regulus emits a soft hum. "Your shields are formidable," he murmurs, his touch brushing lightly against the shields in her mind, a gentle probing.
"If you seek entry into my innermost thoughts, you'll need to try harder," she whispers. Abruptly, they are pulled away from the memory, finding themselves within the confines of a classroom.
Josephine's brow furrows in confusion. They are there, yet not quite. The classroom appears distorted, unsettlingly unfamiliar.
"This isn't from my mind," she mutters, realizing that Regulus has drawn her into one of his own memories.
