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Regulus absentmindedly toys with the rings adorning Josephines fingers, gently twirling them as he converses with Pandora in the living room.
Josephine sits beside him, absorbed in a book, though her gaze merely drifts over the pages. Regulus lightly taps her hand, prompting her to look up, meeting his inquisitive gaze. With a subtle gesture, she allows her mental barriers to lower, granting him entry into her thoughts with practiced ease.
"I sense an impending order meeting," she conveys silently. "Given the recent attack, it seems inevitable."
Regulus's grip on her hand tightens involuntarily. "Should I take your place using Polyjuice?" he offers, concern evident in his tone.
A faint smirk touches Josephine's lips. "I'd rather you keep your distance from Tom," she replies, her mind echoing with his sentiments.
Regulus confesses, "I've glimpsed him before, at my family's house."
Josephine's muscles tense imperceptibly, prompting a swift response. "Then I'd prefer you stay far away from him now," she asserts firmly.
In an instant, they return to the present moment, their silent exchange concluded.
The telepathic exchanges they share feel surreal, like traversing a bridge connecting their minds rather than merely conversing in the physical realm.
In the living room, Pandora's gaze drifts to the ceiling, her thoughts far from the mundane surroundings. Earlier that day, they ventured into town for necessities, returning to their tranquil abode.
"Do you think Evan and Barty will join us?" Pandora's query pierces the quietude.
Josephine's response is terse, her muscles tensing with apprehension. "I hope so," she murmurs, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Suddenly, a sharp scratching noise interrupts their contemplation, drawing their collective attention to a lone owl perched outside one of the room's many windows.
"I knew it," Josie mutters under her breath, recognizing the herald of impending news—the same owl that often delivers missives for their clandestine gatherings.
Brushing Regulus's hand aside gently, Josie rises from her seat and approaches the window. With practiced ease, she accepts the letter from the owl before watching it take flight into the dusk.
With resigned annoyance, she tears open the letter, revealing the expected summons: an order meeting. At least it isn't scheduled at Euphemia and Fleamont's estate this time.
"It's an order meeting," she explains curtly to Pandora, who sits up abruptly, eyes widening with anticipation.
"I'll be back," Josie declares before ascending the stairs, her mind already racing ahead to the task at hand—informing Tom.
