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TW Blood, death.
They land in a forest, one Josephine visited as a child. She only thought about finding somewhere far from the ocean.
Her wet clothes cling to her body, and the corset grows more uncomfortable with each passing second. At least Regulus and Evan are safe.
She lets her eyes scan over them, just to be sure. They both seem fine, except for a few minor scratches on Evan's face.
The forest is less dense here, the trees more spread out, leaving enough room for them to set up a place to stay. Josephine puts a hand to her chest as she leans against one of the trees, not even feeling the rough bark.
Merlin, her lungs feel like they can't get enough air. It has been like that since the explosion in the forest, exacerbating an old injury she has never healed, never had checked.
"Josephine?" Regulus places a concerned hand on her arm.
"I'm fine," Josie forces herself to breathe, straightening up. "Just need to catch my breath." She manages a small, reassuring smile.
Regulus eyes her skeptically but doesn't push further, keeping a hand near her just in case.
"Merlin," Evan pants, "I'm never going anywhere with you two again."
Josephine can't stop the laughter that escapes her, though it quickly fades into a wince, which she masks. She picks at her nails, trying to stay present, to ignore the discomfort and pain. She grabs the cloth bag she carries and expands it with a quick spell.
Josephine has packed many things in the bag, some of which have been there for years. She knows that there is a tent inside her bag, one of those magical ones that is bigger on the inside.
They need to stay away from the house, just in case Death Eaters are still tracking them.
"The Death Eaters," Evan begins, "they weren't trying to kill us."
She thinks over the spells they have used, spells that would harm but not kill.
"Tom probably ordered them not to kill us," Josie muses aloud. "He wants his Horcruxes back; he needs us for that."
Silence falls. The sun is slowly setting, and the forest is eerily quiet, devoid of animal sounds.
Josephine sighs before handing Regulus her bag. "There's a tent in there. Set it up, please. I'll start protections around the area."
"Alright," Regulus replies, looking down at the bag in his hands before walking a few feet away to a mostly cleared spot.
"I'll help with the spells," Evan offers, moving to the left to start casting.
Josephine forces herself to focus solely on the spells. She uses a multitude of incantations, many to deter Muggles and to alert her of any nearby presence. She adds layers of protective spells to ward off any Death Eaters.
