Prohibit | Sirius O. Black ?

[ 16 ]

JOSÉPHINE RESTED ON HER BED the day after the incident occurred. She had spent the night in the Hospital wing after Madam Pomfrey gave her a sleeping drought, and had been able to attend half of her classes today after a much needed pepper-up potion.

She still had a small headache, but it was manageable. When she had turned up half way into Transfiguration, Lily had fretted of Josie much like her grandmother used to. She continued to do so, even now when it was late afternoon and most of the girls were holed up in their dorms doing homework.

"Who does he think he is? The arrogant pig." Lily ranted for the 15th time. Apparently 'Potter' (she had affectionately nicknamed James) had ruined their potion in potions this morning, something Josie had sadly missed. "Why on earth did I have to be partnered with that idiot?"

Joséphine rose an eyebrow at the mumbling red head. She still didn't quite understand the dynamic between the two, apparently Lily hated his guts, yet Joséphine knew for a fact that James was in love with her. The engagement ring around her neck was proof enough as it was.

"You know why," Alice piped up from her upside-down position on her bed. "Slughorn thought putting the two heads together would be beneficial."

Marlene snorted from her position on the window sill, she wasn't studying with the other girls because apparently 'pretty people don't need to study when they have a face like mine', Josie didn't understand what that meant but smiled when the blonde said it anyway.

Joséphine couldn't help but glance at the red head who was flushed red in anger, or perhaps embarrassment at Alices' words. It was true that Lily and James were head boy and girl, apparently they even had their own dorms and common room, but Lily refused to stay in any kind of enclosed space with James, and the latter couldn't bear to be away from his friends.

Instead the two stayed in their old dorms, well until they got in trouble that is.

"I don't know why you're complaining," Alice continued. "Potters very good at potions."

"No he isn't, he's an insolent idiot." Lily protested.

"His family is quite gifted in potions," Joséphine decided to add. "His father did create the Sleekezy hair taming potion."

The girls fell silent at her words, and collectively turned towards Joséphine.

"What?" Lily questioned.

"Fleamont Potter? He created it, he's sold it now, but it has left them quite well off." Joséphine nodded.

"There is no way that James Potters dad created a famous potion and he hasn't boasted about it for the seven years we've been here," Marlene argued, her nose scrunched as the rest of the girls nodded in agreement. "He's way too cocky for that."

"I'm telling the truth, don't you all know the inventor of the potion?" Joséphine argues back.

"Well no." Lily spoke.

"We just use the potions, not learn the whole history behind it all." Marlene shrugged.

"How do you know that anyway?" Alice questioned the French girl as the rest of them were still reeling from the information.

"Well, my family is quite close with the Potters."

"How close?" Marlene asked suspiciously.

Joséphine wondered if this was the perfect moment to tell her friends about her and James. It had been all she could think about while in the Hospital wing, and wanted to tell her friends as she felt immensely guilty holding in such a big secret.

"Well," Joséphine made up her mind. "In a temporary engagement kind of close."

Josephine didnt know what she had expected, maybe a few dramatic leers or even someone (Lily) bursting into hysterical tears at the subject. She did not however, predict all the girls bursting into laughter.

"You're so funny Josie!" Alice squeaked out.

"Yeah, you and Potter? Hilarious!" Lily managed to say in between her loud laughter.

"I'm not joking though," Joséphine was confused by their reaction. Did she somehow say a joke? Maybe it was a british kind of humour (the best kind, Marlene would always insist).

"What?" Said girl glared at Joséphine slightly.

"Well, it's not like it's permanent. At least, we both hope it's not." Josephine argued, slightly defensive that the girls didn't believe her.

"What? You're engaged to be married?" Came from a pale Lily.

Josephine started to regret ever saying anything as she stared at Lily. All the colour had drained from her face and she looked as if she could throw up.

"Our parents arranged it before we were ever born though we both do-"

"I have to go." Lily cut the French girl off before running out the door, Alice following her quickly after and Marlene shooting Josephine a look before following.

Josephine wasn't quite sure what to do as she sat on her bed and watched the door. She hoped her friends would come back in and explain to her what just happened but she doubted that they would.

Was it something she said?