17 May: The Great Hall.
"Good Morning." Josette greeted her friends as she and Sirius sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast.
"Morning." Everyone said in unison.
"When did you returned??" Marlene asked as she piled up her plate with pancakes.
"Late last night." Meredith replied.
"So, how's your mother?" Remus asked.
"Better now." Meredith replied looking down at her plate.
Just then the owls swooped in with letters and parcels. Josette was shocked when a howler dropped in front of her.
"Hey, Josette got a howler!" James laughed. "What did you do??"
"I don't think I did something wrong, did I?" She was confused herself seeing the howler.
"Whose it from??" Sirius asked. Josette picked up the red envelope and saw a name written on the right corner.
"Jenna." She read. Meredith and Josette shared a look. Does she know we sneaked out of Hogwarts??
"Come on, open it." Remus said.
"NO. Not in front of everyone." Josette said clutching the envelope tightly to her chest.
"That's what howlers are meant for. So everybody can listen." Sirius said and went to take the letter from her. Josette moved it away from him, Sirius struggling to get hold on it when James sneakily snatched it out of her hand.
"James Fleamont Potter. Give it back." Josette hissed and stood up, running towards him.
"Not a chance." He laughed immediately opening the envelope.
"JOSETTE HART!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH TROUBLE YOU ARE IN!!!" Jenna's voice rang through the hall as everyone's attention turned towards it, even the professors.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!! SNEAKING OUT OF HOGWARTS! HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID?? AND NOT JUST THAT, YOU WALK DIRECTLY INTO DANGER. HOW CAN YOU THINK OF FACING THE FERðAMENN ALONE?? AND MEREDITH." the howler turned from Josette to the said girl who gulped in fear "YOU DIDN'T TRY TO STOP HER AND JUST WALKED RIGHT TOWARDS YOUR DEATH. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A CHAT ABOUT THIS AFTER WE MEET. TILL THEN DO ANYTHING STUPID AND I WILL COME THERE TAKING YOU OUT OF HOGWARTS!!" Meredith nodded in fear even though Jenna can't see her.
The howler turned towards Lily and said in a soft voice "Lily." The howler again turned towards the Slytherin table facing Severus. Jenna doesn't know that they had a fight and Severus is not talking to them. She still thinks he's their best friend. "Severus. Please keep a watch on these two. Don't let them get away from your sight for more than an hour." With that the howler burst into flames and shriveled into ashs.
Josette and Meredith sat silently, avoiding everyone's eyes. Sirius was fuming with anger and sadness. She lied to me AGAIN!!
James coughed breaking the awkward silence. "Mor-"
"Don't." Josette stopped him from saying anything. "How did she even knew, we sneaked out of Hogwarts??" Josette mumbled looking at Meredith.
"I may have... sent her a letter... asking about her.... health." Lily said nervously afraid to see how they would react.
"LILY!!" Meredith and Josette shouted together. Josette banged her head onto the table in frustration.
"Josette. You want to tell us where and why you went directly towards danger??" Sirius asked remembering what Jenna said.
"And please don't lie or say 'I can't tell you'. This is really getting serious. You can't keep hiding from us whatever you are hiding, just tell us the truth." Remus added and others nodded looking at the two girls intently.
"Look guys-" Josette started explaining but was stopped by the Headmaster. No one noticed when he walked right towards them.
"Miss Hart. Please follow me to my office, we need to have a word." Dumbledore said and walked out of the Hall without even waiting for her reply.
Josette got up from her seat, thankful for this interruption, but Sirius grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Josette. You are going to tell us everything, meet us in our dorm later. And don't turn on us." Sirius said in a clam and serious tone.
Josette nodded, it didn't slip past her how he used her full name twice not calling her 'Jo' or 'Mor' and it made her sad. She quickly ran out of the Hall towards the Headmaster's office.
~☆~
"Please, take a seat." Dumbledore offered as they entered his office and took his seat on his chair. Josette followed seating in front of him.
"How are you feeling now. I heard you were sick for nearly a month??" Dumbledore asked with a small smile on his face.
"I'm fine now?" She answered confused, she thought he was going to be angry for sneaking out of Hogwarts.
"I've got some complaints from the Gryffindors that you always on their common room and if you get a special treatment they should to. So, if you are now well, it would be best if you moved back to the Slytherin Common Room." He explained.
"Oh." Josette's face fell. She's so used to the Gryffindor common room that moving back to her own house will be hard for her. She can't be with Sirius whenever she wants and most importantly she will have to tolerate those Slytherins again. "Okay. I understand. I'll move back to my common room." Dumbledore nodded.
"So" he added "About the howler." Josette sighed. And here it comes.
"I'm sorry for sneaking out but I won't do it again. I promise, besides after Jenna's instruction, I don't think my friends will ever leave my side." Josette rolled her eyes.
"With the Dark Lord and those Ferðamenn behind you, I don't think it was very wise of you to leave Hogwarts grounds alone." Dumbledore said genuinely worried about her safety. Josette nodded understanding.
"Where did you went to?" He asked curiously.
"To meet the Ferðamenn." She answered nervously.
"WHAT!!" Dumbledore nearly shouted "Why?"
"I killed Marcel, their leader." She blurted out.
"Merlin!! Josette this is unacceptable and wrong. I know you have killed people before but it was not your fault that's why I didn't report it to the Ministry. But this time, why??" Dumbledore asked with a little anger in his voice.
"He was messing with my head. I had to do it." Josette argued.
"Josette we don't go by that method. Violence is not an answer to everything. You just can't kill someone." Dumbledore got up from his seat and walked towards her.
"You don't go by that method. I do." Josette corrected him "And believe me I don't like it either but there was no other way." She said angrily. Why does he care, what I do. It's my problem.
"There is always a other way." Dumbledore snapped "You go again doing something like that and I'll have to take action against you." He warned, Josette jut rolled her eyes.
"Mortis, I'm serious." He said in a stern voice. "If you too go killing people out there, what's the difference between Voldemort and you??"
"There's no difference between him and I. We are same; selfish, mean, killers!!!" Josette snapped "The only difference is, he does that for power and I do it to protect my friends."
Dumbledore sighed and again settled down into his chair. Both sat in silence only the ticking of the clock could be heard in the whole room. "Next time" Dumbledore started "Before doing anything like this just let me know and we will find if there's any other way or not." He suggested "And if there isn't, you can go ahead with your way."
Josette smiled in victory "Of course."
~☆~
Josette stood outside the Marauders dorm debating weather to open the door or not. She took a deep breath and finally opened it. All her confidence washed away seeing the angry look on Sirius's face. Lily, James, Peter and Remus were sitting on James's bed. Sirius on his, alone and Meredith on Remus's. No one was saying a word, all of them were silent as the grave.
Josette hesitantly walked towards Sirius and was going to sit when "Sit beside Meredith." He demanded.
Wow! He's really angry. Josette obliged sitting beside her friend.
"Why did you sneak out??" James asked.
"We had to do something." Meredith answered.
"What??" Remus questioned "And please, don't lie."
Meredith didn't say anything. Josette was looking between the couple nervously.
"Oh for God's sake! say something!" Sirius shouted.
Josette winced at the liud noise "Okay, I'll explain from the start. But promise me, you won't be mad at us."
"That depends on your explanation." Sirius said in monotone, his eyes piercing into her.
Josette sighed. "Yesterday, Marcel got into my head and he threanted to hurt you all, if..." she bit on her lip debating weather to continue or not but one look from Sirius and she opened her mouth again "If I didn't come and meet him."
"And you did!!" Sirius sighed "You sneaked out to met him!!" He shouted.
"Are you two out of your mind??" Remus joined in.
"Look guys, I had enough lecture from Jenna and Dumbledore. I don't need one from you too, okay??" Josette said "We talked and settled things. The Marcel chapter is over, he can't get into my head anymore and that's what matters."
"No. What matters is your safety which you clearly don't care about!!" James scolded, getting into his big brother mode.
"I am sorry. But I had to go. It was torture, you know. Waking every night seeing your friends die in front of your eyes." Tears pricked her eyes "It feels so real, sometimes I question the reality, if it's true or not. Imagine the love of your life, dies in front of your eyes." Josette looked at Sirius with sadness. Sirius's face softened, imaging what she just said "And not just that, imagine killing them with your own hands. You don't know how it feels!!! Death is much, much better than seeing that again and again." Josette shouted breaking down into tears.
Everyone's anger melted away, seeing her like this. They never knew what she went through with those nightmares, it was so hard for them to even imagine what she said. And she was seeing it every night, they felt sorry for her.
Sirius walked towards her and hugged her tightly, letting her cry into his chest. "We never knew how hard it was for you with those nightmares. But you can't go on risking your life, you know?" He mumbled.
"I know and I'm so sorry for that." Josette mumbled.
"And you promised to not lie anymore but you still did." He said with a sad smile.
"I was going to tell you the truth but Jenna's howler did it before me. I just didn't tell you earlier cause I knew you wouldn't let me go." Josette explained.
"But you still went."
"I had to." She whined.
"So, what happened there??" Lily asked.
Oh God! What am I going to tell them! Josette looked at Meredith, eyeing her to speak up. But she turned around telling her to handel it herself. You Bitch!! Josette cursed.
"I... I don't know actually. Heimdall took care of it. Marcel just said he won't interfere in my life anymore." Josette lied.
"Really??" Remus asked unsure.
"Yah ha."
"If you lie one more time, Jo. I will really won't talk to you, you understand?" Sirius warned. Josette nodded furiously. He smiled and hugged her. The atmosphere changed from tense to happy. Remus and Meredith shared a kiss as he too warned her. James and Lily hugged, Josette smiling widely. Though Peter was feeling a little left out between these three couples.
'You are digging a hole Mortis and it is getting deeper and deeper. You have to tell them the truth at some point. Better do it fast before things get out of hands and you won't be able to fix it with another lie.' Heimdall's advice rang through her head and now she is feeling more guilty about it.
"I have a bad news though." Josette mumbled.
"Now what??" Everyone yelled in unison.
"I have yo move back to my dorms. Dumbledore's order."
"What!!"
"Why?"
"You can't move back."
Everyone whined.
"I'm sorry but I have no choice in this." She shrugged.
A/N
Josette is in big trouble!! Sirius finds out she lied again then God knows what will happen!!
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♡