Her gaze fixes on the diadem, scrutinizing its details within Helena's dorm, ensuring the horcrux remains intact.
Merlin, paranoia has set in.
Josephine rises, shifts the table back into the corner, and departs, the closet door closing with a faint creak. Lost in thought, she grapples with the daunting nature of her mission. Hunting horcruxes, confronting Tom—where will it end? Will it ever end? Would she give in to the dark side?
She hones in on that last thought.
It's not the fear of embracing the dark side that troubles her; rather, it's the dread of mirroring Tom or Dumbledore.
With a sigh, she shuts her eyes briefly.
Perhaps today, she resolves to feign normalcy, to mimic the person she used to be before this enveloping darkness tainted her—assuming such a version of herself exists.
Running her hands over her black pants, she exits Helena's dorm. Today holds a Quidditch match; she hopes Regulus has recovered from his recent illness.
Descending the girls' dormitory stairs, she proceeds through the common room toward the Great Hall for breakfast, idly picking at her nails until she catches herself.
At the Ravenclaw table, Dorcas and Pandora engage in conversation with the boys. "Hi," Josephine greets, taking the vacant spot at the table's end.
"Josette!" Evan exclaims, absorbed in his paper.
Regulus offers a faint smile, and greetings follow from Pandora, Dorcas, and Barty.
"What are you woking on?" Josephine leans inquisitively toward Evan.
"History of magic. We're tasked with an essay on some notable English witches," he grumbles. "I got assigned someone I know nothing about."
Josie chuckles "Who did you get?"
"Anne Boleyn," he confesses.
Her eyes widen. "I love Anne Boleyn!" Excitement courses through her veins.
Evan looks up pleadingly. "Please help me."
Josephine shifts beside him, with Barty and Regulus opposite.
"Give it," she requests, motioning toward the paper.
Evan slides the parchment and quill across. Regulus observes her with raised brows.
Glancing over Evan's work, she raises an eyebrow. "You've only written your name."
Evan grins. "Yes."
"Technically, Anne was only considered a witch due to allegations, all because Henry desired another woman."
"Who's Henry?" Evan asks.
Barty chuckles, rolling his eyes. "Henry the Eighth, King of England. He had six wives. Anne was his second."
"Wow," Evan exhales.
"Yeah, he was terrible. But his wives were intriguing. Catherine of Aragon, his first wife, was amazing; she was initially married to his brother, then wed him. Later, he had Mary Boleyn as his mistress before meeting her sister, Anne. He got her pregnant, tried divorcing Catherine, which the church opposed. So, he split from the church, made divorce lawful, and married Anne."
They all stare, except Dorcas.
"Sometimes, I forget you're a Ravenclaw," Evan remarks.
"I simply find Henry's wives fascinating," she defends before jotting down a few sentences to aid Evan.
"There! Just a couple more sentences," she says, returning the parchment.
Regulus leans forward. "I'd love to learn more about Henry's wives later."
"Really?" Her excitement evident.
He offers a gentle smile and nods.
~~~
Josephine leans in, absorbed in the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, proudly sporting a Slytherin scarf despite the incongruity.
But really, who gives it much thought?
It seems, though, that some Ravenclaws care, judging by their glares in her direction.
Ignoring their stares, she focuses on the intense match, silently rooting for Slytherin to win, almost hoping for the satisfaction of smirking at the glaring Ravenclaws.
As the game progresses, it becomes apparent that Slytherin will emerge victorious. However, a pang of sympathy hits her for Dorcas, a Ravenclaw team member.
True to prediction, Slytherin triumphs within minutes. Admittedly, Josie hasn't entirely been paying attention.
Nevertheless, she and Pandora descend into the Ravenclaw stands to offer congratulations. Josie aims to console Dorcas by affirming her as the standout player while discreetly implying the team's collective performance has faltered.
Not entirely untrue.
Eventually, amidst the group of students, they reach the teams. Barty, Evan, and Regulus are somewhat obscured among the crowd.
Pandora sighs in frustration. "I can't even spot them, and I'm tall," she mutters, craning her neck to see.
Josie chuckles. Regulus and Evan manage to extricate themselves from the crowd, though Barty remains entangled.
Both boys are slightly out of breath. "Good job, darling," Josie whispers to Regulus, noticing his already flushed face turning even redder.
She smiles at him, then turns to Evan. "Well done, Evan."
"Why thank you, Josette," he smirks.
Josie grins before seeking out Dorcas within the gathering. Offering her a kiss on the cheek, she compliments her performance and bids her farewell.
The Slytherin team begins their slow journey toward the changing rooms, prompting Josie and Pandora, among others, to head back to the castle. After a few minutes, they reach the imposing structure.
"I'm going to see Xenophilius," Pandora blurts, her cheeks flushing. Josie smiles. "Sure thing, Pandora. Take care; I'll catch up with you later." Pandora turns the corner and disappears.
Josephine strolls down the empty halls, feeling a twinge of boredom. Aside from studying, she has little else to occupy her time. Her fingers toy with the bracelet Regulus had gifted her.
Footsteps echo behind her in the silent corridor. The pace makes her pause, anxiety of potential danger creeping in. But when she turns around, a sigh of relief escapes her lips—it's Regulus.
"Hello," she greets the out-of-breath Regulus, who appears as if he sprinted straight from the Quidditch field.
"Hello, Josephine." She raises her eyebrows. "Are you okay?" she inquires.
He draws in a deep breath before nodding.
"I mentioned wanting to hear more about those wives of Henry," he states.
Her stomach flutters nervously. "I thought you were kidding about that," she murmurs as they resume walking.
"I wasn't," he affirms, taking a deep breath. "Tell me more."
She grins to herself. "Let's go outside. I'll tell you more there."
They navigate through the corridors before stepping outside, eventually finding a secluded spot near the lake, shielded from view.
Leaning against a tree, Josephine shifts her bag onto her lap, covering her stomach.
"So, I can just talk about his wives?" she asks.
Regulus nods.
"You might regret this; I tend to talk a lot about my interests," she warns playfully.
He chuckles. "I don't mind, Josephine. I want to hear about them."
She straightens up. "Alright, so Catherine was initially married to Arthur, but he passed away shortly after their wedding. Catherine claimed the marriage wasn't consummated to maintain an alliance with England. So she then married his brother, Henry, but couldn't produce a male heir—only a daughter named Mary. Henry took up with Mary Boleyn as his mistress, then met her sister, Anne. Consequently, he sought to divorce Catherine, which didn't sit well with the church. He broke from the church, divorced Catherine, and married Anne." Josie pauses to catch her breath. "Anne also failed to provide a male heir, giving birth only to a daughter, Elizabeth. Eventually, Henry had her executed on charges of incest and treason."
She continues delving into the topic until she notices what Regulus is up to. He has a notebook open, glancing between her and his notebook.
"What are you doing?" she tries to lean forward, but he shields the notebook.
"Keep talking," he urges.
She narrows her eyes. "It's getting late," she suddenly declares, noticing the impending sunset.
Regulus glances up, as if only just realizing the time.
"Let's head back to the castle," Josephine suggests, gathering her belongings. Regulus stands, following her lead, and they walk back together.