Sirius can't stand her, and Regulus doesn't even want to see her, but Josephine still manages to find herself betrothed to the noble House of Black.
Discovering the true meaning of friendship and loyalty, Josephine tries to fulfill her parents wish...
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"You know what? I think you need a nickname," declared Rosier.
The first month in the wizarding world was rather uneventful for Josephine, except for the few encounters she had with either of the Black brothers. Regulus was tolerable; he didn't interfere with her business except for some cruel comments he made about her obliviousness to magic or her clueless questions in class.
Josephine wasn't taking that too well. Every time Regulus Black said something like, "Are you sure you even have magic in you?" or "You don't even deserve to be here," it put her off her work and class, trying to convince herself that she did deserve to be here just like everyone else. But that actually helped her progress. She knew she was lacking and still had a lot to learn, so now she didn't hesitate to spend nights reading and practicing to catch up with everyone else. And she was progressing, so the comments became less frequent.
Regulus didn't often tag along with them, and when he did, he was discreet. Rosier said it probably would take some time to gain his trust, knowing the family he came from, it was normal.
But Sirius was on a whole different level. He always had his three friends around him, ready to back him up and raise his ego at every breathing moment. That pissed Josephine off. He was slowly becoming a bully when no one was around. He didn't hesitate to throw things at her or shout mean and childish comments. It was becoming a problem. She knew if she asked her parents, the only reaction she would get was a small scoff from his father and her mother's advice on being patient. So she didn't bother; she kept the discomfort to herself.
"But why?" snapped Meadows, snapping Josephine back from her trance. She may have been sorted into Ravenclaw, but Rosier somehow convinced her to be a part of their group. She often joined them after breakfast or dinner and even sat with them in some classes.
They were now sitting inside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, waiting for class to start. They were one of the few people there at the moment, and as usual, Rosier felt the need to share his absurd ideas with the group.
"No, he actually has a point. We can't even pronounce Dubouc or Dubort or whatever her name is, and Josephine is just too elegant," added Crouch. He wasn't wrong. Everyone referred to one another by their last name, except for Crouch and Rosier, which was normal since they were childhood friends. However, after a few weeks, Josephine noticed how they were avoiding calling her by her last name, even referring to her as "you," "hey!" and even "French girlie."
When Josephine asked Crouch why, he finally admitted that they just couldn't pronounce the name. That secretly made Josephine laugh, and she assured them that they could call her Josephine. The group was shocked by her words. Under her cold demeanor, she really did appreciate them. Maybe she too needed time to trust them completely.
"What about Jose?" Crouch continued his phrase.
"No, that sounds too Spanish," commented Rosier.
"Yeah, probably because it is, you uneducated dummies," intervened Meadows. She had a point; Jose seemed like a Spanish name and even a guy's name to Josephine's ears. But she did not open her mouth, curious as to where the conversation would go.
