Chapter Four: Deprimo

A/N: It's update time! Thank you as always to those who have been giving feedback and following the story.

"Hey, sweetheart." Taylor grinned as she was greeted by her mother upon entering the house, wrapping her arms around her and holding her close. She missed her family while she was at school, even if she did love school.

"Hi, mum!" She kissed her mother's cheek before following her into the kitchen, plopping down in a chair beside her sister.

"How's school?" Theresa queried as their dad walked past, kissing Tay on the top of the head as he set their tea down on the table. "Enjoying your second last year?"

"It's alright." Tay shrugged, sipping at her tea. "It's hard. I don't like it.'

Their dad chuckled as he ruffled her hair, heading back to the stove to check their meal. "It'll be over soon."

"How's Kane?" Tay glanced at her mum, putting her now empty cup down on the table.

"I'm not dating Kane anymore." She shrugged, crossing her legs and pushing her hair from her face. "I broke up with him."

"I didn't like him." Theresa pointed out, finishing her own tea, ruffling her sister's hair. "He had an ego the size of the sun."

"You had that in common." Tay grinned at her sister, nudging her. "I'm going to unpack."

Theresa watched as he sister headed back to the hallway, dragging her suitcase down towards her bedroom. Theresa grabbed the other smaller bag she had with her, following her sister into her room. Tay glanced at her as Theresa flopped down on the bed, staring at her intently. She quirked an eyebrow at her, knowing that she had something more to say.

"How've things been since you and Kane broke up?" Theresa asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

Taylore shrugged. She'd been sad at first at the thought of being alone, something she always dreaded, but she also knew her relationship with Kane hadn't been a healthy one. "Better than when I was dating him."

"Good. As long as you're happy." Theresa smiled, watching as Tay flopped down beside her on the bed. It was nice having her home.

Phoenix hated weddings almost as much as she hated going home for the holidays, and the wedding of Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black was no exception. Her mother Walburga had picked her dress – a pale pink thing that Phoenix absolutely loathed. She was not one for soft, pretty clothes. Thank Merlin the only occasions she had to wear them on were weddings.

"You look great." Regulus approached with a wicked smile, teeth gleaming. He was enjoying himself far too much, probably because he knew that his twin had been complaining about the dress all morning before Walburga had shouted at her and Phoenix had known the matter was final.

She narrowed her eyes. "I hate you."

His smile widened. "No you don't."

"Hello, you two."

Alexander and Evan walked over with drinks. It was certainly not uncommon to see other Slytherins at these events – purebloods tended to rub shoulders wherever possible. She glanced over at Narcissa. Her cousin was only a few years older than Sirius, twenty-one to be exact. She looked nervous and not altogether excited about this wedding. It was disturbing for Phoenix to think that might be her in a few years.

"You know, I saw a bottle of firewhiskey in the kitchen," Alexander said thoughtfully, taking a sip of his butterbeer.

"Not shots." Phoenix shook her head vehemently. "Not again."

She remembered that the four of them had locked themselves in the kitchen and done shots of firewhiskey at the last wedding they had attended – that of Bellatrix, Narcissa's older sister, and her husband Rodolphus Lestrange. She recalled that Sirius had also been in attendance at that wedding, the last family event he'd gone to before he'd been cut off.

"Definitely not," Evan agreed, grimacing at the thought.

"Come on, it'll be fun," Alexander insisted. Phoenix distinctly remembered that she'd only had two shots – she had only been around thirteen or fourteen at the time. It had been enough to get her quite drunk, and she'd ended up snogging Alexander. Certainly not something she wished to revisit.

"You said that last time," Evan reminded him.

"And it wasn't," Regulus added.

Alexander looked disappointed. "So no shots?"

"I'm mildly tempted," Phoenix admitted. Although she didn't intend on getting completely sloshed, she always forgot how utterly boring these events were. It seemed they were more for the benefit of her parents' generation rather than the actual bride and groom.

Alexander examined her. "Nice dress, Phoenix."

"Fuck you." She folded her arms over her chest, making a rude hand gesture to demonstrate her point.

"She hates pink," Regulus told them with relish.

"It looks good on her." Evan's eyes swept over her, causing her to raise her eyebrows. She expected Alexander being a perv, but Evan normally kept his comments to himself. Phoenix was not a vain girl – most of the time – though she did know she was pretty. Male attention often came across as more creepy than flattering, though.

"Checking me out now, Evan? I have a boyfriend."

Regulus rolled his eyes. "This again."

"Doesn't mean we can't look," Alexander said.

Phoenix poured herself another wine. She knew that she was only fifteen, but she needed more alcohol to be able to handle this wedding. She didn't know Lucius very well, yet she hoped he would be good to Narcissa. It scared her to know that this was the sort of future she was in for – a wedding to a man she didn't love to appease her parents.

"Don't drink too much," Regulus admonished, causing Phoenix to roll her eyes.

"How else am I meant to have fun, Reggie?" She tilted her head to the side, a wry smile spreading across her lips. "Come on, you know what these weddings are like."

Regulus had no comment to offer, but she could tell he still wasn't impressed. If she had a Galleon for every time he didn't approve of a choice she made, she'd be – well, richer than she was now. Phoenix finished her drink, ignoring her twin's disapproval and casting her gaze at the other boys.

"Anyone want to dance?"

"Sure. Come on." Evan took her by the hand and led her over to where some of the other young adults were dancing. She followed a little unsteadily, mainly on account of her four-inch heels.

"I don't like heels," Phoenix admitted, gripping his arms to stay balanced as they started dancing. "Or pink."

He laughed. "I've got you."

She couldn't help but smile a little. "You're not all bad, Rosier."

That made him grin. Phoenix twirled and stumbled, giggling. Evan caught her by the waist to stop her from falling. He was a good friend to her, most of the time. He could be an ass but he certainly wasn't as bad as Alexander.

"Thanks."

"Maybe you should stop drinking," he suggested, causing her to sigh dramatically. Of course he would assume that an overconsumption of alcohol was the cause of her lack of her balance.

"Evan, don't be boring," she drawled, "It's just the heels. They make me stumble."

"Stand on my toes then," he suggested.

She raised her eyebrows, a little perplexed. "With or without heels?"

He shrugged. "Either."

Phoenix reached down to remove her heels, hesitantly stepping on Evan's shoes. It was ridiculous as he continued to dance weighed down by her.

"What?" Evan asked at her broad smile.

"This is oddly fun."

Taylor had been nervous telling her parents about her budding relationship with Sirius. After everything that happened with Kane, she knew they were going to be wary of any new boys she had around. "So. What do you think of my parents?"

Sirius looked up from where he was spread out by the fire, smiling as Taylor dropped herself into his lap, throwing a blanket over the two of them. "They're nice."

"They actually like you." Tay grinned, burying her face in his neck as she wrapped her arms around him. "They didn't like Kane."

Sirius chuckled, holding her close against his chest. "Meeting your parents already, huh?"

"I just thought you might like to spend Christmas break here for a bit." Taylor rolled her eyes as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She ruffled his hair as she happily curled up in his lap.

"Thanks." Sirius kissed the top of her head, trailing his fingers up and down her thigh. "James is having something for New Year's I think. If you wanna come."

"Oh, yay!" Tay always loved a good party. "Of course."

Sirius sighed heavily, resting his head on her shoulder. "Don't know if I should ask Phoenix."

Tay considered his words for a moment before answering. Nix was a good friend to her, and she wouldn't mind seeing the other girl and spending some more time with her. "If you want to."

"Remus would sulk, I suppose." Sirius remembered how much his best friend had been fawning over his sister, and he supposed he couldn't deny him some time with her. "I'll ask."

It wasn't the first time Regulus had held his twin's hair back as she vomited, and it probably wouldn't be the last. It certainly wasn't the most hungover she had ever been, but he marvelled at the fact that it was always him looking after her. He supposed he didn't usually drink as much as his sister. Regulus shook his head slowly as Phoenix coughed.

"I should have stopped drinking." Her voice was hoarse.

"Yes, you should have," he agreed. He wasn't here to offer sympathy, just make sure she was alright.

"Shut up."

She threw up again and Regulus couldn't help but laugh at her misfortune. Phoenix sniffed, feeling sorry for herself. Regulus rubbed her back in soothing circles as she wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Do you have a potion?" she asked.

"I can find one." Regulus got to his feet and headed into his room, searching through bottles until he returned with an obnoxiously green potion. Phoenix examined it warily, but knocked it back nonetheless. She pulled a face, but he knew it would definitely help dispel her nausea. Regulus was good at brewing potions – he just usually used this particular one on his hungover friends, not his sister.

"Evan was being very nice last night," Phoenix noted suspiciously. "Nicer than Alexander Wilkes."

"He can be nice," Regulus stated, knowing full well that Evan had a bit of a thing for Phoenix. He wasn't as lecherous as Alexander, but it was obvious that he was attracted to her. It was quite insufferable that a lot of his friends thought his twin sister was pretty.

Regulus helped Phoenix to her feet. She was a bit unsteady, but he knew she would be indignant if he was to pick her up and carry her. He led her into her room and set her on her bed. Phoenix curled up, patting the spot beside her. After a moment's hesitation, Regulus lay down beside her. They'd done this all the time as small children. The house felt different without Sirius, and Regulus knew that Phoenix missed him most.

Phoenix snuggled up to him, unusually affectionate. He didn't mind it, especially as they were growing older and the ease with which they'd shared affection in childhood was fading away. The day would come when Phoenix would be married – to a pureblood man, not the ridiculous half-blood she was currently dating – and they wouldn't have these moments anymore. He was determined to make the most of them.

Phoenix fell into an unsettled sleep, her fingers curled loosely in the fabric of Regulus's shirt. He couldn't help but smile, stroking her dark hair back. She might be rebellious, but not to the same extent as Sirius. There was still hope for her yet. Regulus didn't think he could lose another sibling.

"Having fun?" Taylor asked Sirius as she sat beside him, taking his pipe and having a puff for herself. The party was nice and intimate, and she was enjoying seeing his other friends, but also spending time with him.

"Of course. You?" Sirius smiled, pulling her close to him and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Always." She assured him as she shifted into his lap. "How's your holiday been so far?"

"Pretty good." He answered as he wrapped his arms around her waist, taking his pipe back off of her. "Staying with James is always great. How's home?"

"Same as always." She shrugged, stretching her legs out on the seat she had been occupying as she made herself comfortable. "My parents are good to me."

Sirius smiled as he took another puff of his pipe, waiting a moment for the smoke to leave his lungs before pressing his lips to Taylor's. She happily returned the kiss, pressing herself closer to him as one of her arms wrapped around his neck. Sirius put an arm around her waist to pull her close to him, his lips trailing down her neck as she smiled widely.

"I like this." She whispered, a giggle falling from her lips as he kissed a particularly ticklish spot.

Sirius drew back, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear as he examined her. "What?"

"This. Us." She explained, arching an eyebrow as he nodded. "Is that a bad thing?"

Sirius shook his head, tracing circles on her waist. "No."

"What's happening with us?" It wasn't a discussion they'd had before. Not because either of them were avoiding it, simply because the thought hadn't occurred to either of them.

He considered it for a moment before shrugging. It wasn't something he had really thought about. He'd just been enjoying the company. "I dunno. What do you want to happen?"

Tay sighed heavily as she rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't know. Is this just sex?"

"We could date." Sirius suggested. It wouldn't be a terrible idea, and they hadn't established a no strings relationship to start with, so they weren't breaking any spoken or unspoken rules between the two of them.

"I'd like that." Tay smiled, burying her face in his neck as she made herself comfortable again, very much thinking that she could get used to it.

Remus hadn't expected that Phoenix would receive an invitation to James Potter's party on New Year's Eve, but he was pleased about it nonetheless. Although she said her parents had initially been disapproving about the idea of her staying over, she had promised that she would return home via Floo powder early the next morning. Remus watched across the room as she approached James, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thanks for having me along, James."

"Knew Remus would sulk otherwise." He grinned as she released him, cheeks flushing at the mention of her boyfriend. Remus busied himself at the food and drink table, and was pleased when Phoenix approved him moments later. Her eyeshadow was dark and glittery, a stark contrast to whatever sheer gloss was on her lips.

"How's your winter been so far?" she asked.

"Really good." He'd spent most of it with his fellow Marauders, although he had missed her. "Yours?"

Phoenix shrugged. "It's been alright."

Remus took a sip of his punch. When he put the cup down, Phoenix kissed him, and Remus responded with enthusiasm. She had to get up on her toes to properly put her arms around his neck, and that was saying something since she was on the tall side for a girl. He'd had another growth spurt recently, and it showed.

"Can we go somewhere quieter?" she asked.

Remus led her to the guest room he was inhabiting whilst staying at James's, clicking the door shut behind them. His heart was hammering in his chest and he couldn't help but feel nervous. Phoenix kissed him again, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him. After a few moments, she drew back and slipped her shirt off. She flushed at the intensity of his gaze as his eyes raked over her.

Remus couldn't help but stare. She'd always been a pretty girl, but that seemed to have intensified as he'd developed an attraction to her. She wasn't as curvy as Taylor, yet there was no denying she had tits. Phoenix kissed him once again, and Remus pulled her close, groaning as she ran her hands down his chest.

Phoenix pressed him back onto the bed, crawling on top of him and kissing his neck. He ran his hands up and down her sides, but it became apparent Phoenix wanted more. Remus couldn't help but feel like his lack of experience with girls was going to show, but that wasn't his biggest concern. He didn't want to lose control and become too caught up in Phoenix. He was worried that he would hurt her, and he couldn't bear it if that happened. Her hand slipped down to unzip his pants, but he gently caught her wrist.

"Nix. Not tonight."

She drew back, eyes wide. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," he insisted. He knew Phoenix was quick to think she had done something wrong if she was rejected, and he didn't want her to feel that way.

"Does it scare you?" she asked, "The idea of having sex, I mean."

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't."

Phoenix tilted her head to the side, scrunching up her nose. "So what's up?"

"This is all just new to me," he admitted. He'd snogged a few girls before, but he hadn't really gone that far. It felt like he and Phoenix were still testing the boundaries and experimenting a bit.

"Same here. I just wanted to try." Phoenix raked her dark hair back, smiling a little. "We can just kiss."

"Alright." Remus liked the sound of that. She kissed him again, running her hands down his chest and smirking as he groaned. "Tease."

"It's fun." She snuggled up to him. For a few moments there was a peaceful silence between the pair, before Phoenix turned to look at him, her voice soft. "I'm not trying to push you into anything. I just…want you."

"I know." Remus knew Phoenix wasn't the sort to be pushy. From what he'd heard from Sirius, he was the first guy she was actually really into. It made him feel good about himself, even if he didn't think he deserved her. Phoenix could do so much better than him.

"Do you want me too?" she asked, suddenly uncertain. It struck Remus that despite her confidence, she could become very vulnerable in terms of affection. He knew from Sirius that their parents were not entirely loving, so no wonder Phoenix looked for affection where she could find it. He reached out to tuck a strand of black hair behind her ear, kissing her cheek.

"Of course I do."