Chapter One: Lumos

A/N: Hello and welcome to our Marauder era story! The pairings for this one are Remus/OC and Sirius/OC. This story will start at the beginning of the Marauders' sixth year of Hogwarts and continue throughout the First Wizarding War. Please let us know what you think, feedback is always much appreciated.

There was nothing like the pure joy that Phoenix Black felt at the prospect of returning to Hogwarts. Summers with her family were utterly stifling, and this one had been more drama than Phoenix had bargained for. While it was true that her older brother Sirius didn't get on with her parents at the best of times, she hadn't expected him to actually leave him after a heated argument with their mother Walburga. Perhaps she would have been more anxious if he hadn't a safe place to go, but she knew he was staying with James Potter.

There would be a back-to-school party happening in the Hufflepuff common room, according to Phoenix's friend Taylor Montgomery. For now, she was more focused on unpacking her trunk and settling into the dormitory. The feast had been magnificent as always, and Phoenix had eaten more than usual to compensate for the alcohol that she'd likely be having during this party.

"Are you going to the party?" It was the irritably high-pitched voice of Beth Fawley, one of Phoenix's friends and a fellow fifth-year Slytherin. She and Phoenix had formed a quick friendship from day one, and although she was perhaps Phoenix's closest female Slytherin friend, she wouldn't exactly call them best friends.

"Of course." Phoenix lay out a black dress that would flatter her figure nicely. She had nothing against forming inter-house friendships, something that none of the others minded unless it involved Sirius and his little group.

It had certainly come to Phoenix's notice that Beth fancied her twin brother, Regulus. At times she seemed jealous of the attention that Phoenix got from Regulus and his friends. She'd been mingling with those boys since they were children, and didn't think anything of it. Beth and some of the other girls claimed the boys wanted little to do with them.

For that reason, there were those among the Slytherin girls who vied for Phoenix's friendship in the hope that it would gain them access to the circle of Slytherin boys. She'd become rather good at figuring out who genuinely wanted to be her friend, and who only wanted to be in her life to get to her brothers – either one of them, really.

Pushing herself to her feet, Phoenix stripped off her Hogwarts robes and shimmied into the dress. Sweeping her dark hair over her shoulder, she spun to face Beth for a verdict. Phoenix was well aware that she was a pretty girl – people were always telling her as much. She possessed the same good looks as her siblings – black hair, stormy grey eyes, fairly tall. At fifteen, Phoenix had developed curves over the course of the summer, and knew some of the boys had already noticed.

"You look good." Beth cast a glance over her shoulder at her own trunk. "What should I wear?"

"Hmm." Phoenix crossed over to critically inspect Beth's choices. Beth was a pureblood too, but her family was not as wealthy as Phoenix's. For this reason, Phoenix would often let her borrow clothes – the pair were a similar size. This time, Phoenix plucked something appropriate from Beth's trunk. "How about this silver one?"

"Good choice." Beth admired the dress in her friend's hands. "What would I do without you?"

"Miss out on looking stylish, I expect." Phoenix tossed her dark hair over her shoulder with a grin.

"How were your holidays?" Taylor Montgomery questioned Phoenix as she poured her another cup of punch, knowing full well she was on her way to getting the other girl drunk. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, glancing around as she noticed her boyfriend, Kane, swaggering around like he owned the place.

"Not too bad, but Sirius got thrown out." Phoenix shrugged. She didn't seem overly bothered that Sirius had been kicked out of the household – from the sound of it, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It didn't stop Taylor almost spitting her drink out, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh wow."

"He went to stay with James. He'll be okay." Phoenix assured her, glancing across at her brother who was mucking around with the rest of his little group.

Taylor nodded. "You spoken to him?"

Phoenix shook her head, sipping her drink. "Not a lot."

"Taylor. Phoenix." Kane interrupted the girls, slinging an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Having fun?"

Taylor kissed his cheek, watching as Phoenix trailed over to her brother and the others, wanting to get away from Kane no doubt. It was no secret that the younger girl wasn't his biggest fan.

"I am. Are you?"

"Could have more." He winked at her, and Taylor knew the double meaning behind his words. However, she wasn't interested. It was their first party back, and she wanted to enjoy it with her friends.

"Not now." She brushed him off, heading over to the others.

Sirius glanced at her as she approached the group, noticing Kane scowling behind her, but keeping his distance.

"Hi, Taylor."

"Hey." Taylor greeted, kissing his cheek after taking a sip of her drink. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. How's stuff with the charming boyfriend?" He grinned, knowing the exact reaction he was going to get based on the roll of her eyes.

"It's been a week since we got back. A week and we have had sex every single day." She scowled, putting her empty cup down.

"Yeah that sounds awful." Sirius drawled, the sarcasm dripping from his words. "Just break up with him."

Taylor nodded, raking a hand through her blonde hair as it fell into her face. "I know. I know."

"You've tried?" Sirius didn't know that the two of them had had the discussion already, not that it really surprised him.

"Yes. I have. He's just so... persistent." She sighed dramatically, crossing her arms over her chest. She knew that he could be testing at times, but every time she mentioned breaking up with him, he'd been insistent and apologetic.

"Just tell him to piss off." Sirius rubbed her shoulder, shaking his head at her as he chuckled. Sometimes she took his sarcasm too literally. "I'm kidding."

"Heard you're living with James." She switched the subject, not wanting to be lectured on her deteriorating relationship with her boyfriend. It was a touchy subject for her, and something she needed more time to work with. She knew breaking up with him was the right thing, but he was her first relationship and part of her wanted to hang on to that.

"Yep, for now." It didn't sound like living with James was permanent, but that he also knew that he wasn't able to up and move at the present moment. He obviously needed to plan a little bit. "I'm going to buy my own place soon. My uncle died recently and left me with a lot of money."

"I think having your own place would suit you." She smiled up at him, grabbing his arm and dragging him to where everyone else was dancing. Kane wasn't the dancing type, so she was glad she could dance with her friends. "You seem the type."

Phoenix immediately made a beeline for Sirius and his friends – or as they obnoxiously referred to them, the Marauders. She'd had a small crush on James Potter when she'd first started at Hogwarts, but that had quickly dissolved the more he opened his mouth.

She couldn't help but examine Remus Lupin – who'd scraped past six feet tall over the holidays, and was what Phoenix would call 'nerd cute'. He had light brown hair and pale green eyes, and a sweet smile. Definitely not the type that Phoenix would usually go for, especially considering she knew from Sirius that he was a half-blood from a poor family, but he was quite attractive.

"Hey, Nix." He glanced at her as she appeared on the fringe on their group.

"Hey, Remus." She smiled flirtatiously, tilting her head to the side and examining him. "How were your holidays?"

"Hello to you too, Phoenix…" Sirius rolled his eyes dramatically, reminding his younger sister that the last time they'd spoken had been before he'd stormed out of the house and renounced his family.

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes, hi."

"My holidays were good." Remus ignored the fact that Sirius had even spoken. Phoenix appreciated that. "How were yours?"

"Eventful." Phoenix took his drink from his hand and took a sip. Something like firewhiskey burned its way down her throat. She handed it back to him. "Did you go to James's as well during the holidays?"

"For a little while." Remus shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't stay long."

"Oh yeah, I can imagine not." Phoenix knew that Remus had a habit of going missing once a month, claiming sickness or that he had to visit an ill family member. She never questioned it, but it did make her suspicious. Her statement made him raise his eyebrows and she smiled innocently, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. It was not uncommon for her to display affection with her friends, as well as her brother's.

"Cute."

"Am I really?" Phoenix grinned, the word making her determined to tease him relentlessly. Her smirk widened when his cheeks flushed.

"A little."

"I think you're cute, too," she responded boldly. "You grew a bit over the summer."

"So did you," Remus pointed out.

Phoenix laughed. "Grew a rack, you mean?"

It was the truth. She may not have been as well-endowed like others, like Taylor, but she'd certainly started to get curves in places that attracted notice from some of the boys. Alexander Wilkes had already looked her up and down a few times, only to some chastising from Regulus. He didn't like his twin being treated like a piece of meat.

"I hadn't noticed, in all honesty." Remus was getting even redder. "There's more to people than their looks."

"What more is there to me?" Phoenix asked, genuinely interested to know what his answer would be.

"You're a nice person."

The answer amused her. She thought both of her brothers had referred to her as a heinous bitch, on more than one occasion. She was not known for being kind, so she found Remus's answer hard to swallow. He was probably just flattering her, telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. Guys were good like that.

She scoffed. "Here I thought you knew me."

"It's because I do that I know you are." It was true that Remus had known her since she was a knobby-kneed eleven-year-old, but that didn't change the fact that he was wrong about her.

"Remus, that's really sweet of you, but I'm not that nice."

He shrugged. "Well, I think you are."

"You're very cute," she said, before glancing over her shoulder to where Regulus was beckoning her over. Flashing Remus one last charming smile, she crossed the room to her brother and his usual group. Regulus looked up from his drink at her approach.

"Hey, sis."

"Reggie." It was the nickname she'd given him since childhood, and he'd given up on trying to get her not to use it. "Having a good time?"

"Saw you spoke to Sirius." She knew that Regulus hadn't really cared about Sirius being thrown out, but that the brothers had been on bad terms since Sirius's departure. She didn't really expect them to speak.

"And the half-blood." It was Alexander Wilkes who spoke up. He was tall and gangly with dark hair and pale eyes. She had hooked up with him at the end of their fourth year, and regretted it ever since.

"He has a name, you know," Phoenix chastised, nudging him. It was true that she wasn't heavily defensive when her fellow Slytherins made nasty comments, but that didn't mean she'd say nothing about it.

"Does it matter?" Evan Rosier drawled. He was in the year above them, but many of the Voldemort-supporting Slytherins tended to flock together. Evan was less sleazy than Alexander, attractive with blonde hair, blue eyes and sharp features.

Alexander waved a dismissive hand. "Don't waste your time, you're too good for him."

Phoenix rolled her eyes. "Flattering."

"It's true," Evan piped up.

"Besides." Alexander slipped a silver flask out of his pocket and tipping her a wink. "We're a lot more fun."

That damn flask had gotten them into trouble time and again, but Phoenix would be damned if she wasn't going to participate in some mischief before classes started back – even if it meant attending them with a hangover. Heaving a sigh, she held out her hand for the flask, knowing she'd probably regret every sip in the morning.

Kane kicked his feet in the air as he sat with his girlfriend, watching her study. He had a hand rested on his chin as he flicked through his own notes, glancing up at Taylor.

"Was Sirius flirting with you the other night?"

Taylor glanced up from her Potions notes, which she was having a hard time making sense of. She never really had been any good at Potions, and it always took her twice as long to complete her homework than it did for others.

"Hm?"

Kane rolled his eyes. "At the party."

"No. We were just dancing." Taylor shook her head. Sirius wouldn't have been flirting with her. She wasn't his type.

"You know he's only interested in one thing." Kane reminded her, running a hand over her arm as she attempted to go back to studying. Taylor raised an eyebrow at his remark, but decided it best to play dumb.

"What? My friendship?"

Kane scoffed at her, not quite sure whether to believe she was that naïve or not. "Sex, Taylor."

"Why do you care? It's not like I'm cheating on you." She told him, pushing her notes to the side as he pulled her into his lap. Finally giving in to him. Kane pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear, kissing her cheek.

"Oh, trust me, I'm not worried about that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor frowned at the comment, not sure as to how she was meant to take it.

"Well, he could find more attractive girls easily." Kane remarked, trailing his fingers under her shirt and up and down her spine.

"So why don't you?" Taylor pushed his hands away before her getting to her feet and gathering her notes. Kane shrugged in response, which only served to may Taylor angrier. "Well, I think it's time you find another girlfriend."

Kane was rather taken aback by her words, getting to his own feet. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She snapped at him, stalking back toward her room.

"Come on. Who else is gonna want you?" He called out after her, failing to make her turn around.

"Hopefully someone better than you." She shouted over her shoulder before heading down to her common room, her head swimming with emotions. She was happy things were done with Kane, as she hadn't been happy with him for a while, but she was also hurt by what he said and could feel self-doubt beginning to creep in. Maybe she wasn't worthy of someone after all.

The first day of classes had been predictably awful. There was the serious conversation that their OWLs were this year, which Phoenix had tuned out around the third time it was mentioned. After the stress of it all, she found herself reclining in a chair in the Slytherin common room along with Regulus and his friends, scoffing sweets and rolling her eyes as Alexander listed the hottest girls at Hogwarts.

"I'm a girl and I'm sick of hearing you objectify girls," Phoenix said bluntly. She was also annoyed with him because he'd insisted on pairing with her during Potions and ended up completely ruining their project.

Alexander frowned. "I'm just stating which ones I find attractive."

"And being an ass about the ones you don't," Evan added, handing Phoenix some Bertie Botts beans when she reached for the box. Alexander leaned back in his chair as he observed the exchange.

"I don't think I've ever seen you eat something healthy."

Regulus shrugged. "She doesn't eat healthy."

"Bite me." Phoenix snapped. She knew she wasn't overly selective with her food, but she didn't see the need to be. She certainly didn't appreciate Alexander's unnecessary commentary about it. "I like sweets."

"I've heard you quite like Lupin too," Alexander countered slyly, and she knew he was referring to the back-to-school party. She refrained from rolling her eyes into another dimension, but only just. Merlin's beard, what was his problem with it?

"She was talking to him because he's Sirius's friend," Regulus said. Although Phoenix appreciated her brother sticking up for her, she had to admit that his statement wasn't true. She liked Remus, and she didn't feel she should have to hide that. The fact that he was a Gryffindor and half-blood was inconsequential.

Alexander smirked. "They seemed to be flirting."

"Don't be a hypocrite," Phoenix sneered, leaning forward on the couch to glare at him. "You've hit on half-blood girls."

"She's not doing anything with him." Evan went through the Bertie Botts beans in his palm. "It doesn't matter."

Phoenix feigned an innocent smile. "I'm saving myself for marriage."

Alexander burst out laughing, and even Evan looked amused. Phoenix's cheeks flared with heat, and she looked quickly at Regulus. She hadn't exactly told her brother that she and Alexander had got hot and heavy at the end of fourth year, or that Evan had drunkenly propositioned her over the summer at the Malfoys' party.

"That's a funny joke," Evan stated.

Phoenix's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, I'm pure."

"You haven't had sex," Alexander pointed out. "That doesn't mean you're pure."

"Leave her be," Regulus interjected.

Phoenix stretched out across the couch, smugly eating more sweets, content in her twin brother's defence of her. It was true that she was far from innocent, but she doubted that Regulus knew the sort of things she'd been up to, just like she avoided descriptions of him snogging Beth Fawley.

Alexander held up his hands. "Relax, Regulus, you know I'm kidding."

"It's okay, Reggie, none of us are saints." Phoenix changed the subject, knowing otherwise there would probably be some kind of argument. "Who's trying out for the team this year?"

Alexander looked thoughtful. "Could try for a Beater."

"I reckon Chaser for myself," Evan remarked, which was Phoenix's coveted position. She had no doubt that if it came down to it, she'd kick his ass to make it onto the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"I might try for Chaser too." Phoenix nudged her twin with a sly smile. "Although we all know Reggie will get Seeker again."

Regulus grinned and didn't bother denying it. He'd played as a Seeker the year before, and odds were looking as though he'd make the team again with little competition. Him being on the team made it more favourable for Phoenix – although she planned to get in on talent as much as her connections.

There were few things that Phoenix was enthusiastic about when it came to her schooling, but Quidditch was certainly one of them – not to mention Potions and Charms on occasion. Yet with the OWLs this year bound to bring her stress, being on a broomstick would be a wonderful outlet.