DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Harry Potter.

The Fire of the Phoenix

Unwinding

Harry James Potter couldn't sleep. He kept twisting and turning on his bed in the 4th year dorm feeling an intense fear. It was like there was a bighorn over his chest, like his heart was being slowly crushed.

Of course, the black-haired boy couldn't remember the last time he'd properly slept. How could he, when his worry for his sister consumed his senses? She had become just an echo, just a shell of the little less broken girl she came to be in the summer. He had never seen his sister so light, he'd never seen her smile as much as she did in the last few months, even though reluctantly - as if she didn't know how.

Harry couldn't even fathom the size of his debt to Sirius and Remus, but mostly the ex-convict. He cared for them like they were their own, wasn't reserved about showing his love and he understood. Remus acted like the uncle they've always wanted, a kind mentor who was always there, but Sirius, Sirius acted like the father they've yearned for all their lives. Harry felt, dare he say it, loved, though he didn't know how it was possible for someone to feel that way about him, and he felt important. And so did Phoenix.

But then, that blonde came out of nowhere to steal the light in his sister's eyes, to make the redhead isolate herself. Every time Harry tried to approach her, they would end up in an argument. That had never happened before.

And Regulus, the boy she'd grown so close with in the last months, her only friend, was in the same situation. She would avoid him like a plague and would tense up whenever he tried to talk to her and look around as if she was being watched.

Phoenix had created a cage-like mine around her, locking herself behind titanium bars.

The boy heard a clink of heels coming up the stairs and was immediately reminded of his aunt. He froze.

"You're at Hogwarts, don't be stupid." The small boy chastised himself, thankful that his dorm-mates were in a deep slumber.

There was a knock on the door and Harry thought he had imagined it until it was repeated, this time more urgent. Ron gave a loud snore and mumbled something. The green-eyed boy quickly got up and opened the door.

"P-Professor?" He said bewildered looking at his head of house.

"Mr. Potter- Harry." The stern woman said in an uncharacteristically soft voice, looking at the broken boy she'd know since he was a baby. "I'm sorry to wake you but I need you to come with me. It's about your sister."

"W-What's wrong? What happened to Phoenix?" Harry said not even bothering to hide his fear.

"I will tell you what I know on our way. Come."

"Y-You s-saved me." Green eyes locked with grey.

"No!" Regulus said backing away from the girl as if burnt. "I-I d-don't u-understand. I was holding the wand! I remember! I-I a-attacked you." The boy whispered the last sentence brokenly.

"W-What? N-No, Reg!" The girl exclaimed horrified.

"Are you stupid or just take pride in living by lies?" Regulus snarled venomously, knowing the impact his words would have on the girl.

Phoenix's eyes filled with tears and she flinched, biting her lip. Her breathing was getting more laboured by the second as the anxiety built. Regulus had struck her where it hurt. The small girl had grown up in a universe of falsehoods and name-calling.

"Regulus Black!" Sirius exclaimed looking at the boy horrified and putting a hand on his shoulder in reprehension. This wasn't Regulus, the boy he knew would never say something like that.

"Don't touch me! You know it's true!" Regulus said angrily shrugging the hand off.

"R-Reg- Please." Phoenix started sniffing. That was when a dishevelled looking Harry burst into the Hospital Wing.

"Phoen!" In a flash the still pyjama-clad boy was by his sister's bed. He patted her whole body as if to reassure himself Phoenix was there and there was nothing broken. "Phoenie. Oh I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Phoenix." Harry said his green eyes filling with tears as he put his arms around his sister. "I promised you I would protect you. I promised! And now I've failed you. A-a-again."

"No!" Phoenix said. It seemed like she was saying that a lot. "Y-You've never failed me."

"Look at you! You are in a hospital bed with a needle stuck into your arm and newsflash, this isn't the first time this happens!" Harry snapped pulling away and raising his hands to his head. Phoenix cowered and that was what it took; Harry's frustration was replaced by worry. "Phoenie, it's me. Why are you scared of me?" The boy was almost crying at that thought. "W-What did McLaggen do to you?"

"I think all of us could benefit from this knowledge." Remus said stepping forward and putting a hand on Harry's shoulder startling him.

"N-Nothing." The girl said paling. Oh no, the blonde would tell everyone their secret; they can't know.

"You call this nothing, Phoenix?" Sirius said crossing his arms.

"That's because I did this! Not McLaggen! See? I'm right!" Regulus said his normally husky voice breaking no matter the strength of the calming draught, his emotions were starting to slip.

"You did this?" Harry said turning to look at the Black boy and in that moment, everyone took a step back. Harry Potter's face was a mask of fury, his green eyes hard and unrelenting, flashing with rage. He was clenching his jaw and had his hands in fists.

"No!" Phoenix and Sirius in a chorus as Regulus nodded.

"It wasn't him!" Phoenix said wincing as she tried to lift her torso to touch Harry's arm.

"Then who was it?" The green-eyed boy turned his gaze in her direction.

"I-I c-can't say."

"Damn you, Phoenix. What have I done to lose your trust?" Harry said getting worked up once more and waving his arms, making the girl shrink. He accidentally hit his hands on the side table, making a metal tray with medical instruments fall on the floor.

The girl shrank even more, ignoring the pain to be able to curl up in a ball. She closed her eyes and mumbled indistinguishable apologies.

The worried brother then burst into tears, raising his hands and pushing his eyes inside the orbits.

Phoenix had never, ever been afraid of him. She had always trusted him with her life even though he didn't deserve it in his opinion.

"You're just a burden to everyone. Even your brother. See how he ignores you in favour of Granger and Weasley? They all want to use you; for fame, good reputation, as an escape goat, to redeem past mistakes. No one cares about you, kitten. They just pity you." Cormac had said those things many times to the broken girl. And the words kept echoing in her head 24/7.

Remus put an arm around Harry and pulled the small boy to his chest.

"Shh calm down, cub." Remus whispered running his hands through Harry's hair. The black haired boy buried his head on the werewolf's chest as his body shook with sobs.

"W-What have I done to her?" The boy asked between sobs. "Why doesn't Phoenix t-trust me anymore?"

Remus shared a look with Sirius, who was on the other side of the bed trying to get an answer from the sobbing girl.

"I can't say. I can't tell. You can't know." She mumbled like a mantra.

"Flame, Phoenie... Phoenix Lily, look at me." Sirius said firmly once she didn't respond to his soft calling. "No, look at me." He said lifting her chin. "We are worried about you, darling. You have to trust us, please. We will get through this together, like the family we are."

"Nothing, nothing could make us change our minds about how we feel about you, sweetheart. I promise you that." Remus said from his place, his arms full of a now sniffling boy.

"I-I can't say." She repeated once more biting her lip.

"Why not, Phoenie?" Sirius said slowly running his hands through her dirty hair. "Hm?"

"B-Because h-h-he'll tell." The girl but her lip so hard the skin was ripped open and her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

"Stop that, Phoenix." Sirius admonished picking a gauze from the other bedside table and wiping some of the blood on her lips. She flinched and his gaze softened.

"Who? McLaggen?" Harry said from his place in Remus' arms.

Phoenix bit her lip and looked down. It was all the answer they needed.

Remus then summoned a chair and sat down, taking the small boy with him.

"What will he tell, Phoen?" The werewolf asked calmly, to soothe both of the twins.

"I-I can't-"

"Phoenix. You don't have to hide anything from us, we can't help you if you do. We are a family, little one." Sirius said sitting closer to the girl and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You, Harry, Reg, Remus and I. We are together."

The girl bit her lip but relented after a thought. They would find out one way or another. "He'll t-tell every-everyone about the D-Dursleys." The girl whispered.

"W-What?" Harry said tensing up and Remus rubbed his arm soothingly. The girl misinterpreted his tone and shrank.

"I-I'm sorry. I tried-." The redhead's hands were shaking.

"Why don't you start from the beginning, sweetheart?" Remus pushed softly and Phoenix nodded.

"I-I was in the train compartment with Harry, R-Ron and Hermione but Ron said something I-I didn't like and I went to look for R-Reg." The green-eyed girl said stealing a glance at her friend, who had an apathy mask on but whose intense grey eyes were a turmoil of pain. "But then I tripped and C-Cormac-" she whispered his name as if not to be heard. "-helped me with m-my books. T-Then h-he pulled me i-inside his compartment and-"

She looked down not wanting to elaborate.

"And?" Sirius pressed running his thumb in circles over her hand in a calming motion.

"H-He started to k-kiss me and run his h-hand all over. I-I didn't want to, I a-asked him to stop but h-he-" The redhead took a deep breath and finished quietly. "He said that he knew about the D-Dursleys through his uncle who works a-at the ministry and t-that he wanted me to p-pretend to be his g-girlfriend for the media would be f-focused on Hogwarts this year - so he'd have many opportunities to let it slip - and I am f-famous for b-being Harry's sister. C-Cormac said that people would want to know m-more about the Twins Who Lived and I was to make him known. O-Otherwise-"

"He'd tell everyone about your relatives." Remus finished for her and the girl nodded.

"Phoenix." Sirius said rubbing his eyebrows. "You should have told us. McLaggen's uncle could lose his job for telling anyone about the trial. I will make sure he does."

"You should have told something and we'd find a way to solve this. You shouldn't have had to go through all of that." Remus said moving Harry - who seemed to be frozen on the spot - and standing up, holding the girl's other hand.

"B-But n-no one can know!" Phoenix said wide-eyed. "Oh God, no one can know. No one can know." She mumbled as tears fell from her face rapidly. The girl tried to inhale but it felt like the air around her was devoid oxygen. Phoenix couldn't breathe.

"Phoenix. Hey, little one. It's okay. Shh" Sirius said gathering the girl in his arms trying not to jostle her too much. Anyway, she flinched; if the action was of pain or fear we'd never know.

"E-Everyone w-will k-know." The small girl bellowed. "And i-it's all my fault. Voldemort will come b-back and use this a-against Harry, p-people will think h-he's weak when h-he's not. A-All because I am weak. Y-You will be ashamed of us and w-will send us to an orphanage. I-I didn't want you to find out. I-I swear. I'm s-sorry!" Phoenix's green eyes were tightly shut and she was holding Sirius' shirt in a fist as a child would.

"Phoenix, Phoenie, no. That is all wrong." The godfather said shaking his head and cupping her face. "We would never send you away. We already told you that many, many times. And it's impossible in this universe or in any other for you to bring us shame. Remus and I only have reasons to be proud of you."

"Sirius is right, cub. You shouldn't have hidden any of this from us, especially since it was hurting you. We are here to protect you, Phoenix."

"B-But I didn't w-want you to think that I-I was creating a-all of this for attention." She sniffled.

"You know me, Phoenix, and you know Remus. We'd never think that. We know how it must have hurt to go through all of that - again. You have to realise that you are not alone anymore. That you, little girl, have us in your life for good."

"W-Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked hurt.

"I-I knew you'd d-do something and I was t-trying to protect you."

"Protect me? Why, Phoenix? I am the one who should be protecting you not the other way around but you won't let me!" Harry exclaimed frustrated before lowering his voice. "Do you really think I'd rather see you get hurt than giving Voldemort a weapon he's sure to find out anyway? Do you think that I'd accept your pain in order to preserve people's image of the bloody boy-who-lived?" A sole tear fell from the boy's green eyes. "I thought you knew me. I thought you trusted me." He said quietly.

"I do!"

"You call this trust? First you hide from me that Uncle V-Vernon r-" The boy swallowed as if not able to say the words. "What he did, now this. Correct me if wrong, Phoenix Lily, but it doesn't seem like you trust me at all."

The girl had nothing to say.

"It's hard to protect you when we don't know what or whom we should protect you from, Phoenix." Sirius finished quietly.

Again there was silence.

"What happened tonight?" Remus inquired softly.

"N-No!" Regulus, who was oddly quietly during the whole conversation, spoke up backing away from his place by the end of the bed, motioning to run.

"Come here, Regulus." Sirius said in a velvet tone but that left no room for arguments, so the boy complied so the animagus pulled the boy - who was now standing in front of him - into a one armed hug both in comfort and to keep him from running. "You didn't kill anyone. Have I ever lied to you?"

"B-But I remember!" The Black boy looked lost.

"C-Cormac said he w-wanted to meet in the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. And that I w-wasn't to be late. B-but I was." The girl interrupted with a faraway look. "H-He was r-really mad. H-He said I wasn't being convincing enough and that I was not trying. So he'd make me pay." She closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were full of tears. "And he w-wanted m-more. I-I w-was scared a-and begged him not to. But he got even more mad and started to h-h-hit me worse. I r-remember h-him-" There was a loud sob. "H-he-"

"Shh it's okay, Phoen. Take your time." Sirius said wiping her tears with the hand that wasn't holding Regulus in place.

"He r-ripped m-my u-uniform. And w-was about to-" The girl shook her head. "That's when Regulus c-came in."

"S-So I killed h-him." Regulus whispered.

"I-I remember you saving me by b-blasting him into a wall, then you c-cast a few spells and it all went black."

"Oh God." The grey eyed boy said disoriented. "I'm a k-killer b-but I'd do it a-all again. I'd do-" The boy fell down on the floor his thin body taken over by inhuman sobs. "I-I a-am j-just like my mother." He bellowed.

Sirius in was divided for a second but then he knelt down beside his nephew after sharing a look with the amber-eyed wild-man.

"You're not a killer, Regulus. Cormac McLaggen is alive. And you are nothing like your mother." Sirius soothed but it didn't help.

"He may be alive but I wanted him dead. I want him dead."

"He's alive?" Harry asked wide eyed.

Remus nodded. "He's in a coma but still with us."

Harry then moved quickly and brusquely towards the other bed with closed curtains. But in a second, Remus was by his side, holding him back.

"Let me go! He hurt her! I h-have to hurt him. I want to!" The surprisingly strong boy thrashed.

"That is not the answer, cub. We'll make sure he doesn't get away with this but you cannot do anything drastic." The werewolf whispered urgently.

"B-but-"

"No buts. Trust me, he'll pay." The wolf-man's eyes were glowing amber.

"Enough." Madam Pomfrey said coming into their line of sight with clinking shoes and a tray of potions. "Honestly, Mr Lupin! I thought you were the wise one! And you as well, Sirius Black. My patients need rest!" The woman said crossing her arms but her eyes softened when she saw the crying children. "Miss Potter, I need you to take these." She put on the silently crying girl's side table three potions - after levitating the fallen items to their place. "One for the pain, one to replenish the lost blood and one dreamless sleep. I'll leave you to it. I'll be monitoring you though the night and you can leave when you wake."

"Are you alright?" Remus said pulling away from a strangely quiet - for someone who just had a rage outburst - Harry. The boy nodded.

"Phoenix." He whispered.

Remus made his way to the girl who had curled up in a ball and was heaving.

"Phoenix? Phoen, sweetheart. It's over. You don't have to talk about it anymore, alright? Breathe with me." The werewolf took in exaggerated breaths in demonstration. "You will be alright. You are not alone. In... Out..."

After a minute of two of rocking and tutored breathing, the only girl seemed able to at least control her body and bit her already torn lip making it bleed once more. Remus was about to summon a gauze when Harry appeared with one.

"Shh, it's alright Phoenie." The boy said wiping her lips tenderly. "It's alright now. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you." He said almost crying and taking her hand.

"I-I'm s-sorry." The redhead pleaded with silent tears once she regained her breath.

"Why on earth are you apologising, sweetheart?" Remus said wiping her tears.

"I just burden e-everyone."

"Don't say that, Phoenix. It's a blatant lie if I ever heard one." Remus said daring her to say otherwise, but he wasn't mad at her. "We love you. All of us and will keep you safe but you have to trust us for that to happen. Otherwise we can't trust you to know what is okay and what is not. It's a cycle, you see? You have to trust in order to be trusted. I know you are not used to this but please, try."

"I-I'm trying."

"No, Phoenix. You are scared of trying but I'll say this as many times as necessary: you are not on your own." The way the man said that rendered the girl speechless. What could she say to that? "Now, cub, you need to rest." Remus said setting the girl on the bed's centre and tucking the covers around her. She grimaced in pain.

"You have to drink this, Phoenie." Harry said in a voice so old that seemed out of place in his body, as if he was used to taking care of the girl. "Please. They won't hurt you."

One look into his eyes and Phoenix knew her brother wouldn't let it go so she complied and drank the potions handed to her without a fuss - even though she hated every kind of medicine since her Aunt gave her some sort of syrup which caused her to vomit for days.

And after less than 30 seconds after the sleeping potion, the tired girl fell into a dreamless sleep.

Meanwhile on the floor, Sirius was trying to calm a sobbing Regulus - a vision that was rarely seen.

Sirius felt lost. He somehow learned a way to comfort the twins. Yes, it was stupendously hard to do that, but he at least had an idea on how.

The animagus, though, had not an infinitesimal idea on how to soothe his nephew. But maybe...? He had nothing to lose.

"Reg, Regulus. Look at me." Sirius said cupping the boy's face and looking into the boys eyes that were exactly like his own. "I need you to come with me."

"N-No." Sirius sighed exasperated.

"I have no trouble in carrying you." Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Leave me alone! Get away from m-me o-or-" The boy said his eyes terrified.

"You. Won't. Hurt. Me. Or anyone else for the matter. I know you won't because my nephew would never hurt anyone unless to save another." The man said emphatically. "A killer, murderer or bad person would never feel this way over an action." Sirius gestured to the boy.

"I'm not your nephew then! You don't know me or how I feel!" Regulus pushed his uncle but Sirius anticipated the move and grabbed the boys arms.

"Enough, Regulus." The ex-convict said firmly before standing and taking the boy with him. "Trust me, alright? Now you will walk or do I have to carry you? Either way is fine by me."

"I-I'll walk." The grey-eyed boy said still stunned at his uncle's tone. He'd never spoken like that - so parental - before. The man's eyes softened.

"Then come." Sirius said putting a hand between Regulus' shoulder blades and leading the boy away from a now sleeping Phoenix, and Remus and Harry who were talking quietly. The boy seemed disturbed.

The older Black led the younger to a huge window and placed the boy in front of him. The sky was still dark since it was about 3:30am.

"Now look up, pup. Look at the sky." Sirius whispered soothingly into the boy's ears while rubbing the boy's back. The boy did, his tears had slowed considerably. "What do you see?"

"I-I-I see the constellations?" The boy said frowning. "This is stupid. Let me go!"

"Show them to me." Sirius urged almost regretting his idea. The boy tried to move but was held in place by his Uncle.

"Leave me alone!" The boy said with a sole tear falling from his eye.

Sirius knelt down in front of the boy and cupped his face.

"We both know being alone is the last thing you need right now. And I would never abandon you when you need me the most. I love you."

"You can't love a s-sociopath." Regulus said biting his lip.

"I never said I did. I said I love you." Sirius said trying to pour all his love into his voice.

Regulus launched himself into Sirius' arms, like a child when seeing Santa. The boy sobbed until he felt weak and the ex-convict let him, knowing it was needed. Once the black-haired boy started to calm down Sirius pulled away and turned the boy to the window again.

"What do you see, Reggie?" The man asked pointing to the sky.

"I-I see Sirius? I see the whole Orion constellation and Andromeda. I see Scorpio and Leo. R-Regulus too." The boy said frowning at his uncle.

"Keep talking, Reg. Do you know that one?" Sirius asked pointing to another area.

"Delphinus. And there is Monoceros." The boy said gaining confidence. His tears had stopped. "Ursa Major and Ursa Minor... Why are you doing this? I'm sure you know all of that."

"Because I knew a boy that looked a lot like you and was also named after a star that would only calm down when talking about the sky." Sirius said with a sad smile. "You may not know it but the two of you are more alike than you could ever imagine. Do you know what he sees when he looks up above? He sees hope."

A/N: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you and that you like it as much as I did. Thank you so much for the wait and for reading!

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