Chapter One: Act I, Scene I—Semantics

A/N: So uh...hi. I've been thinking about doing a story for Beth Fawley for a little while. This is a companion piece to "Decadence", you don't really have to have read that fic first but it makes more sense if you do, as it references characters from there.

Not really sure what I'm doing with this. It probably won't be as long as Decadence, but I'm just going with the flow. The pairing is Regulus/OC/Sirius, but it's less of a love triangle and more one and then the other.

Reviews are love, please give me some if you enjoyed this!

Beth Fawley had no intention of getting trashed, despite what she'd told the others.

Back-to-school parties were hardly an uncommon occurrence, and she thought she could use a little bit of alcohol in her system to speak to Regulus Black. It was no secret between Beth and her friends that she'd fancied him for a little while now, although he seemed oblivious to her crush thus far. A miraculous thing, considering one of Beth's best friends was his twin, Phoenix.

It was hard not to be jealous of Phoenix Black. The dark-haired girl was tall, beautiful and charismatic. Beth noticed the way that boys like Evan Rosier and Alexander Wilkes looked at Phoenix, their eyes raking lustfully over her figure. Everything seemed to come to Phoenix so easily.

As Beth downed her first shot of firewhiskey, she noted Phoenix flirting with Remus Lupin, a friend of her older brother Sirius. The older Black brother had been recently disinherited, and Beth didn't pay him much attention, though she would credit him with sharing the same dark-haired good looks as his younger siblings.

Their little crew, the Marauders, didn't often interact with the Slytherin gang and there was a sort of established rivalry there. However there could be no doubting that the Marauders were certainly popular among their peers. So really, it made sense that the prettiest girl in fifth year would be talking to them with such ease despite knowing many of her Slytherin buddies didn't like them.

"Slow down, the night's only just begun." Lorna Flint crossed over to Beth with a knowing wink that made her dread what the other girl might have planned.

She knew it was stupid to compare herself to her best friends, but she couldn't herself. Lorna was curvy with an ass you could bounce a Galleon off. Phoenix was built like a supermodel with boobs. Beth was just...well. She had pale blonde hair that fell to her shoulders, grey-blue eyes and a passably pretty face. She wasn't hideous, she just wasn't anything special to look at.

"Those are words that strike fear in my heart."

"Now, now," Lorna chided, a wicked smile crossing her lips, "You haven't stopped ogling Regulus all night. Are you going to snog him or what?"

Beth's cheeks flushed and she let her hair fall into her face. Across the room, Phoenix was flirting like her life depended on it. How could it be fair that she was pretty, clever, a Prefect and good at Quidditch? Infuriatingly, she was also quite nice most of the time, which made it that much more difficult for Beth to hate her. It must be so easy to be that perfect.

"No," she said defensively.

"No," Lorna mimicked in a high-pitched tone that didn't sound like Beth's voice in the slightest, "Oh, don't be like that, Beth. How do you know he isn't interested if you don't try?"

Beth tugged self-consciously at the silver dress she was wearing, one that Phoenix had lent her. She really didn't think that Regulus was interested in her, and she didn't particularly want to embarrass herself. She could have hooked up with Alexander like both Lorna and Phoenix had done, but she wasn't desperate and he would snog anything that moved.

"What are you two on about?" Thomas Fawley, Beth's older brother, approached the pair with a shot of firewhiskey in his hand. Yet another reason for Beth's self-consciousness. Her brother had always been the perfect child. Thomas was the top student academically in his year, not to mention that he excelled in Quidditch as well. He would be trying for Keeper again, and he would probably get it too.

With such a prodigy for a son, it seemed that Beth's parents often forgot she existed. Their mother, Jessica, was especially renowned for this. To her, it may well be that Beth was invisible.

"Nothing," Beth muttered. Her brother was also popular and charming, and Beth could not feel less of a connection with him than at parties. Everyone fawned over Thomas, wanted to talk to Thomas, laughed at Thomas's jokes. Beth, in comparison, may well have been a shadow on the wall.

"Well, when you're done with 'nothing', why don't you come over and do shots with us?" Thomas's charismatic smile was too alluring for Lorna to resist, and Beth was almost relieved when the pair walked away, leaving her to her own devices.

She'd draped a coat over the silver dress Phoenix had lent her, one with deep pockets that she now fished around in. Biting back a smile when her fingers brushed against paper, she turned her back on the music and laughter and slipped out of the party. No one would even really notice she was gone, anyway. Heaving a sigh, she crept up the stairs to her favourite place in Hogwarts.

There was a certain nook just upstairs from the Slytherin dungeons, a window overlooking the Great Lake. It was a place where Beth liked to sit and succumb to her guilty pleasure: reading Muggle plays. Her favourite of late was someone called William Shakespeare, and she took out her battered copy of Othello. She hid the books from her parents and Thomas, for she knew how they'd react if they found anything Muggle in her possessions.

"Lumos," Beth muttered, settling herself in the nook and propping the book in her lap. She opened to the page she'd been on and got so absorbed in what she was reading that she didn't even register footsteps coming up the stairs. It was only when she smelled smoke that she looked up, slamming the book closed in alarm as she realised she had company.

Regulus was smoking a cigarette a few feet away, arching an eyebrow. "Hi, Beth. What are you reading?"

"Nothing," Beth stammered, shoving the book back into the pocket of her robes, "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

Regulus blew out smoke. "Sorry. Didn't realise this was an exclusive space."

Her cheeks flared with heat. "That's not what I meant."

Merlin, she was always so much more confident with Phoenix. Regulus was just Phoenix's twin brother in those moments, but when Beth was by herself she was somehow far more awkward. If he knew that she was reading Muggle fiction, would he tease her? Worse, would he make a comment of it to Thomas and the other Slytherins?

"There's nothing wrong with reading." Regulus's lips quirked into a smile. "Just didn't realise you were secretly a nerd."

Beth gaped, unsure if that was an insult or not. She often tried to emulate Phoenix, who always seemed to have something witty to say in this kind of situation. But Beth wasn't Phoenix, and she barely had a sliver of her friend's confidence.

"There's nothing wrong with being studious."

"So defensive." Regulus offered his cigarette, and Beth accepted it and took a puff. "If you must know, I'm up here because I wanted some peace and bloody quiet. So, for the same reason as you, I suppose."

Beth shrugged, handing the cigarette back. She wouldn't say that she was by any means unpopular—after all, her best friends were Phoenix and Lorna. However, she was what she'd heard people describe as a 'shrinking violet'. Quieter than her friends, more confident around them, but completely hopeless with small talk when they weren't around. How did it make sense that she could be so cool and collected with them, but lacking anything of substance to say when around Regulus now?

"You mind having company?" he asked.

Beth shook her head. What else was she meant to say? Regulus sat down in the nook beside her, taking another puff of his cigarette. As someone used to observing other people, Beth noted that he was a little more introverted than his siblings. He had his circle of friends, and like her, he was confident around them. When he wasn't with them, however…

"You're not really one for parties," Regulus noted.

Beth brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "What gave it away? I don't hate them."

"No, but you made an escape the moment you thought no one was watching." Regulus's voice was coolly amused, and Beth bit her lip and realised maybe she hadn't been as subtle as she'd thought. Regulus had been watching her? She tried not to read too much into it.

"Is Phoenix still flirting with Lupin?"

The words made Regulus scoff. "No, she's drinking with Evan and Alexander now."

Beth mulled over the group of Slytherin boys that Regulus typically kept company with. Mitchell Avery, Isaac Mulciber and Evan Rosier were in the year above them, while Alexander Wilkes was their age.

Mitchell was a party animal with a streak of arrogance. Isaac was the most withdrawn of the group, but Beth knew he was prone to cruel commentary when bolstered. Evan was charming and confident, and had fancied Phoenix since about third year. Alexander was loud, crude and a bit of a sleaze. Beth supposed Regulus was the most decent of the bunch.

"So is she flirting with them now?"

Regulus waved a hand. "Semantics. It's Phoenix, she flirts without even realising she's doing it half the time."

"So like Sirius," Beth noted, but realised by the way Regulus clenched his jaw that it had been the wrong thing to say. Why had she opened her damn mouth? Phoenix had spoken about Sirius being disinherited, but Regulus clearly didn't share her nonchalant attitude about keeping up communication with him. Whatever had happened between Sirius and Regulus, it hadn't been good.

"Sorry," Beth murmured, easing herself to her feet, "Umm, I might head back inside."

She scurried back down the stairs before Regulus could respond, cringing with embarrassment. Just when things had been seemingly going well, she'd opened her mouth about Sirius and ruined it. Beth re-entered the common room and made a beeline for the firewhiskey shots. She would probably be getting trashed after all.

Beth had colour-coded her notes throughout their first day of classes, but Phoenix had already grumbled about having Prefect duty and ditched study, and Lorna lacked the focus to do more than half an hour's worth of homework at a time. Something hit Beth in the head, and she frowned when she saw someone had crumpled up a paper ball and ditched it at her. Frowning, she looked up from her neatly written notes to see Mitchell and Isaac.

Mitchell was grinning. "What's up, Beth?"

"Trying to study, Mitchell." Her tone was prim. "Some of us have OWLs to be concerned with."

Undeterred, Mitchell strode over with Isaac not far behind him. He leaned against one of the bookshelves, and Lorna's attention immediately snapped from their homework to the new arrivals.

"Are you coming to Quidditch tryouts?" Mitchell asked.

Beth had absolutely no interest in playing for the Slytherin Quidditch team. She would be cheering in the stands with the rest of their house, but just because Thomas was trying for Keeper again, it didn't mean Beth would be. She wasn't a fan of public humiliation, oddly enough.

"I think you have the wrong Fawley in mind."

"Ah, but you don't want to watch fit lads on the pitch?" Mitchell winked, causing Lorna to giggle and toss her hair over her shoulder. Beth could have told her not to bother; she overheard Mitchell telling Alexander that he thought Lorna was a slag and wouldn't be caught dead with her. Beth hadn't repeated such hurtful words to her friend, though.

"Not particularly." Beth gestured pointedly to the mountain of books in front of her. Phoenix somehow got top marks in their class without putting in even half the amount of work as Beth, and this year, Beth was determined to change that. There was only so long that someone could get on using natural talent.

"Spoilsport. What about you, Lorna?"

"Maybe," Lorna replied coyly, flashing him a smile.

"Why don't you give it a go, Beth?" Mitchell was back to hounding her. "You don't think you're good enough?"

"She doesn't want to be upstaged by her brother," Isaac added unhelpfully. As if there was any chance of Beth not being upstaged by Thomas. She was just the meek and mild younger sister. Thomas excelled in everything, and Beth just existed.

Mitchell laughed. "Isn't that just the same thing?"

"Semantics," Beth murmured.

He frowned. "What?"

She shook her head fervently. "Nothing. I just...I'm not mad on Quidditch. Playing, I mean. I don't mind watching."

"Great, we'll see you in the stands at tryouts, then." Mitchell sauntered off as though it had been decided.

Beth had no idea what had just happened. She spoke with Mitchell and Isaac on occasion, but they didn't usually approach when Phoenix wasn't around. Which was just typical, of course. All the boys liked Phoenix, it seemed. Beth tried not to let it get to her, but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

She just didn't know if it was of Phoenix, or the boys.

In truth, Beth knew it was utterly ridiculous to have crushed on both of the Black twins. She would never have admitted it to Phoenix, because she didn't think Phoenix was interested in girls. Nonetheless, it was more than just envy she felt for her best friend. She'd long since realised nothing would happen between her and Phoenix, which was where her crush on Regulus was somewhat more...convenient.

"So we're going then?" Lorna asked, drawing Beth from her reverie.

She shrugged. "I suppose so."

What harm could come from watching from the stands? Lorna would relish the break from studying, and it might do Beth to get out a little bit more. She spent most of her time either studying or hiding in her nook with her latest Muggle read. It was their fifth year and her father Richard had made one thing incredibly clear: Beth needed to interact more with boys. She needed to be thinking about what kind of future, what kind of marriage, she wanted for herself once she left Hogwarts.

Too bad if Beth didn't want to marry.