Fire and Water

Chapter Forty



“How did you find me?‘ she finally thought to ask, a couple of hours later. Remus, curled up against her back, stopped tracing patterns on her arm and looked down at her.

“I’m not sure, but I think Snape slipped your address into my pocket.”

Krystal turned in bed to face him, pushing him onto his back and laying across his chest. “You think?”



Remus explained what happened the night before and how he found the paper in his robes.

“I’d had a bit to drink when I found it,” he admitted. “After I sobered up a bit I realised it was an Australian address and wondered if it was your house.”

He shrugged. “I took a chance, shook off the Death Eater following me and look how well it paid off,” he said, kissing her nose.

She smiled and said, “He never said anything.”



Remus looked at her, confused. “Who never said anything?” She stretched as she answered him.

“Severus - when he was here.” She looked startled as Remus abruptly sat up, making her fall off his chest.

“Snape was here? With you?” He looked angry. Krystal sat up as well.

“Yes. Last night. He came to see if I was here and if I was alright. He also wanted to let me know that none of the Death Eaters knew I was alive…. what is wrong with you?” she exclaimed as Remus got out of bed and pulled his pants on.



“What is wrong with me,’ he said as he did up his fly, “Is that there still seems to be some kind of relationship here between you and Snape and I’m not thrilled about it.” He finished with his pants and turned to glare at her.

“Last night was the first time I’ve been in the same room with him in years. Severus and I are…..well, I don’t exactly know what we are. But I know what we aren’t, and we aren’t involved like that - we never have been, you know that.” She looked incredulously at Remus.

“Are you jealous? Of Severus? After what we just did, you think what? That I could just run off to Sev for a nightcap?” Her voice began to rise as she got angry.

“What happened when he came here last night?” Remus asked, his temper getting the best of him.



Krystal got out of bed and strode to the closet. She pulled a dressing gown on, walked over to where Remus stood and poked him in the ribs.

“I was fixing his five broken ribs and internal injuries, if you must know. And then, once I’d finished, I jumped his bones and shagged his brains out!”



She was yelling now, and she spun around to leave the room. Remus grabbed her arm stopping her and spinning her back to face him.

“Don’t push me, Krystal. You defend him; even though he killed Dumbledore; even though he had a hand in killing James and Lily. He always knows where you are - when I don’t have a clue if you’re dead or alive. What am I supposed to think? You ran to Sirius the first time we fought…..”

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and with a sharp movement of her hand, pushed him up against the bedroom wall.



Remus hit the wall hard. A pale Krystal glared at him, her anger making her eyes shine silver. “You’re supposed to trust me,” she hissed at him. ‘And don’t you dare bring Sirius into this.’

He launched himself at her, grabbing her by the arms and throwing her down on the bed with him on top of her. She tried to cast a charm but he held her hands down on to the bed. She was shaking with anger now, and could feel him trembling as well.



“You are mine,’ he growled in her ear. “I want to rip him apart when I think of him with his greasy hands on you.” Krystal bucked against him, trying to push him off her.

“He has never… we have never been involved like that. Remus, he’s like a brother. God, what has gotten into you…..” She stopped talking as a realisation hit her.



She looked carefully at him and saw the wild look in his eyes. She let her body go limp and lowered her eyes. She waited until she could feel his body relaxing and raised her head a little.

“I love you, Remus. I’m yours. There has never been anyone else - ever. It’s always been you, only you.”



She spoke softly near his ear. His breathing slowed and he relaxed his grip on her wrists. She lifted her head and kissed his shoulder. He looked at her and she slowly slid her hand up his arm until it touched his face. She stroked his cheek and raised her face to kiss him there. She kissed his other cheek, his forehead, nose, eyes then his mouth. Softly, tenderly. Tracing the line of his lips with her thumb, she pressed kisses along his jaw which she felt release it’s tension.



Remus suddenly dropped his head onto her shoulder, his mouth kissing the skin beneath it. Krystal made him look up at her and saw that the wild look had been replaced with one of shame. He made a move to get off her, but she wrapped her legs and arms around him, forcing him back down on top of her.



“I know it’s not you. I know it’s the full moon,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry. I forgot; I shouldn‘t have pushed you now.“ He leaned down and kissed her, deeply and passionately. When he broke the kiss he put his forehead to hers.

“It’s not your fault - it’s mine. I….I’ve been ridiculously possessive since you came back; and the full moon just intensifies the feelings,’ he said, his face strained. ’I don’t know what’s going on with me. I’m so sorry, Krys. I don’t deserve you.”



Krystal smiled, as he echoed her sentiment of the night before.

“I completely agree,’ she joked. “But see the problem is that I love you - too late for me, I’m afraid.”

He smiled back a little sadly, and her heart melted. She took his face in her hands, looking into his deep blue eyes.

“Remus, after all that’s happened, I don’t blame you for what you’re feeling. I know you’d never hurt me.’ She saw pain flash across his face, and he shook his head.

Krystal kissed him lightly, then said, ‘I knew what I was getting in to when I fell for you all those years ago. I’m strong enough to love you; to love your shadows, if you‘re strong enough to love mine.”

He shook his head, his eyes shining as he said, “There is so much darkness in me, Krys,” but she interrupted.

“If there were no darkness, there would be no light, and that would be a tragedy.’ She smiled and stroked his hair. “I love you, Remus. All of you.”



She kissed him, and he responded, his hands moving to undo her robe, sliding it open. With a soft moan, she reached for his pants, undoing them and pushing them down. Their movements were unhurried, stroking and caressing until they joined, whispering their adoration for each other as they reached the peak of desire and fell.



They lay together for a long time. “I have to go,” murmured Remus.

Krystal nodded against his chest, reluctant to let him leave. Neither of them moved for another minute.

“I really do have to go.” His voice was low and miserable, as he sat up.



He gave her a small smile and stood, running his hands through his hair, trying to smooth it out. Krystal stood as well, straightening her robe. Remus took her hand as she led the way back out to the veranda, picking up the clothes he’d eagerly discarded earlier. He finished dressing quickly as, seeing a clock, he realised it was later than he thought. He had worked out the time difference and he was cutting it close. He still had to apparate back to his house for the transformation that night before he was too weak to risk the long trip.



Krystal watched him, her face showing her concern. She knew the agony that awaited him and wished she could stay with him; or take the pain for herself. Remus guessed what she was thinking.

“I’m used to this, honey,’ he said quietly, taking her face in his hands. He kissed her softly. “I love you, Krys. I’ll be back as soon as I‘m strong enough to apparate.” He walked to the edge of the property, and, with a wave and a smile, disappeared.



After he left, Krystal dressed and was pondering dinner. Her last meal had been several hours ago, and since then she’d only had some chocolate Remus had found and insisted on feeding her. She smiled as she remembered what they had done with that chocolate. Remus could be very imaginative when he wanted to be.



She shut the cupboards, losing interest in food as she imagined how horrible Remus‘ night was set to be. She turned to leave the kitchen, when she heard a voice calling her name. It was Hermione; she was asking for help!



Krystal felt a shock run through her. She grabbed a jacket and some shoes from the veranda and heard the voice again. She concentrated on it, closing her eyes as her mind focused. When she began to feel as though her head would explode, she slowly turned on the spot, apparating.



As her feet hit the ground, she staggered a little and opened her eyes. She was on the top stair of a house. She looked at the door and saw the serpent door knock. She was at Grimmauld Place; Sirius’ house. Krystal held her hand, palm down against the door, hearing the locks click.



She slowly opened the door, holding her hand in front of her as she entered the hall. She heard raised voices coming from the left and she followed them cautiously. The kitchen door was ajar and she saw Hermione and Ron crouched over a figure on the floor. Krystal pushed the door wide open and the two friends jumped up, revealing the person on the floor.



“Harry?” Krystal rushed to kneel beside him. His face was pasty and clammy and his breathing was rapid. “What happened?’ she demanded of Hermione as the younger woman knelt beside her.

“He was hit with a hex; I don’t know what it was. None of the healing spells work!” Hermione was crying and Krystal grabbed her arm.



“Stop it!” she snapped. “Pull yourself together, both of you!” She turned to include Ron in her reprimand. “Give me a wand.”

Hermione held out her wand and Krystal snatched it from her saying, “Ron, get some wet washers. Hermione, get the potions pouch I gave you. NOW!” She roared the last word as they hesitated. They ran off in opposite directions as she leant over Harry.



Krystal tore open Harry’s shirt, looking for any visible signs of a curse. Nothing. Damn! She rolled him onto his side to check his back. There was a small red burn mark near his ribs. Krystal touched it - it was ice cold.



“Shit!” she swore, frightened now. She recognised this Death Eater curse - it slowly froze your internal organs. It was an incredibly slow and painful way to die; your organs slowly shutting down; the burning inside as ice crept into your veins. It wasn’t a common hex: she knew no spell to reverse this; had no potion available to counteract it‘s effects.



She rolled Harry onto his back; his lips were deep red, almost black. He was shaking now. Hermione burst back into the room.

“I can’t use any of those,” Krystal said in a slightly panicked voice. “Get me some of that hot water.”

She held Harry’s head and shoulders in her lap as Hermione ran to the cauldron of hot water hanging over the fire. Ron came back into the room with the washers.

“Put them in the hot water,” Krystal ordered. Hermione put a bucket of hot water on the ground and Ron threw the washers in.



“What’s wrong with him? What can we do?” Ron was almost as pale as Harry. Krystal shook her head as she wrung out the washers and laid them over Harry’s chest.

“I don’t know. I can’t counteract this; I don’t know the counter spell; I don’t know …..” She stopped speaking. There was someone who could help, but it could cost him his life. She looked at Harry. ‘I have no choice,’ she thought.



“Get his Invisibility Cloak” she demanded. Ron ran from the room. Grasping Hermione’s wand, Krystal stood and pointed it at Harry. She cast a warming spell on him, hopefully that would keep him alive until she got there. Ron raced back into the room with the cloak.

She took it from him and said, “You both stay here; do not leave under any circumstances; I will be back. Help me, Ron.”

She and Ron lifted Harry out onto the top step of the house. Krystal held him in a standing position and arranged the cloak over him. She spun on the spot and apparated.



There was a crash. Krystal and Harry knocked over a bin as they appeared in the dark, dingy street. A dog barked as a light inside the house next to them turned on. Krystal was making sure the Cloak covered Harry when a hand grabbed her upper arm.

“What are you doing?” a man’s voice hissed near her ear. “Are you trying to get us both killed?” She turned to the man who was still grasping her arm.



“You’ve got to help me, Sev.” She pulled the Cloak off Harry. “It’s Harry, he was hit with one of those Freezing hexes; I can’t do the counter curse; I haven’t got the potion..” Severus cut her off. “Cover him back up and levitate him around the back.” He turned and quickly walked back inside the house. Krystal did as he instructed and was relieved when Severus opened the back door.



Severus took Harry in his arms and carried him inside the house, depositing him roughly on a couch. He looked at the wound on Harry’s back, then disappeared into a storage room. Krystal knelt on the floor beside the couch. Harry’s breathing was getting more shallow, his chest barely rising now. The spell was crushing his lungs. Krystal’s hand was shaking as she stroked Harry’s hair.

“It’s ok, Harry. It will be ok. Just hang on a little longer. Please, just hang on .”



Severus emerged and hurried back to the couch with a potion and his wand. “Lift his head,” he ordered and Krystal hurried to obey. He held the potion to Harry’s lips and forced it down his throat. He gave Krystal a jar from inside his pocket.

“Roll him over and rub this on the wound. It may draw out some of the cold.” Krystal did exactly as he asked, rubbing the hot, thick cream on Harry’s injury as Severus held out his wand and mumbled incantations under his breath.



After a minute, he stopped and checked Harry’s heart rate.

“Still not good,” he muttered, beginning the incantation again, moving the wand over Harry’s chest. Krystal knelt on the floor watching as Severus repeated these actions twice more before he stopped.

“I think that might have done it,” he said wiping his forehead. Krystal looked at Harry. His colour was better and his breathing was more regular and less laboured.



Severus disappeared into the cupboard again as Krystal stood and covered Harry with a thin blanket that was over the back of the couch. She was shaking badly now; the shock hitting her. She sank to the couch, sitting on the edge next to Harry. Severus put his hand on her shoulder as he came up behind her.

He handed her a pouch. “Give him one vial every twelve hours until he is feeling normal again. He may have some residual effects; but they won’t last long: a few days maybe.” She nodded and took the pouch.



He noted her trembling hands as he moved to crouch in front of her.

“These are for you now.” He handed her a vial. “Drink it: it’s for the shock,” he added softly. She downed the potion in one gulp.

Once she’d dropped the vial, Severus took her hands in his and began to gently spread liniment over them; the ingredients soothing her red, sore skin. She hadn’t noticed until then that her hands were blistered from the hot water she‘d plunged them into earlier.



The ointment was soon all gone and Severus pointed his wand at her hands. She felt as though she had dipped her hands in cold water and this time when she looked down, her hands were still a little red, but unblemished.



“I feel like I’m always saying thank you to you,” she said looking at the dark haired man crouched in front of her.

“That’s because you are” he said dryly as he moved to the chair opposite her. There were a few moments of silence. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

She nodded, “I know; you were the only person I could think of who could help.” A muscle spasmed in Severus’ jaw, but he said nothing.



Krystal looked back at Harry, who now appeared to be breathing normally. Severus spoke quietly, “I heard that there was a problem at the Ministry today. Some intruders…’ he looked at Krystal closely. “Yaxley was sure that he hit one of them.” He looked at Harry and then back at Krystal. “They are being incautious. I don’t know what they could possibly have been thinking, but to enter the Ministry…. It’s suicide.”



He stood abruptly as Krystal heard a sound of scuffling overhead. “Quickly, go!” Severus said, his voice low and urgent. “Wormtail is up there - he was asleep; he’ll recognise you.” Krystal grabbed the pouch and put it in her pocket. Severus lifted Harry and passed him to Krystal.



As she prepared to Apparate, he handed her another pouch. “You may need these in the future.” He stepped back.

She turned on the spot and whispered “Thank you” as she and Harry disappeared.