Fire and Water

Chapter Forty two



Remus and Krystal settled into her Australian home, and into the routines they had started all those years ago at Campbell Cottage. They spent their first few days together barely getting out of bed, but soon, after a visit to the store for supplies, their attention reluctantly moved to more mundane matters, the most contentious of which was their financial situation.



Krystal was well off, having had substantial inheritances from her grandparents and parents, so she’d never had to worry about the fact that she couldn’t work. Remus though, had suffered poverty most of his life, and was proud; refusing to consider taking anything from her, or to even discuss the subject of money when it was raised, but Krystal, using her considerable power over him in bed, tried to convince him to talk about it.



‘I just want you to listen to what I have to say,’ she argued against his skin, biting his hip gently before shifting her attention to his thighs, refusing to give him what he wanted until he agreed to listen to her. As she ran her tongue along his inside thigh, he caved a little and moaned his compromise to maybe agree to discuss it.

‘Maybe?’ she questioned, her breath teasing his sensitized skin, making him arch up towards her lips in desperation.



‘Krys, for God’s sake!’ he ground out, when she moved her mouth away from him again, kissing his stomach.

‘Remus, you know what I want to hear,’ she whispered against his groin, not knowing how long she’d be able to keep this up herself. The scent of him was driving her out of her mind, and she just wanted him in her mouth.



Deciding she needed something to tip him over the edge, she straddled his leg and began to rub herself against him, her hand sliding down to stroke herself as the other ran gently over him, ensuring she was giving him no relief.

‘Fuck!’ he exclaimed loudly, his eyes opening when she moved.

‘Well, if you can’t give me what I need…’ she began, gasping as, reaching the end of his tolerance, he sat up, and pulled her down sideways onto the bed.

‘I’ll do whatever you want, alright,’ he said, swinging around so that he was kissing her stomach, breathing in the smell of her arousal.

‘Good enough,’ she groaned, shifting so she could take him in her mouth, hearing the cry wrenched out of him as her tongue flicked over the tip of him.



He grasped her hips and pulled her towards him, parting her legs as his own mouth found her heat, his fingers sliding into her. She moaned as his tongue found her clit, circling it until she pressed herself closer to him, then sucked it hard. He felt her begin to spasm, tightening on his fingers, and, as she groaned, the vibrations on his shaft sent him over the edge, thrusting into her mouth as they both came hard.



‘What did I just agree to?’ he asked a few minutes later, nipping her thigh before moving around to kiss her.

‘To do anything I wanted, I believe,’ she teased, wrapping her arms around him as he rolled her over onto his chest.

He looked at her, his smile fading a little. ‘As soon as I can, I’ll find some work, Krys. I won’t let you support me….’ he started, but she put her hand over his mouth.



‘My parents left everything to us, not just me - for our future,’ she said, her eyes sad as she thought again about how much she’d had taken from her. Her parents, and the time she and Remus should have had together.



He frowned, but she continued. ‘I put half of it away for you, but I couldn’t figure out a way to get the money to you in a way that you would accept it. Albus told me he had to almost force you to take anything for the cottage, and I knew you wouldn’t believe a long lost relative had died and left you everything.’

Remus shook his head, but she insisted.

‘Yes, Remus. The money is yours. I’ve got enough from my family that I don’t ever have to work if I don’t want to. The interest from your money should have very nearly doubled it in all this time. I’ll contact Gringotts and get it transferred to your vault tomorrow.’



He looked at her, trying one last argument. ‘They were your parents, Krys. The money belongs to you. I won’t take it.’

She sat up and glared at him. ‘They wanted us to be alright, Remus. To not have to worry if we couldn’t get work…’

‘Because of me!’ he said, sitting up too. ‘They didn’t want you to have the kind of life I’ve had - they wanted you to be fine, to have enough.’

Krystal looked at him, shaking her head. ‘My parents loved you, Remus, and they knew we wanted to get married, to spend our lives together. The money was for us. Please respect their wishes,’ she asked softly, taking his hand.



It was her last words that broke him. He had loved her parents as well. They had supported he and Krystal despite all the misgivings they had about their daughter spending her life with a werewolf.

Remus took her in his arms. ‘Alright. But the money is ours. Not mine - ours. Yes?’ She nodded, and they lay together in each others arms, lost in their own thoughts.



Weeks turned into months and they heard very little from Harry. Their home was isolated and, apart from the occasional visit to the shops for supplies, they rarely saw anyone, which suited them as they were both used to solitude.



Remus disappeared every month to a safe house for his transformations; they as yet hadn’t found anywhere nearby to purchase Wolfsbane potion so he could stay home as a harmless wolf. He used the time away from Krystal to catch up on Order news and in particular with the Weasleys. Krystal had used the trace to track the teenagers to ensure all three were still alive and still travelling; giving Remus some news to share with Ron’s family. They were often invited to the Weasley’s, but Krystal wouldn’t visit too often, concerned that they were being too closely watched and she would be recognised. Remus wouldn’t go without her, not wanting to leave her alone more than he had to.



They did, however, accept an invitation to spend Christmas at Bill and Fleur’s cottage: Krystal‘s feature’s Transfigured for the journey there to avoid any Death Eaters who may be watching the young Weasley‘s home. It was cold, and the biting wind and snow shocked them as they arrived from a dry, hot Australian summer. Hugs and gifts were exchanged. They laughed over lunch, avoiding talking about anything serious, before ending the day sitting in front of a warm fire with a Firewhiskey.



Talk eventually turned to the war, and Bill filled Remus and Krystal in on what had been going on: the disappearances; the destruction; the deaths on both sides. Remus was particularly shaken by the news that the Auror, Mad Eye Moody had been killed.

“He and Tonks were very close,’ he said, concern evident in his voice. “Have you seen her? Is she alright?”



Krystal understood his anxiety, but couldn’t help the little bolt of jealousy that shot through her heart. Bill said that he had been in contact with Tonks and reported that, while she had been distressed by Mad Eye’s death, she was coping - and she‘d starting seeing a fellow Auror.



Krystal watched Remus closely when Bill shared this news. She was disturbed to see his far away look, and after several more minutes of polite conversation, his expression hadn’t changed. Feeling a bolt of insecurity, Krystal excused herself to use the bathroom.



She splashed cold water on her face, gasping as it touched her hot skin. After wiping the droplets off, she caught sight of her face in the mirror. Her face was hot to the touch, but pale; her eyes wide and fearful. She was a little taken aback at the intensity of her reaction.



She wasn’t normally a jealous person, but all her insecurities came rushing back at the sight of Remus’ seeming displeasure with his ex fiancée’s new relationship. Her stomach clenched painfully and a wave of nausea swept over her. Krystal gritted her teeth, breathing deeply until the sick feeling passed, and said sternly to herself, ‘He loves you; he really loves you.”

A few more deep breaths later, and she felt she was ready to face the others again.



As she left the bathroom, she walked into Fleur and Bill hugging and kissing each other at the doorway to their bedroom. Fleur caught sight of Krystal as Bill tried to pull her into the bedroom, and she winked at her, smiling.

“I think Remus is ready to go,” she said, yanking her arm free of Bill’s grasp and coming out to hug Krystal, saying softly, “I see how he looks at you; there is no one else in his heart.”

Krystal whispered a grateful thank you; she hadn’t realised how obvious her distress had been. Fleur gave her a reassuring smile and walked past Bill into their room.



Bill whacked her on the behind as she moved past him and grinned at Krystal.

“Married life suits you,” she said, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her in farewell. “Mmm,’ he agreed. “It’d look good on you too,’ he added cryptically as she pulled away and laughed.

“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, confused by his comment. Bill just shrugged and made a shooing motion with his hands.

“Goodnight, Krystal,’ he said as he backed into his bedroom.



Remus looked up as Krystal walked back into the living room.

“Bill and Fleur…”

“I know,” she interrupted. “I saw them upstairs. Are you ready to go?” She had noticed he still wore a distracted look and hated herself for the uncharitable thoughts that ran through her head about Tonks. She gave herself a little shake. For Gods sake, she’d broken up the woman’s’ engagement; she had no right to any ill feeling towards her. She took Remus’ offered hand as they stepped out into the cold.



Together they made their way to the edge of the home’s enchantments to apparate. Krystal was rubbing her hands together to try and warm them, when she heard Remus cry out a warning. She spun around to see a Death Eater behind her, wand raised with red light already speeding towards her. She flung up her hands and a white flash deflected the curse.



Remus, now behind her, had his wand out and shot a Stunning spell, but it just missed: the man having to throw himself on the ground to avoid it. As Krystal turned to Remus, she saw to more intruders behind him. She shouted at him and he turned, casting a shield in front of him.



Krystal held her shield and with her other hand, sent a spell at one of the Death Eaters bearing down on Remus. It hit right on target, knocking the now unmasked man over. She felt Remus’ back against hers as they turned to fight.



The Death Eaters sent a stream of spells at them; Krystal and Remus giving back as good as they got. Krystal cast a Cruciatis curse that got through her opponent’s defences and sent him screaming to the ground. She held the spell, breathing heavily as she turned to see how Remus was doing and her heart stopped. He had just been knocked over by his attacker and was struggling to his feet, his wand raised to defend himself. The Death Eater was too quick though, screaming “Avada Kedavra”.



Krystal broke the curse she’d been holding and threw herself at Remus, hitting him low and knocking him back over. She felt the killing curse just miss the both of them. They lay on the ground as the masked Death Eaters advanced on them. Krystal flung her arms out and seized each man with a charm. She moved her arms high and sent them flying up into the air. She slammed her hands together and the charm broke; but not before the men collided hard in mid air. Remus raised his wand as the men hit the ground heavily in front of them. Krystal and he scrambled to their feet and prepared for a return attack, but the two men didn’t move. Krystal Immobilised them and approached, crouching down next to them to check their pulses.



“They’re dead.” She was stunned. In her frightened state, she must have used more power than she’d thought. Remus, his face hard, put his hand on her arm, dragging her to her feet.

“We have to go. Now!” he gasped urgently. Krystal saw the third Stunned Death Eater stirring.

“He’s still alive.” She looked at Remus, feeling sick about what she was about to say.

“We can’t let him go. He saw me, Remus.”

Remus was still pulling at her arm. “We’ll hide you. He won’t find you….”

“NO!” She yelled as she broke free of his hold. “If You Know Who knows I’m alive, he’ll know Severus helped me.” She looked back at the man who was now beginning to moan under his breath. “We can’t let him go.”



Remus looked at her pale, determined face. “Fine. I’ll do it,’ he said, steeling himself for the horrendous task.

“No.” She said the word firmly. “This is my fault. I’ll do it.” Before he could argue with her, she raised her hands.

“Avada Kedavra!’ she yelled, mustering all the hate she felt towards the masked soldiers who had taken so much from her. Green light hit the Death Eater and he lay still.



Krystal, her shaking hands still outstretched stared at him as though she couldn’t quite believe what she had done. She felt a hand on her back and a quiet voice bought her back to reality.

“Come on now. Honey, please.” She lowered her hands and turned to grasp Remus’ arm so she could apparate them home. As she spun on the spot, she glanced back at the figures lying prone on the snowy ground.

Before everything went black, she heard Remus say in a soft voice, “I hope he’s worth it.”



The heat slammed into them as their feet hit the parched earth. She staggered into Remus, knocking him off balance and sending both of them to the ground, Krystal landing on top of him. They were just outside the house’s protection; Remus rolled Krystal and himself the few feet until they were safe behind the enchantments.



They lay there for a few moments, catching their breath; Remus now spread across Krystal. Finally, unable to stand the heat any longer, he rolled to the side and struggled out of his winter clothing. He had just gotten his jacket and gloves off when he noticed Krystal wasn’t moving. “Krys?” He moved back to her. She was staring up at the sky, her breathing shallow. “Krys!” he said loudly, giving her shoulders a shake.



She looked at him, her eyes pleading. “I can’t…” she croaked, her voice frail. He suddenly realised what an enormous amount of energy she’d just burnt - using a Killing Spell without a wand took massive effort and apparating them back to the other side of the world had to have taken everything she had left. Now that the burn of adrenaline had slowed, she was weak. He quickly worked to peel off the excess clothing she’d been wearing for the cold. The extra heat would be draining her already exhausted energy resources. She was wearing only her underwear and a tank top when he lifted her against his chest and carried her into the house.



She felt hot as he lay her on the bed, sweat making her skin slippery. Remus moved fast: he stripped the rest of her clothing off and went to the small ensuite, wetting washcloths and placing them on her skin. He disappeared again and returned with a bottle of water, which he held to her lips as she drank.



Krystal began to shake, her teeth chattering and, although it scared him to see her like that, he knew that it meant her temperature was dropping, and her strength returning. Her skin had cooled considerably when he touched her and he removed the cloths, throwing them onto the floor before pulling a sheet up over her body. He watched her closely, running his hands over her arms and legs, trying to relieve some of the tremors that shook her.



It took nearly half an hour for her to fall asleep; for her body to begin to restore itself. Remus watched her chest rise and fall regularly and felt relief surge through him. He felt a little weak himself as he stood on shaking legs. He removed his own clothing and walked into the larger bathroom off the hallway. He didn‘t want to disturb her rest with the sound of running water. He washed quickly, dressing just as fast and he returned to the bedroom to check on Krystal.



She was still sleeping when he carefully sat on the edge of the bed. He couldn’t help stroking her cheek gently as he watched her.

‘She’s so beautiful,’ he thought, running a finger softly over her lips, watching as the corners of her mouth turned up at his touch. Remus remembered the first time he’d seen her on the Hogwarts Express. They were both eleven and the same thought had struck him then - she was beautiful.



They became close friends that year and their bond had become stronger over time, with Remus developing a secret crush on her in second year, after she had forced him to reveal that he was a werewolf. He had fought her, terrified that the revelation would end their friendship, but he was wrong. He and Krystal became even closer, her unwavering support helping to make his time at Hogwarts some of his happiest.



He’d realised in his fourth year that his, by now full blown and not so secret, crush, had developed into something else; something that kept him awake at night, shaking with his need for her. Unbeknownst to Krystal, throughout the next two years, she’d starred in his private fantasies; until that night at Sirius’ house when he’d finally kissed her and discovered that the reality was better than any fantasy he could have created. When she’d smiled at him; he’d felt like he could fly.



Since that night, only one thing had ever threatened to come between them: Severus Snape. Even back then, Krystal had been his defender. He learned that Krystal and Lily knew Severus outside of Hogwarts, but he was still bemused by the friendship. Both girls always reprimanded James and Sirius, and by default, Remus and Peter for their treatment of Severus, although Lily’s support for the greasy man wavered after he called her a mud blood one day.



Remus and Krystal had an argument that nearly broke them up for good after the Marauders executed a particularly humiliating prank with Severus as the victim. She would never explain the relationship to him, saying that she’d never ask him to explain why he chose ‘prats like James and Sirius as friends.’ They had reconciled: their feelings were too strong to stay away from each other for long. But he had learned not to question the strange friendship again.



A creak from the kitchen bought him back to the present. He stood quickly, raising his wand. He saw a shadow pass the window and shot a Body Bind hex that way, becoming alarmed when he saw it hit a shield and bounce off. He ran out into the living room, wand raised, just as Severus Snape moved out of the kitchen, his wand also held high. Remus felt a jolt of anger when he saw the man. For years he had tried to think the best of him, to respect Krystal’s judgement. But after Dumbledore’s death, and learning of the part Snape played in Lily and James’ murder, he couldn’t pretend anymore.



Neither of the men lowered their wand. “Lupin.” Snape said, making his name sound like an insult. Remus glared at him.

“I’d prefer you knocked next time, Snape - or better yet, let this be the last visit you make to my girlfriend.”

Snape sneered at him. “Strange, I don’t hear Krystal complaining about my visits,” he taunted. Remus took a step forward.

“Tell me. What is it you find so fascinating about other people’s girlfriend’s? You wouldn’t leave Lily alone, and now you are hassling Krystal.”



Severus‘ lip curled as he responded. “Again, Lupin, Krystal has never asked me to leave her alone. Perhaps she doesn’t mind my visits as much as you do; she certainly didn’t sound put out when she was promising to strip me last time I was here.”

Remus furiously aimed a Stunner at him; the dark man deflecting it, and quickly sending a Body Bind hex back at the werewolf. Remus parried the hex, sending it into the wall next to Snape, tearing chunks of plaster from the wall.



“You’re both going to pay to have that fixed,” said Krystal, walking slowly up the hall and around the duelling men to sit on the couch. She curled up in the corner against the pillows, the sheet wrapped around her.

“Don’t mind me,’ she said sarcastically, curling her legs up under her. She waved her hand at them. “Continue wrecking my home.”



Both men were breathing heavily and looking at her, as she glared at up at them. Remus lowered his wand first, closely followed by Severus. There was a white flash and their wand’s flew into Krystal’s hands.

“At least I know my belongings will be safe now,’ she said, shoving the wand’s down the back of the couch behind her.

“Have a seat gentlemen,’ she said in a don’t-mess-with-me tone. “It’s my turn now.”