Fire and Water

Chapter Forty Seven



Mid morning the next day, there was a thump and a cry of pain as Krystal hit the bedroom floor. Half asleep, she sat up, holding the back of her head which she’d hit on the bedside table; seeing blood when she removed her hand. She looked up at the bed and saw Remus’ flailing limbs. Krystal struggled to her feet, fully awake now and sat on the bed.



She was hit across the face with his hand, but it was only a glancing blow. She tried to shake him awake, but was hit again with his fist, and this time, tasted blood. Realising she was only going to take more hits like this, she immobilised him quickly, then shook him.

“Wake up. Remus, you’re safe.” She took the spell off and his eyes opened, as he tried to sit up with a gasp.

Krystal helped him up, telling him, “You were having a nightmare. I had to Immobilise you to wake you.” Remus was panting; Krystal could feel his heart racing as she held his shoulders.

“Are you alright? What can I do?” She felt so helpless.

“Nothing - just give me a minute,’ he said, breathless as he fell back against the pillows, looking at the ceiling. He clutched her hand, holding it tight. She watched him try and catch his breath, her head throbbing as she felt blood slowly making its way down her neck.



After a minute, Remus looked at Krystal. “God, did I do that?’ he asked, sitting up quickly at the sight of her bleeding mouth.

“It’s fine,’ she said. “You were asleep, I got in your way.” She put a hand to her scalp. “Although, I think I’d better get Matt to heal this pretty quickly. It’s going to get everywhere.” She took her hand away and Remus was appalled to see her bloody hand. “It’s fine, Remus, I fell out of bed. It looks worse than it is. I’ll get Matt to fix it in a minute.”



She looked at him. “Are you alright? What were you dreaming about?’ she asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“Another woman,’ he said with a small ironic laugh. “Don’t worry, its not someone I want to ever see again - Bellatrix,’ he said, seeing her confused face. “She enjoyed spending a lot of time with me at Malfoy’s,’ Remus said grimly.

Krystal was about to respond when there was a knock on the door and a voice called out, “Are you two ok in there?”



A little while later, Remus and Matt were sitting at Matt’s kitchen table. Krystal was in the shower, washing the blood out of her hair after getting her head wound closed in a second by the healer. Remus was pushing around some cereal in a bowl when Matt spoke.

“I can give you some potions if you like. To stop the nightmares,’ Matt clarified when Remus looked up.

“No. Thank you, though. I’ll get through it,’ Remus said, gratefully. Matt looked at him, hesitating as if he was choosing his words carefully.



“Remus, I saw your injuries; I know how they must have happened; what they must have done to you. You should tell her.”

Remus gritted his teeth, his face stony. “No. I don’t want her to know,’ he said, his voice low but firm.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Remus and it helps to talk about it,’ said Matt, helping himself to another piece of toast. “You’ve got a pretty devoted girlfriend there from all accounts: she’ll understand and support you.” Remus shook his head again. “Well, it’s your decision, but these things have a way of coming to the surface eventually,’ Matt warned.

“I’ll take my chances,’ said Remus, finality in his voice.



He’d noticed Krystal’s gaunt face; how her once fitting jeans now hung off her frame. Last night in the shower, he’d been shocked to see how thin she was; the curves he loved had almost disappeared, and he was concerned about her pale face; her hollow eyes that were ringed in black. He’d asked Bill about it, and had been disturbed by his response. Krystal’s mind, although healed, had been forever damaged by the trauma it had suffered eighteen years ago and, after hearing about the stress she’d been under after he disappeared, he couldn’t bring himself to add anymore strain to her face.



Matt sighed but dropped it. “You know, I wish I had a hot girlfriend who would take on Death Eaters for me,’ he said lightly, taking another bite of toast. “Does she have a sister?”

Remus smiled. “She’s my fiancée actually,’ he said, his smile grower wider as he remembered the circumstances of his proposal.



“Hey, congratulations!’ exclaimed Matt, through a mouthful of toast. He swallowed quickly. “I must admit, I was a little confused last night about who was with who. When I saw you kiss Tonks,…..”

“Tonks is my ex fiancée,’ explained Remus. “Long story,’ he added, seeing Matt’s confused expression.

“So, is Tonks with anyone now?” Matt’s words were casual, but Remus heard the interest in his voice.

“You’ll have to ask her about that. I’m not really sure,’ Remus said with a smile.



“Ask who about what?” asked Krystal as she came in the room, her hair still damp from her shower.

“Nothing. How are you?’ Remus asked, still feeling guilty that he’d unconsciously inflicted so much damage on her.

“I’m fine, just like the last time you asked,’ she answered as she kissed the top of his head. “What’s for breakfast? All of a sudden I’m starving!”

They ate and an hour later, she and Remus were saying goodbye to Tonks, who had decided to accept Matt’s invitation to recuperate at his house; and, with a warning for Remus to rest from Matt, they disapparated to Grimmauld Place.



It felt strange staying in the house without Sirius or Harry. Remus spent the next few days resting; Krystal hovering nervously, concerned about the nightmares he was having. He still wouldn’t talk about them with her; making jokes when she broached the subject. It was getting close to the full moon and, although physically he had healed, she didn’t want to have to leave him so emotionally vulnerable.



“If you take the Wolfsbane Potion, I could stay in the house with you.’ She was sitting up in bed as she repeated the argument they had been having all day. “I’d be in no danger.”



Remus shook his head as he got ready to join her in bed. “I’m not prepared to take the chance. Krystal, I’ve been dealing with the transformations for years, I’ll be fine. What I really need,’ he said as he threw his pants on a chair, ‘is for you to stop treating me with kid gloves.”



He suddenly dived onto the bed and landed, naked, on top of her, making her giggle. “What do you think you are doing?’ she asked as his lips attached themselves to her neck, sucking her skin into his mouth greedily.



“If you don’t know, I’m doing a really bad job of it,’ he mumbled against her skin as he pushed aside the neck of her t shirt. She moaned a little as he touched his tongue to her skin, burning a trail from her shoulder to her throat.



“Matt said….’ she began, but he covered her lips with his and kissed the words from her mouth. Krystal fell back against the pillows as Remus kissed her long and hard.

“What were you saying?” he said eventually, lifting his head to kiss his way down her throat.

“Umm…..can’t remember…” she stuttered, distracted by his hand which was creeping under the long t shirt she wore to bed. He laughed as he grasped the hem of her shirt and pulled it roughly over her head and threw it across the room.

“No more talking now,’ he ordered, his voice husky with need as his head sank to her breast.



Krystal let out a short sharp breath, running her fingers through his hair, as his mouth teased her breasts. She felt him reach up under her hips to pull her underwear off. They joined her shirt over the other side of the room, as he grabbed her hips and pulled her down the bed so he was between her legs. She moaned as he leaned over to kiss her and she felt him press against her. She pushed her hips up against him, giving him permission to do what they both wanted him to. Breathing heavily, he put her legs over his shoulders and entered her swiftly, making her cry out.



“Too rough?’ he asked, his voice strained as he struggled to hold himself still inside her. “No! Don’t stop!’ she said, her voice desperate. He grinned then moved inside her, teasing her by thrusting slowly until she started pushing against him, wanting more.



“Remus!’ she said, her tone warning him that she was reaching the end of her tolerance. At the sound of her voice calling his name, he lost control, moving fast and hard until he felt her body arch off the bed and she tightened around him. He cried out her name as he felt his world explode.



Remus collapsed on top of her and they lay together, breathless. Remus moved first, lifting his head to look at Krystal.

“Did I already ask you to marry me?” She laughed softly and nodded, then groaned in protest as he rolled off to the side.

“Good.’ he said, and he reached over to drag her on top of him. “We should do it - soon. I want everyone to know that you‘re mine.”

He pulled her head down to his and kissed her, biting her lip as if to mark her.



Krystal was surprised to find herself becoming aroused by his possessiveness, and was even more surprised to feel how aroused Remus was again. She wriggled on him and felt his groan in his chest. She grinned cheekily as she pressed herself against him, and then let out of cry of surprise as he flipped her onto her back so he was now on top of her again. She laughed as his insatiable tongue and lips made their way down her body. “You know,’ she said, gasping a little as she felt his teeth scrape her inner thigh. “This time of the month does have certain perks.”

She felt his laugh against her skin, then she was lost as his mouth did incredible things to her.



Krystal and Remus spent several weeks at Grimmauld Place. Krystal used her Trace to track Harry, Ron and Hermione. She visited them once, discovering they had three Horcruxes to find and destroy. They were going to have to go to Hogwarts in order to find one of them, and the other was Voldemort’s snake. They were going to tackle the third Horcrux first, and Krystal urged them to let her know when they were ready to enter their old school so that she could help them. Many Death Eaters were stationed at Hogwarts now, including Severus.



She had heard briefly from Severus a week after the ambush. He had been punished by Lord Voldemort for allowing Remus to escape but, thankfully, the Dark Lord held Yaxley responsible for the fiasco. Severus also shared the news that the Dark Lord had been triumphant in his mission to obtain a new wand, one which was reported to be unbeatable.



This news concerned the Order, who were becoming more and more isolated as they tried to protect their families from the attacks now occurring daily. It seemed that the loss of Remus had doubled the Death Eater’s determination to find Harry, and they were now openly attacking anyone thought to be an Order allay, not to mention the continuing callous murders of half breeds and Muggle borns.



Remus was still having nightmares; still refusing to discuss them with Krystal. He often woke her, crying out or thrashing around. On more than one night, she sat in a chair next to the bed, watching him writhe and groan. He had started drinking most nights, as well; staying by himself in the sitting room.



She was unable to offer any comfort he would accept, apart from her body, which he used to distract himself from his pain. Krystal never turned him away, knowing sex was the only release he had; the only consolation she could offer, but there was no love in their actions. Need and lust, yes. But no tenderness or softness.



After their last encounter, Krystal had gone to the bathroom and was shocked by the bite marks and scratches all over her. She understood that night that he was taking out his feelings of impotency on her, and, for a long time, she lay naked on the bathroom floor, sobbing. She knew she had to confront Remus, to finally make him face his demons, but she was terrified to actually do it - knowing it could tear them further apart.



Fate intervened quickly though. Krystal had showered and retreated to bed early one night, leaving Remus, as usual, in the sitting room, with a bottle of Firewhiskey. She tossed and turned for an hour before drifting off into a troubled sleep. When she awoke, it was dark and there was a heavy weight on her, crushing her. Krystal realised it was Remus, stinking of Firewhiskey and trying clumsily to undress her.



She felt a wave of anger suddenly rush through her. She pushed at him, saying, “Don’t, Remus,’ but he ignored her, continuing to fumble with her clothes, ripping her underwear. Krystal felt a bite of fear at the sound of tearing fabric. She pushed at him harder, saying loudly, “Remus, no!”

He kissed her chest, “C’mon Krys,’ he mumbled, slurring his words a little. She felt him fumbling with his fly and her mind froze.



She reacted out of sheer instinct; casting a charm that sent him flying off her and across the room. Struggling out of the twisted bedclothes, she stumbled across the room trying in the dark to find the doorway. She managed to turn the knob before she heard what sounded almost like a snarl, and felt his hands grab at her, finding her wrists and holding tight. She yelled out, “No!,’ as he pulled her onto the floor.

“Yes. You belong to me,’ he hissed into her ear, as he forced a knee between her kicking legs.

She could see his face in the sliver of light from the open door, and was frightened to see the anger and hatred there.



She was begging him now, tears of desperation rolling into her hair, “Please, Remus, no. Not like this. Please.”

Her words fell on deaf ears and, as he held her hands above her head and tore the remains of her underwear off. Breathing heavily, Krystal madly tried to think of something that would get through to him; something that would stop this without her having to hurt him.



Suddenly, the answer was clear. He needed to dominate; to be in control; to fight back. Taking a deep breath, Krystal let herself go limp. She stopped pleading with him, stopped kicking him, stopped fighting him.



Remus was trying to undo his flies one handed when he felt her body relax against his. She stopped talking and stopped kicking at him. Confused, he looked up at her through slightly unfocused eyes, seeing her face in the light for the first time; her eyes wide and scared, her face wet with tears. Krystal looked back at him and forced words past the constriction in her throat.



“If this is what you really want, I won’t fight you, Remus,’ she whispered, her heart feeling as if it would jump out of her chest. He frowned and his face lost some of the feral mask that she had seen upon it.

Her lips shook as she tried again, saying, “I am yours, Remus. I love you. I’ll do anything you want.“ His eyes seemed to focus now. Krystal felt his grip on her hands loosen; his face slowly changing as he realised what he was doing.



His face now pale with shock and his eyes almost as frightened as hers, Remus let go of her wrists. He pushed himself off her, landing on his backside and, with his hands, quickly dragged himself towards the other side of the room. Krystal lay still for a second and then quickly scrambled to her feet, turning and running through the open bedroom door.



She ran down the hall and into the bathroom, her trembling hands scrambling frantically as she tried to lock the door. Finally she heard the click, and backed up, her eyes on the door until her back hit the wall on the other side of the room. Krystal lost the strength in her legs, sliding down the wall to curl into a ball on the floor.



Nausea hit soon after, and Krystal lost track of time, kneeling in front of the toilet, her shaking body heaving. When she had nothing left in her body to expel, she stood, her legs threatening to collapse under her. She rinsed her mouth out, splashing cold water over her pale face. Then, as she straightened, she heard the scream.



Suddenly sober, Remus had watched Krystal run from the room. He was breathing heavily, feeling as if he had woken from a nightmare. But this was no nocturnal illusion, he had really just tried to force himself on Krystal. His face crumpled and he pulled at his hair as he struggled to comprehend what he had just done.



He had known he was in a bad place, but never in his wildest dreams had he thought he was capable of hurting another person so badly, not when he was human form. And for him to have turned on Krystal….

His eyes filled as he remember the raw terror in her face as she’d looked at him. It was the same look she’d had in her eyes after Malfoy attacked her at school in their Fourth Year. He’d never wanted to see that look on her face again, and the fact that he’d caused it…….

Remus stood abruptly, pacing like a caged animal as his mind raced.



He stopped suddenly in front of a large wardrobe, seeing his reflection in the mirror. He looked wild: his eyes filled with pain and anger, his face pale and hair standing up in clumps. A feeling of self loathing rose in him, hot like lava. He let out a scream, primal and full of anguish as he slammed his fists over and over into the glass, shattering it until he could no longer see his image.



When Krystal hesitantly approached the bedroom door, she heard a sound like an injured animal. She felt tears sting her eyes as she looked into the bedroom and saw Remus curled up in the corner, rocking back and forth. Krystal’s chest tightened when she saw how much pain he was in. She moved slowly towards him, stopping only a few metres away when he looked up and saw her.



He held out his hands and turned his head away, saying harshly, “Don’t. Don’t come near me.”

Her heart ached when she saw the agonised expression on his face.

Slowly, she sank to the floor, sitting with her legs under her as she listened to his ragged breathing and moans of pain. As his hands moved back to his lap, she saw the blood and glass on them.



“You’re hurt,’ she said, her voice hoarse. Remus shook his head.

“Please go away,’ he begged in a whisper as he put his head in his hands. “I don’t want to hurt you again.” Krystal’s fear began to dissipate in the face of his anxiety. She moved slowly, crawling towards him.

“You won’t hurt me,’ she said softly, knowing it was true. Shaking his head again, Remus tried to force himself further into the corner, his breathing becoming even more laboured as she got closer.



Once she was close enough to touch him, she stopped, unsure about how to proceed. Despite what had happened, she ached more for him than herself. He was hurting so much, and she didn’t know how to help him.

“Tell me what to do,’ she whispered helplessly to him, stretching her hand across the floor to him. “I don’t know what to do.”



Remus looked at her hand then up at her face. As he looked into her eyes, something in his face seemed to crack, and he began to sob; heartbreaking, soul shattering sobs. Krystal’s hesitated only a moment before she did what her instincts told her was right. Reaching out for him, she pulled him towards her and held him as he finally cried.



Remus told Krystal everything that night. She held him in her arms as he talked, feeling more and more sickened at the cruelty he had suffered at the hands of the Death Eaters. He had been tortured, both with magic and by other, more hands on means. Starvation and sensory deprivation had been applied to try and break his mind, and then, when he still didn’t give them what they wanted, the real abuse began.



Remus’ voice shook and he could barely get the words out as he described the ‘party’ some of his captors had held, with him as the guest of honour. They hexed him, burnt him with their wands, carving their mark into his skin, before chaining him to the wall. They then stripped and sodomised him; taking turns to abuse his body; to try and break his mind by ensuring he stayed conscious the entire time. Krystal wept with him as they sat on the floor, the first rays of dawn creeping across the bedroom.



Finally, as the sun strengthened, Krystal stood, holding out her hands to help pull a now exhausted Remus to his feet. She led him to the bed, giving him a small smile as he hesitated, his jaw clenching as he recalled the violence that had taken place there only hours earlier.

“Please?” she asked quietly. Remus crawled into the bed, his hand reaching out as Krystal turned to leave the room.

“Krys?‘ he said, his eyes questioning. She lifted his hand and kissed his wrist, one of the only parts of his hand not injured.

“I’ll be back,‘ she promised, quickly walking to the bathroom and returning minutes later with a bowl of warm water and a washcloth.



Remus’ eyes didn’t leave her hands as she cleaned his wounds, using his wand to remove the glass and to heal the cuts. She held his hands in hers, bringing them to her mouth and kissing each of them.

“Good as new,’ she said softly. Her words caused his lip to quiver, and she saw him struggling to control himself.



Krystal poked him in the leg gently saying, “Move over then.”

Remus quickly shifted and watched disbelievingly as she crawled into bed beside him. She lay down and looked at him expectantly, and he slowly lay down next to her. Reaching out, she took his newly healed hand and held it as they lay face to face. “Snape was right,’ Remus whispered as he felt sleep overtaking him. “You are too good for me.”