Disclaimer : - The world of Harry Potter isn't mine – wish it was – but belongs to JK Rowling…  anything from the books is hers not mine…. Anything else is probably mine.  Not getting anything but fun from writing this etc etc etc….

The fic is Rate R …..  if you are not old enough to read it etc then please don't

Spanning the River of Blood

By Ridley-Roo

Chapter 9 – Returning Home

Remus Lupin stood nervously at the bottom of the steps leading up to the old oak doors which formed the entrance to the school and waited for Katrina to arrive. While he knew that his face had returned to its normal colour and his voice had returned to normal, his pulse was still racing from their encounter at lunch.  How on earth was he going to get her home and collect Layla's belongings without making an even bigger fool of himself?  He'd found it amusing when he had seen Snape's reaction to Layla in the cavern but it wasn't as much fun when it was him.  Thank the Gods he had been wearing robes!

Katrina walked through the doors into the bright afternoon sunshine with mixed emotions.  She was happy to be going home, even if it was a new home, but very unhappy about leaving her oldest friend behind.  The thought of not being able to come back under her own steam worried her more than she was prepared to let on.  What if something happened?  What if Layla needed help?  What possible use could she be if she was miles away?  Sighing, she turned to face the object of her anxieties and tilted her head to silently ask if she was sure once more.

'Yes,' came her reply, 'and don't forget to send the stuff I've asked for.'

'I won't.'

Embracing her friend one last time she took a deep breath and turned to walk down the steps to Remus and his broomstick. 

As she reached the bottom his struggle to retain his composure became more obvious as he started to shift his feet nervously.  'Oh now here is something worth playing with' she thought. 'but should I play nice or not… hmmm….  not sure'  She continued the debate as she stood and took him in.  The shuffling increased and eventually she decided to put him out of his misery.

'So I hear you're gonna give me a ride?' she said out loud.

'Errmm. Yes.'

He had a nice voice she decided although not as slick as the other one called Snape.

'So where do you want me?'  She lent forward slightly as she asked and was rewarded by a reddening around his ears.

'Hey take care!' Layla shouted down.

'You too girlie…. And don't do anything I wouldn't do!' Katrina called back and swung her leg over the broomstick and scooted her way backwards until she was pressed against the nervous wizard behind her.

'EErmm…. Hold on…'  Remus managed to croak out and put his arms around her to hold the broom before lifting them slowly off the ground.

Katrina took hold of the broomstick by placing her hands on top of his and lent back into his body.  'My, what a big broomstick you have!  Do all wizards have ones this big?'  she  purred in his ear and suppressed a laugh as his body shook in response.

* * * *

Layla smiled as she watched them disappear over the tops of the trees before turning and making her way back into the school.  What was going on?  She walked down a flight of stairs without paying any attention to where she was going.  What had happened in the cavern?  She couldn't have done anything wrong with the concentrator as they'd all seen her house.  So what had happened?  What about the voices she had heard?  What on earth was going on…..  Her feet carried her further into the school of their own accord.

Some time later she stopped and looked around her.  She was standing in a large stone chamber which seemed oddly familiar.  'Oh course all the rooms have stone walls here… so that doesn't mean anything' she thought wondering where she was.  Over to one corner was a large bed with richly embroidered drapes, matching chairs were scattered around the room along with a settee over towards one wall in front of a large blazing fire.  Drearily she walked over to the settee and sat staring into the flames.

What was it the voices had spoken again?  Loss.  Pain.  Hatred.  Revenge. 

Sighing she lowered her head onto the arm of the settee and drew her legs up beneath her.  Waves of exhaustion flowed over her as the flames flicked around the wood in the fireplace.  Slowly she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

Katrina felt strange using Layla's keys to open up the front door.  The trip home had been exhilarating but she had work to do and time was getting on, so she went straight upstairs to pack leaving Remus downstairs to make some tea.

Clothes were packed away along with books and some photos.  Layla's favourite pictures were taken down from the walls and all piled up neatly in the centre of the living room to be shrunken ready for transport.  Sticking her head around the door to make sure Remus was busy, Katrina decided that now was as good a time as any to get the two things she knew Layla wanted most.  She's not asked specifically, but the request had been in her eyes.  Figuring one was likely to be with the other she went quickly into the back bedroom, opened the wardrobe and removed the piles of bed linen stacked neatly at the bottom.  There it was, item number one.  Careful not to touch the blade she lifted the dagger up and quickly wrapped it in a towel.  Now where was number two, that blasted cat?  She had been so sure he would be asleep in the wardrobe!  Quickly she moved around the house checking behind the furniture and in cupboards but the damn thing was nowhere to be found.  Oh well, she'd have to find him later and take him with her next weekend.  It would take her that long to build up the courage to face Layla if her precious little moggie was missing anyway.  Giving up the search she went back into the front room for a last little bit of playing before reality returned.

'Well that's everything for now.' she told Remus.  It was probably better not to tell him about his likely reception when he arrived minus a cat basket.  Much better to send him on his way with nicer thoughts in his mind she thought.

Moving in close she stretched and whispered into his ear 'Ok then, off you go…'  Slowly she pressed her lips to his cheek and made sure her breasts brushed against him while running her hands down his back to caress his arse.  Mumbling a response she couldn't make out, he rushed to the door and was disappearing into the twilight over the rooftops by the time she made it to the window to watch him leave.

A/N – there's a button down here – see it says submit review…..  go on…. You know you want to….  After all if I don't know if you like it I might be disheartened and give up (sniff sniff)