For my original Author's note, refer to La Default Chapter

Oh, OK I know! I said it would be out in a couple of days and it's taken like 2 months. But I do have a rather busy little life you know, and I am SO sorry to keep all the people who have been so kind about my story waiting for so long. Honestly/So here it is. Let's hope it was WORTH the wait! (Giggles nervously)

Chapter Eight: Vieni qui e baciami…

The world had reduced to a thin, throbbing tunnel, the rumbling of the train overhead distant and vague. Time it seemed had ceased to flow in this, the moment when life came to an end.

As she lay broken and bruised she tried to gather the strength inside her to turn about and make a final stand. She searched her mind for images, moments in her life worth fighting for, but this time she was tied, too afraid to see anything clearly in her minds eye, only aware of the predator that was advancing every second.

With a fleeting effort, Carmen stretched out her hand and tried to grab her wand. But her fingers barely tickled the mahogany, sending it farther out of reach. Behind her, the Death Eater chuckled softly.

"I'm afraid you'll have little use for that my dear." He whispered sardonically, and Carmen felt her insides turn to ice, vaguely aware, that the Death Eater had removed his wand from inside his robes.

"Does the deceased have anything she'd like to say?" came the unfeeling voice. And, taking hold of the folds of her coat, he pulled Carmen onto her back, and jumped away from her bleeding and dejected gaze as though he had received a large electric shock.

For what seemed hours, he remained, one hand still outstretched, his breathing heavy enough to send the bottom of his black hood wafting in the still night, while Carmen lay on her feet, blood trickling down her cheek, nonplussed and too frightened to move. And then slowly, very slowly, his hand grasped the top of his head and he pulled of his hood, letting it fall carelessly to the ground.

Carmen, paralysed by fear made no movement o noise, but inside she was wheeling at this strange and terrifying turn of events, as she studied the young Death Eaters face.

For he was a young man, no older than 22, with a mass of short, black scraggly hair, and deep sunken eyes that overtook his pasty, pallid complexion. But it was the expression on his face that he wore that was most troubling, for it was indescribable, so familiar and yet so foreign. His eyes were wide, unblinking and unwavering, his breathing still heavy, coming out in short and harsh bursts. But there was something in his eyes. Something…

"Hey! Hey, did you find her?"

Both their heads snapped up to the top of the stairs, where the rough question of the fellow Death Eater had come from, accompanied by the sounds of two sets of footsteps. Carmen felt as though she were going to retch. What would happen to her at the hands of 3 Death Eaters? Quickly, she looked back to the unmasked man. He was looking off into the distance, his eyes shut tight as though he too, were afraid. The lights from the ends of their wands travelled down the pavement to the edge of her boots, searching for her body. In a hopeless attempt at survival, Carmen shuffled herself deeper into the shadows, under the watchful gaze of her captor. Though even as she moved, she knew she hadn't a hope. She had been cornered.

"Well?" the Death Eater demanded again, "Is the bitch down there?"

And what happened next burnt on Carmen's memory, to be replayed in the days, even years following tonight, for at that moment, his gaze firmly placed upon her face, the hoodless villain whispered to her:

"Go!"

But Carmen did not go. She didn't move, didn't blink. She was certain she had misheard. How could she not have? How could that word have been real?

"What was that?" called out one of the Death Eaters.

"Us, she-she's not here." Called out the hoodless man, "She must have taken one of the backstreets and run off."

The Death Eater swore under his breath, and the hoodless man looked back to Carmen, a definite pleading in his voice this time.

"Go!" he repeated, "Run!" And still she couldn't move. It was a trick! It had to be, Death Eaters did not have the nature for pity. But deep in those eyes, those black merciless eyes, she felt she could see a twinge of honesty. Something…

"Well come on then," The Death Eater said. "Let's see if we can find her." Footsteps sounded in the night, growing closer towards the strange scene on the dirt-ridden street, where the hoodless man made on last plea.

"For the love of God woman! Run!"

Heaven only knew then, why Carmen turned tail and ran. Where she got the strength and the trust to gather up her wand and run as fast as her lacerated legs would take her from harm, why the Death Eater had let her flea, and why he continued to stare into the dark night, long after she had vanished from sight.


"Where are you going?"

James looked up nervously as Remus purposefully descended the stairs, his travelling cloak in hand. Though he already knew the answer.

"Remus you can't go out there on your own," he implored, "God only knows what's waiting out there."

As Remus came to face him at the bottom of the stairs, he saw that he was trembling fiercely, clearly terrified by his own bravery, yet there was a defiance in his eyes James had never seen before.

Remus seemed quite not to hear him, either that or in his anger he had chosen to ignore him. In either case, he strode past James without a word for the front door.

"Look I know. I know you're worried but and I know since I…" James broke off, his guilt weighing too heavily on him to say it out loud, "I left her behind I haven't much call to say what should be done. But you can't go out there. Not on your own."

Remus froze, one hand gripping hold of the doorknob, breathing raggedly, while James waited with baited breath.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked softly. And without another word, he swept out the door, leaving James in alone in the hall with his remorse.

"Oh Carmen," he whispered, "Please be alright."


Remus stepped into the dark street and wrapped his cloak about him, in a fierce storm of purpose and charged off down the street, but came to a halt after 2 minutes, when he realised he had no idea where he was heading. He looked about helplessly and tried to gather himself. He didn't know where to look, what to look for, where to go first. All he knew was that Carmen, dear, beautiful Carmen was out there somewhere, possibly hurt, and he had to find her. He took off down the street again; intent to stay out till sun up if he must, for he would not return home without her. One way or another.

Staying up till dawn however proved unnecessary for after 5 minutes her saw her, lying unconscious in the middle of the road, damp with blood, covered in filth.


"Carmen!" Lily gasped, "Oh Remus is she alright?"

Everyone leapt to their feet as Remus and Carmen entered, Carmen lying heavily on his shoulder. No one seemed able to say anything, rendered speechless by the terrible sight. If her injuries had been gruesome in the dark, they were nothing compared to their reality, exposed in the harsh light.

Carmen, ever the independent slid her arm from Remus' shoulder and went to pull out a chair.

"I'm alright," she moaned, "I'm fine." Quite suddenly her legs gave way under the pain, and Sirius Caught her just in time.

"Right," Sirius said shakily, taking charge "Right. Carmen, go sit down in the living room. Remus, go and get your medical potions and help clean her up. And James-" he stared at him for a moment, trying to come up with a job. Finally he picked up a plate of shortbread. "Have a biscuit."


"There, are you comfortable?"

Remus slowly lowered Carmen into an old leather armchair as if she were made of glass, feeling a strange sort of ache every time she winced or moaned in pain.

"Yes, thank you." She sighed. Remus crouched down onto his knees and began to survey the damage, gently running his fingers over various scraped and bruised areas. Every time his fingertips connected with her skin, Carmen felt a delighted kind of squirm in the pit of her stomach and wanted to reach out and touch him. When the hell had it gotten so hot in this room?

She looked down at Remus, who had been running his fingers over her wounded kneecap for the last 5 minutes and cocked an eyebrow. Remus went bright red and flung open his kit, wiping the sweat from his brow. "God it is so hot in here!"

"Let me know if I'm hurting you." He said softly, as he pressed a cotton bud soaked with magical antiseptic against her leg. It stung terribly and Carmen let out a small wail.

"Ow!" Remus looked up at her, his eyes wide and dark, and without uttering a word bent down and softly blew onto her knee. Carmen fiercely gripped onto the arms of the chair.

"Did that hurt?" Remus asked, looking concerned.

"No," she gasped, "No it felt wonderful."

Remus went as red as the sun and furiously grabbed for his antiseptic, spilling half the bottle all over the floor. His increasingly sweaty hands made it impossible for him to grab hold of anything.

"You should have become a healer." She smiled nervously. Remus shook his head.

"No," he said without thinking, "No I couldn't people wouldn't want to be tendered to by a…" realizing how close he had come to the truth he hastily lowered his eyes from her enquiring gaze and continued to clean her legs, desperately trying to think of another subject.

"W-What happened to you?"

There was an immediate change in her manner. She closed her eyes and shivered, shaking her head as though trying to shake the evening from her mind. As Carmen began to dictate the evening, Remus watched her with rapt attention, feeling a flame of hate fire up inside him as she explained of how the Death Eaters had held her and touched her, a fire so powerful that he began to press harder and harder against her leg, until she screeched with pain.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Please, go on."

By the time she had finished her story Remus was staring up at her, looking terrified and shaken, still absentmindedly wiping the same wound on her leg.

"He let you go?" he breathed, "But why?"

"That I can't tell you," she whispered, "But maybe you can answer something for me." Remus glanced up at her and was shocked to find her cheeks unusually scarlet, her eyes so bright and tender. Something in his stomach clenched tight.

"Remus," she asked, leaning in closer, "Where were you going? When you found me in the street?"

He felt all the air evaporate from his lungs and looked steadily at her left knee, his hands shaking madly.

"I-I-I…W-well I was- I was going to find you obviously. I mean I-I mean we couldn't just…just leave you out…who knows…you…that is I…" Remus continued to gabble on hopelessly until he felt the soft pressure of her fingers under his chin, guiding his gaze up to meet hers. If he was surprised by this action, it was no match for the surprise to see the smile he saw upon her face, the sparkle in her eye. He swallowed.

"I know." She breathed, still with that gentle smile. Remus let the bottle of potion slide from his sweating shaky hands, where it laid being steadily soaked up by the carpet. But neither of them paid any heed, if in fact, either of the indeed noticed.

Gripped by a sudden impulse, Remus stretched out her hand and laid it on her burning cheek. "Carmen-" he croaked. But she laid two fingers on his mouth.

"Vieni qui e baciami Remus." She whispered in that beautiful throaty voice, and before he could question the meaning of these words, she pulled him in close to her, and laid her lips on his in a fierce kiss.

Remus failed to return her kiss, to numbed by the true happiness of what she had done. How wonderful it felt to be kissed! His joy rendered him motionless for an instant, before taking her face in his hands and returning his kiss with vigour. He wondered if she could tell if he had never kissed anyone like this before. Did she think he was a terrible kisser? But she didn't seem to mind.

When at last they parted, Remus was unable in his joy to restrain himself and continued to kiss Carmen feverently on her forehead, her cheeks and her lips, finally withdrawing when he thought she might find this slightly creepy. On the contrary, she stroked his cheek with the back of her hand and smiled, that glorious smile!

"Carmen," he began, slightly breathless, "For so long…but I didn't think…I mean you're…I…"

Carmen ran her fingers through his hair. "Caro, you shouldn't think of yourself so." She smiled. "I wouldn't have kissed you if I hadn't felt the same way. Besides," she said, leaning back in her chair, " I knew."

Remus merely blinked at her. "Y-you knew?"

"Yes," she waved her hand casually, "James told me."

Remus felt a small angry bubble well inside his stomach. "He-!" he looked accusingly at the door and distinctly heard "someone" give a guilty sort of cough.

"But what does it matter?" she asked, bringing his gaze back to her once more.

"Right," he smiled, cupping her cheek, "Right…" he drew her in close again and they enjoyed another kiss, deeper and softer than the last and Carmen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was so gentle, so kind. She never knew there was a man in the world that could be gentle and kind!

"Well," she gasped, withdrawing at last, "I suppose I had better go to sleep."

"Oh! Oh, yes. Of course." Remus stuttered. "You need your rest." Carmen took his forehead in her hands and kissed it gently.

"Buonanotte Caro." She whispered.

"Buonanotte…uh…"

"Carina." She laughed.

"Right, right. Buonanotte carina." Carmen looked at him in some surprise.

"Molto bene. You've been practicing." Remus went red.

"I have actually." He gushed, and instantly felt like an idiot. Carmen laughed softly and warily stood from her chair, Remus watching her as she went. As she opened the door she let out a gasp of shock.

"Oh! Hello!" she said surprisedly. Remus bent forward a little and saw James and Sirius standing by the door. He rolled his eyes irritably.

"Goodnight then." She said and disappeared out the door. Sirius and James leaned in through the open doorway, grinning like idiots, while Remus stared bashfully, yet undeniably happily, at the floor.

Sirius gave him the thumbs up. "Mission accomplished." He smirked.

"Oh shut up." Remus smiled.


Oh thank bloody God they finally confessed! That was a really important chapter, but I don't think it was all that it could've been, even if I did rewrite it like 3 times! Let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions, tell me and I just might fix it. That is, if you're not all mad at me? (Puppy dog eyes.)

Love Amalita

P.S: "Vieni qui e baciami" is Italian for "come here and kiss me", Caro being the masculine "darling" and Carina being the female. For those of you that...care.