Complicated (r.j.lupin)

Long year ahead

"I need this off me" she whispered, looking down at her hands as she and Remus sat silently on the Weasley's couch.

Liv had been carried upstairs by Sirius. George now being aided by his mother. Everyone was pottering around the warm house, rather silent.

Caitlin was slightly distant. Exhausted. She didn't know why everyone was so quiet, no had died? Everyone was safe, a few injured but other then that, everyone was fine right?

"Molly?" Remus called gently to the woman who had just got the the bottom of the creaking stairs, "Would you mind if we use your bathroom?"

"Of course my dear...go, I'll bring you both some towels" the woman smiled sweetly, as Caitlin was ushered up off the couch gently by Remus, and directed to the stairs.

She stared off into the distance. Her entire body painted with dried blood. Not only blood, but her best friends blood and her husbands blood.

"Come on, love" Remus whispered gently, locking the bathroom door behind him as he took in her distant and lost demeanour, "Are you alright?"

"P-please just get it off me" she whispered, her eyes flickering shut as she held her trembling hands out to him, "I need it off"

Nodding quickly, he walked over to her and gently tugged at the bottom of her jumper, pulling it over her head as she remained frozen to her spot, staring at a small crack in the flooring tiles of the bathroom, barely acknowledging his presence.

"I need your help with this part love" he sighed, lifting her up onto the counter as he attempted to pull her jeans down.

She was eventually cast of her clothes as Remus turned away and began running the bath, testing the temperature with his hand and soaking a cloth under the tap before making it back to her.

"Do you remember what I said when you came back from the ministry that day? You were painted with blood, and you were shaken up, do you remember?" He spoke so gently, wiping the blood off her hands with the towel whilst the bath ran behind them.

"It's just blood" she croaked out, allowing her eyes to flicker shut as she swallowed the lump in her throat, "It's just blood"

"See..." he gestured to his neck with a small smile, "I'm coated too, but it's just blood darling, it doesn't mean anything"

"B-but...but it's Liv's blood Remus" she cried, looking up into his watery eyes as he sent her a pained look, "It's Liv's, and...and it's yours...and I just-I just-" her breath became ragged and her chest heaved as he immediately brought her into his chest, hushing her cries softly as he ran a hand through her hair.

He scooped her up, arm under her legs and other under her back, placing her delicately in the hot water.

He quickly discarded his jacket and dirt drenched shirt, unbuckling his belt and stepping out of his pants and boxers, and slid behind her in the water.

Almost immediately reaching for the sponge resting against the side and squeezing the hot water against her bare skin, watching the dried red, trickle down her skin in a haunting way.

He hated seeing her so fragile. It broke him. When she had arrived back from the ministry, covered in blood his heart stopped, it was as if his worst fear had come to life. Now it was happening again.

Whilst placing loving and gentle kisses against her shoulder, he rid her of her taunting coat so she was clean and fresh.

"Do you feel better?" He whispered against her shoulder, still kissing her bare skin in order to soothe her.

"I need to do you" she stated blankly, turning around in the bath so her legs were now on either side of his hips, "I can't see you like this"

She took the sponge off of him and began to gently scrub his neck where the dried blood had stuck, now revealing a rather small gash where his wound had started, Remus' eyes trained on her pooled ones, and her lips that were sucking in shaky breathes.