The moment Remus saw James at the door of his cell, he didn't feel relief as he might have expected, but something much worse. He felt shame. He felt dread. Now he would be going home, and here he was, covered in piss and shit and feverish. His eyes bore into James's.

Sirius was a moment behind and did not hesitate at the door. He did not notice the stench. He did not react to the puddle of diarrhea and urine in which Remus sat. He pulled Remus to his feet, lifting on of Remus's arms over his shoulder. "Can you stand?" Sirius's voice shook.

Remus said nothing. He was unsteady as he leaned on Sirius. Self-consciously, he tried to move away. Sirius's firm grasp wouldn't let him.

James withdrew the portkey and in a moment, they were gone.

*****

Remus had lost a good deal of weight. In a fortnight of captivity and torture, he had been fed only several meals, and those had run through him like water to coat the floor where he lay. The worst of it was the torture, though. Or really, its aftermath. The anal branding- the hot poker that had scalded his most intimate entrance and blistered his insides- it had left him with open sores around his anus. Sitting in his own waste had caused these to get highly infected, and that infection had become systemic. Or so, anyway, had Remus reasoned when the fever started.

Now, here he was face to face with Andromeda in the Order headquarters.

"Get him out of these clothes," someone ordered. Probably they were offended by the smell more than the crime against humanity. After all, even among the Order Remus was not thought of as human by many.

"You have a high fever," Andromeda whispered. "But I don't see any open wounds. Maybe just some-"

Remus paused to survey the crowd of people stranding around him. "Privacy," he croaked.

James, Sirius, and Lily exchanged a worried glance. Andromeda's mouth opened and closed. In a moment, Dumbledore was isolating Andromeda and Remus in a small washroom with her Healer's kit.

She gave him a potion without asking any questions, and he swallowed it just as wordlessly.

"Remus," she said uncomfortably. "Did they..."

He knew what she was thinking. "I wasn't raped."

Andromeda exhaled visible, relaxing.

"They... sodomized me with a... a hot poker."

Andromeda's looked up immediately from where she was pouring a second round of potions. Remus could easily read the shock and disgust in her face, and though he knew it wasn't meant for him, he felt shame all the same. He dropped his gaze.

"They what?" Andromeda gasped.

"They took a hot poker and-"

"I heard you," Andromeda shrieked. Remus winced, sure that everyone outside the door had heard that. "You can kill someone that way."

"I've been sitting in my own filth for a week. I may die yet," Remus smiled weakly.

"Remus-" tears spilled over from her eyes. Remus could not tell if they were tears of pity or of anger.

"Yes, well."

"Alright," she sighed. Her eyes darted back and forth while she thought ahead. "I'm going to make you a warm bath. Hot, even. Then we'll see what we can do from there. It'll likely hurt."

Remus nodded, remembering pain too keenly, but wanting to heal.

Andromeda returned to her kit. "Take these potions first."

"Andromeda," Remus whispered, "Can I ask a favour?"

"Depends." She did not look up as she started his bath, pouring in salts.

"Please don't tell Sirius."

She did stop then. Turning to him slowly, she smiled softly. "I'm not a miracle worker. If you intend- you'll probably have to tell him eventually."

"I know that," Remus nodded. "But please, let me do it."

"Of course."

When the bath was finished and poured, Andromeda kissed Remus on the forehead. "I'll get you when you can get out."

Remus nodded and watched her slip from the room.