Chapter Nine
"I can't not help!" Sirius yelled. White with fury, he paced the length of the kitchen relentlessly. "It's Remus! I have to do this!"
"He matters to all of us, Sirius," Dumbledore said gently. "But at this moment we don't even know where he's been taken. And we certainly cannot afford to have you sighted and most likely arrested."
Sirius flung himself heavily into a kitchen chair. "Fat lot of good I'm doing here," he grumbled.
Dumbledore stood up. "I am returning to Hogwarts. I will alert the Order members from there. Sirius," he said, fixing a stern gaze on the fidgeting man, "I do expect you to remain here, at least until a plan of action has been formulated."
Sirius harrumphed, glowering as Dumbledore tossed a generous handful of Floo powder into the fireplace and stepped into its flames.
"Now you know how I felt," Harry said, "when I thought Voldemort had you at the Department of Mysteries."
They sat in silence. And waited.
Within half an hour, the kitchen at Grimmauld Place was full nearly to overflowing with Order members. Most of the Weasleys were there, save for Ron (who was still safely ensconced in St Mungo's), Ginny (who, at sixteen, was still considered underage in the wizarding world), and Percy (who no longer considered himself a member of the family). Bill and Charlie were there, however, and were both thoroughly delighted to be reacquainted with Sirius.
"Wish it was under better circumstances, mate," Bill said, clapping a hand on Sirius' shoulder.
If one more person calls me mate, Sirius thought as he forced a sickly smile, I shall scream.
"Settle down, settle down," Dumbledore said, motioning for everyone to find a seat. "We've lost enough time as it is. Miss Tonks? Would you please?"
Tonks moved to stand beside Dumbledore, clearing her throat slightly. "The Death Eaters have kidnapped Remus Lupin," she said bluntly.
A collective gasp ran through the room.
Sirius noticed Snape sit up a bit straighter in his chair, eyes intent on Tonks, and he nearly bit his tongue in half in an effort to keep his cool. Remus, he told himself. I'm being good for Remus.
Tonks' voice trembled as she continued. "One was Draco Malfoy. There were two others with him, but I don't know their names. Malfoy threatened Remus with a knife of some kind. It looked like silver."
"What direction did they go?" Kingsley asked from the corner.
Tonks shook her head. "No idea. They had a Portkey."
"If a Malfoy's involved," Arthur said, "they may be at the family home. We'll need to send some reconnaissance."
"Excellent idea, Arthur," said Dumbledore.
"I want to go," Sirius said abruptly.
Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head. "Sirius, we've been over this..." he began.
"Wait," Harry interrupted. "Why can't he go? I know I might be out of line for suggesting this, but... What about Padfoot?"
"It's an idea," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, as Sirius shot Harry a grateful look. "But his Animagus form is known to far too many as it is."
"Harry's right," Sirius said stubbornly. "A dog's nose is really sensitive. I'll be able to scent him out. Besides," he added, "you could pair me with Tonks. She's the best at disguise."
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. I'd certainly rather you went with Miss Tonks than alone. But Sirius..." His eyes took on a mischievous twinkle. "You'll have to act like a proper dog. You do understand to what I refer, don't you?"
"Oh... Oh, no," Sirius said, adamant. "No leash!"
"And a collar," snickered Harry.
"That's just evil!" Sirius exclaimed, glaring at Harry.
Dumbledore chuckled. "But will you do it?"
Sirius nodded. "For Remus? You know I will."
"Come on," Tonks muttered as Padfoot stopped to lift his leg at yet another fire hydrant. "You don't have to stop at every bloody one, you know." She'd turned her usually vibrant hair dull grey and grizzled, changed her smooth youthful skin to wrinkled. Being a Metamorphmagus had its advantages, she knew, but the old lady disguise was her least favourite.
Maybe it's this revolting red handbag, she mused, or this godawful hat. Whoever thought stuffed vultures were a fashion accessory? I feel like Neville Longbottom's grandmother.
Padfoot huffed in a very doggy fashion as he trotted along beside her. They'd had a terrible row over the collar, but finally he'd managed to be placated with one made of real leather with several copper studs embedded in it.
Finally Tonks stopped.
"This is it," she whispered. "Dumbledore got the address from Malfoy's school records. D'you smell anything? Um, or anyone?"
Padfoot sat back on his haunches, sniffing the chilly air. He smelled snow (very frosty)... He smelled Tonks (sort of like vanilla, but not)... He smelled apples cooking somewhere (very cinnamony indeed)...
He smelled Remus. And blood.
He barked softly, once, and whined as Tonks pulled gently on his leash.
"No," she hissed. "Back to Headquarters, you bloody impatient mutt! We don't know what we'd be walking into!" She dragged him into a nearby alley so he could change back to human form in relative privacy.
"Tonks!" he said urgently. "We found him! We can't just leave!"
"We need backup," she said firmly, and although he hated to admit it, Sirius knew she was right.
They Disapparated.
The house was at last blessedly still.
Remus opened his eyes with considerable effort, gazing blearily around the dreary dungeon. He was lightheaded, weak, for the wound in his arm was still dripping into a pool onto the floor.
Every inch of him ached from the several bouts of the Cruciatus curse.
He had had experience with Voldemort and thought no-one could be as evil, but as he sat there in the utmost agony, he thought Draco Malfoy came close... very, very close.
Draco had taken more than enough blood and disappeared. That was at least an hour ago.
Now Remus was hoping that any time now someone would come to help him.
Expecting Sirius?
Remus felt his heart clench with pain.
Why would he even bother after the way he had talked to him. But as he sat in the cold, dark, damp room he couldn't help but wonder if maybe Sirius had been right. Was Snape involved at all in his abduction?
Surely Dumbledore's judgment had not been wrong...
But he is only human.
It was a fact that many kept forgetting. Like Harry, Remus fully expected Dumbledore to be able to do anything. That he was infallible...
Remus coughed, and the pain it wrought through his body almost caused him to cry out.
And then he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. The latch was pulled open and Malfoy swept into the room. The look on his face was one of pure rage, but his voice was eerily calm.
"So..." he breathed, circling Remus' chair like a vulture. "Phase one didn't work. But no matter. That just means it's time for round two."
Remus desperately wanted to say something, but his throat was so raw from his screaming that no sound would emerge.
Malfoy leaned in closer. "Unless there's something you want to tell me?"
Remus croaked a swear word at him.
Malfoy slapped him around the face.
"Alright then. If you have nothing useful to contribute..." He unsheathed the steel dagger once more, running its tip along Remus cheek, enjoyment written over his face.
Remus was disgusted by Malfoy. It was as if he was getting pleasure from torturing another human being...
But of course, he thinks I am nothing but an animal.
"Flesh," Malfoy whispered against his ear, his breathing coming in short hard breaths.
He ran the knife down Remus' neck, along his shoulder and back to the already injured arm.
It happened in a white hot, burning, piercing instant.
Remus couldn't fight back the scream that issued from him. Though only a sliver had been taken the pain seemed to sink straight into his very bones. His arm was alight with fire...he was surely going to die...and then he blacked out.
He dreamt of Sirius. Dreamt he was lying by a cool stream, their limbs entangled, whispered words of love shared between them.
It was a park somewhere in the city. People threw glances their way but there were no Ministry officials swooping down on them...Sirius was free.
It was so sweet a dream that he wanted to stay in it forever, but inevitably those footsteps sounded again, waking him abruptly.
He only had the faintest glimmer of hope that it could be someone to rescue him, and it was dashed as he saw Malfoy enter the room once more.
He was unsure how much time had passed, but the room was considerably darker than it had been last time. From the stillness it must be deep night.
"Any last requests werewolf?" Malfoy spat, circling the chair once more, one gleaming dagger in each hand, one steel, one silver.
"Guess it didn't work," Remus croaked, his throat dry and sore.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes, crouching before him. "You know how Black came back; you are the reason he came back! Now tell me how you did it!"
"He came back by a power you will never understand," Remus rasped, eyes glazed with pain but defiant.
"Oh, I understand many forms of power..." The silver blade was traced along his cheek gently, just enough to issue a small wisp of smoke.
Remus gritted his teeth but made no sound.
"Now tell me, or its time for round three."
"Go to hell!" Remus shouted.
Malfoy screwed up his face in anger and dove the silver blade into Remus' already damaged beyond belief arm.
The pain was so closely related to the cruciatus curse that Remus thought for the first time that he was actually going to die.
And that smile on Malfoy's face...
He twisted the blade.
Remus cried out as bone splintered, cried for Sirius, cried for his mother long gone to her grave. Cried for anyone to hear him and release him from his agony, even death.
And as he blacked out again, there came more footsteps on the stairs outside.
"I thought I told you never to disturb me in here, Nott," Malfoy said over his shoulder, as he wiped the bloody silver blade against Remus' trousers. "Perhaps you need a little reminder who's in charge? I've got the bone fragment though; we can..." He broke off as he turned around, eyes widening in recognition. "You."
"Expelliarmus!" Tonks and Kingsley yelled together, wands outstretched, as Dumbledore entered behind them. But they weren't quite quick enough; Malfoy had immediately Disapparated.
"Oh. Oh, my god," Tonks breathed, turning to Remus, who still sprawled unconscious and bleeding in the chair. She tried not to gag on the sickly stench of burnt flesh hanging in the air.
Dumbledore knelt next to the chair. At a whisper from him, Remus' bonds melted away and he slid bonelessly to the floor. Dumbledore caught him gently. "Quickly now," he said to the others. "Is the Portkey ready, Kingsley? We were right in thinking Remus would be in no shape to Apparate."
"Right here," Kingsley said, holding out a grimy, half-unraveled mitten. "Everyone catch hold now." He held one of Remus' hands up to the mitten while Dumbledore activated the Portkey.
"Three... two... one..." Dumbledore counted off softly as they all instinctively braced for the impact.
In seconds they were back at Grimmauld Place and carrying Remus into the kitchen where Harry and Sirius waited impatiently with Snape. All three men leapt out of their chairs as the rescue party entered.
"Put him here," Dumbledore instructed, as Kingsley gently laid Remus on the long table, "so we can see the extent of his injuries."
It was very bad. Remus' right arm had essentially been flayed open from elbow to wrist, the flesh of it blackened and burnt by the silver blade. Both wrists and ankles were raw and chafed from the too-tight ropes.
"Poppy's on her way," Snape announced, pulling his head out of the fire.
"Sirius?" Tonks asked, placing a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?" He shook her arm off impatiently and stumbled from the room, one trembling hand over his mouth.
Harry edged closer. "What happened to him?" he whispered.
"Silver," said Dumbledore. "But we may be able to save his arm yet. Perhaps you could go see to Sirius?"
Harry nodded, looking rather relieved to have an excuse to exit the kitchen.
Sirius leaned back against the cool tiles of the bathroom and wondered if he was finished throwing up yet. He didn't want to move. If he moved, he would have to stand. If he stood, he would have to go back down to the kitchen.
Silver, he thought dully. Must've been silver. He'd seen silver damage Remus before, but never so badly as this. At Hogwarts, Remus had used stainless steel cutlery at meals, but there had been the rare occasion when it had gotten mixed up with the regular silver that everyone else used. Those had been minor burns to his fingertips, easily healed. But this... Remus' arm, where it wasn't charred, had looked almost liquefied, and broken bits of bone had poked up through it.
He leaned back over the toilet, retching again at the memory.
"Sirius?" came Harry's voice. "Can I come in?"
"Yeah," Sirius rasped, heaving himself to his feet, flushing the toilet as he shakily stood. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror above the sink and nearly didn't recognize his own reflection.
Harry edged in, wrinkling his nose.
"Sorry," Sirius said, dashing water over his face. The bathroom still stank sourly of vomit.
"Don't be," said Harry.
A full fifteen minutes went by before Sirius felt steady enough to go back downstairs. By that time Poppy had arrived, armed with enough Skele-Gro for the entire Order, and was busily bandaging Remus' arm. He was still unconscious.
"It's almost a blessing the silver burned him," she said to Dumbledore. "The cauterization kept him from bleeding to death." She patted the last of the bandaging into place. "He should be right as rain in a few days, but he'll need some... ah... special restoratives."
"I have that covered," Snape said smoothly, dusting himself off as he stepped out of the fire. "I had only to retrieve a few items from my private stores."
Pomfrey nodded her approval. "He'll be in good hands, then," she said.
Sirius blanched. "He's in charge of Remus' recovery?"
"Galling, isn't it Black?" Snape sneered. He began rummaging through the bag he was carrying. "Silver's a poison to him; you must know that. The bones can be regrown easily enough, the flesh will heal... but the taint of that poison must be neutralized."
"I know," Sirius said quietly. He stepped over to the table, reaching out to smooth back Remus' hair. "I love him, you know."
"Don't remind me."
Sirius glanced up at Snape. I'm being good for Remus, he reminded himself. I can do this for Remus.
"Please, Severus," he said, swallowing his pride once and for all. "Help him."
Remus fluttered in and out of consciousness throughout the night. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, he awoke fully, though didn't open his eyes at first.
He lay there, dreading hearing Malfoy's voice again, and was more than a little shocked to hear Snape beside him, speaking softly, kindly.
"You need to sit up a little, Lupin. Sip this."
Remus finally opened his eyes and allowed Snape to help him into a more upright position so he could take a sip from the goblet offered to him. It tasted awful, burning his throat, but he was so thankful to be away from that place that he would drink anything right now.
"Sirius," he croaked, trying to sit up more, but Snape pushed him back onto the pillow.
"You rest. I will get him."
Remus lay back, still trying to blink the remnants of sleep from his eyes, his head still reeling that Snape was being so kind to him...
Was I really that close...to death?
Hurried footsteps approached and next thing he knew Sirius had dropped to his knees next to his bed, grasping his left hand gently. Remus only just noticed with surprise that his right arm was heavily bandaged.
"Re... Thank Merlin." Sirius leaned over to kiss his brow tenderly.
Remus was more than a little surprised to see silver tears threatening to escape from Sirius' eyes.
"Hey, it's ok. I'm alright."
Sirius was running a hand through Remus' hair, his hand shaking and his face pale and wan as if he hadn't slept all night which, Remus mused, he probably hadn't. "I'm so sorry, Re."
"For what?"
"For...everything. Fighting with you, getting angry with Snape, fighting with you..." he let his hand fall to the bed, his fingers now tracing the pattern of the blanket.
Remus raised his hand to stroke Sirius' cheek tenderly. "It's ok. I'm sorry too. Sirius?"
"Yes?"
"What happened? I mean... with Malfoy..."
Remus had never seen such a look of hate on Sirius' face before. It had suddenly contorted into a grotesque mask, his hand on the bed tightening into a fist. "The little bastard got away...but when I get my hands on him..."
Remus could tell quite well what Sirius would do to Malfoy. Even he would love to hurt him, and he was usually one for peace. He stifled a yawn, and Sirius looked at him, concerned.
"You're still tired. Get some sleep."
"Stay with me?" Remus held out his hand once more and Sirius took it gently.
"Always, Re." Sirius bent and brushed his lips over Remus', smiling at the contented sigh that escaped from him. "Merry Christmas Re."
"Good, I didn't miss it. Oh!" He tried to sit up, but Sirius pushed him back down.
"What is it?"
"Your present... I had it on me, but I don't know..."
"Is this it?" Sirius took a brightly wrapped small box from the bedside table. Remus smiled, falling back onto the pillow.
"Yes, that's it. Open it."
"Now? Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. Open it," he repeated and closed his eyes.
Grinning, Sirius pulled off the neatly tied bow, and then eased back the paper. Soon, nestled in his palm was a small jewelry box. Lifting the lid, Sirius smiled.
Sitting on a bed of black velvet was a silver necklace... stainless steel, actually... and dangling from it were military dog tags. Reproductions, of course, but Sirius still grinned at the irony. Pulling it from the box, he noticed the tags had been engraved. One read 'SBRL'; the second stated simply 'forever yours'.
Touched beyond measure, Sirius leant to give Remus a grateful kiss, but Remus had already fallen asleep.
"I'll thank you later," he whispered, putting the necklace on immediately, and settling in the chair next to the bed, listening contentedly to his mate's soft breathing.