[He coughs a wet little laugh at that. Yeah. Yeah, he's an idiot, and she means it with so much love it hurts. For spies and liars, they keep each other honest. He has to trust that she thinks him worthy, worthwhile, even if he struggles with the idea. Their arguing on that stupid cliffside that they don't fucking judge each other for their pasts, red-dripping ledgers, even though he still thinks what he did is certainly worth judging.
Maybe also worth judging, then: that she didn't come get him until there was that unwanted spark of hope.
And since he'll never judge her for that... It's a circle that he keeps going around. The damage has been done. He's reaping some of the fallout of that damage. Trying desperately to keep others from getting caught up in it. Like everything else he's done in his life for good or ill, he just has to keep moving forward and try to do better.]
Imagine if we'd chucked Red Voldemort off the cliff instead.
no subject
Maybe also worth judging, then: that she didn't come get him until there was that unwanted spark of hope.
And since he'll never judge her for that... It's a circle that he keeps going around. The damage has been done. He's reaping some of the fallout of that damage. Trying desperately to keep others from getting caught up in it. Like everything else he's done in his life for good or ill, he just has to keep moving forward and try to do better.]
Imagine if we'd chucked Red Voldemort off the cliff instead.
[Mitigate with humor. Always the default call.]