It's clearly the wrong thing to say and Sirius feels his heart crash down to about his toes as Kieren curls in closer, his face to Sirius's shoulder as he sobs.
He closes his eyes tight, swallowing at the images that suddenly seem relentless behind his eyelids, each one worst than the one before. Kieren going rabid in the streets, lurching and weaving, grabbing women and children. Hungry. He sees the arrow that one man had, aimed. Flying. He sees Kieren tackled and bound. Shot. Covered in blood that isn't his, snapping and groaning and in no way recognizable to this boy he loves.
"I won't," he finally manages, voice catching in his throat. "I'll make sure of it, I promise. You'll not hurt a soul."
Unlike so many, it's a promise Sirius knows he can keep. Because he has to. Someway, somehow, he'll make certain that the only person hurt by whatever might happen is Sirius himself.
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He closes his eyes tight, swallowing at the images that suddenly seem relentless behind his eyelids, each one worst than the one before. Kieren going rabid in the streets, lurching and weaving, grabbing women and children. Hungry. He sees the arrow that one man had, aimed. Flying. He sees Kieren tackled and bound. Shot. Covered in blood that isn't his, snapping and groaning and in no way recognizable to this boy he loves.
"I won't," he finally manages, voice catching in his throat. "I'll make sure of it, I promise. You'll not hurt a soul."
Unlike so many, it's a promise Sirius knows he can keep. Because he has to. Someway, somehow, he'll make certain that the only person hurt by whatever might happen is Sirius himself.