Nothing is fair. They live in a world where friends, lovers, families are torn apart by hatred and suspicion and betrayal and no one is safe. Where someone can be irreparably damned for past mistakes (or new ones).

Remus' grip on him makes him tense briefly, momentarily frightened, but it melts away and the response to the kisses draws a faint keening noise of his own out, hands moving to flatten on his shoulders to still their trembling. He stays close even when the kiss ends, breathing out shaking. "You can," he murmurs, firm. "You can and you will."

He's so tired. He presses their foreheads together a moment before letting out a low sob, giving up on keeping it all in. "I don't want to die," he whispers, "but there's no other way. There's no other way and I'm going to die hating myself for not being stronger, for not being able to keep myself from falling as far as I have."

For not being trustworthy.