It was only when the boy wiped his hands across his tear-stricken face that Ben saw the blood smeared across it. Through his cloud of radiating anger, something dropped into his stomach. The boy looked such a sad picture; defenseless and thoroughly shaken. The sight of the blood was a smack in the face for him. Instantly Ben knew there was nothing of it but for Ben to realize that he'd done that. And to only add to it, he heard his name from behind him and realized that Ari had come out of the shed. He turned partially to face Ari, his eyes scanning up and down his person to search for any sign of harm. There seemed to be none, though Ari looked as shaken as he felt. Upon scanning Ari for any signs of harm, he also realized his shirt was partially unbuttoned.
A wave of shame swept through him and his shoulders drooped a fraction as Ari came over. His heart was fluttering erratically in his chest, and he swore he could see a vein in Ari's neck that conveyed the same symptom on his end. Ari's hand was only in contact with him the briefest moment but it was enough to clear a majority of the storm in his head, only to make way for the fear that he realized was mounting in his chest. He shot what he thought was a warning look at Ari, but was in fact a look of desperation; he didn't know what to do and the fact that Ari had stepped out to reveal his face only invoked further panic on his part.
He wanted to shake his head, vigorously to tell Ari to go back inside and let him deal with this but it was all too late. Ben looked down at his own hands. The last time he'd seen so much blood was...He closed his hands into fists, shutting his eyes to block out the memory of that night that was threatening to overcome him. Instead, of succumbing he glanced back down at Mr. Holm whose figure, he realized, made for a rather pitiful one. His brows knitted together as Ari spoke again. What was he suggesting, they wipe Mr. Holm's memory?
They couldn't do that. He was an Auror. Or at least.... he hadn't acted much like one in the past few minutes; certainly, if this got back to the Ministry forget the scandal, he'd get sacked. But the thin plan that played out his mind where they both wiped Mr. Holm's memories was not a good one, even if Ari wasn't suggesting such a thing. This was all Ben's fault. He glanced back down at his former client. Nothing to do but try and fix what he'd so quickly destroyed. Again.
Kneeling down, he sighed. Knowing this was a long shot, he held a hand out to Mr. Holm, his expression beseeching.
A wave of shame swept through him and his shoulders drooped a fraction as Ari came over. His heart was fluttering erratically in his chest, and he swore he could see a vein in Ari's neck that conveyed the same symptom on his end. Ari's hand was only in contact with him the briefest moment but it was enough to clear a majority of the storm in his head, only to make way for the fear that he realized was mounting in his chest. He shot what he thought was a warning look at Ari, but was in fact a look of desperation; he didn't know what to do and the fact that Ari had stepped out to reveal his face only invoked further panic on his part.
He wanted to shake his head, vigorously to tell Ari to go back inside and let him deal with this but it was all too late. Ben looked down at his own hands. The last time he'd seen so much blood was...He closed his hands into fists, shutting his eyes to block out the memory of that night that was threatening to overcome him. Instead, of succumbing he glanced back down at Mr. Holm whose figure, he realized, made for a rather pitiful one. His brows knitted together as Ari spoke again. What was he suggesting, they wipe Mr. Holm's memory?
They couldn't do that. He was an Auror. Or at least.... he hadn't acted much like one in the past few minutes; certainly, if this got back to the Ministry forget the scandal, he'd get sacked. But the thin plan that played out his mind where they both wiped Mr. Holm's memories was not a good one, even if Ari wasn't suggesting such a thing. This was all Ben's fault. He glanced back down at his former client. Nothing to do but try and fix what he'd so quickly destroyed. Again.
Kneeling down, he sighed. Knowing this was a long shot, he held a hand out to Mr. Holm, his expression beseeching.
![[Image: WEY2zhj.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/WEY2zhj.jpeg)