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100jewels-between-teeth · 4 days

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Ch. VII

Word count: 6790 Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi ~ An: Im back with what I can describe as my pride and joy chapter. I honestly hope you all enjoy it, as much as I did writing it. If you want to be updated for new chapters, let me know and I will add you to the tag list! Enjoy!

It was quite ironic he thought, after everything that just transpired, that the sun would break through the clouds on a day like today.

Aurors littered the streets, taking down witness statements, inspecting the carnage she had left behind, cleaning up whatever had been destroyed. Most notably the three broomsticks, which is where he found himself. No matter how many times he had tried to express that this was his investigation, he seemed to be surrounded by complete strangers from the office. He was fortunate enough to even inspect the bodies.

From all the carnage, he was surprised that there were only three deceased. The two he had witnessed right before his eyes, and one from the tavern, who had been impaled by broken shrapnel from one of Sirona’s butterbeer kegs. He made sure to search them thoroughly, needing to know what kind of attack this was. A few things immediately stood out to him, most notably that there was no identification on any one of them. Each one was dressed as Aurors, yet none carried the proper badge, not even their card. Looking over their faces, what was left at least, all looked much older, possibly around his own age. Aesop would know if they worked in the office, they never took in applicants at that age. None of this was right, and the other Aurors were not saying a thing, only remarking how another vicious attack on them was not warranted.

But if anyone here would know, it was her.

Aesop winced as he stood, his leg nearly collapsing. He cursed himself for not taking his alleviate during all of this. He was going to be feeling this for weeks. Slowly, he limped towards the tavern keep, walking around the Auror trying to interrogate. “I'd like to have a moment with Miss Ryan if you don't mind.” His voice was sharp and gruff, Sirona able to hear the exhaustion coming through. The other officer just nodded nervously to Aesop, walking away and letting the two have some room. “I would like to speak to you privately, if you don't mind.”

She was terrible at hiding her nerves with all of this. Sirona never expected to see Lenore do any of that with her own eyes, to cast magic like that. With a nod, she led Aesop up the stairs. After the first flight she could see he was struggling, the man grunting with each step. “Lets just… talk here.” Sirona waved over a table with chairs, waiting for Aesop to take a seat. With another flick, two glasses were placed in front of them, a bottle of nearly finished Dragon Brandy, Aesop noting how her expression changed after seeing the bottle.

After a few moments getting the pain under control, Aesop leaned in towards Sirona, his voice low. “Tell me what you know.” It came out as some kind of feral growl to Sirona, the man's eyes dangerous. She knew she could not keep covering, but Sirona also knew that if anyone were to know about her, it would be the professor she had talked about the most to her.

“Listen… I know this looks bad on me.” Sirona took a swig from the bottle, letting the liquid scorch down her throat before continuing. “But you have to understand… from my point of view none of this seems right.” Sirona let out a sigh, letting out her hair. She needed something to sooth her through all this, and Aesop’s stare felt as if flesh was being stripped off.

‘Damn he is good at his job.’

With one more swig, Sirona sat up straighter. “She showed up a couple months ago, looking nearly starved. I'd heard about everything that had taken place, trust me they don't shy away from placing wanted posters up here. I felt… bad. I thought I knew her, and seeing her that way I just felt like I couldn't do anything.” Sirona looked out over the bar, Aesop clearly seeing that this was hurting.

“What did you mean by nothing about this seeming right?” He wanted her to stay present, and both of them knew talking about someone they once knew was easier said than done.

“She had mentioned she was being followed. That they had sent people to hunt her down.” Sirona quickly grabbed Aesop’s shoulder, bringing his ear close. "I've never seen Aurors like them before. Almost all I have seen try to do things by the book…. But these." She could feel her shiver. "They have talked about finding her, taking her down through… unforgivable methods."

Aesop could feel the rage begin to bubble in his chest, his grip tightening on the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. The image flashed of her body convulsing in pain, seeing pure torture on her face. He wanted to do things to those wizards, make them pay for even thinking about hurting her in any way. It took a moment for him to gain control again, the pain in his leg somehow grounding him to reality. Before he could argue with himself, he took the brandy, pouring the remaining contents into the glass before downing it. He was not much of a drinker, more used to potions than anything, but he couldn't help flinching from the burn.

“I can't tell you where she is.” Sirona leaned away from him once more, looking over the patrons of the tavern. “Even she did not disclose that to me. All I know is that she is in the area. Something about it, she refuses to leave it behind. She told me it was one of the last things she has left. The men hunting her know it, they just can't pin her down in one place, she moves over the whole Highlands.” Aesop had realized that he had not been writing any of this down, quickly producing his notepad to write.

“Do you know if she has in any way made contact with anyone other than you.” She could hear a tinge of desperation in his voice, Sirona raising a brow, a knowing smirk growing on her lips.

“Everyone she knew, her close friends, the few that come here do not remember her existence. I can only assume the obvious.” Aesop knew that much already from his interviews. “But..”

“But?”

“But very rarely do I get an owl here, it is always addressed in a different name, but the seal on it remains the same. The last I had received one of these letters for her… probably around a couple weeks ago.” Sirona started to wring her hands nervously, a glimmer of sweat breaking on her brow.

Aesop leaned in closer this time, his stoic cover melting away into an expression of hope and concern. Sirona already knew the question he was about to ask, motioning to the notepad and quill. Tearing off a page, he handed the quill over to Sirona, the woman quickly drawing something out for him. As she passed the slip back, Aesop felt that anger grow again, his teeth grinding together in a frustrated rage.

He could not comprehend why anyone would live in an area like this. Aesop was not the most cheerful man at times, but even he could not live in such a depressing landscape as this. His fist pounded on the old black door, the sound echoing through the manor. Nothing had quelled his frustration on the days it took to travel here. If there was one thing Aesop truly despised, it was being lied to, and he was not going to leave now without some kind of answer.

The same ancient house elf from before opened the door slowly, shocked to even see the Auror. Before it could speak, he held his badge up.

“Ominis Gaunt, I need to speak with him. Now.” The coldness of Aesop’s voice made the elf shiver in place, eyes shifting back and forth with increased nervousness.

“I-I’m sorry, but master Gaunt is-”

“Danry. You can go.” A familiar voice called out as Aesop pushed past, seeing the boy sitting in the same room as before, alone. Ominous moved his head towards the direction of the Auror, his face more solemn than the last he had seen him. With a sigh, he stood, producing his wand. “Follow me professor, I wish us not to be heard.” Without waiting for a response, Ominous began walking the opposite direction of the man, Aesop quickly limping up to speed with the boy.

Soon enough, Aesop found him and Ominis outside of the estate, walking through the large back garden of the home. Just like the front, everything was overgrown, uncared for. Many of the different shrubberies and foliage were in different states of decay, the frost taking the last of what life remained. For a few minutes, Aesop just followed in silence, trying his best to keep his mind calm, but the memory of seeing her eyes, the men doing what they could to harm her, that anxiety permeated everything. Ominis finally slowed his pace, the two now in a small sitting area, a rotted bench overlooking a small pond in the process of slowly freezing over. Ominous sat down, his sigh fogging the air before him.

“You found out about the notes, didnt you.” From his tone, it was less of a question and more of a matter of fact statement, Aesop moving sit beside him.

“Why did you lie to me? Did you think I would not have found out? Or anyone else for that matter?” Already, his patience was waning.

“I had my complete trust in Sirona, she had helped Lenore and I before, and it was the safest way of talking with her, knowing she was safe.” Ominous shifted in his seat, his face changing to one of worry. “But it has been weeks. Hearing about the attack in Hogsmeade, I assumed the worst.”

“I was there…” Aesop looked out over the garden, Ominous turning to him in surprise.

“Is she.. Was she..” He couldn't comprehend the thought of something happening to her, his breathing haltered in wait for the professor’s response.

Aesop sighed, moving his hair from his face. “She has been taking polyjuice potion to keep herself hidden in public, Sirona assisting.” The sigh of relief from Ominis almost made Aesop chuckle, instead just shaking his head. “The men hunting her had caught on to the antic however. I saw her apparate before any damage could be done. She is still safe for now.”

“Thank Merlin…” the pang of jealousy suddenly struck Aesop again, seeing how much the boy beside him cared, how he was the only one she kept in contact with. The pause in conversation must have tipped him off, a smirk on Gaunt's face.

“No…. before you assume such… no.” Ominous could not help but chuckle at the Auror’s assumptions. “Even if I was inclined… her feelings were far from me. But you would already know that, wouldn't you.” Aesop was not expecting such an assumption, his breath catching in his throat, sputtering for a moment as Ominis laughed beside him.

“Come now professor, do not pretend that you think I did not know what happened. Between you two, how she has come to admire you and feel.”

“That…. That is far from what is important right now.” Sharp’s face was burning in embarrassment, needing to somehow regain control of the conversation once more. “A-Anyways, what matters is why you withheld that information.”

Ominis sat for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek. “I…. I had been thinking you were with them,” Head bowing down, he continued, “With what she had told me, describing the kind of men hunting her, I had felt you would do the same as them professor. But, I was mistaken.” Ominis turned his head to the professor once more. “I apologise. I can see now that both of our interests are the same. That you still… feel” Aesop felt that warmth again, clearing his throat.

“What do you know about them ?” Aesop finally felt that glimmer of progress in all of this chaos. A step in the proper direction, one that would hopefully lead to her. Ominis moved closer to the man, his voice lowering.

“From what I have researched on my own, and from what I have heard, You probably already know this but nearly none of the wizards hunting her down are Aurors. I had overheard my father talking with someone about recruiting some wizards he knew for a job… one of them being part of the Renier family.” Aesop could not produce his notes fast enough, writing what he could down. “They have been hired to take her in by any means necessary to Azkaban. From what knowledge I have, usually they are to be detained in the Ministry first.”

“I will agree with you on that, Gaunt. Unless stated otherwise.” His tone was tense, and he could not tell if his hand was shaking from the chill, or from what he was hearing.

“All I know now is that all official Aurors have been barred from investigating the case, all except you.” His voice drifted off for a moment, swallowing nervously before continuing. “She knows nothing about you trying to find her. Only that she has to take care of the rest. Something whispers to her, urges her to do something, but she won't even tell me. She becomes afraid.” They both sat in silence for a moment, just letting the cold wince rustle the trees and bushes around them.

“Where is she?” Aesop’s voice was pleading to Ominis, all writing ceased as he looked at the boy, his own worry reflected on Ominis’s face. “I need to know Ominis, for her sake. I promised you before, and I swear to you again, I don't want her harmed, I-”

“You love her… don't you?”

Aesop could not respond, but his heart betrayed him. Ominis could hear it clearly through the noise of everything around them. It accelerated, almost like fluttering wings. It made him smile, happy to know that Lenore had someone out there truly caring for her like him.

“Don't worry, I already know your answer.” Ominis stood, the bench creaking with the shifting weight. “The notes have been burned, wanting to make sure there was no paper trail left in case they found out about me. As if they would ever try,” Ominis scoffed, walking away from Aesop. He quickly followed, both slowly going back to the manor. “I know mostly what you know, she is keeping herself close to Hogwarts. She says the proximity helps with the whispers in her mind.”

They twisted and turned through the hedges around them, Aesop already getting lost. He was thankful that he had taken his alleviate.

“She… had a room here. I always kept one around for her since she was here frequently. It has not been touched since she left.” Ominis turned to Aesop, his face tense. “If you wish, you can look through the room… All I ask is that you dont disturb it too much… It is the last memory I have of her for now. I like to keep hope.”

Aesop was more than thankful to Ominis, happy to finally have something that could give him more insite. They both made their way back to the manor, Ominis leading him to the room. Aesop had noticed there was no sight of the other members of the Gaunt family, the old manor feeling eerily empty to him.

Once they had both arrived at the door, Ominis waved his wand. “Enchanted lock, just in case Sebastian stumbled across here. Hard enough to keep him out of anything” The comment made Aesop snort in amusement, remembering the days where he had caught the boy more than once sneaking around at night to the library. Before Ominis could leave, Aesop gently grasped his shoulder, Ominis turning his head towards the man.

“Ominis… Thank you. If I do find anything, I will let you know.” Ominis nodded in response, turning to leave.

“I should be thanking you. They made the mistake of asking the man she loves to track her down.” Aesop could barely think of a response before he watched Ominis leave, leaving Sharp to stew in his thoughts.

Aesop’s hand hovered over the old brass knob, his stomach churning. He did not know what he would see. Even with all that, the thought of going into somewhere that was her personal quarters felt strangely intimate to him, the irony clear to him with all the times she had come to visit him. Slowly, as if the door would burn him, he gently turned the knob, stepping over the threshold into her room.

To his shock, it was more organized than he had expected, apart from the desk which had pages scattered everywhere, the rubbish bin overflowing with crumpled paper. The ornate bed was unkempt, the heavy black blanket and sheets still crumpled as if she had just slept in them. Portraits of different Gaunt family members were hung around the room, some covered by different robes and shirts. He could not help but chuckle. Aesop remembered her reaction to his reasoning on why he covered some, the thought of all those eyes on her probably sinking in. Shaking his head, he tried his best to remain on task, beginning his search of the room.

It was more of a struggle than he thought it would be. The scent of her surrounding him, the longing pain in his chest only growing the more he looked over her things. It was the closest he had been to her in the past few years. There were no clothes left behind other than the few strewn over the portraits. His only luck would be something on the chaotic desk in the corner. As he approached, immediately his eye caught on a symbol drawn on different pieces of parchment over and over, ornate gates surrounding each one. Scribbled all over the parchment were strange runes and writings in a language he was not familiar with, these same phrases written on every parchment that featured the sigil. He folded a few of the drawings, placing them in his chest pocket. Searching around more, his eye was caught by two things swamped underneath all the scribblings. A dark leather notebook and one that was in ornate gold, Snakes circling each other in between roses.

He decided to open the leatherbound book first, shocked to see dated journal entries going as far as her beginning in Hogwarts. As he skimmed through the pages, he could see how she recounted everything that took place between her and Ranrok, going into the sixth and seventh year. A few names stuck out in his mind in the beginning; Sebastian…Anne…Ominis… the curses. But before he could delve more into what they meant, he saw his own name. His heart pounded in his ears as he began rapidly flipping through the pages, his name mentioned more and more about their time together, until it began to recount in depth during her seventh year, every single detail of their meetings. Aesop quickly shut the book, not wanting to get himself more flustered just yet. He would inspect its contents more away from here.

His attention then went to the gold book. As he picked it up, he was surprised to feel how heavy it was. A gold wheel clasp kept it close, a wave of Aesop's wand quickly turning it opened. To his utter surprise, he realized it was not a book at all, but a frame. Slowly he sank down into the chair facing the desk, his whole body shaking at its contents.

The left side of the frame showed a moving portrait. Sebastian Sallow and Ominis Gaunt stood behind a chair, Sebastian fussing over Ominis’s dress robes before being elbowed to focus on the portrait, Ominis doing his best to hide a chuckle as he linked his arm through the others. But his eyes were drawn to the woman sitting in front of them.

Lenore sat down before them, poised perfectly. She was dressed in beautiful finery, making Aesop’s heart tighten as the memories began to flood back. He could see her hearing the commotion behind her, a large smile followed by what he assumed was laughter as she tried to stay serious. The sight of seeing her so purely happy, that smile, drew out his own. Aesop’s fingers traced over the portrait, reveling in how happy she was, until something fell to his lap. As his eyes drifted down, he could feel his entire body freeze, heart leaping from his chest into his throat as he began shaking. Slowly his hand picked up the fragile object, his smile growing as he fought the tears threatening to spill over his weathered face.

The red carnation… the one he gave to her that night.

—

December 25, 1892

Aesop wished he was anywhere else but here. This whole thing seemed so macabre to him. It had been years since the Triwizard Tournament had been held. Yet, much to his surprise, they still wanted to hold the Yule Ball. ‘In memory of those we lost.” was their usual excuse, Aesop only scoffing. The thought of holding such a ball to try to remember students who perished was an idea of idiocy to him.

But there he was, in his dress robes, standing in the back of the great hall, chaperoning much to his dismay.

The entire event had been planned from the start of the year, Hogwarts hosting the ball after years of it being held at Beauxbatons. Even in the past month it was nothing short of chaos, students from both Beauxbatons and Durmstrang filtering in to take part in the festivities. Hogsmeade was now unbearable to walk through, students flooding the streets in hopes to get the best dress and robes for the occasion. Aesop was lucky enough to have something close to formal stuffed away in his luggage. He dreaded the event, but he had to admit, everything did turn out in spectacular fashion.

The great hall itself looked to be made into some kind of enchanted forest. From what he remembered from the multiple faculty meetings. It had been the job of Professor Garlik and Shah to oversee the theme of the event. To his amazement, they had gone above and beyond.

The entire ceiling of the hall was a sea of stars, galaxies and nebulas providing wonderful splashes of colour. He had even noticed a few shooting stars, amazed how Shah was able to produce such an image. Yet, it was Garlik who really stole the show in his eyes. Throughout the room there were multiple floating lanterns, replacing the usual candles. The gargoyles and pillars had all been replaced with willow like trees, the hanging bows seemingly crystalized. Between each one were crystal garlands, each one with shimmering adornments hanging. Every Time they caught the light, it would make shimmering rainbows throughout the room. To say he was impressed was an understatement.

The ball had been well underway, the beginning dance held by the head boy and girl from each house. Aesop could hear Matilda’s excitement as she bragged about teaching them all the steps. Honestly, until now, Aesop had not even known that Professor Weasley was a dancer. Honestly, for such a ridiculous spectacle, everything was looking pretty spectacular here. Not that he could do any better, anything like this was so far out of his field. He definitely was not a formal event kind of man.

Aesop decided to quit being a wallflower, making his way around the room. On the occasion, he separated a few students getting a little too close to each other. He never understood how events like this could get people so… heated. The few times Emrik had taken him out to events like this with his other friends, Aesop was nothing short of uncomfortable, rarely talking or dancing with anyone. At least now he had the excuse of his leg. He wished he could be back in his room, taking in his ink and parchment than inspecting hormonal students. He kept telling himself if he could stick it out for another hour, they would not need his assistance anymore.

Aesop kept weaving through the crowd of students, some going down to sit at the tables, others heading to the dancefloor. He could hear a few students complementing his wardrobe, Aesop just rolling his eyes as he did his best to ignore them. But as he started to return to his original post, he heard her name being called from a student. As he turned to look, he felt the entire world around him freeze.

Lenore entered the great hall, following Sebastian and Ominis, who had entered together with their arms linked, earning a few cheers from fellow students. But he could only see her as everything else fell away.

Her hair had been perfectly sculpted on her head, different swirls intermingling with each other to show her stunning face. He could only assume one of the students helped her apply light rouge, her cheeks glowing with a light blush. It was her dress that made his heart hammer in his chest. The dress was a complimentary off-white, trailing behind her, a black bow following the back. Her shoulders and bodice were accented by delicate pearls.

Compared to all the other bombastic dresses, she looked like an angel.

He did not notice when his eyes fell back on her face, that she was staring back at him, her eyes also wide with wonderment, or shock, he could not exactly tell. All he knew right now was that the room was getting very warm, Aesop fiddling with the collar of his shirt to try and loosen it.

After her entrance, Aesop tried everything he possibly could to keep his distance, watching occasionally how she laughed with her friends. Natsai had been able to steal a dance from Sebastian, coming back to admire Lenore’s pearls. He had noticed a few men, particularly Weasley and Prewitt, trying to dance with her, but Lenore mostly sat with Ominis, before finally, he two had been stolen away for a dance by Mr. Sallow. He could tell she was uncomfortable, mentioning more than once during her visits that she never liked large crowds. But seeing her here, looking like that, Aesop was not going to lie to himself and say he wished she was not here.

Aesop had not realised how much time had passed until he looked at his pocket watch. It seemed the hour time limit he had given himself had turned to two. He had been in conversation with Professor Garlik, who had been giving him the step by step guide on how to properly crystalize certain foliage, when he noticed Lenore get up, her face strained as she quickly started to leave.

“Sharp, are you alright?” Garlik’s voice bringing him back. With a swift hug and thank you, he excused himself, curious as to what had happened with her.

Bringing his flask to his lips, he sipped his alleviate, making his way out of the great hall. He was only able to see the doors to the courtyard close, following suit. As he stepped out into the cold night air, he felt a snowflake fall to his cheek, then another. The entire courtyard had a thin layer of slow, and luckily for him, footsteps leading to the staircase towards the viaduct bridge. Slowly, he followed, now just able to see her figure walking down the steps, the lanterns catching the shimmer of her dress.

For a moment, Aesop just watched, hesitating. He was sure that following her was not the best idea, if anyone were to see the two, even just talking, who knows what kind of stories would be spun. But as he was about to turn away, something in his heart ached, and like being pulled by an invisible rope, he made his way down the stairs, following her footsteps in the snow.

Much to his surprise, they had both ended up in the Quad Courtyard, the music still able to be heard, but much more distant now. Lenore was standing in front of the Serpent Dragon statue, her back to him. He was amazed she was not already shivering from the cold, the light from the lanterns casting a gleam on her flushed skin. He slowly walked toward her, the sound of his footsteps in the snow alerting her to his presence, making her jump. Aesop, without thinking, quickly put his hands up.

“I-I’m sorry, I just saw you leaving in a hurry and was worried you were sick or something happened.” He cleared his throat, unsure why he sounded so.. Nervous? He noticed Lenore relax her shoulders at the sight of him, a soft smile gracing her lips.

“No it is alright Professor, I am fine.” Her hands clasped in front of her, shoulders tensing slightly. “You know.. Just not one for big crowds like this.” Aesop could not help but chuckle, slowly sidling up towards Lenore, standing beside her.

“I'm sure it will be no surprise, but neither am I.” They both laughed lightly together that time, Aesop noticing Lenore was much more at ease now. Looking around, he noticed that the courtyard was entirely empty, apart from the two of them. The only other voices and sounds were the faint laughter and music from the ball.

“I'm shocked, Professor Sharp!” Lenore feigned surprise, her hand dramatically moving to her chest. “I for one thought you were the kind of man to revel in these events! A true debonair” Lenore’s giggling filled the courtyard, Aesop unable to keep the smile away from his lips. He adored her laughter, remembering how it had taken over a year since the incidents of her fifth year to hear it once more. He could not help but roll his eyes at her, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous expression Lenore had never seen before, but the sight made her tremble slightly.

“For your information, Miss Arkanos, even before my leg was injured, I had been known to be quite the dancer.” He was not lying really, the few parties that Emrik had dragged him to, he had danced with a few women. To say they were left breathless by the end was an understatement, Aesop needing to literally hide from them by the end of the evening.

The expression on Lenore’s face showed she was unconvinced, her brow arched curiously. “Really… the stern, gruff Professor Sharp is a known dancer?” For a moment there was silence between them, before they both broke into a fit of laughter together, taking a seat beside each other at the statue to rest. They both found them conversing about the ball, Aesop sharing his distaste for hosting a ball for an event like this. Lenore seemed to agree, though sharing it was good to see her fellow classmates having an excuse to have fun.

“I must admit, I do enjoy getting a little fancied up, it is my first ball after all.” Lenore could not help the creeping blush as Aesop looked her over once more, his eyes making her shiver. When her eyes met his again, she swore her heart stopped.

“You…. You look beautiful.” His voice was barely above a whisper, Lenore melting at his words as another shiver travelled through her.

Lenore knew what she was about to ask could be possibly the worst decision of her entire life, but as they just looked at each other, a strange surge of bravery took over. From their time together, Professor Sharp taking care of her after the poacher incident, introducing her to his art, the two trying their best to experiment with cures for his leg, Lenore felt if she could not be brave now, there would never be a chance. Straightening her back, she cleared her throat, the violins starting a new piece adding to her courage.

“Professor… um… I know this will seem strange but, I know tonight will never happen again, and I just..”

Aesop could feel his skin tingling, that suffocating warmth coming over him as he looked at her, leaning into her words.

“I just want to have something away from all of the noise and people, and with you here. Professor…”

“Will you dance with me?”

It was Aesop to complete the question, Lenore’s eyes wide with shock as she stopped breathing for a moment. For a moment Lenore couldn't speak, her breathing becoming rapid as she stood nervously.

“On… one condition.” Lenore tried her best to not sound so nervous, convincing herself her voice shook from the cold. Yet she could not deny how warm she felt.

Aesop stood with her, taking a step towards her so that they were only a foot apart. His raised eyebrow was enough of a sign to let Lenore continue.

“I want this to be something… special. I… feel something between us, and I don't want it to be tainted by who we are now…” He could tell she was scared to go on, he could feel that fear grip him two. They weren't stupid, they both knew there was something they were not addressing. Both had tried to suffocate any sort of attraction or feeling after that night he brought her back to heal. Yet, the moments they were alone, they both caught each other staring, the shock of their hands accidentally grazing eachother, the tension of their close proximity. They both knew of the risk, his age, her being a student, and they kept that respect, but this moment here, something in him shuddered and broke.

Aesop knew this was one chance, one moment, he did not want to slip by.

He nodded for her to continue, taking another step closer.

“For tonight… in this moment… I want this to be like the stories I have heard, you know, those corny ones.” He could not help but chuckle lowly as he saw her shoulders soften.

“I want tonight to be the night we met. I want to remember it that way.”

For a moment he paused, letting her words sink in. To forget about everything they were now, to just have it between her and him, away from the school. It sounded like a dream to him. With the rest of any resistance melting away, he smiled down at her, giving a bow.

“May I have this dance, Miss…?”

“Lenore..” She spoke through her growing smile, her heart skipped a beat as he slowly, gently, reached for her hand.

“Lenore.” It was the first he had spoken her name, the feeling of her name on his lips was one he couldn't describe. Lenore’s breath caught in her throat as his eyes locked to hers, his lips meeting her knuckles in a chaste kiss, facial hair tickling her hand.

“Aesop.” She whispered against her hand, straightening as he closed the distance between the two, his other hand snaking around her waist as he held the one he kissed outwards. Lenore’ free hand moved to his back, Aesop feeling her warmth brand his skin.

“Aesop…” Lenore repeated in a whisper, and as the distant music swelled, they began to waltz.

Their eyes never left each other as they danced through the courtyard, the music flowing between them as they kept in perfect time with each other. Aesop was more than impressed with her ability to keep in time, holding onto her more tightly. At a point Lenore felt him let go, twirling her underneath his arm before sweeping her up again, her excited laugh only spurring him onwards. Neither of them looked away, reflecting each other's smiles. His body felt strong against hers, the warmth all but dissipating any kind of cold from the winter air.

They continued to dance as the music slowed, the two of them following. Without thinking, Lenore’s head rested against Aesop’s chest, the man taking in a sharp breath at how close she was. It all felt so perfect, like a dream. All that mattered was that she was here, in this moment.

Aesop realised something in that moment. Something that shot daggers into his chest as their dance slowed to a stop.

He could not lose her.

As she lifted her head, their faces mere inches apart as the clouds from their breath intertwined, they both jumped at the noise coming from the viaduct entrance. Quickly, Aesop grabbed Lenore by the arm, pinning her against the wall underneath the awning in the courtyard, both completely shrouded in darkness.

The fear in Lenore immediately started to give way to a much more different feeling, Aesop’s body now pinned against hers as they remained as quiet as possible. She could feel his pounding heart against hers, both in time. Her hands ended up against his chest, the smell of cedar and a hint of smoke coming over her, making her legs go weak. Aesop turned his head to meet hers, their eyes completely blown with fear and desire. The pair of laughing students began to grow more distant, one of the doors creaking as they exited the courtyard.

Neither Aesop or Lenore moved, both just breathing against each other as their eyes never broke away. Neither of them were certain of what exactly to do, but something about this felt right. He agreed with her condition, that tonight, they were only Lenore and Aesop to each other.

And with that condition in mind, his lips captured hers.

Aesop wrapped his arms around her as Lenore clung to his chest, his stubble tickling her mouth. Their kiss was not one of desire, lust or passion. It was one that conveyed a sweet, beautiful, and tragic love. A love fostered by their time together, of those small moments. Both of them knew it could never happen again, that this moment would be the only of its kind. His hand moved to cup her face, calloused hands meeting soft skin. As they slowly broke apart, they looked at each other for a moment. Neither of them did not need to say anything, they knew that this would be the only time it could happen. But Aesop did not want to let go, he knew he had stepped over a point of no return.

But for her sake, and his, he slowly stepped back, Lenore gasping against the wall. For a moment, neither of them spoke, until Lenore stepped forward, taking his hands in hers and placing her own kiss on his knuckles. She looked up to him with a smile of pure adoration.

“Thank you Aesop. I-,”

Before she could finish they heard the headmaster’s voice travel through the courtyard from the main hall, obviously amplified by a spell letting them all know the Yule Ball was officially over. The two knew that the dream had to come to an end, but before they went their separate ways, Aesop took her hand, leading her to the back of the courtyard. Removing his want, his hand still in hers, he whispered a spell.

“Orchideous.”

In their clasped hands a pink light appeared, soon appeared a bouquet of red carnations, Aesop taking one, breaking it off the stem, and placing it in her hair. With one last chaste kiss, he stroked her cheek, trying to have this moment imprinted into his mind forever.

“Lenore.” He breathed against her before taking his leave, Lenore frozen in place as she watched him disappear into the courtyard.

“Aesop…” She touched her lips, the kiss still burning.

For the rest of that night, neither of them could sleep, replaying the same memory over and over again.

___

The old shack groaned as it was pushed by the wind, the shattered windows and tattered curtains providing little to no reprieve from the cold. She was lucky enough to have been able to make a fire tonight, sitting as close to it as possible as she held the flower to her face. The gramophone played their song, her eyes wet and red. She was glad to have remembered the spell he used, one of the only things that made her feel he was close in any way.

As the song drifted into the winter night, snowflakes falling as winter finally came, Lenore replayed the memory in her mind. Of their dance, their kiss, and the illusion of him there in front of her on the street. The shack creaked once more, and Lenore replayed the song again. And again. And again.

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