#aesop sharp/you

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

Kisses at Midnight

It's been a week since Aesop's sweetheart confessed her feelings to him, and it has already been the best week he's had in years. Now it's New Year's Eve, and he absolutely knows how he wants to spend it.

I would be lost without my amazing consultant and partner in crime @tea-withjamandbread ❤❤❤

Unfortunately, I haven't managed to finish this for actual New Year's Eve, but oh well. Also, it's rather obvious that I'm on smut withdrawal, I need to write something spicy next 😁

Kisses at Midnight (10.7k)

tw: sexual content (briefly mentioned a few times), more mentions of the fact that humans need to pee than normally present in fiction

Aesop Sharp slowly woke up, but kept his eyes closed. He was lying in his comfortable bed, a soft, warm, and deliciously smelling body in his arms, and he did not want to open his eyes and realise that he was embracing a pillow and his still half-asleep mind was only playing tricks on him. No, he was comfortable right where he was, his arms and one leg trapping the woman he hoped he was truly holding. Each and every second, he became more convinced she was actually there with him; he smelled the sweet mix of her perfume and natural scent, heard an extra heartbeat, felt the soft fanning of her warm breath on his lips. It was only when a small hand connected with his weathered face did he allow himself to finally look. 

And there she was, right there, nestled within his hold. Her cheeks were flushed and eyes still small with sleep, but she was smiling at him so softly, it almost took his breath away. His fingers smoothed over the fabric of her nightgown where they rested upon her back. He was doing his best to be respectful, making sure his hands didn’t stray over to her more intimate areas. The two of them only began their clandestine romantic relationship a short time ago after all, and they were of the unsaid understanding to take things slow, properly get to know each other.

Aesop wanted to build up their trust even further, wanted her to feel comfortable with him in close proximity, wanted her to not only get used to his touch, but also crave it. As far as he knew, this was the first time she’s ever been in any kind of romantic affair, and with a grown man no less, and he therefore had the amazing privilege, as well as the huge responsibility to guide her through the new experience and make sure it was a good and happy one. Her innocence was so endearing, and with each blush to her cheeks, every flutter of her eyelashes, he felt the cynicism he held for love as a way to protect his heart melt away. Aesop was so grateful she gave him a chance, as it was something he didn’t even hope was possible, and he was going to make it worth her time.

However, he couldn’t deny that just the knowledge of the two of them lying together in the intimate embrace, their warm bodies separated by nothing but two nightshirts, made his body yearn, and he had to be careful about the placement of his hips. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable because of his anatomy and her closeness resulting in a rather obvious morning arousal.

“G’ mornin’,” he murmured, his voice slightly hoarse with sleep, making her smile once more. He only just so managed to shift his hips before she huddled closer to him in a chase of his lips. Her mouth tasted sweeter than any sugary confection Aesop ever had, and he found his hand unconsciously coming up to caress at the soft skin of her cheek, his calloused fingertips a stark contrast to it. 

They only slept locked in a embrace for a few times now, but Aesop found that he was already hopelessly addicted to it. It’s been so long he last held a loved one throughout the night. More than a decade, actually. He forgot how nice it was entirely, how warm and comfortable it was to wake up like so. 

“A Knut for your thoughts?” she offered after they parted for air, her head once again resting upon his pillow, their noses nearly touching still. He gave her a grin, hand once more going down to rest upon her side, but not before taking the time to slide over her neck, shoulder, teasing at her ribs. “Hm, nothing of great importance, really. Except it kind of is. I was just thinking that I’ll have to make a portkey that would bring you from your dorm to my bed every night after term resumes, as I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep without you here…” Her resulting blush made his grin even wider.

“Any plans for today? Or am I free to just roll around the bed with you the entire day? Because trust me, nothing could possibly make me happier,” Aesop teased. Both of them knew it wasn’t possible, as both had work that needed completing over the break, not to mention the young woman was also studying for her NEWTs, but the fantasy was one Aaesop very much enjoyed indulging in. If anything, they’d be able to stay in bed rather than attending breakfast, and Aesop would simply get a house elf to bring them something, uncaring whether the little creatures thought he suddenly had appetite of two. 

“Today is New Year’s Eve, actually,” she said quietly. Aesop’s eyes widened in surprise. Ever since her confession on Christmas Eve and their following time spent together, time, as in days and dates, became nothing but an arbitrary term for him. She could’ve told him it was the middle of July even as everything was covered by snow outside, and he would’ve probably believed her. The more he thought about it however, the more it made sense. It’s been a week since he was first allowed to finally kiss her after more than a year of craving nothing else, and they’d welcome in the new year in slightly over a dozen hours. 

A part of him just knew that 1893 would really be a good year.

Still, he couldn’t keep himself from wanting her affirmation. “Merlin… Another year. I’ll be even more old for you than I already am…” he said quietly, prompting her to give him a frankly adorable little frown. “Aesop,” his sweetheart whispered, “we talked about this.” She pushed on his chest, making him roll onto his back, before crawling halfway over his body. Their chests pressed against one another, and Aesop couldn’t hold back a quiet, low groan at the feeling of the plush flesh of her breasts against him. She kissed him passionately then, bolder than ever before, and the professor’s brain once again turned off, unable to comprehend anything other than the gorgeous woman in his arms drinking off his lips.

“If I understand it correctly, wizards and witches age more slowly. Isn’t Minister Spavin, what, 135 years old?” she asked after she pulled back to breathe. Aesop was quiet for a while before chuckling soundlessly: “he’ll turn 138 this year. I expect there will be some truly grand party for his 140th birthday. However, despite the fact that he is a jolly good minister in my opinion, I’d like to ask you to not talk about him immediately after you’ve just kissed me.”

His sweetheart followed his example and chuckled. Once, twice, three times before descending into a fit of giggles, one in which Aesop gladly joined her, his hands stroking over her back and waist. “Sorry,” he said once their laughter quieted down, “you’re right that we do live far longer than muggles, and it is not that uncommon for there to be an age difference larger than ten years between partners, but…” he took a deep breath, closing his eyes, “I still feel like you deserve someone better. Someone younger, or at least someone who doesn’t look their age like I do… Or, at the very least, someone who’s not as crippled and scarred like me.”

A hand on his cheek prompted him to look at her. “There is nobody better for me. No matter how young anyone is, how young they appear, or if they’ve got one good leg or two of them, they wouldn’t be better for me than you… Because they wouldn’t be you. It’s you I love, and everything that makes you the person you are, and that makes you the perfect man for me.”

Aesop was glad she allowed him to gather her in a tight embrace, so it was easier for him to hide his glistening eyes. However, he knew she could very much feel the slight shudder of his breath as he found himself deeply touched and overwhelmed in the best way possible. His young sweetheart made no comment about his state, and only held him close, stroking his hair and the nape of his neck. “Let me repeat your earlier question,”she said instead between small kisses she was currently delivering upon every piece of his skin she could reach, “any plans for today?”

The former Auror took a deep breath, thankful for the change of topic as her earlier words truly shifted something inside him, his heart was still beating wildly, and he found himself wanting to say: ‘So what that it’s New Year’s Eve? Let’s stay right here, in the nightshirt-donning soft warmth of each other’s arms and forget there’s anything else in the world!’ However, that felt hardly fair towards her. “Hm…” he mused out loud, “I don’t have anything set in stone… but a spot of breakfast would be nice. Here, ideally…” His young lover chuckled when his arms tightened around her once more. “Then there’s a staff meeting,” he continued, “an ‘official’ one, with the Headmaster and everything. Pretty much just him congratulating us on ‘all the great work we’ve been doing’ and claiming that ‘he’s sure the next semester will be even better’. Not that he’s got any idea what he’s saying, Dinah could be teaching the Unforgivables to First years, and he probably wouldn’t even notice.”

She listened on with a grin on her face. It was not the first time Aesop went into a little tirade about the snobby Headmaster, and it surely wouldn’t be the last. In any case, they amused her greatly. “After that,” Aesop continued on normally, “my schedule is once more free.”

“If there’s an ‘official’ meeting, is there an ‘unofficial’ one too?” she asked then, grinning still. “Of course there is,” the potions master confirmed, “after Abraham, professor Ronen that is, is done with the fireworks at midnight, Heads of houses make sure their students are in their respective common rooms, and we meet up again. It’s nothing big, and not everyone attends, just a few drinks with the colleagues. However…” he breathed in, I think I’m going to miss this one… If you don’t mind me sticking by you after midnight, that is.”

“I very much don’t mind that. Is there some place from where we can watch the fireworks in private?” the Ravenclaw asked. It made a smile appear on Aesop’s face: “You know as well as I there are many places in Hogwarts where barely anyone ever goes. I’ll think something out.”

He squeezed her once more, this time not having to watch out for the placement of his hips, but now a small squeak escaped her mouth. It made him look at her for any signs of discomfort. She didn’t look alarmed or uncomfortable, more sheepish and embarrassed. “I meant it when I said that I don’t mind you sticking with me after midnight, but please, release me for now, I have to excuse myself for a pinch” Aesop chuckled and loosened his arms. He watched with a smile as she darted off in the direction of the door to his chambers, her nightgown flowing behind her dramatically. 

Aesop thought about the evening awaiting them, and thought of the places from which one could watch the fireworks privately. There was the Quidditch pitch, of course, or perhaps the castle walls around Hogwarts? Or… His eyes widened and a grin appeared on his face. Now that might be an idea!

He too went to use the loo after she came back, smiling smugly to himself and his brilliant thinking. 

They ate their breakfast the same way they did in the past few days - nestled in his bed in a display of pure bohemian decadence, the victorian propriety be damned. He gladly cleaned the orange jam from the corner of her mouth using his lips, and she seemed happy plopping small grilled tomatoes into his mouth, his tongue unable to resist teasing at her fingers every once in a while. Aesop felt like a young man again, brazen and bold, and he just couldn’t get enough of the close proximity, of the physical contact, of her soft laughter and even softer words. He was certain that if he saw anyone else behaving the way the two of them behaved in these past few days, he’d consider them terribly sappy, if not straight up obnoxious, but he supposed this was what an early relationship was about, the inability to have enough of one another.

Much, much sooner than he would’ve liked, it was time for Aesop to join his colleagues and employer, and the couple had to part ways. The sound of her undressing and changing into her regular clothes behind him was like a sweet siren’s call, but the professor remained a gentleman and didn’t turn around or even peek until she said she was decent. 

Aesop very much looked forward to the two of them taking things further, because how could he not, but he had to admit this careful dancing around one another, this soft drum tremble, the delicious carnal tension in the air was very enjoyable as well. They had so much to look forward to together, and the sweetest fruit is the one that takes the longest to ripen. Ever since that first night, his sleeping brain spared him of any lust filled dreams that could result in a very embarrassing situation had she been resting beside him, so all that remained in him were the memories of them, and the rippling of sweet anticipation under his skin.

After she left, proclaiming that she’s going to check up on her things in the Room of Requirement before going to spend some time studying in the Library, and he too began changing into his normal ensemble, a moment of uncertainty overcame him once more - would she find him as desirable as he found her? He gazed at his half bare form in the mirror. She did seem to appreciate his face, his hair, his physique, but under all of his clothes, he was far from perfect. His body was littered by old scars, some of them going all the way to his own Hogwarts years and many a duel fought and won at Crossed wands. Not to mention he was rather hirsute. She could have perhaps seen hints of the thick hair covering his chest at the collar of his nightshirt, but she never once commented on it. And, of course, there was his leg. She claimed she wasn’t bothered by it, and Aesop knew she was sincere, but… it was, after all, something that bothered him every day…

He sighed.

Now was certainly not the time to think of such things yet.

No, no he had more pressing matters at hand currently…

Aesop made his way through the faculty tower, his step quite light despite his ever present limp. The pain was there, but it was easier to ignore it when his mind was full of plans for the evening. Before he knew it, the potions master was standing in front of the door to the staff room. He pushed the door open to reveal his colleagues, all of them looking up upon hearing him enter. The professors sat all around the room, some greeting him with a few words, while others merely gave him a nod and a smile. He looked around the room: “The esteemed Headmaster is not here yet?” Mirabel Garlick, who was sitting the closest to the door calmly blew on her tea: “Not yet. You know he and Matilda always arrive last. Bai and Abraham aren’t here yet as well. I think they’re casting silencing charms on the beasts’ enclosures, making sure the poor creatures don’t get a fright during the fireworks.” He merely hummed in answer and made his way over to a large plush armchair in front of the fireplace. Dinah was already sitting there, also sipping on her tea.

“Hello, dear,” she greeted with a nod, not looking up from the orange flames, “I hear Abe’s gotten that aged Firewhisky for this year, it should be a nice evening.”

Aesop’s hand unconsciously came to rub at his neck a little awkwardly: “Actually… I don’t think I’ll join you tonight…” His dear friend looked at him in surprise, which quickly turned into suspicion. The former auror schooled his face into a mask of indifference, and he hoped it wouldn’t fail him. “Truly? Why is that? If I know one thing you love, it’s tearing Phineas’ speeches to shreds over a glass of something strong.” Aesop blinked: “It’s not the one and only thing I love, and I’ve no doubt today’s speech will be just as full of shit as it was last year, but… Well, I’m just not feeling up to par today.”

“Would you like me to check you over?” came from his other side, and he almost jumped. It would seem Noreen Blainey snuck up to him while he was talking. Or was she already standing there when he arrived? Was he losing his touch? “That’s quite alright, Noreen,” he said in a measured tone, “I’m sure it’s just some small cold or something. This winter’s certainly colder than the ones these past few years ago.” The nurse huffed: “Which is why I keep reminding you lot to place heating charms on your garments and have a pepper-up ready. Shouldn’t you have one as well, considering you brewed them?”

Aesop sighed. ”It’s in my chambers, of course. However, I am very much not walking all the way there to fetch it, then back here, and then back there again. I’m sure I can survive Black’s blubbering without it, and then once he’s done, I’ll retire to my rooms, take it, maybe top it with a Cough potion for good measure, and sleep it off.”

“Does that mean you’ll miss the fireworks?” asked Dinah, sounding more than a little surprised, as she knew very well that Aesop enjoyed fireworks immensely. “This must be more serious than you make it out to be if you’re willing to miss the fireworks in favour of going to bed! Not to mention Abraham’s going to be very disappointed.” It felt as if every staff member present was looking at him. Damn it, Aesop needed to get out of this mess before his plan was revealed. The attention of his other colleagues didn’t help much.

“Just… leave it be, alright? I’m rather tired, and I don’t feel well, and I’d be quite glad if you respected my decision to retire to my chambers earlier tonight. I am of course sorry not to be able to see Abe’s spellwork, but I trust one of you would be willing enough to provide me with a nice memory for me to look at afterwards.” 

That seemed to do the trick, and the eyes previously on him were directed towards other things now, much to Aesop’s happiness. That is, all pairs except one. Dinah’s dark eyes still observed him curiously: “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” she asked, “shall I stop by later to check up on you?” The potions master gave her a little smile: “No need, Di, I’ll be most likely asleep already. And you of all people know best that it's quite difficult to wake me up.” The DADA teacher still looked at him slightly suspiciously, but said nothing more. Aesop knew he’d have to apologise to Abraham for not sticking around for his show, but he felt that he was doing so for more than a good reason. If he told his friends of this reason, he was actually half certain they’d support his decision, but… but he wasn’t prepared to let them know just yet. Especially since it was this fresh. 

Dinah and Abraham were some of the best people Aesop ever met, but he couldn’t risk them doing or saying anything that would cause his sweetheart distress (despite their best intentions surely), or Merlin forbid scare her off. After all she and Aesop went through, Aesop wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle it.

—-

The former Auror managed to complete making the necessary arrangements for the night quite swiftly, and yet, before he even noticed, it was lunchtime. He slowly made his way through the corridors, content his leg was indeed quite agreeable today. It would seem the extra warmth of his bed when his lover was present in it did it some good. Slightly illogical, perhaps, but Aesop liked to believe so. Just as he was about to open the door to the Library, the sweetest voice rang through the air: “Are you not going for lunch, professor Sharp?” 

He turned his head. His sweetheart was standing behind him, obviously having just emerged from the second entrance to the Library, noticing him. They were alone in the Central Hall, but it was better to be safe than sorry, so they needed to play their roles of a mentor and his student and nothing more. It was something they agreed upon the very first evening. Their relationship wasn’t truly forbidden per se, but Aesop had no doubt some people would frown upon it.

“Ah, Miss (L/N),” he said cooly, his eyes warm and betraying his otherwise aloof expression, “I find myself in dire need of Puffskein fur for Cough potion. My throat is quite sore, I’m afraid, and I do believe the shops in Hogsmeade are closed for today, so I was just about to refresh my memory on how to extract it properly without hurting the creatures. Now that I think of it - you are quite formidable with beasts, aren’t you? Professor Howin has nothing but good things to say about you.”

The girl was smiling softly, looking perfectly innocent: “I have handled a few Puffskeins, yes. Can I assist you in any way, professor?”

“I would greatly appreciate that Miss. If you would be so kind and meet me after supper close to the den by the road leading to Hogsmeade? I trust you know which one I mean?” Aesop climbed back up the stairs until he was once more towering over the Ravenclaw. He made sure to keep his proper distance, even though every part of him screamed to touch her, to reach out and take a hold of her hand at the very least.

“Certainly, sir, I’ll be there.” He allowed himself a small smile at her, one that could be perceived as perfectly friendly, but the professor knew she would understand its true meaning: “Oh, and make sure not to overeat in the evening, in case you’ll be forced to give the creatures something of a chase. I’m sure there’ll be food enough at the celebrations tonight.”

“Yes, professor Sharp,” she grinned toothily, “shall we go for lunch then?”

“Lead the way, Miss.”

—-

“Where are you taking me?” his young lover asked as Aesop led her through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts by the hand. It almost seemed like they were going in the entirely opposite direction from the flying class lawn where the fireworks would be set off in about two hours. The few students remaining at Hogwarts over the holidays as well as the teachers were already congregating there, and from what the young woman saw earlier, it would seem there would indeed be some refreshments there as well as some music while everyone waited for the new year to roll around.

As the two lovers stepped onto the rickety wooden bridge the Ravenclaw never quite trusted and preferred to fly over, she was certain that wherever they were going, it wasn’t to see the Hogwarts’ New Year’s festivities. And indeed, as soon as they stepped out from the bounds of Hogwarts, the change in the energy around them palpable, Aesop looked her deep in the eyes, his own two dark orbs reflecting the pale moonlight above. 

“Do you trust me?” he asked with a little smile. The young woman was instantly won over by that smile, and found herself nodding despite the question not yet having reached her mind fully. Which is why the sudden pull of side-by-side apparition knocked the wind out of her lungs, and when her two feet touched the ground again, she actually stumbled, her head spinning.

A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the ground, and set her straight. “I’m sorry,” Aesop’s baritone cut through the vertigo, and she blinked rapidly, trying to see him in the faint lights from somewhere behind her. He looked genuinely apologetic. “I’m so sorry dear, I should have perhaps warned you better…” And with that, he once more enclosed her in his embrace and she couldn’t find it in herself to be too cross with him, not when she felt so safe and so home all of a sudden. She closed her eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass.

“W-where are we?” she asked, opening one eye to see if the surroundings would once more begin spinning around her. Aesop slowly released her, grinning: “Why don’t you take a look?” 

And so she did. It was dark, and the snow they were standing in was up to their calves, but then she noticed the lights again, and she saw the dark waters of Black lake reflecting the moon above. They were in Keenbridge, or rather, they were some 150 metres from where the little hamlet began.

“I know it’s not the Hogwarts fireworks”, Aesop said slowly, suddenly self conscious about the plan. He should’ve made sure it was alright with her before unexpectedly apparating the two of them all the way here, what was he thinking?! “But… Well, they have very beautiful fireworks here too. And while they’re not as large, the lights reflect off the water and it’s nearly twice as spectacular… don’t tell professor Ronen I said that. And, well… The only places for us to be alone while watching the show in the castle, they weren’t exactly… romantic. And here they’ve got a lovely inn with vacant rooms, good drinks… And very few people know us here, we won’t have to sneak around or hide, and I…” he caught his breath, “I’m so sorry, dear, I thought- hmm!” Aesop wasn’t able to finish his awkward little speech as the object of his undying affections jumped into his arms once more and stole a breathtaking kiss of his lips, one that made his head spin more than any amount of apparating ever could.

“It was never about the fireworks, Aesop,” she said quietly when their mouths finally parted, both of their faces hot, and their hearts beating in crescendo. Aesop smiled softly, and closed his eyes. Their foreheads pressed together briefly before he once more took her hand: “Come. Let’s get to the inn so we can warm up.”

The two of them set off towards the village, their heavy winter clothing protecting them from the cold, but also making them way more difficult to recognise. The young woman stepped closer to brace him, so that Aesop had an easier time walking through the thick snow towards the path. The hamlets around Hogwarts looked more magical than ever during the winter months, and even during her particularly turbulent fifth year, when the Highlands were riddled by bandits, goblins and poachers (now severely less so, thanks to the work of her and her friends, followed by Aesop’s appeal on more competent Aurors being placed around the area), the tiny villages held a sense of peace and serenity when covered by snow. Christmas decorations still adorned the houses, and there were people congregating on the streets, sitting in front of their houses, or generally roaming the hamlet. Children were running around, squealing as they played some sort of game together, and everyone seemed to be eagerly waiting to welcome the new year. The young woman was happy not to see one Fatimah Lawang among the people present. As if Aesop read her mind, he gave her a covert grin: “She goes to see her family over the holidays.” The two of them talked about the shop owner on previous occasions, both of them being rather frustrated with the woman. The inn and the alehouse under it were flowing with life, patrons laughing, chattering, some singing. A few people it seemed were already quite tipsy from their consumption of alcoholic beverages.  Nobody seemed to pay the two of them too much mind as they walked through the village green. They entered the alehouse and approached the bar. A beautiful plump woman, maybe forty or so, with a large smile and happy eyes stood behind it, cheerfully chatting with two younger men, both of them obviously a little drunk. 

“Speaking of which, Susie dear, you still haven’t given me your ‘yes’!” one of them slurred, making the witch giggle. “Why would I? What would I even do with a young buck like yourself!” A fit of laughter broke out. Clearing his throat, Aesop got ‘Susie’s’ attention. She turned to him, her smile still present. “Good evening. I wrote to you about a room?” he said. “Oi, see that, Sue? An old geezer like him with a young bird like her, and they’re having themselves a very happy new year!” the young man hollered, his voice getting sly on the words ‘very happy’, “and you won’t give me even a chance!”

Aesop tensed at the man’s words, prompting his lover to grab his hand gently, stroking it with her fingers in an attempt to calm him down. “Pardon Charles here please, he’s something of a loud mouthed idiot even when he’s sober. Mind, that doesn’t happen all that often,” Susie said, casting a reproachful look at ‘Charles’ who was happily sipping on whatever it was in his tankard. “Your room is ready, up the stairs and first door to the right” she continued, the smile returning to her face, “there’s some food and champagne, just like you asked for in your letter. I started a fire in the hearth, so you two should be perfectly warm, and a tub is in the adjacent room, should you want a bath. Feel free to check out whenever, it’s not like we’re expecting anyone tomorrow.”

Aesop thanked the innkeeper and put a few Galleons on the bar for her. The couple slowly ascended the stairs, the sound of Susie and Charles bickering and talking loudly among themselves following them until they entered the rented room. It must’ve been enchanted, the young woman thought, as she could no longer hear the sounds coming from the pub underneath them, but only the faint noises from outside. 

Their room was quite small, but looked very cosy with the simple pastoral wooden furniture consisting of a large bed with nice smelling white sheets and brown tartan duvet, a small nightstand, vanity dresser, and a table upon which a variety of bite-sized foods were just waiting for them to dig in. Some pastries, tiny servings of regular meals, there was even fresh fruit, like grapes and strawberries. And, of course, there was a cauldron containing ice and a nice-looking bottle of champagne, small droplets of condensation rolling down the cold bottle. Next to the cauldron sat a pair of decorated crystal champagne flutes, which looked almost out of place in the otherwise simple room. As Susie promised, the room was nicely warm and the two of them immediately took off their cloaks.

The Ravenclaw could see the village green from the window on one side of the room, and there was even a door leading to a small balcony. Overall, it was a neat little abode, and most importantly, it was for just the two of them.

“Lovely place,” The girl commented with a smile, turning to face him. “Yeah…” Aesop replied, “this might be the first time I see the place properly.” Her questioning look prompted him to give her a wry grin: “I stayed here a few times, in this room as well, when I was younger. I could have been around twenty back then, training to become an Auror, and you know how young men are,” Aesop nodded his head towards the door slightly apprehensively. “After a few pints of ale, and perhaps some other beverages, I’d be entirely unfit to apparate, or, Merlin forbid, use a broom to go back home. Besides, I didn’t want my mother to see me like that, so I didn’t Floo over either, and instead stayed here. Suzanne was just helping her parents here back then, fresh out of Hogwarts. She’s one of the good ones, conveniently forgetting every drunken love confession said to her during the evenings.”

His young lover grinned at him mischievously: “Oh? Have you confessed your love to her as well, when you were twenty?” A strange look came over Aesop’s face momentarily: “Not me. But… Someone I knew.” He shook his head then, seemingly trying to chase his thoughts away to once more focus solely on his sweetheart. 

During the past few years, the two of them talked a lot about all kinds of things, including their respective traumatic experiences, but neither of them were able to talk of it in full as of yet. There were moments during which Aesop trailed off and locked up, his walls falling back into place. And the Ravenclaw, well, when things got too hard, when her eyes filled with tears and her breath caught in her throat, the professor changed the subject to calm her down and distract her. She hoped that one day the two of them would be ready to tell the other everything, to finally bring down all of those walls together, and use the leftover imaginary bricks to build a strong foundation for their shared future.

Till then, however, the last thing she wanted was for Aesop to spiral down into sorrow, especially on a night as beautiful as this. So she did the first thing that came to mind and gently took a hold of his face. She brought him down until their cheeks pressed together, until the comforting scent of his soft hair reached her nose, until she felt his arms moving around her on their own accord. 

“I can see now why you only wanted me to eat light supper. Puffskein chasing indeed.,” she said in a light tone, caressing his hair. “Didn’t want to spoil the surprise. And while the food here could never compare to the frankly incredible treats the house elves prepare during the holidays, I dare say it’s rather fantastic as well.”

The couple shared a quite late second dinner then, trying the various foods traditional for Hogmanay. Haggis left the young woman feeling a bit undecided, but stovies, cock-a-leekie soup, and the bite-sized venison pies were a big hit with her. Aesop of course couldn’t complain, all of these were meals he grew up with and liked a lot. However, there weren’t many meals he disliked - being an Auror teaches one to appreciate any and all food available. Therefore it felt simply so much better, watching his sweetheart, who grew up in an upper-class muggle household, enjoying the food of ordinary folk up here so much. Shortbread she decided would go fantastic with tea, and she was positively beaming at the cranachan. Before she could take a bit of the black bun cakes prepared, however, Aesop stopped her. 

“Keep this one for last. We’ll use it for first-footing,” he said with a smile. 

“For what?” 

The potions master smiled even more: “First-footing. It’s a Scottish tradition, muggle one. First person to enter a house after midnight is to bring good luck to the household, as well as some gift, which is then shared. Black buns are one of the possible gifts. Conveniently, it’s believed that tall, dark haired men are the luckiest when it comes to this tradition.” 

His sweetheart chuckled heartily. Her parents weren’t too interested in traditions like these - they believed them to be an anachronism, silly habits that were a thing of the past. They were modern, intelligent people, after all, they had no time for some ‘spiritual nonsense’. She was fairly certain the only reason they attended church was because everyone else did, and they didn’t want to stand out. She personally, however, found various traditions fascinating, and after coming to Hogwarts, she spent some time looking up all the various wizarding traditions… However, in her thirst for knowledge of the wizarding world and its traditions, she may have foregone studying up on the muggle ones.

“You’re going to have to explain more traditions to me,” she said finally, prompting her lover to reach over and peck her on the lips quickly. He then blindly fished his pocket watch out from his breast pocket and looked at it. 

“Quarter to midnight,” he announced, “why don’t you take the flutes, I’ll take the bottle and we’ll get ready outside?” His lover immediately set out to comply, carefully grabbing the two glasses and making her way over to the balcony. Aesop held the door for her and they slipped out onto the chilly December air. There was a small table and not much else. As soon as the girl carefully deposited the glasses there, she felt something warm being draped over her shoulders. It turned out to be a thick blanket, obviously enhanced with a heating charm, and she gladly snuggled into the warm material, but not before insisting her lover share it with her.

They watched the people excitedly flutter about, looking at their own pocket watches almost every other minute. As midnight neared closer and closer, mothers began gathering their children to lead them back to the rest of the family. Violins and pipes were played below the couple, in the open-air pub. In the next few days, the village would no doubt return to being the quaint quiet place the young woman knew, but for now, it was bursting with life almost as much as Hogsmeade on a weekend.

“Fifteen seconds till midnight, fowk!” came from somewhere beneath them, and the general tension in the air seemed to have intensified by a hundred. There was giggling and excited talking, and then - 

“Ten! Nine! Eight!” the people on the village green chanted. Aesop had the champagne bottle ready in his hands, his fingers teasing over the cork while his sweetheart, slightly trembling with excitement next to him, kept her eyes trained on the sight below. “Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

The hamlett exploded into loud cheering, laughing, and singing. Women were getting spun around and kissed, many pops of champagne bottles being opened could be heard, and one of them sounded right next to the young woman. She only just noticed the cork flying off somewhere into the distance before their flutes floated in front of them, ready to be filled. Aesop poured both of them a fair amount of the sparkling shimmering liquid, then lowered the bottle on the table.

His partner was looking at him with nothing but love in her eyes. His free hand found hers, and he squeezed it. A slightly nervous look flew over him and he cleared his throat: “I-... I’m not actually very good at toasts.” The girl gave him a smile and chuckled breathlessly. How does ‘to us’ sound?” she asked, her eyes sparkling more than their wine. “To us… sounds perfect,” Aesop replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. “To us,” his sweetheart repeated, lightly clinking her glass against his own. 

Both only managed to have a small sip of the champagne before hurriedly putting their flutes back on the table in order to kiss one another deeply, ardently, the blanket slipping down their bodies and on the wooden floor of the balcony. They were standing out in the cold, the air nipping at their ears, but wrapped in each other’s embrace they felt so warm, they might as well have been standing on a tropical island. The auror thirstily drank the wine off his sweetheart’s lips, his tongue eagerly exploring her mouth, when suddenly the entire sky lit up. And while the first bang of the fireworks cut through the air like a knife through butter, the two lovers did not separate just yet. 

The fireworks setting off around them were exactly what kissing the professor was like, in the girl’s opinion, and she happily accepted the attack on her lips. However, once the time came for the two of them to take a breath, she finally saw the colourful explosions in the sky and couldn’t keep the smile off her face. The smile was rather addictive, Aesop found. And as much as he too appreciated the beauty of fireworks, at that moment it occurred to him that they never looked as beautiful as they did right now, reflected in her large eyes.

It was not the Hogwarts fireworks, but it was utmostly beautiful nonetheless, the lights and colours truly mirrored the dark waters of the Black lake, and it was as if the entire world turned into an impressionist painting. The former Auror wrapped a strong arm around his lover’s shoulders holding her against his side tenderly, as colourful sparks filled their entire visions, forming into various shapes and dissipating slowly only to be replaced by different ones.

And then, as the cracks and booms got lesser and lesser, he whispered into her ear: “Take out your wand.”

Her look was curious, but she didn’t hesitate. Slowly, he moved to stand behind her, his strong chest pressing securely against her back, grabbing her wrist in his hand and pointing it at the sky. “Repeat after me: ‘Lucentia Fulguris’,” he whispered again, his breath scorching hot upon the cold skin, prompting her to shiver slightly. “Lucentia Fulguris,” she repeated. “Good, good. I’ll move your hand now. Say it again,” Aesop said and held her wrist tighter.

And as the girl began to speak, the professor began moving her hand in an intricate pattern: “Lucentia Fulguris!” A long golden stream shot out of her wand and flew upwards, higher into the sky. Just as it got directly above the entire village, it exploded into a brilliant storm of sparkles of gold and white. She never saw a firework like that before, and it was simply incredible. Some sparks turned into long wines that slowly descended upon them, while others simply shimmered around in the sky. Fireflies like lights began buzzing through the air, charming not only the young woman, but also the people below them, the children especially.

Finally, all of the sparks began flying upwards, back to the original spot, forming a large ball of pure shimmering light until it exploded once more, bird-like shapes made of pure flame flying away from it in all directions for a bit before dissolving in the dark sky. 

The hamlet erupted into renewed cheering and clapping. It seemed that nobody knew who cast the spell, and nobody really cared, the girl supposed. The main thing was that it was a beautiful display of magic, one more wonderful than all of her own ancient magic in her opinion. Aesop’s hand left her wrist, and his arm joined the other around her waist instead, careful not to squeeze her too tightly.

“That was beautiful, Aesop,” she whispered, not wanting to break this delicate moment. A pair of lips pressed against her temple. “Thank you,” he replied, holding her still. She turned her head towards him again, her eyes closed and lips parted in clear invitation. She didn't need to ask Aesop twice. They continued to kiss for a few moments, before Aesop remembered where they were. While the people on the streets had long since begun their journeys home, and the only folks remaining were audibly tipsy, the former auror decided not to risk it. After all, some people in the village did know him, and some knew his lover as well. No use making a spectacle out of the two of them, when the entire point of their little trip today was having some privacy. 

“Come, we should head inside,” he whispered.

She nodded, collecting the blanket from the floor, and made way to the door. Aesop only just managed to stop her by taking hold of her arms tightly and suspending her where she stood. She startled slightly, her hand twitching for her wand again. Was something wrong? Did Aesop see someone in their room from the window? 

“W-what’s wrong? Aesop?” she breathed, panic setting in. “You can’t go in first,” Aesop replied, “First-foot, remember?”

Several seconds passed, but then a small chuckle escaped her mouth, and soon she was giggling. “Merlin’s bloody beard!” she threw her head back. It landed on his shoulder and their eyes connected: “I was worried there was some danger, like an intruder in our room or something!” Aesop’s cheeks flushed. He supposed he could’ve just told her to wait instead of fully grabbing her to keep her from moving. 

“I didn’t know you were this serious about the traditions,” she teased then, giving him a mischievous smirk, prompting his face to warm up further. “I’m not… not usually…” he was visibly getting a bit flustered, “I know it’s quite silly actually, but I… I honestly need all the good luck I can get. I have to be the luckiest man alive for a woman like yourself to stay with me...” His sweetheart’s eyes softened and so did her smile. She lifted his face by the chin: “Alright, Mr Tall Dark-haired man, why don’t you go and bring us both some good luck?”

Aesop smiled at her gratefully, before going around her. He stepped back into the room, and then extended his hand to her. She took it, letting him pull her after him. “I bring you this little bun as a gift,” he proclaimed slightly dramatically with a mischievous grin, fishing out the small pastry wrapped in a handkerchief out of his pocket. He offered it to his companion, and she didn’t hesitate in biting into the sugary treat. The mix of raisins, currants, almonds and various spices began a symphony of taste in her mouth, and she closed her eyes in order to be able to savour it fully. “Ad now, as a little reward for having brought good luck to the household, I’ll have myself a quick bite of something to eat,” facetiousness coloured Aesop’s voice, and he quickly dipped his head in order to capture the rest of the dessert into his mouth, their lips touching briefly. The girl hurriedly put her hand in front of her mouth as laughter broke through her. She finally swallowed her bite: “Merlin’s beard, you’re on fire today, Aesop,” she said between chuckles. 

“Just… excited, that’s all. Happy…” he replied sheepishly after swallowing his half of the pastry. “So am I… I love you,” said his sweetheart sincerely before pulling him in for another kiss, this one dessert-free. The former auror pulled her with him as he began backing up. He sat on the edge of the bed, and she wasted no time in doing the same.

A few deep, lengthy kisses soon led to ones more passionate and fervent. Tongues slid against each other in a sensual dance, teeth chased after tender skin, hands were getting tangled in hair and used to map out the other's form. Somehow, and they barely even knew how, given the fact they were rather preoccupied with their urgent snogging, the young woman ended up in his lap, her best efforts to mess his hair up as much as possible, resulting in her rocking upon him ever so slightly.

Suddenly, Aesop dipped his head down, uneven teeth closing up upon her pulse point, and a surprised moan rolled from her kiss-swollen lips. Aesop stopped. He looked up at her and in a moment of clarity so absolute, she might as well have been naked in front of him, he noticed the obvious signs their fiery interaction had left a mark. Her pupils were dilated, eyes clouded over, her cheeks darkly flushed, her breathing laboured. The sight caused his already stirring shaft to begin filling up slowly. Her eyes widened and he got nervous. Blast it. All of his effort to not press his hips against her in his sleep, and he goes messes things up when fully awake.

"Uh, I’m s-sorry, dear, I-... Um, that's-"

"Do I arouse you?" She breathed out, a small smile dancing upon her lips, her pupils getting so large, her iris was barely visible in the low light. Her cheeks got even darker with both excitement and slight embarrassment.

Seeing she wasn't disgusted, afraid or uncomfortable, Aesop gave a breathless chuckle, then another, then another. "Do you truly not know the answer to that question? Or do you just want me to say it?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. As if to emphasise his question, his cock gave another throb, making him struggle to stifle a groan. His young lover said nothing, but blinked at him slowly, biting her lower lips unconsciously.

"Yes. Very much so," he finally said, "you are an attractive woman, my sweet, one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful one I've ever seen. If I didn't get aroused by having you sitting in my lap like this… Well, I'd be pretty certain I'm dead."

His young lover beamed at him, and once more connected their lips, prompting another chuckle from the potions master.

Their eyes met then, and Aesop couldn't not smile at her. Slowly, he helped her move so rather than sitting in his lap, she was straddling his healthy leg. They didn't need to speak about it - this wasn't the right time, the right place. While both of them were in love with each other for quite some time, this was still a big step they weren't ready for. They both knew it, and didn't need to say it out loud. 

However, they now knew that their bodies craved, and that the spark between them could absolutely turn into a Fiendfyre if left to burn. 

Aesop embraced his sweetheart tightly, putting her head on his shoulder while his large hands stroked her back. They let their bodies calm down gradually, just like the hamlet around them got quieter and quieter. And then, when the last customer drunkenly rolled out of the tavern below them, slurring some old Scottish song, the lovers' previous passion was replaced by calm tenderness.

"I haven't brought my nightgown," she said quietly. Aesop grinned: "how could you have brought it? You didn't know we'd be going here. Worry not, though. I brought you my nightshirt to sleep in. It's... Not as pretty as yours, doesn't have the lovely lace and such, but it's soft, and it's warm. Want to go change now, and we can finish our champagne and talk some more?"

She smiled and nodded at him, before slowly rising off the bed.

The young woman entered the adjacent room - it was a small bathroom, with a fairly large clawfoot bathtub with a bronze finish that took up most of the room, a basin stood upon a wooden cabinet with a pitcher of water next to it, and a few more empty cabinets. There was no water closet, and she cringed at the mere thought of having to make use of a chamber pot while with Aesop, so if she needed to use the loo, she’d have to find a privy outside most likely… . Ah, well, you win some, you lose some, she thought as she began disrobing.

The warmth of the other room didn’t quite reach the bathroom, and gooseflesh appeared on her body. While she undressed, she observed the large tub. In her mind’s eye, she was able to perfectly picture lounging about in there, submerged in the hot water, her back leaning against Aesop’s strong chest. She knew his chest was hairy, she saw a few strands peek out from under his sleeping shirts, but she didn't know just how hairy he truly was. And she was looking forward to finding out one of these days…

She pulled on the shirt he lent her, and felt near instant comfort. It truly felt very soft and warm, just like he said, but she was also suddenly enveloped by his scent. The young woman gathered the fabric by the collar (which was hanging rather low) into her hands and brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. At that moment she knew Aesop would not be getting his shirt back, no no, it would conveniently disappear in the morning. 

She realised perfectly that once term resumed, she might not be able to fall asleep within his arms every single night. The thought positively scared her, as she became pretty much addicted to feeling his warmth next to her while she slept, feeling his chest move as he breathed evenly, feeling his heart thumping beneath her ear. She even found his occasional snoring endearing, something she thought was rather mental, actually. Therefore, sleeping in his shirt on the nights she wasn’t able to warm up his bed, while not ideal, was the next best thing.

She took a look at herself in the mirror. She was getting positively lost in the large nightshirt, and had to actually grab some of it into her hands not to trip over the hem. She exited the bathroom to find him lounging on the bed, now also donning his sleepwear, seemingly deep in thought, all the while popping a strawberry into his mouth every now and then. He smiled at first when he saw her emerge, but then his eyes dropped to her body clad in his sleepwear and he looked like he forgot to breathe for a moment. The girl felt strangely exposed to him, despite the fact he saw her in her own nightgown several times already. Well, the cleavage on her own wasn’t quite this low, but still. She blushed, but walked towards him to sit on the bed. 

Carefully, she arranged the nightshirt to cover her while she put both feet up and crossed her legs. Aesop mirrored her, but not before offering her a strawberry, which she accepted with a smile, letting him plop it into her mouth. Their champagne floated through the air towards them, and it just now occurred to her that they left it outside earlier, and Aesop obviously had to go back for it. Before she could take a hold of the flute to sip on the sparkling wine, the potions master dropped another strawberry into it. 

“So,” the girl said quietly after they clinked their glasses again and drank, “what other holidays do you celebrate, which traditions do you keep?” She was genuinely curious, as the idea of no-nonsense serious former Auror doing little muggle rituals for good luck, and carefully keeping to traditions was incredibly endearing. Of course, she’s long since known that Aesop wasn’t always serious. He had this sense of dry humour, occasionally darker, and made her laugh many times with his little jabs and jokes, but she knew he could get slightly mischievous too. Every once in a while, an almost boyish sparkle found its way into his eyes, along with a toothy grin that betrayed his age, making him appear all youthful and cocky, and seeing this expression on his distinguished face always gave her a little inner shiver, and made her heart throb for him.

Of course, throb it did almost every time he smiled, no matter how.

And it seemed that unlike the entire previous year she longed for him, he finally started noticing the effect he had on her, as his smile in answer to her question got even wider. He motioned for her to move and lean back against the headboard of the bed, soon joining her in the new position, his free arm curling around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, smiling unconsciously at the warmth she instantly felt, the feeling so familiar despite the two of them only having revealed their feelings to each other the week prior.

Aesop talked about the various traditions and little holidays he’d keep and celebrate, occasionally even talking about his muggle father and witch mother, and how things used to be when he was a young lad, long before stepping a foot into Hogwarts. There were pauses, and the young woman could tell that some parts were difficult for him to talk about, so she always used her hand to gently stroke at his good leg to let him know that he didn’t have to tell her if he felt uncomfortable. A few times he took her up on the way out, more often however, he just took a deep breath and talked, seeming considerably more relaxed after he got the words off his chest. 

She too talked a bit more about her upbringing. Aesop already knew a fair amount, of course from their regular chats over tea, but never before did she really speak up about how she felt about things her parents did and said. It was, after all, easier to talk about how one’s father goes to this and that London club for gentlemen, than talking about how it was to feel like one is not appreciated for the kind of person they are by their own parents. And the professor caressed her back gently, holding her through it. The bottle became emptier and emptier as the night dragged on, and the two lovers’ eyes started getting heavy, their speech becoming very slightly slurred under the effects of alcohol. Luckily, the champagne also worked in making their at first serious conversation turn into a more lighthearted one, and they were once more smiling by the time Aesop said: “Hmm… gettin’ really late… really early, actually. Shall we get some shut eye?”

The two were huddled together more than when they started talking, now more lying down than sitting, sharing their body warmth and the same breath. The girl didn’t say anything, only murmuring in agreement, drinking the last few drops of her glass’ contents, before using her wand, which she put on the nightstand earlier, to float the glass away on the table. It landed a bit too harshly, making her wince, but it luckily didn’t break.

“And that, my dear,” Aesop chuckled, “is why a good innkeeper knows to confiscate the wands of people who had a little bit too much to drink. A completely sloshed bugger handling an object that could very easily light things on fire or outright explode them is not a clever combination apparently.” The potions master actually got up from the bed to take care of his own glass, before walking to the door.

“Where are you going?” his sweetheart asked confusedly. He chuckled, and awkwardly rubbed at his neck: “That’s a lot of champagne we drank. I don’t want to wake up in two hours or so…” Realisation widened her eyes, and she actually chuckled: “That’s a clever idea actually… Where- where exactly is it?” “Don’t worry, you won’t have to go outside into the cold. There’s a shared closet at the end of the hall. It’s enchanted, so the… contents are immediately vanished away.”

The young woman waited for her lover to return, once more using the opportunity to bring the nightshirt he lent her to her nose and inhale his scent. After a few minutes, he stumbled back into the room with a little grin. “I am happy to report that both the hallway and the closet are free of any drunks on the verge of passing out. At least they are now, seeing as I’m back here,” he snorted with amusement before sitting back on the bed. “You best hurry,” said the professor then, “I meant it, I find myself very close to falling asleep, and I’d be much happier to do that with you in my arms.”

The Ravenclaw smiled at his sentiment and kissed him quickly, before also making her way to the john. The inn was eerily quiet now, everybody obviously having gone to bed at least two hours ago. After she was finished and her hands were washed, she quickly walked back, both the hallways and the netty being quite chilly. Entering the room, she immediately noticed Aesop wasn’t lying when he said he was on the brink of passing out. He was resting against the headboard again, his eyes closing, but when he noticed her, his lips spread into a lazy smile, and his right hand went to pat the spot on the bed next to him.

The girl didn’t need to be asked twice. She didn’t even bother going around the bed to lie down, and instead almost jumped onto the bed, forcing quiet chuckles out of the professor, even as she crawled into his arms. “Oh, sweetheart,” he said then, his voice slightly raspy, “have you any idea what you’re doing to my poor heart? Looking like this, all pretty and perfect, jumping into bed after me… Makes it a bit difficult for me to keep my head out of the gutter.” She bit at her lip a bit, their earlier impromptu… romp upon the sheets making her body wake up. She felt a mix of emotions - shyness and slight embarrassment, but there was no doubt that she desired. Craved. That she’d… explore this newfound heady feeling later, but for now, she was just glad to be once again held by him. 

The potions master seemed to agree with her unspoken debate as he gently cradled her close to him, making sure his hands were resting upon her back respectably, and there was a gap between their lower halves. He used his healthy leg to get the blanket folded at the foot of the bed higher up, so that he could wrap the warm material around the two of them. Then, with a wave of his hand, the room was plunged into near darkness, the only light coming from the flames in the fireplace.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered after a few seconds. “Hm?” murmured the girl, sleep already claiming her fast, “what for?” “My comments and such. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. It's been more than a decade since I last… courted someone… Now that I think about it, though, it's been even longer. Properly courted, that is. I’m more than a little rusty. So, please, if I ever say or do anything that’s outside of your comfort zone, feel free to smack me on the head, I promise this old dog is still able to be taught,” one of the professor’s hands caressed her face and hair gently, his thumb mapping out her features. “I’m not uncomfortable…” she replied, her voice just as quiet, “this is all… entirely new to me. I’m feeling things I have never felt before with anyone, and it’s amazing, brilliant, and slightly overwhelming. And knowing that we both… desire the other… it’s such a foreign new concept to me… one that doesn’t frighten me or make me uncomfortable, but…” “It’s a big thing,” he finished, “a big thing that should not be rushed. We’ll both know when the time is right.” “And until then… until then we’ll learn how this thing goes. Together,” she offered, smiling despite only being able to see him a little bit. But she could see the flash of his teeth in a grin unmistakably. It just made sense - she was new to this absolutely, while his own romances were a thing of the distant past. But together, they’d be able to learn and see what worked best for them. And while neither said it, there was a shared knowledge that they’d do their very best to take the love between them, and work upon it, stoke its already brightly burning flames, and slowly explore the other from the inside out. They’d make it work. 

They kissed tenderly, arms holding onto the other, hearts beating at the same rhythm. Aesop’s baritone broke the silence of their room as he slowly began singing Auld Lang Syne. His voice was quiet and soft, nearly hypnotic, and it soon lulled his darling into peaceful slumber, and when his fatigue won, and he fell into the land of dreams, he did so knowing that this was meant to be.

They were meant to be.

Hello and thank you for reading! You can also check this story and all of my other stories over on AO3

I'm insanely grateful for feedback ❤

#aesop sharp #professor sharp #hogwarts legacy #fanfiction #reader insert #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp x mc #aesop sharp/you #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #mc reader #new year's eve #fluff #established relationship #aesop sharp x you

[harrypotterandthefandomaccount]

worthy of trust

pairing: sebastian sallow x fem!reader

warnings: sebastian being a jerk & calling you ignorant, angst, feeling like you lost a friend but he makes it up to you with a lil kiss

note: i've been obsessed with hogwarts legacy and the gameplay itself is just phenomenal. 39 hours into the game lol and still so much to do, so enjoy this sebastian oneshot. based on his questline, in the shadow of the mine i think?

important note: i do NOT support hate towards the transgender or LGBTQ+ community. JKR has made her stance very clear and i could not disagree and be disgusted with her more. this fic and future ones merely pertain to the character(s) in hogwarts legacy and to my knowledge, JKR had no part in the game. if you are still mad i play the game/write fics for hogwarts legacy, you can scroll past this. thank you!

you had no qualms about trusting lodgok since sirona ryan had known him for years, along with miriam. while the both of you had been albeit hesitant at first towards one another, he had proven his loyalty to stopping ranrok and was actively trying to be one step ahead of him - which is exactly what you, sebastian, and the others wanted.

however, when the opportunity arose to tell sebastian about lodgok, it all came flooding back to you - anne.

you and sebastian had just finished clearing out a cavern of arachnids, which quite honestly, was pretty exciting. you had even reminded him that well, spiders aren't insects.

"don't you start," he had responded, a small smirk on his face.

after finding the last piece to the tryptich and hoping to solve the mystery concerning isidora morganach, returning to the undercroft was the last step. you both were eager to see if the portrait piece would fit, and once it had been placed, you were able to breathe.

"please tell me you recognize the location in this bit of canvas," you said, turning around to face your slytherin partner in crime.

he sighed, "the good news is, i do, in fact."

your shoulders dropped, "and the bad news?"

sebastian turned to look at you, "we're in for more trouble."

you groaned, leaning your head back as Sebastian's eyes seemed to darken; gluing your attention back to your slytherin friend, he continued, "i know that coast. Ranrok has taken over a huge mine and the surrounding area. Marunweem has suffered for it. It's as bad as Feldcroft's become."

with a sigh, your eyebrows knitted together and you looked at the triptych once more. sebastian glanced towards you, "should we head there now?

you shook your head, "no, we should wait."

sebastian immediately questioned you, "why?

you gave a grimanced look, "all this time, we've been a step behind ranrok. I may know someone who could help us get head."

sebastian raised an eyebrow, "who is that?"

before you could even think about formulating your answer a different way, the words slipped out, "a friendly goblin named lodgok. he wants no part in ranrok's fight."

sebastian immediately became disgusted, angry, even. "a friendly goblin?" he started, "you know goblins cursed my sister to shut her up! said she should 'be seen and not heard.'"

you took a step towards sebastian as he stepped back. taking a breath, you nodded, " i do, but not all goblins-"

he glared towards you, "not all goblins what? have you forgotten feldcroft? have you forgotten the mine we just went through?"

you sympathized with him, no doubt. you knew how close the twins were, how much Sebastian loved anne and cared for her - but this fight against ranrok was against all wizardkind, not just anne. and you knew she would understand.

shaking your head, you tried to reason with Sebastian, "no, sebastian, i haven't. you're not listening to me."

sebastian scoffed, "why would i listen to someone so ignorant?"

ouch.

you knew sebastian could be mean, cruel, but throughout these months of knowing him, he has only been so kind, sweet and soft with you. there was never any malice towards you, no anger or disgust. towards the goblins and ranrok in conversations with you, but it was never directed. it was understandable that what happened to anne was hurting Sebastian as well, but this anger was now at you, and he was changing.

you already had reservations working with lodgok before sirona ryan said you could trust him, but there was something he wasn't telling you. but it wasn't a secret that jeopardized your working relationship with him, no. if it had been, you would have turned your back and not worked with him another day.

it wasn't ignorant at all, you knew that. a bit sketchy at first, sure, but not ignorant. lodgok had proven himself trustworthy and has helped you in being one step ahead.

you stepped back in surprise, "that was cruel. perhaps your uncle was right about you - you don't know when to stop."

sebastian glowered over you, stepping forward as his words were laced with venom, "oh, i do know when to stop. unbelievable."

taking a deep breath, you turned and walked out of the undercroft, ready to scream. you understood where Sebastian was coming from but the way he talked to you was so...angering. maybe you should have lied about who it was, about what lodgok was.

but calling you ignorant? okay, yes, this was your first year learning about magic and catching up to the rest of your peers, but you earned respect and knew - for the most part - what you were doing. you would never intentionally put Sebastian, anne, ominis, whoever in danger if you were not confident.

with a sniffle, you made your way through the dark arts tower to your common room, ready to just cry about how upset and angry Sebastian was. but before you could, ominis's voice stopped you, "coming from the undercroft, are we?"

you turned around, eyes glassy with unshed tears - albeit glad that ominis couldn't see them. you gave a small smile, "oh, yes. we were just discussing a painting we found."

ominis hummed, not entirely satisfied with your answer, "your voice is shaky. what happened?"

you let out a breath, "i - we can't talk about it here, ominis. too open."

he sighed, and with his free hand, he grabbed your arm, pulling you towards an owl statue inside a small window, before it turned around and you found yourself...well, inside a wall at hogwarts.

before you had time to question ominis of where you were, he asked once more, "what happened?"

you explained everything, just leaving out the parts where Sebastian was intent on not stopping to find a cure for anne, but moreso focused on the triptych. when you revealed who lodgok was, ominis cringed.

"oh, that's not the worst part," you said, wiping a stray tear, "he asked why he should listen to someone so ignorant."

ominis winced once more, "yikes."

you grumbled, "tell me about it. i want to cry because, well, i understand why he is upset but lodgok is a lead to stopping ranrok, to being one step ahead."

your blind friend nodded, "agreed, and if sirona trusts him, that's saying something."

you both stood in silence, the occasional sniffle from your nose giving ominis hints of how much this bothered you.

"give him time to cool off," he began. "anne is a sore spot for him, but he needs to understand that she won't be the only one cursed without your goblin friend's help. you made your way into his heart, those that he cares about. you'll be fine."

you nodded, trying to formulate your words, "thank you, ominis. i apologize for putting you in the middle of this, but it was nice to have someone listen."

ominis smiled softly, "of course, y/n. meet you at dinner?"

with a quiet, "yeah," you watched ominis make his way out of the secret room, and once again, you were left with screaming thoughts. sobs immediately racked your body, regret aching from your tears and sore throat. there was nothing left by the time you were done, face dried with tears as you composed yourself.

taking a breath, you left the room and immediately looked down, seeing a letter by the 'door.' on the top left was ominis's handwriting, but the letter itself was unopened: told you he's gone soft for you.

with a pained sigh, you picked up the letter and opened it, reading the words:

we need to talk. undercroft after dinner?

"merlin's beard."

dinner was not something you could stomach at the moment, and to be honest with yourself, you were sure it could come right back up as you made your way to the undercroft. with a wave of your wand, you opened up the clock-looking door and headed inside, anxiety eating you up like a full-course meal.

sebastian had his back to you, staring intently at the triptych until he heard the door open. his eyes met yours immediately, and he softened.

"hi," he said, biting his lip nervously as you made your way over to him.

"sebastian, i-" you began, but he shook his head. with a small smile, he grabbed your hands and held them against his chest, "it's ok."

your eyes welled up with tears, "but it's not, seb. i should've been honest with you and i wasn't. I'm sorry, you have every right to hate me."

sebastian was silent as the tears fell down your cheeks until he wiped them away with his thumb. you sniffled, looking up at him. he grasped onto your hands once more, "you were hesitant to tell me because you know how much i care for anne, for my sister. you listen to me and want what is best - that has always been you. I'm not mad at you, dove. I'm mad at merlin for making that our last option."

you gave a sad excuse for a chuckle as he smiled at you. he continued, "dove, listen to me. I'm sorry for what i said. i know you aren't ignorant; i reacted harshly about your goblin friend, but you understand why?"

you immediately nodded, squeezing his hands, "of course, seb. i know how important it is for you to find a cure for anne, and i would never jeopardize that if there was a chance lodgok could betray us. but he's good, honest."

sebastian grinned, and you continued, "i'm not mad at you either, y'know. you're good to me, seb, and i was just scared i lost you."

he held your face between his hands, thumbs softly rubbing over your cheeks as he adored you, "you could never lose me, dove. you are one of the few good things left in my life and i'd be an idiot to let you go."

you swallowed a sob as tears clouded your vision, but Sebastian hushed you, "it's okay, sweetheart. we're okay - i trust you. promise."

you nodded and gave a small smile, "i trust you too, seb. promise."

leaning forward, sebastian nudged his nose with yours, and you giggled as he mumbled, "there's my pretty dove." and with that, Sebastian sealed your lips in a kiss, your hands wrapping around his neck as he grounded himself on your hips.

maybe you should send lodgok a thank you card.

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow imagine #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy imagine #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow/reader #sebastian sallow/you #sebastian sallow x you #the sallows #anne sallow #solomon sallow #ominis gaunt imagine #mc #hogwarts legacy x reader #aesop sharp #professor fig #professor hecat #defense against the dark arts #salazar slytherin #slytherin #hufflepuff #gryffindor #ravenclaw #harry potter #harry potter imagine #harry potter hogwarts legacy

[uhohwhathaveidone]

If it’s possible can I request a Sebastian x Reader one where for Potions class they were told they will make Amortentia and everyone is going crazy thinking what they will smell. Just the pining between the two only for them to realize that yeah they like eachother? Please and thank you, hope you have a great rest of your day!

I've brewed you a potion!

Brewed Crush (S.S)

pt2 Tainted Crush

The idea of Amortentia sounds terrifying tbh. Remember how Ron acted to the love potion meant for Harry? Terrifying. Anyway, these two are so oblivious it hurts, I hope you enjoy! It's not as long, but i still hope it reaches your expectations. Sharp is a little shit in this too, he likes to see his students embarrass themselves.

You walked beside Sebastian down the hall, chatting about random little things. You had Potions next, and while you were always eager for a chance to mix ingredients and create things, word was that you would be working on a particularly dangerous potion, but that’s all anyone could say. Initially that would be exciting, but knowing you and Sebastian, you would probably mess it some and maybe even blow up the whole classroom. You shuddered at the thought. Sebastian, on the other hand, was incredibly excited about the idea of working with a dangerous potion, and he had racked his brain trying to figure out what kind they would be working with. “What if it’s a poison?” He asked, brows raised in excitement. You scoffed, shaking your head. “Why would they teach us how to make poison?” Sebastian shrugged, “I don’t know. It sounds like something they would teach us!” You let out a laugh as you turned the corner, meeting Ominis, who nearly ran into you.

“Ominis! You just returned from Potions, right?” Sebastian asked, pulling the two of you to the side. You studied Ominis, his face red and brows furrowed. He didn’t respond to Sebastian at first, and bit his lip. “Well?” Sebastian pestered, crossing his arms. “We talked about love potions.” Ominis said quietly. You stifled a laugh as you realized that Ominis was flustered, no doubt from whatever love potion they talked about. Sebastian, on the other hand, dropped his arms in disbelief, eyes wide. “Love potion?” Ominis nodded. You tilted your head, knowing that there were many forms of love potion out there. “What kind?” You asked, and Ominis looked in your direction, tightlipped. “The bad kind.” And with that, he walked away.

“It can’t be that bad.” Sebastian said as he walked through the door of the classroom. You nodded in response, thinking about what kind of love potion Ominis was talking about, when you bumped into Sebastian’s back. “Hey, come on now.” You huffed, trying to squeeze by him. Sebastian had frozen in place, staring at the board, staring at the words written on it. You made it past him and followed his gaze, eyes widening as you also read the board. Amortentia, the love potion that smells like what, or who, you desired most, and was considered one of the most dangerous love potions in existence. You shuddered, fear getting caught in your throat. “Let’s hurry to our seats before we get trampled.” You suggested grabbing Sebastian’s arm and pulling him to the seat you usually sat at. Sebastian looked at you, puzzled. “Isn’t that the potion that’s supposed to smell nice?” You nodded your head, “It’s supposed to smell like the thing you desire most.” Sebastian’s eyes widened and felt heat rise to his cheeks.

The two of you sat, watching as students poured into the classroom, chattering loudly as they saw the potion on the board. You swore you heard one of the girls shriek slightly when her friend told her what kind of potion was, and you mentally prepared yourself. Professor Sharp walked in soon after, eyeing some of the students as they chattered. His gaze found your own, and you could have sworn he smirked. He motioned for everyone to open their books, turning to the chapter about love potions.

“As you see on the board, today we will be working with Amortentia, a very strong love potion.” Sharp began, holding the book and walking to stand in front of his desk. “I want to express the dangers of this potion before we go and create it, and I will be checking each of you before you leave, if you decide to keep some for whatever nefarious reason.” You watched as the girl from earlier seemed to deflate, hanging her head low. You smiled slightly, nudging Sebastian. “It seems like someone wanted to keep a bit for herself.” You whispered, smiling up at him. His face hadn’t lost the red tint from when he walked into the classroom, and his eyes still seemed a little wide. You shook your head and turned back to Sharp, who had begun to go through the specific dangers of the potion. “Just so we are all aware, this potion does not make someone actually fall in love. The victim only feels the attachment, not the real feelings, which is what makes this potion so dangerous. You are lucky I’m sharing this with you today, but many of the ingredients are forbidden to collect, which means that this will be the only time you will be able to make this.” Sharp continued, and you sighed in relief hearing that news, glad that you would be safe if anyone ever wanted to use it on you.

Ten minutes of lecturing later and Sharp had begun to distribute the ingredients needed for the potion, also noting how much he gave each of you in case someone decided to take the rest of the ingredients. You nudged Sebastian, pointing to his cauldron. “So, what are you going to smell?” You asked, smirking. Sebastian stuttered as his cheeks became hotter, only to get out “uh, apple tart, of course!” You raised an eyebrow, “You’re attracted to the smell of apple tarts?” Sebastian nodded quickly, turning the conversation around. “What’s yours going to smell like then?” You bit the inside of your lip, knowing that you had no idea what it would smell like, except that it would more than likely be connected to Sebastian. “Probably marshmallows.” “Marshmallows?” “They’re tasty!”

You glared at the page, trying to figure out the instructions. The measurements seemed strange and unproportioned, and you began to think that you had it wrong. Turning to Sebastian, who had his tongue out in concentration, you looked at his instructions. “Do these measurements seem right to you?” You asked, watching as he places an odd amount of a green fern into the cauldron. He didn’t respond, deep in concentration still, and you shrugged, grabbing at his parchment. “Hey, I need that!” He said, looking down and finding the page gone. You compared the two pages, which were identical, sighing. “It doesn’t feel right. These measurements are way too uncontrolled.” You stated, handing the page back to Sebastian. He shook his head, tracing his finger back to where he left off. “You won’t blow anything up, it's fine.” You shook your head in annoyance and went back to placing ingredients into the pot.

You watched as the potion began to make steam, which swirled around the top of the cauldron and seemed to shine. You looked over at Sebastian to see how he was doing, watching him stir his potion one final time. You began to worry, afraid to get too close to the pot in case it had started to let off fumes. Which it did, of course. You were hit with the scent of burning cinders and wood chips, mixed with salted caramel filled your lungs. Your face warmed up instantly, and you recognized the scent. It smelled just like Sebastian. You looked around, looking to see if anyone else could smell your potion, praying that it only smelled that way for you. Your cheeks heated up even more as the warm scent filled your senses, and you glanced over at Sebastian.

He wasn’t having the best time either. As soon as he finished stirring the pot, he was hit with a big wave of vanilla and lavender, a scent he had smelled many times before. It was what you smelled like, and there was a hint of marshmallow; you had said they were good. He sat there, wondering if his face could even heat up more than it already had, knowing that the potion knew exactly what he felt. He liked you, of course, but he didn’t think he liked you that much. Ominis had teased him a bit about how Sebastian “Most definitely had a crush” on you, but the love potion was basically screaming out that he was in love, and he shook his head and looked around. Everyone had finished their potions, and Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief as he began to pack his things up, ready to escape before you asked him about his potion.

Professor Sharp had other ideas. “Now that you have created your potion, why don’t we tell everyone what we smell?” He had a sly smirk on his lips, seemingly like his whole plan was to embarrass his students that day. You looked over at Sebastian and shared a wide-eyed stare, fear written on both your faces. Sharp started at the row closest to him, motioning for someone to start. You felt your hands clam up, noticing that you were sat in the center, both a curse and a blessing. You wrung your hands anxiously as Sharp got closer, walking up to the students on the outer edge of your row. Sebastian would go before you, and he knew it. You could practically see the sweat on his forehead as his eyes followed Sharp, sucking in a breath when he stood before him. “Mr. Sallow. Do tell us what you smell.” Sebastian looked around, noticing all the eyes trained to him. “Uh, vanilla, sir, and lavender.” Sharp raised an eyebrow, knowing that Sebastian had another scent in the pot. Sebastian looked down at the pot, “and marshmallow.” Sharp watched Sebastian with a smirk and looked over at you, raising an eyebrow in your direction. You took a breath in, “I smell… wood chips…burning cinder…and salted caramel.” Sharp’s smile grew, “That is quite the combination.” He walked to the next student, and you and Sebastian released the breath you had both been holding. You glanced at Sebastian, cheeks warm, hoping he didn’t know that he smelled like that.

The two of you walked out of the classroom and quietly made your way to the dining hall for lunch. You awkwardly walked beside Sebastian, trying to cool off after what could only have been the most embarrassing moment of your life. Sebastian was deep in thought, trying to figure out where he had heard salted caramel before. He could faintly remember you telling him one day that he smelled like it, and had even asked if he was carrying any, which he was. His thoughts began to run faster than he could keep up, and he pulled you to the side. Surprised, you looked up at him. “Your potion, who was it about?” He asked quickly, trying to wrap his head around the fact that perhaps your potions were for each other. Your cheeks heated up again, and you looked down at your feet. Quietly, you responded, “It smelled like you.” Sebastian barely heard you speak, only catching what sounded like the word “you.” “Did you say me?” Sebastian began to smile, watching as you nodded. He grabbed your shoulders, making you look at him. “That’s…that’s great!” You looked at him, confused. “My potion… it was… it smelled like you too.” He smiled shyly as his cheeks heated up to match your own. “We had each other?” “Yeah!”

Once the two of you had gone through the process of properly confessing your feelings for each other, the two of you walked to the dining hall, a new goal in mind. What did Ominis smell.

#sebastian sallow fluff #sebastian sallow imagine #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow #harry potter imagine #hogwarts au #hogwarts legacy #reader insert #x reader #fluff #aesop sharp #sharp enjoys watching his students suffer im sorry #ominis gaunt #harry potter

[weirdraccoon]

End of 6th year after the trio finally get together.

MC *fidgeting with her hands*

Sharp: So, I heard about you and Mr. Sallow.

MC *avoiding eye-contact*

Sharp: And Mr. Gaunt.

MC: ...

Sharp: ...

MC: ...

Sharp: I'm not sure whether to be impressed or worried. Eleazar is probably laughing his ass off and I'm sure he'd tell you something along the lines of "atta girl" but I am not Eleazar, so you're going to learn everything about a bunch of things very quickly and you're not going to leave this classroom until you show me a flawless contraceptive potion.

MC *inwardly screaming*: I do not need the talk! Fig gave it to me before coming to Hogwarts!

Sharp: He did?

MC *mumbling*: He thought I needed to experience every "normal" teenage trauma.

#loosely based on my own mc #for whom im still in the process of writing the fic #if you know cassandra cain think of her childhood #it's similar #mmm ah yes #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #adopted dark lord au #aesop sharp #eleazar fig #rip btw

[legacygirlingreen]

Sebastian Sallow AI Audio

What would happen if students helped during the final battle of the repository? Well, take a listen...

This is from my fan fiction found here, but CAN be enjoyed separately! Although , I stray from canon quite a bit, just a heads up!

From this chapter, if you wish to read!

Someone please let me know if it doesn't load, and if not here's the link to it on YouTube! I recommend headphones!

(also credit to @deathlysallowsfor the photo of Sebastian in the header!)

Thanks to @strawberrypinky like always! Also @eternalremorse for listening in its rough state!

#hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow/reader #hogwarts legacy fandom #sebastian sallow x slytherin!reader #fluff #anne sallow #ominis gaunt #solomon sallow #aesop sharp #professor garlick #eleazar fig #professor fig #matilda weasley #leander prewett #imelda reyes #poppy sweeting #poppy x imelda #everett clopton #amit thakkar #samantha dale #natsai onai #abraham ronen #professor hecat #Youtube

[seriouslysnape]

Patched Up

Aesop Sharp x Fem! Student! Reader

Tags: Minor injuries. 

Word Count: 2.2k

“I won’t keep you any longer.”

꩜꩜꩜꩜

He wasn’t surprised when you showed up at the classroom after curfew. 

He had gotten used to you showing up at all hours of the day. If he didn’t know you as well and personally as he did, he would’ve been under the impression that all you ever did was roam the corridors of the castle and pop in whenever you felt like it.

Sometimes your visit was just for a quick hello, other times it was for a “real” reason. He never knew what to expect whenever you came bopping in, but not that he was complaining.

He heard your footsteps from the hallway, a heads up that let him know you were about to enter. He was familiar with the sound of your steps, and he could only imagine why you were coming at such a late hour. 

Of course he knew it wasn’t Potions related at all, but he still liked to make the same joke every time you came by when the school day was over.

“Are you here for a late Potions lesson?” He didn’t even turn away from the chalkboard to look at you. “It’s a bit late for that.”

“Afraid not,” You grinned, standing in the open doorway. “Is it such a crime for a student to visit her favorite professor?”

“I suppose not. It is an occasional occurrence,” He answered. “Although, lately the random visits have been usually saved for my personal chambers.”

“That’s true,” You grinned. “I was hoping that you’d be up for consoling a broken Quidditch player.”

His anxiety kicked in then, his protective mode turning on immediately…despite your bubbly tone. He forgot about the Potions formula he had been glancing over, his head peeking around the wall that blocked you from his sight.

The sight of your dirty practice uniform and the dirt caked on parts of your face and arms were a tell-tale sign to him that you were coming from the Quidditch field. There were a few scattered scrapes on your legs, and the way that you held your posture made it clear that you were hurt somewhere else on your body.

Abandoning his prep for the next day’s Potions classes, he swiftly approached you. He was gentle as he ushered you further into the room, closing the classroom door behind him and guiding you to his desk chair.

“How did this happen exactly?” He asked.

He was careful as he assisted you in lowering yourself into the chair. Your muscles definitely needed the rest, and if your shoulder hadn’t been hurting you so much, you could’ve fallen asleep right there. 

“I had Quidditch practice tonight,” You answered. “These night practices are killing me. Quidditch is impossible to play in the dark…even with illumination charms.”

He put the pieces together without you even saying it. He was very observant when it came to you and had an impressive memory.

“Did you fall off of your broom again?” He asked, taking your chin into his hand to get a better look at your face.

“Yeah,” You replied dryly. “Bludger knocked me off.”

He made a small hum as he glanced over your features to check for any cuts or scrapes that you might’ve missed. He was relieved to see that despite being a little battered up, you were otherwise in good spirits. 

“That’s the second time this week,” He remarked. “Where is this carelessness coming from?”

“It wasn’t careless. It’s dark out and I didn’t see the Bludger,” You corrected. “And that’s just part of playing Quidditch. It happens.”

“Not to you it doesn’t. You’re the best on the team,” He said. “Where did the Bludger hit?”

He watched carefully as you brought your hand to the base of your neck, tapping the space between your collarbone and shoulder.

“Right here,” You sighed. “It didn’t start hurting until practice was over. That’s when I came here.”

“You mean that you got back on your broom after you fell?” His face contorted into an expression of disbelief.

With a careful hand, he pulled the collar of your jersey down just enough so he could see the area that made contact with the Bludger. Sure enough, there was a decent bruise well on its way to being fully developed by tomorrow morning.

“I didn’t fall very far. I was pretty close to the ground,” You shrugged. “My shoulder took most of the damage.”

“Are you certain you’re not hurt anywhere else? You didn’t get hurt when you hit the ground?” He gingerly rotated your arm to test its mobility.

“Like I said, I didn’t fall far. The school’s Quidditch field just isn’t equipped to be played on at night.” 

This was a common complaint amongst Hogwarts’ Quidditch players. Playing early in the morning and at night was just too dangerous when visibility was low. Aesop was right that this wasn’t the first time that this had happened to you in recent weeks. There had been several close calls, but only twice had you actually hit the ground after falling off. You were just lucky that your body had taken both hits instead of your head. 

“Then why do you play on it at night?” He asked the obvious. 

“It’s not up to me. The team captain sets the practice schedule,” You explained. “You know that I prefer to practice in the morning.”

Aesop knew that he could lecture you about being more careful and trying to convince your team’s captain to adjust the practice schedule to be during the daytime, but he knew that you weren’t up for a scolding…and he knew that you probably wouldn’t listen anyway. Quidditch was your greatest passion, and he knew that nagging you about it wouldn’t do you any good. 

“It isn’t broken, and it doesn’t seem to be dislocated,” He stated, referring to your collarbone. “But I can guarantee that it will be uncomfortable tomorrow if you don’t take something. Is it hurting you now?”

Aesop was a worrier. You didn’t want him getting all fussed up over a little Bludger bruise. If he knew about even half the injuries that you sustained from Quidditch, he would’ve tried to convince you to quit by now. Sure, it felt like your arm was about to detach from the socket, but you weren’t going to tell him that.

“It’s a little sore.” You partially lied.

He leaned against the edge of his desk that was closest to you, his arms crossing over his chest. He caught the slight change in pitch in your voice when you answered, immediately alerting him that you weren’t being totally truthful.

“I thought you said that it started hurting after practice?” He recalled. “If you’re hurt, I need to know.”

It was difficult to get anything past him. You knew better. 

“Wiggenweld would probably be a smart idea…” You sighed, feeling ashamed for trying to pull a fast one on him.

“That’s what I thought,” He scoffed. “I presume you don’t have the ingredients to make it yourself?”

You couldn’t help but huff at him. You were beginning to think that he was feeling inconvenienced that you had walked all the way here for his help. 

It wasn’t like you were asking him to brew anything super complicated. As a matter of fact, you weren’t asking him to brew anything at all. Aesop always kept Wiggenweld close by. 

“I don’t. That’s always why I came here,” You shook your head. “If it’s too much trouble, I can just go to Pippin’s and buy a few vials.” 

“It’s late. You shouldn’t be wandering around Hogsmeade at this hour,” He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, retrieving a small vial of the bright green liquid. “You really should keep Wiggenweld on you at all times. Especially if you’re going to keep getting beat up during Quidditch.”

He wasn’t wrong. You spent enough time on a broom that it was only a matter of time where luck would outweigh your skill, and the luck wouldn’t be in your favor. This wasn’t the first time that you had sought Aesop out after a bruising Quidditch session, but you knew that you couldn’t always expect him to be there to patch you up every time.

“I’m sorry I bothered you with this.” You removed the cap off of the bottle, eyeing the liquid inside.

His expression softened, his stern demeanor relaxing into a more comfortable position. He sheepishly shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, nudging your foot with his as a gesture of reassurance.

Aesop forgot sometimes that his genuine worry for your health and well-being sometimes came off as aggressive and irritable. That was certainly not his intention. 

“You didn’t bother me,” He gave a small smile, gesturing towards the vial in your hand. “Drink up. Down the hatch.”

As common as Wiggenweld was, you wished that some genius potioneer would work towards finding a way to make it taste better. Nonetheless, you gulped it down in two swallows, immediately feeling its effect. The sharp ache in your shoulder subsided gradually until it fully disappeared, and the scrapes on your lower extremities faded within seconds.

“Better?” He took the empty container from your hands. 

“Much better,” You sighed. “Thanks.” 

“Of course. Are you certain that you’re alright otherwise?” His brows furrowed in concern. 

“I’m okay. I just need to get cleaned up and go to bed,” You shifted, preparing to stand up. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

He reached for your hand, helping you to your feet as if you’d collapse. He hated to see you go, and he definitely didn’t want you to leave with the thought that you had irritated him. 

“I assure you that you’re not imposing on me,” He said, pulling you in between his legs to keep you from going just yet. “Did you get a chance to eat before practice?”

He always asked that question. Every single time he saw you after practice, he asked you that same question. His arms wrapped around your waist, keeping you close to him.

“No. I was running late.” You replied, knowing what he was going to say next. 

One of his hands came to your collar, checking to be sure that the Wiggenweld had done its job. 

“You need to eat,” He tutted. “You use a lot of energy playing Quidditch, especially with how rough you play. You need to replenish the energy.”

“I’m tired.” You whined. 

“I don’t care,” He remarked. “You need to eat something.”

“I want to shower and go to bed.” You argued. 

“Eat, shower, and then bed. If you eat then you can use my shower.” He offered. 

A certain glow appeared on your cheeks, shining through the layers of dirt and exhaustion. His heart soared at the sight. His soul exploded with joy and fulfillment with the knowledge that you were so positively responsive to him.

“And sleep in your bed?” You pleaded. 

He let out a low chuckle. He had known that question was coming. 

“That can be arranged,” He pressed a soft kiss to the middle of your forehead. “But food comes first.”

He wasn’t going to let you get away without getting some food in your belly. He was right after all, you needed the nourishment to make up for lost energy. He swayed you away from his desk, escorting you out of the classroom and accompanying you to The Great Hall. Dinnertime was well over, but there was always a way to scrounge up a meal after hours. 

Side by side, the two of you walked together through the corridors to get to your destination. The castle was mostly quiet, considering that everyone else had turned in for the night. Peeves, as usual, was cackling and jabbering about something somewhere off in the distance.

The two of you continued to chat along the way, catching up on what had happened since you had seen one another last. His pinky finger found yours, wrapping around it as a small gesture of affection. It was a comfort to him if nothing else, but he’d feel better once he knew you were fed, clean, and comfortable. 

He liked taking care of you. He wanted you to feel your best always, and he would do whatever he had to do to ensure that you were happy. 

“Are you coming to my Quidditch match on Saturday? I’d like you to see that all these scrapes and bruises aren’t for nothing.” 

Aesop wasn’t particularly the world’s biggest Quidditch fan. He kept up with the pro-Quidditch leagues and followed the scores of his favorite teams. However, as far as going out of his way to actually go see a match was unlikely. 

But in recent months, he had been frequenting the Hogwarts matches…mainly the ones where you were playing.

“Frankly, I’m beginning to think that you’re purposefully getting all roughed up as an excuse for my off the record medical services.” He joked.

“I would hardly consider them to be services. Anybody can spare me a vial or two of Wiggenweld,” You bantered. “But in all seriousness, will you come?”

He chuckled again, much lower and even sweeter this time. A sense of warmth and peace rushed over you when he pressed a kiss to your temple, a hum of affirmation sounding from his chest as he did so.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

#aesop sharp #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp x fem! reader #aesop sharp x female reader #aesop sharp x you #aesop sharp x y/n #aesop sharp fluff #aesop sharp fanfiction #professor sharp #professor sharp x reader #professor sharp x fem! reader #professor sharp x female reader #professor sharp x you #professor sharp x y/n #professor sharp fluff #professor sharp fanfiction #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #seriouslysnape

[zetadraconis11]

HL Incorrect Quote #82

*in the Central Hall*

Prof. Sharp: I'm not interested.

Prof. Garlick: Come onnn, it's just a bit of fun!

Sharp: Betting on when students start courting is not fun.

*in the distance*

Imelda: GARRETH WEASLEY!

Garreth: I'm sorry! I didn't mean for it to explode... Imelda, what are you doing? Stop, don't-

*Imelda chases after Garreth through the Central Hall*

Sharp:

Garlick:

Sharp: ...I'll bet three Galleons they're courting in spring sixth year.

#Sharp is a secret shipper #that's my headcanon #He totally bet on when certain couples got together you can't convince me otherwise #Garlick just loves games and betting #I bet she'd be fun to play poker with #Garrelda #imelda x garreth #garreth x imelda #garreth weasley #imelda reyes #aesop sharp #mirabel garlick #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy incorrect quotes #hogwarts legacy headcanons

[strawberrypinky]

A while ago I commissioned the wonderful @yoshitsuno for this regency/Bridgerton inspired piece of Sharp and MC & I received the final piece today! Safe to say this exceed all my expectations & I am so so happy with how this turned out!

Merci, Micah! Your work is absolutely stunning & I am beyond impressed with your skill, talent and dedication. I love this so much & I am so thankful you made all my wishes come true 💗💗

✨ To anyone looking for an artist to commission, I can highly recommend @yoshitsuno ! Her work is absolutely incredible and she’s a wonderful person all around 💗 This was a 10/10 experience - 100% will do it again!! ✨

#catch me not shutting up about this for months now #made all my Bridgerton/regency dreams come true and more #obsessed is an understatement tbh #10/10 would do it again #so so worth it! #can you tell I am obsessed with regency? because fuck #it’s my favourite historical era EVER #the tenderness?? #the looks?? #the overall vibe?? #PERFECTION #hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #professor sharp #professor aesop sharp #aesop sharp x mc

[jesuschristwhatsgoingon]

Headcanon that Professor Sharp has tattoos and not anything small either.I’m talking like full sleeve on both arms and/or on his back too.Probably first got one when he became an Auror and since then he just got more.

#can you imagine him white button up rolled up with the tattoos showing??? #look he was already hot #BUT HE GOT HOTTER #Fuck it this ain’t a headcanon anymore #this is canon and y’all can’t change my mind #hogwarts legacy headcanons #hogwarts legacy imagine #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy x reader #Aesop Sharp #Professor Sharp #aesop sharp x reader #professor sharp x reader #Professor Sharp Headcanon

[mamalunawolf]

So I did this a while ago. And I wanted to share this. Because it's amazing and I try to amen as much content or photos of Hogwarts legacy as I can. Even though I have a stupid computer that hates me. If youw any to send me coffee to help a poor girl out. Sure. But I'm not doing that you guys. This is my own suffering. And I love you all. So here is the photos. I call it..

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."

On left is the main canons. In order from top to bottom. Garreth, Ominis, Leander, Sebastian, Amit, Victor, and Sharp.

Now on right are all MCs. Which I love them all. If you are any discord servers with me. One has them all and they are my babies. Maybe I'll introduce them all. Eventually. But my main girl is in there. Top to bottom. Jackson, Maddie, Amaya, Cirilla, and Brigid.

Amaya is the third. Her eyes are so beautiful.

#hogwarts oc #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts #hogwarts legacy ominis #ominis gaunt #ominis x reader #ominis x y/n #sebastian sallow #sebastian x mc #garreth x you #garreth weasley #aesop sharp #victor rookwood #leander prewett #amit thakkar

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

Some Like It Sharp

You and professor Sharp became very close after the events of your fifth year at Hogwarts. Just how close is unspoken for a long time. Until it isn't.

I know I should be writing father Paul, but I started playing Hogwarts Legacy and became a little addicted. And then I went to potions class. I saw professor Sharp, in all his limping scarred glory and immediately thought 'Oh. Oh no...' And that was that.

EDIT: I MANAGED TO ADD SOME VOICELINES ON AO3

tw: age difference (reader is 17-18, which is of age in the wizarding world), student-teacher relationship, mentions of trauma (emotional and physical)

Some Like It Sharp 

(8.6k words)

You sighed deeply as your brow furrowed in concentration. Six finely crushed snake fangs soon disappeared in your cauldron. Momentarily, you lifted your eyes and gazed longingly at the person across the room from you. Professor Aesop Sharp was sitting at his round desk, a quill in his hand and a stack of third years’ essays in front of him. Every now and then, you could hear him utter a soft ‘tsk’, his dark hair bouncing as he shook his head. Even in his annoyance he was beautiful, you thought. Despite being a Slytherin, he reminded you of a lion, so strong and proud, not even his obvious limp was able to tarnish the image.

“Miss (L/N).” sounded right next to your ear, making you jump and turn your head towards the voice. Your wide startled eyes connected with professor Sharp’s own intense dark orbs. ‘When did he move?’ you thought, your heart in your throat.

“Miss, (L/N), I believe I asked you to brew a cure for boils. However, whatever concoction is currently in your cauldron looks more like it would cause them. Care to explain yourself?”

You hurriedly looked down at your cauldron and discovered the potion master was right. Instead of the orange hue the potion should have at this stage, it was a rather distasteful shade of swamp green. ‘How could this have happened?’

“Sir,” you began meekly, “I’m sorry, I don't know-... I think I got-”

“Distracted?” asked professor Sharp matter of factly, his voice lacking any sort of the annoyance it’d usually have. “Do tell, Miss (L/N),” he started circling around you like a predator, his lame leg not making the motion any less intimidating, “do you feel like my classes are so boring, or so easy, perhaps, that you can afford to daydream while ruining a first year potion?” 

Your eyes hadn't left him for a second. You shivered involuntarily. You were the only person in the classroom. ‘When did everyone leave?’ “No, sir, I- O-of course not, I-?”

A single long digit pressed against your slightly open mouth, effectively cutting your eloquent speech short. Sharp stood in front of you now, and you felt your cheeks turning red. You exhaled shakily. “Daydreaming in my class… I don’t think detention is enough of a punishment. Do you?” Sharp practically purred into your ear, his acute words said in an almost teasing manner. He was so close now, so close you felt his hot breath on your neck as he spoke, his forefinger replaced by his thumb on your mouth, and he pulled the lower lip down, opening your mouth further.

You couldn't speak, only able to stare at his mouth as he pulled back slightly to look at you. A small smile appeared on his face and he finally moved forward, sealing his mouth over your own and immediately pushing his tongue inside. You gasped, but almost right away threw your hands around his neck and succumbed to his bruising kiss.

“(F/N),” he sighed once you had to part for breath. You smiled at him and wanted to connect your lips once more. Only then -

“(F/N)! Come on, wake up, we’re going to be late for Transfiguration!” you heard someone call out.

“What?” you asked and looked around. You weren’t in the potions classroom, nor were you standing in professor Sharp’s embrace. You weren’t standing at all, actually. Your dormitory’s light blue walls appeared before your eyes, as well as an annoyed face of Samantha Dale.

—

"You are so lucky I forgot my homework upstairs!" panted Samantha, "Otherwise I would have gone straight to class after breakfast. And you'd still be asleep." You were pretty much running, not wanting to be late for professor's Weasley's class, yet you casted a grateful smile in Samantha's direction: "You are a lifesaver, Sam."

Samantha kept rambling on, as she usually did, but your mind was still focused on your dream.

You and professor Sharp had gotten particularly close during the past year and a half. Ever since your last battle with Ranrok, the potions master treated you a little differently. Most of the professors did, of course, but you found a sense of peace with Sharp especially. 

You missed professor Fig every day. He was something of a father figure for you nearly from day one, and you felt all sorts of broken watching him die in your arms. 

The first time professor Sharp invited you into his office outside of class, you felt strangely numb still, your exhaustion and grief leaving you with what felt like a hole in your heart. Some of the other professors sat you down before them previously, and you forced yourself to fake a little smile and persuade them that you were alright.

It didn’t work on Sharp. He didn’t pry, didn’t force you to relive the painful memories as you thought he would. Instead his chatter was nearly light, talking about your school work, hobbies, the various activities outside of the castle, even talking about himself every once in a while. Soon you realised you found solace in your conversations.

Only when you were given time to heal did you dare to actually talk about what happened that day… That year, really. Professor Sharp listened quietly, never pressing for details you weren’t ready to give, only asking for further explanation sometimes.

—

The first time you broke down in tears before him, he stood to limp over to you. With a steady warm hand on your shoulder, he conjured up a handkerchief and pressed it into your palm. You thanked him and tried to get yourself under control once more. He didn’t say anything, only drew small circles into your shoulder with his thumb.

After you left his office that evening, you realised just how hungry you were. It hit you by surprise, really, you hadn’t felt this hungry since that fateful day. You’d eat when it was meal time, but all food tasted the same to you. This evening, however, when you put some chicken with rice on your plate, you tasted every single spice used, the meat falling apart on your tongue. You groaned audibly and let your eyes close.

“Heh, good to see you getting your appetite back!” said Amit across from you, a sweet smile on his face. Your cheeks a little red in embarrassment, you smiled back at him before diving into your meal once more.

It struck you later that night as you were lying in your bed, staring into the darkness. Sharp knew exactly how to help you, because he knew what you were likely going through. All of the professors had their stories, some of them experienced loss as well, but only Sharp had ever gone through something as traumatic as yourself. Maybe he behaved towards you the way he would’ve wished someone behaved towards him before, back when his partner died on the job and he barely escaped with his life.

—

The next evening, you were back in his office. He accepted you wordlessly, curiously peeking at a small bag you brought with you. Inside of it were various rare ingredients you collected on your adventures or harvested in the Room of Requirement. The potions master took them with a quiet ‘thank you’ and that was that. He didn’t ask where you got them and how, knowing that as your teacher, he might not like your answer. But he was grateful, you knew. It didn’t need to be spoken in order to be understood.

Back when you first met him, you understood why some may find him intimidating, why he rubs them the wrong way. Sharp was strict, with a no-nonsense kind of attitude. He was hard on his students, and when he saw potential in them, he was even harder, striving for perfection. But the more time you spent with him, the more you saw the undeniable kindness within him. As cutting as his critique could be, his praises filled you with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. They pushed you to try even harder, to make him proud. 

Little by little, it began to make no sense to you why some students found him evil, or even outright foul. Professor Sharp was anything but evil and foul.

In a way, you expected him to become a parental figure to you as well, like professor Fig was. Only, he didn’t. It frightened you the first time you looked at him and caught yourself thinking that you’d like to press your palm against his cheek, feel his prickly looking stubble, trace the scar on his face. “Something the matter, miss (L/N)?” he asked with a lifted brow. Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment as you hurriedly looked away, an apology leaving your mouth.

—

It got worse after that. You enjoyed spending time with him too much. You found he had a dark, dry sense of humour, that his wit was quicker than lightning and sharper than a knife, but also that he possessed a certain gentleness. You noticed his eyes would linger on your fondly when he thought you weren’t looking. It always made butterflies flutter in your stomach.

You knew that he liked to draw, having been in his private chambers when you were searching for those blasted demiguise statues (not that you’d ever tell him), but having him actually showing them to you felt strangely intimate. The passage through his fireplace you had to crawl through turned into a large doorway after he tapped it with the tip of his wand. He said he can’t always make it upstairs if the pain in his leg is too much, but he nevertheless enjoyed spending time there. You were fairly certain you were the first person he showed his work to. 

You saw a few drawings you didn’t recognise, as you hadn’t been to his chambers since - it was mostly parts of Hogwarts, a few scribbles of Hogsmeade as well. However, there was also a number of various paintings of beasts, hippogriffs, graphorns and such.  You smiled when he showed you, already knowing you wouldn’t be meeting in his chambers the next time.

—

His curiosity was obviously peaked, as he accepted your request to wait for you in the seventh floor corridor, by the troll tapestry. You winced slightly when you saw him leaning against the wall, the stairs obviously not doing anything for his leg. Yet, when he acknowledged your presence, you offered him a reassuring smile, hoping what you were about to show him would make it up to him.

He watched you pace three times in front of the tapestry, his brow raised in question. You grinned when his dark eyes widened at the sight of a door materialising seemingly out of nowhere. You opened it and entered. “Come in, sir,” you said, turning to face him. He hobbled over, his right hand twitching as if he wanted to reach for his wand. Always vigilant.

With no small amount of satisfaction, you watched as his mouth opened in surprise of your Room of Requirement, eyes trying to take in as much as they could, utterly disbelieving. His gaze was caught by a large potion station on one side of the room, directly next to a herbology table, where your various magical plants were currently being watered.

“Ah, you’re back,” came a high pitched voice from somewhere, “Deek thinks it’s almost time to harvest the mandrakes- oh, professor Sharp!” Without looking at the house elf, still busy taking in the room, the potions master offered a small ‘Hello, Deek.’

“I will see to it. Deek, can I ask you a favour?” you smiled at him reassuringly. He replied with a smile of his own: “Of course. What can Deek do for you?” “Could you perhaps bring us some tea later? First there is something I want to show to the professor.” With a nod and a snap on his fingers, Deek was gone. 

“What is this place?” asked professor Sharp, finally looking at you. “The Room of Requirement,” you replied simply, “professor Weasley showed it to me last year and urged me to use it how I see fit, mostly to aid me in my studies. Come sir, please, I do want to show you something.” 

You lead the teacher up one of the staircases towards the swamp vivarium. You entered, with Sharp following close behind, slightly apprehensive at the feeling of wetness underneath his boots. This time you couldn’t conceal your chuckle as his jaw once again dropped. Your thestral friends noticed your arrival and immediately set on to welcome you. You laughed gently as the baby thestral nudged at your hand with its little skeletal beak, craving your loving touch.

With a few flicks of your wand, you brushed the animals and replenished their automatic feeder, all the while still stroking the little thestral’s head. Sepulchria, its mother, meanwhile took interest in professor Sharp, sniffing at him warily before deciding he posed no danger to her offspring. 

Almost like on its own accord, Sharp’s hand travelled up to touch the mare, his calloused fingers coming to rest on her neck. “This is incredible,” he breathed out, as he caressed the creature’s glossy skin. 

“When I was first able to see them, I found them a little frightening,” you admitted, conjuring a bench for the two of you to sit down on, the little one’s head immediately coming to rest on your lap, “it was right after the dragon attack, when I saw Mr Osric…” You got quiet. Professor Sharp sat next to you. Sepulchria and her mate, a male thestral you named Phobos, settled into the moist grass nearby, seeming perfectly happy to hang around while you and your teacher talked. Their offspring, Juno flapped its wings contentedly, leaning into your hand.

“Of course, I quickly learned of their good qualities,” you continued, forcing your tone to be light. “It was only after… After professor Fig died… that I found real comfort in them. They are amazing creatures, so gentle. In a way, I feel like they are exactly what a person needs to see, when they… when they watch somebody die.”

As per usual, Sharp let you speak, giving you time to gather your wits about you, think over the words you were going to say. He had no patience for fools who would bring chaos into his class, or his life, but he had all the patience with you. “They are scary at first and they have a sad aura around them… But they are here and they mean no harm. They’re a part of this world as death is a part of life. Death is not intentionally cruel, even if it sometimes forces us to go through life without some person we love.” 

You heard a soft exhale next to you, then felt warmth on your free hand, as the professor’s fingers closed around it. You didn’t know how long you sat there in silence, hand in hand, just watching the skeletal equines and wandering through your own minds. “There is no without,” the potion master said suddenly, making you startle a bit. “They may not be around to talk to us, but as long as we remember them fondly, as long as we still let them guide us, they will never be really gone.” 

You squeezed his hand. It was calloused and warm, and fit in yours perfectly. “I think there’s tea ready for us, sir.”

—

“Do you mind telling me where exactly are we going in the dead of night?” asked professor Sharp morosely as the two of you descended another flight of stairs in the Central hall. You didn’t know when it happened, but some time back the teacher let you support him when on stairs. As long as it was just the two of you, of course. He held onto your arm and leaned a portion of his weight on you, mindful not to step on his bad leg too much. 

You wouldn’t tell him, but you loved when he did that. Having him so close, you were hyper-aware of his unique scent, which was so enchanting to you. It was like a mix between sandalwood, parchment paper and a hint of firewhiskey, and you had to restrain yourself from inhaling it deeply, so that it wouldn’t be obvious you were getting high on it. If you were to smell amortentia, you were certain this was what it’d smell like to you.

“Need I remind you that you are outside your dorm room after curfew? That’s a sure way to get you in trouble.” he quipped, no bite behind his words. “I’m with a teacher, surely an exception can be made?” you replied back, your tone light and amicable. Back when you first met him, you wouldn’t have imagined you’d share such banter with the potions master, he seemed far too serious for that. You still showed him nothing but respect in class, but outside of it, when the two of you were alone, you allowed yourself to tease him sometimes. You were always met with mild amusement and slight exasperation in reply.

Sharp sighed next to you: “I really shouldn’t encourage you in this… Should give you detention for a week, helping me grade exams.” He blinked in surprise at the happy smile you gave him: “I wouldn’t mind that.” The professor stopped walking in order to stare at you in disbelief. You felt your cheeks going red under his intense gaze. Oh no, you thought, have I said too much? Can he see right through me?

Finally, the potion master chuckled and shook his head: “You are a strange young woman, miss (L/N).”

You found yourselves on the school grounds, the cool night air making you hum contentedly. Despite no longer walking down the stairs, professor Sharp held onto your arm for support. You brought your free hand to your mouth and whistled on your fingers. A flurry of movement followed almost immediately. A gust of wind ruffled your hair as a white hippogriff landed in front of you. You let go of your teacher slowly, making sure he was prepared to stand on his own again, and approached the beast.

“Hello, Highwing,” you cooed and stroked her beak lovingly. Professor Sharp stood motionlessly, observing the majestic creature with no small amount of awe. “Poppy Sweeting introduced me to her after my first Beast class,” you explained, carding your fingers through Highwing’s soft feathers, “sometime later me and Natty rescued her and one more hippogriff from poachers led by Harlow and Rookwood. And the hippogriffs ended up saving our lives the very same night.”

Sharp listened quietly, his brows furrowed. “I think I’ll rather not ask any questions, (F/N), else I actually might give you that detention,” he said then. He didn’t call you by your first name often, but when he did, it always madea wave of fondness run through you. You wondered if you’d ever be allowed to call him Aesop. You tried rolling the name off your tongue many times when you were alone, deciding it was a beautiful name and that it fit him perfectly.

Carefully balancing himself on his good leg, he gave a deep bow to the beast, knowing how proud they were. A few seconds passed before Highwing deemed his action courteous enough to reply in kind.

The potions master hobbled towards her slowly, extending a hand to pat her feathered neck. He did startle however, when you nimbly climbed atop the creature, settling comfortably between its grand wings. “What are you doing, miss (L/N)?” he asked, narrowing his eyes when you offered your hand to him. “Please sir,” you spoke quietly, your smile seemingly glowing even in the darkness around you two, “trust me.”

He debated with himself whether he finally went mad. It was nearly midnight, and while summer was quickly approaching, the nights were still rather cold. He was standing on school grounds and a student was proposing to him with, what, a hippogriff ride? He was way too old for this. Yet, as he looked at your extended hand and the positively beaming look on your face, he sighed. He probably was mad.

The potions master took your hand and marvelled at your strength as you seemed to have absolutely no problem pulling him up and behind you. Only now it hit him that he didn’t take into consideration where he’d put his hands. Very awkwardly, he placed them on each side of your waist.

Feeling the steady warmth of his body against your back made a rush of blood course through you, and you were suddenly glad to not be able to look at him. Your cheeks were so hot and red, he’d be able to figure you out immediately. You craved to enjoy the feeling of his hands on you, and even thought about buying a pensieve, just so you could watch the memory of this again and again. 

You shook your head. There would be time for that later. Right now, you dragged him all the way out here and onto a hippogriff, might as well give him a brilliant memory too.

“Highwing, go!” you called out, grabbing onto the beast’s neck more tightly. The hippogriff cried and stood on its hind legs before breaking into a gallop. Professor Sharp cursed next to your ear and finally wrapped his arms around your waist fully. Propriety be damned, the teacher doubted falling off a racing hippogriff would do any good to his leg. Or any other part of him, really. Highwing spread her wings, their span positively huge, and Sharp felt they were no longer on the cobblestone path. 

The flapping of wings forced the professor to close his eyes as they soared higher and higher. Then it stopped and Aesop finally looked. His breath caught in his throat. He remembered flying around on his broom when he was a student himself, but it suddenly struck him that he never did so at night. 

It was ethereally beautiful. The moon shone on the great castle, white glow reflecting on the roofs. There were lights on in various parts of the castle. It stood under them in all its glory, sure and steady, yet ever changing. The castle was like a living organism, stony body, a kind soul and a heart constantly drumming with magic, holding so many secrets within the historical walls, Aesop was sure that even if he lived to be two hundred years old, he’d never be able to discover all of them.

 It was so serene, yet so humbling, the professor momentarily felt weightless, not feeling his blasted leg at all, for once free of all of his guilt, of all the pain he ever experienced.

He didn’t realise he was squeezing you closer, that his chin was leaning on your shoulder. Something you were very much aware of, trying your best not to tremble under his touch. It was both salvation and damnation and you found yourself thinking how easy it would be to just turn your head to the side and capture his lips. You held yourself back, gently bumping his head with your own instead. 

Highwing slowly descended above the murky waters of the Black lake. Sharp saw the giant squid thrust one tentacle above the surface, as if greeting the three of you. Feeling impossibly young, he laughed, and he laughed until his lungs hurt. You laughed with him, releasing a giddy whoop, when the hippogriff decided it was time to take to the skies again.

You eventually landed on a coast south of Hogwarts. Professor Sharp felt his spirits dampen somewhat at the sight of you flawlessly leaping from the beast’s back and onto the ground, your movements noble and elegant, and so youthful. Yet, once you looked at him, all smiles and messed up hair, a grin broke on his face as well. He let you help him down, his good leg taking most of the blow of impact with the ground.

Nevertheless, he winced. Oh, he was going to need at least two phials of Wiggenweld potion once he was back in his chambers. Trying to push his pain away, he spoke in a light tone: “So, that’s what you’ve been doing when you were supposed to be in the castle? In bed?” You gave him a little guilty smile: “Sometimes. You’ve got to admit, though, this is rather exhilarating.”

The professors sighed and leaned against a nearby boulder: “As your teacher, I should really be condemning this sort of behaviour instead of encouraging it… However, you’re right. It was exhilarating. And very beautiful. I am thankful for the experience.” 

He scanned his surroundings, moonlight illuminating the area enough for Aesop to be sure you wouldn’t get ambushed by some poacher, or a pack of mongrels.

When he was sure the two of you were alone, he sat on a nearby boulder, content to rest for a bit. 

The professor watched as you picked up a pebble using your wand, and made it skip over the dark water. You truly were something else. He was aware that the amount of time he spent with you was frankly inappropriate, seeing as you were his student, but he just couldn’t help it. The potion master did try to put some distance between you in the past, but it was no use. You’d always come find him and he couldn’t turn you away. 

He didn’t know when he stopped trying to set this distance. Maybe when the last couple of times it was him who caved in. Him, who invited you over for a cup of tea, unsure whether he’d be more glad if you accepted, or if you refused. Never once did you refuse. He realised that such distance was actually the last thing he wanted, that you actually became… friends. Close friends.

He angrily shushed the little voice in his head that tried to ask ‘Just friends?’. 

Oh yes. That was the reason he wanted to set the distance, how could he have forgotten?

You turned seventeen some time ago, officially of age, but that didn’t make Aesop feel any better. You were very mature for your age, and probably have been for a long time. He had no problem seeing you as his equal, despite you being so much younger than him. But as he watched you skipping stone after stone, he could feel his guilt suffocating him, seeing tiny traces of the child you stopped being when you watched your mentor die before your eyes.

He should probably mount the hippogriff, fly really high up and throw himself off the beast. But oh, how much he longed to join you at the bank and wrap a protective arm around you. 

“Sir? Are you alright?” you noticed him staring at you, and saw him cough awkwardly. “We should probably head back,” the potions master decided then, slowly hobbling over to Highwing, who seemed to be happily hunting for squirrels since your arrival. 

He enjoyed holding you to him while he could. He didn’t actually want to plummet to his death after all, so it was perfectly acceptable to grip you tight.

“Are you sure you’re alright, professor? You don’t want me to walk you to your chambers?” you asked with worry in your voice. Highwing’s form was rapidly disappearing in the dark sky. “I am quite well. You should go to your dormitory. Probably best to use the disillusionment charm as well.” 

He didn’t know if the smile you gave him then made him want to laugh or cry, your eyes were filled with such fondness and wonder, Aesop honestly felt like the very air around him got warmer. He wasn't ready when you grasped his hand: “Thank you, sir. I’m glad you joined me tonight.” Oh. And the professor definitely wasn’t ready for you to get up on your tiptoes to press your lips against his left cheek, right where his scar ended. 

Not a second later you were nearly translucent and slowly getting away from him. “Miss (L/N)! Detention.” he called after you. You had the audacity to giggle, before the door to the Entrance hall opened and you slipped in.

—-

Aesop Sharp knew he was playing with fire when he responded to your letters that summer. It was the summer before your seventh year. He very nearly had a heart attack when a greater sooty owl appeared on his windowsill one morning, bearing a letter with your handwriting. There was no address, just his name. Seeing as he lived quite close to Hogwarts, it really wasn’t that much of a surprise the owl was able to find him.

He gave it some food and water, a single digit coming to scratch under its head. It leaned into his touch. A beautiful bird, indeed. Aesop briefly wondered whether you managed to find it from some exotic breeder in England, or if it truly was an Aussie owl. It was also a clever one, wouldn’t leave without a reply and would get increasingly more anxious for him to at least open the letter. 

He tried to put it off, afraid of what he was to find there. The letter sat on a table in his dining room and he’d regularly come to stare at it morosely, as if willing it to open without having to touch it. The breaking point came late in the evening. The bird would leap onto his left shoulder and peck at his scar rather painfully, before jumping onto the table and standing in front of the letter, giving him a pointed look.

The bloody beast had an attitude!

“Yes, yes, you’ve made your point clear!” he growled in its general direction and shooed her off with his hand. He sat down and summoned his pen knife. He knew he was stalling, cutting the pristine white envelope open much slower than he usually would. Sharp was immediately hit with the sweet smell of your perfume. 

Finally, he pulled the letter out and unfolded it.

Why in Salazar’s name had he been so terrified?

You mostly described how you summer was thus far, confirming his suspicion that you indeed bought your owl in Australia. Her name was Diana apparently. You also promised to bring him some potion ingredients which were exclusive to the country, some of them so obscure Aesop had to look them up in his copy of Moste Potente Potions. Oh, how he looked forward to experimenting with them. Maybe some of them would be the key in discovering the cure for his leg!

You finished your letter with a wish that his summer was lovely as well, and that you were looking forward to seeing him again. 

When he finished reading, Aesop put his head into his hands and smiled at the same time. He was in a bit of a pickle, wasn’t he?

You wrote letters to each other for the remainder of the summer. Aesop soon learned Diana only cared that he read your letters quickly, but was alright with him taking his time to actually answer them. Most of the letters were quite professional, discussing potions, your upcoming seventh year (actually your third year at Hogwarts), the NEWT subjects you’d take exams from, and possible future careers. Professor Sharp didn’t worry about the letters - there wasn’t a school rule prohibiting a teacher to be friends with a student, as long as it didn’t collide with their education or professional relationship.

The fact that there also wasn’t a rule prohibiting a teacher to engage with an adult student romantically was left unsaid somewhere deep in his mind. 

—

Aesop Sharp and most of the teachers and staff arrived at Hogwarts two weeks before the start of term. Matilda would soon be sending out shopping lists and acceptance letters. He was rather glad he wasn’t the one hand delivering these letters to Muggleborns - not that he ever believed in the ‘pure blood’ nonsense, he just wasn’t feeling up to running around Britain and Ireland to explain magic to Muggles. Matilda was kind enough to leave him out of that. Though, he had a reason to believe she did so not because of his leg, but because of the possibility he might actually scare the children into not attending.

Thankfully for everyone, this year’s Muggleborns would be taken care of by Mirabel and Abraham, who were way more enthusiastic about this task than Aesop would ever be.

—

Professor Sharp felt rather foolish, actually.

He stood in Potage's Cauldron Shop, instructing the clerk to send his newly purchased silver and brass cauldrons to Hogwarts, all the while looking through the window hoping to catch a glimpse of you. You didn’t tell him when you’d be visiting Diagon Alley to pick up the textbooks you needed this year, but Aesop kind of hoped to run into you anyway. 

He sighed deeply once he left the rather stuffy shop. He could’ve easily ordered all of today's purchases from the comfort of his own office, but no, he’s going to act like a lovestruck teenager instead. The professor frowned. At least he took his cane today, he thought grimly as he hobbled over to the Leaky Cauldron, more than ready to eat something, and possibly even improve his mood with a drop of firewhisky.

He did feel better with a stomach full of hare stew and nursing his third glass, when a voice he missed all summer sounded right behind him.

“Hello, professor Sharp. Fancy seeing you here,” Aesop’s head snapped to the left. There you were. And you were breathtaking. Clad in a lovely dark green dress which fell to your ankles, with pristine white collar and sleeves. Upon your head sat a stylish wizard hat decorated with late summer flowers. The potions master was used to seeing you in your uniform, and occasionally in an ensemble of blouses and trousers that allowed you to move freely. 

Now you were garbed in the pinnacle of late 19th century fashion, looking like an elegant lady of high society. And what an absolutely beautiful lady at that. “Miss (L/N),” he replied, a little out of breath. You gave him a kittenish grin, betraying your otherwise mature appearance a little: “Mind if I join you?” Aesop stood with some difficulty and motioned to an empty chair opposite of him: “by all means, miss, sit.” 

You sat down together and soon shared a little toast - the professor with another glass (last one, drinking more would be terribly unwise) and his young friend with a goblet of rosé. For a while, neither of you said anything.

“You look… well,” said Aesop then, cursing himself for not being able to come up with anything better, “your dress is lovely.” You gave him another smile: “Thank you. My mother insisted that I should wear it. ‘A proper lady’, she said. Between you and me, I cannot wait to get out of this thing. The lace is itchy and I’m rather surprised I haven’t passed out from oxygen deficiency yet, seeing as how tight my corset is tied.” 

Professor Sharp shook his head - he never understood why Muggle women willingly used these torture devices on themselves. “Got everything you need for the start of term?” he asked instead. “I do,” you replied, “it was a lot. I’m happy to be able to do magic outside of school now, and make it all fit in here.” You patted your handbag fondly.

Aesop didn’t know how much time passed. You told him about your summer in detail (as you usually kept your letters short and to the point), talking about your visit to Australia for quite a while. He was happy to listen, your voice music to his ears. The way you spoke, carried yourself, your gesticulations - you were a grown woman. The little slips into child-like manners (a grin here, a wild hand motion there) were not those of an actual child - it was simply your personality. Mature, yet youthful, wise, yet passionate. 

And the way you sometimes looked at him, when you thought he couldn’t see. It gave him hope. It terrified him. It made him want to lay his hand atop yours on the table. Made him want to reach over, grab your face and press his mouth on your own. He did nothing. He only smiled at you.

It was dark outside once you parted ways. You held his hand and said how much you’re looking forward to his classes and his company again. You promised to hand deliver him the ingredients you got him. He nearly forgot his cane in the pub. 

With a final smile and a loud crack, you disapparated. 

Aesop stood before Hogwarts gate, not five minutes later. He missed supper, but didn’t find it in himself to care. He made his way to his chambers, all the alcohol he drank long gone from his system. He actually looked forward to the beginning of term when it meant having you around.

What in Salazar’s name was he going to do next year?

—

In Aesop’s eyes, you were exceptionally beautiful. Unfortunately for him, however, some of your peers seemed to share this opinion. The astronomy obsessed boy from your house gazed at you like you were a holy picture. Sebastian Sallow seemed intent on having all of your attention for himself, constantly finding new ways to keep you entertained and get into trouble. Even the Gaunt boy, while lacking eyesight, seemed to somehow sense your desirability. Aesop just prayed it wouldn’t be Garreth Weasley who caught your fancy.

Each time he overheard someone (usually boys, occasionally a girl) asking you out, his heart closed in on itself and only started beating properly again after your (very gentle) refusal of their proposition. And then it would dance with bliss when you’d turn up on his doorstep instead. 

Ever since that afternoon in Diagon Alley, those unspoken words between the two of you gained in intensity. More familiar touches occurred. Sometimes you’d hold his hand when you spoke of your extracurricular adventures. Aesop would run his thumb over its back, listening intently. It always took him by surprise how much trust you had in him, seeing as both of you were aware some of your escapades would result in loss of points and plenty of detentions. Never from him, though.  

—

One time you held him to you, his head cradled into your neck. You came to his quarters at a bad time. His leg was acting up and his potions weren’t helping. His pain induced desperation was made worse by his guilt. What was he thinking? He was a cripple, entirely too old for you. You deserved better. Even that blasted Weasley boy would have been better for you than him. He should never have looked at you like he did. It was quite normal for a student to develop a crush on their teacher (the stories Mirabel could tell), but the teacher shouldn’t indulge the student. Aesop was nothing but indulgent with you.

He tried to send you away when he heard your knocking that evening. His pain and despair must have found way into his voice, because you didn’t leave. You came right in and locked the door behind you. He snapped at you, told you to get out of his chambers. You disobeyed and came even closer. 

You kneeled before him, your eyes kind and full of compassion. His own were filled with tears that would never be shed. Aesop didn’t cry anymore. He was close to it today though. You massaged the muscles in his leg after you've applied a heating charm to the fabric of his trousers. His head hung low in guilt and shame, and Sharp hoped you would just leave. He was pitiful and you deserved better, why wouldn’t you leave him to his misery?

You didn’t leave. Of course you didn’t. He shouldn’t have thought for a single second that a witch who defeated a troll during her first week in school, after living as a muggle for nearly 16 years, would just leave. She held him, pulled him to her entirely. He could smell her perfume, felt her nimble fingers in his hair. Heard her soft voice shushing him, trying to bring him comfort. He allowed himself to wrap his arms around her. Aesop cried.

—

“Have you given any more thought to your future after you finish school?” he asked one day. Snow was falling outside, staff and students were preparing for the Christmas holidays. Behind him, sitting in one of his armchairs, you sighed. “It’s complicated,” you admitted then, “I’d rather be a curse breaker for Gringotts than an Auror, that’s for sure. No offence.” He grinned. “None taken. I’d like to be able to say that I’m glad you’d choose something safer than the Auror office. However, curse breaking is not exactly much safer, is it?” Finally he turned to look at you: “You didn’t take into consideration… shopkeeping, perhaps?” 

The look you gave him was almost enough to make him laugh. He settled for turning the corners of his mouth slightly upwards. “With all due respect, sir, can you imagine me behind the counter the entire day, promoting fantastic new sales and gossipping with witches on maternity leaves?” Sharp couldn’t hold it in anymore and chuckled openly. “Point taken,” he agreed.

“You know you can change careers later in life, right? Don’t have to be stuck doing one thing forever…” you gave him a questioning look, waiting for him to elaborate. “Listen, professor Hecat is… still battling time itself. And she isn’t winning. There will come a time when a new professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts is needed. And if you excel in your NEWTs the way you did in your OWLs…” Your mouth opened in disbelief: “Are you saying I could someday teach in Hogwarts?” 

He sat down into an armchair opposite of you, propping his bad leg on a footstool. “You possess the skill and the knowledge. I dare say you love this castle, this school. And you’d be able to venture out into the Forbidden forest as you do, without me having to turn a blind eye to it anymore.” You grinned into the flames in his hearth. Getting slightly more comfortable by crossing your legs you let the warmth seep into your skin.

“I still don’t feel like shopkeeping, though.”

—

You and Samantha made it inside the Transfiguration classroom just as professor Weasley went to close the door. You were out of breath and red like salamanders, both from the running and the cold outside. 

“Girls, girls,” chided professor Weasley, “I would expect punctuality in your seventh year.” “It’s my fault, professor,” you panted out, “I overslept. Samantha would’ve been here long ago if it wasn’t for me.” Professor Weasley shook her head and motioned the two of you to sit.

—

“I cannot wait to visit Matabeleland again,” said Natty with a smile. You knew she had her reasons to not want to go where her father died defending her before, but now that she made peace with her past and was officially an adult, she wanted to revisit her happier childhood memories. “Me and gran are going to Arizona. We’re hoping to encounter Thunderbirds there,” spoke Poppy then, “What about you, what will you be doing?”

You looked up at the sky and smiled. “Actually, I think I’ll stay at Hogwarts. I really took on a lot of work this year, and I’d like to focus on it in peace.” It was only partly true. The main reason was that you wanted to spend as much time as possible with your favourite professor. Unbeknownst to your friends, the bag you carried on your shoulder contained a neatly wrapped Christmas present (a beautiful set of drawing kohls), a bottle of firewhiskey said to be absolutely brilliant (courtesy of Sirona) and a very special letter you were hoping to present to your teacher on Christmas Eve.

You came to see Hogwarts as your home. You were able to wander through the highlands for hours at a time, exploring every nook and cranny. If someone were to use Prior Incantato on your wand at any given time, the last spell would most likely be Revelio. Now that your time as a student was slowly coming to an end, you realised just how much you’d miss being here. In a way, you were envious of those who got to attend the full seven years. Your solace was knowing that you wouldn’t ever be too far from your home.

There was no without.

—

“Good evening, professor,” you beamed at the scarred man. He smiled back and stepped aside from the door, a wordless invitation. You took him in appreciatively. It wasn’t often you’d see the potions master so dressed down, cladded only in his white shirt, vest and trousers. His tie was loosened, jacket and coat hanging by the door in the other room. 

You fished the present out of your bag. “This is for you to unwrap tomorrow,” you said, settling it aside on a nearby table, “but I see no reason we shouldn’t try this out right now.” He grinned at the sight of the bottle of obviously very expensive liquor. “Hope nobody saw you smuggle this in. It’s alright to have a glass in Diagon Alley, outside of term. Here however, I believe this would get you into all sorts of trouble with the deputy headmistress,” his voice was teasing and he was already fetching two glasses. “It’s Christmas holidays, we are out of term. We just so happen to be in the castle,” you quipped back. 

You held the glasses while he poured. “Well, miss (L/N)... (F/N). All the best for the rest of your time in Hogwarts, and even better for your next adventure. Wherever it may take you. I am glad to have met you, and proud to be your teacher. And your friend.” You didn’t call him out on the ‘friend’ part just yet, choosing to take a sip of your drink instead.

You immediately made a face and began coughing.

Aesop stood before you, chuckling. “Wow,” you said once you caught your breath, “that’s horrible.” The potions master’s chuckles turned into laughter. “Luckily for you,” he said after you made a show of pushing your glass towards him along with the rest of the bottle, “I think of everything.” A bottle of some floral wine entered your vision, uncorked itself and poured a sensible amount into a conjured up goblet. You drank, rolling the light liquid over your tongue.

“Fixed your taste?” asked Sharp, still smirking. You nodded: “I no longer feel like I’m about to die, so that’s good. Anyway, there’s one more thing I wanted to show you.” You walked over to the armchairs in front of the hearth. Professor Sharp followed and sat across from you. You held a scroll in your right hand and offered it to him. 

Aesop put his glass down and reached for the scroll curiously. Unrolling it, he read out loud:

Brood and Peck

Hogsmeade

Dear Miss (F/N) (L/N),

We are pleased to inform you that you were admitted to apprenticeship at Brood and Peck, Hogsmeade, beginning on 3rd July 1893 at 8 o’clock in the morning.

All equipment necessary for your apprenticeship will be provided for you on the spot.

We are looking forward to our cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Ellie Peck

Aesop Sharp was looking at you wide-eyed. “I thought about what you said, about the DADA position,” you said, your cheeks turning red under his intense gaze. “I thought… I thought you said you didn’t see yourself in a shop,” he said, still in a daze. “That’s the best thing,’ you smiled at him, “I won’t be in a shop. I’ll be rescuing beasts and taking care of them, collecting byproducts and bringing them to Ellie. I also made a deal with Pippin to bring him any useful potion ingredients I find. 

“I’ll have a bit of money and I’ll be close by. And I’ll be running around the highlands most of the time, which is pretty much exactly what I do now, except without the schoolwork,” you chuckled. Aesop’s expression was unreadable. “What made you decide to stay?” he asked finally, his voice so quiet you barely heard it over the crackling fire. There was the moment, the moment of truth you’ve been waiting for. You gathered your courage.

“There were a lot of reasons. But the biggest one is… you. The more I thought of it, the more the mere idea I’d be somewhere far away from you, unable to see you maybe months at a time, terrifies me. Saddens me.” You sighed then. “What I’m trying to say… I am in love with you, and have been for some time, and I’d like to be close to you. If you’ll have me.”

Professor Sharp’s eyes were glistening. He said nothing for the longest time and you were getting worried.

“Please, professor, think of my words before you refuse me. I know that I am young, but I am of age and I know what I want in life. It’s not just some silly crush, I genuinely believe we could… that we could spend our lives together. You are possibly my best friend, the person I trust and admire most, and I adore you. I think of you all the time, and there’s nothing I want more than to be able to hold you, and kiss you. And be the woman you love. I love you, sir.”

He stood up with such swiftness you startled. Almost as if his leg did not trouble him in the slightest. The potions master extended his hands to you and you took them, standing up as well. He still stood taller than you and you had to look up to see into his eyes. One hand came to rest on your cheek and you unconsciously leaned into it, closing your eyes in bliss as his scent filled your nostrils.

“Aesop,” he said suddenly. “I’m sorry?” you replied, slightly dazed to have him touching you so tenderly. “I should have asked you to call me Aesop ages ago,” he explained, his other hand coming to hold your other cheek, “my dearest girl.”

He felt free, free of guilt and shame, the constant pain of his wounds falling somewhere into the background. He wouldn’t allow it to interfere with this moment. Those three words he craved to hear from you fell freely from your lips. Your eyes were blown wide and he found he could no longer resist them.

A sound made him look up. Above your bodies joined in an embrace a twig of mistletoe appeared. Hogwarts and its secrets…. “There is nothing I’d want more than to have you by my side,” he spoke quietly, the words foreign to his lips before now, but filled with utmost honesty nevertheless. 

You weren’t able to wait any longer. Mirroring the teacher, you grabbed his face gently and guided him down until your lips connected. It felt like the most ancient, the purest form of magic, coursing through you as you tasted Aesop’s mouth. The alcohol was foul when drunk from glass, but on the potions master’s tongue it tasted like ambrosia, getting you more drunk than you’ve ever been, and you moaned into the kiss. 

The world turned into sensations. Your fingers in his hair, his teeth squeezing your lower lip, before soothing the sting with his tongue. The solid, warm front of his body pressing into yours, his heart beating wildly against your breasts. The arms you’ve dreamed about enveloped you crushingly and you realised that you never wanted to leave them. Why would you? You were home.

You were home.

Hello, I hope you enjoyed reading. You can find this work and all of my other works on AO3. I always adore feedback!

#hogwarts #hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop sharp x reader #proessor sharp x reader #aesop sharp x you #professor sharp x you #fanfiction #reader insert #i love the magic cop #fluff

[loveandfictionforall]

Since your wrote for Mommy Garlic would you also write something fluffy for Daddy Sharp? I wouldn‘t say no to also some spicy headcanons if you catch my drift

Professor Sharp

Being in a relationship with Professor Sharp was someimes really difficult. He does not like sharing his privacy and thus you but since you both worked in Hogwarts where not a lot of privacy was giving, it made it really strenuous.

But in the end, he was a man and he fell for you. It was really difficult for him to behave when you walked around in a rather scandalous skirt or in thight trousers. He will look at your ass and you know it.

Still, PDA is not his. Sometimes, when you walk quietly together to your rooms, he will graze your fingers against yours, lightly curling his pinky against yours.

When you two meet each others in the halls or at dinner a small bumping with shoulders can happen or when your legs are hidden, he will gently place his hand on your knee.

And sometimes he feels naughty, running his hand up to your middle, stroking your inner thigh, grinning his small smile while you tense under his touch, pressing your legs together.

Professor Sharp doesn't like to take risks or exposing your relationship but once you teased him the whole day with tight clothes and provocative poses, running your fingers against his chest and 'accidentaly' stumbling so you can lean against his chest while gazing up to him with your big eyes.

And then, once every student was in their dorms, he pulled you against a classroom door while you two were patrolling, kissing you with passion and running his fingers under your clothes. And when you finally had enough, wanting to get more, he parts from you and grins cheekily. "I will go to sleep now, I have classes early tomorrow."

#hogwarts legacy headcanons #hogwarts legacy x reader #professor sharp #professor sharp x reader #professor sharp x you #professor sharp headcanons #hogwarts legacy x you #aesop x reader #aesop sharp #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp x you #aesop sharp headcanons

[uhohwhathaveidone]

hiii im the one who requested a drabble about amortentia

yeah i meant that someone dosed reader with amortentia and that's why sebastian is pissed (fair enough)

and i don't mind it being 2nd part of Amortentia!! i just really hope the reader will be hufflepuff^^

thank you so much!!

Poor little Hufflepuff

Tainted Crush (S.S)

pt1 Brewed Crush

I sabered too close to the sun today on beat saber and played for 3 hours straight on hard difficulty and my limbs have gone to jelly, and then after all that I walked to my mom to tell her about how I found the new notes and suddenly there was glass in my shoe and i stabbed my foot, how I didn't do that while giving my all at the game is beyond me, I put my whole body and soul into those games. Anyway, Sebastian is very.... Sebastian in this. Very protective bf.

     You hummed quietly to yourself as you walked down the hall to the Hufflepuff common room, eager to put your bag down and meet with Sebastian and Ominis for supper. You greeted a few students as you walked in, petting the soft feathers of an owl that perched itself on the rail of the steps as you walked up them. Poppy greeted you at the top, smiling a devious smile. “Hey there, y/n! I have something to deliver to you.” You looked at her, confused, as she pulled out a small box. “I was asked to hand this to you.” You took it from her hands, peaking inside. “Candy? Who gave you this?” You asked, picking one out of the box and inspecting it. Poppy shrugged, “Leander told me to give it to you, saying it was a gift for beating him in some game you played.” Your face relaxed a bit, nodding as you thanked her. Poppy smiled and excused herself, walking down the stairs and to one of her friends.

     You walked to your room, placing your bag onto the floor beside your bed as you sat down, looking at the candy. You weren’t quite friends with the Gryffindor boy, but you did interact with him a bit, and you knew that it would be rude to not at least eat one of the candies. You sifted through the assortment, grabbing at random and popping it into your mouth. Its sweet taste flooded your tastebuds as you chewed, the aftertaste felt odd, however. You had tried to figure out what the aftertaste was when your mind seemed to haze, your body beginning to feel fuzzy. Leander’s face popped into your mind, and you felt yourself thinking about him, much as you tried to fight it. Eventually, he was all your mind thought about, and you smiled to yourself as you looked down at the box, the candies tempting you for another bite.

     Sebastian sat beside you and Ominis, talking about the new spell you had learned in charms, asking Ominis how he felt about it. Ominis shrugged, claiming it was rather easy to learn, while you kept silent, leaning into the palm of your hand as you looked across the hall. “Hey, are you even listening to me?” Sebastian asked, bumping into your shoulder. After the Potions session a week or two before hand, the two of you confessing to each other and then trying to interrogate Ominis, you and Sebastian had gotten together, much to Ominis’ delight. “Finally, I don’t have to hear you whine about your feelings,” He had said. Sebastian waited for you to answer, bumping your shoulder again. “Hmm, yeah I’m listening.” You hummed, not shifting your gaze. Sebastian narrowed his gaze at you, noticing how you had your gaze fixed. He followed it, landing at the Gryffindor table, a mix of blue and red dotting the table. “What’s on your mind, then?”

     “Leander.” You swooned; a childish giggle left you as you smiled. Ominis choked and spit his drink out, coughing and gasping for air. Sabastian’s face heated up in jealousy, causing him to frown. “Leander Prewett?” You nodded, watching as the boy in question talked to his friends. “Why are you thinking about that guy?” Sebastian scoffed. Leander wasn’t the biggest fan of Sebastian, and Sebastian had to admit that he wasn’t a fan of Leander either, growing annoyed by him. He always found something to blame on Slytherins, and seemed to hold a grudge against Sebastian after he bested him in a duel on the first day of fifth year. Sebastian hadn’t even seen you talk to Leander before. You sighed, pulling Sebastian from his thoughts. “He gave me candy. They were really good too.” You said, pulling one from your pocket. Ominis’ head snapped up, looking in your direction. “Candy?” He asked, and Sebastian quickly snatched the candy from your hand.

     “Don’t eat that!” He shouted, reaching into the pocket you had taken the candy from, finding two more pieces. Ominis furrowed his brow, “How many did he give you?” You shrugged, counting your fingers. “Hmm…maybe…Ten? I think that’s it.” Sebastian felt panic rise in his chest, eyes widening. “Ten? You have three left!” Ominis found your shoulder, looking for your face. “Smells sweet, too sweet for candy.” He noted, looking over to Sebastian, who sat there, shocked and upset. “You’re sure Leander gave you these?” He asked, watching as you nodded. He grabbed your shoulders, turning you to him. His eyes widened as he took in your features, your eyes glazed over and pupils dilated. Your usual skin tone was replaced by a deep pink, and your face was extremely relaxed. Sebastian cursed under his breath, grabbing your face, and checking for anything else that was out of the ordinary.

     Ominis listened to Sebastian as he muttered to himself, seemingly cursing Leander. “He dosed them, some kind of love potion was in those candies.” Ominis widened his eyes in shock, trying to wrap his head around the possibility that someone even had the guts to dose another student, especially you. “What do we do, Sebastian?” Sebastian sighed, turning you towards Ominis. “Keep them here, I’m going to have a little chat with our dear Prewett.” With that, Sebastian stood, making his way over to Leander’s table. Natty looked up, greeting Sebastian. Leander paled at his name, keeping his head down and focusing on his food. “Hello there, Natty. Mind if I borrow your friend Leander for a moment?” Natty shrugged, elbowing Leander, who looked up in dread. He hadn’t told his friends what he had done, so they watched in confusion as he slowly stood from his seat, hands shaking as he walked over to Sebastian. “Hello there, Prewett.” Sebastian began, “Would you care for a conversation in the hall outside?” Leander nodded slowly, head hung low as he followed Sebastian out.

     As the giant doors closed behind them, Sebastian grabbed Leander by the collar, throwing him into the stone wall. Leander let out a gasp as the air left his lungs, a bruise already beginning to form on his spine. Sebastian walked up to him, grabbing his collar once again and holding him up against the wall, glaring daggers into Leander. “So, Prewett. Know why I asked you here today?” Sebastian asked. Leander shook his head, hoping that he could try to reason with Sebastian; come up with a lie to cover up what he had done. Sebastian scoffed, dropping him to the ground again. “Let me jog your memory then, yeah?” He held up one of the candies he had taken from you, watching as Leander’s eyes widened as he watched. “How many were in that box, Prewett? Ten?” Leander nodded, avoiding Sebastian’s eyes now. Sebastian paced in front of him, “Well, I have three in my possession. I assume you know how to count. How many do you think they ate, hm?” Quietly, Leander responded. “Seven, they ate seven.” Clasping his hands together, Sebastian smiled. “Correct! Seven points to Gryffindor!” He mocked, walking up to Leander. “What do you think would have happened if they ate eight? Maybe nine, or all of them? Do you think they’d be sitting at the table right now, probably mumbling about you to Ominis?” His voice and gaze grew dark as he hovered over Leander, “You could have killed them, then I probably would have killed you.” Leander shuddered, pushing himself against the wall. Sebastian looked down at the candy, lifting his gaze to the Gryffindor before him. “What would happen if you ate one? Would it have an effect?” He questioned. Leander shrugged, unsure himself. Sebastian debated the idea, playing with the candy in his hand. “Maybe next time.” He said quietly.

     “I’m going to let you go now,” Sebastian started, watching as Leander sighed in relief. He took out his wand, pointing it between his eyes. “But, if I catch you trying something like that again to my partner, even look in their direction,” Sebastian stared, “I will deal with you.” With that, Sebastian put his wand away, stuffing the candy in his robe and walking to the door, taking a final look at the cowardly Gryffindor, before opening it and walking in. He made his way back over to where you sat, standing in front of you. “I’m back,” He stated, letting Ominis know he was there. Ominis sighed in relief, glad to have someone that wouldn’t talk about some guy nonstop. “They’ve been talking this whole time, I’m becoming annoyed, to be honest.” Sebastian chuckled, reaching to take your hand. “I had a nice chat with Prewett. Now we need to get you to Professor Sharp.” You stood, gazing around as Sebastian led you toward Sharp, gesturing for him.

     “What is it, Mr. Sallow?” Sharp asked, standing before the two of you. Through gritted teeth, Sebastian explained to him the events that led to where you were now, glaring in Leander’s direction at the mention of his name. Alarmed, Sharp quickly led the two of you out of the hall to the potions classroom, Sebastian’s hold on your hand tightening as you whined, watching Leander’s figure shrink the farther you walked. Sharp ushered you into the classroom, heading to his desk to gather ingredients for an antidote. “How many did you say they ate?” He asked, measuring out portions of mandrake leaves. “Seven, I have the other three here.” Sebastian handed the candies to Sharp, who quickly examined them. “Seven is quite a lot, but this looks like Amortentia, which calls for an even stronger antidote.” Sebastian’s breath got caught in his chest, his anger melting and turning into stress. Sharp muttered to himself, mainly about how Leander had gotten his hands on the potion, and how he would reprimand Leander as soon as the ordeal was over. Sebastian watched as Sharp mixed the ingredients in the cauldron, glancing over at you every now and then to make sure you were still there, even with your hand locked in with his own.

     “Here, take this,” Sharp said, handing you a small cup of blue liquid. You slowly looked down at it, furrowing your brows. “Is this from Leander?” You asked, hesitant to take the cup from Sharp. Sebastian nodded, taking the cup and placing it in your hands. You smiled and quickly downed the contents, face contorting as the bitter taste took over. Sharp took the cup back, observing your face as the potion took effect. You shut your eyes tightly as you shook your head, coughing. Your mind seemed to clear up slowly as you squinted, looking around. You gagged, the full effect of the potion finally hitting you. “Why am I in a classroom?” You questioned, looking over at Sebastian and Sharp. Sebastian sighed in relief and thanked Sharp, who nodded his head. “Of course. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it appears that Mr. Prewett needs to have a chat with the Headmaster and I.” With that, Sharp excused himself, walking out of the classroom and heading back to the dining hall.

     You looked up at Sebastian, confused. “Last I remember, Poppy handed me a box from Leander, and I ate one of the candies to be nice.” Sebastian squeezed your hand, motioning for you to sit down. “He dosed those candies with love potion.” You felt your heart stop, disgust and shock mixing together on your face. “You mean to say,” You started, face heating up, “That I fell in love with some guy? Leander?” You shuddered, pretending to gag. Sebastian smiled as you dramatically pretended to be sick. You turned and buried your face into his shoulder, muttering. “That’s disgusting. Imagine, ditching you for Leander. A nightmare.” Sebastian chuckled, wrapping his arms around you as he held you, placing a soft kiss to your temple. “You’ll have to apologize to Ominis.” You looked up, frowning. “What did I do?” “You apparently talked his ear off when I left to have a chat with Prewett myself, I don’t think he’s too fond of the name at the moment.” “Oh no.”

     Leander did not get expelled, but he was delt a heavy detention, along with losing Gryffindor fifty points. You stayed by Sebastian each time you had to walk past him, who only glared at him, reminding him of his previous threat. Terrified, Leander never talked to you after that, or even looked at you for that matter. You didn’t ask what Sebastian had told him, nor did Ominis, who was just glad that you were talking normally again, forbidding Leander’s name from ever leaving your mouth when you were around him.

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow fluff #sebastian sallow imagine #sebastian sallow x you #sebastian sallow x reader #hufflepuff reader #harry potter imagine #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy imagine #ominis gaunt #leander prewett is here too #not for a good reason tho #aesop sharp #gender neutral reader #sebastian is such a protective bf #and ominis is just there begging you to stfu #hogwarts au #harry potter

[in-the-shadow-of-the-blog]

Under the Mistletoe with Aesop Sharp

Summary: Mistletoe above the potions master's classroom door?? (Aesop Sharp x unnamed/unspecified female character)

Rating: PG

Words: 700

A/N: I tried to be extra vague with this one, to make it easier to imagine your student/faculty/whomever OC. Hopefully it doesn't detract overall. Only had a light proofread so I apologize for any errors!

--

No one knew who put it there, though Garreth was the prime suspect among students. What surprised everyone the most was that Professor Sharp hadn’t removed it. A little sprig of green leaves and white berries remained fixed above the classroom doorway, the potions master striding underneath it without a glance.

"Do you think he hasn't noticed?"

"The man notices everything!"

"Why hasn't he gotten rid of it, then?"

The whispering students fell silent, looking up sheepishly to see the man in question glaring down at them.

"This rousing conversation is about your assignment, I trust?"

"Yes, Professor Sharp."

"Good."

Aesop spared them another suspicious glance before moving on to the next table.

When class had ended and the room emptied, she walked in. The very person he had been wanting to see.

"Professor Sharp?" She called out, drawing his attention from the papers on his desk.

He looked up, unable to keep the smile from his lips. The smile he wore every time he saw her face. "How may I assist you?"

"I don't suppose you have any extra dittany on hand? I've somehow let myself run out."

Aesop braced his hands on the arms of his chair as he stood. "Let me look."

She waited patiently, examining the jars and chalkboards around the classroom. Knowing Aesop hated it when someone hovered over his shoulder, she stayed back.

"Sorry, looks like I'm out as well," Aesop said behind her.

She turned in surprise, having not heard his approach. Aesop was so close, she could make out every detail of his face, the scar across his cheek, the cunning twinkle in his eye. Close enough to feel his warmth against her front.

A nervous swallow bought her just enough time to find her words. "No bother. I'll check the greenhouses."

Clearing her throat, she turned to leave the classroom, feeing Aesop's gaze on her back.

"Wait just a moment," Aesop called out.

She stopped, one foot through the doorway, and turned to look at him. Aesop approached her, a very subtle smirk forming on his lips.

"Found some." Aesop came to a stop in front of her, holding out a vial.

Her fingers close around the glass, brushing against Aesop’s palm as she takes the vial. Their eyes locked, the quiet intensity of the moment reflected in their faces. Neither of them moved, hands still indulging in the lingering touch.

Then Aesop's other hand was on her waist, pulling her close, gazing deep into her eyes. “Seems I’ve caught you under the mistletoe. We can’t break tradition, can we?”

Lips parting instinctively at his words, she glanced up at the innocuous sprig of green and white above his door, the one that had become the subject of so much gossip among the students. Good thing none of them were around to see this.

"No, we can't," she whispered back, leaning into him just enough for him to get the message of her consent.

Aesop leaned forward, lips capturing hers in a kiss that was sweet and passionate all at once. His hand cradled the back of her neck while her fingers threaded through his hair. She would happily remain like this for an eternity, letting the world slip away around them. The way Aesop's hand tugged at her hips told her he felt the same way.

A lack of air finally forced them apart, breathing heavily as Aesop pressed his forehead to hers. He had no intention of letting her go just yet. There were ten minutes before his next class, and he would not waste a single second. Not that she was trying to get away, mind.

"Were you the one who put it up there all along?" She finally asked.

Aesop shook his head. "You know me. I was hardly going to waste the opportunity."

Aesop lifted his wand, pointing it at the mistletoe above the door. Before he could cast a spell, she laid her hand on his arm, lowering it back to his side.

"Leave it," she urged. "Wouldn't it be suspicious to take it down now?"

He considered her words and nodded. "I suppose you're right. But then, cleverness is one trait I admire most in you."

While Aesop pocketed his wand, she pulled him into another kiss, stealing as much time as she could before students began wandering by. It seemed Aesop didn't suspect her ulterior motive for asking him to keep the mistletoe in place.

She was already scheming of what other potion ingredients she could run out of next.

--

Masterlist

#hogwarts legacy fic #hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop sharp x oc #aesop sharp x you #aesop sharp x reader

[dreambender96]

Took You a While

Aesop Sharp x professor!reader

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: 18+, explicit sexual content, angst, fluff, MDNI

Summary: Aesop Sharp is bad at expressing his feelings and students can be little pricks.

A/N: This is my first fic ever, so please be gentle with me 🥺

As the leaves fall off the trees surrounding Hogwarts and the grounds, I find myself thinking back fondly on my time as a professor so far. My five years at Hogwarts as the Muggle Studies Professor have been immensely enjoyable. I have learned as much from the students as they have from me. The importance of knowing how to interact with muggles and understanding their technology could help prevent mishaps in the future. Over the years I have developed a comfortable relationship with the grumpy potion’s professor. Many lunches and after class tea dates between the two of us have established his classroom as a place of comfort for me. He always has a cup of tea ready for me and smiles each day I walk into his room. Just thinking about it makes me blush. We have both spent many years studying muggle medicine in hopes of finding a cure for Aesop’s leg. Though we hadn’t made any progress, the two of us had only grown closer with each try.

The fall wind had begun picking up as I sat lost in thought, clearly distracted from finishing my lesson plans for the week. I heard a shuffle and looked up to see Aesop standing nonchalantly in the doorway.

“Good morning.” He says with a smile. “Do you have a minute? I need your thoughts on something I am working on.”

“Of course!” I returned his smile and put down my quill.

“Well, I’m working on a potion. It’s a love potion. It is supposed to make someone fall in love with the maker.”

“Isn’t that just Amortentia?” I stand up and walk over towards him, clearly confused as to why he would be making a new love potion.

“Not quite. This potion does not cause addiction or withdrawal symptoms like Amortentia. However, it is an extremely potent aphrodisiac.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “And how would you like me to help with this?”

“I was hoping you could test the effects of the potion on yourself. Just one sip will do.” Aesop says in a completely calm and nonchalant manner. My mouth drops open and I stare at him dumbfounded.

“That…That’s a little inappropriate, don’t you think?” My voice shakes a little as I speak. He pushes off the door frame and walks further into the room.

“Why wouldn’t you want to try the potion?”

“Because you just said It makes you fall in love with someone!” I shout unable to hide how shocked I am at having this conversation.

“Well, what if I drank it?” He frowns at me.

“Wouldn’t you just fall in love with yourself?” I let out a loud sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Aesop, if you wanted to ask me out on a date, you could have just asked.” I giggle at his flustered expression. I can’t believe I just said that.

“Well, I didn’t know if you thought of me like that.” He shuffled uncomfortably and I wondered where all his normal confidence went today, this didn’t seem like normal Aesop.

“You seem awfully forward today.” I question him hoping he will tell me it’s a joke or have a good explanation.

“I am feeling pretty excited right now. The potion really does make me feel alive.” I gasped at him.

“You took it already?”

“No! I mean yes, but not that much, it is still brewing.”

“Damn it, Sharp!” I grabbed his arm and dragged him out of my office and towards his classroom. “Why would try a new potion alone without knowing what could happen?” His behavior is concerning me, he isn’t being careful at all and certainly not acting like himself.

He mumbles at me like a child begin punished. “Oh, don’t get mad at me. The potion made me forget everything except how much I like you.” My cheeks heat up and turn red and I do my best to hide my face from him as we enter his classroom and I start looking around for something to stop the potion.

“No, you don’t. You’re just saying that because you drank that stupid potion.” I huffed at him over my shoulder.

“You’re wrong. This isn’t just the potion. We’ve been friends for years and I know what I want.” I turn harshly to face him and speak in a stern tone.

“Aesop Sharp, if you really care for me then you will confess your feelings without a love potion.”

“But I can’t help myself, I do care for you. If we spend some more time together…maybe, we could fall in love.” His voice is steady, but it just doesn’t sound like him. I shake my head and drag him into his small office and sit him down in his chair.

“How long do the effects of the potion last?”

“About an hour or so.” He says staring up at me like a lovesick student.” I groan.

“And when did you take the potion?”

“About 15 minutes ago.”

“Alright, then you’re going to stay there for the next hour, and I’ll be back to let you out.” I slam the door to his office and lock it. My heart is racing, and my mind is going crazy. Does he really feel that way? I suppose I have been feeling that way for a few years now. I shake my and tidy up the room. No, it’s just the stupid potion, I’m sure once he’s clear headed he’ll explain all of this. I continue to fumble around his classroom looking at his notes, waiting for an hour to pass. I hear the clock tower chime and let out a sigh. I walk over to his office door and open it up. Aesop walks out of his office past me like nothing even happened.

“So, are you feeling any better?” I ask gently.

“Yes. Thank you for being patient with me. I suppose there could have been better ways to tell you how I feel.” He says, turning to face me. I gasp, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“Do you remember everything you said to me?” His face turns a light shade of pink.

“Yes, I remember everything I said. I’m sorry if I came off too strong.” He starts walking towards me reaching out to grab my hands in his. My face lights up with heat again and I take a step back.

“Oh! I… I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me.”

“Why would you think otherwise?” He chuckles.

“Because you don’t show your emotions well, Aesop.”

“Maybe I should change that” he says letting out another chuckle. I enjoy the sound, but it doesn’t feel right, something is still off about him. I start to feel suddenly very hot and overwhelmed with emotions.

“I think I need some time to think this over.” I rush out of his classroom and back to my desk, leaving Aesop standing there with a silly smile on his face. I started to pace around my office. This isn’t him. Maybe it’s the lingering affects of the potion? He hardly laughs. My thoughts are racing when I hear a knock at my door.

“Can I come in.” It’s Aesop, of course its Aesop.

“When I said I needed some time, I didn’t mean five minutes.” I shout at him through the door when he casually opens it and walks inside. I shoot him a glare. He chuckles again.

“I’m sorry I just can’t help myself with you.” He chuckles and walks towards me.

“What in Merlin’s name has gotten into you today?”

He shrugs and sits at my desk, on my chair. “I’m just being honest.”

“There has to be a spell on you or something, this is not how you act!”

“Maybe there is.” He smiles at me mischievously. “I wouldn’t tell you about it now, would I?” My mouth falls open again.

“Who have you interacted with today?” I start interrogating him and he blushes at my aggression.

“I answered some students questions earlier today, they were working on homework.”

“Who!” I give him my best teachers glare, treating him like a child.

“Just some six years.” He mumbles.

“And they didn’t cast anything? Mumble any spells?”

“No!” He stands up quickly not even wincing in pain at his leg, which certainly informs me he is under a spell.

“Take me to them, right now.” He grumbles and starts walking towards the transfiguration courtyard. Mumbling under his breath the entire time about how it’s no big deal and I’m overreacting. We reach a group of students whispering and giggling to each other as they see Sharp enter the courtyard. I stomp towards then.

“Are you students that spoke with Professor Sharp today?”

“Yes. Is something wrong?” They ask innocently but the young man who spoke had a slight quiver in his voice.

“Did you cast a love charm on him?” I say, my stare uncompromising. They share nervous glances and one of them speaks up.

“No. No of course not.”

“I will give you ten seconds to tell me the truth or I am taking all of you to the headmaster’s office right now.” They look at each other nervously as I start to count down from ten. I hit eight and they all started talking at once telling me what happened. I listen intently and shake my head.

“Of all the stupid things to do. Keep your pranks to yourselves or next time I will have all of you expelled!” They gasped in shock and started pleading with me. “Remove the charm right now.” The young redhead mumbles under his breath and walks over to Sharp, releasing the love charm he placed on him. Sharp takes a moment to collect his thoughts and then looks down at the student. His brown eyes are filled with fury.

“All of you leave now, I will discuss your punishment later.” They scramble away as fast as they can as I slowly walk over to Sharp.

“Please tell me you are feeling like yourself again.” He grumbles and nods.

“Would you…I mean…do you need some time to think?” I ask uncomfortably and I feel myself blushing again.

“No. I don’t want to go through all this again. I’d like to discuss this with you now.” His eyes lock with mine and there is so much emotion locked up in them. Embarrassment, fear, and longing. I gave him a nod and we walked back inside the castle. He heads towards the faculty tower and towards his chambers. We typically have our teatime in front of his fireplace, enjoying a little gossip about students. I walk into his room, the feeling in the air is much different than our normal carefree meetings here. I head towards my normal chair and plop down into it. He walks up towards the fire and stands next to me, putting his hand on the back of my chair.

“Why didn’t you tell me how you felt…” I ask shyly, staring into the flames wishing they would swallow me whole.

“It was embarrassing and shameful.” He speaks coldly.

“Shameful?” I asked in shock. He feels shame about caring for me. That’s so cruel. I started to feel angry and turned to look at him.

“That’s part of it, however there were other reasons too.” I try to hold back my anger at his comments and listen to what he says.

“I’m a crippled old man, Y/N. I can hardly walk without proper assistant and pain potions. I can offer you no future outside of Hogwarts, you deserve better than me.” I cut him off by standing up and staring directly into his eyes, our faces are awfully close together.

“Aesop, we have been friends for years, when have I ever complained about your limp?” I put my hands on my hips to emphasize my point. His eyes dart from the fire to my hips and then into my eyes. There is more longing in them now than fear. Why can’t he just accept that someone can love him, that I love him.

“Please don’t think badly of me…” I can’t help a tear that runs down my face as I’m overwhelmed with my emotions. He reaches up to wipe it away. I grab onto his arm, gripping his sleeve harshly.

I grab onto his arm, gripping his sleeve harshly. “I’ve loved you for years, but you kept pushing me away.”

He grabs both of my hands in his and whispers, “I’m sorry.”.

I look down at our hands and gently pull mine away. “I think I need some time alone.” I walk out of his room and gently close the door behind me. Aesop watches me walk out of the room but doesn’t say a word. I spent the entire night thinking about what he said and trying to figure out my feelings. Why did he wait so long to tell me! Every year there was a new excuse, a new reason to avoid his feelings. I ask myself so many questions about the situation that I eventually fall asleep. The next week passes quickly, and I avoid Aesop as much as possible. I just was not ready to face this situation. When Friday rolls around and I have successfully avoided seeing him, I pack up my things ready to spend my weekend alone. I place the last book in my bag and hear his familiar shuffle. I look up to see him standing once again in my doorway.

“Do you want to talk?” he asks gently.

I leaned back against my desk and put my bag on the floor. “I guess.”

He takes a couple steps forward, testing the water.

“So, how was your weekend?” He asks, looking at the ground between us.

I stared up at him and raised my eyebrows. “You’re going to ask me about my weekend?”

“Yes...” he says quietly, taking a few more steps towards me.

“It was alright, I had a lot to think about.” I say staring at the ground, wanting to avoid this conversation. He doesn’t say anything as he takes a few more steps, ending up right in front of me. I can feel his stare on the top of my head.

“What did you think about?”

“You.” I whisper.

“I can’t stop think about you either.” He whispers back.

I don’t speak. I just continue to stare down at the floor.

“Look at me please.” He breathes out. His voice is thick with fear and need. I slowly look up and catch his gaze.

“I love you.” I gasped at him and pushed myself off the desk. I wrap my arms around his neck, and he grabs my waist. He pulls me even closer to him and leans down to whisper in my ear.

“I’ve never felt this way before.” He pulls back and stares down at me. I trace one of my fingers gently over his scar, and cup his cheek.

“I love you too.” A smile creeps onto his lips and he squeezes my hips ever so gently.

“You’re so beautiful.” I giggle at him, “Oh just kiss me already.” He leans down and captures my lips in a gentle but passionate kiss. I can feel all the pent up emotions, all the years of hidden feelings. He’s not just giving me a kiss; he’s fully conquering my lips. Clearly desperate to make up for lost time. I reach up and thread my fingers through his hair, returning the kiss with as much passion as I can. He wraps his arms around my waist pressing me harshly against his body. I reach down to grab my wand and flick my wrist, closing the door to my classroom. He pulls back for air, smiling down at me. I chuckle at him and take in how he looks. His hair is a mess, and his lips are red and swollen from our kissing. He chuckles softly and moves his head towards my neck, starting to leave a trail of kisses towards my collarbone. I whimper and start to feel myself heating up, his kisses going directly to my core. He starts caressing my hips and moving his hands down my thighs, slowly bunching up my skirts. I tremble under his movements, and he recaptures my lips, biting at them gently and sliding his tongue into my mouth. I moan into his mouth loudly as he pushes me back up against my desk. He pulls away slightly and whispers, “I don’t think we should continue this here.” He smirks at me, knowing damn well I am now all hot and bothered. I grab his collar and breathe out my command “then take me to your chambers.” He growls and pulls me forward.

We walk through the halls quickly and as nonchalantly as possible. Thank Merlin, it was Friday night, and all the students were out doing who knows what. We make it to his chambers and hurry into the room. The second the door is closed his in on me again, crushing his lips into mine and backing me up towards his bedroom. By the time I come up for air my knees are hitting the bed and he grabs my waist lowering me down gently. I giggle and he crawls up the bed on top of me, looking like a predator about to eat his prey. He gives me a mischievous smile and attacks my neck with his mouth, biting and sucking, leaving all kinds of marks that I know I will have to cover up tomorrow. I tangle my hands in his hair and he grinds his hips against me. I hum in bliss and tug against his shirt. He chuckles and releases my neck, leaning back so he can take off his layers of clothing.

After an excruciatingly long time we are both finally shed of our clothing and seeing each other bare for the first time. I can’t help but blush and squirm under his intense stare.

“You’re so beautiful.” He says in the sweetest tone that nearly melts my heart. I’m blushing profusely taking in his compliment when he suddenly growls and yanks my legs apart. I yelp and look down at him, as he pulls me to the edge of the bed and kneels down in front of my soaking slit. He holds my thighs in a tight grip and starts kissing them, his beard leaving little scratches against my skin. He continues all the way up towards where I’m dying for him to place his mouth. He gets closer and closer and suddenly stops. Breathing hot puffs onto my aching pussy. I hear him chuckle, “you’re so wet for me already, my naughty little witch.” I whine and tangle my hands in his hair, trying to push him forward onto me. He chuckles some more kissing right next to my slit but ignoring it completely. I begin to whine and thrash. His hands on my thighs hold me still as he growls at me, “be still my little witch, or I won’t give you what you want.” I stop moving and bite my lip looking down at him, he is staring at me with his chocolate brown eyes, full of lust and hunger. His lips wrap around my sensitive nub, and he starts sucking and lapping at it. I throw my head back, moaning in pleasure.

He eats my pussy like he’s been starved for years. I am a moaning mess underneath him, and he slowly slides in two fingers. I gasp and let out the most obscene noises, feeling completely full. He starts to suck harder on my click and moves his fingers in a come hither motion, hitting the perfect spot.

“Let go, Y/N. Cum for me.” I lost control at his words and my orgasm hits me hard. I cum all over his face as he removes his fingers, licking up ever last drop. He smirks at me with his beard covered in my slick and crawls up towards me. He suffocates me in another passionate kiss as I feel his tip pressing against my entrance. I moaned into his mouth and pushed his chest back.

“Please, Aesop. I can’t take it anymore, I need you.” I beg. He chuckles and reaches down to line himself up and slowly pushes his cock into me, inch by inch. I grasp his arms and claw into his skin, feeling all of him enter me, stretching me to my max. He slides in easily because of his earlier work. He grabs my legs putting them over his shoulders and begins to pound into me mercilessly. He grunts loudly as I become a moaning puddle, melting into him. I feel so full, so completely in bliss and he thrusts harder and harder hitting the perfect spot every time. The room is filled with the sounds of our moaning and slopping wet noises. Aesop looks down and growls at me. I stared up at him, getting lost in the power of his eyes. “You’re mine.” He growls with a particularly pronounced thrust. I gasped and grabbed his neck, pulling him down towards me. I stare into his eyes and say seductively, “I’m yours”.

His thrusts start to become more erratic as he reaches down and rubs my clit, bringing me close to my climax as well. He grunts and growls into my ear “release for me my little witch, I want to feel you cum around my cock.” Once again, his words take me over the edge and I’m seeing stars. I feel him pound into me harder as my walls squeeze him into his own release. He groans and I feel him release his hot seed deep into me. He gives it a few more thrusts before stopping and resting his forehead against mine. I take a moment to recover from my shattering orgasm and he slowly pulls out of me and lays down on the bed next to me. He turns to face me with a cocky grin on his face. I chuckle and he pulls me to his side, caging me with his arms. I move to wrap my leg around his and feel his seed dripping out of me like water from a broken faucet. I shudder and he places kisses on my forehead.

We lay there in silence for a while as I traced my fingers gently over his chest. Aesop places gentle kisses on my cheek. “That feels nice.” He says in bliss. I giggle and look up at him, “I’m glad you confessed to me today.” He blushes, “well, I have been wanting to confess to you for a while now.” I scoff at him, “well you sure took your time.” He chuckles and holds me tighter, knowing now he will never have to let me go.

“You were worth the wait.”

#aesop sharp #professor sharp #professor aesop sharp #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp x you #hogwarts legacy

[legacygirlingreen]

Part VI Chapter 5: The Repository I // Sebastian Sallow x Reader

A/N: Hi guys! I am finally back with my main story (I know it's been so long!) I have been dreading this since I HATE writing action but it's finally here. The repository! I hope you all enjoy, especially with my strays from canon... I did not edit this because I was too eager to get it out to you all. in the following days ill come back and edit... Anywho much love to those who continue to support me as always. @strawberrypinky my bestie. Anyone who wants to be added to the tag list I am going to try and start please let me know. I also love hearing your ideas so if you have any sound out. <3

Screenshot by @dvinaamesca

Audio for this chapter found HERE & HERE

As always this is Sebastian x y/n but there's almost NO usage of that so if you'd rather insert your MC or OC feel free to do so, just know it is female pronouns!

Masterlist for the other chapters is HERE

Word count: 9.3k

Warnings: violence, mentions of fighting, you know what the repository is about, BRIEF allusions and mentions of kidnapping / almost sexual assault

“Ready whenever you are Weasley.” Sebastian said, looking to the Gryffindor boy who stood towards the back of the great hall with Lucan, both of them holding vials of a mysterious liquid. If either of them wanted to risk their own safety with a Garreth original concoction to help him and the others escape, he wasn’t going to dare question it. 

Carefully slipping behind a group of 3rd years at the hufflepuff table, being consoled by the flying instructor, Sebastian made his way to the side door of the great hall, leading out into the quartyard and the outside of the hufflepuff common rooms. As he came to stand by the others, he looked back to the Gryffindors they intended to leave behind, giving them a nod as he turned his attention back to the group. 

“We won’t have long to slip out of here once they cause a diversion so we will all need to get working on breaking the charms on the door the second weasley causes a commotion. Natty, you’re the best with charms, mind taking charge?” he asked her as the girl nodded. 

“Everyone is aware of where they are to report as soon as we get out of here? We will have to move quickly since they likely already shut down the floo network.” Sebastian whispered, seeing Mr. Moon inching closer and closer to them. 

“Of course Sebastian. And we all plan to stay in groups of two so that no one is left alone.” Amit responded, ready to head with Samantha to the Ravenclaw tower to retrieve his notes on the goblins drills to identify points of weakness on their machinery. 

Sebastian felt a weight drop in his stomach, as if the adrenaline finally was about to kick into gear. He was ready. He only hoped that he would be able to lead their classmates into battle carefully and safely. He understood the risk they were all taking, and appreciated their willingness to help. 

Suddenly a loud bang filled the great hall. Everyone turned their heads to see bright fireworks going off near the entrance as the professors all rushed to discover the cause for commotion. Shrieks and laughter filled the room as Garreth and Lucan were both at the center of the disruption. 

“Now!” Sebastian said as Natty attempted to remove the charms placed on the side exit. Just as they were getting somewhere, a figure came up directly behind Sebastian. 

“Ah Mr. Sallow… attempting to make a hasty exit are we?” Mr. Moon spoke as he turned around. 

“I -” Sebastian thought their plan was done for, knowing that more than likely the man would prevent them from leaving. He watched with surprise as a look of mischief crossed the man’s eyes and he sent a small charm towards the door, allowing it to crack open. 

“Go. I’ll cover for you all.” he said with a wink, casting a large disillusionment charm over the entire group, and turning back around with a whistle.

“Now’s our chance, let’s go” Sebastian whispered as they all made their way out of the great hall. 

Once the doors slid shut and locked back into place, the illusion was dropped, each of them coming back into view once more.  The group picked up the pace, rushing around past the yawning gargoyle as they all rushed to the quad to re enter the school’s halls to disperse wherever they needed. Once inside, Natty, Leander, Everret and Imelda took off towards the library annex and the front of the school.  Samantha and Amit rushed towards the ravenclaw tower above them, as Sebastian and Poppy followed, ready to head towards the Astronomy Wing from the bridge near the ravenclaw common room. As the group dispersed, the castle’s shaking continued to grow more and more intense.

As the group rounded the stairs that lead to the ravenclaw common room, Poppy called out to the two students by saying “We will have the others pick you up from the rooftop!” before her and Sebastian rushed down some of the stairs leading towards the Defense against the Dark art’s tower. 

Sebastian was surprised seeing how much faster than him the small girl moved, considering how much shorter her legs were than his own, but he didn’t question it. They had the most ground to cover, and needed to find her knapsack in the room of requirement, as well as Highwing and possibly Calico before they headed off. Sebastian knew the hippogriffs were fiercely loyal to the girl, and having them in the fight would prove handy in tracking her location. 

Soon the pair found themselves out of breath and in front of the room’s appearing doors. Sebastian hardly waited, as he pushed his way inside, rushing towards the vivarium she kept the creatures in when a small voice called out behind him. 

“Mr. Sallow! Ms. Sweeting!” turning around Sebastian saw Deek looking frightened at their hasty entrance. 

“Deek, I’m glad to see you’re alright.” Sebastian said, frantically looking for the old leather bag she stored in the room. 

“Deek heard what happened to our friend and he sent the phoenix to help. Was he able to locate the camp Ms. Sweeting?” Deek asked, walking towards a small shelf, pulling a chair to sit directly under it, before climbing up onto it. 

Poppy only nodded, using this time to catch her breath as she avoided looking at sebastian. 

“Good. Those poachers are always up to no good. I am glad our friend is alright.” Deek reached up, retrieving the leather bag Sebastian was looking for easily before handing it off to him” 

“Deek went ahead and already put Highwing inside. I figured it might come in handy having them if she came to the room. You’ll take them to her for him right? Deek is so honored to serve such a kind witch like her.” he said, nervously fidgeting as he handed Sebastian the bag. 

“I promise we will Deek, thank you for your help.” With a snap of his fingers, the house elf left them standing there in the dimly lit room. 

“Ready?” He asked the hufflepuff girl, noticing the way she was staring at something above one of the planting stations on the wall. Just as Sebastian was turning back to the hall leading to the door she let out a loud wail, collapsing to the ground faster than he could react as she folded in on herself. 

By the time he made it to her shaking frame, Poppy was tucked into fetal position, rocking back and forth as she struggled to breathe, all the while tears rained down her face. Somewhere between the loud cries and struggled to breathe he could hear her attempting to speak but couldn’t tell what she was saying. 

“Hey, shhh Poppy…” he cut himself off before reprimanding the girl on the poor timing of her outburst as he saw a moving portrait of his witch and the girl along the wall. 

“I , I…” she started to say as he tried his best to figure out what was upsetting the girl. 

“Hey Sweets , you gotta breathe alright? Not doing anyone any good by hyperventilating and I really hate to leave you behind but if you’re not well enough to fight-“

“No!” She shouted, startling him. In her brown eyes Sebastian could see a look reminiscent of a cornered animal, so he leaned back slightly, giving her some space. 

“I -“ Poppy spoke looking at his outstretched hand in the gap between them where he’d paused it before she continued crying. “I’m so sorry” the hufflepuff girl wailed as she covered her face with shaky hands. 

Finally taking the risk he leaned forward enough to put a hand on her shoulder as he felt the tremors wracking her body as she cried. If he left her, he was concerned she’d join them later and alone, so he needed to calm her and do so quickly. 

“Poppy,” he said with a sigh as she continued crying into her palms. She refused to look at him so once again he repeated her name much more firmly this time. “Poppy.” 

The girl paused, sniffling before removing her hands as he looked at her blotchy cheeks and he sighed as he removed his hand from her shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault Poppy, I don’t blam-“ 

“It is my fault! If I hadn’t asked her to accompany me then she wouldn’t have gotten hurt!” The girl said before once again dissolving into tears. 

“Rookwood could’ve gotten to her any time, it’s not your fault… she’s had a lot of dangerous people after her for a while now. It was only a matter of time before-“ Sebastian tried his best to reason with the girl, and while he found the words heavy upon his tongue, deep down he knew their truth. He couldn’t blame Poppy for what happened. Perhaps a much younger version of himself would. It would be an easy scapegoat for what happened since the hufflepuff girl had indeed abandoned his love, but his resolve in loving the girl in question caused him to see this wasn’t Poppy’s fault. She was only doing as she was asked from the little bits and pieces he had heard. He just simply wanted to know more… 

“Poppy what happened?” He asked her gently after a prolonged period of silence overtook the space and she sucked in a deep breath before telling him everything. 

How they had flown over the area, arrived near Feldcroft and found a camp. What they overheard and how his love slipped into the camp in secret and found the journal off rookwoods desk, before all hell broke loose. How she begged the girl to get Anne to safety. How as she left all she heard was the ashwinders using crucio. What happened with Solomon on feldcroft and how she had refrained from telling Anne the truth. How she had come back to the school and retrieved the potions master, enlisting the help of the centaurs to free her. The horrid state his love had been found in - battered, bruised and bare. 

Poppy shivered as she explained watching the girl hobble out of the camp wearing essentially only Professor Sharp's overcoat before Rookwood emerged. How she killed him in anger and frustration but did so by repelling his own usage of the killing curse before collapsing and having to be carried back by the professor. 

She told him about the fight in the hospital ward between his love and Solomon as his uncles sins had been revealed. How the staff watched in horror as she repeatedly punched the man over and over again until she bloodied his nose and busted his lip, all the while having the injuries from her imprisonment still visible. As the school had started shaking they left the hospital ward the same time poppy had been ushered out with Garreth Weasley who had come back by having heard the girl was back safe after helping by finding his aunt to inform her. 

Sebastian gladly accepted her fast and nervous explanation of the events he’d only been allowed brief snippets of until now. Taking a deep breath as she finally seemed to have stopped crying, Sebastian reached a hand out to her shoulder to comfort her in a way that wouldn’t be inappropriate. 

“Poppy it’s not your fault. You were doing as she asked of you… and in doing so you helped my sister. You also went back to help her. I don’t blame you, in fact…” he trailed off as the girl looked up to him from where he knelt next to her on the floor as he spoke. “I should be thanking you. You helped save Anne, my sister is getting the help she needs because of you. You saved her life by going back. That means the world…” he told her as he felt a surge of gratitude. 

“But-“ 

“We don’t have much time, and she needs us. How about we hash this out later okay? Just please know, I don’t blame you. And I’m thankful to you for helping Anne. We are all really fortunate to have you as a friend…” he confirmed as he offered his hand out to pick her up off the floor. Looking around the room he noticed an assortment of cloaks, glasses and items she had discovered exploring with protective charms. 

Looking at the loom in the corner he saw something much more his size than her own. As he picked it up, underneath was a page that had descriptions of what beast items had been used alongside ones she intended to acquire eventually to add. At the top she saw his name with “ancient magic keeper”. Unsure what it all meant, and realizing the depth of the danger they were marching into, he decided to make the executive decision to take it now, knowing if she was still alive a part of her would be relieved to see him safe. 

“Poppy, grab some stuff out of the chest she has of items from the tombs we’ve explored. They have protections on them. Most of them are ridiculous but… every little thing we can do to help out is important. We can take some with us for the others as well” he explained before hauling off into the other room where he knew she kept a dressing screen and stripping off his dirty clothes from completing the keeper trial pulling on the cloth and leather suit she’d weaved for him. He was always impressed with her ability to recognize the needs of others so thoroughly and realize them into perfect gifts. Shaking his head he rejoined poppy as she had finally sifted through the more useful items such as cloaks and scarfs, holding them as he emerged. 

“She’s been working on that for a long time.” Poppy explained and he nodded. 

“I can imagine… It's really detailed. I can feel the magic protecting it” he said while dropping his normal cloak to the floor while helping her grab items for the others in his hand not holding the leather bag. He’d come back for his uniform later, right now they needed to hurry.  

“Let’s go meet up with the others atop the astronomy tower, come on” he said as they left the room and headed off quickly.

Just as they made it to the top observation deck a flash of blue round the side of the stone tower. 

“Did someone call for a lift?” Everett asked as Imelda flew next to him. Sebastian saw Natty on the back of the broom already behind Everett and when he asked who he was meant to be joining, Leander awkwardly climbed higher into view as he clung to his broom for dear life. Poppy began to climb over the railing, hopping behind Imelda without much word. 

Just as he went to ask about the extra broom Amit showed up with Samantha riding next to him, along with a face he hadn’t expected. 

“Larson?” Sebastian asked at seeing the Ravenclaw in their class who rarely spoke up. Amit offered an explanation for why they were there, not waiting at their common room’s roof, as well why the blond was now suddenly with them. 

“We got to our common room and when I got to my room I found Andrew had been left behind. When the professors ushered everyone out they forgot to check the roof somehow and Andrew got locked out. He was just making his way out to find out what happened when Samantha and I arrived. He offered his broom along with our Quidditch captains that he, uh… borrowed…” Amit explained as Sebastian looked to the only open spots to hop on. 

Before he could even ask Andrew to spare him from having to sit with Leander, Samantha explained their quick rational, ruining his plan of riding with the Ravenclaw not the Gryffindor : “Andrew has offered to go to Hogsmeade and find Officer Singer and get help” Dale spoke and he sighed. It was a smart addition to their plan and he nodded to the young man. 

“Sallow stop stalling and just get on with Preset. It won’t kill you.” Imelda called out with an annoyed eye roll and he rationalized that while his housemate was correct, it didn’t mean he had to enjoy it. 

“Alright. Thanks Larson. Prewett, make room” Sebastian grunted out, levitating the items he carried over to Poppy’s outstretched arms before climbing over the rails, reaching towards the ginger as he jumped, landing on the back of the broom unceremoniously.  

“Do me a favor and don’t fall off” the boy said and he huffed in reply.

“Prewett please don’t get us killed on this thing” he said as he reached around behind himself to grab the broom for stabilization instead of the boy near him. 

“I wasn’t planning on it, Sallow” Leander said with an eyeroll.

“How much further?” Solomon grumbled out as they made their way down the steps into the repository. Opening the door she saw a long walkway leading to another door with the ruin she’d grown so acclimated to seeing at this point. 

“A problem Solomon?” she hissed out as she felt each step burn her lungs further from the anguish delt during her captivity. Unfortunately fate was forcing her from one bad situation into another and although she wishes she’d been granted the simple chance to see Sebastian - possibly say goodbye if things went south - Fig’s confirmation he was safe meant the world. 

Glancing over her shoulder to see her Lover’s guardian walking alongside professor Sharp as Fig made his way leading the pack, she waited for his response. His eye roll is almost invisible due to the forming black eye. It reminded her of the way her knuckles had fallen against the man’s face and she simply huffed in response and turned back, attempting to prepare for what was to come. 

“The others should be joining us shortly” Eleazar informed the group and she nodded, relieved to know that the other professors would soon be assisting and that for once she wouldn’t be dealing with the keeper business on her own. 

As they made it to the end of the walkway and pushed open the final door the ground beneath them shook violently, nearly sending everyone to their knees as a large drill became visible off in the distance. She had seen drills like this once before, off with Amit in a mine when Lodgok was still alive. Lodgok. She tried not to grimace as she was reminded of her goblin friend who had died to help wizard kind defend themselves against his brother. 

“Damn. The Goblins” Fig announced as the others regained their balance. 

“I wonder if Ranrok is with them?” she pondered, looking for a safe way down now that the cavern was beginning to collapse onto itself. 

“One way to find out. Over here.” Fig called from the right and she saw a winding path leading down, following behind him as the professor and Solomon picked up the pace to join. 

Rushing ahead she tugged at the leather harness she’d snagged on her way down to the map chamber, hoping it would do its best to protect her for the fight ahead. The material scratched the newly developing scars in a way that was uncomfortable, however she’d have to ignore that for the time being. 

As they rounded out to flat ground she saw movement ahead, along with some goblins standing next to one of the drills. 

“Quickly. We’ve got company ahead” she rushed, leaving the men behind as she charged in without pondering the consequences. So often when dealing with this threat she snuck around, using the disillusionment charm Sebastian had taught her. On missions to keeper trials, seeing Lodgok, with Sebastian chasing Isadora’s memories - each time she usually resorted to sneaking around and only using violence when necessary. However today, watching these goblins wielding such dark magic, attacking a school to which she’d found a home, she was seeing red. They would pay for what they had done with blood. 

She had leveled several goblins using ancient magic in a fit of rage without even realizing it, that was until Fig placed a palm against her shoulder, indicating that the path was now clear and she nodded, following after him, leaving Solomon Sallow stunned for a moment. In his mind, he’d always viewed the girl as innocent. She so sweetly regarded his niece and acted nothing but a love-smitten girl to his nephew, yet watching her effortlessly reduce a horde of goblins in her bath to nothing but a pile of ash, he shuddered at what she was truly capable of. 

He was worried what would happen when she finally unleashed the full extent of her anger upon him for what he’d done to Sebastian. 

“What in Merlin’s name was that? What kind of dark magic are you wielding?” he asked in fear as the other professors shrugged, having seen the girl wield this magic before. 

“That is what happens to those who choose to harm others…” she hissed as his blood ran cold. Solomon actually stepped back, fearful as he watched her eyes darken and the grip on her wand tighten. The scar running from the top of her eyebrow, coming down to her right nostril only adding to the illusion that his girl he’d allowed in his home was truly dangerous.

“Now is not the time” Professor Sharp told her firmly, breaking the trance she had fixed upon Solomon and she huffed, turning to face the path ahead once more. 

Aesop Sharp used a modified version of the blasting charm, knocking the large goblin made drill out of their path as everyone continued ahead. 

The blood thrumming behind her ears had drowned out the loud sounds of stones falling, drills piercing the school’s sanctity and the shouts from both the goblins and her allies. In the midst of the rubble, smoke, water’s spray and ash she hardly could focus on the task at hand. Her mind being plagued by a sole thought: Sebastian Sallow. 

Fighting to keep him safe. 

Fighting to end this goblin threat so his home would be free. 

Fighting to seek justice for Anne.

Fighting to get back to him and the life she wished to build. 

Rushing ahead, Professor Fig led them all into a crouch underneath a rock blocking majority of the path. As they came to the other side safely, the wall to the left exploded, a large armored troll barreling through as another erupted on the opposing wall. 

As terrifying as the sight would have been to some, all it did was trigger her memory. Suddenly she was back in Hogsmeade, that first day she had spent at Hogwarts. Professor Weasley had granted her the choice in who would accompany her, and the boy whom she’d met in the common room, as well as defeated in a duel never straying from her mind. 

Their playful banter as they walked, and how he had slipped off while she got her wand, leaving a slight longing to see his chocolate iris as she was handed the elegant dogwood she’d grown accustomed to carrying. As soon as she found him again in the square, they were quickly faced with a troll, similar to the one swinging its club at her now. 

She tried not to become distracted as she fought it, occasionally hearing spells muttered by the professors and Solomon as they all attempted to fight off the trolls and emerging goblins. Yet, she truly couldn’t help but see the way Sebastian had pushed himself between her and the danger, ready to protect her. 

The mind was such a wild thing, as she could almost feel his arm wrapping itself around her waist protectively as he pulled her to the side as that troll had barreled near her. Except this time when she blinked she saw it was not Sebastian at all. This time, it had been the much larger frame of Aesop Sharp as his eyes sternly looked to her for confirmation she was alright before he turned to continue the onslaught of spells. 

Soon the four of them reduced the enemies ahead to the ground, as it seemingly became aware that the path ahead was veiled. As she rounded a small outsticking section of the rock, a bluish glow of ancient magic allerted her. 

“This is the way forward,” she said, as the men looked perplexed at the normal stone wall. It wasn’t until she pushed a bright blue beam of magic towards it, did ice like shards spray around them, and a path was revealed. 

They all entered the darkened cave as suddenly four wands illuminated with the hushed combined voices speaking Lumos. While dust reigned down on them from the moment above she once again was reminded of how not long ago in a similar mine her and Sebastian had whispered the spell to get past some devil’s snare on their way to seek answers about Isadora. 

Finally coming out of the darkened section of cave she dropped her wand, rushing ahead and leaving the men behind. Adrenaline flooded her veins and she’d be damned if she wasted the universe’s way of keeping her safe by creating the sense of urgency around dispelling this Goblin threat. Reaching this level of goblins, she realized they had been under the school a while in this portion. Small wooden structures and supplies had been moved in, and there were many more enemies here. 

“Such Arrogance” a goblin close to her called out and she couldn’t help the frustrated grunt that escaped her as she lifted him into the air, using Accio to haul him through the space as she knocked him to the ground. 

As one came close to professor Fig’s back she recalled one of the spells that had become her favorite: Confringo. 

The way Sebastian had pressed his chest into her back the day he’d shown her the undercroft, instructing her through the spell’s movement before stepping back and allowing her to ignite the chandeliers. She’d never forget the way he smiled so brightly she saw his white teeth, noting the way their slightly large shape was both slightly awkward but so incredibly endearing. 

As the goblin ahead was sent back in a fiery blast that erupted from the end of her wand, she was brought back to reality. She wasn’t in the undercroft with Sebastian. And it would do her good to remember so as she faced this threat. But trying to retrain one’s mind to forgo a love so grand, so deep that it was as if he was ingrained in her very soul, even in the face of danger, was no easy task. 

Solomon sent the last of the goblins in their path to the ground with a spell she hadn’t truly heard, not that she cared. Looking around, once again she saw a wisp of magic, signaling the others as she shattered it and pressed forward. As they emerged this time on the other side of the cave, they came to a large open section.  

The path leading to a drop off was narrow, and in the process of rushing forward she nearly fell down, only being stopped by Solomon’s quick reaction of grabbing her arm, hoisting her back. She didn’t have a chance to react to it as her eye’s suddenly focused on what lay ahead. 

A whole army of goblins, several large armored trolls and even some spiders lay in their path to the repository. Bloody Hell. 

“Merlin be with us” Fig whispered as she suddenly felt the resolve which had carried her thus far beginning to crumble. She had dealt with much, but the vast majority of those times there had been a fraction of enemies in her path. This was simply the sort of battles detailed by muggle epic’s and she wondered how she was expected to traverse this alive to even be able to defend the ancient magic store. 

“I-” she muttered, backing away from the ledge in fear as the men turned towards her, knowing that they didn’t have a choice. Fig knew that at the end of the day they’d need to get her across this battle zone, even if they did so carrying her. She was the only one who could open the repository to protect it. 

Suddenly all she wished for was to be back in Sebastian’s arms the way she had a few days prior. When he saw her and Poppy off. When he held her so tightly, afraid to let go. Had he known the dangers ahead? Was it the universe trying to grant him a precious goodbye with her? Was she destined to die down in this cave without the opportunity to see him once more? 

“Hey -” she was so worried she hadn’t noticed the way the concerned former Auror had knelt down near her until Professor Sharp’s eye’s scanned her face. He had seen her apprehension a mile away. While the girl had done so well, he knew at some point she’d start to allow the situation to wilt her strength. Removing the only helpful potion he had on him at the time, he thrust the focus draught into her hands, removing the cork, and forcing her to down its contents. 

Her hyperventilating temporarily stopped and she nodded, ready to push on, but the pit was only growing harsher in her stomach.  As they stepped towards the walkway to the right suddenly the loud sound of people apperating filled the air. 

Looking to the left, the four already battle worn individuals saw their backup in the form of the other professors. Relief flooded her veins as she adjusted the grip on her wand. At least they would all have people protecting them from above as they ran through this battle. 

“The Goblins have somehow evaded the school’s defensive charms” she heard professor Ronen call out to the others as their group made their way down to where they could be seen by their assistance. 

“Lead them this way, we will make quick work of them!” she heard Natty’s mother shout as the professors began firing at the goblins ahead, clearing a path as they made their way down. 

“The others are clearing a path for us, let’s hurry” Professor Fig shouted as they all rushed forward, taking advantage of the empty battlefield. 

Coming across a small land bridge made of stone she saw Hecat standing atop an embankment, clearing the grounds for them as she shouted a thankful remark at the DADA instructor. “Couldn’t have had better timing Professor Hecat” she remarked playfully, knowing that under similar circumstances Sebastian often resorted to humor in order to calm himself. She found the strategy to be helpful as the older woman smiled down at her while knocking down a goblin and saying, “I couldn’t allow the school’s best duelist to face this alone now could I? Who else would be around to win at that illicit school club without you around?” the woman teased her back, knowing that the girl was attempting humor in this frightening situation to ground herself. 

“Thank you professor” Fig called out, signaling the lagging Sharp and Solomon to catch up. 

“You wouldn’t dare Sharp” Solomon grumbled as they caught up. 

“Don’t tempt me Sallow” the former Auror’s bickered as they continued firing curses.

“Now is not the time for this” she reminded them, despite the burning desire to see whatever pain Sharp was intended to inflict upon her love’s guardian.

This battle would not be easy but they could not resort to fighting each other at this moment. Just as the area ahead looked clear, the largest troll she’d seen to date came barreling ahead. 

“Especially not when we just got company….” she signed, raising her wand ready to fight alongside the others. 

With the lead of Imelda, the group of students finally set down at the base of the goblin-created cave. Inside Sebastian could hear shouting and spells being cast. 

Sebastian had asked to set down the brooms in order to pass out the gear he and Poppy retrieved from the Room of Requirement as he eagerly removed himself from behind Leander. 

Taking the leather bag from Poppy, he used magic to remove both Highwing and Calico, the two hippogriffs the girls had rescued from its contents. He would be damned if he let Pruitt fly him into battle. The boy was utterly dreadful on a broom. 

“Woah, easy now highwing” he found himself attempting to settle the hippogriff before turning to Poppy. From what he knew of the girl he knew she likely would be more comfortable with a beast. 

“Poppy, would you like to take-” he started to say as the hufflepuff girl quickly cut in, rushing towards the darker creature to gently stroke it’s feathers. 

“Oh yes!” she spoke as she turned towards Calico and continued praising him saying, “Oh what a handsome hippogriff you are indeed!” Despite the mortal danger looming, Sebastian still found it within him to chuckle at her childlike wonder regarding the creature. 

“Any last minute advice?” Natty asked as they readied themselves.

“These are ridiculous” Leander mentioned holding up a pair of glasses that had a single eye of newt. 

“Then don’t take them. I figured you prefer as much protection on that ugly mug of a fac-” he started as Poppy shoved past him, reaching for Calico. 

“Sebastian, focus” Natty told him and he grunted. 

“I haven’t exactly thought this far ahead. I usually just march in-” he started as the ginger grumbled, having pushed a pair of quidditch goggles onto his face reluctantly while wrapping the most hideous patchwork cloak known to man over his shoulders. 

“I don’t love the thought of going in unprepared Sallow. That’ll get us killed. So unless you have a plan, perhaps this wasn’t a great idea” Leander said. 

“Actually…. I have a plan…” Amit spoke out, disrupting the argument as everyone turned to him.  

“Go ahead Amit” Sebastian said, ready to simply get in there and help. 

“Well since you and Poppy have those… beasts… why don’t you both focus on finding y/n… as for the rest of us, we will make sure we are paired up. One person focuses on flying and keeping a safe distance while the other casts spells, uses potions or the plants we collected. The goblins, from what I've seen, have such a short range on the magic they can conjure, so if we fly above them we should be safe…” he explained as Sebastian nodded. 

“Sounds good enough to me. Poppy and I can take up the rear-” 

“I want to stay near the front with Imelda,” she said quickly. 

“Fine. But once I leave to find her, you will need to pull up the rear Poppy” he explained, hoping up on the back of Highwing. Luckily he’d spent enough time around the creature that it allowed him with ease. 

Poppy only nodded, looking at Imelda nervously, as the Slytherin gave the hufflepuff girl a nod of encouragement while she climbed on the back of Calico. 

“Last chance to turn back” he warned the others and when no one left he simply encouraged the creature she loved to lift off, flying into the cavern and hoping by some miracle he got down there before too much death and destruction was dished out. 

Pushing the beast to hasten Sebastian tried his best to focus so he could get to her safely. 

“Come on Highwing… let’s go get our girl” he whispered into her feathers as the animal seemingly responded accordingly to his words.

“Bombarda!” Sharp yelled at the troll, sending it flying backwards as the last of the trolls in their way was defeated. However, as the beast fell down, it knocked into a giant stone structure on its way over the cliff to their right. 

As the girl looked up all she saw was that large rock coming down to crush her and before she could react, she witnessed magic halting it midair.  Suddenly the rock was lifted into a makeshift bridge connecting to the repository. As she turned around Professor Weasley smiled and held it there for her as she rushed forward. Behind her Fig and Sharp were dispelling the few goblins around them as Solomon pushed past her to the repository. 

Following behind him, she hoped the others would soon follow and that someone would prevent the goblins hot on her trail from harming her as she ran quickly across the unstable structure. Just as she got close enough to see Solomon’s face, she saw it fall as Matilda was struck, dropping the land bridge as she reached out to the man. Solomon reached forward, grabbing her arms just in time and pulling her to solid ground as the rock fell, the goblins attop falling to the depths below with it. 

“Thank you-” she said and the man nodded looking down. It was impossible not to see Sebastian in his eyes, as they shared so many of the same features, but the darkened eyes with gold flecks being their main similarity. 

“Fig!” she shouted and the man turned briefly to see her trapped on the other side with Solomon. Seeing that there was no longer a way across, he quickly retrieved the wand, tossing it to her as she used magic to catch it. 

“Go! Defend the repository! We shall find another way around to help you when we can!” Fig shouted before returning to fight the goblins alongside the other professors. 

“But” she began to protest but Fig shook his head, shouting “Go!” before resuming his fight with the other professors and the goblins. 

“Well, I guess we are on our own” she said dejectedly, not wanting Solomon to be her only line of defense. She couldn’t trust him if he would endanger his own wards, but given the circumstances she didn’t have a choice. 

“About what happened-” he tried to speak and she merely held up her palm to stop him. 

“Some other time.” she said, encouraging him to follow as she pushed ahead, finding the opening to the repository guarded by two large pensive guards. At first they remained still, but she knew soon they would lift their weapons and likely attack them both. 

“Where are we?” Solomon huffed out, ignoring the splendor of the cavern. Oh how she wished Fig was here. She’d been on this journey all year, and it was finally leading here. To be with someone who didn’t understand the momentous moment this was - someone she truly wanted to harm given the circumstances - felt sickening in a way.  

Sighing, she responded, “The final repository”. Despite wishing she was far away from Solomon Sallow, she still had wonder and intrigue in her tone. 

In the time she’d known Sebastian’s uncle, she’d always wondered truly how bad the man could be. Given the revelations she’d had in the past twenty four hours, combined with the things Sebastian had told her, it shouldn't have been such a shock. The man frequently spoke down on his deceased brother. He treated Anne as if she was some wounded pet to look after, and not a young woman deserving of basic respect. He tormented his nephew from the day that boy stepped foot in Feldcroft, stripping him of a physical identifier and means to which the late Alice Sallow had shared with her son. Yet, the venom to which laced itself in the man's voice finally gave the girl a glimpse into what it really must’ve been like for Sebastian to grow up with this man - this dreadful, horrible, evil man - as a guardian. “You say that like it’s supposed to mean something girl”. 

“It means something to me” she returned, hoping that he would just shut his mouth and deal with the situation on hand but the man continued to plague her by asking, “What does it mean?” 

“It’s a long explanation that we certainly don’t have time for,” she grumbled, stepping forward. Finally close enough to trigger the guards from their sleep, they came to life, lifting their swords with a loud and ominous sound. Trying to warn the man, who seemingly had become distracted by the room itself she called, “Mr. Sallow” in order to alert him. 

“What?” he responded in annoyance so once again she called his name. Finally sensing the danger he turned to her in anger, shouting “What sort of dark magic is this?” Solomon raised his wand ready to strike. She simply pushed his arm down, hoping he wouldn’t engage the guardians. 

“Uncle Solomon, please!” She resorted to calling him by the name which her love used, hoping to appeal to the man's better nature, to no avail. 

“Stand back!” the man shouted, pushing her to the side as she grew annoyed.  Once again she called his name in warning and he kept going, shouting “What are these things?!” as the guards stalked closer. 

“They are guardians!” she spoke, hoping her knowledge would convince the man to listen to her warnings but he continued to ready his wand to strike. 

“Guardians of what?” In the man's voice she sensed his fear, but his stubbornness - a trait it seemed followed all the Sallow’s - was stronger. 

Finally annoyed with his inability to listen she told him, “Stop! You cannot fight them!” Deep down she knew that these guards were only taken down by ancient magic, and only partially slowed by ordinary magic. 

“The hell I can’t! I was an Auror!” he called back, nearing a spell as she desperately pulled his arm, the man shoving her off aggressively. 

“You are going to get yourself killed!” she told him but he still refused to listen to her. 

As if it all made sense the man turned to her angrily shouting, “But Sebastian will kill me regardless if you die!” 

Sebastian. Wait Sebastian!  She quickly drew the wand that he had collected for Fig on her behalf from Olivander, holding it out to the guardians shouting “STOP”. Suddenly the guards halted, turning their swords inward as they allowed them to pass without attacking.

“But - how?” he stuttered as he watched the young girl wallace ahead without fear between the now paralyzed statues. 

“I told you. There’s an explanation for this. For all of this” she told the man. Turning her head she saw him contemplating as she informed him, “come along” as finally Solomon began to trail behind her once more.

“What in Merlin’s name is that-” Solomon asked her as he got the first glance at the magic ahead. She could sense it's dark energy even from this far away. 

“It’s the magic I wield, ancient magic, but it's been corrupted by negative emotions and pain by a former wielder of the same magic. The house atop the hill where Anne was cursed… she lived there many years ago… Rookwood thought the magic was his birthright given his descendant Charles was also a keeper of this magic” she admitted to the man. 

“Thats- that’s what the goblins have been wielding isnt it?” he asked and she nodded. 

“It’s up to us to defend it” she told him with a sigh. She watched the older man’s eyes soften for a moment as he looked at her. 

“You’ve been doing this? The whole time? You are hardly of age and you are the sole thing holding wizard kind’s fate in your hands?” he asked her, his words void of anger. 

“Yes,” she told him honestly. 

“How much of this has Sebastian gotten himself involved in?” Solomon asked. 

“Enough to help me get answers but he’s never been close to this amount of danger. I don’t want him near this. This magic is what almost killed me once. Likely will be what kills me in the end…” she said quietly as she looked on at it. 

They didn’t speak for a moment as the weight of what she spoke hung in the air. She knew deep down that at the end of this long journey either Ranrok would kill her and take the magic, or she would have to kill the goblin to prevent a full uprising. 

“I had no idea Sebastian had gotten himself involved with something this complex. I am honestly surprised he hasn’t tried to prevent you from getting involved in danger given how much he has grown to care for you” the man spoke and she shook her head. 

“He only wished to help. He knew he couldn’t stop me. He knows this is too important to let childish whims prevent me from my legacy…” she said sadly, thankful he had supported her so well given the obsessive nature to which he initially had when she met him surrounding Anne’s curse. Over the year, his mind had cleared, his resolve and maturity finally seeing the light of day at the encouragement she provided. 

“But he loves you, so much so that-” Solomon was interrupted by a voice she had only heard a few times, and it made her blood run cold. 

“The arrogance of wizard kind. Goblins built this repository, it belongs to us.”

When Sebastian and the others finally made it to the base of the opening created by the drills all he saw was utter chaos.

Smoke, ash, debris, fallen goblins, fallen trolls, rubble and smashed wood all lay along the ground. As they flew overhead he tried to find the bulk of the firefight, tightening his thighs along the hippogriffs back as it sped ahead. Soon he flew above professor Garlic and Onai surrounded by Goblins as he yelled to the others.  

“Look down there! Professor Garlic needs help!” the ginger shouted as he continued to look down on the platform with worry. 

“Hold on a second, wait-” Sebastian tried to warn the boy that keeping the distance was the safer option. Having seen Leander in crossed wands he truly did worry the boy was going to get himself killed. 

“Unlikely Sallow!” he said, veering off from the group as Sebastian’s eyes grew large. 

“Leander! What are you doing? We had a plan!” he shouted over the noise, hoping the boy would listen to reason but the gryffindor only flew lower to the ground.

“To hell with the plan, this place is a madhouse. Just keep going!” He informed them all before he sped ahead, dismounting without a second thought and dropping next to the herbology professor. Sebastian watched in shock as the boy very bravely opened his robe pockets and began to toss several cabbages out, preventing the goblins from advancing. 

“Mr. Prewett!” Maribel shouted upon seeing the cabbages chase after the few remaining goblins 

“Thought you could use a hand professor!” he said, before reaching in and grabbing a venomous tentacular and throwing it to the ground as it began attacking the closest goblin nearby as Leander continued proving his point by saying “nasty little buggers aren’t they!”

“Wonderful thinking I suppose. Magical plants can be deadly after all” the herbology professor said. Well so much for their plan. Sebastian reasoned as he watched the only ounce of Gryffindor bravery Leander Prewett ever displayed  as he tossed a venous tentacular at their professor who simply smiled and began using the plants to protect themselves. 

“Well that plan lasted about a few seconds” came a voice beside him as Sebastian turned his head seeing Everette Cloptan with Natty still riding behind him. He could see the look in the Gryffindor’s eyes and knew that she too would likely disembark, and when Natty spoke it only confirmed what he figured. 

“Everett set me down there with my mother” was all she spoke as the broom dropped low,  and Natty hopped off to join her mother as Everret nodded, flying off to keep an eye out above. 

“Natty! What are you doing here?” her mother asked sternly. 

“Helping my friend” Natty responded without backing down as she quickly uncorked a potion she’d stolen from Sharp’s classroom and downing its contents. Sebastian watched as lightning finished off the rest of the enemies and he circled around once more. 

“This is too dangerous for you here” the professor spoke as she continued using charm work. 

“That is for me to decide. I will not stand by and let others die on my behalf this time” he heard the girl speak as he grew sullen. His love had told him once that Natty’s father died protecting them in Africa. 

“We shall discuss this later” he heard professor Onai speak as he flew ahead once more. He lingered nearby, worried about one of his more close friends from their year but when Everett returned with news he decided that Natty was more than capable of handling herself. 

“I'll scout ahead. Imelda you up for a bit of friendly competition?” he asked and Sebastian admired the boy's ability to look past the danger and still see the fun in the situation. It made him wonder why he hadn’t spent more time with Clopton during his time at Hogwarts beyond the occasion of shared detentions. If they made it out alive, perhaps he should make the effort to befriend the boy. 

“As if you could ever dream of being as fast as me clopton… lets go” his housemate shouted as the two rushed off on their brooms, racing ahead. 

“Natty, I am going to go ahead if you are alright here” he told her, as the girl looked up to his hovering hippogriff mount. 

“We’ve got this covered, go find out friend” she spoke with a nod as Leander also commented “we can cover the entrance, don’t worry about us Sallow” so he decided to take his leave before flying off further into the cavern.

Soon he stumbled upon Amit and Samantha flying near professors Ronen and Hecat.  Swooping down he sent a large spider near Professor Hecat flying with “confringo” as he hovered near her. The older woman scolded him despite her smile by saying “Mr. Sallow when I recommended honing your dueling skills this is not what I meant”.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll serve the detentions later- Diffindo!” he paused mid sentence to slice through a goblin approaching highwing before once again turning towards the professors. 

“Where are the others?” he asked as the woman’s eyes widened in shock. Suffice to say none of the professor’s had anticipated students to join the battle, but their assistance seemed to be welcome as they helped disrupt the battle enough for the professors to get the upper hand. 

“She went with Fig, they are ahead with Weasley and Sharp” Ronen commented, pointing to a large area where he could see Eleazar off in the distance. 

“Thank you professor-” he began to say before losing his train of thought at the witnessing of the two ravenclaws circling around them on a broom. Samantha was shrieking as she repeatedly fired “accio” at goblins to hoist them into the air and then dropping the spell as they fell from the great height. The sight almost made him laugh at how she clung to Amit and didn’t pay attention to the goblins as they fell to their deaths from her actions. 

“Amit, don't fly too close to them!” she scolded the boy who seemingly only nodded before coming in closer to where they all were. 

“Hello there professors, I presume you could use a hand” he spoke calmly to the group as Samantha continued looking around them frantically. 

“Don’t mention it Mr. Sallow. Mrs. Dale that’s a very unique use of the spell I taught you in class, but I suppose an effective one” Ronen spoke as he geared up to leave once more, knowing that they likely had things covered in this area of the battle. Just as he was about to take off Hecat stopped him. 

“Mr. Sallow. Don’t forget that sometimes surprising an opponent is more effective than burning them to a crisp” she commented as he turned to face her. 

It reminded him of the first day he met his love. During that class Hecat taught them a simple levitation charm and his girl had bested him in a duel in front of their class. To this day its still the only one he’d ever lost. 

“Levioso. I know. I’ll be going now if you… and that unique use of accio has things covered here” he told the woman who simply smiled and said, “clever indeed. We shall watch your back. Go find her”. The woman gave him a reassuring glance before resuming the battle and with that he was off once more. 

Rushing ahead, he abandoned them as Imelda flew in with Everrett hot on her tails to start assisting the professors. 

“Sebastian!” Poppy shouted, catching up with him as they headed towards the main firefight. 

“Ronen said they were just ahead, come on” he shouted, abandoning the hufflepuff as he chased off in the direction he hoped she would be. 

When he arrived Fig, Weasley and Sharp were circled by a massive amount of goblins and he was thankful Highwing seemingly took charge, smashing into a large pile of them without warning and he rolled off the hippogriffs back in time for the beast to start absolutely ripping them to shreds. Using “diffindo” he landed with an abrupt start and jumped to the ground next to the professors.

“Mr. Sallow! What in Godric’s name are you doing here?” the man asked him in shock upon seeing the boy, whom he left petrified in the hall outside his class. 

“Ronen said she was with you. Where is she?” he asked out of breath. 

“We got-” Fig stopped to temporarily fire off a spell at the several closing in goblins, finally reducing the field to nothing as he turned to face the young man, “separated…” he said. 

Seeing a goblin with his back turned, Sebastian decided to heed Hecat’s suggestion as he used the levitation spell and turned towards Fig once more. “I see all the professors here. Tell me she’s not alone” he started to panic at the thought. 

“She’s not alone. She’s with your uncle” Aesop said as he immediately begun to panic. “But, that’s - and he-” he stuttered as the ground beneath their feet violently wrecked, throwing them all to the stone below. He heard Poppy and the others begin screaming as the earth around them shook so intensely and stones fell. He used non verbal magic to attempt to shield himself, but some of the rocks pushed through and he yelled, as his arm felt the full impact of falling debris.

As soon as it began, the shaking stopped and the dust settled. “Is everyone alright” he heard Professor Sharp ask and he shook his head some, attempting to lessen the throbbing in his shoulder. 

He vaguely heard Imelda telling the man everyone seemed alright as he finally stood to his feet and brushed himself off, his palms collecting blood from his shoulder as he did so. 

“We need to find a way across” Fig spoke to the group and he agreed wholeheartedly with the man. 

“I’ll go ahead” Sebastian said as he limped towards Highwing, hoping he could get there faster on the back of the creature. 

“But Sebastian… you’re hurt…” Poppy spoke out with a gasp and he shook his head. 

“I’m fine, I have to get-” he was cut off but a noise he never wanted to hear again in his life. A sound so wretched and disheartening that it made his chest hurt. It made the blood in his veins grow icey as his head swiveled in the direction it had come from. 

A loud, feminine scream was heard across the cliff separating the ruin door to the repository and where he stood. 

He knew that scream. It was her. 

To be continued…

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