#protective aesop sharp

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

In the Light of Care

The Aftermath of In The Shadow Of the Study. Aesop Sharp finds the new fifth-year half unconscious in the Slytherin dungeons following an adventure gone wrong.

Shout out to my ever-fabulous partner in crime @tea-withjamandbread

I have a love-hate relationship with Sebastian, on one hand, I love him, on the other, he is an irresponsible blinded hot-headed dumbass.

And then I have a love-love relationship with Aesop, who despite knowing you are going to give him a heart attack one of these days is never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you.

In the Light of Care (5.7k words)

tw: descriptions of pain, vomiting

You felt godawful all over. Ominis and Sebastian left you alone a while ago. You put up a brave face for them, but truth be told, you've never felt this terrible before. Your vision was blurry and all of your muscles were still cramping up with a pain that burned so much, you were certain it was burning your veins, dissolving you from the inside like acid. It was only when you were alone in that blasted corridor that you allowed yourself to fall down onto your bum, tears escaping your eyes and falling down freely. You tried to stretch as if that would help. You felt your body was inflamed, fever settling into your skin. You were sweating like mad and it took everything within you not to scream, not to sob, not to let your dinner travel up from your stomach and out of your mouth.

You were glad not to have learned the Cruciatus curse when Sebastian offered to teach you. However, you supposed, that even if you had learnt it, you would never ever use it. Even though the poachers, the goblins, and the dark wizards you've often engaged in combat were absolute scum, nobody deserved to have this cast on them. It was terribly unfair, terribly cruel. This wasn't offence-defence, it wasn't about prowess, or skill, or just plain luck. It was terror. There wasn't a right side of the wand to be on when it came to this. Both sides were horrible. 

You curled in onto yourself. Even after you broke down and onto your knees before the boys, Sebastian seemed to disregard it, being only interested in that blasted scriptorium. He was your friend and you loved him, but at that moment... At that moment you hated him, at that moment he was your tormentor. And he didn't even feel bad about it. You wanted to shake his stupid head, to scream at him, to tell him that he was going to find nothing in the scriptorium but more dark magic, more pain. Salazar Slytherin was a vain and cruel man, why on earth would he have made a cure for something, when it was only agony he wanted to create? It was pointless, and foolish and dangerous to have come here and you regretted it dearly as you tried to bury your pain, keep your tears contained. 

Yet, at the same time, you were glad that you went with them. Because if you hadn't, either Ominis or Sebastian would be forced to cast the curse on one another. And Ominis wouldn't, you knew now. And Merlin knows what would've happened to their friendship then if Ominis' best friend cast that curse on him, the very curse because of which he now had no family. So you chose to power through it, you put up a brave face. 

It almost crumbled immediately after. Sebastian looked like a child on Christmas, looking at everything in the scriptorium, while you were still cowering on the floor. A warm hand landed on your shoulder. On any other occasion, you might have welcomed it, but now the hand burned you, made the already aching muscles hurt even more, and you winced. "Are you alright?" Ominis asked, sounding just as close to crying as you were. And though you were still in agony, you did what felt like an Herculean feat, and put your own hand on top of his and squeezed. "Alright," you said simply. You really should stop lying to your friends.

You felt horrible for making Ominis go through this. When he asked the two of you to swear to never ever engage with dark magic after that endeavour was done, you agreed with him wholeheartedly. Mentally, that is, as you couldn't speak by then. You knew you had to apologise to him later, make it up to him. 

You wondered who would lose first, your consciousness or your stomach. What were you to do? You didn't bring any Wiggenweld potion with you, because you didn't think you might need it. You envied the boys now for being Slytherins, the comfort of their common room so close, while yours was so many flights of stairs away. There was no way you'd be able to crawl all the way there. There was no way you'd be able to crawl anywhere, not Ravenclaw Tower, not the Room of Requirement, not the Hospital wing. Now that you thought of it, you really shouldn't go to the Hospital wing anyway, the questions Nurse Blainey would have would only get yourself and your friends in more trouble.

As you sat and thought, your stomach finally lost its battle. You keeled over and promptly emptied your stomach on the stony floor. You felt the bile burn your throat, your eyes were losing focus. A voice came from somewhere far away. Annoyed at first, but as it got closer, you heard genuine concern. You were dry-heaving when a hand - larger than Ominis' - grasped your shoulder and forced you to turn. It didn't help your nausea at the very least, but seeing as you've already vomited all of the contents of your stomach out, you thankfully didn't throw up into the potions master's face. His striking dark eyes were panicked, his jaw hard, and he was kneeling next to you, which most likely did nothing for his leg. You would've attempted to speak, but your vision got dark and it dragged you down into the abyss.

You fell in and out of consciousness for a while. At one point, you looked down, professor Sharp still at your side but something was different. The smell of vomit was gone. You looked down at your robes and they were entirely clean. So was the floor. It was dark again. You saw professor Sharp's face, the underside of it, to be exact. He looked worried to bits. You felt movement and saw the surroundings change around Sharp's head. You felt strong arms underneath your back and legs. You wanted to comfort him, to tell him you were fine, that he needn't worry for you. Everything went black again before you managed to do so. Before the darkness consumed you, you felt the prickle of his chin on your index.

You woke on a bed after, and this time you stayed awake. You weren't in the Hospital wing, that was for sure. You weren't in your dorm or the Room of Requirement either, however, and you felt rather disoriented by that. Where else would you be, where else was a cot you'd use? When your eyes began focusing once more and your brain regained control of higher functions, you actually took in your surroundings. The air was cool, chilly almost, and it felt like heaven on your still feverish skin. There were shelves around the room, and in the middle of it stood a slightly curved desk. You were in professor Sharp's office.

The door to your left opened and the man in question came into focus. "I am very cross with you," he said, though his voice lacked any actual cut. He sat on your cot, and you now noticed he had a phial in his hand. It contained some dark liquid, still bubbling and looking utterly awful. "Drink," he said as he pushed a hand under the nape of your neck and lifted your head. He brought the phial to your lips and poured it into your mouth. You wanted to resist, the potion being foul enough to cause a dangerous churn in your stomach again, but you were so tired and the professor was unyielding.

You panted heavily after you swallowed the last drop, your body trying to bring it up again, but then you began to feel... Comfort. The pain was being flushed from your body. You didn't notice when professor Sharp grabbed your hand, but you felt his thumb stroking the back of it now. You looked up at him and regretted it immediately. He looked so tired. Once more, you unknowingly reached to touch his cheek. He startled when you did, yet almost right away closed one of his hands around your own.

"You know, I often say that the students will make me go grey prematurely, but I swear, you will make me go bald before you graduate," he said humourlessly. "Either you or your dear friends, Mr Sallow and Mr Gaunt. They told me what happened. Not everything, but the main gist of it. I've half a mind to give them both detention for the rest of their time here for leaving you the way they did. I've half a mind to give you detention as well for getting your stupid self into this, for not speaking up that you're unwell," he paused, his voice quivering slightly, "so clever, the lot of you, yet so incredibly stupid.”

The professor sighed then: “Look, I think I’m really starting to think I understand who you are - a good person who’s always willing to help her friends, which is, of course, noble of you. However, someone should finally tell you that you don’t have to insert yourself into every potentially life-threatening situation for them. In fact, as a Ravenclaw, you should be, and I believe you are, clever enough to talk them out of entering such situations themselves, which is just as good.”

You wanted to tell him that quite the number of these situations you didn't expect to be as dangerous as they turned out to be, and you were literally thrust into many of them. Not to mention there were simply some things you had to do… 

But you didn’t say a single word. Not only did Professor Fig specifically ask you to keep quiet about your ancient magic abilities (which were the reason you got into these situations in the first place), but you knew that if professor Sharp knew… Well, he’d most likely try to get you to stop. Something that was absolutely unthinkable.

Sharp was watching you like a hawk, obviously trying to see if he could find an answer to at least one of his no doubt plenty of questions fleetingly appearing in your eyes. The feeling of comfort the potion he gave you turned into mild dizziness again, and you felt a sudden need to sit up. The potions master seemed to have anticipated as such because he was helping you into a sitting position not a second later, his strong hands having no problem lifting your upper body up from the cot. You were glad for his help, as you honestly felt like you were suddenly made of solid lead.

"Could you kindly enlighten me as to why you mad lot would even enter such a place?" He asked after the dizzy spell went away again. You still felt exhausted, but decided it was easier to answer his questions now, especially if he let you off the hook afterwards.

"Sebastian's sister… She's ill. Well, cursed. But you probably know that sir," you rasped out, wrapping your arms around you to battle the coolness of his office. "Indeed I do," answered the professor, "truly awful what happened to her."

He actually sounded remorseful, but also appeared to have lost himself in his head a little bit: "So what, were you searching for a cure down there? I can assure you, you will find no cures to any ailments under Salazar Slytherin's name, it's not one of the things he was famous for… And unless Mungo Bohnam himself left a little scriptorium of his own here, I am afraid you won't find Miss Sallow's cure in these corridors at all."

The teacher suddenly looked ten years older than he usually looked. You didn't know just how old he was, your guess was perhaps mid-forties, but then again, this and his previous job may have caused him to age prematurely. You realised that he and Anne were in quite similar situations, and seeing as he, an adult, and an experienced former auror was not able to find a cure for his leg, he didn't give Anne too many chances either. 

It was all rather horrible, you thought. You've only met Anne for a while, but she seemed like a genuinely sweet person you could see yourself being friends with. And professor Sharp? Well, he was very different from the teachers you used to have before you came to Hogwarts. In the best way possible. He was strict, like they were, but also fair. He was tough and looked like a man not to be messed with. He administered both criticism and praise where they were due, and was very honest and open about everything. You had to admit that you enjoyed both the potion class, and his extra lessons to help you catch up to your classmates. 

It was a little alarming to see a man who normally radiated authority so… down.

"I think," you said after several minutes, "I think Sebastian is trying to find… the curse itself. Because when he does, finding a cure should be easier…"

"His sister was cursed by a goblin though, no? What makes you think you'd find something about goblin curses down there?"

"I don't… I don't know. I just wanted to help Sebastian."

The potions master sighed heavily, tapping his healthy foot on the stone floor, and you thought you heard him utter something about you being 'so bloody loyal, it’s a wonder you’re not a Hufflepuff.'

"And did you find anything?" He asked after a while, once more fixing you with an intense expression.

"No, not a thing, sir. Some old books and scrolls, half-eaten by rats and other vermin, some egocentric busts and statues of Slytherin himself, a goblet of something I almost drank after… after the torturing curse, because I was so thirsty, but then I realised that the cup's been sitting there for maybe 900 years at least and it might not be wise."

"See, Miss (L/N), you're learning the art of 'not dying' quickly. Indeed, you should not drink anything that's been standing in a cup for 900 years," Sharp said in a deeply sarcastic voice, and he looked like he wanted to throw his hands up in the air. He calmed himself down with several deep breaths: "And that's it?"

"That's it."

Hold on… Something was amiss. What was it? There was one book that wasn't eaten away by any creepy crawlies, wasn't there? A book…

"Are you perfectly certain?" the teacher asked once more, watching you intently.

Should you tell him about the spellbook Sebastian picked up? Did he and Ominis tell him about it? Sharp wouldn't be asking you if you found anything of interest if he knew about the spellbook, would he? It was at the tip of your tongue when you remembered:

'It’s a personal spellbook of one of the founders of Hogwarts! There’s got to be something in there that will let me reverse the curse! Anne will be cured!'

Sebastian sounded like a child on Christmas when he said that, all the while Ominis was pale as a ghost and you were trying not to tremble too much from Crucio’s pain. In the brunet’s voice was something that was just so absolutely convinced that he was right. And what is he was? What if he could really cure his sister with some counter-curse from the book? Maybe then you could also use it and help heal Sharp. What if Sharp took it away in fear that you may use the book for wrong, or that the book itself had a curse put on it? 

Should you tell him?

Your mouth opened and you took a deep breath. A feeling in your chest was telling you that you were signing a deal with the devil, but the 'yes' that rolled from your lips sounded perfectly calm and sincere. 

And there it was. You lied to a teacher who told you explicitly that he hated it when somebody lied to him. But you decided you were doing so out of good intentions. Like when you kept your mouth shut about ancient magic.

He sighed once more: "Alright then… I hardly think that you'd tell me if your goal was to become a dark witch, so I suppose this will have to do."

"I can assure you, sir, that's not the case," you replied weakly before you could stop yourself, "I hate those."

"Oh," Sharp asked, his interest seemingly peaked again, "meet many dark witches?" You cursed yourself inwardly, the last thing you needed was for him to probe at you even more: "I've met a few, sir. But it was enough for me to decide that I hated them…"

The professor's eyes were as sharp as his name, and you felt his gaze burning holes into you. Finally, he sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, deep in thought. And then he spoke again, his voice softer this time: "What is it you're not telling me? What is it that causes the bruises and the cuts on your face I see each time you come back from 'a visit to Hogsmeade'? And do not try telling me that you crashed into a shrub or fell off your broom, this excuse can only work on me so many times…"

The professor looked genuinely concerned. He was the first professor to question your occasionally banged appearance, the only one who insisted you tell him over and over again. "Are you in any kind of trouble?" He continued, "Because if you are, just tell me, and I promise I'll do my best to help you."

You put your hands on your face.

"Why can't you tell me?"

You did not answer. You didn't even take your hands away. The office was overtaken by silence. It must have been after curfew, as you heard no sounds from the corridors beyond the potion classroom. After what felt like hours, Sharp sighed once more. "Despite what some students may say about me, I am actually not some heartless monster. I won't make you tell me by force. But please, please, Miss (L/N), can you promise me one thing?"

It took a while, but you cautiously lowered your hands to look at him. He looked tired once more, but he didn't drop his gaze from you for a single second: "If you start feeling you're in over your head, if you feel like you need help, be it anything you're dealing with, please... Come to me. Even if it's just for a phial of Skele-Gro…"

Aesop Sharp was a good man, you decided, and a minute later, you found yourself nodding your head.

"Good," he said.

"May I be dismissed, sir?"

"Dismissed? Lass, the only place you're leaving here for is the Hospital wing! And given the nature of the curse that was cast on you, and the caster, I rather think that you wouldn't like that, would you?" You grimaced. Damn. You truly did not need more attention drawn to your little adventure into Slytherin's scriptorium. Obviously having no other options, you carefully lowered yourself until you were lying down again.

"Do you need anything? Food, water, are you warm enough?" Asked the teacher then, his voice softer once more. "I'm alright, thank you, sir," you replied and closed your eyes. They were so heavy, you felt like you might not open them again. 

"Sleep, Miss (L/N)."

—

When you woke up, you felt disoriented once more, and it took you a few seconds to realise where you were, and what sort of events led up to this situation. Looking around the office, illuminated by the faint morning light coming from the window behind professor Sharp’s desk, you saw the man himself sitting in his chair, sound asleep. His hands were loosely folded in his lap, his leg was propped up on a little footstool he must’ve conjured up for himself, as you’ve never seen it there before (could teachers, unlike students, conjure things in Hogwarts outside of the Room of Requirement? Most likely, how else would he have gotten your cot in here?), and his head was hanging to the side. The silence of the room was occasionally cut through by a snore from the teacher. 

He looked quite a few years younger while he slept, the line between his eyebrows gone, his face relaxed and open, much softer than it normally was. You supposed he was not at all bad-looking when he wasn’t currently giving Garreth Weasley the snarl of Chimaera. 

You lay there, panic slowly creeping in. Was he going to tell the Headmaster about your little adventure to the Scriptorium? Maybe professor Weasley? Fig? Has he already told them? Were you in trouble?

You shortly considered sneaking past the professor and away into your dorm. You were itching to have a nice hot bath and change into a different set of robes. You fainty remembered that Sharp cast a cleaning charm on them, yet they still felt grimy on your body, because what you remembered perfectly was the pain you went through in them. At that moment when Sebastian cast Crucio on you, it felt like your very clothes were choking and burning you, like they were covered in salt and your skin under them was scratched and cut up. You decided to burn them the first chance you got and get a new set from Mr Hill.

Once more you thought about making an attempt to leave but ultimately decided against it. The man was an ex-Auror for crying out loud, there’s no way he wouldn’t wake up if you as much as made a single step from the bed. He probably put a ward on it to alert him were you to get up. Not to mention it would solve absolutely nothing. He knew of the Scriptorium, and he knew of the Cruciatus curse. The only thing you’d achieve if you tried to sneak past him would probably be angering him. 

And so you stayed put, reclining on the cot. It was quite comfortable, which was something you couldn’t appreciate much most mornings. Even when you didn’t have classes to attend, you rarely allowed yourself to indulge in sleeping in, much less just lazying around in bed after you woke up. There was always something to do, somebody to help, someone to run an errand for, a beast to rescue, a potion to brew, a plant in need of fertilising or harvesting, a hot spot of ancient magic, or a Merlin trial to solve. You were a busy woman, you didn’t have time to lie around. And yet, as you did, you had to admit that you felt more well-rested than you had in weeks. 

Professor Sharp on the other hand you thought couldn’t be very comfortable. You were never able to fall asleep sitting up, even during long hours spent on the train when you and your family went for a holiday to St Ives, and the first class coupe you used had seating that was much more comfortable than his chair seemed. But then again, maybe there was some sort of cushioning charm placed on it to make it comfier. 

But then again, maybe not, you thought as a quiet but obviously pained groan replaced the professor’s snore suddenly. “Oh, Merlin’s saggy left-...” growled professor Sharp, his lips forming into a thin line and and the wrinkle returning to between his brows. His hand disappeared into the insides of his robes and searched around in the breast pocket for a bit, before resurfacing with a vial of green liquid. He pulled the cork out with his teeth and gulped the potion down in a single swallow, breathing heavily before his muscles finally relaxed once more.

The potions master opened his eyes, dark circles underneath them indicating that he himself didn’t rest quite as well as you. “Miss (L/N),” he said his voice rough from his slumber, “please know that I hope that you won’t get yourself into such a situation again not for only your sake, but for my own as well. I am entirely too old and too tired for sleeping arrangements like these.” Your quiet apology went unanswered.

A few minutes passed with the teacher having closed his eyes once more, and you would’ve thought that he had fallen asleep again, had his hand not been slowly tapping on the armrest. “How do you feel?” he asked without opening his eyes, and you were actually quite glad for that. “Much better, sir,” was your answer, “thank you… For taking care of me.” His dark eyes opened and bore into your own, their intensity nearly enough to make a chill run down your spine: “That’s not what you’re supposed to thank me for. Or did you think I’d just leave you there, half collapsed in your own sick? Is that what you think of me?” You cringed, your eyes screwing shut.

After a few moments of silence, Sharp sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, “I suppose I am a bit… grumpier than usual because of my aching body. And while I wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of sleeping in a chair were it not for your little suicidal adventure, it is not your fault that I am an old man…” “You’re not old… sir,” you replied, not really knowing why, you just… you just didn’t like seeing him so resigned. You respected the professor a lot, and you were confident that despite his bad leg, he was very much a force to be reckoned with.

He sighed again: “Be that as it may, know that I would not leave you there. I’m responsible for each and every one of my students. The official job description is teaching you lot the art of potion-making, but every member of staff is sworn to do everything in their power to protect the students. Yesterday evening’s events mean that we have failed in this aspect. And while failure is undoubtedly a part of the learning process, I certainly do not take it very well.

“Now, you shouldn’t be grateful to me because I took care of you, as absolutely any and every one of your professors would’ve done the same. What you should, however, be grateful for is the fact that I kept your little adventure to myself. And I am still not convinced I am doing the right thing doing so.  The fact that Mr Sallow used the Cruciatus curse on you is very concerning. The fact he even knows the curse is concerning! However, as he used it to get all of you out of that place, I might be able to forgive it. I plan to have a long talk with him about it, however. Being friends with Mr Gaunt, he should know better than to meddle with dark arts. He’s a bright young man, I don’t want him to end up in Azkaban because of youthful stupidity. You’re all terribly clever, it’d be an awful waste to lose you because you decided to bite off more than you can chew. And entering a place built by a man who was a single Unforgivable away from being considered a dark wizard is absolutely more than a fifth-year can chew, no matter how capable.

“That said, I offer you a deal - you tell me all about this excursion of yours, beginning with the location of the entrance, so that I can later make sure it is no longer accessible to anyone, followed by a detailed description of the events that transpired so that I can make a clearer picture about the whole situation, and I in return keep it all to myself. Mind, you and your friends will be scrubbing cauldrons by hand for the following few evenings so that I can make sure you’re staying out of trouble and not, for whatever reason, doing something as insane as going back.” You opened your mouth to protest, but before you had the chance to even take a breath, the professor spoke again: “You were mad enough to go there in the first place, how do I know you’re not mad enough to return, even with all that happened? 

“Well, Miss, what do you say? Do we have a deal?”

And so you told him. You told him about Ominis’ aunt and her disappearance within the centuries-old Scriptorium. You told him about a passage that could only be opened by one who can speak the tongue of snakes, therefore making the very first of the rooms a certain deathtrap for anyone and everyone who is not of Slytherin’s descent. You told him of statues that would strike as real snakes would if one took too much time solving their riddles. And finally, about learning of Noctua’s heart-wrenching and untimely demise at the hands of Salazar’s cruel trial. You then described the Scriptorium itself in length, leaving out the part where you found Slytherin’s spellbook.

“So there is another entrance?” asked Sharp, his arms crossed over his chest. He was listening to you attentively, only occasionally asking you to specify or fill in a few things. “Yes, professor,” you replied, “however, I don’t know whether it can be accessed from outside as well.” The potions master thought for a bit: “It would be good to retrieve the poor woman’s remains from there so that she can be given a proper burial, but I do not want to distress Mr Gaunt even more than he already was when I spoke with him yesterday by asking him to go back with me, not to mention bearing witness to yet another instance of the Cruciatus curse, so it would be convenient if the room could be accessed from the other side.”

You bit at your lip nervously. “With all due respect, professor Sharp,” you spoke then, your voice quiet, “Ominis said his aunt and the rest of his family weren’t exactly on the best of terms. I’m not sure if they would give her a proper funeral.” “They may not, but your friend Ominis might… Well, best not to trouble the young man even more now, he seems to have a lot on his mind as is.”

“Will you… will you keep this whole thing to yourself, sir?”

“I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep, Miss (L/N). You told me everything I wanted to know, and I will keep my end of the bargain. I must, however, still discuss with Mr Sallow about his knowledge and uses of Unforgivable curses. There are some curses whose usage could perhaps be excused in some cases, but when we start to do so with the Unforgivables, we’re on our merry way back into the Dark Ages, when wizards and witches would calmly cast the Imperius curse at anyone who was merely mildly inconveniencing them. These curses were outlawed for a reason. Please, tell me that your classmate didn’t teach it to you…”

You squirmed in your seat. Sebastian did offer to teach it to you, but you said no. Should you tell Sharp? No, no… Best not to, Seb was in enough trouble as it was, no need to make it worse.

“He did not. And after I felt what it can do, I know it’s for the best… Nobody should know a spell like that! It’s so… unfair. It’s like… It’s like bringing a rifle into a sword fight.”

“That is a very good comparison, Miss,” said the potions master, “and you best never forget that. These spells are like poison, they’re unnatural, and each one tears away at your very humanity. I know that you wish to remain loyal to your friends, and I, once more, praise you for that. But I implore you to discourage your classmate from using such a spell again, even if it’s for a ‘good thing’. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

You nodded solemnly. You truly hoped there never came a time in which you’d have to once more witness the foul spell, or any of the other two Unforgivables. Sebastian wasn’t that kind of boy - yes, he did teach you one unsanctioned spell once before, but it wasn’t exactly a dark spell. If you were honest, you used it more during Merlin trials than against adversaries. 

You hoped you were doing the right thing still, not bringing up the book your friend your friend left the Scriptorium with.

Aesop Sharp watched you intently, possibly hoping that you’d perhaps shed some more light on the situation, but when several minutes passed in absolute silence, he cleared his throat, stretching himself once more. “Now…” he said, “I don’t know how about you, Miss, but I could eat a Hippogriff right now.” Despite yourself, and despite the dark thoughts swirling about in your head, you actually giggled: “If you do, sir, make sure it’s not white with orange eyes, that one’s a friend of mine.” 

The professor scoffed: “Friends with a Hippogriff, all the travelling merchants around the Highlands, and two of Slytherin’s three biggest troublemakers. I will need to keep a closer eye on you. This isn’t a joke, by the way, I do intend to keep an eye on you - the things Fig tells me combined with what all I hear about you doing is quite concerning.”

You gulped. You knew he’d find out about everything, sooner or later. After all, even professor Weasley was more than a little suspicious about your activities, but you managed to evade her questions by performing brilliantly in class and helping everybody you encountered. Professor Sharp, a former Auror, would certainly have no problem finding out the truth in the end.

There was only one solution. You had to work faster and harder, You had to carry on with the Keepers’ trials, and you had to stop Ranrok from opening war upon the Wizarding world. And ideally not die in the process. And, hopefully, then Sharp would understand. Maybe he’d even forgive you for the secrecy and the lies.

The teacher sighed and ran his hand over his face. 

“What I said yesterday stands. If you need help, you know where to find me. I won’t turn you away. I promise…”

He stood then, towering over your form, still reclining upon the cot.

“Come on, you’ll tag along with me to the Great Hall, so I can make sure your encounter yesterday didn’t leave any lasting effects. In case it has, perhaps your fellow students will find the sight of you limping next to me amusing.”

You grinned. Despite everything, you truly appreciated Sharp’s sense of humour: “Very well, sir.”

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story. As always, you can find this fic and all of my other works over on my AO3

I am always very grateful for feedback 🥰

#fanfiction #hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #aesop sharp and reader #aesop sharp x reader #protective aesop sharp #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #hurt/comfort #ravenclaw reader #aesop sharp and mc #aesop sharp is a good teacher #reader instert

[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

[ask-aesop-sharp]

Professor, will you be my dad?

Aesop laced his fingers and rested his chin on the back of his hands, looking deep in thought. Perhaps his looks may imply otherwise, but he was yet young enough to be... keenly and uncomfortably aware of linguistic shifts among his students. Something told him to tread lightly, at first...

"Are you perhaps in want of a mentor or role model? If so, I could hardly recommend myself, but, if you are truly without guidance in your life, I may... perhaps be able to offer any assistance I am able to." He cleared his throat. "If this is your way of telling me you truly have no safe place to stay, I can't say I'd have recommended coming to me first of all people. But you're welcome to visit my office after hours. We'll certainly get you taken care of."

#Aesop's Foibles #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy rp #aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop radiates protective dad energy underneath that rough exterior #just don't tell anyone okay?

[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

[misswildfire]

Imagine- Dating Aesop Sharp

It took quite a while to convince Aesop to take a chance on a relationship with you.

Patiently rebutted all of his arguments about why you guys shouldn’t be together: He was a cripple, too old for you, would ruin your reputation for being with a washed up Auror and your former Professor. Not that any of that mattered to you, you loved him just as he was, nor did you particularly care what anyone else thought. 

Once he finally gave in, he would take his time to court you properly (Minus the fact you both have a hard time keeping your hands off each other, heavy make out sessions were very common)

Walks in the gardens, in the forests, long talks in his office, small gifts - potions and salves he makes for your cuts, bruises and aches you always seem to collect while adventuring in the area.

In turn, you would gather ingredients for him, especially ones that were notoriously hard to get a hold of. There was no mountain too high or cave too deep that you wouldn’t venture into in order to procure what you needed.

You would help him develop salves for his leg that would keep the pain at bay for longer periods of time. There was most likely no cure, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t keep perfecting pain management.

Massaging his leg on particularly bad nights before rubbing in pain salves and other salves to help the muscle surrounding the affected area relax. It had taken you forever to convince him to allow you to do this for him, that he wasn’t a burden and you wanted to help take care of him.

You loved the way that he would take charge, how he would pull her into his arms, how she felt safe, loved, protected.

He drove you wild when he would pick you up and pin you against the wall. You loved the feel of him against you, being able to feel every inch of him.

But what you loved most of all is when he would finally let go of his self control - usually after hours of teasing him. His growl always sent a thrill racing through you. 

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

[animasola86]

↓ FANFICTION MASTERLIST

(last updated: Apr 19, 2024) > newest marked with ✨

→ TL;DR LINKS-ONLY VERSION

→ KINKTOBER 2023 MASTERLIST

HEADCANONS

Sebastian's Boggart/Patronus headcanons

General Sebastian Sallow headcanons (revisited)

NSFW Sebastian Sallow headcanons (based on the smut I wrote about him)

Headcanon/smut "drabble" (NSFW!) about Sebastian's hands ✨

NSFW Hogwarts in the 1890s headcanons

→ A NIGHT IN THE UNDERCROFT (Read on AO3)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Fluff/Smut/Angst (NSFW!)

Synopsis: After a rather disastrous visit to Feldcroft, Sebastian Sallow needs a hug - or something much more.

→ Part 1 - The Night (1) → Part 2 - The Night (2)

→ Part 3 - The Nightmare → Part 4 - The Day After

→ A BLESSING AND A CURSE (Read on AO3)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Fluff/Romance/Adventure/eventual Smut

Synopsis: Sebastian Sallow is your average teenage boy, who, despite the baggage he carries around with him, has laid his eyes on the new student and he is determined to lay even more on her.

→ A BLESSING AND A CURSE MASTERLIST

Notes: Prequel to A Night in the Undercroft, HL re-write focusing on my Ravenclaw MC Nebbia DeLuca (read her backstory/showcase here), ongoing series

→ THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Read on AO3)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc x Tom Riddle

Genre: Angst/Smut/Dark!Romance (NSFW!)

Summary: He's an Auror, she's a Death Eater, yet in a former life they were lovers. Can they rekindle their love now they're mortal enemies?

→ THE DARKNESS WITHIN MASTERLIST

→ THROW ME INTO THE TEMPEST (Read on AO3)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Drama/Angst/Fluff/eventual Smut

Summary: Your best friend is a sweetheart and you would do anything to protect her. Yet when you get to know her boyfriend, there is little you can do against those feelings he invokes in you.

Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- ongoing

→ IN YOUR CARE (Read on AO3)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc x m!oc

Genre: Angst/Smut/Drama/MODERN AU (NSFW!)

Summary: Living in the same foster home, Nebbia and Sebastian are supposed to stay away from each other, but because they are both troubled teenagers with troubled pasts, they simply can't. But then the past comes back to haunt them, threatening to destroy everything.

Chapter 1 -- Chapter 2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapter 4 -- ongoing

→ A SPECIAL KIND OF BOND (Read on AO3) ✨

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader x A Special Friend

Genre: Smut/Filth (NSFW!)

Summary: After going skinny-dipping with Sebastian, you discover that you took a little souvenir from the depths of the Black Lake with you. And it's very happy to meet you too.

Status: completed! // A SPECIAL KIND OF BOND MASTERPOST

→ SCARS AND PEACE AND COMFORT (Read on AO3) ✨

Pairing: Aesop Sharp x f!reader

Genre: Fluff/Smut (NSFW!)

Summary: He was there to give you confidence, attention, comfort, and you were there to give him peace - and so much more!

This is a series of one-shots! // SCARS AND PEACE AND COMFORT MASTERLIST

↓ PLEASANT DREAMS... AND TENTACLES

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 3.2k

Synopsis: Sebastian can't sleep and uses his girlfriend's disturbing dream to help him do so. (somnophilia, tentacles submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ NIGHTMARES... AND HELPFUL SNAKES ✨

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 8k

Synopsis: After that first disturbing dream, Sebastian's girlfriend finds herself in even more disturbing dreams, but this time she has her boyfriend to protect her. But does he really?

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ IT IS THAT TIME AGAIN, DARLING.

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Fluff/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 8k

Synopsis: Your husband wants another child because three aren't enough. (breeding kink submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ COME BACK TO BED, BABY.

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Fluff/Angst/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 10.1k

Synopsis: Dad!Seb is back and he actually managed to put his breeding kink to good use. Or did he?

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ TAKE YOUR ANGER (and stick it where the sun don't shine)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x m!reader

Genre: Angst/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 3.9k

Synopsis: You and Sebastian are both flawed boys and there is only one way to let out that pent-up frustration.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ PAIN RELIEF

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 3.2k

Synopsis: It's that time of month and all you want to do is curl up into a ball and die, but Sebastian has another idea of helping you relieve the pain.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ A BLOODY MESS

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut/Gore (NSFW!) // Words: 1.7k

Synopsis: Diffindo, poachers and two horny teenagers engaging in a blood covered quickie. (TW: Blood/Murder/Periods)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ A SCHOLAR AND A PERVERT

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 10.3k

Synopsis: Sebastian wants to experiment on you. (overstimulation and sex toys submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE MAGIC TOY (1/2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 3.8k

Synopsis: Sebastian has gifted you a special toy and one day you find yourself using it to his very own inconvenience.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE MAGIC TOY (2/2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 10.6k

Synopsis: After just having used your special gift from Sebastian, you end up in the Undercroft with him for more toy related shenanigans.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ AVID READER

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Comfort/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 2.9k

Synopsis: Sebastian has been hunched over Salazar Slytherin's Spellbook aka that damn book for too long now and his girlfriend only knows one way to distract him.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ IT BELONGS TO ME

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 2.5k

Synopsis: Sebastian demands a quick bj in the hallway. (semi-public, deepthroating submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ MINE!

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 6.5k

Synopsis: Sebastian's girlfriend is a bit of a nymphomaniac. And he is not complaining. Or is he?

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ YOURS TO TAKE

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 7.9k

Synopsis: Sebastian and his horny girlfriend watch the Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff match, but focus on something else entirely. Very publicly.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ LESSONS IN LOVE-MAKING

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Fluff/Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 9.8k

Synopsis: Your boyfriend (not Sebastian) sucks in bed. After you find yourself crying in the hallway because of it, Sebastian finds you and is happy to lend a hand.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ JUST BREATHE

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x gn!reader

Genre: Angst/Hurt/Comfort/Fluff // Words: 3.1k

Synopsis: After clearing another poacher camp, you and Sebastian fall into a sticky situation that will leave you questioning your and his life choices. (TW: blood!)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ A FILTHY FANTASY (1/2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut/Horror (NSFW!) // Words: 7.9k

Synopsis: Sebastian asks you for your filthiest fantasy and then manipulates you into wanting to do it. (con non-con, bondage, sensory deprivation, orgasm denial submission of Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ A FILTHY FANTASY (2/2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader x Ominis Gaunt

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 4.6k

Synopsis: After that fantasy you talked about came to pass a little unexpectedly, you find yourself in a Slytherin sandwich. (threesome, oral/vaginal/anal submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ A FILTHY FANTASY: AFTERCARE

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Hurt/Comfort // Words: 2.4k

Synopsis: In the wake of what happened to you earlier, you contemplate your life choices and your love to the boy that keeps making it a little bit more difficult.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE HORNY GHOST

Pairing: Richard Jackdaw x f!mc x Sebastian Sallow

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 5.3k

Synopsis: Richard Jackdaw watches teenagers have sex and stalks one of them for more. (voyeurism, masturbation, spectrophilia submission for Kinktober)

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE GHOST UNDER THE TABLE

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x gn!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 2.3k

Synopsis: A bj in the library. That's all.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE GHOST UNDER THE TABLE (PART 2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 4.5k

Synopsis: The sweet revenge. Sebastian returns the favor.

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE GHOSTS ON THE TABLE (PART 1)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 10k

Synopsis: Sebastian read something in a filthy Muggle magazine...

Read here (or on AO3)

↓ THE GHOSTS ON THE TABLE (PART 2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Smut (NSFW!) // Words: 10k

Synopsis: They find a table and do stuff on it. You know the stuff.

Read here (or on AO3)

→ JUST ANOTHER ADVENTURE, RIGHT?

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x gn!reader/mc (1st person POV)

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Fluff // Words: 2.2k

Synopsis: What really happened in the Scriptorium

A STEAMY REUNION

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Angst/Comfort/Fluff/Smut (NSFW!)

Synopsis: Sebastian left you/Hogwarts after your fifth year and goes into hiding. Several years later, he finds you somewhere in Hogsmeade. Things get steamy.

Part 1 (7.6k words) -> Read here

Part 2 (6.7k words) -> Read here

MAGICAL FINGERS

Pairing: Tom Riddle x f!mc

Genre: Mystery/Smut/Fluff (NSFW!) // Words: 10.8k

Synopsis: Tom has magical fingers and knows how to use them

Read here

ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Enemies to Lovers Smut/Fluff (NSFW!)

Synopsis: Sebastian and you have been sworn enemies since he dropped you after your fifth year. But you can't keep your thoughts away from him - and with your NEWTs approaching, you can only think of one solution to finally get him off your mind

Part 1 (6k words): Read here

Part 2 (2.4k words): Read here

DIARY OF A SNAKE LOVER (Read on FF.net)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!mc

Genre: Adventure/Romance

Slow-burn HL re-write with added Sebastian content

#masterlist #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #sebastian sallow fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #sebastian sallow fluff #sebastian sallow smut #smut #tom riddle smut #tom riddle #reader insert #ao3 writer #work in progress #aesop sharp smut

[omnibused]

✮ ✵ ✭ Audio Masterlist ✭ ✵ ✮

Organized by Character, followed by Rating

❤️ - fluff, romantic // 💙 - could be platonic, could lean romantic [at the discretion of the listener] // 💛 - humor, silliness // 🧡 - based on a submitted request // 💜 - NSFW topics mentioned or referenced, but not explicit // 💚 - Extended audio with multiple sound elements [warnings in individual posts] // 🖤 - Potentially triggering topics mentioned or referenced // 💕 - made for an individual character, or references a specific piece of work //🔞 - NSFW

Currently Available Characters: Amit Thakkar, Ominis Gaunt, Poppy Sweeting, Professor Aesop Sharp, Sebastian Sallow

Links below the cut. Working desperately to add more characters. All audios are made for gender-neutral listeners unless otherwise specified - made to be enjoyed by everyone.

Ominis

Ominis Adores Your Honesty - ❤️💙💕 [Original dialogue, from an unfinished fic]

Ominis Recites Love Poetry - ❤️

"It's so dark down here, I can't see anything!" - 💛

Ominis Muses on Your Future Together - ❤️

Protective Ominis - ❤️

Ominis Would Bring the World to Ruin, For You - ❤️

Ominis Serenades You on Piano - ❤️

Ominis Comforts You After a Nightmare - ❤️🖤

Ominis Comforts You in The Undercroft - ❤️💙💚

Cozy Ambiance, With Ominis - ❤️🧡💚

"...perhaps, I'll grant your wish." - ❤️🔞

"Oh, what a pity..." - ❤️🔞

Snuggly Praise and Aftercare, with Ominis - ❤️🧡💜🔞

Sebastian

"It's so dark down here, I can't see anything!" - 💛

"I would burn this world for you." - ❤️🧡

Jealous Sebastian - ❤️💛

Sebastian Comforts You After a Nightmare - ❤️🖤

Cozy Ambiance, With Sebastian - ❤️💚

Sebastian Being Thankful to Lina - ❤️💕

Sebastian Misses Lina - ❤️💕

"Ah, the most ancient of magics!" - 💛🧡

"You're telling me no part of you wants that again?" - 💕🔞

"Ugh, shut up Zenobia..." - 💛🧡

"I will ruin you." - 🧡🔞

Snuggly Praise and Aftercare, with Sebastian - ❤️🧡💜🔞

Poppy

Poppy's Confession - ❤️🧡

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #poppy sweeting #ominis gaunt ai #sebastian sallow ai #poppy sweeting ai #AUDIO MASTERLIST! ♥

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Troublemakers ~ Aesop Sharp x Gaunt!Reader

Summary: Just a little story of Aesop and his best friend and childhood sweetheart going on an adventure that turns out to be more than they could take on, which ends up as one of the catalysts between them losing contact after Hogwarts... Only to end up meeting against, at the most unlikely of places, over a decade later.

“I am SO bored.” Y/N sighed dramatically, plopping on the couch next to her best friend, Aesop Sharp, a particularly brilliant half-blood that excelled in DADA and Potions especially. It was no surprise that the two would always pair up for Potions, they were a terrific duo and the teacher always praised them. “Not much room for new adventures, unfortunately.” the boy with long, chestnut hair nodded his head in agreement. “There is so much exploring to do at Hogwarts, but we’re stuck here, with no lead.” Y/N suddenly turned to her friend, grabbing him with the arms desperately. “You’re the future Auror, aren’t you? You’re supposed to smell danger and adventure! Do something!” the poor boy looked weirdly at her, putting his hand over her wrists and suspending them in mid-air. “Calm down, you little troublemaker, I’ll think of something. I  always do, don’t I?” he offered a mischievous smirk. “Now, how about you stop bothering me and you do something useful with that energy of yours - Like, for example, retrieving THAT book you promised me?” no doubt, he was referring to her having promised to sneak into the restricted section of the library to find more advanced potions and dark arts spell books. After all, how better to know how to guard yourself against the dark arts, if not by learning about them? That is an Auror’s job. “Right. I almost forgot.” the girl muttered, nodding lightly. “A’ight! What’s the time... Ah, yes, just the perfect time for a raid. I’ll see you tomorrow - At our spot.”

The Slytherin girl hopped off the couch, wearing a mischievous grin as she swiftly exited the Common Room, leaving Aesop behind to gaze at her gorgeous swaying hair. “You’re going to be the death of me, little lady.” unbeknownst to even himself, his otherwise sardonic expression was replaced with a soft smile.  He never could deny the way Y/N made him feel, from the very same day they met, and he stood up for her when getting bullied by other Purebloods for being a complete embarrassment not only for their House, but for every respectable Pureblood family such as her own. Aesop could never stand injustice, and though he wasn’t usually one to go out of his way and solve others’ problems, the situation was getting out of hand. He hoped at first that, if he were to befriend the lonesome girl, people would stop targeting her - And although she seemed to be significantly livelier, and he couldn’t believe how kind and tender she was. He couldn’t comprehend the reason behind her bullying, save for needless fanaticism.

Regardless, Aesop never once regretted his instinct, which led to this beautiful friendship of theirs - And, perhaps in the future, even more. He did appreciate how diligent she was in her studies, oft times even passing him in various subjects altogether. Her conviction of becoming a Healer was commendable and it was yet another thing which brought them together - Their love for practical studies and saving people, though in different ways. The young man was cheeky though, and there was no end to his resourcefulness, especially when it came to intentionally practicing more dangerous spells and getting injured, only for the pretty lady to fawn over him with worry and tend to his wounds oh so gingerly.

He, the strong knight in shining armor, protecting his beautiful damsel in distress, who would heal all his injuries with a sweet kiss. Ridiculous thoughts such as this one always did make him chuckle with amusement. To think that even someone so cynical and pragmatic like himself would be capable of daydreaming of romantic scenarios was outright hilarious - Not that he minded though, it was a rather pleasant way of passing the time when relaxing or falling asleep.

The next day, just as promised, Y/N waited for her friend at their secret spot, a room only known to them, and she was already peaking at the contents of the book. As soon as she heard the door opening, a smile instantly graced her features as she jumped to her feet. “You will NOT believe what I found!” the girl chirped immediately, only to take a good look at the boy towering over her. “Have you been dancing with the mooncalves the whole night? You look positively disheveled. Get over here, you.” with a smug smile, the boy stepped in front of her and bent slightly at the waist, allowing her access to his hair and clothes to fix properly. He’d lie if he said he didn’t enjoy it - His own mother always fixed his dad’s clothes and hair before going to work, and now he completely understood the appeal. His mum sold him this cheeky tip, saying that girls love doing this, just as much as boys do.  “I’m not quite sure I could match mooncalves at their dance.” Aesop joked lightly. “But would you like to match other people?” the girl asked, looking down with a smile. Aesop’s brows furrowed a bit for a few seconds, only to let out a soft ‘oh’ sound. He remembered now, a crucial thing that he missed. Though it wasn’t announced yet, everyone knew that all students in their terminal year were invited to a Ball reserved only for them, as a graduation celebration. How could he forget? Silly him. “Well, perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad, if only I have the right company by my side.” he said, gently holding her hand into his own and planting a kiss on her fingers. “That is, only if you would join me.” “Ever the charmer. I wouldn’t even consider going without you.” the sweet blush on her cheeks only made her even more beautiful, if it was possible. “Now, look here - This book has some really nasty stuff, like the Unforgivable curses and even Horcruxes or... How to raise inferi!” “You’ve struck a mithril mine.” Aesop’s fascination was pooling in his eyes, as he swept the book from the girl’s hands and brought her over to the couch to read together.

With the stress of their NEWTS all gone, and euphoric smiles on their faces thanks to their imminent success, Aesop and Y/N were able to enjoy the Graduation Ball at their leisure, without any kind of responsibility left. On the evening of the Ball, the young man dressed his best, checking himself in the mirror a hundred thousand times before going to the Common Room and waiting for the girl of his dreams to descend down the stairs from her dormitory. He wasn’t the only one waiting, and lots of boys his age were anxiously fidgeting on their feet, left and right, waiting for their dates to come over.

One by one, beautiful lady after beautiful lady appeared in sight, and was immediately met up with her date, and guided to the Great Hall, where the Ball would take place. Finally, Y/N too appeared in sight, rendering Aesop breathless for the first time - That gorgeous updo of hers, leaving her supple neck revealed, and her cleavage adorned with an expensive necklace of gold and precious gems, that dress made of the best velvet and silk, and embroidered with small, twinkling diamonds - She looked like the brightest star in the night sky. She was glowing, and Aesop Sharp was feeling head over heels in love with Y/N Gaunt.

There weren’t many words exchanged on that day, as they were both rather embarrassed, watching their crush being so positively perfect. Still, nothing stopped them from having fun together the whole magical night, and dancing together until there was no other couple left around. Though bashful, it took a single look into his warm, dark eyes, a single gaze at that tender smile of his, and Y/N’s arms slowly wrapped around his neck as she leaned in to steal a little kiss from him. The little vixen wasn’t allowed to just be a thief and run away, however, as Aesop trapped her closer to his body, and with one hand on the back of her head, he deepened the kiss.

It was supposed to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, started in their last week at Hogwarts, however, things never end up the way people want. 

Two days after the Ball, Aesop came over to the girl, telling her he’s found clues for a new adventure - Finding Salazar Slytherin’s Scriptorium. Y/N frowned, looking away. She was skeptical of such a discovery - After all, no good ever comes out of dealing with Slytherin’s things.  It was true, in a way, she could understand his policy of training only purebloods, in fear of having the whole wizarding world completely destroyed; However, that fanaticism and fear only brought misfortune and destruction, not only for himself, but for all the Pureblood lineages to come. Y/N knew that better than most.

“I don’t know what to say, dear, this is... This smells like a trap. Like, like... Like something bad’s going to happen if we meddle with him and his cursed antics.” Y/N tried to persuade him, only to end up getting kissed, a charming, adventurous smirk on his face. “And if anything happens, I’ll protect you. Aren’t I your knight in shining armor?” he laughed it off carelessly. “This is so much more than that, Aesop! Slytherin was known for playing with dark magic - I cannot even begin to imagine the implications! It’s not that I’m fearing for my life, but that I’m fear for you, more than anything. You know my family and how obsessed they are with muggle-torture and killing - Why else would I have gotten disowned? Regardless - The things I’ve seen, the things I’ve experienced - I wouldn’t wish them upon anyone! Anyone, Aesop! I mean it!” the frantic monologue was cut off by a kiss. “And I’m going to become an Auror - Isn’t that the perfect way of seeing whether or not I’m even cut for this job? Come on, Y/N, where has your braveheart disappeared?” he tried to convince the girl, only to see her hanging her head and shaking it in disbelief. “I’m going to regret this for the rest of my life. I take no responsibility if anything happens to you. I warned you! I did - You can’t blame me for anything that happens!” Aesop rose a quizzical eyebrow, seeing her so frightened, unable to even meet his eyes - Could things really be that bad, considering the Scriptorium was supposed to be in the safest place alive - Hogwarts? “Come on, I know the entrance.” The young man allowed himself to be guided by the wrist to some corridor, and watched as the girl revealed some braziers, before litting three of them on fire. “You already knew of this.” “Of course I did, who do you take me for? I stepped in this place, and as soon as I saw how vile it is, I left.” she spat, angrily. “Move along.” she nodded his head at him to follow inside the pitch black corridors.

Y/N cast Lumos to create some light, and once she did, Aesop already rushed to cast Reparo on the broken relief shattered all over the floor. All of a sudden, the soft sound of hissing echoed through the short corridor. “What is that?” Y/N sneered in annoyance and went by the door, touching it. “Are you sure you want to continue?” the girl received a frantically positive answer, she sighed and started speaking in Parseltongue to open the massive door. “Here goes nothing.” “What was that?” the young man asked. “Parseltongue, of course. Only the Slytherin’s own bloodline is capable of speaking with snakes.” she explained, just as the door behind them slammed shut and locked. “Yes, of course, how bloody likely!” the girl cursed angrily. “Don’t worry, I think I’ve found the door forward. It has these two symbols on it, see? And this snake statue too, is sitting on rotating stone engraved with the symbols. If we just match the order, then... Aha, yes, just as suspected! See, dear? The door opened?” with a smug, victorious smirk, Aesop threw open the doors and continue forward, with Y/N on his tail, watching as he quickly moved between the next two doors to open them. 

When he was done opening the final one, they were led to yet another corridor, filled with cobwebs on the walls and on the ground. Aesop went to the ominous looking door before them, only to realise it was perfectly locked, and it had no puzzle mechanism, nor riddle to open. Behind them, the door was slammed shut, and nothing Y/N did could get it open. Y/N cursed Slytherin with very unlady-like words, and it was then that Aesop realised why Y/N was so terrified of pursuing such an adventure. They were ultimately stuck in a small corridor, with no resources and no way of escaping. He doomed them both.

“Maybe if you speak to the door, it will provide some answer?” the boy tried to suggest, only to see the girl crouching to the ground, her head in her hands.  “I don’t need to speak to it. I already know what it wants - And I cannot give it! I will not do it! I refuse -- I can’t do it!” the poor lady whimpered so strongly that it made Sharp fall to his knees in front of her and gather her up in his arms.  “What is it, tell me? Some kind of dark magic? I know you don’t want to do any kind of dark spell - You’re not like your family - But if there’s anything I can do, I will do it, alright?” the girl nodded slowly. “The door - It... It wants to witness torture. It... It’s cruel, it... It wants to hear and witness nothing but anguish and sorrow and torment. I... refuse. I will not - I will not cast the Cruciatus Curse on you, even if I have to die here, starved and dehydrated.” the girl growled softly. “If casting the curse is the only way forward, then you’re our only means of getting out of here! Y/N, you’d be saving us, come on! It’s just once, and --” he tried to reason with her, only to find himself being pushed away, and onto the ground, as the girl stepped away from him. “WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW  OF CURSES?! IT’S NOT LIKE YOU HAD TO EXPERIENCE ANY OF THEM!” the girl yelled at him. “Just once, you say? JUST ONCE IS ENOUGH TO CORRUPT ANY PERSON INTO BECOMING DEPENDENT ON CURSES! Next, you’re going to say - Oh, an inconvenient person, I’ll just kill them! No big deal, yes? Oh, that guy doesn’t want to do what I say? Imperio his ass!” Aesop remained silent, watching the girl he loved breaking before his eyes. He shouldn’t have pursued this stupid adventure. They had just a few days left, and he ruined it. “Keep me out of this. I will not cast it on you. If you want to escape, just cast it on me, I don’t care. I’m used to it, I can take it. But I will not be forced to cast it. I almost died, I ran away, and I got disowned, just to escape this. I will not back down now.” her back was turned to him, and he could see her small form trembling in the dim light offered by his wand. He sighed, feeling ready to smash his head onto the adjacent wall out of frustration. How could he possibly be coerced into torturing his own girlfriend? That was... That was impossible! He was a gentleman, and he was supposed to save his beautiful maiden, not... Not throw her in danger and torture her, just to escape.

But they couldn’t stay there forever, could they? They had to somehow get out of there, before they lose all their senses. “Y/N, my love, we need to get out here. I will not force you to cast it on me... Even though it should be me, on the other side of the wand, not you. A gentleman should never hurt a lady, let alone his own lover.” he gently went to her side, embracing her and kissing her temple. “But if you refuse to cast it on me, the only other way of escaping is if I cast it on you. Will you ever be able to forgive me? Not only for this, but for getting you in this mess, against your will?” “I told you... I’m used to it. It doesn’t matter for me. If we get out of here, all the best. As long as I don’t do it... It’s fine.” her mumble was so soft, that he had to strain his ear to hear. “Come on, we have to do it in front of the door.” she guided him on the opposite end of the corridor, placing him into position. “You know how to cast it, don’t you?” he reluctantly nodded. “Good. At least that.” she muttered to herself. “Whatever you do, you must NOT stop until the door opens, understand?” though reluctantly, Aesop nodded. “And you MUST mean it, otherwise it won’t work. Pretend... Pretend that I angered you some day, or... Uh... Imagine something bad. Doesn’t have to be true. As long as you get angry, you can mean it.” Aesop gulped, raising his wand - But a single glance at the girl was enough to shatter his resolve. How could he possibly curse his girlfriend? “I can’t. I can’t. Merlin... I can’t.” “Then I guess we’ll just die here.” came her harsh voice. “In the name of Salazar, you are SO pathetic. How in the bloody hell were you sorted in our house, anyway? Incompetents like yourself don’t fit in. Surely, that dusty old hat must have made a great mistake, allowing a half-breed like you to step in our sacred house of Slytherin.” Aesop’s eyes widened with shock - He’s never heard Y/N speaking so harshly, nor with words so disgusting. No, he understood, she was trying to piss him off so much that he will be forced to cast the curse on her. Damn it all. “If you think you’re going to become an Auror, you’re seriously deluding yourself. Look at you, unable to even cast a simple curse. Do you think the dark wizards are just going to wait for you to disarm them? Oh, look at me, I’m a small, simple-minded graduate, all I know how to cast is Expelliarmus! I’m going to rid the wizarding world of all dark wizards! Whooo~! And they are going to throw their wands away when they see you, the ever intimidating child. Goodness, you are absolutely ridiculous. No, not even ridiculous, you are laughable. The laughingstock of Slytherin. Incompetent, good for nothing, half-breeds like you should just go back to the muggle world where you belong. You are not wanted, nor needed in ours.” her acting was exceptionally good, he realised - Were all of these words that her own family yelled at her for years on end? “What can you even offer me, anyway? Status? Wealth? Fame? Purity lineage? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You are a nothing, Aesop Sharp, and you will forever remain that way - A nothing.”

All of a sudden, the corridor was illuminated a bright, blinding red, and Y/N fell to her knees, shrieking from the familiar pain she was experiencing. It was hell - No, worse than hell - A searing heat, like getting electrocuted, surging through every vine, every capillary, every nerve and synapse, to the point of going crazy.

The amount of torturous torment she was feeling almost felt like the comfort of her own home, the warmth of the anguish mixed together with the freezing cold misery she was suffering with every second spent in that house, among those people. But it was fine, truly, it was - It almost felt like the gentle arms of death were there to hold her and reassure her a gentle road to the other side, and the angels were singing her hymns in her name.

Instead, it was Aesop holding her and dragging her into the Scriptorium, away from the cursed corridor, afraid that it might lock up and they’d have to repeat the process once more. It was an experience neither of them wished to repeat, no matter what the cost of it. “I’m so sorry, my love, please forgive me. Y/N, are you awake? Can you hear my voice? Merlin -- Please, wake up, please, Y/N, wake up already.” “I’m awake, mum.” the girl grumbled, trembling softly as she got up from his arms. “I’m okay. Truly, I am.” she dragged a hand down her face to properly wake up. “I told you, I’m used to it.” “Can you... Can you walk?” he asked, offering her to lean on him. “Yes, yes, I’m all good. Erh-- Now that we’re here, let’s look around, see if we can find anything of worth.” she said, though not refusing the helping shoulder of her lover.

The atmosphere was eerily quiet and uncomfortable, a heavy pressuring aura falling over, making them feel suffocated. Thankfully, Y/N found a chair to sit in whilst Aesop waltzed around the Scriptorium and investigated every little thing before settling for some books, ingredients and a cauldron, before helping the girl get up and leave through the door - Only to end up in their secret place. How? Unknown. But they weren’t going to question it anyway. They really needed to rest and forget about everything that happened.

With the ending of their beautiful educational era at Hogwarts and the beginning of their young adult lives, Y/N became a fantastic emergency Healer at St. Mungo’s, whilst Aesop became a renowned Auror, getting rid of dark wizards and what not, two little prodigies in a bast world filled with an ocean of skilled witches and wizards. A life so busy, that it made them lose contact ultimately, and for years on end, Y/N and Aesop stopped sending letters altogether... Mostly because the Auror was afraid of endangering the beautiful maiden, yet he had naught the heart to tell her the reason behind not replying to her mails anymore.

But one’s dream was bound to shatter rather swift into his otherwise pristine career, as Sharp and his partner were working on an assignment, where they got ambushed by the evil-doers, resulting in a severe injury for himself... And the fatalist ending of his partner’s life. Watching a friend die before his very eyes was never easy, nor having the torturous curse cast on him - Was this the blazing agony that Y/N felt when he cast it on her, that evening, in the corridor to the Scriptorium? Was this what she was feeling, whenever her awful family wished her ill for not obeying their evil orders, and she had to be punished?

Y/N... My beautiful Y/N... Will I ever see you again?  Aesop’s thoughts flew in a crazy disorder around his mind, as he lay on the ground, helpless, staring in the dead eyes of his partner.

He closed his eyes, thinking himself succumbing to the darkest pits of death, only to next open his eyes and see bright lights, blinding even, and the ethereal face of an angel, in the likeness of his lovely Y/N, sitting on a chair, holding his hand, her sleeping form leaning on the edge of his bed. He quickly realised her thumb was carefully placed over his artery, to feel his pulse, to feel if he was alright. It wasn’t an angel, and he wasn’t dead either. His sweet Y/N was taking care of him.

“You’re awake?” the girl asked, unmoving, as she felt his body stir. “Yes... I think so.” came his gruff, hoarse voice. “How long--” “Two days.” Y/N slowly rose her head, looking out of the window. “Three, actually.” she quickly corrected herself. “How are you feeling?” “I, uhm... My leg... It hurts like hell.” Y/N nodded grimly, looking down at the floor. “There was nothing I could do about it. The curse they cast on you... So far, nobody found a cure for it. The pain will come and go, and it will get better, and worse, sometimes from the season, sometimes from the cold, or overexertion... Sometimes, for no reason at all. You will need a cane... And a moderately sedentary life style.” Aesop looked at her with disbelief, only to feel a wave of surging agony cramp up his entire leg. He tried to cling onto it and bear the pain, only for the girl to give him a potion to relax. “I’m sorry, Aesop. Every Healer in St. Mungo’s tried everything - We even went over the very old and slightly less efficient spells... But nothing worked.” “So... You say I’m stuck with an office job?” Y/N nodded solemnly. “Guess it’s time to resign.” “I’m really sorry. I know how much being an Auror meant for you.” she spoke softly, only to see him wave his hand dismissively. “I am alive, aren’t I? My partner wasn’t as lucky. I may not continue my life as an Auror, but I can do other things that will have some meaning and impact. Besides, I have to find a cure.” he offered a small smile as the pain subsided. “Won’t you help me?” “No.” she curtly cut him off. “I know why you stopped owling me, but I did not appreciate the rudeness. I think I deserved better than complete ignoring.” Y/N gave him a sarcastic smile. “Rest well.” “Wait, Y/N--” he called after her, feeling suffocated. “Will you come visit me again?” “You’re fine. I see no reason to. At most, the nurses will come offer the medication I prescribed, and when you’re entirely healed, they will release you.” she shrugged, not bothering to look back. “And when I get out of here, may I return to courting you?” Y/N thought hard about it, only to smirk in amusement. She turned her head slightly to watch him over her shoulder. “Only if you shave that raccoon off your face.” she let out a dry chuckle, before leaving him all alone in that chamber. “What’s wrong with my facial hair?!” he summoned the mirror from the wall and examined his face. Sure, he looked tired, and perhaps a little more mature than she remembers him at 18 years old - But that didn’t mean it was a bad change by any means!

It took awhile for Aesop to accept that he needs to leave behind his Auror life and retire, but every time his flesh was in searing agony, he reminded himself that it was for the best. At least he was alive... His partner didn’t have such a privilege. He had to make the best out of what was offered to him, and that was his life. For the time that he is allowed to remain on this earth, he was going to search for a cure for this pain to disappear, and perhaps find means to teach the next generations of young witches and wizards.

And thus, Auror Sharp became Professor Sharp, as he was accepted as the Potion Master of Hogwarts. All for the best, he always did love potions, though perhaps not as much as DADA - And now, he had not only the freedom, but the resources to start about his research for an antidote. The only downside of this would be that, once again, he would have no way of courting his sweet Y/N. Should he just let her go? No, he couldn’t. He’s been pining over her for ages now, since they first met each other at eleven years old. He couldn’t just give up. Weekends at Hogsmeade, perhaps? He heard of a nice tea shop that opened recently, at it was all the rage amongst people of all ages, for being so romantic and what not. Not exactly his thing, but Y/N loved cheesy things like this. Flowers, sweet words, slow dances, walks in the moonlight, romantic dates.

But Aesop never took into account the amount of pain he would be in, and how difficult it would be to return to a regular day to day life. It wasn’t just his walking, or rather, his inability to do so, nor was it easy to get used to the complex work of teaching students and actually creating a proper curriculum. For one, most text books were completely useless - And some even had wrong potion ingredients or instructions altogether! How was he supposed to teach young children, when the books help so little? He had to spend so much time properly structuring his lessons for all seven years, and organising all the ingredients, the tools and... Gah, what a mess. Months on end passed, and he had not even a minute of free time - Hell, he barely had time to sleep or eat, let alone do anything but work. How was he supposed to care for his social life, when he was buried under work tenfold - No, a hundredfold rather, than when he was an Auror?

Thus, the whole Summer ended, and the very first month of Hogwarts began, and with it, Aesop learnt how to properly teach his students of all ages the refined art of potion-making; yet even now, just like during his younger days, he had zero tolerance for troublemakers who didn’t keep up with the work. He was, after all, a troublemaker during his student-days, and so was his crush, but they were the top of their class and could afford some mischief here and there. 

And thus, more months went on, before, with a lot of difficult, Professor Sharp was able to balance his work with his recovery, and could now live a relatively normal life - At least by his standards... Though he will forever dread the annoyingly ugly cane that he had to rely on. Some gentlemen used canes for the aesthetic of it, while some kept their wands inside of it. He didn’t care for any of that silliness. He just wanted his health back, and maybe his sense of normalcy too.

It was around late December, and Christmas was approaching - Aesop finally dared send an owl to Y/N and ask her whether she wanted to go on a date with him, on Christmas Eve. Surprisingly, she accepted. For the first time in ages, he felt giddy, like he was a young man once again. But what should he get her? What were some good gift shops around Hogsmeade?

Y/N apparated at Hogsmeade, wearing a beautiful dress and a warm cloak over, and she stepped inside the coquette, little tea house she was invited at, and quickly spotted the gruff looking gentleman tapping his foot with impatient nervousness. “You always did like taking your sweet time before inviting me anywhere, didn’t you?” the man immediately shot up and took off her cloak, hanging it on the coat hanger, before dragging her seat for her. “I have to admit, this place is gorgeous. I had no idea such a beautiful place was opened in Hogsmeade. Says a lot about my social life.” she let out a dry chuckle. “I couldn’t have you walking by the arm of a cripple who couldn’t even walk properly. It would be improper for a beautiful lady like yourself.” Y/N couldn’t help but laugh, looking away and shaking her head in disbelief. “Ever the charmer, you always know what to say to get out of trouble, don’t you, you troublemaker? You might have matured and... That raccoon from your face might make you look older, but you are still the same nasty troublemaker I met decades ago.” Aesop cringed a little, hearing the plural of ‘decade’. “Now you’re making the both of us sound so much older than we are.” he smirked wryly. “Besides, I have to say, I am rather proud of the way I trim my facial hair, and I will not tolerate such disrespect.” he said, before sipping from his tea. “I am very proud of the way my ferret looks.” Y/N couldn’t help but stifle her laugh. “Alright, forgive me, I mistook the furry animal residing on your face.” a comfortable silence took over them, as they held a tender look, gazing at each other. “I heard you became a professor at Hogwarts. How is life treating you?” “I learnt how to manage it properly, I suppose. It can be positively dreadful, though it’s nothing short of an adventure for cripples like myself. Though, I can’t deny, most students can be so dreadful. Our generation wasn’t like this.” Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “We totally were. In fact, the two of us, were the worst of the bunch, if you recall. We’d have gotten detention so much more, were it not for our brilliant grades. Always sneaking out at night, always going into the Forbidden Forest, looking for trouble, always stealing from the supply chambers... Need I go on?” Aesop’s eyes widened with horror, before tapping his cane into the rug. “I knew I forgot something.” he grumbled lowly. “I thought I was mis-counting my supplies. Instead, I was being robbed. Those nasty rascals!” the poor man dragged his hand across his face, crestfallen at his own silly mistake. “As long as you don’t rig it with deathly traps, I’m sure it’s going to be fine, whatever you choose to do.” the woman chuckled in amusement at his exhaustion. “I never imagined how much of a drag it would be, teaching students. I don’t get how Hecat or Weasley do it so well, but I’m having a hard time inspiring authority without everyone trembling in fear before me, as though I’m Salazar Slytherin himself.” Aesop complained about his students. “Could it be that you’re in need of some help, then? You, Aesop Sharp, the greatest Auror the Ministry ever had - Needs help, taming a bunch of unruly students?” Y/N leaned over the table, teasing the taciturn man before her.  “I’d take battling dark wizards any day, over hordes of annoyingly loud students. Besides! We both know I worked better alone during missions.” the man crossed his arms to his chest, as though he was a grumpy, indignant child. “Our potion teacher might have begged to differ, watching us paired together.” the girl smirked teasingly at him.  “You have always been different. That’s why I liked you. We were always on another level than anyone else. Not to mention, if you recall, it was you who dealt with people, not me. Getting us out of trouble, mediating and sweet-talking.” his smile turned bittersweet. “Those days were good.” “They were, indeed.” Y/N agreed. “Though you do need to learn how to listen to me, every once in a while. Maybe that way, you wouldn’t get in so much trouble.” “Ah, here she goes, reprimanding me.” Aesop shook his head dramatically. “But I would greatly appreciate some help.” “Well! I’m not entirely sure how I can aid you, all the way from St. Mungo’s... However! I can help with... This!” she put her purse on her lap and took out a surprisingly long gift box. “Figured at least one of us should care for the aesthetics.” Half excited, half nervous, Sharp took the box and removed the ribbon, revealing a gorgeous-looking cane - Expensive and polished, with gold embedded in intricate shapes, all that would suit a perfect gentleman. Unfortunately for him, he never truly did think of himself as one, considering the amount of rudeness he addressed his sweetheart, in the midst of courting her. “This looks more expensive than my house. I can’t... Accept this.” “Ah, there you go again, being so rude to me. I’m very upset, Aesop, and if you refuse it, I’m going to be even more upset with you.” she threatened with a smile on her face, only to steal his old cane and destroying it. “Oops. An accident.” “Alright, alright, I don’t have the right not to accept a Christmas gift from the heart. Of course, that means, you are not allowed to deny my gifts for you either.” in a swift move, he placed a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, along with a small, velvet gift box.  “You complain about the cane being expensive, but this couldn’t have been any cheaper. You hypocrite.” Y/N muttered, gazing at the gorgeous white gold necklace filled with emeralds. “Come on, go ahead, put it on for me.” with a cheeky smirk, Y/N pulled aside her hair, revealing her thin neck and the supple nape. Aesop stood behind her and carefully placed the necklace around her neck, before planting a soft kiss on her shoulder.  “Happy Christmas, Y/N.” he whispered tenderly into her ear. “Happy Christmas, Aesop.”

But a cane wasn’t the best Christmas gift that Aesop Sharp received - Instead, a few months later, he was surprised with the announcement of a teacher’s helper, mostly there to aid the newly arrived professors who are in need of accomodation and settling in their role as educators for so many students at once. He almost thought it was a cruel jab addressed to him, all by the insufferable Headmaster, but no, it wasn’t a cruel jab. Instead, it was a favour, from one noble Pureblood, to another - Namely, the esteemed Heir of Slytherin. It didn’t matter that Y/N Gaunt was more or less estranged from her family, and she might have had her portrait burnt - A Gaunt was a Gaunt for life, and for once, Y/N used her family’s name for good, as she was hired by the Headmaster.

When Aesop went to his classroom the next morning, he saw his beautiful lady drinking coffee and idly arranging all the bottles and jars of ingredients for the day. When she noticed him, she offered a sleepy smile, before returning to her work. “You always did prefer arranging everything by hand. I could never understand the appeal.” Aesop limped behind her, wrapping his arms around his waist. “It is called - Relaxing - Darling. I believe you should search that word in the dictionary, I truly doubt you’ve ever heard of it before.” her smile only widened, feeling herself melt in his loving embrace. “Ah, yes, because the overworked Healer does such a great job at taking breaks.” he jabbed at her swiftly. “This overworked Healer knows that you’ve overexerted your leg and that the pain is getting worse. Care to explain your misdemeanours?” she looked at him over the shoulder, only to be surprised with a kiss stolen from her sweet lips. “I will tell you, only if you agree to help me out with the pain.” he bribed her jokingly. “That is why I have come here. Not only you are in dire need of someone taking care of you... But I also want to help find a cure for your ailment... Mostly for you and your incredibly rude and inconsiderate self, but also, to help out St. Mungo’s, if any case like yours happens again.” Y/N admitted, turning around and placing her arms on his shoulders lazily. “As long as I have you by my side, it matters little to me - Though, I can’t deny, having your help makes me feel like we’re students again, ready to take on more troublemaking.” Aesop chuckled lightly. “All fine with me - But no more Slytherin adventures. I’m so done with that.” the ex-Auror cringed at the memory. “Deal.” he agreed, leaning in to plant a loving kiss on her forehead.

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy x reader #hogwarts legacy imagine #aesop sharp #aesop sharp x reader #aesop sharp imagine

[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

[booburry]

Ramblings about the type of partner/lover Aesop Sharp would be before his incident:

I feel like he would take notice of the small things you enjoy and bring that back into your life. Sees you always smiling at a certain flower? Come home them being planted in your flower bed or as a huge bouquet.

His job will always be more important, but he tells you that now he has something to protect and he must stay vigilant.

When he is home between missions, he dotes on them constantly. Pillow under the feet as they lounge and read a book, a blanket if they have a single goosebump, telling them how much he loves them every time he sees them.

He would try to hide his injuries from his work, not wanting to worry you and to keep you separate from his work. If you don't know what he is doing, it's safer for you.

He would always make sure to have major holidays, your birthday and anniversary off from work. Maybe there was one day where it was 'unavoidable' but with how Aesop exploded on his boss for that day, it always seemed avoidable from them on.

He would love teaching or showing you new things he had come across. Not full lectures, but short bursts of information that he would enthusiastically share

He would have anecdotes for everything

He is painfully practical with everyone except for you. He greatly enjoys giving into your wishes and whims

I am sure there are more but my brain can't think of it. If anyone has anything to add, please feel free!!

#professor aesop sharp #aesop sharp #dating aesop sharp #my headcannon #aesop sharp is a snack #hogwarts legacy professors #hogwarts legacy #professor sharp

[mrs-sharp]

The eyes of Graphorns

tw: mention of death and loss

Aesop Sharp x mc

Summary: After the battle of Hogwarts against Ranrok and his followers was won, nothing is the same for Elaine Hopkins. Her mentor is dead, and she finds herself with a new responsibility as the guardian of the last repository. She finds support in Aesop Sharp, who escorts her after Fig's death and slowly gains her trust.

-> Chapter 2 - Goodbyes

-> Chapter 3 - A Reunion

-> Chapter 4 - The Renegades

-> Chapter 5 - Elaine's Laughter

I finally did it! I translated my first piece of fanfiction. Since English isn't my first language and I don't have much time, I had to use the help of ChatGPT, and it's still not perfect, but I hope it's good enough and you still like it. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1 - The Battle of Hogwarts

A pained sound escaped her lips, and she squeezed her eyes shut, her body curling forward as if someone had cast the Cruciatus curse on her, which she would have preferred now if given a choice. Elaine couldn't remember the last time she had a choice. Knowing that Fig was dead was almost unbearable. Just like that. Her own voice sounded like that of a stranger as she whimpered "No-no-no-no-no-".

Elaine Hopkins knelt in front of Professor Fig's lifeless body. She couldn't believe she had lost him. Just moments ago, he had fought side by side with her to defend Hogwarts and the entire wizarding world, and now he lay there, his gaze empty. Dead. She had unconsciously held herself together as he directed his final words to her, to give him reassurance in the moments before his death. She felt the control over her emotions gradually slipping away as she realized what had just happened. She had lost her mentor and watched him die.

Suddenly, a hand and some calm, reassuring words rested on her shoulder. Elaine flinched but couldn't move.

"There's nothing more you can do for him."

As she heard the gentle sound of the familiar voice beside her, her stiffness melted away. She turned around and looked into a pair of alert eyes that seemed to convey an understanding of what she was going through. Professor Sharp stood next to her, leaning forward towards her.

"Come, I'm here. Please. Don't torment yourself more than necessary," Sharp's voice sounded almost pleading. There was a tone in his voice that burned through Elaine's chest, indicating that while it was important to say goodbye, to honor that one last moment, she shouldn't give in too much to the pain - at least for now. It was suddenly noticeably quiet in the cave under Hogwarts, as the battle had subsided and everyone realized what had happened. Sharp had immediately sensed that something had gone wrong, that something terrible had happened, that something was no longer as it should be. He was the first to correctly assess the situation. He had apparated instantly to the scene of the accident. To his student who had just suffered a great loss. "Come, you need to get out of here."

Elaine reached for his hand, and he pulled her up. His grip was firm, allowing her to find the stability she had just lost. Sharp wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulders. Elaine was surprised by the strength and ease with which the Potions professor had helped her up. On the way up to the Map Room, the other teachers watched them in silence - full of sorrow and horror. Elaine caught herself thinking that she was surprised by the smoothness with which Sharp moved at her side, interrupted only slightly by the limp that always accompanied the former Auror.

All sorts of accusations crossed Elaine's mind. If only Fig hadn't accompanied her on her journey to explore Ancient Magic and protect it from falling into the wrong hands. If only she had worked alone. If only she hadn't demanded so much from him.

Sharp led Elaine into his office and asked her to sit down. Like a statue, she sank into a chair in front of her Potions professor's desk and stared blankly into space. Sharp sat across from Elaine Hopkins on the other side of the table and looked at her patiently. He recognized that look. In his years as an Auror, he had seen many colleagues come and go, leaving their mark on the survivors. For some reason, seeing his student in pain hurt him a little more. Perhaps, he thought, it was because of her age and the idea that she had already endured a kind of suffering during her school years that was still difficult to bear even when one had learned to cope with it.

He could have asked her why she and Fig hadn't informed him and the other teachers earlier, why they hadn't given them a chance to support them, but he didn't. He was aware of the accusations Elaine must now face and didn't want to make it worse.

"If you'd like to talk about it, you can come to me anytime," he said instead, albeit somewhat awkwardly. Until now, he had always sat on the other side of such tables and been the one who had lost someone. Elaine was grateful that he didn't ask about what she and Fig had been working on over the last year; the tears that she had held back until this moment suddenly ran down her face. She buried her face in her hands. It tore Sharp apart to see her like this. No one should be subjected to this kind of pain. But weren't those his own words? None of us has a guarantee of survival? If he had known how soon Elaine would experience this firsthand, he might have chosen his words more carefully.

-

Sharp lay awake for a long time that night. What a day it had been. In the morning, he had been busy explaining the difference between bezoars and Ashwinder eggs to third-year students without realizing what was happening deep beneath the school at that moment. Even less could he have imagined that Matilda would rush through the school hours later in distress, talking about an emergency to gather all professors together to defend Hogwarts against trolls and goblins.

Sharp hadn't fought since the ambush where he lost his partner. Of course, he was always ready to defend himself and others, but he was sure that due to his injury, he had lost some of his abilities. Nevertheless, his senses were sharper than ever as he disapparated that evening to secure the school and, above all, support the student who was currently trying to protect whatever it was that goblins wanted.

Sharp sat on the edge of his bed and wrapped a cloak around his shoulders.

"Lumos!"

He walked over to the fireplace in his bedroom, lit it with "Incendio", and sat in one of two chairs in front of the fire.

The warmth relaxed him a bit. Since arriving at Hogwarts, the second chair in front of the fireplace had always remained empty. He didn't often receive visitors in his private quarters anyway, not least because he didn't want anyone to discover either his cane or wheelchair.

During battle, he hardly noticed his leg; he had been too focused on defensive spells and attacks while keeping an eye on what was happening on the battlefield. He had felt filled with passion during the battle - a feeling almost forgotten since his time as an Auror. It was a kind of passion only felt when one put their life on line for something significant beyond their own existence. Adrenaline surged through his body; the tension of not being allowed to make any mistake had given him the certainty that what he did mattered.

However, they suffered losses. Sharp gazed into the fire. Thinking about Fig made him sad; even sadder was remembering his student. Sharp's thoughts kept returning to her over these past few hours. She not only lost her mentor but also her trust - if it hadn’t already been lost before today. Who besides Fig knew what she had already gone through up until this day? At Fig's request back then, Sharp conducted investigations into Ranrok and goblins at Ministry but only now did complexity of situation gradually became clear to him.

Otherwise Sharp didn’t know much about Elaine Hopkins; until now his interest in her had been limited to her academic achievements which undoubtedly surprised him. Beyond that, all he knew were the rumors that she was caught hunting dark wizards outside school or rescuing lost Nifflers from poachers more than once.

This way to Chapter 2

#professor aesop sharp #aesop sharp #professor sharp #aesop sharp x mc #sharp #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy screenshots #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hogwarts oc #wizarding world #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter franchise #harry potter fandom #harry potter #fanfiction #fanfic

[bohobooks]

An Interesting Turn in Time (Hogwarts Legacy x MC x Golden Trio)

Due to popular demand, what started out as a few imagines is now a full book. Here's a peak at chapter one:

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

As with any other Sunday in Hogwarts if you were looking for the mischievous Slytherin Trio, you would find them in the Room of Requirement. The room itself was spacious- and despite the sun coming through the domed ceiling, rather cold.

Rose had conjured a fireplace in one of the tucked away corners of the main room, summoning all of the furniture to surround it in an aestheticcally pleasing fashion.

After defeating Rookwood, Harlow, and Ranrok, she had dedicated herself to living a comfortable life. She wanted to enjoy what the Wizarding World had to offer properly.

The Battle in the repository had wrecked havoc on her body and mind. After Ranrok made his last play- destroying the container itself- she was left to absorb all of the ancient magic, else it escaped into the world. Her mentor, Fig, was killed instantly as a piece of Goblin metal speared itself through his heart in the final explosion. She remembers flashes of things after that. Strong arms carrying her- that was Professor Sharp. Voices panicking, then black. When she awoke in Saint Mungos, Sebastian, Ominis, and Sharp were all stationed around her bed. From that day on, Ominis, Sebastian, and to everyone's surprise Professor Sharp, vowed to protect her.

Since the death of Fig, Rosalie was left without a guardian- and after asking for her permission, Aesop Sharp signed the papers to become her legal guardian.

That was two years ago for Rosalie Wayland Sharp.

Today, she sat with her closest friends, the three of them 7th years. Ominis sat on the chair nearest the fire, boredly reading a book that Rose had bought him- a muggle poet named Edgar Allen Poe. Sebatian, taking a metaphorical page from the Book of Ominis, was sprawled out on the dark ornate carpet with his sketchbook, eyes only leaving the pencil lines long enough to look up at his friends for reference. And Rosalie, she sat on the floor at the base of Ominis's chair: cross legged and levitating pages of am Ancient book around her. She studied them intently, hands free to sip her cup of tea.

This is how they spent most of their time, relaxing in eachothers company.

Breaking the quiet, the door to the Room of Requirement squeaked open, causing the trio to alert.

Rosalie figured it was her guardian, but uneasily called out, "Aesop?"

There was no answer, aside from quiet shuffling from the entryway. This time when she spoke, it was with a tone of warning. She was already on her feet, along with her boys, wands at the ready, "Father?"

Three figures stepped into the open room from the small hallway, causing the Slytherins to bristle even further.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sebastian spat defensively as he and Ominis stepped forward to flank either side of their girl. She could totally handle herself, but she appreciated the sentiment.

The intruders actually looked startled, clearly not expecting what they found. The girl of the group, a pretty thing wearing a pink sweater and what appeared to be tight fitting denim trousers stepped forward with her hands in the air to signal she was not a threat.

Her voice was soft and melodic, "We don't mean any harm."

Rose laughed wearily, gesturing behind the girl with her wand, "Tell that to the specky git behind you."

Not dropping her hands, she glanced over her shoulder and hissed at the dark haired boy behind her, "Harry! Put away your wand!"

The boy looked at her if she had lost her mind, but quietly slipped his wand into his pocket.

Ominis was the one to talk this time, "No, I'm going to need you to roll your wands to us."

The red head on the other side of who they determined to be Harry began to protest, but the intruder girl cut him off, "Ronald, just do it. Imagine if you were minding your own business in a place that should be impossible for others to find and three strangers just waltzed in."

One by one, they rolled their wands over to the Slytherins, and Luna just held out a hand, wordlessly summoning them from the floor.

Rose eyed the others suspiciously, but sighed and tucked away her wand, gesturing for her boys to do the same. Her voice was tired, knowing full well that this seemed like one of the shenanigans that the Wizarding World as a whole enjoyed tossing at her. Summoning another couch to the sitting area, she gestured for everyone to sit. She took the large gothic armchair, crossing her legs. Ominis and Sebastian didn't sit, instead opting to stand on either side of her.

The girl sat on the middle of the couch, and the boys- Harry and Ron from what Rose had gathered- sat wearily beside their friend.

Luna looked them over, hardly even wanting to engage in whatever was about to happen, "So," she smiled tiredly, "Care to tell us who the hell you are?"

The one that she gathered to be Ron snorted, "Who we are? How about who you are? And why are you dressed like that?"

The girl hissed at him, smacking the back of his head, "Ronald, don't be impolite!" She turned back to Rose and smiled kindly, "I'm Hermione, and this is-"

"Harry and Ron, we gathered as much." Ominis interrupts curtly. "Care to tell us how you found us? If I have to get Headmaster Black involved, I can assure you that the results will not be pretty for you."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Stand down, boys. Sit, you're making me nervous."

She looked back to Hermione, watching her eyebrows furrow as she attempted to solve something. At once, her brown eyes light up in recognition, "Godrics heart!" The girl actually got excited, "Head master Black? Those uniforms- those are the old school uniforms!"

Rose, lifted an eyebrow, "Old? I just bought these for Glad Rags yesterday!"

The girl continued mapping out her discovery, "The uniforms are from the late 1800's- Holy Shit."

Her companions looked at her surprised, clearly unused to her cursing. Rose on the otherhand shot Sebastian a look as if to communicate that this girl has clearly gone round the bend. Turning back to her, Rose speaks gently, "Hermione, dearest. It's 1893. Do we need to take you to Nurse Blainey?"

"That's just it though, it's not 1893. Its 1997. And you are Rosalie Sa- sorry." The insane girl covered her mouth quickly, "Rosalie Wayland. The Hero of Hogwarts."

Even Harry and Ron seemed to think Hermione had lost her mind, but she turns excitedly to Harry, "Don't you get it Harry? We needed a weapon, and the Room of Requirement gave us three!"

"You are insane." Ominis rubs his forehead.

"But I'm not, I'll prove it. And we will explain everything, but first I think we all need to go see the Headmaster."

_______________________________________

A/N- First chapter is a short one to get the ball rolling! I hope you will enjoy, and thank you for all of your love and support! ♡♥︎♡

#harry potter #hogwarts legacy #golden trio x hogwarts legacy #an Interesting turn in time #sebastian sallow #ominis gaunt #hogwarts legacy fanfic #harry potter fanfiction #crossover fanfiction #aesop sharp #garreth weasley #weasley twins #ron weasley #george weasley #fred weasley #found family #imagine #harry potter imagine #hermione granger #draco malfoy #tom riddle #weasley family #molly weasley #father! aesop sharp #professor sharp #wizarding world #wizarding world fanfic #wattpad

[idv-artists-trio]

->Minecraft Essence Series {II}

K, Damian, Cole { @idv-sinful-deities }

Cleo { @ask-idv-thrillseeker }

Blindspot { @ask-blindspot-aesop }

Ameillia { @ask-idv-gas-specialist }

Shiloh { @idv-thespians }

Yami, Amy { @the-oletus-parlor }

Man in Red { @ask-mir-idv }

Laurence, Akihiko { @idv-news-boi }

Edgar { @idv-vale-bois }

Lawrence, Samantha { @idv-askchaoticduo } (designs done by the incredible Kory <33)

Headcanons I came up so far

Iron Golem befriends bunnies, but Killer Bunny would still feel self-conscious around him... Until they started to get along eventually through carrot soup :DD

Iron Golem guards a village from the oak tree mountains with other iron golems. Iron Golem met Snow Golem before, his first impression was to have his back as comrades, seeing that the snowman cannot even handle a skeleton himself but doesn't see him as weak. Both sharing mutual understanding of guarding and protecting their homes.

Wolf has a human companion, as you can see by the red collar- but got lost when he was chasing Fox, who was just trying to sneak some berries that were near the forest village the wolf was in :(

Enderdragon likes taking a lot of naps,,,often sleeping unless she's called for a fight by unwanted visitors. (^u^;

This Stray is a child that must be protected, despite being one that can bite you and freeze you in a blink of an eye/ih

Stray eventually gets adopted by Killer Bunny and Snow Golem at the Snow Biome. At a cabin a bit close to a snow covered village, Stray promises to guard the village with papa Snow Golem as long as he can protect his snowman guardian,,, the motives of fighting with sharp objects are inherited by mama bunny and the winter traits came from papa snowman,,,

Pillager is often found in multiple watchtowers where she takes turns with other pillagers. She is rarely seen often due to making sure that every inch of the territories aren't left unsupervised.

Green Axolotl is a naughty one, Villager Joe had to put him into a bucket jail.

Witch is not an ordinary one,,, has a little bee following him around. Yet the company doesn't seem to bother him, more like it encourages him to decorate his abode with more flowers so the bee can be more comfortable to settle in.

Witch also helps Glowing Squid in getting to walk on land by making a land dwelling potion. They both seem to also show affection for one another.

Bat is Cave Spider's roomie, lonely dude who stays locked in the cave reading literature by himself. Spider had to get him out of the comfort zone and introduces him to Killer Bunny who he eventually clicked well with her. Now Stray has a bat guardian and Killer Bunny gets a mining buddy/ih

Mooshroom is a tsundere. Likes to hide a lot to prevent from being seen... Doesn't admit he has a little crush on Cave Spider/ih

Penguin is just giving with his camera,,, don't mind him sliding by if he finds something interesting and takes q picture of it---

Stray was moved from ice biome to snow biome to live with his guardians. Penguin and Polar Bear is from the ice biome where the floor is mostly made out of ice.

Unlike the penguin who is usually passive, Polar Bear often gets defensive. If an adventurer gets closed to his cubs, he attacks. If he gets threatened, he attacks. If there is a fox, or pretty much most mobs that are in hostile mode, he attacks!!! Never underestimate his warm looking smile through the frosting cold winter.

Though, Polar Bear seems to get along so well with the traveling trio, especially Cave Spider. He also seems to have a closer connections with Warden, and surprisingly Arctic Fox. Either he's just teasing the fox like food or actually treating him like a beloved creature, is in question sometimes,,, but the polar bear seems to have a lot of trust in the fox to look after his cubs for even just a moment...

Parrot would have tendencies to take the cubs who were oblivious just paw on the bird with goggles as if asking to play with them/ih

#identity v oc #idv ocs #idv oc #idv oc ask blog #idv askblog #identity v ask blog #identity v #// ​minecraft essence series #//angel's costume essence projects

[stardew-crossings]

Sharpuary - Shadow

This is my contribution for Day 2 Sharpuary, I haven’t written anything in years but I have also not fangirled this hard in years either so…enjoy!

Aesop Sharp sat at the back of the The Three Broomsticks, a half-empty glass of Firewhiskey sat on the table in front of him. He would normally be content drinking by himself in front of his own fire in his own room, however there was a reason he was here tonight. The reason in fact, that had brought him to the Three Broomsticks for the past three weekends in a row: dancing. Not him of course, Merlin’s beard, he hadn’t danced in years. Even before his leg had been injured the most he would have done is engage in the occasional slow, formal, ballroom dance at a party, and that was a rarity. No, he was here to watch dancing, more specifically, to watch her dance.

He couldn’t help himself. She was beautiful, twirling around on the opposite end of the room, hairs falling out of place to bounce around her round, angelic face. Her smile lighting up everything around her with a radiance that rivaled the sun. She was carefree and wild and didn’t shy away from a thing, which he found endearing and annoying because it meant that she wasn’t as safe as she could be. He took a sip of his Firewhiskey. He had been like a shadow these last few months, always near, always watching. It wasn’t just to admire her either, it was to keep her safe, protected, make sure none of her enemies tried to ambush her.

He took another sip of his drink as he watched her spin around in the arms of Sebastian Sallow. He was fairly certain their relationship was strictly platonic, but still the sight made him slightly ache with jealousy. That was, it did until they spun around to where Sebastian’s back was towards him and she was looking over Sebastians shoulder, directly into his eyes. She gave him a sultry look and flashed him the smile he swore she only gave him and heat rushed to every part of his body.

He brought his glass to his lips and finished the rest of his drink while not breaking eye contact with her. As he set his glass back down on the table he thought he caught a glimpse of her winking at him just before their gaze broke and Sebastian spun her back around, causing her to giggle and make his heart flutter at the sound. Just like that the moment was over and she was back in her own world with her friends, dancing her heart out. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. He was the shadow standing on the opposite side of her light, always behind her, always waiting to envelop and protect her, and he vowed to himself that he always would be.

#aesop sharp #professor sharp #sharpuary

[julietpricee]

Chapter 9 of Forbidden Desires

This chapter is dedicated to protective Professor Aesop Sharp 🥰🥰

AO3:

Wattpad:

#hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy fandom #professor sharp #aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp #aesop sharp x mc #daddy sharp #ominis gaunt #hogwarts legacy ominis #ominis x mc #professor sharp x mc #professor sharp x reader #aesop sharp x reader #ominis x y/n #ominis x reader #ominis x oc #harry potter hogwarts game #hogwarts fanfiction #hogwarts #hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry #hogwarts legacy fanfic