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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 28 days

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Ch. VII

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

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

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

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

But if anyone here would know, it was her.

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

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

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

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

‘Damn he is good at his job.’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But?”

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

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

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

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

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

“I-I’m sorry, but master Gaunt is-”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You love her… don't you?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—

December 25, 1892

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Will you dance with me?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“May I have this dance, Miss…?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He could not lose her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Thank you Aesop. I-,”

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

“Orchideous.”

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

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

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

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

___

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

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

-------------------------- TAGS:@4everflowercore @marine-captain-deku @ryehoneyandinkstains @doom-n-gloomgal @shygurl123456 @handon-h-art @misswildfire @nightless @dagiweh @anmactireaonai@liadamerondjarin@amatchinwater @mellocado @imaginaryismyescape@v1cv1c@disassociation-daydreams

#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #harry potter #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fic #professor sharp #hogwarts legacy fic #professor sharp x oc #professor aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp x oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 2 months

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 2 months

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"𝕲𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖚𝖕 𝖜𝖊𝖆𝖐 𝖔𝖗 𝖌𝖗𝖔𝖜 𝖚𝖕 𝖙𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍"

Lucrezia Amèlie Alerie•INTJ•Slytherin•Black Sheep

~~•~~

HPHL oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 3 months

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Seeing the update love makes me very happy that chapter 2 of "Become as Gods" is right around the corner

See you soon

#enver gortash x oc #lord enver gortash #gortash #enver gortash #durgetash #dark urge #become as gods #enver flymm #gortash x dark urge #gortash x durge

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 3 months

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In regards to my future works

To keep long story short, after I finish "A Latent Sense of Loyalty" I will be distancing myself from Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter as a whole.

I do not want to abandon something I've dedicated so much love and time to, but I no longer feel okay within such a place, and wish to move to more positive ventures.

I hope to see you all for the next few projects i have lined up!!!

#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #harry potter #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fic #hogwarts legacy fic #professor sharp #professor sharp x oc #professor aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp x oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 3 months

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Ch. VI

Word Count: 4258 Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi ~ AN: In case you haven't seen, I have also started a new Baldurs Gate 3 series with Enver Gortash and Dark Urge! If you are interested, check it out!

"Become as Gods"

If you want to be updated for new chapters, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! Enjoy!

The storm had not let up in days. Typical for this time of year, the rain would soon be replaced with snow. It was like the world was mourning another bygone fall, life being stripped off the boughs of trees, rotting on the ground, waiting for the frost to finally claim the decay.

Sirona did not mind, it drove business through her doors. Even with all the troubles, business was business. But some limits had to be reached, and she could tell just from the comfort of patrons alone, everyone was reaching their limit. A cloud had come over Hogsmeade, and this cloud had not broken to unleash its rain yet. Sirona knew that it was close to breaking, and she did not want to see innocents swallowed in the chaos.

The envelope sat in her pocket, the tavern shaking slightly from another roaring clap of thunder. None of the patrons seemed to be phased, continuing to murmur about the recent attacks close by. As she inspected them all, polishing the tankard in her hand, her eyes fell again on the old crone, hunched and sitting alone on the second floor. She had been sitting there for a good while now, food left untouched. Sirona could just make out the woman's fingers fiddling with something. Sirona really didn't want to go up there, to confront the old woman on all days, but she had to think of the patrons first. Grabbing a bottle and a small glass, she nodded to the men sitting g at the bar, making her ways upstairs.

The crone was the only soul in sight, everyone else wanting to sit close to the fire as the air chilled. The witches' clothes were decapitated, hanging on her frail body by threads. The hood covered her face, silver hair pooling beneath on the table, some of it now on the plate beside her, mixing with the now cold meat juices. Her gnarled fingers focused on the small vial on the table, pushing it forward as it rolled back to her, over, and over, and over. The witch didn't acknowledge Sirona's presence until the wrinkled envelope hit the table, stopping the witch as the vial hit her knuckle.

"If you're going to order food, at least eat it. I hate wasting." Sirona placed the glass down, pouring a cup of dark Dragon Brandy. The witch slowly dragged her hand towards the envelope, pocketing it before taking a generous sip of brandy, the following hiss the first sound Sirona had heard from her. Thinking the bar was fine for now, she pulled up a chair, sitting down close to the decrepit crone.

After another sip, Sirona noticed the slight bubbling in her hand, the crone quickly taking a swig of some flask in her robe, wincing.

"How much…?" The witches' voice sounded nearly ancient, as if Sirona expected to see a puff of dust from her mouth after speaking. Slowly, she lifted her head to Sirona. Sirona was going to be blunt, she looked like hell. Old leathery skin, warts, eyes sunken in and cheeks, even with their jewels, hollowed from starvation.

"Two." Sirona's voice was flat, taking her own sip of the brandy. "I can't keep doing this for you… people are wo during and-"

"My dear…. It is only hair." The woman sipped the glass after, beginning to once again push the vial back and forth. "Soon enough… all will be good."

The Tavern keeps hand slammed down on the table, almost close enough to shatter the vial entirely. Before she could blink, a wand was poised at her throat, the tip almost feeling like a knife. The crone's face snarled at her, leaning in to whisper. "The vial…. Don't fucking touch it." The wand retracted, and the vial continued to roll again.

Sirona felt a stab of pity go through her, it honestly broke her heart. But at the end of the day, she couldn't enable this, and put lives at risk. "Listen…. " Sirona sat forward, looking at the witch. "You can't be coming back here anymore… people are getting tipped off, you're putting way too many lives at risk. More than the ones that have already died." Sirona braced herself for the other to lash out, to get angry, but all she heard was a sigh.

"You know I wish I could help you.." Sirona cautiously placed her hand over the old woman's, her skin ice cold. "But I need to look out for us… and for you. I don't want to see you…" she couldn't finish the sentence, taking another swig before filling the cup again, the other woman taking it with a shaking hand to drink down completely. "I'm sorry." The witch let out another sigh, straightening herself in her chair. Sirona couldn't help but flinch away from the other.

"I… understand my friend." The weathered fingers patted Sirona's hand, relaxing into the chair once more as she stopped the vial. "Just…. May I eat before leaving?"

"Of course. The bottle and meal are on the house," She grabbed the witch's shoulder, giving a light squeeze. "Speaking of which," She stood up, giving a stretch before taking one last sip from the bottle. "I've got a man upstairs." The old witch nodded, Sirona taking her leave after one last squeeze. A hole grew in the woman's stomach, a hand moving to hold onto her wand. She didn't want to have to do this again, it nearly killed her last time. But she knew, for the good of everyone, all loose ends needed to be cut. Yet, as she looked down at the vial before her, that hole grew into a pit of longing, one she just prayed would swallow her up soon.

—

June 19, 1893

She couldn't get herself to sleep, most of the students couldn't sleep tonight. It was her last night here. In this common room, in this castle, and it broke her heart. Exams flew by, her N.E.W.T.s had just gotten her though enough for the Auror academy to truly let her in, yet as she sat on the couch, staring up into the lake, it felt empty and hollow. All she could think about was him, his reaction to it all, how they left each other that day. Lenore hated leaving things the way they were, even if they would never see each other again. After everything that had happened this year, this all felt wrong.

Her thought process had been broken at the sounds of wings rustling behind her, the screech of an owl on its perch waiting for her. “Sorry buddy, everyone is out.” The seventh years had taken their last night to Hogsmeade, toasting to their tenure of school. Lenore, as much as she adored most of the relationships she had made, was never one for loud events. She hated feeling so cramped, the overabundance of noise. Yet, the owl remained, bobbing its head back and forth as it waited. With a grunt, Lenore approached, the handwriting on the owl making her step falter. She could feel her heart stop, stomach filling with those nervous butterflies as she gently grasped the letter.

It was odd, but she always admired his handwriting. Breaking the wax seal with a shaking hand, she slowly opened the letter, the contents making her heart jump straight to her throat.

Miss Arkanos,

You know where to find me.

-Sharp

Lenore did not even consider dressing more appropriately, her long olive robe covering enough of her nightgown to still be tasteful. Hair lay around her shoulders, tousled and unkempt as she made her way out of the common room. She did not realise until halfway through her journey, she did not even bother wearing shoes.

A few students still lingered in the hallways, ghosts passing by as they did a double take. It was more than unusual for someone to be walking around in their sleepwear, especially to the faculty building. But what were they going to do really, expel her now? The thought made Lenore laugh to herself. The stone felt cold on her feet, helping her ground herself to the entire situation on hand. She did not know what she was going to do, say, what kind of situation she was about to walk herself into. But Lenore was not about to let this end this way. Too much had happened, neither of them couldn't deny this. Lenore needed closure, and so did he.

Standing in front of the Faculty room entrance, Lenore hesitated as her hand hovered over the door. She knew she would not be seen, the professors were celebrating with the seventh years. But a part of her did not want to make any of this worse, to test whatever thin ice she was on to see if it would shatter beneath. Lenore knew herself better than that though as she pushed through. She always took her risks, to a fault.

The floorboards were a welcome change on her feet, her body beginning to warm itself from the nerves as she ascended the stairs. The first flight, she debated turning around, the second she tried to find every way to explain to him how he was wrong. As she approached the landing, she could see the light streaming from the tiny balcony, the faint sound of music playing. As she stopped to listen, a sudden realization came over her, one that filled her chest with a campfire warmth.

Without hesitation she pushed through the door, entering the first room of his quarters. She could see that it remained the same as the past times she had come here. Coats and shirts strewn over chairs, a couple portraits covered. He always hated having all those eyes on him. She could smell the latest concoctions he had been working on, he never really stopped. But what she noticed immediately was the large marble fireplace ahead, the fire completely out. Usually he would make her put in the effort to extinguish the flames, just so he could chuckle at her slight irritation every time. Lenore, as much as it did slightly annoy her, always enjoyed bringing him some kind of small joy in that regard. It was rare to see him really let guards down, soften himself up a little. Anything like that, she would take and cling to for the whole day .

Crouching past the hearth, she slowly made her way upstairs, the music becoming clearer in her mind. She could smell the tea permeating the staircase, her shoulders already tensing. He was so close, and every step made her anxiety heighten. It was not until the last few flights she paused her ascension, noticing something different on the walls.

Lenore remembered for a time, during the spring break, she had spent quite a majority of time with Aesop, Wanting to help him not only with his potion crafting, but with his illustrations. He had only passed it off as a small hobby of his, which she immediately knew was a lie. From the spectacular detail he had in his mind, to remembering every single part of a room to the singular blades of grass, it astounded her. Lenore’s mind worked much too fast to pick up that much detail, except if it was a specific moment that was so important, it branded itself on her brain.

So Lenore should not have been surprised that the new additions on the walls seemed to be pulled out of her memory of that night at the Yule Ball. The trees with crystalized branches, the individual flakes of snow. Lenore saw the stairs leading up towards the courtyard, how they looked frosted over, save for the few individual footprints left behind. As she made it up the last flight, she could see the balcony looking over the viaduct bridge, the memories almost flooding back to her. With the music, the images around her, it was as if she was somewhat back in the moment. The rustling heard in the other room was what brought her back to reality.

Walking into the small workshop, of course the first thing her eyes fell on was Aesop, his back to her as he sat at the desk against the far wall, quill in hand as it furiously scratched the page. For as beautiful as his art was, he was not exactly the most gentle artist. Also judging by the amount of snapped quills in the bucket on the table with him, she could tell it was not one of his good days. She could feel the frustration emanating off his body as she approached, hugging her robe closer to her body. Lenore regretted not changing, feeling extremely exposed now.

Hearing the rustle of her robes snapped Aesop out of his own thoughts, eyes softening only slightly. “Ah… Miss Arkanos..” It was like a punch to the gut, hearing him address her like that. After what had happened, he usually said her first name in private, they both did. Hearing him address her like before now, it made her stomach tighten. Yet, Lenore nodded her head in response. Without saying anything she waved her wand, the pot of tea immediately pouring for the two of them. For a moment they stood in silence, neither of them able to look at each other until they both held their tea.

“I…. I am glad you came.” His voice was much quieter now, daring to look over at the girl. To his shock, Lenore’s eyes met his, both just taking the moment while on opposite sides of the table.

“Listen… Professor I-”

Aesop held his hand up slowly, his stare gentle yet firm. Immediately Lenore hushed herself, trying everything to not shake. She never knew what it was that made her body react to him in such a way, but just by his eyes alone she could not stop shaking. Waving his wand, he brought two chairs towards them, Lenore automatically sitting before him. For a moment, as he approached, he took in the sight of her, the aching in his heart growing. Aesop knew this would be the last he could ever see her like this, here, with him. All he wanted to do was freeze the moment in time, to revel in this before he would watch that infernal train take her away from him, to the one place he begged her not to go. Yet, here Aesop stood once more, doing everything to not grovel at her feet.

Slowly he sank into the chair beside her, clearing his throat before addressing her. “I… I wanted to apologize for what happened before.” Lenore could hear the nervousness in his voice, wanting to just take any kind of fear he had away. “It was not right of me… but..” And there was the but. The one thing she did not want to hear, the sigh of irritation already breaking through as she stood, pacing back and forth in front of him.

“Lenore you need to listen-”

“No! No I don't Aesop. You of all people know this is exactly what I should be doing with my life! I can do something, make myself an Auror that actually helps people, not sit on their ass doing paperwork. I can fight, I can be something!” Lenore could not help but raise her voice. This argument was a tired one, Aesop pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “You know how hypocritical you're being with this!”

“Not one part of you understands what you want to do Lenore!” Now was his turn to stand, facing her as his expression turned to stone. “I have seen the worst of it, experienced the worst of it. It will change you Lenore, you will see things that one should never have to endure.” The chill crawled up his spine, memories flashing in his mind, ones that kept him awake at night. “I can't see you go down that path, I can't see you-”

“Can't what? Can't bear to see me do the one thing you wish you could do? I never took you for the jealous type.” She spat out the words, anger now fueling her words. “I know what there is to see Aesop, lest you fucking forget!” He could not help but wince. She was partly right, she had seen things that most students would not be able to cope with, and it had changed her. But Lenore knew there was more, something he wasn't saying, and as his expression changed, suddenly her anger changed, morphing into regret.

“Lenore…” his voice caught in his throat, only letting out a strange whimper, a sound that shook Lenore to her core. As she looked into his eyes, she could see the deep blue beginning to glass over with tears as he slowly, very slowly, approached her.

“I have seen my best friend, my partner, killed right in front of me. I could not stop it, but the thought of knowing it was me who brought him there, who had hoped it would go well… I live with that guilt, every day.” He stepped closer. “I know you feel that way with Eleazar.” Closer. “But… the day I saw you get hit, fall to the ground writhing in pain, that scream.: He choked on the work, steadying himself on the desk. “Lenore, the thought of you going out there, risking your life over poachers and dark wizards, when you have already done so much… the thought kills me.”

Lenore was not aware that she had been backing up until her lower back hit the table, her breathing rapid and shallow. Yet, she could not tear her eyes away from the man before her.

“I… I can't sit by and watch you throw yourself into something so dangerously, without trying.” He was only a couple feet away now, his scent making Lenore grow dizzy. “I… I care for you Lenore, more than I ever should. More than is safe..” Another step. “But I have to tell you, I can't bear to lose someone else I love.”

Slowly, he reached up with his hand, moving some of the hair behind her ear, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as lightly as a breath. “I'm too afraid… that if I admit what is true… that I will lose you. So…” he leaned in a little, their faces merely inches apart. Lilium, for a moment, wanted so desperately to close the gap between them. His breath danced with hers, his hand now cupping her cheek as they just stood there, both waiting for the other to do something.

Yet, Lenore knew this was not right, the position they both were in. A moment like this should not happen here. They should not be this way, this over emotional, this unclear. They both deserve each other in their best moments. Lenore took in a deep breath, sighing as her hand cupped his own cheek, Aesop sighing at the contact. It had been more years than he could recall, being touched so affectionately. He just wanted to stay like this.

“Aesop… all I ask is that you wait for me… let me show you that I can do this.” Her voice was desperate, begging him to just see. Yet as he pulled away, she knew what answer he had come to. His eyes reflected the heartbreak of her own, no words needing to be said. It took every ounce of strength to not break, to hold the tears at bay. She watched him as he went to a drawer, pulling out an ornate mahogany box, coming back to place it in her hands. Tears dripped onto the lid, Lenore’s efforts unsuccessful.

“I want you to have this… For when you feel you need it the most.” He opened the box, inside revealing a small tear-shaped vial. Delicately, Lenore picked it up, her eyes widening to see the liquid gold contained. Immediately she shook her head, her eyes wide with shock.

“No… No, I am not taking this Aesop. We both agreed this could be what you need and-”

“And I am deciding that your life is worth more than my own leg.” His voice had gotten harder now, Aesop trying to fight back his own emotions. He placed the vial in her hand, wrapping her fingers around it. “Please… “ Lenore was not sure exactly what he was pleading for. Her to stay? Her to not put her life in danger? For her to take it? Again she found their faces so close again, now breathing erratic as emotions began to boil over.

Lenore could only shake her head, feeling her heart break. “I can’t… I can't.” She couldn't stand to see the pain anymore, to know she had caused any of this. She slipped away, racing down the stairs and out of the room.

The last thing she had ever heard Aesop say was her name.

—

She had not realized how close the bottle was to empty before picking it up, hearing the last remnants swishing about. Before she could take a swig of it though, she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, multiples. ‘What great fucking timing.’ Her skin began to start shifting slowly, and Lenore knew there was no longer any more in her flask to try and stop it, so she just pulled the hood down more, seeing the six wizards now flanking the stairs. Two of them stood at her exit, another two standing at the stairs leading to the next floor. The entire tavern had gone quiet, Sirona downstairs, ready to draw her wand. The last two wizards slowly approached the woman, sitting down beside her as they finished her bottle.

“You know why we’re here…” the man's voice was a low growl, one she could feel in her chest as he spoke. “Let’s not cause any more bloodshed that is needed. You know you can't run forever. We will find you… he will find you.” The man leaned in close, his stinking breath on Lenore’s face. “I don't want to cut that face up more than needed. Blood doesn't suit a lady like you.” Lenore finally raised her head, a smile gracing the old woman’s face as it began to bubble more.

“You're right… It doesn't suit me at all.” She leaned closer to the man. “But it does suit you.”

The knife stabbed straight into the wizards hand, pinning him to the table as Lenore let out a burst of fire, blasting most of the wizards either down the stairs or off the balcony. Lenore quickly saw how the dark wizard beside her was effectively cooked before jumping from the balcony herself. As another wizard approached, she quickly propelled him through the tables, his body crashing out the window. ‘Sorry Sirona.’ She self apologized, taking one of the massive kegs of butterbeer and throwing it to the wizard that had been thrown off the balcony with her. Before any others could get their bearings, Lenore let out a blast to one of the dark wizards blocking the door sprinting out of the tavern into the downpour. Auror’s would be coming any minute, and she had to be far enough ahead to apparate.

As she turned on her heel, sprinting through the slick cobblestone streets, she failed to notice how there had been more dark wizards waiting outside. It didn't take long to hear the chaos behind her as she ran, throwing spells at stalls and shelves to try and buy her extra time. Lenore heard one of the attackers yell out as soon Auror’s began to apparate in left and right, Lenore using whatever alley and dark corner was available to get the most she could off her tail.

As she made it past the town circle, heading upwards into the hills, she decided to chance it and turn to see how many were following. The storm was heavy enough that, in the night, she could just make out two figures. Lenore could hear the whispers in her ear once more, begging her to just let go, to let them taste what real power could be. Lenore was so exhausted, hurt, and just needed to get out. Waving her wand, she threw one of the large stone bricks into an attackers head, just able to hear the sound of the bones crushing on impact. That was all she needed to feel the overflowing ancient magic once more.

Lenore pointed her wand to the sky, the tip shining a brilliant blue. She could see the dark wizard just as the blue lightning bolt came from the heavens, smiting him where he stood, leaving nothing but charred remains. Yet in the brilliant light, She saw something that made, just for a moment, all time stop.

Lenore knew she was delirious enough to hallucinate, the visage of Aesop behind the attacker. For a moment, pure fear gripped her as she saw his body fly back from the impact of the blast, colliding with a wooden cart. She stepped towards the mirage, desperately wishing it could really be him. Before she could even think about getting any closer, Lenore heard the Auror’s descending. It took every ounce of self restraint to apparate, leaving the vision of the man that held her heart behind.

For just a moment, Lenore had wished he was real. She would have been able to tell him that he was right, and that she kept it for him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAGS:@4everflowercore @marine-captain-deku @ryehoneyandinkstains @doom-n-gloomgal @shygurl123456 @handon-h-art @misswildfire @nightless @dagiweh @anmactireaonai@liadamerondjarin@amatchinwater @mellocado @imaginaryismyescape@v1cv1c@disassociation-daydreams

#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #harry potter #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fic #hogwarts legacy fic #professor sharp x oc #professor sharp #professor aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp x oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

Text

Ch. I

Word Count:3637

Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi

CW: Graphic depictions of violence

AN: I'm ferally excited to begin sharing this with everyone. The idea has been in my head for a long while and now I get to put it out there! Big big thank you to @enterthedreams for proofing and just being generally amazing.

If you wish to be updated for future chapters, let me know, and I'll add you to the tags! Now, enjoy!!

“Resignedly beneath the sky

The melancholy waters lie.

So blend the turrets and shadows there

That all seem pendulous in air,

While from a proud tower in the town

Death looks gigantically down.”

-”The City in the Sea”

Edgar Allen Poe

Tendrils of smoke pooled from his mouth and nose, dancing around him. The next was a breath mixed with the midnight sea breeze, carried away towards the distant ships of the harbor. With the sounds of the old ships groaning at the docks, the occasional shout and laugh of the late night stragglers, it was almost as if the smoke had some kind of harmony to dance to. A fleeting one, as the next breeze whisked it away into the far unknown of the city.

The Gate always seemed so different at night.

If one were to excuse the robberies, murders, and other unsavory activities that seemed to thrive at this time, it was almost beautiful. But maybe, to him at least, that was part of the splendor of it all. The unclean, the unsavory, it all had its appeal, he supposed. He was like that once, and he was nothing if not charismatic.

The sound of metal on stone broke him out of his thoughts, heavy steps making their way towards him from one of the alleys. It was the scent that really tipped Enver off first: a suffocating mixture of rot and dust. With another pull from his pipe, he emptied the contents into the inky black void of ocean beneath him, watching the ash dissipate and sink.

For a moment, he could see the bodies he had placed in that very same spot. Vacant eyes staring up at him as they sank below. Hundreds of unspoken curses, each one paving the path closer to his ambitions.

“Honestly, you’d think one of your station would at least have the common decency to bathe” The lord turned up his nose as he finally faced Ketheric, his cane leisurely staying at his side. “At the very least, it wouldn’t kill you.”

He only received a huff from the cloaked figure. The Man strode up beside him, taking a moment to take in the ocean air before he removed his hood. The silver of his hair and beard seemed to illuminate from the moonlight above. Out here, he almost seemed alive.

Almost.

“The last person I would think about taking any kind of advice from is you, upstart.” The timbre of his voice reverberated inside Enver’s chest. Even in monotone, that voice still commanded power. Authority. It made even Enver shiver. They stood together for another long pause of silence, the tension growing quite palpable. “This could have been much more efficient if we had this meeting at Moonrise, or even in your...fine abode, Gortash.”

There was something about the way Ketheric spoke his name that just irritated Enver. Like he was talking down to some child, in lieu of the fastest growing political powers in this city.

“Unfortunately, we are still in a position where we need to be concerned about the walls listening to us. Besides, anyone that passes by here will either be too drunk to understand what we are discussing, or will be dead before sunrise.” Gortash waved his hand dismissively to the general, twirling his cane just so he had something to do with his hands.

Under normal circumstances, Enver usually was far more in control and composed with these kinds of situations. Yet the general just unsettled him to no end. Was it the aura of undead? The separation of age? Or did he just see the Lord of Bones in those dead, lifeless eyes?

Ketheric simply raised a brow, looking the other up and down.

“So tell me, old friend, how does this new lease on life that your gracious lord gifted you feel?” Enver straightened his back a little. If the General was going to inspect him, might as well give the old man a show.

The general scoffed at the assumption of friendship, wanting nothing more than to take that irritating smirk off of the lord's face.

“He sees I still have a vital part to play. My devotion to him will not sway. I am his justice -” The speech was quickly cut off by the lord’s snickering beside him as he balanced himself on the cane.

“Gods, and I thought I was the one with the potential for grandstanding.” The scowl on the old man's face elicited another snicker. “Truly, Ketheric. If this whole general business doesn't work out for you, I'm sure you'd have a wonderful time in the world of politics.” Gortash motioned to Thorm with a flourish. “The Baldurian's, at least, would love you.”

“Unlike you, Gortash, I did not have to scheme my way into power.”

“No, only betray your greatest values. A few times, if I’m not mistaken.” The way Ketheric tensed tipped Enver off that he was indeed on thin ice.

“Do not worry though, I'm sure most of us have surely had our own moments of weakness. Besides, with recent potential investments, I'm sure most would look over your past mistakes.”

“How reassuring.” Sarcasm dripped like rotted ichor from his mouth. “You have quite the amount of confidence for one that is relying on a lot of… potentials.” Ketheric looked out to the ocean again before his eyes went back to Gortash, much more serious. “I'm not here to play silly political games with you, Gortash, and I'm sure our predecessors would agree. Now why have you asked me here.”

“We haven’t been chosen on a whim, dear General.” It was Enver’s turn to change his tone. “To save you the speech, it is time for a centuries old pact be reignited. With recent events taking place, we now have the greatest chance we could be gifted for absolute domination… and it starts with what is below your home.” The look of befuddlement on Ketheric's face was enough to quell any remaining nervousness Gorthash had felt.

“I've devised a plan-”

The sound of gurgling took the words from his mouth, both staring back into the alley. The golden eye, illuminated by brilliant crimson steel, froze Gortash in his place. Even Ketheric stood straighter. Slowly, they saw the crimson blade make their way from the stranger’s throat to his groin, body spasming in its death throes.

All the while, Gortash stared into those brilliant liquid gold eyes, the stare almost searing into his brain. The grotesque sound of the man's entrails slipping onto the wet stone below, followed by the body, could only make the General shake his head.

Slow, wet steps came towards them as the moonlight illuminated her face. Gortash had only met her a handful of times, yet the sight still made his throat tighten.

Ketheric was the first to regain composure, clearing his throat. Those eyes went to the General before she removed her hood. Her hair was damp, black strands clinging to olive skin.

“A pleasure… to finally meet Myrkul’s chosen.” The Bhaalspawn inspected Ketheric, the look in her eyes flickering between predatory and admiration.

When those same eyes landed on Gortash, they quickly changed to annoyance.

“Lovely to see you again, my dear.” It took everything within Enver to hide his indignation.

Just seeing how she smirked at his feeble attempt to gain some kind of control filled him with a silent rage. Judging by how her smirk grew, he was not surprised if she could smell it on him.

“Never expected one of your kind to be so…” Ketheric was almost at a loss for words, the woman seizing the bit.

“Eloquent? Civilized? Lucid?” The Bhaalspawn circled around the man like a vulture, the image almost making Gortash laugh. “Oh, don’t fret, you're exactly how I expected one chosen by Myrkul to be. Dead, covered in the dust of his former life.”

Now that made Enver laugh. The two looked at him as he did his best to cover it with a cough.

The tension was palpable for a few moments, all three waiting for the other to make a move. The Bhaalspawn cleaned her blade on her cloak, staring back at the body wistfully before sheathing the blade. The look on Gortash’s face tipped her off that he was less than impressed with the spectacle.

“What?” She grabbed the body from the alley, dragging it so it could slip off the pier into the water below. “I was doing you a favor.” The three just silently watched the horrified face sink below before Gortash cleared his throat.

“Well, “Gortash said, clapping his hands, “since we are all introduced now, I feel it is time to speak of why we’re truly -” The woman was quick to step in front of Gortash, smirking as he stumbled on the words.

“Yes, the plan that I came up with that you so graciously tried to take the credit for.” She sneered at the lord, gold eyes brimming with irritation. “But you might as well finish what you started.”

“I would if the interruptions would cease,” Enver hissed.

Ketheric rolled his eyes at the immature display. With a shrug from the Bhaalspawn, Gortash continued.

“As you’re both well aware, we have all been chosen for a purpose, and it seems that our lord's have decided it best that we all work towards the same goal. Just as in the past, we continue the Pact of the Dead Three.” There was little reaction from Gortash’s compatriots, steeling himself before continuing.

“After some... collaboration,” His eyes flicker to the woman, “It seems a perfect plan has been laid out before us. All that stops us is our willingness to work together and take it..” Enver raises his hand, clenching it into a fist. The others could not help but roll their eyes, waiting for him to get on with the rest.

“General, it seems that you hold one of the key figures to this plan, right beneath the very stone of your home.”

The gleam of joy in Enver’s eyes was undeniable as he watched the General go through the stages of confusion to disbelief.

“To even entertain the thought of any of us somehow using, let alone convincing, an Elder Brain, not to mention the colony surrounding it to work with the Dead Three? I see that Bane has chosen a man on a suicide wish.” Ketheric shook his head, scoffing at the mere notion that the three of them stood a chance against such a creature.

“Hear him out.” She nodded for Gortash to continue. The spawn stepping in to support Gortash was enough to make Ketheric pause in shock for a moment. “Trust me, it is worth the risk.”

“Thank you.” Even Enver was a little surprised at her sudden change in behavior. Shrugging it off, he kept going. “I agree, Ketheric, it would be a foolish endeavor for us to even try convincing the creature. But, what if we had means to control it?”

The lord’s trademark smirk grew wider, which in turn made the General’s frown deepen. “Unless you have suddenly become the greatest archwizard of all time, I highly doubt it. This is becoming a waste of time -”

“The Crown of Karsus.” The Bhaalspawn looked directly at Ketheric now, gold eyes alight. “We may not be able to convince it, but we can bring it to heel and make it obey us.”

Restless, the spawn began pacing back and forth, her eyes still trained on the General at all times.

“Tell me, child of Bhaal,” Ketheric arched a brow, his stare condescending as the girl laughed, “How is it you know of such an artifact? Is that common knowledge around your circles?”

“Honestly, do you think of me as an untrained rabid dog?” Venom dripped from her tone, Gortash noticing her fingers twitch for just a moment. “I do know my fair amount of history, thank you. My father made sure I was born with a proper brain.”

He almost considered stopping her if she were to lunge at the other’s throat.

Almost.

“Anyways, the plan is relatively simple.” Enver took the lead in conversation again. “We get the crown, place it on the Elder Brain, and use it to create an army worth the names of our lords.” Ketheric was quick to wave his hand dismissively.

“If it does actually exist, how do we expect to find it?” The smile on the spawn’s lips grew, rocking on her feet a little.

“We already know where it is located. It seems that after the fall of Netheril, Mephistopheles himself claimed possession. Now it remains sealed in his vault in Cania.”

“And how did that information fall in your hands?” The General stood much straighter now, that dismissive look now shifted to one of trepid curiosity.

“My father showed it to me.” The toe of her boot scuffed itself on the cobblestone as she looked down. “In a dream.”

Gortash couldn't stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. The bark of laughter that escaped Ketheric made the two of them jump. It was not a sound they ever expected to hear from him, making it much more unsettling.

“So, that’s what we’re basing this entire plan? Dreams?” He motioned between the two of them, eager for some kind of answer.

“Oh? I would think you would be the last to turn your nose up at a divine gift from your lord.” She got closer to Ketheric, staring up at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Or are you really that unappreciative? Does Myrkul know? I'm sure he would be quick to resurrect another’s decayed carcass to do his work.”

The General swallowed the lump in his throat, eliciting a larger smile from the spawn.

“Either way,” she went on, turning her back to Ketheric and pacing back closer to Gortash. “Bhaal has shown us exactly where to go. Now, all that is left is to get there and get the crown.”

Shaking his head, Ketheric let out another chuckle, this entire plan reaching levels of absurdity. “So what you’re saying is that the three of us make our way to the eighth layer of the hells, and perform one of, if not the most, ridiculous heist of all time.”

“Exactly.” Both Gortash and the spawn agreed at the same time, giving each other a put off look before making the space between them slightly larger.

“There has to be more to this than what you're saying. This can’t be it. Say we actually manage to steal the crown, how do we even control the Elder Brain?” Ketheric’s voice was tense, eyes kept flashing between disbelievement and genuine curiosity, his head tilting to the side.

“There seem to be three foci that resonate with the crown itself. Using these three stones, we can control whoever, or whatever wears the crown. Convenient, for us.” Gortash said, shrugging his shoulders. “With that control, we can use the illithids to infect others with the parasite. With enough infected, who is there to stop our masters?”

Gortash felt the muscles tense in his throat at the word. The spawn could see him tense, quickly flitting her eyes away before she was noticed.

“Besides,” she spoke, motioning towards Ketheric. “You will be staying here. There is a different plan for you in all this.”

Ketheric was taken aback, confused at the possible implications. “Are you saying I am not capable of such a heist?”

“Well we certainly wouldn't want one of your age and accomplishment to be over exerting themselves now, would we?” The glares Gortash received not just from the General, but from the Spawn made him put his hands up in feigned surrender. “Easy now, merely a joke. But in all honesty, we find that there is much more important work for you to do up here.”

“Such as?” Ketheric raised his brow.

“Even with my followers, we do not have the proper numbers to stage an invasion on the illithid colony.” The girl tried her best to keep her tone strong. Ketheric noticed the uneasiness in her voice. “If we are to have a chance at getting the crown on that brain, we need a big enough army to pose a distraction. Keep its attention away from us. Which is where you come in.” She motioned to the general, taking a deep breath before she continued.

“We need you to raise a number of undead. Canon fodder, to throw at those squids until we can secure the crown on its head. So, while the upstart and I are gone –” She could not help but smirk as he hissed a breath through his nose. “--you will be building this army. I will have my sister, Orin, bring some cultists to you at Moonrise to… procure necessary ingredients, let's say.” The unsure look in Ketheric’s eyes fed into her anxiety, but she had to have some faith. “Don't worry, I'll make sure she is kept on a proper leash for you.”

“Not the only one who needs it…” Gortash mumbled under his breath.

She did not look back to him, but he could see the Bhaalspawn tighten her hand into a white knuckled fist, blood slowly blooming from her nails.

“And what is your way to actually get into Cania? Not exactly a short distance to travel for the two of you.” Ketheric questioned, his eyes darting between the two.

Gortash was the one to speak before the spawn.

“That, General, is what I am just completing. An old contact of mine has the means to make a temporary portal between here, and Cania. With that supplies, once we reach the vault, we can easily teleport the crown straight to your door. No sense in lugging such a heavy thing back.”

The spawn jumped in after. “We will travel to the eighth layer by the barge on the Styx. Both the upstart and I have been able to procure a fair amount of Soul Coins. I'm sure Charon wouldn't mind giving us the lift.”

There was another long pause between the three Chosen. Each looked between each other for some kind of affirmation. It wasn't until they started hearing faint birdsong that they were snapped out of their contemplation, all three looking into the horizon, now starting to show signs of morning bleeding in.

“I will not go against the plan set in motion by our masters.” Ketheric’s voice was tense, yet firm. “If this is what we must do to see their grand design come to fruition, who are we to object?”

Adjusting his cloak, he covered his head with the hood, readying his departure.

“Wonderful!” Gortash clapped his hands together, his face positively radiating with cheer. “My business with this colleague shouldn't take too long, so I would expect us to see each other again within the week, at your humble abode.” Enver motioned to Ketheric “We will bring those cultists in tow, best to get an early start on that army.”

Giving Gortash the slightest nod of the head, Ketheric turned his attention to the Bhaalspawn, her face calm.

“Praise be the Dead Three,” she said quietly, bowing her head as Kethric turned on his heel, disappearing into the shadows.

“Well, as enjoyable as your company is, I am a busy man with many things -” Enver was cut off by a crimson blade, the tip poking into his throat.

“I am surprised, upstart, that you would take credit for this plan so quickly.” Her golden eyes burned with curiosity as she looked him up and down. The spawn stepped closer, forcing Gortash to put his back to the wall. “Interesting that you would omit how it was me who brought this to you.”

Her eyes narrowed as a small smile grew on her lips. Enver tried to mirror the expression, yet his own wavered in nervousness.

“As the one who perfected the plot, I felt it was only right.” He knew he was treading on thin ice, the woman easily able to end him here and now.

But both knew, there would be no other replacement capable of fulfilling this heist. Taking another step closer, the spawns face was mere inches from Enver’s, their breaths mixing. He was surprised how hers faintly smelt of mint.

“Well, it is a good thing I am understanding. The credit is yours.” Her voice was menacingly quiet. “Now, if the plan fails spectacularly… our Three Lords know exactly who to direct their disappointment and rage at.” With a slight flick, the blade tip was removed from his throat, not without making the slightest incision on his adams apple. The woman’s eyes flickered to the blood beginning to bloom. “By the way…”

Her hand reached out towards their right, her hand twisting and emanating a red glow. From the shadows, another figure slowly walked out, their eyes glowing the same hue that resonated around the spawn’s hand. Gortash quickly made out the emblem of the Guild on his chest, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Your throat, cut it to the bone.” The spawn hissed to the spy.

The spy slowly took out their dagger, and after a brief pause, began cutting into their throat. Like a saw, the man cut left and right, blood pouring to the stone as their jugular was brutally torn apart. The smile never left the girl's face as, after another few seconds, the body collapsed before them, knife stuck in the guild member’s throat.

“That is yet another favour. Be careful, lordling. Would hate Arden to not be around for your death.” Turning away, the woman stepped on the body, eliciting another hiss of blood to spurt towards Enver as he watched her walk into the shadows, quickly disappearing.

It was when she was out of sight that Gortash realized two things: First, his heart was pounding in his chest, ears filled with each throbbing pulse.

The second: His lungs shrieked for air that had been denied them since the moment she nicked him.

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Tags: @theannoyingurge @enterthedreams @rivthewriter

#gortash x dark urge #lord enver gortash #enver flymm #enver gortash #enver gortash x oc #bg3 gortash #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fic #bg3 spoilers #dark urge #durgetash #gortash x durge #bg3 durge #Become as Gods #baldurs gate 3 #bg3

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

Text

Ch. V

Word Count: 4826

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AN: If you want to be updated for new chapters, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list! Enjoy!

October 7th 1893

He did not expect what would actually happen, agreeing to accompany her on this… excursion? He had known about her extracurriculars for some time, nearly impossible to hide broken bones and cuts from his gaze. Plus explaining anything like that to the nurse would have her permanently grounded here. Lenore trusted Aesop enough to keep the secret, and she knew the only way it would break is if it went too far.

They were very close to that line.

He saw her emerge from the bridge, fixing her black gloves. He deduced that her school uniform was not exactly the best attire for such a task, instead opting for a simple black shirt, vest, and trousers. Her overcoat bellowed in the fall twilight breeze, Aesop for a moment unable to form a thought. She looked like an Auror, she reminded him of his prior co-workers, strong and down to business. She looked powerful, beautiful. For the moment, Aesop forgot she was his student.

Immediately Aesop banished the thought, shaking his head and collecting himself as Lenore approached. She looked him up and down, a small smile appearing in her face. "Just… going to wear the same thing you usually do?" He was taken aback, looking down at his usual attire.

"I'll have you know that I wore almost this exact attire while I was an Auror." Aesop did his best to sound stern, but even he could not hide his growing amusement. "I think it works quite well. You can never go wrong with perfection"

Lenore couldn't argue, he did wear the robes and suit well. Very well. Well enough that she found herself admiring how well he wore them recently. For someone out of the Auror career for some time, he found a way to keep himself fit. It made her indulge in a dangerous curiosity.

"Well, anyways," She cleared her throat, approaching him more as they both stared out into the night sky. "I'd say we best get a move on. I received an owl that they plan to move the cargo tonight from the Clagmar Coast." As she began to walk, something came to her head, a very large something that filled her with concern.

"Professor Sharp… pardon me for asking, because I don't mean to question your abilities whatsoever," Judging by the expression in his eyes, Lenore was already treading on dangerous ground. "But…. Your leg… I dont want you getting hurt."

Aesop chuckled at her concern. "You do not need to worry about me." He reached inside his jacket, visiting out a flask.

Lenore almost choked. "Drinking?"

"No! Merlin’s beard, do you think I'm a drunk Miss Arkanos?" He was half offended by the statement, but something about her shock made him try his best to hide the smile fighting its way through. “Something I have made myself to help with the pain. It will not heal it per say, just give me some relief for a short while.”

“You still haven't found anything.” He could hear the concern in Lenore’s tone, her eyes deeply sympathetic. “I’m sorry professor.”

“No need,” He waved his hand dismissively. He recalled a few times she had stayed behind to see if she could be of some help finding a cure with him, both of their efforts still in vain. But it was one of the few things he could keep some kind of false hope for. “All you need to know is that I can still be just as agile as you.”

Something about the smile appearing on Lenore’s lips made his stomach flutter.

“We shall see.'' Before he could get in a rebuttal, she made a loud whistle into the night air, the sound echoing through the valley beneath them. For a moment, Aesop just stood there, confused in the silence.

“Why would you whistle for the broom-” before he could finish a large gust of wind nearly pushed him over, the visage of a large white hippogriff, flying directly above of the pair, softly landing beside Lenore before nuzzling into her neck. Only then did he notice the carcase of a weasel in her coat pocket, Lenore feeding the Hippogriff before scratching its neck. When she looked back to Aesop, she could not help herself, giggling at his shocked expression.

“What, I'm sure back in your days at Hogwarts they also had Hippogriffs.” She could almost hear the sound of his eyes rolling as he walked towards the creature, dipping into a low bow. Lenore stepped away, giving the chance for Highwing to inspect the man before giving him a bow. Seeing Aesop bow like that, she could not help but have a blush grace her cheeks. Quickly she turned away, doing her best to regain some composure before she heard the man clear his throat. She could see the shit eating smirk on his face.

“For your information, miss,” he leaned in, giving her a nudge as his hand ran over the snow white feathers, “I was actually quite good in Care of Magical Creatures.”

“Oh really! Based on your charm and general demeanor, I would think you were the post popular among all the Jobberknolls.” Aesop was shocked to see Highwing let out a huff, stomping its talons into the dirt. For a moment, he let her words sink in before letting out a laugh.

Not only had this been the first time she had ever heard any kind of laugh like this from the man, it was the first Lenore had seen a look of pure joy on his face. His laugh was strong, nearly like a bark, yet contagious. She could not help but join in herself. As he calmed, Lenore could suddenly feel herself be lifted from the ground, Aesop helping her onto Highwing. When she looked down, she could see another look in his eyes she had never seen, and this time she could not tell exactly what it was. But it made her body light up like a candle.

“Be good, girl.” his voice rumbled with a low timbre, one that shook Lenore to her core. Aesop hoisted himself onto the creature, Lenore feeling his chest now flush against her back. Her brain was falling apart, barely able to form a coherent thought other than ‘him’.

“Shall we go?” his breath fell against her neck, Lenore thanking the stars that she was mostly covered, her skin now covered in goosebumps.

With a simple command and direction, Highwing had taken flight, soaring high above the loch as they made their way towards the coast.

For most of the flight, the two remained in a blissful silence. It had been years since Aesop had seen anything like this, the countryside and hamlets all around him. It all took his breath away, his eyes wide with wonderment. A part of him could not help but let out a breathless laugh at the spectacle of it all. Only when the ocean started getting closer in their sights, did Aesop realize how he was holding himself around Lenore.

For the entire flight, Lenore had been in some kind of delirious haze, thankful Highwing knew where she was going. Aesop’s scent, even with the wind against them, completely surrounded her. Lenore could barely be able to remind herself not to grip onto Highwing’s feathers too tightly. Never had the professor been this close to her, the closest being him looking over her shoulder in the potions classroom. Lenore knew it was wrong, but the whole situation felt so strangely intimate to her. That thought alone is what she assumed compelled her to say one of the stupidest things to ever grace her brain.

“U-Uh…. You know… It was my eighteenth birthday on the third of September.”

Aesop swore he nearly fell off of the Hippogriff, the jerking motion of his body jumping making the creature squawk in protest, the professor steadying himself. Her comment had come completely out of nowhere, and he then realized exactly what their proximity was, his body lighting like fire on gasoline. His response started with a choked cough, trying to regain some control in this situation.

“Well… um… a good belated birthday to you, Miss Arkanos.” he cursed himself on such a weak response. He sounded like an utter fool.

Thankfully for the both of them they were nearly at their destination, Highwing lowering herself towards the beach ahead, sharp rocks poking out form the sides of the mountain, giving them some kind of cover. As they galloped along the beach, Lenore could feel herself starting to tense, her mind now settling into her fighting headspace. Aesop could feel it too, a feeling he had not felt since helping the woman and Professor Fig. the potion had done its work, his leg feeling like it had before the injury, just a little lamer.

Soon enough, they could see an orange glow ahead, the distant sound of muffled voices making the hippogriff slow. They could hear the sound of crates being moved, animal whimpers, and waves breaking against something on the shore. Lenore could see a way into the ocean, a large galleon bobbing on the water. Slowly the two dismounted, sneaking up to the outcropping of rocks. With hushed voices, both cloaked themselves in Disillusionment, climbing the outcrop and peering over into the camp.

Quickly, Lenore noticed it seemed to be a camp of about fifteen, tents just finished being packed as they loaded their supplies onto the boats waiting at shore. Cages seemed to be on the far side of the camp, loaded with what seemed to be an infant thestral and six Kneazle. From how they were organized, it seemed they were to be the last loaded onto the boats. Silently, Lenore pointed to the cages, then to a few barrels still hanging around the dismembered camp. Grabbing his sleeve gently, they both slipped behind the stone.

“I can take the way around to unlock them. On my signal, draw them to those barrels in the back. We can blast once they are close enough and provide cover for them to escape.” Aesop immediately wanted to debate the plan, thinking the risk would be far too great. She would be out in the open while he stayed in cover.

“I'm not about to be tucked away and hidden with this. Besides, I can apparate. Let me take the riskier job. I'm not about to put you in any line of fire.” She knew from his tone he was not about to back down, Lenore just letting out a sigh as she nodded in agreement to his plan. Before she could climb over, Aesop grabbed her hand firmly, pulling her towards him until their faces were merely an inch apart.

“If anything goes the wrong way, you will get out. Even if it means leaving me behind. Don't take any unnecessary risks, understand?” Lenore could hardly breath, only nodding in response. He squeezed her hand, finally letting her go as they made their move.

Aesop made his way on the outskirts of the camp, thankful his leg was not in pain as he kept to his crouch. He inspected the faces of the poachers, trying his best to memorize them all in case he had the opportunity to take them in. He could just make out the blurred form of Lenore climbing over some of the rocks, sliding down to hide behind some crates. The tumbling pebbles had made a few turn their heads towards the noise, Aesop taking the opportunity to move himself faster towards the cages. Two guards were in front, more interested in their own conversation than the animals themselves. He was thankful, as he inspected the cage and animals, that the locks were simple enough to break open. The only problem was, the sound of the metal rubbing together as they unlocked would definitely alert the two younger men before him. Looking around, Aesop saw a pile of rocks to his left by the water, slowly moving to pick one up, throwing it into the water gently.

Immediately their attention was grabbed, one of the men making his way to the water's edge. Taking the advantage, first making sure the coast was clear, Aesop grabbed the other in a choke hold, quickly incapacitating him silently. He moved the body behind the cages, taking the advantage to unlock the first cage, the baby thestral quickly taking flight.

Just as he was about to get to the second lock, he had heard one of the witches in the distance yell out, a red barrel flying through the air and the night being erupted into an explosive flame. ‘Shit!’ was the only thought crossing Aesop’s mind as the night erupted into spells flying. As fast as he possibly could he unlocked the other cage, Kneazles scattering into the frenzy. Frantically he looked for Lenore, spotting her as she rolled out of the way of a bombarda, sending a poacher flying into the ocean. Without thinking, muscle memory took over for Aesop, joining in the fray. A few wizards he quickly incapacitated, his wand quickly freezing them. Lenore noticed straight away where Aesop was located, taking the chance to flipendo, the wizards flying into the cages behind, Aesop locking them in.

He knew they were completely outnumbered, even if the fight was turning in their favour. They both could see the other wizards trying their best to flank the two, boxing them in as best as they could to bombard them with attacks. Taking the chance, Lenore let burst a ring of fire around her, buying them the chance to try and run, the whistle coming from Lenore breaking through the screams of the ignited poachers. Aesop did his best to keep stunning the others, needing to buy them as much time as it took for Highwing to appear. His fear only kept growing as he saw Lenore get knocked back into a boulder, head colliding and breaking the skin. Aesop could feel something take over him, sending a flurry of confringo spells to knock the man out. He rushed over to Lenore, moving her to the other side of the boulder as more spells were thrown their way.

“Are you alright?” his voice was desperate, peering over to send more attacks. Lenore just nodded, shaking her head as she grabbed Aesop’s shoulder.

“I have an idea! I need you to lure them to that large outcrop we came over!” Aesop wanted to shake her, tell her they weren't going to win this if they stayed, that this was far too dangerous for the both of them. But the look in her eyes, the sheer determination, was enough to sway him. With a squeeze of her shoulders, she saw Aesop apparate towards the outcropping, most of the wizards going after him. Lenore came out to try her best to corral them towards the wall, flames erupting around her as they were driven back enough. Before they could realise her plan, Lenore began to fling the last of the red barrels towards them, the explosion making the wall break away and collapse. Some were caught in the stone, others trying to apparate towards the ship, sustaining enough damage from the two.

As if by luck Highwing had made it, landing by the cages as she cried out. The two made eye contact as they began to run towards the hippogriff, knowing this was their chance. But something caught Lenore’s peripheral. One of the wizards stepped out from behind the boat, locking his sights on Aesop. His limp had gotten worse, the potion clearly wearing down as he nearly made it to the cages.

It only took a split second after seeing the glow of red from his wand to steer Lenore away from Highwing, heading directly to Aesop himself. She could hear him yell out in pained confusion, but as he saw her sprinting, she could see the glow now across her face. Before he had any time to react, Lenore barreled into the professor, taking his coat by the lapels and using all of her strength to throw him behind her, her eyes locking with the wizard just as the crutiatus curse hit her.

Lenore could only take the second to remember the attacker, quickly apperating away before her body erupted into unimaginable torture. Aesop heard the scream shatter the night around them. Without hesitating, he grabbed the woman, carrying and hoisting her onto Highwing as she writhed and screamed out in terrible pain. He was barely on the creature when it broke into flight, trying to get away from the chaos as soon as possible. Lenore writhed against him, tears soaking through his jacket as he cradled her to his chest. It killed him seeing her like this, all he wanted was to take the pain and make it his own. Her beauty was painfully distorted, body now seizing as the red aura of the curse surrounded her.

Aesop just held her, whispering soothing words in her ear as he rocked her, Highwing trying her best to fly as fast as possible back to the castle. It was not much of a relief, but at a point halfway through their flight, he could feel Lenore go limp in his arms, most likely blacking out from the pain. It was the only relief he could give for now, his heart pounding in his chest. For the second time, he felt as if it was his fault someone he truly cared for got hurt by something that was meant for him. The only reprieve was that, by sheer luck, it had not been the killing curse. Now, Aesop could only wait.

Lenore did not know if she was lucky or not, to have felt the effects of the curse before. This time however, it felt far worse. She wasn't sure if Sebastian had cast it wrong before, but this time, she had thought she was going to die. When she went unconscious, Lenore thought for a very brief moment that there would be relief. She was very wrong. But at one point, she felt it disappear, the ice cold fingers of slumber dragging her down.

The first thing she noticed as she began to come to again, was that Aesop’s scent surrounded her, the warmth of bedsheets weighing on her body blissfully. For a moment, Lenore thought she had died. If this was her afterlife, she would take it. But slowly she started to feel the aching bones in her body, especially the pulsing pain on her head. She wanted to move, to get up and see what happened, but her body felt as if it had been replaced with lead. For now, she opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was the firelight dancing off the wooden ceiling. The room was warm, the smell of earl grey mixing now with Professor Sharp. Professor Sharp….

“Shit!” she gasped out, bolting upwards until a pain caused her to double over in pain, moaning out. It was then she saw the Professor himself, sitting in a large armchair in front of the fire. At the sound of her getting up, she could see his concerned expression landing on her, quickly standing. He commanded her to lay back down, limping over to a desk with a potion kit, grabbing a vial before limping to sit on the end of the bed. He reached to the side table, Lenore only now noticing the porcelain cup. He poured the vial inside, swirling it around before lifting the cup to her lips.

“Drink.”

Lenore did as she was told, the sound of his voice filled with his own pain and concern. As she felt the earl grey tea run down her throat, she felt her whole body go into a blissful numbness, all aching dissipating the more she drank. It only took a minute before the contents of the cup were gone. After he placed it beside her again, she wished for it to be brought back, the tension now piqued as they sat together. Lenore did not know what to say, and she knew the Professor was just as lost for words. But she had to try.

“Professor… I`”

“Do you know what could have happened? What… What kind of extremely dangerous risk you took doing this? You’re lucky it was merely a cruciatus curse that hit you.” He was not about to mention how it was meant for him, how he was supposed to be the one defending her. “Miss Arkanos…. If you had died…” Aesop felt himself getting choked up, the thought nearly making him sick. He did everything to try and keep some composure, but without thinking, he looked to Lenore, his hand reaching to trace the cut on her head.

Lenore felt her heart tear seeing the pain in his eyes, hating that she caused this. But she would not change the outcome. Lenore knew, if the situation happened again, she would take the curse for him a thousand times. Her hand slowly reached up to touch his. His hand was rough, calloused from years of work. The hairs were a peppered grey, matching his beard. She could feel him tense from her touch, but he didn't make any kind of move to retract it, both of them just looking at each other. When he spoke again, she could hear the fear laced in his words, the desperation as he pleaded with her.

“Please…. Lenore. Do not ever put yourself at risk like this again.” her chest tightened with guilt, her hand squeezing his own.

“I won't sir…”

Aesop took that as enough of an answer for now, his hand falling away. He could feel his chest fluttering again, heart racing. He created some distance to regain his thoughts, pouring the both of them another cup of tea. Helping her sit up, he placed the warm porcelain in her hand, moving a char to sit beside her.

“You know, I will say, your fighting skills are amazing. You can hold your own better than some Aurors I worked with in my day.” Lenore felt her chest swell with pride, his praise almost euphoric to her ears.

“But…”

“But?” Lenore’s head snapped towards the man, brows knit in confusion.

“Your skill in stealth is horrid. Like I said, you were lucky things panned out mostly in our favour, but you need to work on trying to be as silent and hidden as possible. Not every situation can take such a bombastic approach. You will put not just your life, but others at risk.” His voice was hard and stern, just like how he would reprimand and scold anyone in class. It made Lenore shrink down into his bed more. Only then realizing where she was.

“Professor is this your… room?”

Aesop nodded, sipping more of his tea. “I could not just bring you to the Hospital Wing after everything. Both of us would have had hell to pay. I'm lucky nobody saw me carrying you here.” Lenore felt her cheeks warm, the thought of her being carried by him making her feel lighter.

“Thank you sir… for everything.” Her eyes met his again, her hand reaching to squeeze his own. This time, he tensed at her touch, her skin leaving a beautiful patch of warmth. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes in silence, Aesop not noticing that they had gotten closer together, their faces again just inches apart.

What broke them from their trance was a knock at the door.

—

Aesop had not realized he had fallen asleep in his chair until he heard the knocking across the room. Trying to rub the sleep from his eyes, he took notice that the fire was now reduced to burning embers, the private room mostly dark save for the lamp beside him. Papers scattered everywhere on the table before him, haphazard notes taken from the recent development in the case from Ominis. He was lucky Sirona had let him use the room for the past while.

Speaking of which.

“Sir? Just checking in to see if you needed anything.” Sirona’s voice was heard on the other side, a slight bit of concern tinging her words. She also must have come to realize how much time Aesop had spent here. A sudden clap of thunder outside shook the rest of the dreariness from his mind, Aesop clearing his throat.

“No, I am fine, Sirona, thank you.” He tried his best to sound as awake as possible, but even he couldn't hide all of his exhaustion .

“Alright, I am just serving the last few stragglers before closing up, will you be staying the night?” Shit, Aesop did not realize exactly how late it was. Staring through the window, he could see the night had indeed descended, Aesop letting out a sigh in frustration. He had not meant to fall asleep, but he knew he would be too tired now to go anywhere.

“Yes sorry, just give me a moment, I'll be right downstairs to pay!” he called through the door, scrambling to find his coin purse. He heard Sirona call and say to take his time as her footsteps retreated back down into the tavern, The Auror now letting a groan out in frustration. He had been pouring over these notes for two days, sending owls to Ominis to see if he would have any other clue to where Lenore could have gone. Ominis could only assume she would want to be as far away from any loved one as possible, hence making sure her tracks were covered. The only tip off was that they both knew that Lenore had a hard time keeping away from comfort places, which to the two of them, gave the hope she was somewhere in the Hogwarts vicinity. He and Ominis both remembered how much she stated that she adored the area, how it was a second home to her. On an investigative side, it did make some sense to him about her hiding in plain sight. But since Ranrok and Rookwood, Auror presence had gone up exponentially.

And that was the problem he faced with this whole scenario now. Anything that would have made some kind of sense, made little sense at all once it had some holes poked through.

Just as he was picking up the coin purse, his body was thrown to the floor, the building shaking beneath him as he heard Sirona yelling out, mixed with furniture breaking. It took him a moment to understand the situation, quickly making his way to the door. He could see a confringo blast outside through the doors, a figure racing out into the downpour, a few wizards running after them. Aesop didn't waste any time, taking his flask out for a swig as he raced down the stairs, veering to the side door that let him out into the alley. The pounding rain muffled most sounds but he could hear the shouting of the attackers run right past, Aesop on their heels. Quickly, he incapacitated one, the others now realizing they were being flanked. Aesop was lucky enough for a couple Auror’s who were stationed in Hogsmeade to be coming from their sides, most scattering. He called out orders to them as he continued to run forward, more concerned about the figure those wizards were chasing. It had taken a moment to catch up, just seeing the first figure turn around to wave their wand, a piece of stone from a wall flying through the hair to collide with the wizard's face. Aesop could hear the skull crushing on impact, knowing the wizard was probably killed instantly.

“Shit!” the other wizard cried out, turning back to the figure. “I'll get you for that bitch!” As the wizard raised his wand, Aesop felt time go still for a moment, his heart dropping.

He had seen magic like that before, seen someone wield their wand like that, and as the thunder clapped above them, he saw the figure, now on the hill, raise their wand to the sky. Aesop tried to run towards her as fast as he could, but just as he was about to pass the attacker, the figure's wand shone a brilliant blue, illuminating their face as a lightning bolt was brought down from the sky, almost incinerating the attacker. The force of the blast throwing Aesop back, his body colliding with a wooden cart. In his blurred vision, he could see the figure hesitate for a moment before they aparated, Aurors now descending on the scene. As they tended to Aesop, others checking the bodies to confirm death, he felt his chest light up again, and hope flooded through him.

The figure, as their magic illuminated their face, had been one of an old woman. Yet their eyes. Eyes of blue with vibrant green flecks.

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#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter #hogwarts legacy fic #harry potter fic #professor sharp #professor aesop sharp #professor sharp x oc #professor aesop sharp x oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

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Masterlist

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ao3

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Ch.1

#Become as Gods #Masterlist #bg3 gortash #baldurs gate 3 #enver gortash x oc #lord enver gortash #enver flymm #gortash x dark urge #bg3 dark urge #gortash x durge #durgetash

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Masterlist

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Blood dripped from her hand, nails digging into the palm, desperate to try and keep some grasp on reality. He could hear each drop hitting the wooden boards of the ship.

"You hear them again, don't you?"

Lips pulled into a small frown, the spawn's eyes boring into his.

"Always. Only this time, the whispers beg me to join them, and take you with me."

Both looked down over the railing. How many of those souls that desperately clawed onto the barge were placed their by their own hands. How many wished to tear them to shreds as repentance.

How many more would join them to pave their path to the crown.

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The journey of two chosen on the path to eternal dole, as they have in their sights the way to Become as Gods.

Coming soon...

If you wish to be tagged for updates, Please let me know!

#enver gortash #gortash x durge #dark urge #enver gortash x oc #bg3 #bg3 dark urge #enver flymm #the karsus heist #Become as Gods #gortash x dark urge #im so excited to share this project like holy #bg3 gortash #lord enver gortash #bg3 fic #bg3 fanfiction #durgetash

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

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Ch. IV

Word Count: 4306

Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi

AN: Time to start picking up the pace. If you want to be updated for new chapters, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list!

《《Previous - Next》》

"Miss Onai, thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"I will tell you it was quite unexpected, Professor. I did not think you were the kind to visit your past students." Natsai's smile was warm as she welcomed the man inside her small home. It seemed she had done pretty well for herself since graduation, living in a small home by herself nestled in Godric's Hollow. It had been a bought of nostalgia for Aesop, being here. It had been years, and the memory of the funeral was one he liked to keep repressed.

"Yes, well," Aesop cleared his throat, not wanting to seem embarrassed by the comment. "Unfortunately, I have not exactly come to see you on those kinds of terms Miss Onai." He followed her to the small sitting area of the home, a crackling fire lit and a beautiful aroma surrounding him.

"Tea, Mr Sharp?" She held the teapot towards him. "A special blend my mother and I had brought from home."

Aesop could only nod, Natsai bustling around the tea and he readied his notes, enchanted quill hovering a new piece of parchment and notepad in hand. After his meeting with Aia, he had poured over the notes and records of the Auror's office, unable to find any kind of concrete record of Justinian Rosier. Any request to Phineas to see if he somehow had anything was met with being brushed off, claiming he was far too busy with the mess of political PR. It had been nothing short of infuriating trying to get anything, and these students were his last line in knowing where she was.

As he was about to speak, he noticed the Ministry of Magic's insignia on one of her coats hanging by the door he had walked in, the silver stitching catching the fire's glow. Natsai noticed his stare, chuckling to herself as she took her place across from the Auror.

"The Department of International Magical Cooperation." She motioned to the coat.``I have been there for a few months." She took a sip of tea, smiling at the coat. "I'm trying to make my way into the office of law."

To say Aesop was impressed would be an understatement, eyebrows raising. It was a daunting career, and one he had only heard of some of the best students going into easily. Yet with the skill he had seen himself from her time at Hogwarts, and the wonderful strength and support of her own mother, he would say her prowess was well worth the position.

"May I ask what intrigued you about that particular department?" He knew it was not part of the immediate investigation, but Emrik had let him know time again that building a report with whomever your questioning could make information getting far more painless. Besides, he was genuinely curious.

"I just…" He could see a look of discomfort cross her face as she scooted herself forward off the couch, leaning in close. "Promise to keep this between us." Aesop nodded, Natsai taking that as enough of an agreement. "I feel, from what I have seen from my time at school, there is a gross neglect on the Ministry's side in regards to poaching laws. We saw it… experienced it…." He saw a flash of pain cross her face as her hand collected the fabric of her trousers into a fist. "It must be changed, and I feel if I try my hardest, I can make the change to fully outlaw it." He could see the determination in her eye, a determination he had seen before, only shared with the student beside her. He knew what had happened with Natsai and Lenore, the downfall of Harlow, Natsai's own injuries. He truly empathise with her, and knew Lenore was probably so proud of her.

Speaking of which, he did have a purpose of being here that was not catching up.

"Well, Miss Onai, I do truly wish you the best in your goal. I would love to see it happen too." His experience seeing what they did with his career and Lenore, it would be a dark spot best wiped clean.

"Anyways, miss, I came to see you today in regard to a current investigation taking place." His tone became serious and stern, eyes hardening. In the opposite effect, Natsai's own eyes widened with surprise, a sheen of nervous sweat on her brow.

"Oh… Oh I'm so sorry I shouldn't have said-"

Before she got herself in a panic, Aesop held his hand up. "No no not about you miss. Don't worry, I won't repeat what you said." There was a sigh of relief across from him as she took another sip of tea. "I'm sure you already know, but it is in regard to a former classmate and friend of yours."

Aesop studied Natsai's expression, seeing how it transitioned from shock to worry. "I-I am sorry professor I don't know-"

He raised his hand, reaching into his bag to fish out the wanted poster of Lenore. His chest tightened, still not used to her face framed by such horror, but gently he set the page down on the table facing Natsai.

"Miss Onai, when was the last time you saw Lenore Arkanos?"

Natsai picked up the page, Aesop feeling some kind of urge to tell her to handle it gently. There was a pregnant pause between the two, before Natsai set it down, her face what he could describe would be the definition of confusion.

"I-I am sorry professor, sir." She corrected. "But I don't know who you are speaking about.

The same frustration he had felt seeing the list of names with no affiliations came over, Aesop pinching the bridge of his nose to remain calm.

"Now Miss Onai. Both you and I know that is not true. Lenore was your classmate, your friend. You had spent time together outside of school. Now be honest, when did you last see Miss Arkanos?"

Natsai shook her head, confusion began to mix with her own frustration. "I am not lying to you, I have never seen or heard of this person! If she did go to Hogwarts, she and I never met or saw each other." Her voice became hard, fear lacing with her words.

Aesop didn't understand, he saw them together, in class, sitting side by side. This wasn't true. Why was she lying? "Miss Onai I ask you don't lie to me-"

"I am not lying!" She stood from the couch, her teacup knocked over by the force. Quickly she tried to compose herself, enchanting a napkin to clean the spill. "Mr. Sharp I do not know what you are trying to say, but I have never met that woman in my life, and I am in no way linked to any of these attacks."

For a moment he just looked into her eyes, trying to see if there was any kind of hint of deception. Yet, all he could see was concern and fear. She was telling the truth.

But how was that even possible?

He looked down to his notes, only noticing now how his hand was shaking. Without speaking, he quickly got up, collecting his things half hazardously, making sure the only document he took care to pack away was the wanted poster. "Thank you, Miss Onai, for your time." Before she could say anything else, he swiftly left the home, limping down the street.

After a few minutes of walking, the sound of crunching leaves under his boot mixing with his racing heartbeat, he found himself leaning against a wall. It took another few seconds to try and catch his breath, his mind racing in a frenzy.

'They sat in class together, travelled together, she said she would visit in the summer. What is going on?' Taking out his notepad, he crossed out Natsai's name, looking at the other list of students. Dread made its home in his stomach.

Through the next week, Aesop travelled to the other students.

Amit Thakkar, now taking a break from his travels, had the same response as Natsai. The woman he had helped tutor had shown his telescope to, who also sat with Lenore in potions class, he had no recollection of her existence.

Poppy Sweeting, now helping as an assistant in Hogwarts to Professor Howen, had a more alarming response. Never had he thought the woman would flat out yell at him for questioning her truth. Honestly, it shocked him in a good way. But again, it was the same response. The woman she had helped in her class, no memory.

The list went on, the same responses followed, and soon Aesop was sitting at his desk again, completely dumbfounded. Not one single friend he had seen her personally speak with, spend her time with, even tell him about during their personal time together. It was as if Lenore never existed, that she was some kind of figment of his imagination. But even that never made sense. Aesop had written owls to Headmistress Weasley and Nigellus, needing to know if somehow, he was crazy. Phineas quickly told him that yes, of course Lenore existed, and to not bother with ridiculous questions.

Matilda's response was more alarming. His own had asked if she could please confirm that not only was Lenote a student, but that the professors that had taught her before also recollected Lenore's existence. In her response, not only did she, of course, remember Lenore, even still had her field guide, but all professor's remembered her.

All but one.

When Matilda had asked about Lenore to Professor Onai, the Divination teacher had absolutely no memory of Lenore, nor the friendship that her daughter shared with anyone like Lenore. Matilda did not want to press on, not wanting to make anyone afraid or panicked. Aesop understood, but as he wrote his notes, and continued to fill his walls, more and more questions were being asked, and it was all starting to crack and crumble before him. Yet he had two more, the two that were truly woven into Lenore's life.

Throughout his tenure at Hogwarts, Aesop did not find himself travelling around the surrounding area of Hogwarts. The farthest he had gone was Hogsmeade and his excursion with Lenore. Much to his disdain, his injury had left him much more sedimentary. Lenore had been one of the very few to get him out and explore the world around him.

Even now he could not hide the chuckle as he walked through Feldcroft, knowing that even with her not being here, she was still getting him to explore. The village itself was fairly quaint, the aesthetic of the region truly beautiful to him. He understood why many witches and wizards enjoyed coming out to these small villages and hamlets. He himself had thought about retiring out here, Aesop was not one for densely populated areas. He remembered Lenore agreeing, her joking how no matter what she would still find him to pester him. It made his chest warm, but he shook himself from the thoughts. He had a job to do.

After a few minutes of searching, he found himself standing before the Sallow home. It was a beautiful cottage, flowers growing around the front. It looked extremely well kept, he would like to live in a place like this one day.

With a deep breath, Aesop knocked on the door, the anxiety of the situation slowly starting to creep up his spine. When the door opened, the woman behind it only made his anxiety grow.

"Hello Ma'am. I am looking to speak with Sebastian Sallow. I'm from the Auror Office." He quickly flashed his badge. The woman looked from the badge to him, her expression sorrow filled as she came out, quietly shutting the door.

"I am sorry sir… but nobody from the Sallow family lives here anymore." She let out a breath. "Tragic loss the boy faced… to lose an uncle and a sister.. I couldn't imagine."

He did not expect that. From his time with her, Lenore had mentioned Sebastian's family, Aesop even teaching Anne for a time before she was taken out of the curriculum. He did not remember her extremely clearly, but he did remember that she was a fairly sweet individual.

"My condolences… From what I remember she was quite young." Aesop's voice was sympathetic, but at the same time he was getting more concerned. "I won't bother you further.. but do you know where Sebastian Sallow went to?"

The woman thought for a moment, her lips pursed and brows furrowed. After a few seconds he could see the answer came. "There was a friend I remember seeing him come here with quite often. I couldn't tell you his name.”

That was enough information Aesop needed. Thanking the woman for her time before quickly aparating out of the town.

The last place he could go, his last hope. And this hope was very daunting as he stood before the manor.

The manor itself seemed to exude its ancient age, its Stone old and eroding, the roofs sagging and covered in a dark moss. Aesop could only imagine just how long the rotted wood had left. Yet itself, it still stood regal. From his interactions with Ominis, to the countless conversations he had with Lenore about him, it seemed an odd place for him to live. Tentatively, he reached for the knocker on the door, the wood almost black. As he waited, he took in the surrounding woods around him. It seemed to be in a different world of its own, the massive willow trees leading towards the house gnarled and ancient looking. The hedges surrounding the home were overgrown, unkempt. The yard, Aesop assumed was once well manicured, was now overgrown with different weeds and wildflowers. The only plant worth of note to him were the occasional roses, thorns long enough to be used like a dagger.

The door creaking open behind broke him from his inspection, now being met by the oldest looking house elf he had ever seen. 'Is everything in this family ancient?'

Without speaking, it led him inside, directing him to an old yet lavish sitting room, an obsidian fireplace casting a green shadow over everything. The mantle itself seemed to be made of a dark obsidian, snakes intertwining with themselves until they led up to an extremely large portrait. Staring down at the auror was the great Salazar Slytherin himself. It took Aesop's breath away to see one of the great founders like this, in a portrait that was likely the only one in existence. He almost didn't see the two figures walk into the room.

Before him stood both Ominis and Sebastian. Ominis wore a suit of pitch black, with Sebastian wearing a dark green knitted jumper and slacks. It was hard for Aesop to see them in anything but their school robes, but it had been some time.

"Professor Sharp! What a surprise!" Sebastian threw his arms open, walking towards the Auror and grabbing his hand in a strong handshake. "Never thought I'd see the day you would want to visit!" He was taken aback somewhat, until his attention was taken by Ominis himself. His face showed unease. He hid his best to mask it with. Polite smile as he followed Sebastian, also shaking Aesop's hand. It was almost the opposite of Sallow's, his hand hesitant and cold.

"Yes well.. you are partly right about that, Mr. Sallow. I don't make it a habit to visit my old students. Aesop felt nothing short of uncomfortable in this situation. From the happiness of Sebastian, to the strained tension between him and Ominis, nothing was sitting right with him.

"Please, have a seat." Ominis finally spoke, heading towards the large leather couches by the fire. As Aesop sunk into the couch, the ancient looking house elf from before set the table in front. "Master's favourite tea." He croaked, pouring the cups before teleporting away. Without any prompting, Sebastian began to go on a tangent about their time after school, filling Aesop in about his moving from the Feldcroft, his growing relationship with Ominis, and his want to begin training with the Aurors, his only reason for being so late was due to the move. The entire time Sebastian spoke, Aesop kept his eyes on Ominis, taking in every micro expression he could, but the boy was masterful at keeping his face like stone. Soon enough though, Aesop knew he had to get to the real conversation.

"It is good to hear that you have been doing well for yourself, despite all you have been through." Aesop was glad the couches they all sat in were leather, hearing Ominis fidget and straighten himself.

"Yes well… it is always a hard time finding your place and career in the Wizarding world." Ominis' voice was strained, reaching to take his cup.

"I meant about Anne. I do truly offer my condolences-" the sound of porcelain shattering on the floor interrupted him, Ominis sputtering as Sebastian immediately tended to him, noticing the cut now present on the man's hand. Aesop was about to get up to help when Ominis held his other hand up.

"No, I am fine… Sebastian, could you please grab my kit from upstairs?" Sallow nodded, quickly apologising to Aesop and leaving the room. As they heard the steps go farther and quieter, Aesop noticed that Ominis had stood, standing beside Aesop, facing towards the fire.

"I ask you, while you are in my home, to not mention anything in regards to Anne. For Sebastian's sake, mine, and hers."

Aesop immediately got to his feet, staring down at the boy. "What do you know?"

"Now now professor. There is no need to get up in arms. I will tell you right now, she does not wish to be found. Sebastian will know nothing, like the others." Aesop's heart pounded in his chest, finally getting some kind of answer about Lenore.

"Ominis, you need to tell me what you know, for her safety and possibly yours." He was trying his best to keep control, but from the smirk on Ominis's face he could hear the worry seeping through. Without saying a word, Ominis waved his wand. Before the two men, the large green flames parted, the brick behind breaking away and shuffling themselves to the side, revealing a small vial. Aesop could deduce immediately what it was.

A memory.

Ominis reached in, taking the vial and placing it in the Auror's hand. "I can't say much, for Sebastian's sake. But just know she did this for our safety. Lebore cares for you, deeply. It killed her not to come to you for this, but after your last interaction, she thought you would not want her to come back." Hearing that was a gut punch to Aesop, trying to keep composure.

"We both want her to be safe. We both know something is wrong. But she wished that I…. We…. Lead our lives in peace. If that means she is gone, I accept that for her sake." Ominis turned towards Aesop, his hand clutching the man's shoulder. "All I want is for her to be safe and okay. Please… if you do somehow find her… and find out whatever is happening.. keep her safe." He let go of Aesop's shoulder, going back to sit on the couch as Aesop clutched the vial.

Sebastian hurried back into the room, tending to the wound on Ominis's hand. For a moment Aesop just stood there, looking between the vial and Ominis, before quickly pocketing it, collecting his bag. Sebastian looked up, confused. "Leaving already, Professor?"

"Yes, uh, well I just realised I had other things to take care of that slipped my mind. But it is good to hear you're doing well, Mister Sallow." He made his way to the large doors, Sebastian and Ominis following. With a brisk handshake for Sebastian, he thanked him for the hospitality, moving to Ominis. As he shook his good hand, Ominis leaned in, whispering in a soft voice.

"Take care of her, and tell her we are happy." Without another word, Aesop turned on his heels, aparating away from the estate.

Aesop was lucky he knew someone with a Pensieve. A quick letter to Matilda was sent, the owl with her response coming back only mere hours later, welcoming him to use it if it would help.

That night as he stood in Matilda's office, he could only just stare at the Pensieve, surrounded by other vials filled with memories. His anxiety was piqued, wondering what to expect from what he was about to see. Ominis had not instilled any kind of confidence in the growing situation, and Aesop was still asking more questions. He hoped, with all this heart, this would explain something. With a shaking hand, he poured the memory into the basin, watching the silver swirl and dance in the water.

Slowly, Aesop leaned his head down, submerging himself in the memory.

—

The world around him was dark, like being plunged into the blackest of night. It took a moment for Aesop to realise exactly why.

The world slowly pieced itself together, and through the blackness, shapes emerged. Some were crude, a flat surface here, a cold pane of glass there, all in distorted greys. Some objects, however, had more details. The ornate carving of the table, the old teacher of the couches, the obsidian scales of the mantle, all of which were like the other object, somewhat distorted and grey.

He could feel the heat of the fire caressing his face, one of the few things in this blasted house he actually had some kind of admiration for. He hated being here, this house filled with such horrors. Yet knowing Sebastian was here, that Lenore was here, it gave him some small joy.

The creaking of the floorboards in the distance knew the deed had been done. Slowly, they grew louder, approaching him slowly as they wavered on the grand staircase in the entrance hall. Her shoes heel clicked against the old wood, and after thirty seconds, he heard the shuffling from the entrance of the drawing room, something being placed beside her. She must have bathed, the scent of soap and lavender filling the room.

"Is it done?" Ominis cursed himself for the waver in his voice, wanting to seem stronger than he was.

"He is sleeping…" Lenore's voice was quiet. Judging by how her own voice quivered and the sniffle following, she had just finished crying. She moved closer to him, the sound of leather straining beneath her form as she sat. Ominis moved to sit beside her, his hand holding hers tenderly.

"So, that makes everyone then." His only response was a small 'mhm'.

Squeezing her hand, he let out his own breath. "You don't have to do this, Lenore, you can stay."

"You know I can't, Ominis." He knew clearly she was not going to hide the pain in her tone. "I won't let anybody's safety be at risk because of me. They will find you… hurt you.."

"And him?"

He could feel her hand shake in his, her pulse jumping."By the time the news gets to him… he will hate me. That is enough to know he is safe."

"Lenore… you know he will try to -"

"Stop!" He could hear her coming back the tears, Ominis immediately holding her in his arms. They stayed that way for a while, Lenore being the one to break away.

"What will you do then?" He stood with her, following her with his wand.

"I need to find somewhere far enough away from everyone, from people who could get hurt.." he heard her pick up the bag she dropped earlier, both going towards the door. "They will have spies everywhere. I can lure them to my position and…. take care of them. They will lose numbers soon enough."

Ominis grabbed her by the elbow. "You know they will twist this. They will make you a monster"

"Then I will have to bear it." She turned to him, leaning against the door. "I'll find an isolated enough place. You will all be okay, and I'll do what I must -"

"Just stop, Lenore!" His grip tightened. "Quite trying to think you need to do this alone. You don't."

"I'm not losing you! Sebastian has been through enough! You need to be there for him, to finally be happy! Maybe one day, when they have forgotten about me, I'll come back."

"Promise?"

"I promise…"

The two embraced, her body shaking against his own as he stroked her hair. It was longer now, still damp from the bath.

"I have enough polyjuice to get me by for a while if I need to go into town. I know of a good spot ill-"

"Lenore…. If he comes trying to find you… I won't lie to him."

That made her stop, her breath hitching as her palm laid against the door. "For you… I won't. You deserve happiness."

Ominis heard the door slowly open, Lenore's footsteps growing quieter and more distant as she walked away from the manor.

—

Aesop felt a chill go down his spine as he backed away from the Pensieve, sitting on the stone steps of the office. His breathing was erratic, vision focusing after being used to the darkness. For a moment, he just took in the sound of her voice, how broken she sounded when Ominis had mentioned him. His own heart felt for her, wanting to just hold her again like that last time, to breathe in her completely.

But a few things had become clear to him now. Lenore had not been killing Aurors. The Ministry was behind something.

------------------------------------------------------------------

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#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #harry potter #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fic #hogwarts legacy fic #professor sharp #professor sharp x oc #professor aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp x oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

Text

Ch. III

Word Count: 3529

Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi

AN: If you would like to be added to the tag list, please let me know! Hope you enjoy it!

《《 Previous - Next》》

It had taken Aesop a few days to come up with some kind of plan. What had once been an empty set of cubicle walls around him were now filled with notes, annotations, witness statements, and a clear picture of what he had to work with. What sat in the middle of it all was the wanted poster of Lenore, her hopeful eyes staring back at him. He could only imagine what she would be looking like now, on the run and in hiding. He had apprehended wizards who had been in hiding for quite a while, and the state they were in, the image of her like that made him shudder.

Throughout the few days here, Aesop was lucky to find the class that Lenore had been training with, some willing to sit and talk with him. Some were less cooperative, not exactly wanting to recount the scene. He did empathise, of course a situation like that would want to be forgotten, yet he could not deny the growing frustration he was feeling. All he wanted were answers, as fast as possible. None of this was making sense to him, and Aesop despised feeling lost like this.

As he was packing up his desk, gathering everything he would need for the next part of this investigation, he heard someone clear their throat, making him turn. Before him stood a young woman, with eyes that took even Aesop aback. Just her rested face alone looked to be throwing iced daggers at him, yet her overall demeanour seemed almost timid and shy. Long black hair framed her face, ties tightly behind her back, falling past her waist. He quickly cleared his own throat, straightening himself. "May I… help you?" He did not recognize her from the class.

"M-Mr. Sharp. I apologise if I was interrupting anything," Her eyes darted between him and the reports and papers surrounding the walls, swallowing nervously. "I just… I heard you were asking about Miss Arkanos and.." Aesop immediately arched a brow, moving closer to the woman.

"Not out here…" His voice was low and quiet, escorting the women to the back of the room. He quickly waved his wand in front of a door, ushering her in before following, locking the door. I side was a basic interrogation room, black walls, a simple table and chairs facing each other in the middle of the room. The woman only noticed sitting down that Aesop had gone to the corner of the room, procuring two porcelain cups of tea. "I know you're nervous, this should help." He placed the cup in front of her, taking a seat across.

As she took a tentative sip, she watched as the man quickly got ready, a piece of parchment with a quill floating at the ready. She also noticed his own notebook, a much smaller quill in hand. After a minute, he was the one this time to clear his throat.

"Alright," his voice was gruff as he readjusted himself in his chair, his mind slipping back into his time as an Auror. "Your name please." His eyes trained on hers carefully, the quill beside him scratching down his words.

"Aia. Aia Shizuku." Her voice still quivered from nerves, her hands unable to keep the tea cup still. After a minute, the woman took a deep breath, nodding to the man.

"Alright… Aia." He tried his best to give her a curt smile, coming across just as uncomfortable as her. 'Damn it has been a while'. "Let us start at the beginning then. How close were you to Miss Arkanos while you trained together?"

"Well, we were quite close." Taking another sip of tea, she set the cup down, finding some kind of confidence. "We were usually training partners. Most of our time here was spent together. We both stayed in the provided dorms here so you could say we were roommates." He could see a twitch of a smile forming. "I remember she could be quite the snarky woman at times."

Aesop did not realise he was chuckling at the comment until he noticed Aia's quizzical stare, clearing his throat. "Apologise." He scribbled down some of his own notes before addressing the woman again. "So I assume being training partners and living together, you two would talk a lot?"

Aia nodded enthusiastically. "She was always very easy to talk to, had a way of really listening to what you say. When we had met I had mentioned how nervous I was since I had only been in this country for a few weeks."

"Where have you travelled here from?"

"My father and I moved here from Japan. After I had graduated Mahoutokoro, my father had been offered a job here at the Ministry. He recommended I work as an Auror." Aesop had to do everything to not hide the look of displeasure on his face, instead keeping it down to look at his notes. "When I had brought it up to her, she told me about a close friend she had from Hogwarts who had previously gone to Uagadou."

Hearing that, Aesop sat straighter in his chair. "Has Miss Arkanos mentioned any of her other previous friendships to you?"

"Yes sir. She always went on about stories about them. There had been one who always found ways to blow things up in potions. Another she had mentioned was one of the greatest quidditch players she had ever seen. There was one she was particularly close with, received owls from him every day. Something… Gaunt?"

For a moment, Aesop could feel his face burn and stomach tighten at her words mentioning her relationship with Ominis. Even he had to admit they were particularly close to one another, especially after her fifth year. Those two, including Sallow, the three were attached at the hip. "Did she ever share what those notes entailed?"

Aia paused for a moment, lips pursed as she toyed with the teacup. "There was one she had mentioned… something about visiting a friend who had lost his sister… he was taking it really hard." Aia looked up to Aesop, the look of sadness in her eyes quite obvious. "She told me she lost someone too, that if it wasn't for someone she knew at Hogwarts, including her friends, that she would probably be really lost."

His chest tightened again, a lump growing in his throat that he fought to swallow down. Fingers hesitated on the parchment beneath him. Aesop knew what a loss like that could do to any person, how they could change. He knew Lenore took Eleazar's loss hard, but to see her grow and flourish, Aesop knew the old man would be proud. But loss never leaves a person, he could attest to that personally.

May 31, 1891

The weather was not helping the mood of the castle, the claps of thunder mixing with the stressed sighs and remarks from students trying to study as much as possible for the oncoming exams. In these moments, the library would be flooded with all kinds of students, all at different stages of panic in their studies. Aesop was never one to turn away a student from extra curricular activities, yet this year it seemed everyone was particularly struggling to find the right headspace to learn after what had happened. With classes having been paused for two weeks, everyone was playing catch up.

The library was trickling out the last few students for the evening, Aesop deciding to make his way back to the potions room to collect some papers to go over for the night. The halls were almost deserted, save for the few stragglers coming in from the storm. As Aesop turned the corner to the potions room, he noticed something that didn't seem right. A trail of water had been leading to the classroom itself. Aesop remembered he had mentioned his classroom being closed as he was to help study hall, so as he rounded the corner, he was shocked to believe the witch that sat in the class.

Lenore was soaked to the bone, shivering in front of the fire. Her eyes seemed distant, almost devoid of any emotion, yet the red puffy skin around her eyes was a close give away that it was not the case. She did not notice that he had approached her until he was nearly beside her. Lenore could not help but jump.

"I-I am so sorry, Professor! I did not mean to intrude, your door was unlocked and I had come to ask for something but clearly you're busy and-"

Aesop had not seen Lenore like this before. Usually she was entirely composed, to a care-free degree. She may have not been Amit, but she was one of the star students of the class, almost being here obsessively. It had been on his mind why a student would need so many wiggenweld and enduras potions, but he never really thought to ask.

Before he could cut in, Lenore looked into his eyes for a moment before completely breaking down, sobs wracking her body as they bounced off of the walls. Aesop had never really dealt with emotions like this, from students or adults. He was not particularly a graceful person when it came to feelings, but he knew that after what she had been through, what he himself had seen personally, it must have been a regular occurrence as of late.

Without speaking he gently led her by the shoulders to his desk, flicking his wand to close and lock the door to the class, knowing that she probably needed privacy in such a state. He pulled up a chair for her, quickly going to his office to retrieve a few items.

Lenore felt nothing short of embarrassed. This isn't what she wanted to happen, to have him see her like this. She did not want anyone to see her so broken. They were all feeling grief from the loss of Professor Fig, they had known him for so much longer, had those bonds with him. But, seeing the man she came to respect as a mentor, a teacher, a friend, die before her. The thought made another sob break from her chest. Lenore did not even notice the blanket being wrapped around her as Aesop returned, placing a cup of something in front of her. The smell wafted around her, sobs now morphing into soft cries.

Aesop knelt down beside her, trying his best to ignore the shooting pain in his leg as his hand softly fell on her shoulder.

"Miss Arkanos… deep breath."

It seemed to somehow break through her cloud of grief, Lenore looking at him as slowly, following Aesop, she breathed in and out, feeling her mind and body slowly relax. After a few minutes, she finally felt brave enough to take a sip of tea, eyes going wide.

"Like it?" Aesop chuckled, feeling confident enough to sit beside her in his chair. "Earl Grey, my personal stash. Brought it with me from home." He could see the worry in her eyes as she began to set down the cup. "No, no, drink." He watched her take another sip, the aroma clearly relaxing her shoulders.

"Thank you… for this." Her voice was meek, a frown pulling at the corners of Aesop's mouth. It didn't suit the confident witch he knew from class.

"No need to thank me. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not always the stern, gruff potions master they say I am." She noticed the slight smirk on his face, taking his own sip of tea. It put her at ease a little. Wiping her face, she let out a shuddering sigh.

They both sat there in silence for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the crackling fire in the classroom and the occasional sip. Aesop took the moment to assess Lenore. Immediately, he noticed how she had not been sleeping, dark bags lining her eyes, eyes that were quite red and bloodshot. Her hair, usually somewhat well kept, if not for the stray leaf or branch, now sat as a mess on her head, clearly unbrushed. It was a familiar image to him, one that brought him back to his own time of personal grieving. For Emrick, for the life he had before. Never would he want anyone to experience that loss, that pain, that complete emptiness in their chest. But seeing it happen before him, he could feel his own wounds want to open.

"How did you do it?"

Her voice ripped him out of his thoughts, Aesop meeting her stare. He could see the tears beginning to form again as she sunk into the blanket. Lenore must have been tipped off at his confusion, as she sat herself up a little more.

"When… when you lost your partner… how did you get over it?" Her voice wavered, trying to take another deep breath to calm herself.

Aesop sat back for a moment, a fist to his mouth in thought. He could feel all the memories and emotions slowly come back, ones that had taken years for him to come to terms with and overcome. He knew, in this situation, he had the advantage of age and time. Nobody can prepare you for losing a loved one, to say Aesop was prepared was a vast understatement. But he was at an age where he could understand his emotions, the risks of his line of work.

The hardest part for him was not accepting the loss of a friend, it was accepting the responsibility that if it wasn't for him insisting they go to that boat, his partner would still be alive.

"I didn't."

Lenore looked up from the cup he was holding, eyes wide with confusion and shock. Aesop took a deep breath, leaning towards her.

"I won't lie to you Miss Arkanos, I still live with what has happened to this day. I don't think there will ever be a day where I.. get over it." Moving his chair a little closer, he leaned down to be at eye level. "But what I have done is learn to live with what has happened. To grow from it, and continue on, for them. Professor Fig was a brilliant man, and with the knowledge of how he cared for you, it would be safe to assume that he would want you to grow, to learn, and use it as a strength. You will always have his memories with you, his lessons and advice. Keep those close to you." He felt a lump growing in his throat, trying to swallow it down. "It is okay to grieve. Just know one day, you will know it is time to continue forward, for yourself, because you know they would want you to. With them in your heart."

Lenore sat there in silence for a moment, just staring at the man dumbfounded. She had heard so much about Professor Sharp, seen it with her own eyes. He was not one to open himself like this. She did see him express pride and happiness, but this, it felt so…. Tender. So real.

"Thank you…" she whispered, tears falling down her red cheeks as she took a deep breath in, making a small smile appear on her face.

"Also… I'll let you in on a secret that will make you feel a little better." Procuring a piece of paper, he scribbled something down, his writing obscured by the empty vials on his desk. When he handed her the paper, she noticed it was directions, with a password written beneath. "A special bathroom for Prefects. They like to keep it locked but that password should get you through. I feel some time in there might make you feel a little.. better."

Lenore could not help but give him a large smile, the first he had seen from her in weeks. "Thank you… for everything." After finishing her tea she was ready to get up and leave, eager to bathe and make herself feel somewhat human again. But as she was leaving, she felt him touch her shoulder again, placing a small vial in her hand.

"This should help you sleep as well. Just need to put a drop of it in whatever beverage you fancy before bed. And Miss Arkanos," his hand fell from her shoulder, his eyes sweet and tender. "If you ever need to discuss anything at all, or just need to brew potions as a distraction, my office is open to you." He was the one now to turn and leave, but something she said before walking out made him stop in his tracks.

"Professor Sharp… call me Lenore"

"So, Miss Shizuku, what can you tell about any of the events leading up to the incident between Miss Arkanos and Mister Rosier?" Aesop hadn't realised he had been silent, Aia snapping him back to reality with a cough.

"Well… honestly… it all seemed okay until Rosier came to the academy." He could see Aia tensing at the question, her fingers picking at each other nervously. "All of us thought the situation was pretty strange in itself."

"May I ask what situation?"

"Well, from what I know, it is extremely unlikely for someone to begin training as an Auror halfway through the first year, or any year for that matter." Aesop immediately sat up straight, a little taken aback.

"You mean, Rosier never started the academy with you?" He was baffled at the statement. Not once, through his time as an Auror, has anyone ever come into training halfway. Nobody would allow such a thing.

Aia nodded in response. "Some had asked the instructor, it seemed very strange. He had said it was a favour for the Minister." The picking continued. Aesop motioned for her to continue. "When he had started training with us, he had zeroed in on Lenore instantly. He demanded to spar with her every chance he got, he would always try to follow us, shouting insults to try and provoke a response." Aesop could feel anger boiling in his chest, the thought of her being cornered like that making his fist clench.

"Lenore was immediately paranoid of him. She had kept telling me she knew him from somewhere, that he had been following her." Aia took a moment to look around the room, then leaned in close. "I…. If I tell you something… can you promise you won't get me in trouble?" He could see the worry and fear in her eyes. This entire time, all other students had kept tight-lipped and silent, so he could only imagine the risk she was taking with this information. He nodded to her in response, a slight bit of tension leaving her.

"We… we snuck into the records office. She needed to know if she was right… and…"

"And?"

"There was nothing.." her voice was barely above a whisper. "No records, paperwork. Nothing." Aia swallowed, looking around again. "The day after… was when everything happened. She was terrified that something was going to happen. That he would hurt someone. I never expected her.."

Aesop leaned back in his chair, letting out a breath. "I understand. After what had happened… have you ever seen her again?"

"No, when she ran away, nobody saw her again until the attacks happened. I just… I can't believe it… I thought I knew her." Aia's voice wavered, Aesop noticing the tears in her eyes. He passed her a box of tissues, waiting for her to compose herself. Looking over his notes, he felt now there were far more questions than answers, frustration and uncertainty growing.

"I want to thank you for your time Miss Shizuku. I assure you that our conversation will be kept private. But I need to know if there is anything else you can tell me, anything that could help lead me to her." He was leaning in on his arms, his eyes showing a small hint of desperation to the woman across. For a moment he watched her think, staring down at her hands before looking back.

"Before what happened, she had let me know she was scared for the people she cared for… that she wanted to make sure they stayed safe. Mister Sharp… I know Lilium.. I know she isn't a killer but…" Aesop held up his hand, not wanting her to break down.

"Miss Shizuku… I promise that I will make sure she is found safely. I will find out what is going on. If anything else comes up, please let me know immediately." Aia nodded, and after a few minutes he watched her leave the office, taking a moment to look back to him with a worried expression.

Aesop felt this had started taking a step forward, now feeling like he had taken three steps back. How did she know Rosier? What did he know about her? The biggest question still on his mind still stared straight back at him, trying her best not to smile. Beside her, sat the names of all the students he remembered seeing her being her closest friends.

What did they know?

------------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: @4everflowercore @marine-captain-deku @ryehoneyandinkstains @doom-n-gloomgal @shygurl123456 @handon-h-art @misswildfire @nightless @li-om@dagiweh @anmactireaonair @liadamerondjarin @amatchasky @mellocado @imaginaryisordinary @v1cv1c

#hogwarts legacy #aesop sharp #harry potter #aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fic #hogwarts legacy fic #professor sharp #professor sharp x oc #professor aesop sharp #professor aesop sharp x oc #harry potter fan fiction #hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy oc #hogwarts oc

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

Text

A Latent Sense of Loyalty

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latent-sense-of-loyalty · 4 months

Text

Ch. II

word count: 3065

Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi

AN: If you wish to be added to the tags, let me know! Enjoy!

《《 Previous - Next 》》

Aesop was not one to stew in his own thoughts. There were far more better, more productive things to do with his time than get stuck in his head. Yet, the longer he stared at his badge seeing his own eyes staring back, the more he seemed to sink into the inner recesses of his thoughts.

He could not believe any of what he heard was possible, a part of him wanted to just refuse the situation outright. Yet, looking through the eye witness accounts, most of which described the woman he knew to the absolute minute detail, how could he possibly deny it? From the blonde hair which he swore could be silver in the light, from the scar on her right brow, down to the small flecks of green in her blue eyes.

At some point he remembered he had to stop reading, the image of her in his mind tarnishing more and more as he pictured Lenore pointing her wand, staring into the eyes of the wizard as she ended their lives with a flick of her wrist. It was almost too much. But Phineas was right, if anyone could somehow get to her, he was possibly their best option. One thing seemed to not make sense though, about this entire situation.

Nowhere, in any of these reports, did any of them mention the connection to prior classmates and friends. Not one interview, not even a slight mention. The Auror academy she had attended was not even approached for any kind of questioning. All of this was out of the norm forbany investigation he had seen. Aurors were thorough, always made sure to cover all tracks in an investigation and hunt. All he could see though was a warrant issued for her arrest, ordered by the Ministry of Magic itself.

If he was going to start anywhere, it might as well be the last place he knew she would be, and the thought made him tense.

He never planned to go back to the Auror Office. He closed that chapter on his life, but somehow, someway, she had a way of opening those doors again.

—

October 7th 1893

"You know, I could easily suspend you for breaking into a clearly locked office." Aesop leant against the frame, seeing Lenore's wide eyes staring back as she held a vial in her hands, clearly not expecting to see him. "You know, if you would have just waited for me to get here, I would have no issue letting you use my own supply." The student rolled her eyes at him, placing the vial on the shelf.

"I was in a rush, sorry. Needed to see if maybe you had some spider fang." Lenore picked up another vial to inspect.

"Oh so breaking in and stealing now, hm?" He could not help but smirk as she continued on her business. "You're not exactly helping your case, Miss Arkanos." He limped towards her, reaching above her head to grab a small wooden box.

Lenore could not help her cheeks flushing as she felt his presence looming over her. She was in the perfect position to have his scent surround her, a mixture of leather, cedar, and cinnamon. In her dizziness, she didn't even notice him placing the box in her hand.

"You know there are such things as owls. Quite well known to deliver a letter quickly." His face was close to her ear, his breath brushing over her skin as he quickly stood straight, limping out of the office and towards his desk. Lenore felt rooted to the floor, trying to gain some kind of composure before he saw her face. Without taking too long, she followed him out of the room, doing her best to keep her face hidden as she got back to the cauldron, adding in a few fangs quickly before stirring.

"Yeah, yeah, I know.." He always had a way of being right, and the chuckle she heard from his desk only proved it so. After a few minutes, Lenore was satisfied with the final product, storing it in the leather bag she had brought with her. Aesop looked from the papers he was marking, his eyes daunting into a glare. If she had that bag with her, he knew exactly what she needed that potion for.

"Lenore, you know how I feel about you going out there to deal with those poachers. You know what happened last time." His voice was hard as he got himself up again, slowly approaching her. "I can't be there to heal you every time a fight ends with a broken arm." Lenore groaned as finally she turned to face him.

"Professor, you know that nobody is doing anything out there! That no Auror is going to care about coming here to stop them! I can handle myself, and you know it," Irritation clearly framed the words, her eyes pleading for him to somehow understand. "I've been doing this for years, you know I'm good." He stopped arms length from Lenore, pulling up a stool to sit across from her, eye to eye.

"You have been in here for bone mending potion, any healing more powerful than a wiggenweld, even just simple bandages, so you don't have to go to the hospital wing. I can't in good conscience let you go without at least saying something. What you're doing is reckless and, frankly, idiotic." He could see his words sinking into her, Lenore refusing to make eye contact as her fingers picked at the loose yarn of her jumper. "I'm only saying this because I care -"

"Why?!" Lenore couldn't stand still anymore, pacing up and down the classroom. "I don't understand, professor, why do you care so much? All the others don't even bat an eye when they see me go, or train, or anything," Her hands dragged on her face as she turned to him. "You're the only one to try to stop me, I just.." he could see something strange pass over her face that compelled him to stand and slowly walk to her again, his hand moving to rest on her shoulder. For a moment, Lenore stared down before meeting his eyes again.

She did not notice until now that his eyes were the most beautiful deep shade of blue. So blue they were almost black. Something about them made her heart skip.

"Deep breath." He waited for her to comply, his voice low and quiet. "Lenore… I know you're capable, and I know what you're doing is good… you're one of the brightest students here. I just can't let you throw yourself into something so dangerous and reckless. " He let out a heavy sigh. Aesop never liked being upset with her, but he couldn't just sit idly by and watch her play with death.

Before Lenore had the time to respond through the lump in her throat, Aesop was limping back to his desk.``I just need a few minutes and I will meet you by the owlery." That made Lenore drop the box in her hand, spider fangs scattering across the stone.

"Wait, what?"

"Oh you thought I was about to let you just go out alone weren't you?" He sheathed his wand inside his coat, grabbing a few different potions.

"I'll be coming with you."

—

Aesop felt the fang move between his fingers, his mind as far away as possible. He barely noticed Matilda calling his name as he sat in her office. The look of worry etched into her face already clued him into how she was taking the situation.

"I know this is not how any of us wanted things to turn but… I just never thought she.." She could barely finish her sentence before she got choked up, turning away from Aesop for a moment to quickly compose herself. "I… I have been provided a suitable substitute for your classes during your… leave of absence." Nobody liked this situation, both of them knew that. The only person who at all benefited from this was Negallus, now knowing he didn't need to send more men into the grinder.

"Matilda…" He couldn't even find the words to say, there was nothing that could possibly be said. Instead, the headmistress motioned towards the large fireplace in her chambers. Aesop despised the flu network, found it far too risky to trust completely. But with the situation at hand, he needed to get to the Ministry Headquarters as fast as possible. Begrudgingly, he stepped inside the large stonework opening, grabbing a large portion of Floo powder as he looked back to Matilda Weasley, trying to clear a tear from her eye with a handkerchief. "I'll make sure she is safe… I promise." His voice was soft to the woman, Matilda nodding to him in return.

"The Ministry of Magic." His voice boomed out as the powder fell from his grasp, soon green flames consumed his figure. Aesop could feel his stomach lurch with the travel until suddenly she could feel himself stumbling into the main hall of the Ministry of Magic. Clutching his chest he sputtered out dust as he tried his best to get balanced once more.

As much as he detested being back here, Aesop could not deny the grandeur of the Ministry. From the well-polished marble, to the spectacle that was the fountain before him, it was truly a breathtaking sight to him. But he knew now was not the time to sight-see, as he briskly limped to his destination.

It was all muscle memory for him, having made the commute more times than he could ever remember. It did not take long for him to be in front of the entrance to the British Auror Office, its sigil staring back at him like an old friend. He could feel an old confidence start to take over as he pushed his way into the office.

He remembered as a child growing up the stories of Aurors, how they took down some of the Wizarding world's most well known dark wizards, a force to be reckoned with. Aesop thought of the work and excitement of making sure every O.W.L and N.E.W.T would be at least an E, if not an O. The excitement of being approved into training, only to find out the moment he walked in, the eventual future he would be faced with.

Before him stood a long black wood crescent desk, the sigil for the British Auror Office again gracing his vision, yet it was the view behind the ornate desk that had most people questioning things.

Behind stood rows upon rows of walled cubicles and desks, Aurors of all calibre stationed at each one. Around them were photos and clippings of any and all kinds of dark wizards they were hunting or investigating, the sound of hushed conversation and scribing quills filling his ears like some strange symphony. He could smell the fresh ink and parchment, it oddly soothed him.

Phineas had already let him know prior it was to be the same as before, his old desk and everything. He had given his word that all other Aurors would be off the case, passing all known information to him. It would be on Aesop's word alone if any reinforcements to detain would be needed. All of this felt so wrong to him, to have this kind of control and power over an investigation on a student, no, a friend. None of this felt right to him. There had to be something more.

Sitting at his old desk, all the memories flooded back to him at once, almost suffocating him. He could almost see all of his notes around him, all of the clippings with small annotations he had written in. Aesop could swear he still smelt the same earl grey tea he drank every morning as he looked over notes. But the hardest was knowing, across the desk from him, Emrik would not be there.

Aesop did his best to push the memories out, instead seeing the case files and scrolls in front of him. He had asked himself over and over if he was ready to see what was about to face him, but opening to the first page, his heart dropped to his stomach.

Before his sat the trademark wanted posters used for all fugitives they were seeking, but it was the eyes staring back that made him feel sick. The same eyes he remembered staring into him that first day at Hogwarts, keen and ready to learn, the ones that watched him as he fought alongside her. It may have been monochrome, but he could still imagine those green flecks surrounded by blue. Aesop could only assume they had used the photos they took for their Auror identification. He could see the hopeful excitement in her expression, trying so hard not to smile. He didn't have that strength, but the small grin he gave was one of sorrow. Lenore didn't deserve to have the words most menacing and extremely dangerous beneath her.

Again, Aesop did his best to push it all down, knowing that the current task at hand was to see if he could find any kind of lead to go off other than the last location of the attacks. He soon noticed that there was shockingly little information gathered. The only piece of information worth noting was the records provided for her time at the academy. Quickly flicking through, it had noted she was an extremely bright student who was eager to learn, excelling immediately when it came to potions and combat, no doubt from Aesop's help. Yet a few things caught his eye.

From the looks of it, Lenore seemed to have a hard time grasping at anything related to stealth, the records noting that she preferred a much more bombastic approach. It looked as if she was not able to focus on any kind of concealing charm, being found in any scenario with ease. Yet when it came to combat, she was a lethal force to be reckoned with. He also noted her distaste for anything in regards to transfiguration, yet was quite apt with tracking. Flipping the next page, however, Aesop was greeted with red ink, classified scrawled on the page. As he continued, he noticed a report of immediate discharge from the program and a request for investigation. Scouring the report, Aesop dropped the page as if it burnt him, disbelief in his eyes.

It had been halfway through training, and the instructor had already noticed that something didn't seem right with her, mentioning how "Miss Arkanos seemed to be dealing with some kind of head pain, wincing every so often.'

Drills had started as they had been focusing on combat, Lenore paired with another student by the name of Justinian Renier. It had also been noted that the two of them argued quite often, Renier often being the instigator of most quarrels.

As the two fought, the instructor noticed something in their fighting, how it seemingly changed from practice, to an all-out battle before their very eyes. Other students did their best to try and stop, but with how fast the battle had been escalating, people were retreating to the sides of the room for safety. It was not until Renier seemed to raise his wand, the report noting some deranged expression, when the feeling of the room changed. The Instructor had begun to notice everything stop, a blue glow emanating from Lenore's wand. As she pointed it to Renier, with no incantation uttered, they all witnessed him begin to glow a purple hue from his eyes and mouth, before exploding before their very eyes, his body nothing but mere ash. He noted how Lenore almost seemed dazed, and before anyone could stop her, ran out of the room.

For a minute, Aesop just sat there, unmoving, staring at the report, hoping that maybe it wasn't real, some false image. But it remained, the ink not disappearing, and he quickly knew that Phineas had told the truth. He had seen her do that exact thing before, fighting alongside Eleazar. It was no mere spell. It was the Ancient Magic, the same magic she told Aesop she contained. Lenore had lied to him the whole time, hiding it in plain sight. For those two years, she continued learning. She never once had brought it out again.

'So… why now?'

It was the first note he had written, pinning it with the report as soon enough, the cubicle was looking its old self once more. His sprawling of questions and theories intermingled with her descriptions during some of the attacks, mentioning how it was the same blue magic as before. The first obvious conclusion was that she had not used any unforgivable curses, labeling this as only ancient magic alone. That was enough to help her with some kind of trial in the future.

Yet what was concerning to him, as he had noticed when Phineas had first mentioned this, was the lack of any kind of questioning.

Aesop quickly flicked through the paperwork and scrolls until he had found one noting any prior connections, affiliates, or potential accomplices. He could see students' names written below, the same that she had been friends with and studied alongside for three years. Yet as he read through, something didn't make sense.

Natsai Onai (Former Gryffindor, fellow classmate) - no memory or affiliation

Poppy Sweeting (Former Hufflepuff, fellow classmate) - no memory or affiliation

Amit Thakkar (Former Ravenclaw, fellow classmate) - no memory or affiliation)

Sebastian Sallow (Former Slytherin, fellow classmate) -no memory or affiliation

Ominis Gaunt (Former Slytherin, fellow classmate) -no memory or affiliation

The list went on down the many students Aesop saw her be around themselves. He remembered Amit helping Lenore with her potions, Natsai always wanting to practice charms. The most shocking to him was Ominis, recalling that after her fifth year, the two had become inseparable friends, Lenore even visiting him at the Gaunt estate during the summertime. None of this was making sense. Not one piece added up to him.

Only one thing was certain for now, and as he looked into the monochrome eyes of Lenore's blinking picture, he repeated it over and over.

'I know you, the real version of you. And I will find you again.'

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