The Forbidden Love of Aesop Sharp

Chapter 37 - Burning reunion*

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to calm the racing thoughts that clouded my mind and focus solely on her.

I repeated this movement for several minutes, until the sound of my own footsteps on the ground, echoing through the seemingly hollow floor beneath me, became a cacophony reverberating loudly in my mind, as overwhelming as my doubts and anxieties.

The process appeared easy enough. According to my sources, the door to the Room of Requirement should have opened on my third pass. Yet, despite my numerous attempts, it stubbornly remained closed.

In a moment of despair, I halted my movements, inadvertently colliding with a passing student who was taken aback by the sudden interruption.

"Merlin... oh, sorry, Professor Sharp," she exclaimed hurriedly, her hair partially obscuring her face as she looked mortified. "I didn't see you, I'm sincerely sorry," she added, her eyes wide with apology.

"Hmpf," I muttered, feeling more irritated by her presence than by the collision itself. "Shouldn't you be in your dormitory at this hour, Miss Marshall?"

As I spoke, I retrieved a silver watch from my pocket, observing the green hands pointing to 9 pm. Raising my eyebrows as I glanced back at her, I waited calmly for her response.

"I was thinking of heading to the library, I have an assignment for tomorrow morning..." she announced in a rush, avoiding my gaze. Nervously, she began fidgeting with something in her pocket, her breathing uneven.

Typical, when you lie to your professor.

"At this time? And in the wrong corridor, no less? I could overlook the fact that you're not in your dormitory if you had a good reason not to be, Miss Marshall," I began, relishing how her composure faltered. "But I cannot tolerate a student, especially a prefect, blatantly lying to me."

For a moment, she seemed to struggle for air, her blush deepening even further. "Professor... I'm really sorry, I was hoping to..."

Her shaky explanations were cut short as her classmate arrived behind her. The moment his eyes met mine, his expression soured, and all color drained from his face.

"Well, well, two fifth-year Gryffindors deciding to wander the corridors in the dead of night," I chuckled, knowingly mocking their audacity to violate curfew, flout the rules, and lack discretion.

"We wanted to study at the astronomy tower..." the other student attempted to justify. I acknowledged the effort this time, noting that his lie seemed more elaborate than his friend's, who claimed to be heading in the wrong direction.

Upon noticing her friend's arrival, Miss Marshall quickly straightened herself and began to tidy her appearance, her behavior betraying the state of their relationship.

"Too late, Mr. Perri, your friend already fed me another lie about your intentions," I replied, unable to suppress a mocking smile. "But I must admit, yours is far more convincing."

Unfazed, Perri seemed to relish the situation, exuding an air of confidence. I might have considered letting them go if he hadn't chosen to provoke me.

"Okay, we lied," he admitted reluctantly, maintaining eye contact without wavering. "But we had a good reason," he added confidently. "Can you let it slide for this time, please?"

"Oh, I could, Mr. Perri," I declared, watching the smile spread across his face and onto his friend's. "I could betray the trust placed in me by the professors and the Headmistress to enforce the rules of the castle, just so I could relish the thought of seeing you expelled tomorrow if Mr. Moon catches you in the corridors during the night."