The Eyes of Graphorns (Professor Sharp x mc)

Elaine's Laughter

Aesop Sharp sat in his classroom, turning a piece of parchment in his hands. In recent days, he had often sat here, lost in thought, although he really hadn't had the time for it. Every day, he would review the events in Elaine's office, and her words would echo in his mind. She had tried to find a cure for him. She had been injured in the attempt to confront his attacker. She had become a damn Auror and went to that cursed place called Scarborough. It wasn't that he hadn't believed she was capable, but the fact that she now had to endure the same pain that had haunted him for years because of him — he should have warned her before it was too late. But what troubled him most was what she had said to him: "You mean too much to me."

In the past week, he hadn't seen her often. They mostly met in the Great Hall, but she hadn't given him a chance to speak with her. Usually, she was already there before him, leaving the teachers' table before he had even started eating. Now he sat there, the empty parchment in hand, unable to find the right words. He had thought about sending her an owl. He wanted to apologize to her. For his behaviour and for not having control of the situation. But most of all, for accusing her of not wanting to help him. He wanted to say so much, and...

"Professor, we've finished brewing our Focus Potions," a voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up, and there stood a student holding a vial. "Yes, yes, write your names on a piece of parchment and then place the potions on my desk. We'll discuss the results in the next class. Class dismissed..." The students looked at each other questioningly and then began to leave the room one by one. "What's wrong with Professor Sharp?" he heard a student whisper, and another replied, "I don't know, he's behaving strangely, maybe..." The rest of the sentence left the room with the students. Aesop Sharp leaned back in his chair and sighed as an owl entered the room through an open window, dropping a piece of parchment onto his desk and disappearing without landing. He recognized the handwriting immediately:

"Please meet me after lunch on the seventh floor of the Astronomy Wing."

There was nothing more on the piece of parchment, but he knew who it was from. The whole week, he had caught himself waiting for a message that he had believed would never arrive. He had thought about a possible meeting with Elaine Hopkins much more often than he wanted to admit, and it unsettled him. Until now, he had never found it difficult to stay focused on his work, but since the confrontation with Elaine, he had noticed behaviors in himself that he didn't recognize.

Lost in thought, he imagined seeing her again outside the Great Hall while simultaneously trying to push the thought away. He knew he was behaving highly unprofessionally, even though she was now his colleague.

The morning dragged on like an eternity. When Sharp arrived in the corridor of the seventh floor, Elaine was already waiting for him. She didn't look at him as he approached and stood beside her. She sensed his presence as he stopped beside her. He too looked at the wall ahe was staring at, perhaps hoping to discover something there, but all he saw was sand-colored stone.

"How was your first week at Hogwarts, Professor?"

He said her title as if it brought him joy to treat her as an equal. He glanced at her from the side and caught himself admiring her. He noticed again and again that he compared her to the student she had been when she left Hogwarts. Even then, he had appreciated her talent and courage, but he felt how much she had grown. She radiated sincerity and sharpness. She tempered her confidence with restraint and humility. He noticed that he had been staring at her for a bit too long, quickly looked away, and condemned himself for his inappropriate behaviour.

"I'm still getting used to standing on the other side of the classroom," she replied, "but it's going well."

Elaine was glad that Sharp was actually there. She hadn't been sure if he would come. He hadn't responded to her owl, but she hadn't expected him to. Even during her school days, he hadn't revealed more than necessary about himself. For the first time since she returned to Hogwarts, she felt something familiar. So much had happened in the last few years, and everything had changed, but now, with the professor standing next to her, who had fought side by side with her long ago, she felt that the shadows of the past were at least loosening a bit. She valued the Potions Master greatly — his knowledge and experience, but also his honesty.