The Eyes of Graphorns (Professor Sharp x mc)

The Room of Requirement

The next morning, Sharp was awakened by the first rays of sunlight that were already streaming through the window, casting the walls in the hue of hawkweed. Elaine still lay in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. She slept. He watched as the sunlight gradually crept across her face, gently and kindly brushing over her scars and finally resting brightly on her reddish hair. Her shoulders rose and fell gently with the rhythm of her breathing.

How long had it been since a woman had been this close to him? He had long forgotten the feeling, yet had always yearned for it, especially since Elaine had returned to Hogwarts. Still, he would never have dared to imagine that he would wake up next to her one day.

Carefully, he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. At his touch, Elaine's nose twitched slightly, and she nestled a bit closer to him. Aesop smiled. The curtains fluttered at the open window, and a mild late-summer breeze filled the room with the scent of nearby orchards.

When the sun soon shone through the window at a slightly steeper angle, Elaine finally woke up. It took her a moment to realise where she was, but when she understood, she looked up into Aesop's face.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked sleepily.

"Not long," he replied, tenderly running his hand through her hair, its tips shining in the morning light.

Elaine let her head drop. With a serious expression, she stroked Aesop's chest with her hand. She ran her fingertips over the ridges in the fabric of his waistcoat. She noticed that Aesop's tie had loosened. The touch seemed to spread over his entire body like a shower of rain after a warm summer day.

"Is... everything alright?" he asked, trying to control his breathing.

Elaine's expression finally relaxed.

"Yes," she began, "it's just that I feel... safe. I can't remember the last time I felt this way."

Aesop held her a little tighter.

-

Elaine and Sharp took Samuel to King's Cross on the morning of the 1st of September and disapparated from there to Hogsmeade, to return to the castle together. On the way up to Hogwarts, Sharp was unusually silent. The Scottish sky hung grey and dreary over the hills of the landscape. Haegel's Ham now felt like a long-faded dream of a past night. He thought about how their paths would separate once they reached the castle grounds. Each of them would return to their office and prepare for the upcoming lessons. It seemed to him as if the stony path beneath his feet was paved with their shared memories, which receded further into the distance with each step and were covered with the dust of the road. He glanced at Elaine from the side, hoping to find out if the events of the past few days meant as much to her as they did to him or if perhaps it was better if they stayed in Haegel's Ham.

When they reached the north gate of the castle, Sharp stopped. Elaine noticed that he was nervously kneading his hands.

"Elaine... I..."

Why was this so difficult? He had been an Auror for years, fighting dark wizards, trolls, and Dementors, always relying on his sharp mind. But now, standing in front of the woman he trusted more than anyone else, he was at a loss for words.

"Forget it, it's nothing..."

He finally turned to leave, but Elaine stopped him.

"Aesop, please wait."

"What is it?"

"I... I need to check on the creatures in the Room of Requirement, and I was wondering if you might come with me?"

She hesitated.

"I know the last time we were there together... I said and did things I regret. But it would mean a lot to me."