A happy wizarding family of six, or A woman with a particular set of powers and her former Auror and professor husband do their best in raising four brilliant young wizards and witches. - blog ran by @tea-withjamandbread and @aesopsharpmybeloved - Asks are open and the kids might answer them, too! Companion blog to @aesopsharpmybeloved’s series A New Chance at Life.
The former professor sighed deeply. Finally he managed to scrub the stink off his person. He wasn't sure what exactly went wrong - one minute he was trying to make an improvement on the digestion potion, so that it would lose its nasty side effect of making the user very sweaty upon ingestion, the second he was... Well, smelling like a bloody polecat.
He left his cellar in a fit of coughs, although he did manage to hurriedly vanish the clearly failed potion and cleared the air with a simple charm. His wife looked up from where she was currently in the middle of aiding little Eleazar in putting a puzzle together, and right away covered her nose.
"Ugh, what's that smell?" asked the young lad, also turning his head to Aesop’s direction. "Failed potion," Aesop explained shortly, well on his way upstairs to the bathroom. He received no answer, or perhaps he just did not hear it. He began pulling off his clothes before he even reached their bedroom. He didn't even bother with sending a scouring charm on them, and simply vanished them before they even had the chance to hit the floor. The stink was most likely so deeply sunken in them, it wouldn't come off even if he washed them repeatedly. He just hoped he'd be able to get it off his body.
The tub in their bathroom filled up with hot soapy water, and he wasted no time in climbing in, uncaring whether he got the floor wet at that moment. He started scrubbing at himself furiously, trying to get the repulsive scent off. Luckily, in more time than he would've preferred, he smelled the reek letting up.
After replacing the water, he scrubbed some more until finally, finally, all that filled his nose was the light, pleasant smell of soap. Replacing the water again, he sighed and leaned back. He stared morosely in front of himself for a bit. What could have caused such a catastrophic reaction? Maybe he added too much mint? Or perhaps it was the wormwood?
There was a knock upon the bathroom door. "Yes?" He called. His wife entered moments after, giving him a small grin.
"Well, you no longer stink like manure, so that's brilliant," she said teasingly, pulling up the stool in the corner of the room, and sitting next to the tub. He gave her a wry smile: "Yes... Sorry about that. I'll make sure to go over the process carefully to figure out what went wrong and hopefully stop anything like this from happening again."
She took the soft washcloth he was using to scrub at his body and dipped it into the warm water. She then started running it over his torso, through the dark hair on his chest. He couldn't help closing his eyes in bliss. His wife made even such a simple activity as cleaning one's body into such a pleasurable experience.
"Mistakes can happen - you work so hard, dear, you not only brew so much, but you try to make improvements on your potions, to make them even better for people. I'm so proud of you," she spoke softly. Aesop smiled warmly and opened one eye: "Even when I stink up the house because of it?"
"Yes, even then. But I admit, I find it way more enjoyable to approach you when you're nice and clean, and now you smell simply delicious."
Her lips pressed against his temple, and her hand holding the cloth dipped below the water to gently rub against his belly, making the first ripples of arousal flow through him.
"Hm, darling... The kids-" he said lowly. "The kids are accounted for at the moment. Besides, it's not like I'm doing anything bad. Just cleaning you, my sweetest," she replied, her other hand coming to run through his damp hair.
Aesop wasn't able to stop himself, he reached his wet hands and captured her face in them, pulling her for a deep kiss.
After a few minutes of fervent kissing, she pulled back, grinning: "So much better when you're smelling nice." Aesop gave her a mischievous smirk, and then-
And then he grabbed her waist and pulled her into the tub with him, prompting the young woman to squeal loudly, water splashing absolutely everywhere. Aesop only laughed. Soon, she joined him, even as her clothing got all wet on her body.
"What's going on here?!" Came Maggie's confused voice. The young girl was standing in the doorway, obviously having ran in to investigate her mother's sudden yelp. Ah. It would appear the soundproofing spell on their bathroom was wearing off. Luckily, Aesop was all covered by his clothed wife. Not that it would matter usually, Aesop would occasionally bathe with his children when they were little, but his wife's ministrations didn't leave him exactly unaffected.
"I'm sorry we frightened you, dear," His beloved said a bit awkwardly. "Mummy was bringing me extra soap, and slipped on the water. Luckily I caught her, who knows what could've happened otherwise. Goes to teach me not to splash around so much..." Aesop said, referring to Maggie's habit of leaving water all around the tub when she went to bathe. The young girl blushed under the clear poke at this habit.
"I'll try to not get so much water around next time..." She said quietly, prompting her parents to chuckle. "It's alright, dear, just make sure to wipe it down with a towel afterwards. Why don't you go check up on your siblings, I'll be there shortly - I just have to dry off," (F/N) said lightly, not making any effort to get out of the tub just now. After a soft 'Alright' and the sound of the door closing again followed by Maggie's steps retreating, the woman finally climbed out of the tub.
"Aw," Aesop said, "I was quite enjoying having you here..." His wife chuckled again, using his own wand that was resting on the sink to dry her clothes. "Just you wait at night, you rogue," she warned, "I'll get you back for this!"
Eleazar and Theodore sat together on the sofa in the family room, not believing their eyes, while their mother busied herself with her tasks
"Has she sat down at all?"
"For breakfast? She sat down to eat breakfast, right?"
"No, she quickly ate while standing in between cleaning the counter and washing the dishes"
"Is she alright? has she forgotten how to rest?"
"I think she just has a lot of things to do at the moment..."
Both boys didn't realize that their father, who had emerged from his study, had witnessed the entire exchange.
"Finally catching on are you?"
"Dad!"
"Your mother moved in with me one day, started cleaning this house and has yet to stop. On top of raising you lot, doing her fair share at the shop and putting up with me. She sees everything that needs done around here, and gets to it. And while some days her mental list is short, today it seems like it's a rather long one doesn't it? And I'm unfortunately stuck with the unpleasant task of bookkeeping at the moment and unable to assist her."
"Theo, perhaps we should go ask Mum if she needs help, maybe we could tackle some of the things on her list"
"Don't ask her. She'll say no. And it shouldn't be on her either to delegate tasks. Both of you have functional eyes and brains, put them to good use. See what needs done, start your own mental lists, and get to work."
"Yes sir"
The boys rose in unison, and each went in different directions. Satisfied that the boys had understood the assignment, Aesop returned to his own work.
----------
About thirty minutes later, Aesop re-emerged from his study to find a much different sight. His wife sitting at the sofa where his boys were a little bit ago, with a cup of tea in her hands, eyes closed.
Both boys were busy, Eleazar deep cleaning the oven and Theodore cleaning the bathroom.
Aesop sat next to his wife and put his arm around her.
"Hello you"
"I've been relieved of my duties"
"I can see that."
"All done with the books?"
"If I have to look at another spreadsheet I think I'll go mad. Here I thought grading essays was mentally exhausting but I'll gladly read through a pile of second year essays looking for some semblance of intellect over looking for where the missing sickle is"
"I think you're being a little dramatic at the moment"
"I can assure you I'm not"
"Thank you for taking care of it, and for everything else you do for us"
"It's you that deserves all the gratitude my love. Although I will help myself to a sip of your tea if you don't mind"
A couple of teens too curious for their own good and a bottle of Firewhisky is a recipe for disaster, or: Aesop recalls the first few times he drank Firewhisky.
chapter specific tags: friendship, flashbacks, fluff
The amber liquid runs down his throat, leaving a sweet burn in its wake. Warmth spreads across his chest and he hums appreciatively. He remembered it like it was yesterday when he drank his first glass of Firewhisky. Well… drank…
Half choked on, more like.
“Where on earth did you get this?” he asked in a hushed tone as Ashley proudly procured the bottle from below her jacket. “Pinched it from my dad and uncle!” she said, grinning, “they shared it yesterday as they talked, and both of them think the other took it, and don’t question it.” Aesop had to admit, that Ashley, despite being a proud badger, was occasionally more of a Slytherin than he was, and she seemed to always get her way.
“If your dad finds out about this, he’s going to toss me out, thinking I'm a bad influence on you. I’m surprised he even let me stay here with you…” he said, his voice still quiet, as if Ashley’s father could pop into their hiding spot any minute now.
“Dad likes you, he wouldn’t throw you out. Besides, I’d admit it was my idea,” she comforted her friend, and Aesop of course believed her. Ashley wasn’t one to throw her friends under the bus. “Come on, Ace, don’t you want to see what all the fuss is about?” she then asked, swirling the liquid inside the bottle, and the lad sighed. He walked over to her and took the bottle out of her hand.
He uncorked it and brought it to his nose, sniffing at the liquor. The smell was quite pleasant, rich, woody and slightly sweet. Before he could take a sip, however, Ashley stopped him: “Oi, you didn’t think we were just going to chug it straight from the bottle, did you? I don’t want your germs.” “Oh, piss off.”
She laughed and procured two goblets, placing them on a nearby crate. She then poured a fair amount of the alcohol for both of them.
“Well,” the girl said as she took hold of her goblet, “to your good health, Ace.” He gave her a smile: “And to yours.” The two fifteen-year-olds took a deep sip. Which was a big mistake, as not a second later they turned into two coughing, heaving messes. The rest of the liquid in their goblets spilt around them as they dropped them. The Firewhisky burned their throats, and it took several minutes for them to get a hold of themselves.
“Fucking hell!” Aesop groaned, sitting down on the ground and leaning back against the wall of the abandoned mining shack they deemed their little hiding spot, “why in the name of Merlin would anyone drink this? It’s horrid!” “Is there a hole in my neck?” Ashley asked, her voice hoarse, “It feels like there’s a hole in my neck.” She sat next to him, breathing through the experience. “How, does anyone drink it? I saw Dad and Uncle sip on it like it was Pumpkin juice!”
At that moment the pair decided to never drink anything so foul again.
And they didn't. Not until Aesop’s seventeenth birthday.
“Come on, Sharp, it’s tradition!” Roberts said, patting his shoulder. Aesop and Ashley exchanged a little grimace. “To receive a pocket watch, that’s a tradition, but drinking this? I don’t think so…” the freshly adult Aesop countered, observing the amber liquid in his glass apprehensively, “it’s foul, I almost choked the last time I tried it.” His classmate rolled his eyes: “Let me guess, you drank it like it was Butterbeer, didn’t you. Well, of course, that’s going to be nasty. You either take small individual sips or throw it all back! Come on, don’t be a wuss.”
The Slytherin groaned, but lifted his glass anyway, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his peers. He raised the glass to his lips, and, as per Roberts’ advice, only took a tiny sip. He rolled the liquid in his mouth.
Once more, it burned, but now he also realised that it had a rather interesting taste. Kind of spicy, only slightly sweet, yet light and cool. He swallowed his sip and blew out of his mouth swiftly.
“So?” his classmate inquired. “It’s… not as bad,” he replied truthfully. Ashley looked at him, then followed his example. Aesop drank again.
“Woah, slow down, mate! I’ve nothing against drinking myself under the table with you, but the night’s still young!” Aesop ignored him.
When he Flooed home the next day, his mother chanced one look at him. “Did you enjoy your evening, dear?” she asked. Aesop’s face was a Slytherin green, his stomach felt very unstable, and his head was killing him. “I am never drinking again,” he managed to rasp out, prompting his mother to laugh. Less than five minutes later, he was snoring away on the sofa in the living room, an empty cauldron conveniently ready next to him.
Aesop chuckled at the memory. It both felt like it was yesterday and a lifetime ago. He remembered evenings spent with Ashley after their Auror training, sharing a single drink, and he remembered being there when Dinah too underwent this ‘rite of passage’. He remembered both the calm toasts and the wilder drunken nights. With a pang in his chest, he remembered the time all he wanted to do was drink and forget. And then the festivities on Christmas Eve.
These days, he usually remained with a single glass, sitting on the sofa by his fireplace, looking into the flames while his young lover rested her head on his shoulder. Her small hand came to take the drink from his hand.
“What are you doing,” he inquired with a smile, “you know you hate Firewhisky.” She shrugged her shoulders: “It’s a different brand, maybe it’ll be better.” She took a small sip, then made a face that prompted a laugh out of the potions master. “No. Still awful,” she said and gave the drink back to him. Aesop used his free hand to turn her face to him and stole a kiss from her lips.
“Now that’s better,” she grinned at him, and he was forced to quickly deposit the glass upon the small table next to the sofa, as his attention was very much required elsewhere.
Aesop noticed instantly how the bottle of firewhiskey was suspiciously a lot more empty than last time he'd had a drink.
It didn't take him long to figure out who was responsible.
Maggie was overseas, Eleazar had just moved into a flat of his own, and even if he'd still been living at home, he knew better. Aesop had been 15 years old once, and now he had two 15 year olds living at home.
If the contents of the bottle wasn't a dead giveaway, then the hoarseness in his son's voice certainly was.
"...morning..."
Aesop tried his best to stifle his laughter and was somewhat successful. He walked over to the cabinet where he kept various potions and pulled out two phials of throat soothing solution walked over to his son and handed them to him.
"Small sips next time"
"thanks Dad... I don't think there's going to be a next time though..."
No, that was not entirely right - he hated the fact that he needed that wheelchair. From the first moment they sat him into it to wheel him over to Ashley’s funeral, he hated the blasted piece of wood and metal. That first day, he felt entirely powerless to do as much as try to operate it himself, and instead let people push him around. The healers, his mother, Dinah… He barely spoke, only gasping for breath occasionally when a particularly insistent sob fought its way through him. He didn’t even climb back into his St Mungo’s bed from it afterwards. He felt so completely empty, that he wouldn’t have cared if they left him sitting in it the entire night.
Later, he hated that he was grateful for it.
The healers insisted that while he was in pain, he was able to walk. He’d just have to use a cane and pain-relieving potions. The Auror was very tempted to tell them to go fuck themselves. They couldn’t heal him, and they were making it out to be some sort of blessing that he’d be able to walk as long as he drank copious amounts of Wiggenweld potion and hobbled around with a cane. A blessing, in Aesop’s opinion, would’ve been the ability to walk like he once had. Walking hurt, even with the use of cane and potions, and Aesop found himself to be glad when they allowed him to sit back down into his wheelchair again.
After they finally allowed him to go home, the first thing he did was check up on his stock of alcohol - and promptly started to get rid of it down his throat. He didn't know how many days passed then. All he knew was that while he was in his own house, the wheelchair was now his only home, and it was his prison as well. He hated it like he hated himself, but it would seem he’d have to learn how to live with both.
Or did he?
It was this thought that brought him back to the hospital, and into Dinah Hecat’s wrath.
His second stay in St Mungo’s was even less pleasant than the first one, as now he had to suffer through near-constant surveillance, and the only time he was allowed outside of his room was when Dinah herself was pushing him around the pale corridors and bringing him outside for some fresh air. Aesop still believed that it was what he deserved. It was what he deserved for causing her, and the other people who for some reason still cared about him, distress. He deserved it for what happened to Ashley.
It would seem he would be forced to accept the reality after all.
—
But then he didn’t.
After all, while Aesop’s home had been slightly modified to accommodate him, namely his bedroom moved to another room downstairs, there were still things he couldn’t exactly do while sitting down, like shaving in front of the mirror or brushing his teeth. That is, he could do these things while sitting down, he could enlarge the handheld mirror to be able to shave properly without leaving his wheelchair, or he could ever bring the new mirror in his bathroom down to his current height, but being used to do things one way for so many years made it all seem like more of an inconvenience than it already was.
And this, along with much, much pestering by Dinah, resulted in him bracing himself into a standing position to tend to his routine. More and more, he found himself leaving the comfort of his wheelchair to perform his tasks. And then, when instead of going through the tedious process of lifting himself onto the bed to remove his clothes, then moving to the wheelchair again to traverse the short distance from his now bedroom to the bathroom, awkwardly covered by his dressing gown, only to once more transport himself out of the wheelchair and onto the seat conjured in his bath, he actually got up and walked. Aesop knew he couldn’t rot away in that blasted contraption forever.
It wasn’t an easy process - he got tired quickly and had to either sit down, or brace himself against something often, but every single day, he found himself relying on his wheelchair less and less. His leg hurt, but it was far from the unbearable pain it was when the wound and the memory were fresh.
And then one day, he looked for his wheelchair throughout the house, only to realise that it was in his bedroom, and it had been there since the previous day. He had not used it at all.
He looked at the device with contempt, his head held high as if mocking it. Aesop Sharp stood mostly straight, only partially leaning his weight on the doorframe. He suddenly remembered why he was looking for it - him standing over his cauldron, working on yet another experimental cure didn’t do his leg much good, and he was hoping to rest a bit. He wouldn’t. He stared at the wheelchair, barely blinking, and reached into his pocket for a vial of Wiggenweld potion. He made it this far already, he was not about to give up now.
And yet, when he sent his things to Hogwarts for his very first year of teaching the young minds the art of potion-making, the wheelchair had been one of them.
Better safe than sorry, Aesop reasoned. After all, even after he began using his own bedroom on the first storey of his home again, Hogwarts still had a considerably larger amount of stairs, and one never knew when he’d need the rest. For the first few months, he carried it around in his coat pocket, shrunken to the size of a playing die, and ready to be used whenever. It almost happened a few times - but then, just when Aesop thought he’d fish it out of his pocket, enlarge it again, and sit down, he stopped. The tip of his finger traced over the miniature object. He considered for a few seconds, but in the end, he always decided to just power through it.
Dinah occasionally said that while she was delighted Aesop seemed intent on getting better, perhaps he truly should take a break from time to time, but a single look from him was enough to discourage her from saying anything else on the matter. He was a stubborn bastard, and he knew it was one of the qualities she liked about him the most.
The wheelchair stayed in his room the other year. And the one after that. And the one after that as well.
In the blink of an eye, he hadn’t used it for years, the very object he thought he’d never truly leave. And yet he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of it.
A voice in the back of his mind kept discouraging him from doing so. ‘What if you need it again?’ it asked, its voice unbearably annoying, ‘what if it gets worse, and you’re not able to walk again?’ Aesop always angrily shut it down. There was no way he’d allow himself to once more descend into that blasted thing, he’d do anything he could to prevent such a scenario. And yet… and yet it remained there, in the mess that he called his chambers, catching dust that would only be wiped down over the summer when he wasn’t present.
—
When he returned to his bedroom, it was already getting light outside. He was completely exhausted. It’s been a decade since he last had a chance to fight like this, and his body kept the adrenaline in his veins for hours afterwards, only to cut him off the moment he stepped over his threshold. He sat in the armchair of his sitting room, looking into the flames. Twenty-four hours prior, he was certain the worst that could happen today was Garreth Weasley blowing up yet another cauldron. And then, suddenly, he was hurling spell after spell at goblins and trolls in caverns under Hogwarts.
He hadn’t felt this alive in… in over a decade if he was being honest with himself. But then again, even though they won, they lost Fig. Fig was a good man, a good colleague… And Aesop might have even gone as far as to call him a friend. He never thought it imaginable that the two people to save Hogwarts from certain doom would be his elderly professor friend and a sixteen-year-old girl. The world was getting stranger by the day.
Those involved in the battle sat in the staff room for hours, discussing what the official story should be. The potions master knew there was more to it, but they’d hardly know just how much more until the young woman who went to the caverns with Fig woke up.
He was the one who brought her all the way to the Hospital wing, not taking a single pause, barely feeling his leg at that moment. He stayed there with her until his presence was required with his colleagues, but promised to return. Not that she heard him…
Now he felt exhausted and restless simultaneously, and he fidgeted with his finger like he usually did when feeling a little lost. The following several days, weeks perhaps, would be mad, of that he had no doubt, and yet, instead of getting some sleep, he was just sitting there, doing nothing. Finally, he scoffed and got up to walk into his bedroom.
But then something caught his eye - his wheelchair. It was, once more, covered by dust, unused and unnecessary, now more so than ever before. Aesop Sharp, who some ten years ago thought he’d never be able to walk again, slayed several trolls and countless goblins tonight, all without the use of his cane. And while the adrenaline was gone now and the pain in his leg was slowly seeping back, his hands closed into fists.
“Can’t sleep either, can you?” sounded from the fireplace after he tossed a pinch of Floo powder into it, and called into Dinah’s rooms. “Meet me by the ruins en route to Hogsmeade,” he said simply, “and Abraham too, please.”
Mere minutes later, the three professors were standing within the remains of the ruined building by the road. All of them knew it well, having passed it hundreds of times during their years both as teachers and students. All of them were in various stages of wear, exhausted and heartbroken, and yet neither of the potions master’s friends questioned him when he summoned them, and simply just came.
Aesop made it a little before his two friends, and he set the wheelchair some ways from them.
“Aesop?” Dinah asked, her normally authoritative voice weighed down by the things that occurred on this cold night. He didn’t answer, only breathed deeply, eyes fixed on the object in front of him. It would seem he needn’t answer, as his colleagues soon guessed why he asked them here.
“My friend,” Abraham said quietly, voice still hoarse from both his tiredness, and the tears he shed for Eleazar Fig, “You know I’m not one to question your judgement, but… are you certain?” Aesop didn’t say anything for the longest time but then gave a single short nod.
The former Auror raised his wand.
“Incendio.”
Not a second later, the wheelchair was engulfed in flames. His friends repeated after him, first Dinah, then Abraham. Soon the flames began licking up his skin, making him feel warmer in the dark night turning into pale morning where they stood.
And even though he knew the following days and weeks would be difficult, even though he now had one more person to mourn, and even though it was now obvious the new Fifth-year was far from being a regular student, Aesop Sharp felt strangely light as he watched his wheelchair burn.
“I bloody well hope classes are cancelled today, I’m way too old to teach after no sleep,” Dinah grumbled next to him.
Aesop Sharp stood in the field, the soft grass beneath his feet as he watched his four children running around, their laughter filling the air. The setting sun painted the sky with hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the scene. Aesop couldn't help but smile, a sense of gratitude washing over him.
It had been a journey, one filled with pain, grief, and a relentless struggle against his own limitations. Aesop remembered the first time he was confined to that wretched wheelchair – a symbol of his vulnerability, a constant reminder of the tragedy that befell Ashley. Of his arrogance, of his failure to protect his best friend, his sister.
He thought for a while that his life would be defined by this tragedy, yet life had a way of surprising him.
He’d given up on the dream he was currently living, yet here he was. The family he had always wanted.
The journey was long and arduous, filled with immeasurable joy and grief, but he was here, and he was grateful in a way for everyone who helped him get to where he was today.
A small hand grasped his own, and he looked into his own brown eyes.
“Daddy, can we have a race to the big tree?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Ready… Set…”
Someone decided to get a head start. He didn’t mind. He could keep up with all four of his children after all.
They can no longer reach him, for their enemy joined him in the battle.
chapter specific tags: hurt & comfort, healing
relationships: aesop sharp x reader
2. Shadow (0.7k)
tw: mentions of character death (canonical), mentions of depression
It always felt like it was creeping up on him.
Not just from one side, but from all directions, enveloping him, cornering him. Preparing to eat him up entirely, consume him. There were few things that frightened the former Auror, no man ever truly put the fear of his maker in him. During the day, he was the collected, nearly stoic man, strong and steady as a mountain. During his prime, criminals fled from him. They cowered at the mention of his name, and did everything they could not to fall into the hands of the feared Auror.
They wouldn’t have done so if they had any idea what he’d become. An absolute ruin of a man. He lost everything. And what was the worst, it wasn’t anything corporeal that terrified him, but rather his own self. His self-destructing head was haunting him with the shadows of the people he lost, of the person he was.
Every single night, they were everywhere, all around him. Invisible to the naked eye, but Aesop knew they were there. They were hiding. Waiting. Waiting for him to make a single mistake, to lose his focus for a single second, and then he was fair game to them. Then they would restrain him, bind him, blindfold him, gag him. They’d sink their sharp teeth and claws into his flesh, and feast on his soul, and on his sanity.
They didn’t manage to get him every night, his consciousness slipping before they had a chance. Aesop would wake, and he would know he survived yet another night, already dreading the following one. During the day, he was able to almost shake their presence off entirely, but as soon as the Sun dipped below the horizon, they began creeping up on him again, slowly, nearly seductively, luring him to hand himself over voluntarily.
And while the shadows faded with time, becoming fainter and fainter, they never truly disappeared. And when he let them, they grew in power once more, more than happy to try and devour him once more.
They were death. Death, cold, abandonment, hopelessness. They were his own consciousness, his own brain, his own soul, and they wanted nothing more than to tear at his flesh, until he was nothing but a broken apart carcass.
And then, one day, there came light, and there came warmth.
He saw the hands of the monsters, the shadows of his past, attempting to reach him, to grab him, and pull him under. But a different hand, light and soft, landed on his breast instead and remained there. Its thumb stroked over the fabric of his nightshirt. The shadows screamed and cried, but there wasn’t anything they could do. The tender touch burned bright, and it consumed them like they would consume him. It wrapped around him, sharing its warmth and protection with him, and for once, Aesop wasn’t afraid.
And when it was done feasting on his horrors, all that remained behind was his bedroom.
As completely ordinary as it was during the day. Papers on his desk, potions stored in every single shelf, fire crackling in the hearth and reflecting on the stack of cauldrons next to it. For once, the room wasn’t cold, and it didn’t feel that dark either. For once, Aesop felt like he could breathe, his lungs filling with the cool air coming from the window next door.
The young woman in his arms curled further into him, her hair tickling at his collarbones, and the hotness of her breath seeping through his shirt, warming his chest directly over his loudly beating heart.
His arms closed tightly around her, and he just knew that he wouldn’t get lost in the shadows again. This young woman would be his beacon, his own little lighthouse in the ocean of darkness. And he… he’d do the same for her, as he knew she had her own shadows. And perhaps, were they to walk together, the other’s light would illuminate their way, and lead them to safety, where there were no more shadows.
He lowered his head to be able to press a kiss into her hair, getting light-headed from his own fatigue, and the gentle scent of her locks.
He settled heavily among his pillows and sheets, closing his eyes without a drop of fear. Why should he be afraid? As long as his beautiful firefly shone bright in his arms, no shadow could get him.
Maggie - “Dad always said Mum saved his life but… This was…”
Eleazar - “Difficult to read about him in that mindset?”
Maggie - “Yeah… I always figured he’d had nightmares but...”
Natty - “He went through a lot as an Auror… probably a lot more than he told us too… Theo?”
Theodore - “Hey, don’t you worry about me alright”
Natty - “It’s my job to worry about you”
Eleazar - “It’s all of our job to worry about you.”
Maggie - “Promise you’ll tell us if you ever get to that point alright, we’re here for you”
Eleazar - “You’re out there putting yourself on the line day in and day out as an Auror, let us be your safety net. Whatever you might have to go through, you’ll never have to go through it alone”
Theodore - “Alright, alright. I promise. If the shadows ever come for me, I’ll let you all in”
Natty - “No matter what we’ll always be here for you”
Theodore - “You just focus on Greg alright?”
Natty - *blushes*
Theodore - “You know, once you actually tell him you’re in love with him”
Natty - “I… why would I… but what if-”
Theodore - “To put me out of my misery, sister dear. Whenever I’m home with you you’re constantly daydreaming about him and then when I’m at work he’s constantly daydreaming about you, and it’s getting a little ridiculous at this point”
Natty - “It’s not exactly easy you know”
Theodore - “Sure it is! It took El what… two weeks between him meeting his fiancee and confessing his undying love for her”
Eleazar - “Something like that”
Theodore - “See! The two of you have been dancing around each other for almost six whole months! So I’ll do my part, and keep myself and my partner safe, so you and my partner can do your parts and bloody well get on with it and-”
Natty - “You really wouldn’t mind if we were together?”
Theodore - “Of course I wouldn’t mind. I want you to be happy and I want him to be happy. You should both be happy and in love…
Natty - “Thank you”
Theodore - And if he ever hurts you I’ll kick his arse”
Aesop's always been fond of sugary treats, ever since he can remember, actually...
chapter specific tags: slice of life, fluff, attemts at humour
relationships: aesop sharp x reader, aesop sharp & aesop's auror partner, aesop sharp & aesop's father
1. Candy (2.2k)
tw: light swearing
Aesop Sharp sniffled, holding onto his skinned knee. He’d been climbing the big tree by the pond again, even though his parents forbade him from doing so. However, after seeing a magpie bring something shiny into its nest there, he just couldn’t help but investigate. His feeling of triumph upon discovering a very pretty bracelet soon turned into panic, as he heard the cracking of wood right underneath him. And then he was falling. He screamed on his way down, getting banged up on the branches below him, before finally landing on the ground in a heap of limbs. He breathed hard through the shock, but it was only when the adrenaline wore off that he noticed the hole in his trouser leg and the stinging pain in his left knee.
He must’ve looked all kinds of miserable, walking back home with his head hung low. His clothes were a bit torn in multiple places, his hands and face grubby, the few tears that escaped him making visible tracks on his cheeks, and his hands were feeling uncomfortably sticky with tree sap.
“ - head first into the pile of manure, I kid you not!” Aesop heard his father say, the words followed by a woman’s laughter. “Aesop! There you are, lad. Aesop? Goodness, what happened to you?”
The boy let his father stop him and turn him around. The tall muggle kneeled before his son, lifting the boy’s head up. “I… I climbed the big tree and I fell…” Aesop said in shame, fresh tears fighting to escape his eyes. His father sighed: “Aesop… you know mummy and I don’t want you climbing that tree. This is the reason why - we don’t want you to get hurt. Why did you disobey?”
Aesop wiped at his eyes with his tree sap sticky hand and sniffled again. Wordlessly he held up his other hand, the one holding the bracelet.
“Is this why you climbed the tree?” his father asked patiently. “A m-magpie brought it there, into the n-nest,” the boy answered, fighting to stifle tiny sobs wracking through his body. Theodore Sharp took the jewellery into his hand to inspect it.
“Say, Eva, isn’t this little Lydia’s bracelet?” he said, offering their neighbour, Mrs Pruitt, a better look at the trinket. "Aye, that's it! Ah kept tellin' the lassie time and time again no tae leave her gear scattered aboot outside, but it made nae difference. She was fair broken-hearted aboot havin' lost this." Mrs Pruitt said in a high voice..
Aesop’s father didn’t seem too cross with him as he inspected his injuries, his hands warm and gentle, while Mrs Pruitt kept hammering on.
"She'll be chuffed tae bits tae hae it back. Ye're a brave wee laddie, Aesop. Ah'll hae Lydia come thank ye herself when she gets hame." she said finally, brending down to press a kiss against the young lad’s cheek.
“Hamish! Ye're no gaun tae believe this, darlin',” Aesop heard as Mrs Pruitt ran into her home.
“A little treasure hunter, aren’t you,” Theodore said with a smile after they were left entirely alone, the silence broken only by birds singing in the trees. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Will… will mummy be mad?” Aesop asked quietly. “Aye,” his father sighed, “she might be a little mad, but that’s only because she worries for you. But fear not, I’m sure she’ll be more proud than anything that you managed to save your neighbour’s bracelet from a thieving magpie.”
Aesop nodded his head, a tiny smile appearing upon his father’s words.
Theodore suddenly put a hand into his pocket, and when he pulled it out, a small piece of toffee was inside it. His son gave him a questioning look, but he only smiled and offered the treat to him. The young boy accepted it with a smile and plopped it into his mouth, the sugary confection immediately making him feel much better. And when his father lifted him up to sit him on his broad shoulders, Aesop was giggling happily already.
“Magdala, dear!” Theodore called as he walked towards their home, “we’ve got a little treasure hunter in the family!”
—
Aesop willed his body not to shiver.
Whenever he entered the wizarding prison, he wondered whether perhaps this wasn’t too cruel of a punishment for anyone. His partner, Ashley, was shielding both of them from most of the Dementors’ energy with her mare patronus, and yet he still felt like shit. He, of course, knew that this was a place where the foul got their punishment, but perhaps mere thieves shouldn’t be tossed next to convicted murderers?
Be that as it may, he carried on walking next to the fair-haired woman, trying hard not to look at the repulsive cloaked creatures flying around them and trying to find the weakest spot in their protection. “Have I ever mentioned I fucking hate this place?” he asked quietly, balling his hands into fist, his wand buzzing in his grip. “No way, I thought you loved it here,” Ashley replied in the same tone, her usually pinkish face pale, “the grimy floors and bars everywhere are an especially nice touch, and who could forget the delightful personnel…”
They reached the end of the long hallway. “Rosalind Hargrave,” Ashley spoke then. A skinny woman clad in striped robe sat there, rocking back and forth and shivering. It took several minutes of her being shielded by Ashley’s patronus from the dread the presence of Dementors caused, but then she finally stopped trembling.
“G-get me out of h-here… Please!” she sobbed, holding onto her knees still. “Not so quick, Miss,” Aesop said, his mask of a tough Auror firmly in place. “We hear you’ve got some information on the Holden case?” Rosalind breathed hard, she looked as if she wanted to savour the patronus’ warmth and comfort for as long as she could. “If I… If I tell you what I know, will you let me go?” she asked finally.
“Distributing dragon eggs stolen from Romania?” said Ashley, her normally cheerful voice cold and nearly emotionless, “you know we can’t let you go just like that for that. However, if the information you claim to have is any good, we might put a good word in for you.”
The woman behind bars seemed to consider the offer.
“What if… What if I know who gets the eggs from Romania? I don’t know if it’s the same wanker that steals them, but he definitely gets them into the country…” she said. The two Aurors looked at each other. “Speak. If what you’ve got turns out to be a good lead, we may be able to get you out of here next year, but you be sure that you’ll be on house arrest for quite a while. Your father is worried about you,” Aesop said, making the woman scoff. She was a criminal, but she was also the daughter of a rather wealthy and powerful man, who obviously loved his daughter despite all of her problems with the law.
“However, if we find out you lied to us, you might as well make yourself at home, because you won’t be leaving here for years to come,” the tall Auror finished.
Rosalind sighed, very much looking the broken woman. “Alright,” she said, “I’ll tell you what I know.”
Aesop was glad to finally leave the blasted island some twenty minutes later.
He leaned against the nearest tree, breathing deeply. While he and Ashley took turns casting the patronus charm, he still nearly splinched himself when disapparating. Ashley looked only slightly better than him. “Fucking monsters,” he grumbled, fishing in his pockets. Soon, he pulled out several chocolate pralines, each wrapped in colourful paper. He held his hand out for his partner to take some. “I always forget to pack my own,” she said weakly, accepting the sweet treat and quickly popping it into her mouth.
Aesop did the same, letting the chocolate melt in his mouth, just like his discomfort was slowly melting away. “Think she was telling the truth?” he asked then, the candy taking effect, making him relax further. Ashley considered the question before shrugging: “I think so. I think she’s just a spoiled kid who wanted to have some thrill, and ideally defy her father in the process, but got in over her head.”
“I hope you’re right.”
A few minutes later, they were ready to depart for London again. “I owe you one,” Ashley said, holding out the crumpled candy wrapper. Aesop chuckled: “You owe me an entire box by now. Maybe two.”
And with that, he grabbed her wrist and disapparated the two of them.
—
“Did you confiscate this from some poor troublemaker on their way back from Hogsmeade?” the young Ravenclaw laughed as she searched through the various confections hidden away behind one of the boxes in Professor Sharp’s office. He chuckled with mild embarrassment: “Uh, no. Those are mine, actually…”
The only reason he unveiled his little stash was because his sweetheart seemed to be down about something when she joined him that evening. He was in the middle of grading, and while he wanted nothing else than to pull her to him in an embrace and hear her out, she insisted his work was more important. The potions master disagreed vehemently, but she was unrelenting. So, with a promise to be as quick as possible, Aesop directed her to his little collection of sugary pick me ups. It would seem just the knowledge of him hiding sweets away in his office seemed to have improved her mood, but Aesop still graded as quickly as he could, looking over at her every now and then.
“Chocolate Cauldrons, Sugar Quills, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, Fizzing Whizzbees, it’s like small Honeydukes! Oh, these are great!” A train whistle cut through the air, and Aesop lifted his head to see steam coming out of the young woman’s ears, prompting him to chuckle and shake his head.
“Why are you acting so surprised?” he asked, dipping the tip of his quill into ink, “as observant as you are, you should’ve known I’ve got a sweet tooth by now.” She grinned at him from where she was kneeling, plucking two more sweets from the lot, before once again concealing the ‘treasure’ behind the box, making sure it looked as inconspicuous as it did before.
“It’s one thing to indulge in a sweet pastry to go with tea, but having a miniature sweet shop in your office is another thing entirely,” she said after she sat on a chair in front of him. Aesop braced his head on his left hand: “I’ll tell you a little secret, but you must promise not to tell anyone.” His sweetheart’s eyes got wide and she made a motion of sewing her lips shut, before leaning over to listen to him.
“Sweets, my sweet, are a vital part of a teacher’s diet,” Aesop said, “sweets and tea. Else we’d never grade anything on time, we’d be falling asleep during the lectures, and some would perhaps even be unable to stop themselves from sending the occasional hex. I know I would... Professor Ronen, for example, has an even bigger stash in his chambers and office. Professor Hecat is mad about Ice Mice and Licorice wands. The large eagle owl coming with delivering a package to Professor Weasley every fortnight is carrying Cauldron cakes.”
The young woman’s eyes and smile got wider and wider with each word Aesop said, and she started laughing openly when he claimed that Mirabel Garlick went without sugar for a week and got so stressed she actually swore.
“I’ve never heard ‘bloody hell’ being uttered so softly before, but the poor woman was horrified with herself,” he finished with a grin.
After a few seconds, Aesop used his foot to gently nudge hers under the desk: “Will you tell me what’s wrong now?” The young woman smiled at him, before dropping her gaze to the few last essays in front of her sweetheart. “It’s nothing, really,” she promised genuinely, “I was only a little put off by the stress of the exams. It’s silly. I know I'm doing my best to prepare, my essays are done, and I’m fairly confident it’s going to be alright, but being with my classmates, who are all buzzing with nervous energy, well, I suppose it’s reflecting on me a bit.”
Aesop took hold of her hand on the desk, squeezing it gently: “It will be fine, I’m sure of it. You’ll do amazing… I’ll finish these, and we’ll take a walk, what say you?” She smiled at him gratefully, her eyes twinkling. “In that case,” she said, her other hand appearing, “you’ll need this.” A chocolate frog box appeared on the stack of parchments, prompting the potions master to smile again.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said and, without further ado, opened up the box. The frog attempted to make its escape, but the former Auror was faster. It went completely motionless as soon as he grabbed it, and he stuck the confection halfway into his mouth, the hind legs sticking out. His young lover couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him.
“I’m grateful to be one of the people with the privilege to see you like this,” she said genuinely. Aesop grinned, munching down on the chocolate, and putting the other half next to him on the desk. He picked up the card left behind.
Maggie - "Yeah, I know you've always been a sucker for Grandpa stories, I thought you'd like this one"
Theodore - "Yeah, well… The original Theodore Sharp. I just… really wish we could have known him"
Eleazar - "Wherever he is right now, I'm pretty sure he knows us"
Natty - "Yeah, and if there's one thing he knows about you Theo, it's that you're just as much of a sugar-crazed maniac as Dad"
Theodore - "Oi, I'm not that bad, I do have some level of restraint"
Maggie, Eleazar, and Natty give Theodore a knowing look
Natty - "When have you ever shown restraint around sweets?"
Maggie - "Wouldn't be surprised if you've pinched some of the professor's sweets from their own secret stashes when we were all at school"
Theodore - "I didn't pinch from all the professors. For one, Professor Ronen's stash is not-so-secret so it’s not exactly pinching now is it?”
Natty - “You’re technically correct but still-”
Theodore - Professor Sallow has pastries in his office, but he always offers me some.
Maggie - “Well, yeah, he offers some to all of us whenever we visit. Still, waiting on the showing restraint bit”
Theodore - “Professor Stevens' I wouldn't touch, his are imported from America, they probably cost a fortune to get here but… I know where he keeps them. See, that's me showing restraint!”
Natty - “Barely”
Theodore - Professor Weasley's cauldron cakes though, those are fair game."
Eleazar - "You're incorrigible"
Theodore - "And you wouldn't have me any other way"
Eleazar - “Of course not”
Maggie - "I wonder if Hargrave ever got out"
Eleazar - "Theo?"
Theodore - "You'd be surprised at the amount of information Aurors are not privy to… Natty?"
Natty - "Someone at the Records office owes me a favor, I'll swing by tomorrow and see what I can find"
How will a former Auror and former professor Aesop Sharp fare, when faced with the responsibilty to take care of the house and his four chidren for the day after his wife is called away?
Pretty much just 5.5k words of family fluff and Aesop Sharp being a great dad. You can get more acquainted with the kids in their brief summary. Brought to you by @tea-withjamandbread and @aesopsharpmybeloved ❤
word count: 5.5k
tw: tooth-rotting fluff
Aesop didn't mind taking care of everything for the day. Of course he did not, his wife more than deserved this little day off. After all, she was handling the house and the children, and oftentimes assisted him in the shop as well. A renowned magizoologist reached out to her via Owl post, after Ellie Peck recommended her as the person to go to when it comes to graphorns. MC would be helping secure a little sanctuary for the beasts, so that they stayed away from muggles, and muggles stayed well away from them.
The younger woman was unsure whether she should leave Aesop and their children by themselves, but Aesop knew that she wanted to go, he saw it in her eyes. She always had an affinity for these beasts, for some reason Aesop did not understand. So, after some convincing and reassuring her that, while he could never compare to her level of efficiency, he was more than capable of handling the home responsibilities on his own for the day.
The shop stayed closed that morning, and the few orders he had he sent out the previous day using the post office owls.
Aesop kissed his wife goodbye as she slipped out before the children awoke. He of course gave her plenty of Wiggenweld, Skele-Gro, and some other healing concoctions, despite her protests she would be absolutely fine. Aesop wouldn’t take no for an answer, however, unable to keep himself from worrying. ‘Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them’ he insisted to her, and she finally accepted. With one last wave, and a loud pop, she disapparated from their front garden. Aesop spent a minute or two looking at the spot she stood at a while ago, taking in the cool spring air. It had rained the previous day, and the scent of damp earth filled his nostrils, making him relax slightly. As always, it felt like time stood still in the small village of Willow Creek. Droplets of water were glistening upon the evergreen grass and leaves, the light wind made the trees around sing a soft song, and nobody seemed to be up and about yet. One of the neighbourhood cats walked around slowly, looking at him curiously for a moment, before deeming him entirely uninteresting and continuing its route.
It was quite earlier than Aesop usually got up, even when he did wake up to go to work. He considered catching a couple more minutes, maybe even an hour, of sleep, but ultimately decided to begin going about his day. He wanted to make his wife proud, after all.
The former professor made his way into the kitchen to begin preparing breakfast for himself and the children. He got himself a cup of tea first, his eyes skimming over the crisp pages of the Daily Prophet one of the newspapers’ owls brought in soon after he returned inside. He rolled his eyes several times at yet another attempt of David Spavin, son of the former minister Farris, to prove he was a better choice for the office than Venusia Crickerly, simply because his father was the longest working minister. Unbelievable. Venusia was a former Auror, and Aesop worked with her on multiple occasions. She was driven, hard-working, and completely dedicated to her job, while David Farris was the subject of several scandals throughout the years. Best keep that one as far away from the minister chair as possible, Aesop mused.
In a matter of a few minutes later, a pan was sitting upon the stove, and a couple of sunny side up eggs and slices of ham were sizzling away, filling the cosy kitchen with a mouth-watering smell. With a wave of Aesop’s wand, fresh vegetables floated off to the sink and washed themselves, before neatly arranging themselves upon a cutting board, just in time for a large knife to begin slicing them. Popps the Kneazle, lured in by the irresistible scent, began rubbing against his legs, and Aesop took mercy on the family pet and fed her two slices of the ham, before waving his wand to replenish the beast feed in her bowl in the hallway. Popps seemed quite happy with this kind of deal, and with a few more loops around his legs, she disappeared from the kitchen, presumably going to eat some more food, before going to curl up close to one of the fireplaces.
"Dad?" Came from the door, making Aesop turn. His oldest daughter was standing there in her long nightshirt and dressing gown, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes slowly. Aesop couldn’t hold back his smile. His daughter’s hair was sticking out in all directions, there was a bit of drool dried upon her cheek, and her dressing gown was inside out - something the eleven year old failed to notice. "Good morning, love. Have you slept well?" he asked softly, waiting for the girl to reach him, before kneeling momentarily to press a kiss upon her pink cheek and stroke her messy hair.
"I have, thank you," the girl replied.
Aesop couldn't believe his little girl would be starting Hogwarts in just a few months. It felt like it was only yesterday he first held her in his arms, like no longer than 24 hours had passed since he first saw his wife nurse their beautiful newborn. He didn’t admit so to anyone, but he had no idea how he was going to fare with Magdala leaving to spend 70% of the following seven years at Hogwarts. He might have to take on more orders from the Hospital wing, just so he can catch a glimpse of his daughter outside summer and Christmas.
"Where's mum?" She asked curiously, oblivious to her father’s tiny emotional whirlwind. Aesop gave a chuckle, glad for the distraction: "Is it really so rare for me to be the one making breakfast? Quite the cad I am, I really ought to try to be better." "You cook dinner quite often. And help mum a lot," she said, shrugging her shoulders shortly before jumping up to sit on the counter, her small bare feet swinging slightly. "Watch for the knife, my sweet," Aesop warned, even though the knife was nowhere near the child.
He pressed a slice of apple into her hand, and his daughter immediately took a bite of the juicy fruit. "Your mum went to help set up a Graphorn sanctuary," Aesop said, carefully flipping the ham and eggs over one by one.Not a second after he said it did Magdala's big brown eyes light up, and her mouth parted, revealing a small piece of the apple inside.
Aesop’s automatic ‘Close your mouth and swallow your food’ was almost too quiet for even him to hear, but it seemed Magdala did, and she did as he asked, swallowing her bite before speaking:
"What?! Why didn't you tell me?" She squealed, wildly swinging her legs, looking like she was ready to immediately go and teach herself Apparition, just so she could join her mother on the adventure. Aesop knew that if she could, she most definitely would. Wouldn’t even change out of her sleeping clothes... "Because if we did, you wouldn't let her leave without you,” he said kindly, not wanting to upset his daughter, “While I trust your skill to handle beasts completely, I think a Graphorn, not to mention a full herd of them, may still be a little out of your size category, dear. But don't worry, mum took a camera. She'll bring you pictures."
Maggie’s eyes dropped for a little bit, but it seemed she accepted Aesop's explanation, as a few seconds later, the mischievous spark returned into them: "I should hope so!” she grinned. “Can I help you with anything?"
"As a matter of fact, you can! Open your mouth, I need to know if I didn't put too much salt on them.” Aesop plopped a small piece of one of the eggs into her mouth, and murmured happily when she gestured at him that the eggs were alright. Content, he and Maggie plated the breakfast, making sure the meal was well balanced.
"So. What are we going to do today?" Magdala asked as she dutifully arranged vegetables on her siblings’ plates, making sure everyone had enough. Aesop meanwhile spelled the pan and utensils away into the sink to wash, and had the kettle fill up to make more tea. The one children drank was considerably weaker. "What do you usually do on a day like this?" he asked. Maggie thought for a while. "Well, mum teaches us until noon. I'll show you where each of us is right now. We should be doing Maths today, and Theo and (FN) practise their writing and reading too."
"Then we do that,” Aesop agreed softly, “School things first, then I'll fix you with some lunch, and maybe we could all take a nice walk outside after that, get some fresh air." Maggie quickly spoke: "The twins need to take a nap after lunch, though. They get grumpy if they don't. That is, (FN) just starts to tear up easily, and Theo starts plotting mischief."
"I can see that it's vital I've got you here, partner. I'd be utterly lost without you,” Aesop grinned at his daughter and ruffled her hair again.
Aesop with Maggie's help made gentle work of waking the rest of the Sharp children. He stood in silent vigil as the bathroom filled with the sound of brushing teeth. Theodore would make frothy-mouthed faces at his father and siblings, and his twin sister seemed greatly amused by them. They got dressed on their own, and all their father needed to do was to fix a wrongly done button, every now and then when it came to the youngest members of the family. After breakfast (during which Theo only fussed about his vegetables a little bit), Aesop decided to give his children an hour of free time, so that they could prepare for their schooling.
Magdala was ever so helpful in showing him what each of them did, and Aesop often checked with the books his wife left out for him. He had to admit, it was very lovely to be able to witness his children's little successes, and see the joy and pride in their eyes when he graded their assignments. Eleazar's fractions, while correct in solution, were slightly more complicated than necessary, but with Aesop's aid, they were able to find a way for the young lad to make the process a bit neater and easier.
The twins were still getting used to handling writing with a quill, but Aesop was pleased their hands were only slightly ink-stained once they were done. (FN)'s script was neater and the young girl took her time making sure her letters turned out legible (though Aesop had to remind her to put her tongue back into her mouth), while Theodore had more of a scrawl every time he got distracted, but it wasn't anything too drastic in their father's opinion.
"Shall I help you with lunch?" Maggie asked after they wrapped up for the day. "Thank you for the offer, my sweet. Don't you want to go outside and play with your siblings?" Aesop asked gently, after setting Theo down from the sink, his small hands once more clean. Maggie's cheeks flushed slightly and she looked at him from under her eyelashes. Aesop’s heart sang. He knew all of his children loved him immensely, like he loved them, but Maggie was a very obvious example of a ‘daddy’s girl’. He found he didn’t mind at all.
"You can help me peel the potatoes if you'd like,” he agreed finally, smiling when the girl’s eyes lit up. “Eleazar,” he called towards the middle child, who was currently neatly stacking his textbooks into the proper shelf. Aesop knew his son loved to have his things nicely organised, even his quills were sorted by size. “Will you keep an eye on your brother and sister?"
"Of course, dad."
And so Maggie once more found her spot on top of the kitchen counter, her little hands carefully peeling the potatoes using a small knife. Her mother and him took the time to teach their children how to handle sharp objects properly, as it was best that they knew how to keep themselves safe before being handed a dagger in their first potions lesson at Hogwarts and told to cut a mandrake up. Aesop kept an eye on his other children outside, the onion in his pot getting aromatic and making his belly rumble. It seemed all was fine, Eleazar entertained his siblings by what looked like some sort of modified game of land-Quidditch. Maggie seemed content to just be with her father, and Aesop wasn't able to stop himself from caressing her shoulder or hair whenever he walked around her. When his hands were clean, that is.
After their lunch of pork and mashed potatoes, Aesop brought his two youngest to their beds. Theodore visibly tried to stay awake, but the hearty meal made his eyes close on their own even before her sister fell asleep. And speaking of (FN), she insisted on holding her father's hand as slumber claimed her.
With a final look, Aesop closed the door of their room and descended the stairs into the living room. His older children seemed intent on also resting after their food - Eleazar was curled up on the sofa with a potions magazine Aesop subscribed to, seeming very invested in whatever he was reading, while Maggie sat by the ever burning fire in the fireplace, drawing into the sketchbook Aesop got her after she showed her interest in drawing.
It warmed his heart to know his children took up something he too held dear. Maggie's drawings were getting better and better every day, and Aesop had no doubt there would come a day when she'll have reached his own level, or even surpassed it entirely. "What's it going to be?" He asked softly, not wanting to break her focus. "A mooncalf," she replied, showing her father. It indeed began to resemble the large-eyed creature. Aesop gave an admiring whistle. "I can't wait to see it when it's done. Listen, I'll be going downstairs to check up on some brews, and attend to a few orders that came by the mail today. Will you two be alright here?"
A pair of softly said 'Yes, dad's echoed through the space, and Aesop smiled. Before he left, he pressed a kiss into both children's hair. The house was well warded, and so he wasn't worried about missing any of his children leaving the property, or, Merlin forbid, anyone unexpectedly coming in. Besides, he trusted them. The twins were still quite small, and Theodore could be a handful if he wanted, but Aesop knew he was a good lad. A little wild occasionally, but he never misbehaved too terribly, and has always been clever and kind. It was actually (FN) who worried the potions master a little more. She was a shy one, and rather quiet. Nevertheless, her love for her family shone through her words and actions each day. And Theo doted on her and protected her fiercely.
A memory made Aesop smile as he checked and adjusted the heat underneath his cauldrons. (FN), a few years younger than now, was feeling a bit under the weather after they returned from Hogsmsade one day, a combination of tiredness, hunger and general stress from being around so many strangers, and was still crying softly even after they got home. Theo ran into the garden and returned moments later, holding a single honking daffodil (pinched from Mrs Pruitt's garden no doubt).
He presented his sister with the flower, and kissed her damp cheek. It was enough for her to stop crying, looking at her twin brother with big eyes. And then, in a moment forever written into Aesop's memory, the flower honked quietly, and his youngest child actually let out a small chuckle.
(FN) would be fine, Aesop decided finally. She not only had her parents, but also her extremely loyal and loving siblings to make sure of that.
An hour or so later, Aesop ladled one of the finished potions into small bottles, making sure to stopper them tightly and place the proper labels upon them.
It was surreal, knowing that at this time ten years ago, he’d be standing in front of a dozen or so of students, explaining what the use of Fatigue infusion was, and warning that anyone falling asleep in his class, be it from boredom or potion fume inhalation, will automatically receive a T. He did sometimes miss seeing some of his colleagues every day, not to mention some of the mischief the students caused was undeniably funny, but every single day he was thankful to have been able to resign his post, and leave behind a competent teacher, in favour of being able to see his family only a short while after he closed the shop at half past four in the afternoon, as opposed as having to spend extra time at the school hosting detentions or grading essays. Not to mention it felt great to be his own boss - therefore having a boss who was not an utter imbecile like Headmaster dear.
After making sure everything was well put away and taken care of in his little workshop, he washed his hands one last time and exited the cellar in order to check up on the children. The twins were still sound asleep, Theodore’s small snores reverberating off the walls. The former professor grinned at the sleeping children before quietly retreating to find the older ones. Another hour ticked by quietly and Aesop found himself discussing the potions in his magazine with Eleazar, while Magdala carried on drawing. The young lad was greatly amused by some of the interesting names inventors gave their original brews.
When (FN) joined them in the living room, Aesop decided it was time for them to go outside for a bit. He made sure his children were well dressed, insisted on all of them wearing a hat (though Maggie complained about having her hair all matted later), and together they set off on a little walk around the village. He held (FN)'s hand, while Theodore ran laps around them, very curious to see everything, despite walking down this trail nearly every other day. Every once in a while, he'd appear holding a twig and playing with it as it was a wand, or, occasionally, a sword. He lost interest in it every time a nicer one appeared. El was being helpful and asked his father every time they came upon some flower or herb whether he should pick them up, and Maggie indulged her little brother every now and then, playing pretend duels with her and Theo's 'wands' and 'swords'. The weather was quite nice, and Aesop thirstily took in gulps of the fresh air.
After they arrived back home, El decided to play a game of cards with Theo, while Aesop helped fix his girls' hair, and braided it for them too. He'd usually come home around this time. While the kids seemed content to entertain themselves and each other, Aesop did some chores around the house.
He cleaned Diana's perch, and was rewarded by an affectionate peck to his fingers by the dark owl, he dusted the surfaces with a flick of his wand, and made quick work of the laundry. He carefully folded and put away the twins' clothing, and put the older children’s clean garments into their rooms for them to fold and put away themselves. Maggie and Eleazar were expected to take care of their own rooms, and they've been doing a good job of it, El perhaps a bit more so than Maggie. Still, Aesop wouldn't consider his oldest daughter's room overly messy, more like properly lived in. There were a few papers there, some drawing supplies here, the occasional book she left open somewhere, nothing too drastic.
And when the sun outside set, Aesop decided it was high time for him to start making dinner. He decided on chicken with rice, light yet filling. He usually either helped his wife with dinner, or he took it off her hands entirely. He thought about her while he worked, hoping wherever she was was that she was alright and would be joining them soon.
As he cooked, listening to his children play and talk in the other rooms, he thanked his lucky stars. There was a time he thought he was going to die alone, a bitter old man with a lame leg, and all those years ago, he wouldn't have believed that he'd ever have what he had now. A beautiful, kind, and thoughtful wife, and four amazing, healthy and clever children. He thought of the fifth, of their firstborn. He often wished the little one had been given a chance. He'd have a happy home, filled with people who loved him. Clarence was loved still, of course, even though he wasn't physically there. Aesop wondered whether he's somewhere out there, with his own dad and Ashley. He hoped it was the case, and that all of them knew no pain, no fear, and felt the love he held for them.
The former professor cast a heating charm on the pot containing MC's portion of dinner. Aesop didn't know if she'd be hungry when she arrived, but better to be ready.
Once the family was done eating, and Magdala and Eleazar kindly offered to take care of the dishes, they took turns in the bathroom, and Aesop supervised the twins' bath time. This too was one of the activities he and MC split. He knew that the youngest children would soon begin bathing on their own, so he was happy to indulge them in whatever game either of them decided to play in the tub. A collective teeth scrub later, Aesop went to put the small ones to bed. The two older were allowed to stay up a little longer, and both of them chose to use this extra time for some more reading and drawing.
He once again held (FN)'s hand as she slowly fell asleep, and Theo was not at all fussy about going to bed now. His hair sprawled on the pillow like a dark halo, and he was soon snoring quietly.
When he was done with the twins, he made his way into Eleazar's room to find the middle child already in his bed, waiting for him to tuck him in patiently.
"Dad?" Eleazar asked quietly.
"What is it, dear?" Aesop kneed by the bed so that his son didn’t have to crane his head to look up at him.
"Can I help you with the batch of Blood replenishing potion tomorrow?"
"How do you know I'll be brewing that tomorrow?"
"You said so to mum, the day before yesterday."
Aesop laughed softly. Ever since he let Eleazar first assist him down at the potion cellar, the young lad tried to get himself included in his brewing as often as he could. Aesop didn’t know why exactly were potions this fascinating to a boy his age, but he hardly complained. After all, it seemed Eleazar was born with all the natural potioneer instincts and talent Aesop himself only gained through hard work and countless hours of practice: "Nothing escapes you, does it? Hm... I think you could assist me with that one."
"Really? Thank you,” Eleazar said with a soft little smile. The lad definitely took after his mother more, all soft features and gentle eyes.
"Now sleep,” Aesop rose again, squeezing his son's shoulder lightly before giving it a little pat, “I can't have you nodding off into a boiling hot cauldron, can I?"
Eleazar giggled tiredly: "Goodnight, dad."
"Goodnight, my dear lad."
After kissing his forehead, Aesop left the room, leaving his son to rest. Maggie was last. She wasn't in her bed when Aesop knocked on the door and entered her room. Instead, the young witch was still sitting at her desk, drawing. Her father stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame for a minute or two watching how hard his daughter concentrated. However, it truly was getting late now, and MC would hardly be pleased if she found out he let the children spend half the night awake.
"Come on, Maggs. Bedtime."
"Daddy, let me stay up a bit longer?"
Aesop looked at his daughter curiously. It was clear from her voice that she’s been fighting off yawns, and her eyes were small and sleepy in the light of her desk lamp.
"Come now, dear, you’re tired. Why don't you want to go to bed?" He asked, stepping further into the room and coming to stand behind Magdala, looking at the various drawings she’s done throughout the evening. There were unicorns and mooncalves, but he also recognised Popps the Kneazle in one, as well as something that could’ve been a graphorn, if graphorns were known to look positively cute.
"I want to wait for mum! I would like to see the pictures..."
"Darling, I don't know when your mum will be back,” Aesop said calmly, stroking at his daughter’s back, “she could come back after midnight, or even in the early hours of the morning, you can't be awake the whole night waiting for her."
"Please..."
Aesop sighed. HHe didn’t want her to spend the next day completely exhausted, but he also hated disappointing his children. But then again, the young girl now looked like she was minutes away from falling asleep right there at her desk, and so perhaps he could coax her to at least retire to her cot while ‘allowing’ her to remain awake. He had no doubt the issue would then resolve itself quickly.
“But only a little longer, and I want you in bed. I'll wait with you, how does that sound?"
Maggie luckily agreed to these terms, and began putting her drawings and her tools away. Aesop waited until she settled in her bed, and then sat at the foot of it.
"Do you think I could ever go see the graphorns?" Maggie asked, her arms folded loosely on her chest. "I'm sure you will one day.,” her father replied, taking a gentle hold of one of her hands atop the blankets after making sure they were snug around her, “When you're a little bigger. I know your mum treats them like cats, but you must understand that graphorns aren’t really cats. They are incredibly dangerous."
"So are hippogriffs,” the girl tried to argue back, even though her voice was getting more and more sleepy by the second.
"Yes,” he agreed, “but the hippogriffs you and your siblings come into contact with have known you all of your lives. Wild hippogriffs would not be this friendly, and I doubt the wild graphorns at the sanctuary will take to your mum as easily as those she already tamed."
"...Will she be alright?"
"Oh, of course she will. She'll be right as rain. And tomorrow, she'll show you all the pictures and tell you all about her adventures."
"Why not today?” she argued still, even as her eyes were now more often closed than open.
"As I said, I don't know when your mum comes home. And even if she walked through the door right now, you're entirely too tired to be looking at graphorns right now, my sweet."
"I'm not - “ the girl yawned loudly, “-m not tired."
"Of course you're not."
"Have you ever touched a graphorn?"
"Oh I did. Several times, actually. The ones your mother used to keep. I was not too keen on them in the beginning, but they did grow on me over the years."
"Which other beasts did she keep? Any that she doesn't keep now?"
And so Aesop talked about all of the beasts he encountered in his wife's vivariums, and later in that chest he helped her transfigure into the perfect place for animals. Maggie would occasionally ask a question, her voice quieter and quieter each time, until she stopped asking entirely. Still, Aesop sat with her, looking at his precious little girl. Her face was still that of a child, but her more grown up features began appearing in it as well, and Aesop had no doubt she'd grow up to be a real beauty one day, just like her mother was. He actually saw in her bits of his own mother, Maggie’s namesake, like the gentle slope of her nose, or the expressive eyebrows.
Before he realised his eyes were even closing, the former professor nodded off.
A gentle hand on his cheek woke him and he looked around in the dim room. His eyes caught those of his wife. "Hello, you," she chirped quietly, mindful not to wake their daughter. Aesop stifled a groan - his poor back. It bothered him whenever he fell asleep somewhere that wasn't his bed. MC's other hand held out a vial he'd never fail to recognise.
"You'll be pleased to know that your crate worth of Wiggenweld potions was entirely unneeded. That is, until I came here and saw you. Was this your plan all along?" she asked teasingly, her eyes sparkling even in the dark. Aesop quickly gulped down the potion and welcomed the near instant relief. He gave one more look to his sleeping child before letting his wife pull him to his feet and lead him out of the bedroom.
Once they were outside and the door was shut, he gathered the woman into his arms and captured her lips with his own. It was not a short ‘welcome back’ kiss either, the former professor would not allow his woman to leave his arms until he deemed her sensibly snogged and breathless.
"Hello," he finally greeted, his voice slightly hoarse from both his impromptu nap and the heated kiss they just shared., "when did you get home?" "Just now,” she replied, still holding onto him for dear life, “It's half past midnight. Sorry I took so long, but the beasts are now safe in their new home."
"I'm happy to hear it. Have you eaten? There's chicken with rice in the kitchen."
"I have, thank you. I'll save it for tomorrow. But I could definitely use a bath. One gets sweaty chasing graphorns around."
Aesop chuckled, dipping his head into the crook of her neck, a very special place he considered his home just as much as his house.
"Hm... You smell amazing though."
"And you're a liar, Aesop Sharp."
"I'm not. You smell delectable. I could eat you up."
She laughed softly at his words, keeping her volume sensibly low so as not to wake up half the house. The palms of her hands made contact with his chest in what was st likely supposed to be a teasing smack, but was way too gentle to be seen as much.
"Oh you... Come, let's have a quick bath before bed, she decided, leading her husband away by the hand from their eldest daughter’s room and towards their own bedroom, "How was your day?" "Definitely less thrilling than yours, but I enjoyed it very much” said Aesop honestly, sitting on their shared bed as his wife began pulling off her rather dirty clothes. “The children were lovely and very well behaved the entire day, did their school work without any fuss, (FN) writes very nicely, and Eleazar’s fractions are getting better and better with each exercise. And Maggie helped me cook lunch today."
"Would you look at that. You lot have been busy. I'm very glad to hear it."
"What about you?” Aesop asked, aiding his wife at removing the last bits of her clothing while beginning to work on his own garment. Their clothes immediately floated off to the hamper to be dealt with later. !I can see you’ve been rolling around a bit."
"I had to dodge quickly, some of the males were a little fussy. I've still got it though, only broke a little sweat,” the younger woman gave him a little grin, and Aesop felt himself fall in love with her all over again. It’s been over fifteen years since they shared their first kiss, their first embrace, since they first lay together, and yet a single look and a single smile made Aesop’s heart pick up pace and his knees go a little weaker.
"I'd never dare even mention the possibility of you not having it,” He said finally. Aesop knew she saw right past him, he was hyper aware that she was able to read him like an open book now. She knew all of his secrets, the entirety of his past, she knew where he was vulnerable the most.
He couldn’t wish for a person he’d trust more with this knowledge.
“So, about the bath…”
Hello, and thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this story, we'll be very thankful for any and all feedback, and you can also check this fic out over at AO3, where all of the other Sharp family fics are as well 🥰
Something has been botherine the youngest Sharp child ever since school started in the fall. Aesop and his wife want to help but… then need to wait until she is ready to talk
Huge shout out to @aesopsharpmybeloved who wrote the OG love story for this lovely couple. I’m honored to get to play in her sandbox!
Sept 27, 1903
Gwendolyn Wells busied herself packing the last of her things before leaving the Sharp family home. She would be back in a few days, of course, for Mrs Sharp's first postpartum visit, but this was a bittersweet moment for her. She had delivered all four of the couple's living children and was still surprised at how her former potions professor had been present for every moment of the labors and deliveries, supporting his wife through it all. Together, they made a formidable team.
They would definitely need to be a strong team, seeing as they had just welcomed a set of twins. Gwendolyn approached the couple, Mrs Sharp nursing their son while Professor Sharp held his newborn daughter who was sound asleep, a tiny hand peeking through her blanket, grasping her father's finger.
"I'll just leave the birth registration forms for you to fill out"
"Thank you, Mrs Wells. I'd walk you out, but I don't want to wake her"
"No problem at all, Sir. I'll be back on the 29th to check on everyone"
Mrs Sharp looked up from her nursing son "Thank you, Gwen. For everything."
"It's been a pleasure"
And with those parting words, the midwife excused herself and quietly left the family home.
"Who knew babies came with this much paperwork, right"
Aesop wandlessly summoned the forms as well as his glasses "It seems the Ministry insists on making these longer with every passing year. Maggie's weren't this long, weren't they?"
"Honestly, dear, it looks like the same form from before. Perhaps we're just more tired nowadays"
"You have every reason to be tired."
Their son unlatched from his mother's breast, eyes drowsy.
"I think this little one is done. Could you-"
Aesop gently took their son from his wife and handed her their daughter, who was starting to stir awake. She instantly latched onto her mother’s breast, calming down as she was gently nursed. Aesop spoke as he also gently burped his son "You both need names" A gentle burp followed by a tiny spit up was his answer "I take it you're in agreement Theodore"
"I'm glad you finally came around to the idea."
"Yes, well… we already named Magdala after my mother, I wasn't sure if… if it would be too much to also name a child after my father"
"Such a clever man, such silly thoughts. I wish I could have met him."
"He would have absolutely adored you. How about Ashley… for a middle name."
"After your partner? I love it."
Aesop jotted down his son's name on the form as his wife looked down at their daughter, gently speaking.
"And what about you my darling”
Aesop looked at his wife “Have you given any thought to my idea?”
“I have… I’m flattered but I’m not sure, though… I wouldn’t want to be pretentious. Naming our daughter after myself.”
“You wouldn’t be. We’ve honored all the most important people in our lives when naming our children. It was my honor to give our firstborn my first name as his middle. Let me honor you, the single most important person in my life, with our youngest.” Aesop gently stroked his daughter’s forehead “Besides… (F/N) Sharp has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
His wife chuckled. “Natsai for her middle name”
Aesop nodded in agreement and jotted down his daughter’s name.
(F/N) Natsai Sharp
———————
December, 1914
It was a busy Tuesday evening at the small potions shop Aesop Sharp and his wife owned and ran. While the neighboring businesses were preparing for an onslaught of business over the next couple of weeks, the Sharps were getting ready to close their doors for the winter holidays. This meant, of course, front loading the fulfillment of various orders, as well as brewing round the clock for the couple, but it was all worth it in the end.
Soon, all four of their children would be home for the holidays, the Hogwarts Christmas break quickly approaching. As nice as it had been, having a quiet house for a change, the couple missed them dearly, including the chaos they wrought.
The couple finished with their brewing for the day, the sign having been changed to “closed” a few hours ago. They bottled what seemed like the hundredth vial of pepperup potion for the day, quickly cleaned the cellar, donned their coats and scarves and left their business, locking up for the night and making their way home, arms linked.
It would have been quicker to apparate of course, however Aesop was quite fond of the twenty or so minute walk that separated his home to his place of work. He appreciated the fresh air, the scenic views, and was deeply grateful for the ability to even be able to walk in the first place. There had been a time in his life where the mere thought of such a walk was something he didn’t dare dream of. Today, he considered making full use of his legs almost a sacred duty, an act of gratitude to his wife who had, albeit practically by accident, healed him and given him a second chance. He was not going to squander it.
As the couple approached their home, they caught sight of a brown owl headed in their direction. The owl slowed down her flight and positioned herself behind the couple, gliding along. Growing impatient at the couple’s languid pace, she decided to attempt her delivery then and there, landing on top of (F/N)’s head. She was promptly swatted away before she could extend her leg to Aesop. The owl let out a surprised screech, but wisely chose to continue her glide behind the couple until they reached their home.
“Unbelievable!”
“Sebastian did tell me he was struggling with her manners”
“Are you alright?”
“I’m quite fine, thank you”
Aesop opened the door and entered his home, holding the door open for his wife. Artemis, though, saw her opening and promptly flew ahead of the witch, making a beeline for the kitchen where she promptly relieved herself of her delivery, found the jar containing Eeylops Premium Owl Treats, took one, and flew back outside, nearly flying straight into the couple who were still in the process of removing their boots and hanging their coats.
“Blasted thing just helps herself!”
“Lovely to see you too, Artemis! Give my best to Sebast- Oh she can’t hear me anymore…”
"Artemis, goddess of wild animals… he certainly named her right"
"I think he chose that name because Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo"
"Still, the name suits her. Can't say the same about dear Babbity here"
"Babbity's a lovely name for our… grumpy and slightly impatient-"
"Very impatient"
"Fine. Grumpy and very impatient owl… In our defense, that's the risk we took when we let the children name her"
The couple made their way towards the kitchen, where (F/N) opened the letter from her friend as Aesop helped himself to a piece of pound cake before making his way towards his wife, placing his hand on her hip and gently resting his chin atop her head as they read the letter together.
(F/N)
I hope you’re doing well and that you’ve been enjoying a quiet house for the first time in what probably feels like forever. The students here are buzzing with excitement over the upcoming winter break and I suspect the peaceful rhythm of your home is about to be interrupted for approximately two weeks quite soon! Over here, I have approximately two weeks of being able to grade papers in relative peace and quiet to look forward to, as your husband probably remembers.
“There he is calling me “your husband” again… I have a first name, doesn’t he remember that?”
“Ace-”
“Honestly, I’d be fine with him calling me Ace at this point”
“I wouldn’t… That’s my nickname for you. I’m not sharing it”
“Yours and Ashley’s, but I get your point. I suppose there are worse things in life than to be reminded I’m married to you”
Normally I wouldn’t write to you about your children seeing as they’re doing well academically and apart from that little incident with Theodore at the start of term, there haven’t been any other incidents involving them. I know you try your best to… how did you put it? Definitely not spy on the children. You would NEVER do that of course. Intelligence gathering I think is how Professor Sharp had worded it!
I do need to talk to you about your youngest, though. I’ll not sugarcoat things, I worry about her. Ever since term started she seemed particularly… reserved, quiet, anxious even I’d say. At first I chalked it up to first year nerves, but she hasn’t seemed to bounce back to her previous self or at least, she doesn’t quite seem like the same girl I remember from last summer, before school began…
If there is something, anything that we can do at the school to help her be comfortable enough to fully be herself, please let me know. Theodore hasn’t told me anything directly, but I am absolutely certain he knows something’s bothering his twin, and that’s… the absolute worst feeling in the world. Trust me on this one.
As for the other three, Magdala and my namesake are doing fantastic as always, both top of their respective classes (for my class, at least) and Theodore from what I’ve heard through the grapevine is holding his own down at the clock tower entrance. How we ever thought Crossed Wands was a secret from our professors back in the day is honestly quite comical to me now that I’m on the other side of the classroom…
Warmest regards to you and your husband,
Sebastian
PS. I’m still working on Artemis’ manners, I do apologize for any rudeness on her part.
The former professor pulled his wife close. He could feel her heart racing, could feel her breathing pattern shifting as worry for their daughter set in. “Ace…”
“Hey… it’s alright…she's fine… she'll be here in a few days and we'll get to the-”
“We don’t even know what “it” is Aesop! What if something happened to her! What if she needed us out there and we weren't able to-”
“I’m sure nothing happened. At least, nothing catastrophic.”
“How can you be so-“
“Because I used to teach there, darling. If something terrible had happened to her, her demeanor would have shifted quickly. It would have been a night and day change. I've… seen it happen before, unfortunately. We would have heard about it within a week, knowing the number of people at the school who know (F/N). What Sebastian seems to describe here appears to be some sort of maladjustment to life at Hogwarts that she still hasn’t managed to shake…”
“You got all that from just that letter?”
“It used to be my job, love. Once the children get here we’ll get to the bottom of this”
Aesop continued holding onto his wife, he could feel her panic slowly starting to dissipate.“Let’s just enjoy our last few days of peace before everyone arrives, and then let’s enjoy the holidays with the children. Whatever it is that’s going on with (F/N), I really believe that being home will help her open up to us, then we can see how we can help her while she’s at school.”
——————
Three days later…
Snow fell gently in large flakes on the first day of winter break as Magdala, Theodore and (F/N) Sharp waited not-so-patiently for their brother. They were clad in their school robes and scarves, Magdala glaring at the ornate door of the school, as if this action alone would be sufficient to summon her brother.
“What’s taking him so long?”
“Yeah, we agreed to meet at the North Exit at 10AM Sharp!”
“Can you please stop it with the puns, Theo?”
“No, actually, I can’t”
“Ugh!”
“Oh come on Maggs, lighten up will you!”
“It’s not like him to be late! Eleazar’s-“
“Probably just finishing up bottling whatever it is he’s been working on, right (F/N)?”
“Sure, Theo”
“Ummm… are you even here?”
“Yeah (F/N), you’ve been awfully quiet. Everything alright?”
“Yeah, just… a little… homesick, I suppose? It’ll be good to be home for a little bit.”
“I remember feeling homesick during my first term here. I thought you’d all forgotten about me once, actually. Spent days waiting for a letter from back home. Turns out my mail was just misdelivered…”
“I don’t buy it”
“You don’t buy what?”
“You being homesick… well, I guess I DO believe you’re homesick but…that’s NOT what’s bothering you. There’s something more going on…”
“Stop it, Theodore”
“I knew it”
“Knew what”
“You only call me Theodore when I get too close for comfort”
“I… There he is!”
(F/N) pointed at, then waved at her older brother, immaculately clad in his Ravenclaw robes. Eleazar waved back at the group, picking up the pace slightly to join his siblings. Magdala addressed her tardy brother “Eleazar! What TOOK you so long?”
“Do you have any concept of how many stairs I need to scale in order to get all the way down here! I’m telling you, Ravenclaws are not only the smartest and wittiest, we also end up with legs of STEEL by the time we graduate”
“Hey Eleazar!”
“What”
“You’re looking… Sharp as usual”
“Haha Theodore… I’ve NEVER heard that one before”
“Really?”
“No!”
“So… Last minute Christmas shopping at Hogsmeade, then we floo back home?”
“Meaning Maggs needs to go last minute Christmas shopping”
“Hey you! Fifth year means OWLs meaning I have a LOT less free time! You’ll be the one talking in about 4 years!”
“I wouldn’t mind a quick Hogsmeade shopping spree myself”
“I have all my presents sorted out but… Could be nice to go to Steeply and Sons for a cup of Jasmine tea. Theo did you want to come?”
“Ummm sure (F/N)!”
The foursome made their way from the school to Hogsmeade village, laughing and chatting idly about this and that. (F/N) even joined in on some of the friendly banter, but Theodore knew, in his bones, that there was something bothering his twin. Frankly, he had felt something off about her ever since their Sorting ceremony back in the fall. She hadn’t said a thing to him, though. As much as he wore his heart on his sleeves, his twin was the exact opposite. Somehow, she felt the need to keep her heart behind a thick brick wall.
Jasmine tea. That was a ray of hope for him. He knew that’s what she enjoyed to sip on whenever she finally, FINALLY got whatever it was she needed to get off her chest.
Perhaps, if she’d allow him a tiny little peek behind that brick wall of hers, she would feel better for it. He couldn’t help her if he didn’t know what was wrong, and he couldn’t push her because all THAT ever did was make her add MORE bricks to her wall… The group arrived at Hogsmeade’s front gates.
“Alright let’s all meet up in the North square at noon, that should give us enough time, right?”
“Yes”
“Sounds like a plan, Maggs”
“We’ll be there. Twelve PM, Sharp!”
A collective groan was emitted by three of the four children.
———————
Noon quickly rolled in and twins walked together, arms linked, to meet their older siblings, having had a very productive conversation. Jasmine tea did, in fact, work wonders to get (F/N)… Natty… talking.
“Just, promise you’ll talk to them about it, alright”
“I’ll… try my best Theo it’s just… a difficult thing to bring up… What if they get upset?”
“They won’t get upset, I promise. Just… do the hair tie thing when you’re ready and I’ll-”
“Hey Theodore!” Eleazar pointed furiously at his watch, a mock look of impatience on his face “What happened to twelve PM Sharp?”
“Oh so puns are acceptable as long as I’m not the one dishing them out?”
“Only because I don’t abuse them like you do…”
“Alright you two… (F/N), ready to head home?”
“I’m ready Maggie”
She gave her older sister the first genuine smile she has in what seemed like a couple weeks. The foursome walked over the the nearest floo, eager to see their parents on the other side.
———————
They barely had the time to take three steps away from the floo before they were encircled by their parents, who somehow still had the collective wingspan to encircle all four of them simultaneously in a single hug.
“How much longer until we can’t do this anymore, Ace”
“I don’t know… Perhaps another year or two… all depends on when the growth spurts hit”
“I’m being crushed here!”
“Mum your arm’s strangling me!”
“Theo you smell!”
“No I don’t!”
The couple released their children
“FREEDOM!”
“Ugh! I can breathe again”
“Missed you!”
“It’s good to have you back you rascals”
“There’s meat pie in the oven let’s head back home quickly before it burns”
“Meat pie!”
The happy family of six started their walk home, Aesop and his wife trying as best they can to calm their anxious hearts. Their outwards expression was calm but inside, their hearts were racing.
“Give it time, darling.”
“I know, I know…pushing her always backfires…”
——————
A few days into the holiday, the family found themselves occupied with one of their favorite holiday traditions, baking gingerbread cookies. Well… half the family. Aesop and Theodore had been banished from the kitchen for the crime of attempting to eat the freshly baked concoctions as soon as they came out of the oven. They were currently engaged in a game of wizard’s chess in the living room.
(F/N) had declined to participate in the activity, citing an upset stomach, and was currently resting in her room.
If her parents hadn’t been alerted by Professor Sallow’s letter indicating his worries, they absolutely would have picked up on the fact that something was eating away at their youngest. Unfortunately, they could do nothing but wait until she was ready to talk to them, ready to crack open the door she had made them in that wall of hers, and let them in.
Eleazar and Maggie busied themselves in the kitchen, helping craft this year’s gingerbread cookies. Maggie was the most efficient of the pair, while Eleazar took his time, as meticulous in his measurements in the kitchen as he was when brewing. Their mother tried to gently intervene.
“This isn’t Valerian root powder dear, it’s powdered sugar. No need for that much precision.”
“Yeah, El, we’re making royal icing, not brewing Wiggenweld”
“There’s no Valerian root powder in Wiggenweld, Maggs.”
Eleazar resumed his painstakingly precise weighing of the powdered sugar. “It’s Asphodel root powder”
The two older children continued their banter while their mother busied herself, rolling and cutting the gingerbread cookies. She enjoyed these moments tremendously, however her mind was somewhere else entirely. She had spoken to Theodore earlier, whenever something was going on with his twin, he seemed to be aware of it. Theodore had assured her that nothing had “happened” to her to cause this withdrawal, but somehow she didn’t feel any better. She had reminded her daughter to use her signal when she was ready to talk about whatever it is she needed to talk about, so now all she could do was wait until (F/N) was ready to open up. She half-listened as Eleazar blabbered on about something he had learned about in History of Magic.
"- but they didn't know how to do it properly, so there was a lot of splichning. So wizards really just traveled everywhere on a broom, could you imagine how inconvenient that must have been. But then Ignatia Wild-" (F/N) froze in her tracks, almost dropping the tray of cookies she was carrying from the oven to the counter. "Eleazar Sebastian Sharp... Do not speak that name in this house."
The boy looked at his mother, utterly confused by her strong reaction. "Uhh… sorry Mum?”
“It’s… alright, dear. It's lovely to hear about everything you've been learning at school. Maggie, how have you been faring this year?"
The threesome continued on, chatting and baking, enjoying their time together. They were soon joined by Aesop and Theodore, having finished their match, both seemingly intent on attempting to steal some sweets for themselves yet again.
"Aesop AND Theodore Sharp, put those back. Right. Now"
The pair froze in their tracks. Unfortunately, they had been caught yet again.
"Those are the nice ones that we'll be decorating and giving out as gifts"
The two promptly returned the gingerbreads to the cooling rack as (F/N) fetched a plate with an assortment of slightly burnt, slightly misshapen cookies.
"You may have one of these"
Theodore picked a decapitated gingerbread man while Aesop chose a cookie with what appeared to be a badly mangled left leg. "I will say, darling, I'm a little offended this one didn't make the cut"
"No! Not that one!" His wife reached for the cookie but Aesop held it up high, just too high for her to reach. "You said I could have any cookie from that plate did you not"
"I know what I said that but-" she tried in vain to jump and grab the cookie from her husband "that one's mine!"
"Oh is he, now…" he teased, keeping the crippled confection out of her reach, holding it by its mangled leg.
"Yes, he is. Now give him back"
The three younger Sharps watched their parents banter with amusement, each munching on a gingerbread of their own, wondering which parent would get their way. Their father wore a smug expression on his face as he taunted their mother.
"What's the magic word, love?"
"Oh for the love of -" she drew her wand and pointed it at the cookie "Accio"
The poor gingerbread man, being pulled by the summoning charm while at the same time remaining in Aesop's tight grip, snapped in half, its now amputated body flying into (F/N)'s hand. She looked at the cookie with a little bit of sadness in her eyes.
"Well, at least I got his heart"
Aesop bent down to kiss his wife "You always will, darling" he threw the gingerbread leg in his mouth. "I do require another cookie, though"
She rolled her eyes,handing her husband the plate "Don't speak with your mouth full, you incorrigible man."
“Mum, may I have a gingerbread?”
(F/N) had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, her hair tie wrapped around her index and middle finger.
Her signal. She was ready to talk.
“Of course, dear.” The young witch took a freshly baked cookie and made her way to the family room.
Aesop looked at his wife, who quickly started making a batch of hot cocoa. She took three cups out of the cupboard and filled them, placing them on a small tray. Both parents would soon be joining their youngest, and hopefully, they would finally get to the bottom of everything. Aesop approached his oldest daughter as his wife brought the tray to the family room.
“I need your help, partner”
“Of course, Dad”
“You three need to make yourselves scarce for… I honestly don’t know how long. Can I trust you to-“
“Keep an eye on everyone? Absolutely.”
“Thank you”
He gave her a quick squeeze, then walked over to his sons, gave them each a quick pat on the shoulder. “You two listen to your sister. Whatever she says, goes.” The boys responded in unison “Yes, sir.”
He then followed his wife into the family room, simultaneously feeling ready for whatever awaited him, as well as feeling utterly unprepared for the task ahead. He often found himself feeling this way and in those moments, he reminded himself it was the exact same feeling he felt when he first held his oldest daughter. Ready to care for her, to do absolutely anything for her, but having absolutely no clue how to go about it. He had managed then, and he could manage now.
Aesop entered the family room and took his seat at the armchair next to the sofa where his daughter had snuggled into his wife, who was gently stroking her hair. They stayed in silence for a few moments, until the sound of the door leading from the kitchen to the outside closed, signaling the threesome were alone at last.
The young witch broke the silence.
“Why did you… give me the name that you did?”
Aesop spoke “We named all five of you after the most significant people in our lives darling we…” He searched for his words “I’m the one who chose your first name. Your mother did make it quite clear that Theodore and you were the last children we’d have and I wanted to… well to honor her. To thank her. For you, for your siblings, for… everything she’s done for me. For everything that she is to me. And then your middle name, she chose. After one of her very best friends.”
“We’ve told you that story, love… Many, many times…”
“I know… I guess I just… needed to hear it again”
(F/N) held her daughter close, as close as she could without crushing her. There was something more… She hadn’t acted this way, struggled with adjusting at school just because she needed to hea-
“I’m not a hero, Mum”
(F/N)’s heart would have stopped beating then and there if it hadn’t been racing. She summoned her calmest voice, a voice that did not match the way she felt. “Nobody’s asking you to be a hero darling… where’s this coming from?”
“When it was my turn at the sorting ceremony… The hat told me I had been named after the Hero of Hogwarts”
That moniker.
(F/N) had eventually shared everything with Aesop. She had taken her late mentor’s advice and entrusted him with the knowledge of the Ancient Magic safely ensconced deep underneath Hogwarts. She had shared with him every single detail, from the truth about the dragon attack on her carriage, to her mentor’s last breath. With their children though, they had remained very vague. “Mum did something very important for the school” was about as detailed as it had ever gotten.
“I… I’ve been called that in the past. I’ve always hated it because… Even though some people think what I did was heroic, it… never felt that way to me. I never set out to be a hero. I’ve never once felt like one. I’m sorry I kept that from you, though. I’m sorry you learned it through the Sorting Hat…”
“Growing up I always thought it was so special, sharing a name with you… I still do, but…” She took a sip of her hot chocolate, looking for her words.
“Before I went to school the only time I would hear anyone say my first name, it’s because they were talking to me, not you. I always knew my first name and yours was one and the same, but everyone calls you either Mum or Mrs Sharp and Dad has his own nicknames for you so (F/N) was always me. So when the hat said my name and then started talking about you it made me feel like being a hero like you is what’s expected of me…”
“Oh, darling…”
“When I started my classes my magic was so strong, and some of the professors said some things and I know they were meant to be compliments but they made me feel like I wasn’t… me anymore. Like I was supposed to be you, to excel like you did when you were at school but I’m not you, I’m me”
A moment of silence was Aesop’s opportunity to speak “Do you need us to call a meeting with Professor Weasley? If anyone, professors included, have been saying things that make you uncomfortable it’s important to let them know so they can course-correct… Everyone wants you to feel at home, to succeed while you’re at school”
“I uh… I don’t think that’s going to be necessary Dad um… Theo and I talked it out and… well it was his idea and uh…”
She took another sip of her hot chocolate, and she took a deep breath. She could do this. She could tell her parents.
“Theodore compared my name to a sweater.”
“A… sweater?”
“Yes! A really nice sweater that you both took great care in picking out for me, and I really love it, and I always knew you and I were wearing matching sweaters but it was alright because I still felt like me but then when I started Hogwarts everyone started pointing out “Hey, that’s a really nice sweater you have there, it’s the same as your Mum!” sorry Theo did the voice better… that was supposed to be Professor Ronen…”
“It wasn’t terrible. Go on”
“Alright well anyways, Now when I look in the mirror, all I can see is our matching sweaters. I have a hard time seeing myself anymore. Theo suggested that since I can’t change my sweater, maybe I should get a scarf, or a cardigan or something to wear over it, and THAT’s what people would see and then when I look into the mirror, I could see myself again!”
Aesop found himself mildly confused by the analogy. “So you need… a scarf?”
“Well, not an actual scarf, I already have one. I need something that people can call me that would be my name even though it’s not actually my name.”
Her mother caught on. “Like a nickname?”
“Sort of, but a little bit more… permanent. Like, I’d have the same first name on paperwork and things like that but I’d call myself and would like to be known to everyone as… Natty”
“Natty”
“Are you upset?”
Her mother held her tight. What a silly question but then again, her daughter was a lot like her, always wanting to make sure everyone else was happy before herself. “Not in the slightest… To think you went through that struggle all by yourself and managed to find a solution on your own”
“Well, it was Theo’s idea”
“Still. I’ve never been prouder of you… Natty”
"Do you think Aunt Natty will mind? Me using her name that is…"
"I think she'll be ecstatic. So will Professor Onai I'm sure of it!"
Natty thought of her brother whom her parents had named after her mother’s mentor, but who had the name of one of her closest friends as his middle name. She chuckled to herself. "I think Professor Sallow might get a little jealous"
Aesop smiled at his daughter. "Professor Sallow will be relieved you finally have a nice scarf that makes you feel like your own person"
Natty joked "I think he’ll definitely pester Eleazar, try to make *him* put on a nice scarf over his sweater!"
All three laughed at the idea. Professor Sallow had been humbled a lot in his life, but still had a little bit of smugness whenever he took roll calls in Eleazar’s classes, proudly asking if Eleazar SEBASTIAN Sharp was present.
“So that’s what’s been bothering you all this time…”
“Sorry Dad…”
“No, don’t apologize Natty, we know it’s… difficult for you to open up. We’re just so happy you did in the end”
"Thanks Mum I'm… glad I was finally able to tell you."
The trio sat in silence, sipping on their hot chocolate, each member breathing a lot easier than they had at the start of the discussion. The fireplace filled the house with warmth and a nice glow, seven slightly different stockings hanging from the mantelpiece, forming a lovely, unified display.
Dad
Mum
Clarence
Magdala
Eleazar
Theodore
(F/N) stood up and walked towards the fireplace. She picked up her youngest daughter's stocking and placed it on the coffee table. She grabbed her wand and with a wave, the thread magically unraveled, reorganized itself and found its home on the fabric once more, arranged into a new name.
Written by @tea-withjamandbread ties in with @aesopsharpmybeloved’s series A New Chance At Life
Summary: After Theodore finds himself on the receiving end of a good dressing-down, he needs someone to talk to. Luckliy for him, his oldest brother is always there to lend a listening ear.
TW: Mention of stillbirth, a little sad so maybe grab tissues if you tend to need them…
December 20th, 1916
It was winter break and the Sharp children typically spent this time at home with their parents. This year, though, for the second Christmas in a row, they were one family member short, Magdala having made her way across the Atlantic to pursue her research.
Both parents had hoped that by now that the war raging on the continent would have died down, making international travel easier. Securing Magdala's visa for the United States of America had been quite the task, and while Aesop maintained a good relationship with the British ambassador to MACUSA, her visa only allowed her to enter the country one time. She couldn’t simply come and go as she pleased as she would during peacetime. Magdala wouldn't be joining her family until the war ended, unfortunately.
It seemed though that she was making the best out of the current situation, judging by the letters she sent back home. She had spent the bulk of her time tracking down and studying the Wampus Cat, native to the Appalachian Mountains. She appeared to have a healthy social life as well, having even, much to Aesop's chagrin and her mother's delight, fallen in love. A man from New York had caught her eye. He was currently apprenticing under Shikoba Wolfe, hoping to master the art of wandmaking himself. Their relationship was still in its early stages, but Maggie had mentioned on a few occasions how she was looking forward to introducing him to everyone once travel was possible.
"So much for wanting to wait a little bit before setting down"
"Aesop, relax it's not like she's engaged to the lad"
"She had better not get engaged before I get the chance to-"
"To what, Ace? Poison him?"
"I was going to say interrogate him, but poisoning him is a nice alternative"
"Darling this is Maggie we're talking about. She's got a good head on her shoulders. She wouldn't be talking about introductions if he wasn't the same. He's apprenticing to be a wandmaker. That's impressive! And quite a lucrative business, too once he gets started on his own."
"What are you saying"
"I'm saying we could do worse for a future son-in-law"
"As long as he keeps his 'wand' away from my daught-"
"Oh my aren't you the hypocrite Aesop Sharp!"
Eleazar had reached the home stretch of his studies at Hogwarts. He had taken on a respectable amount of NEWT classes, in addition to serving as Head Boy, and de-facto assistant to Hogwarts' potions master in the (quite limited) amount of free time he had. He himself was a few months into his first relationship, a lovely girl from his own house named Alice. He had developed a crush on her while in his sixth year and had only recently gathered the courage to ask her out after having helped her obtain certain potions ingredients she was missing for class over the fall.
Natalie was far too focused on her studies to even consider engaging in a romantic relationship, and already had such a hard time with letting her guard down that it would likely take quite some time for her to allow herself to trust someone enough before she gave them her heart. She didn't yet know what she wanted to do in life, so she knew she'd have to do well in her OWL's next year in order to keep all doors open for herself. She did have a small group of trusted friends, though, and her parents were quite happy to see her finally break out of her shell.
Then, there was Theodore. He didn't struggle in school per se, his grades were always among the very top of his class, but he had certainly spent a lot of time in detention over the past few months, which had earned him a good dressing down from his father earlier that day. In his parents’ eyes, he really seemed to show complete disregard for the school’s rules, and the boy had just been reminded that there was a reason in which they were in place, that he still needed to respect them even if he didn’t understand or agree with them, and even after he graduated and went out into the world, he couldn’t just recklessly do what he wanted.
Theodore knew his father had spoken to him from a place of deep love. He knew that of his four living children, he was the one that worried him the most, not just because of his preferred career path, but because he saw a lot of himself in his youngest son. He was desperate in wanting to make sure Theodore didn’t end up like he once was, and today his desperation had reached a boiling point.
Knowing where his words came from didn’t make them sting any less, though, and so once he had been dismissed by the former professor, Theodore donned his coat and scarf and ventured outside to the garden. It was a mild winter day and snow fell gently in large flakes, covering the ground in a soft white blanket. Theodore wiped the snow off the stone bench in the garden and took a seat, facing away from the house, the tears that had started to form in his eyes threatening to fall. He spoke to his older brother.
"I bet you heard all of that, didn't you… It's always rough, you know, being on the receiving end..."
Silence. Theodore took a shaky breath.
“I just… I know he’s right. I know I need to do better, to get in trouble less. I know it’s going to catch up with me eventually, like it did him all those years ago. I know he doesn’t want me to make the same mistakes he made… it’s just…” A gentle breeze blew and Theodore sighed
“I’m not… brilliant like Maggs. She just… picks up on everything real quick you know? Hardly makes any mistakes, makes everything look so easy! And she's been halfway around the world for over a year now doing her own thing and on the one hand I'm happy for her but on the other hand...I don't know when we'll get to see her again... And I didn’t inherit the potions gene like Eleazar did. He's pretty much set for life! Graduating from Hogwarts later this year and he's already got his career all sorted out. Heck, he had his apprenticeship all but secured before he even started school, it was always a question of "if he was interested" in joining the family business rather than "if he could earn it". Not that he doesn't deserve to apprentice under Dad, he'll probably end up at his skill level in a couple years at the rate he's going. Don't uhhh… don't tell Dad I said that."
Theodore blinked and looked ahead, continuing to bare his heart.
"And Natty… Did I tell you that she almost decapitated Professor Ronen the first time he had us play Summoner’s court? It was pretty brilliant, actually. She has to work to TONE DOWN her magic! The rest of us are just trying to keep up with her half the time. And she's got friends now, which is awesome but I keep worrying that she won't want to hang out with me anymore. Which is ridiculous really, I mean… I have friends and I still want to hang out with her, she's my twin!"
Snowflakes continued to fall and Theodore could hear faint music coming from the house behind him.
"Meanwhile, everyone tells me I’m so smart and talented and have such a bright future ahead of me but I just feel like… like I have to work twice as hard just to measure up to the rest of them and even then I fall short... So yeah, I sneak out after curfew and see what I can get away with. I see what I can do to help people while I’m at it. And you know what? I sometimes feel like it… like it actually helps me do better in school you know, like I’m finding some actual practical ways to use the stuff that I’m learning. Dad’s right though. It needs to stop. I need to do better from now on. I think… I think I can do it. I think I can keep myself in check, and start staying out of trouble.”
Theodore closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air, he could hear the music, still. He could feel the snow landing on his hair and face as well as a single tear making its way out of his eye and onto his cheek. He didn’t hear his father open the door and walk towards him.
“Thanks, Clarence. You’re a really great listener. I know it’s strange to say I miss you, seeing as I never met you, but I… I really wish you were here. Say hi to Granddad for me. Tell him I'll try my best to do good by him. Tell him people are going to be proud of Theodore Sharp from now on, instead of hearing the name and instantly thinking 'what did he do to land himself in detention now?’”
Aesop sat next to his son and placed an arm around him, pulling him close. He looked at the stone in front of him. It didn’t mark the actual resting place of his own father as well as his stillborn son, but it was a place he, and the rest of his family, came to reflect and remember, whenever they needed it.
Theodore Sharp, 1820 - 1854
Clarence Aesop Sharp, March 26th, 1897
“How much did you hear?”
“Just your last sentence.” He kissed his son’s forehead as he felt his shoulder dampen slightly. Aesop glanced at the sky, snow falling in his face “He heard everything, though.”
Both sat in silence for a while, Aesop holding his son close, drawing circles with his thumb on his shoulder and gently humming so as to give Theodore some privacy as he sobbed. To anyone else who might have been looking on at the scene, it simply looked like a father comforting his son. However, everyone who shared their last name knew that there were three Sharps in the garden at that moment.
“Are those gingerbreads I smell?”
“Yes. They’re pretty good, too”
“They always are.”
Theodore stood up but Aesop stayed seated. “I’m already proud of you. I need you to know that.”
“Thanks, Dad. Thanks for always looking out for us”
Theo took a step towards the house but his father remained on the bench. “Aren’t you coming inside, too?”
“I’ll join you all in a couple minutes”
Theodore walked back towards his father and gave him a hug “Granddad would be proud of you, too. Just so you know”
“Thank you, son”
“I promise we won’t eat all the gingerbreads while you’re out”
Aeop chuckled “You better not”
Theodore gave his father one last squeeze before walking back towards the house, feeling lighter than he had when he had walked out. Some of his friends thought it was strange how he made a point to talk to his brother who had never taken his first breath, or remember the man he had never met but with whom he shared a name, but Theodore knew better. He had heard it often, from both his parents. Four words of wisdom that helped him through some of his most tumultuous days.
Happy Birthday to our favourite ex-auror potions professor! Three birthdays in the life of Aesop Sharp, brought to you by@tea-withjamandbread and @aesopsharpmybeloved. Part of collections A New Chance at Life as well as The Sharp Family Chronicles. Aesop Sharp x (adult) MC!reader
word count: 9.4 k
tw: mentions of alcohol abuse, depression, suggestive content, tooth-rotting fluff
July 1st 1881
It’s been a few days since he’s been released from St Mungo’s. Again. Dinah still had a few more days to attend to her responsibilities in Hogwarts, however, for the time being, she seemed to trust Aesop not to do anything too crazy until the term officially ended. Aesop soon discovered that all of his liquor bottles, both empty and full, had disappeared. Wonderful. There was not a single drop of alcohol left in his house. At first he felt annoyed. Irritated. Already trying to think of a way to get at least a single drink, just a little something to take the edge off.
He didn’t have an owl, and he couldn’t exactly Floo, much less walk to some shop or pub. Not in his current state. Wiggenweld potion could only do so much, and while it did heal the smaller cuts and scrapes and helped with the pain, his hands were still bandaged in order to keep the healing balm applied to them from drying up while it restored his mangled hands. If he didn’t look miserable before his breakdown, he absolutely looked miserable now.
There was no way he could go anywhere like this… and there was no way anyone would be willing to bring him anything either. Aesop didn’t know how many people knew about his collapse - he was certain Dinah would make sure the number was minimal - but he was absolutely certain his mother knew. Abraham too, possibly. And the very thought of flooiong one of his (now former) colleagues to ask them to send him a drink? He shuddered. No. They’d ask questions. They’d possibly come over. They couldn’t see him like this.
Dinah was right. As she usually was, of course. He probably should lay off the booze for a while. Aesop wheeled himself throughout the downstairs of his childhood home. The mirror in the ground floor bathroom was left nothing more than a frame - Dinah probably vanished all of the broken glass. As he slowly rode through his kitchen, a picture frame caught his eye. In it was a photograph, and Aesop almost couldn't recognise his own face in it.
He didn’t even know why Ashley would get a camera - probably to take photos of her son, first and foremost - but she had brought it to his birthday dinner last year. She wasn’t a particularly good photographer, but a few nice shots were taken that night a year ago. This was one of them - he was standing by the bar in the Leaky Cauldron, actually looking quite handsome and very confident, Dinah next to him and Abraham on the other side. The photograph was moving like they were moving back then - grinning, laughing, clinking their glasses together.
And then, suddenly, Ashley appeared, peeking out from the corner of the photo, wanting to be in the picture while taking it. She looked like she always did - carefree, optimistic, confident. Her wild streak has lowered somewhat since she and her wife got their little boy, but she was still the kind of person who walked into the room and lit it up with her mere presence.
He wheeled over to the photograph and placed it face down on the shelf where it stood. He couldn’t look at it anymore. Those happy memories had been his reality only a year ago. To him, though, it felt like a century had passed. The man whose birthday was being celebrated in that photograph was someone else. A happy man with his whole life ahead of him. A man with a successful career, who still struggled with his love life to be certain, but who hadn’t given up on his dream of settling down and raising a family in the home in which he himself had spent his entire life.
A family? He wasn’t sure he could even… Not that anyone would ever want that from him anymore. Who could see him as any more than the cripple that he was. That dream of having a family of his own died the moment he stepped on to that godforsaken ship. It had vanished the very moment he had led his partner, his oldest friend, the one he was supposed to protect, to her death. His hubris having cost her all of her dreams and plans as well.
He decided that the birthday captured in the photograph Ashley had taken would be the last one he celebrated. He would have more birthdays, of course, Dinah having knocked some sense into him after his breakdown. He had already been the cause of enough pain and suffering for those he cared about the most. So he would make a point to survive, to continue existing, for them, but he saw no need to boast about having circled the sun one more time. Not when his partner hadn’t circled it with him.
Suddenly he heard the door open. He wasn't expecting company, in fact he had specifically requested that no one visit him today. He didn't want to worry anyone but he also didn't want to face their feeble attempts at cheering him up, at making him feel special on the anniversary of his birth. He didn't want to see the sadness and pity in their eyes. They did their best to hide it, of course, but he knew it was there. He was a pitiful sight indeed. He wheeled himself around as fast as he could manage and drew his wand, not that it would do him much good in his current state, the bandages on his hands making his grip awkward. If it came to it, he didn't know if he'd even be able to defend himself and his home in the event of an unsavory intruder.
He recognized the footsteps instantly and pocketed his wand.
Of course she'd show up anyways. The nerve.
Dinah bloody Hecat.
He heard the door close and wheeled himself to greet his guest. He'd at least give her that courtesy. When the younger, now older looking woman appeared in his line of sight, he saw she had come armed with a large bag of groceries. She looked at him.
"You look like hell."
"Lovely to see you too."
Dinah walked right past him, heading straight for the kitchen. Aesop thought she might have walked straight into him if he hadn’t quickly wheeled himself backwards. He supposed he still retained some of his Auror reflexes even after everything.
Dinah set down her bag and started unloading everything, pulling out potatoes, carrots, parsnips, various herbs, a jar of broth, some dried mushrooms and a large piece of meat out of the bag. Aesop knew instantly that she had come here on someone else’s errand. She had never been much of a cook herself after all. Aesop however, recognized his mother’s venison stew when he saw it, even in its currently disassembled state.
“Mum sent you, didn’t she."
It wasn't a question.
“She’s worried about you, Aesop. Especially today of all days”
“There’s nothing special about today. It’s just… a day”
“It’s your birthday, Aesop”
“Why does that even ma-“
Dinah dind't give him the time to finish, fixing him with a stare so intense, he had to stifle a tremble.
“It matters because 34 years ago your mother labored for about the same number of hours in order to bring you into this world. She then raised you along with your father until he was gone. Then she somehow found the strength to raise you AND provide for you by herself while grieving her own husband. It matters because she made sure you had everything you needed for your education, because she saw you through your Auror training AND career and earlier this year, she thought she’d be laying you to rest next to her husband instead of the other way around. So today, on the anniversary of your birth, even though YOU don’t want to see her, she STILL wanted to make sure you got to eat your favorite meal, so I am here, Aesop Theodore Sharp, on HER errand and I WILL see this through, even if I have to bind you to that infernal chair of yours and force feed you myself.”
Aesop pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew his mother deserved better than the worry he had put her through not just this year, but during his entire career as an Auror. And as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Dinah could, and would follow through with her threat. Hell, the woman could have taken him down at his peak, let alone the sorry state he currently found himself in.
"Dinah-"
"As I was saying, I'm not here to celebrate. I’m here to make sure you don't starve to death. Also this house needs tidying up… you know I'm always afraid of tripping over something or another when I visit you nowadays. My balance isn't the worst for someone my…well for someone with the body I have, but it's not getting any better"
It was easy for Aesop to forget that Dinah, while exhibiting a strong facade and with her fierce personality, still hadn’t fully made peace with her own career-ending injury. Although she had remade herself as Hogwarts’ Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, he knew this was not her first choice. He would have to remake himself in due time, the pension he received from the Ministry barely covering his living expenses, but he wasn’t ready for that. Not yet at least.
Dinah busied herself browning the meat for the stew when she addressed her friend once more.
"You need to bathe, Aesop, you smell quite terrible."
"I… it's been a few days."
"I can tell. Do you need my help or can you manage on your own?"
"I think I can manage."
“Good."
Aesop wheeled himself to his bedroom where he carefully got undressed and discarded his clothes in the now overflowing laundry bin. Well, it wasn’t exactly his bedroom, the room had originally served as a study, however, following his injury, ascending the flight of stairs that led to his bedroom was no longer an option, so his mother had conjured a bed and had attempted to make the room as cozy as she could. He appreciated her efforts, but it just wasn’t the same. Nothing was, come to think about it.
With a towel around his body for some semblance of privacy, he slowly made his way to the bathroom and took the bandages off his hands. They looked a little better today, but he would still need to reapply that healing balm for another week according to the Healers at St Mungo’s. He sat on the bench that had been conjured in the shower and turned the water on. He carefully went through the now considerably lengthy ritual of lathering his hair and body, being careful not to irritate his hands too much.
The scars on his leg and face used to be excruciating, however the passage of time as well as rigorous desensitization as part of his shower routine had made them almost painless to the touch. If only his blasted leg would have improved in the same manner he’d maybe have a shot at a fulfilling life. However, he had been told to get used to it, to “learn to live” with his injury. He could never get used to this. He would never get used to it. Perhaps there was something out there that could help him.
He put those thoughts aside and shut the water off, dried himself and opened the door leading to his hopefully temporary bedroom. He instantly noticed that the windows had been opened, a warm summer breeze gently blowing in the large bedroom. His bed had been made, the overflowing laundry bin had been emptied and there were clean, comfortable clothes laid out on his bed, next to the armchair he sat on while getting dressed.
That woman truly was incorrigible. As he got dressed though, he realized how nice it felt to breathe the fresh summer air that was cleansing the room, as opposed to the stale air he had been inhaling ever since he had been discharged from St Mungo’s. He hadn’t been opening the windows at night like he used to before his injury. In that moment, he remembered how much he enjoyed it, though. Tonight he’d make a point to open his bedroom windows before turning in. He also realized how his shower, how the simple turned not-so-simple act of washing his body had put him in a slightly better mood. He applied the healing balm to his hands and bandaged them before making his way towards the door.
As Aesop left his bedroom, he could already smell the stew Dinah had prepared, which had just started to simmer. He could also smell the freshly brewed tea she had prepared. As he approached her, seated at the dining room table, the chair that would normally be next to her having been vanished in what he assumed was an invitation to join her, he noticed she had already poured them both a cup, and that she was currently poring over his mail, which had accumulated over the past week. He hadn’t bothered to sort through any of it since returning home.
“Still only cream in your tea?”
“Of course”
Dinah handed him his cup as well as a pile of letters
“These require your immediate attention”
“I’ll… make sure I deal with them, then”
Dinah handed him a quill, barely looking up from her organizing.
“No time like the present, Aesop.”
Aesop took the quill without argument and started filling out the various forms Dinah had given him. Applications for additional disability pay from the Ministry, tax forms, appeal letters to send to the Ministry requesting they cover the various experimental treatments he had received to attempt to heal his injury sustained in the line of duty. Once in awhile Dinah added a form or two to his workload, while sorting out the mail she deemed as rubbish.
“This one appears to be an offer letter fo work for the Auror recruitment program”
“They told me to 'take all the time I need' but they’re really hoping I don’t need time at all don’t they. That I’ll just bounce back, so to speak.”
“It would appear so”
Aesop sighed. “I’m not ready, Dinah. I can barely take care of myself at the moment. I can barely even walk from here to the front door of my own house. How could I-”
Dinah placed her hand on his
“You don’t have to accept the position right now, Aesop. I read the letter and they appear willing to wait for you to recover more before you’d-”
“I’m not sure I even want that job. I don’t think it would be right for me to take it”
“You can think about it later. For now, let’s get us some fresh air.”
Dinah stood up and made her way towards the side door, past the kitchen, where the stew she had prepared was still simmering. Aesop followed her outside. She sat on the stone bench closest to the house, overlooking the now quite unkempt garden. Aesop wheeled himself right next to her, a difficult feat on the uneven terrain. He really ought to get walking again, lest he spend the rest of his life confined to his house. They sat in comfortable silence.
“That stew does smell delicious. You did a great job.”
“Well, your mother was very clear in her instructions. All I did was follow.”
“You did so much more than that.”
“I know you’d have done the same for me. You did, in fact, if I remember correctly.” Aesop had been there for her when Dinah had been wounded on the job. He had been there at the hospital, and had helped her tremendously when she moved back to her home. He had even offered for her to move back in with him. They were no longer romantically involved, but he had still been ready to put his life and plans on pause to help her in any way he could. She had declined his kind offer but appreciated it nonetheless.
“Yes, well… that’s what friends are for, I suppose.”
They had been through so much together. A failed romantic relationship turned friendship for the ages. They had each seen each other at their worst and would eventually make peace with their respective situations, and see themselves at their best once more. For now, though, the present moment was all that existed.
"You know, you told me I'd hate you come September… you're going to try a lot harder to get me to that point."
"Term just ended. I have plenty more time now to be a thorn in your side."
Aesop chuckled, perhaps for the first time in a long time
"Thank you for being here today."
July 1st 1893
The last week of school flew by in front of Aesop’s eyes. Exams were done, and both teachers and students could breathe a sigh of relief. He had helped his sweetheart settle into the little house she rented at the edge of Hogsmeade throughout the last few days, her various books and tomes, the majority of her clothes, the little knick knacks and memorabilia she collected during her three years at Hogwarts.
And, of course, the beasts. Some would be released back into the wild, as the poachers throughout the Highlands severely lessened in numbers, following this insane (former) Ravenclaw student crashing into their operations. A few more vulnerable ones would be found new homes, as would be the girl’s new apprenticeship at Brood and Peck, and some she simply wished to keep and care for herself. With Aesop’s help, they transfigured the inside of a large chest into something of a Sanctuary for the beasts his love would be keeping. Deek aided in their relocation, having a hard time saying goodbye to them. (F/N) had promised the elf he was welcome to visit them whenever he wanted.
The Seventh year’s ball rolled around, then graduation, then the teary-eyed departure of most of the students on the Hogwarts express. Aesop wouldn’t admit it, but he too had shed a few tears all those years ago, when he boarded that train for the last time.
Today, however, was not a day for tears. It was Saturday, which meant his sweetheart had two more days to settle in and get her bearings before officially beginning her adult life and her new job. She usually woke up before him, but it seemed the turbulent few days left the young woman in a state of exhaustion. It was the first time she spent the night in her new abode, and Aesop graciously agreed to help her find out if the bed was any good.
Well, it definitely wasn’t as good as the bed he slept in at Hogwarts, nor the one in his own house, being softer than he was used to. However, he noted that his back wasn’t troubling him upon waking up, which was a small victory. Much bigger victory currently craddled in his arms. His beautiful young lover was curled into his side, her breathing soft and even, her hair matted and messy with sleep, and a bit of drool was dried upon her jowl. The potions master thought she looked like a dream come true.
He took in his surroundings, the room was unfamiliar and had yet to be lived in, but it had every bit the potential to become a very cozy bedroom. The floors were straight and firm, the wallpapers pleasant to the eyes, the windows let in a lot of natural light. Speaking of the windows, they were currently open to let the fresh summer morning air in, and Aesop could hear the wizarding village waking up and coming to life. In a few hours, the streets would be filled with people enjoying what was looking to be a sunny Saturday. Aesop closed his eyes again with a content little hum, burrowing further into the light smooth sheets and his sweetheart’s arms.
It all still felt rather surreal, really. Every single night he went to bed with the lovely Ravenclaw, he expected to wake alone and realize it's all been nothing but a dream. And while he did wake up alone on quite a few mornings, it took only a few seconds for him to know that it certainly hadn't been a dream. There was the faint floral scent of his lover's perfume clinging to his sheets, to his pillows, to him. It was all around him in this intoxicating vapor, mingling with the cool air around him. There was sometimes a note, carefully folded upon one of the seats of the large leather sofa, directly in his field of view from the bed. There was the absence of the shirt he wore the previous day…
Even now, when she was resting in his arms, soft, warm and absolutely real, Aesop bit into his bottom lip to make sure it wasn't a dream. He was startled then, as a sudden loud sound came from outside, followed by some more commotion and the frustrated voice of Zonko's shopkeeper. Probably a firework gone haywire. The young girl stirred against him, groaning quietly.
"Good morning, you," Aesop said softly, a smile appearing on his face on its own accord. His beloved tilted her head and her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was Aesop, and he felt his heart throb, when her own face stretched in a smile, her sleepy eyes immediately filled with love and devotion. She looked around the room then, an adorable little line between her eyebrows as she slowly began to realise she wasn't in Aesop's chambers, nor was she in her dorm.
And then it hit her. The young woman released a breathy chuckle and her legs curled around one of Aesop's own. The potions master felt her warm cheek on his collarbone, he felt her hands caress his furry torso. It was then he had a little realisation himself - his sweetheart was also making sure she wasn't dreaming. And it was this knowledge that made him drop his head back onto the pillow, his eyes closing in bliss.
“Good morning, Aesop,” she whispered before raising her head a little to place a kiss between his jaw and his chin. She released a soft sigh then, gently resting her forehead against his collarbone once more. Aesop’s heart beat loudly in his chest, and he was certain she knew it was only for her. “Merlin, it's so strange… no homework, no essays, no studying… so strange to wake up and know that I don’t have to do anything...” On her mouth was a content smile, very much reminding Aesop of a kneazle that got the cream. “Oh, yes,” he answered, voice light and teasing, “for exactly two days. Then off to work with you!” The girl snorted against his skin, and when she lifted her head again, Aesop was nearly certain she was keeping herself back from sticking out her tongue at him.
“Besides,” he continued, his large hands stroking over her sides and back, relishing at the feeling of her silky soft skin under his calloused fingertips, “don’t forget that you’re not in Hogwarts anymore. There are no house elves - you cook for yourself, clean after yourself, the full deal.” She was lazily twirling strands of his chest hair around her index finger, her face absolutely relaxed: “I can do that. I think. I can cook a little, and I tend to keep things tidy. It’s just… Well, my household spells are still a bit shabby. I think I’m going to get frustrated trying to wash the dishes using magic, and will end up just doing it by hand anyway.” Aesop chuckled, the girl atop his chest bouncing softly with the motion. “All in good time,” he said, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and just like everything else, household spells need to be practiced in order to be perfected. I can help you with that.”
They lay in the girl’s bed, legs entwined, just enjoying the calm summer morning. “What will you be doing, by the way, now that you’ve no classes to teach and school work to grade for the next two months?” She inquired curiously. “Me? Oh, I’ll be staying in your bed every day, teasing you that you have to go to work!” the potions master grinned and promptly received a playful smack to the chest. “No, no. I still have some unfinished things at Hogwarts, not to mention my trunk’s still in my chambers, terribly unpacked, I'm afraid. There’s several teacher meetings during the summer as well. I’ll be brewing potions for the hospital wing throughout the two months so that it’s all stocked up for the following term. I'll be revising the curriculum - though I hardly ever make changes to it - and I also need to tidy up the house a bit. It does get dusty after ten months. However, that all can wait. It can definitely wait for the two free days.”
And so Aesop Sharp and (F/N)(L/N) spent the beautiful July day simply enjoying their freedom and their company. The young woman insisted on preparing their breakfast by hand, and while it was ‘just’ scrambled eggs and some toast, Aesop was certain they were the best scrambled eggs he’d ever eaten, simply because they were prepared by her and he was able to enjoy them in her company alone.
Afterwards he showed her how to properly clean the dishes with magic, starting with a single teacup. They picked up and cleaned the singular dishes back and forth, until everything was clean. A single flick of Aesop’s wand summoned a towel from a hook, which promptly began drying the dishes clean. Another flick, and the dry ones floated to their respective spaces and stored themselves. With a smile, he observed his young lover’s awed expression. “No worries,” he promised, “you’ll have perfected it before the year is done.”
They decided to go for a little stroll along the banks of the Black lake later, talking softly, basking in the sunlight. Aesop, whose entire wardrobe was still at Hogwarts, chose to only wear his trousers, shirt and waistcoat, opting to leave his jacket and overcoat behind, as it was entirely too warm to wear them. He still applied a little cooling charm on all articles of his clothing for comfort. When his sweetheart got dressed, he realised that it really had not been often he saw her out of her uniform or her adventuring ensembles. He certainly couldn’t wait to remedy that, he thought, as he observed the dress she chose for their outing. It was light, sleek and simple, and it complimented all of her curves perfectly. She saw him staring and actually twirled for him with a wink. Little minx.
Aesop offered his arm to her, and his heart squeezed tightly at the display of emotion he saw in her eyes when she immediately accepted it. They walked all the way to the spot she brought him during their late night hippogriff flight. “You know, back then I had to use all of my energy not to just turn my head and kiss you,” (F/N) laughed quietly, a small blush on her cheeks. Aesop grinned and looked towards the dark, murky water, remembering that spring night. He could almost see the memory in front of his eyes. His sweetheart skipping stones at the shore, him standing behind her, longing.
A shuffle next to him brought him out of his thoughts. The young woman was currently pulling off her summer dress, baring the skin of her legs. “What are you doing?” he asked, eyes as big as saucers. Normally, her taking off her clothes would get nothing but positive feedback from him, however, seeing as they were out in the open, in broad daylight, he very much doubted the woman had some tender fun on her mind right now. She grinned at him giddily as she finally managed to escape the fabric and folded it haphazardly. She disposed of it on the same boulder he leaned against over a year ago, her shoes already sitting on it, and, with a wink, began running towards the water, in nothing but her chemise and drawers.
“No way…” the potions master shook his head, even as the corners of his mouth began twitching. And then, with a single tiny squeal, (F/N) threw herself head first into the Black lake. He was smiling fully now, finding her youthful playfulness and unadulterated joy incredibly endearing. He walked closer to the water’s edge. His sweetheart emerged a second later, drenched from head to toe, grinning wildly. She was slightly flushed from the cold, but otherwise looked in utmost bliss.
“I hope you don’t expect me to jump in after you,” he said wryly, crossing his arms over his chest. The woman laughed with all the meriness of a child. She swam closer to the shore for a bit, so that she could stand while she pushed her wet hair out of her face: “Honestly, I was rather hoping you would, but I’m not going to force you. Although I’m telling you, you’re missing out!” And with that, she leaned back and began idly floating on her back.
Aesop looked at her form. The white chemise was clinging to her body, her skin showing through the wet material. Dropping the cooling charm he put on his clothes, he noticed just how hot the day turned. Suddenly the water seemed all the more appealing. He admired the curves of his lover’s body, his hands already itching to trace them as he unconsciously pulled at his own clothes. He knew she was watching him out of the corner of her eye, actually saw her roll her eyes a little as he conjured a small leather holster for his wand and tied it around his bony ankle and shin.
She rolled around to look at him fully when he took a step after step towards the water. Despite the hot weather, the water was cold, and it nipped at his skin, but Aesop didn’t let that stop him. Another step. The water was now at his calves, then knees, and getting higher. He winced slightly when he was half submerged, baling his hands into fists as he battled the cold. But then he saw her little smirk, the challenge still shining in her eyes. With a huff, Aesop dived under the water. The sudden shock his body experienced was quickly overcome when he saw his sweetheart’s legs underwater, kicking slowly to keep her afloat.
He grabbed her just above her knees and rose above the surface. He faintly heard her little squeal before a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and her playful eyes connected with his own. Her legs found purchase around his waist and he released them in favour of curling his own arms around her waist. He stared triumphantly into her eyes for a moment, before chasing her lips in a very wet and a little cold kiss, prompting a happy humming sound from his beloved.
Aesop was done with missing out.
It was late afternoon when they returned to (F/N)'s new abode. They spent the better part of the day by the water, swimming, playing, and simply relaxing. While his sweetheart busied herself with conjuring up a blanket for them to sit on on the bank, Aesop cast just a few protective wards around them, so that they could enjoy themselves in solitude and safety. He couldn't even remember the last time he's had a day like this. They swam, they rested on the blanket, they swam some more. It was so simple, and yet Aesop's heart was fluttering with absolute contentment. Once they dried themselves, got dressed, vanished the blanket and dropped the wards, they simply apparated back to the little house. The potions master prepared a dinner for them with magic, since they were both starving by the time they arrived.
His sweetheart watched in amazement as some of the various food items she brought over to her new home the previous day floated about, cut themselves up perfectly and arranged themselves around a small baking dish. Chicken legs with roasted vegetables it was. Within just a few seconds, their food was ready, looking amazing and smelling even better. They ate their fill in a comfortable silence until: "You know, this is spectacular, and I'd surely like to learn how to do it," she said quietly, "however, I actually quite enjoy cooking by hand." Aesop chuckled, piercing a baked potato onto his fork: "So do I. Many people do, this is just quick and convenient. And while it tastes alright, you'd be moaning at the taste was I to prepare it by hand," he spoke confidently. His young lover giggled into her food: "You can still make me moan tonight, if you want to."
Aesop very much wanted to.
Later, as they were coming down from their highs, snuggled perfectly in each other's arms, the professor took some time to reflect. He really could not remember the last time he had such an amazing birthday… he tended to even forget he had one, not having celebrated it since that fateful day twelve years ago. But today, despite his sweetheart not knowing that on this day, 45 years ago, Aesop Theodore Sharp took his first breath, she very much made him feel like the birthday boy.
He cuddled up even closer to her, his strong arms squeezing her frame, still hot from their previous activity. His lips found hers in a deep kiss and afterwards, the professor rested his forehead against her own, breathing the same air as her. "I want to thank you…" he said quietly, only for her ears to hear, "this was the best birthday I've had in years."
He could feel her body tensing immediately. "Today's your birthday?" she asked, raising her head to look at him. Her beautiful eyes were wide and filled with panic: "Why didn't you tell me? I don't- I don't even have a present for you." He quickly pulled her up for a kiss, stroking her back in a calming matter. "I haven't celebrated my birthday for a long time... And as for a present - why, you already gave it to me!" His sweetheart fixed him with a curious gaze and Aesop sighed: "To be able to hold you, kiss you, love you… this entire day was the greatest gift I could've asked for. To have your heart in my hands, that is the most precious thing I've ever been given."
The young woman sighed as well, and wrapped her delicate arms around him, nuzzling into his neck momentarily before raising her head up again, a brilliant smile on her face, a smile of love, devotion and incredible joy: "Still, we should celebrate. You deserve a day to be spoiled rotten!"
"You are already spoiling me rotten!"
"Hah, I try to, but we should still celebrate. Let me take you to the Three Broomsticks tomorrow for a meal. We can have a good bite, champagne, who knows, perhaps Sirona will be able to get us a cake!"
Aesop chuckled, his cheeks warming up somewhat. It was strange - the idea of actually celebrating his birthday after he hadn't done so for so long. However, as strange as it felt, he could already feel the pleasurable tickling of anticipation. "Alright…" he breathed then, "if you want to. But know that I would've been happy enough to just spend the day in your company."
His sweetheart fixed him with an intense gaze, her eyes sincere: "I want to. Because I finally can. We spent so much time sneaking around, I long to finally be able to show how I feel openly. I want to grab your hand in mine when we walk together, I yearn to be able to kiss and hold you whenever I wish. And I really want to celebrate that on this day, the most incredible man was born. I don't know what I'd do without you here. Perhaps I wouldn't be here myself, if you hadn't gone to the Astronomy tower that day. You are an exceptionally beautiful existence, Aesop Sharp, and your birthday should be celebrated."
The potions master swallowed heavily, willing away the tears that threatened to form in his eyes. Her confession shook him to his core, and, in that moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to hold her in his arms. Aesop truly did not think he'd ever celebrate his birthday again. Since Ashley's death, he really thought that he wasn't entitled to do so. But perhaps his sweetheart hadn't been entirely wrong. Perhaps him saving her life tipped the scales a little. If Ashley could see him now… well, she'd probably smack his shoulder very hard and tell him to pull his head out of his arse and seize the chance he's been given, like a proper Slytherin would. In that moment, he felt a sense of peace wash over him, and his breathing slowly evened out.
"Alright, my sweet," he said only, as her face once more nuzzled into his shoulder, more than content to stay there. Aesop breathed out slowly, his arms wrapping around the young woman's body in a protective manner.
The room was dark and Aesop could hear sounds of the village outside falling asleep. He could hear faint music coming from the Three Broomsticks, and he heard silent voices caught in a conversations, as their owners passed by the little house. The air smelled sweet with the sun having warmed it the entire day. Aesop closed his eyes, basking in the feeling of love, of comfort.
The next day, his sweetheart did exactly as she promised. She walked with him into the Three Broomsticks, hand in hand, looking proud and happy. She kissed him out in the open, before they even opened the door to the pub, absolutely uncaring to whoever saw them. The look she gave him afterwards… Aesop realised that she did want to do that for some time. That the fact that she was his own filled her with pride. That the young woman, who defeated a troll during the first week of her studies, willingly gave her heart to one ex-Auror potions professor. In a moment of giddy madness, Aesop grabbed her around the waist, dipped her ever so slightly, and snogged the living daylights out of her.
"Are you quite done? Your stew's getting cold," came the voice of Sirona Ryan, who was leaning against the doorframe with a mischievous look in her eyes. Aesop fixed his sweetheart with a curious look.
"I may have written to professor Hecat to ask what's your favourite food when you were still sleeping," she admitted with a shy smile, "and I also may have written to Sirona, asking her to prepare it for you, as well as get us a cake afterwards." Sirona watched the scene unfold before her eyes, a big smile on her face: "Happy birthday, Professor Sharp." "Thank you, Sirona."
It truly seemed his life was to be filled with strong-willed and strong-minded women. He was quite the lucky man.
July 1st 1908
It was morning in the Sharp household and a summer breeze gently blew through the open window of Mr and Mrs Sharp's bedroom. The gentle sound of birds chirping could be heard but didn't wake the occupants of the bedroom, currently soundly asleep in each other's arms. A sound did manage to rouse Mrs Sharp though. The pitter patter of little feet and the creaking of floorboards.
Someone was awake. Actually, judging by the sound of it, more than one of the children was on the move. She knew the children had been looking forward to surprising their father with breakfast in bed for his birthday, but she hadn't managed to piece together much more than that. She didn't know what they were planning to prepare, and thought it would probably be best if she made her way downstairs to assist or, at the very least, supervise.
As gently as she could, she tried to extricate herself from her husband's grip without waking him up. It was still early and she wanted to let him sleep for a little bit. Aesop had other plans though, having been woken by his wife's feeble attempt at leaving their shared bed.
"Where do you think you're going, darling?"
He pulled her towards him and held her close, her back completely flush against his front. She could feel his morning arousal as he kissed her neck.
"You weren't just going to leave me to wake up by myself, today of all days."
He continued gently nipping at her neck, his fingers drawing lazy patterns on her skin. With a sigh, she melted into his embrace and he took the opportunity to gently turn her on her back, moving his hands along her body and moving his kisses to her collarbones, her body semi-trapped underneath his large frame.
It had taken some number of years, but eventually (F/N) had managed to convince her husband that his birthday was a day that deserved to be celebrated, and he eventually got to enjoy being the center of attention for just this one day a year. Perhaps a little too much at times! It seemed as though he was already quite eager to unwrap his birthday present from her.
This morning, though, as much as she enjoyed the way his kisses and touch were slowly lighting her body on fire, as much as she wanted to give in and give him what he wanted, what they both wanted, she knew she needed to make her way downstairs, before their children would have the chance to set fire to the kitchen. However the feeling of her husband's very experienced hands making their way towards her more sensitive areas, the knowledge that his mouth would soon follow, was enough to make her momentarily forget about the possible disaster that she would find downstairs should she choose to indulge her husband.
"Aesop I-"
"Hmmm"
Aesop knew what he was doing. He trailed kisses down her abdomen and she knew then and there that she had lost the battle. She'd deal with the chaos later. Right now there was only one person that existed in the world and that person was about to…
CLANG!
The loud sound coming from the kitchen put an instant end to the couple's morning's activities, their arousal instantly replaced with concern. Concern for the structural integrity of their home, as well as the safety of its occupants. Aesop begrudgingly made his way back up to the head of the bed.
"I should go investigate that."
"Probably a good idea. Let's go see what the rascals are up to now."
"YOU are going to stay right here, sir, and act surprised when the children bring you whatever it is they planned on making you for your birthday breakfast. I will go downstairs and make sure we still have a house by the time they're done."
Aesop gave her a mock pout as his wife quickly got herself dressed for the morning.
"Don't worry, love. I'll make sure you get to unwrap your birthday present… after the rascals are in bed."
One quick kiss from his wife before she swiftly left the room and quietly closed the door.
Aesop heard his older son speak right outside the bedroom door, he had probably been on the way to ask for his mother's help with whatever it was the children had planned.
"Is he still asleep, Mum?"
His wife whispered
"Still sound asleep, dear."
"Brilliant!"
"Shhhhhh"
Eleazar lowered his voice
"Right. Quiet"
"Let's get downstairs"
Down they went and Aesop was left with his thoughts. He could hear the faint buzzing of his family in the kitchen, his wife no doubt deferring to their children's plans for his breakfast and letting them do as much as they were able to manage on their own. He remembered his birthday breakfast in bed from the previous year with fondness. A half burnt over-salted omelet along with biscuits (slightly undercooked), tea (weak) and a bowl of strawberries he ended up having to surrender to his 3 year old twins. It had been quite unpalatable, but seeing the pride in his children's eyes when they had told him they had cooked everything themselves had made the meal the best birthday breakfast he had ever had. He knew the children would outdo themselves this year.
He had been a father for a whole decade by now, but sometimes he still couldn't believe that the rambunctious bunch that was currently being supervised by his darling wife, those four bundles of joy and chaos, were his. That this was his life now. He had known as a young man that he wanted children and had given up on this dream at one point of his life. He had never expected though, that he could love these four little people as much as he did.
He was pulled out of his reverie by the smell of bacon. Wonderful, he thought, one can only mess up bacon so much! He knew his family would enter the bedroom any minute now to “wake him up” so Aesop laid down on his side of the bed, turned away from the door and closed his eyes. He heard the door creak open.
“He’s still sleeping”
“Shhhhh”
“Wait, no we need to wake him up!”
“I can do it!”
“Alright dear but be gentle”
“Okay Mum”
“Thedodore don’t jump on-”
Aesop felt the bed dip and braced himself for what he was sure was an incoming tackle from a rambunctious four year old.
“Hmphhh”
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!”
“My birthday isn’t until next week Theodore”
The boy stood up and looked at his mother in confusion
“He’s just pulling your leg, dear”
“That’s right, I’m just” Aesop physically tugged at his son’s legs, causing him to land flat on his back on the soft bed and dissolve in a fit of giggles “messing with you!”
The former professor looked at his family. Everyone was still in their pajamas, some of his children's clothes bearing the proof of their efforts in making his breakfast, little spots of dried batter the most evident. Both his daughters' hair were still in the braids he had woven the previous evening, now with stray strands sticking out in odd directions from their slumber. Theodore obviously hadn't brushed his hair yet, while Eleazar looked as put together as he usually did, wearing a light dressing gown and bearing the least bits of Aesop's breakfast on his clothes. He caught his wife's eyes - they were shining with pride. She was, of course, completely clean, her silky dressing gown as pristine as it had been before she left the bedroom.
Four pairs of his own brown eyes stared up at him with excitement and anticipation, and Aesop felt his heart swell when he saw the perfect mix of himself and his wife in each of their beautiful children.
Maggie approached her father with a tray.
“We made you breakfast in bed!”
Aesop took a look at the tray from his daughter and from what he could see, the children HAD outdone themselves. He was right about the bacon, there were also scrambled eggs, pancakes, a lovely fruit salad, a cup of tea, and a small bowl filled with chocolate chips.
“I cooked the eggs and the bacon and I tried to flip the first pancake, but it didn’t turn out nice, so we tossed it, then Mum helped me make the second one but the one on top I did all by myself!”
“That’s wonderful Maggs.”
“And (F/N) and Theo were in charge of mixing the fruit salad and filling the chocolate chips.”
“That salad looks expertly mixed, thank you. Eleazar, what did you do to help?”
“I measured out everything for the pancake batter AND I brewed the tea. I even used the scales like you taught me!”
Eleazar spoke with great pride. Last year his father had started to teach him the basics of potionmaking and the lad had taken to the craft like a fish to water. Aesop took a sip of his tea.
“That’s some very good tea, Thank you Eleazar”
The boy beamed.
The twins each sat on one side of him and Aesop made sure to grab himself a handful of chocolate chips before the inevitable happened and he’d have to surrender the sweets to his youngest children.
“Alright, everyone, let’s let Dad eat his breakfast in peace now. Then we can all have fun. Shop’s closed today so we get to keep Dad all to ourselves for the day.”
(F/N) herded the children out of the bedroom and handed Aesop what was left of his little bowl of sweets.
“Enjoy your food, darling, I’ll get the little ones dressed then we can do whatever it is you’d like.”
She gave him a kiss before leaving the room. Aesop was pleased to find out that everything had been seasoned well this year, most likely due to Eleazar’s precise measurement of ingredients. Once his breakfast had been eaten, Aesop got dressed and did his morning hygiene before joining his family downstairs, empty tray in hand. The weather seemed nice, perhaps they could go to the beach for a picnic and a swim.
The potions master walked into the kitchen, which actually bore less signs of the breakfast preparation than his children's clothes did. No doubt his wife's prompt work with a wand. His eyes were caught by the sight of many moving photographs displayed on a shelf. Aesop stopped for a moment, looking at the pictures fondly. The photo with Ashley taken 28 years ago on this very day was proudly standing among other happy photos. There was a picture of him and his wife on their wedding day, grinning at each other, both looking incredible as well as incredibly in love. His sweetheart still looked at him this way, even 12 years after that beautiful June day, and he knew he did as well. There were the newer pictures, his children at various ages, from mere babies and toddlers, to a very recent photo of Maggie holding a very fluffy Puffskein. And then, there were some older ones, too. A moving photo of young Aesop, taken the day he got into the Auror program, looking proud and confident, as well as a single completely still photo of his dear wife, taken by a Muggle camera.
Aesop deposited the tray into the sink and with a flick of his wand, the dishes got to cleaning themselves. His wife walked towards him and put her arms around his abdomen, pressing herself against his back.
“You’re not supposed to be doing any dishes today.”
“It’s nothing, besides you already have your hands full with the children.”
“They can take care of themselves… mostly.”
Aesop turned around to face his wife. They had circled the sun many times together but she still looked as young and beautiful as the day he married her.
“I was thinking I’d like to take everyone to the coast for lunch, let the children play in the water.”
“Only the children?”
“I suppose we could also go for a dip, for old time’s sake.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
He leaned in and captured her lips in a quick kiss, before being interrupted by Maggie and Eleazar.
"Dad, how old are you turning?" Aesop decided not to volunteer that information. The former teacher in him made him want to make his children work for the answer.
"Well let's see. I was born in the year 1848 and this is the year 1908."
The children to looked at their mother "Don't look at me, you know how to subtract."
The two eldest rushed to find the nearest quill and parchment and got to work, eager to get an answer to their burning question.
Aesop let out a sigh. He was hitting a milestone today. "Oh come on, dear. If it makes you feel any better you don't look a day over fifty."
Aesop chuckled and pulled his wife close. "Thank you. It's strange, though. I don't feel old. Merlin knows I feel better now than I did for most of my thirties. My life significantly improved in my forties"
“I wonder what happened then”
“I met this incredible woman, you see, got to know her, fell in love with her, somehow she decided she’d entrust her heart to me. Sometimes I still don’t understand what she saw in an old cripple but - don’t give me that look, that’s what I was at the time - in any case, loving her was what turned my life around for the better. And now we have these incredible-”
“SIXTY!”
Both parents chuckled. “Well done, you two.” “That’s… six times as old as I am!” “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that Magdala Dinah Sharp”
Later that day, the family of six found themselves at the beach, all four children playing in the water, both older siblings keeping an eye on the younger children whose swimwear had been enchanted to keep them afloat. Aesop and (F/N) sat on a blanket basking in the sunlight and taking in the scene.
The gentle rocking of waves filled the air around with a soft fizzing sound, broken by the cries of seagulls. Aesop could hear other birds singing from somewhere behind them in the trees. The sounds of nature combined with the giddy squeals and chattering of his children was like a symphony of absolute peace in Aesop's ears. He looked at his beloved, and saw her eyes reflecting the same utter contentment that was held in his own.
A thought crossed Aesop's mind and with a mischievous smile, he whispered in his wife’s ear “I’ll bet you a kiss I can beat you to the water”
She looked at him, her smile matching his own “Hmm I don't know… I wouldn't want to make you look bad on your birthday” she teased, but standing up as to indicate she accepted his challenge "We'll see about that…" the potions master teased back
The children watched with amusement as both their parents suddenly broke into a full blown sprint towards the sea when suddenly a faint “pop” was heard and Aesop disappeared, immediately appearing in the water, a few meters behind the children.
“You cheat!”
“We never said apparition wasn’t allowed” Aesop swam over to the children who were all giggling. (F/N) finished making her way towards the water before taking a few steps in. Once she was able to, she dove in and swam over to meet the rest of the family.
“I’ll be claiming that kiss now”
“You cheated. I think that kiss is mine to claim”
“As you wish”
Aesop made his way over to his wife, gently kissed her lips before moving around her and wrapping his arms around her waist, both of them watching the children resume their play, Eleazar and Maggie having apparently decided on a little swimming race of their own as the twins tried to keep up.
“Thank you.”
“Whatever for?”
“For today. For every day we get to spend together.”
A few days from then, Aesop and (F/N) would celebrate his birthday once more, sans children, in a private room at the Three Broomsticks surrounded by their close friends. Today, though, Aesop couldn’t imagine spending the day in better company.
Years had passed since the incident that took his partner’s life and nearly took his own. Years had passed since the simple task of making it through the day appeared monumental. Years had passed since he had made the decision that another circle around the sun wasn’t something to celebrate but rather something to feel guilt over. Today however, he felt nothing but gratitude for those who had pulled him out of the abyss where he once dwelled, who had patiently walked beside him, and who had lifted him higher than he ever thought possible, so high, in fact, he swore he could touch the stars.
Fin.
@aesopsharpmybeloved: I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story, and I'd especially like to thank @tea-withjamandbread who wrote with me. Being able to read the wonderful words she used and build this story (that I frankly love and will re-read many times myself) has meant so much to me and brought me a lot of joy. To everything we'll yet create together! <3 -Tess
This story is also be available on AO3. We'll be very grateful for any feedback!
How is it to grow up with a professor/ex-auror (he would probably say there's no such thing as an ex-auror) for a father?
T: *gasp!* "He's an ex-Auror?! You don't say! Did he ever mention anything to you?"
M: "I really had no idea, Theo, I don't think he ever said-"
E: "said anything about this fact in the past 24 hours."
*chuckling*
N: "No, he actually doesn't mention it that often, but he tells us some of the stories from his time as one. Mainly to teach us some sort of lesson, something that he only learned later in life, but wished he'd known sooner.
M: "He knows a lot of people from the Ministry still. When I was little, we got a pet kneazle. It normally takes some time to get the proper permits and such, it can apparently take even months! Well, dad sent Diana to someone he knew with a letter one day, and the next day Aunt Poppy came around with the proper permit and a kneazle kitten! Of course we named her Popps!"
E: "Not to mention he's on first name basis with all of the professors, including the deputy headmistress."
T: "That can be both a blessing and a curse. Every time someone has a birthday, we have a little celebration in Hogsmeade on the weekend. Dad Floos Professor Weasley, and suddenly first and second years are allowed to go to Hogsmeade! However, every time someone gets into detention for something, the parents are going to know right away. Though that's usually Sebastian owling mum. Eh, Professor Sallow, that is."
N: "Let's not forget that not all of us like to frequent detention, Theo. Dad basically always says not to burn any bridges and always leave on good terms, be it a profession or a relationship, and it clearly works."
E: "One thing I noticed is that him being a teacher taught him how to know how some people learn best. What works best with them, essentially. For me, I do best with clear instructions, while Maggie needs to see in order to understand."
N: "And Theo learns by trial and error!"
T: "Haha, I suppose that's right. He's a, well, he's definetely older than he was when he was an Auror, but it seems that age has no effect on him. He's still able to move around without making a single sound, his reflexes are lightning fast, and lying to him is absolutely pointless. Not only he knows when someone is lying, he also absolutely hates dishonesty. Nothing gets past him. He's a heavy sleeper - in summer when we're all home, we could all be stomping like erumpents, and talk really loudly downstairs, and dad would be happily sleeping on. However, every time I've attempted to sneak out at night to go outside for a bit, he caught me before I even climbed down the stairs. It's a little infuriating, to be honest."
N: "He was obviously very good in his job. But it sems some of his Auror 'aura' got brought into his professor years as well. Uncle Amit once told me that while he always looked up to Dad, he found him rather intimidating as well. On one hand, I understand. I mean, Dad can appear intimidating, he's tall and strong, he can be strict and his scar can put some people off. But at the same time, well, he's Dad! And he always has so much patience with us, it's difficult to imagine him being in any way different than to when he was still teaching, but apparently he was quite hard on his students."
E: "Which is understandable! Potions can be incredibly dangerous, so of course he had to be strict and hard! I think that when you have a a large number of students, which he had, you can't individually appeal to everyone's learning styles, the lesson is only so long."
M: "You'd think than him being a former potions teacher would mean all of us automatically get good marks, that he makes sure our essays are up to par and such. Well, no. He does help us, he answers questions, gives pointers, but won't proofread our work as in his mind that crosses the line into cheating, as he knows how the essays are graded from the teacher’s point of view. We do get good marks, but we do so through our own hard work. Dad would rather have any of us get an A through our work, than an O through cheating."
T: "Overall, he's a good dad. Great one actually... The best one. He's honestly my greatest role model and always will be. Both him and Mum."
E: "I agree."
M: "Ditto."
N: "A lot of our friends have problems with their parents, they're either butting heads too much, or the parents have ridiculous expectations, or they are overbearing or instead don't care that much about their kid. While our dad and mum tend to be slightly overbearing sometimes, I wouldn't change a single thing about either of them. We are lucky to be the Sharps."
E: "Anyway, thank you for the owl! I think I'll go hug Dad now, maybe he'll even let me assist him in the shop!"
M: "And then we could all go to the Three Broomsticks after he's done working. I'll see if Mum's up for an evening out. Bye for now!"
Shout out to my partner in crime @aesopsharpmybeloved
Also on AO3
Also, if you’re new to the blog, here’s a brief description of the Sharp children! And feel free to send them your questions, they love receiving owls!
When Mum needs to leave abruptly for the day, little Magdala Sharp is ready to step up and help her father throughout the day.
September 7th, 1905
Magdala - 7
Eleazar - 5
Twins - 23 months
It was a quiet, so far uneventful Thursday for Aesop Sharp. He had been running his potions shop for a few years now, and business was starting to change pace, with the winter months approaching. He knew that the upcoming months would see an uptick in the sale of pepperup and cough potions due to seasonal illnesses, while sales of burn-healing paste and wiggenweld potion would go down, indicating a downturn in summer recklessness, possibly due to the start of the school year.
In addition to keeping well stocked shelves, Aesop also took on various contracts - Hogwart’s infirmary being his most lucrative - as well as private requests. He had once received an order from a Hogwarts student requesting to purchase a bottle of Felix Felicis close to exams. He hadn’t fulfilled the order, of course, but he almost admired his former student’s courage in sending him that order form. He was quite confident that the student didn’t have any other means in which to procure the potion so he didn’t see any reason to turn them in. It seems even after retiring from teaching, he still couldn’t completely escape the brazenness of certain members of Hogwarts’ student body.
He was in the middle of assisting a customer when his family's owl entered the shop and promptly found her perch, a simple bit of parchment in her clutches.
Aesop instantly recognized his wife’s rushed handwriting and didn’t really need to read her words to know exactly what the note contained and what he needed to do. He had been expecting this news any day now.
“Baby’s coming”
As quickly as he could, Aesop finished helping his now final customer of the day, locked up his shop, took one quick look around to make sure everything was in order, and disapparated.
————————
A faint “pop” was heard by the residents of the Sharp household and Aesop rushed through the front door. He was greeted by his wife.
“You almost beat Diana back, dear. Must be a new personal record!” He helped her don her coat and scarf
“Yes, well, I know these things can take time, but sometimes it all happens so fast”
“I’m well aware. Thank you so much, Ace. I know Poppy’s grateful, too.”
“Poppy won’t be thinking about me at all these next few hours - days - weeks, and that’s as it should be. You have everything you need?”
“I’m pretty sure”
“Then safe travels, my love. I’ll see you when you get back.”
“I love you” She gave him a quick kiss, grabbed the bag she had packed a few weeks ago, when her friend had asked her to be assist her during her first labor and birth, and disapparated, knowing her home and family were in expert hands.
Aesop closed and locked the door and turned on his heels, headed towards the family room when he was suddenly met with his oldest daughter. She looked at him with big brown eyes.
"Mum told me to be a good helper for you today."
"Oh darling, you don't have to. I can handle you all for a day. You just do what makes you happy alright?"
Magdala's face fell a little and Aesop understood.
"You were looking forward to being my helper, weren't you"
She spoke quietly as she looked at her feet
"Yes"
Aesop knelt down to face her and gently grabbed her shoulders
"Then I'm so happy for your assistance today"
Magdala's smile returned and she looked at her father.
"Excellent! It's time for morning pastries and then we go play outside!" She quickly turned on her heels and ran towards the family room where her siblings were playing "Morning pastries! Everybody go wash your hands!"
Aesop remained kneeling in the hallway, stunned. Did his daughter want to be his helper? Or did she want to boss him around all day? He loved watching her take charge though, and her siblings appeared to respond well to her leadership so he made the decision then and there that he would take a step back, observe and be ready to intervene should she need assistance or should things get out of hand. He stood and slowly made his way towards the kitchen, watching his daughter bring a chair towards the sink so her youngest siblings would be able to wash their hands.
Aesop and the children munched on the biscuits and jam his wife had made before her abrupt departure, the twins’ chairs having been transfigured to allow their tiny selves to reach the dining room table. Maggie and Eleazar spread jam on their biscuits with care while Theo and (F/N) seemed more interested in playing with their food, an unspoken contest between them as to who could eat morning pastries in the messiest possible way.
Once everyone was done with their food, Aesop cleaned the twins while Maggie and Eleazar put the dishes in the sink. With a wave of the wand, the sink filled with soapy water and Maggie and Eleazar watched in fascination as the sponge and plates moved of their own accord, the messy plates being covered in suds before being rinsed clean and making their way to the drying rack.
Maggie took Eleazar by the hand and the pair walked over to their father. “Do you think we need our jackets and scarves today?”
“I don’t think you need scarves, but jackets are in order” Aesop summoned the children’s jackets and watched as they got ready, Magdala helping her little sister as soon as she had her own jacket on while Aesop got Theodore dressed. The group waited a little as Eleazar meticulously finished fastening his own jacket then they all went outside and ran towards the treehouse.
Aesop looked fondly as his four children ran towards the recently completed treehouse and stayed close, ready to assist the twins in their climb up to the structure. Eleazar and Theodore made the climb without difficulty, and Maggie was in the process of helping (F/N) in her ascent. Part of the treehouse had stood since Aesop himself was a child, built by his own father years ago. He had tragically died in the line of duty before he could complete it and as Aesop and his wife were clearing out the attic and getting ready to welcome their twins, they had come across a chest containing some of Theodore Sharp’s belongings, including detailed sketches of the full structure he had intended to build. Aesop insisted on finishing the house himself, without magic, as his own father would have done it, had he lived long enough to see his project through. It was back-breaking work, but Aesop was proud of having completed his father’s work and on this beautiful autumn day, he relished in watching his children play.
Magdala was doing a wonderful job at keeping her younger siblings entertained and safe. They really responded well to her and he enjoyed watching her take charge and take on the responsibility of keeping an eye on them. Aesop thought that he might as well make himself useful and harvest some herbs and pumpkin from the garden to add to the stew that was currently simmering.
As he pocketed his wand, a bundle of herbs in hand and got ready to head towards the vegetable garden, Aesop saw his oldest daughter walking towards him, carrying the largest pumpkin she could probably lift.
“Easy there! Let me get that for you” Aesop took the pumpkin from his daughter.
“Thanks, Dad”
“You sure picked the biggest one you could manage now, did you?”
"Eleazar REALLY likes pumpkin so I thought we should put a LOT in the stew"
"That's logic I can't argue with."
Aesop knew his daughter wasn't overly fond of this particular winter squash, yet she had made sure that there would be plenty to go around for her brother who loved it. When had she become so mature as to put others before herself like that?
"You keep having fun while I head inside to chop these up"
“Yes, Dad. Be careful!”
Aesop gave Magdala a questioning glance
“Mum says to always be careful when chopping herbs”
"Cheeky girl I'm the one who *taught* your Mum how to chop herbs"
“And you need to keep the pumpkin seeds, too, for roasting but they need washed and dried first”
“Of cou…”
“And the pumpkin cubes need to be this size or else they won’t have enough time to cook before it’s time for supper but if they’re too small they’ll get all mushy”
Aesop couldn’t believe his ears. His own child was lecturing him on how to prepare ingredients of all things.
"It almost sounds like you want to prepare everything yourself"
Magdala bounced in anticipation
"That can be arranged"
Maggie let out a squeal
"Yes but first I think we need to bring everyone inside because it's almost naptime for Theo and (F/N)"
————————
The remainder of the day continued to go on without a hitch, Magdala gleefully running her father through the day's routines as well as taking on a fair share of responsibilities. The girl happily fed and groomed Popps, their pet kneazle, and ensured the bird feeders in the yard were full for the jobberknolls that would be flying by, their seasonal migration bringing them to the hamlet.
Aesop's decision to accept her help and let her lead him through the day had been the right one. He tried to spend as much time as he could with each of his children, this had been his reason for quitting his teaching job in favor of starting the potions shop that sustained his family's living after all. Today however, it hit home just how much his children, particularly his oldest, had grown.
As he brushed and braided her hair, a nightly ritual, he only half listened to her talk about how much fun she had had today, being his helper while Mum was out helping her Aunt Poppy. All he could think about was how one day she'll be able to brush and braid her own hair, how one day she won't need him anymore.
Aesop tucked Eleazar in as Maggie did her best to wrangle the twins and tuck them both in. He stood in the doorway and watched as she approached the fireplace in their room and looked at it. She turned towards her father and shyly spoke.
"I think I need you to do this part Dad"
"That would probably be wisest"
Aesop waved his wand and the fire dimmed down to mere embers. It appeared he hadn't outlived his usefulness quite yet. Magdala excused herself from the room and went downstairs as Aesop stayed behind to kiss the twins goodnight.
Aesop stepped out of his youngest children’s bedroom, quietly closed the door and descended the stairs, noticing his oldest daughter had changed into her nightclothes, and was in the process of brushing her teeth. He gazed at her fondly. How was it that she had grown up so fast? It seemed like it was only yesterday that he had first held her in his arms, a tiny little bundle of the purest magic. Today she had shown him just how much she was truly capable of, how independent, responsible and fierce she truly was.
“It’s my bedtime now Dad” she said, with sadness in her voice. He knew she had enjoyed herself immensely today, had enjoyed taking on the role of leader and bossing him around a little. She clearly didn’t want the day to be over, but had accepted the inevitability with the same level of responsibility as she had demonstrated during the rest of the day.
“Not yet it isn’t”
She looked at him with curiosity.
“Come downstairs a little bit. Your curfew just got pushed back”
Magdala’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She hurriedly followed her father downstairs and into the family room, eager to spend some more time with him. He motioned for her to sit on the sofa while he made his way to the china cabinet, where he retrieved 2 glasses. Beautiful crystal tumblers that she knew were special. She had only ever seen her parents drink from them. A wedding gift they had received years ago from a dear friend. Aesop summoned a pitcher of water from the kitchen and poured them both a glass.
She held the tumbler with care and reverence. She felt so special in that moment. She was staying up late, with her father, drinking out of a very special cup, after having had the most amazing day helping out. She was only 7 years old, but in that moment, she felt like a grown up.
Her father held his own glass up, as to give a toast, and looked at her in the eyes.
“Great work today, partner”.
He had never called her that before, but he had decided in that moment that the moniker suited her. He brought his glass close to hers and waited for her to cling glasses.
“Thanks, Dad”
They drank their first sip in unison. He sat down next to her on the sofa and she curled up into his side, taking another sip of water. Aesop put his arm around her and gently grabbed the throw that was neatly folded on the sofa, draping it around his daughter’s shoulders, as a yawn escaped her lips. He stroked her hair and gently took the tumbler from her little hands as she fell sound asleep.
—------------
(F/N) opened the front door as quietly as she could as to not wake any of the children. She made her way to the family room and was greeted with the sight of her husband who appeared to be nursing a glass of water as if it was a fine firewhiskey, their oldest sound asleep with her head in his lap, mouth slightly open, the tiniest trickle of drool staining Aesop’s trousers.
She walked to her husband and gave him a gentle kiss, running her hand through his locks.
"How did it go?"
"Poppy was absolutely brilliant. She has a healthy baby girl.”
“Thank Merlin for that”
“How was your day? Maggs was a good helper?"
"This little one did fantastic, I was barely needed. Can't handle a drink, though, passed out on me after her first round!"
(F/N) chuckled
“There will be plenty of time for that in about… 9 and a half years”
Aesop looked down upon his sleeping daughter.
“She’ll be all grown up before we know it, you know… only 4 more years before we send her off to Hogwarts and then what am I supposed to do?”
"Trust that she'll be alright and make sure we're always there for her when she needs us, I suppose."
"Oh I know SHE'LL be alright… maybe I go back to teaching… keep an eye on her"
"I doubt Stevens will give up his job THAT easily."
"I'm fairly confident I can take him out"
"Only fairly confident?"
It was Aesop's turn to chuckle. His wife spoke again.
"That probably wouldn't be a very wise decision though"
"You're probably right."
"You should probably get this little one in her bed…. before your leg goes numb."
Aesop carefully maneuvered himself off the sofa, careful not to wake Maggie. He bent down and picked her up in his arms, noticing how while she had gotten heavier, he was still easily able to carry her. He ignored his screaming bladder, ignored the pins and needles he felt in his leg and paid no attention to the limp that had momentarily returned due to the numbness. All he could think about was how privileged he felt at that moment. That he had the children he did, that he was able to be the sort of father he hoped his own father would have been proud of. He didn't know how many more times he'd get to carry a sleeping little Magdala to her room and tuck her in. Aesop gently kissed his little 'partner' on the forehead and dimmed down her fireplace before leaving her bedroom to join his wife downstairs, ready to toast to the new life that had entered the world today.
Hey, Eleazar. How is it to be the only Ravenclaw in a house full of Slytherins (except for your mother, possibly)?
“Eleazar, looks like you got the first owl!”
“Are you serious, Maggs?”
“I am! They want to know it was for you to live in a family full of proud members of the Best House”
“I’ll take that, thank you very much”
Thank you so much for asking! Growing up in a house full of Slytherins was… you see, when we were little we knew that Dad was (is) a Slytherin and Mum a Ravenclaw and that was pretty much the extent of it although there was always a little bit of ribbing and good natured competitiveness between them.
It never really mattered to our parents which house we ended up in, so long as we made good friends and applied ourselves in our studies. We do have a lot of Slytherin traits in our family, I'd say resourcefulness and determination in particular exist in all of us but growing up I always saw them as… Sharp traits, if that makes sense? I'd also add a cutting sense of humor. No offense to my fellow Eagles but from my experience, Slytherins are the ones who will give you a good laugh when you need it! I never felt out of place growing up even though some part of me always knew I’d be in a different house than the rest of the lot.
When it came time for us to attend Hogwarts, nobody was surprised when Maggs ended up in Slytherin and the same applied for when I got sorted, everyone just knew I'd end up an Eagle. I did wish at the time that I'd been sorted in the same house as Maggs though, I was honestly afraid I wouldn't be able to make friends on my own. I've never exactly been the outgoing type you see… It took some time and it felt a little lonely at first, but then I realized I would still get to see my sister a lot, during meals, when the post arrives, during breaks between classes and we usually try to go to Hogsmeade together every once and awhile! Just because we’re not sleeping meters away doesn’t change that.
I also DID manage to find myself a tight knit group of friends in the end, a second family if you will… Nothing like the real thing of course but we have loads of fun!
When the twins were sorted into Slytherin, I heard that Dad did get a little smug about it until Mum reminded him that the potions prodigy was a Ravenclaw so, you know… quality over quantity I suppose
“I HEARD THAT!”
“YOU HEARD NOTHING MAGGS!”
In any case, the whole family’s in on the ribbing and good natured competitiveness nowadays, both at school and when we're visiting home, but in the end we're all Sharps. And that's the only house that truly matters to us in the end.
A few weeks after their honeymoon, Aesop and his wife find out they are expecting their first child. They are overjoyed at the prospect of being parents, however in a cruel twist of fate the boy is stillborn. After months of intense grief and healing, they are finally able to make peace with losing their firstborn.
Clarence is named after his maternal grandfather, who is one of the only biological relatives of his mother’s that she has fond memories of.
Magdala Dinah "Maggie" Sharp
Slytherin
When her parents started to make peace with losing their firstborn but a little bit before they were ready to actively try again, little Maggie decided it was her time to join the family. Named after her paternal grandmother and her father's closest friend.
She is a natural leader and if you tell her something can’t be done, it’ll just make her want to do it even more! Fiercely intelligent, confident, but also quite humble. The ringleader of the 4 Sharp children. She’s also the one who butts heads with their mother the most, she doesn’t understand why her mother is so anxious at having a daughter who wants to explore the world and have adventure after adventure. She doesn’t know a lot about the adventures her mother had when she was in school, but she guesses something must have happened to make her this resistant…
Maggie has had a lifelong passion for beasts, and as an adult she moves to America to study beasts native to the continent where she settles down and has a family of her own.
Eleazar Sebastian Sharp
Ravenclaw
Aesop and his wife were actively preventing pregnancy, however even potions masters make mistakes when brewing, and a little too much powdered bicorn horn rendered this month’s contraceptive potion useless. Anyone who can count knows that Eleazar was conceived during Aesop’s final week of employment at Hogwarts.
Eleazar is named after his mother's late mentor as well as one of her closest friends. Eleazar is quiet and a little shy, as well as very kind and compassionate. He demonstrated a knack for potion making practically before he showed signs of magic, and is the only Sharp child to have never received detention.
After graduation he apprentices with his father works for the family business, growing and eventually inheriting Sharp & Son, potions and draughts for all occasions. He eventually marries a muggle woman who, despite her lack of magic, takes the reigns of the business aspect of the shop so her husband can focus solely on brewing.
Theodore Ashley Sharp
Slytherin
Theodore is the oldest of the twins, a mere 15 minutes but he never fails to remind his sister of it.
He has wanted to be an Auror for as long as he can remember, which should come as no surprise as he is named after his late paternal grandfather who was a muggle policeman, as well as his father’s late partner. Theodore is intelligent, charismatic, extremely sensitive and while also very talented, doesn’t pick up on things as easily as his siblings do which sometimes makes him feel self conscious.
He’s the one of the bunch who has served detention the most, starting with week one of attending Hogwarts, where he got in a duel with three older students, attempting to defend a muggleborn first year from the pureblood supremacist older students.
Theodore is the one who butts heads with his father the most and when Aesop confides in his mother his frustrations, fears and worries regarding his youngest son, he is promptly reminded that Aesop was exactly the same when he was that age.
Theodore has a couple exciting years in the field as an Auror before he and his partner decide it’s time to take a promotion in the Ministry that would entail better pay, more stable hours, and a less dangerous job. There’s someone his partner wants to marry, you see, and she won’t humor a proposal from an Auror working in the field.
(F/N) Natalie "Natty" Sharp
Slytherin
Natty is the youngest of the children, but only by 15 minutes! She really doesn’t see what all the fuss is about!
Unlike her siblings, she didn’t really know what she wanted to do career wise while she was in school, not wanting for her entire identity to be able to be summed up by her career choice.
She is named after her mother as well as one of her mother's closest friends. She went by her first name as a child, however during her sorting ceremony, the Sorting Hat told her that she was in fact named after the “Hero of Hogwarts” and this combined with her exceptionally strong magic (she almost decapitated Professor Ronen the first time he had them play Summoner’s Court!) made her feel like she was under some sort of pressure to match her mother’s exceptional accomplishments. So during winter break of her first year, she confided in her twin and together they talked to their parents. It was her mother’s idea that she use her middle name and from that moment on she was known to the world as “Natty Sharp”.
A master negotiator with a quick wit, she can spot a lie from a mile away. She can usually keep her brother in check, and is the one responsible for him and his partner leaving field work in exchange for something more stable and safe. As much as she loved his partner, she wouldn’t accept his proposal while he was still in such a dangerous job.
She takes a job working at the Ministry upon graduation and climbs the ranks, eventually becoming the British delegate to the International Confederation of Wizards.
(Dad would never admit it, but he doesn't want to lose his potion lab in the cellar, as it's the only room left that could become a bedroom! -T)
If any of you have any questions about us or how it's been growing up with the parents we have, please feel free to send us an owl and one of us will try to answer as best we can! Just... no gross stuff about our parents, please!
Are there any proper fics about this, or are the snippets on AO3? I love this, and can't wait to see more
Hi Endeavour!
Thanks for following! There is 1 one shot so far, The Essay Escapade, which is on this blog as well as AO3 however I can tell you there are a few other currently in the works! As for the answer to your other question, tune in later today and you’ll get to learn a little more about the children’s names!
So a couple years ago Uncle Abraham spent the summer in Eastern Europe and heard this saying. He thought it summed up our family pretty well and we all agreed so it sort of became the unofficial Sharp family motto! Maggie has the nicest handwriting out of all of us so she wrote it down and framed it and it hangs in the family room!
If any of you have any questions about us or how it's been growing up with the parents we have, please feel free to send us an owl and one of us will try to answer as best we can! Just... no gross stuff about our parents, please!
There are no lengths at which a good brother won’t go in order to help his sister in need.
*** Just popping in to let you all know that I have a brief description of each of the Sharp children at the very end of this, just in case you want to know a little bit about them. Also at this point in time, Aesop is retired from teaching and runs a successful potions shop with his wife in the hamlet where they both live. ***
Massive, massive MASSIVE shout out to @aesopsharpmybeloved for letting me play in your sandbox and making me believe I could write something that people would actually enjoy reading. This is a companion piece to her series A New Chance at Life and if you haven’t read it what are you even doing here!
- Tea-withjamandbread
It was late, far too late to still be awake, however Theodore Sharp was unable to fall asleep. It made sense, really. As the middle of the semester approached, so did exams and essay deadlines. The fifth year Slytherin had a lot on his mind.
Call it intuition, call it a special “twin bond” like their mother often described it, but something told Theodore he didn’t really need sleep at the moment, not while Natty needed him. So he grabbed his wand and got dressed as quietly as he could before leaving his dorm room headed towards the common room. He wasn’t at all surprised to find his twin sister sitting at the table closest to the fireplace, it was her favorite spot after all. He was surprised, however, to find her surrounded by books, furiously writing on what seemed to be quite the long piece of parchment, tears forming in her eyes.
“Hey there Nat”
The girl barely slowed down her writing. “Theo. It’s late. You should be asleep.”
"Could say the same about you" Theodore placed a hand on his sister's, forcing her to stop what she was doing for a moment. “What’s that you’re working on?” The boy was genuinely confused. Judging by the furious pace at which his sister was writing, he could only deduce she was in the middle of writing an entire essay. While it wasn’t unusual for him to wait until the very last minute to finish his work, Natty was always far more organized than this and seemed to always have her work finished days before it was due for being turned in.
“My DADA essay.” Theo was no Auror (yet) but he distinctly remembered his sister mentioning she had finished writing it last week. “Why are you re-writing your DADA essay? I’m sure the one you already wrote was good enough to”
“I lost it!”
“What?”
“I’m such an idiot Theo!”
“Stop that. I’m supposed to be the dramatic one between the two of us, not you. How did you lose it?”
“I was looking through everything for tomorrow’s classes and I couldn’t find it anywhere. What I DID find though is this.” She pulls out a letter addressed to her parents, back home. “I must have accidentally sent Mum and Dad my essay instead of…” She burst into tears. “So I have to re-write the whole thing now because there’s no way for me to get it back in time to turn it in first thing tomorrow!”
"Maybe if you write to them, they could send it here in time for first class?"
"Even if I DID write to them right now they wouldn't have time to send it… It's due first thing tomorrow morning and you know Mum and Dad, they're not exactly… morning people"
An idea formed in Theodore's brain. It was madness to be certain, he'd be breaking about half a dozen school rules, not to mention it could prove dangerous. "I'll go fetch it then"
Natty looked at her twin like he had grown a second head.
"You're mad"
"I'm assure you I’m not"
"You're going to fly miles away from school and then what? Break into the parents' house?"
"Not exactly. I’m going to use the floo and run the rest of the way! It’ll be good exercise! Plus does it really count as breaking in if you have the key?"
"You're going to get caught"
"Dad's a heavy sleeper"
"Dad used to be an Auror!"
"Yeah I think I've heard him mention that once or twice"
"So you KNOW he'll wake up to the sound of someone in the house when he's not expecting company. Besides, Mum's a light sleeper!"
"And she'll be SO happy to see me IF I get caught, which I don't intend on having happen!”
Natalie looked at the essay she was currently attempting to re-write. It was a mess. Barely legible and when she tried to make sense of the paragraph she had just finished, she knew she couldn't turn this in tomorrow and hope for a good grade. Professor Sallow did have a soft spot for her and her siblings, but that would only help her so much.
"Do it."
"Brilliant! I'll be back in less than an hour!"
Theodore quickly hugged his sister then started walking towards the common room door.
"Wait!" Natalie rushed towards him. "Bring this to them please" She handed her brother the letter she had meant to send her parents earlier that same day.
"Sure thing!"
"Thank you."
"Anything for you, sis!"
With one last hug to his slightly less nervous sister, Theodore was on his way.
—-—————
Theodore slowed down his sprint as he approached his childhood home. The sight before him was everything he was hoping for. The chimney had the faintest trace of smoke, indicating that the fires warming the home were mere embers at the moment, and all the windows appeared dark, indicating the occupants of the house were fast asleep. He took a quick peek to the back of the house, where the window leading to his father’s cellar was located. He knew sometimes his father brewed late into the night, however tonight did not appear to be one of those nights.
It occurred to him at that moment that it really wouldn’t be the end of the world if his parents knew he’d visited. He could probably knock on the door and politely ask if he could have Natty’s essay, deliver his letter, get mildly scolded for being away from school after curfew, perhaps he’d be lucky enough to get his hand on some of his mother’s baked goods before going on his merry way. However, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to know if he could be successful at avoiding detection. Plus, he had promised his sister he wouldn’t get caught and Theodore Ashley Sharp was a man of his word, or at least, he tried his very best to be.
Theodore knows he needs to be as quiet as can be. He didn't want to get caught after all. He cast a disillusionment charm over himself for good measure, although he really didn't think it was needed. This was his childhood home and he knew it like the back of his hand. He knew exactly which floorboards creaked when stepped on and created a mental map of his shortest path from the front door to the drawer where he knew his parents kept their correspondence.
He quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside. The faintest ruffling of feathers to his left caught his attention. Diana. The owl had been a part of their family since before they were even a family from the stories he had been told as a child, and had been retired from messenger duty some number of years ago. Theodore had anticipated the necessity of keeping her quiet and quietly but decisively, reached into his left pocket and grabbed a handful of treats. He extended his arm towards her, hoping his bribe would buy him precious minutes as he continued on with his mission.
He must admit he felt a little ridiculous, hopping from plank to plank, avoiding the ones he knew to be noisy. He wouldn't at all be surprised to learn that these particular planks were left in their squeaky state in order to make it impossible for his siblings and himself to move about the house at night without alerting their parents.
Theodore made his way from the foyer, past the staircase, through the family room, and into the kitchen, moving to stand in front of the exact drawer he knew his parents kept their mail, successfully avoiding each and every problem plank. "The student surpasses the potions master" he thought to himself. He opened the drawer and pulled out a stack of papers, looking for his sister's essay. However, no matter how hard he looked, all he was met with was correspondence regarding his parents' potions shop. Orders, ingredient lists, accounting papers, more orders, more accounting… no essay. He put the papers back in the drawer and gently closed it. He took a few seconds to breathe, feeling his face redden and his pulse quicken. Natty was counting on him. He had promised her he'd get that essay back for her. He wasn't always the perfect brother, but he prided himself on never going back on his word, on never making a promise he didn't intend to keep. He racked his brain as to where his parents would have put the essay when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
"Lumos"
A bright light came from behind Theodore and the boy froze, hoping his disillusionment charm was strong enough to withstand the scrutiny of the ex-Auror who had just cast the wand-lighting charm. He had no idea his father had woken, didn’t hear him coming down the stairs at all. He supposed he still had much to learn in terms of how to move about completely undetected. He hadn’t been caught yet, though, and he had some elements working in his favor. Perhaps his father was too sleepy to notice him, although he doubted that. He knew the man probably wasn't wearing his glasses and so maybe, just maybe he still stood a chance in completing his mission undetected.
However the bright light coming from his father's wand had caused the faintest shadow of his form to appear on the wall in front of him. Despite his very best efforts, the boy had been caught.
"Your disillusionment charm has improved, Theodore, but it's still not good enough to fool me."
Theodore promptly dropped the charm and turned to face his father, who lowered his wand and used it to reignite the fire in the hearth to provide a warm light and additional warmth to the room. He wore his dressing gown and Theodore could only imagine he was wearing his nightshirt underneath. His face showed a mixture of tiredness, confusion, slight annoyance and he thought he also detected a hint of amusement.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Maggie’s in America, Eleazar’s never been one for sneaking around and Natty’s disillusionment charm is frankly better than yours. The house is warded to alert us of any other intruders, so that leaves only one suspect, you."
“What gave me away?"
His father deflected
"I'm sure there must be an excellent explanation to your late night, actually, by now, early morning visit. One that also explains why you're currently rifling through your mother's and my private correspondence."
"Actually there IS an explanation"
"I'd love to hear it, sooner rather than later, please."
"I'm here because Nat"
"THEODORE!"
Theo promptly finds himself wrapped in his mother's tight embrace. "What are you doing here? Sneaking out of school in the dead of night, what's gotten into you?"
"From what I gather from the stories you told us Mum, I get this from you"
She loosened her embrace but still kept her hands on her son's shoulders. "Oh hush now, at least I had the good sense to never get caught by your father!"
"That's not entirely accurate darling…" Aesop reached for his wife and pulled her against him, breaking the link between her and their intruder and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her head. "I distinctly remember catching you a handful of times sneaking about the castle" She melted into her husband's embrace. "Only because I wanted you to catch me, Ace"
"If you both don't mind I'm here for Natty's DADA essay. She accidentally sent it to you instead of this and it's due first thing tomorrow" Theodore handed his parents his sister’s letter to them. “I told her I'd come and correct her mistake, deliver her letter and retrieve it. If you could just tell me where it is, I will go fetch it, be on my merry way and let you both carry on with whatever it is I don’t want to think about you doing when we’re not home.”
Aesop chuckled as (F/N) spoke.
“I’m guessing she didn’t get our note then?”
“She didn’t say anything about a note, she was too busy trying to re-write her essay from memory!”
“Oh Nat, poor thing…”
(F/N) looked at her son
“We got her essay, and we read it. It was really, really good and obviously finished so we sent it directly to Professor Sallow after dinner, along with a note to Natty letting her know not to worry about it. I’m guessing the poor owl must have forgotten about the second delivery.”
“Or delivered it to Eleazar, wouldn’t be the first time our mail got all messed up”
“Blasted, unreliable school owls.”
“We really need to get another owl Ace, with Maggie in America now and the shop doing as well as it is, Babbity could use some help.”
“Agreed.” Aesop addressed his son
“In any case, her essay is where it needs to be and if Professor Sallow hasn’t received it, have him owl me, and I’ll make sure Nat gets the O she deserves.”
Theodore looked at his parents. Tonight had turned out to be a failed mission for him. He got caught AND he didn’t retrieve his sister’s essay. He was happy though. Happy to be home, happy to be with his parents for just a little while.
"Are you hungry, dear?"
"Nah, I'm good. Ate one too many servings of mutton stew for dinner"
His eyes fell on a plate of his mother's scones.
“On second thought I'm starving Mum, they BARELY feed us at the school, you know"
(F/N) chuckled as she summoned a plate and some scones. Theodore scarfed down the first in two bites, and reached for a second one, as his mother busied herself, packing the rest of the pastries in a cloth bag for her son to bring back to Hogwarts.
“Don’t forget to share." she reminds him, as she hands him the bag.
“I should probably get going… I told Natty I’d be back within the hour and I’m cutting it close”
"Just a moment, I have something for you to bring to your sister."
His father turned and unlocked a cabinet that held a variety of potions
"Ooh, contraband!"
Aesop let out a chuckle as he handed a vial to his son.
"Wideye. She'll need it tomorrow. If I know Natty, she still won't sleep a wink tonight"
"Don't I get one too?"
"Do you want to be an Auror someday?"
"You know I do"
"Then in addition to perfecting your disillusionment charm you also need to master the art of the power nap. Learn how to function for long hours with little to no sleep."
"You're joking"
"I'm not. But there will be plenty of time for that. In the meantime here's one for you too, as well this."
His father hands him a third vial. Theodore doesn't need to read the label to know what it contains. Invisibility potion.
"This one's pretty strong, should buy you about a minute. Use it wisely."
“Anything for Eleazar while we’re at it?”
“I’m sure Eleazar already brews his own contraband.”
Theodore chuckled. Eleazar did have a natural knack for potions and always had a true passion for the subject, the art came as naturally to him as walking it seemed at times. Even Aesop couldn’t say as much about himself, having gone from quite the average student to graduating with the best potions marks in his class thanks to hard work and a drive to reach the top of his field.
“Anything else before the Sharp Delivery Service heads back to his common room?”
“No, that’ll be all” his mother says, as she pulls him into another bone crushing hug. “You’re a great son, and an amazing brother. We’re so proud of you. I love you, Theodore.”
“I love you too, Mum”
He looked up at his father, while still tightly hugging his mother.
"You never told me what gave me away. I know my disillusionment isn't quite up to snuff yet but that's not what woke you up though"
"The front door. It has a very distinct squeak when it opens. Imperceptible from the outside but can be heard from our bedroom. I could fix it, but I choose not to. That's what gave you away tonight. I must say though, I was impressed at how you managed to avoid all the bad floorboards. Well done."
"Thanks Dad. I love you."
"I love you too, son."
Aesop joined in the hug for a moment, then gently took his wife’s hands into his own, releasing their son from her tight embrace.
“Be safe on your way back”
Both parents stayed in the doorway, arms around each other, watching as their youngest son sprinted towards the closest floo flame.
————————
Theodore didn’t waste his invisibility potion sneaking back into the castle. He was smarter than that. He knew the prefects and professors were fast asleep at that time, and his disillusionment charm, while still needing some work, was still good enough to shield him from the portraits and the ghosts roaming the castle. He didn’t hear Peeves in the vicinity, so the walk back to the Slytherin common room was easy and uneventful.
He was greeted by the sight of his sister, who had abandoned her attempted re-write, and appeared immersed in the book she was reading. A quick glance at the cover revealed that she was reading one of her favorite novels. To think that his sister would trust him so completely as to abandon her contingency plan in favor of re-visiting one of her favorite stories made his heart swell. This evening hadn’t gone according to plan, but he hoped that he’d at least be able to calm down her anxieties and maybe, just maybe, she would get a couple hours of sleep tonight.
Natty looked up from her book and took in the sight of her brother, scones and potions in hand.
"Theo? Are you OK?"
"Brilliant, actually" he says as he took a bite out of a scone
"Did someone cast the confundus charm on you?"
"I don't... think so. Why do you ask?" he took another bite
"I see scones, I see potions, do you know what I DON'T see?"
"Oh, yeah... that"
Natty put her head in her hands
"Theodore!"
He put his hand on her shoulder
"Relax Nat. They already turned it in for you."
Natty looked up at her brother, who had the biggest smile on his face.
"They... what?"
"They noticed you had sent them your essay by accident, proof-read it and owl'd it directly to Professor Sallow. Probably sounded something like this
Theodore stepped back and put on his best impression of their mother.
"Oh Ace! Our darling daughter must have sent us her essay by accident! Poor thing must be so nervous right now but I really don't understand why, this essay is incredible! I couldn't have written it better myself!"
Then Dad probably went "I can tell no shortcuts were taken when writing this paper, well done Natty, this deserves an O and nothing less!"
"I shall send it to my good friend Sebastian at Hogwarts right away! However I absolutely won't also ask about how the children are doing because that would be inappropriate"
"Wonderful idea darling. Once you're done I know something inappropriate you and I could"
"STOP IT THEO! Please. Before I need to cast scourgify on my brain!"
Theodore put an end to his re-enactment, looked at his sister, and handed her a pastry. "Scone?"
Natty took the pastry from her brother wordlessly. He could be quite ridiculous at times, but always knew just how to cheer her up. She couldn't have conjured a better twin if she tried. As Theodore sat on the sofa next to her, she was able to sense that, beneath his playful charade, something was bothering him.
"How long did it take for Dad to catch you?"
Theodore sighed.
"He was onto me the moment I opened the front door. Let me get all the way to the kitchen though, before revealing himself, I think he took pity on me."
"Wow, that's actually pretty impressive"
"Yeah… it is. I don’t know how he does it to be honest."
“He’s been doing it for years Theo, for longer than we’ve been alive. It used to be his job, and it’ll be your job one day, too. I know you’ll be a great Auror one day. So you got caught by Dad. At least you got to say hi to him and Mum, that must have been nice.”
Theodore placed his arm around his sister, pulling her towards him.
“It was. Wish you could have been there, I know you miss them, too.”
“Winter holidays will be here before we know it.” Natty’s voice started to betray the fact that she was fighting sleep. “Hey, you were able to sneak in and out of school undetected, that counts for something doesn't it?"
"I guess it does. I'll outsmart Dad next time." Theodore says, wistfully.
Natty yawned as she curled onto the sofa, resting her head on her brother’s lap. "Good luck with that."
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Theodore didn’t get an answer to his question, Natty had fallen fast asleep. He summoned a blanket from the chair across them and draped it around his sleeping sister. He was glad to have been able to be there for her, to be a good brother to her in her moment of need, to calm her anxieties to the point that her mind was able to so quickly surrender to sleep. Happy with himself, he propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him, leaned his head back against the plush upholstery, and fell asleep as well.
—————————
A/N a brief description of the Sharp children at the time of this fanfiction
Magdala Dinah "Maggie" Sharp
Slytherin
Recently graduated, named after her grandmother and her father's closest friend. Fiercely intelligent, confident, but also quite humble. Te ringleader of the 4 Sharp children. Has had a lifelong passion for beasts, moved to America to study beasts native to the continent
Eleazar Sebastian Sharp
Ravenclaw
7th year, head boy, named after his mother's mentor as well as one of her closest friends. Quiet and a little shy, very kind and compassionate Demonstrated a knack for potion making practically before he showed signs of magic, and the only Sharp child to have yet to receive detention.
Theodore Ashley Sharp
Slytherin
5th year, named after his grandfather as well as his father's late partner. Has wanted to be an Auror for as long as he can remember, will do anything for his family and particularly his twin sister. He knows he's got charm and charisma and he's not afraid to use them to get out of trouble. Still didn't save him from landing himself in detention on his first week of school!
(F/N) Natalie "Natty" Sharp
Slytherin
5th year, named after her mother as well as one of her mother's closest friend. Prefers to go by her middle name because being named after the "Hero of Hogwarts" combined with her own exceptionally strong magic made it difficult for her to carve her own identity. A master negotiator with a quick wit, she can spot a lie from a mile away., Can usually keep her brother in check, and is organized enough for the two of them.
