Chapter Text
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Kitty Sharp
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Fifth Year
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Very few knew that he was an unregistered Animagus. Professor Weasley knew, of course, but Headmaster Black was as ignorant as always. If any of his other colleagues were aware, they never said a word or brought it up, and he never saw the need to tell them. As a tried and true Slytherin, resourcefulness was a useful ally, and one he worked with often. Being a cat allowed him to slip by the corridors and rooms without any of the students noticing. They tended to steer clear of him for the most part regardless, but their over-dramatic avoid attempts were a nuisance, one that he didn't often wish to endure. And, thankfully, most of the student body liked cats, or at least tolerated them, and no one batted an eye to his wanderings.
But it still had its drawbacks. His limp was still present, though not as noticeable as it was in his human form. Not just that, but many a student enjoyed petting him whenever he passed by or picking him up and fawning over him. Aesop supposed that some people simply adored felines, even if they came off as grumpy and annoyed, and couldn't resist administering affections upon him. Most of the time, he'd stop and indulge them; he wasn't as cold and heartless as many of his students believed. Sometimes, though, when he had somewhere to be, he outright ran off, which ended up disappointing whoever sought to pet him.
Aesop, at Fig's request and due to his own suspicions, had been venturing out to look into Ranrok and his followers. He was able to slip by unnoticed most nights, but on occasion, whenever he would encounter Rookwood's poachers or other such ilk, he'd be chased or shot at by spells he'd most often seen as an Auror. For the most part, he managed to escape with little to no injury, but luck and skill weren't constant companions, and every now and then, he would get hit or stumble over a rock or something as he ran away. As he never ventured too far from the castle during the week, he could slip into his office, transform back, and take a potion to help his wounds. However, on the weekends, when he strayed further away, he'd return with his wounds aggravated, due to traversing the rough terrain. Yes, he could return to his human form to get around faster, but that would blow his cover, and he couldn't risk an enemy seeing him and knowing his secret. They'd never let a cat near their camps again, and he refused to let any animal die senselessly because of him. Aesop knew he was risking having someone, teacher or student, stumbling upon his weakened cat form and picking him up to take him away to care for him. Such a sentiment wasn't necessarily unwanted, but he could take care of himself just fine. And it wasn't often he was harassed by the enemy in such a manner anyway.
Tonight, though, was not one of those nights, unfortunately.
Rookwood himself had been present and in a foul mood, so much so, in fact, that he outright tried to kill Aesop the very moment he saw him. That wasn't abnormal, but his method was - instead of the usual spells, the threw rocks at him. Many nearly hit him too close for comfort; one hit his bad leg and the sheer pain had him yowling in agony. Apparently, Rookwood wasn't above using brute force to harm a defenseless creature. Aesop got away, but it took him longer than normal to return to the castle. He was exhausted, in pain, and wanted nothing more than rest and respite. But as he made his way slowly down the stairwell towards his office, a student rounded it. And not just any student: the new fifth year who had just been accepted to Hogwarts.
Dinae Hylean.
From his observations in class, he had concluded that Miss Hylean was a diligent, hard-working student who was eager to learn whatever she could. She rose to whatever challenge he set in front of her and exceeded all of his expectations. Determined, steadfast, and resolute, not even Mr. Weasley could talk her into pilfering from his private stores. Most importantly to the situation at hand, however, Miss Hylean loved cats. Every time she saw one, she'd stop to pet it, an adoration and fondness that he had rarely seen on someone so young gracing her features, making her look her age. He admired her ability to retain the wide-eyed wonder and awe despite seeing a man devoured by a dragon in front of her, and he felt a pull to assist and protect her and the light that shone in her eyes.
Eyes that lit up like a candle as soon as they saw him before concern and worry replaced it. She rushed toward him, and Aesop tried to avoid her touch.
"You poor thing! What happened to you?" she inquired as she knelt down and gently picked him up. Despite her caution, the movement still jostled his wounds, and he growled in pain.
"Oh, no. You're in worse condition than you look, aren't you?" she mumbled as she gently patted the fur on his head. He squirmed in her arms, desperate to break free, but she held onto him, and eventually, the remainder of his strength was depleted.
"Calm down; I'm not going to hurt you. But you do need help," she determined. "The matron is asleep, and I don't want to wake her and get into trouble for being out of bed past curfew."
Aesop's growls had quieted down now. She cradled him in her arms, taking caution to not move too much, lest she hurt him further. With a sigh, she started walking towards the Slytherin common room.
"Sebastian won't like me canceling plans, but you're more important than practice right now," she stated. "I'll take care of you. Don't worry; you don't have to be afraid."
Sebastian? Practice? Aesop wondered what exactly the two of them were practicing and where. His musings caused him to go quiet, though pain would spike through his body at random intervals. It wasn't too long before they had reached the common room and Miss Hylean held him to her chest as she carried him inside. At such late an hour, the common was, expectedly, empty. He felt Miss Hylean relax and release a relieved sigh.
"Good; no one's up still," she mumbled softly as she walked over to one of the cabinets. Retrieving some simple medical supplies, she continued with, "I'll look you over to make sure you're not too hurt, and just in case you are, I'll need these."
Sharp harumphed; honestly, she need not fuss over him in such a manner. Aside from some bruises that wouldn't appear for some time and a few shallow scraps and scratches, the only injury was to his leg. It wasn't something he was unaccustomed to; the blasted thing had never healed properly and the rock that struck him merely caused it to ache with pain. His limp would be even more prominent than usual and it would hurt more, but nothing was broken. He couldn't exactly convey that to Miss Hylean, who placed him on one of the couches before she knelt beside it and began examining him.
She was gentle, holding him with hardly any force. Aesop could easily escape her if he wanted to. All that would do was cause her to chase after him, and his leg wouldn't get him very far at the moment. It was easier to just let her carry on and get it over with. Nimble fingers glided through his fur, assessing his condition. A few pets on his head every few seconds caused a low purr to rumble in his chest. That purr quickly morphed into a hiss when she touched his leg.
"I'm sorry, little one! That's the only thing that you reacted poorly to, so I'm guessing that's the only injury," she said. He tried to give her his best annoyed expression and it seemed to translate quite well because she giggled softly. "You look like Professor Sharp when you do that."
His body tensed at that. Miss Hylean took notice and she quickly ran a hand down from his head to his tail.
"No need to be afraid. Professor Sharp is a brilliant teacher, and I think he's quite kind, in his own way," she explained. "A lot of students fear or dislike him, and while I admit that he can be strict, he's not unfair or purposefully cruel. I'm rather fond of him."
That further stunned him and he looked at her as though she had grown an extra head. Aesop was very well aware of how a majority of the student body felt about him, and it was just as Miss Hylean said. Either he was feared or loathed. He didn't particularly mind as he preferred to keep his distance from anyone these days; he already had one person's blood on his hands, and he would rather not have another's, especially if they were one of his students. So, to hear that anyone was fond of him was a bit of a shock, especially coming from a student.
"Yes, I know: it is a bit weird," Miss Hylean admitted, assuming that he was judging her, as most cats seemed to do to anyone. "And I can't exactly explain why I like him the most out of all of the professors here. There's just something about Professor Sharp. He seems so...sad sometimes, and lonely."
"Well, anyway, it's only your leg that's hurt. I think I'll keep you with me for the night, just in case there are wounds I could see or feel," she decided before picking him up, careful not to touch his leg. "I wouldn't forgive myself for putting you out in such a state."
Aesop grumbled as she picked him up, but offered no resistance. Once she had fallen asleep, he'll slip out and return to his own quarters. She stroked his dark fur coat as they made their way to her dorm room. It was late and that meant that all of the other students should be in bed, and sure enough, when they entered the room, a chorus of soft snores greeted them. Miss Hylean placed him on her bed, giving him a brief scratch behind the ear.
It wasn't until she had peeled off her robe that it occurred to him that she was getting ready for bed. Appalled, he quickly curled up into a ball and closed his eyes. He did not need or want to see his student undress; that was crossing a very clear and obvious line. Had he been in his human form, he would've been beet red and mortified. As it was, he did his best to ignore the sounds of rustling clothes and kept calm and quiet. After a few minutes, he felt her slip beneath the covers of the bed.
"Good night, Kitty Sharp," Miss Hylean said before extinguishing the light and settling down on the bed.
How long he waited until he was sure she was sleep, he didn't know, but after a while, he jumped off the bed and slipped out of the room. Aesop questioned just how he was going to face his student the following morning as he made his way out of the common room. He hadn't seen anything and she didn't seem to suspect him of being anything other than a cat. With any luck and careful planning, this wouldn't happen again. In the future, he would be more cautious and vigilant, both in the field and within the castle grounds. This was a learning experience and he would take this lesson close to heart. Come the morning, this would be a fleeting dream.