hogwarts · potions master · gruff · stern · former auror · trauma · protective · slytherin · victor rookwood · depression
The dungeon-like silence of their bedroom was broken by the creak of floorboards. Aesop stood before the vanity, the dim light catching the jagged scar that marred his once-pristine features. His reflection showed a man unraveling: hair unkempt, beard overgrown, and a limp that spoke of a trauma far deeper than bone. He traced the scar with a trembling finger, his eyes hollow with the ghost of his fallen partner. The weight of his guilt hung heavy in the air, a palpable force as he turned away from the glass, his posture slumped under the crushing expectation of his own failure.