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Phineas strode into Matilda’s office, straightening out his dark blue velvet jacket. He had rushed to her office as quickly as he could.
Matilda looked up from her stack of essays on the proper way to cast Vera Verto: “What seems to be the problem, Headmaster?”
Phineas cleared his throat and straightened his back to his full posture: “What is this I hear about Sharp cancelling his classes for the day? Who is going to teach potions?”
Matilda set aside her essays and gestured for Phineas to take the seat across from her desk. As Phineas sat down, she continued, “His leg is causing him a great deal of pain today, so much so that he cannot teach. And as for who is teaching, I know enough about potions to cover his lessons for the day.”
Phineas rubbed his hands together nervously, “Well, has anyone been to check on him?”
Matilda smiled slightly and rolled her eyes, knowing how Phineas’ nerves would often get the best of him, “He has been dealing with his leg for a decade or so. I am sure he is fine. Besides, you know how he gets when he’s in pain.”
He stood up from his chair, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a visit from me.”
Matilda chuckled, “If you say so.”
Phineas turned on his heel and hurriedly left the office and made his way to his own. He knew just the thing to help Sharp with his pain.
Potion bottle inside his inner jacket pocket, Phineas knocked on the door to Sharp’s rooms.
“Whoever you are, go away.”
Phineas ignored Aesop’s annoyed shout and gently opened the door, knowing Sharp kept it open often than not when he was inside, “It’s just me, Phineas.”
Aesop groaned in exasperation, “I do not have time for your petty complaints. Matilda is covering my classes. I am in a great deal of pain, so please leave and lock the door behind you.”
Phineas was not one to take no for an answer and strode in, carefully shutting the door behind him, making his way through Aesop’s study and into his bedroom.
Aesop glared as hard as he could, but the effect was loss with his face paler than usual and in a fine sheen of sweat, “What do you want? If I was not in so much pain, I would toss you out of here.”
Phineas scoffed, “Why else do you think I am here, Sharp? I heard you were bedridden and I came to bring you this.”
He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a potion vial with a flourish. He held up a vial filled with a purple/violet colored liquid that had a slight green shimmer to it.
Sharp looked at it quizzically, reaching out to take the vial but hesitating, “What is it? If I recall, you are hopeless at potions.”
Phineas rolled his eyes, “I didn’t brew it! It’s a pain reliever Pippin has been working on for the tension headaches I get.”
Aesop sneered and grimaced as another wave of pain hit him, his skin turning even paler, “Your headaches are NOTHING compared to the chronic pain caused by an injury from a curse!”
Black shoved the vial into Sharp’s still slightly outstretched hand, which had faint scars crisscrossing the calloused skin, “Just try it! It has been helping me – the other day I woke up with a severe headache and was able to leave my bed.”
Aesop uncorked the vial and sniffed it, “What’s in it?” It smelled like spring soil after a fresh rain, crisp winter morning air, and freshly brewed tea.
Black pulled out one of the chairs sitting against the wall and sat down next to Aesop’s bed now that he knew he was going to be subject to one of Aesop’s infamous interrogations, “How am I supposed to know? I did not make it nor did I ask for details. All I care about is that it works, and it does. Now drink up, you stubborn man.”
Aesop managed to smirk as he tried to fled the tight muscles in his leg, “Says the most stubborn man I know.” He tipped the vial back and hurriedly gulped it down. Phineas carefully averted his eyes as Sharp’s long throat worked to finish the medicine.
He frowned and leaned back against the pillows, “How long does it take to work?”
Phineas pulled out his silver pocket watch emblazoned with the Black family crest, “Just a few minutes.”
“Why are you still here, Black? Don’t you have students to terrorize?”
Phineas flushed slightly, “I am making sure you don’t die, if you must know. If you did, I would surely be to blame since I provided you with the potion you just consumed. And I would very much prefer not being thrown into Azkaban, thank you very much.”
Aesop nodded, “Fair enough.” As soon as the words left his lips, he let out a sigh, “Well. That is interesting.”
Black pressed forward in his chair so he was practically leaning over Sharp, who was clad in just his pajamas and tucked under the rumbled blankets, “What?” He tried to not let his worry seep into his voice, but to no avail.
Aesop smiled slightly in surprise, “It seems to be helping. The pain isn’t completely gone, but it is slowly diminishing. More like a throbbing rather than a searing pain.”
Phineas smirked in triumph, “Now what do you say?”
Aesop narrowed his eyes at the other man’s gleeful expression, “Don’t push it, Black. I will have to talk to Pippin about this and see if he will sell me the recipe for my own personal study. Perhaps there are some alterations I can make to make it more suitable to my needs.”
He flexed both his legs under the covers, before looking back into Phineas’ icy blue eyes with his deep brown ones, “You can stop looming over me, you know.”
Phineas flushed yet again and sat back down in the chair, “I was not looming. I was just…making sure you are alright.”
Aesop leaned back into the pillows, rolling up his sleeves and fussing with the blankets. Being bedridden like this reminded him of his months in St. Mungo’s after he was wounded, “Unless you have some kind of secret cure for this damned leg, I am as alright as I can be.”
Phineas stood up, taking a second to admire Sharp’s lightly muscled and tanned forearms, “Very well then. Get well, Sharp.”
He nodded and turned on his heel, speedily making his way out of Sharp’s bedroom. He was stopped by Aesop calling out to him, “Phineas?”
Phineas turned to look back at Sharp, “Yes?”
“Thank you for the medicine. I truly do appreciate it.”
He waved his hand, “It was not trouble at all. I can procure the list of ingredients from Pippin for you today if you would like?”
Aesop yawned; the pain took a great deal out of him, “Yes, yes. Thank you.”
Phineas took one last look at Sharp before leaving Sharp’s rooms, locking the door behind him, already looking forward to their next meeting.