Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One near-poisoning, two melted cauldrons, and three localized explosions later, Professor Sharp is ready for some well-deserved R & R....

Chapter Text

This drawing was inspired by roomofretirement’s Day 19 of Sharpuary, “Gherkin” (quoted below—definitely check it out for a fun read!) I first tried my hand at sketching a scene a few weeks after reading, but I was pretty burnt out by then and wasn’t particularly happy with the result.

This is version 2.0…still not pleased with the face and anatomy, but I prefer it to the first draft. Unfortunately, there are only so many revisions that can be made before the paper begins to tear 😭

*

*

*

*

*

Aesop could tell she was not shocked this time. She was interested. She wanted to see the rest of the memory, of what he had thought of during it. So he dutifully displayed it.

Aesop worked his cock fervently, only stuttering in his pace when he felt himself drawing close. He rolled his thumb over the twitching head of his cock, grunting as he spilled his seed into the bathroom sink. 

Chapter Text

I finally got around to drawing Aesop with his pet/animagus/patronus--a doberman! Two handsome specimens 🤭

Chapter Text

An alternate depiction of a scene from my fic, An Education, in which young Auror Aesop learns his way around the bedroom with some help from an older lover. Feel free to check out that fic for the other version.

*

*

*

*

*

Chapter Text

Which professor do you least most want to be caught by when sneaking out of the dormitory after hours? A groggy, barefoot  Sharp in his tartan dressing robe, of course!

Chapter Text

He has the hands of a Potions Master....

*

*

*

*

*

This was created when Maarty suggested I try drawing a picture with OC sat in Aesop’s lap ;) Thanks for the inspiration! With this, I’m all caught up with my “back-catalogue” for the last few months. Everything I draw from here on out will be posted as I finish. 

Chapter Text

This one is for Maarty, who suggested “the pose when a man has a woman caged against the wall with one of his arms over her head.”

Hope this is somewhat close to the position you had in mind!

Chapter Text

First in what will hopefully be a series of sleeping Aesops 💤 Trying to keep these quick and dirty (but not that kind of dirty).  

Chapter Text

Another night, another Sharp. Here we have disheveled belly-sleeper Aesop. Bed head…turns out it’s easier said than drawn 😅

Chapter Text

He may patrol in a knee-length sleeping shirt and tartan robe, but I think we all know he sleeps in the buff. 

Chapter Text

I promise this is the last of the sleepy figure studies. I’ve slowly been working my way around his body, but I think it’s time he woke up so we can see that sunny face again🤭

Chapter Text

I know it’s an odd angle, but this is my final entry in the 360-degrees-of-Sharp challenge—in this case, straight up the legs to the (fuzzy) business 🤣🤣 I have a feeling Sleepy Sharp is perking up by the second 🤭

Chapter Text

…to me! 

JFK got Marilyn Monroe to sing to him, but I’d prefer a certain Potions Master. And for once he’s not rolling around on a bed! I guess you’re never too old to have a stud jump out of a cake for your birthday. 

Chapter Text

This one is for Maarty and VoyagerLotus, to whom I threatened promised a picture of Aesop being tenderly pegged by his lady love. For a man who lives life under strict control, surrender can be a beautiful gift.

If you crave more in this vein, click over to VoyagerLotus’s fic linked here.

Chapter Text

And now for something completely different…I recently learned that, although Mirabel Garlick is one of the only canonically lesbian characters in the HP extended universe, there’s surprisingly little F/F fanart that features her! So, as a little palate cleanser, please enjoy Professor Garlick doing her lady-loving thing with an OC girlfriend!

And after this we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming of grumpy Potions Masters 🤭

Chapter Text

Routinely finding oneself the tallest person in the room poses some unique problems at Hogwarts…

Chapter Text

A quickie sketch of Aesop and one of my OCs (Mac Hildwin from The Crooked Path) preparing to say farewell after an eventful evening.

Chapter Text

I have a new puppy who's been keeping me up during the night, and consequently, I've had some fun/crazy midnight brainwaves. A few nights ago, I found myself lying in bed and musing about what card in the tarot deck most suited Aesop. There were a few decent options, but this unlikely design struck me like a bolt out of the blue, and I knew I had to draw it! Read on below for a little meta about the card and its symbolism.

Funnily enough, I've always found the Chariot to be one of the least distinctive cards in Major Arcana. Maybe it's just the static, blocky design of the card in the Rider-Waite deck.

The Chariot represents willpower, determination, control, and action. Traditionally, it depicts a victorious warrior in the eponymous vehicle. Standing in his chariot, Aesop is driven and focused on his goals. The Charioteer is never a quitter, and he faces life's challenges with decisiveness and tenacity. The Charioteer holds no reins, the idea being that he directs the chariot through the force of his will alone.

The wand in his hand indicates that he has mastered himself by facing and overcoming life's adversities. Obviously, the presence of a wand is even more fitting for a Hogwarts Legacy-inspired interpretation! The stars in the canopy overhead form the constellation Cancer (the Crab), which is both the Zodiac sun sign I tend to assign to Aesop and the sign associated with the Chariot card. Like the crab, Aesop is wearing armor, in this instance the Greek hoplite variety in honor of his classical name. I also gave him a crown of laurels instead of the traditionally starry diadem.

The chariot itself usually bears a winged coat-of-arms featuring a gavel or mallet. I swapped out this emblem of authority for Aesop’s auror badge, which represents much the same thing and even looks quite similar! His role as Potions Master is represented by the silhouette of Hogwarts in the background. Also, the frame around the central image hopefully looks a bit like a corked potions bottle.

The waxing and waning moons over Aesop's shoulders represent things that have passed and those that are coming into being. The Chariot is in the midst of a journey, just as Aesop is still on a quest to heal himself.

The Chariot is always drawn by a pair of black and white sphinxes or horses, but I knew I wanted to go with more iconic creatures from the HP universe. I settled on thestrals, which seemed appropriate given that Aesop's particular wisdom is tied up with his near brush with death.

I tried to draw the peacock feathers in the corners in an art nouveau style as a nod to the 1890s as well as to Aesop's role as a protector. In Greek mythology, Hera's guard, Argus, had a hundred eyes, and when he was killed, she bestowed them on the peacock. Thereafter, it was said that peacocks drew Hera's...chariot!

This was my twist on the “classic” Chariot card, but I also cooked up a few other ideas that just couldn’t work in, so it’s very likely I‘ll draw another, less conventional, version. Stay tuned for that, and for other Aesop silliness!

Chapter Text

A few years ago, a rather unusual series of turn-of-the-century photos went viral. They depicted a typical old-timey couple posing for a formal portrait, but midway through their photo session they started cracking each other up! The results were completely charming--and also some of our earliest candid pictures. (Incidentally, some claim this is actually a portrait of Albert Einstein and his first wife, Mileva Maric, but I'm not convinced.)

I knew I wanted to replicate the series with Aesop, and who better to talk him into a muggle photo shoot than Roslyn Thorne, the Muggle Studies professor from my fic Sharp as a Thorn! So here they are, Mr. and Mrs. Sharp, trying (and failing) to maintain that stiff upper lip. Aesop is definitely to blame for how this turned out...

It may not look it, but this was far and away the most time-consuming picture I've drawn! It turns out that eight figures take forever to finish. No wonder people were excited upon the advent of camera photography, it's a huge time-saver!

Chapter Text

Maarty wondered what Aesop's favorite position was before Hogwarts, and obviously this gave me Ideas. While Professor Sharp may have a bit of a dad bod (and don't we love him for it,) I like to think that hotshot auror Aesop was quite the tall, strapping specimen. And I can easily see him taking pride in deploying his size and strength to maximum effect.

Option one is an athletic affair, a modified butterfly position. It has all the benefits of doggy style, but with the added perk of being able to look his partner in the eye. He gets to demonstrate impressive upper and lower body strength, all while angling his lady perfectly to suit both their pleasure. This position is exhausting, even for a young man like Aesop, but it's a total power move. I think he'd have loved showing off almost as much as he loved getting his partner off.

Option two is equally athletic and requires some serious leg-conditioning. I've seen it called "the Kneeling Fox." Just like the Butterfly, he'd enjoy the g-spot targeting for his lady's satisfaction, plus the opportunity to reach around for a manual assist.

Alas, neither of these positions are options for Aesop post-Scarborough. I'll post his favorite positions post-injury separately. In the meantime, if you crave a little more Sexy Auror Sharp, please check out my fic, An Education. Bottoms up! 🤭

Chapter Text

To fulfill a prompt for “an embrace from behind.” Of course, it wouldn’t do to disturb the professor at work, but who could pass him by without stopping for a quick kiss. Fortunately, I don’t think he minds. 

Chapter Text

…you best not miss. Woe betide the student who accepts a dare to lob a snowball at dread Professor Sharp. They should know better than to try to get the drop on an former auror! But fear not--he’s ready to teach them a valuable lesson in the virtues of preparation 🤭

This drawing marks a bit of a personal milestone since it occupies the last page of a sixty-page sketchbook filled with Aesop Sharp. It turns out that 60+ drawings can work some improvement in even a hobby artist like me, as proven by my very first drawing of the good professor 😅

I don’t adore everything I’ve produced since then, but it feels good to keep the creativity flowing and share the love for a fun character. So if you're reading this, thanks for clicking!

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

A drawing for VoyagerLotus, inspired by a lovely scene from her epic fic, Unraveling of Fates. 

Shimmering tears pool in your eyes and reflect off the light from the charm. You lift your hand to delicately brush his Patronus’s ears with feather-light knuckles. The fox’s light dissipates and reforms where your gentle touch passes through. A strange warmth blossoms in Aesop’s chest, as if you’re caressing the very source of his magic. The sensation stops his breath for a moment. 

“It’s beautiful, Aesop,” you whisper, a tear falling and sliding down your cheek. The Patronus leans into yet another tender touch. He feels a sudden blush rise to his cheeks as the manifestation of his happiness makes itself comfortable in your lap. 

Chapter Text

I already drew what I imagined might be Aesop’s favorite positions from the time before Scarborough. These are a few of his favorites after. 

First up, Lotus. This position played a special part in the emotional arc of The Crooked Path, and I illustrated it there, but I wanted to try taking another crack at it a year later. So here we have Mac and Aesop, eye to eye.

While lotus is an emotionally intimate position, it doesn’t always provide the biggest thrill, so from a purely utilitarian perspective, I imagine cowgirl is usually Aesop’s preference.

Of course, the truth is that Aesop’s favorite position is unchanged before or after...

There are many things I admire about the Aesop I’ve discovered in my own and others’ stories. He’s upright, steadfast, brave. Respectful and respectable. He gets knocked down, but keeps going. He seeks a way to be useful in the world. But above all, I’ve always written him as a man who loves strong women, wholeheartedly and unreservedly—perhaps the most fantastical thing of all.

Chapter Text

I broke out the pad and pencil for a little sketch to accompany my holiday fic, The Sweetest Spell, inspired by the season’s silliest made-for-TV cozy romances! Sugar-obsessed Professor Sharp meets hard-nosed businesswitch Bertha Bott, and together, they must find a way to rescue a beloved village sweet shop from the clutches of a soulless corporate candy company 🍬🍭🍫 

Chapter Text

I know I’m not the first to speculate that Aesop might enjoy swimming. His leg likely prevents him from engaging in the types of exercises he once enjoyed, but the Black Lake is right there (don’t mind the Giant Squid.) So here he is, soaking in the last rays of the setting sun. 

Also I have no idea how to draw water.

Chapter Text

Ringing in the New Year with some Sharpy art! This sketch was inspired by Maarty's story "Black Lake" from Sharpuary 2024. OC Kate Conner ventures into the lake to perform a favor for a friend, when a worried (and highly annoyed) Professor Sharp turns up to "rescue" her. Check it out if you missed it in February!

Happy 2025, everyone!

Chapter Text

A New Year’s experiment in watercolors. The artists on insta make it look so easy…😅 It's been many moons since I dabbled in paint. Not sure I quite have the hang of it, but I'd like to be able to draw Aesop in color.

Chapter Text

Still experimenting with color, this time pencils! I went with a scene from my “Hallmark” holiday fic, The Sweetest Spell, because Aesop’s leading lady in that one is notoriously colorful. His own clothes are so tasteful and understated, he actually sticks out like a sore thumb in Bertha’s technicolor childhood home.

In this scene, she offers sweets-loving Sharp some of her homemade (and—literally—smoking hot) cherry salamanders.  

And a crisper close-up because my poor phone camera really struggled with this busy composition.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight of my fic, The Sweetest Spell, ends with a classic fade to black. The story isn't explicit, but of course my depraved mind had certain ideas regarding what happened after the curtain came down. Lucky Aesop finally got to fulfill one of his most unhinged teenage fantasies--making love in a sweet shop, surrounded by candy, with the equally intoxicating scents of a happy woman and sugar mingling in the air. Obviously, he had to keep Bertha in her apron to enjoy the full effect. Some concessions were made given his leg, but no one ever told Aesop limited-mobility sex couldn't be fun...

Just don’t tell the Ministry, lest Bott’s be shut down for flagrant food safety violations. 

I've created some other artwork for this fic, scattered throughout the story, plus an appendix of extra illustrations at the end.

Chapter Text

Now for something completely different…

The Instagram algorithm has been serving me charming reels by artists who create so-called “tunnel books”—miniature watercolor paintings arranged in layers to create the illusion of three-dimensional space. Some of these are simple, some can be incredibly intricate. I found them so intriguing that I wanted to try making one of my own.

I started wracking my brain for a suitably Sharpy scene. Eventually, I settled on the first introduction of Professor Sharp in potions class, in which he leans against the chalkboard to deliver a brief lecture on the healing power of wiggenweld. The potions classroom is a gorgeous, complicated environment, filled with brewing stations and tons of bric-a-brac, some of which even dangles from the ceiling. Professor Sharp’s cluttered desk occupies an alcove in the distance, backed by curving bookshelves, a gold-inlaid ceiling, and a tiny window with elaborate leaded glass. 

I designed my layers, sketched them out, redid them as miniature watercolors, carefully cut away the negative spaces, then glued the whole shebang onto accordion-folded panels on either side. The door of the potions classroom serves at the book’s “cover”. The opening of the doorway is only 2.5” x 3.25” (6.3 cm x 8.25 cm). All colors were originally applied as watercolor pencils, later activated with water and a teeny paintbrush.

A lot of the little details turned out to be completely obscured, but these are a few of the under-layers.

Overall, this was an exciting, painstaking, and sometimes maddening project. I definitely have newfound respect for the artists who do this with any frequency, and miniaturists of all kinds! I’ve attempted to share a video of the final product "expanding" below; sometimes it displays for me, sometimes not. But apparently if you right click on the video and open it in a new tab, it will play there (thank you, dspan!)

Chapter Text

Dusted off my pencils for a quick sketch of a canonical moment I'd overlooked thus far…Cressida Blume’s disastrous attempt at a banishment charm.

“Once, I aimed a Depulso at a goblet in the Great Hall and somehow ended up launching a Yorkshire pudding into Professor Sharp’s face. He wasn’t happy.”

I always visualized this moment involving an artful amount of splatter, even though Yorkshire puddings are really just buns. Let’s say there was some gravy on them. I’m out of the drawing habit, but it was still fun to try to capture a disgruntled Professor Sharp. In the end, he didn’t have to say a word. Cressida put herself in detention 😂 

ETA: here’s a clean version for anyone who “needs” a picture of Sharp glaring at them without sauce sprayed all over his face. He’s cute when he’s mad 🤭

Chapter Text

In the mood to draw figures, so here we are. My personal HC is that Aesop's injuries preclude missionary sex, so maybe this is plucked from one of his more...stimulating dreams.

Chapter Text

Flipping the script...a more comfortable approach for Aesop.

Chapter Text

And one more for the road…

Thanks to all of you still indulging this nonsense. I swear this is the last in the series! I just couldn't make up my mind on the pose😅

Chapter Text

Aesop’s on an errand to try on a new overcoat—fully lined and replete with custom details. Gladrags won't suffice for this wizard! His favorite shop has an address on Savile Row.

His tailor just needs a few final measurements to be sure his design will show to best effect. And who better to model his handiwork than his most discerning (and tallest) customer?

I’ll stand by my HC that Aesop has expensive tastes. His clothing is tailored and elegant, from the beautiful brocade, to the flattering seams, to the intriguing notched cuffs of his overcoat. Even his cane matches his wand! As the saying goes, style’s in the little details. 

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

I’ve always loved a good graphic novel, and when I was a kid, I used to daydream about creating my own someday. An angsty little brainwave finally gave me the push to give Aesop’s story the graphic novel treatment.

I waaaay underestimated the difficulty of composing a complete page, executing all the different drawings, and photographing it in focus (I promise, every edge is perfectly square in my sketchbook…🤬) My usual drawings take an evening or two of casual sketching. This behemoth took almost a week and was a headache from beginning to end 😅 At this point, I’m not sure whether I like it or want to burn it. Let me know what you think of the result!

Chapter Text

Turns out Aesop is no more excited to celebrate my birthday this year than last. At least I didn't shove him in a cake this time 🤭

Chapter Text

Took a quick break from writing to do a little art. My continuing mission to defile every piece of furniture in Aesop's bedroom proceeds apace...this time with an armchair and that delicious-looking pouf (it was definitely asking for it 🤭) Mac would have used the other chair that lives in that corner of the room as a foothold, but Aesop heaped too many dirty clothes on it, the filthy bachelor.

And since multiple people have asked after Aesop’s other chair, here’s an alternate version, messier and even more dangerous. Aesop would be thrilled…

Chapter Text

I decided to draw a picture of my two favorite Potions Masters in honor of the conclusion of my Sharp and Snape crossover fic, Studies for a Portrait of a Man. Obviously, I have plenty of experience drawing Aesop, but Snape posed more of a challenge. While I love Alan Rickman's portrayal in the HP movies, he never much looked  like the Snape in my head, not least because of his age (Snape was only 38 when he died). I experimented for over a year, and these are the results. Consider it a "Choose your own adventure Snape" 😂

I started out here:

This version was heavily influenced by pictures of the purported real-life inspiration for Snape, but I found his face a little too gentle to be convincing. I also didn't love my execution (I mean, he looks like he's wearing a wig.)

I tried again, this time using my imagination to design a slightly more sinister and austere Snape. While the vibe was better, he looked pretty generic:

I went back to the drawing board and drafted a new version from scratch. This time, I veered into Rickmanish territory:

Alas, none of these noses thus far were especially big or hooked. So I went back to the drawing board, this time with a focus on making his features more extreme:

In the end, all these Snapes were so different, I could hardly remember what I wanted him to look like in the first place 😅 Aesop went through his own iterations as I redrafted. Fortunately, I’m more consistent in how I draw him, so they all looked relatively alike. Now I have three pages in my sketchbook with variations on the same composition🙈

The final draft featuring both Potions Masters is posted with the last chapter of my story. Click over there if you want to see it (just be warned, it is a spoiler!) And if you're a Snape (or Sharp) fan, consider giving it a read! The story is set largely at Hogwarts from 1981-1998 and features a portrait of Sharp who serves as a mentor to Snape from his first year as a professor through the end of the series.

Chapter Text

In Studies for a Portrait of a Man, Aesop is an entirely respectable portrait, depicted in his classroom wearing his classic suit. But the following exchange between Severus Snape and Aesop inspired this slightly unhinged alternative inspired by Ingres' La Grande Odalisque....

“Pity I’m stuck in this old suit for the rest of my days.” Sharp cast a rueful glance down his tall frame. “Eternity’s a long time for tweed.”

“Given your artist’s predilections, just be grateful you’re not a nude.” Severus snickered at the idea of Sharp lounging on a silk-draped divan, possibly with a bunch of grapes and a feather fan somewhere nearby.

Daubs of alazarin crimson stained Sharp’s cheeks. “Salazar’s name, I shudder to think how her fevered imagination would have rendered my proportions.”

“Tall wizard, short wand?” Severus asked slyly.

“Tall wizard, perfectly satisfactory wand,” Sharp replied with a wolfish grin.

I'm pretty sure Aesop would have burned this one, lol.