Thank you so much for the lovely comments, and especially for picking out bits that worked well for you!
I love overall how characteristic the sex is -- nothing generic here. That was what I was hoping for-- I wanted the private face of Aberforth to have individual character as much as his public one if possible.
I have a soft spot for curmudgeons in particular (as anyone who has met my husband can tell you!) and I love the opportunity to write both rare pairings and ones that are new to me, especially with the less conventionally attractive characters. There must be plenty I haven't tried yet... roll on hp_beholder, I say :D