Emma Moore, professor in Healing at Hogwarts, has to suppress her feelings for her old best friend and now colleague Severus Snape, who she hasn't seen in ten years, while figuring out who killed her aunt.
...
Emma scoffed. "Yeah, at a flobberworm's pace, maybe."
"You'll get there. How's your arm?"
"I think I broke my wrist. How did you get so good at it?"
"Practice, Emma," he said, gently pulling her arm closer to inspect the damage. "Years and years of practice. I had no choice but to learn to fight, remember?"
The Gryffindor bullies. "You're right," she muttered. "I'm sorry. I should've been there more for you."
"More?" He looked up. "How could you possibly have been there more for me?"
"You know... Help you train. Defend you more often."
He smiled. "You did help me train. And don't take this the wrong way, but you were a terrible dueller."
She chuckled. "Yeah..."
"You did what you could. I know I never said it, but I've always been very grateful to you."
The butterflies in her stomach woke up, flapping their wings around. She felt her face heat up. "Really?"
"Of course. You were always there for me. I didn't even have to ask. Lily used to tell me I should thank you more often."
Emma chuckled. The skin on her arm got goosebumps under his fingers. "That sounds like her. Why didn't you?"
"I could never find the right words. Come here."
He rested her arm on his lap and pulled her in closer, her head leaning awkwardly on his shoulder, facing the wall behind him. She squared her jaw and closed her eyes. Under the tap of his wand, the bone snapped back into place. She barely contained a cry of pain.
"All done," he whispered, still holding her in his arms. "How does it feel?"
"Better," said Emma. As she rested her head in his neck, the butterflies in her stomach exploded into a flurry of wings. "Much better."
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As the weather outside turned to a summery April warmth, the dungeons were still as cold as ever. Emma regretted wearing her summer robes, rather than the ticker winter ones, when she came down to help Severus with his potion.
"What's next?"
Severus didn't respond, his complete attention on the cauldron in front of him, as he slowly poured in the powdered root of asphodel. He handed her the empty bowl and continued stirring.
"A small piece of valerian root. That's the last step."
Emma nodded and cut a piece off the root. "This okay?"
He glanced up from the cauldron. "Almost. A little smaller."
She cut a little more off the root and held it out to him. He finished stirring, then accepted it and added it to the potion. As they watched, it turned into a pale pink bubbling mass. Severus nodded satisfied.
