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.
...
"Bye, Sev! See you later, Em!" Lily waved in her direction and disappeared into the castle for her Potions lesson, while she and Severus both had the hour off.
"Hey."
She scooted aside to let Severus sit down next to her against the tree trunk.
"Hey, Sev."
He gave her a teasing push. "Shut up."
"I'm sorry." Emma laughed. "But it sounds dumb."
"I know it does. But it's not so bad when she says it."
Emma rolled her eyes. "How did it go?"
Severus hesitated. "I haven't told her yet."
With a smile, she shot him a pointed glance.
"It's hard, alright? Stop pushing me."
"Yeah," said Emma, averting her gaze. "I know it's hard."
"What is that?" Severus followed her gaze to the ground beside her, where a creature the size of her hand sat on the moist grass.
Her face lit up as she picked it up and held it out for him to see. "I found myself a new best friend, for when you and Lily end up together. Severus, meet Croak."
The toad let out a loud croak at the mention of his name, which made them both chuckle.
"You bought a toad?"
"No. A fourth-year got him for her birthday but she didn't want him. I offered to take him off her hands. Isn't he cute?" She stroked the top of Croak's head, feeling the leathery skin against her finger.
"He's a toad," he grinned. "Besides, you don't need a new best friend."
Emma glanced up at him, stroking her pet to try and get rid of the growing unease in her belly. "I'll be a third wheel, won't I?"
"No!" Severus said. "You'll still be our best friend. We won't just push you aside."
A smile pulled at the corners of her lips, as she muttered, "Thanks, Severus."
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Emma woke up late with a headache the next morning. After a refreshing shower and a hot cup of strong cranberry tea, she spent the day helping Filius, the part-goblin Charms teacher, with preparing the paintings for the students' arrival – quite a few of them hadn't realised it was already September – and getting the Great Hall ready.
Severus seemed to have decided to spend the day in his dungeons. Even lunch couldn't lure him to the Great Hall. A part of Emma felt relieved for not having to face him today. Repressing her feelings was hard enough without seeing him so much. But her inner teenager, having grown up with Severus beside her, couldn't help but worry. He'd acted so strange the night before, and now he was nowhere to be found.
