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.
...
"Stop moving, Severus! I can't heal you if you keep wriggling like that."
It was atrocious. His back was covered in long, deep cuts, and he had bruises all over his chest and arms. His lower lip was split and judging from the way his little finger was bent, it was probably broken.
"Ow! Stop it, Em!"
She leaned back, sighing. "Stop wriggling, or I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey and get you in trouble."
He glared up at her. "Fine." He clenched his jaw as she continued.
"I could've taken any of them alone," he muttered as she worked, healing wound after wound after wound. "But four against one... Bloody cowards."
"It isn't fair," she agreed. "Episkey. Almost done, Severus."
"They came from all sides. How am I supposed to defend myself on all sides at the same time?"
Her wand froze above the jagged cut on his lower back. He was right; defending on all sides was impossible. But what if it wasn't?
"Are you done?"
His voice shook her out of her thoughts. "No. Sit still." She healed the cut, then said, "You're right. You need a shield charm that works all around you."
He scoffed. "Thanks for the pointless suggestion. Protego doesn't do that. It only works ahead of you."
"Something like Protego. Something that wraps all around you, like a... Like a bubble. One that can't be burst."
"It doesn't exist, Em." He sighed. "Don't you think I've already looked for that?"
"Then... Then I'll create it."
Severus looked up, a doubtful look on his face. "You're going to create a spell?"
"Yes," she said, laying his hand on her leg, the broken finger sending a chill through her spine. "Yes, I am."
"No offense," he grinned, "but that's not as easy as it sounds. It's not like just anyone can do it."
"Episkey."
He screamed out in pain as the finger snapped back into place.
She shot him an amused look. "Good thing I'm not just anyone."
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"TROLL!" Quirinus shrieked, bursting into the Great Hall on the evening of Halloween. The Hall, where the Halloween feast was being held, fell eerily silent. "There's a troll in the dungeons! I thought you ought to know." With those words, he sunk to his knees, overwhelmed by pure fear.
Emma's heart leapt into her throat, as the Great Hall burst into chaos. A troll in the castle? How is that even possible?
Students screamed and shouted, pushing each other out of the way in an attempt to get to the exit first, and clinging to each other in fear. Until...
