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.
...
"Are we going to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Emma asked, as she and Severus sat in the second-floor classroom studying. They spent more and more time there lately; seventh year was tougher than either of them was prepared for.
"Sure. Let's ask Lily as well, now that she's finally talking to me again."
"Lily's already going with –" She snapped her mouth shut, as it hit her what she was about to say. "Er... With someone else."
But it was already too late. Severus looked at her suspiciously. "With who?"
She hesitated, searching desperately for a way out. With a sigh, she conceded, "James Potter. I'm sorry, Severus."
His eyes widened until they all but bulged out of their sockets. "She's going out with Potter? You can't be serious!"
"Yeah, I said that too, but it's her decision."
"That bloody... That fucking..." With an angry growl, he threw his History of Magic book across the room, making Emma flinch.
As he buried his head in his hands, she deeply regretted telling him.
"Look, Severus –"
"Don't," he interrupted her. "Just don't." After a while he added, "I've truly lost her, haven't I? If she's going out with the likes of Potter... She'll never go for me, will she?"
"I don't know," said Emma honestly.
He pressed his hands against his eyes. "She never even gave me a chance. And now I've lost her," he muttered.
A few moments of painful silence followed, until Emma broke it. "Let's just stay here next weekend. I didn't really want to go to Hogsmeade anyway."
He nodded miserably.
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With her hands in her pockets and her head down, Emma exited the Great Hall. Students pushed through all around her, some entering for breakfast, while others were already finished and on their way back to their dorms.
"Emma!"
She turned to see Severus march up to her. Terrible timing, Severus, she thought, forcing a smile to her face. "Morning!"
"Have you already had breakfast?"
"Yes, yeah, I was early today. Busy day." She smiled.
"Join me in my office later. We'll mark the homework together."
"Oh, actually, I was just going out." She gestured vaguely over her shoulder. "I have to take care of something. We'll do dinner tonight, okay?"
His eyebrows rose. "Oh. Alright. I'll see you then."
She smiled again, doing her best to convey that nothing was wrong, and waved him goodbye. At a brisk pace, she made her way to Hogwarts' front entrance.
