Bluebirds and Birthday Candles by TheTransfiguredCanary
Summary: It only took a moment for the world as Harry knew it to crumble. For everything he thought he knew to be cast into doubt. High on the Cliffs of Dover, he'll learn not just about himself, but his bitter old potions professor, and his beautiful rescuer, each scarred by love and loss. Secrets are waiting in the winds. It will take all the hope in the world to bring them to the light.
Categories: Parental Snape > Biological Father Snape, Teacher Snape > Professor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Emmeline Vance
Snape Flavour: Snape Comforts, Snape is Kind, Snape is Stern
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Family, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Abuse Recovery, Depression Recovery, Disguised!Harry, Hospitalization
Takes Place: 3rd summer, 3rd Year
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Alcohol Use, Emotional Abuse, Neglect, Panic attack, Profanity, Romance/Het
Challenges: None
Series: Wishing on the Winds
Chapters: 28 Completed: Yes Word count: 106216 Read: 38690 Published: 03 Aug 2022 Updated: 07 Feb 2023
Chapter 11 - Chicken Soup for the Soul by TheTransfiguredCanary
Author's Notes:
So sorry for the wait my dears,

The local comic con in my area is happening this weekend and I have been busy as heck with work and finishing my costume (1860s ballgown, based off of a famous ghost, all sewn myself custom with hand-made corset [I only started it a month ago:") {I am a masochist apparently}] ready and haven't had any time at all to get anything done,

lucky for you all my editor and dear friend Books pulled through and managed to get it all edited and ready!

Thanks again, love!

Harry had always been a bit nervous about hospitals. The cold antiseptic nature of them made him uncomfortable. Severus also seemed tense as they sat stiffly in the waiting room. He'd been reading a two-year-old issue of potions monthly but had otherwise taken to sternly sitting beside Harry, gaze fixed on some point across the room. Meanwhile, Harry’s gaze was all over the place. He couldn't help it! There was so much to see! From the gentleman with purple skin and horns coming out of his cheeks to a pair of girls running around, giggling, with feathers coming out of their ears, to the gentleman who sang operatically whenever he opened his mouth. 

"S. Snape!" A voice suddenly called out.

"Up." Severus declared as he led the way across the waiting room with Harry trailing behind him. 

"Follow me." The woman in mint green robes declared. Severus nodded and followed. She led them to a small room very reminiscent of the nurse's office Harry remembered from primary. Severus gestured for Harry to sit on the bed. 

"The healer will be with you shortly." The woman declared before leaving again. 

"Hold still a moment." Severus declared as he held out his wand and waved it over Harry's body. "Honestly. That man! Letting his daughter run around with chicken pox!"

"Chicken pox?! But they didn't have any red bumps!" Harry argued. Severus rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't affect wizards quite the same way as muggles." A man suddenly declared, stepping into the room. He was an older gentleman, with salt and pepper hair, sporting the same mint green robes the younger woman had, "Wizards tend to get a fever, followed by feathers coming out of your ears and sometimes your nose, particularly when you sneeze. In adults, it tends to cause compulsive clucking noises, and some start growing feathers instead of hair. It usually wears off on its own, but a potion may be required if the infection remains for longer than a few days." The healer explained with an indulgent smile. "It is still just as contagious, however." He gave Severus a once over before giving Harry another smile. "My name is Healer Fargus. Now how are you feeling, young man?"

"Alright," Harry muttered truthfully. He hadn’t been sick, and aside from his broken leg a few weeks back, he was much less injured than he typically would be during the summer. 

He did still feel bad about Dudley though.

"Well, let me just run a few diagnostic spells and we'll see how things are." Healer Fargus declared before he waved his wand, which conjured a parchment. The scroll grew longer and longer as the man watched, eyes slowly bugging out of his skull. Snape was also watching the list getting stormier and stormier with each added inch. Harry shrunk slightly as the scrolls touched the floor. Then finally it stopped growing. Both Severus and the healer were speed reading the scroll as the healer read down the list.

"BASILISK VENOM?!" The healer suddenly cried in horror. Severus groaned.

"Yes. Young Harry saw fit to attempt to battle a basilisk, completely alone, using nothing by a long sword." Severus declared, pinching the bridge of his nose. Harry gave the horrified healer a weak smile.

"If it makes you feel any better, I was healed by a Phoenix a minute later." He offered, gesturing for the man to keep reading. The healer made a noise and read a bit further, but his grunt made it very clear that he didn't find that small comfort very comforting. When he reached the end he made another noise, this one more of a grunt of relief. 

"Finally a properly healed injury." He muttered under his breath. He quickly amended his statement, "well apart from those healed by Poppy. She's a fine mediwitch. She really knows what she's doing. I met her again just a few days ago actually. She was in Norway, helping with an outbreak of dragon pox." The healer remarked casually. Then he duplicated the scrolls twice, tapping one and sending it to an unknown fate, and handing the other to Severus, "for your perusal." Then he sat down on his desk chair, holding the first scroll. "Now, moving forward, I recommend titans brew to properly repair all of these broken bones.  In addition, I think adding a nutritional supplement to his diet should help get him into a proper weight range. His height is only slightly below average, which I suspect is due to the improved diet. The nutritional supplement should help in that regard as well. I also notice he doesn't have any of his vaccinations."

"I was hoping to rectify that today," Severus admitted.

"Very well." Healer Fargus declared before standing again. "I'll be right back with those."

"How many am I getting?" Harry asked casually.

"8." Severus declared.

"8?!" Harry cried in horror. "What for?"

"Dragon pox, chicken pox, flobberworm flu, spaggeroit, tetanus, biting blisters, Mungo's plague, and singing sickness." Severus listed. "Though the last two are a booster you need to take once every 7 years and the flobberworm flu is a yearly thing." Harry blinked.

"I didn't know about any of this." He declared. Severus growled.

"Most muggle-borns get an appointment set up with Poppy at the start of the term. Albus probably told her that you already had them." Severus complained. "as previously explained, he believed your upbringing was a lot better than it actually was." Not that he thought it had been good, Severus silently added with a dark growl. 

He was still very angry with the man.

"Here we are!" Healer Fargus declared as returned, toting a floating tray of potions behind him. "Lay down Mr. Potter. We'll get these administered and have you up and about in an hour or so"

"An hour?!" Harry yelped. He hadn't realized it would take that long! He thought he'd just take some potions and then be gone! 

"We have to wait and judge your reactions after each one." Healer Fargus explained before he lifted the first bottle. "Bottoms up." Harry groaned before he did as instructed. 


Emmeline was darning one of her shawls when the fire suddenly roared to life. She looked up and her eyebrows skyrocketed as Harry stumbled out of the fireplace covered in Blue polka dots with a dopey grin on his face. 

"Hi-hic-Emmeline!" He sang. Severus suddenly appeared behind him looking very tired.

"Go to bed Harry!" He barked.

"But I -hic- don wanna!" The teen moaned sadly. 

"Harry!" Severus snapped angrily.

"Finnne." Harry said woozily, "but you're a -hic- mean ole grouch." Then he stumbled on the last Stepp and broke into a fit of giggles. 

"What on earth…" Emmeline began as  Severus huffed and went to help the boy whose uncontrollable hiccups were now so bad they were making his whole body shake. 

"He had a bad reaction to the singing sickness vaccine," Severus explained. "The healer said to bring him home and have him sleep it off."

"My tummy -hic- hurts." Harry moaned suddenly. Severus sighed and conjured a bucket as he pulled the boy properly to his feet. Emmeline set down her needles and joined Severus in helping him to bed. His limbs seemed like they were made of rubber and his intermediate bouts of giggling and hiccups made his whole body shake. Severus stood off to the side as Emmeline tucked him in, purring words of comfort looking and acting like a mother hen. 

It made his heart hurt.

Finally, the boy was asleep, snoring rater melodiously, a quintessential symptom of singing sickness, and Emmeline pulled away. Severus stared at her for a few moments as she closed the door behind them, lingering for a moment.

"Say it," she suddenly said bitterly

"Say what?" Severus demanded, feeling as though he'd already said something to upset her.

"Say that I'm being a sap. That I'm living vicariously through him…"

"Emmeline," Severus said tiredly.

"Well, I don't care!" Emmeline suddenly snapped, and Severus could see the unshed tears in her eyes. "I don't care."

"Emmeline… when the summer is over-" Severus reminded her slowly. 

"Then let me have this summer, Severus." Emmeline begged bitterly, "let me live through our dream. And then I can say I lived it. That will be enough for me." Severus swallowed roughly. 

He remembered when they made that dream. Severus had been lamenting the loss of his friendship with Lily, and how lonely the summers had become. Emmeline had regaled him with her own tales of childhood boredom, with no playmates but dolls and elderly nannies. 

They had dreamed of a large household, full of curious and inquisitive children. 

It had been such a wonderful dream.

And then Severus had ruined it all.

The potions master sighed.

"I do not begrudge you this time, Emmeline." He finally responded. "I only think of what will happen when it is over." 

"I can take care of myself, Severus." Emmeline spat. "I've only been doing it for 14 years." Severus winced before the woman marched away. 


Harry groggily trudged downstairs with a groan. He felt just awful. Yeah, the spots and hiccups and the weird uncontrollable giggling were gone, but in their place, he felt like he'd lost a fight with a mountain troll.

"Good afternoon," Severus said before he slid a cup of tea under his nose. He moaned in delight as he knocked it back, its sweet warmth a balm on his scratchy throat.

"How long was I asleep?" He asked. 

"Two hours. Aside from the ache, are you otherwise well?" Severus asked. 

"I have a bit of a sore throat and my ears feel like they're stuffed with cotton," Harry complained slightly.

"That's the normal reaction to the vaccine," Severus assured him.

"The spots were normal right?" Harry argued with a whine.

"You're allergic to Gandy root." Severus declared. Harry blinked.

"Really? I had no idea." Then he blinked. "Wait did the healer tell you that? I don't remember that."

"I know it's the Gandy root because I had a similar reaction the first time I took it," Severus explained. "It's a very uncommon ingredient, not usually worked with in simple brews. But if you do use it later be warned, your hands will tingle and the tips will turn blue for a few hours."

"Gandy root… that's like a form of ginger right?" Harry questioned. 

"Correct," Severus said with a touch of surprise.

"Do you get a rash when you eat ginger too? Cause I noticed that the last time I had gingerbread. They tasted good, but I got a rash all over." Harry explained, gesturing to his lower face.

"I confess I don't work with ginger very often. My mother never made gingerbread. We had shortbread for Christmas." Severus admitted. He knew he was setting himself up for another round of Harry's inquisition, but he found himself more open to it, given the revelations of the week. Harry was curious as a result of a decade of being barred from asking anything at all. And if his indulgence encouraged Harry to ask adults questions, perhaps that could lead to him asking adults for help

"Only?" Harry cried in shock. "I made all sorts during Christmas. Granted, I usually didn't get to have any of them, but you're missing out! Gingerbread is almost worth the rash, especially with icing, and sugar cookies are great! Plus my aunt made these peanut butter cookies that were amazing!" Harry declared before his face fell. He seemed to lose all his energy all at once. "I'm never going to have one of those ever again." He whispered in shock.

"Why do you say that?" Severus asked quietly.

"Because she's dead." Harry croaked. "she never shared the recipe with me… she developed it herself and she wanted to keep it a secret." Tears suddenly collected under his eyes. "Oh god, she's really gone." He whispered. Severus immediately jumped up and pulled Harry into yet another impromptu hug. He had noticed that Harry had been refusing to refer to his relatives in the past tense, almost as though he couldn't vocalize that they were no longer alive. But he'd finally conceptualized it. He had realized their passing was permanent, and no matter their abuse, Severus knew it was very difficult to move on from the sudden death of someone you had known for over a decade. 

It had taken him two years to fully conceptualize Lily's death.

And he hadn't spoken to her in over a year.

Eventually, the boy's shoulders stopped shaking, but he didn't seem inclined to leave the cocoon of Severus's fleece. But the man had a feeling it was more out of embarrassment than comfort. But when he pulled back he wasn't blushing or looking ashamed. 

"Thank you." He whispered.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Severus asked casually. Harry smiled.

"Why do you always offer hot chocolate before or after something sad?" He asked. Severus made a noise.

"Chocolate has honestly astounding restorative properties in wizards. Parts of the cocoa plant are key ingredients in most restorative and rejuvenations. Some wizards choose to eat chocolate, but I prefer to drink it."

"So hot chocolate is basically a potion?" Harry demanded, his grin growing cheeky.

"Yes, and it's the only one with sugar," Severus said with a roll of his eyes. Harry laughed. Then he blinked.

"Oh! The optometrist appointment!"

"Is in an hour," Severus said with a bow of his head. "I planned ahead for any minor complications." Then he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two steaming mugs. "Now shoosh and drink your hot chocolate."

"Yes sir," Harry said with a smile.


Harry looked around the office with wonder. When Severus had told him they were returning to Diagon Alley he'd expected a lot of boarded-up shops, but the alley was almost completely healed from the Death Eater attack. In fact, according to the paper, the Death Eaters seemed to be laying low again. But Severus admonished him that the Death Eaters weren't gone, no matter what the Prophet thought. And Harry couldn't help but agree. After all, as far as everyone else was concerned Voldemort was dead and gone. 

But Harry knew better.

The Shop was further down the alley than Harry had ever been, and had a massive sign out front that looked like a pair of eyes behind eyeglasses. The eyes winked at him as he approached which made him gasp in wonder.

"Oh don't mind the sign, it's a terrible flirt." The shopkeeper, a tall but portly woman with blue and orange striped robes with a pair of octagonal gold glasses with a chain studded with crystals, cried as Harry stopped to look up at the sign. "Oh! Severus darling! Wonderful to see you dear!"

"Mrs. Wetheringston," Severus responded with a bow.

"Gilda please!" The woman huffed. "I've only known you for 30 years!"

"You needed glasses?" Harry cried in shock.

"I fit Severus with his correctives when he began attending primary school." Mrs. Wetheringston explained. "so that by the time he went to Hogwarts he didn't need them anymore."

"Correctives? You mean you have glasses that can fix bad eyesight?!" Harry cried in awe.

"Eyeglasses alone will not correct eyesight for muggles." Severus explained, "but magic is very adaptive, and it works to correct that which is broken based on feedback."

"Technically, you could achieve the same results with muggle-made glasses," Mrs. Wetheringston admitted, "The difference between magical corrective and muggle ones is that muggle ones need to be replaced as the eyes improve. Whereas magical ones adjust to you gradually until they are obsolete." Then she patted the padded chair in front of an array of mirrors. "Come sit dear and let me see those." Harry sat in the chair, which immediately made him curl up in comfort. It was the plushest, softest chair he'd ever sat in. Mrs. Wetheringston made a noise as she inspected the glasses. 

"These are being held together with magic and spellotape." She complained before she snapped them in half. "Cheap muggle things." Harry made a noise of alarm. "Don't worry darling. We're going to give you much better frames than this." Then she waved her wand and conjured a scroll. "Read as far as you can dear." 

"Er…" Harry said as he squinted. But he couldn't read any of it. It was all blurry lines. The woman made a noise. 

"Just relax darling." She said before she tipped the chair back so she could lean over him. Harry flinched as her wand appeared in his face, dangerously close to his eyes. He flinched back as a cold feeling brushed across his eyes but a blink banished the feeling. Then she did it again for the other side. When she was finished she tipped him back up.

"Goodness Severus, his eyes are worse than yours were!" She admonished. 

"Can he still use correctives?" Severus inquired. 

"Yes, although his eyes are more developed than most who start to." Mrs. Wetheringston admitted. Severus hummed with thought. Harry was starting to form a headache, the blurriness of the room making him rather discombobulated. Then suddenly everything flashed into stark clarity. He flinched back in shock. He could see! And not just see as he could see before. Actually see! He looked over at his professor with the biggest grin on his face. The man snorted and shook his head indulgently.

"Now," Mrs. Wetheringston began as she tapped the top of the lenses. "Do you still want round frames? Personally, I would recommend square for you, dear. Your face has a nice shape that would be complemented by a more angular frame."

"Can I try it out?" Harry asked.

"Of course!" Mrs. Wetheringston assured him before taking the lenses again. A pair of square frames appeared. Harry smiled. He did look a lot better with those.

"What colour would you like? Black, silver, gold is quite nice." Mrs. Wetheringston offered, lifting her own glasses. 

"Silver might be nice." Harry offered. She waved her wand and the wire became a sparkling silver. "Can the wire be a little thicker?" He questioned. 

"Tell me when." She said before she half her wand over them. Harry watched until the wire was a quarter cm thick. 

"That's good." He said casually. Then he turned his head, gazing at his reflection. "They're perfect!" 

"Not quite perfect." Severus admonished before he turned to Mrs. Wetheringston with a huff. "Can you please reinforce the frames against breakage? And the joints against wear. Harry tends to fiddle with them when he's absorbed in things like schoolwork. Also, the lenses should be scratch and crack-resistant. And permanent water repelling and anti-fogging charms would be useful."

"Any anti misplacement charms?" Mrs. Wetheringston offered as she tapped the frames or waved her wand to apply everything that Severus had listed.

"Yes please!" Harry cried with relish. He vividly remembered all the times Dudley had stolen his glasses. 

"Do you want them returned to your bedside table or your pocket?" Mrs. Wetheringston asked.

"Best go with pocket." Severus reasoned.

"Anything else?" Mrs. Wetheringston offered casually.

"No. Now, what's the damage?" Severus demanded. The woman conjured a scroll and hummed.

"Well. Regularly, 60 galleons, 4 sickles and 2 knuts." She replied. Harry choked on air. 60 galleons?! That was almost £300! He opened his mouth to argue that he would pay for them. "But because you're such a loyal customer, I'll only charge you 30 galleons and let you keep the change."

"Thank you," Severus said before he pulled out a small pouch of coins and handed it to her. Harry flinched again.

“erm… sir. I really can pay for it," Harry begged, "it's really no trouble."

"Nonsense." Severus insisted plainly. "I'm not providing you with anything less than what you have always deserved." Harry felt his throat tighten as the man said that.

Nobody had ever said that Harry deserved anything before. 

It was nice.

It told him in such a deep and profound way that he mattered. 

And not because he was the Boy Who Lived

But for being just Harry.

"Come along then." Severus insisted with a wave. "We're going to have to let Emmeline have a look at you."

"Emmeline?! Vance?!" Mrs. Wetheringston crowed with a cheeky grin. "Igniting an old flame eh Severus." The potions master's face grew stormy, though Harry was shocked to see a slight blush on the man's cheekbones.

"Thank you for your services, madame." He ground out before he pulled Harry out of the store. "Bloody incorrigible gossip." The man grumbled as he stomped away.

"Thank you for the glasses, sir." Harry said as he gazed around Diagon with new awe. Everything was so crisp! So clear! He had never realized that the sign above Quality Quidditch Supplies sparkled. Or that border on the Honeydukes sign was actually a swarm of golden bees wiggling around.

"You're very welcome," Severus replied. Then he glanced at his watch. "Let's get some Flortesques." 

"My treat!" Harry cried quickly. "I can't let you spend another galleon after these! I can't believe she gave them to you for half off! Especially with all the extras!"

"I just ordered what I thought was necessary," his face grew rather exhaustedly resigned, "I have come to accept that there is nothing I can do to convince you to be less reckless. You're a hopeless Gryffindor." Harry looked away with a sheepish blush.

"Now then!" He cried before marching up to the counter. "One black forest cake, one pumpkin juice, and one-"

"Raspberry peanut butter." Harry finished. That one looked particularly delicious. 

"Sweet Merlin, you're Harry Potter."  The old man behind the counter said in awe. Instantly the teen flinched and rose up a hand to smooth his hair over his scar. Severus cursed under his breath.

“Should have given you a disguise,” he muttered. Then he gave Florean a firm glare. “You won't be announcing us understood?”

“O-of course.” Florean stuttered nervously. “So one black forest cake, one pumpkin juice and one raspberry peanut butter?” he asked again.

“Yes please!” Harry confirmed. The man turned and quickly made them up. Then he handed them to Severus. “How much?”

“Oh, nothing for you.” Florean insisted with a grin. “I should be paying you!”

“But-” Harry cried.

“Now please move!” Florean said a little firmer, as if Harry was causing trouble, “you're holding up the line.” Then he gave the teen a wink. Harry expected all the eyes would be on him, despite Severus' threat. But in fact, the patrons were all tossing Severus dirty looks. One woman even sniffed and muttered to her sons.

“That's what happens when a father doesn't teach his son proper manners.” Harry nearly choked on his first bite of ice cream. 

Now that was a scary thought!

He tried to gaze at Severus as casually as possible through his fringe. The man looked more tired than angry.

“Very clever Florean,” he muttered darkly

“Sorry, sir.” Harry whispered.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Harry,” Severus assured him. Then he flicked his wrist, casting a spell over the ice cream. “Now let's be off.”


Emmeline smiled as Harry turned his head back and forth.

“Very handsome!” she cried. Harry blushed. 

“Thanks,” he murmured. 

"And thank you for the ice cream," Emmeline said before taking a large bite. 

"I got it for free," Harry admitted sheepishly. "Mr. Flortesque wouldn't let me pay for it."

"Well, that was kind of him."

"I guess," Harry muttered, "but I wish people would treat me like a normal person. Instead of some all-powerful superhuman." 

"I highly doubt Florean sees you as a superhuman," Severus argued as he brought a tea tray in from the kitchen. "Merely as a young man who has done astounding things and deserves recognition."

"But I haven't really done anything!" Harry argued.

"I see. So saving Ginevra Weasley wasn't an incredibly noble and courageous thing." Severus complained. "Merely a foolish and reckless one." 

"Er-well no I guess-"

"And halting You Know Who's second rise to power at the age of 11 wasn't all that impressive either I suppose?" Emmeline added with twinkling eyes.

"Well, I mean-"

"Saving a fellow student from a mountain troll using nothing but your wits and well-placed spells," Severus added. Harry gaped.

"But you were angry about that!" He countered.

"Angry that you didn't think to inform an adult, but instead rushed in headlong without first analyzing the situation." Severus said firmly, "but that doesn't mean it wasn't an impressive feat."

"To be fair, when we told professor McGonagall about the stone, she didn't believe us," Harry argued. Severus scoffed.

"She believed you, Harry, she just didn't want you to panic." He snorted in hindsight. "or do anything reckless. She sent word to Dumbledore as soon as you left and immediately sent Filius to set up alarms on the door so that we would know when someone entered the Chambers." Severus rolled his eyes. "Of course by dismissing you so coarsely she convinced you to go after it yourself. A foolish miscalculation that she has assured me will never happen again."

"Okay… so maybe I've done some pretty cool things." Harry argued with a huff, "doesn't mean I should be treated differently than everyone else all the time." 

"Perhaps not all the time." Severus agreed. "But you should have a little more confidence in yourself, Harry. I know the attention is grating. But you should also be proud of what you've achieved." 

"Alright." Harry assented with a shrug. Severus nodded.

"Would you like to test out your new glasses on your broom?" Emmeline offered with a smile.

"Heck yes!" Harry cried excitedly before rushing upstairs for his boom. 

"Are things all ready for tomorrow?" Emmeline asked casually as she stood.

"Yes. I went to collect everything while he napped. They're hidden in the basement."

"Excellent… I am a bit sad that we couldn't do more though."

"It's disappointing, yes, but this is safer."

"I know." Emmeline assented before Harry thundered down the stairs with his broom over his shoulder. 

"What are you gonna teach me this time?" He asked excitedly.

"How are your corkscrew turns?" She asked happily. Harry shook himself in flabbergasted shock.

"Corkscrew turns?! Bloody hell isn't that professional Quidditch level stuff?!"

"Emmeline used to play chaser at Hogwarts and used them all the time. " Severus reminisced casually, "also no cursing!"

"Sorry," Harry muttered sheepishly. Then he dove into a rapid-fire interrogation of Emmeline's time on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

The End.


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