18 August 1985 - Late Afternoon - Hogwarts
With her arm through Severus' the two adults ambled down the worn dirt pathway to Hagrid's hut. From their vantage they could see Harry energetically playing with Fang and the floppy-eared puppy, Droopy. Severus expected to see his father sitting in a rocking chair on the porch but he did not immediately see him.
"There, Severus," Poppy was pointing towards Hagrid's garden.
They both stopped walking as Severus' jaw nearly dropped in surprise. Albus, wearing grey robes, was kneeling in the garden. His beard had been braided and tossed over one shoulder to stay out of the way. Hagrid was not far tending to his large pumpkins.
"That cannot be," Severus breathed in astonishment. "Is that Albus actually gardening?"
Poppy chuckled, "I do believe it is, Severus."
To Severus' further disbelief Poppy had gathered up her skirts and was now running down the hill the rest of the way to join Harry. He watched as she caught Harry into her arms and he let out a giggling shriek. Moments later he was back on the ground and running towards his father. Severus automatically knelt upon one knee to better catch his son.
"SHADOW!" Harry kissed his father several times. "Did you see Madame Pomfrey catch me? She surprised me."
"I did see that," replied Severus. "I do believe she surprised me as well. What is your grandfather doing in the garden, Magpie?"
"Hagrid put something called Thestral lin-mint on grandpa's knees, Shadow. I don't think it's a potion of yours," whispered Harry.
Severus frowned. "No, that is not. It is meant for Thestrals, not grandfathers." He rose and let Harry slip to the ground. He noticed his father waving to him from the garden.
Poppy, carrying the puppy in her arms, was following Harry. Severus was momentarily blinded by the smile on the woman's face, and her beautifully flushed cheeks. It recalled him to the first time he gave her more than a cursory glance.
1971 November - Hogwarts
Severus Snape, even at the tender age of eleven, was a tall, gangly Slytherin who had a poor tendency to hunch his shoulders as if he were hiding. He was, more than likely, hiding. Severus was always anticipating attack from one or all four of the Marauders, those four Gryffindors that had taken an instant dislike to him. Three months had passed and still there was no let up in their hexes, jinxes, and the pranks they pulled.
This time James Potter had caused his cauldron to blow up in his face after he had thrown a simple bit of dust into his potion. A piece of the cauldron had hit Severus squarely in the face, breaking his nose, and giving him not one, but two black eyes. He had not wanted to visit the Infirmary but Professor Slughorn had insisted. What galled Severus was that it was Potter who had escorted him to the Infirmary. Luckily, Potter had not spoken at all to him.
Madame Enid Wells was nowhere to be seen and Severus guessed the old witch was asleep in her office. Eight times now Severus had been sent to the Infirmary and had not once been treated by the old matron. Her apprentice, Poppy, had dealt with him.
The young apprentice generally irritated Severus. Mostly because she was so young! Eighteen years. Who knew anything about healing at that age. She had left Hogwarts barely a year ago, and had done her required two years towards her Healership at St. Mungo's beginning in her 6th year at Hogwarts. Poppy was now apprenticed to Madame Wells, the Healer for Hogwarts. Well qualified she was, but she still only looked like she ought to be a student …she was pretty, though…
Like other students who had been treated by the young apprentice Poppy was not taken seriously as a Medi-Witch. Severus disliked the crude jokes that cast aspersions upon the young witch's character. Of course, Sirius Black had begun those awful words.
"Oh, Severus!" said Poppy with concern the moment she saw him. "Come. Sit down over here," she indicated a clean, empty bed.
James Potter had left his charge the second they both saw the Infirmary doors. Severus had been holding a dingy cloth to his nose and it was nearly soaked with his blood. Poppy carefully removed the cloth. "The bleeding has nearly stopped but…" she cast a minor Diagnostic Charm. "Your nose is broken. I ought to be able to fix it…"
Severus pulled away. "You cand't," he snapped with the obvious change in tone from his damaged nasal cavity. "Doo mady dimes brokeden."
Poppy cast a more in-depth Diagnostic Spell to give her a history of injury to the young boy's nose. As runes wrote themselves into the air above Severus her lips thinned. "Broken three times. You're right, Severus. I can't magically heal your nose. I can set it and you'll just have to bear the time it will take to heal."
Severus shrugged. The last time a Healer had used magic on his broken nose had only resulted in further injury that he'd just decided not to mention.
"Do you have trouble breathing at night, Severus?" the Medi-Witch asked.
Severus glared in astonishment. "I thleep thitting ub." He frowned. "I thound lige a boob."
Poppy smiled and chuckled as she lifted Severus head by his chin. "I can fix that, Severus. Let's get you cleaned up, heal those black eyes, and then set your nose."
"'Kay," he sighed. "Thankth."
Poppy was quick and thorough with her healing spells. The setting of Severus' nose was a bit longer to do since she had to manually set his nose and that was painful. His eyes glimmered with tears but none fell. She then bandaged his nose in a splint that would keep it protected.
Severus looked down at the white splint cross-eyed. "This is horrible, Poppy!"
"Oh hush, Severus. Don't be so vain. I have a little cosmetic Glamour that will hide it perfectly." She touched the tip of his splint with her wand and the plaster was soon invisible. The young boy actually managed a smile as she held up a mirror to him to show that his face was healed.
"You can fix my breathing at night, Poppy?" asked Severus.
"I can. There is scarring of the nasal cavity due to your previous breaks. I am guessing that for those you went to a Muggle Healer?" asked Poppy.
Severus nodded. "The last time my nose was broken I went to St. Mungo's with my mother. The Healer warned me that it might not work…" he shrugged.
Poppy clucked her tongue, and shook her head. She replied sharply, "If the Healer had any doubt he or she ought not to have tried. All the Healer did was make things worse. Lift your chin," the Medi-Witch instructed as she held her wand over his nose. "This will feel a bit itchy and you might want to sneeze but try not to. All right?"
"I'm ready," he said lifting his chin. Poppy chanted the spell and waved her wand to scribe a set of runes in the air. Severus felt a warmth in his nose, then a dryness that brought that itchy feeling. He really wanted to sneeze but did not want to mess up the Medi-witch's healing. He grabbed her hand in his and she squeezed his fingers as she finished the spell.
Finally, the itchiness was gone and the need to sneeze had vanished. "Lie down and let's check your breathing, Severus." Gingerly Severus lay back upon the bed and rested his head on the pillow. "Breathe, dear," she said softly.
Severus had not realised he had been holding his breath. He let it out, then back in. As his nerves settled he breathed normally. Then he marvelled at the change. "I can breathe!" For a brief moment he flashed her a worried look. "Will I still snore?" The Medi-witch shook her head. "Poppy, you did it. Thank you!" In that moment, as she smiled at him, he decided he would find a way for everyone else to take her seriously. Poppy Pomfrey, was, in his eyes, a Healer of Miracles.
—Severus Snape's Second Year (1972) at Hogwarts
Poppy Pomfrey was the new Healer at Hogwarts. She should have spent one more year in apprenticeship but Healer Enid Wells had passed on in her sleep at her desk. It was the Headmaster who had found the older witch. He had then requested Poppy to be his new Healer from St. Mungo's on the condition that she would finish her apprenticeship at St. Mungo's when term was finished.
Poppy was very pleased at her new position but it did bother her that she was still perceived, by the students, as too young. She recently ran into problems with a few of the staff simply ignoring her because of her youth. Charged with the health and welfare of all, students and staff, that resided in Hogwarts, this attitude made her job difficult. It sometimes distressed her to the point of tears.
The young Healer had retreated to her office after a blistering reprimand from the regal Bathsheba Babbling the teacher of Ancient Runes. Poppy had scheduled all of the staff for routine exams at the beginning of term but Professor Babbling had been ignoring her appointments. In an attempt to re-schedule the witch's exam once again, she was flatly told to 'bugger off' and to leave her alone. The professor then proceeded to insult Poppy's age and lack of experience.
The brief meeting had worn Poppy out, and since the Infirmary was empty and she could briefly set aside her paperwork she had closed herself in her office.
Severus Snape, second year student, had arrived in the Infirmary in an unusual state of health. No skinned knees, bruises, or ribs broken from the attacks he was beginning to expect upon a daily basis. All Summer he had been working on a project that he'd had to mostly do at night, or in the park away from his parents home. He had finally succeeded and could not wait to show the Healer what he had done. As he ambled into the Healer's office he did not expect to see Poppy with her head upon her arms.
"Poppy?"
Her head jerked up and she gave the student a watery smile. "Severus… I-I-I didn't know anyone had come in." She tried to pat the bun of her hair into place but it only drooped to the side.
Severus took one of the visitor chairs in the Healer's office and seated himself. "What happened?" he asked gently.
Poppy shook her head. "I can't speak of it, Severus," she sighed.
"Ah," he nodded. "Then one of the teacher's upset you."
Poppy's eyes narrowed. "I always seem to forget that it's useless to hide anything from a Slytherin." She smiled to show she was only joking.
"It is," he smirked. "I have something for you, Poppy."
"You do?" Poppy then tried to suppress her excitement. She reminded herself that she was a Healer at Hogwarts and Severus was a student. "I… uhm… I can't accept…"
Severus would not allow her to finish as he said, "I created an aging Glamour for you that will age with you and it will also be undetected by nearly all Revealing Spells."
"You created a charm for me?" Poppy gasped.
"Not a simple cosmetic Glamour charm, Poppy. This is a spell that's a bit more complicated. It will age you by 15 years until you reach the age of 33. It will then age you only by five years. When you reach the age of 38 it will no longer age you." He smiled shyly. "Of course, you don't have to use it but I figured that if you appear older maybe the students will take you more seriously as a Healer."
"Severus! Of course I'll use it! That's just what I need. Please teach it to me, would you?" Poppy brightened in anticipation. Severus just nodded, and they began.
The spell was an easy one to do. The complication came in the wand movement which would describe a series of Binding Runes that contained the aging magic and the ability for no one to detect the Glamour easily. Since Healers routinely used runes and Binding Runes in their work it was not difficult for Poppy to master the spell. Finally, after a half an hour of instruction the Healer applied the Glamour.
"How do I look, Severus?"
Poppy was aged by fifteen years yet she was not terribly changed. There was a maturity in her features she did not usually project. Her eyes were not quite as bright but Severus thought they were still striking. Her gaze demanded attention. The faintest of wrinkles appeared at the outer corners of her eyes and a shadow of wrinkling on the forehead. Her hair, a usually soft, ash-blonde, had darkened to a deeper, somewhat smokey blonde.
"Beautiful," he replied before thinking. Poppy blushed. Severus blushed as he realised what he'd just spoken aloud. To stop either of them from saying or doing anything they might regret he conjured a hand mirror and handed it to her. "Everyone will take you seriously now, Poppy… uhm, Madame Pomfrey."
The hug that the Healer gave Severus remained a pleasant memory that he eventually tucked away in his 'Memory Palace' when he began to learn Occlumency.
18 August 1985 - Late Afternoon - Hogwarts
Harry watched with rapt interest as his father bowed partially and extended a hand to Madame Pomfrey who was coming up the small hill with Droopy in her arms. He was smiling, knowingly, a bit too long and was caught by his father.
"And, what has you so amused, Mr. Snape?" his eyebrow rose as he smirked.
"Have you and Madame Pomfrey come to play, Shadow?" asked Harry. Severus was taken aback by the absolute innocence upon his son's face down to blinking his large, green eyes in a disarming manner.
"Are you not the little Slytherin, Magpie?" he mused.
"Me?" asked Harry in genuine puzzlement.
"Yes, you, my son," he smirked as he chose not to explain his words. "Madame Pomfrey and I have had a difficult day so far and we shall spend the rest of it with you," he said instead. They had reached Hagrid's garden. "Father, I do not believe I have ever seen you gardening."
Albus grinned as he rose nearly effortlessly to his feet. "It's remarkable, my boy! Hagrid's Thestral lineament has made my knees and ankles nicely warm and flexible."
"So I see. I was not aware it could be used on wizards and witches," Severus mused as he glanced at Hagrid. The lumbering groundskeeper shrugged and welcomed the timely arrival of Fang against his legs.
Hagrid did not hesitate in striding over to address the Potions Master. "Me da' used to use Muggle 'orse lineament on 'is joints where 'e were older, Perfessor. I jes' used the Thestral lineament on me knees one night. Felt miles better. Figured the 'Eadmaster might benefit."
Poppy put down the puppy who gamboled over to Harry. She moved to the Headmaster, her wand out. "Albus, may I see your knees?" she asked. He nodded so she waved her wand over the area of his knees. Small runes soon appeared above the area Poppy had done her Diagnostic Charm. She then straightened. "No irritation to the skin and the knees arewarmed. I can approve the Thestral Lineament… this time only, Albus. I would suggest that you use a localised Warming Charm instead. Thestrals and… Hagrids…" she smiled at the half-giant, "have stronger skin than you do. Lineament could burn your skin with repeated use. Also," and she spoke sternly "you must keep using the Arthritis Potion Severus makes for you. It doesn't just reduce the inflammation but helps to do some repair to damaged joints."
Albus nodded and smiled. "I shall certainly do so, Poppy. And, no more gardening today. I am in need of a bit of rest."
The four adults seated themselves on Hagrid's porch. The groundskeeper whittled, Albus, true to his word, fell asleep in the rocking chair he had conjured earlier in the day. Severus and Poppy were settled in matching rocking chairs that the Healer had conjured. Severus was going to change his rocking chair into something more befitting a Potions Master but Poppy had insisted.
Hagrid's whittling soon vanished as he took a bit from his pipe and Fang settled at his feet to sleep. Harry had climbed onto his father's lap and curled up until he was comfortable and napping. A rumbling snore revealed that Hagrid had nodded off after Fang had fallen asleep at his feet.
Dusk began to paint itself across the sky in deep purple, royal blue, and a melting sun on the horizon. Poppy sighed happily.
"The early afternoon was nothing to speak of but this afternoon has been wonderful, Severus. I cannot recall a lovelier day." Poppy smiled and leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed.
With the woman's eyes closed Severus allowed himself to give her a soft smile. He then caught the hand nearest him into his own, and lightly squeezed her fingers. "Thank you for coming with me to St. Mungo's, Poppy. You made a difficult visit so much better."
a/n: Horse Lineament is 'a thang' that nearly any horse lover knows about. It CAN be used on older human with arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. However, it cannot be used all the time because it can burn sensitive, human skin. Heat does help but it should always be used with a pain reliever.
Please, I accept constructive criticism on the story (pointing out of mistakes, and questions) but not aspersions on my character. Be kind and do not leave unkind words under the guise of a Guest.
Jayne d'Arcy (etherian)