Dentistry
Severus was in agony. He knew he had to get something done about his jaw after that fight but he had no idea how he was going to do it. All the death eater healers refused to help him or were in Azkaban and were unable to do anything for him and the Order were hardly going to help him now that he had killed their leader. He knew there was only one group of people he could go to: Muggles.
It was 1969 and Severus' father, Tobias, had just returned from the dentist. His mouth was numb, he could barely talk and he was in almost as much pain as he had been before he had gone. So far that evening, his father had done nothing but complain about the dentist. His mouth had been bleeding ever since he returned home and the blood was dripping out of his mouth and down the front of his shirt
Severus shivered just thinking about it. He hated the idea of going to a muggle dentists and being in that sort of pain but he knew he had little or no choice in the matter.
He sighed, getting up out of his chair and grabbing some muggle clothing. He reluctantly dressed in the shirt and trousers and pulled a coat over the top. If any of his friends saw him now they would think he was crazy.
He opened the front door to his house and entered the muggle street. Thankfully it was deserted. He was even paler than usual and was extremely scared of what was about to happen to him. He forced himself to walk, knowing there was a muggle dentist somewhere in town. He made his way towards the centre, hoping he would find it soon and get it over with.
He saw a sign that said "Dentist, this way" and he gulped, and then walked down the small alleyway to the door with "Dental Surgery" written above it. He took one last look at the street and opened the door, stepping into the small waiting room on the other side.
"Snape?" a familiar voice said and he looked up to see Hermione Granger sitting in a chair on the other side of the desk.
"Miss Granger…" he said irritably, having been desperate to avoid anyone he knew.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"The door said this is a dental surgery… I am in sufficient pain to stoop low enough to seek help from muggles…" he replied, glaring at her slightly.
A man walked into the room and said to Hermione "Is this the next customer?"
"Yes father. He's… He's my friend so is there any chance you could treat him for free? So there is no record of him coming here? It would be a betrayal to his usual dentist you see…" Hermione said, trying to stop her parents being suspicious about him and connecting him to the man wanted by the police.
"Well if he's your friend he is more than welcome here," her father smiled, "Free of charge of course." He added.
Severus looked at Hermione in disbelief for a few seconds before he managed to pull himself together and enter the small room at the back of the surgery. "What did you say his name is, Hermione?" her father asked her as he prepared some numbing fluid.
"Erm… Steve," Hermione said hurriedly.
"Ok Steve. Just relax. This wont hurt at all."
Severus felt a small prickle of pain go across his jaw before he passed out from feeling so scared. When he awoke a few hours later he found his jaw no longer hurt and he was lying in a chair in the waiting room. He sat up slowly and saw Hermione was sitting at the desk doing some paperwork but the light was off in the surgery area behind her. She looked up and saw he was awake.
"Are you ok?" she asked him.
"I'm fine…" Severus replied, only then realising where he was. "Where is you father?"
"He's gone upstairs. Don't worry he cant hear us," Hermione said.
Severus nodded slowly, standing up. "Why did you cover for me?" he asked.
"Well it's hardly fair to let you suffer for doing what Dumbledore asked you to, is it?" she smiled.
Severus looked completely astonished. "How did you know about that?" he asked, wondering if he had been overheard at some point.
"You aren't the only one who can read minds, Snape," she said, smiling. "Don't worry I'm not going to tell anyone. You should probably leave before dad realises who you really are."
Severus nodded and said, "Thank you Hermione," then left quickly, wanting nothing more than to get home where he knew he was safe.