Chapter 36

Although Harry Potter was an unwilling participant at first, he really had nothing to worry about. Other than a long overdue cleaning, Jean Granger's examination revealed little. As she escorted the lad out of her exam room she explained to Charity her findings and that she didn't expect Harry would even need braces in the years to come. Out of the corner of her eye Jean caught her daughter's pout. It was already quite clear Hermione would not be so lucky.

Harry ambled out casually and took a seat beside his new, favourite, soon-to-be teacher.

"How'd it go, luv?" the young witch asked, holding out her slim hand to him.

Taking her hand in his, he shrugged as if it was all no big deal and sat down beside her.

"Well, I think," she continued, "that you were very brave!"

Harry grinned from ear to ear, revealing a very white and bright smile. Charity put her arm around his thin shoulder and gave him a quick squeeze. The boy basked in her affection; he loved receiving her compliments just as much as she loved to give them.

Sometime later, Harry and Charity were still sitting in the waiting room while Dr. Granger finished up with Severus. Since she hadn't heard any cursing or screaming, the young witch assumed Severus was doing all right. Still, the longer they waited, the more she worried. Charity watched Hermione help her mother organize some files and smiled sadly to herself. Her parents were gone now – they had been older when she was born and had died by accident on a cruise ship that had gone down in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It was such an odd way to die for a long-lived witch and wizard, but there was nowhere to apparate to and just like that, they were gone. The young witch looked on at the mother and daughter team knowing she'd never share such moments with her own mother again.

"Miss…" Harry whined, drawing Charity from her musings, "why is it taking so long?"

Charity stretched her arm about Harry and drew him closer to her side. The boy nestled next to her.

"I know it's been a long morning, luv. I'm sure it'll only be a few more minutes."

"He's ok, right?"

Hearing the child's concern, Jean looked up.

"I'm sure he's fine, dear."

Charity smiled reassuringly at Harry, even though her instincts were telling her that something was not quite right.

"Ummm…Ms. Burbage…Jean."

The young witch looked over at Jean and then back at Paul. She automatically stood up.

"Yes, Doctor."

"Would you come in here a moment?"

Charity could feel her stomach drop into her feet. What could possibly have happened? Slowly she turned toward Harry and gave him Severus' jacket to hold. Silently, he took it from her. Hermione, sensing her father's concern, moved swiftly to Harry and sat down beside him. Not knowing what to do, she took her new friend's hand in hers.

Each step felt like lead, but within seconds Charity was in Dr. Granger's surgery. Severus was lying back in the chair with his eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling evenly. He looked swollen around both sides of his jaw, but none the worse for wear. He flicked his onyx eyes open at her, making her jump. Seeing her reaction, Severus turned away and started to shake. The young witch was terribly confused and ran to her professor's side. Reaching out, she leaned over him, and placed both her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to calm him.

"Severus…it's ok. Tell me what's wrong."

Severus wouldn't utter a sound, but shook his head from side to side, tears silently streaming down his face.

Charity was shocked. Her noble, stoic, cranky professor was crying. What did this crank of a dentist do to him?

"Shhhhh," she cooed. "What happened?" she whispered fiercely, looking back at Paul.

Dr. Granger looked embarrassed.

"Frankly, I don't know. I gave him the appropriate amount of nitrous oxide for his height and weight. But half way through the procedure, the freezing began to lose effect, so I gave him a very small amount more. I finished my work, but he was still in a bit of pain, so he suggested that we use the addition of a spell to aid in the healing of his wounds."

Charity could feel her ire rising…men…even trained professionals…could be so stupid sometimes!

"You let him perform a spell on himself while high on laughing gas?"

"I'm sorry, but he seemed alert. Neither he nor I thought there would be a problem."

"So…what you're telling me is that he's having a reaction of some sort to the anesthetic, nitrous oxide, and whatever spell he performed on himself."

"Basically…yes."

"Oh, Paul," Jean lamented.

"What?" he exclaimed to his wife. "How could I know there would be a problem?"

"But that's why you shouldn't have done it, even if you thought Mr. Snape was coherent."

Dr. Granger sighed his agreement.

Charity was vexed, but there was nothing she could do about it now. All she could do was try and fix the problem.

"Would you give us a minute?" she requested as calmly as her nerves would allow.

"Of course. We'll take Harry with us and make some lunch."

"Thank you."

Once they were gone, Charity stroked Severus face to get his attention.

"Severus," she called quietly. He turned to her voice.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm having trouble controlling my emotions," he sputtered.

"I can see that," she fussed, rubbing her hand gently on his chest. "Tell me how this happened."

"I don't know," he shook his head, grabbing her hand. "I don't know."

"It's ok, luv…shhhhh…just try to breathe."

Charity stilled her hand as Severus took a deep, jagged breath, and exhaled slowly.

"It seems you had a negative reaction to combining Muggle medicine with a magical spell. So, let's try again. Do you remember how this happened?"

Severus continued to breathe slowly and was beginning to feel slightly calmer.

"Dr. Granger gave me a local anesthetic and then the gas. After it took effect he was able to take the two wisdom teeth from the right side of my mouth, but honestly, Charity, it hurt like hell. I thought the freezing combined with the nitrous oxide was supposed to make you not care, but I cared! I really cared!" Oddly, Severus began to laugh, stumbling over his words. "So, he gave me more anesthetic and increased the concentration of the gas, just slightly. It worked long enough for him to take the teeth from my left side."

Charity couldn't help but chuckle at how absurd this all was.

"Severus," she exclaimed, "Paul took all 4 of your wisdom teeth at once? I thought this was only supposed to be a check-up."

"Well, he took an x-ray and when he told me I needed them out, we had time…"

"And…there's no time like the present, right?"

"Something like that…" he sighed. Growing quiet another tear rolled down his cheek. Suddenly, the young wizard sat up and grabbed Charity by her arms, pulling her face to face with him. "Charity, you have to help me! I…I'm not in control…it's not right! Nothing's right! What if nothing's ever right again?"

Severus' panic was unnerving Charity. She had never seen him like this, nor was his current state something she would have ever expected.

"Ok…ok," she murmured, unhooking his vice grip from her upper arms and trying again to settle him. "I need you to lie back and breathe like we did before…like you do with Harry."

Slowly Severus leaned back and closed his eyes, breathing in for 4 and exhaling for 6, as he had taught the Potter's son.

"I can't let Potter see me like this, Charity."

"Well, unless you can explain to me what happened, and we are able reverse the effects, you just might have to do that. But I'll be with you."

"I've let Lily down…so many times…so many times. And I'm letting her down again," he bemoaned.

Charity stepped back slightly. Hearing Severus say Lily's name again and to do so in his current state crushed her hope of the spark that had transpired between them earlier that morning. But in this moment…did his feelings for Lily mean anything? The woman was dead, and she wasn't coming back.

"I just want to feel like myself again, Charity. Will you help me? Please help me…" he exclaimed.

"I'll…I'll try…of course, Severus. Tell me…what happened after Dr. Granger pulled your last molar?"

"I was bleeding a lot. Dr. Granger couldn't suture me up quickly enough. So, after he removed the soaked gauze, I asked if I could help with a spell."

"Ok…which spell did you use?"

"I…I'm…not sure. I acted on instinct!" he cried.

"Oh Severus…hand me your wand," the young wizard drew his wand from its holster. Charity took it from him and with her own wand cast Prior incantato.

"Vulnera sanentur? I've never heard of this spell."

"That's because I created it."

"You've created spells…" Charity decided to keep that to herself. Only the most powerful witches and wizards could make a spell.

"What does Vulnera sanentur do? What's it for?"

"It's the counter-curse to Sectumsempra."

"Another spell you conjured?"

"Not just a spell…a curse."

Charity sighed. This was the man who loved precious Lily Potter – someone who created curses and counter-curses. No wonder Severus felt so ashamed.

"Why did you use a counter-curse to heal a regular wound?"

"I've used it before…without incident…especially after a revel…it heals cuts and bruises nicely. I should have used Episkey"

The young witch was stunned at his admission. She'd never wanted to think about what went on at Dark Revel's when Voldemort was still alive, it was clearly as bad as she thought.

"You couldn't have known if Episkey would have been any better. Did you try Finite Incantatem?" "Yes…it didn't work." "Would you like me to try?" The young wizard could only nod his desperate consent. Charity performed the spell, but when Severus didn't start bleeding again, she knew it wasn't working. He continued to suffer. Charity gave the Potions Master back his wand and sheathed her own. "Listen, luv," she began, rubbing his chest again since she noted how much it soothed him earlier, "I know you're scared, but it would seem that you've had a terrible reaction between the anesthetic, the ether, and the counter-curse spell you used. But the Muggle medicines will wear off. They probably already are. Maybe you're just having a delayed reaction. Are you feeling any pain right now?" Severus' eyes went wide. He shook his head 'no.' "This is just a guess, but while the healing spell will be permanent, the other two will fade. We're just going to have to see it through." "But what about, Harry?" "What about Harry, luv?" the young witch leaned in, taking note of Severus' use of the child's given name. "He'll think less of me," he said, turning away. Charity's heart broke for her professor-friend and stroked his cheek, turning his face back toward her. "He won't. I promise you, he won't. Right now, he's very worried. But if you can hold it together and try to sleep in the car, once we get home, we'll put you to bed. He'll be none the wiser of how badly off you are." "But what about his nightly lessons?" "I'll stay the night, Severus…I'll help him if he needs something. He'll understand that you're not well." "So, you'll stay." "Of course…" Severus chuckled. "This is what it took to make you stay…"

Severus really started to laugh, to which Charity smacked his shoulder in feigned offence.

"Watch it, or I won't stay! And, by the way, until tomorrow morning…I'm in charge!"

The young wizard pretended to be hurt at her tone.

"I will comply, Professor Burbage."

Charity rolled her eyes and scooted down to help him up.

"C'mon, you! Let's go home."

"Home…do you know, that's the second time you've called Spinner's End home?" Charity blushed crimson, though Severus didn't notice. His eyes were beginning to glass over. "It pleases me," he sighed.