Severus woke up around four in the morning from a loud thunk from the boggart. Perhaps he would keep the creature as an alarm clock.
He rolled out of bed and locked himself in the bathroom (just in case someone else decided to wake up early) for his morning ritual.
Feeling more awake after a shower, he dressed in a plain black t-shirt and some jeans without holes accompanied by his favorite belt. He chose an older pair of shoes after remembering the floors in the back of the shop. He tucked his wand away on his person as always and quietly made his way down the stairs and out the door.
He walked leisurely through the sleeping town of Cokeworth as the sun peeked over the horizon. Severus kept an eye on the time with the occasional tempus as he wandered about the eerily deserted streets.
He arrived at the butcher shop at exactly five, the front door was locked so he wandered to the back and found the door there wedged open just enough to fit his fingers through.
He opened it a bit and poked his head inside. "Mr. Courtney?"
"Over here, lad." He said from somewhere to the left. "Close the door tightly behind you."
Severus entered the chilly room and found the man studying a chunk of meat about the size of a first year.
"You're early." He said.
"Just on time, sir."
"Earlier than I expected, then." The man wiped his hands on his apron, which Severus concluded must be a habit, and led him to a small office.
Mr. Courtney showed him the clipboard where he would record his time for work, which severus scrawled 05:00 in the first slot under Tuesday. He then handed Severus an apron that looked like his own but significantly cleaner. "Here ya go. Now, where should we begin?"
"You're the expert, sir."
The man chuckled.
Severus was taught how to tell if a cut was good or not and how to divide up each section of an animal. He also watched how to trim off excess fat and gristle as well as tie some of the meat together. Tying was a new concept, but it looked easy enough, and the cutting, once he realized what he was cutting, was fairly self explanatory. Severus watched and absorbed as much information as he could.
His 'training' managed to kill about an hour before Mr. Courtney let him try to cut and tie a shoulder.
He apparently impressed the man, for he decided Severus would divide up an entire first year sized meat himself. Under his watchful eye of course.
Severus was slower than the butcher, which was to be expected, but the man was pleased with his work if the smile on his lips was anything to go by.
"Are you sure you've never done this before young man?"
"I am certain, sir, though some of what I already know can be applied to this...I might even be able to use some of what I learn from you in class."
He raised an eyebrow. "I see…"
At around eight, Mr. Courtney told Severus he had a thirty minute break.
Severus washed his hands thoroughly before he 'clocked out' on the timesheet. It was still pretty early and he wasn't hungry, but he figured eating a bit of something wouldn't be a bad idea. Unfortunately he did not think to pack a snack, nor did he have any money, so he went for a walk instead. The fresh air was growing on him, though the dungeons still held a place in his heart. The town was beginning to wake up as well, there were a few shops opening and some folks milling about.
Pun not intended, but credit will be taken.
When Severus returned, the boy who served his mother the day before was there. His name was Jethro Park and he seemed to speak only when spoken to.
Mr. Courtney then taught severus how to run the service counter. He learned how to use the scale and where to find the book under the counter containing the prices of the different types of meat by weight. He also learned how to work the register, which he found to be a temperamental piece of machinery.
The magic in him did not get along well with muggle technology.
Severus then was tested on his new knowledge.
"Hello, Mrs. Beckett, what can I get for you?"
The old woman smiled at him. "I didn't know you worked here, Samuel."
"Severus. And I just started today, Madam."
"Oh! You'll have to forgive me, Seamus, I'm afraid I can barely remember my own name anymore."
Severus blinked.
She chuckled. "How is the lamb today?"
"Fresh as always, Madam."
Severus chopped a lamb thigh in half upon her request. She also wanted a loin, which he cut to size for her. He weighed them and told her the total. He had a small struggle with the register but figured out the issue (at least this time) was just that one of the buttons had stuck. Upon receiving her change, Mrs. Beckett told 'Stephen' what a wonderful job he had done and expressed her gratitude to himself and Mr. Courtney who was still observing them.
His boss watched a few more transactions then had him continue to work the counter with Park while he took a short break. The two of them served an assortment of citizens their 'fine selections' of meat. Just as Severus finished helping Mr. Scott, the last customer currently in the shop, Park invaded his personal space.
"What was that thing in the woods?" He breathed into Severus' ear.