A/N: just a drabble about our favorite Potions Master

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form.

Enjoy, and feedback please, I've never written anything like this before!

The first thing Severus noticed was the smell. The scent of freshly-mown grass, hot asphalt, sawdust, motor oil, and slow-moving river smell filled him with a rush of nostalgia. He took a deep breath and sighed. You simply didn't come across that mix of smells in the Wizarding world - there were no lawn mowers, saws, or cars after all. It smelled like home – like his secret spot by the river downstream from the wood mill that employed almost everyone in the area.

The second thing was the sounds. From across the street, Severus heard Mr. Knowles' lawn mower stutter to a halt, and although he couldn't hear it, Severus knew that the impatient old man had kicked and cursed the machinery when it started again. Severus chuckled; Edward Knowles' temper and foul mouth was well known in the neighborhood. The river made little noise, and he could tell without looking that was barely more than a trickle over the rocks.

Severus turned his head into the sun and relished the warmth on his sallow skin. The grass beneath him was interspersed with soft moss, and Severus wriggled his shoulders feeling more comfortable than he had in years. Spying for Dark Lords and manipulative old men coupled with the stress of teaching little brats in a cold Scottish castle left a body with little time for relaxation and enjoying the finer things in life, like warm sun, soft grass, and the distinct lack of aching joints.

Bringing a hand up to face, Severus shielded his eyes and opened them to find that he was looking up at the familiar branches of an old willow tree. He knew that if he were to get up and walk around to the other side, he would see the inscription he and Lily had made when they had just come home from their first year at Hogwarts. Strangely, the thought of Lily – his first and only true friend and love – lo longer brought him waves of guilt and grief. Instead, he reveled in all the good memories of their friendship, from their first meeting to the warm summer evenings spent dipping their feet in the river.

Severus was, truly and finally, at peace.

Liefe Black