A Well-Deserved Rest
"Ahhh, this is the life."
If it was any other time, Severus would have berated himself for using such a common expression; today, however, he simply didn't care. Finally, he was able to rest, to lay back and not think about the worries and stresses that life brought with it. No more incompetent, nincompoop students asking idiotic questions; no more dismal essays to mark; no more incessant chatter of staff members too invested in the affairs of Hogwarts that he couldn't care less about. No more pathetic tasks from Dumbledore, who never seemed to understand what constituted going too far. He was free; free to do whatever he wanted.
Sighing, Severus leant back in his chair, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Immediately, his nose caught the scent of the forest around him, and a smile graced his lips. He knew every smell there was to be found, from the musty scent of the moss on fallen logs to the crisp freshness of the breeze blowing through the trees.
His eyes flew open at the sound of the snapping of a twig, however, and he sat back up. Scanning the trees in front of him, he searched for the source of the noise, soon spotting something moving behind a nearby tree: a shadow, almost as dark as the forest beyond. Reaching for his wand, Severus prepared to curse whoever it was; typical, even on his day off, he wasn't allowed to rest.
Whatever—whoever—it was seemed to sense his intentions, pausing behind a large tree. He could hear it wavering on the spot, almost as though it was debating whether or not to make itself seen.
Well, Severus would just have to make that decision for it, wouldn't he? This was his holiday, and he would be damned if he had to waste any more time with it. Standing up, Severus crept towards the spot, heart hammering in his chest.
"Who is it?" he called, pointing his wand towards the tree.
Whatever—whoever—it was moved a little, kicking up the dried leaves beneath its feet. Then, with a little more noise, it stepped out from behind the tree.
Severus lowered his wand and placed a hand over his heart, trying to calm it. When he was sure it wouldn't burst out of his chest, he focused on the young woman who had appeared. Long, auburn hair fell over her shoulders in waves, almost as bright as the smile she wore on her face.
"Lily? I've told you before not to do that! I almost stunned you, I almost—"
"Oh shoosh, you old grump. Your wand would have no effect on either of us, you know that. Anyway, I thought I'd come and relax with you," the woman said, and despite himself, Severus found the smile creeping back on his face.
He allowed Lily to take his hand and lead him back to his chair, not surprised in the least to see that an identical chair was sitting next to it. She pushed him down onto the chair on the left before settling on the other, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the sun.
Severus couldn't help but stare at the way she managed to look so peaceful in a matter of seconds. She was the very definition of an angel and yet she was choosing to spend her time with him.
"Severus…" she said after another minute. "Stop staring and lay back. Take a rest, go on, you deserve it. Relax."
Taking one last look at her, afraid that she would disappear on him again, Severus complied and leant back on his seat once more. Lily was right; this was his time to rest, and now he could enjoy it.
A/N: Yet another weird and unpolished tale written for Potions Club on the Diagon Alley II forum. Yes, Snape is dead in this; no, it's not beta'd. Enjoy? :)