"How long have I been sleeping?" He suddenly frowned, and his eyes darted around the room. "Is Albus... Was he hurt? I don't see him-"

"Don't worry, I looked him over not long ago, and aside from a few cuts, he was perfectly fine, just exhausted. I think Minister Fudge had more to do with that than You Know Who."

"I hope he's had a chance to rest."

"Oh, he will. We all will, in fact. Some of us especially need it."

Then a strange smile curved her lips.

"Why is that expression making me nervous?" Snape said.

"Oh, it was something Albus asked me. Well, suggested. Though I may have given him the idea."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Whatever cockamamie scheme you two concocted, it had better not have anything to do with me."

[_]

Epilogue

[_]

"Here you are, Severus."

The Potions Master stared at the coconut shell and cocked his eyebrow at Pomfrey. "And what is that supposed to be?"

"You'll like it. Piña Colada, the Muggles called it."

He took the drink from her hand. "I fail to see what purpose this could possibly have," he said, indicating the small, pink umbrella jaunting on one side of the coconut.

"Would you taste it already?"

Snape glanced heavenwards and took a small sip. "Mmh. Not bad."

"I told you so," Pomfrey said, stretching out on the chair next to his.

For a while, they sat in silence, listening to the sound of the waves that were lapping the sandy shore. Snape exhaled slowly. He would have been loath to admit it, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so relaxed.

At first, he was incensed; forced to go on vacation, on some Muggle island lost in the middle of the ocean, no less, but the Headmaster wouldn't have it otherwise. When Snape and Pomfrey arrived (of course, she'd been selected to tag along, "Because you're still convalescing, my boy," Dumbledore had said), the Potions Master had marched to the beach carrying at least four gigantic books, determined not to waste his time lollygagging like some Gryffindor out of school, as he'd informed the mediwitch. And then...

Snape wasn't sure how it happened, but there he was, a week later, barefoot, in loose-fitting pants and a white shirt, soothed by the lull of the surf, his books lying forgotten on the sand.

He found himself enjoying the salty smell of the sea, the sweet fragrance of the colorful flowers that clung to the hotel where they were staying, the intoxicating aroma of the exotic food they were being served. He became used to calm afternoons, to peaceful sleep, to aimless walks; he grew to yearn for the sight of sunsets, for quiet conversations with Pomfrey, for the simple pleasure of doing absolutely nothing at all.

He felt free.

"A penny for your thoughts, Severus," Pomfrey said, gazing at him from beneath the edge of her straw hat.

"Let's have a toast." He picked up his coconut shell, and she did the same.

"To friends," he said.

She smiled.

"To friends."

[_]

Finis

Thank you for reading... I hope you enjoyed my little story.