Severus awoke to a rapping at his window. Swiftly he strode to the window, wondering who felt the need to disturb his slumber. What he saw there left him breathless.

Beautiful as ever, there stood Lily Potter. The girl he was sure he had lost years ago.

But as his eyes ajusted to the moonlight, he was filled with fury. Lily was bleeding and covered in bruises. Her right eye was swollen shut. Lifting his window, he crawled out through the opening and took her in his arms. She was racking with sobs and he could feel her quickly beating heart.

"Who did this to you?" Severus growled, his rage growing.

"It doesn't matter Russy," she whimpered through her tears. But to Severus it mattered. More than anything in the world.

"Lil, please. Tell me and I'll return the favor to them quite thoroughly," he was very near begging.

"I can't, it'll only make things worse," she tried to break free from his arms.

"At least come inside, Lil. I'll get you something to drink, try to fix you up," Severus couldn't stand to see her like this. He had to do something to help. She nodded and he took her hand, pulling her toward the house. He entirely expected her to drop it and walk independently, but she submissed.

Although from the outside his house seemed rather run down, the inside was clean and orderly. Quickly crossing his living room, he had Lily sit in a large plush armchair. He flicked his wand towards the fire place and flames quickly roared from it.

"Sit tight Lil," he whispered.

"Okay Russy," she promised.

Severus made his way into the kitchen with that single word in his ear, Russy.Why had she started calling him this again? She hadn't since they were children, before their friendship fell apart. Now here she was, saying it twice within a matter of minutes.

He snapped himself back into reality, focusing on the task at hand. Opening his near barren cupboards, he found what he hoped was still Lil's favorite drink and poured it into the cleanest mug he had. Then, from the closet he had enlarged to store his potions and ingredients in, he pulled a vial of veritaserum. Severus put just a drop in the butterbeer he'd give to Lil, but he knew it'd be enough.

After he'd put the vial back in it's place, he gave the butterbeer to Lily. If he didn't right away, he knew he'd back out. As she took her first sip he felt guilt filling him, but he had to know who had done this to her. This was the only way to get her to tell.

Upon giving it to her, she had been surprised. "Oh, Russy, I love butterbeer! I can't believe you remembered that over all these years," she said with as much enthusiam as she could muster.

"Of course I remembered, Lil," he said with a small, forced laugh. He remembered everything about her.

They sat in silence for a good deal of time, Lily slowing getting farther and farther into her
drink.

Finally Severus spoke. "Lil?" he said quietly, kneeling by her chair. Even with the veritaserum, he was going to ease into the questioning.

"Mmm what is it?" she asked.

"Can you please tell me who did all this to you?" he was near crying. She was so injured and he could tell, but he was going to let her heal naturally as much as possible at first.

Lily sighed deeply. Lowering her voice to a whisper, although they were alone in Severus' house, she began. "It was James. He has a tendency to get..." she fought for the right choice of words, "frustrated with me. This is the worst it's ever been and I had to escape." She looked Severus squarely in the eyes. "You're the only one I could think of," she confessed. "No one else would understand. Please don't tell anyone, Russy. Please," she was begging now. "I've kept your secret, this entire time. You said you'd repay me someday and now you can consider us even," she said struggling to smile.

Severus found he had somehow slid his hand into hers and was staring at their interlocked fingers. He knew precisely the secret she was talking about, and was somewhat appaled at the similarity to the situation on hand. All those nights of screaming and fighting he had endured as just a child, and she had saved him. Even now, he could remember his mother covered in bruises as Lily was because of his so-called father. More than anything he remembered the night he had confessed this to Lily, having gone to her home after being caught between his parents. He had broken bones and was bleeding quite steadily; no wonder she wouldn't take the simple "I fell down" excuse he gave for all the bruises he had recieved. That was the night he told her everything, as she was doing for him now.

"Lil," he whispered, moving his gaze to her eyes. "Why are you with James if this is how he treats you?" He knew the veritaserum would wear off soon, and he needed an answer for this.

"I don't know Russy," she said. "He's the one I'm supposed to be with, you know that. The rich Gryffindor. But would you like me to let you in on a secret?"

"Of course Lil," he responded almost too quickly.

"I don't believe I've ever loved him."

While she was still under the veritaserum, and not entirely aware of what was happening, which wouldn't be much longer, he had one more thing to say. "I want to let you in on a little secret too, Lil," he confessed. "I love you, much more than James ever has." As these words left his lips, he saw Lily's eyes lose the glossiness they had acquired once the potion had settled in.

A bit doe-eyed, she glanced around trying to get her bearings. "I'm sorry if I zoned out for a bit there, Russy," she said. "I think I was hurt a bit more than I anticipated. Maybe I should try to get some sleep."

Severus agreed and insisted she sleep in his bed, but she refused. "It wouldn't be right, after all I am kind of intruding on you," she pointed out.

This was the exact opposite of how Severus felt, but he knew it was pointless arguing with her. He had missed his friend so much though, and he wanted the best for her. After a bit of effort, he transfigured the armchair she sat in into a large bed. He hoped she would be comfortable here, by the fire. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked her.

"I'll be fine; I always am," she said.

"Okay Lil. If you need anything I am just down the hall," he spoke as he rose.

"Oh, and Russy.." she called after him, "Thanks so much for taking me in. I won't stay much longer, I promise."

"You stay for as long as you need, it's no trouble to me at all. Really, I've missed having someone to talk to," he admitted. With that, he closed the door to his room, his cheeks blushing red for the first time in ages. He still loved her, as he had since they were children, and he imagined he always would.

He lay awake for hours, hoping Lily was sleeping well but being too bashful to go and check, just in case she should wake while he was there. Everything was about to change, he could feel it. Maybe, just maybe, she'd finally leave that git James and see how he felt for her.

As he fantasized about this, a slight tapping came at his bedroom door. Knowing it was her, his face turned red again. He hoped the dark of his room would hide it and he called for her to open the door. When she did, her unswollen eye was very pink and he could tell she'd been crying.

"Oh Lil, I just hate seeing you like this," he sighed. "Really, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well there's one thing.." she started. "Remember when we were little kids and you first came to live with my family? And the nights one of us would have a nightmare and go to the other for comfort? Well... I'm living a nightmare. Care to try and make me feel better?"

Severus had to use all his restraint to keep from making a fool of himself. After a moment's thought of how best to handle this, he pulled back the covers on the other side of his bed. The side that had never been touched. Gesturing at it, she moved towards him and crawled in. Without a second's hesitation, she rested her head on his chest.

"Russy? I really missed this you know. I missed us. I don't think I ever had a chance to say that earlier, but James didn't want me to speak to you. Will you ever forgive me?" She bit her lip and looked up at him. A thin smile formed across Severus' face.

"Of course," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. This was how they had fallen asleep so often as children, simply talking of anything that worried them, anything they loved, until sleep took them away.

"You know, I really hate being with him Russy," she confided. "I wonder how things would be if I had chosen someone else."

"Like who?" Severus prompted. "After all, he's the Gryffindor dreamboy."

"This is going to sound silly...but sometimes I think how things would be if it had been you instead."

Severus failed at containing the slightest of gasps.

"I'm sorry," she said moving to leave. "I shouldn't have told you that. I'm just tired is all. I don't know what I'm saying."

"It's fine," Severus said, grabbing her closer and trying to hide his utter joy that she had ever thought like this. "Really, I've felt the same way."

"No Russy I shouldn't be doing this," she was near tears again. "I'm married to James... this shouldn't be happening."

"Lil," he whispered. "James is an arse. Look at what he did to you. He doesn't deserve you, and I can guarantee you that. Plus, we're friends, right? And he can't control who you're friends with."

"I suppose you're right," she said curling back into him. "I'm planning on leaving him you know."

"I predicted as much," Severus replied. "And I hope that you'll come and stay with me once you do. For as long as you like."

"I was wondering if I could use your owl to write him in the morning," Lily inquired.

"That sounds fine," Severus had pretty much given up containing his happiness. "But really, we should try to get some sleep."

"Alright Russy," she said, with heavy eyelids.

Still Severus did not allow himself to fall asleep until much later. Lily had fallen asleep on his chest, his arm still around her. She was so beautiful, even battered as she was now and he couldn't simply come to terms with the position he was in now. This gorgeous girl with him, the girl he had loved his whole life. And maybe, just maybe, she loved him back. Kissing her forehead, he tore his eyes away from her and finally lay back. Maybe not all Slytherins were evil, he thought, and maybe the golden Gryffindor boy wasn't quite so perfect. He found comfort in these thoughts, and submissively slid into sleep. That night, as he had every night since Lily's wedding, he dreamed of her leaving James and loving him instead. But this time, that dream didn't seem quite so far away.