AN; Hey, this is my first real attempt at fanfic so be kind. Also if you recognise any of the names, then they're not my characters.

There is no major slash in this, only minor and that only appears half way through. Romance really isn't in this not like it is in most fanfics, there is implied sex, but I think as smutty as this is going to get, sorry if that wasn't what you were looking for, otherwise, enjoy!

It was pouring down with rain as she looked upon the figure's soaked face. He took another step towards her and she took this as a sign that she could touch him. She laid a hand on his cold sallow cheek. Yes he was there, he was real. 'Just not yet.' Lily opened her eyes and sighed. It was bad enough that she was trapped inside Potter manor with nothing to do, now her mind was just tempting her to go outside. The visions had been a common thing, ever since she was ten, but sometimes she could never tell the difference between the vision and just her simple day dreaming. She rubbed her eyes, the weight in her gut reminding her of how much she truly missed her childhood friends, 'both of them,' She took her hands away from her face and rubbed them together despite the warmth. She couldn't risk going out, given her…status. She pursed her lips and looked out the window. She must have had them closed for a long time as it was now starting to rain heavily. She sat bolt upright, looking out of the window onto the acres surrounding Potter Manor and beyond them was the forest. The forest he'd appear out of. No it was a coincidence, she shouldn't risk it, but hell she was going to.

"It's raining," she said,

"Yes honey, I can see that." Her fiancé said, half distracted by the Daily Prophet in front of him. Only when she had got up and started to head outside did he look up. "Hey wait-" was all she heard before she was out the door and running into the downpour. She reached the forest where she knew he would step out. So she waited and waited and by now she was very cold and irritated, if he didn't show up soon she would-

There he was, he appeared as suddenly and as silently as ever. She started to wonder if she should have told James. What if he wasn't here to see an old friend? She stopped this train of thought when he stepped into the light. He looked old or at least older than expected. He had a growing beard where there had been no beard before. He had huge bags under his eyes; the eyes themselves seemed to have aged decades. But it was the same person. Same sallow skin, hooked nose and twisted smirk that was, at the moment, filled with relief. He stepped forward more of him now out of the dark. Yes, he was real this time.

"Hello Severus."

His smirk grew and he whispered, "Hello to you too,"

"I trust this is a friendly visit," she gave a small laugh, "I hope."

He smiled but with Severus you never knew if this was a good or bad sign.

"Yes it is, I merely wished to visit you, to tell you I was out,"

"Evidently," she said, looking him up and down. The clothes he was wearing were hanging off his frame loosely and were barely rags. "Come on, you must be freezing," she tried to put an arm around his shoulders. As soon as her arm touched his skin, he flinched and moved out of touching distance. She stopped walking, waiting for any signs of a panic attack or one of those mental illnesses she'd read about in her last year.

"I apologise, human contact hasn't really been a good thing in-" he seemed to realise in that moment, how long he had been in Azkaban, "two years," he said finally.

"It's ok," she forced a smile on to her face, "I understand," she added, absentmindedly, making a note to kill all those involved in putting Severus in Azkaban. Slowly they walked back up to the house and even more slowly Severus inched his way back to Lily's side.

"So..." she said breaking the silence, "when you say you got out, is that legally or... illegally?"

He smirked. "Legally,"

Lily didn't ask how, she knew he would tell her when he wanted to. It didn't take long.

"There is no way I could have committed all the crimes acquitted to me, the times were too close together, but all the evidence points to me, which means I was framed," he sneered, "Problem was they couldn't tell which ones I'd been framed for and which ones I'd actually done... but of course that didn't mean they didn't want to make me rot for..." his lips thinned, "two years."

"So, does that mean you're going to find out who framed you?"

He shrugged. "Perhaps, it would be nice to make them pay for what I had to suffer,"

Lily licked her lips anxiously, "But that's four murders, how are you-"

"Three,"

Lily stopped, eyebrows raised, wondering which one he had...

"You won't tell anyone... will you?" he tried to keep his voice neutral and bitter, but he was a fool to believe Lily couldn't tell he was worried. She had to smile at his foolishness.

"Do I look like a tiny golden ball with wings?"

His smirk grew wider and more twisted, "No,"

"Good, 'cause that would be weird. You have no idea who framed you then?"

He shook his head and Lily let out a shaky breathe as she opened the back door to let him in. He shook his matted hair of raindrops like a dog, while Lily called out, "James I'm back. And I've… I've brought a visitor."

James looked up from the Daily Prophet he had been reading. It was just another paper filled article upon article about the rising tensions between Purists and Muggleborns and how war was going to break out any day now. And James couldn't wait, not that he wanted Muggles to suffer, it was that he really wanted to kick some pureblood ass. What he wouldn't give to put Siri's stuck-up cousins into Azkaban where they belonged.

"Who is it?" he called, heading into the kitchen where his fiancée voice had come from. There standing next to Lily, was a much older looking Severus Snape. He whipped out his wand as he felt a jolt go through his heart of both fear and anger. Snape did the same, his eyes narrowing. 'He couldn't know, could he?'

"Now both of you!" Lily began scowling, "Put your wands down!"

"Lily step away from him, he's a murderer!"

"He's my friend!" Lily retorted, "He was framed,"

James felt in a lump form in his throat,

"Do...do you know who?"

"No," Snape said simply, before lowering his wand, and after a glare from Lily, James did the same.

"Now Severus is just here to say hello and we're going to be good hosts, so," she clapped her hands together and smiled at Snape, "Severus would you like to sit down?"

The Potter Manor was smaller than most pureblood Manors, so the living room was also small, almost Muggle sized, but that made it no less luxurious; it had bending floor boards under foot, plush furniture and a huge hearth. Snape surveyed it all before sitting on the armchair and picking up the Daily Prophet James had been reading. He glared at Snape, but he took no notice, now engrossed in an article about the dangers of the Dark Arts. He only looked up when Lily said,

"So... you want anything? A drink? Something to eat? Anything at all?"

"Perhaps an exit?" If looks could kill James would have keeled over at the sight of the daggers Lily sent at him.

"Some soup would be nice, thank you," Lily's glare turned into a smile, yet it was still directed at James, which made him believe he was now in even more trouble.

"Well you heard the man go make him some soup," and before he could protest, Lily had bustled him out the door and had shut it in his face. He stared at the door incredulously before turning around, cursing that his wife hated the use of house elves.

Severus folded the newspaper back up as Lily sat down beside him after she'd got rid of Potter so they could talk. He looked over at her, with wary eyes before talking.

"What's been going on since I left?"

"Well... James proposed in seventh year which was nice, I got pretty good N.E.W.T. scores-"

"I meant about the war,"

"Oh," Lily felt disappointed; she didn't want to discuss this, not with Severus, "Well nothing has started yet, a lot of disappearances, no murders, so..." she shrugged, "But any day now. Have you spoken to anyone?"

"Because you know I had such an active social life in Azkaban," he said dryly, "No-one visited me, half of my friends think I murdered their loved ones, the other half didn't want to be associated with a murderer," he sighed, "Not at times like now...so what about you?" Lily raised her eyebrows confused, "Have you seen any of my friends... or family?" her eyes darkened, and shereally didn't want to discuss this.

"She and I chose different paths; I haven't spoken to her since fifth year,"

"Huh, same," he chuckled slightly, but Lily didn't find it amusing. "Look don't you think that-" he stopped as James entered the room with a steaming bowl of soup. He seemed very tempted to just throw it in his face if it weren't for Lily's eyes watching him.

"Soup," he stated as he held it out to Severus,

"Well observed Potter," he drawled, but grabbed the bowl and drank from it like a starving man, which he probably was.

"Thank you," he muttered, putting the now empty bowl down.

"Now you can leave."

"James!"

"What I don't like him in my house, I mean, what's he even here for?"

"I've told you, to say hello,"

"Okay how did he get through the wards?" Lily sat facing James before turning round to face Severus. He surveyed the two of them before stating,

"That's for me to know and you to not,"

"How did you know I was here?" Lily asked, now curious.

"Your sister told me, Rose came to get me out once they released me." James, who had no interest in where the conversation was now going, shook his soon-to-be-wife's arm until she looked at him, so he could continue his argument,

"How can you be friends with him, after what his family has done to you?"

Lily's eyes flashed, "He's not his sister,"

"I beg to differ," James said laughing slightly as Severus glared at him, unnoticed by the other.

"Still not his sister! And can we all stop bring Samantha up?" She glared at Severus; "Anyway," she turned her daggers back to James, "In times like this we need to keep our friends, no matter how unlikely they are." Lily said nothing; instead she leaned back on the sofa, her eyes rolling unto her head. Both men tensed, knowing what this meant. Lily did this when she was Seeing. It was usually something important, something big, but that didn't mean-

"Turn on the radio," Lily said suddenly. James leaned forward and turned the dial of the radio on the coffee table.

"Breaking news! This morning on his way to work, Rupert Balding, Head Auror was murdered by a killing curse sent by a man that was described by eye witnesses to be a pale man with red eyes, who was surrounded by men in black hooded cloaks and silver masks. He announced to the horrified crowd that his name was Lord Voldemort, his actual identity is still unknown, and the men surrounding him were his so-called Death Eaters. After a large and somewhat cliqued proclamation of pureblood rights, Voldemort went on to kill fourteen more people from the crowd that had gathered, before apparating, along with his Death Eaters." The reporter coughed, clearly uncomfortable at saying the silly names, "'This is an act of war,' the minister for Magic said in his office earlier this morning, 'And if this man wants war, he will have it. As of now we are at war against this man and his band of so called Death Eaters. If anyone sees one these Death Eaters as described, they mus-' James switched it off. War, it seemed much more frightening now it was actually upon them. He checked his wand holster to see if it was still there.

"That was foolish," James jumped forgetting that Snape was there. He had his wand out and for a moment James thought Severus was going to attack him. But he was only checking his wand, before putting it back in his pocket,

"What was foolish?"

"Him. Calling war, he had no idea how many Death Eaters there are, or how powerful they'll be, and they will be powerful, they'll be using Dark Magic, much better than your light magic,"

James' eyes narrowed. "Oh you'd know, you-"

"Potter this is not the time, we're at war,"

"That's not all," Lily whispered, "I Saw them, those Death Eaters, they're coming to our front door. They're here to kill us." James leapt up, wand in hand, trained on Snape.

"He led them here! He somehow broke the wards without us knowing," he accused.

"I didn't break them, I got through them!"

"Stop James, he didn't do it,"

"And how do you know that?"

"It would make no sense, if he did break them we would know,"

"But he must have got through them somehow!"

"But Death Eaters will break them, just wait." It was unnerving how calm she was.

"How come you didn't see that we were going to be at war today?" he shouted, moving his wand onto Lily in panic.

"I did! Last week, I just didn't tell you because...well this would happen." He was about to retort when an alarm bell started ringing.

"They're broken the first ward," Severus said, getting up with his wand in hand. James jumped again and had his wand in Snape's face.

"Oh James, stop that!" Lily snapped, seeming a bit too calm, given the situation, as she drew her wand.

"Now go to the door, I'll be there in a minute, and Severus," she turned to Severus using her wand to emphasise her instructions.

"You got into our wards, now get out of them,"

"But I want to help you fight!"

Lily put a hand to his cheek, "They don't know what side you're on yet," his lips thinned, "Run Severus." By the time Lily got to the door, the Death Eaters had already undone three of the four wards surrounding the Manor and were now walking up to the front door. The four ward being the anti-apparation one, preventing their escape. Not that James wanted to run, he gripped his wand tighter, and he wanted to show these bastards who they were dealing with. He looked at Lily and saw that in her free hand was a dark green avocado shaped muggle object with a ring on top of it.

"What's that?" he hissed at her, but she was too busy casting a shield over them, "You know that type of shield doesn't protect you from spells right?"

"Of course I know that!" she snapped but still too calm given the situation, "That's the reason I'm casting it-don't!" she put her hand up when James opened his mouth, "It would take too long to explain, just trust me and keep them talking." James, being as stubborn as he was, was about to ask her what the hell she was doing anyway, when there came a knock from the door in front of them. This took them both by surprise, having not expected that purebloods hell-bent on killing muggles would be so polite. In shock James stupidly called out,

"Who is it?" He winced and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Potter, we know you're in there," someone called through the door, James, now holding back a retort about their stupidity. "And so is your Mudblood, if you bring her out and give her to us, we won't kill you," James bit his tongue at the unspoken threat of his fiancée's life. He looked at her, wondering how she could look so bored, she nodded at him and he called out,

"Alright, we're coming out."

There were six of them. Like described on the radio, they were all wearing black hooded cloaks and were wearing silver masks. The masks themselves had strong chins and high cheekbones, it somehow made James even more angry than the fact they were trying to kill his fiancée. Lily stood beside him, her jaw clenched but keeping a firm glare on the supposed leader. James looked at the one in front, was this Lord Voldemort?

"Hand over the Mudblood, Potter!"

"Never!" he spat,

"And what makes you think he even has the right, to hand me over?" Lily said offended,

"You should learn to hold your tongue Mudblood!" a man behind the leader shouted, threatening her with his wand. James tried to put himself in front of her, but Lily pushed him away again.

"Your foolish courage is what will end you Mudblood," the woman in front grounded out, "Just you-" Lily threw the muggle object, now ring free, into the group of Death Eaters. James tensed, but nothing happened.

"Your little tricks failed, hasn't it?" the woman said, and James could even hear her sneer.

Lily just shrugged. "I guess so,"

"Now-" but the woman was interrupted again as the muggle object somehow - James until his dying day would not know exactly how it worked – exploded. The Death Eaters were thrown out and their robes caught on fire, but Lily and James were safe inside their bubble.

"What in hell-"

"James if you're going to question everything about Muggles that confuses you, we might as well let the Purists win, now come on!" Lily had grabbed James and pulled him across the gravel path leading to the exit of the Potter territory and away from the wards. James started to wonder if now would be an okay time to reveal to Lily that he was an illegal animagus when a spell flew over his head, destroying one of the stone statues that lined the driveway. They twirled back around to see three of the Death Eaters, including the woman leader, who's mask had fallen away to reveal the deranged face of Bellatrix Black.

"I forgot you wizards are so robust," Lily muttered, while silently stupefying one of the Death Eaters. Bellatrix, looking as furious as ever, shot a spell at Lily which was promptly deflected. And so the fight began, James would have happily watched Lily fight as he found it weirdly exhilarating, if it wasn't for the other, still masked, Death Eater that was throwing curse after curse at James. He didn't seem to be at the same level as Bellatrix, who seemed to be trying to kill Lily as creatively as Lily was trying to disarm her. The man was just sending the same fire curse, and James finally got to project it back at the right angle so it hit him, setting his fire smoking robes on fire.

"Vermillious!"

Lily fell to the ground in pain as James successfully stupefied the distracted Death Eater,

"Lily!" he fell to the floor beside her. Only too late did he realise his error, in his haste he had dropped his wand and now Bellatrix was looming over them.

"Avada-" A blinding flash of light in front of James blocked the curse and sent Bellatrix flying backwards. James took his chance and seized his wand off the floor again, but by the time he'd turned around Bellatrix had gone, along with four other Death Eaters. 'Odd,' he turned back to Lily and the pile of ash that had a tiny ugly chick's head peeping out of it,

"Fawkes," Lily uttered, taking heavy breaths but otherwise seemed unharmed. She pointed at a locket that was protruding out of the ash, still finding it hard to talk she choked out the word, "Portkey."

James nodded, though confused, yet he still scooped up the baby Fawkes and grabbed hold of his fiancée. There was a pull at his navel and moments later he found himself on a warm stone floor next the frayed boots of Severus Snape.

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