A/N: Ok, so you Potter fans out there will probably be a little mad at me for this, but James Potter never struck me as a terribly kind individual in his youth. Later on, he developed into a much better person, obviously. But for now, although he has come of age (17 in the the wizarding world), he is still such a child. He hasn't married Lily yet. It's a bit of an AU piece, where he still hasn't grown up, and still is a bully to Severus. In the book, he matures much earlier. (And isn't thismuch of an arrogant toerag!)
Severus stands, propped against a tree where he usually waited for Lily, swaying slightly, eyes fixed on the ground, greasy black hair swishing as he moves, hand-me-down, mismatched clothes wrinkling and unwrinkling themselves. Lilyisrarelythislate. Wherecouldshebe?
Severus's query is answered momentarily as James Potter emerges from a copse of trees, untidy black hair obscuring his vision slightly, and spiking up in some places, wearing a scarlet button-down shirt, gold tie, black trousers, black dress shoes, and the signature Potter smirk. He held Lily Evans's right hand in his left hand, almost dragging her along, wand drawn. Lily appears as lovely as ever, reddish hair cascading down her shoulders and back, pink, low-cut, shimmering dress accentuating her elegant form, green eyes flashing an unspoken warning to Severus, a sad smile gracing her full lips. She was trying to convey one message: Run, Severus, while you still can!
Severus looks up, alarm clear on his graceful features. What had Potter done to Lily?
"What's the matter, Snivellus? Waiting for your littlegirlfriend?"
"Let her go, Potter!"
Severus drew his wand.
"No."
Severus's face contorts in frustration and anger. He had had numerous encounters with James Potter in the past, and knew exactly what he was going to do.
Severus cocks his head to the side.
"Expelliarmus!"
Potter's wand flies from his hand, and he is knocked to the ground, nearly pulling Lily with him until she releases herself.
Severus approaches Potter, contemplating each step.
"What if I were to cast the Cruciatus curse on you? It's no more than scum like you deserves."
Potter attempts to get up.
"PetrificusTotalus!"
Lily rushes to Snape.
"Severus, no!"
"Why not?"
"Severus, you can't!"
"I think you'll find that I can- and will."
"Please, Severus, no!"
Lily walks between Potter and Snape, blocking Severus's view.
"Get out of the way, Lily."
"No."
Severus lowers his wand and looks her in the eye, then removes the spell from James and returns his wand to him. Potter flees. Lily is silent.
After a few minutes, Potter returns with the other Marauders.
"Go, Lily."
Potter shoves Lily to the side and she goes away, leaving reluctantly.
"Well, Snivelly, had some fun, did we? Now you'll get what you deserve."
Severus freezes, trying to determine which Marauder he should hex.
"Expelliarmus," shouts each Marauder. Lupin and Pettigrew, however, take a step back after casting the spell, sheathing their wands.
Severus falls back with the force of the combined spells.
"How about a taste of your own medicine, Snivellus? Levicorpus!"
Potter levitated Snape about ten feet, before shouting out the countercurse.
"Liberacorpus!"
Severus falls to the ground, managing to break his fall with his arms, landing in a heap. He does not want to give his rivals the satisfaction of believing that they had even begun to break him, so he stands, as steadily as he can manage.
"Come on, James, let's try this the Muggle way!"
"Alright then, Sirius. PetrificusTotalus!"
Snape freezes involuntarily and falls to the ground, now at the mercy of the Marauders.
Potter wedges his foot under Severus's ribs, kicking him to lie on his back.
"Give me a hand, Padfoot!"
Potter and Black heft Snape up, propping him against a tree. Black conjures rope.
"Thanks, Sirius!"
Potter ties Snape to the tree and begins to lay into him, with countless kicks and punches, the first punch to his jaw catching him off-guard, causing him to flinch internally. The next blow comes as less of a surprise, a kick to the stomach, nearly a below-the-belt blow. ExactlywhatonemightexpectfromthelikesofPotter, Snape muses. Blow after blow is inflicted until Potter is panting from exhaustion
After a time, the spell begins to wear off, and all that holds him there is the rope, binding him to the tree. He sags a little, knees weak, vision slightly blurred from the pain.
The Marauders leave him, still tied to the tree, wand out of reach, giggling as they retreat. However, Severus is quite adept at performing magic, even wandless magic.
"Accio wand."
The attempt fails. He cannot even summon his wand due to the overwhelming weakness, caused partially by the beating he had received the night before from his drunken father and compounded by the pounding by the Marauders.
He is truly miserable, the welts on his back from the Muggle-inflicted lashing he had endured the night before sticking to his shirt and aggravated by the rough bark of the tree he was bound to. He can barely stand at this point, hunger and dehydration from the hours he had spent here weakening him further.
His head falls and he strains at the ropes as he falls forward.
"Severus?"
He feels soft hands on his face, lifting his chin, and opens his eyes blearily.
"Lily?"
She unties him as quickly as possible, trying not to hurt him in the process, but unprepared for his falling forward.
"Sorry," he mumbles.
Lily eases Severus to the grass.
Severus tries his best not to wince as the welts rub against his shirt as he is lowered, every ache seeming to cry out at once, then dulling to a throb.
"Severus, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have abandoned you. Here, I've brought some potions."
Snape begins to object, but Lily stops him.
"Severus, you're injured. You need help. I can't use magic, I'm not of age yet."
"Lily, I'll be fine, really. You don't have to help me..."
"Fine then. Prove that you're fine. Stand up."
Snape attempts to stand, pushing himself off of the ground with his hands and grinding his foot into the grass, trying to get some friction. He manages to get to his feet.
"See? I'm fi-"
Snape falls, legs unable to support him.
Lily is prepared this time, supporting him to a nearby bench, and helps him sit down.
"Let's tend to your face, then."
Lily reaches into her bag, pulling out a wet cloth, and dabs gently at the bleeding cuts to remove the dirt from the Marauders' shoes. She then dips a corner of the cloth into essence of murtlap and pats it gently onto the smaller cuts on his face. For the larger gashes on his cheeks, she saturates a different cloth with essence of dittany and squeezes it, releasing the healing liquid onto the wounds. Severus flinches at first, then relaxes as the solutions take their effect.
Lily notices.
"I'm sorry, Severus, but I can't really give you anything too strong because I can't carry you. Severus, I know that you're bruised in other places, but I think there's more to it. Is something wrong with your back?"
"No, there's nothing wrong with my back."
Severus averted his eyes, ashamed of the fact that he had lied to Lily.
"Severus, tell me the truth."
Snape shakes his head and sighs, removing his shirt.
Lily gasps at the sight of his marred back.
"Severus! Surely James didn't-"
"No, he didn't. It was my father."
"Severus, don't you have potions at home?"
Snape looks at her sadly, again shaking his head.
"Can't afford them."
"Let me tend to you, then. You can't let that get infected. Lay down."
Snape sighs and lays down on his stomach.
Lily uses the cloth that she had used earlier to apply the essence of dittany once more, healing each gouge caused by a belt buckle and every slash caused by a whip, using a Muggle remedy, arnica root gel, on the dark purple, nearly black bruises.
"Alright, I'm done. When you get home, you can take these."
Lily gives him a few bottles of blood-replenishing potion, dreamless sleep potion, a pain-relieving draught, arnica root gel, and essences of dittany and murtlap.
"For now, I have a feeling that you'll need this."
She hands him a bottle of strengthening potion.
"As I said, I can't carry you, and you have to get home."
"Thank you."
"Severus, I'm really sorry that James treats you that way. This is all I can really do for it, though. I've told him to stop, so many times, but he never listens to me. I know that isn't really any consolation to you, but please know that I care, and that I hate what he does. How could I not? You're my friend, Severus."
Snape remains silent for a few moments, until Lily decides to leave.
"Sorry, I have to get home. Tuney will be waiting for me. See you later, Severus!"
She gives him a little peck on the cheek and walks home.