Severus kept running, though fat rain drops and an unfriendly wind fought him every step. He climbed over the small hills, mountains to him, alone, wet, clutching on to his journal that he held close to his chest under the tattered jacket to which he had grown so accustomed to. He was filled with hate, desperate for her warmth. He continued on for what felt like half an hour and as he came over the last hill he slipped on the wet grass and toppled down the muddy side.
Now, with mud dripping from his hair and his clothes, he tried to stand up. On shaky legs he stood, but experienced an empty feeling at his chest. He had somehow dropped the journal. He searched frantically in the mud, cursing his father for making him run like this, fresh tears at his eyes.
But then came a sweet voice out of the darkness. Lily's voice.
"Severus?" She called. "What... What are you doing out here?"
He stood there for a moment, almost not believing that she was there, out of all places, there to pick him up, just as she had always been.
He tried to wipe away the tears, but the redness in his eyes remained, and he sniffed to try and clear his nose so as he could speak without sounding as upset as he was.
"Severus?" She called again.
He turned around slowly, not looking her exactly in the eyes as he was still ashamed of writing that she was a mudblood in his journal and of the tears that had been in his eyes. "I could ask you the same" he finally replied.
"Well, I was looking out of the window and this storm came out of no where and then I saw you, and then you fell, so I had to come." She admitted earnestly. "Are you okay? I mean the fall looked a bit rough." As she said this last part she wiped some of the hair and mud out of his face and away from his eyes.
"Yeah, I'm... I'm fine" Severus lied.
"You don't look fine. Severus, have you been crying? What happened? Was it your father again? What'd he do this time?" Lily asked concerned.
"I haven't been crying!" He lashed as he further tried to wipe his eyes and remove its after marks. "It's just raining really hard and the mud got in my eyes, that's all." He said ashamedly.
"I know you're lying. You've never been able to lie to me. Now tell me the truth or I won't give this back!" She reprimanded as she showed him his missing journal.
"Hey! That's mine! Give it back!" He demanded as he reached out for it, but his grogginess from the tears, his anger, the rain and all the running had drained him of his agility so she easily pulled the journal back out of his reach.
"No. Not until you've told me what's wrong!" She said sternly.
Severus glared at her.
"Fine" he said defeated. "Well you're right. Okay? My father hates me, and of course my mother wasn't around to do anything about it. Not that she would, but who could blame her? What woman would want a son like me?" He began to tear up again but fought it with what little strength he had left. He couldn't cry. Not here. Not in front of Lily.
"Severus." Lily said concerned. "Of course she wants you. You're her son."
"You wouldn't understand. You've got parents who actually care about you. Who actually love you. I don't, Lily. I've got no one!" A tear escaped his eye and he tried to turn around, hoping Lily hadn't seen.
Arms wrapped around him. His heart skipped a beat, and suddenly he wasn't so cold anymore.
"You've got me." Lily said warmly into his ear.
And suddenly the storm lessened into a calm night. It rained no longer and the wind settled down and the moon shown bright. And Severus felt happy to have a friend like Lily.