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He could feel her neck against the crook of his arm, he could hear her ragged breaths and feel the labored rise and fall of her chest. He tightened his grip on her arms, pinning her body to his. "Answer me," he growled.
Why couldn't she leave him the hell alone? He'd done everything he could to make it appear as though he'd been destroyed with the house. For months he'd been tortured; but the new scars they gave him didn't seem to compare to the open wound she caused in his chest.
She struggled against him, gasping for air. Disgusted with himself for another display of a lack of control he flung her free from him and back to the safety of the wall, clinging to the darkness.
Lily leaned over and coughed, sucking air into her grateful lungs. "I should kill you," she sneered.
"I wish you would," he said. He felt she was doing it slowly every day anyway. But it would be too kind for her to finish him off.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.
"Why do you always insist on answer my questions with your own?" He said, his fingers curling around his wand.
"The Potters. Did you have anything to do with that?" Her eyes glinted in the moon light.
He crossed his arms. "What?"
"Why the bloody hell do you insist on keeping it dark?" she demanded, flicking her wand then letting out a soft gasp.
His fingers itched and he had to fight the urge to turn away. She apparently didn't appreciate his broken nose, black eyes, and the gashes on his cheek and forehead.
"What happened?" she asked, softly.
"It doesn't matter." He tried to retreat into the shadows again. "Why are you here?"
"I needed a place I felt safe. I felt like everything was crashing in around me, and I thought of the last time I felt happy, and safe, and in control, and I come here."
Severus scoffed. Her brain was addled. There was no reason for her to find this place safer than any other. If anything, the way she acted toward him, she should find it more dangerous.
Lily took a step toward him, her eyebrows knitted, her face concerned. "What happened, Severus?"
He started to take a step toward her but stopped himself. He couldn't do this. "A work accident," he answered, knowing she wouldn't like that response.
Lily's mouth tightened. "Were you there?"
Talking to this woman was like talking in riddles. She did nothing but ask questions on top of questions, but they were incomprehensible. "I've been here all night."
"But were you part of the attack on the Potters?" she asked.
He raised his eyebrows, finally paying attention to her statement. Now he was interested. Potter had been attacked?
"Tell me, Severus! Were you the reason they were killed?"
His interest morphed into confusion. If James had been killed he was quite certain she wouldn't have simply threatened to kill him, but she probably would have tried at least once already. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"The bloody Death Eaters attacked at a graduation party and they killed James' parents! Did you have anything to do with that?' Her voice had reached shrill and her eyes were wild with anger.
Severus narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "I knew nothing."
"Liar," Lily spat.
"You're going to accuse me of lying?" he asked incredulously. "After every—after all the time—after the things you said…You're going to say I lied. Where the hell have you been the past several months, Lily? Right back in Potter's arms like nothing happened?"
"I went back to life, Severus! I didn't vanish so I could join some despicable—"
"You don't know what you're talking about," he interrupted.
"You're in with the worst of our kind, Severus! And you pretend that it's okay!"
"I don't pretend anything!" he snapped. "I found someone who appreciates me for my talents, and recognizes what I can do—"
"Is that what you think? Are you that much of a fool? You're a tool. A tool that he will play with while you're useful, and when you're not look at what happens! Your talents are getting you beaten."
He didn't know if he wanted to kick her out, kiss her, or lock her in a closet to make her shut up. He closed his eyes and struggled to remain calm. Why the hell did he find it so damn hard to remain composed around her? Why did she want to stay here and just scream at him? Why didn't she have the audacity to bitch him out and then leave?
"I can fix your nose," she said softly. "And the cuts are still bleeding."
She was infuriating. Severus leaned back against the wall, trying to force himself not to move any closer, not to give into her like he so desperately wanted to. He focused his energy on speaking clearly and slowly, forcing each word out past his nearly gritted teeth. "Why are you here?"
Lily dropped her eyes to her hands and shook her head. "Because I don't know where else to be. After the Death Eaters attacked, Dumbledore appeared. He spoke with James, the next morning they were gone and I haven't heard anything in days." Her composure was dropping away. Her voice was shaking like she was on the verge of tears. She stepped closer to him. "I thought—I thought you were dead."
He closed his eyes. He'd wanted her to think that. He wanted her to just continue on with what she was doing. He wanted her to forget him and he wanted desperately to forget her.
Now she was inches from him, he was backed into a corner with no where left to move. She reached up, slowly, tenderly, and touched the side of his face. Then her other hand was on his face. Small, cool hands, that soothed his burning skin.
He was losing the fight.
"Please let me clean you up," she said softly.
His head was nodding before he could stop himself. She took his head and led him to the bathroom. She grabbed a rag and gently dabbed at his face. She was reaching for her wand when his hand locked around her wrist. "I don't want it healed magically," he said.
Lily raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Why not?"
He started to answer when the front door slammed. "Fuck," he hissed, his eyes growing wide. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her close to him. "When I open the bathroom door it will block the view into the bedroom. You need to get in there and hide. Do not make a sound, they will not hesitate to kill me or you."
He didn't have time to explain any further. He flung open the door and felt her move behind him. He hoped that he'd given her enough time as he shut the door so he could get past in the narrow hallway.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" he asked coolly.
Rookwood glowered at him. "Do you have the potion?"
"I have several, which one in particular are you looking for?"
"The one for werewolves. Why he fuck he wants to deal with the maniac Fenrir...the crazy son-of-a-bitch will kill us all."
Severus gave a curt nod but raise his eyebrows to Avery.
"Give me something interesting," the other man chuckled.
"I don't know what you mean by interesting," Severus sneered.
"You know, Snape. Something that will have some kind of fun effect."
"Any number of these can have a fun effect if you are not specific or intelligent enough to specify what you want."
"Give me the damn werewolf potion so we can get back to them," Roodwood snapped.
Severus went into the tiny kitchen, grabbed a vial and handed it over.
"What the hell are you doing in this Muggle hovel, anyway?" Rookwood asked.
"Several of these are particular and need exact conditions. I have less chance of being disturbed out here than I did in the city. Unless you plan on making this a habit?"
Rookwood rolled his eyes. "You're pretty fucked up, Snape. Not sure what the hell he sees in you, but this shit better be worth putting up with you." With that, he grabbed Avery's arm, dragged the other man outside, and they were gone.
Lily was sitting on the bed when he returned. "So, this is what you do now?" She looked hurt, confused, and even a little disgusted.
Severus raised his eyebrows and leaned against the door frame.
"I figured—I thought it was what it had to be over the holiday when you vanished, then showed up all beaten…but I kept hoping I was wrong."
"Why?" he asked.
Lily looked up, finally meeting his eyes through messy strands of red hair. "Because I didn't want that to be who you are."
He narrowed his eyes. "Who do you want me to be?"
Lily licked her lips and swallowed as she looked at the ceiling. "I don't want to fight with you, Sev."
"What do you want to do then?" he asked.
Lily stood up and adjusted her top. "I shouldn't have come here."
"Probably not," Severus agreed.
Lily glared at him, hey eyes registering hurt, then anger again. "I'll be leaving then." She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm and pushed her back against the doorframe. Her eyes widen and before she could say anything, before he could stop himself, his lips were on hers.
Here's the interesting part, keeping them together when they have so many reasons to be apart…
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