A/N: And here we have an AU Severus/Lily story in the Marauder Era. In this AU, Severus and Lily leave Hogwarts after their third year and successfully transfer to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts to complete the remaining four years of their magical education. The Marauders finally drive Severus over the line and Lily puts a plan into action that will not only help her childhood friend escape his tormentors and abusers(both at home and at school), but also the clutches of his roommates that have been digging their claws into the Dark Magic Encyclopedia that is Severus Snape. Things are finally looking up for Severus it seems as he is adopted by the Evanses after the end of his Third Year and leaves his rotten life in Britain behind for new shores with his best friend. Also, I've written Eileen to be dead in this fic so as of 3rd Year, Severus is living with only Tobias.

Chapter 1 I Don't Want This Life

Pain. Searing, throbbing, unrelenting pain. That was the first thing Severus felt as his eyes opened and spied the ever-familiar ceiling of the infirmary above his head. Why does it have to be me? Why can't they just fuck off and leave me alone? He sighed resignedly and shut his eyes again, letting the soft pillows, the warm sheets—Is that a warming charm?—and the tranquil quiet envelop him. He heard the squeak of a chair then; it was painful to turn, the bandages around his head and arms made it so, but he turned regardless and couldn't quite hold back the smile at the person he spied sitting by his bedside.

Lily.

She sat there in her chair, legs crossed, an open book propped on her lap when she seemed to notice Severus' movement. She smiled, setting her book aside and standing from the chair to still his movement, lest he aggravate his already severe injuries.

"Sev you're awake," she remarked cheerily. Her happiness only lasted for a moment as her brows knitted in concern and she bit her lip in apprehensiveness. "How are you feeling?"

Severus' lip twitched into a brief smile. "Like shit. I hate this," he said honestly.

Her lip contorted into a grimace as she moved to his side and held his uninjured hand. She huffed a sigh as her eyes glanced over the numerous bandages on his head, neck and arm; she shook her head at the disgusting treatment Severus had received at the hands of her housemates. "I talked to Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall about it…and they've gotten detention, but…"

"But what? Are they going to be expelled?" Severus asked. For the first time in quite some time, Lily saw Severus' onyx eyes shining with hope—a raging, desperate hope that maybe, just maybe his tormentors would get what was coming to them.

It broke her heart knowing his hopes would be dashed yet again, for Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin were not expelled, merely slapped with a ten point loss apiece and a week-long detention scrubbing Cauldrons. She had to tell him though, she had to reveal to Severus what he desperately didn't want to hear. Honesty is the best policy, remember that my Lovely Lily. Mark Evans had always said, and she'd always strived to be honest—brutally so when it was needed, with whomever she was speaking to, and she wasn't about to stop doing that now.

"I pleaded your case Sev…I tried, b—but they're still here. I'm sorry."

Fuck. Two and a half years at this blasted institution should have meant he'd known better by now than to assume those Marauders would ever be expelled, but still those fuckers remained. Protected by the Guardian of all Gryffindors. Albus Percival…whatever the fuck the rest of his name was Dumbledore. "I should have known," Severus remarked bitterly.

Lily smiled sadly and tightened her grip on his uninjured hand. "I really am sorry Sev. I've tried talking to them—getting them to stop all this and to just…leave you be, but they won't! I've tried talking to the teachers too and they don't seem to take it seriously!"

"Lily…your volume. Please, my ears—" he pointed to his bandaged ears "—are still sensitive."

"Oh, right. Sorry Sev," she said sheepishly.

Severus locked eyes with Lily, holding her gaze with an uncanny sense of seriousness burning in his coal black orbs. "The next time you see them Lily, the Marauders. I want you to ask them something, on behalf of me. Can you do that?"

"I hate talking to them," Lily grumbled, eyes darkening with anger. "But for you Sev…I will. What is it you want me to ask?"

"Ask them why."

"Why what?"

"Why they do this to me," he elaborated, pulling his hand from Lily's grasp and almost wincing at the lack of warmth only she could give him. He gestured down at his bandaged left arm and right kneecap. "Why they hurt me. Ask them what I have done to deserve this and I'll stop Lily. I'll stop, but I—I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore…I just want it all to go away."

A muffled sob escaped her throat, the air getting stuck in her lungs as she suddenly found it a whole lot more difficult to breathe. "Oh Sev…" she murmured, pulling him closer into a very tender and gentle hug, trying her best not to aggravate his injuries. He winced at the contact, but held her tightly, refusing to let go.

A tear fell then, one more, then two. "I don't want to do this anymore. I just—want this all to stop Lily. Just ask them why they do this to me and I swear I'll change, I—I hate this. I hate my life," he choked out, his voice cracking. "I—I can't do this anymore. I hate this."

"Sev you don't have to change," she said softly. "I like you just the way you are. You know that right? You'll always be my best friend Sev, because I like you as you are."

He nodded once.

"They are the ones that need to change, they're the bullies. Not you," she said firmly. "You're my best friend and nothing will change that. Not Potter, not Mulciber, or Avery or Black or anyone! Don't change. I swear we'll think of something and it will all work out."

"I hope so," Severus muttered resignedly. Deep down though, he knew that the chances of him ever escaping his father, or the marauders would be slim to none, but he couldn't help but hope and hold out to that tiny shred of light in his bleak life that was Lily. If he lost her…who would he be? What would he become?

Lily sighed softly; she continued to hold her best friend her fingers stroking the back of his uninjured hand as she lent him some warmth and comfort that he needed so desperately. As sh e held him her mind ran a mile a minute as she thought of ways she could help him out. The teachers don't trust him…his Head of House doesn't even like him all that much. His friends in Slytherin won't help him of course, my friends certainly won't…what can I—All of a sudden, a lightbulb switched on deep within the recesses of Lily's mind. She pulled back from their hug and she almost missed the frown crossed Severus' face at the loss of contact but she smiled indulgently at him as she reached for her book bag.

"What are you doing?" Severus asked, glancing at Lily as she sliced a piece of parchment from the roll she always carried around with her. She set it down on his bedside table and began to write—furiously—scribbling away at the parchment as if her very life depended on it and nothing less. "You'll see Sev," she said excitedly, her eyes shining once more that eased the foreboding sense of dread that had enveloped Severus' heart.

He sighed resignedly and reclined back into the bed as he watched Lily scrawl away on her piece of parchment. Five minutes later, she glanced up from her writing and reached for Severus' bag beneath his bed. "Can I borrow your potions book for a moment Sev? I'll give it right back when I'm done, I promise."

"Sure…I guess. But what for?"

She smiled then. "You'll see."

She reached for his ratty old book and opened it up to one of the later pages and furiously began copying his notes and translating them onto her piece of parchment. She flipped through a few more pages, now in the back half of her book and began copying more notes onto her parchment piece. A few minutes later however, she was done and had set the book back in his bag. Severus watched Lily as she bit her lip, chewing it and nearly drawing blood as he emerald eyes frantically glanced over the piece of parchment in her hands. She gave a self satisfied nod and tucked the roll into her pocket.

Lily reached for his hand and gave his fingers a gentle squeeze as she said, "be right back Sev. Just sit tight." She leaped from her chair and dashed out of the infirmary before he even spoke a word.

The third year dashed through the halls, past students and teachers alike as she raced for the Owlery. Just a few minutes later, she reached the foul-smelling tower and whistled for her owl, Hunter.

"Hunter! Come here boy!" She called out.

The fluffy brown head of her owl poked his head out from his cubby and swooped down to land on her outstretched arm. "Can you deliver this to Mum and Dad for me please Hunter? I promise you'll get a really nice treat when you get back."

The owl crooned and rubbed his plumage against the side of Lily's head, eliciting a giggle from the redhead as she attached the scroll to his talons. "There's a good boy," she said stroking him between the ears. "Stay safe and don't exert yourself yeah?"

The owl hooted in understanding before leaping off her shoulder and soaring into the dying light of the evening sun. Lily watched him go, a contented smile on her face before leaving the hideous smell of the owlery behind. As she ran back towards the hospital wing, she nearly crashed into the fierce head of house that was Professor McGonagall as she rounded a blind corner.

"Miss Evans," she chided, swerving just out of the way in time to avoid the out of control redhead. "Why on earth, pray tell are you running in the halls?"

"Need to see Sev," she panted between laboring breaths. "I—I have to tell him something."

"Dinner will start in ten minutes Miss Evans, I suggest you turn yourself around and head for the Great Hall."

Lily smiled sweetly at her head of house, hoping her charm would win her over as she said, "I'll be very quick Professor. I just need to tell Sev something very important."

McGonagall raised an imperious brow but huffed a sigh as she allowed her favorite third year passage. "Off you go then. Do ensure you aren't late."

Lily's smile broadened, a genuine one now. "Thanks Professor!" She said cheerily, inwardly thanking her charm as she dashed past her head of house back to the Infirmary.

She reached the infirmary and pushed open the doors, heading straight for Severus' bedside. "Hey Sev I'm back," she said as she sat back in her chair.

"Yes I can see that," Severus said sardonically, a roll of his eyes thrown in for good measure.

Lily giggled, her fond smile growing as she reached for his hand. "I have a plan Sev," she said confidently.

Just then, she withdrew her wand from her robe pocket and cast a silencing charm over them. Once the blanket of silence was in place, she called out, "Guru can I have some help please?" And a moment later, an old house elf popped into existence at her side.

"Miss Lily," he said dutifully, giving her a bow.

"You have a house elf?!" Severus shouted in shock, his eyes bulging from their sockets at the aged, yet diminutive creature standing at Lily's side.

"He's not my elf Sev," Lily replied laughing at his awestruck expression. "he's a friend I made. Emma Williams, my Hufflepuff friend showed me the kitchens a few weeks back and we've been hanging out there a bit recently. I've made friends with a few of the elves, Guru included so yeah…we're just friends Sev."

"How come you never told me?" Severus asked, looking quite put out at the fact that she'd kept this to herself.

"I'm sorry Sev, I never got around to it I guess. I was planning to show you soon but…I was concerned we'd run into them over there, you know?"

"Miss Lily be asking for something?" Guru asked, his tone slightly impatient.

Severus held his tongue for the moment as Lily turned to the elf and asked for dinner for them both, beef stew and some light bread and cheese for Severus, owing to his healing jaw, while Lily herself asked for a fish & chips. Guru nodded eagerly and popped away to the kitchens, leaving the Slytherin and Gryffindor alone once more.

"I'm guessing Potter and his group frequent the kitchens then?" Severus asked wryly.

Lily but her lip and nodded. "Yes. Yes they go there quite often to steal food and whatnot. I usually go with Emma…or sometimes with Dorcas or Marlene if they're ever feeling up to it but the reason I never told you Sev is so—"

"We don't run into that stupid Pothead and his band of Sycophants," he drawled, finishing her sentence for her.

Lily burst out into laughter and smiled. "Indeed Sev. Anyways yeah that's the story of how I found out about the kitchens."

"So where did you go just now then?" Severus asked.

"Owlery," Lily replied simply, "I had an urgent letter to send to my parents so I thought I'd take care of that quickly before coming back here."

"And it required my potion notes did it?"

She blushed slightly, a slight grin forming on her face. "Maybe…" she said coyly. "But enough about that, how long did Madam Pomfrey say you'll be in for?"

"Three to four days," came the voice of the woman in question. Severus' eyes found hers and Lily whirled around to give the kind matron a smile. Poppy Pomfrey had been the school's resident Healer for a two and a half years now, her tenure beginning just when Lily and Severus had joined the school coincidentally. She smiled warmly at the two third years and headed over to them, a tray of food and potions in her hands.

"Hello Severus, I'm glad to see you awake now," Poppy said as she neared them and set her tray on the bedside table.

"I'm glad too Poppy," Severus replied, smiling at the kind matron.

Poppy was the only figure of authority in this blasted school that respected him, cared for him even; and as a result of his numerous trips to the infirmary over the past two years they'd fostered quite a bond. "Uh Madam Pomfrey? I actually already asked for dinner for Sev so…"

"Ah," the Matron remarked, eyeing the food she'd brought him. "In that case—" she flicked her wand and vanished away the food on the tray, leaving only three vials of potions behind.

"Severus I trust you don't need me to explain what these are?" Poppy asked, gesturing to the three remaining potions atop his tray.

He shook his head. "Wiggenweld, Skele-grow and a Class B Nutrient Potion," he said, eyeing the three in turn. "I believe I am well acquainted with all of them."

"I wish you weren't," Poppy remarked sadly. "But I can't help but be impressed by your knowledge young man. Do you remember when to take them?"

"After I finish eating, but within the hour. No later than that."

Poppy smiled and nodded, "good. Well if you need me Severus, just give me a shout and I'll be here. I just need to run a few checks now so hold still and I'll be done in less than give."

Severus nodded once, and reclined back into the soft pillows, expelling a quiet sigh at the sensation as he did so.

"Miss Evans I'll need you to move out of the way please."

Lily nodded obediently and shifted out of her way, granting the Matron enough room to do her work. She cast two charms, one over his head, and the other over his injured arm. Her eyes blinked several times as she analyzed the results in her hand, biting her lip, she turned to face Severus as she tucked the conjured scroll that contained the results of the casted Charms into her pocket. "Severus. It seems your arm is healing rather nicely so far, I expect it shall be fully healthy after another day or two. But…I may have to keep you here slightly longer for your head wound. It is still progressing, but the scars from prior breaks—"

"What scars?" Lily asked, giving the matron a concerned look.

"Miss Evans. I do not believe it is my place to tell you how it happened, but what I can say is that this is far from the first time Severus has cracked his skull and the prior breaks prevent the potion from working as quickly as it normally would otherwise—"

"Poppy!" Severus hissed, "I told you not to tell anyone!"

"My apologies Severus, I assumed that your best friend should have a right to—"

"No one has a right to know except you and me. You only because you're the bloody healer!"

"Don't take that tone with me young man! Need I remind you whose part of the castle this is?" Poppy said sternly, cowing the scowling Severus.

She sighed, her expression softening slightly. "I'll be in my office. So far everything looks stable, Severus. You just need to give the potions some time to work. If all goes well then I think you'll be out of here by the end of the week. Rest well."

"Thank you Poppy," Severus muttered, avoiding her gaze as he glared holes through the sheets.

Poppy nodded once, giving Severus a tight-lipped smile as she turned on her heel and strode back towards her office. As the door to Poppy's office slammed shut, Lily quickly recast her privacy charm with an angry wave of her wand and rounded on her friend. "Severus what did Poppy mean by 'you've cracked your skull several times before'?"

"Swear to me you'll never tell anyone," Severus whispered, glaring at her.

Lily nodded quickly, grasping his fingers with her own in reassurance. "I swear Severus, no one will know unless I get your permission to tell first. Can you tell me about them?"

He huffed a quiet sigh and nodded. "My father, as you know Lily is not a pleasant man. He's…hurt me, done things just as bad if not worse than Potter and his friends. I hate him. More than Potter and Black even. I hate my father."

Lily gasped at the sheer sense of bitterness and anger in her best friend's tone, just as she found her courage and was about to reply, Severus pressed on. "The marks I bear…the scars that litter me, inside and out. Most of them can be traced back to him. I hate him Lily, and I want nothing to do with him and his filthy Muggle blood."

"Severus!" Lily hissed angrily. "How can you say that? My parents are muggles and you love them!"

"Yeah? Well they're different. They're the good sort of Muggles. My father is just like all the others."

She sighed, her head slumping slightly as she realized Sev did have a point. his father treated him poorly, the other kids in their neighborhood did too. In fact, Violet and Mark Evans were the only two Muggles that had ever shown Severus kindness, the rest…did not.

"Come with me then," she said.

"What?"

"I said come with me," she insisted, tugging on his hand. "We can get away from all this. Move in with my family. My parents love you Sev so you know they'd be happy to have you."

"I don't know Lily, I don't think that—"

"I've already written my parents," Lily said quickly, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Severus' eyes bulged as he fixed her with a glare. "You did what?" He hissed, "is—is that what that letter was about just now?"

"Yes. Something else as well, that I'd thought of; but I'd written them about you and a few other things. I want to help you Sev, I really do. But I can't do much for you as long as you're living with your father. Let my parents help you Sev and we'll work something out. Alright?"

"Your mum has been kind to me in the past," Severus conceded, "but it's a lot to ask of them to accept me in with open—"

"They've talked about it plenty times in the past Sev. Many times. They're more than willing to have you and have actually been bugging me to talk to you about it. I know you hate discussing your home life so I haven't brought it up at all much since they told me to ask you but…I hate seeing you like this, and knowing how evil and cruel your father is, it hurts me knowing that you have to return there every summer."

"Your concern is appreciated, Lily. I'll think about what you've said and uh…maybe I'll take you up on your offer. As long as your parents are okay with it that is."

"They'll always help you Sev," Lily said reassuringly. "As will I."

He smiled then, genuinely. "Thank you Lily. And I will always help you as well."

Their food came eventually and the two set about eating their fare. Severus ate slowly and carefully, being out of commission for over a day meant he'd better take it slow in regard to his eating. Lily on the other hand consumed her food at a ravenous pace, devouring her fish & chips in mere minutes. Before long though, it was time to go as Curfew was rapidly approaching and Lily for one did not want to wait to be shooed out by the Matron, nor get caught by Filch and his foul beast Mrs. Lewis. Lily vacated her seat and flashed Severus a broad smile, promising to visit him during lunchtime tomorrow when she'd have her first break from classes. Severus set aside his tray and smiled back, giving her a wave as she left the wing.

Lily sighed softly the moment she was through the grand oak doors. She had a plan, and today was only the first day of said plan. If all went well, and her parents were able to help her, then this would be the last year Sev would ever have to deal with his father, and this school too. By hook or by crook, she and Sev were getting out and leaving this damned place that was slowly breaking her best friend down bit by bit. Her lip trembled at the look of resignation, of fear and sorrow in his eyes as he realized the Marauders were still here, would continue to haunt him and come after him. She hated that look, that look that was always there in the aftermath of a Tobias beating, or a Marauder attack. She hated seeing her Sev look so down trodden and defeated. The words that accompanied his haunted expression she hated most of all, a desire to find out just why the Marauders bullied him so, to learn just what he had done that angered them to such levels that they bullied him incessantly.

She growled at the thought, reminding herself of her goal. Sev and her would not be coming back here ever again once term was up, she just knew it and she shuddered at the thought of what staying at this school for another four years would do to her friend. She couldn't bear to see him like this, slowly, but surely slipping into his roommates arms' and seeing the Marauders continue to abuse him day in and day out. Her plan was simple, she'd write to her parents with two things in mind. One, to contact CPS to get Sev out of his house, she'd seen enough of his wounds and scars and Severus being ever the prideful boy was too proud to ask for help; she'd have to do that herself and get her parents on board with it. Two, she sent them a letter to forward to Ilvermorny school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts. She'd even added in a few of Severus' potion modification recipes as a kicker to give further impetus for the American wizarding school to admit her and her friend. Granted, she'd passed off one of the two recipes as her own but she was sure Severus wouldn't mind if it meant she would accompany him across the pond.

The beginnings of her plan were already in motion, that letter was sent and there was no recalling it. If all was well, and even if Sev and her had their application turned down by Ilvermorny, at the very least he'd be away from his abusive father and with her family. Where he belonged. For the first time in his life she swore a vow; Severus would have a family, he would people that loved him like her parents did and friends that truly appreciated him, and to do that they needed to get out of Hogwarts.

A/N2: To be completely honest, I wrote this chapter on the day I have posted it so I have done little to no planning beyond what you've seen written. Updates will be sparse and there will be significant time-skips between chapters. No guesses on my side as to how long this fic shall go chapter-length wise, but probably at least ten or so, perhaps more but we'll see. Thanks for reading and if you've enjoyed, be sure to check out my other stories!