This has been an amazing journey. A friendly reminder to check my profile; that is where estimates for the next updates will be posted. I will be on the move shortly, so there is a possibility updates will be spaced out. Thank you all who have been kind to read thus far as well as my regular (and newer) reviewers. Yes, I notice you. Any interesting questions will also be answered on my profile. I would rather not post in my own work often.

-Montosse

(Disclaimer)

Lily jerked awake. The wretched taste of bile and blood was caught in her mouth. Immediately, her stomach lurched. Lily was back in the bedroom. Someone was holding her. A hand was under dress and resting on her bare stomach. The other was wrapped tightly around her chest. She bit her tongue to keep from gasping. It was Severus. Lily knew better than to wake him. Panicking, she quickly crawled out of his grasp and off the bed. It was a grave error to trust him. How could she be so foolish? Marlene warned her on the first day to beware of him. Marlene. Lily forced herself not to think of her late best friend. Severus set up a trap, and she stupidly walked into it like a child, hoping for a partnership and safety. He was just as treacherous as the rest of the Death Eaters, only he was clever enough to hide behind good intentions and lies. And Lily believed them all.

She examined herself for any proof or markings. Lily was missing time since being tortured on the entry hall carpet. If Severus could willingly abuse her in front of the others, he was highly capable of worse. Her body was covered with scars in varying states of healing, as well as bruises. It was impossible to tell if he raped her or not. "I need to get out of here." She muttered to herself. The window wasn't an option; she couldn't risk burning her hands again. The door. Lily quietly tried to open the bedroom door, but it was pointless. Locked. Her eyes found Severus' wand. It was on top of the side table, oddly forgotten. She remembered him saying that if any of the servants use magic, they'll be executed on the spot. Lily didn't know if that was the truth, or another one of his lies. Eventually, she decided it wasn't worth the risk. She would have to find the key.

Severus was still asleep. Lily began to dig through his clothes. Every pocket, sleeve, and lapel had to be turned inside out. No luck. She only found handfuls of lint, a couple knuts, a bloody handkerchief, and a new box of cigarettes. Lily gritted her teeth in frustration. She knew there was a key. But where was it? It dawned on her that Severus might be carrying it on him. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him. Lily silently went to the bed. "Is there no easier way?" She thought bitterly as she slipped a hand in a pocket. Nothing. Lily tried the next. Her fingers brushed something cold and metallic; a ring of keys. She carefully pulled the key ring out. Lily, almost too excited at her brief success, slipped on one of his shirts she turned inside-out. Lily and the keys loudly clambered to the floor.

"Lily?" Severus was awake. Lily cursed her luck. However, she had the advantage of being wide awake. When she got to her feet, she snatched his wand from the bedside table. It had been a good while since Lily last held a wand. She felt an immediate surge of magical power. His wand was significantly longer than hers, but incredibly powerful. "You're alive!" Severus was already out of bed.

"Stay there." Lily raised the wand with a shaky hand.

He looked both bewildered, yet collected. "That's my wand."

"What happened?" Why couldn't she stop shaking? "What did you do to me?"

"Lily, I can explain everything! Just give me back my wand!"

"No!" Lily snapped, keeping the wand firmly pointed at him. "Your bloody hands were up my dress, you sick pig! Why were you in bed with me? You violated me!"

"You need to calm down or else you're going to get us both in trouble!" He was turning red. "I don't know what you're talking about! I wasn't touching you! I would never do that to you!"

"Liar!" Lily felt her throat turn hot. She could not cry in front of him She couldn't show any weakness, but nothing could stop them from flowing. "You're just like the rest of them!"

"Lily, please listen –." Severus started towards her, but she only raised the wand and stepped away. "Please understand! Back in the hall; understand I had no choice!"

"No! You're – you're disgusting! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you! How could you?! You and your slimy friends …" Lily's eyes wandered to the key ring she left on the floor.

Severus picked up the keys wordlessly. He looked up at her with burning eyes. "You're leaving, then. Aren't you?" He asked with a shaking voice.

"I thought we had an agreement!" Lily shouted. Purple sparks flew out of the wand. It was unnerving how quickly his wand was connected to her; almost like her own wand. "You were supposed to keep me away from all that! How could you …? You idiot Death Eaters are all the fucking same! You're no different than the rest of them! I thought I could trust you! We had a bloody deal!"

"You need to heal …"

"Heal?!" She shrieked. "Look at me! Do I look bloody healed to you? It's been ages and my hands look the bloody same! Then you and your sick, twisted friends … bleed me out and beat me for sport! Is this what you call healing?!"

"Don't go!"

"Why am I here?!" Lily yelled at him. "What makes a pathetic mudblood so bloody important to you?!"

"Put down the wand, please Lily." Severus was advancing.

She backed away from him. "Why am I here, Severus?" Lily gripped the wand tightly, but she was still trembling with anger. "Why am I here?!"

He stood in numb silence. Of all the times to tell her, did it have to be now? The damage was done and Lily rightously loathed him for it. Thankfully, alive and breathing, as well as moving; but she hated him. What more did he have to lose? Severus looked into Lily, his own voice trembling. "You're here … because ..."

"Why?!" Lily yelled impatiently.

"Because I love you, Lily!" Severus shouted, matching her volume. "You're too fucking stubborn for your own good! You never listen to my warnings let alone anything I say at all! You try too hard to find a battle where there is none! You've convinced yourself that you are without fault or prejudice, yet you remain ignorant of the reality around you! But I fucking love you, Lily. And I'll be damned to hell if you take a step out of this bloody room!"

Lily's eyes widened. She was utterly speechless. Her body went numb. What he said couldn't have been true. This was another pathetic attempt to keep her locked up with him. The more Lily tried to deny it, the more it made sense. While in hiding, why else was she so successful at not being captured? Why else was she spared the same gruesome fate as Mary and Marlene? Why else would Severus want her to stay safe under his watch? Why didn't he look at her when she was brought to his feet for torture? Of course.

"Lily …"

Lily raised the wand at him. With a violent flick and a flash of sparks, the locked bedroom door burst open.

"I love you, Lily … please …"

Lily looked at Severus one last time. For just one moment, Lily couldn't move. Once more, green met black. Both brimming with angry bitter tears. There was no hatred here. Something stirred inside her. Was it possible she felt the same? It was only this morning when Lily discovered she held an inkling of affection towards him. "No." Lily dropped his wand and sprinted out into hallway without another word.