AN: I really love this chapter. I've seen a lot of tiktoks explaining the difference between James and Severus and wanted this chapter to explore the difference of them in this story and in HP.

"James was a good person that did the wrong thing. Severus was a bad person who was manipulating someone by doing good things sometimes. To Lily in this state, they were the same thing. Men who sometimes did good things, sometimes did bad things, and both capable of hurting her if they wanted to."

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Sirius was furious at James at the moment. James had told Crouch to withhold information from Sirius, approached Lily with no plan on how to get her out, and proceeded to beat the bloody hell out of her abuser in front of her.

Crouch sent the text that had confirmed Severus Snape was staying in a hotel about a half hour out and James confirmed Lily was there too. That confirmation set Remus into a panic attack. He was rocking back and forth and then started scratching his skin until it bled. The sight was gruesome. Come on Sirius, stay calm. Right now, a good outcome depends on you. Remus first. He took Remus' phone and dialed the mental health number he had on there. When they came, he informed them that the therapist information would be on Remus' phone and to contact them. After he was assured in Remus' safety, he rushed to the hotel address.

Along the way he called the police informing them of the situation and the potential scene he thought they might find. When he finally reached the hotel parking lot there were three cop cars as well. Barty had given him the hotel room, so Sirius ran straight there.

An officer was blocking off the hall around the room. Sirius knew to wait patiently, but it was hard. No one had come out of the room. There were noises over their radio and a bit of chatter between officers. After what felt an eternity of waiting, the heart wrenching scream of Lily Evens caused him to attempt to break through to the room.

"Officer, please, I'm the one that called you guys here. She's a friend of mine, she might feel safer coming with me." Sirius tried to plead.

After checking with his commander and taking Sirius' information, he was allowed into the dark room. Lily was curled in on herself in the corner. James and Severus were both handcuffed and sitting on opposite sides of the bed, the officers waiting to continue until Lily was out with the paramedics.

So here Sirius sat, he had his sketch book drawing his latest vision. Lily was sedated once they reached the hospital. She would not cooperate with anyone. She nearly broke Sirius' hand when they came to take her blood. When tests showed she needed a bit of surgery, Lily lashed around the room.

The fragile state of her broke his heart. Sirius caught her and held her against him. After a moment of struggling she resigned her attempts to get away. Sirius held her in his arms while the pushed the sedative. "Please don't let them hurt me please. They'll come back and take me."

"Darling the nurses are here to get your appendix out; they'll bring you back to us."

Lily shook her head. Her eyes attempting to stay open, fighting the medication in her system. "Severus and James. They'll come back for me. I won't be able to say no to either of them. They'll take me and I won't be able to say no." Sirius didn't know what to say.

James was his best friend and brother since childhood. He knew that James was a good person that did the wrong thing. Severus was a bad person who was manipulating someone by doing good things sometimes. To Lily in this state, they were the same thing. Men who sometimes did good things, sometimes did bad things, and both capable of hurting her if they wanted to.

She lulled back and forth on his shoulder. She had stopped sobbing because of the sedation, yet tears were still falling. His shoulder was soaked. This here was a woman her wouldn't have chosen to be in his life. He didn't think they got along well, yet here she was. His brother's soulmate (though she didn't know that yet), and his soulmate's closest friend. What would those two men want him to do for her? He knew. He swore right there to her.

"I won't leave you alone with either of them if you don't want. I'll always make sure you are protected."

When she got out of surgery, Sirius was asleep. He was laying on her hand without tubes sticking out. She briefly recalled him coming in the hotel room, holding her close in the hospital, and promising to protect her.

She smiled despite the circumstances. Sirius wasn't originally who she would have chosen for Remus. Sirius seemed rash and insensitive on occasion. He seemed loud and outgoing. Remus was quiet and enjoyed his privacy. She thought the two were too polar opposites.

In this moment, him laying on her hand sitting in the most uncomfortable looking hospital chair, she knew he was the best choice. His sketch book was laying by her knees. When the nurse came in, she signaled for him to hand her the book. It seemed intrusive, but Lily saw the first piece and couldn't stop herself from flipping through the pages.

The open page was the drawing of two arms, bloody streaks running down to the fingertips. It was beautifully sad. The next twenty or so were different versions of Remus. Profile, straight on, sketches, detailed versions, and ones that Sirius had drawn himself and Remus. She wanted to cry. Remus never thought he was worthy of desire, yet here this man was. His drawings worshipped Remus in a way. It seemed so intrusive. It made her jealous. To be desired and worshiped in this way.

Her machines started to go off, alerting the nurse and waking Sirius. She was sobbing and the stitches she could feel on her stomach started to be painful. "Lily, love, you need to calm down. You don't want to pull any stiches." Sirius tried to warn her. She couldn't seem to pull herself together. Sirius took her hand and laid it on his chest. She tried to match her breathing to his. Her pain lessened with the meds the nurse pushed through.

"Where's Remus?"

"He hurt himself when he heard. They are keeping him in the 48-hour observation room. He'll be right here when he's released."

Lily felt guilty. She hadn't thought that Remus would be worried about her at all. She thought that he would be relieved that he didn't have to pay for the both of them. Lily wanted to cry again. She had hurt her best friend who had been so kind to take her him. Would he be willing to take her back?

"Sirius, what if Remus doesn't take me back as a friend? What if he can't trust me again?"

Sirius took a minute to answer and it began to scare her. Maybe he couldn't think of any scenario that Remus would want to forgive her.

"Remus is going to want you back in the apartment both of you belong in as soon as possible. He'll dote on you so much; you'll get sick of it." Lily was relieved to hear that. He would want her back. Even if he didn't need her, he wanted her to come back. Sirius took her face gently and made sure he had eye contact before continuing. "If by some alternate universe craziness, he doesn't. I'll take you in. Find us a place and help pay the way until you've shown yourself that you are brave and brilliant again."

The moment would have been perfect, if James Potter hadn't walked in the room all cut and bruised up.