"If your mother does anything cruel to you Severus…promise, promise, promise me you'll come stay with me for awhile? I wouldn't forgive myself if they did horrible things to you and I didn't stop it!" Lily pleaded for the last time as they stood at the king's cross station. "I can't impose on you like that, Lily." Lily frowned. "My parents love me and accept me even though I can cast magic, Severus. MAGIC! They're delighted by it! You joined Gryffindor just to help me and protect me from all the things I don't know about! My parents would never turn you away!" Lily seemed out of breath and very upset.
He laughed.
"Lily, I'm sure my mother won't do anything. I'll let her know that if I turn up missing there will be one very angry second year girl who can brew a potion in ways she doesn't even want to imagine." Truthfully Severus was terrified out of his mind. But somehow Lily distracted him from all of that. "But honestly Lily, my mother is my problem. She'll just have to understand." She wouldn't. But when she hit him or shunned him or underfed him, he'd wait it out until she gave in and spoke to him. He would never let Lily see him like that.
"Severus, it may be just me but…." Lily began. Severus raised an eyebrow. "What is it Lily?"
"You seem a lot happier now."
He was.