AN: thanks for all the reviews!! I loved them!

Thanks to jegan for the plot.

Disclaimer: really I don't get why we have to write this thing, if we owned Harry potter, we wouldn't exactly be writing on this site would we? Anyway, as usual, I don't own it, never will.

SEVENTH YEAR ROLLER COASTER

Chapter 17: escape and free

James, Remus, Maggie and Sirius apparated outside Hugh's house.

"Its all dark" whispered Sirius, "I think we can apparate in. let's go" he spun and disappeared with a soft pop. The rest followed.

James moved silently through the house, checking every room. Lily didn't seem to be anywhere. Maggie searched with him downstairs, while Remus and Sirius looked upstairs. James passed a couch, and stumbled on something.

"Lumos!" he lit his wand, and light shone on the floor, "Lily! Guys, come here, I've found her!"

Sirius, Remus, and Maggie came running. James lowered his wand to Lily and saw her properly. He swore as Maggie gasped. Lily was covered in bruises. Her face was encrusted with dried up blood, and she sported a black eye. Her wrist was bent at a strange angle.

"Oh Lily…" James murmured, kneeling down and stroking her hair. He looked up, eyes blazing with anger. "He must have done this!" he hissed.

"Wait, James," said Maggie, "I saw Hugh. Passed out on a bed. Drunk within an inch of himself"

"I don't care," growled James, "he hurt Lily!"

"James, wait" said Sirius, holding him back. Remus joined him.

"James, don't you think our priority is to get Lily out of here, and treated?" asked Remus.

James face softened. "Alright" he relented, "we take Lily now and leave the bastard. But I swear, once she's better, Hugh is dead dragon meat!"

He lifted Lily up gently, and the four of them apparated out, leaving no sign of their visit, except the fact that Lily was gone.

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Lily opened her eyes groggily to a very pretty room.

"Ow" she winced as she sat up.

"Lily!" cried a voice, "you're awake! Are you okay?"

"Easy James," she said, "I'm fine. Where am I?"

"You're at my house," said James, his brow furrowing in worry, "remember, we were going to rescue you from Hugh, at midnight," he sat down on the edge of the bed, "I'm sorry Lily"

"For what?" she asked, bewildered.

"For not being there when Hugh was… you know… hurting you"

"How do you know?"

"Lily, when we came to get you, you were nearly dead. You had a broken wrist and nose, black eye, a wound on your head, digs in your neck and arms, and you were covered with a hell lot of bruises. You've been out for two days. Maggie's healed most of it, all of it, actually, there are just a couple of scars. And she says the bruises range from about a month till two days ago --."

"Lily!" Maggie rushed in, hugging her fiercely, "you're awake!"

Sirius and Remus entered, grinning happily, hugging her as well.

Lily smiled. It was good to be back.

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"Hey Lil," said James.

"Hi" Lily put down her book, "what's wrong?"

"We still have to go to Hugh's house… to get a …divorce"

"Oh yeah" Lily sighed, "yeah, I remember. I think I'd better do it as soon as possible. I don't like being Mrs. Dursley," she glanced out of the window, "I think tomorrow's good"

"I'm coming with you" said James.

"How come?"

"I have a score to settle with Hugh" he said grimly.

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Lily knocked on the door. A maid opened it.

"Miss?" she asked in surprise, "you had gone, had you not? The master's in a terrible rage"

"Yeah, it's me" said Lily, "I'd like to see Hugh"

"Wait here" said the maid, leading them to a small room, "I'll call Mr. Dursley. Your parents have just arrived too."

Lily looked at James nervously. He squeezed her hand in comfort as Hugh entered the room.

"Lily" said Hugh, "I see you have decided to come back."

"No," she said, "I'm here to get a divorce" his eyes narrowed as he saw James.

"Lily? You're going to divorce Hugh?" asked Mrs. Evans as she cam in.

"Absolutely not" snapped Mr. Evans, "we promised Hugh and his family that she would marry him. And she did. She has made a respectable marriage, and it will stay that way. There is--."

"Have you ever thought," Asked James, "that Lily might want to divorce Hugh for a reason? Maybe because he was abusing her?"

"Nonsense" said Mrs. Evans, waving a hand dismissively, "Hugh is an honorable man, he would never do such a thing, would you, Hugh?"

"Of course not" he said suavely, "Lily is my wife. I wouldn't dream of hurting her"

"I've not been blind, dumb, deaf, and senseless this past month Hugh!" said Lily, "you came home drunk, drunk even more, and abused me. Need I say more?"

"That's enough young lady," said her mother sharply, "you come here right now, and forget about divorce. And get away from that freak."

"He's not a freak mum, he's a wizard" snapped Lily, "I'm a witch. I don't belong here. I want to divorce Hugh now!"

"What are you going to do even if you do divorce Hugh?" asked Mr. Evans, "no home, no husband, and no money. Who will take care of you? Who will aid you financially?"

"I will" James stepped forward, circling an arm around Lily, "like we said before, we have way more money than you do, Lily's already of age. She'll finish school and get a decent job instead of sitting here at home while Hugh's out drinking." He pulled out his wand, silently waving it, conjuring a sheaf of papers, a quill, and inkpot, "these are divorce papers, perfectly legal in both worlds, as Hugh is a muggle, and Lily, a witch. Lils, sign here" he passed her the papers.

She signed them quickly, passing them on to Hugh, who scanned the papers furiously.

"Tear it this instant Hugh!" commanded her father, "Lily, come here now!"

"No" said Lily, as Hugh attempted to tear the papers.

"It's indestructible," put in James helpfully, "you can't destroy it. Just sign the damn thing"

"What if I don't?" asked Hugh.

James' temper took the better of him, and he pointed his wand between Hugh's eyes, "you, all three of you, will be hexed into next week!" he snarled, eyes smoldering, "sign those papers, now! Lily is not your property!"

Hugh's eyes widened in fear, and he pulled out a pen, signing his name and throwing the papers at Lily.

Mr. and Mrs. Evans were beside themselves with rage.

"Lily Evans, how dare you!" shrieked her mother.

"We—we disown you Lily!" screamed Mr. Evans, "get out, and never darken our doorstep again! Petunia was right about you! You are a freak and always will be! You can ruin your life if you choose, and we will not be blamed for it! You will not get, a cent, and will regret it, years later, that you ever ran off with this Potter here!" he spat out James' name.

James was about to yell a hex when Lily stopped him.

"Leave it, James. They're not worth it" she cast a scornful look at all of them as she went out. James followed, stopping to cast one single hex at Hugh.

As Lily and James apparated to the Potter manor, Hugh's howls of pain as boils sprung up on his face could be heard.

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AN: yeah! This story's almost done! Now just one more chapter, in which Lily and James resolve their feelings, and the epilogue! Up by Friday, I promise.

Please review!!

Blue.