Lily sobbed, gripping the sleeves of James's shirt tightly. She didn't know where to go. What to do.

She thought back to the moments before. She was running from Severus. He had told her gently that they would go out together on Thanksgiving, because his parents lived far away and he didn't like spending the holiday with them. Like a fool, she believed him. She thought he was going to treat her right.

Lily recalled her parents asking her to spend Thanksgiving with them and her sister. Lily had said yes, promising that she'd be there for her older parents. Sure, Petunia hated her for the while, but maybe she could fix things with her big sister, who her heart still contained love for.

Lily had gently told Severus that she had promised to be with her parents and sister. Saying that he didn't take it lightly was an understatement. Severus had flipped out, asking why she hadn't asked him if could go.

An anger rose in Lily, like red furious flames. Her heart pounded with fury, as her face reddened like her hair. She recalled her exact words.

"You don't have control over me!" she screamed, "I can do as I please, no matter what you say! I don't care anymore. I'm doing what I want!"

She remembered this part quite clearly. A loud smack echoed through the room as his hand made contact with her face. Lily's cheek burned from the impact. Her eyes began to water and she took a few steps toward the door.

"You hit me." she muttered in shock, "All this time, you promised you'd never hurt me."
"Lily." Severus glanced at his hand then his face, "Lily! I didn't... I didn't mean it!"
"Sure you didn't." she retorted, gently placing her hand against her bruising cheek.

Lily backed up against the door, her hands furiously searching for the doorknob. Her wallet, keys, and phone were in her sweater pockets, hidden from Severus's sight. If he saw them, he'd be sure to take her belongings to keep her from leaving. Her fingers found the doorknob, and she twisted it, opening the door. She ran out into the rain, wearing a sweater, sweatpants, and a sneakers. Lily shivered, not only from the chill and rain, but from the trauma that happened moments before.

The rain poured down on her harshly, as if mocking her pain. Each drop stung her skin, leaving her freezing.

She felt her phone vibrate, and pulled it from her pocket. A text from James.

Hey Lily! What's up?

Lily placed her phone back in her pocket. Her heart raced wildly and she could see her breath in the cold. She needed somewhere to go. Her car was parked far away and Severus would be able to find out where she was if she drove. Which left two options, train or running.

Could she run to James? His house wasn't too far from here. She texted him back after running for twenty minutes, hoping he'd let her stay at his place for a little while. Now she was ever so thankful that he'd agreed to let her lie low at his house.

She needed to get away from him. What if he tried to hurt her again? The bruise on her cheek burned, and she placed a palm against it. She found herself sniffling into James's shirt, which she had apologize for.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, salty tears running down her cheeks, "I didn't... I didn't know where to go..."
"Oh God, Lily. What happened?" his voice shook with concern.
"I'll... I'll tell you. Please, can I come inside?"
"Yes, of course."

James wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He muttered something about hypothermia, and Lily felt her hot drying tears contrasting the cold rainwater on her face.

She collapsed on the couch and James threw a towel at her. She caught it happily and began to wipe her face free of water.

James looked at her, not seeming to pick up on anything that had happened.

"Lily, what happened?" he said, brushing a stray lock of red hair out of her face.
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you about the bookshop and everything."
"That's clearly a lie," he smirked, then frowned at her, "Seriously, Lily."
"It's nothing James!"
"Miss Evans, I care about you and want to help."

Lily bit her lip, and shivered as she told him what happened. About everything. How she and Severus has gotten together (horribly unromantic, by the way). How she started to fall out of love with him. And how he'd hit her for the first time. Lily was in tears by the end. 

"Oh my God," James gasped when she'd finished, "Lils, why did you tell me sooner?"
"I didn't think it was something worth worrying about." she answered bluntly, looking at her lap. A tear streamed down her face.
"You were in an abusive relationship," he whispered, "or course it's something worth worrying about."

She found herself reaching out for a hug, her eyes watering with tears. Lily's heart hurt with pity for herself and the situation she had just realized she was in. Her stomach sank with each breath she took. James eagerly walked into her hug, pulling her closer to him. She could smell the faint whiff of coffee and sugary candies. Lily found herself sobbing into the crook of his neck. She assumed he'd be disgusted and tried to stop her cries, but if anything, James pulled her even closer to him.

She needed love. She needed comfort. She needed protection and someone to turn to. But where would she find it? She couldn't run back to Severus, even though he'd been by her side for so long. But people grow up and change, and he wasn't the same person she loved so long ago. Lily was ever so thankful to James. Whatever he had done to Severus long ago, he must've grown out of. He didn't seem like the guy who pantsed him as a teen. Lily found herself pulling away from the hug and looking into James's warm hazel colored eyes. Lighter than you'd expect most Asian eyes to be. She smiled, and he seemed to be cupping her face in his hands.

Lily didn't realize what she was doing. She leaned forward and kissed him, straight on the lips.