The Playground

你好 readers! (That's hello btw. I'm just trying to mix it up.)I know this chapter seems to be really off track, but I'm just trying something new. Let me know what you think in the comments. Disclaimer again: JKR owns this story.

LilyThe bludger had come straight at Lily's face, so she had disapparated. Her feet hit the ground with tremendous impact, causing Lily to fall onto her back. At first, Lily thought she had pulled it off, but then she felt the sharp pain in her left leg and right side. She groaned and sat up to see a lot of blood and two large gashes. Splinched. And she had nothing to stop the bleeding. The sight of the blood made her stomach turn, but she tried to stay calm. Where am I?

Apparently she had been thinking of home, so she had apparated to her hometown. It wasn't her house she had showed up at, though, but the local playground. Her house was only down the street to her left. This park was so familiar to her that it made her heart ache for her childhood. This was the park where her and Petunia had used to play as children. It would always have a place in her heart. She wasn't surprised to realize she had apparated here.

When she tried to recall why she'd stopped coming to the park, she froze. It was because one person always seemed to be here. And he had broken her heart. What were the odds that he'd be here? Well, she really had such terrible luck.

"Lily?" questioned a familiar voice. Just the sound of it made her heart race. She couldn't see him, but her heart was already pounding. Her leg and side were aching and stinging. She was losing too much blood. Maybe his voice was just a side effect from the blood loss.

Then she felt it. A pair of eyes on the back of her head. Fear flooded through her. She turned her head slightly and saw him- greasy hair, pointed nose, and all. His face showed his shock in seeing her, but he quickly snapped out of it. He had been sitting on one of the swings, but now he was beginning to advance to her.

"Lily are you..."

"Stay back!" she warned. She was afraid. She didn't want him near her. Severus had become someone she avoided at all costs. Now, she felt like a wounded animal. She couldn't move, but she had to watch him slowly approach.

He ignored her when he saw her injuries and reached out as if to touch her. She kicked back causing more pain. She cried out. Why am I so afraid?

"Lily, stop this!" he screamed. He attempted to grab her but she rolled away. Her side ached and almost caused her to scream out in pain. Blood was beginning to pool everywhere. It was pointless to keep fighting. She paused. She looked at him and finally gave in. She was scared, but she wasn't going to show her fear. Severus saw her calm and knelt next to her slowly. She knew in the back of her mind that he wasn't going to hurt her.

Then, she saw in the distance two boys she hadn't noticed before. Avery and another boy whose name she didn't know. She didn't need to know his name, though, to know that he was one of the few who was rumoured to volunteer to be a Death Eater one he was older. The two boys grinned devilish grins. Lily had never liked Snape's friends. She never trusted them either.

Snape began to reach for his wand as his friends began to advance. The fear she had been trying to push down resurfaced. She may be able to trust Severus, but these boys where ruthless. An injured Muggleborn was their idea of a fun time.

That set Lily over the edge. Severus saw the fear in her eyes and tried to calm her, but Lily couldn't take it. He reached for her. In a panic she thought Potter Manor, focused, and disapparated before Snape could try to help her again.

CRACK!

She landed in a field of green that she recognized. For a moment her adrenaline had taken over, but her pain had returned worse than ever. She cried out in pain, a bloodcurdling scream. Disapparating had opened her wounds even more. She was bleeding everywhere. Pain overtook her senses. Slowly, her vision began to blur, making the sky above her fuzzy. Before she lost consciousness, she heard a familiar voice.

"Evans..."

And then she blacked out.

JamesJames had seen Lily's red hair and dove to her. Before he had even landed, he saw all of the blood pouring from her leg and side. Her eyes were slightly opened.

"Evans..." Lily's eyes had closed. Remus had landed next to him and sucked in a shocked breath. James fell on his knees next to her and felt for her pulse. Don't be dead. You can't be dead. Finally, he felt the flutter of her heart and breathed a little easier. Not much easier, though.

"Remus! What do we do? Will she be okay? Remus?"

Moony took a breath and got to work.

"James, do you have Essence of Dittany at the manor?"

"Um... yes."

Remus made ribbon fly out of the tip of his wand to tie around the side wound and above the leg wound. James recognized it as an attempt to slow the bleeding.

"How are we going to move her?" James asked. Remus looked puzzled at this.

"Can you fly and hold her?" he asked James. James thought for a moment. When he used to dream about holding Lily on a broom, it hadn't been like this. Time was running out, though, so he nodded.

Remus took a deep breath. "I need you to pick her up."

James bent down as careful as he could and picked her up into his arms. Sitting her on the broom in a position to rest on his lap, he placed an arm around her to make sure she was secure sitting upright. Then he placed his right hand on the broom to steer and lifted off of the ground. Remus flew behind them to cover in case Lily fell. James felt himself speeding up. Come on Lily. Stay with me.

He could feel the warmth of her blood on his skin. It smelled of a sickly metallic stench. He wanted to gag at the idea of so much of Lily's blood.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the manor came into sight. He dropped down to the ground and practically jumped off of the broom. He cradled Lily in his arms as he ran through the house.

"SIRIUS, MARY, MARLENE, PETER! I NEED HELP!" The sound of footsteps came around the corner, followed by gasps. "Peter my mom is in the garden out back. Get her now! Sirius, go to the cabinet in the kitchen and find the bottle labeled Essence of Dittany.

Peter turned and ran towards the back door. Sirius took off towards the kitchen. James carried Lily into the dining room and set her on the table. She had lost too much blood. Her skin was almost translucent. Her heart beat was slow. Sirius returned with the Dittany, and Remus instructed James on how to use it. James put drops of the potion on Lily's wounds. He watched as the wounds slowly closed.

"Come on Lily," James begged. "Please, please Lily."

Tears were beginning to blur his vision. A second later, Mrs Potter stormed into the room. She took one look at the blood and the unconscious girl on the table and got to work.

"All of you out! Now!" she commanded. James looked at his mom, practically begging, but her look was firm. All of the teens got up and left the room. The last to leave was James, who took one look back before exiting.

Everyone was waiting in the living room. Mary and Marlene were holding each other. James had almost forgotten that Lily was their best friend. Peter was in shock, his eyes the size of golf balls. Sirius and Remus were whispering in the corner. James went to push up his glasses, but realized his hands were covered in sweat and blood. Lily's blood. His shirt was covered in it, too.

The friends waited in silence for what seemed like hours. Finally, Mrs. Potter returned looking exhausted.

"She'll be alright. She just needs to rest," James took a deep breath. Everyone decided to go to bed, even though it was only around 9:00. It had been a long day.

James went up to his room and showered. He watched as the water turned red from the dried blood on his skin. He couldn't believe what had happened today. How had things changed so quickly? James got changed and laid down on his bed. After trying to fall asleep a few times with no luck, he decided that it wouldn't hurt for him to visit Lily once.

He slid out of bed and tiptoed downstairs to the spare room where his mom had moved Lily.

His mother was older than most of the parents of kids his age were. It had been a miracle that he had been born at all. Seeing her seriousness as she went to work on Lily had been shocking to him.

He had reached the room. The door was slightly ajar, so he peaked his head inside. The first thing he saw was the tangle of red hair on the pillow. He tiptoed into the room and up to the bed.

Lily's lips were slightly parted. Her left leg was propped up on a few pillows. The end table next to her was covered with potions and gauze. James studied how peaceful her face looked in the moonlight. The color had returned to her cheeks and lips. She looked relatively healthy to his relief.

She would never come that close to death again, or he would give anything, even his own life, to stop it.

"I promise," he whispered.

Thoughts? I know, I know. Hogwarts life will start soon I assure you. There were just a few bumps on the road. Leave comments and let me know what you think.