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James Potter, just beginning his seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Head Boy, had seen many things in his life. But nothing prepared him for the sorry sight that tumbled into the Heads' common room. After all, James had a specific set of rules that classified him as a gentleman:

1) All Slytherins deserve to be ruthlessly pranked

2) Homework and shameless flirting will get you a passing grade

3) Preying on weaker people is cowardly

But most importantly,

Never hit a woman.

Therefore, upon seeing the beaten and bloody heap that was the Head Girl, Lily Evans, his blood boiled. It was cowardly of a man to hit a woman.

-

He'd dealt with abuse before. One of his closest friends, a third year Ravenclaw and a girl that had basically become his sister, Holly Clark, had dealt with an abusive father after her mother passed away. He'd found her in the rain, out in the corner of her yard as he looked out over the quidditch pitch the entire neighbourhood used. He'd carefully taken her in the house and left her to his mother. It happened four more times before his mother reported it.

Lily was different.

The two head students had a rivalry that was more renowned, they swore, than the Slytherin and Gryffindor rivalry in the school. Carefully lifting Lily off the floor he set her gently on her bed before delicately shaking her awake. She flinched away from the masculine touch and James made a valiant attempt at burying his anger, summoning is patience instead.

"Lily, it's James. Come on, wake up for me," he said softly, holding back an outcry of anger when she turned her back and curled further into the foetal position. Lily's back was scraped raw, her shirt torn as a result, and, as James took a closer look, Lily's wrists were red and would most likely bruise by morning. Going against all the past curfew rules, James grabbed his cloak and rushed to the Ravenclaw common room, having the password from his surrogate sister. The third year dorms were up the right staircase and he took the stairs three at a time. He found Holly's bed quickly and frantically shook her awake. He was forced to slap a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

"Holly, I need your help," he whispered urgently. Holly looked at him quizzically but nodded, recognizing James from the moonlight through the window.

"Are you sure this can't wait until morning?" she whined.

"Yes. Bring that stuff Pomfrey gave you for cuts and bruises," he instructed as she climbed out of bed. With a quiet hiss at the cold floors, she rifled through her trunk coming up with an unlabelled container. He carefully wrapped them both in his cloak and they swiftly made their way back to the Head's rooms. He offered Holly his bed and she took it gratefully, not questioning his overprotective streak towards his enemy. James was thankful that Lily had passed out while he was away. He gently removed what remained of her shirt and unhooked her bra, careful to keep her facing away - if he was going to see her naked it wasn't going to be because she was brutally injured - as he rubbed in the balm. He took his time making sure to get as many cuts and bruises as he could see. It was only then, when he was positive he'd done his best to make the pain she'd feel in the morning minimal, did he hook her bra back up and gently wake her. She moaned and rolled over with a hiss to see James. She whimpered but lay prone, turning her head away.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Lily," he told her, though he was pretty sure it wasn't going to change anything. He held in a gasp at the bruise forming on her stomach. He gently rubbed more of the balm on that spot. She whimpered and flinched away from his touch but didn't move.

"Let's get you out of those clothes, okay?" he whispered gently when he was done, lifting Lily's blue silk pyjamas from the chair beside the window and setting them beside her. When she didn't move, James brushed a hand delicately against her cheek and she flinched away. He pulled his hand away quickly. He waited until she met his eyes before offering his hand.

"I won't hurt you, Lily, I promise," he told her softly and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know that," she whispered, the first words she'd spoken.

"I promise," he repeated empathetically. When she still didn't move, James' mind wandered to the sleeping girl in his room.

"Would you rather a girl help?" he asked, remembering how he always gave Holly to his mother. Lily nodded quickly and James left, closing the door tight behind him. He crossed the common room swiftly and, for the second time that night, urgently shook Holly awake.

"It's not morning, James, bugger off!" Holly mumbled, rolling over. James rolled his eyes.

"Holly, Lily needs help," he whined. Holly groaned and rolled over, groggily glaring at the black haired teen.

"Why?" she pouted.

"She's like you when I found you out in the rain the first time," he explained, not ready to actually say that he believed Lily was being abused.

Most likely by a boyfriend to that... a string of curses not appropriate for young children rushed through his head at the thought of Lily being abused by a man. Holly didn't need any more of an explanation. She hopped out of James' bed and led the way back to Lily's room. Holly took one look at Lily and flinched before shoving James out of the room. He slid down the wall and sat to wait out Holly's miracle

-

Half an hour later, Holly emerged.

"She's bad, Jamie. I got her cleaned up as best I could, but she won't say anything at all," she confessed, tears in her eyes. James hugged her tightly.

"Take my bed, Holls. Get some sleep."

"What about you."

"I'll take the couch after I check on Lily," he answered, his tone telling her it was useless to argue. Holly grudgingly went off to James' bedroom. James creaked open the door and saw Lily stiffen.

"It's just James, Lily, I'm not going to hurt you." She nodded and James fully entered the room. Lily was sitting against the headboard staring to her left, out into the fall air of the grounds.

"I'm going to sit her on the edge, okay?" She nodded again and he sat, keeping his distance, letting her come to him. Silence engulfed them, the only sound to break it, Lily's snuffles. And as much as she tried to hide them and tried not to cry, a tear slipped down her cheek.

"It's okay to let go here, Lily, you're safe. I won't hurt you." And she didn't know the depths he went with that. He wanted to protect her, to keep it from happening again. He'd even changed the portrait's password so only he knew it.

"What happened to me," Lily whispered finally.

"It's not your fault, sweetheart." Lily flinched at the endearment and James squashed the rearing head of rage within him. He filed that bit of information away for later.

Then the tears came in earnest and before he'd realized exactly what he was doing, she was carefully cradled against him, mindful of her injuries, as she sobbed. She took in his scent as she cried, committing it to memory as comfort and safety. That was how they fell asleep, James long after Lily had cried herself to exhaustion.