Severus's Love, Harry's Protector

New Friends

When the others returned to Hogwarts, Severus and I stayed in our potions room reading. However, four boys would enter the school covered in different color pain. James would be covered in green paint, Sirius in Yellow, Remus in blue, and Peter in red. Severus and I set it up so we wouldn't have to be there when it happened. What I did not expect was a very excited Lily to rush in with a short blonde girl I remember as Alice.

"Amy! Severus! You both know Alice right?" We both nodded. "Great! She's really really good at Hurbiology. I think she'll be able to help us find plants and herbs to help with the potion."

"I'd be happy to help." Alice said smiling. I noticed she was always smiling.

"Sure. I'll be so happy when we get this potion done. Sherry will be happy to have Chris back and I won't be scared to go back home." I said handing Alice a list of what we had so far and what we needed.

Alice looked over the list and pulled out a quill and started to mark things out and add things. She then looked at the books we had and ran out of the room, still holding the list. I was about to go after her when the boys walked in covered in paint. I busted out laughing. Lily even giggled looking at them.

"Shadow! What kind of paint is this? We can't get it off." James asked looking annoyed.

"Well my dearest Prongs, you will not enjoy the only way to get that paint off." I said making Severus smile.

"How! It's in my hair! MY HAIR!" Sirius screamed making me laugh harder.

"Oh don't be a girl Padfoot. All you have to do to get it off is say 'Severus is the best guy we know.'" I said and Lily doubled over laughing when their faces dropped.

"Never." Sirius said as James said, "Evil!"

"Well you now know how to get the paint off. That's up to you."

"You have lost your mind Shadow." Remus said, he didn't look as bad as James and Sirius but he still didn't like the idea.

The Marauders walked out grumbling as Alice walked back in, arms stacked with more books and Frank following closely behind with another large stack of books. Alice didn't say a word, she went to a corner and sat on the floor, spreading all the books out and looking over the list again.

"You guys stole my girlfriend." Frank said, smiling at us.

"Sorry Frank. I knew she could help." Lily said looking a little down.

"You can stay in here with us. We do our homework here then start on research for this potion." Severus said shocking most everyone in the room. I kissed him.

"Sure. What's thus potion do?" Frank asked.

"It's going to fix brain damage once we create it." I said heading to the couch and sitting down with the book Professor McGonagall gave me for Christmas. Severus joined me with a book on dark herbs. Lily looked disapproving but joined us in reading. Frank joined his girlfriend on the floor.

A week went by and I found Alice to be a great help. A lot of the things we thought we had figured out, she found a better solution. She was giving us ingredients and we were trying them in potions. We tested them on willing families in St Mongos. We were getting close. One patient was cured, though his only problem was nerve damage. Frank mostly just watched Alice though he did join in on my nightly training. He said he enjoyed the exercise. The Marauders were still covered in paint, they refused to say what would get it off. The professors tried to get me to take it off them but I refused. So far they had not been able to prank me back.

At the end of the week, the Marauders walked in the old potions room with defeated looks. "Fine! Severus is the best guy we know." James struggled to get out. The paint disappeared from his body.