For those of you who asked me to update soon, here it is

For those of you who asked me to update soon, here it is. :) As you will find out after this next chapter, things will get pretty twisted…and thanks for the comments! More reviews would be great; please let me know if I should continue or if this really isn't leading anywhere…

Chapter #4: The Protector

Severus could see right through those four wizards, the ones who call themselves the Mauraders. He could recall the first time he had met them, in his first year, and since then he was sure they were never up to anything good.

"Professor Slughorn!" a small redheaded witch cried, running towards a fat toad of a teacher. "Professor Slughorn, I've finished my potion!" She pointed eagerly at her cauldron, which was bubbling a thick peach-colored liquid. The toad that she called Professor Slughorn hitched up his trousers and straightened his robes as he walked towards her.

"My, my," He exclaimed, peering into her cauldron, "You did it again, Lily Evans! An impeccable Boil-Cure Potion…couldn't have brewed it better myself." The girl called Lily beamed and thanked him.

Professor Slughorn looked up and announced to his first-year Potions class, "Time is nearly up! Please send approximately ten milliliters of your potion to the front of my desk and I will grade them momentarily." He turned back to Lily Evans and murmured in her ear, loud enough for those nearby to eavesdrop, "Ms. Evans, why don't you attend one of my Slug Club meetings this afternoon, 3 o'clock?"

It was common knowledge that only those whom Professor Slughorn thought would become great witches and wizards got to be in his special Slug Club.

Lily smiled and accepted, thanking her professor for the invite. He stood up, patted her on the head and returned to his desk triumphantly, getting ready to grade the full beakers swarming up to him.

Lily had just returned to her seat when a black-haired boy with glasses sitting two desks away called out to her, "Check that out—Evans got in the Slug Club, just like that! What are you, a genius or something?"

The redhead girl shot her eyes at the boy. "No…I just happen to be really interested in Potions, that's all."

"Well, you know what? I'm interested in those who are interested in Potions…" James Potter grinned at his fellow mates beside him.

Taken aback, Lily didn't know how to react. "Uh…I don't believe I know who you are. So how can you be interested in me?"

"Well…if you look at what I see…" James' chuckling prohibited him from going any further.

Severus Snape, who was sitting beside Lily, stood up. "Hey!" he yelled at James and his gang. "Shut up, go away, and leave her alone." Lily turned and gave him a look that clearly said, No, don't Severus, you'll make things worse. But he stared back at James, willing for him to obey what he said.

The bell rang for class to be dismissed.

James raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you can tell anybody what to do here, Snake."

"That's not his name…don't call him that!" Lily told him defensively. "It's Severus Snape!"

"Oh," said James, "and I thought it was Snivellus. But of course I wouldn't want to call him that either…"

"You're nothing but a blob!" Lily cried. "A big, hairy blob with four eyes!"

Rather than feeling upset, James looked rather amused. "I appreciate the compliment, Carrot," he replied, eyeing her dark red hair. "Actually you're more of a tomato." Severus let out a noise between a rasp and a roar. He whipped his wand out/

"Ouch…that was a bad one, Prongs," the boy behind James, Sirius, said.

"Hey, hey, no fighting here!" Professor Slughorn had finally turned his attention to the back of the room, his hands full of beakers. "If you want to start something, take it outside! Not in this classroom, not while I'm here!" He saw that Lily was in the middle of this chaos and added, "And whatever you're arguing about, leave Ms. Evans out of it."

Professor Slughorn quickly hustled Lily out of the room while scolding that she should avoid trouble with such young rascals. Then, he kicked Severus, James, and his three friends out of the room as well. Lily had already left the scene, but Severus turned to James quickly and whispered dangerously to him, "I'm warning you, Potter, you and your little stooges stay away from Lily. And stay away from me. We've got nothing to do with you."

"You got it, slimeball, wouldn't want to be near you anyway," Sirius told him, folding his arms.

And with that, Severus swished his cloak and ran to catch up with Lily.

"Sheesh…bit touchy, aren't they?" James said, before the Mauraders turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Severus opened his eyes. He was sitting in the Slytherin common room where he was before he had fallen through that state of reminiscence. He could still hear Sirius's voice as he uttered the words "You got it, slimeball." Just those four words were enough to make Severus's breathing heavier, his hand crush the green and silver bedspread underneath him.

He remembered so clearly when, later on that day, he had promised Lily he would protect her from those boys.

"They're nothing but trouble," he had said. "But I'll keep you safe. Just stick around me for a while, in case they come looking for you again. They don't bother me with their little statements, but I don't want you to get hurt."

And Lily had replied back, "Thanks, Sev, but I don't know if I can stand being around your friends…they're a little creepy."

"They're not creepy, they're just interested in the same things I am. That's how you make friends," Severus told her. "But I promise, I'll always be your best friend."

I'll always be your best friend. Severus had said it then, and he had meant it. And he still meant it now more than ever. Right before he recalled that day in his first year, Severus overheard the confrontation between James and Lily down below in the courtyard. He decided not to rescue her this time; she was a grown girl now, she could defend herself. Over the years, Lily had become an emotionally strong witch, one of the reasons he admired her so much. But still, Severus had that promise to keep. And he would keep it. He would get James and his little Marauder friends back later.