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.
The other four struggled to get it out as well but got it. Severus, Frank, Alice, Lily and I were laughing the whole time. Frank and Alice were sitting at a desk that I enlarged for them, Lily was standing beside me preparing ingredients and Severus was working on a new form of the one potion that seemed to work. The Marauders piled up on the couch watching for a few minutes before James couldn't take the silence anymore.
"You have been working on this potion all year. How much longer?"
"You try creating a potion, it's not easy." Lily said.
"Expecially when we have to find the right ingredients and translate actent text." Alice said.
"We will continue working on it till its finished." Severus stated. He knew how much this potion meant to me and wouldn't stop until it was done.
"Why is it so important though?" Sirius asked.
"I have to save Chris. His wife and him took me in when they didn't have to, they've tried their best to give me some good childhood memories. It's also my fault Chris lost his mind. I have to help them." I said getting annoyed.
"You haven't pranked with us since your back to school prank. We miss you." Remus said making me look up.
"I don't think any of us have left this room except to eat and attend classes." I thought back.
"And to train and shower." Frank added.
"How about this weekend we will hang out for a while?" I asked the boys.
"Alright, just don't forget." James said and they walked out.
"That's a great idea. I think we could all use a break." Alice said, setting her book aside.
"Actually, there is something I would like to discuss with all of you. Severus already knows and agreed that yall should know the whole truth...well as much as I can give anyway." I said, walking over and sitting on the couch. I pulled out my wand and warded the room, first making sure we were the only ones in the room, then making sure no one could leave or enter or hear from the outside.
Severus came and sat next to me and Lily beside him. I pulled out my necklace that was a time turner. It was only visible if I held it in my hand. Lily gasped with a knowing look. Alice looked confused and Frank seemed to know what it was.
"This is a special made time turner. I'm from the year 1990. When Chris lost his mind, Sherry decided it's time to pull the plug so to speak. It's what he would have wanted. I'm starting Hogwarts this year. However, Professor Dumbledore knows I'm not your avrage first year. He knows I'm a weapon for the United States Magic Military. He set me a task to watch a boy that will be starting the year after me. I decided to come to this time to observe the boys parents and because it would give me time to get the potion done. Also, I was hoping a man I've always looked up to would be in school in this time."
After a while of silence, Frank said, "So did you meet your guy?"
Severus smirked, "What do you think?"
This caused everyone to laugh. Then Alice asked, "I understand Severus knowing,  I also understand you telling Lily, but why us? We haven't been friends long."
"Two reasons,  I like you both and would like to remain friends. Also, after all the work that's went in to this potion, you've given up your free time to help save a man you've never met. I figured you would like to see how the potion works."
Lily's eyes lit up, "You mean we get to go to the future?"
"You get to go to the military hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. You don't get to ask questions about your future because I don't have the answers. Once I do find out I still won't tell you. Time Travel is a very very dangerous thing. You can't change the past and trying to would only cause something worse to happen." I said letting them know this was not fun and games.
"I understand, but it's still so exciting!" Lily exclamed.
"Do the Marauders know?" Frank asked.
"Remus knows I'm from the future, I won't say why he knows, I haven't even told Severus that because it involves a secret that isn't mine to share. The others dont."
We all went back to our work. About three hours later Professor McGonagall walked into the room. She looked around noticing I added some things to the room. In one area there was a large table where we worked on ingredients and potions and homework. By it was a small sitting room like area with a love seat and a couch and a coffee table in the middle. Our reading and sometimes homework was done here. What use to be the other half of the room was separated by a wall with two doors. I turned it into bedrooms for us for late nights. She saw us all bent over the table working on the potion.
"You do realize it's almost one in the morning. I've been wondering where my three Gryffindors have been at night." Professor McGonagall said scaring the others who had not noticed.
"You don't have to fuss at us Professor. The Marauders opened our eyes to how much we are over working ourselves and we've made plans to do our own things this weekend." I said making the others look at me like I was crazy.
"Miss Links, I understand the importance of this potion. You all need to keep your heads of house informed on where you are. This once I'll let your heads know. Don't let it happen again or I'll take points." Professor McGonagall said, her lips pressed firmly together. She looked around one last time and then walked out. The others looked at me in shock.
"I think she likes me. Normally we have tea on Wednesdays. Maybe that's why she came looking, I missed tea time last Wednesday." I said shrugging and getting back to work.