I'd just like to say thanks to all the reviewers who have faithfully reviewed over and over and over again even through my long drought of this story.  It seems as if I'm spending too much time in their second year so I'm going to speed things up a little bit.  To all who faithfully read this, thanks a million for your time and hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

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Classes were getting extremely difficult by the time Christmas time started coming around. It felt like double the work that they ever had because their midterms were a review of everything they have learned the past year and a half that the students have been at Hogwarts.  Most students could be found in the library looking up extra tidbits of notes, or in their respective common rooms burying their heads in textbooks.

In the Gryffindor common room, everyone was mostly studying for Transfiguration, mainly because they wanted to show their Head of House that they have worked hard in her class and partly because they wanted to have a party as soon as exams were over.  Lily, Carly, Penny, and Jade were among the many studying on that subject.  Unlike their counterparts, mainly James and Sirius, they weren't doing so hot in Transfiguration and were determined to ace the exam one way or another.

"I can stare at this bloody book till my eyes, burn holes in them, and I still won't be able to understand a thing at what it says." said Jade banging her head on the table.

"At least you can do the basics.  I, however, CANNOT do a damn thing!" said Carly in exasperation.

"Carly! Watch your mouth!" scolded Lily appalled at Carly's behavior.  Normally she didn't act like this, but that's what exams do to you.

"Sorry, I just can't seem to get it.  And I'm behind in Herbology, I'm barely gonna get enough sleep tonight thanks to stupid Astronomy, and Charms can kiss my sorry….."

"Carly!" shouted Lily one more time.  "Don't you dare finish that sentence.  I'll help you in Charms, and I'm sure you'll do fine in all the others."

"Pfft… easy for you to say, miss know-it-all.  I don't even know why you bother to study."

"It's not like I'm a hotshot at Transfiguration either." said Lily.  "That is my worse class!"

Penny scowled along with the others.  "Lily…. you're getting a 90%."

"Yeah, and one false move and I'm down to the 80's!  I can't live with myself if that ever happened!"

Jade rolled her eyes.  "Oh my.. the world is coming to an end.  Come on, Lily.  Get a grip.  You know you know everything."

"Well I don't.  It's not like I'm a super genius or anything.  I have to work just as hard as you three, so let's just get back to work."

The other three shook their heads and then stopped abruptly when they saw Lily's cold stare.  After a couple of minutes, Jade once again tore her eyes away from the book and decided to stretch a little bit.  She looked around the room.

"It seems as if everyone is in school-mode."

"Duh, Jade.  We are in school if you haven't noticed."

"Quit being smart, Penny! That's Lily's job."

"Hey!!!"

"Well you always have those smart things to say."

"Yeah… I guess so." Lily said cheekily.  "But not everyone is in 'school-mode' as you call it.  I can name exactly four people that don't have their heads in books."

"Ah yes, our measly bloody Marauders are nowhere to be found." said Jade.

"Where do you think they are?" asked Carly.

"I'd say up to no good." said Penny.

"As usual." added Lily. 

"I don't blame them.  In fact I kinda admire them that they find time to have fun at a time like this." said Jade.  "Why can't we do that, huh?"

"Because we're smarter than they are." snapped Lily.   Apparently she was still a little competitive with James ever since the final exams of last year.  She didn't want him to beat her again.

The girls continued their eternal study session, but one thing was held in the back of their minds….

'Where were those bloody prats, anyway?'

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"I can't believe she did that to you, James." said Peter.

"Well I can… that girl's capable of anything." muttered James.

"Especially when it involves making James' clothes run away from him all throughout breakfast.  It was classic.  You should've seen your face!" laughed Sirius as he ducked from one of James' swings.

"Shut up, Sirius.  That wasn't funny.  Right Remus?……. Remus…."

James turned around to find Remus in silent laughter.  "Sorry, chap, can't back you up there.  It's a shame you had to be wearing those lovely teddy bear boxers on that particular morning, James.  That only made things worse."

"Go ahead.  Everyone make fun of James Potter!  He's your friend.. that's right.. laugh in his face!"

And they did.

"Cheer up, Jamesy!!!" said Sirius as he threw an arm around James.  "One day you'll back at this and laugh.  I mean, look at what's happened to you so far this year.  You had your nuts bruised and battered… twice.  Your clothes have avoided you for most of one morning, and it's only half over!! I can't wait to see what else is in store for our fearless leader."

James just sulked and thought back when he tried to get up the girls' dormitories and not being able to walk straight the rest of the night.  He then began to smile.  "Yeah I guess I've had a bit of bad luck.  But hey!! A whole new year is coming… and right now, I want to end this one with a Marauder Feast! To the kitchens!"

"To the kitchens!" chorused the other three as they made their way to the infamous fruitbowl portrait. 

While in the kitchen, the Marauders ate and ate and ate some more.  The house-elves have become more acquainted with them and took a liking to their frequent visitors.

"Anything else sirs?" asked Mindy, one of the head chefs.

"Another round of the the usual, please." said Sirius with a mouthful.

"You know guys, we really should be studying for the exams coming up." mentioned Remus.

"Remmy, old buddy, only you would think of school at a time like this." said James.

"Well, I don't want to fail."

"You won't fail.  Come on… we're geniuses!" shouted Sirius.

"No, that would be Lily." said Remus.

"Evans?!?! I don't think so.  That girl is far from being smart."

"James, you out of all of us should know that Lily Evans is no dummy."

"Yeah… but she's always studying!! She needs a bit of fun in her life."

"I think they all do.  Those girls are getting awfully cranky.  I guess that's what girls do as they get older, huh.  What's their problem anyway?"

"I don't know, but I have learned to stay out of their way when that happens." said James.

"You don't think it's some kind of a disease do you?" asked Sirius.

"I'm not sure, maybe it's just because they're maturing or something?"

"Them?  Mature?? Yeah right!!" said Sirius.

"Five galleons says they are saying the same thing about us." said Remus.

"Now that's just not fair.  Of course they are.  We're only twelve.  We don't have time for that maturing business.  We only have time for fun!" shouted James.

The house-elves then returned with countless pastries, rice cakes, brownies, and butterbeer.

"And food!!" added James as soon as he saw their second helping arrive.

As they were about to eat, a dawning look came over Peter and the others were looking at him.

"You alright, Pete?" asked Remus.

"Yeah… but I was just thinking… you know how the girls are always so cranky?"

"Yeah…"

"Well maybe it's because they just started having their…"

Peter never got to finish that sentence because Sirius spit a load of pastries all over Peter's face and began gagging.  James choked on his butterbeer and Remus almost fell off his chair while eating a brownie.

"Geez… Sirius you prat what was that for?!"

"Peter!!! I can't believe you would mention such a thing.  That didn't come into mind until you….. you…… gahh!"

"Well it's probably true!"

"Yes, it is Pete," said Remus.  "But you gotta realize that WE'RE EATING HERE!!"

"Oh…. sorry." said Peter in a squeaky voice.

"How do you even know about that stuff anyway?" asked James.

"Well, I don't know… I was in Herbology class and all of a sudden some Hufflepuff girl turns around and just starts rambling about it to me."

"Where were we?"

"Well, you were too busy trying to chase after your pants, and Remus and Sirius were too busy laughing their pants off."

"Oh, it was THAT day… well you could've just ignored her you know." said Remus.

"Yeah, but what else was I supposed to do when she just turns around and grabs me.  I got scared."

"I would be too…" shuddered James.

"I will never look at a raspberry pastry the same again." said Sirius.

James then looked at the pastry.  "Oh, damn you Sirius, now you got me into it.  Now it looks nasty… thanks a lot!!"

The boys then looked all over their food and then looked at each other…..

"EWWWWWWWWW" was all they could manage before they started gagging again.

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The girls were miraculously still studying by the time the boys walked out from the portrait hole.  They gave the boys funny looks because they looked like they just seen a ghost or something.

"Guys… what's the matter?" asked Lily.

"Nothing, Evans… it's none of your business."

"I was asking the guys, not the hedgehogs."

"Ha ha, Evans."

"You two don't get started.  Nothing happened.  We just came back to study since we have been doing none of that so far today.  Mind if we join you?" asked Remus politely.

"Well, if you put it that way, we do need a bit of help in Transfiguration." said Jade.

The boys got their books and came back to study with them for a bit.  An hour later, the girls were grading each other's History of Magic essays while the boys were still studying for Potions.

"Hey, Jade, how do you know if you do a good essay in this class?" asked Penny.

"Oh, Professor Binns just gives a little check on the side.  But if you do a really good job, he'll put one of those cute little stamp-ons.

The boys looked up.  "Tampons?!?! What about tampons?" asked Sirius suspiciously.

The girls just looked at him funny.  "No, STAMP-ons Sirius." said Carly

"Oh…"

"Why did you say.."

"Nothing!! Nothing at all, I'm just hearing things, you know me!" said Sirius while the other boys were looking down trying to hide their faces.

"Riiiight…" said Lily.  "Well, anyway I'm taking a break.  I just so happened to sneak away this pastry from the Great Hall at dinner.  It's my favorite.  I just love the raspberry ones!"

Sirius then ran out of the common room.

"What's his problem?" asked Lily.

"Nothing… really… " said Remus.  "Just a Marauder thing."

"Ok… "

"Don't worry about Evans… it's really nothing." replied a very pale James.  Lily then began eating the pastry merrily and suddenly Peter began to feel a little woozy and excused himself from the group.

"Something's going on here…" said Penny.  "You are all acting weird."

"Well you know us!" said James trying to cover up and giving them a fake smile.

"Uhh Lily… you forgot your period at the end of this sentence." said Carly.

"WHAT!! I ALWAYS HAVE MY PERIODS!!"

Remus and James couldn't take it any longer.

"Excuse us." said James while grabbing a very sick Remus.  They ran up towards their dormitories and slammed the door shut.

"Ok, what just happened there."  said Carly

"No idea." said Penny

"That was weird." replied Jade.

The four girls just looked at each other in astonishment, still in confusion to what just happened.  The only thing they could manage to say was…

"Boys."

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