StarRuby: You are a faithful reviewer. I'm surprised you still even read this story. But I appreciate all of your reviews. You were the only reviewer of my last one (ch. 30) and you were the inspiration to get this chapter up as quickly as possible. I dedicate this chapter to you, my friend.
This goes to all you other faithful reviewers out there. I know that I may not thank you individually. But you don't know how good it feels when I know my story is being read. Sure I take looooooong breaks here and there but I get back to it for you… I can't thank you enough, and I hope my story will still be at you interest till the very end. Thanks again.
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"Can you believe that we're third years already?" asked Peter.
The Marauders had their own compartment on the train heading towards Hogwarts for their third year. The rest of the summer flew by rather quick and soon they would start their third year.
"It only seems like yesterday when we first met." said Remus smiling at his three friends.
"Yeah, and considering what we've gone through so far, I say we're in pretty good shape right now." said James.
Sirius was just staring at a sight of nothing at the window.
James looked at him. "Sirius… you alright there?"
"Yeah, have you guys seen how incredibly hot that Ravenclaw girl is? The one that walked by us a couple of minutes ago."
"Sirus, pal, oh best friend of mine…. please do stop with the speaking of the girls. It's very disturbing."
"Well it's not my fault that girls are suddenly on the top of my priority list!"
"Let's just drop that subject for now." snapped James. "So anyway…. I looked up some books in our family library over the summer, and it seems as if we might be able to cook up that Animagi potion in about two years or so if we start now like we planned."
"That's great!" said Peter. "Wow, imagine the many adventures we could have through the forest if this actually works."
"You mean WHEN it works, Pete." said Sirius. "We can't afford failure for our pal Remus here."
"Of course it'll work. Curse me and my doubts." said Peter clapping Remus on the back. "We'll do it. I know it."
"I sure hope so. It'd be nice to have some company in that dreaded shack."
"Sure thing, Remus. By the way… how DO you get into the Shrieking Shack anyway?" asked James. "Isn't it protected by that devil tree… what's it called again?"
"The Whomping Willow. Yes, it is pretty much devilish. Anyone within its branches reach will be pummeled all the way to China. Its only weakness is a little knot right in the middle of its trunk. All you have to do is press it and it freezes up, nothing to it really."
"Sounds easy enough. We'll make a note saying that one of our animals has to be a small animal so it can slip through and get to the knot. And judged by our pal Peter's height here, I'm guessing that'll be your job." said Sirius.
"Hey!! I resent that Sirius." retorted Peter.
"I know." said Sirius with a smile.
"Hmmm.. I wonder where that Ravenclaw girl went?" asked Remus.
"Oh, no not you too, Remus!!! Sirius look what you've done!" snapped James.
"Heyyyyy, it's not my fault Remus has good taste!" said Sirius.
James groaned and continued eating the candy he bought from the cart lady.
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"Hey girls! We're here!! Get your bloody robes on, you prats." said Penny.
"Moody aren't we?" said Lily with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh, no I'm just so excited!!" exclaimed Penny.
"Why?"
"Because… that cute Ravenclaw boy said he'd save me a seat next to him in a carriage."
"Wow, you're so lucky!" exclaimed Jade.
"My goodness are we talking about boys again?" asked Carly.
"Yes!!" said Jade and Penny together.
Lily scowled. "You know, you two are getting worse and worse by the second. I hope you don't turn into any of those ditzy girls out there that wears too much makeup and what not."
"Oh, of course not, Lily. We'll always be ourselves, you know that. We made a pact!"
"Yeah whatever." said Lily with a smile.
They did indeed make a pact, saying that they would stay friends forever and that they would never change for anything. They also put in that pact that they would not have a guy put between their friendship….. except for maybe Elvis Presley (That was Jade's addition). Each girl signed it and pinky promised each other one night during their second year.
Penny waved goodbye and went to sit with that boy while the other three got a carriage with Alice in it.
"Hey guys!!" said Alice. "Wow, it's been a while since I've last talked to you all!"
"Well, that's because you're busy with Frank all the time." said Jade while smirking.
"Oh, that. Well Frank and I decided to be friends for now. Things weren't really working out and I have been doing horribly on my studies… so I thought it was for the best."
"Finally!! A girl who stands up for her raging hormones!" said Lily.
"Shut up, Lily, that doesn't mean she will give up on boys." said Jade.
"Well, we are still kind of young to get into relationships like that." remarked Carly.
"I swear, Lily, you are influencing just about everyone."
"And yet you still love me!" said Lily with a smile while the others laughed.
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Soon they began to file into the Great Hall for the feast again and James, Remus, and Peter were sitting down with each other at the Gryffindor table. All three were scowling as Sirius made his way toward them.
"What!" said Sirius. "Is there something on my robes?"
"No you idiot, I can't believe you just left us for that blonde Hufflepuff!" shouted James.
"Hey come on now, she was practically begging for me to come sit with her in the carriage."
"And you, being the dog you are, obediently followed her command." snapped Peter.
"When a girl looks at you like that, you just can't resist!" said Sirius with a huff.
"And what kind of a look is that…"
"Well, James it looks like this." Sirius then tried to make a sort of 'sexy' look, and James slid away from him rather quickly.
"Ok stop now, dude… you're scaring me."
"Alright, so maybe I'm not good at the female charm… but it's kinda like that look that Hufflepuff girl Shauna is giving you over there, James. That one sitting at the end."
James turned in that direction to see a girl with wavy brown hair and blue eyes looking at James in a rather taken way. She giggled and flew back her hair and looked away to talk to her friends again.
James then turned back to his friends. "She's not so bad." said James with a smile.
"Ah yes, it seems girls are rather taken with you, but so much as with me, though." said Sirius.
"Will you two stop babbling about girls!" shouted Peter.
"It's not our fault that you can't get 'the look' from anyone, Pete." laughed James.
"Who says he can't?" said Sirius with a glint in his eye. He then resumed trying to give his best impression of 'the look' towards Peter who later on clobbered Sirius in the head with a big drumstick.
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Lily and her friends were unpacking in their third year dormitory as the night drew to a close. They were quite surprised at the many looks guys gave their way as they walked in, and were quite unsure of what to do. Well, Jade and Penny sure knew what to do anyway… they smiled flirtaciously back at them and sometimes even blew a kiss to a few here and there.
"Well, it seems as if our Lily Evans here has a few fans of her own, now." said Jade with a grin.
"I do not. I'm not as pretty as you are, Jade."
"No way.. I would kill to have your eyes, Lily!"
"Sure, that's what everyone says."
"Well it's true. That's why everyone says it!" said Jade.
Lily just shook her head but was secretly flattered. She didn't think she'd ever get any boys' attention before. She figured they thought of her as some know-it-all bookworm who wasn't attractive. She was wrong when she caught two Ravenclaw boys staring at her longingly. It wouldn't have been as bad, but those boys were in their fifth year for starters, and plus the fact that they spilled their juice on their robes that they were about to drink before they set their eyes on Lily.
"I guess it's not that bad." said Lily smiling.
"I knew it!! Our good girl has gone bad!"
"Not quite, Penny. And just to prove you wrong, I'm going into the common room to get a head start in our new Charms textbook."
"Suit yourself!" said Jade as her and the rest finished their packing.
Lily went out into the common room to find none other than the Marauders gathered around the fireplace huddled together and whispering.
"Not planning another prank, I hope?" said Lily.
Sirius smiled. "Oh, of course not. What ever would make you say that, Lily dearest?"
"Don't' start with me, Black. Just don't get in too much trouble. It IS the beginning and we have no points to lose yet."
"Well, considering we have our smarty pants here to gain the points back, we don't have to worry, now do we." said James.
"Potter, don't even start with me. It's the first day, and I want to enjoy it. SO far I have until now when I have to actually speak with you, you filthy boy."
"Filthy am I.. well we'll just make things better for you. We were just leaving anyway."
Remus looked up. "We were?"
"Yeah, James… I thought…."
"Yes!! We were…" said James shutting up Peter and pulling him and Remus along with him back to their room.
Sirius just smiled. "Well, after all, rumor has it we are joined at the hip so I mind as well follow them. Good day, Evans."
"Sure thing."
Lily just watched the Marauders go and went back to her book. For about another hour she read until she became tired. She even managed to perform a couple of charms in the book. Before she went up, she glanced at the boys staircase again. She couldn't believe she would actually look at him like that.
Those stupid hazel eyes…..
That bloody grin of his….
And that damn messy hair….
"Bloody hell, what am I doing." said Lily to herself and walked back up the staircase, but not before thinking one last thing…..
'That damn Potter just had to turn out looking like that. It's not my fault he's that way. Grr.'
And with that final 'grr' that thought was pushed waaaaaay in the back of Lily's mind and would lay dormant there for the rest of the night.
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So whaddya think?? Don't tell me… review me!! Haha I love reviews… and I hope that you review this chapter too. This third year will be dubbed….
"The Growing Year"
… as our friends from Hogwarts indeed our starting to learn to deal with teenage wants and needs. It's an interesting life, the life of a teen. And knowing the Marauders… it's about to get VERY VERY interesting. Catch ya laters!!!