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Review thank-yous:

s.s.harry – I'm so glad you liked it ::grins widely:: No, there aren't many of them out there, I agree, and that's a shame. muttering uncreative! But I like HG/RW pairing as well, actually, I have written that too.

Angel of Slytherin – I like your style, girl, reviewing after every chapter – that's great because then at least I know someone does read it. Cool name, by the way.

ViviBlack – I'm starting to get obsessed with time-travel fics. Megafreak loves the Marauders And about Dumbledore; well, he's... he is like he is.

Chapter 3 – I'm Nobody's Babe

Hermione walked slowly towards the Gryffindor common room. When having reached the portrait hole, she said the password ("Chocolate Frogs"), the portrait swung open and she climbed in through the hole.

Immediately when she entered, she got everyone's attention. Not a lot of people had noticed her at the Gryffindor table earlier at the Welcome Feast, but now everyone gathered around her.

"And who are you?" a dark and slightly overweight girl asked.

Hermione was just about to open her mouth and speak, but Sirius was quicker.

"Gladys, this is Alyssa Martin, an exchange student from France," he said.

"Gladys?" Hermione repeated. "Gladys Thomas?"

"Yeah, what?"

"We'll be rooming together," Hermione said.

"So Dumbledore gave you Lily's bed?" Amy appeared out of the crowd. "Well, it's empty now that she's living in the Head Boy and Girl apartment."

"You said you're from France, right?" Gladys asked. "You don't even have an accent."

"My parents are both from London," Hermione said. "We speak English at home."

Two twins appeared out of the crowd as well. They were identical; both short and thin, with long black hair.

"You're in our room?" one of them asked.

"And you are...?" Hermione asked.

"Nice, sis," the other one said and shoved her elbow into her sister's side ("ouch"). "I'm Melanie Parker, and this is my sister Emily."

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said politely.

Half an hour later, she had been presented to almost every one of her fellow Gryffindor students. The crowd had started to drop off since everyone now knew who she was, and everyone was also tired after having eaten so much at the feast.

Eventually, there were only Hermione and Amy left, sitting on a couch, talking, and Sirius, who had left the girls for sitting with Remus and Peter at a table in the other side of the room, probably planning some prank. Then, all of a sudden, the portrait hole swung open again and Lily stormed in, closely followed by James.

"Hey! Lily, wait!" he pleaded, puffing heavily after having chased her all the way from the Head Boy and Girl common room.

She span around and glared angrily at him.

"Just leave me alone, Potter," she snapped and walked over to sit with Hermione and Amy.

James sighed, but finally went to sit with his Marauder friends.

Amy looked at Lily with her eyebrows raised, questioning.

"Now what?" she asked, trying to keep a smile away from her face. Obviously she found the scene of James and Lily fighting very amusing.

"He's driving me nuts!" Lily exclaimed. "He's always making noise, he doesn't clean up after himself, he occupies the one and only couch..."

Hermione found herself having a hard time keeping a smile away from her face as well. Lily and James' argument seemed to be in the same style as a married couple's.

"... and he calls me his babe!" Lily finished.

Amy burst laughing, and Hermione chuckled quietly. Lily glared angrily at them both.

"It's not funny!" she announced.

"Sorry," Amy said, wiping her laughing tears away from her cheeks. "But you have to admit, it's rather funny..."

"Is not!"

"Is too."

"Is not!"

"Take it as a compliment," Hermione entered their squabble. "He probably likes you."

Lily snorted. "I don't want him to like me!"

"But he does fancy you," Amy said, "and you know it. And he has gotten a lot better during the last year, can't you just give him a chance?"

"No way! He's the most arrogant guy I've ever met."

"And one of the most good-looking," Hermione added.

She didn't have to lie. He was very good looking. Lily looked curiously at her.

"Do you fancy him, Alyssa? I'm not surprised, most of the girls on the school has or has had a thing for James Potter."

"Me? No, I don't fancy him," Hermione said blushing slightly but not understanding why she did so. Fancy her best friend's dad? "But he fancies you."

"And he calls you his babe," Amy added, chuckling.

"Drop it, ladies," Lily said. "It's no use, I do not fancy him and he is still impolite and arrogant."

"She doesn't fancy him yet," Amy whispered to Hermione. "But after a couple of days in the same common room..."

"I heard that!" Lily announced, slightly offended.

"But, Lily," Hermione said, trying another strategy. "It does appear to me as he is really cute and likes you. Besides, you will have to spend the whole year in the same common room, so maybe you'd just give it a chance?"

"Yeah," Amy added. "You'll get used to the babe-thing."

"I'm nobody's babe."