Dragongurl4- I know you weren't expecting that.  I wasn't either.  I guess James just has a mind of his own, huh?  ^_~

BlackLupin- Holy poopies that was a LONG review!  WOW!  I'm amazed!  Thank you!  You're welcome for using your name, my fellow Sirius-lover, and besides, I needed something else in this story.  Thank you! 

To Be Young Again

Chapter 12: Three Unregistered Animagi

Lily awoke the next morning to her dorm-mate shaking her.  She opened her eyes slowly and they widened at the figure standing above her.

            "Lily, Lily, guess what?!" Caitlin shrieked.

            "What is it, Caitlin?"

            "Guess who has a date with the one and only Sirius Black?!"

Lily gasped.  "No way!"

            "Well, he hasn't asked me out yet; he just said to meet him by the benches.  And you fell asleep during Transfiguration," Caitlin needlessly pointed out.

Lily groaned.  "Tell me something I don't know."

            "Well, that would rule out…no it wouldn't, so I'm not going to say.  But James said to talk to him."

            "I will.  But I am not becoming a Marauder.  No way."

            "I know.  But he really wants you to."

            "I don't care.  Sirius doesn't want me to anyway-"

            "Hey, now don't go blaming this on Sirius!  He didn't do anything!  He-"

            "I know, I know," Lily said wearily.  "I wasn't.  But he and I share one thing, at least.  The one and only thing: we both don't want me to become a Marauder."

Their conversation was interrupted by James, who just 'happened' to be glancing at Lily.  He stood up from his desk and walked over. 

            "Yes, Lily?"

            "Huh?  I didn't call you."

            "I know, but it looked like you needed help transfiguring that porcupine quill there," James indicated the porcupine quill lying innocently on Lily's desk, as if unaware it was causing the future Head Girl any harm.

Lily sighed.  "I know, I know.  I just suck at Transfiguration."

            "Well, that, milady, is what I'm good for.  Observe."  James muttered a spell under his breath, and immediately the porcupine quill turned into a feather.

Lily was amazed.  "Wow!  How did you do that?"

James smiled.

*

            "So Lily, are you going to be a Marauder?  It's a great honor, you know."

            "James, we've been through this before.  I am not, I repeat, not, going to join the Marauders.  One, I'm a Ravenclaw.  Two, you're all guys and I'd feel a little uncomfortable.  Even though you guys are great friends, I'm not sure I would feel exactly 'at home' gallivanting off every month with a stag, a rat, a dog, and a werewolf."

            "Shhhhh!"  James whispered.  "There might be someone listening!"

            "Oh James, don't be silly.  It's just us in the library," Lily responded stoutly.  "And three," she continued, "if I'm going to be Head Girl, I can't go around causing mischief and mayhem.  I'm not as much of a troublemaker as all of you guys."

            "Alright fine."  James glanced over his shoulder.  He had that prickly feeling on the back of his neck that someone had heard about the three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts in Lily's earlier sentence.

            "James," Lily said in an exasperated tone, "there's no one there.  Chill."

James nodded.  "Okay," he said a little uneasily.

What he, or Lily, was unaware of was the person lurking behind the nearest bookshelf, listening to their every word.

A/N: I'm sorry it's so short, but someone really wanted me to upload another chapter.  I was going to tell you who that "someone" was, but I decided to make this short and tell you in the next chapter.

What'll happen in the next chapter:

-We'll find out who that "someone" is

-We'll also find out if Caitlin really gets that date she wanted with Sirius.

I have to go now; got a speech to write and it has to be good if I'm gonna win the election.  Ciao!

143!

Lotza love,

OutofAzkaban