Ch. 3- Boys and Lectures

A/N:I do not own this- as if you already didn't know this- and I should warn you that it will take a few chapters to get Sirius and Joie together, but I promise that it's fairly good until that point, so please just stick it out, it gets better as it goes!

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She don't know she's beautiful

(never crossed her mind)
She don't know she's beautiful

(no she's not that kind)
She don't know she's beautiful
Though time and time I've told her so

She Don't Know She's Beautiful- Kershaw Sammy

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"So, Joie, I was thinking that you and me could hang out this weekend at Hogsmead." Ben, some fifth year from Ravenclaw, said. We were in Care of Magical Creatures.

"Um," I said, not knowing how to respond.

"I mean, like a date." He continued. The bell rang.

"Sorry, I have plans already." I said, quickly. I grabbed my things and ran to catch up to the guys.

It was weird, Ben wasn't the first guy who had some up to me. In fact, I'd had quite a few. We'd been back for only a month and I was used to people shunning me, not asking me out. I personally thought there that there was an epidemic going around or that it was a joke. But too many guys had hit on me for it to be that.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, as I fell into step with them.

"I swear the guys are going crazy." I said, shaking my head.

"Why do you say that?" James asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ben that Ravenclaw who's my partner, just asked me out. And he's not the only one. I've even had offers from the Slytherins." I explained. The four of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. "What?"

"Are you seriously asking why guys are asking you out?" James said, still laughing.

"Yes."

"Oh, c'mon, you have to know why." Sirius said, in disbelief. I shook my head at him. "Two words: summer vacation."

"Two words," I said, mocking him. "Not clicking."

"Joie, you've grown some, um, physically, over the summer." Remus said, carefully.

"No," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Mother Nature was good to you over the summer."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised that guys have noticed." James added, nodding. "I mean, even we noticed."

It was true that I'd changed some over the summer. I'd always looked like a mirror image of my mother and now I could pass for her twin. I'd let my curly, chestnut brown hair grow out and it was mid-way down my back. My eyes, which were my favorite part of my face, were a deep green with flecks of yellow in them. I stood at a height of five foot eight, filled out in a full figure, and dropped about three sizes since June. I was never really fat, but I lost all of the baby fat that I had. I'd never thought of myself as pretty, though. I just didn't see it.

"Thanks. That means a lot." I said, sarcastically. "So, maybe I've filled out a little bit. Hello, what about my reputation?"

"Pft, guys won't really care. I mean, it's like, oh, there's the school outcast- she's hot!" Sirius said and I smacked him. "What, it's the truth."

"There's just one thing wrong with that statement- I'm not hot. I'm not even pretty." I said.

"So says you." Muttered James. Before I could answer, though, I saw a few guys staring at me.

"Boo!" I yelled and they sped up, glancing over their shoulders. The guys started laughing again.

"Relax, Sunshine!" Sirius said, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "At least they're not taunting you anymore."

"I almost prefer that to this." I muttered, giving up. "I know how to handle that."

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It's funny how bitchy some girls can be. They'll stoop as low as they can if it means getting what they want. They'll trample over anyone who gets in they way and bribe people to do their bidding. Susan Giles was one of these girls.

She'd been trying to me out of the picture since first year. Why? Simply because she thought I was competition. Which meant hat I was between her and the love of her life- Sir Sirius Black. And that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life! Me, competition, for Sirius-yeah, that's going to happen. But, still, for whatever reason that's what thinks. And therefore she hates me.

"So, I think this is going to be my year with Sirius." Susan said, one night in the dorm. I had my hangings closed, trying to block them out as I did my homework. I don't think they knew I was there.

"That's great." Lily Evans, her best friend, replied. "Just be careful, he is known to be a heartbreaker."

"Well, that's where you're wrong." She said, brightly. "'Cause once he starts dating me, he won't want to date anyone else." She added, confidently. I didn't think this was likely, but then again, what did I know?

"I hope so." Lily said.

Lily Evans was a nice enough girl for the most part. She was smart and stood out with her vibrant red hair and mesmerizing green eyes. And she had one hell of a temper. Most of the boys were after her- including a certain Mr. Potter. James had fallen for her third year when she turned him down for the first time. Ever since he'd tried everything to get her to go out with him.

"So, has Potter asked you out yet?" Susan asked.

"Only fifty times." She replied, in an irritated voice.

"God, he's so full of himself." Susan said and I could just imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Tell me about it. He thinks he can have any girl he wants just because he's semi-attractive." Lily replied. "And just because he and Black are at the top of the class, they think they can walk all over everyone. Remus Lupin might not be as out there as the other two, but he's just as bad. He does nothing to stop them, even though he's smarter than that. And have you ever noticed he leaves every month? Probably playing hooky."

I'm not a very temperamental person, but when people insult my friends I draw the line. Especially those who know nothing about them.

"You know, you shouldn't talk about things you nothing about." I said, angrily, ripping back my curtain. Susan and Lily looked at me surprised.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations." Susan snapped, coolly.

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I was doing my homework. How was I to know you two were going to come up here and gossip and insult my friends?" I replied, smirking. "Besides, if you're not going to check to make sure nobody's listening, then don't complain."

"You are such a freak." She said, in a disgusted tone. "So what if we're talking about the Marauders? You jealous that I have an actual chance with Sirius?"

"Yeah, right, you wish." I retorted, standing up. "I just don't appreciate it when you talk about people like you know them, when, in fact, you don't."

"If you're referring to Potter, I know enough about him to say he's a stuck up, arrogant prick." Lily said, looking at me.

"Oh, but you don't." I said, shaking my head. "For instance, did you know that James tutors? And while he may think he owns the school, he's not a bad guy."

"That's besides the point. All of the Marauders are troublemakers and ass holes. Or in your case a bitch." Lily said, her voice rising. I was one of the only people in the school that didn't cower at her temper, mainly because I had a vicious one of my own.

"James and Sirius may be jerks sometimes, but they aren't ass holes. I hardly think you know that well at all to make a statement like that, Peter's too scared to be an ass hole, and Remus is the nicest person in the world." I said, angrily. "You have no idea what he goes through, so don't pretend like you do!"

"So, where does he go every month, then?" Susan asked, narrowing her eyes, challenging me. Crap, I knew this was going to happen. What was I supposed to say now?

"He goes home." I blurted out, before I knew what I was saying.

"Why?" She pressed on. Damn her to the depths of hell.

"'Cause his mum is ill and he's got special permission to leave once a month." I said, thinking fast.

"Oh." She said, quietly, looking at the floor.

"As for you, Little Miss Perfect," I said, rounding on Lily. "You should know that James truly likes you. Furthermore you should give him a chance before you write him off."

"I will do whatever I want!" Lily exclaimed, indignantly.

"Your loss princess." I said, an edge to my voice.

"Who are you to lecture us about guys?" Susan asked, glaring at me. "How do you know what they want?"

"I don't." I replied, shortly. "But I do know my friends and I can make a pretty accurate assumption as to what they do and do not want."

"Well, I can tell you one thing Sirius doesn't want." She said, matter-of-factly. "And that's an ugly girl like you hanging around. Why don't you just wise up and realize that you have NO chance?" She added. I couldn't believe she was still on about that.

"When are you going to get it through your thick skull that I don't want to go out with Sirius?" I yelled. Both she and Lily took a step back form me- they had experienced my temper before. "We are friends, nothing more!"

And with that I stormed out of the dorm. I went through the common room not bothering to stop- James and Sirius were at Quidditch practice and Remus and Peter were probably in the library. I went out side and sat by the lake, staring into its depths.

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I was in a bad mood for the rest of the week. What Susan had said shouldn't have gotten to me- I'd heard it all before. But, for some reason, this time it did.

By the time Saturday came, I didn't feel much like going to Hogsmead. But, for the sake of the guys- and to get them to stop pestering me- I went. I did my best to fake having a good time and smiled as much as I thought I could. I was doing a pretty good job, I thought. Obviously, I was wrong because after about an hour and a half they steered me down an alley and cornered me.

"Alright, spill, what's bothering you?" Remus asked, getting right to the point.

"Nothing." I said, a little bit harsher than I meant.

"Don't give us that." James said, shaking his head.

"It's none of your business." I muttered. "You wouldn't understand." I added, looking at the ground.

"Joie." Sirius said, and I looked up- big mistake. He was staring right at me and I knew there was no escaping. He was the only one who could really make me break and never really knew why.

"Fine." I sighed. "Susan and I got into a bit of a bicker earlier this week and it sunk deeper than I thought it would. End of story."

"I don't think so," Remus said, blocking me as I tried to push my way through them.

"What did she say to you?" Peter asked.

"Nothing different from usual." I mumbled shrugging. "Look, just forget it okay?"

"You shouldn't listen to what she says, you know." Sirius said.

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The next couple of months passed by quickly. Susan and I still butted heads regularly and guys were still hitting on me. I tried to ignore them all. And before I knew it was almost Christmas time. I hadn't heard form my dad since I'd left back in September and so I wasn't expecting a letter from him saying- actually demanding- that I return home for the holidays.

"Is your dad picking you up at the station?" James asked, as we got closer to King's Cross. It turned out all of us were going home.

"No, I'm taking a cab to the airport and then a cab to the house." I replied, shaking my head. "Dad'll be working, as usual."

"I'm sure we can give you a ride there," James said. "We're already heading that way to drop Sirius off."

"I'd love you forever." I said.

"You already do."

We passed the rest of the time playing exploding snap and wizard's chess. I pushed going back to Chicago away until we pulled up to the station. As we unloaded our things, I heaved a sigh. It was going to be a long two weeks.

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reviews are always welcome:)