You know, I'm really getting pretty sick of having to say that I don't own Harry Potter each time I want to upload my next chapter(s), but apparently bad things will happen if I don't. So here goes:

I don't own Harry Potter.

"And our final two pairs will be Hermione Granger and Blaise Zabini and Carmichael Lei and Draco Malfoy. What?" Mark asked having seen the faces the two girls had made when Mark announced the last two couples.

The cousins froze at having been caught. Thinking quickly, Mina blurted out, "You know we hate our full names, Mark. There's a reason we have nicknames."

"The two of you have such beautiful and unique names that I refuse to shorten them to common and degrading names."

"Hey!" Carmi exclaimed, scandalized. "I wouldn't call 'Carmi' a common name!"

"And the name 'Hermione'? Really Mark? What person in their sane mind would name their child 'Hermione'? Although, you know, my mom was really high on the childbirth drugs." Mina added thoughtfully.

Mark waved his hands in the air, as if chasing away the bad mojo the girls were giving off. "Enough! We dance now. Ladies, I presume you've all prepped the boys on what to do?"

The guilty looks all around were answer enough for Mark. His jaw dropped, incredulous. "These are some of the best routines in the country! You've won every dance competition, recital, every invitational with these routines, and you haven't told your partners what to even expect?"

Carter shifted her weight uncomfortably, before deciding to speak. "The thing is, Mark, your routines are really… intense", Carter struggled to find the right word without insulting the team's instructor. "And most of us have brought boyfriends or good friends as our partners. If they were to know what some of the routines we require them for entail ahead of time, they would quite probably go to drastic measures to ensure that we never saw the dance studio again. As it is, most of us have all had trouble with them on some of our more mild routines, right girls?" There were murmurs of agreement from every corner.

The instructor sighed, defeated. "All right, fine. Everyone call your parents. Tell them you'll be home about an hour or two late. We're going to learn an entirely new routine, to a very different concept of dance."

"What, swing?" Morgan joked. "What, swing is about as far from the tango as you can get while still keeping in the partner frame of mind", she said to the looks she received. Then, recognizing the look on Mark's face, she backed up, hands held out pleadingly. "No, no, Mark I was just kidding. We really don't need to do swing. How about jazz? Or we could work on Carmi and Carter's hip-hop routine some more? Huh, how 'bout it? You did say you wanted to use it for one of our next competitions." Morgan wheedled desperately. She really didn't need to be a crash dummy right before her first big meet of the year while Will had to grasp the set of complicated dance steps Mark laid out for them.

Two minutes later Morgan and a few other girls from the gymnastics team were standing at one end of the room, prepared to show the rest of the class just what kind of flips and spins Mark had in mind for his newest routine. Morgan was sighing and shaking her head. The other girls up there with her tried to console her.

"It's not your fault Mark keeps using you to make an example, Morgs." Riesa said.

"Yeah", Piper chimed in. "It just means your tumbling skills are up to par with what he needs."

"Not helping guys, but thanks for trying. I just can't keep my big mouth shut, so Mark uses me as an example."

"Miss Thomas."

Morgan froze. Mark continued, ignoring what Morgan had said giving her a sense of relief.

"Since you have been talking so eagerly up here, and not listening to what I have been describing, perhaps you already have an idea in mind for what I would like to see in our newest routine. Remember, while I would like to see this in couples, you three are up here by yourself, so let us see what you can do for solo dances. No stunts too… easy, please. I would like to see your full knowledge of swing. I will give you ladies a few moments to sort yourselves out, and then you are to begin." Mark smiled silkily.

Morgan, Piper, and Riesa gathered themselves together in a small huddle, and whispered heatedly in hushed voices.

"I know swing", Riesa was whispering hurriedly. "Someone I… used to know taught me. I know the flips that are hardest, the spins that can be done by one person, and I even know of one move that three people can do together. Lucas said that he'd heard of it being done, but it's supposed to be tough, one of the moves that is on the brink of being illegal in competitions on account of being so dangerous. I don't know if we should use it or not."

"It would be a great way to show Mark up", Morgan argued back.

"Yeah, it would, but Morgan, listen. People have been paralyzed because of this move. Or they've torn ligaments that can never be repaired. People, girls our age, can never dance again because they made one small mistake."

"Riesie, we could show Mark that we're good, that we know dance. We deserve that, don't we? Please, Riesie. Let us just show him how good we are." Piper pleaded Morgan's cause.

"They've gone brain dead!" Riesa nearly shouted. "It's not worth it. Morgan, Piper, please. Don't go through with it. Don't make me do this. It isn't worth showing Mark up."

"Is it worth showing Lucas up?" Morgan asked her friend quietly.

"Wh- what?"

"You said that someone you used to know taught you swing. Then you mentioned a boy's name. Lucas. Look, Rie, the move, it's dangerous I get it. But is it worth showing Lucas up? Nobody really knows anything about what went down with you guys. All we know is you were dating someone who made you really happy. You excelled in your gymnastics, and when you danced… you were unbelievable, Rie. And then suddenly, you weren't happy. And your gymnastics, it wasn't damaged you just threw yourself in headlong. But your dancing, it lost its spark. You were still amazingly talented, but it didn't reflect who you were anymore. So we came up with some theories. One of which is that he told you weren't good enough. Is that true?"

"…He never said it outright, but it was implied." Riesa said bitterly. "This move – it's good, okay. It would be an amazing opportunity to show Mark and Lucas up, but it's not worth it. I would have to take the place of the swinger, we would have to be flawless, and it-it's just not worth it. It's a beautiful move, and I have done it before, but always with people who've done it hundreds of times before – not that I don't trust you guys, because I do, I just can't take the risk of losing my gymnastics or dancing because of it. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, Rie", Piper told her friend.

"It really is." Morgan agreed. "Can you explain the solo moves now?"

As Riesa explained all the different solo moves to her friends, the group on the other side milled around talking to one another.

"She always does that," Carmi sighed.

"You would think she would have learned by now", Carter agreed.

"What is that, the millionth time she's done that?" Mina pondered aloud.

"67, 893rd actually." Carter answered absentmindedly.

"You counted?" Mina looked at her friend incredulously.

"How many times have I injured myself in practice?" Carter countered.

"9, 789." Mina said automatically.

"Mmhm." Carter said smugly.

"Oh, shut up."

Blaise edged closer to his mate. "Mina-"

"Don't call me that."

Blaise blinked. "Okay, 'Mione-"

"Don't call me that, either."

"Hermione-"

"Nope."

"Granger!"

"Yep, that'll do just fine."

Blaise narrowed his eyes at his mate. She was being deliberately stubborn. What Blaise didn't understand, though, was that Mina needed to distance herself from him. She loved him, but he didn't love her. His veela did, and that wasn't enough for her. Mina had fallen in love with the clever, kind – though he would kill her if she ever told anyone that –, annoying, big-headed Slytherin before the whole mate thing. Actually, if she were being honest with herself, she'd been in love with him since fifth year when they'd done all those projects together.

Blaise opened his mouth only to be interrupted by Mark's loud slap of hands. The class excluding Piper, Riesa, and Morgan gathered to watch the three girls demonstrate their knowledge of swing. When the three had finished, chests heaving and gasping for air, Mina clapped furiously. Blaise watched her. Her face was lit up, and she was happily cheering for her friends. It was as if she was fueled by a glow from within. Blaise felt a bolt of electricity hit him with the realization. He loved her. He, Blaise Zabini was in love with Hermione Jean Granger. And it wasn't his veela saying it. It was all him. He needed to talk to her.

And that's the end of that one! Reviews are my fuel to keep going. Also you guys, I'm not getting all that many reviews for my LOTR fic. Feedback on that would be really great and much appreciated.

Love!