Thanks for the reviews, Masterofbugs123, Weasleytwinslover87, and Sarah Liz B (Hope everything checked out okay!)! :]

Sorry this took longer than expected, the past few days have been quite busy. I'm hoping to get another out tomorrow, like I said…busy day, need sleep. :P

General announcement, in exactly one month I will be moving off to University. New place, new classes, busy schedule, etc. I'm not abandoning this story, but as I am unsure of my schedule, I don't know when I will have time to update at school. Hopefully it'll be somewhat often…I'll figure it out when the time comes. I've got to ask you guys, do any of you have Macs? I'm required to have one for school and I'm curious as to how easy it is to publish from one.

Next chapter, THE YULE BALL… :O

If you like chocolate, I think you should review. Okay? Okay, good.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE. JK ROWLING IS JESUS!

CHAPTER 33

December had come in and brought the snow with it, it had snowed everyday of the month so far…

Audrey was heading down the hallway with Marlene and Sarah, they had just finished a dance class but Chantal, Marie, and Veronique had been asked to stay behind by their teacher.

"So how is Karl?" Sarah asked.

"He's been doing better, almost all of his bones are back, they're just waiting on his ankles and some of the bones in his foot." said Audrey, looking out the window. It was heavily snowing outside once more. "I don't think he'll be up and running in time for the ball though…"

"No!" Sarah said. "No, he will be ready in time. You guys have to go." She whined.

"Why, because it'll be awkward with just you and Henri?" Marlene cooed.

"Nooo. Henri and I are awesome together. I just don't want Sirius near her." Sarah replied, jerking her head towards Audrey. "Knowing him, he'll be in super idiot mode at the ball."

Audrey laughed. "That is true."

"In anycase, let's hope Karl gets back on his feet soon…no pun intended." Marlene added quickly.

Sarah broke off and went to the Hufflepuff common room, saying something about studying with Henri. The other two returned to the common room, wrapping themselves up in whatever blankets they could find.

"Don't you two usually come out of dance sweating?" James raised an eyebrow. Marlene chucked a pillow at him.

"We did…but then we cooled off, and now we're really cold." Audrey replied, pulling the blanket over her head.

Sirius and James gave Audrey an amused look.

"What?"

"You look funny, Russia." Sirius cocked his head, Audrey laughed.

In the last few weeks, since Karl had been nearly killed, Sirius took to being a little nicer to Audrey. He still didn't like Karl, but he felt bad for Audrey. He may have been crazy for her, but she was still his friend. And he'd rather have her as a friend, then to not have her at all.

"And you both look funny when you're giving me the same look, you're like twins sometimes…"

"Separated at birth." James said sadly.
"We've missed out on so much." Sirius said, turning to his 'brother'.

"Just like Marly and I." Audrey grinned, Marlene was curled up in her blanket, with only her eyes sticking out. She was leaning on Remus' shoulder.

"Is there something you two aren't telling us?" James asked, cocking an eyebrow. Marlene looked away and Remus turned to his Potions textbook.

"THERE IS!" Audrey gasped, grinning.
"Moony?" Sirius asked, his eyes alight. Remus said nothing but continued to read through his textbook. Marlene kept her eyes away from her friends, she quickly excused herself for a moment and set off up the stairs at a quick pace.

Audrey jumped up, gave Sirius and James her blanket, and said. "Hold this."

She sprinted up the stairs yelling. "MARRRRLYYYYY! MARRRRRLYYYYYY!"

James and Sirius laughed, then turned to their friend. They got up, and each took to sitting next to Remus on either side.

"Moony…is there something you need to tell us?" Sirius nudged, smirking.
"Like that you're dating one of our feisty little blonde friends?" James grinned.

Remus was about to say something when Audrey came running down the stairs, Marlene was chasing her.

"THEY'RE DATING!" She yelled, running around the common room, dodging Marlene, and jumping over the sofa. She rolled over it and landed on the floor, a huge smirk on her face.

"There's your answer." Remus gave a small smile, pointing at Audrey, who was tackled by Marlene.

"Mooooony! I'm so proud." Sirius cooed.
"Our little boy is growing up." James conjured a tissue and pretended to blow his nose.

"Can I have my blanket back?" Audrey asked, sitting up. Both her and Marlene's hair was messy and they were laughing a bit.

"No." said James, managing to wrap the blanket around himself, Sirius, and Remus.
"We're cozy." Sirius said.
"Sorry." grinned Remus.

Before Audrey could say anything, Chantal, Marie, and Veronique had come into the common room.

"What happened?" Audrey asked, sitting up. Chantal had used every French expletive imaginable.

"That stupid girl, Jenna Blishwick, thinks she's the greatest dancer out of the whole studio." Chantal seethed.

"What else is new?" Marlene snorted, she had never gotten along with Jenna well. During their first year she nearly decked her in the face.

"She thinks she is so high and mighty above us as well." said Marie. "She said Madame Bonnefoi was a crackpot."

"She thinks everyone is a crackpot." Audrey murmured, shaking her head. "Don't let her get under your skin. She's awful at keeping time in jigs."

"Really awful." Marlene laughed. "She nearly cost us a spot at the competition we went to last year.
"I've always hated those group competitions." Audrey sighed, shaking her head. "The Slytherin girls never know what they're doing."

"Well, I challenged her." said Chantal.

"To what?" Marlene asked.

"A step off of course!" Chantal said, as if it were obvious.

"Wow…that's so scary!" James called from the couch, he was still wrapped in the blanket with Remus and Sirius.

Chantal gave them an odd look.

"A Step Off is not something to be joked about, James." said Marlene. "It's like a duel, but ten times more intense."

"I hardly think that a duel without magic is intense." James snorted.

The girls all gave James a look, and shook their heads.

"James, you just wait until break tomorrow in the Great Hall." Chantal said, a glint in her eyes.

"Tomorrow?" Marlene asked. "You challenged her for tomorrow?"

"I can take her easily." Chantal snorted. "Working with Darcy for the last twelve years. I'm golden."

"You've got a point." Audrey said thoughtfully.

"But…" Chantal began, looking at the two.

"But what?" Audrey asked.
"Oh merlin…" said Marlene, slapping her palm to her forehead.

"I need a second and a third. She's definitely bringing those two clots with her." Chantal said, raising her eyebrows.

She hadn't been at Hogwarts long but she knew of Jenna Blishwick's two cronies, then again, we spent alot of down time in the dance studio…

In all of my time at school, there had never been any public step offs. We all got at each other's throats from time to time in the studio, and by we, I mean every girl from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff got fed up with the girls from Slytherin. The break for fourth years and above in the middle of the day was usually unsupervised, nothing terrible usually happened unless it was Sirius or James' doing.

And that did happen quite often.

"Oh look, Frenchie showed up." Jenna cooed.

Jenna Blishwick was a rather interesting character, Marlene had met her on the train our first year. She described her as the most arrogant girl she had ever met, and though I tried to reserve my judgments I saw the same when I met her. Though I did not consider her as much of a nuisance as Angeline.

"That's what inter magical relationships are all about!" Marlene called out sarcastically. "Names based on nationality, real original, Blishwick."

"Shut it, McKinnon." Jenna sneered, Marlene was about to charge at her but Audrey grabbed her around the waist, tugging her backwards.

"Throw me a jig, Seamus!" Chantal called to a Hufflepuff 6th year who played the fiddle.

I had seen Audrey, Marlene, and Sarah occasionally do some steps, but I hadn't seen anything like this. It proves an age old point, women are vicious.

The spectacle had gotten everyone's attention and people were watching. Sarah sat next to the boys, trying to explain to them what was happening.

"Jenna's just doing a bunch of threes and sevens." Sarah grumbled, unimpressed.

"I still don't get it…" James said, rubbing his head in confusion. Sirius agreed.

"She's not listening properly, she's not in time with the music. That's the hard thing about a step off, usually the music is random. Neither of them knew what time he was going to play in. You can see Chantal is right on the beat."

"And why are they standing like that?" Sirius asked, pointing to Marlene and Audrey who were standing with their right heels in front of their left toes.

"Basic position…ready position." replied Sarah. "They'll be ready to go into action when called."

"You act like this is war." James snorted, Sarah shot him a serious look.

"This. is. war. James Potter. This is the equivalent of a Quidditch match." said Sarah. "It's intense!"

"Sarah, why aren't you up there?" Remus asked.

"I'll only go up if there's a fourth, there's a certain etiquette, just like duels." Sarah replied, intently watching Chantal.

Chantal was holding her own quite well for a while, but she was waiting to throw her best moves in for last. When Jenna's second decided to jump in, Marlene went in without hesitation.

Marlene McKinnon was a wicked dancer, she was truly gifted. She could catch onto an improvised routine like Chantal's easily and add her own flare. You can call me biased, but she was the best human dancer I had ever encountered. Between her skill and her fiery personality, she was not someone to mess with. Especially in a step off…

The crowd was definitely in favor of Chantal, Marlene, and Audrey. Though the Slytherin house and the absent minded Fioletovyi house were thinking otherwise.

Audrey waited, watching the four intently. Jenna had stepped up her game but it was nothing compared to the things that Audrey and Chantal had learned the previous summer. Finally, Jenna's third had jumped in and Audrey set off with ease.

This stretch seemed to last a good twenty minutes, Audrey and Marlene were waiting for a signal from Chantal. And they'd gotten one quickly.

I don't think I need to tell you who won…

Jenna went storming from the hall, her friends following.

"YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT, GET OUT OF HERE!" Sarah shouted, standing on the table.

"Puffer!" James was shocked.
"Puffer's got a dark side." said Remus, wrapping his arm around Marlene.

Sarah grinned, high fiving and hugging her friends.

"Merlin, I've been waiting four years for that." Marlene said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I think that's put her in her place about calling you Frenchie, Frenchie." Audrey nudged Chantal.