Oooh. He'd almost let THAT slip, hadn't he? Clifford really had to watch his mouth. He was a PREFECT now.. he wasn't meant to listen to the rumours! Even if this time they were particularly juicy.. and ewwy.

He could tell Denton had picked up on something too and quickly averted his gaze. He didn't like the way the Hufflepuff was looking at him.. First Winters and now Denton.. what was with those Puffs?

Thankfully though, someone decided to save him.

"PARIS!" Clifford exclaimed, wrapping one long arm around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. HIS SAVIOUR! "How's Miss Greenwood today? Good, I hope.. OOOH! Is that sweeties I smell?" He asked, sniffing the air eagerly.

Ah yes.. noone need know about what he'd heard.

She rolled her eyes she didn't even know why she bothered trying to speak to him. He was like a brick wall. A brick wall she wanted to take a wrecking ball too. She would just ignore him, that would be the best thing right now. She turned away from him and toward Clifford, even if he was still mad at her he would pretend to be nice.

She stumbled against him as he yanked her toward him in a one armed hug. "Good to see you too Clifford," she said inhaling the kitcheny smell in his robes. She melted against him, he smelled just like her dad. Like a mixture of warm bread and roasted chicken. She giggled that he could smell candy. "I'm alright, yeah go have a peek. I think I bought out Honeydukes entire stoke of chocolate frogs." She explained with a grin. She knew the prefect was s sucker for chocolate, maybe she could get back into his good graces.

Dominic frowned though at Clifford's rather LOUD exclamation of 'Paris' as he gingerly wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling him to the side. Changing the topic to avoid telling him what he had heard. But NO! Clifford Carden was NOT going to get away from him that easily. Not for a million chocolate frogs. Not for anything.

It didn't even bother him that Paris was completely shunning him - giving him the cold shoulder - she was of little importance now.

"Clifford." He kept his tone even and stern, not removing his gaze. "What did hear about me?" If Clifford didn't oblige, then the fifth year would be forced to draw unnecessary measures... Ones that would probably earn him a detention if he wasn't careful.

Her expression hardened as she looked at Dominic. She turned to Clifford. "Want to help me carry these back to the common room?" She asked him with a smile. If Dominic wanted to talk to Clifford she would get Clifford to get with her and leave that hippogriff's backside hanging. She resisted socking him in the nose. It would be nice to rearrange his face. It would serve him just right, and all he needed was a reason right now.

Clifford beamed when Paris didn't protest about his sudden gesture. She didn't try to shrug him off or anything AND she had chocolate frogs. Oh, this was just getting better. "You Paris Greenwood are a LEGEND." Arm still slung casually around her shoulders, the sixth year treated her to a nice Cliffie squeeze before moving to have a peek inside her bag of Honeydukes goodies..

His grin though, slid from his lips when he Denton spoke up again. This time, his voice different. And it wasn't a good different either. EEEK! And there he was thinking he might actually get along with the guy.. not like that Newell. Hmpf.

He wasn't entirely sure if he honesty was the best option here, and made a bit of a show pinching one of Paris' chocolate frogs before looking back up at the Hufflepuff. He was on Slytherin territory.. he couldn't start anything here. GRR! "Oh, nothing of importance.. just that.. yousnoggedKovac'sfaceoff." HAAAAH!

Dominic blinked as he heard Paris telling - no whining - for Clifford to help her carry the bags back to the common room. Something that he was not going to allow until the Slytherin Prefect told him what he heard about him. For the love of all things blue; it was a rumor about HIM and he therefore had a right to know. But wait... did he really want to know? Suddenly, the Hufflepuff felt almost sick to his stomach as he realized that he probably didn't.

Something about the way Clifford's grin faded . . . his hesitancy in telling him. Oh... it was... EEP! Why did he suddenly not feel so good AT ALL?! "I.." it took a moment to comprehend the jumbled words, as the hufflepuff felt his feet move back until they bumped into the wall. And he allowed his back ... his head ... to rest against the stone cold wall of the dungeon corridor, his eyes closing. And opening. "I didn't snog her. I kissed her once." He said, through gritted teeth, finally clearing up the misconception of the difference between snogging and ONE kiss. And why should it even be anyone's business who he kissed?

She blushed under his deceleration. He wasn't upset with her anymore, she wanted to sigh in relief. She really liked Clifford he was really funny and always a good person to have on your side. She giggled ans squirmed has he squeezed her tiny shoulder. "Thank you," She told him. She watched him snag a frog. She rather thought he would have taken more, but it was still very polite of him to just take one. "Go on then. Snag as many as you want," she offered.

Her eyes widen when she was finally able to make out the jumbled mess of the English language Clifford let fly. Dominic kissed Willow!! She wanted to gag. Her hand went to her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. "I think I'm going to be sick," she grumbled. That news ws enough to turn her stomach for the rest of the day.

She rolled her eyes. Dominic should be glad that someone is talking about him. With his attitude it was a wonder his mother even wrote to him. Him and Willow deserved each other if you asked her. They both were as warm Eskimo pie. "Glad we cleared that up." She said waving her hands for Dominic tp scurry back to the badger den.

Ah. Saying that really wasn't as bad as he'd been expecting! And Denton didn't react the way he'd been expeting either! By the way the Hufflepuff had been behaving before - stern voice and narrowed eyes - Clifford had hbeen half expecting a fist swung his direction.. But nuuuuu.

Trying not to gigglesnort at Paris' words and need to vomit, Clifford snagged himself a couple mroe chocolate frogs. This seemed like a good occasion for the munchies, Denton was actually good entertainment.

"Snog.. kiss.. same difference.." the sixth year shrugged, wrinkling his nose at the thought of smooching HER! But what did that matter?? Denton just ADMITTED IT! "You're a brave man, Denton." And a dead one..

Dominic ignored Paris and her potential sickness. Who was she to judge him anyway over who he kissed? Just because he didn't find her in the least bit attractive didn't mean anything. Yup . . . Paris Greenwood, Miss Slytherin Drama Queen, had NO business to judge him. Nor to wave him off like he was just a fly. He'd go back upstairs when he was ready, which meant after he'd dealt with Clifford and his seemingly disappointment by him kissing Willow. Honestly, Slytherins.

"No one asked you," Dominic snapped at Paris, before turning his head away from her to address Clifford. Of course he had to snag some more chocolate frogs; one never seemed to be enough to satiate the Sixth Year.

"Brave?" Dominic blinked, the detest audible in the older boy's tone. "Honestly, Willow isn't bad. She's always been nice to me." Except the disjointing his elbow business or hitting bludgers his way. But normal conversations were fine. And she was interesting. "What do you have against her anyway?"

She heard Clifford snort and it made her giggle. She watched at his hand snake into her bag and snag a handful of chocolate frogs. The boy was never satisfied. She wondered how he ate so much and never gained weight. She nodded at his assessment of Denton being brave.

Her eyes narrowed to slits as she looked at him. She was frankly tired of his horrible attitude, and just plain being mean to her for no other reason than his knickers were n a very tight bunch and cutting off his oxygen supply. "Oh grow up," she shot back. If he was looking for a fight he had found one. She was tired of him and they could have it out right here and now.

Like him, Paris apparently thought Denton was completely and utterly bonkers for wanting to put his lips anywhere near the Bone Crusher. Actually.. Paris just didn't seem to like the Hufflepuff very much. EEEK!

Chomping happily on the chocolate frog he'd stolen from Paris, Clifford shrugged at Denton. Boooy, he didn't sound very happy. Probably because his secret had been discovered.. poor kid was no doubt embarrassed..

"I don't have anything against her.. she's just a PSYCHO." His words echoed down the dungeon corridor and Clifford shuddered. "Like I said.. you're brave.." Perhaps Denton liked living on the wild side.. liked a bit of a risk.. he'd surely get that snogging Willow Kovac, right? She could crush bone after all. Hmmm. "Whatever floats your boat, mate." The sixth year finished with a shrug. He didn't care who snogged who really.

Lucy walked down the dark corridor. She shivered from darkness. It creeped her out. It was so cold and dark down here. She continued on her way to the Slytherin Common Room. She wished she wasnt alone.

Dominic sighed exasperatingly as he felt Paris' eyes on the back of his head. Oh was she really and truly telling HIM to grow up!? Someone needed to speak for themselves clearly and so she wasn't even worth answering too. He wasn't talking to her to begin with and why should he now. If she wants to start something, then let it be on her head. Witnessed by two prefects.

Directing his attention at Clifford instead, he frowned when he claimed that Willow was a psycho. That wasn't very nice and hardly true at all. At least not compared to 99.9% of the Hogwarts female population. "She's not psycho," the fifth year defended, confusion swept across his eyes. "Only brave because... well, she is femaleeee." Dominic made a face, shrugging.

"But anyway, I guess.. well, I should probably head back to the dormitory and get some work done. OWLs." Groaning at the last word, he sighed. "Yea, bye then, Clifford." Nodding his head in the older Prefect's direction and in the younger girl's direction (albeit reluctantly) as well, the Hufflepuff then disappeared up the stairwell to the ground floor.

Completely hyper about the championship Quidditch match, Anna hurried throughout the school, using the Sticking Charm to decorate Hogwarts with house spirit posters. Heading into the dungeon corridor, Anna decorated it with the following poster: