Drake frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." he said, a slight smile crossing his lips.

Yup, definitely a weird one he thought.

Stuffing his hands inside his pockets, he shuffled his feet, suddenly nervous for some odd reason. It wasn't like he had never done this before; after all he was The!Drake.

"So, how do you like being a healer? Must get busy in the waiting room at times." he said figuring he may as well ask about her work.

For now.

"You didn't," she replied entirely too quickly.

Caroline was a suspicious type. The many men she had sent packing, in fairness for no good reason, could attest to that. So naturally she wondered why Drake Warren cared about her job.

"It does get busy," she agreed cautiously. Twist twist twist. "Especially lately with the flooding, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"I suppose," she admitted reluctantly, wrinkling her small nose in the process. Perhaps there was an inkling of cute hidden behidn the duck's bead eyes; Or inside that bright orange beak. Making a distasteful taste at his joke (which completely went over head), Daphne blinked and looked away from Jake pitifully. Her first child...a duck?!

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

"Friends," quipped Daphne and nodded sagely. That's--what people usually said; until they started kissing secretly behind trees in the orchards and such. At the thought of such inappropriate frivolities, the blond fourth year shuddered. Kissing behind the trees was hardly romantic--according to her in any case. "At the moment would be the key word," added Hopton softly.

What did that even mean? Did he have plans to end that friendship? Or, even change it into something. Blushing she shook her head. Certainly Jack didn't like that Upstead girl that way.

Right? After all he had her to choose. Miss Daphne Hopton. Hopton...anyone? "Oh, well," she sighed suddenly dusting imaginary pollen particles from her shoulders in paranoia of getting her allergies triggered. "Things usually work out at their own pace. Life hardly goes the way you predict it to." Sigh. For example, Isaac Hopton wasn't supposed to have existed.

Ever.

Now his birth had ruined her future plans completely. Her entire life had to reanalyzed. "I have about...three piles of homework to do." Exaggeration. "A silly duck to check on and a floor to scourgify. I'm pretty sure he relieved himself on the next bed again." That girl was going to have another fit. "And...And..." A Celandine to catch! Whyyy did the one guy she even bothered thinking about had to like Reese Upstead. Cela seemed to like her too. Sigh. Pointless. "I'm going. We'll talk more, later. Yes?" finished the blond with a small smile. It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Wiggling her fingers at him she turned around and headed towards the castle in a surprisingly fast pace for someone who would rather prefer not to exert her body at all.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, their own pace..." he repeated, trailing off as he remembered his conversation with Torin. Daphne was totally right, things needed to just take time to develop, rather than being shoved at him in that fateful convo at the cliff. And as for unexpected surprises, Jack had certainly had a fair share of those this term.

He nodded again as she announced she was leaving. "Yeah, definitely...we are in the same house, after all, so bumping into each other shouldn't be too hard, right?" Jack asked with a small smile. "Good luck with the duckling," he added before turning to see if Reese was still around.

Nope. She was gone. Along with a good number of the people who had been here when the tent first opened. Pocketing his autograph, Jack walked out of the tent and back towards the castle.

Kip turned to the young boy as he asked for his autograph. This would never get old. "Sure. What is your name?" he asked, pulling out a loose piece of parchment and his quill.

"No problem. And please, call me Kip." he smiled at her. As he heard she had an opinon on him, he couldn't resist. "What kind of opinion did you have of me before?" He leaned back onto the food full of table, and gave her a flirtacios grin.

Kip chuckled at the small girl. "Tough one, you are." Just how he liked them. He then smiled as the girl began to grin. She was a cute little thing. Probably too young though. Bugger. "You're welcome little lady."

He was about to say something else to the little lady, when he felt somebody lean into him. Well, hello hello! He leaned close to her ear and whispered back, "Anything for you, Precious." Kip Norwood loved Hogwarts!

KIP. NORWOOD. CALLED. HER. PRECIOUS!!!

"I..." she though he was the hottest quidditch player in Europe! If not the world. "I thought very highly of you..."

Ask him Less! Ask him!!!

"You wouldn't... want to..." she cleared her throat, "take... a tour of the... uhmmm... grounds... would you?"

What a way to boost his ego. Like his ego isn't already on high. "Well I am glad I meet up to your expectations." he smiled. This girl was bloody brilliant. Maybe that was why he was stalling. He didn't want to leave! The look in her eyes told him she felt the same way.

Then she asked him if he wanted a tour of the grounds. Wasn't it flooded? He liked her and everything, but he didn't want to go swimming. Kip wasn't much of a swimmer. Or water all together. "Erm. I would love to, I really would. But I am afraid if I leave the tent it will be time for me to go." he said, giving her a puppy dog look. She didn't want him to leave, did she?

"Oh..." she said biting her lower lip.

Well, that wouldn't do... she didn't want him to leave! "I follow the Falcons fairly closely... but you've always been my favorite player..." she said and summoned two more butterbeers for the table. "Another butterbeer?"

Kip watched as she began to bite her lower lip. She sure had some plump lips. Wait. Eyes up. "I'm glad! It's a shame I have never seen you at a match before. I would have loved to ask you to dinner sometime." That came out past tense didn't it. Good job Norwood. He just asked her out, for last week. Regroup regroup!

"Yes. Thank you." Kip smiled, taking the other butterbeer. This had to mean she didn't want him to leave, obviously. "So is there a Mr. Lupa?" he asked trying to be sly, as he took a sip from his butterbeer.

Why hadn't she made herself more.... seen! Wait... a Mr. Lupa? She looked around... here at the school? When had her dad come to the school... OH!!!! "Oh no... No, No... There is only one Mr. Lupa, and he's my father, and thankfully, he isn't here." To see me throw myself at you... she thought to herself... and even more thankfully, neither was Papa Valon!

Kip felt himself smile at her response. So she wasn't taken, she seemed interested, he was going for it. "So what do you think about Italian food? I was thinking about taking a beautiful lady like yourself to a restaurant to get a bite to eat." he said, putting in the charm. Now he waited for the yes or the no.

... was he asking her out? Or... asking her for for the names of good restaurants he can bring a 'beautiful woman like her?'

... Oohhhhh!

Sometimes... Alessia Lupa surprized herself at just how 'blonde' she was...

"I love Italian food!" was all she could think of saying... he was sooooooo pretty! She was getting lost in his eyes.

"Excellent. How does next Saturday sound?" Kip grinned. Two things he loved most was speghetti and blonds. Yes, yes. This was a great day. Even though they had lost to a group of preteens. Who cares? He just got a date.

Merlin's Sweet Chicken Biscuits With Gravy! Did KIP NORWOOD just ask HER out??

EEEEEEEEP!!!!!

"Next Saturday is perfect!" She said, "Will you come at pick me up at the gate, or you should I meet you at the restaurant?"

Ced smiled.

WoW..He is very very friendly,Cedric thought.

"I'm Cedric Nicholas Leone,Sir..but you can call me Ced."He smiled happily.Hmm,now he got two autographs,He'll find the others soon.

Ego burst! "I will pick you up. Does eight sound alright?" Kip would have gone for an eariler time, but he had practice at five. He should make reservations soon though. The place was always packed. "I'm glad you accepted. I would have been so sad to see a pretty lady like you go." he complimented, kissing her hand.

He then turned back to the little boy. "I have a buddy named Ced." He chuckled.

"There ya go mate." Kip gave the boy his autograph, ruffling his hair.

Had there not been a wall right there she would have fainted. "Oh..." and giggled. "Eight is perfect... yes..." Merlin in training pants! She was going out with Kip Norwood! Kip Bloody Norwood!!! She jumped up and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you at eight on Saturday."

Kip couldn't help but chuckle as Blondie, er, Alessia grew excited and kissed him on the cheek. "You are awfully beautiful when you are happy." he said, giving her hug. She was beautiful period actually. Yes, yes.

He noticed her twisting her hair around and tilted his head. It was clear she was nervous, or she just liked twisting her hair. Either way drake smiled slightly nodding as he listened.

"I imagine it would be, with the weird flooding. I heard a few students muttering about it." he replied back, nodding once more. "Have you figured how what it is yet?" He asked, highly curious now.

"I used to spend a lot of time in the hospital wing when I was here. Is there still that creaky blue chair that used to sit in the far right corner?" He asked, remembering the times when he himself had sat there nursing a headache.

Now this put her in a tight spot, either admit she had no idea about something, or admit she was terrified of something. Neither was an acceptable course of action as far as her two most valued traits were concerned: Her Intellect and her Nerve.

"Well it's all very technical, the theories we've been coming up with... I'm sure even if you understood half of the jargon the subject matter would just bore you to death," she said dismissively.

ACK! Conversation. STOPPPITTT!! TWIIIIIIIST!

"Um... I moved it into the Ward. It's my desk chair now," she admitted. Not entirely practical... but she liked it anyway. For reasons outside her comprehension (HA as if there was such a thing) she warmed slightly for his affection to a piece of furniture. And it embarrassed her. Twist.

Drake laughed, crossing his arms around his chest and uncrossing his legs to get more comfortable. "You're right. I hope you get it all sorted out quickly. All the professors here seem smart enough." well some of them anyway he mused silently to himself as he replied, a hint of concern in his voice.

His eyes lit up, "You kept it? I'm surprised but not really. It'd be nice to see the old ward again." he mused, shaking his head. "Perhaps you could take a look at my shoulder, see what the other nurse missed?" He asked before adding "Or you could just smack me on the arm, whichever you feel comfortable with."

He couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at her hair twisting.

"All right. Autograph time is OVER!" Vindictus finally shouted out of sheer irritation. The professionals were clearly incapable of adhering to a set time for giving autographs and the fliriting with the female Hogwarts Staff members was getting way out of hand. Wand in hand, he used a spell that forced everyone to vacate the tent once and for all.