Although the game was Slytherin vs. Gryffindor; there were three Hufflepuff boys gathering in the front row to see the match. Mickey was there to support his girlfriend, Rose. She was the team's best keeper. Rory was there to see Amy though he wouldn't say that was the reason why aloud. Matt decided to tag along as well. He didn't want to be all cooped up in the common room.
"Wow!" Matt spoke with his mouth half full of snacks as he saw Slytherin's Chaser, River Song fly swiftly past them. "Yowza! Look at her go!"
"I brought you here so we could watch Rose play and you decide to root for the enemy?" Micky rolled his eyes. Rose blocked the quaffle River threw her way. "Ha! See that!"
"Well, I wasn't saying Rose isn't good. She's fantastic but something about that River." Matt swooned. "I wonder if I could maybe get her autograph. Is she single?"
"Don't tell me you're going to attempt to ask a fifth year on a date" Rory laughed.
"Well, fine then. If I had to choose someone in Gryffindor it'd be that girl, Amelia Pond. Did you see how she beat back that bludger? How is she so strong? Don't we have Herbology with her?"
"Yeah..." Rory looked at Matt with an increasingly worried look.
"Well, I'm asking her out then. I mean look at her! She's majestic the way she flies." Matt caught a chocolate frog in the air and took a bite.
"Easy, loverboy" Mickey laughed.
"I have no problem with you asking River out." Rory wanted Matthew to stop focusing on Amy. Rory knew he'd lose against him. Matt was charismatic and smart and funny and Rory didn't think he was any of those things.
"Yeah, I'd like to see Matt try if only to see him crash and burn." Mickey laughed.
If was only mid-November but already people were talking about the yule ball. It was only for 3rd years and up but younger students could attend if they were invited as dates.
"If you could be invited by any of the upperclassmen in school who would you pick?" Clara sipped her pumpkin fizz at The Three Broomsticks. The Ravenclaw girls were sitting together at a small table with butterbeers and other confections from Honeyduke's scattered around the table.
"Umm... Well, it's rather embarrassing but I think I have a serious crush on Professor Tennant." Martha bit her lip. He was the astronomy teacher and head of Ravenclaw House.
"I said older, I didn't mean that old!" Clara laughed.
"Well, I hope you don't all hate me for this but..." Sally fiddled with the angel pendant on her necklace as she spoke. "Someone asked me and I said yes."
"What!? Who?!" Clara was slightly jealous but very excited for her friend.
"Billy Shipton." Sally hesitated to answer.
"He's Gryffindor's seeker!" Martha exclaimed. "That is so totally unfair"
"What about you, Tosh?" Clara asked Toshiko; who had sat quietly for most of their conversation.
"Oh, I don't know I..." Tosh's eyes drifted up to the table across the room where Owen Harper sat with Jack and River.
"You're looking at Jack Harkness, aren't you?" Martha smiled. "I'd simply collapse if he asked me."
"No... I was..." Toshiko blushed. "I was thinking about Owen."
"He's sort of dark, isn't he?" Clara made a disapproving face. "I mean like he's so cold and distant."
"Yeah, I know." Tosh looked down at the ground.
"I think Tosh has a thing for bad boys." Sally smiled. The girls all ooohed and poked fun playfully at their shy friend.
"So maybe I do" Tosh spoke up and let a little smile creep up on her face.
As the children began walking back home from Hogsmeade, Rory caught Amy walking on her own. "Hey, Amy!" Rory ran up to meet her.
"Hey!" Amy smiled.
"What are you doing here all by yourself? You're really close to The Shrieking Shack." Rory looked a little on edge by how close they were.
"Really?!" Amy sounded really excited. "You have to show me." She took his hand. "Is it this way"
"Yeah" Rory was glad Amy was holding his hand but not so glad about where they were going.
"Whoa! There it is!" Amy walked up to the fence surrounding it. "I wish we could go inside."
"It's one of the most haunted buildings in Great Britain." Rory slowly walked up beside her wanting to be near her and also wanting to show that he wasn't as scared of the shack as he actually was.
"So cool." Amy whispered as she took his hand in hers again. "Isn't it awesome!?"
"Awesome.. yeah" Rory smiled still a little nervous. But more from their closeness to each other then to the shack.
"So what's all this talk about The Yule Ball and why aren't the younger kids allowed to go?" Amy's mind seemed to switch topics rather quickly.
"Well, it's a dance we do around Christmas time. I guess we're not allowed because it runs well past midnight." Rory explained. "You could go if an older student asked you to join them."
"So that means I'm going to have to seduce one of the older students to get into the party." Amy raised a suggestive eyebrow.
"You wouldn't actually do that, would you?" Rory looked a little intimidated.
"I might.." Amy smiled. "What about you?"
"You think I could seduce an older student into inviting me?" Rory laughed. "Besides, even if I asked someone they'd probably say no."
"I wouldn't be too sure." Amy nudged him playfully. "You're a nice enough guy. I'm sure someone would like to go with you."
'Nice enough' didn't sound like a very exciting compliment but Rory figured that was as good as it was going to get.
Amy was actually quite fond of Rory but she wasn't about to show him any mushiness. She hated looking weak and if she ever confessed her feelings and found out he didn't feel the same way, she'd be devastatingly embarrassed. She figured it was better for them to just be friends.