*A/N: I'm so sorry about how long it's taken me to update! I told myself I would take a month off to study for exams instead of writing but evidently neither of those happened so the hiatus was a complete waste. Again, I'm very sorry but I hope you like this chapter and I would really appreciate if you took the time to review x

Chapter Ten

The Doctor waited impatiently for Jack to get down from the table himself, not wanting to cause a scene by getting him down with magic. When he chugged the last of his butterbeer he hopped happily to the ground, smiling briefly to Clara and the Doctor with a salute as he headed to fetch another glass while bopping his head to the music.

The Doctor cut off his path quickly and grinned sarcastically at him. "Jack, what are you doing?" he asked, embarrassment evident in his tone.

"Celebrating of course! It's not every day we all get a reason to have a party."

The Doctor pouted, no argument coming to mind.

"Are you happy?" asked Jack, facing Clara.

"Little embarrassed," she admitted, "but it's not like it's the worst reason in the worl-"

"Clara!" It was Rose who had rushed to her side and clutched onto her arm.

"Rose!" she said, mimicking the blonde's London accent.

"Shut up, that is not how I talk. Anyway, I need to talk to you." Without waiting for a response, Rose had pulled her by the arm and was leading her to the opposite end of the grand room.

"I had to find out from Jack," she pouted. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you I liked him," Clara reminded her.

"Yeah because I tickled you until you did – that doesn't count." Rose was frowning but there was an air of laughter about it.

Clara sighed. "I'm sorry – I meant to tell you, I really did - but it only just happened and I haven't really had the chance to tell you." That was a lie. She'd seen Rose in the courtyard the day before but had rushed away before she could spot her; she was too embarrassed to just tell her. Although Clara and Rose had been best friends when they were younger and it hadn't been hard to rekindle that friendship the past few weeks; this wasn't something she'd ever talked about with Rose. She wasn't sure how to to be quite honest.

"You better keep me up to date on any and everything from now on or I'm going to put a permanent tickle charm on you," Rose said lightly.

Clara nodded. "Aye-aye, Captain Tyler. I promise."

Rose grinned. "Glad that's settled then. So go on, tell me what happened."

Clara raised an eyebrow. "It's barely been 24 hours, Rose. What am I meant to tell you?"

She sighed. "Oh come on. Did he ask you out? Did you ask him out? Have you been on a date yet? Where did you go? Is he still a good kisser?"

Her mouth widened in shock. "You did not."

Rose made a face of regret. "Oh I thought you knew about that," she said, blushing. Clara shook her head. "I did not. – Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because I've long since moved on – and so has he. I guess I just forgot. Don't worry, I'm delighted for you both! I haven't seen him this happy in ages!"

Clara smiled uneasily. "He doesn't look that happy," she said, looking over her shoulder to where the Doctor was pouting over being poked by Amy and Rory who looked like they'd just been proving just how much it was a snogbox.

"Oh shut up," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "Don't pretend you don't know how happy he is around you."

She smirked briefly. "Yes," she sighed.

Rose was slightly taken aback and quirked her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"Yes, he is still a good kisser," she answered, knowing that she was blushing as red as Amy's hair. Rose laughed heartily in response, pointing at Clara's face. "You are so smitten, it's adorable," she chuckled. "Now, best not keep him waiting." She turned Clara around and gave her a slight push in his direction. Clara glared harmlessly at Rose before making her own way back through the crowd.

"Oh good you're back," the Doctor said relieved, shoving Amy and Rory off of him. He seemed to have given up earlier. "I don't know why I put up with these two sometimes."

"Good luck with him, Clara," said Rory. "He can be so rude."

"Oi! You're the ones who were poking me," the Doctor defended.

Clara decided to join in, poking him lightly in the ribs.

"Ow! Not you too," the Doctor moaned sadly.

Clara pouted sympathetically and gave him a one-armed hug. "Aw, I'm sorry. I won't do it again." Whether this was true or not, she wasn't sure but she couldn't resist wanting to see that stupid old smile of his. As she'd expected, he beamed down at her, giving Clara a sense that she was melting.

"Only joking," the Doctor said, bending down to give her a firm peck on the forehead.

"That's so cute I think I might throw up," Amy teased.

The Doctor stuck his tongue out at her. "I have to put up with you and your boyfriend constantly snogging in front of me and you don't hear me complaining!" He complained alright, they were just usually too preoccupied to notice.

"Right well I'm gonna get a drink," Clara interrupted.

"I'll come with you," the Doctor announced before she had a chance to even turn around fully. Clara smirked and trotted off towards the large table of butterbeer and firewhiskey. Most people were being wise and avoiding the firewhiskey but neither of them were surprised to see it almost cleared out completely. The Doctor poured two cups of butterbeer, knowing Clara would choose it without asking. She thanked him and took a sip before putting a foot in the direction of Amy and Rory's corner but the Doctor put a hand in front of her to cut off her path. He smirked at her and shook his head. "I think they need a break as much as we do."

Clara smiled and reached for his hand, pulling him out of the way of the other thirsty party-goers. There was a couch pushed up against the wall beside where they stood. It was long enough to seat ten people comfortably but there was about twelve on it regardless. Always room for one more, the Doctor thought. Or room for two more in this case. The Doctor made room for himself comfortably at the edge. Realising he had left Clara standing he sheepishly patted his lap, offering to pose as a seat for her. She blushed slightly with a smirk before perching herself on top of his lap. Thank goodness Jack was out of sight. He probably would have taken a photograph and sent it to the Daily Prophet to see if he could get it published. She imagined it wouldn't be published but it would be embarrassing all the same.

"Clara," the Doctor began seriously, "Did you...like it yesterday? Did you have fun?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound as insecure as he felt. He had taken her 'worst first date ever' comment as a joke but he had grown less sure as he pondered over it afterwards. She'd seemed happy going back to the castle but the Doctor worried that that was just because it was over. He hoped she enjoyed it although it didn't exactly scream 'great date'. She hadn't left him but then again she couldn't really do that when they were at a party celebrating them getting together, could she? He knew it was a bit dangerous when he'd planned it but that was what drawn him in. If trouble couldn't find him the Doctor looked for it. He couldn't help it. Even when his parents had still been around they'd warned him he was going to get himself killed if he wasn't more careful. If Clara hated it then he would make an effort and try to give her proper dates but he knew he was kidding himself if he thought he could try and stay out of trouble by himself.

"Of course I did." She smiled. "It was a teeny tiny bit terrifying but I wouldn't have changed it." It was remarkable how true that was. Clara would have thought that she'd have preferred it without the death echo inside of her and without the sense of fear - maybe she would have, she'd never know for sure but if she had the chance to turn back the clock she wouldn't. The danger and the scariness and excitement of it all had been exhilarating to look back on. She had always associated fear as one of the worst types of emotion you could feel but she wasn't so sure anymore. She was realising that fear wasn't the problem, it was the solution. If you weren't afraid of anything you'd never bother doing anything to stop what was wrong. Fear made you react and in doing so it saved you. She knew she'd be a fool if she thought she'd be happy whenever she was frightened; it depended solely on the situation. She didn't think fear could be generalised for every person but she knew for herself what her limits were. Just one adventure had woken her up in such a huge way. She felt she knew how she would react to different types of fear now. Danger and thrills she could see herself growing towards excitement with - it seemed the Doctor had. Dread however, she didn't think she could get used to. It wasn't just not knowing; dread was the worst possible form of not knowing that tore you apart from the inside nerve by nerve until what you were dreading happens and collapses around you. "It was weirdly fun," she told him.

The Doctor felt himself physically brighten. "Great!" he beamed. "That's fantastic, really Clara. I was starting to worry you wouldn't want to - y-you do want to do something like that again, don't you? Something...exciting?"

Clara nodded. "Yeah why not. From what I've heard, adventure is your middle name and I wouldn't want to change that." She gave a lopsided grin, her head casually glancing to their friends scattered around the room that had warned her how much trouble he got into with his little trips. Some of them had seemed like genuine warnings as if to ward her away from the Doctor but they'd had the opposite effect. Ever since she was a little girl she'd wanted to have adventures and the fact that he seemed to actually find some and come home without a scratch and a pat on the back spiked her interest even more. She'd almost forgotten about his adventure habit after she became very close friends with him.

Unable to help himself, he leaned forward and cupped her face, kissing her gently. He had been so relieved that it had been instinctive. When he finally pulled away, sensing eyes lingering on them he smiled broadly at her. "Thank you," he said simply.

Clara didn't question his thanks. She hadn't thought there would be any doubt that she would want to do something like that again. True, she had said it wasn't fun but she'd improve with practice. And besides, it was a package deal with the Doctor and it seemed to be public knowledge that she wasn't about to give him up. She put a hand to his neck, wishing she didn't have a butterbeer in the other and pulled herself closer until their lips met again. She was aware that they were in a room with the entire school; many of whom would probably stare so she told herself she would keep it quick. She didn't have time for it to be any different anyway as the music most people had stopped noticing stopped suddenly. Clara broke away and turned her head to see the headmistress standing by the entrance with her wand in the air and a look of absolute fury on her face. The room was a sea of silence and mutterings of curses as people panicked and spilled their firewhiskey in an attempt to hide it.

"What is the meaning of this?" she boomed.

A few students smiled sheepishly and others smuggly as they pointed upwards to the banner which still read; The Doctor and Clara Forever. McGonagall sighed. Times didn't change all that much. The school celebrating new and young love as an excuse to disobey rules was as common as ugly mandrakes. Her eyes quickly found the culprits whose names were on the sign; the two of them frozen like the majority of the room. "I presume you two have something to do with this," she stated. She highly doubted they would have planned it but they were being irresponsible all the same.

The Head Boy shook his head. "No, we had no idea this was planned we were just told to come up. It was a surprise," he blabbed, turning scarlet. Clara was slowly drifting off of his lap and to her feet; not wanting anyone to notice her moving but not wanting to stay in that position with the headmistress looking at her.

"Hm," Minerva voiced, her mouth a thin line. She believed it to be true - the happy couple were almost never the ones making a fuss. "A word, Smith," she said, crooking her finger and nodding outside of the TARDIS. The Doctor nervously got to his feet as did Clara and followed the Professor's instructions.

Jack finally spoke then. "Listen, they didn't throw the party," he sighed. "It was me I'm sorry. Not my finest work, but I think I did pretty well on short notice. Don't you think?" He winked at McGonagall once he'd finished. Needless to say, she wasn't amused. She wasn't irritated or offended either; the entire country was used to the quidditch captain's ceaseless inappropriate comments. She rolled her eyes. She knew it was him. "10 points,will be taken," she said exasperatedly. She hated taking points from her own house and went a little easy on them most of the time but everyone understood that it wasn't a conscious action. She was considerably better compared to some other teachers the students knew.

"Now I want all of you back in the castle within five minutes or you will all receive detentions."

The crowd spurred and legged it to the door, nearly knocking McGonagall in their eagerness to escape the scene. Clara had followed out quickly, not wanting to make eye contact with the headmistress. Once she was out she walked to the Doctor who was standing to the side, leaning casually against the box. "Is everything gonna be alright?" she asked, considerably more distressed than he seemed to be.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure it's just a warning. It was awkward with all of them looking but I know it'll be fine. And technically - apart from the firewhiskey - no school rules were broken. Okay, so Jack was meant to ask for permission but-" he waved his hand in the air nonchalantly, "details details." He pushed off from the box and put a hand to her face, looking into her eyes. "Don't worry. Her bark's worse than her bite," he whispered, smirking. "I'll be fine," he added, kissing her forehead again before idly stoking her cheek with his thumb. "I'll meet you downstairs soon, okay?"

"Okay," she said, feeling slightly better. She couldn't help but feel slightly guilty when he was called out and she wasn't. "I'll see you soon." She stretched on her toes to peck his cheek before turning away and following the last couple of students down the stairs, spotting McGonagall cleaning up with her wand out of the corner of her eye.

Once the place was somewhat ordered McGonagall put her wand away, leaving the rest for Filch to clean up. She left the TARDIS and turned to the Doctor. She'd been meaning to speak to him anyway but the party had just happened to be the first time she'd seen him that day. "I suspect you've heard," she began...

*A/N: I hope you liked it - please let me know what you thought. I promise to be updating more frequently now (which can't be too hard. A month is really long I'm sorry.)