"I could go back and get the badge." He offered, "if you'd really like to write about losing points. You could tell him..."

“Umm tempting that, but that’s quite alright,” Pippa snickered as she thought about Walt actually pulling that kind of tunt. Despite what people might think, Pippa McKenna never started out with the mindset of losing points for Gryffindor, it just happened from time to time. That was one reason why she wouldn’t take credit for most of her pranks, if she didn’t confess, she wouldn’t get in trouble. Simple as that.

“That’ll be in the next letter,” she assured him.

“But congratulations on your baby brother or sister. I guess baby announcements are ok to come through the mail too,” Pippa commented as she poured herself another cup of hot chocolate. While she still held the pot, she topped off Walt’s cup even though he hadn’t drank that much of it yet. “It must be exciting. I couldn’t imagine my mum having another baby,” she confessed. Her mum would probably have an abortion rather than go through the nightmare of having a baby, Lydia McKenna had always called it. Still, Pippa wouldn’t have minded terribly to have another person running around their large drafty house.

"Your plans for Valentine's Day." He said finally. "You know. If you have any. Or anything."

Pippa watched him over the rim of her cup of chocolate before taking a sip. Was this a lead in to him asking her? Or was it just a simple question? Was he even thinking about her for a possible Valentine...date? something? Merlin, she was not doing this, she was not going to be one of those kinds of girls that analyzed everything. ‘Oh my boyfriend said this’, they would flutter, ‘do you think that means he’s madly in love with me?’ (cue the inane giggling)

“Well, you know the whole thing that the Arithmancy club is holding that blind date thing? To keep Jess from chickening out, I put my name down, so...yeah, blind date…which..you know...is for a good cause, though we only get notified on the 14th, we don’t actually go ‘out’ until the 15th,” she told Walt, thinking that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea. What if he thought she was serious about it or was meeting up with some bloke on purpose? She wondered if she could get TJ to take her name out of the runnings. Then would Jess wiggle herself out of it? Pippa wasn't sure.

“So how about you? Any big plans?” she asked