I can easily take that ugly watch back if my Magpie hands have fouled it too much for you to wear."

"More like your hands were improved through the touching of such an object," he said, watching Michelle with his ball for a moment before his frantic search for Plum's gift.

"It's not a problem at all," she assured him. "There'll be other times."

He pulled a face as he resumed his seat. "That still doesn't excuse it at all," he claimed feeling a bit of a sod for having left her gift behind.

Thats what happens to people who support the Appleby Arrows, she said. They have to teach themselves to forget how pathetic their team is, and then they start to forget other things too. Its quite sad.

"Hopefully," he cheeked, "I won't take to forgetting how much I like you, then."

Their food arrived then, and for a time their conversation floated about comments on the various items upon their plates, Luke doing his best to avoid bringing up his own wish that they could be in Broomsticks having some butterbeers and downing a plate of fish and chips. Plum seemed to be enjoying the frilliness of Puddifoot's, though, and that really was all that mattered to him at the moment.

Leaning back when about half his plate had been consumed, he slid his hand under the table and found Michelle's leg, his broad hand covering over her knee, his thumb rubbing lightly. "You should try to come out next month, Plum. Maybe bring Josh with ya. For the last match of my Hogwarts career."