Duck was genuinely puzzled by the latest uproar. Of course he was fully aware of House rivalries, and the insults slung about (mostly between Slytherin and Gryffindor), but Duck being Duck he just tended to walk blithely past it most of the time. Yet now he was dating Pippa, he was more concerned when Hufflepuff was mentioned and this had him focusing on the latest incident. His conversation with Astoria Greengrass also had him thinking, he felt very sorry for the Slytherin prefect. How sad it was that she still felt too afraid to make the effort!
So he was a little distracted as he waited for Pippa, his expression far off and his hands in his pockets, lips pursed. However when her arms slid around him, he snapped out of his trance and was immediately focused on her. Turning, Duck pulled Pippa into a tight hug. They might have only seen each other recently during the day but being able to hold her always made him happy. "Hi you," Duck gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead and then looked at her. He frowned slightly, seeing something in her eyes that couldn't be hidden from him. "What's up?"