Games are Afoot Part 5

[Chase Connors]

Chase took the stairs two at a time down to the Kitchens, tickling the pear until it giggled and he could slip inside. He was almost positive that Emily knew how to get into the kitchens. Something about her and Lachie going there several times? He hadn't asked questions back then and he wasn't about to in the past few days.Asking questions like that would raise suspicions and the last thing he needed was Lachie finding out too soon.

Slipping inside the portrait Chase breathed in deeply and let the overwhelming scent of food fill his nostrils. He loved this room. It always made his mouth water. It was always a bundle of activity too because the houseelves never stopped going about their busy business and cooking.

Chase made his way into the room and several of the elves spotted him and hurried over, full of questions and compliments in the way that most elves were. He grinned at them. "Just a small request. I'm looking for...date food." he wasn't worried about keeping it a secret around the house elves. They weren't likely to go blabbing and gossiping. "I was thinking, something sweet and chocolaty. Maybe something creamy? Oh! And strawberries..."

The house elves were full of questions and ideas but he just shrugged and told them to surprise him. He also added that he needed to go somewhere and that someone would be in shortly to collect the food. Slipping the note to the nearest elf he requested it be passed on to Emily when she arrived. It would be better than leaving it lying around somewhere.

Babe,

Chocolate, cream and strawberry laces. Look for me in small, dusty places.

x

[Emily Prescott]

Emily huffed to herself, brushing her curls back away from her face as she finally reached the kitchens. Tickling the pear she waited for the portrait to open and smiled slightly when it finally did. Before she entered she slipped off her shoes a look of disappointment on her face, she'd intended to look pretty, feel beautiful, but now felt anything but, after all the school wasn't a small place, it was huge, with steps everywhere and she'd been walking around for th better part of an hour now.

Planting her bare feet back on the floor she sighed, the cold stone felt good on he soles of her feet as she entered the kitchen looking around once more. Biting down on her lip she smiled softly at the house elves, some of whom had rushed over to see her, recognising her immediatley, she had after all been here plenty of times with Lachie, both when they were dating and when they weren't. "You guys wouldn't have happened to seen..."

"Miss should have this, and take a seat whilst we finish your basket..." said one of the elves as he pushed another note into Emily's hand whilst the others led her to one of the stools to sit down. Not bothering to ask what they meant by basket when they all hurried away, she figured this was part of Chase's plan, so with a shrug of her shoulders she opened the note and read it. "After all this the date better not be in a broom closet..." she grumbled looking up from the note just as the elves hurried back over to her, carrying between them a quaint picnic basket.

Accepting it, she lifted the lid and peered in, frowning somewhat in surprise at the contents. Closing it she smiled softly at the elves and thanked them, begrudgingly putting her shoes back on. The elf closest to her saw her discomfort and clicked his fingers and immediatley the throbbing in Emily's feet went away and it almost felt like she was wearing sneakers instead of heels. Smiling brightly she pressed a kiss to the elves head and thanked him before picking up the picnic basket. "Thank you...good-bye," she aid softly, giving them a wave as she left the kitchen. Once outside she sighed quietly, rubbing her side she was still feeling the pangs from the attack, in her ribs mostly, despite the injury being mostly healed. Shaking her head, she dropped her head and headed back up to the broom closet, swinging the basket at her side.