Fandom Chasing Grace (A Harry Potter RP)

[Edric Blight]

-Time skip-
​

Much to Chase Crosby's chagrin, the Quidditch Cup was formally cancelled due to his severe injuries and the fact that the entire match between Gryffindor and Slytherin had been played so viciously and aggressively. Not only would a rematch be disrespectful to Chase, but it probably meant that someone else was going to get hurt considering that the two teams pretty much hated each others' guts. While Chase was a bit sad that he didn't get to compete for the Quidditch Cup that year, leading the Gryffindor team as its captain, he couldn't complain too much. Madame Pomfrey had done amazing work to get Chase to heal relatively quickly from his injuries. After a week or two of recovering and healing in the hospital wing, choking down some rather unpleasant tasting potions, Chase's broken arm had fully healed as well as most of the deep gashes, scratches, and cuts that he had sustained from the long fall down to the ground. It did end up leaving a few scars, which Chase thought was the coolest thing ever and thought that it made him look like a bad ass. It seemed that Chase couldn't stop admiring himself and his new scars in the mirror, even if they were mostly small and barely visible. He wore them like a medal of honor from battle.

Chase had missed quite a bit of classes during the two weeks he'd been out and recovering in the infirmary, but luckily, Grace had managed to keep neat and tidy notes for him to look over. He ended up being to make up most of his work and was well prepared to take his finals at the end of his fifth year, which he did. The youngest Crosby boy seemed to be hailed as a hero by Gryffindor and even most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws (and even some Slytherins), which he had to admit was very cool. Everyone knew about his injuries and sympathized with him and the whole school seemed happy with the Gryffindor captain's speedy recovery. It was nice to be somewhat of a Hogwarts celebrity, but of course he much preferred Grace's attention over the attention of his fellow peers. Chase's fifth year at Hogwarts passed by quickly and before he knew it, final exams were done and it was already time to go back home for the summer.

As for Thomas Crosby, although it was the seventeen year old boy's seventh and final year at Hogwarts and that was the last Quidditch game of the season, he was formally stripped of his captaincy, given mandatory detention in which he had to report to every remaining day of the school year, and was generally disgraced by not only his fellow Slytherins, but the entire school as a whole. No longer did anyone admire or even look up to Thomas Crosby. He was seen as a complete and utter shameful disgrace. This all took a heavy toll on Thomas, couple with the fact that he hadn't been allowed any where near Chase to at least say sorry or attempt to talk to him. Not being admired and praised by his fellow Slytherins was a new feeling for Thomas, but he had brought this all upon himself. At least, if anything good was to come of all of this, he had learned that his younger brother was ok and that Chase had made a full and speedy recovery despite suffering some pretty brutal injures (thanks to him of course).

Thomas Crosby was lucky to have avoided expulsion. While he was mostly saved from the wrath of Hogwarts, he was not spared by his parents at all. Ever since their parents had learned of Chase's injuries and the fact that Thomas had caused them intentionally, Tom received angry howler messages from his mother every day, Kelly's voice screaming and scolding him each morning, reminding him of the wrong that he had done and how furious both she and Andrew were. Thomas had never seen his parents so mad and disappointed in him. It pained him to see the way they looked at him. He was honestly surprised that they hadn't decided to officially disown him from the Crosby family. Needless to say, Tom was punished severely by his parents once he got home for the summer. Despite having graduated Hogwarts and being well on his way to turning eighteen, he was grounded and restricted to only his bedroom. He was only allowed out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to eat, as well as occasionally to go out and get a drink if he was particularly thirsty.

He hadn't talked to Chase or really seen much of his little brother since the day he had injured him on the Quidditch pitch. Whether it was Grace during the school year or his parents at home, he was essentially barred and prevented from even being in the same vicinity as Chase, minus mealtime where the family ate together. But even when they were eating, Thomas was prevented from speaking with Chase, opting to keep his head down. He was so guilty about what he had done he didn't even know if he could look his younger sibling in the eye. Weirdly enough, Chase felt very bad for Thomas and wanted to forgive him or at least talk to him, but Thomas did need to learn his lesson. Plus, he knew Grace would be rightfully furious with him were he to go through with what his heart was telling him and fully forgive his older brother for what he had done.

The summer after his fifth year at Hogwarts rolled along for Chase Crosby, who had turned sixteen in May. All was going well and by now, Chase was completely fully healed, gaining full use of his arm again, meaning that he could finally fly on a broom once more. Throughout June, Chase wrote many sappy love letters to Grace, telling her how much he loved her and how much he missed her. But little did Chase know, he wasn't going to have to miss her any longer. It was his mother Kelly that had been the catalyst for what would turn around the whole summer, for Chase, in a very positive way. Unbeknownst to really anyone, Chase's mother had been occasionally writing back and forth letters with Grace's mother Amelia. In one of these letters, Mrs. Walsh revealed that the Walsh estate was going to be undergoing heavy renovations that summer, essentially leaving the family with no where to stay. Essentially in a heart beat, Mrs. Crosby immediately invited the whole Walsh family to come stay at Crosby Manor, and plans to officially make way to accommodate the family were underway.

Mrs. Crosby had been very careful to keep this under wraps. She had purposely not informed her husband Andrew until the day of. She had told Chase beforehand, who was extremely excited that his girlfriend and her family would be coming to live with them for the summer because it meant he'd get a lot more time to spend with Grace, which made his heart happy. However, Mrs. Crosby made her youngest son promise that he did not tell his father under any circumstances. So, the day in early July arrived where the Walsh's were set to arrive at Crosby Manor. Chase couldn't be more excited and had a hard time hiding it so his dad didn't get suspicious of the sudden good mood and high energy out of no where. But, Mrs. Crosby felt that it was finally time to tell her husband.

The whole reason why Mrs. Crosby hadn't decided to first consult with her husband before making the decision to allow the Walsh family to stay with them over the summer and why she had waited to long to actually tell him that she had confirmed these plans and that they were coming today was because of the plain and simple fact that Andrew Crosby still held feelings of resentment towards the Walsh's. Of course, Daniel Walsh was his hated childhood rival from back during their days as school children at Hogwarts. While during the Walsh family ball the Crosby's had been invited to, the two former enemies seemed to make amends all for the sake of their children, who were clearly in love and head over heels for each other, Andrew was still wary. He did not fully trust Daniel and by default, his daughter Grace to some extent. The Walsh's were snobby rich traditional pure bloods that were pretty much the opposite of the Crosby's in every way minus their blood status. Andrew felt uneasy with his youngest son associating with the daughter over one of the most prominent high class wizarding families that were pure blood traditionalists in every sense of the words.

While Andrew had shaken hands with Daniel and agreed to let Chase and Grace date each other, it did not mean that he still harbored some feelings of wary suspicion and uneasiness. He had agreed for the sake of his youngest son and his wife. He could not outright deny the true young love. But, if Grace Walsh was going to gain favor with Andrew Crosby, she was sure going to have to work for it and prove that she was nothing like her mother and father in their youth and show that she wasn't going to attempt to convert Chase into some crazy traditionalist pure blood too. The morning of the date in early July in which the Grace Walsh's set to arrive at Crosby Manor, Mrs. Crosby was finishing washing the dishes from breakfast earlier and Mr. Crosby was sitting and reading the Daily Prophet over a cup of coffee. Thomas was up in his room, grounded, and Chase sat in the living room, polishing his broom carefully.

It was finally time for Mrs. Crosby to deliver the news to her husband. "Dear," she said sweetly, getting Andrew's attention, "Do make sure you keep things clean. We're having guests over," she went on. This caused Mr. Crosby to raise a curious eyebrow and look up from his paper. "Guests? And you didn't tell me? Who is coming over today?" he asked curiously. "I've invited the Walsh's to stay for the summer. They're doing some major renovations on their house and have no where to live or stay, so I've offered up our house to them so their family has somewhere to go," revealed Mrs. Crosby in a calm and all-too-casual voice. Andrew's brown eyes that both of his children had inherited went as wide as saucers as his jaw practically dropped to the floor. "YOU WHAT?!" he shouted loudly, banging his fist on the table, startling both Mrs. Crosby and even Chase in the other room as he was cleaning the handle of his broomstick. "That's right sweetheart. And they're coming over at any minute now," she said, remaining collected. Andrew was in complete and utter disbelief.

"Are you bloody kidding me?! Kelly you know how I feel about that family! About Daniel!" Mr. Crosby said. "Now you're just letting them into our home without telling me?!" he asked, a bit upset that his wife hadn't told him earlier or even talked this through with him first before letting the Walsh's come stay with them. "The last thing I need is Daniel Walsh inside of my home insulting every little part of it because it isn't as posh and fancy as his stuffy little mansion!" he complained. "Don't be so immature, Andy...." replied Mrs. Crosby softly. "I just know he's going to have something rude to say! He'll start bringing up what a disgrace we are to pure bloods and how we have no regards for their stupid traditions!" Mr. Crosby went on, ranting. "You're not school boys any more. And besides, I thought you two came to a mutual agreement of respect. Chase is dating his daughter you know, and I don't need to remind you twice how infatuated our boy is with her," replied Mrs. Crosby.

"Do it for Chase, honey. For me," she said. Andrew groaned and shook his head from side to side slowly. "The damned Walsh family, in my home!" said Mr. Crosby, throwing a hand up. "I swear if he or his wife say one thing about our family, our bloodline, our home, or our children, I'll personally be kicking their arses out the door in a heart beat!" grumbled Andrew. "That's nice, dear," replied Mrs. Crosby absently, clearly not paying any attention or mind to Andrew's little threats and rants. She knew he'd never carry out on it. Kelly knew that Andrew probably knew that he'd be sleeping outside if he were to ever treat a guest like that. "You're lucky I love Chase so much and that he's head over heels for that girl..." muttered Andrew, shoving his nose grumpily into the paper. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

 

[kakemha]

Grace Walsh
​

"Dan, Grace, can I get you both in here please!" Ameila's voice echoed down the hall to reach Daniel Walsh in his study and Grace Walsh in the library. The pair made their way over to the dining room where Amelia was sitting with a letter open. "What's this about, darling?" Daniel sat across Amelia and Grace stood directly behind her father. Grace was actually quite curious to see what this was about as well.

"Well, as you both know, some heavy renovations will be made to both the house and the gardens. I've been sending letters back and forth with Kelly Crosby and mentioned the renovations to her. We are fortunate enough that she has made an offer for us to stay at the Crosby manor for the summer as we wait for the renovations to be finished." Amelia explained. Daniel raised an eyebrow. The Crosby's letting the Walsh's stay at their family home? That was unheard of. "Are you sure we're welcome there? This seems uncharacteristic for Drew." Amelia grabbed his hand and squeezed it for reassurance and seemingly as a warning. "All the arrangements have already been made. Trust me."

Daniel knew better than to defy his wife. That's where Grace's firey temper came from after all. Speaking of Grace, she was ecstatic about the news. Spending the summer with Chase was bound to be fun. But then a thought occurred to Grace. "Does this mean that I'll be spending my birthday at the Crosby Manor as well, mother?" She asked Amelia.

The birthday of the youngest daughter of the Walsh family always fell during the summer in between the school years at Hogwarts. But seeing as she wasn't celebrating it at home this year, her birthday may look a little different this year. "It does indeed look like you will be celebrating your birthday there. It seems like a nice change of pace than the usual plan." Amelia smiled at Grace, wheels turning in her head. Amelia and Daniel always planned Grace's birthdays to be the best they could be, and this year would be no exception. "Now, I suggest you both pack your bags because we're leaving in about an hour." With that, both Daniel and Grace headed up to the rooms to pack for an interesting summer.

--

Standing outside the Crosby Manor, Grace couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Chase had been to the Walsh Estate before. He went in blind. She thought this was what he felt the night of the Annual Walsh Ball. Walking up first, she rang the doorbell beside the front entrance. Her parents were right behind her with other arms interlocked. All 3 Walsh's were dressed up casually. Well, as casual as a rich pure-blood family could dress (it did not look like the normal sense of casual in the slightest).

Waiting for the door to open, Grace couldn't help but see what this summer had in store.

 

[Edric Blight]

As the doorbell rang, Mrs. Crosby was quick to finish the dishes and dry her hands. “Andy, if you’ll please help me greet the Walsh’s,” she requested. If Andrew knew his wife (and wanted to keep her from making him sleep on the couch tonight), he knew that he didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t asking him. She was telling him. Andrew rolled his eyes like a bratty teenager and exhaled, putting his paper down and his coffee mug on the table, getting up and following his wife who rushed to the door. Kelly then opened it, greeting the three members of the Walsh family with a warm and welcoming smile. She noticed their attire and felt that they were rather over dressed for such an occasion, but then again, this was what was considered casual by those of the caliber of the high class society families like the Walsh’s.

Crosby Manor wasn’t small or insignificant by any means. It was large but not nearly as large as the mansions that the traditionalist pure blooded Slytherin families lived in. It also had a homey feeling to it. It was big and spacious, but not overly so. It felt like a home. Two children had been raised in it and a happy family lived there. There were various pictures of the whole family on the walls taken over the course of many years. Some were photos of the whole family together over the years, others were just of the two sons- both together and separate pictures of the Crosby boys. Mrs. Crosby always kept the house tidy so Crosby Manor was always clean.

Kelly hoped that the Walsh’s would find her home a suitable place to live temporarily and she hoped that they found it nice and clean. She worked hard to keep things in order. Having to handle three males didn’t make her job easy. Especially when particularly Chase was a younger boy- he always was rowdy and rambunctious and made a mess and path of destruction everywhere he went. He’d only gotten away with it since he was so cute. But now, Kelly stood at the door, greeting the Walsh’s pleasantly, pulling her husband to her side and giving him a forceful squeeze that told Andrew he needed to be on his best behavior.

“Oh hello there you guys! We’re so glad you made it here!” Kelly said happily with a grin. “Welcome to Crosby Manor! We do hope that you enjoy your stay and that you find it hospitable. I know it’s certainly not what you’re used to but hopefully it should suffice,” she said. Kelly then stepped forward to greet Amelia Walsh, giving her a formal kiss on both of her cheeks and giving her a little hug. “You guys must be exhausted! Come on in and I’ll get you some help with your bags!” said Mrs. Crosby as she stepped aside and motioned for the Walsh’s to come in. “CHASE! Please come here and help the Walsh’s with their things!” the mother of the house called to her youngest son.

From the living room, Chase instantly perked up, an excited grin forming on his face as he dropped his broom and the rag he had been polishing it with to the floor (Mrs. Crosby would have his head for that later). His heart fluttered and swelled with joy- his beloved girlfriend was here! He couldn’t wait to see Grace. He quickly dashed to the front door where it was open and he could see all three Walsh’s standing there and waiting. Mrs. Crosby looked down at her son and smiled, “Chase dear, could you please help our guests with their bags? We could really use those strong muscles of yours,” she chuckled. Chase blushed ever so slightly but nodded obediently. “Yes mum- I mean mother!” replied Chase, wanting to use the more formal term “mother” to hopefully impress Grace’s parents.

Before fetching the Walsh’s things, Chase smiled as he looked over at Grace, walking over to the girl and placing a small kiss on her cheek, blushing slightly as he did so. “Welcome Grace. So glad you’re here,” he whispered to her as he went to go grab a piece of luggage. Andrew saw this little brief exchange and kiss but decided not to comment. It still didn’t sit right with him seeing this. How could his son fall for a girl that was the very opposite of him? She was rich, posh, and from a snooty powerful pure blooded family from a long line of Slytherins. He feared Chase would be indoctrinated with those silly ideas if he kept up this relationship with the Walsh girl.

Chase went to go inside to get the bags situated and Kelly continued to smile warmly as she welcomed the Walsh’s into her home. Andrew kept silent, hating the fact that he was allowing Daniel Walsh into Crosby Manor. He was just waiting for the man to say something about how impoverished their living conditions were, how messy it was, and how there were too many informal pictures of his family all over the wall. “Come on in! Can I get you anything to drink? Eat?” Mrs. Crosby asked, ever the hospitable hostess. Andrew wanted to kick the Walsh’s out right then and there but kept his mouth shut. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

 

[kakemha]

Grace Walsh
​

Kelly greeted the Walshs with a very warm welcome alongside a reluctant Andrew. And seeing Chase again was like a dream come true. He came to the door after his mother called him down. He took her luggage from her hands and gave her a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad to be here too." Grace smiled at Chase and gave him a hug.

As Kelly motioned for the Walsh's to come into the manor, Daniel took both Amelia and Grace's coats and hanged over his arm for now. "The trip over here was lovely. It's nice to get a change of scenery. Thank you again for offering us to stay at your home, Kelly." Amelia greeted Kelly with a kiss on both cheeks. "I must agree with my mother, thank you for the incredibly warm welcome." Grace expressed her gratitude to both Crosby parents with a smile and a small curtsy while nudging her dad slightly. She knew he couldn't stay silent forever and it was incredibly rude for the head of the family to not express his thanks. "Yes, my two girls are correct. Thank you for welcoming us into your quaint manor." He gave a curt nod.

"Now, as for something to eat, I can speak for all of us and say that we are quite famished, but it's no trouble at all if there wasn't anything prepared," Amelia told Kelly.

 

[Edric Blight]

Andrew briefly glanced at Daniel and said nothing. He wasn’t going to comment. He knew the second he opened his mouth, he’d speak his mind and say something his wife didn’t like. Oh how he hated this all. Mr. Crosby simply seethed internally as the Walsh’s were let inside of his home. As the Walsh family entered, Mrs. Crosby quickly closed the door behind them, smiling and delighted to have her guests here. “It’s our pleasure, Amelia,” said Kelly with a grin. It was becoming clear that the two matriarchs of the families had put aside their differences a while ago and were becoming fast friends.

As Amelia expressed her hunger, Kelly perked up. “Oh! I’d be happy to cook something up for you lot!” she replied. “I don’t have anything prepared but I wouldn’t mind at all starting something!” she told them. “Do you have any preferences of food?” Kelly asked them politely. Andrew couldn’t hold back his cynicism any more. He sighed and glanced over at all three members of the Walsh family. “Just don’t expect my wife to slave away like she’s one of your house elves. I know you must be so used to elaborate feasts but we don’t do that here,” said Andrew.

This earned a slap on the back of the head from his wife, like she would reprimand one of her children. “Ow!” cried Andrew, rubbing the back of his head. Kelly rolled her eyes but the smile quickly returned to her face as she addressed the Walsh’s. “I’m so sorry about him, he’s just woken up on the wrong side of the bed,” said Mrs. Crosby. Just then, footsteps coming down the stairs could be heard and Chase had appeared, joining the two families. The boy grinned as he walked over to Grace and took her hand in his, gently placing a kiss on top of it. Still holding her hand, he looked over at Grace’s parents and gave a curt bow and a polite smile. “Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Walsh. It’s so nice to see you again,” he said, trying his best to act all high class.

 

[kakemha]

"No preferences whatsoever. Our family will pretty much anything." Amelia answered. She took the coats from Daniel and placed it in her purse. With the expansion charm she placed in it, anything and everything will fit in there. It's still a wonder how that woman finds anything in that handbag.

Feeling Chase take her hand and placing a kiss on it, Grace couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but notice he was very attached to her despite being in front of both of their parents. But she wasn't complaining. Daniel and Amelia turned their attention to the youngest Crosby boy and his attempt at a high-class greeting. "It's a pleasure to see you too, Chase. I must say you seem to be growing even more handsome every time we see you." Amelia complimented the boy. Mrs. Walsh was a bit glad that he was making an effort to seem high class, but she does have to admit that it's such a cute effort. "It's a pleasure to see you too, kid." Daniel also greeted him back with a pat on his head. He really was warming up to the young Crosby boy, especially seeing the smile on his daughter's face.

But soon, his attention turned back to Kelly and Andrew. "No need to apologize for your husband Mrs. Crosby. And Drew, we wouldn't expect anything of the sort from your darling wife. In fact, myself and Grace would be glad to assist you in the kitchen. We have made some delicious food in the past, haven't we, sweetheart?" Daniel looked at Grace. "My father is correct. One time, my father made the most amazing Bouillabaisse. And for dessert, I made Crème Brûlée. Mother said it was the best spread she'd ever had." Grace excitedly recalled, each French term pronounced perfectly as if she were French. She could remember that dinner as if it were yesterday.

"It would really be not trouble at all for my father and I to help you, Mrs. Crosby. In fact, it would be our pleasure." Grace reassured Mrs. Crosby.

 

[Edric Blight]

Kelly was rather relieved that the Walsh’s didn’t seem to be too picky. She was a bit nervous they might have some outrageous food preference- one that was out of her cooking range and more importantly, out of her money range. She smiled, delighted to hear this. Mrs. Crosby only continued to grin, this time proudly, as Amelia complimented her son on his looks. Over the years, he had gotten much more handsome and was turning into a fine young man, just like his father. Chase smiled sheepishly as a slight red blush tinted his cheeks at Mrs. Walsh’s compliment. “Well thank you, Mrs. Walsh! Mum’s always telling me that,” replied Chase with a little chuckle, causing his mother to gently put a hand on his shoulder for a brief moment and squeeze it lovingly.

Chase also grinned and nodded curtly at the acknowledgment from Daniel. He could tell that Mr. Walsh had been warming up to him over time especially because of how clearly happy he made his daughter. The attention then turned to food and what they would be preparing and eating. As Daniel expressed the fact that he didn’t expect anything elaborate from Kelly and even told them that he’d made some meals with Grace, Chase looked over at his girlfriend and grinned. He couldn’t help but blush as she pronounced the French dish. For some reason, the way she said it and her perfect annunciation made his heart flutter.

Andrew said nothing and held his tongue although admittedly it was quite hard to when Daniel called him “Drew.” He always hated that. He tried his best not to look like he wanted to kick them out and refrained from glaring daggers at Daniel, because he certainly wanted to do it. He wasn’t trying to hear from his wife about what a “rude host” he had been. Kelly seemed overjoyed at the fact that Daniel and particularly, Grace, were willing to help her out in the kitchen. She was used to cooking for four so now adding three was quite the task, but the assistance would certainly help.

“Oh joy! How amazing!” exclaimed Mrs. Crosby with a smile as she looked at Daniel and then Grace. “I’d love a hand in the kitchen! That’s so nice of you both, thank you so much!” she said gratefully. “And I didn’t know that Grace was a little chef over here,” said Kelly with a little giggle. “That will certainly come in handy considering her boyfriend is quite the hungry young man,” she mentioned with a little wink, causing Chase to blush. “It’ll also help in the future if Grace does the cooking because Chase is good for nothing in the kitchen and if he tried- he’d probably burn it down,” she said, only half jokingly. “You know he actually almost did several times when he was younger…” Kelly went on.

Chase loudly cleared his throat. “Ahem! Erm, mum? Maybe save that story for another time- or never? I’m sure our guests are starved,” he said, cracking a smile and trying to change the subject from his destructive nature as a young boy. He was trying to look good in front of the Walsh’s- not like an incompetent maniac. “Well you always have an appetite Chase,” chuckled Mrs. Crosby, poking the boy in the stomach playfully. “Come, come! I’ll show you to the kitchen!” said Kelly with a pleasant smile as she gestured for the Walsh’s to follow her. Chase looked back at Grace and grinned excitedly. Surely if Grace could cook she’d gain favor with not only his mother, who she already had with, but his father. His father was like him- he loved food. A way to a guy’s heart was his stomach! Perhaps Grace could gain his full approval this way, thought Chase.

 

[kakemha]

Grace couldn't help but chuckle at the exchange between Mrs. Crosby and Chase. There was no doubt Chase had a massive appetite. The one exhibit anyone needs is how much he'd eat after a Quidditch game or after practice. "Don't worry, Mrs. Crosby. Your son is in good hands with my cooking." She reassured her as she walked with her father to the kitchen.

Most people would assume that the youngest Walsh daughter would no next to nothing about cooking, but that could be farther from the truth. Although she grew up with house elves tending to her every need, her father held a special relationship with food. He adored cooking and good food in general. And seeing as Grace Walsh was often called a mini Daniel Walsh, the head of the household passed down his cooking skills to her.

Soon, the trio reached the kitchen, and boy was it big. Grace felt like she could make anything and everything in here. But before the cooking could actually begin, Daniel knelt down to Grace and whispered something in her ear. "Oh, that sounds perfect! I'll start the preparations right away." Grace lit up after hearing what her father told her. She took her long red hair and tied it up.

Standing up, he turned to Kelly and gave a polite smile as he started to roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt. "Why don't you rest for a moment, Kelly? Grace and I would love to do this as a show of gratitude from our family to yours. Just spend some time chatting with your husband and the food will be out in no time. I can assure you."

Turning back to the kitchen, he went over to where Grace was and started helping her with the preparations. Seeing the father and daughter duo work in tandem with one another, anyone could tell whatever they were going to make was going to be amazing.

After some time passed, the kitchen was filled with the most amazing smell. And Grace and Daniel walked out with some amazing-looking dishes in hand. Placing them in the middle of the table, Daniel introduced the 3 dishes. "For a small appetizer, we have a loaf of Irish Soda Bread which can be eaten alongside the main course of Potatoes au Gratin. And lastly, for dessert, each one will have a molten chocolate cake. I hope the food it to everyone's liking." With a proud look on his face from he and his daughter's amazing effort, he sat down beside Amelia ready to dig in.

"Please everyone dig in! There's enough for everyone, there may still be some leftovers in fact." Grace implored everyone to take a bite. Hopefully, the Crosby's loved the food.

 

[Edric Blight]

Mrs. Crosby smiled pleasantly as Grace reassured her that Chase would be in good hands when it came to cooking meals. She didn’t say it there but Kelly was absolutely thinking of far off in the future when her youngest son would marry the Walsh girl and live together on their own in a house somewhere. Kelly knew her son couldn’t cook and would probably hurt himself and others if he tried to do so, so having a wife that could feed that massive appetite of the Quidditch player would be very necessary. They all entered the kitchen and Chase had seen Grace’s father bend down and whisper something into her ear. Kelly was just hurrying to get prepared to help cook when Daniel seemed to gently stop her and offered to do it for them.

Kelly was pleasantly surprised and smiled as Daniel told her that she could rest while he and Grace prepared food. “Oh Daniel! You’re too kind! Thank you!” she said gratefully. Mrs. Crosby loved to cook but it was always nice to get a break. Chase grinned as it seemed that Grace would be cooking. He’d never tried her cooking before and was excited to do so. He blushed at the thought of Grace one day cooking for him, perhaps if they were to decide to get married and live together some time in the future. Maybe it was a bit early, but that was eventually Chase’s goal, to ask for Grace’s hand in marriage after Hogwarts. Kelly then whisked away Chase and Andrew to the dining room and left Daniel and Grace to the kitchen to prepare their meal.

“How nice of Daniel and Grace to do such a thing! They’re too sweet!” said Kelly happily as she sat down. Andrew just grunted and rolled his eyes. “Oh dear? Would you go get Thomas for us?” asked Mrs. Crosby. Andrew nodded, glad for any excuse not to be hearing his wife singing Daniel Walsh’s praises. Eventually, Andrew came back with Thomas, who quietly took a seat towards the end of the table, saying nothing. Chase didn’t think he’d heard a word out of his older brother since they got back home other than “yes father” or “thank you mother.” He briefly glanced over at Thomas but the seventeen year old’s head remained down as he politely folded his hands on the table. Chase wanted to say something but couldn’t bring himself to or find the words.

Eventually after some time, a pleasant aroma floated into Chase’s nose, causing his stomach to growl with hunger. Soon enough, Daniel and Grace came into the dining room with some delicious dishes of food that smelled amazingly. Chase perked up and smiled excitedly. Andrew raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised that a Walsh of all people had any remote cooking skill. He would’ve figured they just had house elves do everything for them since they were so rich. Even Thomas looked up, looking curiously at the dishes, hunger in his facial expression as well. Chase assumed that his dad must have informed him that the Walsh’s were coming to stay at Crosby Manor for the summer.

Chase licked his lips and widened his eyes voraciously. All of the courses that Daniel and Grace had whipped up looked and smelled absolutely heavenly. Andrew was stunned and Kelly looked delighted. “It smells and looks divine! Thank you so much, you two!” said Mrs. Crosby as she was served a plate of food. Chase grabbed a fork and wasted no time in digging in at Grace’s urging, but Kelly looked over at her son sternly and he quickly swallowed what was in his mouth and blushed. “Erm, thank you, Mr. Walsh! And thanks Grace, I had no doubt you’d been an excellent chef,” said the Gryffindor boy with a smile. Andrew said a quiet thanks and hesitantly began to eat. Sure it smelled good, but he wasn’t yet convinced that it would taste good. He’d be sorely mistaken.

Chase’s taste buds seemed to dance with joy as the food touched his tongue. It was delicious! Daniel and Grace had really out done themselves. His mother seemed to agree as well, although she ate at a much more polite and slower pace than her youngest son. “This is some of the best food I’ve ever eaten and I mean that! You two really out did yourselves! I’m impressed!” said Kelly with a grin. It turned out, the food tasted as good as it smelled, and Andrew wasn’t thrilled to find that out as he ate. Now Daniel had this over him- the fact that he could cook. He and his daughter could cook where neither Andrew nor any of his sons could do so. He saw Kelly glance over at him and knew she knew he was enjoying the meal. Her pretty eyes glared at him and silently told him to thank the Walsh patriarch and his daughter for the food.

Andrew sighed, “Yes, it is quite good. My family greatly appreciates it,” he said, looking over at Daniel and then Grace. Grace was an excellent chef, and it worked in her favor to warm Mr. Crosby up to her a bit. If she could cook him and more importantly his son meals like this, then she was pretty much perfect in his eyes. It would be a slow process but Andrew had to admit that the food was great and it helped him begin to take even more of a liking to Grace. “It’s excellent, Mr. Walsh,” said Thomas politely yet quietly looking over at Daniel as he ate. He then looked over at Grace, who he knew hated his guts, and nodded. “And Grace,” he added, cracking a small smile over towards the girl. Chase was sure it was the most he’d heard out of his older brother in a long time.

Chase continued to devour the meal, very satisfied with it. “This is bloody brilliant! Best food I’ve ever tasted!” said the youngest Crosby boy. Kelly looked over at her son and his rather brash phrasing. “Chase…” she said quietly. “Erm, I mean, this meal is marvelous! You two must be the best chefs in all of the United Kingdom!” Chase told them with a grin. There was much high praise for Daniel and Grace’s handy work, and it was all deserved.

 

[kakemha]

Grace was practically smiling ear to ear. She had to admit that she loved to hear how good her cooking was. Daniel also seemed to be pleased as he looked across the table to his daughter and gave her a proud smile and Amelia gave Grace a knowing nod. They were proud of her. That made the moment perfect. Her boyfriend loved her cooking, his family loved her cooking, and her parents were proud of her.

But something unexpected happened. Thomas spoke up for the first time. He spoke up and complimented her cooking. Grace's eyes widened slightly. Since when did he ever compliment anything, let alone anything that had to do with her? But she couldn't say what she was thinking, that would be rude. With a seemingly forced smile, Grace thanked him, "Thank you for the compliment, Tommy." From afar, the use of the nickname could've been seen as endearing but Thomas himself would know better. She hadn't forgiven him just yet.

"In fact, thank you all for the kind compliments! My father and I appreciate it." That show of gratitude did sound more genuine. "But Chase, I must say we are far from the best chefs in the United Kingdom. There is this amazing restaurant in Northern Ireland that serves the best Irish cuisine ever. I must take you someday." She promised Chase.

 

[Edric Blight]

Thomas raised his eyebrows, a bit stunned at the nickname “Tommy.” Had she ever called him that? Probably not. Only his girlfriend Mia Mayfield (who he was honestly still surprised was with him, although she didn’t talk much to him as she used to anymore) and mother called him Tommy- and Chase when he was a younger boy. He knew the nickname wasn’t exactly affectionate and also that in no way did she fully forgive him. This was a minuscule step in the right direction in what would be a very long healing process. Usually he was nothing but rude to Grace, so this was a nice change. Even Chase was a bit stunned that his girlfriend had called his older brother by a nickname. Kelly just found it amusing and didn’t sense anything behind it.

Chase’s eyes lit up as Grace expressed a desire to take him to supposedly the best chef in the land in Northern Ireland. Chase had never been to Northern Ireland so a trip there with his favorite person in the whole world seemed like an excellent and thrilling idea. “Oh Grace! I’d love to go with you some day!” he said with an eager smile. “Wouldn’t that be a sweet trip, right dear?” asked Kelly with a smile as she turned to look at her husband. He looked a bit grumpy but the delicious food kept him from being any more miserable. “Honey, Chase still has school. Absolutely not,” he replied. This caused Chase to frown. “I for one think it would be a nice idea,” chimed in Thomas, further surprising Chase. “Quiet you. Bold words for someone who’s grounded,” snipped Andrew. That shut up Thomas, at least for now.

 

[kakemha]

"Well, it wouldn't have to be right away. I can certainly wait until after we graduate. We could even stay with my family there. Both mom and dad have quite a few cousins who still live there." Grace reassured Andrew that nothing had to be done right away. School was incredibly important to Grace so she knew that distractions were never a good thing.

But one thing was abundantly clear, Thomas was surprising everyone this evening. He actually supported Grace's suggestion? That has never happened before. Grace was as surprised as Chase was hearing those words come out of the older Crosby brother's mouth. However, the reply Andrew gave to Thomas spoke volumes. It seemed like Andrew was still fuming about the incident. That coupled with the fact that the Walsh's were staying in the Crosby Manor for the summer probably had this man in a very foul mood.

 

[Edric Blight]

Chase Crosby​

Breakfast that morning had gone quite well. All of the Crosby’s were impressed with Grace and Daniel’s cooking and particularly Andrew gained a bit more confidence in Grace being a good candidate to be his son’s girlfriend (and by the looks of it, his future wife). Once everyone was done, they dispersed, full of food and taking some time to digest. Andrew went to his study, Thomas went back to his room as he was still grounded, and Kelly went off to go talk and perhaps gossip with Amelia. That left Chase and Grace finally to have some alone time and do whatever they wanted. That’s when Chase got an idea.

The youngest Crosby boy had remembered that his girlfriend had a love for all things plants- specially gardening. Chase remembered a few years back Grace explaining flowers to him at length when he came to visit her in the hospital wing when she was injured. And of course, how could he forget their hours spent up late at night studying for herbology. Grace was his tutor in all things herbology. She really knew her stuff. He knew she loved to garden and it just so happened that his mother Kelly absolutely loved to as well. Mrs. Crosby prided herself on her garden out in the back of Crosby Manor which she had kept for many years- even before Chase was born, started shortly after Thomas was born.

While Chase probably would like to forget about how destructive he was and how that when he was a little kid, he was always ruining his mother’s garden and getting scolded and in trouble for it. But he was lucky he was such a cute boy otherwise he’d have been in more trouble back then. Now he was a bit more tame and mature- smart enough to know that the garden was not a playground. But Chase had an idea- he was going to take his girlfriend to see his mother’s garden. Surely she would get a kick out of this and find it interesting as well as enjoyable.

When everyone had left, Chase got up and smiled as he took Grace’s hand. “Grace! Come with me! I want to show you something!” he said to her excitedly. “I think you’ll get a really like it!” he added with a big grin. “Err, if you’re too full, then we can relax, but perhaps you’d like to take a look at what I have in store. I think it’s right up your alley!” said Chase. He hoped she would say yes. He knew he was going to wow her with his mother’s garden, even though he didn’t work a second on it. If anything, he was the reason for its constant destruction as a child.

 

[kakemha]

Grace Walsh
​

"Nonsense. I'm never too full for something that's right up my alley." Grace joked as she let Chase take her hand. The young boy led Grace through the Crosby Manor. Letting her mind wander, she wondered what he was going to show her. What could possibly be in store for her? The Crosby Manor was probably just as massive as her estate back home. Each crevice was something new, something undiscovered to Grace. And she couldn't wait to uncover every single thing Chase loved about the house he grew up in.

On the walk up to the front entrance of the Manor, Grace actually hadn't paid attention to anything aside from the single thought that she had in her mind. The thought of getting to spend the summer with her boyfriend. Chase eventually led her out of the main house and down a small path that led to the side of the Manor.

Soon, everything came into view. It was stunning. The pair stopped at the entrance to an amazing garden. It was full of all kinds of plants and flowers. Anyone could tell that the entire garden was tended to with such meticulous and great care. Every bulb bloomed, every sprout grew tall, and everything looked perfect.

Grace stood in awe of the entire space for a few moments. She stood there taking in everything. But soon she muttered the words, "This is incredible." As she took a few steps into the garden itself. Eventually, however, Grace would be wandering the entire garden looking at everything she could. She knew every single plant and every single flower.

She was happily explaining everything she knew about everything she saw. Recalling both the herbology classes in Hogwarts and what both her mother and grandmother taught her over the years, Grace Walsh was practically an encyclopedia all about flora. It looked like she was right at home.

 

[Edric Blight]

Chase Crosby​

Chase smiled as once they were out in the backyard of Crosby Manor in his mother’s garden, he watched Grace admiring all of the plants. She looked like she was in heaven, and it gave the youngest Crosby boy a little warm feeling inside of his chest. “I’m glad you like it,” he replied to his girlfriend softly. “Can’t say I’ve contributed to it but it’s certainly a passion project of my mum’s. I’ve always enjoyed it growing up as a little kid. Always made the back look nice,” he told her. Chase followed close behind Grace as he strolled through Mrs. Crosby’s vast garden that she had worked so hard on over the course of many years to keep and maintain.

He found himself staring lovingly at his girlfriend as she seemed to go off on tangents, telling him all about the different plants in the garden that she knew about. Chase took this as an opportunity to admire the red headed love of his life as she spoke. When they came across one certain type of flower and Grace began telling him about it, once she was done, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well err, funny story about that one,” he chuckled, a slight blush coming on to his cheeks. “I actually almost set it on fire when I was a little boy,” he told her.

“Merlin… mum was so mad,” he laughed, recalling the early memory. When Chase was around four years old, the early signs of his magic were showing. Of course, the little boy decided that his mother’s garden would be a fun playground and found himself playing alone in it as his mother prepared lunch that day. Sure enough, after trampling a few flowers, much to the disgruntlement of his mother, a little spark came from his fingers and started a very tiny ember of fire. Luckily, Mrs. Crosby was able to see her youngest son from the window and quickly ran out to put the fire out with her wand and scold her little one.

 

[kakemha]

Grace Walsh
​

The certain flower that the pair took particular interest in, Grace with her factual information, and Chase with his adorable childhood memory, was a flower that possessed an all but too familiar color. The bush of flowers was red, just like the hair that sat on Grace's head. One could see why a younger Chase was inclined to set this particular set of flowers on fire mainly because they resembled the embers of a flame when looked at in groups.

"I can imagine your mother must be very scary once she gets angry. Much like my mother. I had my fair share of garden mishaps believe it or not." She revealed to Chase. And that would have been surprising information to hear. Someone with Grace's current knowledge of flora could never imagine destroying even the tiniest piece of a garden.

"I was around 4 myself when I plucked all the prettiest flowers from our garden to make into a bouquet. Suffice it to say, when I tried to give it to my grandmother, she was not pleased that flowers were missing from her garden. Luckily, Isabella came to the rescue." Grace laughed a bit as she recounted the story from her childhood. But unknowingly, she had dropped a major insight into her past that she never talked about.

Turning back to the bushes of firey flowers, she bent down to pick two of the flowers. Fortunately, Grace's spell knowledge greatly increased from when she was a little girl and learned a spell that could grow flowers. She took out her wand and used that spell, the 2 flowers she picked grew back in an instant. "There, now your mom can't get mad at a few picked flowers if they've been replaced."

Grace smiled as she placed one of the flowers in her hair. The red petals matched perfectly with her hair, it looked like it was always meant to be there. Moving closer to Chase with the second flower in hand, she tiptoed just enough to reach Chase's ear and tucked that second flower right there. With a quick peck on his cheek, she stepped back and looked at the boy. With a small laugh, she said, "Great! Now we're matching."

 

[Edric Blight]

Chase Crosby​

The boy nodded and smiled, thinking about how his mother got when she was angry. It was usually Chase or Andrew receiving her wrath. Chase raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised as Grace revealed that she had a little garden mishap of her own when she was much younger. For a girl who loved all things plants and gardening, he certainly didn’t expect to hear that. Chase grinned with amusement as Grace told him the story from when she was a little girl and she plucked her mother’s flowers from the garden. He let out a laugh but the last sentence of that story caused Chase to look a bit confused, and he paused for a moment to think.

Isabella? Who was Isabella? Chase racked his brain for any information on this. He was pretty sure that Grace had never told him about or mentioned an Isabella. Perhaps it was one of the no doubt many maids that worked at the wealthy Walsh family’s estate. Chase came to the conclusion that this was the most likely answer and decided to push the thought out of his mind and think nothing more of it, opting to assume it was the name of a maid. The smile slowly returned to his face again and he chuckled at Grace’s recollection of the silly story from when she was only four years old. Chase then saw her turn around to look at a bush of bright fiery red flowers.

He raised his eyebrows curiously as he noticed her actually take two flowers and picked them from the garden. Initially he was a bit confused and slightly worried that his mother would not be pleased that someone had plucked flowers from her special garden. But before he could react or process anything, Grace wowed him by performing a spell with her wand that instantly caused the two red flowers to grow back, like they had never been picked. Chase blinked, impressed. Grace always was finding new ways to make him admire her and love her even more. He smiled softly as he looked at the new flowers Grace had created. No one would’ve suspected a thing- not even his mother who protected the garden seemingly like it was her third child.

Chase was certainly impressed with Grace’s magic. “Wow, smashing,” he whispered breathlessly in awe. He watched his girlfriend as she placed one of the bright red flowers into her hair, which was a fiery red color as well. It matched so perfectly and it made Chase smile. Grace looked so pretty with that little flower in her stunning red hair. He felt his heart beat passionately with love for the girl in his chest. Grace then moved closer to Chase and stood on her toes to reach Chase’s height. Now sixteen, Chase was growing taller and probably wasn’t going to stop any time soon. He wasn’t incredibly tall but certainly taller than Grace. The formerly short youthful young boy was now developing into a tall handsome young man.

He then felt Grace put the second flower she had plucked right in between his ear. Right after that, Chase had felt her give him a small little kiss right on the cheek. This made Chase’s heart flutter and caused him to blush. When Grace had stepped away, Chase’s cheeks were tinted red and he was smiling sheepishly at her. He felt so much love and warmth inside of his chest in that moment now. He couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle as she pointed out that they were matching. “I suppose we are,” he replied softly, still smiling. “But I’m not sure I look as good as you do with the flower,” he told her. “You look really beautiful with that red flower. It really suits you,” he told her, blushing shyly but smiling lovingly to Grace.