Cho drifted high above the Quidditch pitch. The sharp, crisp air rushed against her skin as she swooped and glided, scanning the air for a tiny flash of gold. She spotted it.
The snitch hovered next to the Hufflepuff side of the field; almost lost against the yellow banners. Cho whipped around and dove.
Gently falling snow no longer felt quite so gentle. It lashed Cho's face as she sped through the air, her body flattened against her broom. The snitch knew she was coming. It skittered to the side and Cho yanked up on her broom, snapping it around and halting her descent mere feet from the ground.
She turned to follow the snitch, following it in tight spirals up high above the ground. Without another Seeker at her heels or bludgers trying to knock her off her broom, this part was easy. She pried frozen fingers off her broom and snagged the metal ball out of the air.
Cho whooped aloud, her voice echoing across the empty, snowy field. She was about to release the snitch to go another round when she spotted a solitary figure slogging down the path from the castle.
Cho tucked the snitch into her pocket and leaned forward. The cold air whipped around her again as she sped toward Padma.
Seconds lated, Cho buzzed past Padma, low enough over the surface that her feet dragged in a snow drift and sprayed Padma with a shower of snow.
"Hey!" Padma shouted indignantly. She scrunched down and tucked her chin as the snow slipped between her coat and scarf to melt against her neck.
Cho laughed and came to a stop, hovering over the path. "Want a lift?" she asked. She held out one hand.
Padma took it and swung up behind Cho. She wrapped her arms around Cho's waist and burrowed her face against the name of her neck. Cho's scarf shifted and Padma grinned. She rooted in, pushing the scarf aside until the icy tip of her nose connected with bare skin.
Cho yelped and the broomstick jumped ten feet up in the air.
"Payback," Padma stated smugly.
Cho sighed. "I guess I earned that one, didn't I?" she asked. Padma nodded and Cho shivered. "You come out in the cold just to keep me company?"
"I've got some hot cocoa, figured you could use it." Cho had taken them up higher and Padma had to speak loudly over the rushing wind. "You've been out here for hours."
"I have?" Cho guided them up to the observation post at the top of the Ravenclaw tower. She glanced west. Padma was right, the sun was only an hour from setting and she'd been out here since classes finished early this afternoon. "Oh."
They touched down on the wooden platform and Cho leaned the broom against the stands. Padma pulled a thermos from a pocket inside her cloak. Cho sat on a bench and Padma settled in next to her. She unscrewed the top of the thermos and poured steaming cocoa into the cap. Cho grinned and kissed her cheek. "I've got the best girlfriend," she said with a broad smile.
Padma passed her the cup. "You do," she agreed. "Although I'm dating the sexiest Seeker in a century, so I think we're about even."