Good in Goodbye

Cho looked at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that shift. Her work at Flourish and Blotts was tedious during the summer months, with children coming through the shop in waves, making a mess of her normally neat shelves. Summer was the only time Cho loathed her job, but at least her boss was nice and frequently let her out early.

Hearing her boss sigh from between some shelves, Cho rushed over to find absolute chaos in their muggle sci-fi genre shelves.

"I'll clean it up," she muttered. Her boss looked at her gratefully as they both heard the bell over the door chime someone's entry.

"Head home once it's sorted, Cho. I know you want to get home and write the next chapter of your novel. I can't wait to read it, so make it happen!" Cho grinned and nodded as the older woman bustled to the front to greet the kids. More school shopping, Cho sighed. Her face fell.

The young woman made quick work of the sci-fi section, clearing it up and even organizing the other muggle genres present in that aisle. They were always the messiest and the hardest to keep track of, but she didn't mind the challenge as much as she acted like she did. Rushing behind the register quickly, Cho grabbed her messenger bag, waved goodbye to the portrait of the shop's founders that was hanging there, and ran out of the shop.

She'd barely made it a block when she was stopped in her tracks. Walking out of a Florean's with a little girl riding his shoulders was Harry Potter. Her mouth went dry as she watched him joke with two young boys who were walking with him. They looked so much like him that it was uncanny. One was practically a carbon copy, glasses and all.

Cho hadn't thought about the man in years, not since she'd seen him with Ginny Weasley at Katie Bell's wedding many years back. While her small time dating Harry was a long time ago even at that point, Cho couldn't help wishing they hadn't said goodbye. But then he'd mentioned he was engaged to Ginny and, well, any small attraction she'd held onto toward him was crushed painfully. Then she got over it. She watched as the two young boys ran toward Broomstix to join a large crowd of kids admiring the newest broomstick models.

Jolted from her reverie by the crowds, Cho smiled and waved, catching Harry's attention. He smiled back as she made her way toward him at the back of the crowd. Diagon Alley was always busy this time of year, what with the Hogwarts letters going out and kids being on school break.

"Cho! How have you been? It's been a while," Harry greeted, hoisting the little girl off his shoulders and lightly pushing her toward the broomstick display. "I'll be right here, catch up to your brothers. You guys have five minutes, and I'm not buying anything!"

The girl nodded, rushing to put her hands on the glass and look at the newest, fanciest brooms with the other children. She had her hair ruffled by one of the slightly older boys, the one who looked remarkably like Harry. Cho smiled at the sight as she composed her thoughts.

"A while? More like fifteen years, since Katie's wedding!" Cho exclaimed. She internally slapped herself at how girlish she sounded.

"That's very true," Harry replied. "But really, what have you been up to? I'd have thought after everything you'd have ended up working in the ministry, I'm sure you earned the OWLs to do so." Cho blushed embarrassedly and shook her head.

"I'm working at Flourish and Blotts now, and writing a novel in my spare time. It's a good job; Relaxing, except when all the Hogwarts students rush through looking for their school books."

Harry laughed and nodded to acknowledge he was listening, though his eyes were elsewhere, watching the children. "That's wonderful, Cho. I'll look forward to reading that novel." She watched the man she'd once thought she loved watching the adorable little redheaded girl with a warm smile on his face. She nudged him slightly.

"Who's that adorable little one?"

Harry's beaming face turned to face her and it took all of her willpower not to blush. "Lily is my youngest daughter. Brilliant little witch, she is. I'm just lucky she has her brothers, James and Albus, to look after her, otherwise I'll get no sleep when she goes to Hogwarts."

"I'm sure you have a few years before then," Cho said with a smile. Harry's eyes turned back to his children. Cho didn't think she'd ever seen him so happy in all of their years at Hogwarts, or even in the print pages of the Daily Prophet.

"Yes, four years until Hogwarts for her. Though James is almost set for his first year next month. It's crazy how time flies. Flourish and Blotts is actually our next stop. Are you going to be working tonight?"

"I actually was just on my way in for the day," Cho lied smoothly. Seeing him again was too much, and she'd gladly spend extra time in the shop if it meant time that wasn't alone. "I'll be happy to help your boy find his books with you. It'll make the search much easier, being with someone who knows where things are." Harry's smile again turned to her.

"I'm never one to turn down help in a book store! James, Albus, Lily, time's up, let's get a move on!" The children turned at their father's voice and rushed over.

"Dad! You NEED to check out the new Firebolt model! It is beyond wicked fast!" James babbled quickly. Beside him, his siblings were nodding along. Harry shook his head, suppressing laughter. Cho giggled behind her hand, attracting the younger children's attention.

"James, you know you can't have a broom until second year. Plus, you know Mum would kill us both if I got you a brand new broom today. We're going to get your school books, then home to wash up for supper with Gran," Harry explained as his son looked crestfallen. Cho stepped forward and bent down to speak to the boy.

"It's James, right? I'm Cho. What do you say I help you find those books, and I can tell you all sorts of embarrassing stories about your dad?" she said. James perked right up, and the other kids jumped forward too.

"You really have embarrassing stories about Dad?" Lily bubbled. Cho laughed and led the family a single block down the street to the shop where she worked.

"Oh, a few. Remember the Yule Ball, Harry?" she jibed. Harry groaned and the boys laughed at his reaction. The kids were so happy with the turn of events.

Cho got them all set with James's school books, as well as a few interesting stories on magical creatures for the younger kids. Spending time with Harry and his kids, she almost wished they were her family. They had fun, and Albus and Lily had deemed her their new "Aunt Cho." That made her smile more than she had in months.

As the family walking out, all waving goodbye over their shoulder, Cho's boss came up behind her. The woman's arms were laden with books to return to their shelves, but she was still a chatty woman. "I thought you were done for the day, missy. You're never here for fun, we all know you'd rather be writing."

Sighing, Cho waved the woman off. "I ran into an old friend, who was school supply shopping for his youngest son. His kids are too cute to not help."

"You fit right into that little family, Cho. Find yourself a man and settle down," the old Mrs. Blotts shouted out from the portrait behind the register.

"I could've had that one…" she said calmly. Her boss paused in her shelving of books to look at the younger woman. "I'm so glad that I don't though. I could never make him that happy. I'm glad we said goodbye all those years ago. It was so good for him."

Cho's boss gave her a warm smile, setting down the books and patting her head. "That's very good of you, Cho. You're one selfless young woman."

The young woman nodded, then saw herself out. She made her way slowly back home to her flat, deep in thought.

'Giving him up all those years ago was a good thing after all. I never did deserve him. Our paths were too different for us to make each other happy. Seeing him today… now I know that I was right to end it after all. He'd never have what he does if I'd held onto him like I'd wanted to. And I'm stronger too! I'm about to be a published author in a few months!"

The following day, a letter came during her breakfast. It was carried by a snow white owl, just like Harry had when they were younger. Cho blushed at the thought, before opening the note and smiling. It was a thank-you from the Potter family, both parents and all three children had signed it. Apparently Harry was truly hopeless at shopping, and the books were the only thing 100% correctly gotten from the list. Yes, Cho thought, I guess there is such thing as a good goodbye.

A/N Ravenclaw, Short story, prompt: Good in Goodbye – Carrie Underwood, 1572 words