A set future...
Cute little Cho Chang laughed as Ron pushed her on the swing. "Higher, higher!"
Ron smiled. His neighbor Cho was so nice. They had been friends since they were two. With both of them coming from wizarding families, they were pretty much expected to be friends. But it wasn't because of persuasion that they had began to get along, it was because they were so much alike. They both liked to play tag, run around, and play house.
Just at that moment as though she were reading his mind she jumped off the swing and came over. "Wanna play house. I wanna play house. Let's play house."
Ron smiled at her enthusiasm. "Sure, let's play house."
"Great!" She exclaimed and they both ran to Chang's tree house. Her dad had made the tree house, and it really was just like a miniature house. There was anything and everything you could need or want. Every room was about half te size a real room would be. Ron sat down on the lazy boy and pretended to be his dad.
"Hey honey, bring me a sandwich." He said and laughed at his attempt to look controlling. Cho laughed too and went to the kitchen. A few minutes later she came in and brought him a sandwich, which they shared. "Mmm.. this is good. You should really make sandwiches more often."
Chang smiled. "Yeah, it's the only thing I know how to make."
Ron smiled and put an arm around Cho's neck. "Plant one on me honey."
Cho made a face. "Eww. That's gross. My parents don't kiss, why do yours?"
Ron was confused. "They don't. That's weird."
Cho grew wild. "Ooh, ooh. I have an idea."
"What?" Ron asked finishing up the sandwich.
"Let's get en, eng.. What's that word you use when two people want to get married and one asks the other to."
"I don't know." Ron confessed. "But I know how. The guy gives the girl a ring, and says I love you. Then they are um... together."
"We should do that. It would be fun." Cho exclaimed and jumped onto the arm of the chair.
Ron looked around. "We don't have a ring." Ron pointed out.
Cho looked down sad. "Oh yeah. I guess we can't."
Ron hated when she was sad, so he got up and went outside. He walked around knowing that she was probably following him. He looked on the ground until he found the perfect thing. He picked it up and put the piece of tree bark on her finger. There was a little hole that seemed to fit her finger just perfectly. "Cho, I love you."
Cho pretended to cry. "I love you too."
Suddenly the ring glowed different colors and turned silver. It had turned into a real ring. "Whoa, cool. How did you do that." Cho asked and twirled the ring on her finger. "It's real."
"I-I don't know." Ron said gaping at the beautiful ring.
"Let's go show our parents and tell them we're together." Cho said. "I want to show them my beautiful ring."
Cho ran towards his house where their parents were having tea. Their parents always got together on Sundays. Ron followed, just a few steps behind her. They ran into the kitchen and their parents looked up. "Having fun?"
Cho smiled. "Yes. We were playing house. Look!"
Cho held up her hand to show the ring on her finger. Her mom stared at it. "That's pretty honey, but did you ask Mrs. Weasly if you could borrow her jewelry?"
Ron's mother looked at it wonderingly. "That isn't mine."
Cho's mother looked closer at the ring. "Where did you get it, hon?"
Cho smiled. "Well, me and Ron were playing house and we decided we wanted to be en.. be together. So Ron went out to find something to be our ring, and he found a piece of treebark. He put it on my finger and told me he loved me. It was funny."
Ron's parents looked at them intently. Finally Ron's mom spoke. "Um, Ron. How about you and Cho go play a while so the grownups can talk."
Ron smiled and punched Cho's arm playfully. "Race ya."
Cho laughed conceitingly. "You're on."
But as soon as they had got outside and closed the door, Ron opened it up again quietly with great caution. He wasn't stupid. When grownups wanted to talk together they were talking about something important.. Cho scooted him a little out of the way so she could listen.
"They can't be right. They're so young." Mrs Chang said in a whiney voice. "Or it's a mistake."
"Yeah. Dumbledore made a mistake." Ron's mom said sarcastically.
"Well he could have... No, it's just not like him." Ron's dad said and then sighed.
"Maybe he did make a mistake. He had to of." Cho's dad said pleadingly.
"I've never heard of the marriage ritual being done so young though either." Mrs. Weasly said. "I don't know what to say."
"I do." Cho's mom said, anger in her voice. "We have to say goodbye. We'll move. If they can't see each other, they can't be married!"
"Whoa. We can't just get up and move. Our whole life is here. Our family. Our friends." He pointed to the Weasly's. "I love it here. I could never imagine living anywhere else."
Mrs. Chang threw herself at her husbands feet. "Please. I don't want this to be happening. I have to get away from here. I can't think of my daughters marriage already!"
"Fine. I guess you're right, we should. If they can't see each other maybe it will all change." Mr. Chang finally said.
Mrs. Chang stood up and shook the Weasly's hands. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this is goodbye."
Ron's mom smiled sadly. "I understand, but how will we explain it to the kids?"
"I don't think we should." Cho's mom said forcefully. "They needn't ever know."
Ron and Cho shut the door quietly and ran back to the playhouse. Ron sat in the chair and Cho went to the kitchen. Her parents came into the playhouse a few minutes later. "Cho honey. We're going to go somewhere for a while. Like a vacation, but better."
Cho looked at Ron sadly, knowing what was going on. She looked at her parents and knowing there was going to be no changing their minds said. "Well can I say goodbye to Ron."
Her mom unwillingly said. "Sure, but we're leaving in five minutes. We'll pack all our stuff, so hurry up."
They left. Cho took Ron's hand. "So, I guess this is goodbye."
"I guess so." Ron said sadly. He looked at the ring still on her finger and he knew that was why it was happening. "Will you please keep the ring."
Cho smiled. "I'll never take it off."
"I'll see you again someday. I'm sure of it." Ron said and he took her hand. "I'll miss you."
Cho lauhed. "We really do sound like our parents. Tell you what. I'll be back one day to play house again. I promise."
It was then that her parents returned. "Okay hon. Time to go."
Ron and Cho waved goodbye.
Twenty five years later Cho and Ron lay on their bed staring at the ceiling. "Hey, Cho. Remember when we said that we'd play house. You think this counts?"
Cho smiled. "Oh yeah. I think this counts big-time."
Suddenly their eight year old son, Vincent Weasly and his friend, Tierces Malfoy ran into their room. "Mommy, daddy. Look."
Tierces held up her hand to show a ring. Ron smiled and looked at Cho. She looked at him and they smiled.