Chapter Thirty Three and Prologue

Ginny loved being at Cho's family home, she sat in the kitchen, just as Cho had described. They watched Po po slicing and dicing, pounding herbs and spices with a ferocity that shocked Ginny, watched her cook an incredible variety of foods, as though for a banquet. Bowls were pushed under the noses of the girls and then removed to be replaced with a cup, then a plate of something new, Ginny began to fear that she would not be able to eat her dinner.

That night after dinner, when the girls were retiring to bed, Cho bent down to kiss her Po po goodnight, when the old woman reached out to Ginny and hugged and kissed her and said,

"You, Ginny girl, you call me Po po too," she tugged one of Ginny's braids and returned to the kitchen. Ginny was thrilled, she followed Cho down the hallway celebrating with a fist pump.

The girls spent much of the following day in the city, poking around the muggle shops and stores, they met up with Hermione and Harry and after the first five minutes there was no awkwardness at all. They all had so much to catch each other up on; Harry's travels and starting his new position at the Ministry as an Auror, Hermione's exciting new job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures which she had to stop herself from gushing about, Cho talked about the chances she had for more match time in her second year with the Tutshill Tornados and Ginny it turns out was pleased to listen to the success of those she loved best.

Harry and Hermione seemed very loved up, holding hands, looking lovingly at each other, the sort of thing that Hermione never thought she would do and feel, turns out she had just not been with the right person. Until now. On the weekends, Harry and Hermione had been supervising the rebuilding of Harry's Godric Hollows family home and refurbishing Harry's Grimmauld Place house. The pair travelled in to work together every morning and home again every evening, where they either ate a simple meal together or entertained their friends and extended family, either way they were very happy together, and as everyone commented - perfectly suited.

The following week Ginny received her Hogwarts Owl with her list for school books and equipment, inside was the little Head Girl pin that she had secretly hoped might be hers this year. Mr and Mrs Weasley were overjoyed and as a reward they promised to gift their last child and only daughter anything she desired. They expected Ginny to ask for a new broomstick, and Ginny, who had inherited some of Fred and George's flair for squeezing the most out of an opportunity, searched her mind for something really good but failed to come up with anything at all.

Ginny was genuinely happy. She was in her final year of school, she was Head Girl, Quidditch Captain, she still had her pin for Special Services to the School. She was loved by her family, and a truly awesome and unique woman. There wasn't a broomstick in the world that could really make her any happier than she was right now. So she settled for asking her parents to ask Mr and Mrs Chang, and Po po to lunch when they went to Diagon Alley to pick up her school things.

There was more scope for Cho to visit Ginny throughout the year than there was for Ginny to see Cho, despite her training and matchday schedule. Cho was unable to see Ginny off Kings Cross station on her first day of school, but she was able to see Ginny's first Quidditch match of the year and with some tricky maneuvering Cho was able to meet Ginny for their First Term Hogsmeade weekend. Cho took her to lunch at Madam Puddifoot's, as promised.

They saw each other at Term holidays either at The Burrow or at Cho's family home, there were times when either George or Ron would travel with Ginny to see Cho's team play further from home, once or twice in Ireland and a couple of times in Scotland and Wales. Ron was still his new and better self, he found that he was not unhappy working with George in Weasley Wizard's Wheezes after all, infact now that he had finally come of age emotionally, he was actually rather happy.

Ginny studied hard the following year, she was awarded dux of the school and was made several professional Quidditch offers. Having seen the process first hand with Cho the year before, Ginny was confident in her ability to navigate the process. She asked Frosty to represent her, together they worked quickly to identify Ginny's needs, to compare and prioritise the offers and she was pleased to sign on the dotted line with the English team the Falmouth Falcons.

Like Cho, it didn't seem likely that she would be playing a game any time soon, but there was plenty to do transitioning from a school girl to an adult with a full time job and responsibilities. Cha and Ginny had dreamed about living together in London and with Ginny's new job based in the city, it seemed like as good a time as any to make the move. They spent several weeks flat hunting and then fortified themselves to announce it to both sets of parents.

Ginny was more used to standing up for herself than Cho and Cho enjoyed watching her girlfriend in action. Over dinner Ginny mentioned to Mr and Mrs Weasley that Cho and she had found a flat and were moving in together before Ginny was to start her new job. Mr Weasley looked pleased for the girls until he saw his wife's reaction, Mrs Weasley began with,

"Oh Ginny you are still so young, why don't you commute like you father does, like Cho did for her first year?"
"No thank you, mum, we are taking a small flat in Openingshire, it's half way between Cho's club house and mine. Why don't you and Daddy come and see it?"

"Oh Ginny you are still so young,"

"Old enough to be employed. George and Ron are in the city, Cho's family, Frosty…"

"Not just too young for moving out, but sorry, Cho, it's not you, dear, but living together? It isn't really appropriate, is it?"

"We could get married, if you prefer, but you did just say I was too young?"

"Oh no, you are too young for marriage, but, it's just…"

"No you are right mum, Cho, will you marry me?"

"Oh sure, of course," said Cho, trying not to laugh at Ginny's determined albeit ridiculous argument to get her parents to accept that they were moving to London together.

"Now, now," said Mrs Weasley, backtracking.

"Perhaps, Molly, we could just go and see the place, just as start, mind you, not agreeing to anything."

"Alright then, just a look,"

"Just a look," Mr Weasley, assured her. He winked at the girls and that was the last of any real resistance Mrs Weasley raised in relation to their moving out together.

Cho's approach with her family was a little different, Cho presented a more practical argument; it would be financially beneficial for the two of them to share expenses and living independently would provide the girls with more tax benefits than if she remained at home. Ginny didn't think Po po was convinced by this argument at all, but she was completely supportive of their idea, when she saw the kitchen, she opened all of the cupboards and checked the number of electrical plugs for appliances and gave it her seal of approval.

It was six weeks later when the two of them had finally spent the first of two successive nights together, in their own bed, in their own flat,

"Mhm, thats nice," murmured Ginny,

"What is?"

"The idea of you kissing my back,"

Cho burst out laughing at Ginny's indirect way of letting Cho know what she wanted. Cho rolled over, pulled her knees up under her body and leaned over to plants some soft kisses across Ginny's shoulders and down her spine,

"Like this?"

"Exactly. I love you,"

"I love you too."