Maybe not good friends and a glass of wine
Cho sat at the kitchen table, running her fingers through her hair and nursing a bottle of lager. She wanted, desperately wanted to be drinking something stronger, but she knew she couldn't. Not only because she had practice in the morning, and a meeting with her agent after that, but also because she knew she wasn't going to be doing anyone any good by getting smashed.
"Uh, Miss Chang?" Ellie stood in the doorway to the kitchen, holding Dominic awkwardly in her arms. A box from the Happy Hearth Bakery floated and bobbed in front of her. "I got you something to eat for dinner." Setting the infant down in his swing, she turned to her boss. "I talked to one of the girls at the bakery. They'll be sending two dinner over the weekend." Flicking her wand, the box set itself down on the table. "You need to eat something."
Cho pushed the bottle away and scooped her bangs out of her eyes. "You've been an absolute angel, Ellie. I don't know what I'd do without you." She looked down at her hands, now clasped together on the table. "I know this isn't what I hired you for." She almost offered to try and find another assistant, but didn't feel that unselfish at the moment.
Ellie nodded, picking up the bottle and put it in the cold box. Going to the sink, she began to wash some of the dirty plates. She needed something to keep her hands busy. "Uh, Miss Chang? I had a favor to ask and I'm sorry if this is terribly forward." She turned to face the woman sitting at the table. "But I was wondering if you could recommend me a good realtor?"
"A realtor? I didn't know you were in the market," she replied. Then again, there was a lot she didn't know about her new assistant.
"Yeah." Ellie went to push a lock of hair behind her ear before remembering that they were covered in soapy water. "My parents left me the house, but it's too big for just me. I was thinking I could rent it out and get a small apartment or something."
Cho nodded. "That's certainly understandable. Wait here a moment," she said, rising and walking from the room. She came back a few minutes later with a small white card. "This is the man who found this place for Aubrey and I." She had to pause and take a deep breath. "Just mention that I sent you, and he'll take good care of you."
Grinning, the Hufflepuff wiped her hands on a nearby towel. "Thank you, Miss Chang." She pocketed the small card. "So, Miss Chang, how are you doing?"
"You can call me Cho, you know. And I'm fine," she said, pausing to laugh. "Alright, that was a total lie."
"That's okay." Ellie turned to fix some tea.
"How are you doing, aside from all of this craziness, I mean," she said, motioning around.
"I'm sorry?" Ellie cocked her head to the side. "I'm okay. I guess. I wasn't doing much before this job, so anything to get me out of the house, really."
"So, tell me. What are you planning on doing with your first paycheck?" She didn't know what it was, but she wanted to get to know the younger woman.
Ellie shrugged. She hadn't really thought about it. "Put it in the bank or something. There isn't a whole lot I need." She began to pick at a ragged cuticle. "I don't get out much."
"Oh, no. That won't do at all." She propped her hip on the table and crossed her arms. "You know what you have to do? Something frivolous. Something fun, and completely out of character. That's what you need to do."
Ellie looked at her employer. "Miss Chang. Cho. I'm not like that. I wouldn't even know where to start. I mean after Owen..." she trailed off. That subject was still sore for her. She didn't know how many times she had replayed that situation over and over again her her memory. She was angry and hurting and needed to lash out. She just hadn't counted on pushing him out of her life. "It's just been me and my kneazel."
Owen, huh? "Ellie, believe me, it's the best thing you could possibly do."
"I wouldn't even know where to start." She knew she was making excuses, but she was safe where she was. She didn't want to be hurt a
Cho clapped her hands, momentarily distracted from her misery and worry. "I know just the place. There's this wonderful little dance club, it's not like all these other places. It think it will be perfect to start with."
Ellie smiled. "I haven't gone dancing in years. Not since Prague." And Paul. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts. Today was no day for a walk down memory lane.
"Oh, I love Prague. Do you go often?" She shook her head. "But I digress. I must insist that you do something completely irresponsible."
"It's been a few years since I've been outside of Britain." Ellie twisted a lock of hair through her fingers. "But I like the idea of dancing. Like I said, I haven't been in a long time. I remember liking it."
"Then it's settled. Go dancing, have a wonderful time." Dominic started to fuss and Cho walked over to pick him up. "When was the last time you went dancing?"
"In Prague. I was sixteen, the summer before my seventh year. It was," Ellie paused, her voice breaking. "It was the last trip my parents and I took before their deaths." She didn't talk about her parents much; their deaths marking the beginning of a painful period of her life.
Cho paused. "I'm very sorry. It's been a while, has it?"
Ellie nodded. "Four years in April. The ache is mostly gone." She shook her head. "But you don't want to hear about that."
Cho nodded in commiseration as she rocked Dominic. "Okay, so promise me that you'll do something spontaneous with your paycheck. Go dancing or blow it all on a Quidditch match, but only if you're betting on me."
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Summary: Cho and Ellie have a heart to heart.
"Uh, Miss Chang?" Ellie stood in the doorway to the kitchen, holding Dominic awkwardly in her arms. A box from the Happy Hearth Bakery floated and bobbed in front of her. "I got you something to eat for dinner." Setting the infant down in his swing, she turned to her boss. "I talked to one of the girls at the bakery. They'll be sending two dinner over the weekend." Flicking her wand, the box set itself down on the table. "You need to eat something."
Cho pushed the bottle away and scooped her bangs out of her eyes. "You've been an absolute angel, Ellie. I don't know what I'd do without you." She looked down at her hands, now clasped together on the table. "I know this isn't what I hired you for." She almost offered to try and find another assistant, but didn't feel that unselfish at the moment.
Ellie nodded, picking up the bottle and put it in the cold box. Going to the sink, she began to wash some of the dirty plates. She needed something to keep her hands busy. "Uh, Miss Chang? I had a favor to ask and I'm sorry if this is terribly forward." She turned to face the woman sitting at the table. "But I was wondering if you could recommend me a good realtor?"
"A realtor? I didn't know you were in the market," she replied. Then again, there was a lot she didn't know about her new assistant.
"Yeah." Ellie went to push a lock of hair behind her ear before remembering that they were covered in soapy water. "My parents left me the house, but it's too big for just me. I was thinking I could rent it out and get a small apartment or something."
Cho nodded. "That's certainly understandable. Wait here a moment," she said, rising and walking from the room. She came back a few minutes later with a small white card. "This is the man who found this place for Aubrey and I." She had to pause and take a deep breath. "Just mention that I sent you, and he'll take good care of you."
Grinning, the Hufflepuff wiped her hands on a nearby towel. "Thank you, Miss Chang." She pocketed the small card. "So, Miss Chang, how are you doing?"
"You can call me Cho, you know. And I'm fine," she said, pausing to laugh. "Alright, that was a total lie."
"That's okay." Ellie turned to fix some tea.
"How are you doing, aside from all of this craziness, I mean," she said, motioning around.
"I'm sorry?" Ellie cocked her head to the side. "I'm okay. I guess. I wasn't doing much before this job, so anything to get me out of the house, really."
"So, tell me. What are you planning on doing with your first paycheck?" She didn't know what it was, but she wanted to get to know the younger woman.
Ellie shrugged. She hadn't really thought about it. "Put it in the bank or something. There isn't a whole lot I need." She began to pick at a ragged cuticle. "I don't get out much."
"Oh, no. That won't do at all." She propped her hip on the table and crossed her arms. "You know what you have to do? Something frivolous. Something fun, and completely out of character. That's what you need to do."
Ellie looked at her employer. "Miss Chang. Cho. I'm not like that. I wouldn't even know where to start. I mean after Owen..." she trailed off. That subject was still sore for her. She didn't know how many times she had replayed that situation over and over again her her memory. She was angry and hurting and needed to lash out. She just hadn't counted on pushing him out of her life. "It's just been me and my kneazel."
Owen, huh? "Ellie, believe me, it's the best thing you could possibly do."
"I wouldn't even know where to start." She knew she was making excuses, but she was safe where she was. She didn't want to be hurt a
Cho clapped her hands, momentarily distracted from her misery and worry. "I know just the place. There's this wonderful little dance club, it's not like all these other places. It think it will be perfect to start with."
Ellie smiled. "I haven't gone dancing in years. Not since Prague." And Paul. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts. Today was no day for a walk down memory lane.
"Oh, I love Prague. Do you go often?" She shook her head. "But I digress. I must insist that you do something completely irresponsible."
"It's been a few years since I've been outside of Britain." Ellie twisted a lock of hair through her fingers. "But I like the idea of dancing. Like I said, I haven't been in a long time. I remember liking it."
"Then it's settled. Go dancing, have a wonderful time." Dominic started to fuss and Cho walked over to pick him up. "When was the last time you went dancing?"
"In Prague. I was sixteen, the summer before my seventh year. It was," Ellie paused, her voice breaking. "It was the last trip my parents and I took before their deaths." She didn't talk about her parents much; their deaths marking the beginning of a painful period of her life.
Cho paused. "I'm very sorry. It's been a while, has it?"
Ellie nodded. "Four years in April. The ache is mostly gone." She shook her head. "But you don't want to hear about that."
Cho nodded in commiseration as she rocked Dominic. "Okay, so promise me that you'll do something spontaneous with your paycheck. Go dancing or blow it all on a Quidditch match, but only if you're betting on me."
---
Summary: Cho and Ellie have a heart to heart.