Fic for a_shadow_there
Author: seatbeltdrivein
Recipient: a_shadow_there
Title: The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
Pairing: Ginny/Cho
Rating: R
Warnings: Infidelity, implied sexuality
Word Count: 810
Summary: The world was so often an unfair place that she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty.
Author's Notes: Thanks to A for the quick beta work. Your prompts were amazing, a_shadow_there! I hope I did them justice.
She opened her eyes to the tattoo creeping across Cho's back, vines curling along her skin and reaching over her shoulder. Ginny tried to roll over, tried to close her eyes again, but the room was sweltering and the sweat, covering her like a second skin, was gluing the sheets to her body. It felt disgusting.
Next time, she told herself, they'd go somewhere nicer. The press wasn't chasing Mrs. Potter all around the globe anymore, three years plenty of time for the interest to die down.
Cho rolled over and slung a leg over both of Ginny's and smiled crookedly, eyes still closed. "You wake up too early."
"I can't help it," Ginny said, burrowing into the pillow. "It's an ingrained habit."
Cho hummed and wiggled closer until they were pressed together under the sheets. Her breasts against Ginny's own felt like someone was smashing a heater to her chest.
"Too hot," she muttered, trying to roll away, but Cho only let her get as far as facing the other direction before an arm was over her waist, long thin fingers splayed over the smooth, flat plane of her stomach.
"Cooling charm," Cho murmured into her neck.
"Hand me my wand," Ginny said, felt Cho back away just enough to roll onto her other side and grab it from the bedside table. Then she was back where she started, face burrowed in Ginny's neck. Ginny grabbed her wand and muttered the incantation, felt the room cool immediately. She might have overpowered the charm a bit because Cho's body went from too hot to not hot enough within seconds.
"What time do you have to leave?" she heard Cho ask. Ginny craned her head to get a look at the digital clock sitting on top of the television.
"Harry'll be home in a few hours," she said finally. "I should leave soon." The words sucked out the last bit of warmth lingering in the room. She pushed back into Cho's lean body, curling her head forward to make room for lips pressing a line of love up her neck.
"I have a game," Cho said after a few minutes. "On next Monday. I can send you tickets."
"Please," Ginny said. "I love watching you fly."
Rolling out of bed was always the worst part, like being forced out of a perfect world. Ginny sat on the edge of the mattress and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, smearing mascara around so she looked like someone had taken a few good swings at her and landed every one. Cho was rooting through the clothes on the floor, bras and knickers and trousers tossed around carelessly. They'd not thought much on cleanliness when they'd stumbled half-sloshed into the room.
It was a shame she couldn't have it every day, have the lean, Quidditch-toned musculature of Cho's body in her bed and in her arms like she lived in Harry's. The world was so often an unfair place that she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty.
Cho was dressed from the waist up as she dug through her purse and pulled out two thin sticks, popping them both in between her lips, leaning toward Ginny, eyebrows raised. Ginny fumbled with her wand for a moment before the tip flared and smoke spiraled up from the ends of the cigarettes. She took one from Cho's lips and put it between her own.
"Should cover the smell," Cho said, dropping onto the edge of the mattress next to Ginny. "Your hair's a mess." "It's always a mess," Ginny laughed, voice still hoarse from sleep. Cho leaned her head on Ginny's shoulder and grabbed Ginny's hand in her own, cigarette sitting between loose lips.
"Till next time," she said, melancholy in her words.
"Till next time," Ginny echoed.
They sat in silence and smoked in unison, Cho puffing down her cigarette at twice the speed Ginny did, always the fast one. Her hand had moved, resting on Ginny's bare thigh, a comfortable hold, and when she drew back, stood and pressed a kiss to Ginny's lips, it was like she'd cast another cooling charm, the room frigid with her body's absence.
Cho Apparated to her own home with a sharp crack, leaving Ginny sitting in nothing but her skin and last night's makeup on the edge of the bed, puffing smoke and staring at the empty bottle next to the television. She should shower, should put on her clothes and go home, clean the house for a party for her husband's return. She should cook and shop and clean and be waiting in the foyer with open arms the moment he stepped in the door, but she'd never felt more a sham than when she pretended to be his.
Three years was a bit too late to fix a mistake she'd already tied her life to.
Recipient: a_shadow_there
Title: The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
Pairing: Ginny/Cho
Rating: R
Warnings: Infidelity, implied sexuality
Word Count: 810
Summary: The world was so often an unfair place that she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty.
Author's Notes: Thanks to A for the quick beta work. Your prompts were amazing, a_shadow_there! I hope I did them justice.
She opened her eyes to the tattoo creeping across Cho's back, vines curling along her skin and reaching over her shoulder. Ginny tried to roll over, tried to close her eyes again, but the room was sweltering and the sweat, covering her like a second skin, was gluing the sheets to her body. It felt disgusting.
Next time, she told herself, they'd go somewhere nicer. The press wasn't chasing Mrs. Potter all around the globe anymore, three years plenty of time for the interest to die down.
Cho rolled over and slung a leg over both of Ginny's and smiled crookedly, eyes still closed. "You wake up too early."
"I can't help it," Ginny said, burrowing into the pillow. "It's an ingrained habit."
Cho hummed and wiggled closer until they were pressed together under the sheets. Her breasts against Ginny's own felt like someone was smashing a heater to her chest.
"Too hot," she muttered, trying to roll away, but Cho only let her get as far as facing the other direction before an arm was over her waist, long thin fingers splayed over the smooth, flat plane of her stomach.
"Cooling charm," Cho murmured into her neck.
"Hand me my wand," Ginny said, felt Cho back away just enough to roll onto her other side and grab it from the bedside table. Then she was back where she started, face burrowed in Ginny's neck. Ginny grabbed her wand and muttered the incantation, felt the room cool immediately. She might have overpowered the charm a bit because Cho's body went from too hot to not hot enough within seconds.
"What time do you have to leave?" she heard Cho ask. Ginny craned her head to get a look at the digital clock sitting on top of the television.
"Harry'll be home in a few hours," she said finally. "I should leave soon." The words sucked out the last bit of warmth lingering in the room. She pushed back into Cho's lean body, curling her head forward to make room for lips pressing a line of love up her neck.
"I have a game," Cho said after a few minutes. "On next Monday. I can send you tickets."
"Please," Ginny said. "I love watching you fly."
Rolling out of bed was always the worst part, like being forced out of a perfect world. Ginny sat on the edge of the mattress and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, smearing mascara around so she looked like someone had taken a few good swings at her and landed every one. Cho was rooting through the clothes on the floor, bras and knickers and trousers tossed around carelessly. They'd not thought much on cleanliness when they'd stumbled half-sloshed into the room.
It was a shame she couldn't have it every day, have the lean, Quidditch-toned musculature of Cho's body in her bed and in her arms like she lived in Harry's. The world was so often an unfair place that she couldn't bring herself to feel guilty.
Cho was dressed from the waist up as she dug through her purse and pulled out two thin sticks, popping them both in between her lips, leaning toward Ginny, eyebrows raised. Ginny fumbled with her wand for a moment before the tip flared and smoke spiraled up from the ends of the cigarettes. She took one from Cho's lips and put it between her own.
"Should cover the smell," Cho said, dropping onto the edge of the mattress next to Ginny. "Your hair's a mess." "It's always a mess," Ginny laughed, voice still hoarse from sleep. Cho leaned her head on Ginny's shoulder and grabbed Ginny's hand in her own, cigarette sitting between loose lips.
"Till next time," she said, melancholy in her words.
"Till next time," Ginny echoed.
They sat in silence and smoked in unison, Cho puffing down her cigarette at twice the speed Ginny did, always the fast one. Her hand had moved, resting on Ginny's bare thigh, a comfortable hold, and when she drew back, stood and pressed a kiss to Ginny's lips, it was like she'd cast another cooling charm, the room frigid with her body's absence.
Cho Apparated to her own home with a sharp crack, leaving Ginny sitting in nothing but her skin and last night's makeup on the edge of the bed, puffing smoke and staring at the empty bottle next to the television. She should shower, should put on her clothes and go home, clean the house for a party for her husband's return. She should cook and shop and clean and be waiting in the foyer with open arms the moment he stepped in the door, but she'd never felt more a sham than when she pretended to be his.
Three years was a bit too late to fix a mistake she'd already tied her life to.