A/N: For Femslash February Day 6 - Mermaid AU.
"I don't think you're odd," Ginny said, breathless. "I think you're beautiful."
She stood shoulder-height in the Black Lake, water lapping at her neck. Moonlight spilled over the rippled surface, giving the inky darkness a shimmer. It caught the glitter of Luna's iridescent scales. Luna's blonde hair tumbled down, curling and wet. She was brilliant against the darkness of a midnight on the grounds, luminescent. Ginny could hardly feel the chill, though that could have been attributed to her spellwork. She'd rather attribute it to the girl who stood – swam – before her, shining brighter than the sun. Luna wrapped her arms around Ginny's neck, catching her fingers in Ginny's long red hair.
"I think you're beautiful, too," Luna said earnestly. "You're the sun. Red and hot and angry and searing but life-giving. You make things grow with a smile."
"I don't," Ginny laughed, shaking her head. "I'm useless at Herbology."
"You make me grow," Luna said seriously. "Like a flower. I can't help but lean towards you."
"Luna," Ginny murmured, stepping closer. Seaweed squirmed beneath her bare feet.
"Ginevra," Luna said. Ginny's lips parted, and she drew in a ragged breath. She ran her thumb across Luna's cheek. It felt like a dream. It could be difficult to tell the difference. Most nights, she snuck out here, at least until two, but when she didn't, she dreamed of it, vividly.
"I wish I could come with you," Ginny said. "See what it's like down there."
"I wish I could come with you," Luna said. "I'd like to fly a broom. You make it sound like fun."
"It is fun," Ginny smiled. "I could take you, one day. Use a sticking charm or something to keep you on." Luna flashed her fins, and Ginny's face fell. Magic resistance was supposed to be a blessing for mermaids, a safety feature. Most of the time, wizards wanted to fight with them, not love them and take them flying on a broomstick for the fun of it. Ginny bit her lip.
"Don't be sorry," Luna said, raising her eyebrows. "It's okay."
"I hate leaving you," Ginny said.
"You don't have to, yet," Luna reminded her, voice soft, floaty. Her skin shone like pearls. Ginny kissed her, lost herself in the sway of the lake, in the wind skimming the surface, in the canopy of stars, in Luna, always in Luna. Luna's tail brushed against her legs, and Ginny wrapped herself around it. The two entwined themselves, so close together that it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Desire burned in the pit of her stomach, in her fingertips. Luna kissed lightly. Ginny was all fire, taking to it as she did everything in life.
By the time they parted, the stars had spun. Some had run closer to the treetops, and others emerged from the horizon, casting off their cloaks. Panting, the girls looked to the sky. Their arms wrapped around each other, and their hair hung wet and bedraggled.
"It's time," Luna said sadly. Ginny pressed her lips against Luna's bare shoulder, hugging her from behind.
"Five more minutes," Ginny whispered. "Just five more."