It was nearly a week before they were able to see each other again, which was both a blessing and a curse. Though they talked on the phone a couple times, Ginny hadn't realized how draining Quidditch practice was now that it had officially started up, and after the first one, she found herself sore in places she hadn't been sore in a long time. Lia had insisted she let herself rest and that they'd see each when they could. She did manage to convince her parents to come get her some nights so that she could call Lia.

Practice did end up being good for her, though. Especially all the compliments she'd been getting from Harry on her plays. Even though Hermione had only been gone for a few days, the mood Harry had been in didn't have her excited for him to captain anyone, especially the first practice, when all he seemed to be was annoyed that they weren't in the shape they used to be.

"You're not either, Harry!" she finally told him once she'd had enough, and that seemed to settle him down a little. But now that Hermione was back, he'd come to the second practice like a different person, readily handing out praise for good plays and advice that didn't sound as vague as a half-hearted, "Don't be rubbish at the catch next time." On the bright side, the possibility of Lia coming to a game had her pushing herself to be better and fly faster, to not be so scared of maneuvers. To play not just for the fun of the game, but to impress. Besides, she'd need to improve if she wanted any hope of playing professionally anyway. Even when she wasn't practicing with the team, she'd take her broom out over the lake. It was something she'd never done before, but there was something so serene about the view of the sun setting over the surrounding mountains without anyone else around.

On their Thursday call, Lia let her know that one of her coworkers volunteered to switch shifts with her since he had family coming into town, and when she had hesitantly suggested dinner at her flat on Saturday because there was a movie she wanted Ginny to see, Ginny agreed immediately. Maybe a little too eagerly, because she could hear Lia smile through the phone.

"Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"No, it's fine. I'll just get Mum or Dad to bring me. I'm sure one of them will want to see where you live," she sighed. "Is Claire going to be there?"

Lia was silent for a few seconds. "No, not this weekend. She's gone back home to spend the weekend with her folks. If that's… I mean, I can wait another day if you'd rather-"

"What, you think I'm uncomfortable being alone with you?" Was she? She was definitely feeling some way about the prospect, but uncomfortable certainly wasn't entirely correct.

"I mean, you have no reason to, I just… some people get weird about it, so I wasn't sure if that was something you'd be okay with."

"And miss out on getting to know how a telly works? Not a chance," Ginny smiled.

Even though she couldn't see her, Lia seemed incredibly relieved. "Brilliant. And just so you're warned, I'll most likely still be in my pajamas, so feel free to wear yours, too, so I don't feel totally underdressed."

"A date in pajamas?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Do you always do that?"

"Oh, I prefer it," Lia laughed.

"You… prefer pajama dates?"

"Mmhmm. I love dressing up for events but other than that, I would much rather just wear something comfortable."

"Is a date not an event?"

"Already coming in with the trick questions, huh?" Lia teased. "Do you really want an answer?"

"Sure."

"All right." She was silent for a few seconds as she worked out her thoughts. "You're like… a comfortable event. I don't feel like I can be sloppy just yet, but I don't feel like you're gonna judge me for not coming to the park in my fancy Sunday clothes. I mean, the first time we met, I was a sweaty mess covered in treat dust and mouse guts."

"Well, that's fair. You can only go up from there, really. Though you looked great even then," she quickly added, but Lia just laughed.

"You're not wrong. The first step was no mouse guts or treat dust. I'd say you were pretty lucky you got me not sweaty, too. Second date I can get away with pajamas as long as I do my hair or something. And my pajamas are cute, so really it's like a win-win."

Ginny thought about what she usually slept in. Lately, she'd been swapping between Fred's Quidditch shirts that hadn't made it back into his room from the laundry. They were nearly like a dress on her, but they were comfortable and soft from him wearing them over the years.

"I believe it. I'm sure I can find something date- and sleep-worthy."

"Can't wait."

As soon as they hung up after figuring out dinner, Ginny headed from the shed to George's room to find him on the bed with a notebook and his cards in front of him, scribbling down notes. She knocked on the door softly, and George looked up with a grin.

"Oh hey, Gin! You know, I think Lia was right about these shapes. Maybe I should take it down to three shapes instead of five? You think that would help?"

Ginny just shrugged. "I honestly have less of a clue about anything in that game than she does. Are you trying to sell it?"

"Maybe. When the shop opens up again, I expect people are going to want new products."

When. He'd never said when before, only if. And that was given he talked about it at all. It was a really big step, and she wasn't about to stomp the idea.

"I think three would probably be better to start off with. And then maybe you could sell the extra shapes if people aren't confused enough with the first one," she teased, but George nodded enthusiastically.

"Genius. That's genius. Thanks!" He wrote down the idea on the top of the paper before looking back up at her. "Sorry. What were you looking for an answer to when you came up here?" he asked.

"I can't just come say hello?"

"You just got off the phone with Lia. So what's your question?"

Ginny smiled, laughing breathlessly. "I've been asked on a second date."

"No surprise there."

"And it's at her flat."

"Uh huh."

"She's asked me to wear pajamas."

George raised his eyebrows. "She's not expecting a sleepover, is she?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. She just said that she'll be in hers and she wanted me to be in mine too so we're comfortable." Ginny cleared her throat softly. "So I just… I was wondering if maybe you or Fred still had any shirts from the… from the World Cup."

A mischievous smirk came over George's face, one Ginny hadn't seen in months, and he sat up straighter, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ginevra Molly Weasley, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"What is it you think I'm asking?"

"You want to go to this girl's flat for a pajama date in an Ireland Quidditch t-shirt from the World Cup?"

Ginny wet her lips, looking down at her toes. "Yeah."

He let her sweat for a couple seconds, watching her carefully before getting up and shuffling through his dresser and tossing a yellow shirt that looked nearly as new as the day they'd gone to the Cup. They hadn't worn them often, maybe once after the event. Ginny swallowed thickly as she clutched the fabric in her hands, the brief memories of the aftermath sinking back into her head. Maybe she shouldn't wear it. What if Lia had been scared, too? What if her tent had been one of the ones to get burned down?

But no. She wasn't going to let the bad memories of that day outweigh the good ones. Maybe she'd bring a second just in case Lia had a problem with this one. That was probably the best idea.

"That one's mine," George said, playfully stern. "And it better not touch the floor, got it?"

Ginny turned scarlet at his accusation, clutching the shirt closer. "That's… Merlin, George, I haven't even kissed her and you're already… I'm a virgin, okay!"

Her brother recoiled, horrified. "No! I didn't need to know that! I mean… good. I guess? But I just meant don't mess it up! It was an expression not literally. But now that you brought it up, that shirt doesn't want to see any of that."

"The shirt?"

"Yeah! Again, my shirt. I don't want it around…" he waved his hands, "whatever you'll be getting yourself up to. Pretend like I'm there. In the shirt with you. I don't know what I'm even saying anymore."

"I'm not having sex in your shirt, George."

"But you'll snog her in it."

"I'm thinking about it! Now more so just to spite you."

George's eyes narrowed. "I can take it back. Then you'll have to wear a normal old non-Ireland shirt that she won't love nearly as much."

Ginny took a deep, calculating breath. She'd missed their banter and his thinly-veiled threats he never acted on. "But then you'll have a piece of clothing that she's touched. You'll never be able to wash it again," she cooed playfully.

Their laughter filled the room as George desperately tried and failed to keep a straight face. "I'd have so many things to say if you weren't my sister."

"Well, thank you for keeping them to yourself. I'll make sure it stays nice and clean, though. Promise."

"That's all I ask."

Ginny was already regretting asking Luna to talk. It seemed like a good idea the night before, talking through her nerves with someone who truly wouldn't care and wasn't family. She wasn't sure how much experience Luna had had with this type of thing. Relationships. Intimacy, she corrected. She'd never be able to get through doing anything she couldn't even talk about. She almost had with George, but if she were getting into specifics, he would want nothing to do with it, and would end up being no help. The only other person she trusted was Katie, but being so close to Ron made her a less desirable target for this conversation.

Now, though sitting with Luna in an empty stairwell, the other girl looking up at her expectantly, she was suddenly at a loss for words. But it was Friday, her father would be bringing the car tomorrow evening to pick her up and take her to Lia's. She usually went home on the weekend, so that wasn't suspicious, but the way she'd been acting all day had been, based on the weird stares she could see people giving her out of the corner of her eye. Her brain had been on overdrive.

Kissing Lia seemed like a good decision. She knew it would be. After all, it was just a kiss - she shouldn't be so nervous. But she was. If she thought about it a little, pairing it with the way Lia always looked at her, her heart would flutter excitedly. If she thought about it too much, though, the fluttering would turn into pounding. Excitement would turn to nerves. She knew she needed to get over herself. And maybe the first kiss would get those nerves out of the way. Maybe she'd realized she'd have nothing to worry about.

"There's a lot that's going through your mind right now, isn't there?" Luna asked, breaking Ginny from her thoughts. Luna was still on the stairs, but Ginny ended up looking at her from a different point in the room. Had she been pacing without even realizing?

Merlin.

"You could tell?" she tried sarcastically. "Er, yes. And I'm not sure who I need to talk to about this, but… I trust you not to think I'm crazy for anything I'm about to say."

"Me? Never." It was said just as light as always, but there was a hint of a smirk on Luna's face. "Why don't you sit down?" She scooted over and patted the stair next to her, which Ginny gratefully plopped onto. "There."

"And I want this conversation to stay between us."

"Of course."

After a few seconds of debating on how to even begin to approach the topic, especially with Luna's wide eyes, however caring, staring over at her, she eventually decided to start with the most brazen question first. She closed her eyes. "Have you ever had sex?"

"No," Luna answered easily. "Have you?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

Was Ginny that easy to read? It might as well be for the best at this point. "I think so. I mean… yes, I do. But… I… I'm kind of dating someone and I'm nervous to think about it getting to that point."

Luna leaned forward to think, elbows on her knees and her chin resting on her palms. "I think that's normal, isn't it? Are you worried about why you're nervous? Is there something about them you don't like?"

Ginny blinked, taken aback by Luna's choice of pronouns. She didn't assume, which made Ginny infinitely more relieved about her next statement. Not that she knew Ginny's sexuality, of course (how could she when Ginny was still trying to figure that out herself?), but the fact that Luna was half expecting the option to be there was interesting. "She's a girl."

Luna raised her eyebrows, but nodded. "Okay. I see why that might make things interesting. Are you attracted to her?"

"Yes," Ginny answered immediately. "And we've only been on one date and we're about to have a second, and I just don't want to get myself into something I'm not ready for. I don't want to kiss her and then… not want to do anything else."

"Would she be okay with that?"

"I don't know."

"Would you like to kiss me?"

"What?!"

"For practice. If you're nervous about kissing a girl, maybe you should kiss someone you're not nervous about kissing first so that you can see if there's another reason you're nervous to kiss her."

Luna's proposition was completely innocent and admittedly practical, but Ginny was speechless, trying to process her own brain's train of thought as well as Luna's. She didn't want to kiss Luna. She didn't get the same feeling in her stomach she did when she thought about kissing Lia. Maybe if she didn't already have someone in mind, she'd take Luna up on her offer, but she answered, "No… er… Thanks for the offer, though. I don't think that will help."

Luna just shrugged noncommittally. "Okay, well… why did you ask me if I've had sex, then? Are you nervous to kiss her but you want to have sex with her?"

"I'm nervous about all of it," she admitted, running a hand on her face, then tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Do you think you'd be nervous if you had already had sex with someone?" Luna tried,

"Probably, yeah."

"Why?"

Ginny's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, if it wasn't your first time, what's to be nervous about?"

"... Because she's a girl? And I've never thought about a girl like that before. I just feel like it's… I don't know. New? Not something I've experienced before?"

"She's got the same parts as you, doesn't she? Shouldn't that make it easier since you know what to do with them?"

A groan was all Ginny could manage in reply. "You make this sound so easy."

"People are just people, Ginny," she said softly, putting a hand on her leg. "I think it's normal to be nervous about the possibility of trusting someone else to see you so intimately. But what should matter most is the person you're trusting and why you're trusting them. Who they are, not what parts they have. Is she a virgin too?"

"No."

"Then I'm sure she'll teach you."

Ginny let out a long sigh that seemed to deflate her shoulders. "I'm overthinking this, aren't I?"

"Yes. Don't think about the sex just yet."

"But-"

"I'm sure she's very attractive. But you're worried about something that might not even happen. You may kiss her and not even like it at all. Or you may kiss her and… like it a lot more than you thought you would."

The way Luna's lips twitched had Ginny intrigued. "You've kissed a girl before, haven't you?"

"I have," Luna answered confidently, and all of Ginny's nerves immediately vanished.

"Who was it?"

Her smirk was back. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

"I won't, either! I swear!"

"Nope."

"Can you at least tell me what house she's in?"

"I suppose that's not too revealing. She's in Gryffindor."

"Do I know her?"

Luna's smile said it all, but she made a motion of zipping her lips, and didn't bring it up no matter how hard Ginny pushed for an answer, completely distracted from her internal tornado.

She wondered if that was part of Luna's plan all along, because she succeeded in not worrying about Lia at all until she was standing in front of her door the following evening. She triple checked the address she'd written down, looking at the number on the door. This was hers all right. Ginny clutched the hem of her shirt - George's shirt - and gave a swift knock on the door. Her dad was standing right next to her just to make sure she was safe, just enjoying looking down the hallway and inspecting every picture on the wall as if they were any different than a Wizarding building would be.

A few seconds after the knock, Lia opened the door with a grin, but there was a flash of something as she took in Ginny's Ireland shirt with matching green striped pajama pants before she managed to regain control.

To their luck, Mr. Weasley spoke first. "This is such a cute building! Found it no problem!"

"I'm glad!"

"Well, I won't keep you from your fun. I'll let Molly know you made it over here safely, and just give us a call when you're ready for one of us to come pick you up, okay?" Ginny nodded, and he gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading back down the hallway, sending Lia's eyes back to gaze at Ginny. Then they were alone.

"Are you going to stare at me all night or invite me in?" she asked playfully.

"Who said I didn't plan on doing both?" Lia smirked, moving to the side. "Come on."

The flat was much bigger than it should have been. It wasn't large, as the living room just consisted of a plush couch, a coffee table, and a television. The adjoining kitchen was just big enough to comfortably walk around it, and she wondered if they'd charmed it just enough so that they didn't have to drop it if any Muggles came in. It looked like they'd just been able to expertly lay out the furniture. Paintings and pictures in frames adorned the wall they faced, and Ginny could see some of them moving. She made a mental note to check it all out later.

There was plush carpet under her feet that extended throughout the flat, down a small hallway where she assumed the bedrooms were. The kitchen counter was spotless, with no appliances to be seen. Ginny had so many questions. So many that she couldn't keep track of which she wanted to ask first.

"You look incredible," Lia said, reaching out to run a finger over Ginny's sleeve. "What made you decide to wear this one, huh?"

"Oh, nothing. Just found it on the floor, really. Thought it needed to be worn."

"Uh huh," she smirked. "Well, dinner should be here soon, so in the meantime, would you like a tour?"

"Absolutely. You've got to have an extension charm on this place."

"Oh, we do. A few of them, actually. So we're saving even more money," she laughed. "Take your shoes off. Get comfy. Settle in for the night…" Lia leaned against the counter, and Ginny was admittedly distracted for a second as she toed off her shoes without looking down, too entranced by the other girl's dinosaur shirt and matching shorts. She even had her hair down in soft, loose curls that fell perfectly over her shoulders. Ginny wanted to run her fingers through them.

"You were right. Those are really cute."

"Thanks!" Lia eagerly took her hand, walking her further into the living room. Along the wall next to the television were two white bookshelves filled with books of all sizes and colors joined with plants and vines filling in the empty space. The wall behind the bookshelves was floral patterned and dark blue, providing a beautiful compliment to the plants.

"Is Claire a Hufflepuff too?"

"Slytherin, actually. But she likes the plants just as much as I do, and Muggle ones are so much easier to keep alive. It took a while to find something that worked for both of us since our styles can be pretty different sometimes, but that's what we've got our own rooms for, which is a wonderful segue into asking if you'd like to see it. And I really hope you say yes because I've got it all set up and everything."

Ginny's heart began beating faster again. "Set up?"

"Yeah. We can watch the movie in there if you want, but I wasn't sure if you'd probably be more comfortable on the couch…"

"Yeah, maybe… I-I'd love to see it, though. Whatever you've got set up."

Ginny's jaw nearly dropped to the floor once Lia pulled her into her bedroom. Like the living room, it was slightly larger than it should be, but the first thing she noticed was the most comfortable-looking bed she'd ever seen. It had to be at least a queen, but there was a mountain of pillows and a plush comforter topped with a couple more colorfully patterned blankets. Above the bed was another shelf that held more books and a couple plants and trinkets. Figurines, potions, and pictures. It looked like her wand was up there in a stand.

The thing that drew her eyes the most, though, was the fairy lights hanging from the ceiling, woven in vines down the bookshelves and secured on the bottom to illuminate the bed. Thick curtains were pulled across the window to keep the light out, but the twinkling was bright enough to allow Ginny to see the whole room under the glow.

"I want to watch it here," she muttered, unable to picture anything else. It was romantic and domestic and Lia had even lit a candle on her desk. Everything seemed to glow, inviting her in. More posters and pictures lined every other wall, including some that were just haphazardly taped up next to the bed.

"You do?" Lia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. It's the most beautiful bedroom I've ever seen." When Ginny looked over at her, she was already looking back, and Ginny couldn't help but let her eyes flick down to Lia's lips. Yeah, kissing her is definitely a good idea, she decided. But right now? Later? After they'd eaten? What if she had bad breath? Was there a right time? Don't overthink it.

They both nearly jumped at the sound of the doorbell, so focused on each other, but Lia gave her a nervous smile, squeezed her hand, and dropped it to get the food. Ginny took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She'd never heard silence so loud. The nerves were back. Her heart was pounding. She was grateful for the food so that it would give them something to do for a while.

Ginny had never had Chinese takeaway before, which was a fact that Lia had been very excited to find out, because it meant she could order multiple dishes to see what Ginny liked the best. It all smelled amazing, though, and had Ginny's stomach growling as she headed into the kitchen. Had she even eaten today? They were silent as they took a bit of each dish besides Ginny asking what they were, and once they got their drinks and took a seat at the table, Lia was looking at her pointedly.

"Okay," she began, "now that we've got something else to focus on… can you tell me what's going on in your head right now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're making me nervous, love."

The pet name made Ginny shift in her seat. "Sorry," she muttered.

"We're supposed to be more nervous on the first, not the second."

"There's no expectation for the first…"

"And what do you think it is I'm expecting during this one? Also, eat."

Ginny speared a couple pieces of chicken on her fork and took a bite, her eyes widening. "That's amazing! Wow! Okay, this was… a brilliant idea."

"I have them from time to time, but I'm glad you like it. I mean, I've never met anyone who doesn't like Chinese, but there's a first time for everything."

I'll say, Ginny though, suddenly a little nervous again. Maybe it was because Lia was so sure of herself and almost invasive with her touches and her flirting. Ginny had said it was okay though, hadn't she? And it was. She enjoyed it when they were together, but there had been a couple of nights that she'd be lying in bed and unable to sleep where her mind would wander back to that magazine, the image she'd created of Lia in that red lingerie, and she'd get warm all over and tense in her thighs. Her body seemed to be perfectly okay with this situation, so what was holding her back? Maybe she should have kissed Luna after all, because kissing Luna was much less daunting.

She could feel Lia's eyes on her as she ate. Not scrutinizing, just observing, and she'd never felt more exposed. It was as if the girl sitting across from her could read her thoughts, see her insecurities, know that she'd gone back and forth for over an hour about whether or not to wear this damn Ireland shirt because she knew how it would make Lia look at her, which she wanted but also didn't at the same time. It wasn't until Ginny was almost done that she spoke again.

"So can we go back to the hard questions and get them over with?"

Ginny didn't look up from her food. She didn't want to see her disappointed. "I'd rather not."

Lia sat up a little straighter, adjusting herself in the seat. "Ginny–"

"I'm just overthinking things."

"But you don't need to, that's all I'm saying-"

"I'm trying, Lia. Okay? I'm trying." She took a breath to compose herself. She didn't want to start a fight on a bloody second date. Or maybe she did and she wouldn't have to worry about being nervous anymore. No, that was stupid. She wasn't about to sacrifice the happiest she'd been just for a couple of nerves. She was a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake. "I just… I know you don't expect anything from me, and I really appreciate that, because all of this is new. But… I want it – I'm expecting it – and I think that scares me. Because I've never wanted… all of this before with… a girl."

"What is it that you want?" When Ginny shook her head, Lia tried an easier question that had her own heart fluttering. "Do you want me to kiss you?"

Ginny looked up, tears threatening to blur her vision, and met Lia's gaze. She wasn't accusatory. It was soft. Comforting. "I'm afraid I won't like it."

"Oh, you will."

She couldn't help but laugh, looking down at her empty plate. "That's comforting."

"So do you? Are you waiting for me to make the first move so that you don't have to?" More silence, and Lia could see the wheels in Ginny's brain trying to figure out a decent response. "Just one word, love. That's all you've got to come up with. Don't overthink it. Just… first decision that comes to your head. Yes or no? I won't be upset either way."

"Yes," Ginny answered as soon as Lia finished talking, "but-"

"No buts. You're doubting yourself. Believe me, I've been in your shoes, okay? I know what it's like to be scared of something you've never thought about."

"But you're so confident in what you want-"

"Only because I've already gotten it. I mean, as much as I'd like to tell you that kissing me is going to change your life, which, to be fair, it might," she grinned, "you can leave this flat just as straight as you were two weeks ago, okay?" After a second of debate, Ginny nodded. "Now, do you want me to decide when?"

She nodded again, though cautiously.

"Noted. Would you still like to watch the movie in my room?"

"Of course." Now that the decision had been made for her, it didn't seem so intimidating. So she was getting a kiss tonight after all. It was just a matter of when. But as far as first kisses went, she'd rather have it surrounded by plants and fairy lights than just on a boring couch, no matter how comfortable it was.

They cleaned up quickly and put away the leftovers before Lia brought Ginny back into the living room, towards the other shelf that looked to be filled with large plastic cases.

"Now I think the best introduction to the magic of television is Disney. They're mostly marketed towards kids, but I love them. And they're all animated, so people draw a bunch of pictures and then put them together so it looks like they're moving! There are plenty of them we could watch, but I think you'll really enjoy Peter Pan. It's about a boy who lives on a magical island in the stars that makes it so he'll never grow up. And he finds this girl in London, Wendy, that he takes with him to his island and there's pirates and mermaids and this crocodile who… well, I don't want to spoil the whole movie for you. But if you don't like that one, I've got a bunch more."

"No, it sounds like a good story. I trust you."

Lia headed to her room to get her wand, then went back into the living room to unplug the TV and levitate it into her bedroom. There was plenty of room past the foot of the bed, and Ginny took a seat down on the comforter as she was working. She'd been right - it was incredibly comfortable. She sank into the mattress; if she had this bed at home, she'd never want to leave it.

When Lia was done, she crawled back over the bed to set her wand back in its holder before readjusting the pile of pillows against the wall and leaning back onto it. She settled down under the blanket and held it open, gesturing for Ginny to get under it, too. "C'mon."

After a second of more internal deliberation, the allure of a comfortable bed was more inviting than being scared of it. She'd pressed herself into Lia multiple times. She was acutely aware of how warm she was, how good the contact felt, but there was her brain getting ahead of her. A bed was no different than a park bench at the end of the day. Though she was sure she looked scared, she crawled into the bed next to Lia and settled herself with a head on her shoulder. It took a couple seconds for them to shift to the most comfortable position possible, but all of this was so domestic and almost familiar, that Ginny knew she was crazy for almost second guessing getting into bed with her in the first place.

She found herself sitting up and forward as the movie started, amazed by animation. "They drew all this?" Ginny asked in a whisper. "How long does something like this take?"

"Years, I imagine. It's loads harder than real-life movies, you know, where it's just filmed, but… yeah. They've got to do every frame by hand."

A little way through, back against Lia's shoulder, Ginny spoke again. "You just like this for the mermaids, don't you?" she teased.

"No! But you see that red-haired one? They took her from another movie. She's got her own. Totally different mermaid."

"Plus, they've got them all wrong, if the ones in the Black Lake are like the rest of them."

"Oh no, I much prefer these."

"So it all started with red-headed mermaids, huh?" The smirk came naturally, but Ginny was afraid to look over at Lia, knowing the way she was looking back.

Instead, Lia just ran a hand across her shoulders, under her hair, to set it to the side. "Honestly, I prefer red-heads with legs, I think."

She thought this was going to be it, the way her hand lingered on the back of her neck, contemplating, before running down her back and wrapping around her waist. Ginny's head found its way to Lia's shoulder again as she tried to relax. It wasn't a long movie, but Ginny really had enjoyed it, and when the ending was over and Wendy was back home, looking out the window at the pirate-ship shaped cloud, she'd almost forgotten about the near-kiss. At least until she realized that Lia had been looking at her for at least a minute. Ginny turned her head and she was right there, looking down at her lips, then back up to her eyes, all thoughts on her breath leaving her mind, because Lia clearly didn't care.

Then, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Lia turned her body so that she was in a better position to cup Ginny's jaw, running her thumb over her cheekbone. She waited a second, waited for Ginny to change her mind, to pull away, but she didn't. A silent confirmation. She was leaning in, and Ginny's eyes instinctively fluttered closed.

The first kiss was barely a kiss, just a tentative brush of Lia's lips against Ginny's, barely making contact before pulling away, leaving a hair's width between them and nuzzling their noses together. When Ginny didn't object, though she was holding her breath, Lia moved in again, more confidently this time, and the hand on her cheek moved to the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair as she took Ginny's lips between her own.

It was like she'd poured lighter fluid on a dying fire. Ginny inhaled sharply through her nose, cupping Lia's face in both of her hands. It was definitely different from kissing Dean or Michael or Harry - everything was so soft. Her skin, her hair, her lips, her touch. There was no rough scratch of stubble against her cheek, just a blaze of adrenaline mixed with the smell of Lia's shampoo taking over her senses. What had she been so scared of? Why had she been so nervous? She'd forgotten how much she enjoyed this. Kissing. Snogging. All of it.

Feeling a little awkward at the angle herself, she moved up on her knees, tilting her head to press herself deeper into the kiss. The other girl let out a surprised moan that vibrated against Ginny's lips as their tongues met, and her shirt became a little tighter as Lia gripped her waist, tugging on the material. She could nearly feel her heartbeat in her chest as her body acted on its own accord. Spurred on by confidence and excitement that she was doing a good job, that Lia was enjoying herself just as much as she was, Ginny pushed Lia back onto the pillows. It wasn't until she felt Lia's hands on the back of her thighs that she pulled away quickly, realization hitting her like a bludger to the stomach.

Lia was nearly underneath her, staring up at her with swollen lips and dark, sparkling eyes. If she hadn't been so shocked at what she'd done, the feeling of Lia's hands moving up and down her legs would have been alluring. But right now, it was overwhelming. She attempted to move back, but Lia only pulled her forward again almost instinctively, and she gasped as her palms hit the pillow.

"S-Stop," she managed to get out, scrambling back again, and Lia's hands were gone in a flash, though disappointment was creeping into her eyes no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"I'm sorry-"

"I thought you didn't have any expectations." Ginny's mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to backtrack. They'd been kissing. What would have happened if she hadn't stopped herself? How far would she have gone? And why did Lia have to look so damn attractive right now? And why did Ginny have to be so turned on?

"I don't!"

"Then why are you disappointed? You said you wouldn't be-"

"What?! I'm not!"

"Yes you are! I can tell!"

Ginny nearly tripped to get off the bed, but Lia was right behind her, reaching to stop her. "Ginny! Ginny, hang on. Stop."

"Dammit, I should have just kissed Luna!"

"I'm sorry?"

Ginny's eyes widened, realizing she'd said it out loud. When she turned back around, Lia had an eyebrow raised, dropping her attempt at grabbing her in favor of almost nervously laughing. "Shit."

"What are you talking about? Luna?"

"My friend Luna," Ginny sighed, her eyes prickling in embarrassment. "I… I was talking to her about… about you… and about how nervous I was. And she said I should kiss her first so that I could get over my apparent fear of kissing girls."

"You would have rather done that," she gestured back to the bed, "with Luna?!"

"No! Absolutely not. And I-I wouldn't have, because I don't like her like I like you."

"Which is?"

"You need me to say it?"

"I think you need to figure that out, actually. And that's not anything against you, I just… I don't want you to be confused. Jesus, Gin, if you're confused after that kiss…"

"I-I like kissing."

"I'll say," Lia smirked. "Come here? Can I hug you? I haven't even done that yet today."

Ginny knew it was going to be more than a hug, but she let Lia pull her into her arms, wrapping her own around Lia's middle and burying her face into her shoulder. She felt safe again. "This is probably the worst second date you've ever been on, isn't it?"

"Not even close." She hooked her wrists around the back of Ginny's neck and took a deep, relieved breath. "I didn't want to fuck this up, so I'm sorry."

"Me too. Here I am on top of you and then talking about kissing Luna the next? Then getting upset at you when I'm the one that initiated it all?"

"I shouldn't have taken advantage of the situation, though, knowing how you felt. I just couldn't help-"

Ginny shut Lia up with a kiss that felt much more comfortable. Not hesitant at all, but much gentler than the last one had been. Getting the first one over with really had made a difference. Lia smiled against her lips, just content to hold her close as their lips moved slowly together. When she pulled away, she was still just as breathless.

"I thought you liked listening to me talk?" Lia teased.

"I think I like kissing you a little better."

"Yeah? So… are you all right? Are we all right?"

"Do you swear you're not disappointed?"

"I swear. Turned on? Yes. Disappointed? No."

Ginny blushed, smiling softly; she'd done that. "As long as you promise. Because if you are, I can…"

"You can what?" Lia asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"I actually have no idea how I was going to finish that sentence. I really didn't mean to fight in the middle of a date."

"You think that was a fight? We could have done a lot worse."

"Hang on." Ginny pulled away a little more to look at her, a look of concern coming across her face. "I was on top of you."

"You like to remind me of that, don't you?"

"Now we are problematic friends."

After a second of comprehension, Lia laughed. "Oh. We are, aren't we? That's unfortunate. No more park dates, I guess. Shame it was over before it really started." She pushed a lock of Ginny's hair behind her ear, eyes locked together, and Lia was grateful that Ginny's hesitance about kissing seemed to be gone. She knew there would most likely be another moment of panic when Ginny got home and replayed all of the day's events in her head, so it was best to sort it all out now.

"Want to sit back down?" When Ginny nodded, she slid a hand to the small of Ginny's back and led her back to the bed. This time, Ginny was quick to settle in, wanting to be closer, and ended up positioned between Lia's outstretched legs, back against her chest, and Lia had to take a minute to recuperate. The awkwardness previously displayed at Lia's touch was nowhere to be found. Maybe Ginny Weasley had a penchant for physical affection after all. But where Ginny seemed comfortable, Lia was struggling. She didn't know where to put her hands. She was sure Ginny hadn't realized that this was the perfect position to… no expectations, she remembered. Lia settled on resting them on her own legs.

"So," she began, "how do you feel? Like this, I mean. Are you okay with this?"

"It's kind of weird," Ginny admitted. "But not because of you or anything. It's just…"

"Different."

"Yeah. Mostly because we're the same height, I think. And you're just… small. And there's nothing pressing against my arse I've got to worry about disturbing if I move too much," she chuckled.

"That does sound like a plus. But you were worried. Can you tell me what's going through your head?"

"Have you kissed guys before?"

"You're avoiding my question."

"I'm fine. I mean, it's not like I just had some mind-blowing revelation here. Because, for the record, I'm… I'm turned on, too. I have been. By you." It sounded so weird to say out loud. Too technical. Too personal. Too… something. Ginny wasn't sure, but Lia's warmth on her back and the outside of her legs was scrambling coherent thought.

Lia's throat suddenly went dry as a wave of arousal moved down her body like whiskey. "Are you really trying to test me or something?"

"I'm testing myself. Pushing myself. To see what's comfortable and what I still need to work through."

Testing, huh? Lia leaned forward to rest her chin on Ginny's shoulder, breath ghosting over her neck as she asked, "Are you turned on by this?" Lia could handle teasing, as impatient as she was. She'd keep her hands in appropriate places, but as long as Ginny was pushing herself, it would just be helpful to keep pushing her, wouldn't it? She knew what Ginny was and wasn't comfortable with, and nothing further than snogging was going to happen tonight, but the best way she knew how to open Ginny up to possibilities was to give her a taste of them.

Silently, Ginny shifted, and Lia had her answer. She pulled her head back, giving the other girl room to breathe.

"And you're perfectly okay with the fact that there's a girl turning you on? You're not going to change your mind later?"

"Wh-why would I change my mind?" Lia would have given anything to see Ginny's face, but her imagination was doing a pretty good job.

"Some people do," she admitted, playing with a piece of lint on her pants. "A girl one of my friends went out with last year… she, ehm, she was in a similar situation as you, I think, and… the girl kissed her and… they did a lot of other things and then… decided she didn't like girls after all."

"That's awful."

"Yeah, it was. That's why… I mean, that's why I want to make sure. Because I really like you. And I've been… trying to accept that it might be a possibility."

"Well, it's not." Ginny turned to look at her, determination in her eyes. "Liking girls isn't something I'm scared of, Lia. I promise. It's just new. And I get nervous about trying new things. I get nervous about Quidditch plays, but once I do them, it's like I've been doing them forever, you know?"

"So that's all I am? A Quidditch play?" she teased.

Ginny smiled, rolling her eyes playfully. "No. But you know what I mean. The only panicking I've done is just… wondering why I'd never realized it before. Not that I don't want it or I've got some moral quandary about all the things I know you want to do with me. Just all the girls I've missed out on all these years."

"And you're not worried about what your parents will think?"

"No. They're not in charge of who I date. Besides, Mum told me that she's happy you make me happy. Not in the same context, of course, but it's not like she's going to change her mind and tell me she doesn't want me happy. And Dad already loves you too."

"Your whole family's amazing, Ginny. At least, the ones I've met. Everyone's just so… welcoming. I mean, I feel like a part of it already."

"That's just how they are. And I'm glad you love them too because… there's a lot of them." She got on her knees to turn around, sitting back on her ankles. "I just also get nervous about physical stuff because… I mean, I've never done it before, and the prospect of being naked and someone… touching me is… kind of terrifying. And I know that there are steps and boundaries you have to cross, but the first one is kissing. And that's what Luna was saying that you just have to find someone you trust with all that. Though, clearly, my body has no problem trusting you before my brain catches up."

"Maybe you should listen," Lia smirked.

"If you keep entrancing me with Disney movies, I just might. What's next on the list?"

Lia's eyes scanned over Ginny's face. Gone was the girl who'd come over, nervous about something as simple as a kiss. She had a feeling she'd been like this with Dean, too. And maybe even Harry. Maybe she'd misread it all. She'd just have to trust Ginny to know what she was comfortable with.

"I think we should start with my second favorite redhead."