That look, that really was the threshold for Aurora. Her smile did nothing to hide how utterly pleased with herself she was, self-satisfied at getting this beautiful woman, stubborn and stoic as she had been so far, to speak words of defeat aloud.

Her hand felt those fingers slip free, and, for a moment, she tensed, anticipating the squeeze. But thankfully, Waverly was at least paying enough attention to play with her uninjured leg. Even with the bit of Kelp, the calm atmosphere, she wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't jump like a scared cat if that leg got that sort of attention. Just in case, she reminded herself to be prepared and careful going forward. And going forward was absolutely where this was going, by Waverly's own admission.

But rather than gloat or smile again, revel in her own ego being stroked, Aurora nodded. A free hand rose, fingertips brushing along the younger witch's jaw and cheek again, adding that bit of extra buzz to the electricity already sparking between them, and then she closed that small gap.

Lips met lips, warm and tender, giving what was teased previously, at least in part. First small motion was obeying a command, fulfilling a wish, and a test. She'd hover there, lips against lips, hum lightly in consideration as her eyes fell closed. Then her head would tilt, just so, and she'd draw on Waverly's lips again, a little deeper, warmer, more of what was teased.

Where it went from there was up to the other witch's response, yet another filter to see if the former auror was worthy? Her confidence wouldn't let her consider any outcome but positive though, so she was hardly hesitating.

Free, left hand settling like a leaf on water against Waverly's side, Aurora was buckled in and ready for the ride, the whole reason she'd found herself out tonight, combating restlessness and doubt, worrying about getting too old, undesirable. Silly feelings. Waverly could help. Was helping. So Aurora was all in as this roller coaster crested the first hill and started downward.

It was terrible to want things, even worse to ask for them, and torture to receive them. Waverly kept still when Aurora obliged once and twice. Waverly frowned into the kiss, unhappy that she'd let Aurora get to her so quickly, disappointed that she'd been so easy. You got what you wanted, she told herself, don't be so mad about it.

Waverly felt Aurora's pause and knew it was its own kind of question. Aurora's hand on her was so light. Waverly composed herself, and pulled back so she could look at Aurora full-on. She kept that one hand firmly on Aurora's upper thigh, and with her other she touched first Aurora's hair at her temple. It was an admiring inventory, Waverly looking at each part of Aurora's face, the lines and contours. Where there was make-up, where there wasn't. She followed the curve of her her ear, her thumb gently pressed the corner of Aurora's mouth.

It only took a few moments, but her hand moved further into the high crease of Aurora's jeans every second.

"Again," she whispered, her mouth suddenly dry.

When the answer to her non-verbal question came, Aurora had to admit, at least internally, that she was surprised herself. She'd expected capitulation, of course, but it was about this point that it was in the form of an almost too aggressive return kiss; wet, hot, a single-minded approach. And she'd have been fine with that approach tonight.

But there was pausing, appreciative eyes that met hers when she opened them to gaze back at Waverly. The witch's hand felt... more than warm, and Aurora absolutely fell into it, head tilting, lips softly parting at the thumb that caressed them. These were not the actions of a woman confident she had Aurora for the evening and so all effort was abandoned in favor of the hook-up.

No... Waverly was admiring her, a different sort, and, for just a fleeting moment, Aurora felt something... more. The other woman's little whispered word flipped the tables on her as effortlessly as a leaf in the wind, and Aurora felt herself want to be the one doing the desperate thing, the sloppy thing. She was saved by her own self-discipline though (with just a hint of pause given, self-doubt still hiding somewhere in there).

And so, when she complied, she closed the gap again, but cool and collected, their lips shifting together again. There was more there this time, warmth, passion, but it was not the deep dive of desperation or being over eager and chasing the obvious end. It was... obedience.

A heavy breath fell from her nose, warm air brushing Waverly's face as Aurora broke the kiss in a soft gasp, settled their foreheads together. Her free hand found Waverly's on her leg, but not to stop it, simply to squeeze. It seemed to take her a few seconds to compose, but when she did, her words were soft, inviting.

"How far to your flat?"

A thrilling hum rose up inside Waverly anew. She'd come to Closet with people, but there was no expectation they'd leave together. Her roommate Gabi was travelling again. The trendy loft space in the converted factory with the big arched window - they'd have it to themselves.

"Not far. I'll Apparate us," Waverly said. Her place wasn't big or fancy, but it was hers, and way better than living with her law-enforcing mothers on their hobby farm in Wales.

Waverly had to stand so they could go, but the pull to stay down on the couch with Aurora was hard to defy. But the anticipation of seeing and touching more of Aurora and her firm frame was motivating enough. She helped Aurora up, pressed against her, and took them both away with a crack.

---

#4C Burgoyne Burbidges Lofts

Waverly and her fair-haired, tantalizingly experienced, mother-scandalizing hook-up appeared safely in the living room. An assortment of rugs covered the patched old wooden floors, and night light from the big arched window made everything blue. The first thing Waverly did when they landed in, was to kiss Aurora again, if she'd have her, and seek the bottom of the other witch's shirt.

Thankful for the support with as much subterfuge as she could manage, Aurora felt herself hold her breath for the apparating. Gone one second, solid again the next. The light was blue, warm, no longer outdoors. Her leg swelled with pain briefly, until she could adjust on to the other for uneven support. Their surroundings, though, faded as quick as the rest with Waverly's advance.

All else melted away with those warm lips that Aurora drew on, encouraged now that they were utterly alone and the intent was made clear, green lit by both parties. She shivered as Waverly's hands found her shirt, tickled her sides, and only gave permission in the form of undoing the buttons on her sleeveless vest, the meager shirt beneath more for decency than anything else.

Lips peeled apart then, leaving teeth to graze the other witch's lower lip while Aurora took a breath, got her bearings. Mostly, looked for a place to sit or lay. But it was taking too long, and neither one seemed particularly patient right then. So, dropping her cane as stealthily as she was able, the blonde threw caution to the wind and lowered her hands, brushing Waverly's sides and hips, before she gripped at the woman's thighs and gave her a tug, lifted.

The pain she could handle, the momentary unsteadiness too. All worth it to pull this woman into her arms and hold her close, foreheads resting against one another, noses brushing and words coming through hot, semi-erratic breaths. "Bed?"

"Oh!" Waverly hadn't said that like that in maybe ever. She was a tall witch and she couldn't think of the last time anyone had picked her up, let alone a woman. She became cooperative in Aurora's effort, using her legs to hold on. Here at home with the two of them alone, and Aurora a near stranger, maybe Waverly could at last lose her cool.

"Bed," she agreed with a shaking breath. Waverly sensed an unsteadiness beneath her, and she wondered about the cane. Aurora didn't say anything, however, so Waverly would put it from her mind. Aurora could handle herself. And Aurora could apparently handle her as well.

Waverly's bedroom door was just there, right off the living room. The space was small, cluttered with clothes, but otherwise tidy and fragrant with traces of perfume or incense or gillyweed. A red paisley scarf hung over her mirror.[1] The light from outside was enough to get to work.

They arrived at the bed, and Waverly didn't wait for Aurora to set her down. She lifted her chest and let her hands fall down around Aurora's back, inviting her to whatever she might like.

"I'm not much of a talker," Waverly muttered as if this were news.

Later

It was almost getting light outside by the time the witches were spent and Waverly fell asleep. Her sweaty skin had cooled in the open air, so she'd pulled up the sheet. Her hair was down, a soft fluffy pillow that would need fixing in the morning. In her doze, her hand had searched the covers for the strong, capable, clever witch Aurora.

1.	12 Feb 2012 - Some Blood in the Cut [M]

Her anxieties going into the evening fully alleviated, Aurora had found relaxing and dozing off for a time easy. And she must have really been exhausted, because one moment there was still calming breathing, sweat, tingling, and settling in to a pillow and the next...

She started, a wandering hand that was not her own finding her bare arm and giving her the momentary impression that a bug was crawling on her skin. But quickly as she'd stirred, she was relaxing again, details flooding in. Her nose had been buried against Waverly's shoulder, close to the nape of her neck, and when she lazily lifted her head to respond to the move, she left the space of skin with a gentle kiss first.

Lazy eyes sought the other woman's, strangely wanting for such attentions. Not really the norm for her after the fact, usually a fling and done sort. But there it was, and so she'd analyze it, quietly, until that curiosity was sated. On her side, beneath the sheet up to just under her arms along her ribs, her one, free hand found her lover's wandering one and laced their fingers lightly. "Hey... think we... napped?"

Her eyes squinted softly in the dim light filtering in, but it couldn't have been too long after they'd calmed down. Still very early, at any rate. But all thoughts of much but curling up and going back to sleep were muddled and distant, even more so for how she found herself mesmerized by how the warm colors peeking in framed Waverly's beautiful features. Did she stay? Go? Was she even welcome if she decided the former? Fleeting thoughts, inconsequential quite then.

There was just a half-asleep, radiant smile in place of that particular conversation.

Waverly provided no help for Aurora's dilemma. She was proud and satisfied, totally comfortable and cooly uncaring. She had every reason to believe she hadn't left Aurora wanting and so there was no reason to force herself awake to be sure of it. Under the sheets, Waverly stretched her naked length luxuriously, and had no other cares in the world at all.

Maybe, maybe, some part of her giddy self-conscious imagined a 'morning after' and what Aurora's pink skin would look like in the the sun, but Waverly wasn't making wishes or catching girlfriends or doing anything more than a coffee to go.

So when Aurora spoke, Waverly made no indication she heard. She folded and unfolded her hand in Aurora's and then stretched again and returned to sleep.

Still asleep? Not likely pretending, she was probably genuinely worn out, Aurora had seen to that personally. Frankly, she'd be insulted if she hadn't satisfied. But all the same, the return of silence felt... anti-climactic.

Her hand was squeezed, or at least the small hold was acknowledged, but there wasn't much else. And she wanted to just dismiss it as she always had, think nothing of it and go back to sleep herself. But that just wasn't how she was wired.

Even settling in, temple against Waverly's shoulder, she found herself watching their loosely intertwined fingers. Somewhere in the club scene, this woman's enchanting eyes, the kelp... she'd lost sight of what had driven her in the first place. A restless evening approaching in her quarters at Hogwarts, the anxieties of a life change, of her age, settling into a "quiet" life like some crippled veteran. She'd gotten up, forced herself into something passably attractive, and gone all the way back to London just to squash those insecurities.

And... here they were, lingering again, a cool breeze manifested on her bare shoulders. She tried to push it off, get some rest, but even with the night they'd had, the warmth right there on offer, she felt isolated and anxious all over again. And so, sun now thoroughly up after 3 or 4 scant hours, Aurora Hawkins gave up on the prospect of peace. No patience for it.

She'd extricated herself as quietly as she could from the warm body next to her and the bed itself, making sure the sheet was pulled back up for Waverly's comfort. Dressing in the bathroom was easy enough after quickly washing up in the sink (she could have a proper bath once she got back to the school). And, normally, she'd have simply left at that point. She was, after all, still in the predicament she'd come into the evening with, right?

But another glance at Waverly told her otherwise, in at least some sense. There was comfort there, warmth, affirmation. Just not enough for her overpowering neuroses. And so a compromise then. A hand-written note didn't feel like a lot, but there it was, in flowing cursive and pinned on the kitchen counter with an orange from the basket of fruit nearby.

'Thank you for the enchanting evening. It's not one I'll soon forget. I know you're not much for words, but you can reach me via owl at Hogwarts, if you're so inclined. Sleep well, Waverly - A.'

Why had she included that last part? Even she wasn't sure, entirely. The way things usually went, how she felt they'd gone... there was no good reason to suspect either wanted another encounter any time soon. But it also just felt... right. The adult thing to do. Just incase. Right?

Leaving no room for second guesses or doubt, she'd slipped out then, leaving the flat and making her way back to the Ministry for a cheap cup of coffee and a dry pastry, before catching a floo back to Hogwarts proper.