"Are you ok," Rosita asked.
Liv had been staring out the window of the office lost in thought. Rosita's words brought her back to the present. "Fine," she said shortly, turning back to the paperwork she had been filling out. She was finishing her report on her assignment being Harry Potter's bodyguard. It was very late, and they were the only ones left in the office, apart from the night on-call team.
"No you're not," Rosita said. "Something's off. You haven't been acting like yourself. Not since…"
Rosita didn't say it but Liv knew what she meant. Not since you came back from Hogwarts. Liv had been staring out the window gazing at the lights of New York City thinking that somehow this magnificent city didn't compare to Hogwarts lit up at night. She missed it more than she was willing to admit. But that wasn't the only thing she missed.
"Mrs. Wang it right," Rosita continued, referring to their boss at the MACUSA's auror office. "It's hard coming off an assignment that long and that intense. Maybe you should do what she says and take more time off. You worked day and night for nearly a year. You can't just bounce back after 1 week in Rio."
Rosita didn't know that Liv never went to Rio. Or that Sirius Black had gone in her place using Polyjuice potion.
"No," Liv said turning back to her paperwork. "I need to work. I need to learn. I made some stupid mistakes over there and I need to make sure that kind of thing doesn't happen again."
Liv had made many mistakes; she hadn't realized that Sirius was sneaking into the castle and past her security spells using his animagus ability. She'd spoken freely in front of him about being an auror too. She nearly gave herself away as an auror by leaving her wand near the boy's dormitory once. But worst of all, she had gone for months assuming that someone knew she was an auror when in reality he'd believed she was a student.
"You're only just out of training, and only 22," Rosita said. "Most people don't get assignments like that so young. You're bound to make mistakes." But this didn't make Liv feel any better. So Rosita tried a different idea. "Does this have anything to do with-"
"Maybe you're right," Liv said quickly. "Maybe I'm overworked. I'll finish this up and go."
20 minutes later she picked up her bag and left the office, promising a concerned Rosita they'd get drinks that weekend and talk some more.
Liv was too tired to try apparating home, not wanting to splinch herself accidentally, so she went down the elevator to use the floo network fireplaces on the ground floor.
Liv had lied to her friend again. Yes she missed Hogwarts, and yes she wanted to improve her auror abilities, but the real reason she was so melancholy was because she missed Remus Lupin.
They had broken up. It was better this way, they had told each other as they lay together in his bed one night. Long distance relationships were hard enough for normal people. How could a werewolf keep a long distance relationship? How could an auror keep one? How could two people who met on a secret assignment keep one?
Technically, Remus Lupin and "Olivia Park" would part ways when he left the teaching job. Technically, Remus Lupin and Olivia Audrey had never met and had no reason to be in contact. Besides, it would be difficult to keep in touch. They couldn't say anything about her confidential assignment in letters.
So, when they parted, they knew that would be the end of things.
But as Liv entered her apartment she couldn't help feeling blue. The 2 weeks she had been back seemed like they had gone on forever. It was then she saw a large tropical bird tapping on her window. She opened it and the bird dropped a letter on the floor and flew away into the night.
Liv picked it up, opened it, and read.
Liv,
I know we said we wouldn't write. And I know we decided that it would be easier that way. But I also know that I miss you. I'm not asking to pick up where we left off. I'd just like to keep in touch.
Love,
Moony
THE END
AN:
Thanks everyone who read and followed! Please comment and let me know what you thought of it! I'll be slowly working on a sequel that places during Goblet of Fire (kinda nervous doing another fanfic!). If anyone is interested in what happens next go follow The Bodyguard 2!