The following chapter contains mature and sensitive themes. If you'd like more detail on the type of content, please scroll to the Author's Note at the very bottom for more information. If you're not concerned about the content and don't want to be spoiled, carry on reading from here, but read at your own risk!

The next morning, she was a little surprised to see her name on the door in front of her office. Underneath, of course, it said "Interim Director of Research", but she'd never had an actual office, nor a door with her name on it. For the first time, she felt a pang of pride.

She set her bag down, and found that Rutherford had left her a suggested schedule for the day, so she began with the department secretary, Anne.

"So in the morning I usually go over the active Research cases and prepare a report for Kensington," she said. "Then from there he makes his rounds in the department, checking in on the cases that need updates, meeting with the other department heads on any new cases and assigning them from there, and sits in on department meetings."

"Wow," she said, taking notes. "Okay."

"So here's your updates for today," she said. "I've marked the three cases that I think are most important to check in on, then you have a meeting with Rutherford this afternoon, and that's about it for today."

"Sounds good," Liv said, looking over it all.

"So if you have any questions, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Anne."

She poured over the files, coming up with a bunch of questions to ask as part of getting updates from other department members.

She heard a knock on her door and looked up to see Miles Bradley, another one of the senior researchers, at the door.

"Oh, come in, Bradley," she said. "Everything alright?"

"Just wanted to congratulate you, Wellwood," he said. "No one can replace Kensington, but I'm glad you're the one taking his place."

"Thank you," she said. "I'm going to, er, do my best. Do you have a minute to speak about the case you're working on right now? I would love to get a status report on it."

"Sure," he said, taking a seat. She opened the folder, and asked him to give her context for the case. Bradley was easy going and helpful, and she was grateful that this was her first task of the day.

She felt busy, and slightly overwhelmed by everything they was on her plate, but she could do it. In fact, that's how the entire week went. She was so busy, but every day she left feeling a little better about her new job.

Wednesday night, something bounced against the still closed Floo. She opened up the crisply folded piece of parchment, and immediately recognized Ames' handwriting. "Can I come home yet?"

She scribbled back "nope", tossed it through the Floo, and charmed it shut again. She still hadn't quite fully processed the events of the previous Saturday and it really wasn't a priority, given the work situation.

But the next day, she had to deal with him, as she returned home from work to find him sitting on the couch.

"You didn't get my note?" She asked.

"No, I did," he said. "But I really don't want this to go on any longer, Liv."

"I really never wanted it to be an issue in the first place, Ames," she shot back, as she put her things away. She denied him the attention he wanted.

He was silent.

"I miss you," Ames said. "I miss coming home to you, I miss how grumpy you are in the morning, I miss poking fun at those stupid magazines you buy..."

It was a lot easier to stay strong when he wasn't right in front of her. She was silent, and sat on the arm chair across from him, studying his face.

"I just... I'm not sure," she admitted. Although their relationship had some definite problems, it was hard to deny that their relationship hadn't been a bright spot in her life. He represented stability, happiness, and was the closest thing she had had to family in many years. It felt impossible to walk away from him entirely.

"Just talk to me, love," he begged.

"I don't even know what to say, Ames," she said. "I don't want to be in a relationship where I have to worry about being hurt, physically, especially because you've been drinking. I can be a right pain in the ass, but I don't deserve to have to leave a party where I'm enjoying myself because I don't want people to see my swollen and bruised face."

"You're right, Liv," he said. "I never meant to hurt you- I hope you know that. I would be so mad if anyone else laid a hand on you..."

"I know," she said. "I think you need some professional help."

He paused, as she knew he would. He'd hate to admit he had any sort of issue.

"If that's the condition under which you'll take me back, then absolutely," he said. That statement left her feeling backed into a corner, so she got up to pace a bit.

"Okay," she said. "But that's it- you need to make getting help a priority. If anything like Saturday night ever happens again, I'm out."

"Thank you, love," he said. "I won't let you down. I promise, I really think I've turned a new corner and am ready to shed this demon."

She nodded. Her feelings weren't entirely happy, sort of just relieved that the conflict between them was over and life could get back to normal.

"I'll go grab my things from Simon's- I'll be back."

She was so glad it was Friday. She had survived her first week in her new position, and things with Ames had reconciled. She was looking forward to two days off to sleep in and recharge.

It had been a slightly busy morning, but she'd taken care of everything in her to do list before taking out her lunch. She picked at the salad for awhile, casually flipping through the morning's paper.

"Got a second, Boss?"

She looked up to see Potter. "I'm not your boss."

"Eh," he said, coming in to sit down without waiting for her to okay it. "You're on Rutherford's level, and he's my boss."

"That's weird," she said. "I don't like that."

"So how'd your first week go?"

"Didn't kill anyone, she said, flipping through the files. "Which, considering I'm managing Houston, is a minor achievement."

"Not killing your employees is always appreciated," Potter said, smirking.

"And I think I have a handle on everything. Mostly."

"Well, that's great," he said. "See, I knew you could handle it."

"Yeah, thanks," she said. "I appreciated the pep talk on Monday. I needed that."

"My pleasure, Liv," he said. "Look, just wanted to give you a heads up I'll be out of the office most of next week."

"What case are you working on?"

"I'm going on holiday, actually," he said. "My godson wants to go to see the pyramids, so we're going to Egypt."

"How cool!" She said, though she felt a pang of sadness she'd be without her office friend for a week.

He smiled. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I may be in the office on Friday, depends on how much spending five days traveling with a kid exhausts me."

"How old's your godson?" she asked.

"He just turned thirteen," he said. "Good age, not too much angst yet."

She laughed. "That's important. He's lucky to have you."

"Both his parents passed in the war," he said. "He was weeks old. His nan raises him full time but as he's getting older, I've been trying to spend more time with him. I wish my godfather had been around more for me at that time."

"I'm so sorry," she said, not knowing exactly what his godson had gone through, but close enough. "I'm sure you two will have a great week."

"Yeah," he said. "Think you can hold down the fort here while I'm away?"

She eyed the large sick of files on her desk. "I think I'm going to be very busy, but you will be missed."

Out the large office door, she saw Ames peeking into her old cubicle and looking very confused when it was empty.

"In here," she called, and he looked up. In one hand, he had a large bouquet of flowers in a glass vase. It was a nice touch that made her smile.

"Since when do you work in here?"

"I'm temporarily filling in for Kensington while he's ill," she explained. "I'll fill you in on all the details later."

"Hello Potter," Ames said quickly, then turned back to Liv. "These are for you, love. Just wanted to drop them off before I head to Scotland for the game."

"I'll catch up with you later, Wellwood," Harry said, excusing himself. He could not be in the room with Ames. He didn't trust himself not to hit Ames in his stupid, smug face.

She waved to him, unable to stop smiling at the flowers. Usually she wasn't much of a flower person, but these were making her day. "They're beautiful."

"I know that it doesn't excuse any of my behavior," he said. "But you deserve nothing but the best and I wanted to bring you a little something."

"Thank you, Ames,"

"Anyways, I've got to run, love," he said. "I've got to be with the team in twenty minutes. But I want to hear all about why the hell you're sitting in your boss's office, yeah?"

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow morning," she said. He leaned down to kiss her before going his separate ways. He very rarely stopped by her office, but she very rarely went to his games.

She finished up her lunch and reviewing some files, before going to hunt out Potter to finish their conversation earlier. As she approached his door, though, she could see that it was shut with the lights off.

"Potter's gone for the week," Taryn said. "He'll be back a week from Monday. Is it emergent?"

"Oh," she said. "No, I just wanted to chat with him. It can wait, though. Thank you."

She felt bummed she didn't get to say a proper goodbye, but there wasn't much she could do about it now and she didn't want to bother him at home. She'd hear all about the trip next week.

She had a large pile of files in her work bag when she went home, to go through this weekend while Ames was busy with Quidditch.

She was very cautious with Ames, glad for his company but hating that she felt mildly afraid of him. She shouldn't fear his presence, but she did. He promised he would be getting help this upcoming week, and she couldn't wait until she could just let her guard down around him again.

—-

Wednesday morning, she was at her desk, busy looking through a case one of her junior researchers was having issues with. Melanie Coorsworth, the researcher in question, sat in her chair nervously, shifting back and forth.

"Yeah, this one is trickier than it looks," Liv said, sighing. "But I think you can dig deeper on this Hixon guy… Have you checked his bank records? Gringotts is always happy to help us, I'll write you a permit for the release of his records."

"Great," she said. "And what exactly should I look for?"

"Patterns of spending is a big one," Liv said as she scribbled the permit. She was a bit disappointed that Coorsworth had worked here for over a year and was still asking elementary questions, but reminded herself she was no longer allowed to make snide remarks. "Any suspicious withdrawals or deposits, any odd places that money is being spent…"

Coorsworth nodded, and took the papers that Liv handed her and left. The intern brought her the mail, and she was delighted to find a postcard from Egypt in the midst of department notices.

Harry and the dark haired boy she assumed was his godson stood in front of a pyramid, waving. He looked good. The holiday suited him.

On the back, in absolutely awful handwriting, Harry had left her a note.

"Liv—

Wanted to drop you a quick postcard from Egypt. Teddy and I are certainly enjoying ourselves. It's been great to get out of the office for a few days— you might consider it yourself. The weather here is perfect and there's been so much good food. Will catch up with you next week. Be well.

Harry"

She smiled, feeling surprisingly happy that he thought of her enough to write her while he was enjoying himself hundreds of miles away.

She slipped the postcard into the top drawer of her desk, along with her other important belongings. It made her feel good.

"Since when do you sit in here?"

She was startled, caught shifting through her belongings, but looked up to see Holly in the doorway, sans baby.

"Hi," Liv said, quietly. Just being near Holly made her heart race and hands feel clammy. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my first day back," Holly said. "From maternity leave."

"Oh," was all Liv could manage to say. Holly stared at her, eyes wide, not clearly understanding why Liv was acting so cold.

"That's all you've got to say?" she asked, taking a seat in front of Liv's desk.

"I'm sorry," Liv said earnestly. "You've taken me by surprise."

"You get a promotion?" Holly asked. "I saw your name on the door."

"It's a temporary thing," she said. "Kensington's sick and not going to be in for a while and asked me to step up and fill his role."

"Well. I suppose congratulations are in order."

"I was in the right place at the right time," Liv said. "Really, nothing to get excited over."

"They've placed me under Potter," Holly said, making a face. "To help mentor some of the trainees."

"Good," she said. "That's a good role for you, and he's a good supervisor."

"I thought you hated him?" she asked, looking surprised. "I leave this place for a few months and everything has changed."

"He's a good guy," Liv explained. "We worked together on a big project for a few weeks and he's grown on me. I think you'll like working on his team."

"If you say so," Holly said, standing up.

"Anyways," Liv said, reorganizing the papers on her desk. "Rutherford's due any minute for a meeting, but welcome back."

Holly got the hint, and left her office, giving Liv a few minutes alone to reclaim a calm demeanor before she had to deal with Rutherford. She paced a bit, though her new office was terrible for pacing. There was nothing she wanted more than a cigarette and a glass of wine.

She was happy to get into the flat at the end of that Friday. Ames didn't have a game, and she wanted to enjoy a rare weekend evening with her.

He was waiting for her by the door. "Hi, love."

He hugged her tightly, kissing along the side of her face. "Hello."

"I've got plans for us," Ames said, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Oh?" she asked. "And what do these plans entail?"

"It's a secret," he said. "Go get dressed. Something sexy."

"Can I at least shower first?" She whined, wanting to scrub the day away.

He checked his watch. "We have an hour before we need to leave. Can you shower and be ready that quickly?"

Without answering, she ran to the bathroom to hop in the shower. She was entirely unsure of what Ames had planned tonight, but she was certainly looking forward to it. The distraction was welcome.

An hour later, she was almost entirely ready, with just her pearl studs to slip into her ears. Ames had picked out one of her favorite dresses- a black, lace dress that shone purple under lights. She chose a pair of low heels, and presented herself to Ames as good to go.

"You look beautiful," he said. "I know your job requires you to wear what you do, but damn you just look lovely in a dress."

She blushed, never comfortable with compliments. "So where are we going?"

"You'll see, you impatient little thing..."

She couldn't help but smile. This was the Ames she had fallen in love with, and boy, was she glad to catch a glimpse of him.

She trusted him, and followed him to where they had dinner reservations. "We had our first date here."

"That is correct," he said.

"Except this time I'm properly dressed."

She thought back to the Friday night a few years prior when she'd agreed to meet him one-on-one for the first time. He'd mentioned taking her to one of his favorite places- but neglected to explain the dress code, and she'd shown up in ripped jeans and a Weird Sisters shirt, much to her embarrassment. At the time, he had laughed at her faux pas and found it charming, but she couldn't help but cringe.

Ames laughed. "As long as we are together, I will never let you live that down."

"I still maintain that it was entirely your fault," she said. "It was on you to inform me of the dress code."

They were seated at a table by the windows, able to watch the people below them scuttle by as the London sun set. Everything was golden outside, and it was beautiful. Liv felt lighter and more carefree than she had in quite some time.

Ames ordered them a bottle of her favorite white wine and, as soon as they both had glasses, he held his up. "To your new position at work."

She looked him in the eyes, smiled, and touched her glass to his. They unwound as they snacked on calamari and a tomato basil flatbread.

"I think it's spectacular that you've finally gotten a bump up," Ames said. "You've been there what, seven years now?"

"Something like that," she murmured. She enjoyed the intimacy of this restaurant. They were able to have a quiet conversation without feeling like anyone was listening in. "It's been nice. The last few weeks have been so stressful between that last case and taking over this new job..."

"And me being an absolute git..."

"Well, yes," she said, pouring herself more wine. "That didn't help."

"But I finally feel like I might have everything balanced and be ready to tackle this with everything I've got."

"And I'm sure you'll do wonderfully, my love."

They laughed and chatted more than they had in months, enjoying each other's company. They spoke about Ames' work, and how his team was poised to clinch a spot in the playoffs. Ames filled her in on Eva, the girl Simon had brought home from Finnegan's wedding and seemed to be getting on with well.

As they ate their dinners, she couldn't help but wonder why they didn't come here more often. The ambiance was superb, and her dinner of swordfish and roasted summer vegetables was delicious. The servers were attentive, keeping the wine flowing at the perfect rate. and making sure everything was perfect.

"Would you like dessert?" Ames asked cheekily.

She looked at him, as if to ask if he was serious, then laughed. "Would I like dessert?"

"You're right," he said, grabbing the dessert menu for her to pour over. She chose a piece of tiramisu for them to split, and enjoyed every single bite without feeling an ounce of guilt.

"This was so lovely," she said, sighing happily.

"It was," Ames said. "We should do this more often."

They walked home, hand in hand, enjoying the warm summer evening. She was letting her guard down around Ames again, and felt comfortable next to him. This was the man she had fallen in love with.

They entered their apartment and she took a seat on the couch, full, tired, and content.

"I'm getting myself another glass of wine," Ames said. "Want one?"

"Oh, I'm all set," she said. "Unless you want me to fall asleep right here on the couch."

He chuckled, and took a seat next to her. He slowly moved closer to her. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you too," she said, as his lips touched hers. She leaned into the comfort of his embrace, his strong arms around her.

"Let's move this to the bedroom," Ames said, his voice low and his eyes full of desire.

"I-" she began. She was happy to make out with him, but the idea of sex tonight made her hesitate. She could let her guard down a bit with him, but couldn't bring herself to be intimate with him just yet. "I'm content here, Ames."

He looked puzzled. "You want me to fuck you here?"

"Not tonight?" she asked, though he tugged her by the arm to the bedroom and she meekly followed, hoping he'd get it soon enough. "It's too soon."

He overpowered her by far, but she put up her hands to try and get him to stop. "Ames, love, really, no-"

"I love when you play hard to get," he said, gently biting her neck, and his hands slid up her thighs, thumbs looping under her panties and dragging them down.

"Stop!" she cried, though his grip didn't loosen. She elbowed him in the stomach, which got him to loosen his grip on her, and she slipped out from his hold. As she headed for the door of the flat, she was able to snatch her handbag. He caught up with her, knocking the purse out of her grip.

"You must be feeling especially saucy tonight," he said, and she could smell all the alcohol on his breath. Through her dress, he cupped her breasts, and she saw no other option: she kneed him in the crotch to get free.

She ran out of the apartment, as fast as she could. When she was out of the building and down the block, she felt safe enough to stop and adjust herself for comfort. Where could she go? She had no wallet to check herself into a hotel. There was no chance of staying with Holly.

Harry?

She thought through it briefly, and then knew he would let her crash there for the night. She took off in the direction of his place. Tears began to stream down her face once she knew she was out of danger, but she tried to wipe them away as quickly as possible and keep moving.

She turned down Grimmauld Place, knowing she was close. She was briefly questioning her decision to come here, but reminded herself she had literally nowhere else to go. She did her best to recall his wards, breaking through most of them with ease, when the door opened.

CONTENT WARNING/AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter contains themes of domestic violence and attempted non-consensual sex. Read at your own risk. If you're concerned about the topic matter, please PM me and I will be happy to provide you with a summary of the chapter without triggering content. Thanks for all the reviews, PMs, and support, everyone! An extra chapter could go up this week—but only if this chapter reaches 5 reviews! Thanks to my great beta, potter-reading-coastie.