He entered the house, which was suspiciously quiet. Upon seeing Liv's work bag in the kitchen, he knew she was home and got a little concerned. He'd been worrying about her all evening. Perhaps he should have rescheduled with Ron and Hermione, but hindsight was always clearer.

She wasn't in his bedroom, but he found her across the hall, curled up asleep. Her dark hair splayed out across the white duvet, while her shiny dark green bathrobe clung to every curve on her body, just a faint sliver of pale skin exposed. She was so beautiful to him, that he found himself watching her for just a moment.

Patience, he thought, and sat down on the bed next to her. When that didn't cause her to stir, he pressed his lips close to her ear. "Liv?"

She slowly stirred, her dark eyes blinking drowsily at him. He swore he could faintly smell cigarettes on her, but didn't say anything. "Hi."

"Everything okay?" He asked, laying down next to her.

She nodded, covering her mouth as she yawned. "Meeting was a bit stressful, but ultimately Simon just wanted my help getting Ames the help he needs."

He wasn't pleased by the sound of that, but had to remind himself to gently probe to allow her to feel safe here. "What did you say?"

"That for my own well being, I can't be involved in that," she explained. "I want him to help Ames. I want Ames to get the help he needs to face his demons. I just can't be the one talking him into it or supporting him through it."

She looked up at him innocently, trying to gauge his response to that. He just pulled her closer to him, wanting her to know just how happy that made him.

"I'm glad you stood up for yourself," he said.

She nodded, sleepily moving herself into his warm embrace. "How was dinner?"

"It was nice," he said. "Good to catch up with them."

"Good," she said.

"Any reason you came in here?" he asked, lightly running his hand up and down her side, cherishing the silky, thin fabric between her skin and his hand.

"I smelled like cigarettes and didn't want to stink up your room," she said quite honestly, beginning to sit up. As she had moved, her robe had become slightly undone, and Harry tried to remain focused on her face.

"Ah," he said "Makes sense."

"I'm glad I met with Simon," she said. "But I think I need to let that portion of my life be for awhile. It's just too much for me to handle right now."

"You've got enough on your plate right now," he said.

"I don't like the me that was with Ames," she murmured. "As soon as I'd left Simon, the urge for a cigarette was overwhelming. I smoked the entire way home... after effortlessly quitting. I don't like that."

"It doesn't have to be your life anymore," he assured her.

"I'm glad it's not," she said, getting up off the bed and fixing her robe.

In the shower, she lathered up the bar of soap before scrubbing her entire body. The water, at her preferred scalding hot temperature, beat hard against her back as she focused on making sure that every part of her that smelled like smoke was washed off. It was the last time she would come home smelling like smoke.

After she dried off, she grabbed her tub of lotion from where it had been balancing precariously on the back of the toilet. The spacious, bright bathroom had her things cluttered around it, because she was afraid to truly put them away.

The jasmine scented lotion helped soothe her skin, angry from the vigorous scrubbing and steaming water. She finally felt more like herself, at peace with the closure gained from the day. She squeezed the excess water from her hair, before tightly braiding it.

Harry was already in bed, reading, as she joined him. She was so attracted to him, and wanted to jump his bones, but he seemed so cautious with her. She wanted to respect that, to let him know how much she appreciated the space in which to be herself. She hoped a more physical side of their relationship would develop in time.

As she settled into the bed, she nudged him, seeking physical contact. He managed to rub her back soothingly with one hand while he used the other to hold his book. The gentle but firm affection lulled her into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she was sitting at her desk, taking alternate bites of a huge bagel and long sips of coffee. She was at peace, but starving from skipping dinner the night before. She just needed a little time to herself before delving into the long day of meetings and reviewing cases she had ahead of her. She lazily flipped through the morning's paper, not caring to read too closely.

"Have you seen this?" Holly demanded, barging into the office. She held the morning paper in her hand, and looked incensed.

"What?" Liv asked, through a mouth full of poppy seed bagel.

Holly laid the back cover of the Daily Prophet on her desk, which had a large article titled

Tutshill Tornado Checks Into Rehab, Sparking a Storm of Questions.

Sure enough, a picture of Ames being escorted into a building by Simon, who had his hand up to block the picture, was front and center under the title.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Holly asked. "Oh? That's all you have to say about this?"

Liv looked up at Holly for a moment, entirely unsure of how to act. She was left sitting there, her mouth slightly agape.

"Why did you let this get to this point?" She asked. "Why aren't you supporting him in his time of need?"

"This is not my fault. This is not my problem. Get the fuck out of my office," Liv said, finally deciding that anger was the way she was going to deal with this today. "Out!"

Holly looked flabbergasted at the thought of being kicked out of Liv's office.

"Liv, c'mon, what's gotten into you?" She pleaded. "Who even are you these days?"

"I told you to get out," Liv said, standing up and pointing to the door. "If you don't leave, I'll be happy to send you home for the day."

As soon as Holly got the point and left, Liv slammed the door with all her body weight, enjoying the loud thud it made as it collided with the door frame.

Her enjoyment stopped there, as she choked back tears at her desk. Perhaps she had been too harsh with Holly. She was mourning the loss of the entire person she thought she was for so long.

Her chest tightened and her mouth went dry as she funneled her energy into not crying, though a few tears did spillover. For the most part, she was left alone for the day. Surely, people had heard her slam the door, and seen the papers, and put things together.

When she was certain she wouldn't cry, she dared to read the article in the Daily Prophet.

Ames Jacoby, 29, chaser for the Tutshill Tornadoes, voluntarily checked himself into a rehabilitation facility in the late hours of Thursday night. Accompanied by friend and colleague Simon Stillwater, chaser for the England team, Jacoby declined to comment upon entering the building. His appearance was especially haggard compared to the promotional photos published earlier this spring by the Tornadoes.

Upon his departure, Stillwater declined to say much, citing "Jacoby's one of my best mates and a good man. He's in the right place right now. I know that once he's received the help he needs, the whole league will welcome him back to the sport openly."

She couldn't finish reading, but balled it up and threw it into the trash can in the corner. She wasn't even sure how to handle herself. She was seething at Holly, upset at herself, sad that Ames' dark moments in life were being broadcast for entertainment value. Through all of that, she felt herself aching for the embrace of a certain dark haired man working across the office who had no idea she was hurting so bad.

After a long, tense day, during which Liv had spent only half of her time hiding in her office, Harry found himself having to pry Liv out of the office once more.

"You're going to burn out," he said, sitting down in one of the chairs opposite her desk.

"I'll deal with it when it becomes an issue," she said, not even glancing up. "I didn't get much work done this morning, I'm just trying to get to a good stopping point for the weekend."

"There is no perfect stopping point," he said. "But luckily everything will still be here Monday morning."

She cut her stack in half, prepared to stick the files in her work bag if necessary. "I'm just in a good working groove."

"You just don't want to have to deal with life beyond the office walls."

"Nope," she said. "I'm quite content with life inside these four walls."

He watched her for a moment, pouring over the open case, making sloppy notes quickly with her quill. The entire side of her right hand was black from smudged ink. A sigh escaped his lips, causing her to look up.

"Come with me, please," he pleaded. "I'll take your mind off whatever's troubling you tonight and we can deal with it together tomorrow."

The sound of that piqued her interest, and she closed the manila file she was clutching. She slid the pile into her black leather work bag, and stood up.

"Yeah?" He asked, looking surprised she was interested in joining.

"I'm yours for the evening," she said.

He wished she was his for much more than just the evening, but would settle for what he could get. "Let's go."

She followed him out of the department, which was nearly empty after hours on a Friday, and they made their way towards street level. The dense, humid London air felt heavy as she tried to take a deep breath. It was the kind of humidity that made her skin feel damp and clammy after only a few block's walk.

He was walking fast through crowds of people, and she was having a hard time keeping up. She sprung off her step a little faster, and managed to grab him by the hand, grasping his fingers between hers. He seemed a bit surprised, but went with it.

She had a feeling he was taking her to the Leaky Cauldron, and she didn't actually hate the idea. Considering the dismal weather, not many people were there, and they were able to snag a table right away.

"This alright?" He asked, scooting into the booth across from her.

"Perfect, actually," she said. A strawberry blonde woman named Hannah came around and got their drink orders, greeting Harry as if they were old friends. She didn't see Neville anywhere this time.

Hannah was quick to bring her a glass of wine, for which she was very grateful.

After taking a sip, she turned to Harry. "How was your day?"

"My day?" Harry asked, slightly surprised. "Nothing out of the ordinary. My teams' pretty busy- that Dodger case is taking up most of my resources."

"Yeah," she said, remembering exactly which case that was. "That's definitely going to take a lot of manpower."

"I'm sending a few of my team to do an overnight watch next week," he said. "I'll probably join them."

She didn't like the idea of him not being home for a night, but she couldn't tell him not to go. It was his job. "Alright."

"Holly is going to be the end of me," she said, between bites of Shepherd's Pie. "I don't even know what to do about her."

"What happened?" He asked, completely unaware. She had assumed he would have heard something.

"Did you get a chance to look at the Prophet today?"

"No," he said. "I was too busy this morning. Why?"

"The back cover featured a lovely article about Ames checking into a rehabilitation facility," she said, quietly, pushing around vegetables with her fork.

"Oh," he sighed. "Wow."

"It's good," she said. "That's where he needs to be right now. But she came into my office mad that I had abandoned him in his time of need."

Harry sighed. "That's bullshit and you know it, Liv."

"She doesn't know the half of it," Liv explained, her chest feeling tight again. "But I feel so out of touch from the point in my life where she was my best friend. It feels like she's out to make me miserable. I spent a lot of time cooped up in my office today just avoiding her."

"If it makes you feel any better, she's in the field most of next week," he said. "I had to get her out of the office, she's a handful to manage."

"It does, a bit," she said. "She's a good Auror, and she works hard. But we are just not on the same wavelength right now."

"Ending relationships can cause a ripple effect in unexpected places," Harry said, reaching out and grasping her hand. "I definitely experienced it when Ginny and I split. Things weren't great between you and Evanson before you split up with Ames."

Liv nodded, finishing off the glass of wine. "I'm just not sure whether to attempt to explain myself or let it go."

"Give it time," he said. "Time will heal a lot, Liv."

"What ripples did you experience?" She asked, shifting the subject away from Holly. It was just something she didn't want to think about anymore today.

"Ron was mad at me for months," he explained. "Wouldn't speak to me for a few weeks. He didn't understand."

"But how did you get over that?"

"Time," he said. "Eventually he was ready to listen to my side of things. I'm sure eventually Holly will be ready to listen to yours."

Hannah stopped by their table, bringing refills of their drinks.

"Did you make plans with Ron and Hermione for this weekend?" She asked.

"They're going camping up north with Hermione's family," he explained. "Perhaps one night next week?"

"Sounds good," she said. "I'm sure Weasley has a less than favorable impression of me."

Harry chuckled, but Liv's eyes were inquisitive. "You'll grow on him."

Weasley had worked in the Auror department with both of them until a year prior when he switched departments. Liv never thought of him as a truly competent Auror, but she would not say anything to Harry about that.

"We could go to midnight karaoke," he suggested, a smile on his face.

She laughed, recalling how she had mentioned it the last time they were sitting in the exact same spot. "I'm not so sure."

"But I'd love to hear you drunkenly singing Celestina Warbeck songs in front of dozens of strangers," he said.

She blushed a bit, but easily recognized that he was teasing her. "I'm fairly sure those days have come and passed for me. However, if you want to get up there and sing, I'm fully supportive of you."

"I would need about three more shots of fire whiskey," he said, smiling. "And you to discard every copy of the Daily Prophet on Monday."

"But the picture evidence would be the best part," she countered.

"Do you want another drink?" He asked, noticing her wine glass was nearly empty. His own glass had probably a sip left.

"I think I'm good for tonight," she said. "Don't need to make a habit out of getting sloshed here."

He paid the check and they began their walk home. She felt significantly better than she had two hours before, like a giant weight had been lifted off her chest. Harry had a knack for knowing exactly how to improve her mood. While they'd sat eating dinner, a large rain storm had come through, breaking the humidity, so their walk home was rather pleasant.

He had his arm around her as they walked, and she felt so comfortable. They didn't speak much, feeling content enough in their silence. She was full, pleasantly buzzed, and very grateful for him. She hoped he knew how much she appreciated his investment in her well being.

As they walked into the house, she went to put her work bag away for the weekend, and he tended to the pile of mail on the table. She was tired, but still had some energy left in her, and that energy fueled a fire of longing for Harry.

She didn't know how to approach him about wanting more, physically, so she climbed up to the third floor and got comfortable instead of making a fool of herself. She shed her work clothes for a pair of shorts and a tank top. In the bathroom, she braided her long, dark hair, feeling nervous for reasons entirely in her head.

She found him in the bedroom, getting ready for bed. He had picked up the book he kept on his bedside table, and she felt like any opportunity to physically engage him seemed lost.

Slipping into the soft sheets, she approached him gently. He turned, looking pleasantly surprised, and leaned over to kiss her.

The kiss reignited desire within her, fueling it harder than before. Before she knew it, they were snogging. His hands were all over her body, and she felt thoroughly intoxicated by him. She wanted him so badly.

Since their bodies were so tightly pressed together, she could feel how aroused he was growing and that reassured her. He broke away from her for a moment to catch his breath.

"I really want you," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his.

The brief pause gave him a slight moment in which to get his head on straight. "Liv..."

"Please," she pleaded, grinding her hips into his. "I know you want me too..."

"Liv..." He sighed. It was with the utmost restraint he shifted away from her, despite her poor reaction to it. He could see every muscle in her face tighten, her eyes turn down sadly.

"Maybe I assumed too much," she said. She had to turn away from him, so he wouldn't see her crumple in the frank vulnerability of the situation. "My apologies."

"Please," he said gently, brushing her hair off her shoulder. "Do you know how much restraint I have to exercise around you every day?"

"So just go for it!" she claimed, exasperated.

"No," he said. "I really like you, Liv. I want to do things right here. I don't want to rush things and just be a rebound. Maybe things won't work out, maybe they'll be greater than either of us can imagine— but I think we could both use further distance from your relationship with Ames before we go any further."

She was silent, taking in what he has to say as both incredibly heartwarming and frustrating. She was busy chewing on the dry skin on her lips and staring at the pattern in the ceiling. Afraid of how she'd betray her emotions if she dared look him in the eyes, she maintained a stony look as her eyes traced the swirling plaster.

"I hope I haven't sent you mixed messages," he said. "I want to be here to comfort you."

"You have been," she said, finally breaking her silence as she felt some of the tension in her chest dissipate. "You've shown me more kindness than I've known in the past few weeks. Thank you."

In her peripheral, she saw him nod. His hand entwined with hers, squeezing it in a way that was supposed to be comforting. In a quiet voice, he whispered, "it's been a pleasure. Truly."

She swung her legs over the bed to go into the bathroom. She turned the tap on cold, and stuck her hands under it, watching as her fingers turned white. She cupped her hands together, collecting the icy water before splashing it on her face. Although the rejection stung, she tried to use her brain to rationalize what her heart couldn't quite grasp yet.

The cold water on her face reminded her to breathe, easing the cravings for worse vices. In the mirror, she saw her face grow less red, tension easing from every joint in her body. She nudged the medicine cabinet behind the mirror open, looking for a simple sleeping draft she knew Harry would have stored in there.

Using her thumb nail, she popped the cork out of the small glass bottle, taking a sniff to verify she had the right potion. Its earthy yet minty scent filled her nostrils, and she knew it was correct. She tipped her head back, swallowing just a small sip. Before she had replaced the cork in the bottle, she began to feel calmer already.

He remained in bed, watching her quietly as she got back into bed. She could tell he was unsure of how to act towards her, so she wrapped her arms around his back, enjoying his warmth. She heard him sigh contently, reaching for one of her hands to clasp in his. Sleep overcame her quickly.

Author's Note: Happy Wednesday, folks! Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think, and there will be a new chapter up tomorrow and Friday as well Thanks to my beta, potter-reading-coastie for his help with this story.