As they turned the corner, he could see the giant staircase they had to descend to make it into the gala. It was designed like this on purpose: tonight was about being seen, and there was no way to make it to your table without at least half of the attendees glancing up at you. He saw Liv fall back, transitioning from her spot beside him to matching pace with Holly. He paused for just a moment, questioning it, but knew, that ultimately… it was the right move for the evening.

The woman at the door checked them in, then waved them down the staircase.

For a few moments, all he saw was camera flashes, but he followed Ron's pace and made it to the turn of the staircase. The room below them was thoughtfully adorned with fairy lights, and seasonal flower arrangements and lots of glasses of champagne.

"This part fucking blows," Ron whispered, to the amusement of both Hermione and Harry. "If we didn't have to do this stupid, showy entrance I'd consider going to more of these stupid things."

It was nearly impossible to resist the impulse to turn around to check on Liv. Instead, he focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not tripping until he got to the bottom of the staircase. They took one final picture of him, and he moved out of the range of cameras.

From just beyond the staircase, they turned to wait for the rest of the party to join them. Liv walked to the side of her friends, her right hand lightly grazing the side of the staircase. She looked stunning, truly. Her dress, nearly the color of her skin, was fitted through the hips, then flared out. It shone, the beading catching the myriad of sources of light. Her hair, lightly waved, lay to one side of her head, framing her face beautifully. He couldn't imagine finding anyone more attractive.

Next to him, a camera flashed, and he jumped. He turned to see Pia's playful brown eyes peeking out from behind the camera.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a hot flash of anger in his veins.

"Don't worry," she laughed. "That won't be in tomorrow's paper. I thought you might want it for yourselves. She's beautiful."

He blinked away the white spots in his eyes, as Pia went to get a final picture of the Evansons and Liv. When they'd made it beyond the reaches of the cameras, Liv moved closer to him, rejoining him.

"It wasn't that bad," she said, quietly. "Now we can enjoy our evening, right?"

"Right," he said. He nearly chewed a hole in his lip, hoping Pia was true to her word.

She watched him descend the stairs, flanked by Hermione and Ron. At one point, they shared a laugh and Liv wondered about what.

"This is awkward," Holly said, eyeing up the staircase as Liv's date made his way beyond the cameras.

"It's fine," Liv said. "It'll be over quick."

"But-"

"Holly," Cian hissed, and Liv felt a huge surge of gratitude towards him. "Leave it, yeah?"

Holly managed to keep her lips sealed for a few minutes, while the woman directing the flow of traffic down the stairs waved them on. Holly grabbed Liv's arm and steadied her, as they walked down the marble staircase. Liv kept her right hand on the bannister, afraid of tripping or otherwise making a fool of herself. The ballroom below them was about half full, and a good portion of them allowed their eyes to wander to who was entering.

Liv didn't- couldn't bear to, really, search out where her date for the evening stood. The flashes of the light bulb, coupled with her wildly pounding heart kept her focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, until her shoes hit the last step.

Holly didn't let go of her, but instead focused on rejoining their group. Once they were well beyond the reaches of the photographers, she joined Harry's side.

"That wasn't so bad," she said, in an effort to convince them both. "Now we can enjoy our evening, right?"

"Right."

They grabbed drinks at the bar, before finding their table. There were delicately calligraphed name cards at each seat, which had placed Liv clear across the table from Harry. She tried not to let it rock her delicate confidence, but definitely stood at the table, frozen for a moment, not particularly wanting to sit between Cian and Neville.

"Liv, take this," Ron said, handing her the card with her name on it. "You sit next to him, and everyone else will move down one."

She nodded, and watched as they all shifted, making room for her, grateful to this circle of people that was willing to work with their unique limitations. She ended up with Holly to one side of her, and Harry on the other. It was perfect.

Everyone around them began to settle and take their seats, as a dark skinned woman took the stage. She tapped the microphone, making certain it was working, before addressing the crowd. It took Liv a moment to place her, but realized when she begun to speak it was Glenda Chittook, one of the most famous radio hosts.

"On behalf of The Daily Prophet, and the Wizarding Wireless Network, I am pleased to welcome all of you to this year's Thirty Under Thirty gala, celebrating the best and brightest witches and wizards of 2010."

Everyone clapped politely. Liv took a moment to observe who was in the crowd around her... she noticed last year's MVP Quidditch players, Orly Norwich and Oscar Fortuna. A few people she knew were involved in significant medical advancements. As keen as she was for Harry, he had been correct when he said he sunk into normalcy after the war.

"We are delighted to welcome all of you, award recipients and their loved ones, to a night dedicated to celebrating you and raising money for such an excellent cause. We have a wonderful line up of events that we know everyone will enjoy."

Liv was curious exactly what that meant, as she swirled the last sip of champagne around the bottom of her glass. She was a little too tipsy, and wanted to get some food in her stomach before she embarrassed herself.

As Glenda spoke about the events of the evening, Liv couldn't help but let her eyes wander over the crowd. At Oscar Fortuna's table, she saw the back of someone's head, and it looked unfortunately familiar.

"Holly," Liv hissed, turning her head slightly. "Is that Simon?"

"Where?"

"Table six; he's sitting in the seat at... two o'clock."

She twisted in her seat, frowning at the tall man obstructing her view. She leaned over and asked Cian, who nodded.

"The seat next to him is empty," Holly observed.

Liv wasn't sure what to make of that. This didn't seem like the kind of event he would normally attend alone, and there was no shortage of women trying to date him.

"What's the matter?" Harry whispered, leaning in.

"Simon's here," she said.

She looked at his face while he processed it, and he nodded. She had no reason to dislike Simon, he'd been a good friend to her, and to Ames as well. But it still raised the hair on the back of her neck a little. With nothing to lose, she tipped what was left of her wine glass into her mouth.

Between courses, she headed to the bar, needing... something strong. The first courses of the decadent meal, which she had definitely needed, had killed her buzz completely.

"A shot of fire whiskey in a butterbeer and a glass of Chardonnay, please," she asked the bartender. The open bar had been packed earlier, but was more sparsely crowded now, between courses. She dropped a galleon in the tip jar.

"Liv."

She turned around, instinctively, at the sound of her name, before she could register it was Simon asking for her.

"Simon," she said. He greeted her with kisses on both cheeks.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"I could say the same to you," she said, honestly still slightly shaken by him being there. "How have you been?"

He nodded. "The season's been rough on me, the girl I was dating for two whole months—"

"No, did you say months?" she asked. "I thought you didn't date anyone longer than two weeks!"

"Believe me, it surprised me too," he said. "Anyways, turned out the whole time we were dating she was still actively married, so that was shoddy, but what can you do."

"I'm sorry, Simon."

He shrugged. "Such is life."

"Isn't that the truth," she said. The bartender placed two drinks in front of her, and she thanked him.

"Drinking for two?" he asked.

"One's for my, uh, boyfriend," she said, pursing her lips. She certainly wasn't ashamed of Harry as her boyfriend, but talking about it openly, to someone from an earlier chapter of her life… it felt weird.

"You're dating?" he asked. "That's wonderful, Liv. Truly."

She nodded. "I didn't… expect to, but I'm very happy, Simon."

For a second, she considered asking about Ames. Was he still in rehab? Was he out? Was he staying sober, working on himself, drowning himself in alcohol? She had so many questions, and it seemed so odd that such a close friend now felt so distant.

"Ames is doing okay," he said, as if he could read her face.

"Good."

"I had invited him tonight, but he never committed. I'm not surprised he didn't show, perhaps it's for the best. Open bars are hard during sobriety."

She nodded, sympathetic to that. "I'm sure."

She glanced at her table, to find Harry watching them. Holly leaned over to whisper something to him and he nodded. Her curiosity was piqued, but she knew it was time to return to her table. "Probably for the best he didn't come, eh?"

She nodded, not sure she'd ever be ready to be in the same room as Ames again. And certainly not with a crowd. "It's been nice to see you, Simon. I should get back to my friends."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "You too, Liv. Take care of yourself."

She grabbed both drinks, somehow keeping them steady in her shaking hands, and managed to set them down on their table without shaking. The main course was being served, but she didn't find herself too hungry for prime rib and asparagus. A live band started up, filling the wonderful acoustics of the room.

"Everything okay?" Harry asked. The other side of the table seemed engrossed in a conversation about whether Oscar Fortuna was really the best Quidditch player of last year's season, or if Alvin Janus had been majorly snubbed.

She nodded. "Just saying hi. It's all good."

"I told you she'd be fine," Holly said.

"He means no harm," she explained. "Really, Simon's always been a nice guy."

He nodded, though she could tell he was on edge. Under the table, she grabbed his hand, and he stroked it lightly for a minute.

"Dinner is so good," Holly said, trying to fill the silence.

"Yeah, it is," Liv said, though she'd yet to eat any of the beef. She picked at the asparagus and the mashed potatoes, while everyone around her demolished their plate. Her stomach was unsettled due to how on edge she was. She went through the motions, cutting up her steak and eating a few bites here and there, contributing to conversation when she could. Holly spoke to her a lot about her and Cian's upcoming holiday to Ireland, where they would introduce Xavi to Cian's extended family.

After dinner wrapped up, most of their group went to the adjacent saloon where bidding was open on a score of auction items. She looked through them all, nosy about who was bidding for what. She saw that Harry had bid on a few, most seriously on a crate of her favorite wine. She upped his bid by five galleons.

There were vacation options, going for far more money than she could put down at an event like this. Partial season tickets for Quidditch. An opportunity to join Glenda on WWN for a show. All sorts of fun opportunities people were happy to bid on.

As she completed the walk around the items, she went off in search of Harry. It took her a few moments to locate him, but found him talking to a gorgeous woman with skin the color of terracotta. Her eyes shone as he spoke with her, and she felt a surge of protectiveness over him. For a second, she paused, unsure whether she should join him or let him be. Despite his misgivings, he had let her handle Simon alone.

Before she could decide, Pia had noticed her, and Harry turned around to look at her. He gestured for her to join them, and she did, albeit nervously.

"It's been awhile," Pia said, approaching him as he set his empty glass at his plate. He saw, at the edges of his vision, his friends at the bar, absorbed in their own conversations. Ron knew about Pia, not that he particularly cared, though to anyone else it merely looked like a polite conversation. His heart beat a little faster, from nerves, as she stood in front of him, her dark eyes curious.

He considered it, and despite having completely mixed feelings towards her, decided he did in fact have to speak with her. "It has."

"Since you left so abruptly," she said, wrinkling her nose.. He thought back to the night they had shared while he was still unsure how he felt about Liv. Once he had been certain that he felt, well, something... he'd discarded the idea of Pia and moved forward without a second thought. Their relationship had never extended beyond the bedroom, though he knew she had been quite eager to date him for some time after her marriage had fallen apart. "Then blew me off entirely."

"I am sorry about that," he said, earnestly.

She shrugged. "I miss you."

He let it hang in the air between them, as he couldn't say the same. He hoped a brief, awkward beat would nudge her to divulge whatever had brought her over to him. She took his pause in stride, smiling, and stepping just a foot closer. "And that thing that you do with your—"

"Pia, please," he said, holding up his hand. Her words recalled a very different time in his life, a time where they met often in a room at the Leaky Cauldron and their bodies joined together in hedonistic ways. Nearly all of their encounters were behind closed doors, their communication in tightly sealed and heavily guarded letters, and it felt incredibly strange to be even acknowledging the other in public.

But those times seemed very far away. He didn't turn to see where Liv was, but he knew she was close by. He had nothing to hide- he was, after all, a thoroughly single man when he'd seen Pia last, and there was nothing strange going on. But she was sensitive, and he had asked enough of her tonight.

"Sorry," she said; though there was a devilish flicker in her eye. She was enjoying making him uncomfortable. "You look well."

"I am," he said, nodding vigorously. "I am happy in ways that I haven't been in years."

"She's beautiful."

He nodded. "She's a lot more than beautiful."

"Well," Pia said, adjusting her grip on the heavy camera that she held in front of her. Pia's gaze flickered and settled on a spot over his left shoulder, and he had a feeling he knew exactly who she was looking at.

"Pia Helvari," she said, holding out her hand to shake Liv's.

"Olivia Wellwood."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "My employees couldn't stop raving about how wonderful you looked when you came in."

"That's very kind, thank you."

"Not to worry, we'll keep you two out of the papers," Pia said, as if divulging a secret. "For now, at least. When you're ready, we'll sit down and put together something tasteful-"

Liv just blinked at her, unsure of even what to say. She didn't want to even think about having to put together something tasteful to announce their relationship to the entirety of the population. She looked to Harry, hoping he would rescue her.

"Thanks, Pia. We should get back to our group."

"Of course. Enjoy the party, Harry."

Her tone felt... exploratory, to Liv. Like she was testing him. She didn't like it, and based on their quick encounter, she didn't like Pia either. She tried to put on a smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.

He looked at her, his eyes crinkling in sympathy. She knew he was thinking about how much he had asked of her, and she felt bad for being so weak in the face of it.

"It doesn't look like many people are on the patio, why don't we go out there."

"Some fresh air sounds nice."

They walked past the bar, and Liv took a last glance at the room, before walking out the door he was holding open for her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, quietly, once they'd gotten to the patio. It was comfortingly quiet out here, and the chill of the evening air soothed her flushed skin.

"Processing a lot," she said, rather quickly. "Slightly anxious, and I've probably had a bit too much to drink."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Liv. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to come."

She couldn't help but shrug. "I'm glad we've spent the evening with our friends. It's a good group of people we've got in there. I feel... very lucky."

"Absolutely," he agreed. "Let me get a class of water for you, okay? I'll be right back."

She glanced through the delicate glass doors, towards the bar. It was only a few paces away. A glass of water would help get the alcohol through her, so she nodded. When he opened the door, the sound of live music floated out. They'd actually booked a decent band.

In the meantime, she focused on taking long, slow breaths, the cool air rough against her tight throat. The more breaths she took, the easier it became.

Harry returned with a glass of ice water and a ginger ale for her, which was very welcome. She placed the ginger ale on the rail of the patio, which she drank as much water as she could handle.

"You're okay, he said, smoothing her hair. "You look wonderful, lots of people have been admiring you. It means a lot to me that you put up with bullshit like this just to spend the evening with me."

She nodded. "You're worth it."

"I love you very much," he said, hugging her back as she leaned against the stone railing.

"I love you too, she said, as he nuzzled her neck. The privacy of the patio was just what she needed.

In the distance, a flash and a pop scattered pink light across the sky.

"Fireworks," she whispered. He pressed a kiss to her shoulders, then backed off as a few curious partygoers made their way out to the patio.

The display lasted for ten minutes, flashes of pink, yellow, green, and blue lighting up the night sky. It was a welcome distraction, as she sipped her ginger ale and focused on taking deep breaths.

By the end of it, most of the party was on the patio, enjoying the show. Holly and Cian had worked their way through the crowd to stand next to them.

"We could go to midnight karaoke," Harry suggested, his own intoxication causing a flush down his cheeks and neck.

"Oh, please," Holly asked. "It's been too long since I've heard Liv croon Celestina Warbeck songs in front of complete strangers."

The table laughed, but Liv remained a voice of reason. "The 11-km hike you've promised we'll take Ted on tomorrow will be extra fun if we're out til three in the morning."

He frowned, but nodded. "Logically, I know you're right."

"I know," she said. "Another time, certainly."

Everyone murmured their agreement, though it was rather non-committal. She could tell everyone was getting ready to splinter off and head their separate ways. The heels she'd worn made her feet hurt, she couldn't imagine how Hermione had managed.

"Shall we call it a night then?" Harry asked, taking the cue from the empty glasses and break in conversation.

"I think so," Ron said, nodding.

They each collected their belongings, and headed towards the exit, which was refreshingly clear of any photographers this time. Harry took Liv's arm in his, before stopping on the way out to make sure the crate of wine he'd secretly outbid her on in the silent auction would be delivered to the house.

"Ready to go home?" she asked, as her turned to look at the half-full ballroom.

"Lead the way."

Author's Note: Here's the latest update! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Many thanks to potter-reading-coastie, my fabulous beta.