You Again? {TAG: Luke]

The game had ended and Amelia opted to stay behind in the locker room to gather her thoughts and belongings. It hadn't been much of a match all things considered. The outcome didn't really affect the standing as far as the championship went and she was displeased to see the lack of seriousness her own teammates took to the game with their usual 'we have it in the bag' mentality. They goofed off more than she would have liked, Coach Jeremy had disapproved to be sure, and Amelia spent most of the game hollering from the hoops urging the boys club to get it together... Not that it had much affect and she ended up going hoarse which was a feat for her.

In a frustrated huff she tossed her dufflebag angrily against the wall as she exited the locker room. Certainly not the attitude one would expect of a Co-Captain whose team had won the game not an hour prior. But this was Amelia. There was nothing she loved more than the game and, in truth, her relationship was the game was the most serious and the only strong one she had ever had. She ate and breathed Quidditch. It had been that way since school and she had started playing professionally while still enrolled at Hogwarts. She didn't know anything else. She was just a muggle thrown into this magical world without a life raft so she had to hang onto what she could.

It was when she noticed someone in the empty hall that her eyes narrowed with immediate recollection and irritation. "You." She nearly spat. Luke hadn't even played today. Chances were he was there to practice with his team after the game or something to do with 'daddy dearest'. Frankly Amelia couldn't be bothered to care especially since their last few run ins post high school bickering had been a quick kiss his senior year and then a drunken night together a few years after ending in a morning reveal of his secret/lie that he had been put on a team. She still had some bitterness about that. A lot actually.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. I should have smelled your cologne from the locker room. Even with the door shut." Purchased with daddy's money no doubt. "Don't worry. I'll be out of your hair soon enough." She grumped bending down to sling her duffle bag over her shoulder turning to look at him with unforgiving brown eyes. "Where's the rest of the Puddles?" She jabbed, her American accent flat and cold. Her boyfriend from Hogwarts, and honestly on again off again now, was on Puddlemere. One, Oliver Wood. Currently off.

OOC: I'm rusty. My early apologies!

It was already later in the day when Lucas was standing in the hallway of the Quidditch stadium he spent a lot of time in practicing with his team. He had also been there for a long time. The team had gotten a practice in earlier that day, before the game started up. They wanted to be done with practice long before the other teams appeared. Which was fine with Lucas. Plus it meant that if the game ran long, they had gotten their practice in before it. But just that one practice wasn't enough for him. He always pushed him self to practice and workout outside of the scheduled team practices. He wanted his place on a team to be based on his talent. Not his father.

He hated the fact everyone assumed he had his place on the team because of his father. He supposed with a father who owned the team. He had done so well at first. After graduating from Hogwarts, he had gone to Australia to play for a few years. He had had a lot of fun, avoided the backlash regarding his father, and had been able to mature a more in both his gameplay and his general person. And then came word that he was not only being named as reserve to the England National team, but was being traded. Of course he had to be traded to the team his father owned. Suddenly reappearing and his concurrent naming as reserve to the national team brought up all the rumors, and he just wanted to escape back to Australia. 

So here he was, ready to get in the locker room and go and work out, but he knew there was still someone inside. So he just leaned against the wall and waited until the last player emerged. Of course he knew exactly what player it was, and gave some thought to disappearing out of sight until she came out. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to really see her. Oh well. It was too late at this point, as she emerged from the locker room. "Hello to you as well." He said, ignoring her comment about his cologne. He was used to jabs like that from her.  "The rest of my team is home I presume. We had practice this morning." He replied. "Figured I'd get a workout in once you guys were done playing."

"You couldn't wait until everyone left to lurk like the rest of your team?" Ew. The fact that he was comfortable enough to lean so casually against the wall irked her far more than she should have allowed it to. But how could it not after what the two of them had been through together?  TOGETHER? No. She couldn't even allow herself to think that. They had been in the same room, the same space, but there was no together. There was no them. Just a long road of bickering broken up by the occasional bizarre moment... Or morning after.

"Say... I got an idea. You could have your dad buy this stadium and then use it whenever the hell you please. Now that would be just great." She rolled her eyes as she jabbed him in a high pitched voice clapping her scarred hands (from years of play) together. "Home. I bet. You probably didn't even tell them that you were coming. You like keeping secrets and doing things your own way don't ya, Hartwell?" She didn't want to say hello or extend other pleasantries. She didn't want to talk to him at all yet here they were doing that. Man, sometimes she really hated herself... A lot of the time.

"Who said we were done?" The New York Wolves and Team USA Keeper asked sharply, turning to face him her arms crossed over her chest and the strap of her duffle. "Maybe I was just gonna toss this in the car then come back and do some laps. You gonna oust me?" Amelia challenged, standing in front of him blocking his entrance into the locker room which was the only passage to the pitch. "Seriously Hart... I don't even know why you bother. No amount of practice is gonna make you worthy of wearing the jersey every game. Heck, barely worthy of a pinny in a scrimmage..." Ok. So she was in a mood today (most days). As far as she was concerned he deserved every bit of it.

"And where exactly do you suppose I was to do that?" The hallway didn't leave much place to hide. No matter where he would have stood, it would have been seen by anyone leaving the locker room. At least the hallway was more or less free of other people. He hated having the questions on if he deserved his spot as chaser for Puddlemere, let alone reserve chaser for the England National Team. All because of his father. He didn't ask for the parents he had, let alone what they had. He loved the game and just wanted to play without all of this speculation and media attention. It seemed no matter how well he played, they always just questioned him.

"Haha very funny." He said sarcastically. She knew how to push his buttons. They had grown up at the same school. Played against each other for years. Kissed back in school, and spent one drunken night together as adults. "They know I work out and practice more. Their loss if they don't want to join." He said with a shrug. It wasn't like he kept it a secret from his team. There was no need for them to practice more either, given that they had practiced for several hours that morning. They had lives outside of quidditch. All Luke had was his two dogs, but that wasn't quite the same as a significant other or family.

"Why throw your duffle bag with your work out gear into the car if you weren't done? Why shower if you weren't done? If you are that's fine by me, but I'm still going to put my stuff in there." He answered to her question. Of course she was in his way, and it wouldn't be exactly be proper to push aside a female. Not that she would care, but if anyone was to catch wind. Well it wouldn't be very good for him. Maybe his dad would trade him back to where he could play without all the questions. "Ever think I practice because I actually enjoy the same, regardless of my spot on a team?"

"Wherever you want. Just not here." The Keeper shot back the short reply. She didn't plan on budging. Sure she maybe had places she would rather be but now that he was here she was full set on giving Luke a hard time. "I'm here and obviously you can't be so why don't you just go busy yourself in the gift shop or parking lot or anywhere that isn't here right now." She rattled off, lowering her head waiting to see what his next move would be. He had to know better than to push her or test her patience especially with all of the nonsense he had pulled in the years that they had known one another. At least she had deemed it nonsense. It was the only way she could be brave and bold. Pretending that it hadn't hurt her. Like she didn't have a vulnerable bone in her body.

"You have to work hard if you want to get your ass off that bench, huh?" She wasn't about to let him get off that easy like his daddy dearest, like the fans (particular women) who worshiped him because he looked halfway decent in a suit (not that she was about to let him know that), not like the staff because his dad's name was on the contract of the team. No one was going to expect anything of him because of his last name. Not on her life. She had to work for every little bit of what she had. Work her behind off. They couldn't have been more different. "Say whatever you want but Ollie is gonna have your hyde if he finds out you came here without telling him." Oliver was never one to turn down getting on a broom. Sure he had changed since their schooling years, become more bitter (drunk), but he still loved Quidditch. At least she thought so. Then again Amelia couldn't picture a world where anyone disliked the sport even an ounce.

"Because I wanted to that's why." Childish maybe but when had their relationship ever been adult. Maybe one time but it wasn't something she necessarily wanted to be reminded of. "No I don't." The brunette stated simply, shrugging her shoulders carelessly. "Though I will say your love of Quidditch and spot on any team is the longest con I've ever seen anyone do so congratulations there."

"I'm pretty sure if I wanted to I could stay right here." he said with a shrug. He really didn't care at this point. He was already here, he wasn't going to move just to make it easier on her. He didn't do things like that. Not at this point anyway. Maybe in the past when they were back in school, but now it was different. Plus he had already had a long day. He just wanted to work out then get home so he could do it all again tomorrow. "I don't see why we both can't be here." he said with a shrug. He continued to stand there, just leaning against the wall. He didn't care too much. Sure he had his dogs at home to go spend time with, but really he had nothing else to do. He could stand here all night if he had to.

"Maybe I enjoy working hard." He had earned his way onto the National Team. His place on Puddlemere, well it wasn't exactly earned as much as others, but that didn't mean he didn't have a place on the team. He played just as well as everyone else on the team. He hated how much control his father had over him. Always had. Now it was about his career. His father could say the world and have him blacklisted from all teams with him out of a job. He had thought about that quite a bit. He wondered how out of the quidditch world he would become at that point. Would he be able to even work for Magical Games at the Ministry? He didn't even know. He'd just keep working hard to keep his place in his father's "good" graces and not out looking for a job. "He knows I work out. Doesn't know what time, but that's fine by me. He's known I put in extra work since I got here 5 years ago. And I still have my hyde." He had never gotten along well with Wood. He'd rather not practice then practice extra with him.

"Suit yourself. Could save yourself a lot of trouble by not doing those things if you're going to do laps." Their relationship hadn't really moved past how they acted in highschool. They had even regressed a little bit. But there were moments where he caught himself thinking of her. Of course that always annoyed him. When she called his place on a team a con his fingers curled ever so slightly. It really annoyed him that it was now just assumed his place on the team was because of his dad. It was worse when in a sense it was true, and he hated the control his father still had over him. He wanted to be seen as the player he actually was. "No con here. If there was I wouldn't be the top scorer on the team at the moment." By two goals, and all three of them were pretty equal, with the team high in the standings, but hey it was something.

"What you want to and should do are two different things clearly you are yet to figure that out." Amelia's eyes narrowed. It was taking every ounce of her not to behave like the ultimate child act and kicking him in the shins... Or worse places. His fly boy attitude both annoyed and titilated her. She hated every second of it and loathed herself for even allowing it to get to that point. He had lied to her. Or at the very least had not told her the very truth. That one night together. She had to keep reminding herself of that to stay angry. It was the only way.

"You stay like that any longer and you're going to leave a stain." Noting how he was leaning against the wall so casually that it made her head spin she scoffed. "You'll have to pay to get it cleaned or oh, daddy probably will. Lucky you." Lucas didn't have to work a day in his life if he didn't want to. Not when he had daddy's money. A small part of her wondered why he didn't do just that. Maybe he just hung around to piss her off though that did seem like a lot of effort.

"Since when?" The Keeper challenged him right back. She wouldn't let any comment rest. Even if only to delay him and cost him precious time before he got on the pitch. Whatever would ruin his day or, at the very least, make it more difficult. "Top scorer on Puddlemere. Wow. That's like being the smartest troll. It's not saying a heck of a lot." A Quidditch insult if you ever heard one. Her voice laced in obvious sarcasm she rolled her eyes and finally moved away from the door, brushing past him making sure to bump into him on her way. "Have fun with that."

"You mean what I want and what you want are different things. There's nothing saying I should move." He really didn't care. He had every right to be standing where he was. She was the one who had taken forever in the locker room. And of course he wasn't about to walk into the locker room while she was still in there. Maybe he should have just brought his stuff onto the pitch with him and not have to deal with the locker room. But it was too late now.

"No one would notice even if it did." Part of him almost hoped it did to put it to his father. But he also knew if that was linked to him, he could get in trouble. Maybe he would make sure it was fine later on. Even though he was sure it wouldn't happen. However now she had put it in his head, so he probably would just to make sure. "Or I'll clean it myself. I'm not completely helpless you know." In all honesty he'd give up all the money to have had a life where he didn't have to worry about what would do it that time. Would it be a small wrinkle on his shirt, or making noise, or a bad grade. Now the money he made just went into savings for when he was done with the game.

"Since always." He said. He always loved playing the game. He had grown up around. One of the coaches at the time had taken a liking to him as a boy and had taken him up after practice on a broom, which had delighted the boy and stuck with him. Especially the fact that someone cared. He could probably survive with just the organized practices, but that wouldn't be good enough. He felt he had to be the top member of the team in order to keep this job and not get blacklisted. "Better than nothing." It was all that he had. Just after she bumped into him on the way out, he said "Surprised you're not off to go keep Wood company." he said before adding "Or are you two off again. Hard to keep track." He really didn't care too much about Wood, but he was actually curious to see what was going on with her. Not that it would change anything anyway.

"Newsflash Hart, only one of us is right. I'll give you a hint. It's not you." Amelia scoffed. "I'm saying you should move. That should be enough for you." But of course it wouldn't be. He was trying to spite her as much as she was trying to get in his way. Gosh, he really knew just how to rub her the wrong way. That's where their history came into play. What had started as fun back and forth in high school had now morphed into something more venomous. More mean and not at all light hearted or fun. Oh how the times changed. 

He wasn't completely helpless? "Could have fooled me." She tossed the words in his direction pulling her duffle bag over her shoulder the strap pushing against her chest from the weight. It was familiar, like a hug, and as much of a hug as she would be getting from anyone nowadays. She started to walk away but his comment about Oliver had her spinning in her sneakers suddenly to face him with a loud squeak that echoed throughout the hallway. He had done f***ed up something awful and the way her eyes were practically shooting daggers he would know it.

"Who is keeping track? You? Interesting. Why are you so into if we're together or not, Hart? Jealous?" She knew better than to believe that. Or at least she thought she did.  She had no idea how Lucas felt about her. In her mind he had just said things to get her into bed, lied to her, and when the walls came crumbling down she was used and embarrassed for falling for it in the first place. "Ollie doesn't need me at his side every second of every day. He's a real man unlike some people." Amelia's eyes narrowed again her right hand clutching at her bag's strap. "Real classy of you to be talking about your teammate like that Flyboy. Your coach and daddy must be so proud."

"Just because that's what you want doesn't make it right." He wasn't about to let her walk all over him. If he wanted to stand where he was, well then he could stand where he was. Really it made no difference. Of course he also knew that just him standing there was annoying her, so all the more reason to do it. Make her life just a little harder. That's what he was there for right? He certainty wasn't there to make it easy.

"It's true. I even managed to put my pants on without help." He said. Degrade himself more too. That was always something that he could fall back on when things were annoying to him. It was almost a coping mechanism at this point. Not that that was seen much. He didn't get into a point it was needed. His conversations with the press and coaches was nothing but professional, and he ended up often being the quiet one when the team went out. Outside of that he didn't really spend time with anyone but his dogs. But it wasn't too awful for him. He was still social, just not like everyone else, but it suited him most of the time.

He knew when he said it he would touch a nerve. He had seen the pair be on/off again at Hogwarts. He had heard Wood say more than enough at the bar when the other guys pressed him. He knew they were still on/off again. He also still didn't know what she saw in him. "I don't care either way. Well except he plays better when he's happy." he said before mumbling "Not that he deserves to be that." He had never liked the way he treated her, even back when they were in school. She could do a lot better. And he wasn't even talking about himself. She could do better than him as well. "Well good to hear he grew a pair in the time period since this morning to become a real man." Being on the same team and in close quarters had further deepened the animosity between the two. It probably didn't help that Oliver had spent years on the reserve team and he had waltzed in. "Oh I know he talks about me, so guess it's just being even." Maybe part of it was jealousy on his part, and a little bit of venting. It wasn't like he had anyone else to say things like this. She already hated him. What was the harm.

"Doesn't it though?" She shot back. He could say whatever he wanted. He was going to anyways. He would always be wrong in her eyes. Once you got on Amelia's bad side things would always be rough and an uphill climb for you. That's just how it was. Maybe it was a punishment for the other person or maybe it was a subconscious way for her to keep her feelings that she liked to deny having safe. Whatever the reason she was giving Lucas a hard as hell time. Unfortunately for her it seemed like Lucas had his mind set on being the same way right back.

"Your butler and maid must be so pleased with you. Only took you nearly thirty years." Though Lucas was no doubt being sarcastic there was still an edge to her voice that revealed she meant every word. Lucas grew up with money and a silver spoon right in his mouth. She highly doubted he ever had to do anything for himself in his life. Deep down she knew better. "If that's the case then we must be together then right?" She wasn't sure if she was happy or proud about being with Oliver but it was true he had been playing better than normal... That is when they moved him from the bench to the pitch. "So you're welcome for that." She added for good measure her voice laced with bitterness. If Lucas wanted to play hardball she would throw it right back at him.

"What do you have against him anyways? Jealous?" Of what the Keeper had no idea but her opponent currently reeked of the emotion. "Seriously. Get over yourself, Hart. It's getting real old... Like seeing that a** of yours on the bench more often than not." That one would hurt his ego and honestly? Good. He deserved every bit of it. "Though I guess that's a good thing for you. You can comb your hair." Lucas' hair had always been popular with the ladies even in school (Alicia had also made comments on it). This had carried over to their adult lives when women fawned over him even if he didn't set a foot in the air a whole match. People weren't like that over women in the sport. It was a total double standard and it made Amelia's blood boil with frustration.

"I'm out of here." She announced. She didn't need to stand there and take it even if she put herself in the position in the first place. "Make yourself useful and move out of my way." A pause. "Move. Or I'll move you myself."

"Still doesn't." This was the woman who had taken something he had told her in confidence and thrown it back at him. Yet it was also the woman who he still couldn't stop thinking about, almost 5 years after she threw it back at him. It was already difficult for him to trust, and when he did actually open up to someone and tell the truth about the scars that were currently leaning against the wall, he had been accused of lying. It had been so hard to come back from that. Even with the people he still trusted he had taken a small step back. It had hurt more than she would know.

"Oh they were so thrilled." He said, with an edge that could cut through anything. He hadn't had those things. Sure his father had had money, but he hadn't. If he could have given away all the money to have a childhood that didn't include all of that, he would in a heartbeat. "Well if you haven't noticed he's still on the bench." Romy outdid Wood even when they were together. He was just around in the hopefully unlikely situation Romy was injured, or more likely was benched for something or another.

"Honestly, still don't like how he treats people." And he was saying this even after having shared a locker room with the guy for 5 years. He still didn't like him. And quite frankly, he didn't care if she had asked him to stop riling on Wood at this point. It had gotten worse in his opinion anyway. "I don't know what games you're watching but it's not my a** on that bench." Nope. He played all the games he wasn't hurt. And not because of his father either. What was with the obsession with his hair. He didn't even get why people always commented on it. It was just hair. Quite annoying

"Oh yes because we all need to move for you." He said. But he still moved. And part of him wished for the days where their back and forth was light hearted. A big part of him wished that. His eyes watched her go by before he finally went into the locker room to push himself, just to prove himself.

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