I'm Holding On {TAG: Lucas]

He didn't know if she'd accept him taking her hand, so he just let them brush against her hand, trying to offer some comfort. He didn't know how to do this, especially with the silence that had gone on for ages between them. But it had to be a lot to take in. Wood had already made a mess attacking her before he had gotten there, but Lucas hasn't done any favors physically fighting the guy. Probably more of the mess was from the two of them going at it. At least Wood had had the sense to leave when he had came to. But he knew the mess wasn't even the biggest part of it. How many corridors and rooms in his father's house looked like nothing had happened, but he could still hear his own screams in, or know where his father had drawn blood or broken a bone.

He saw her turn around out of the corner of his eye. He continued to take in the damage that had been caused, planning on how he could fix up and clean the kitchen. He knew he could use magic to fix the actual damage and even clean. "I just feel bad. You shouldn't have to go through that." He said quietly. How many nights had she wondered if she would be hurt that night? He should have acted sooner. But then she looked at him like he was weird for offering to clean. "I can help." He said as she went over to the sugar. He went over to the counter and started to tidy some things up without magic. Just trying to at least sort things out. He could hear the struggle in her voice. "You don't need to do anything Amelia." He said, with his back still to her. But it was her dog's bark that got him to look around at her and see that she was shaking with both of her animals concerned over her.

Seeing her in that state was too much for him. He went over to her as she said it was all ruined. He reached down and pulled her up and around so he was hugging her. He didn't care if his shirt got wet from her tears, he just couldn't keep back. "I'm not going anywhere Amelia. I'm going to stay right here." He wasn't going to leave her alone this upset. He held her there for a few moments more, hoping she'd calm down before he let go a little bit but took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. It did no good to stay there. He led her to the couch and sat her down, and sat down next to her. "Amelia, you have to know none of this is your fault. You didn't cause any of it."

Tears blurring her vision she felt herself pulled up as if by strong arms but it didn't register who it was right away. Or if the touch was good or bad. She gasped, as if frightened by the move, only to find herself standing and in an embrace. A hug. A strong one. One that was meant. It had been so long since she had felt or was given one of those. His shirt was soaked with her tears as she gave into her sobs, heaving into his arms letting it all go. She was embarrassed, she was upset, and she was just exhausted.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She apologized over and over about wetting his shirt in her sadness. Led out of the room by her hand she followed him wiping at her face furiously as though if she wiped her tears away he would forget that she had been crying. Like she was magical enough to manage that. "I know it's not. I know.. I just feel kind of... stupid for letting it go on this long. For letting it get this bad." Sitting down next to Lucas she stared at her lap not wanting him to see her face.  Chips and her cat were now by her feet settling down and taking watch. The border collie still kept a close eye on Lucas not sure what to make of him just yet. "And I'm sorry for dragging you into it."

If tears on his shirt was the worst that had happened to his shirt that night, then it would have been a decent night. But it was already a mess, and he didn't care at that point. He just wanted to comfort her, and somehow let her know that it was okay. He knew how it felt. And he hated seeing her like this. It just wasn't fair that she had to go through something as horrible as that. He hadn't told her how Wood had punched him in the nose, which was how he knew in his mind that something like that was happening. He had been too possessive. Too controlling.

"Shush." he said quietly, trying to get her to stop apologizing. It was just a shirt. He really just needed to get her to calm down. This was no good. Especially not with everything she had been through. She had every right to be upset, but she was getting too worked up in his opinion. "Amelia, Look how long it took me to say anything to anyone about something that went on for 18 years of my life. Even now I can't escape him. What does that say about me?" Really the abuse was still going on, just in a different form. Any control he wanted over his life was taken. When she apologized for dragging him into it she lifted her head gently so he could look into her eyes, before wiping some tears off her face. "I chose to come tonight. It's not at all your fault. It's my fault for not getting here sooner. For not stopping him sooner." He had had a sense of how bad Wood was when they were even back in school. He could have said something then, and he didn't.

Her head was lifted gently and he wiped away her tears. Had she had her wits more about her she would have realized just how odd this was. Hadn't they just hated each other and been arguing the day before? But now here he was comforting her like she had with him when they were still at school and the bullies had taunted him something awful. That had happened more often than not in school (at least until they were older and Lucas had grown into a handsome young man which is when folks laid off) and Amelia had seen her fair share of McGongall and Dumbledores' office for sticking up for her friend. She never got into too much trouble though because Lucas would then tell them what had happened in private but she was also a star Quidditch player. There wasn't much they could do. Besides, she was a Gryffindor and they never did anything with ill intentions.

"I can't help it." Forcing a weak nod, she wiped at her face again still trying to hide that she was crying even though it was hopeless. He clearly was aware. Anyone with two eyes and ears could see and hear what she had been up to these last few hours. "What if he comes back?" She asked, choking on her own cry looking desperately to her old friend for reassurance and even protection (though the American would never want to admit that).

At this point he wasn't thinking of what how cold their relationship had been just the day before. No he was thinking about how this was someone who had been his friend since they were basically just kids. Back when he had been the one needing protecting and comforting. How she had gained his trust and pushed him to come out of his shell little by little without him even realizing it. He had just been the scrawny little nerd who was being bullied even while being on the quidditch team, and who had been through so much at home. She had been the first person to stick up for him. So no matter if tomorrow they went back to not talking, tonight he was going to be there for her to comfort her. That was the least he could do for her at that point. "Don't worry about it." he said as he draped his arm around her, trying to give her that extra bit of comfort. That was his sole focus right now. Get her calmed down at least a little bit.

But then she asked what would happen if Wood came back. "I am not going anywhere Amelia. I have my wand right here." he said as he patted where his wand currently was stashed. "If he has the nerve to come back, he'd be sorrier than when I got rid of him without magic. Don't worry about it." All he had done earlier was disarm him with magic. The rest had been physical. It was something he had worked on while down in Australia. Just in case his dad got any ideas. "What's the cat's name?" He asked, trying to change the subject, and because he was curious.

Lucas promised he wouldn't go anywhere and she looked up at him, eyes filled with tears. She forced herself to nod then quietly rested her head on his shoulder just needing to feel that there was someone next to her. Just to believe him that no one would hurt her because he was there. His arm wrapped around her shoulders like a hug he was almost too scared to give. She leaned slightly into it needing to feel the support and comfort right now when she was having so much difficulty. It didn't process that this was maybe something they shouldn't be doing or how she had just been pissed at him hours earlier. Right now they both just seemed to need someone even if just platonically.

What was the cat's name? "Alfie." Came her quiet response as she curled up beside him on the couch with a little sigh that she felt like she had been holding forever. "I'm tired..." She admitted, closing her eyes. She had used up a lot of energy during the day with everything happening and it was only now starting to hit her now that they were back and actually resting. Who knew that crying could be so draining? "What if he comes back?" She asked quietly, her eyes beginning to close.

Seeing her this upset and looking up at him broke his heart. How had he not gotten into this earlier? He had felt something was up back at that party, even before they stopped talking. Remembering just how possessive Oliver had been that night, and how he had warned him off. Why hadn't he stepped in then? He should know how it looked. He should have done something before that night. Feeling her shoulder go to rest on his, helped him to know she was calming down a little. There was no thought of if this was appropriate given their apparent break down in friendship. He just knew she needed the comfort, and after the seeing her like that, he needed to know she was okay. He may not have been a Gryffindor, but deep down he was loyal to the ones he trusted. And it was hard to shake, when he had trusted her for so long. Especially when she had been the one saving him all those years ago.

He smiled at the cat's name. "Alfie is a nice name. My dogs are Hercule and Sherlock." He said. Both named after muggle fictional characters. Books had been his first friends, and it was fitting he named his furry companions after book characters. When she said she was tired, his hand drifted off her shoulder to her back, rubbing it to comfort her a little more. "Get some sleep then." He had no intention of sleeping that night. Practice was relatively early anyway. He could get through that and take a nap afterwards. He knew it would be okay to leave when practice happened, as that's when Wood would also be tied up. "I'll take care of it if he does." he said quietly, still rubbing her back. His wand was close to his other hand, just in case. He hoped he had knocked some sense into her.

Once she was asleep, he stayed where he was, still rubbing her back for a while, not wanting to move and disturb her sleep. She needed the rest. She had been through a lot, not just physically but emotionally as well. When he felt himself getting drowsy, he shook his head a little to try and wake up. Then he gently lifted her head up and lowered it down, grabbing a pillow to rest it on. Then he looked around and found a blanket, and threw that over her. "You watch her okay? I'm just going to be in the kitchen." he said to the dog. He stretched a little before going over to the door, and casting a spell to alarm him if it was opened. He couldn't see the door as well from the kitchen, especially if he was cleaning up. So in an effort to stay awake, he got to cleaning the kitchen up, using both his own hands, and magic. He hoped he'd get through this, and cleaning himself up a little before she woke up.

"What kind of dogs are they?" She asked in a voice that was interrupted by a yawn as she wiped at her eyes settling in against him and allowing her eyes to close. He had told her to get some sleep, and though she wasn't keen on it, the very least she could do after all of his help on this night was close her eyes for just a few seconds. Comforted by his hand rubbing her back so gently, and yet feeling protected, she drifted off into a light sleep turning against him she sighed as if announcing her official departure into slumber land. She didn't even wake up when he slowly laid her down on the couch though she did murmur something in quiet protest before settling down again. Chips took up command sitting by her head watching over her from the floor.

After Lucas spent some time milling about in the kitchen Oliver meandered home walking into a dimly lit living room his eyes rose at Amelia asleep on the couch all tucked in. She didn't tuck herself in and the dog (who was growling at him) certainly didn't do it. Hearing some noise from the kitchen Oliver drew his wand and approached, wand raised, standing in the doorway. "You can go now, Hart." He seemed surprised to see him. Why wouldn't he be? "Turns out they're big Puddlemere fans at the precinct. Decided it was all one big mix up." Feeling cocky (not to mention sober and calm now) he pocketed his wand not feeling threatened in the slightest despite their earlier fight. "You're relieved from your maid duties. You can go home." Oliver teased, keeping his voice quiet so not to wake the keeper in the next room. "You're not needed here." He grunted bending down to pick up a broken plate and tossing it in the trashcan. 

"Boston Terrier and Australian Shepard." he said quietly, hearing that she seemed to be on her way out. They had never dated, and yet here they were curled up on the couch. To Lucas it almost seemed right. He liked the feeling of her falling asleep on him, comforted by his presence. Coupled with that kiss they had had years ago, it just pushed him more and more to feel like she was the one he wanted to explore a relationship with. He cared for her so deeply. He almost needed to see how it would go. But they had fought for so long, and her throwing the trust he had given her back at him still hurt. But regardless of all of that, tonight he was going to stay to protect her. For that, he needed to stay awake, and as much as her small protest made him want to stay, if he stayed on the couch, he would surely fall asleep.

He was halfway though cleaning when he was alarmed to the door opening. He purposefully made some noise to draw Wood away from Amelia, and thankfully it seemed to work. Wood's wand was drawn when he came in, but he seemed to put it away when he noticed it was Lucas there. "I'm not going anywhere Wood." He said coldly. She had asked him to stay, so he was staying. Wood wasn't the boss of him. "That was no mix up." He was irritated by the mere presence of the guy. What nerve did he have coming back here after what had gone on that night. "Again I'm not going anywhere." He watched the guy casually pickup a plate and throw it away, almost as if he hadn't be the cause of it all. This guy who had been abusing poor Amelia for who knew how long. That's when he had enough. His wand was out quick and before Wood had a chance to react, he was pinned against the wall with a slight choke. Not enough to push him to being knocked out, but enough to cause discomfort and get his hands trying to get at the magical rope. "How does it feel Wood? How does it feel to feel hopeless? You want out? Too bad." he said. He was mad, and some of the feelings were redirected from his father. It was the reaction he had never been able to do to his dad. "You are going to leave her alone. You hear me? Or next time I won't be quite forgiving." He still had him in the choke hold. At this point he didn't even care if Amelia saw. He was being protective of her.

"You're staying the night then, mate?" Maybe it was the fact that he had been locked up for the night which gave him enough time to sober up but he certainly was a lot more patient with Lucas and even seemed more like his regular self - though tired. "I mean, you could take up in the guest bedroom but we would probably have you pay rent." He noted in his Scottish accent with a bit of a chuckle as he bent down to pick up a broken cup only to be interrupted by an invisible force that lifted him into the air and slammed him against the wall.

"Bollocks! What's going on here?" He cringed from the suddenness of it all before he felt his throat constrict making it difficult to breathe. What was going on? "What are you doing, Hart? This isn't funny man." Widened eyes turned to look at Lucas, usually quiet and professional Lucas Hartwell, with his wand outstretched and murder in his eyes. "She's my girlfriend!" He protested. Oliver's hands grasped at his throat trying to free it from the force that was continuing to press down. His legs kicking as he hung there, helpless for the moment before he was released mainly because Amelia had woken up and was standing in the doorway a blanket wrapped around her shoulders accompanied by tired and worried eyes.

"Lucas... Don't." She requested weakly watching Oliver slump to the floor and struggle to get up. She kept her distance but straightened, trying to get her courage together. "You need to go home, Wood. Ok?" He looked up at her in utter shock and confusion. "And you need to leave me alone..." That was scary to say for some reason even if it was the right thing to do. "I love you and I want you to get better but I can't do this anymore..." Weird to say in front of Lucas... Yes but it needed to be said. She walked around the far side of the kitchen and stood a foot away from Lucas her eyes never once leaving Oliver. "Go."

He didn't seem to get the implications of why Lucas was there. The fact Lucas had traded several blows with him earlier hadn't seemed to warn him off. What did he think, that Lucas was just going to leave Amelia be after all of that? While he hadn't been a Gryffindor, he was loyal to those he cared about. And, regardless of if they were talking or not, he cared about Amelia as Wood had seemed to point out before punching him at the stadium just a few weeks prior. "I'm not here to spend the night to pay rent Wood." His voice was cold. Almost as a warning.

But it seemed Wood hadn't heard, or heeded, the warning, and Lucas was just sick of how he was seemingly acting as if nothing was amiss. As if this was normal. He had seen that behavior from his father every day after he had spent an 'adequate' amount of time punishing Lucas. Just sitting there reading the Prophet while telling Lucas to make sure the house elves were busy preparing dinner like nothing had happened. So for whatever reason, Lucas decided to give Wood a taste of his own medicine. "I told you I wouldn't be so forgiving next time Wood. How does it feel to be hanging there? Doesn't feel so great does it. Maybe next time you'll think twice. And you may think she's your girlfriend, but she told me she doesn't want you here tonight." Some of this was coming out of wanting to protect Amelia, but there was also a lot to be said for how much his past played into. The countless nights he had cowered in fear, unable to fight back. This wasn't his father, but it was someone who did the same thing to someone that his father had done to him.

Lucas only released Wood when he did because Amelia's voice stopped him. He released the spell and watched Wood slump down to the floor. But he kept his wand out, ready to act if Wood tried anything stupid. He let Amelia say her piece, reflecting on how he wished he had the courage to stand up for himself as she seemed to have telling Wood to get out. He didn't even have the nerve to look for other options to play the game. He figured possibly leaving the game would be the better option, but that was just running from the problem. He watched her as she moved closer to where he was standing, but keeping his focus on Wood. "Better leave the key too." he said after she said to go. He knew he had locked the door, which meant Wood had a key. That wasn't good from his perspective. He couldn't always be there.

Once he had left, Lucas locked the door from where he stood with magic and then slipped the wand away and went back to cleaning, as if nothing had happened. He needed to compose himself again, and fight off the feelings that encounter had dug up. He was also in shock that he had even be able to do that to someone. The fear that that could lead to being more like his father. It hadn't really even been provoked like the fight earlier that day had been. He also need to calm his heart rate and breathing down, having found both of them having gone. Eventually he said "You should get some more rest." He kept his eyes on what he was doing, not wanting to look at him, afraid of what his eyes would show. Afraid of what she'd think of him after that.

She watched Oliver leave from where she stood and once she heard the sound of the door locking (which as quiet as it was it also felt deafening to her) she released the breath she had been holding. There was only quiet between her and Lucas now. A silence that he then decided to fill by returning to his cleaning. This didn't make sense to her. He wasn't her maid and beyond that... What professional Quidditch player liked cleaning?! She turned to watch him for a bit longer, wrestling about what to say, when finally she cleared her throat trying to get his attention.

"Eventful evening, huh?" Amelia spoke (practically to the back of Lucas' head) in a quiet voice. He told her she should get some rest but she didn't budge. He couldn't get rid of her that easy especially now that she suspected that something was bothering him. "I'm not tired." She did her best to politely reject his offer. The Keeper continued to watch the Puddlemere player fuss about at the sink thinking of a million things to say and a million and one reasons not to. Eventually she found one to settle on. "Hey... Are you ok?" Simple sure but it was the obvious thing to ask right? Especially since he seemed anything but ok. But would he even open up? It was like pulling teeth to get Lucas to open up to anyone let alone her.

He was glad Oliver didn't try anything else and just left. He didn't want to use any more spells or see any more violence that evening. There had been plenty of that to last for a while. Especially now that he was questioning how he could have done that. Wood had seemed pleasant enough, and yet there Lucas was throwing him against the wall and choking him. Cleaning just helped give his hands something to do and his mind something to concentrate. But he seemed to be waking up to the pain of the events from earlier. Feeling the bruises on his rib cage every time he took a breath. Feeling the dried blood on his face from the cut lip and gash on his forehead, and on his knuckles from where the wall had split the skin. And the exhaustion from the night's events.

When she said it was an eventful evening, all he could do was nod. He wasn't ready to speak. He started to rinse something off, finally feeling the blood run off his knuckles when she told him she wasn't tied. "You've been through a lot. You should try and rest." He fully intended to keep holding his vigil to make absolutely sure Wood wouldn't try anything, even though at that point it was probably irrational. With her questioning, she seemed concerned. But he was just tying to push his feelings about the night down. He couldn't be his dad. He just couldn't. "I'm okay." he said quietly. Of course, for him okay was a loaded term. He had even told her he didn't really know what okay was. That had been ages ago, but it probably still applied. He didn't want her to see his eyes, and the fear and anguish that were likely there. Mostly because he didn't want to address the feelings. "I just want to get this all cleaned up." Well he did, but it was more to keep him busy.

"That's ok. I'm not tired." She once again politely rebuffed his offer of rest. Truthfully she was exhausted but now wasn't the time to rest and she was used to pushing her body to its limits. Just another day in the life. "I'll be fine." He was quiet. Too quiet. Now Lucas was normally a reserved young man, and an even quieter young boy by her own account, but even so this felt different somehow. Darker. Heavier. She should do something. Say something. But she wasn't the best with words. She did her talking on the Quidditch pitch by winning matches having a conversation with a real, hurting person was far more difficult. She couldn't even handle her own feelings how could she be expected to navigate anyone else's?

"You're not okay." She declared after a long pause, after weighing whether she should correct him or not. "Don't lie to me, Hart." She continued to stare at his back and would do so until he left the room or finally chose to face her. "I can tell that you're lying. If you've truly never lied to me before then please don't start now." She had spent the better part of a year thinking he had lied to her about his previous home life and she had been proven wrong. She hoped that meant he was still the honest boy she knew.

"Fine." Daring to step to the sink she worked alongside him. If you couldn't beat 'em, join 'em. Perhaps a poor phrase but still it was still relevant. A few moments passed and she couldn't take it anymore. "Seriously, Hart?!" She exclaimed, exasperated out of nowhere tossing the dish rag down and glaring at him until, without any warning, she threw herself on him in a firm hug because, frankly, she felt like they both needed it. After what felt like too short of a time (to her) she released him wetting a paper towel and then bringing it carefully to his face.

"Hold still." She instructed one hand resting on his cheek to angle his face better the other delicately dabbing at one of his cuts. "We need to clean you up at least." Briefly she was reminded of their time at Hogwarts when they were very young. Someone had punched him in the face, he had been bleeding, and so she punched them in the nose. She had to clean him up then too. "I said hold still..."

"Okay." he said, figuring it wasn't worth arguing at this point. He couldn't make her go back and sleep. She was an adult. She could make her own decisions. And so the silence just fell over them. Which just allowed him to focus on getting rid of the thoughts and feeling swirling around in his head. He had never really been someone to fight back. That had been scared out of him a long time ago, but yet he had spent the evening first physically fighting Wood and then magically holding him against the wall and choking him. What did that mean for his future? Did that mean he had more of his father in him than he thought? The very thought of being even mildly like his father scared him to death.

"Okay, in this sense, being a descriptor that means satisfactory but not especially good, seems to fit in this scenario." he said, almost robotic, detaching from the actual meaning of the words. "It's not the worst I've felt, and it's not the best. It's more or less a baseline of how I have felt throughout my life." That last sentence was the crux of the matter. This was his normal. Or at least it had been for most of his life. He sighed when she told him not to lie to her. He had never lied to her. He had withheld stuff, but never outright lied. "I'm not lying." he said. He just wasn't telling the whole truth. He just wasn't saying anything about the doubts now racing in his mind.

Eventually it seemed she just gave in and huffed over to the sink and joined him there. He didn't even know how effectively he was cleaning the dishes. He was just going through the motions, wanting to keep his hands and mind occupied. It was better that way. That lasted all of a few moments before she threw in the towel, quite literally, and glared at him. "Seriously what?" he asked, confused. But then she threw herself into a firm hug. The tenseness that was there would be quite evident. But as she held him, he relaxed a little bit. Her touch usually had that effect on him.

All too soon she had released him and after wetting a paper towel was moving his fact to get a better angle. The water stung a little bit and he squirmed a little bit, not used to this attention. "You don't have to..." he said, but he didn't move away from her cleaning him. It wasn't the first time they had been in this situation. Another sting and another squirm before he said "I'm trying." It wasn't like he was used to this. But he managed to stay still for a few moments while she dabbed at his wounds. He tried to focus away from the events of the night, but they kept coming back to him. Eventually he just said, very quietly, "I don't know why I did that." It was unprovoked. In that moment Wood wasn't doing anything wrong. Right? He had never fought back before. It was all new. And all very scary.