Open Your Eyes [Tag: Lucas]

The hand over his arm had been swift and quick. Amelia had gone to the restroom and apparently Lucas had seen them together in the restuaraunt. And why wouldn't he? Romy had been certain and careful (for a change) to tell Lucas to meet him at the Three Broomsticks at 7:30 PM exactly an hour after he and Amelia had sat down to eat. Why? Because Romulus had decided to take Amelia out. Not on a date of course, they were just friends, but he was sure as heck going to make it look like one... At least to his best friend. Then maybe that would get him to do something.

"Hey. Ease off man. What is this all about?" Romulus asked, rubbing his arm as he was shoved outside and released. Of course he had an inkling what it was all about. He had planned it. He had made certain to wear nice clothes and also get Amelia to dress up (which she protested but after enough prodding gave into). Alicia Spinnet said it couldn't be done. She challenged him. This would show her. Romulus was always right. Even if he was wrong with his luck things ended up righting themselves. Sure Lucas seemed peeved off now but that would change. Once he realized how he felt about their good friend Amelia. Romulus would see to it.

"We were just getting dessert. If I had known you wanted cake this much I would have ordered you a slice." Sure this conversation would be awkward but he had gotten himself into this mess out of the hope of something coming out of it and he wasn't leaving until Lucas opened his eyes and saw. Hopefully by the time Amelia got out of the bathroom. Amelia and Lucas were talking again. Lucas had even saved her from Oliver during an abusive tyrade at her flat. They were all hanging out together like everything was fine. But everyone could see how they felt. Why couldn't they? "Can you make it kinda quick? Meels will be back at the table any second and I don't want her thinking I ditched her."

Lucas hadn't wanted to go out that night. He had just planned on having a relaxing evening at home. Make himself something nice for dinner. Spend the evening reading a book. That was what he had planned on doing. But Romulus had convinced him to come out and meet him at The Three Broomsticks. He'd just have to push his relaxing evening to another night during the week. So instead of his sweats he had slipped on some jeans and a nice, but casual shirt. Once he was all set he head out to the restaurant.

Of course when he had walked in, he had been surprised to see Romy sitting there across from Amelia of all people. What was that about. And they were all dressed up. Was this some cruel joke or something? Not that she was his, and they were both adults and could date who they wanted, but even though Romy liked practical jokes, this didn't seem like him. Thankfully Amelia hadn't seen him. When she got up and went to the bathroom he took his chance and went and grabbed Romy and dragged the bigger guy outside. "I could ask the same thing Romy."

"This has nothing to do with dessert." Although cake did sound nice. Amelia was the woman he had wanted to be with since they were in school. He had spent years watching from afar, trying to ignore his feelings, as there was no chance she felt the same or that she would settle for him. Plus she had been dating Wood. He wasn't going to step in on a relationship like that. Plus their relationship had been very cold for the last few years, after he had been traded to Puddlemere. Even though they hadn't talked for a while, he was jealous. Of Romy of all people. "What are you doing with Evans?" Maybe he could play it off as one of those friend things. He didn't even know.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked surprisingly cheery puffing his chest out. "I'm on a date." Ok, this wasn't totally true but Lucas didn't need to know that. This was for his own good and he would figure out how he felt about Amelia soon enough and better yet... He would tell her! 

"I wish it was about dessert. I would have a lot to say about it." He sighed heavily, growing tired of Lucas' bravado Romy blew some longish strands of black hair out of his face. Man, he really needed a haircut of some sort and he was only realizing it just now. Such an odd time to notice such things. "I am taking Meels on a date." He responded calmly with an air of smugness and mock charm bobbling his head still grinning even though Lucas looked less than thrilled. "She's single as we all well know now for a couple of months and you, well, you were dragging your feet as you always do so I decided to take charge because someone had to. It's either going to be you, me, or someone else and I would rather it be one of us." A weird way of looking at things but that was Romulus and besides... He wasn't interested in Amelia. They had gone on one date early on in their careers, something Lucas already knew, and they were more friends than anything then again he was banking on Lucas having tunnel vision when it came to Amelia. He had a bet with Alicia Spinnet and he had a few galleons riding on it.

"Besides.. She's having a good time. Didn't she look really pretty in that dress?" He waggled his brows patting Lucas on the shoulder. "I am thinking of asking her to that Quidditch gala thing we have coming up. I think she'd say yes if tonight is any indication... Unless.... You have a problem with it?"

"Then why am I here?" he asked thoroughly confused as to why Romulus had asked him here if he was on a date with Amelia. Like he knew Romy liked to play practical jokes, but this didn't seem like something he would do. It seemed too cruel. What was he playing at?

"How can you have a lot to say when you haven't had it yet?" The annoyance in his voice was clear. He should just be at home curled up on the couch with a book and his dogs. He had it in mind to head back there and leave them to their date. He'd probably enjoy that more anyway. What was he going to get out of this other than pangs of want and jealousy. He wanted to be the one across the table from Amelia, but he didn't think the likelihood of that was high. As for his statement that he was dragging his feet he had to disagree. He was just afraid of her rejecting him, especially as he didn't know where they stood. "I mean she can choose someone else if she wants." Why did it have to be one of them? She was an adult. She could pick who ever she wanted. He just hoped who ever it was treated her right. After all she'd been through with Wood, she deserved at least that. He was pretty sure, no matter what his feelings were, that he had no chance with her. He had been aware of his feelings for Amelia for a while, but he tried to push them down. She had been with Wood for years. They had spent all the time from when he had been traded to now barely talking. How could he get a chance there?

"Well I'm glad she's having a good time." He said looking away from the restaurant, not wanting to admit anything to himself. "I don't have a problem with it. I'm sure you guys will have fun." he said with a weak smile. He was jealous, yes, but what could he do about it? He also wasn't going to step in between people if that's what they wanted to do. That just wasn't him.

"Yeah. You're right. She can. That's her right except I think she is unaware that a certain someone might have feelings for her." He circled his finger around between the two of them not wanting to outright say it but wanting the words to come from Lucas' mouth. Maybe then he would get it. It would be the snowball affect and then everything else would fall into place. He just had to admit it. That was the trick though wasn't it? Getting that sort of information out of Lucas and into the open was like pulling teeth. More difficult than that really. Eventually teeth actually came out! 

"You said you're talking again right? All of us even went out a couple of times." Merlin, how much convincing was this going to take? It shouldn't be this hard to get a guy to admit that he loved someone. They both did and everyone could tell. "Didn't you stay with her all night that night?" After Wood had kicked the ever loving shit out of her sure but still.. It still counted even if nothing happened. For Amelia to allow anyone to spend the night, platonic or not, meant oodles. "But what if she doesn't know what her choices are, Lukey?" He groaned dramatically stomping his foot. Why wasn't he getting this? He might have to put him in a headlock soon if he didn't start to put two and two together.
'
"Are you really ok with this?" Romulus insisted his eyes widened in shock. "Why can't you just say it instead of letting everyone else say it for you?!"

"It's still her right." He said crossing his arms. Who cared what his feelings were. The problem with this approach was that he knew his feelings, but he wasn't about to say it. Better to just not say it and not have it out there. Push it down and ignore it. That was what his plan was. There would be no good in saying it and just ending up disappointed. Plus he didn't want to dwell on his feelings toward things. In his experience he didn't get things he did want. He wasn't the type of guy who got nice things.

"Well yeah, but who knows how I really stand." She could just be playing nice because he had stopped Wood for serious damage. That didn't mean she had gotten over what had happened the last night they had spent together. "On her couch to make sure she didn't have a head injury or he wouldn't come back." It hadn't been anything, and really he hadn't given her much choice. Her choice was stay at the hospital or let him stay with her. "Her choices is whatever she wants." She could make her own decisions. She was an adult.

"If that's what she wants its fine". It really wasn't, but what choice did she have. "What am I supposed to say Romy? Hey Amelia I've had a crush on you since school and I'd really like to see how it goes?" he said out of frustration. He didn't mean to say that, even if it was true, but he was frustrated. He had every intention of just leaving and ignoring the situation.

"I'm not saying it's not her right I'm just saying she needs to know what her choices are. For Merlin's sake Luke. You're killing me here!" Weren't Ravenclaws supposed to be smart? He knew Lucas had been one and he remembered, perhaps hazily, that it was supposed to be one of the traits but this guy wasn't exactly being an exemplerary example of that at the current moment. "You won't know unless you tell her! How is she supposed to know if you don't tell her! MERLIN!" Romulus nearly shrieked stomping both of his feet in impatience. This was more difficult than he had previously thought when he had placed a bet against Alicia. Lucas certainly wasn't making this easy at all and Romy should have known that Alicia, having known him since their schooling days, probably had some inside knowledge about the boy's stubborness when it came to Amelia.

"You keep telling yourself that." He murmured in utter disbelief at the walls Luke was building up. Man, maybe he had read this entire situation wrong. Maybe Lucas just wanted to pine and obsess over a girl but didn't want anything beyond that. It sure seemed like it right now and Romy had half a mind (in general) to let him. Finally it came spilling out and Romy gasped and exhaled as if he had been holding onto the breath for years (and in some ways he had). "Yes! Yes! That's exactly what you say!"

"What?" And of course, there stood Amelia behind them in her dress that Romulus insist that she wear. She didn't think to question why Lucas was here or what this was all about as she was now entirely focused on the words she had just overheard Lucas utter. "What did you say?" She repeated seriously her own breath catching in her throat out of anticipation while both men stood there wideyed like complete dummies. Weren't they all?

"Her choices are really whatever she wants." He wasn't being difficult just to be difficult, he was just stating it as he saw it. She really did have her own choices. She didn't need to get pigeon holed into just a couple of options just because he had feelings for her. Plus he was just as oblivious to signs from others as he had been with Alicia all those years ago. It could be all but spelled out in front of him, and unless it was actually stated, he wouldn't see it. He didn't see any of the signs other people did with the pair of them. He just saw her not talking to him, after years of dating someone else. "Who's to say she'll care what I have to say." Maybe it was also a bit being down on himself. He didn't see himself as deserving of her.

"That's what I'm saying." Even if he did care deeply about her, at the end of the day he wanted her to be happy. If that meant that he had to see her with someone else for the rest of his life, then he'd manage to live with it. His want to be with her was overridden by his want for her to be happy. Romy's reaction to his unintended statement was curious. He still just didn't understand what the big fuss was over this. Why he was always pushing Lucas to be around Amelia. If it would happen it would happen.

But he didn't get a chance to respond to Romy, because there was Amelia's voice. He froze, knowing what she had just heard. His stomach seemed to drop. This is not at all what he had wanted out of his evening. He didn't want her to know. Well he did and he didn't all at the same time. He turned to look at her. Man was she beautiful in that dress. Oh how he wanted to just run and hide. But he couldn't lie to her. He had never been able to do that, even if she hadn't believed him. He gulped, trying to collect himself. But he couldn't keep looking at her when he said it again, so his eyes drifted to the ground before saying somewhat quietly "I said I have had a crush on you since we were back in school." He took a moment to collect himself again before adding "And I'd like to see if anything would come of it, but of course I figure you probably wouldn't want to...." Always down on himself.

She stood there, unmoving, in her pretty, lacy white dress just looking at Lucas even though Romulus stood just a few feet away towering over him. She couldn't help it. Much like she did during a Quidditch match she got tunnel vision and now all she could see was Lucas Hartwell looking both a mix of terrified but sincere. She could have sworn she had seen him look that way before. Many times in fact. Was it possible that it was true what he was confessing? Also, she found herself wishing so badly that it was. What did that say about the two of them?

When he looked at the ground again for a moment she could see the young boy from their schooling days. Older than her but without the confidence that she had in buckets (at least outwardly). That time they had first met at school when he had looked utterly horrified by her outgoing-ness and how blunt she was. Unafraid to get dirty and speak her mind. Was this still them after all of these years? They were unable to escape one another. Maybe they didn't want to.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked quietly, actually daring to take a step toward him. He still insisted on looking at the ground though and this gave her an ounce of confidence because it was familiar. She would need to kick him right out of it. "Look at me, Hart." She demanded the order firmly knowing, or at least being 99% sure that he would oblige, her brown eyes looked right at him hopeful but also skeptic. "But how will you know unless you ask?" Hands on her hips she tilted her head at the older man. "So... Go on. Ask me." She stated simply much to the wide eyed grin of Romulus who briefly caught her eye and did a bit of a triumphant arm pump in celebration.

Being confident and sure of himself wasn't something that came easy to him. Going into Hogwarts he had been a timid shy kid. It has taken a long time to open up to a point where he could hold a normal conversation and not question every thing he said. Part of that was what he had been through as a child, part of it was his general nature. Even now in interviews he had to convince himself ahead of time to portray someone that was confident and personable. Meanwhile inside he was uncomfortable. The hardest part of his job was the interviews. At least he could tune out the crowds when he played and enjoy the game he loved.

And standing here in front of her, having just revealed something he hadn't really planned on, made him feel like that scrawny little kid who really only had a voice on the quidditch team he just become a starter for. Outside of that he was more at home with a book then with a group of friends. Quidditch had helped to bring him out of his shell. As for why he hadn't said anything? Really because he was that shy kid, especially in cases like this. "Because you were always with someone, and I just didn't think you had any interest in me." To him she was still the popular girl who seemed to have it together, while he was the nerd who was more on the sidelines.

Not looking at her helped a little. But then she demanded he look at her, and it took a few moments but he eventuslly looked up. His eyes, filled with nervousness but sincerity at the same time. He had meant what he said, but he had no idea how this would turn out. He didn't need to lose her as a friend again. "I don't know... I guess I didn't want anything to change." When they were actually talking he didn't want there to be an awkwardness because he had asked her and gotten the rejection. But then she told him to ask her. His heart was racing, knowing this could change a lot. But what was he going to do, Romy one in one direction and she was in the other. He was trapped. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He hadn't been this nervous in a long time. But finally he managed to say "Would you... um.... want to go out sometime?"

"You should have told me." She implored quietly ignoring the reasons that he presented simply because she wished he had. She wished a lot of things. Standing there looking at him now he looked every part of the scared boy she had come to knpw during her early years at Hogwarts. When she was a fiesty first year and he was a reserved third year hiding away in the library or on in the courtyard or in the bleechers. She would get him to talk, just a little bit, then. Pestering him and calling him names (just playfully of course). Sometimes he would laugh. Those times made it worth it. To get him to come out of his shell. Did this count as one of those times so many years later?

When he looked at her she couldn't instantly tell he was scared. There was no mistaking it. Her heart felt for him but at the same time she needed to hear him open up. She needed to hear him say it. "Lucas, you saved me. You stayed with me that night. You look out for me... What do you think is the worst that can happen? Would I ever do anything to hurt yet? Ever?" Man, had she been an idiot not to notice or had she been sobconsciously pushing her own feelings down too. Gosh, if Alicia could see her now.

 "Would you... um.... want to go out sometime?"

Amelia paused for a moment. A split second and then she smiled. "It would have to be somewhere nice." She said after a pause, trying to get him to feel more comfortable and maybe smile back. "And you'd have to dress nice... Not like this guy..." She nodded toward Romy who protested with a loud "Hey now! This is kind of nice!"

"I didn't know how." How was he supposed to tell her when she always seemed to be with someone. The one time she had been single when they had crossed paths, he had actually been with someone. It seemed unfair. But he also couldn't quite find the words or the time to tell her. How many times had they actually been alone since he had left Hogwarts almost 10 years prior. There had been the night on the dock she had been upset over something Wood had done, which had ended with them kissing and Lucas discovering that there was in fact so much to find out from a kiss. There had been the night they had almost slept together, but instead had led to him telling her about his abuse and had ended on a sour note. And there had been the night he had rescued her. None of them had really given opportunities to really tell her how he felt, always shadowed by something else.

She pointed out that he had saved her and stayed with her. Well yes he had, but that didn't change the fact he didn't want to go back to not talking to her. "Do you know how much it killed me that for the last few years all of our exchanges have been bitter? I missed having you as a friend. I was afraid of losing that again." And she had accused him of lying about what he had been through, or covering up the fact he had been traded (very much against his will). That had hurt. He didn't trust too many people, and for him to really trust someone with his darkest secret and have it thrown back at him had hurt.

The pause in the conversation felt like a lifetime. He had put it all on the line and waiting for her response was gut wrenching. But then she smiled and agreed, but only if it was somewhere nice. He nodded and said "I could do that." But it was her comment about dressing nice, not like Romy that got a small smile out of him. "Romy's hopeless. You should know that by now." Romy was his best friend, but the traded shots occasionally. It was what they did.

"Somewhere very nice." She corrected Lucas, an air of lightness to her voice in an attempt to make the mood outside less tense. She knew it took a lot for him to confess such feelings (no matter how badly she wanted or needed to hear it) and it took her just as much control to not run into his arms, slap him across the face, and exclaim 'about effing time'. Romulus did enough celebration for them both though as he began dancing triumphantly behind Lucas' back making 'whoot whoot' noises as he raised the roof and made some ecstatic pelvis thrusts. Amelia rolled her eyes and then looked back to Lucas fondly.

"Then it's settled. You'll take me out on a date." Date. She hated hearing that word and hated saying it but the thought of going on a date with her childhood friend actually thrilled her. It even made her happy though she managed to keep some control. "And I think I've had enough excitement for one night. I'm going home. Romy.. You're paying." She announced, before turning around to leave. "Unless one of you boys wants to walk me home." And she knew which one she preferred. Romulus reached out and gave Lucas a big shove forward then pretended to whistle innocently as if he had done nothing wrong.

"Somewhere very nice it is." He said with a nod. Even though she had agreed, his heart was still racing. His nerves were still taking over. He was also still in shock of what had just happened. He had started this evening thinking he was just going to grab a meal with Romy, and now here he was, still without a meal, but with a date with the girl he had had a crush on since school. Really it was probably more than just a crush, but at the end of the day, it was still the same result. He didn't even notice Romy's celebrations behind him. He just saw Amelia in front of him.

"Sounds like a plan." Now he just had to figure out where to take her. Somehow he would probably put more pressure on himself than was really needed. But that was how he was. He overanalyzed a lot. This was no different. He just wanted it to be perfect for her. Running through things, it barely registered that she said she was going to go home. He was lost in his own world, as he often was. But he did hear her say walk home, just before he got shoved forward by Romy. He glared back at the guy before walking to catch up with her. "I can walk you home." Once he caught up with her, and they were out of earshot of Romy he said "You look beautiful tonight." Then again to him, she looked beautiful every night.

"Good. It's a date then." The keeper concluded with a wry little smile as she stood some distance from him, hands on her hips in front of the restaurant. Is this where they were now? Was this reality or had she slipped in the bathroom and hit her head? Was it real life or completely fabricated that she would actually eventually be going on a date with her longtime friend and recent-ish enemy Lucas Hartwell? If you had told any of their friends what was currently transpiring their jaws would have hit the ground followed by a resounding 'well it's about bloody time'. Even standing there just now Amelia had difficulty believing it and yet here they were. Out of the two of them she had to be the confident one or at least act like it or Lucas would continue to drag his feet like he had been the last 15ish years.

"Ok. Try and keep up." She agreed when Lucas offered to walk her home, turning she pulled her coat over her small frame and began to walk trusting that he would catch up. At school, in their younger years, she had been the one to bound in his wake pestering him with her boldness and big mouth now he was following in her footsteps trying to keep up with her. How things could change but still remain exactly how they were. How magical.

A few moments passed between them in quiet. He must have been nervous, Lucas always was, but he was being a champ and not letting it show. He really had come a long way since they were students at Hogwarts and it was never more evident to her than it was in the current moment. He was a grown man and one she was rather fond of.

 "You look beautiful tonight."

"Calm down. You don't have to try so hard, Hart." She warned him gently, looking to the side with a reassuring smile. "Just take a breath. It's just me." Them. Chuckling to herself she put her hands in her pockets and kept walking before speaking up again, slightly amused. "I think Romy set you up." A thoughtful pause. "Actually I think he set us both up." Boy did he. "He did a good job - But don't tell him I said that."