Lucy's really always been the go-to girl for family crises and now's no different, even though she's 26 and he's 29 and this is totally different than when they were at Hogwarts together.

He won't cry because he's James but he thinks about it. He apparates to her flat and knocks, even though what he really wants to do is barge in- even though it's only seven in the morning and she's probably half dressed.

He rather hopes she's is and then he realizes how wrong that is, because he's her cousin, even if he's never thought about its weirdness before.

No one answers and he figures that she's probably got the music blasting in some dark room in the back of the house, because that's just sort of the thing that she'd do.

So he walks in like he owns the place, because, well, he kind of does. He never thought being her land-lord would come in handy until now, because he's got a reason for being there if she's-

"Fuck!"

A voice comes from upstairs and it's male and so definitely not Lucy's that he stops in his tracks and thinks, for a second, that maybe he's in the wrong house- even though that's their family in the picture on the mantle place and he bought that vase for her as a house-warming present and-

And a distinctly feminine voice distracts him. It's got the same tone and volume that he'll always know is hers.

"Who is it?"

It's her coming down the stairs, he can tell from the way she pounds on the steps, in a near run, because she's Lucy and she's not graceful.

"James."

She's got a towel wrapped around her but it's too small for her and he can barely keep his eyes up at her face.

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, of course."

He smirks at her and he nearly thinks for a second that she's gonna slap him but she doesn't.

"Leave, James, please. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

He steps towards her and she takes a few steps backwards, steps that are a bit more like a hop than a step and he has to do everything in his power to watch her amber eyes rather than her legs.

"I need you."

"And I need you to leave."

She stalks past him and he's almost think that maybe she is as brave as she says she's not but he can tell that she's not breathing and when she throws open the door, he almost wonders why he likes her, because he likes the reckless ones- and she doesn't fit that category at all. Except that she's Lucy, and she's the go-to-girl in the family and he thinks that might just be reason enough.

"Out!"

"How about you come and make me?"

She does, grabbing his wrist and dragging him outside. "Go."

"Oh, Honey…"

"Don't you dare 'Honey' me."

"Lucy… you're supposed to be the nice one who-"

"Is that all I am? Funny, didn't know."

She slaps the door.

He turns away.

It's nothing.

He never told her what he wanted to.

That's what hurts.