21.

~ A m e l i a ~

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Harry yelled, looking at Leonard, who seemed to be completely satisfied with the whole situation. I looked at Harry with hope-- a strange feeling building up inside me. I was happy that he was there right then. It meant that he cared enough for me to come and help me. I parted my lips, ready to speak but Leonard was faster than me.

"Having fun. What does it look like I'm doing?" he said, taking some steps towards me and standing right behind me. I could see Harry tensing up as his hand was now into a fist and he narrowed his eyes at him. Leonard smiled and put his hand in front of my face, pushing my long hair out of my face and letting them fall behind me. I took a shaky breath as the cold air hit the exposed part of my shoulder, but didn't dare move.

"And you came just in time for the good part." he said, bringing his face closer to my neck. I flinched and moved away but he was fast to stop me.

"Stay away from her, Leonard." Harry growled, coming closer to us.

"And why should I listen to you, Harry?" he asked him as he now changed his position and stood beside me. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Harry angrily, which scared me. Harry might've been younger, but Leonard was very well-build and looked stronger than him. "Come on, Styles. Answer me!" he commanded when he saw that Harry didn't respond. Harry sighed and looked at him, pointing a finger at my direction.

"Just let her go. This is between me and you." Harry said and then looked at me, his eyes softening immediately.

"She is involved in this too." Leonard said and grabbed me by my arm forcefully, bringing me in front of him and then pushing me to the floor. 

Harry lowered his head looking at me and then turned to Leonard ready to hit him but was stopped by one of the other men who, until now, were just watching. The tall, bold man filled with tattoos grabbed Harry's fist in the air before it could make contact with Leonard's face and then looked at Leonard who nodded at him. He smiled evilly and then hit Harry right in the stomach, making him stumble backwards in pain.

"You shouldn't have tried that." Leonard said, staring at him hard and before Harry could react another fist made contact with him, sending him flying on the floor.

"Fuck." he cursed under his breath. 

I wanted to reach out for him, but I was too scared so I stayed in place looking around me like a lost puppy. Three men stood above him, teasing him and cursing at him. Soon, Harry kicked one of them, bringing him down and sat above him to start punching him in the face until blood was drawn. The others tried to take him off of him and when they succeeded, Harry turned at them angrily. He grabbed one of them from the collar of his t-shirt and threw him onto the floor brutally as the other one attacked him again. Even though Harry had knocked two of the men down, he for sure couldn't beat all the others who were in this room. Leonard knew it too and he even started laughing.

Harry and the other man kept fighting as each of them punched the other until the man finally fell down, but I knew Harry was exhausted. I saw the blood on the corner of his lips. He was hurt. 

I couldn't see any more, so I build up all the courage I had and stood up, running towards Harry. He was standing in the middle of the room breathing heavily as the other three men were lying unconscious on the floor.

"Harry!" I called his name, taking his face in my hands. He looked at me, but before he could do anything else, some other men took him away from me. They pushed him by his shoulders, forcing him to the floor onto his knees as Leonard's figure appeared in front of him.

"I let you have fun but now it's time to get serious." he said with a smirk on his face. I tried to go near them but Louis stopped me.

"Go away, Louis." I said angrily, trying to get out of his strong grip but he didn't let me.

"You know that you did wrong, Harry!" Leonard said, his voice echoing in the now silent room. Harry didn't say anything. "You put all of us in danger. You know that we could have been caught, right?" He begun to raise his voice.

"I didn't put anyone in danger, Leonard. If I had, you wouldn't be here now. You would be where you belong-- in jail." Harry said in a low voice, keeping his head down. He tried to stand up, but they pushed him back down.

"How dare you talk to me like that. I think you forgot who the boss is here. Maybe I should remind you." 

He called a boy named Luke and said something in his ear, looking at Harry and smiling. Just by looking at his amused face, I knew that he was planning something bad. The young boy came back holding something that I couldn't really make out what it was. Leonard took the black leather rope in his hands and that's when I understood what it was-- a whip. I gasped and pushed Louis in order to go and stop Leonard.

"Stop moving already." Louis said, annoyed.

"Time to learn your lesson, Styles." Leonard said. 

The two men behind Harry tore off his t-shirt into two pieces, leaving him topless with his back exposed and in total view for Leonard. They held his hands, forcing him down. Leonard walked around him and laughed, loving the fact that he had control over Harry. But just as Leonard was about to hit him, he stopped and looked at me. I knew that he was thinking of something as he motioned to Louis to let me go. Louis did as Leonard said and let go of me. I looked at him and then took a few steps slowly towards Harry's body.

"Why don't you do it?" Leonard said to me.

"N-no" I stuttered, looking at Harry who now looked up at me.

"Come on. Don't you remember what he did to you? He deserves it." he said and extended the hand with the whip towards me. I shook my head but he grabbed my arm, putting it in my hand.

"Fucking do it!" he yelled and walked behind me, whispering in my ear something that I didn't quiet get. 

I was shaking as I kept staring at Harry's face. He nodded his head slowly and lowered it down, ready for me to whip him. That's when something that I hadn't seen before caught my eye. Harry's back was covered with small thin white lines. Leonard had done it to him before, it wasn't the first time. I gulped and closed my eyes. I didn't even dare to raise my hand to do it. I let out a shaky breath and tears started forming in my eyes as I fell on the floor, throwing the whip away.

"I won't do it!" I yelled clear enough for everyone to hear.

"Fucking bitch." Leonard shouted, slapping me across the face with the back of his hand. It hurt but I didn't care. I was scared... for Harry.

"Take her. I'll do it myself." he ordered and grabbed the whip from the floor and just in a few seconds Harry's shout was heard in the big room as the leather made contact with his flesh, making it turn red.

"Thirty. That's how many times I'm going to do this." Leonard said. He did it again and this time with much more force, making Harry's back to arch in pain. I couldn't handle it, I couldn't keep watching his painful expression. I was sobbing and Louis came near me, taking me away.

"No! Let me go!" I shouted but he kept silent, taking me back at the dark cell. He looked at me and his eyes were filled with guilt but I didn't know why. He was the one responsible for this. He shook his head and walked away leaving me there alone. I sat in the corner closing my eyes as I kept listening to Harry's cries.

* * *

"Get in here for now, you bastard." someone said, opening the cell's door and pushing Harry's tortured body inside. He couldn't even stand. His legs couldn't support his weight so he fell down, breathing heavily.

"Leonard is going to take care of you both tomorrow." the man said, laughing and walked away. 

I didn't even think twice before rushing to Harry's side to sit down next to him. I looked at the several cuts on his back, feeling sorry for him and then turned him around placing his head on my lap and taking his face in my small, trembling hands.

"Harry." I called his name, shaking him a bit to try to make his react. 

When he finally opened his eyes and I saw his green eyes, a smile was formed on my face mixed with my tears. "Harry." I called again and he looked at me, parting his bruised lips.

"Amelia?" he asked and raised his hand, bringing it near me and brushing my hair away from my face.

"Thank you for coming." I simply said and hugged him, pressing my head on his bare chest. He didn't push me away and I was thankful for that.I stayed like that as he hesitantly wrapped his one arm around me. I felt safe just like that in Harry's arms and listening to his heartbeat but I knew that this wasn't over. Leonard hadn't finished with us yet.