Artistic Directions

Charlotte walked into the Slytherin common room, her eyes swiftly looking around to see if there were any of her fellow house mates around, seeing none she relaxed and sat down on one of the comfy armchairs by the fire. Curling her feet up onto the chair Charlotte bent down to her bag and drew out her sketch book and oil paints.

Slowly her eyes wandered across the different aspects of the common room, her mouth twitching into a smile when she rested her gaze on the stained glass window depicting Salazar Slytherin. Sticking her tongue out in concentration Charlotte began to sketch out the outline, wondering if anyone would come to talk to her since she was quite new, but knowing that she was probably quite intimidating. Charlotte could change her features but most of the time she had her red eyes and her white blonde hair, she was fond of that look.

Arsen ran into the common room not really looking at who or what was in there. He had just out performed peeves by pranking the prankster. He laughed pulling his bag off his shoulder to let it drop to the floor. He dropped down into the seat behind him and relaxed in front of the fire.

"Oh didn't see you there." He smiled weakly, his hand unconsciously covered his forearm over his jacket. "What's that your doing?" He asked looking over to get a glance at her sketch book.

Charlotte snapped her head up when she heard someone else come into the common room, she looked up intently at them when they sat down on a chair opposite her, she wasn't used to being around people very much so all she could do for a few moments was blush deeply. It was a boy, she'd never really talked to a boy before.

"I-i-it's alright. I'll move, if you want me to."

Charlotte moved her eyes from his face, not wanting to scare him by looking at him for too long, her eyes could be quite unnerving after a while.

"Oh this? It's just a s-s-sketch of that window over there, I've been drawing for years now but I'm not very good."

"No, no you were here first." He smiled leaning over to open his bag. He pulled out a small rather old book that looked very fragile. He gently turned the page to the contents before giving it a quick scan. He looked up and caught the sight of red near her eyes.

"Woah look at me for a sec." He said leaning forwards in his chair to get a look at her. "Are they contact lenses?" He asked amazed at the colour.

He took a look at her sketch before settling back into his seat. "What you talking about, have faith in your skills that's pretty good. Better then most peoples drawings i've seen." He said returning to his book, turning to the right page number.

Charlotte looked up from her drawing her pencil still in her hand and she glanced at Arsen once more, she wondered why he wanted her to look at him but after what he had said it all became clear. Blushing a little more Charlotte moved her fringe out of the way of her eyes so that he could see the red iris of them more easily.

"N-n-no they're my real eye colour. I'm sorry, I can change them i-if you don't like them."

With a small smile Charlotte gazed at the book that he was holding, it looked like it was really old and it intrigued her a little bit. Picking up another pencil she put the one she used last into her mouth, holding it with her teeth, taking another swift glance up at Arsen she finished drawing in the shading and smiled lightly.

"T-t-thank you. Tell me, what book is that?" Charlotte asked boldly before letting her eyes widen, realising she hadn't introduced herself "I'm Charlotte by the way, Charlotte Matthews."

He smiled getting a better glance at her eyes. "No red's fine it looks amazing, your not an metamorphagus are you by any chance?" He asked looking her up and down to take note of how she looked now before she changed. If she was she could be very useful to the Wraiths.

He looked at her one eyebrow raised, he wasn't sure if she was the right person to tell but since she was a slytherin he did it anyway. "Oh this, it's some dark arts book my uncle left me behind." He said gently turning the page.

"I'm Arsen, Arsen Barela." He smiled. "It's nice to meet you, you're one of the first Slytherins i've met.

"Y-y-yes I am. I always prefer to look like this however."

Charlotte smiled a little and nodded when Arsen told her what type of book it was, she should have expected it because he being a Slytherin would have about the same interests as herself, in the dark arts, it was something that although was essential to what she wanted to do, right now, she just wanted to get her head sorted.

"Is, is it interesting?" Charlotte asked timidly

As she realised that he was reading she decided that it wouldn't be too rude to continue with her drawing so placing the two pencils back in her bag Charlotte drew out the oil paints that were safely enclosed in their metal tin. Opening it gingerly she took out a green and carefully began to shade in the robes of Salazar.

"I-i-i-i only arrived here a few days ago...I haven't really met anyone yet."

"Cool i like it, it will make people think twice before messing with you." He nodded looking back to his book. "It's a very interesting read, it covers everything spells, potions you name it, it also speaks about how disgusting muggles are." He spat his face scrunching up in disgust. "What are you feelings on muggles Charlotte?" He asked putting his book to one side.

"Can you change your whole appearance? I mean can you pretend to be someone else? Like say if i needed to be somewhere but i had to go somewhere else could you fill in for me?" He asked interested in her capabilities.

"Oh so your a late transfer." He said nodding, "Me too i transfered from Durmstrang, great school specialises in the dark arts." He smiled.

Charlotte grinned a little, she wondered when this would come up in the conversation and she presumed that now was a good a time as any to share her beliefs with Arsen after all, they were both in Slytherin their views were likely to co-inside with one another's.

"I believe that Muggles are inferior to Wizards in every way, we were chosen, elected, to be of a higher status than them this is what our gifts were given to us for...and we must use them to show the Muggles that."

Charlotte got a tint to her eyes that made them a noticeably darker red than they were before, trying to change the subject before she got too angry she winked at Arsen and looking at him carefully she let a warm feeling wash over her body and when she opened her eyes again she looked exactly like him. She closed her eye again and after a few seconds she was back to normal.

"Obviously I still sound like myself though, not been able to manipulate the voice box yet...but I'm getting there. No no, I'm not a transfer, there was just some business that I had to take care of before I came here."

Charlotte said with a grimace.

"Oh another hater ay?" He asked unzipping his coat so he could sit more comfortably. "You know it's not good to air your views on this subject, you don't even know who i am. I could be a muggle lover then what?" He asked sitting forwards in his seat.

"But it just so happens i agree, muggles deserve to serve us wizards we are the greater race." He snarled he hated muggles full stop. He thought for a second, turning to look at her to make sure she seemes like the right person to join them. "Have you heard of a group that's fighting muggles here in school?" He asked wanting to make sure their cover hadn't yet been blown.

Arsen watched in shock as he saw himself sat across from him. "That is awesome, you could be so useful. How would you feel about joining my group?" He asked not wanting to go into anymore detail in this public place. "Oh right, well i'm sure you will eventually." He smiled. "Yeah we all have problems it's just apart of life i suppose." He shrugged picking his book back up.

Charlotte looked at Arsen with an expression that could be described as cool, of course she was no idiot despite her appearance and the way that she acted, everything was calculated, even the way that she put herself across. It was very rare, for someone to see what the real her was, and she was not happy that Arsen had interrupted her when she was being herself.

"I just used logic, you're in Slytherin, probably Pure Blood, reading a book about Dark Arts and this book seems to have details about Muggle Hating... it just seems logical to me that you would hate them too."

Her ears pricked up a little when she heard that there was a group in school to join that would aim to destroy Muggles, a kind of smirk wound it's way across her lips, so it was Arsen's group. He wanted her to join because of her skills. But it was something that greatly appealed to Charlotte herself.

"I haven't heard no...but...it is something I would be interested in. Tell me, who else is a member?"

He just nodded turning the page of his book so he could finish the rest of the sentence. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, before turning to look at some pictures of the dark arts gone wrong. "This group is a secret and i would like to see it kept that way. But i see potential in you Charlotte and i think we could use that potentail to better the group."

"If you are interested..." He whispered checking around them for snooper before continuing. "... then i'm calling our first meeting this week in the room of requirements i'll let you know the exaclt time and date closer to the time. There i'll tell you about the group and if you still want to be a part of it then we'll go on if not then well we'll get to that when it happens." He whispered returning to his book.

"All members a classified at the minute but we do have one from each house now." He smirked one side of his mouth lifting up.

Charlotte turned to look at Arsen, a shocked look in her eyes. She began to laugh a little, to her it sounded a little tinny, but she hadn't been one to ever laugh so when it did it sounded a little alien to her. Maybe it sounded alien to a lot of people. Charlotte couldn't believe they had a member from each house, Ravenclaw was plausible... but Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?

"Are you serious? Is this whole school turned on it's head? Are Slytherins supposed to be cute and fluffy and snuggle up to Muggles like we're best friends? This is so confusing."

Charlotte drew a line on the portrait in anger, sighing irritably she rubbed it out redrawing it. Once that was done she had a full blown portrait of Salazar Slytherin with a glass window effect. Smiling gently at Arsen she turned the canvas towards him so that he could see, her eyes, with her happiness had turned a pink now instead of a red.

He shrugged. "It seems some of the Gryffs and the puffles are finally using their minds instead of listening to what everyone else thinks. It's about time they started seeing what us Slytherins have been seeing all along." He explained just giving her a little glance out the corner of his eye.

"Slytherins will become cute and cuddly when the Malfoys turn nice." He smirked. "And that will never happen trust me the Malfoys were born to be mean, they don't have a nice bone in their body." He turned the page to read the first line.

"Wow that's amazing you have serious talent when it comes to drawing." He smiled turning to look at the canvas. "Let's just hope your as good at spells as you are drawing aye?" He smirked one side of his mouth twitching up.

Charlotte's pale skin flushed with a pink blush when Arsen complimented her artwork, she smiled shyly and placed her materials down on the table opposite her looking at her messy hands with amusement. She always had messy hands, they were never clean and never would be, the only time they were clean was when she had just gotten out of the bath.

"You can have it, if you want it."

She smiled graciously but didn't hold out the painting she didn't want to feel like she was throwing it at him, if he wanted it he would take it if not it would go in her gallery at home. Charlotte wondered if it would be possible for her to animate her pictures soon, the potions were quite expensive to buy and even trickier to make...

"People don't need to be nice, just clever. Like you. You're being nice to me because you want me in your group correct? That's being very strategic, gives me confidence that you'll be a good leader."

Grinning slightly once again Charlotte fiddled with a ring that was on her slender fingers, opal, silver with a splash of blue paint.

"Really? Thanks i've never been given a gift before." He smiled looking down at his painting.

"Am i really that obvious?" He laughed. "But yes it is good to be clever, making friends with the wrong people could be dangerous. You can't trust anyone now a days trust me i know better than most people." He sighed turning back to his book. He caught a glance of a muggle having their insides pulled out to be their outsides. "Ugh you seen this, it's digustingly awesome." He smirked turning his book to show her the picture.

"Thanks i'll try my best to make sure i have the best interests of the group in everything we do." He smiled pulling the book back round for him to carry one reading. "So your definately interested then?" He asked glancing down at her ring.

"Is that of family value?"

Charlotte smiled gently and her head jerked up from her gaze on the ring to look at the picture in the book, she grinned and peered to try and see it closer but unable to she got up from her chair and gently sat beneath the book. She couldn't help but laugh at the picture, Arsen was right, that was disgustingly awesome.

"That's actually pretty funny. Imagine the looks you'd get. I don't suppose you'd last for very long though. Yes, I'm interested Arsen."

Charlotte laughed lightly again. As she listened to what Arsen had to say it seemed like he too like her had a past, but Charlotte knew that like her he probably wouldn't like to talk about it, heck, she was almost a complete stranger. Snorting a little when Arsen asked her about her ring she looked at it, showing it to Arsen more closely.

"It depends, if you value your family then yes, if you don't it's just a trinket. To me, it's exactly that, just a ring. I do like opals though..."

"I know i can't wait to test it on someone, in fact i know just the guy. Muggle of course." He smiled. "That will teach him who's weaker." He smiled to himself the faster he learnt the quicker Hades would let him kill him.

"Good because i wont let anyone but the best join, one hint of doubt and you wont remember a thing the next time you wake up." He said not hint of a joke in his voice. Hades would kill him if he failed in this small part of the task, so he couldn't let that happen.

"I mean has it been passed down for genereations, this ring here..." He raised his left hand to show his Barela crest ring. "... was my father after it was his fathers and so on. He told me i would never get my hands on it, guess he was wrong just like a lot of things he believed." He smiled turning using his thumb to push at the back of it so it rose off his finger.

"Does he go to this school?"

Charlotte kept her seat on the floor of the common room and looked curiously up at the ring that Arsen wore, it was very beautifully carved unlike most rings and it seemed to have some sort of presence to it, something behind it, without Arsen telling her Charlotte could have guessed it was old.

"Yes. It is a family heirloom. I don't really want to wear it, just something I'm going to have to live with."

She smiled sadly, Charlotte didn't really know what she was getting herself into with joining this group, it sounded good alright but it also sounded very serious. Come to think about it so did Arsen, Charlotte wondered if he was always this reserved.

"Do you have a nickname Arsen?"

She asked, picking up a pencil and twirling it between her fingers.

"I hope not he's a muggle, right now he's hidden away in a dungeon where no one can save him." His smirk turning sadistic. "You know no one can force you to wear something you don't want too. This rings is part of everything i hate about my name, but it also reminds me to change that. It just makes me wants to rewrite the Barela line and make it how i want."

"No." He said without hesitation, he immediately thought about Bels nickname for him so he turned to his book to wipe it from his mind, that was something he just couldn't have sticking.

"What about you? What do people call you?" He asked pulling the book closer to his face to take in the details of a dark spell gone wrong.

Charlotte raised her eyebrows when Arsen told her that he didn't have a nickname, she thought that he did, maybe it was just one that he didn't like so he didn't want to spread it around. Charlotte herself shrugged her shoulders, when her Dad was a live she had plenty of nicknames, none of them very nice ones she remembered the most popular one was 'Abomination'.

"No, I don't have one either."

She smiled sadly, wracking her brains to think of something to call Arsen she had a light bulb moment and Charlotte jumped up from the floor her finger in the air. Lowering it to point it at Arsen she declared;

"I shall call you Dark. And you shall like it."

Grinning and actually quite proud of herself for thinking of a suitable nickname to call Arsen she realised that she probably wouldn't get much chance to use it, they probably wouldn't speak much after today.

"Not like you'll hear it often, we probably wont talk after today and I don't think you'd appreciate me calling you it in the middle of a meeting."

"Can i call you Char it's so much easier to say?" He asked putting his book aside. He smiled. "Woah that was slightly creepy but it fits. Im not sure if i like it to get out though it might make it obvious about what we are doing." He shrugged. "As long as no one but you knows then im fine with that, call me that in a meeting and i WILL have to kill you." He smiled standing up so he could sit on the floor closer to the fire.

"Oh on the contrary my friend we're going to be seeing a lot of each other." He smiled. "I'm making you my psychic." He winked placing his hands over the fire to warm then up it was winter after all. "Of course that means you will have to work extra hard to be the best." He watched as the flames flickered sometimes you could pick out shapes. "And you'll have to grow more confident at the minute your too shy." He smiled. "That's not a bad thing, but it's more fun this way. Watching as everyone moves out the way when they see you coming." He smiled.

Charlotte nodded, she smiled, she liked the sound of that nickname it was a lot better than the ones that she had gotten before and it even sounded a little bit cool. Like charred paper. Watching Arsen carefully from the floor where she sat Charlotte wondered what he was doing, still tapping the pencil on the table she nearly choked on thin air when she heard what he said.

"M-m-me? Your...second?"

She stood up quickly from the floor, out of shock or her eagerness to accept Arsen's offer. Charlotte's face turned a little pink when he said that she was still too shy, she knew that of course, but hopefully she would get better at being around people, get more confident.

"I'll try Dark, it might take a while, but I'll do it. Why me? Surely you know some of the other members a lot better than myself...?"

"Yeah, you. Don't look to shocked will you." He smiled turning back to the flames. He had no idea why this girl was so shy but he would change that.

"No i like you, it has to be your i've already decided. There is something about you that fits the person i need." He said not letting his eyes leave the flames, they became hypnotising at times.

"Tell me Char what do you see in the flames?" He asked using this as another test just to get a better understanding of who she was. He would after all need to know as much as he could if he was going to make her more confident.

Charlotte grinned and walked slowly over to the fire, staring deeply into the flames she tried to picture something there, letting her eyes slip in and out of focus she managed to capture a few images within the flickering orange light.

"Mostly I see objects of power, and I feel the power behind the fire itself. I prefer not to work with heat, ice has always been my thing."

She smiled up at Arsen, hopefully giving him a big hint to something she shouldn't really be telling anyone. Not yet anyway. Her skills were far from perfect but she had a lot of time to practice now, without stupid parents getting in the way.

"Why Dark, what do you see? Or more importantly, what did you desire me to see?"