Artistic Directions

Charlotte giggled and playfully poked Arsen in the tummy as he opened up his jacket so that she could admire his body, pulling her tongue once more she transformed herself into a rather more curvy version of herself winking playfully then turning back into her normal 11 year old self.

"Nope, I'm sorry but I'm hotter than you Dark dear."

She grabbed her arms and looked nervously at the floor, biting her lip she tried to look more confident than she felt. Charlotte scolded herself mentall, he'll never want to come over if you keep up this stupid appearance will he? Biting the proverbial bullet Charlotte opened her mouth to speak.

"I was wondering if you would like to come to my house for a day in the christmas holidays...it's ok...if you don't want to...I just wondered, if you might want to...it's ok. You probably wont. Heck, you don't want to spend any extra time with me probably it's ok."

"Humm, nice but i prefare you o natural." He smirked. "I'm all me baby and i can't change that." He winked. "But you can't change perfection now can you. Ouch Kracken your stopping my circulation again. Essihef." He waited patiently for him to slither onto his shoulders before carrying on.

"What colour are you natural eyes?" He asked he couldn't help but wonder.
"Sure i would love to." He smiled before he remembered he spun on the spot with his hands over his eyes. "Oh crap i can't, i made a stupid pack with Hades i have to be within a certain distance to him otherwise i'll burn, literally a fire oath is strong and cannot be broken." He sighed. "I'll tell you what i'll ask Hades if you can stay the holidays that way you'll be safer and have company." He smiled, he hated being restricted. "Hey we are friends now you wont get rid of me." He laughed.

Charlotte blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while she tried to calm herself down, no-one had ever really said they preferred her as just her not someone or something else. She very nearly gave him another hug when he said it but Charlotte managed to remain calm. With a wry smile, she looked at Arsen deep in the eye.

"These are my natural colours, this is how I was born."

Gesturing to herself Charlotte grinned.

"Hence why I was thought to be evil, red eyed baby, not very normal I'll bet."

When she heard that he wanted to come over her heart leaped a little bit in her chest, but when Arsen said he couldn't come that was quickly quelled. Charlotte smiled a small sad smile at him, she wouldn't impose on him and Hades especially during Christmas...it just wouldn't be right.

"Oh no! Please, it's fine. I'll just stay at home...I don't want to intrude upon you and Hades, you must have a lot of things to talk about!"

"Wow i love your eyes, they're different. I'm stuck with my mmothers eyes the coward." He snarled. "Luckily i look more like my uncle than anyone else in my family so it's not all too bad." He smiled. "My uncle was the only member of the Barelas that was like me." He smiled. "EVIL. Mwhahaha." He said in a mock evil accent.

"Don't be disappointed this way you can spend all your holidays with moi." He smiled. "I know you want too." He flashed her his cheeky grin before placing Kracken on the chair.

"Pfft, he never speaks to me and when he does it's to train me to his standards and that's only giving me orders. We never actuall talk." He sighed looking over to the window. "So you'll be doing me a favour, this is going to be my first proper christmas it would be nice to spend it with someone i can talk to. Rolo's awesome and everything but you can't beat speaking to a human." He smiled.

Charlotte blushed deeply and peered up into Arsen's eyes with her own, they had faded to a pink colour but she made them change back into their normal vivid red. This was something that she wasn't used to, it was almost a compliment, she had never gotten a compliment before.

"You'd be the first Dark."

With a wink Charlotte bit her lips softly, she supposed she could come around, if Hades would allow her too, after all it would be a lot more fun than just staying at home with Hannibal for Christmas. It would be her first one too and Charlotte wanted it to be special.

"If you're sure you want me there, I would love to spend Christmas with you..."

She didn't quite know what she was feeling, but Charlotte knew she was feeling incredibly happy. Moving from her place near the fire place she stood next to Arsen, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a daring kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, my friend."

"Well there's a first for everything." He smiled packing his book away into his bag before he forgot and left it behind for the others to find. "And i'm sure i wont be the last. Once you've grown into your looks like me i mean." He laughed sticking his tongue out at her.

"Am i sure i want you there... i'd rather spend it with someone than on my own again." He laughed. "Malfoy manour is huge it could fit in four normal houses and that's just the main part." He explained. "It gets awfully lonely following Hades around all the time, a good tip for you never and i repeat never make a fire oath they can't be broken." He sighed, a tiny fire ball flickering in his hand unnoticed.

"Woah where did that come from?" He smiled taking hold of both her arms so she was an arms width away so he could see her face. "You're welcome." He smiled letting her go so he could sit back down in his seat. "So what do you want to do all holidays?"

Charlotte smiled wryly at the reaction from her kiss, it was what she had expected and with a jump she leaped onto the sofa and curled up into a ball. It was then that Hannibal tapped her harshly on the head with a loud caw, glaring up at him Charlotte grabbed the piece of parchment he had delivered and scribbled a harsh note of reply on the back.

Fastening it to his leg Charlotte gave him a quick peck on the head and he was off, Hannibal's large wing span only just managing to fit through the common room window.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Charlotte grinned with a wink "It is horrible being able to change your shape...you never know what shape you should be when..."

Shaking her head lightly she sat back down on the sofa, thinking about what she would like to do in the holidays Charlotte bit her lip again in concentration.

"Well, we could always...we could always play games like truth or dare. And maybe, we could even make a snow man! There is one thing that I would like to do though. Wait here!"

Charlotte signalled for Arsen to stay put while she ran pull speed up to the girls dormitory, grabbed her camera and ran back out again almost tripping over one of the steps on her way down. Smiling lightly she waved the camera to show Arsen what she had got from her room.

"I'll need a picture of us to do it though."

"Wow he's impatient." He smiled after he watched he dive onto the chair. "When what?" He asked wondering why she had cut her sentence short. "You can trust me Char." He smiled reassuringly. "I won't tell anyone anything you have said to me i promise." He smiled before adding. "Well that's mostly because i don't have anyone TO tell." He gave her a cheeky grin beofre he raised Krackens head up to his eye level.

"Truth or dare eh? You sure you can handle that?" He smiled mischeivously but not removing his eyes from his snake. "A snow man sounds good, i've never actually made one myself." He frowned. His eye brows furrowed as she left the room making his loose eye contact with his snake. "Oh man." He said turning back to look at him.

She returned minutes later with a camera in hand. "A camera? What are you planning Char? I hate photo's it can be used as evidence." He smiled looking up at her.

"When you change so often, it's something that I've never really liked about my power, when I was younger I could make myself look like a fully grown woman but...I don't know anything about what I should naturally look like and when."

Sighing lightly Charlotte brandished the camera at Arsen playfully, he made it sound like she was going to pin it up all over her mansion and gorund and make Hannibal stalk him or something. With a weak laugh Charlotte walked behind Arsen and placed her head next to his own, grinning and pulling a peace sign Charlotte took the picture.

"Just an idea...for a Christmas present. Nothing bad I promise!"

She swore, crossing her hand over her heart. Placing the camera down on the table Charlotte took the picture out when it popped out of the slot, like a Muggle poloriod.

"Oh bugger! Is that the time?"

Her eyes widening as she looked at the clock above the fireplace Charlotte stuffed everything into her bag and looked apologetically at Arsen, giving him a swift hug, she made towards the girls dorm.

"I'm so sorry! I have to do these accounts, and Dark, I hope that we speak again soon."

With that Charlotte trotted up the steps with a jovial parting wave.