Christmas Time!

"Good i nearly blew the place up, you know what i'm like when i panic. Normally i couldn't care less if i explode but Char's here now, if i hurt her because of you i'd..." He said stopping before he said something the would get him into trouble.

"ARRRRRRR!" He shouted turning his back on Hades, throwing a fire ball straight at Hades shield. He took a deep breath and turned to stand over Rolo as he worked his magic on Char. "I'll make you a deal, just let me out of here for the holidays and i'll do anything you want. This place is driving me crazy.

Charlotte groaned and moved slowly from her place on the floor, she tried to prop herself up on her elbow but she only flopped back down to the floor. Seeing that Hades was here she tried to show a little more decorum but when you're exhausted, you're exhausted. Opening her eyes she let their red tinge survey Hades and Arsen.

"Arsen..."

She managed to croak out, she didn't want him to get into trouble over her, and he looked like he was going to crack at any time so Charlotte tried to get up to calm him down. Managing to lift herself up off the floor Charlotte propped herself up against the wall.

Hades marched down the stairs and stood right in front of Arsen. "You'll do WHAT Arsen?" He asked glaring down at him. "Well... i'm waiting." He sighed folding his arms over his chest.

He watched patiently as Arsen's anger got the better of him, one eyebrow raised. "Is that really necessary Arsen. "Did it make you feel better?" He asked. "I'm listening, what kind of deal?" He asked leaning back against the wall.

Arsen paused his face turned away from Hades. "Nothing," He muttered turning his back to Hades to face Char.

"No!" He replied his anger not yet calmed down. "Yeah a little, would have been better aiming them at you." He spat back not caring about the result now he had really wound him up by not replying to him when he needed him.

"Char? I'm here don't move we'll take you somewhere so you can rest properly okay." He smiled gently standing up to walk over to Hades. He sighed.

"Let me out of here just for the winter break please, i'll do anything. Just let me have this one thing. This room is driving me crazy." He asked standing by Hades by not looking him in the eye. "I'll work harder i promise."

Charlotte leant her head against the wall and let out a gasp of pain as her muscles screamed in protest but she began to walk slowly over to Arsen, placing a hand on his shoulder looking wearily up into his eyes. A wave of blackness swept over her again and she grabbed onto his shoulder to stop herself falling.

"I'm fine here, really, I just need some sleep Dark."

She couldn't bear to see Arsen like this, he was going to agree to something that would hurt him for something that was partly for her and she wouldn't allow that.

"Don't..."

Charlotte gasped again digging her fingers in harder to Arsen's shoulder, knees buckling slightly.

"...agree to anything you're going to regret Dark."

Arsen moved back over and took Charlotte in his arms making sure he held her up. "It's okay i've got you. Come on Hades she can't stay in here. At least let her have on of the rooms. Please." He begged.

"It's okay you can sleep in a minute." He spoke softly brushing her hair aside. "I won't, Hades please. Do you want me to beg is that what you want?" He asked drawing power from fire to keep Charlotte up straight.

"Don't push me Arsen i'm not in the mood." He said his voice staying emotionless. He watched as Arsen moved back to Charlottes side with his eyes narrowed.

"You sure about that? You're willing to do anything for this bit of freedom." He said folding his arms tighter over his chest. "You know this is to protect you and make you a better man, a better wizard?" He explained again.

"Oh so you're admitting you could work harder eh?" He sighed looking over to the muggle. "Do you want my help Arsen or not? Do you want to turn out like the rest of the wizarding population?" He asked moving to stand by the muggle. "I'll let her but you have to work for it, starting now." He said turning to look back at Hades.

"I know what you are doing Arsen and i suggest you stop, you'll weaken yourself." He said moving over to take hold of Charlotte freeing Arsen. "You can stay in the small bedroom. Follow me." He said scooping Charlotte up in his arms to lead them to their room. "Oh for future reference don't ever beg it's for the weak."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes, not glaring at Hades like she wanted to but at the floor, she didn't like what was happening here and she felt it was all her fault, if she hadn't have fainted then Arsen wouldn't have called for Hades and he wouldn't have made this stupid deal. Charlotte moved away from Hades, no way did she want him to touch her, not at all.

"Dark...?"

Her voice was filled with panic and she had to take deep breaths to calm herself down when Hades picked her up, she didn't want to be without Arsen not here when she didn't know anything. Charlotte didn't want to admit it but she was scared. She almost wanted to reach out her hand for Arsen to take.

Arsen follwed Hades up the stairs and was about to walk through the door when he got a pain in his chest. He jumped back into the dungeon. "AR Hades, i need permission to leave. HADES!!" He cried at his back.

"It's alright Char you're just going to sleep in a proper bed." He smiled weakly, leaning up against the door frame. "She needs me Hades. Please just for tonight, i'll train all day tomorrow and the next day. I'll even train now just let me out just until she falls asleep please." He asked banging his fist against the door frame.

Charlotte grimaced, partly because her muscles were still in so much pain and partly because Arsen was offering to do things that would hurt him in order to make her feel better, now she supposed was the time to grow a backbone. Twisting slowly in Hades arms Charlotte smiled weakly at Arsen.

"Don't worry about me Dark...I don't want you to have to train harder than you already do, just for me."

Her voice, however much Charlotte wanted it to come out determined and strong it came out wavery. Coughing lightly to clear her voice Charlotte managed to say in a stronger voice.

"I'll be fine. I promise. I'm only staying in a bedroom no-ones going to attack me are they?"

She laughed but inside Charlotte felt like she needed that question answered so she could rest in the bed in peace without having to worry about anyone coming in.

Hades ignored Arsen's question and began to climb the stairs up to the main house. "You made a deal Arsen." He replied holding Charlotte closer to him as he began to climb up.

He sighed pausing for a second to turn to look at Arsen. "Fine you have until she's asleep then you will report straight down here. You may follow me Arsen." He said walking up the stairs, hearing Arsens running feet behind him.

"No one can enter this house without my permission Miss Matthews. It is just as safe as hogwarts." He reassured her, him, Scorpius and Draco have put everything protection spell on the house since his mothers death. It was now impossible to enter without permission.

"The room door will be locked you have nothing to fear whilst i'm around."

Charlotte gasped lightly and moved her head as far away from Hades as it would go, she wasn't comfortable with him holding her this closely it made her feel trapped even though Charlotte knew he was only doing it for her sake.

"Dark! Why...I said not to...now you're going to have to..."

She couldn't speak very coherantly her eyes kept drooping shut and Charlotte had to fight in order to keep herself awake. The least she could do was fight the tiredness so Arsen could spend more time with her before training.

"Why should I trust you?"

Charlotte found herself asking rather rudely, her gaze hardened after all, Hades was being a tyrant to Arsen and he deserved this little bit of scolding from her.

"I had to Char it was the only way. It'll only help me in the end right?" He asked Hades making sure he put Char's mind at ease. "Thanks i'll make it up to you i promise." He said running out the dungeons to catch up with Hades and Charlotte

"Char please don't, he's just trying to help me." He muttered hoping this wouldn't make Hades push him harder. "Just rest Char i'll be okay. Promise." He smiled moving aside so he could look her in the eye so she knew he was telling the truth.

He looked at Arsen out of the corner of his eye then gave him a nod to respond to his question. It was indeed to help him better himself, but it also was helping him to protect himself. The old Arsen was weak, the new and improved Arsen would soon be able to follow in his footsteps.

"You shouldn't trust anyone, trust makes you weak. You place yourself in their hands then they could kill you in a instant. Never trust anyone, especially men like me." He kicked the bedroom door open and made his way over to the bed, gently leaning over to place her on the bed.

"I'll be waiting Arsen, do not stay up here any longer than you have too. I shall know if you do." He said turning to leave the room making sure to close the door behind him.

Charlotte was placed on the bed and she quickly sat up, making her head spin slightly, she didn't know what made her so lightheaded, possibly the pain or the tiredness maybe a combination of the two. As soon as the door had swung shut and Charlotte heard it lock she began to panic.

"I am not falling asleep no way."

She began to breathe more heavily, worrying about what would happen to her now she was in that room and once she was sleeping, anything could happen. Arsen wouldn't be here to help her...

"What an ass."

She growled, scrunching her face up in pain.

"I wont." He said wanting him to leave the room so he was alone with Char. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders slowly pushing her back down to the pillow.

"I won't need to wait long you look like you're about to pass out." He smiled gently. "Look don't worry about me, i'm used to it." He said looking out the window at the opposite end of the bed. "I'll be back when you wake promise." He smiled turning to look back at her.

"Shh don't say that he'll hear you." He said looking back over to the door.

Charlotte growled at Arsen, she would say whatever she wanted, it was true, Hades was an absolute ass hole and he deserved to be called that, Charlotte thought that he reminded her of her own father and that didn't sit well with her. She wanted to spend as less time around him as possible.

"I can call him...whatever I damn well please."

She gasped lying back down on the bed and trying to fight off the sleep threatening to overcome her.

"I can't...sleep. Something might...get me."

Her voice became far away and faint, as Charlotte yawned, looking drowsily up at Arsen.

"Please don't i need him at the minute i can't protect myself from them." He sighed resting his elbows on the bed and covering his face with his hands.

"I need you to trust me okay." He said not knowing how to explain it all to her. "Just get some rest, you'll feel better in the morning." He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair.

He closed his eyes for a minute thinking he was quite tired himself but he fought it, he had too. He hadn't been getting a lot of sleep since the incident.

"You are safe here Char, i'll be back here in an hour or two but until then ill leave you with Kraken he's an excellent guard snake." He smiled turning to look at the door. "Rolo." He called waiting for him to arrive before he continued. "Can you fetch me Kraken please, i need him, he's in the dungeons." He smiled polietly at the elf.

"Kraken will take care of you until i return." He smiled

Charlotte sighed and nodded sleepily, she didn't really have much of a choice she thought, even if she didn't sleep she would be as bored as all hell so at least it was something for her to do while she waited for Arsen to return. The thought of having a poisonous snake next to her did not comfort her as much as she thought it would.

"Hold on..."

She managed after a few tries to whistle sharply calling Hannibal from his resting place on the tree outside, Charlotte smiled when she saw him come to rest on the window ledge and caw happily.

"I'll be fine now, but Arsen, please be careful. If you need to...please don't hesitate to use the portrait again. Or put on your jacket which is infused with my blood also, it will differ 50% of the damage it receives to me."

Arsen took hold of his snake as Rolo returned with him in hand, he did not seem to be very happy about being man handled by someone other than Arsen. He smiled his thanks to Rolo then lifted Kraken up so their eyes met. "Pssh isdb is di dsih fihrfbw." He hissed not taking his eyes from his snake. "He'll take care of you now, he wont bite you promise. He seems to be willing to do anything i ask so you're safe." He smiled laying Kraken down on the floor by her bed so he could slither up and down protectively.

"Now you can have two sets of eyes looking after you, not that you need them you'll be safe here trust me." He smiled unzipping his leather jacket and throwing it over the chair in the corner of the room.

"I can't do that Char, i wont hurt you to save myself. Hades won't seriously hurt me he's planning something to do with me so he needs me well." He smiled weakly. "Now get some sleep Char before you pass out again."

Charlotte grimaced but managed to snag Arsen's arm as he made to leave the room, her face was serious despite the ringing in her ears and the pain rushing up and down her arms.

"No Dark, I gave you these things to use. I want you to use them. If not now when you most need them, when you fight for real, that way even if I'm not there, I can still help you."

With a weak smile Charlotte dropped her head down to the pillow, softly closed her eyes and managed to whisper softly before she fell completely asleep.

"Be safe...Dark."

With that, Charlotte fell into a deep but uneasy sleep, full of twitches and prickles of fear about what might be lurking in Malfoy Manor.

He smiled gently taking hold of her hand that had grabbed his arm. "I will use them i promise, just not now when working out with Hades you tend to get hot especially if he's expecting me to use my gift." He smiled sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"I'll leave you with one more form of protection." He said looking down into her eyes before he closed his and slightly muttered a request to the fire inside him. "Please fill Char with my presense and keep her safe whilst i am awake. Make her sleep dreamless and restful and heal her body for when she awakes." He opened his eyes feeling his warmth spread down his arm into hers.

"You'l be safe now in this world and in your dreams." He smiled laying her arm down onto the bed. "Now get some rest i'll be back once you have waken." He said gently making his way over to the door.

"I always am." He smirked watching as her eyes closed.