Searching, Scavenging

Barzini looked around nervously, hoping that no teachers were around.

He liked adventure, besides, if he was lucky, he may even get his hands on some unicorn hair.

He quietly went into the forest, after making sure that no one saw him. Or so he believed.

Charlotte had been sitting with her sketch pad by the lake taking in the view and trying to find something interesting to paint, feeling sadly uninspired today she merely sighed and looked around at all the scenery.

Her ears pricked up when she heard someone going into the forest, Charlotte stood up slowly and made a bid to follow them. It was then that she saw it was a boy, a boy from Ravenclaw and Charlotte hesitated before covering her red eyes with her white blonde hair and moving towards him.

"Hello..."

She said timidly

Barzini jumped and looked around, and what he saw made him jump.

A girl was standing there, looking at him.

Regaining his composure, he forced a smile and said, "Hello! Lovely day isn't it? Now if you won't mind... I need to go paint some unicorns..."

Barzini made to get deeper into the forest, was she going to tell a teacher?

Charlotte raised her eyebrow and smirked at the boy, she wasn't stupid she knew he just wanted to go into the forest and heck who was she to snitch on him. Gesturing to her own sketch pad and her watercolour paints sticking out of her pocket Charlotte pulled out her tongue.

"You can't paint unicorns, they don't stand still for long enough."

Grinning once more Charlotte extended her hand for him to shake

"I'm Charlotte, Charlotte Matthews"

Barzini looked at the girl, and he shook her hand.

"Name's Emilio Barzini, just call me Barzini for short. Or even Barz," He smiled and saw her eyes were...

RED?

Barzini's eyes went wide open and he said excitedly, "That is so cool!!! Goodness!" and he started flailing his arms about, like an excited child.

Charlotte looked at him with an amused look plastered all over her face, she wasn't quite sure what he found so cool but she could guess, flipping her fringe away from her face she showed her crimson eyes in a better light.

"What is so cool?"

Her eyebrow still raised Charlotte smiled gently at Barzini, she supposed since he had given her the option of nicknames she should give him some too.

"Most people just call me Charlotte, but you can call me anything you want...so long as it's nice."

"Your red eyes! They are wicked..." Barzini said in admiration. Trying to hunt for things had been sent to the back of him mind just by the little(?) matter of red coloured eyes.

"They are so cool..." Barzini muttered and twirled his wand quietly, his other hand clutching his bag.

Charlotte smiled gently and blushed a little, she still wasn't used to receiving compliments from people let alone guys. She traced the heart on her left hand with her slender fingers trying not to let her eyes change colour to pink but failing quite badly.

"Thank you..."

She whispered

"So, you still want to go into the forest?"

"Why are you blushing?" Barzini said, completely oblivious to her feelings.

"And this is so cool too!" Barzini squealed, pointing at the heart shape on her hand.

"Oh yes, thirsty?" Barzini said, and pulled out two bottles of Butterbeers from his bag, offering one to Charlotte.

Charlotte gasped a little and blushed more, tilting her head away from Barzini, she didn't want to be seen blushing again it was something only giggly girls did and she was by no means giggly.

"I just, I'm not used to getting compliments."

With a small smile Charlotte took the butterbeer from Barzini and opened it, taking a small sip.

"I love butterbeer it's so nice."

Taking a step towards the forest Charlotte sunk into the trees and felt the completely different atmosphere, it was crowded and danger was in the air.

"Come on then."

"Aww. what's wrong with compliments!?" Barzini cried out.

"Compliments are beautiful! So are you!" Barzini smirked and they started walking into the forest.

"Really, I am out here just to look around and look at branches... For unicorn hair." Barzini said excitedly, holding his wand tightly.

Charlotte stopped walking and turned to look at Barzini, her face now completely pink with the large blush creeping across it. Inside Charlotte cursed herself for being this stupid, this girly, with a sigh she continued into the forest, rubbing her arms lightly her fingers tracing over one of the many bite marks they held.

"It is not everyone's opinion...after all...beauty is subjective."

Raising her eyebrow again Charlotte laughed quietly, beginning to travel further into the forest her heart beat rose, the trees were closing in on them and she didn't like it.

"What for?"

Barzini laughed and nodded silently, muttering, "Unicorn hair can be woven into bandages... Maybe clothes, i'm not so sure. But they ARE worth a lot of MONEY."

"Then I can buy more things for my friends and all..." He muttered, and groping in his bag, he tossed a box of chocolate frogs to Charlotte.

"In case your hungry, so you won't devour me." He said lamely and laughed.

"There! Look at this!" Barzini said excitedly at a branch that was covered with Unicorn hair.

"See?" Barzini tugged at both ends of the hair but they didn't tear or anything.

Charlotte walked over to where Barzini had found a large crop of unicorn hair, she was happy for the distraction, her mind was constantly going over the rapidly shrinking space between the trees and herself. Charlotte breathed a little heavier, trying to calm herself down.

"I wouldn't eat you...why would you say that?"

Pulling her tongue out weakly at him she caught the chocolate frogs and threw the box back bar one, which she unwrapped and ate swiftly.

"Nicolas Flamel." She smiled, holding up the card

"It's always nice to have friends, a true friend wouldn't care about any gifts you bought them, your friendship would be enough."

"Just me and my lame humour. Pardon me." Barzini said swiftly and kept the Unicorn Hair in his bag.

"Look at the trees, that's where it looks horrifying. But only if we think that they are. Do you understand me?" Barzini said slowly.

"Breathe slowly." Barzini said, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"Breathe in... Out... Relax the mind... And the soul..."

Charlotte jumped when she felt Barzini's hand on her skin and she walked backwards into a tree. Closing her eyes and leaning against it Charlotte breathed in and out slowly trying to make the constricting feeling in her chest go away.

"I'm sorry...I'm just jumpy when it comes to people touching me."

Wondering if in this light you could even see half of her scars Charlotte was glad for that one thing about the forest. She must seem weird enough without the scars on top.

"My soul is relaxed, I have a very relaxed soul...my soul likes painting and long walks on the beach."

Charlotte chuckled lightly

Barzini withdrew his hand and nodded.

"I understand. Come let us go a little deeper." and gestured to her.

"If we can find a lot, i'll cut you in a share of the profit." and Barzini chuckled.

"Thank you Bar, but you can keep it. I don't need any more money."

With a smile Charlotte walked deeper into the forest.

"IS that some over there?"

She walked over to it and in the process tripped over a tree root.

Barzini yelped when he saw her trip and ran over.

"Are you..." and he gasped.

She was bleeding, heavily at her knee.

"Sit still..." Barzini said in a commanding tone and took out the Unicorn hair he just got.

"Let's put aside all the being uncomfortable at people..." Barzini gently wrapped her knee with the Unicorn hair and formed a crude bandage.

"There... That should do it..."

Charlotte hadn't even realised that she was bleeding from her knee at all and was about to get up and begin moving when Barzini wrapped the unicorn hair around her knee. With a faint smile Charlotte gently touched his hand after he had placed the bandage/hair around her knee.

"It's not that easy to put aside fears...but thank you Bar."

Getting up from the forest floor she dusted off her legs and made her way over to the crop of unicorn hair she had found. Charlotte gathered it together and handed it to Bar.

"Here, since I've bled all over this batch."

Barzini smiled and shook his head. He pushed the Unicorn hair back to her. "Keep it for a fresh change of bandage later."

"There's more around. No worries." Barzini muttered and rubbed his hand, the place she touched. It was warm...

Smiling gently Charlotte shoved the unicorn hair into Barzini's trouser pocket, she was not going to take no for an answer, besides she didn't really need a bandage in the first place.

Running onwards through the forest so he couldn't give it back Charlotte waited for him by a large oak tree right in the middle of the path, she jumped onto one of the branches and swung from it.

"Where to next Bar?" Looking around from her view point Charlotte pointed with one arm down two paths "The dark scary route or the nice light and friendly one?"

"I would like to live longer... Minus the risks. So! I choose! The darker route. Come on!"Barzini gestured excitedly, twirling his wand in one hand.

"Gimme... Gimme shelter..."Barzini started singing as he moved down the path slowly.

Jumping from the branch Charlotte landed on the path with a loud thump, her hands sprawled on the floor, her hair flying everywhere. Flipping it out of her face she continued to walk down the dark path, her heart beat a little faster, she hated the dark she just didn't want to say it.

"It's kind of creepy down here."

She muttered trying to make conversation

"What song is that?"

"Give me shelter by the Rolling Stones..."He then continued humming to himself, and sighed before changing to another song.

"Oh... My darling... How I hunger for your touch..."Barzini sang and his mood lifted.

He was upset... But it wasn't visible. Was it?

"So... Charlotte, has anyone told you that your Red eyes are one of the coolest things ever?"Barzini piped randomly.