Aftermath

Charlotte dragged Arsen over to the Slytherin table and pulled up a seat away from the rest of the group, she didn't like sitting with crowds it just wasn't her. She also knew there was less chance of Arsen getting mad if there were less people around him, but Charlotte was also confused, she didn't know what had gone on...maybe she could help?

"Dark? What happened with Bar?"

Immediately after she had said it Charlotte regretted using the nickname that she had given Barzini from the forest, hoping to gloss over it she got some toast added cheese and jam and munched happily on it.

He took his seat by Char and buried his head in his hands, his fingers raking through his hair. "Grr i hate that guy." He moaned taking deep breaths. "Now everyone knows about my gift. Arr Hades will kill me for outing it." He dropped his hands onto the table.

"I need serious help, maybe i should take up the thing muggles do to calm themselves. Togo, wonder if the library have books on it." He thought to himself. "Will you help me please?" He asked the words feeling foreign on his lips.

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to explain when something clicked. "Wait... what did you call him?"

Charlotte's eyes widened and she slumped in her seat, placing her toast down on the plate she thought she had better come clean, and tell Arsen everything like a good friend should. But, Charlotte moved over to stand behind Arsen, placing her fingers on his temples she slowly massaged his head with her cool finger tips.

"We've met, once before, needless to say we did not get on. To be frank, he was rather annoying, kept singing Muggle songs and reading Muggle books telling me how wrong I was for my ideals."

Frowning lightly as she remembered it Charlotte continued.

"He kept giving me stuff, it was troublesome, I felt quite sick afterwards. I hope that he doesn't plan on 'dating' me...if that is what his aim is. Like I would. He's been raised by Muggles, a Pure Blood leaving behind wizard ways? It's worse than being born a Muggle if you ask me."

He sighed letting her massage his temples closing his eyes to feel the full affect. He turned and took hold of her hands, stopping her massaging and brought them down to rest on their knees. "Please tell me you don't wanna start hanging out with him." He said he didn't think he could handle that, it was just another reason to want him dead.

He smiled he knew he liked her for some reason. "You're right that is worse. He is a disgrace to our kind but we'll show the world what he really is once the order win there fight for freedom." He smiled bringing her in for a hug so he could whisper into her ear so they weren't over heard.

Charlotte smiled, she was glad that Arsen was no longer mad with her about hanging out with Bar, he was interesting to talk to...for short amounts of time then he just got boring and annoying. She inclined her head to one side, a smirk on her face.

"Would you be jealous Dark? If he dated me?"

Charlotte stuck her tongue out playfully.

"At this moment in time no I don't have any plans to be around him much except in classes. You have nothing to worry about."

"I don't know..." He thought for a second. "I just feel like it's another reason to kill him, i just don't know why yet. It could be jealousy." He answered seriously looking over to the big double doors.

"Good i really don't need something else to add to the whole killing him thing. I wouldn't be able to stop myself next time if you did." He smiled wrapping his arm round her waist to pull her closer. "So..." He smiled. "You didn't look too happy when Professor Romain mentioned dating. What am i not your type anymore." He smiled sticking his tongue out.

"It was the flames wasn't it, did it make me look ugly?" He said holding a straight face for a few second then he burst into laughter.

Charlotte smiled lightly at Arsen she was happy that he seemed to have calmed down a little bit from before, well, at least he wasn't going to blow up any more. With a faint blush Charlotte lay her head on Arsen's chest as he hugged her close, her eyes widened as he mentioned dating. Of course he was joking right...?

"You never were my type Dark."

Charlotte joked pulling tongues right back of course that was a lie. She liked Arsen. A lot. He just didn't like her, she'd heard a rumour about him an Belinda so she was keeping well clear.

"Why don't you ask Bel or something?"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder holding her close. "Oh well i guess this isn't acceptable then." He said his voice coming off all serious but the smile on his face betrayed him. Luckily she wasn't looking at him. He pulled his arm from around her then turned to face the other way away from her jokingly.

"Oh well we are just friends i did have my eye on someone else but she doesn't like me, guess i'll just ask Bel out instead." He smiled trying to keep it clear in his voice that he was serious.

Charlotte's eyes widened and her heart had a pang run through it, she watched as Arsen moved away from her and her eyes filled with hurt. Charlotte tried to busy herself with her toast but afraid either her eyes, her posture or her voice when she spoke this next sentence would give her true sadness away.

"Oh really...so...you liked another girl huh?"

Charlotte sighed and placed her head on the table trying to compose herself, of course Arsen would like other people, of course, why would he like HER the annoying girl he keeps having to save and spend time with.

"I-I-I guess Bar isn't too bad...maybe...maybe I should ask if he likes me."

He waited for a reply but none came he just heard the sound of toast. He sighed in frustration. He was so sure she felt the same way, guess he'd gotten it wrong. "Look Char it doesn't matter..." He said stopping as she spoke.

"No not just any other girl." He said hinting more but not sure if she had gotten it. "Wait no way, i'd kill him if he came anywhere near you. I was talking about you Char..." He said looking past her slightly embarrassed incase she didn't feel the same way. He place her hands in his then rested them on his knees before he continued.

"I think i have feelings for you i'm not sure though i've never felt like this before but i understand if you don't feel the same way." He said looking down to their hands.

Charlotte looked up at Arsen, her eyes wide, was she hearing him correctly? He wanted to go out with her? Truly? Charlotte smiled widely and threw her arms around Arsen in a large hug, nestling her head in the crook of his neck as she did so.

"I think I have feelings for you too..."

She whispered into his ear and Charlotte pulled out of the hug to smile softly at Arsen before eating another bit of toast, she stopped however mid bite, put it down on the plate and sighed.

"You, well, you don't have to date me Dark...I mean....I know I can get annoying sometimes, and I know I'm not exactly brave or gifted like some of the other girls here, and I definitely know I'm not as pretty."

Pausing slightly Charlotte added her hair tinting pink.

"But, I would like very much...to be your girlfriend."

He froze as she attacked him with a hug his arms wrapping around her a few seconds later. "Really?" He smiled sighing in relief. "Well that's a start." He laughed nervously he had no idea what came next. He gently moved her hair away from her ear and whispered.

"Non hai mai potuto darmi fastidio Char tu sei il mio salvatore, il mio angelo." He said using his first language then smiled at her and repeated it in english so she understood. "You could never annoy me Char you are my saviour, my angel. You have pulled me from the firery depths of hell. I've experienced so much since i met you. I'm just thankful i chose to trick peeves that day and ran in the common room and put aside my worries of talking to people." He smiled.

"What other girls? I only see you. Everyone else is a blur. YOU are the only girl i see. Guys well that's different, i see Hades, and my master but only because i have too, everyone else i don't care enough to take them in." He smiled to begin with then slowly it turned into a frown as he realized how isolated he really was. He needed a guy friend. He pulled her back and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "You are the most beautiful person i've ever seen. I can't seem to get you out my head, you're driving me insane." He said them added. "And Hades, it annoys him so much, but he shouldn't poke his nose into my business should he?" He smirked.

"And i would love if you were my girlfriend." He smiled pulling her back into a hug. "So... i guess we are dating."

Charlotte blushed wildly when Arsen began to speak in Italian, she hadn't known that he could do that and it brought to her attention that there were many things she didn't really know about Arsen's past, but, that was all a part of the fun to find out and enjoy the trust that they shared.

"A-a-angel? Me?"

She shook her head a little, she had been so used to being called a demon to be called an angel confused Charlotte a little bit, made her feel a little strange inside.

"B-b-beautiful? Dark have you been slipping firewhiskey into your pumpkin juice this morning?" Charlotte joked

Charlotte grinned a little, and shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and a small blush crept across her cheeks as Arsen asked if they were actually dating, she never thought that this would happen and it was all sort of a dream to her.

"Um, yes, I should think we are." She smiled lightly

"Of course il mio angelo, you have changed my life for the better. You have brightened my world forever, you've taught me how it really is to live, to feel." He said his face serious.

"No my head is more clear now than it has ever been." He smiled gently turning to look around the room and spotted Hades walk in. "God that man never leaves me alone." He sighed making himself a pumpkin juice.

"Do you want one? I love it when you blush it compliments you eyes." He smiled putting one finger under her chin and moving her head from side to side to get a better look.

Charlotte of course blushed more at the statement that Arsen just said, she thought she might resemble something like the hogwarts express right about now and she didn't really want to continue doing so. Pouting lightly Charlotte moved her head from Arsen's grasp and winked.

"What about you Dark? I get to have a closer look at those abs of yours hmmmm?"

She giggled pouring herself some pumpkin juice then sipping it gently. Charlotte looked up at Hades who had just walked into the room and a cold sense of creeping dread flooded through her.

"Dark? IS Hades going to be alright with this...? Perhaps we best not, if you're going to get into trouble about it."

Charlotte smiled sadly.

He smiled and gave her a little wink. "Some other time, i don't want to make others jealous now do we?" He smiled. "You can give me a back massage later in the common room." He smirked threading his fingers through hers watching them as they linked together.

"Hey don't look at him look at me." He smiled. "Unless you fancy my father." He smiled. "Ugh that's sick." He stuck his tongue out at her then turned serious. "I don't care anymore it has nothing to do with him what i do. As long as i train hard and do everything he says he can't complain." He frowned glancing over at his father catching his glare.

"So what do you wanna do now?" He asked.

Charlotte sighed happily and lay her head on Arsen's shoulder, she felt his warmth and it made her sleepy, she was already tired even though it was only breakfast time. She hadn't slept well the night before and it was affecting her now, Charlotte yawned and tried to block the nightmares from the night before from her mind.

"What do I want to do? Sleep. That would be good. I hardly got any last night..."

She let her statement trail off into the air and Charlotte closed her eyes briefly hoping that she wouldn't see a flash of the face that was haunting her. Instead she opened them and looked up into Arsen's face, a small smile gracing her lips.

"Besides that what do you want to do? I have no real ideas..."

He stroked her hair back away from her face keeping her near him. "Well we could always go to sleep in the common room. I could use a good sleep myself." He smiled her yawn catching as he yawned himself.

"I'm not really that bothered. Although sleep does sound good right now my eyes are killing me plus fire is very draining." He smiled weakly.

Charlotte grinned and stood up from the table, de-tangling herself from Arsen's arms yet catching his hand in hers as she moved. Charlotte tugged at it from where she stood hoping to get Arsen to move into the common room with her, they could have a nap then get back to lessons.

"Come on then 'hot stuff' you need your fire replenishing."

Using her fingers for quote marks around 'hot stuff' Charlotte giggled and began to walk to the common room, thinking that she could turn into her kitten form and curl up on Arsen's knee to sleep.

Arsen gave her a weak smile then dragged himself off the bench. He really was tired he had not been getting sleep and he still hadn't followed his masters advice. He pretended to collapse straight into her arms. "I'm dying il mio angelo." He smiled hanging his arms around her shoulder to keep himself up.

He looked up into her eyes and smiled weakly. "Why haven't you saved me yet." He teased sticking his tongue out at her. He gave a little cough looked around him then bowed, can i take you to the common room la mia donna." He smiled holding out his arm for her to take.

Charlotte looked at Arsen and laughed weakly, she tugged at his arm and gave a sad smile to him.

"I can't rescue you, you're too heavy for me."

With a cheeky wink Charlotte took hold of Arsen's arm and waited to be lead away to the common room, it seemed as if neither of them had slept well last night so it might be good for them to sleep in each others company, they might be more at ease.

"Yes you may my good sir."