Sleep issues

Arsen leaned on Char as he dragged his feet across the floor towards Professor Smith's office. He just hoped he would help and not try kill him although he was sure Hades would revenge him.

"He better be in." He muttered to Char as they finally reached his door. He raised a hand and lightly knocked waiting for a reply.

Without turning away from the slowly simmering poison in the cauldron in front of him, Cobalt waved his wand to open the door. He glanced quickly at the doorway to see his Apprentice and a slytherin boy standing there. Raising an eyebrow he cast a stasis charm on his poison and turned round to look at them. He smiled warmly at Charlotte,

"Charlotte..." he sniffed a little and smiled at Arsen as well, "Arsen is it? What brings you to my office?"

Charlotte smiled gently at Cobalt and heaved Arsen more onto her shoulder so that he was more stable, he felt like he was slipping a little bit and she didn't want him to fall.

"Hey Cobie."

She grinned and pulled tongues at him.

"Arsen would like to ask you if he could have some dreamless sleep potion, he's not been sleeping well."

A look of worry crossed over Charlotte's eyes.

He sighed and moved into the room Char by his side. "I wondered if you'd help me. I can't sleep and it's draining me of energy and i need all the energy i can get with this gift. It's very demanding." He moaned stretching his fingers by his sides.

Cobalt raised an eyebrow before moving over to one of the cabinets. After a few seconds of rumaging around, he pulled out a six-pack of the requested potion,

"Here we are... this should keep you sleeping like a baby for quite awhile." his soft smile fell, "After all... I should think this has been hitting you hard Arsen. I hope you've been helping him out Soft-Soft."

Charlotte nodded at Cobalt, she had been doing everything she could to help Arsen, if there was anything she could have done she would have done it already. Charlotte would have made the potion too but she didn't have time to suggest it before she was whisked off by Arsen.

"Y-y-yes of course Cobie! I've been helping as much as I can."

Arsen smiled his thanks and took the bottles in his hand letting his heavy arms drop back down to his sides.

He nodded at Cobalts words before something clicked surely he couldn't be talking about his gifts. "What do you mean professor? My gift has always been trouble." He asked frowning slightly.

Cobalt's eyes widened and he took a step back in shock,

"No one's told you?" he breathed lightly, setting the potions down on his desk as he put his head in his hands, "Oh my god..."

Pulling himself together, he walked over to Arsen and put a hand on his shoulder,

"I hate to have to be the one to tell you this Arsen but..." he closed his eyes briefly before continuing, "Richard was gunned down by the Shrieking Shack as he proposed to Briony. At least one of them must have been a portkey because his... his body disappeared."

Charlotte's grin dropped from her face, she remembered Professor Romain and she had liked him very much, he was one of the best Professor's here! And he was proposing to Professor Blake! She must be heartbroken even her who didn't know him that well felt a pang of sadness run through her and Charlotte felt her face grow hot with the need to cry.

"Who...who would do such an awful thing?!"

Charlotte whispered, gripping Arsen's hand tightly and squeezing it for reassurance she knew that he was closer to Richard than her but it shocked her and Charlotte looked at Cobalt obviously upset.

"Poor Professor Blake. Maybe...maybe I should do something for her..."

Arsen watched in confusion as Cobalt stepped back. His eyebrows narrowed. "Tell me what Professor?" He asked his mind wondering to things it could be. He glanced at Char placing the bottles on the desk besides him.

He shook his head slowly stepping back away from Professor Smith, why would he tell him something like this. "No... you're lying." He spun on the spot so he was facing away from them both his hands tangling in his hair. His dream was coming true, but who was next Hades or... Char. No! He punched the wall then rested his head against the cool stone. He shook his head no it wasn't coming true it couldn't. Cobalts words finally clicking into place.

"Wait does no one know where he is?" He asked maybe there was a little bit of hope.

Charlotte's heart wrenched even more when she heard Arsen's reaction, she watched, biting her lip as he walked away from her and placed his hands in his hair. She wanted to go over to him, to comfort him, but she didn't know if it would be the right thing to do...if it would make him worse not better.

"Dark...please! Don't hurt yourself."

Her words came out desperate and Charlotte walked slowly over to him, placing a gentle hand on his back and smiling sadly at him. Tears were beginning to jerk at the corner of her eyes but she blinked them back, Arsen needed her to be strong.

"Yes, we might be able to find him! He might still be alive! If we find some of his clothes or something I'm sure that I can make a painting, give him some of my energy to get back here...it could work! Cobalt! You can go and find him ne? You have that nose thingy!"

Cobalt sighed a little bit before he shook his head,

"No one knows where his body is." he confirmed, "The portkey could have taken it anywhere."

He rubbed at his tired eyes and gave Charlotte a light hug,

"But he was shot three times in the chest." he shook his head sadly, "He's not going to have survived that. He didn't have time to react or change himself to metal or anything."

"We could find him though right? You could use your smell thing. He said you taught him so you must be able to do it." He said walking over to the fire place to draw some power from the flames, giving himself energy.

"Show me how i'll pay you. My father left me lots of money might as well put it to use. I need to find him. There's no way he's dead i would know right?" He said pacing up and down the room getting ahead of himself. "I'm his apprentice for god's sake surely i would feel something if he died." He muttered himself.

"I don't care he needs to be found. I was going to be his best man did you know that?" He laughed hysterically. "Why do all good things turn bad?"

"I don't understand." He cried his anger building as he began to think of why someone would kill his master. His hands clenched into fists so his fingers dug painfully into his palms. Pain helped him to stay calm.

Charlotte watched as Arsen got more and more upset and however hard she tried to stay calm she couldn't she started to cry a little and her eyes misted over with tears. Charlotte sat down on one of the chairs in Cobalt's office and wept silently.

But as she wept she thought of a plan. It would get her into lots of trouble but she would do it. Charlotte would do it for Arsen because he needed Richard, he needed him a lot.

"Dark please, I can do it. I'll go and look for him, all I need is a scent. I'll go. I promise I'll find him for you! Just don't hurt yourself...please..."

Cobalt gritted his teeth and slammed his fists onto his desk in a sudden display of rage,

"God damn it, have you not been listening to a word I said?!" he roared out, breathing heavily from the sudden rage, "He could be across oceans! I can't smell him at all! That means he's out of the range of the wind, and that leaves the whole world as an option."

He stopped, closed his eyes, and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down,

"Look... I know you don't want to accept it but he's gone." he didn't open his eyes because he could feel the tears welling up, "I know how you feel. He was my apprentice... he was my friend. My best friend...."

He shook his head,

"But you have to be realistic." he opened his eyes and blinked away the tears, "You have to be strong because he would have wanted you to be."

He shook his head. "No way Char i'm not risking you. Not a chance." He said looking a head he couldn't bring himself to look at her right now. All he could see was the Charlotte from his dreams.

His eyes narrowed as Cobalt turned angry the flames behind him began to flicker wildly without his notice. He took short quick breaths trying to calm himself down, his eyes closed.

His eyes opened to reveal them to be a dull orange, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Sorry i forgot you knew him too. If he was your best friend why did you shoot out his kneecaps?" He asked.

"Everyone i know seems to die. I think i'm cursed."

Cobalt took a deep breath. Everyone seemed to want to know the past he had with Richard and he didn't really want to tell them. Everytime he did he flashed back to the happier times in his mind, causing him to feel guilty about his most recent actions. He sat down heavily,

"I shot out Richard's kneecaps because he ruined my Hit. It was the first Hit where people had even seen me." he rubbed at his tired eyes, "But with everyone else who had even tried that I'd killed them outright. I shot out his knees because I couldn't afford to let him live as an assassin but I couldn't bring myself to kill him as a friend."

He waved his hand dismissively,

"Oh get over yourself Barela. Richard knew a lot more people than you and most of them wanted him dead."

When Cobalt flipped out at them Charlotte shut up, her eyes widened a little and she moved her head away from looking at Cobalt, she was afraid of what he might do if she continued to speak. Still silent tears coursed down her cheeks and she listened to everything that they were saying, Charlotte felt out of place she didn't know Professor Romain all that well and she didn't want to intrude.

"Um guys, I think I'm just...going to go, ok?"

Charlotte stood up a little shakily and refused to look at Cobalt, she gave Arsen a small hug and softly opened the door, smiled at the two men within and left without any further words.

Arsen paced the office trying to drain myself of the extra energy he had taken. He had been stupid to take it. His breathing still short and quick as he tried to calm himself down.

He stopped and glared at Cobalt his eyes now glowing bright orange. "Don't tell me what to do!" He cried his voice echoing with the power behind it as the fire tried to escape the fireplace to get to him. "I'm sick and tired of being told what to do."

He turned to look at Charlotte his head tilted to the side listening to what she had to say. "NO!" He stretched out his hand to stop her from leaving him, the fire blocking her exit as the candles went out.

Cobalt frowned as the fire sprang up in front of Charlotte. He was dangerously close to hurting her and that was unforgivable to Cobalt,

"Calm down Barela." he narrowed his eyes, "Now."

His left hand went down to his side, where it covertly touched the handle of the knife tucked in the waist-band of his trousers. He pulled Charlotte lightly away from the fire,

"I recommend you don't act so rashly around my apprentice again Barela." his eyes flashed dangerously, "If you hurt her in your grief-striken pady that you're throwing then you will die. My bond to my apprentice is stronger than my bond to Hades. So why don't you wise up, shut up and sit down."

Charlotte gasped as the fire jumped up in front of her and glanced back at Arsen with worry in her eyes, when she heard what Cobalt was saying Charlotte held up her hands and smiled goofily, waving them about in the air to try and calm the situation down.

"Hey Cobie, I'm fine yeah? Dark...you just had to tell me to stay, you don't have to go all fiery wrath to get me to keep you company."

Charlotte tried to ignore the slightly pink tinge to her arm from her burn earlier, and it wasn't improved by the narrow brush with the flames just then either. She thought if she drew attention to it that Cobalt might just skin Arsen alive so Charlotte moved into Cobalt's arms and rested her head on his chest.

"If you're sure there's nothing we can do Cobalt...then we must move on and try and deal with this."

His head turned to look at Cobalt his eyes narrowed. "I thought i told you not to tell me what to do." He said turning his body to face Cobalt full on.

His eyes flicked to Cobalts hand then back to his face. "Go on then. Do it." He said his usual tone gone to be replaced with a much deeper one. He watched him pull Char towards him, he knew her but where. His eyes flickered a little his usual blue shone through for a second.

He tilted his head to the side a sick smile spreading across his face as the skin on his hands began to burn away.

Cobalt scowled and sprung into action immediately.

He pushed Charlotte lightly away from the two of them as he spun at Arsen, flicking his leg out to kick the back of Arsen's left knee. When Arsen's leg instinctively buckled, he stabbed down just above his kneecap with the knife. With Arsen's leg now disabled, Cobalt left the knife in his leg before he brought his left hand up into the boy's face, slamming into his chin to disorientate him. With a growl he pushed harder, slamming the back of Arsen's head solidly with the stone of the wall. His right hand flew up, a pistol pointed directly between Arsen's eyes,

"Calm down Barela." he cocked the gun, "Now."

Charlotte watched as Arsen began to get more violent and she gasped as she was pushed away from Cobalt and stared in horror at what he did to Arsen. Charlotte's eyes brimmed with tears and she started to sob once more, why did this always happen to her? The two people she loved were fighting because of her.

"I...I..."

She stammered, unable to speak any clearer. Charlotte got up from the floor, flung open the door and dashed out, making a promise to herself that she would never let anyone get hurt because of her again.

(OOC: I have actually left guys, there's no bringing me back into the room unless you leave it and drag me back )

Arsen had no time to react before Cobalt brought him down to the floor. His cry filled the room as the knife plunged into his leg his head hung down until a fist connected with it smashing him into the wall behind him.

His head spun as he tried to gather his sense of direction. He just had time to gasp as he felt the cold metal press between his eyes. A single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. He opened his eyes to look at Cobalt, the orange slowly fading into the usual blue. His eyes full of pain.

He gave a little sniffle and nodded gently his head still spinning from the impact. Char had gone, left him so he could no longer hurt her.