World Enough And Time, Part Two (Char, Cobie, Viktor and Airen and Lucia If They Want :))

Charlotte saw her father coming down the corridor and she smiled slightly as he did so, as soon as he hugged her she collapsed slightly in his arms, biting her lip Charlotte motioned that she wanted to go away from everyone, she didn't want them to witness this and add extra trauma to their night.

Wincing slightly Charlotte clutched at Cobalts hand and she smiled gently up at him, it took a lot of effort, all her limbs felt heavy but she placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm okay, don't worry about me, you're hurt too, I'm sorry..."

She took in a large intake of breath and gritted her teeth slightly.

"Im sorry about what happened Daddy, I didn't...I didn't think this would happen, I knew it wasn't going to happen...w-where's Viktor? Is he okay?"

Charlotte knew her father might be a little annoyed by her asking about the enemy but she wanted to know about him, if he was okay, because oddly he meant something to her.

"I'm cold..." she said quietly, trying to heal herself but failing from lack of energy and confusion of her mind, and even though she couldn't tell, her eyes dimmed a bit to pink.

Cobalt held onto his daughter, having to fight away the urge to squeeze her tightly to him. It would do more harm than good he knew but he just wanted to hold her to him. He lifted her up and took her off to the side, away from everyone else. Her wounds were reappearing even after Lucia had attempted to heal her, she was just as bad as when he'd first burst into the common room,

"No... I-I'm fine..." he told her with a very shaky smile. The truth was he was in a huge amount of pain but it was secondary to the emotional pain he was feeling, "Don't... don't talk... save your strength..."

He closed his eyes to try and hide the fact that he was crying more and more over his daughter, even after she was struck down by an enemy she was thinking of their safety,

"He... he'll live..." he told her quietly, even as he made a mental note to remind him that Viktor Nickel was to die a very painful death in the future, "You just focus on yourself..."

Cobalt, he knew what it felt like to be dead thanks to becoming ghostly through his intangibility magic, shook his head and hung his head, holding Charlotte to him,

"You can't..." he told her, crying freely now, "You can't leave me Charlotte..."

Charlotte smiled softly and tried to sit up, Lucia having healed her wonderfully she only felt a dull ache and dizzy which she should be, she smiled gratefully at the Professor and tried to offer an explaination to her question.

"Well...you see the actual damage was first inflicted to..."

Eyes widening Charlotte looked down at herself again, but she had been healed, what was going on here?!

"Lucia?" she asked, uncertainly, not knowing what was going on herself, not having much time to think about it, she closed her eyes again and made a small noise of discomfort.

"I'm...im not going anywhere, you're not getting rid of me yet papa, not yet." she said softly, trying her best to smile. "World enough and time papa, we have years left yet...years."

Then Charlotte remembered, the rune! The rune on the picture! That was what was going on, why the damage kept coming back, because the picture was still damaged! Since they were attatched the other would be damaged by whatever happened to them, the picture was still hurt so so was she.

Charlotte cast her head around and hissed softly, the blood loss more than anything making her drowsy:

"The picture...the picture..." she said, quietly, hoping Cobalt would understand.

Clutching Cobalts hand as hard as possible Charlotte could only gently squeeze it, weak as she was: "I want to see...I want to see Viktor, please."

Lucia was way too shocked to say anything when Charlotte's wounds came back. When she realized what was happening, Charlotte was saying that she wanted to see Viktor. Lucia got as much of the meaning earlier tonight as to understand that Viktor was one of the twins.

"If you are going to see him, then I am coming with you," Lucia said calmly, finally comprehending the most important part of the situation; Charlotte was bleeding out.

She didn't want to hear any protests, so she immediately said: "I cannot heal you completely, but I can keep the bleeding under control as long as I use a healing spell. And the most powerful of them doesn't even take any energy at all. So, I'm coming with you if you leave to find him."

Cobalt cried quietly as his daughter's wounds re-opened with no apparent reason behind it. It had been very distressing to see them appear the first time but to see it happening even after that was twice as bad, if not worse. Even her small noise of discomfort made him wince,

"You better not..." he joked weakly, "We have decades Char... you have a life to live. So much to live for... so don't you go and be a stick in the mud by dying or something like that..."

He frowned a little bit as his mind fitted the pieces together. The picture... the substitute Charlotte had burst into paint when it had died. But the painted substitute hadn't been 'healed',

"Charlotte... where is the painting?"

When she asked to see Viktor, Cobalt was tempted to say no. But one look in her eyes told him that no wasn't going to be accepted,

"I'll see what I can do..." he whispered quietly before slowly standing, having placed her gently on the rug in front of the fire. He turned to Lucia and Airen, "Keep her safe. Heal her... even if they do come back. I'll be right back."

Cobalt walked straight through the entrance again but this time he was perfectly alright to do so because he was coming from the inside. It only took him a few minutes to arrive back in the cold room to find Viktor was propt up against the wall, crying softly,

"My daughter wants to see you." he told the german with narrowed eyes, "I don't know why but I'm taking you to her. You will be bound for the trip."

Without waiting for a reply, Cobalt tied Viktor up with conjured ropes and made him intangible with him as he phased through the entrance to the common room again. This time he dodged the fire trap. Moving over to the fireside, Cobalt sat Viktor down about a foot away from Charlotte, none too gently,

"He's fine Char."

Viktor didn't really remember the first part of the invasion. He'd coached himself up into an unbelievable rage in order to make himself the most efficient killer he possibily could be. Even though he didn't remember fully, he knew that he'd made a beeline straight for Charlotte.

He knew he'd killed her.

So he crawled to the side of the Cold Room and tried to bleed to death in his sorrow. It was not to be. Cobalt reappeared, now sporting a very nasty looking burn all the way up his left arm, and tied him up. It was one hell of a ride, being made intangible, but it ended abruptly with him being thrown to the floor unceremoniously. He groaned in pain until he saw Charlotte,

"Charlotte..." he croaked hoarsely, "I... I'm so sorry..."

When Cobalt returned from finding the enemy, Lucia was already well into another round of healing Charlotte's wounds, and she kept muttering 'vulnera sanentur' under her breath, seeing the wounds heal completely, and then reopen five seconds later.

She didn't look at the enemy. She trusted Cobalt to having tied him down well and good. She simply kept muttering the spell again and again. Lucia knew that the healing was a relief for Charlotte, but she also knew that when the wounds reopened, they would hurt just as much as if she had only just gotten them.

Lucia hoped that it would all be fine in not too long, but she just didn't understand the situation. That was why she didn't say anything to anyone. She just focused on healing Charlotte again and again.

Charlotte groaned a little and nodded, the spell to stop her bleeding sounded good round about now, she felt really very cold and very wet and didnt feel much in the mood for saying anything.

Glad that Cobalt understood Charlotte closed her eyes and said, equally as quietly:

"I threw it. Find it...It's small, gold frame."

This was a plea to everyone in the corridor of the common room where she had fallen, the picture was somewhere here but it might have moved in the rubble, so where it was she didn't know.

"Yes, years." she said, not saying decades like Cobalt had because she and Airen both knew different.

When Cobalt returned with what she presumed was Viktor Charlottes eyes flew open, now a very light shade of grey, she moved her hand slightly in a gesture that asked him to hold it.

"Don't...don't be sorry Viktor, Professor Henley..." taking a deep breath Charlotte smiled shakily " Professor Henley will save me, so, dont be sad, even if you didn't get to kill me like you wanted...sorry." she smiled.

Viktor closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the sight of Charlotte lying there on the ground, bleeding out, being healed and then bleeding out all over again. He'd not wanted to kill Charlotte. Even in his rage he'd only ever wanted to scare her but here they were, with Charlotte at death's door. He was forced to open his eyes when she addressed him personally. He wiggled his hand just enough to touch her's,

"I never meant to do this..." he whispered quietly, "I only wanted you to mature... so that the world wouldn't hurt you... I'm so sorry..."

Charlotte linked a finger with Viktor's, she closed her eyes again, it was so much easier to deal with things when you didn't have to see them, the steady ripping was rhythmic also, but it still made her whimper each time.

Hoping against all hopes someone would find the picture Charlotte said it a little louder: "P-please find the picture! It hurts..." she said sniffing a little and trying to keep herself from crying.

"But you hurt me, id be fine...if you'd left me alone...apart from" she smiled faintly "A few boy problems. Don't s-say sorry, it's not too bad...really it isn't." she said. A little unconvincingly.

"Are you...okay?" she asked, looking at his wounds "I'm so-sorry about papa...bur you did kind of invade our school."

(OOC: Know I'm not supposed to be here, but I couldn't find another way of giving the picture and making sure you all saw it. And, as for how Haley found it, please check the post in 'sanctuary')

Haley dashed over to the wounded body of Charlotte. Though she didn't quite know the blonde, she felt a horrible dread wash over her when she saw how bloodied the girl was.

"Charlotte," Haley said in ragged breaths, "Is this the picture?"

She showed the golden framed picture she had found in the common room. She knew that professor Smith and healer Henley could see it too. She prayed that she had gotten the right picture.

Airen finally recovered from his shock, and he knelt down by Charlotte. Placing a hand over one of hers, he grasped it firmly in his. He felt tears coming to his eyes. He held them in. The night wasn't over yet. He needed to be strong for Charlotte.

"Charlotte, listen closely. I'm here for you whether you're in full health or hurting," he said, tears pricking his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly. Stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, he prayed silently to himself.

Dear God, please don't let Charlotte die yet. She has so much to live for. I want her to live the short life she has. If there is a way to nullify her death at that young age, please do it. I'm begging you. I'm sorry that I left my faith unkempt for so long. Please, show mercy. Amen, he thought to himself. You could see his mouth moving slightly, but not enough to figure out what he was saying. He sighed, he wished he could do more.

He snapped his head up at the German, his eyes a deep sapphire blue that reflected the anger he had toward the German. Airen breathed deeply. The ice-blue returning to his eyes.

And help me to not hurt the German, Victor. Help me to have mercy on him, he added. Looking at the eyes of the man who'd indirectly hurt his almost girlfriend and hearing him speak, Airen realized that, for all intents and purposes, Victor hadn't meant to hurt Charlotte at all. He placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

Looking up at Haley, he hoped that she'd found the picture.

Charlotte closed her eyes and when she heard an unfamiliar voice, opened them, it was Haley and miraculously in her hand was the picture that she needed of her, smiling lightly she nodded.

"Yes yes that's the picture...the...the rune."

There was a rune on the back of the picture and it needed to be scrubbed or, the picture needed to be healed, either way, something needed to be done fast.

Charlotte's fingers were cold and even though she found solice when her wounds were healed the pain was equally as great when it began once more, not knowing how to deal with this she just held onto Viktor's finger.

"Airen...scru-scrub the rune..." she said softly wanting this to be fixed so she could just pass out knowing she would wake up afterwards as the feeling of blackness was threatening to swallow her up.

Airen nodded vigorously. He looked at Haley. He gently took the portrait from her hands. Placing it on the ground, He unsheathed his sword. He pointed the blade at the rune. He whispered, "Ripristinare (Restore)"

The wood began to fill the empty spaces left by the rune. Soon, the rune was gone completely. Sighing in relief, Airen knelt by Charlotte. He placed his hand once more on top of hers. He leaned down and kissed her cheek once more.

"Please come back to me, Charlotte," he said, the tears finally escaping his eyes. They poured down his cheek. "Else we won't get to the date I have in store for you," he said, smiling sadly.

A victorious smile graced Lucia's lips when she saw the rune vanish. She then looked at Haley. "You should go back in with the students. You should not be seeing this," she said softly.

Then she turned to Charlotte. Lucia had been waiting for the moment when she would be able to heal her. She had slowly, but surely kept dragging energy from the things around her to get strong enough to do the same spells again. But she would not underestimate the magic of a rune. She looked into the sky. "Sanationem," she whispered.

A red light shone above her head, and then a beautiful cry sounded. A phoenix appeared. Lucia's phoenix. She smiled to it. "Would you help me, Sana?" she asked softly. The phoenix cried again. Lucia's smile widened.

The phoenix flapped its wings and landed on Charlotte's side. It leaned its head over her wounds and tears dripped down. Lucia smiled, and while the phoenix cried, she pointed her wand at Charlotte's chest.

"Vulnera Sanentur," she said calmly, three times for max effect.

She could feel Charlotte being completely exhausted, but this was good for now. Charlotte needed to sleep. But Lucia was still going to keep near, just to make sure that Charlotte's wounds would not act up again, though it was near impossible for that to happen. She turned to her beloved phoenix and placed her hand on its head. "Thank you," she said softly to Sana.

Haley nodded to healer Henley when she told her to go back to the common room. She rose on wobbly legs and made her way to the others who were still sitting there.

Charlotte smiled softly as the rune was destroyed, it meant that this horrible cycle would be over now, she was completely exhausted and she didn't really have the will to talk or do anything much, but she kept quiet while Lucia healed her.

"A d-date?" she said quietly "W-where are we going? Somewhere n-nice?"

Almost dreamily Charlotte widened her smile a little more and she felt her wounds heal fully, feeling completely drained Charlotte rested her head on Airen's lap.

"Thank you, Professor Henley, thank you."

Remembering something with a jolt Charlottes eyes shot open and she looked at Viktor with a slight smile on her lips:

"You make sure that you get out of here, okay? Otherwise there'll be trouble...trouble M...mister." she yawned. "Make sure you're okay."

Lucia smiled to Charlotte when she thanked her.

"Don't mention it, Ms. Smith. After all, it is was I am here for," she said with a soft smile.

Her smile widened when the girl yawned. A yawn was always a good sign when someone had been hurt. It meant their brain was functioning more or less as normal. So Lucia was relieved to say the least.

She looked at Sana, who looked back. Then it cried and flew off, vanishing in fire.

Airen smiled widely. He was glad that she was okay. He stroked her head as it rested in his lap. He softly threaded his fingers through her hair and smoothly ran it between his fingers. Smiling at her question, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Yes, a date, but I made sure that it could wait until we both are ready. It'll be nice. I can promise you that." Airen sheathed his sword, took Charlotte's head and placed it back in his lap.

He looked back at the German. He really wished that the two countries weren't at odds. He wished he could help this man overcome the guilt that he'd face eventually. Sadly though, they were enemies, and Viktor had caused pain.

"I'd listen to her. Hopefully, this war can end, and we can at least be acquaintances. For now, though, oftenere," (get) Airen said, keeping his tone neutral.

(OOC: promise this will be quick!)
Victoria slowly walked into the room, not meaning to take attention away from Charlotte, who was looking much better.

"Um...Healer Henley? There's sounds coming from outside the common room. I don't know if it's an enemy or more students. Thought you'd want to know."

Figuring her job was done, she went back into the common room.

Lucia rose immediately when Ms. Rossmund said something about a sound outside. She then followed the girl into the common room, as he patronus saw who it was.

Her eyes widened when her patronus then showed her Ms. Namid in the trophy room. She clenched her teeth. That was where Sofia was fighting that awful man who had to be Viktor's brother. Quickly, she made a plan that was solid enough when she reached the common room.

Charlotte felt Airen run his fingers through her hair and she smiled faintly, it was very relaxing to her already tired mind and she purred happily to herself at the nice feeling that it produced.

It was however making her tired, and she didn't want to fall asleep with Viktor still here, she didn't know what Daddy would do to him.

"I'll look forward to it then Air, any thing that I do with you will always be lovely, and..."

She yawned again, feeling a little less sleepy however as she remembered about Viktor again, Charlotte wished that she wasn't so tired, she wanted to be awake.

"And I'm sorry about all the hassle that Humphrey caused...but at least now he thinks I'm a horrible lying snake...which is...is nice."

Airen smiled as Charlotte seemed to relax. He was glad that she could now that things seemed to be winding down from the surprise attack. he'd still keep an eye on Viktor. Just as a precaution.

"You just remember the good about tonight. Remember our dancing, my pledge to wait for you to be ready to take our relationship further, and remember the friends that helped you get through tonight," he said softly.

"You'll love it. I promise," he said while gently caressing her cheek.

Charlotte smiled softly, closing her eyes and letting the memories of the night flood over her, she tried to forget the bad ones, and focus on the good, the dance with Airen, her lovely dress, her new boyfriend.

Turning onto her side with a wince Charlotte let her eyes flutter closed again, yawning she felt herself drifting off into sleep and woke with a jolt.

"You're my friend...." she whispered "Viktor."

Charlotte wrapped her arms around her head, protecting herself even as she slept and she smiled up at Airen. She would have kissed his cheek but she was just too tired to move.

"Wake me up in a few minutes okay? I don't want to be asleep for too long but I can't, I can't stop myself dropping off." Charlotte yawned. "Don't leave me Airen, please."

Airen smiled. He was glad that she felt relaxed enough to doze off. When she told Victor that he was her friend, Airen's smile grew. This was why he fell in love with her. She cared more about others than she did herself.

"I promise to be by your side when you awake," he said. He laid her head in his lap and rested his hand over her shoulder.