The Bloodstone

Prologue: The Origin

A clammy hand ran over the smooth surface of a precious, clear stone. It shimmered in response to its maker. The stone was not a diamond or a crystal, even. The stone was not destined to perch on the left ring finger of a bride, a symbol of her love and happiness. This stone was the opposite of happiness. It would bring only tears, fear, agony and death. This stone was crafted by a soul so searching, so desperately pained that it would place a curse on its masterpiece. This very curse would bring a terrible burden upon the victim of it. The one cursed would be innocent, tender, and pure.

"Such terrors she will experience," growled the maker, picturing the girl and crafting the curse to be placed on the stone.

He sighed, wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, then continued to clamor over and focus on the simmering cauldron before him. It turned a shade of currant red, and was very much like the stone in that it was so beautiful despite its evil. He dropped the stone into the liquid and watched the potion bubble and froth with fury.

"And then she'll be mine. Mine," he repeated lecherously.

The cauldron turned a deadly black, birthing a sentence of death upon a girl miles and miles away. At that very moment, this girl did not know her fate was being written and the thread of her life chained and imprisoned by the Fates.

"Go," commanded a high, cold voice. "You are completed. I will prevail. She will be mine," the voice repeated. With another shimmer, the stone seemed to echo the word "Mine."

Emerging from the melting cauldron, the deadly stone shimmered once more and hovered in the air, then flew out the window, its duty to be served. This ethereal stone would bring such an ultimate and infinite tidal wave of evils, concluding in perhaps an end to the very existence of time.

It was, however, a new day, and it was only the beginning.

Chapter One: The Gift

It was late in December, and fifteen-year-old Sirius Black was enjoying his holiday by walking around Hogsmeade with his three best friends in the world, brave James Potter, intelligent Remus Lupin, and tiny Peter Pettigrew. It was a very cold day, full of howling wind, snow flurries, and darkness. Seeking refuge from the inclement weather, the four friends walked into the Three Broomsticks, intent on warming up with a butterbeer.

"Close that door behind you!" barked the plump woman behind the counter, her large, gray bun shaking as she yelled. "Snow all over the place! Honestly! And you're frozen stiff. Go on, take off your coats and sit down. Four butterbeers, I presume?"

The four boys nodded, removed their coats, and hung them on the coat rack, which replied with a chirpy "Thank you! Have a nice day!"

Sitting down, Sirius noticed they were the only patrons in the place, and figured it was because Christmas was so near. He shook some snow out his shiny black hair, then ran an elegant hand through it, just to make sure even a hair wasn't out of place.

"Have a look at this," said James, dumping the contents out of a bag from Zonko's Joke Shop. The bar counter was scattered with marbles, each of a different color.

"They're just marbles," squeaked Peter, picking one up, then throwing it back down after being bitten.

"Biting Marbles," laughed James. "Just out this week. So what did each of you buy after we split up?"

"A card for my mother," said Peter, embarrassed. He bit his lip and his watery eyes glanced at the faces of his friends.

"Then let's see it," said Sirius, picking up the small boy by his shoulders and moving him aside, then reaching for his bag.

"No! It's... It's... private," he stuttered, mousy blonde hair shaking as he tried to put the bag in his pocket.

"Come on, it's just a card," urged James, curious. His brown eyes were sympathetic, but he wanted to tease Peter about the card just as much as Sirius did.

The small boy hesitated, but with a swift movement, Sirius seized the red and green card out of the bag.

He opened it and began to read in a high voice that was supposed to sound woman-like but just sounded foolish, "Here's hoping your holidays are filled with love, and may the New Year come with many blessings. With love, from your son, Peter."

The boys all mocked the card, repeating lines in high, singsong voices, making kissing noises, and laughing.

James clutched his stomach and restrained his laughter just long enough to ask, "And you, Remus?"

Remus' blue-gray eyes glittered and he lowered his voice. "I got a few books to read on advanced potion making. That way, we don't have to get the evil-eye from Madam Pince every time we check a potion book out."

The boys each nodded solemnly. They were working on a near-complete project that could get them expelled from school. This project was very important and required secrecy and discretion to the utmost degree.

Just then, the plump woman returned with their drinks.

"Four butterbeers, that'll be twelve sickles total."

They paid the woman and she retreated to the back room, apparently baking something for Christmas dinner.

"Well? What about you, Sirius?" asked James, leaning nonchalantly on the counter.

Sirius took a swig of his butterbeer and brought a bag into view. It was a small, rich purple velvet sack with silver drawstrings at the top. Sirius grinned as his friends' eyes widened with shock.

"That's from Hogsmeade Jewelers!" exclaimed James, jumping and knocking his glasses askew. His already haphazard black hair was sticking out in even more directions than before.

"You have the money for something from there?" asked Peter, "Everything they have is at least fifty galleons!"

"Is it for Lacey?" asked Remus, craning his neck to get a better look at the sack.

Lacey was Sirius' girlfriend. She was a Gryffindor fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as were the four boys. Her hazel-green eyes reminded Sirius of the November turf on the Quidditch pitch once the first frost had come and gone. Her straight, deep brown hair was sometimes disheveled, and this was often because Sirius tousled it while passing her in the hall between classes. She was tall, but also quite thin, which the Slytherins took advantage of as an opportunity to tease her about. "The Stick Gryffindor," was Slytherin house's name of choice for her. Coined by Severus Snape in their fourth year, it was meant to torment her for the fact that she was the only girl in their year that had not yet developed. When it was thrown at her, she never let it bother her, though she had to restrain Sirius from throwing a fist or two if he was in earshot. What Sirius considered her winning feature, and the thing that had first attracted her to him, was her warm smile that made his knees go weak. Though she had braces that sparkled whenever she parted her pink-plum lips, it never failed to procure a grin and a warm feeling from him. She was very kind to people in her own house, and her disposition was nowhere near shy. She was also loyal to Sirius, through and through.

As he held the light sack, he pleased himself by thinking of what her reaction would be when she opened her gift on Christmas morning. She'd flash him her glittering teeth and clutch it to her chest, staring endlessly into his eyes-

"Yep," answered James for Sirius. "Look at his face. He gets that look when he's thinking about her. Always gives him away."

Remus sighed and bit his lip nervously, as if he was privy to some information that he was hesitant about sharing.

"What's wrong?" they asked Remus.

"Sirius, I've heard about that jeweler. They charge exorbitant fees if you have to pay by month. Please tell me you didn't do that," urged Remus, after hesitating a moment. A look of desperation was on his face, and it was clear that his only thoughts were that his friend had already gotten himself into severe debt at the age of fifteen.

"No, I worked during the summer at the Ministry, stamping papers for my father. The pay was small, but it was enough along with some pocket money I've saved for awhile."

Remus let out a huge breath that he had been holding and took a swig of his butterbeer.

"Alright, don't keep us in suspense. What is it you got?" asked James, excited.

Sirius looked over his shoulder, then opened the bag and emptied its contents into his hand. He held out his hand for the boys to see and they each gasped. A gold ring with a large ruby glinted in the light and reflected off of James's round glasses.

"How much was it?" peeped Peter, his tiny eyes blinking profusely.

"A hundred."

"Galleons?"

"No, knuts, you prat," said Sirius sarcastically. "Yeah, it was a hundred galleons."

"When are you going to give it to her?" asked Remus.

"Christmas morning."

Remus sighed and brushed his dusty blonde hair out of his eyes. "You don't think Lily will hope for something from Hogsmeade Jewelers after she sees Lacey's gotten that ring, do you? You all know I don't have the money for something like that..."

"Don't worry, Remus, Lily knows that. Why, she even told me herself the other day that another reason your love for each other was so wonderful was because that's all you've got- love. Besides, you can come up with something special that doesn't cost a lot of money. I'll help you research a few ideas in the library, if you like."

Remus smiled halfheartedly and sighed, "You're right. Thanks, James, I'd like that a lot."

* * * * * *

On Christmas morning, Sirius crept into the girls' dorm, stealthily tiptoed up to Lacey's four-poster, and then silently drew the curtain aside. There she lay, not gorgeous by conventional standards, but beautiful to Sirius. He sat on her bed, sweeping a lock of her dark hair off her face. He loved her face. It was so childlike and sweet. She had never looked her age, and was sometimes mocked for it, but Sirius never cared. The same childlike face always looked upon him with calm, friendly eyes, and that was something Sirius treasured more than any possession he could ever own.

He bent down and brushed her soft lips with his. Her eyes fluttered open and she seemed startled for a moment to see him there.

"Sirius," she said, rubbing the sleep out her eyes and staring at her alarm clock, "It's half-past four in the morning. What are you doing in here?"

He blinked at her a moment, then smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"I know that look. What have you got up your sleeve this time?" she said, sitting up in bed.

"Merry Christmas," he said, holding out the small velvet sack.

Lacey recognized it and gasped.

"Sirius, how did you-? What in the world?" she stuttered, eyes roving over the sack.

"Well don't just gawk at it, open it!" he said, taking her hand, dropping the sack into it, and closing her fingers over it.

She stared at him a moment, then pried open the sack and shook out its contents. The ring tumbled out the sack and into her hand. Her eyes reflected its sparkle and she made a huge gasp as she covered her mouth with her long, thin hand.

"Sirius, I can't keep this-"

"Don't be stupid. It's a sign of my love for you. Go on, put it on," he urged.

Her hands trembled and she fumbled with the ring. The ruby must have been the size of her thumbnail, and the gold was undoubtedly fourteen karat. It bent a little under her grip on it.

"Alright, then allow me," he said, taking the ring with one hand and her fine-boned hand with the other.

He knelt on the cold stone floor beside her bed and looked up at her. As he slid the ring on her right ring finger, he kissed her hand, and she thought that she just might swoon. Here was Sirius Black, prankster and mischief-maker extraordinaire, being Mr. Romantic. Who was this guy and what did he do with Sirius?

"One day, Lacey Whitman, I'll be giving you a diamond ring for the other hand," he whispered.

Lacey was speechless. She was in the middle of a teenage romance, and those very, very rarely survived to adulthood. Of course she fantasized herself becoming Ms. Sirius Black one day, and the thought of being with him forever made her spine tingle, but she never thought that maybe he felt the same way.

There was a long moment of silence, followed by the other four girls in the dormitory cooing, "Aww!"

Sirius turned several shades of red, and buried his face in his hand.

"You'll have to get up earlier than that to have us miss something like this," said Lily Evans, grinning broadly.

"I tried," sighed Sirius, laughing weakly.

"Well, go on, kiss her, now!"

Encouraged, Sirius rose from his knee, embraced his girlfriend, and gave her a very passionate kiss.

Lacey, shocked by it all, was unable to move or even think, for that matter. She couldn't do anything except savor this moment of joy and the kiss Sirius was giving her.

"Alright, well give the lovebirds some privacy," said the amused voice of Remus Lupin, who was nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe with a small package in his hand.

"Merry Christmas, Lily," he said as she ran towards him, gave him a kiss on the cheek, ruffled his hair, then began to inspect the package.

"Merry Christmas, Remus. What exactly is it you've got there?" she said teasingly, elbowing him gently.

"Your Christmas present. Go ahead and open it."

He appeared nervous, and Sirius knew why. It would absolutely break Remus' heart if Lily were even a tiny bit disappointed.

She tore away at the paper, opened the lid of a small box, and then brought a tiny locket out into view.

"Remus! It's wonderful!"

She barely breathed as she turned over the locket and ran a finger over the engraving, which read "To L.E. from R.L.: Love Forever."

"That's not the whole gift," he said, pleased, "But wait 'til later to open it." He smiled. "No! Not now! Don't-!"

But it was too late. Lily was curious and opened it right away, and though Remus tried to close the locket while he still had the chance, his attempt was in vain. She pulled it away, and there was a moment of silence, then the room was filled by Remus' voice. He was singing a song he himself had written in honor of Lily.

"Lilyyyy, your sweet eyes fill my heart with joy..." His voice was soft but everyone was quite sure that everyone else in Gryffindor Tower could hear it.

Sirius bit his tongue to keep from laughing and Lacey elbowed him hard in the ribs.

Each girl in the room watched with envy as Lily closed the locket and threw her arms around Remus in a huge hug.

"It's better than anything I could have dreamed of for Christmas. Thank you," she said, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips.

"Seems like we're missing out, eh Peter?" asked James, walking in the girls' dorm with his friend.

"I think of it this way, so we're not missing out: if Professor McGonagall caught them like this, they'd be worse than-"

"Dead, Pettigrew, yes."

The jaws of the students hung open as the figure of their Head of House leered at them all from behind square glasses. Her tartan bathrobe and hairnet meant that she had been sleeping, as she apparently thought her students should have been.

"Surveying this scene proves to me that you are all still young, foolish children, and most definitely deserve to be punished. However, I will delay this if you all would please go back to sleep!"

"Yes, Professor," they all chimed despairingly.

"Certainly, you don't intend to punish us, Professor-"

"Black, I'll use my discretion to determine the punishment for your failure to use your own," she admonished.

"But-"

"Go back to bed," she said slowly and deliberately so that Sirius could not be mistaken.

"Yes, Professor," he mumbled, trotting up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Sirius fell back into bed, but sleep did not come to him. His mother would kill him if he got another detention. It would make the total for the year eleven, breaking his record from the previous year of ten. Not to mention it was still December and he had a good six or seven months to go before the year was through.

"AND YOU WERE IN A GIRLS' DORMITORY! SIRIUS BLACK, YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY GET IT WHEN YOU COME HOME THIS SUMMER! JUST WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS WIND OF THIS! HE WON'T BE PLEASED, OH, NO, HE WON'T BE..." he could hear his mother's voice ringing in his ears already.

Hopefully, the Howler wouldn't come until after the New Year.

Then again, he found himself thinking, I've gotten off scott-free for worse things before... Maybe with some luck, McGonagall will even think she was dreaming it all...

"I could show her the ring I gave Lacey!" he thought aloud, sitting up in bed.

"Shut up and go back to bed," said the muffled voice of James. It sounded as if his face was buried in his pillow.

"And then if I charismatically explained to her why I gave it to Lacey so early, she'd understand and even be touched. Even better if I can get a tear or two out of her... Perfect!" he declared, oblivious to the unlikelihood of his plans, and ignoring James' protests. Too excited to sleep, Sirius contented himself with counting each snore that came from his dormmates' beds.

* * * * * *

Sleep was not on the minds of the inhabitants of the fifth year girls' dormitory. They were all clamoring around Lacey and Lily, gawking at the ring and the locket, swooning over Sirius and Remus' romantic endeavors, and talking about it all.

"Lily! Open the locket again! Please, let's hear Remus sing again! It was so sweet!" Arabella Figg made a pouting face.

"No! McGonagall will hear it and come back, and boy, will we be in trouble then!"

"May I see the engraving at least?"

"Be gentle, though," Lily conceded as she nodded, giving Arabella the locket.

"Lace," began Lily, turning to her friend, "let me try on the ring. I want to see how it looks on me... I promise I'll be really careful." Lily held her friend firmly by the shoulders and made a pouting face.

"Oh, alright, alright. But if you drop it or something happens, I'll never forgive you. And I mean it. This isn't going to be like those robes I lent you that you spilled pumpkin juice all over-"

"That was an accident!"

"Right. Well accidents definitely can't happen to this ring." She looked lovingly at her ring, as if it were Sirius himself.

Lily, thrilled to be allowed to try on her friend's ring, pounced on Lacey's right hand and tried to pry the ring off.

"It- won't- come- off!" she said between strong jerks of the ring.

"Ouch! That hurts! I said you could try on my ring, not my ring and my finger... Let me get it off, you don't know how to do it. See, you have to twist it a little like this-"

Lacey tried to twist her ring, but it wouldn't budge.

"That's funny..."

The girls gathered around, laughing at Lacey as she struggled with her ring.

"I can pull all I want, but it's like it's glued to my hand... If I leave it alone, it doesn't feel like it, though... Maybe a little soap'll do the trick."

Lacey got up, shrugged off the laughter of her dormmates and strode over to the washbasin in the corner of their room. She scrubbed and soaped and rinsed, but the ring did not come off.

No one was laughing now. Something was wrong.

"Maybe Sirius put some of that Everstick Glue on it," suggested one girl, ogling Lacey's scrubbed and now bleeding hand.

Lily scowled and gestured at the ring. "Come on, this is real gold. I don't think he'd spend all that money and then put glue on this, now do you? He's not filthy rich like that Malfoy ba-"

"I think we need to see professor McGonagall," interrupted Arabella, a worried look on her face.

"Well let's try a few de-gluing charms first. Besides, that'll probably work. I'm such an idiot. That should have been the first thing to try..." Lacey said, reaching for her wand.

First Lacey, and then the other girls tried every de-gluing charm they could think of, but nothing worked. It seemed as though speaking with McGonagall was Lacey's last and only choice.