'Till My Sleeves Are Stained Red ||Ruby||

[Ephraim Eades R7]

"Damnit!" Ephraim cursed under his breath. His eyes were still adjusting to the dim candlelight that illuminated the corridors at night. He fumbled with the small vile, his thumbs slippery with sweat as he focused intensely on trying to dislodge the cork from the tapered glass neck.

Minutes ago, he'd woken up very wet and cold; definitely a result of his recent drug addiction. Ever since that night when Josephine had first turned Ephraim onto the drug, he had entered into a losing battle that brought him to times like these. Lucky for him, Theo was in bed, which meant that Ephraim could escape the Ravenclaw common room without being caught. At the bottom of the tower stairs, he turned left, finding the normal hiding place in an alcove by one of the castle windows.

The January chill had caused the windows to bead with condensation, and as he leaned his forehead against the cold panes, Ephraim finally succeeded in opening the small container of V. The smell quickly reached his nostrils, allowing a smile of relief to spread quickly across his face. For second, he starred out across the castle grounds before dipping his finger into the viscous vampire blood and letting it cling to his clammy skin. As he moved to take the drop of blood on his tongue, a voice from behind him caused him to jump in surprise.

Ephraim spun around quickly, simultaneously dropping the vile that he was holding. His eyes darted immediately to the ground, rather than toward the person who had snuck up behind him. He fell to his hands and knees, horrified to see the shards of glass scattered through the splattered blood. Then, almost as instantly as the vile had fallen and shattered, the millions of pieces were back together and protecting the liquid life that Ephraim had grown to need. Confused, he starred at the vile which sat still on the stone floor. His eyes finally moved to the figure in the shadows, the candle light falling onto the soft skin of a familiar face. Ruby Lehane! Shiiiit!

Quickly, Ephraim snatched the vampire blood and buried it deep in the pocket of his pajama pants. His eyes didn't leave Ruby's stare as he watched her come closer, wand in hand. "I was just going," he said, feigning calmness as he tried to steady his wavering voice. The scare itself had shaken him, but more than that, he still had yet to satisfy his need for the drug. Rubbing his thumb against his finger, he realized there was still a small residue still remaining. He slowly moved to put his finger on his lips before Ruby's voice stopped him once again.

[Ruby Lehane]

The howl of the wind outside sounded through the empty corridors of Hogwarts. It was deserted and rightly so. Sleep should have claimed at least ninety percent of the students by this time, but not Ruby Lehane. The Head Girl of Hogwarts stood surveying the corridors, her night of patrol nearing its end. Wynd was down in the dungeons already, finishing out the next half hour down there while Ruby was patrolling near the Ravenclaw dormitory. The torches were dimly lit around the corridors, enough to allow her to see around, but not quite enough light to penetrate all the dark corners of the halls. Perhaps that’s why she was constantly straining her ears for any sign of students that had snuck out of the dormitories. It was rare to find them anymore. They all seemed to be afraid of her or getting in trouble, she figured it was more the former than the latter.

That thought brought a small smile to Ruby’s pink lips, just as the pattering sound of footsteps made her jerk her head up in the direction it came from. Piercing blue orbs landed on a figure huddling in one of the alcoves. It seemed her night was getting better and better. She moved with purpose…quiet, but determined as she snuck up on the figure. Her brows began to furrow lightly at their form, rigid and almost bent over on itself…over something small in their hands. What on Earth were they doing and why did they have to come out of their dorms this late at night to do it?

Ruby stood there for a minute, not too far behind him watching as he stuck his finger into something and brought it back out. She vaguely made out the red tint in the darkness and her breath caught in her throat. It couldn’t be that. It was impossible to get it inside castle grounds. “What in the bloody hell do you think you’re doing out of your dormitory?” she growled at the kid. It was enough to startle him like she had hoped to do, his form turning abruptly and dropping the small glass vile. It exploded in what seemed to be a thousand pieces in front of him and Ruby’s suspicions were confirmed. Her eyes looked at the bottle on the ground and then to the face of a boy she recognized. Ephraim Eades…an upstanding, good-natured kid…one that Ruby had least expected to get hooked on the red liquid that was all over the floor. And he was hooked…the way he was staring at the vile was disturbing all on its own.

Ruby took her wand out and flicked it at the vile, watching it mend itself with the liquid inside. There was a greedy look on E’s face…or so it seemed to be. As he grabbed the vile back up off the floor she moved toward him her lips set in a thin line. She nodded her head in pure disbelief at his words and then at the fact he was still trying to take the drug. Flicking her wand incredulously at him, she watched the red tainted finger immediately clean itself. She hadn’t used that spell on a human before, but was glad that it worked as she studied Ephraim. “Mr. Eades…first let me tell you of the gravity of your situation. Not only are you out of your dormitory past curfew, but you have brought a highly addictive and not to mention illegal substance onto school grounds. That alone is grounds for expulsion, is it not?” Ruby asked as she stepped in even closer to him, her eyes gazing up at him, in her dark mysterious way. Her mind was racing with opportunities and part of her was wondering if this little idea that had begun to mold in her mind would work. There was only one way to find out…she’d have to see just how addicted Ephraim was to his little drug. “Now you can imagine just how I see this situation…I could turn you in to the Headmistress and your future magical career will be forfeit as they hand you over to the Aurors. I’m sure time in Azkaban will help change your opinion on drugs. Don’t you agree?"

[Ephraim Eades R7]

She knew. But how did she know? Eprhaim stood frozen in place as he looked at his finger. Where the crimson blood once covered his skin, all that remained was his own flesh. For being so quick with her wand to first mend the broken vile and then cleanse the blood from his finger, Ephraim wondered why she hadn't just confiscated the V already. If she knew he was harbouring an illegal drug, and she had proved to be adept with her wand-word, Ephraim wondered why he was still able to identify the small lump in his pocket when he moved his left hand to make sure that the vile was still there.

"You know nothing," he surmised, able to tap into a stream of clarity. While the V was definitely able to control anyone who became addicted, there were ways of fighting the addiction. It took a strong mind, which, luckily, Ephraim had. If anybody was willed enough to fight the affects of the V, it was he, but up until that point, he'd not bothered trying to control his addiction. The pleasure that it evoked was too alluring. But in that moment, he knew he needed to focus if he were to weasel his way out of this one. The trouble was, Ephraim wasn't too experienced with weaseling his way out of things. He was, for the most part, just your average student who avoided trouble and tended to excel in his studies. Ruby knew that.

"I took this from a third year," he said. His voice was steely and calm. "I was going to turn it into Theo, but I wanted to make sure that it was what I thought it was." His eyes locked onto Ruby's, failing to blink. Had he told many lies in his past, he might have realized that he was actually quite naturally inclined to make them seem infallible. However, he wasn't a compulsive liar, thus allowing room for doubt to creep in as he spun his web. All it took was a few seconds of silence and the stare coming from Ruby's piercing blue eyes before he faltered.

Ephraim's right hand sprung to grab his wand, only a millisecond too slow for Ruby's focused spellcasting. Damn her sobriety and her advanced abilities, Ephraim thought as his wand was pulled from his hand by the invisible magic. Before he knew it, she had the V in her own hands, and he was standing aloof against the stone walls of the castle, a burning desire rising in his chest as he saw her examining the vile. "I'll give you half," he said, his voice now verging on the edge of desperation. Just like any true addict, the fight to remain calm and collected could only last so long. Now he could only hope that Ruby might bite on his offer. It was a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless.

[Ruby Lehane]

Digits held tight to the wand in her hand. Ruby was watching Ephraim’s face and the emotions that slid over it until finally he seemed to get a grasp on himself. There was a moment of silence before he spoke, denying what she had already figured out. She didn’t argue with him…there was no point in it. She’d seen this sort of behavior before, the denial of the drug; it would come before the desperation. Fingering her wand she didn’t put it away. If Ephraim was addicted like she was expecting than he was going to try to pull his wand on her and she wanted to make sure she had the leverage over him. Ruby met his eyes, watched him meet hers. For those few moments nothing was said…he was trying to convince her, but she knew a lie when she was told one. So she waited…waited until he made that small sign that she was right. It didn’t matter to her how long it took him she knew it would come.

The quick movements from Ephraim made the corner of Ruby’s lips move up in a smile. This was what she had been waiting for, an exciting moment in a night that had been quite boring. Flicking her wand she watched the disarming spell pull Ephraim’s wand from his hands and then she flicked her wand at his pocket. She didn’t have to say the spells out loud; she had mastered the spells without needing to say them. It was why she was Head Girl; her talent for magic was extraordinary. Of course as she stood there, watching Ephraim with her hand grasped around the tiny vile she let the smile show on her face. “So…this is V?” she asked more to herself than to Ephraim. Cold blue orbs were gazing intently at the red liquid as she pulled the top off the vile. The brilliant red colour of the drug was easy to recognise and Ruby was certain that this was just as dangerous as they claimed it to be. It would come in handy though if she ever needed to drug someone…or if she wanted to blackmail someone. Her eyes flickered up to Ephraim as she put the top back on the vile.

“Tell me Mr. Eades…how much do you want your little drug back? What price would you pay for it?” Ruby asked as she held the vile up so he could see it. This was going far better than she had imagined it would go. How someone her own age could become addicted to such a dangerous drug was beyond her, but since it had happened there wasn’t any rule saying she couldn’t capitalize from the situation. Pulling a strand of dark brown hair back behind her ear she watched his face, waiting to see the desperation that would make him agree to do whatever she asked of him. She stepped in close to him, her eyes gazing up at his face as she held the drug between them, her other hand still holding onto her wand. “You would do anything for this vile wouldn’t you? You would sell your soul to the devil in order to have this vile returned to you. I can see it in your face. What is your price, Faustus?”

[Ephraim Eades R7]

Money? No. Ruby Lehane could probably have any amount of money that she asked for with a snap of her fingers. She came from a wealthy pureblood family. It seemed odd though that she would ask him to name a price. While he felt that he had nothing to bargain with, Ephraim realized that there must have been something, or else Ruby wouldn't be standing there still playing her game. If she hadn't seen some sort of benefit for her, she'd have simply marched him right to McGonagall's office already. But what was it that she could possibly want from this?

As she stepped within centimetres of E, he felt her warm breath, a stark contrast to the chilly corridor air. Had he not been so focused on the situation at hand, he might have taken a moment to notice just how attracted Ruby was. The total package, as one might say. She had the brains, the power, and definitely the beauty. But Ephraim's mind was elsewhere, trying to figure a way out of this mess.

While Ruby was asking what the vile was worth to him, he realized another thing. She truly underestimated his ability to fight the addiction. While it was powerful, it was beatable. And Ephraim knew that he could easily secure more V in the future. Getting turned in though would be far worse, and so he decided that bargaining for his absolution was much more pertinent than trying to get back his vile of V.

"You can have it. All of it." He watched her eyes, searching for any indication of emotion. "Sell it. Use it. I don't give a damn what you do with it." If she knew the selling price, Ruby might consider exchanging it for some extra galleons. However, the drug was definitely worth it's price in gold. Even if she didn't use V, it could be beneficial in so many other ways. Surely she knew that. "I can get you more too," he added. "I just need you to not turn me over to McGonnagall." Perhaps it was a bold request, but it was what he needed to offer and ask of Ruby. It seemed most appropriate to be blunt with her, rather than trying to outsmart her. A battle of wits wouldn't go in his favor, especially with the leverage she held over him in that moment.

If Ruby accepted the offer, Ephraim knew he'd need to find Josephine the next day. She'd already provided a link to the drug at a reduced price. He wasn't sure what her connections were, but that didn't really matter in the end. All that mattered was that he was able to support his addiction at a fraction of the cost that many V addicts were paying. At this point, he just needed to elude the cost of his future, which was what seemed to be up in the air. The balancing point would be whether or not Ruby accepted his offer.

[Ruby Lehane]

Ruby turned her eyes on the vile, looking at it more for show than out of her own curiosity before she looked back at Ephraim. So Fautus did have a price. The smirk pulled at her lips and her cold blue orbs glittered with amusement. His price was most interesting. He would provide her with all of the V she needed and she wouldn’t go to McGonagall. It seemed more to his liking than hers, but there was always more negotiating later. Besides if he was this willing to do anything for her…to get her all the illegal substance she wanted, then maybe he would be hers to mold later. The thought was a very satisfying one and she couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread through her as she stared up at him. So…Eades was going to be her little pet after all. Wynd would love to hear about this.

“I’ll return this vile to you…but when I ask you for some I expect it to be given to me anytime…anywhere. I won’t expose you to the powers that be and you won’t let slip our little deal. I’m putting a lot of faith in you Mr. Eades…and I expect faith in return,” Ruby said in a soft voice, though the threat that lay underneath her words was audible to the world. She slipped her wand into it’s sheath and reached her hand out to take his, her thumb running across his rest before she turned his hand over, disposing of the small vile into the palm of his hand. “Now with that done and out of the way, it was a pleasure running into this evening Mr. Eades, however it is late and I should deduct house points from Ravenclaw, but considering the deal you’ve just made this evening I’ll let it slide. We’ll just say that you owe me a favor for my entirely too good of nature this night. Now run along, back to bed, and don’t forget our little deal.”

It was all Ruby could do not to grin in utter glee as she watched him retreat back up the stairs. She had won and not only that she had indebted Ephraim Eades to her. He would owe her a favor until she released him of their contract, which wasn’t going to happen. Ruby was one step closer to the end of her time at Hogwarts…one step closer to beginning the plans that she had been working on for years. Now she would use Eades to achieve some of those goals…he just didn’t know it yet. He thought this was about a drug, but he was wrong. This was about souls. Ruby was truly the devil and Eades was most certainly Faustus. Their contract was written in blood and that was a comforting thought to her.

The smile glowed on her face as she turned from the stairs that led to the Ravenclaw dormitory. Her eyes flashing around the rest of the empty corridor before she began her trek back to the Slytherin Common Room. No doubt Wynd would be anxious to hear her story. He would know what this meant…just as she did. They were going to succeed…their power to manipulate was great. Now, the only thing she’d have to worry about was Eades growing a conscience and speaking of their deal. Somehow she was doubtful that he would do so, considering he’d be incriminating himself, however…it was still something she needed to be wary of. She’d have to fix that somehow…Eades would grow to trust her enough to keep his mouth shut, or she would scare him into keeping his mouth shut. Either way there were plenty of possibilities. Ruby descended the stairs to the dungeon all the while humming a soft song of triumph. The tune bounced off the walls and filled the corridor with the dark music as she disappeared into the darkly lit corridors.