Watching his wife and one year old son Draco Malfoy usually felt joy and happiness but today he only felt sorrow and regret. He watched Hermione's face light up every time their son laughed and he knew that she would never smile lke that at him ever again once he told her what he had done. She would never forgive him. But he had to tell her. He had to tell her that it was for hers and Damon's safety. Draco hoped that she would understand but deep down inside he knew that se would hate him for life. Hate him that he had taken the dark mark.
Draco felt a slight pain on his forearm wher the mark had been burned into his skin. As he scratched it his sleeve rode up slightly revealing the ugly skull and snake. A sudden memory awoke inside of him as he glanced at it.
FLASHBACK
"Ah...it is the young Malfoy. To what do I owe this ...ah pleasure?" sneered Lord Voldemort as he saw 21 year old Draco Malfoy step out of the fire and into veiw.
"I heard that you that you were going to hunt down a family in Church street. A wizard family. The only wizards that live down that street is my family." Draco whispered. He had heard a rumour from nonother than his mother, Narcissa Malfoy after his father had told her after one of the meetings.
"Why yes...and you come here asking for mercy? To leave you all alone?" Voldemort cackled. He continued when he saw Draco's face pale, "Yes Malfoy, I know exactly what you are thinking. You don't really believe that I will spare your family so you are here to request something. Is that right?"
"Yes. I am hoping that...you will spare my family if I-I join the death-eaters. Will you let me become a death-eater to let Hermione and Damon live?" Draco called so all the death-eaters could hear. He sounded confident but if you looked him in the eye you would be able to see that he was terrified. Terrifed of saying something wrong so that him and Hermione and Damon would all be killed.
Voldemort thought about this for a moment. His pale streched face seemed to glow and his eyes looked eve more red than usual. "Hmmm...well I supose that I could use another death-eater. Ok Malfoy you have yourself a deal. But if you fail me I will personlly see that dear Hermione and Damon will die in the most brutel way possible!"
Draco paled even more as he knew what the death-eaters would do to Hermione. They would proberly rape and torture her in front of him and he didn't even want to think about what they would do to his son. "You-you have a deal but you must promise not to hurt them!"
"Yes yes, now come here. No closer than that. Yes there you go. Now, hold out your arm. Morsmore delactiman!" Voldemort whispered and all Draco could feel and think was of the burning and smell of hot blood pouring out of his skin as the dark mark was burned and scared into his skin forever. Once the process was over he fell to his knees with the amount of pain he was going through. It felt as if boiling hot rusty poker sticks were being pressed into his arm. He managed to get some of the pain away by focusing on Hermione and Damon's smiling faces when they had their picture taken by the sea-side to give to Draco as a birthday present. He smiled so much at that picture that he had to get in photo-copied to put a copy in his wallet.
"Get up Malfoy. Nott, get Malfoy here some robes and a mask. We can't have an odd death-eater now can we?" Voldemort snapped at anothe death-eater.
Draco quickly took out his wand and shrunk the robes to fit in his pocket and hurried to the fire. As he grabbed a fist full of floo powder,he heard Voldemort tell him that he would know when the next meeting was and where it would be.
END OF FLASHBACK
Remembering this, only made it worse for Draco. But he had to protect Damon and Hermione. If they...well they were Draco's life. He wouldn't be able to live without them. As Hermione and Damon came through the heavy oak door Draco quickly used a cover charm to hide his mark from them. Then, he smiled and took Damon from Hermone giving her a kiss on the way.
