The Whys and Hows of Snape the Death Eater
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my name, the real one. Ya know, Thea. Mudblood isn't me, even though I am. I just happen to have bad ideas... and I'm rambling. Continue on now.
Summary: Like the title says. How and why Snape became a Death Eater.
Severus Snape became a Death Eater for one simple reason, or more accurately, one simple person. Lucius Malfoy. Commanding did not even describe the pull the man had on everyone he met. The pale blonde hair was slicked back, severe looking for the times but worked nonetheless. Lucius had looked at the greasy haired outcast and simply said, "Come with me."
Severus would have followed Lucius to the furthest edge of the globe. A crush when they first met had quickly grown into love, only on Severus's part of course. Lucius had been eyeing young Narcissa Black almost all her life. Pureblood families stuck together by marriage and Lucius had picked his bride-to-be by the time she had turned ten.
If Severus were to really examine why he had fallen for Lucius's charms, it would not take a lot of time. Lucius was the only person who paid any attention to Severus, other than Mudblood Evans or Potter and his moronic group. Severus had come to the conclusion by the age of fourteen that he had no desire to be around a woman, not in that way. Then Lucius had suddenly given him a bit of attention during the end of their sixth year. It was that attention that helped Snape cope with the daily beatings from his father over that very long summer.
That was what lead to the Dark Mark being placed on his arm, binding him to a madman's whims. Because Lucius had uttered three words, "Come with me." Severus wasn't fond of Lord Voldemort's insanity but he could not longer do anything about it.
He went along, albeit grudgingly, along with everything until that night when Voldemort started to mention killing Potter and his wife. Perhaps he hadn't cared for the Mudblood, but at least while in school, she had attempted to help him. Of course, he threw her kindness in her face at every turn. That was the Slytherin way after all.
It was that night that he fled to Dumbledore for aide. When in school, the old man had helped him by hiding the worst markings of the beatings with a simple glamour spell. Never one to trust a man - other than Lucius - the aide of the past was going to be needed now. He couldn't be a Death Eater anymore.
When the wind of Voldemort's fall reached his ears, he sighed in relief. The terror was over. He had a Wizard's debt to Potter's child but that could wait. However, he held the mask of a Death Eater over his face whenever he was around Lucius. Lucius could never know of his failure. Who else did have around to confide in? Dumbledore was a means to an end. When a brilliant flash of truth hit his head, he realized that was all he had been to Lucius: a means to an end to make his Lord happy.
All the trouble he went through and Severus was still a nothing to everyone around him. Perhaps, upon closer examination, he would see that's when his bitterness of those around him started to take full effect. After all, who would miss a Death Eater turned good?