Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the Harry Potter themes, characters, locations, or ideas.

Chapter 1 - Enter the Dragon

Voldemort turned to look at his death eaters all huddled around a table awaiting his instructions.

"Continue your tasks. We shall reconvene in three days time to discuss. You are dismissed."

His tongue dragged out the hiss in his last word, as if caught in his throat, and his finger rose to pet the snake coiled around the back of his chair.

"Draco, we shall speak in private." The dark lord rose as Draco gracefully bowed his head and followed the lord into the study beyond the meeting room. The Dark Lord sank slowly into the chair placed behind a large elaborately carved desk, where he looked at Draco.

"Your first assignment as the newest under my command is a very specific one. I require the use of your charm and poise. It will play an important role in your ability to accomplish this mission."

Opening the top left drawer of the desk he pulled out a delicate necklace of what looked like platinum, with a large crystal pendant dangling from the chain. The necklaces beauty outshined even the scaley and ghostly white hands from which it hung. Draco's eyes lifted from the sparkling crystal to the Dark Lord.

"What is my mission, my lord?"

"You will see a young lady in Diagon Alley when you go there tomorrow, wearing a necklace identical to this one. Your mission will be to woo the young lady. You must get her to trust you, show her loyalty, and fall in love with you if possible. In time, bring her to our side."

He handed Draco the necklace and a picture from the drawer in a very distinct way that portrayed that the conversation was complete. Draco accepted the items and bowing his head again in a low respectful voice said

"My lord, if I may….How can I woo the girl seeing her only once? And what purpose will this mission serve for you goals?"

The red eyes of the Dark Lord grew cold and glared at Draco. His voice spat his displeasure and rage at the boy as he answered.

"Draco, as this is your first assignment as a death eater, I will pretend that you did not have the nerve to question my tasks. In the future, you will remember that what I ask of you is to be done, at all costs, and without question, or you will suffer the dire consequences I feel fit your failures. And as to your stupidity, I have made arrangements for the girl to be transferred to Hogwarts and she will be a Slytherin Sixth Year. How I was able to ensure this information is also not a fact you need to know. When you have gained her trust, you will replace her necklace with the one you now hold. Remember Draco, the Dark Lord can read the thoughts you leave so carelessly strewn about your brain. You can't hide from me, even in your own head."

"Thank you for your mercy my lord, I shall not forget, and I shall not fail."

Draco bowed deeply, and the dark lord waved his wand. Draco saw that the new mark that had minutes before blazed on his left forearm shrank and slid to his wrist, hidden below his watch.

"Tell no one at Hogwarts of your status, or face my wrath. Now GO."

Draco respectfully backed out of the room. Returning to his own chambers, he found a letter perched on his desk in the familiar scrawl of his father.

Draco,

Your mother and I are so proud to see you be the first of your age to join the ranks of Voldemort, and we hope that you understand what an Honor it is to be a part of his ranks. Your missions are to be kept private, and told to no one, not even your parents or friends. We wish you the best of luck with whatever task the Dark Lord has entrusted to you, and we give you this pin as a portkey for when the Dark Lord calls.

Your Loving Father, Lucius Malfoy

Draco removed the pin from the envelope, and found it was a small black and silver pin of the Malfoy Crest. He pinned it to the cuff of his sleeves and placed the necklace in the envelope, putting in the topmost compartment of his school trunk. Walking to his bed, he laid down resting his torso on the headboard, and looked at the picture in his hands.

This girl, whatever her name was not someone he would have ignored had he met her on the street. She was certainly someone a Malfoy would feel confident being seen with in public. Her brilliant blonde waves fell past her shoulders, and her blue eyes pierced through the picture, and it felt like they pierced all the way to his brain, the way Lord Voldemort's had with his deep red snakelike eyes. He couldn't take his eyes off the picture, the girl was simply beautiful. There was no other way to describe her, and Malfoy started to fear that even he would falter in her presence.

Oh, god help him if his father knew of his doubts. A Malfoy must always be the charming, elegant, center of attention in public. That was what the Malfoy name demanded of it's descendants. Still the eyes of the girl brought him back to his encounter with the Dark Lord in the study…Draco knew that his family had expected him to join the ranks of Voldemort, but it had not been fully of his own decision that he had accepted the mark. His devotion to his parents and their cause had been enough to fool the Dark Lord into accepting his answers as truth, but it had not been how he truly felt in his heart. He was glad that the Lord was not here in his room now to read these thoughts, and equally glad that his mission was one of wooing, not killing, but the feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that harm would likely come to the girl after his part of the mission was over. He would start with this mission and go from there. With that thought Draco slid down onto the bed and drifted off to sleep.