Another one-shot! Though, this one mostly has Severus in it, but I hope you all like it anyway!
Receperint comestores mors est means "Welcome to the Death Eaters" in Latin.
Before Tom Riddle had become Voldemort, he and his group, the Knights of Walpurgis, had been hoping to change the wizarding world. They had wanted to change it so that muggleborn children weren't abused and that if they were, they were to be taken and given to a wizarding family so they would be given the love and care they need.
As the years went by, Dumbledore kept Tom's ideas out of the picture and began painting them as something psychotic and evil. He turned Tom down when he asked to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, causing Tom to curse the position.
By the time Severus Snape and his muggleborn friend Lily Evans arrived at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle was known to all as Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord.
Severus Snape had agreed with several of the things that Lord Voldemort wanted to change. One was that muggleborns and half bloods had to be taught the way of the wizarding world, the more in depth side of it. Another one was that the old wizarding traditions such as Samhain and Yule should not be stopped just because of all the muggleborns and their beliefs.
Lord Voldemort, while being painted as the most vile man, went about trying to save the muggleborns and half bloods that were being abused. Doing this discreetly, he was able to get a lot more witches and wizards on his side.
Dumbledore never knew what the Dark Lord did, besides the raids and kidnappings that he had staged. He was rallying witches and wizards using his titles, telling them that there would be a prophecy, that the end of the Dark Lord's reign would prove itself in the coming years.
Since his first year at Hogwarts and since he had told the man about his father abusing him, he never believed in the old man ever again.
And at seventeen, Severus Snape had made a decision.
He would become a Death Eater.
He was sitting in the library against one of the many bookshelves, a book on seventh year potions on his lap. His usually greasy long hair was framing his face as he leaned over the book, a look of contentment and interest on his face. His onyx eyes skimmed the pages, his long fingers flipping the page every few seconds.
He was so invested in it that he never noticed his blond haired friend appear around the corner and make his way to him.
The clearing of a throat made him look up, onyx eyes landing on mercury blue eyes that shone in mirth. A smirk made his way on his face as he drawled, "Well, Severus, pleased to see you here."
Severus narrowed his eyes and scowled. Then he turned back to his book as he ground out, "Yes, I suppose it is. Was there anything you needed, Lucius?"
"Oh, not really, I suppose. I just have a message for you."
Severus looked up, brows furrowed. "A message?" he asked. "What do you mean? From whom?" He stood up swiftly, closing the book and placing it back on the shelf before facing Lucius. "You know I never receive messages from anyone."
"Yes, well, this is from an important person. I am a follower of his, I mean." The smirk grew into a downright feral smirk as he continued. "And he wants to invite you over for a meeting so he can provide an offer to you."
"An offer? What offer, exactly?"
"A Potions' lab of your own, your own ingredients, and much more. Will you consider it?"
"Who am I to be meeting, Lucius?"
"Why, Lord Voldemort, of course."
That Saturday, Lucius, as well as several others that Severus didn't know, met him at midnight in the Slytherin common room. They were all wearing black robes and each held a mask in their hands.
Lucius grabbed Severus by the arm, tightening his grip slightly. "Ready?" he queried, looking into onyx eyes.
The younger teen took a deep breath and nodded.
Lucius grinned in response. He turned to the others and whispered something to them, all of them nodding before disappearing with a silent crack.
Turning back to Severus, Lucius nodded and they disappeared.
They landed, Lucius on his feet, Severus wobbling a little as he fought to keep his balance. Lucius's hand was still on his arm, holding him steady, before he nodded and stepped back. He watched as Lucius donned the mask, making sure it was kept in place before he turned and made his way towards the manor they had appeared in front of.
The manor itself was a grand thing, almost as large as the royal palace but smaller to a degree. The clouds overhead cast a shadow over it, making it look gloomier than it probably was. The doors opened as they made their way up the stairs, two others appearing in the large doorway.
"Is that him?" one asked.
Lucius nodded.
"Good," the other said. "Our Lord is waiting in the office, so make your way there."
With another nod, Lucius moved Severus around them and into the large hall. Moving quickly, he continued to make sure Severus was moving along as they made their way down endless hallways and turns before they came upon a door.
Lucius knocked on the door, opening it slightly when he heard a response. Severus heard him say something before he opened the door wider and gestured for him to enter. Looking at Lucius, he took a deep breath, gulped, then pushed his legs forward into the office.
His eyes roamed over the room, scanning past the bookshelves full of books on Dark Arts, past the fireplace that was crackling with innocence, and to the desk, where the man who asked to see him was.
Lord Voldemort looked no older than his early or late twenties. His chocolate brown hair was in waves and hung out of his face, letting his ruby red eyes peer at him from the paper that was on the desk. Slender fingers set a quill down as lips quirked up into a smile of greeting. "You must be the Severus Snape I have heard so much about," the man told him in a kind tone.
He nodded silently.
The man's smile widened. "Thank you, Lucius," he said to the blond. "You may go. I will call on you again if I need you."
The blond bowed and left the room without a second glance, the door clicking shut behind him.
Turning back to him, the man twined his fingers together and set his chin on them, studying him. His eyes flickered up and down before they landed back on Severus's eyes, where they stayed. The smile on his face had softened as his ruby eyes continued their study of the young man before him.
"Lucius tells me that you are adequate at Potions. Is that true?"
Severus gulped as he nodded. "Yes, it is."
"Hm. What would you say if I gave you an offer that you couldn't refuse?"
"I'd say you would have to tell me before I would decide," the younger man replied. "It also depends on if the offer is good or not."
Lord Voldemort chuckled. "Lucius had told me you were snarky," he commented lightly. "I see he was right."
Severus flushed.
He laughed. It was a deep laugh, bouncing lightly off the walls of the study before he spoke again. " I want to offer you a position, or a job, as a Potions' Master. I want you to come up with new and better potions to help us, and in time, the rest of the Wizarding World. You would get an unlimited fund of rare and exotic Potions' ingredients, as well as a Potions lab of you own. I 'll let you think on it for a week. Then I want you to tell Lucius your decision and you will be brought back here."
Severus nodded.
During the week, he thought on the Dark Lord's offer.
On Friday, he told Lucius his decision.
"Yes."
He stood in a group of recruited Death Eaters that were to be introduced into the outer circle or inner circle. They were all wearing dark black robes that allowed them to blend into the shadows, masks donned over their faces.
Severus spotted Lucius among the Death Eaters, mercury blue eyes looking at him from under a black-and-white mask he wore. A minuscule nod of the head was all he got as recruited Death Eaters were called up to stand before Lord Voldemort as he placed the mark on their arm.
"Severus Snape," the man finally intoned.
Severus took a shuddering breath behind his mask, clenching his hands, and made his way up the steps. He stood before Voldemort, presenting his arm, pressing the sleeve up.
Slender fingers gripped his arm as a wand was pointed at the skin. A spell in Parseltongue was hissed our and he hissed slightly in pain as the mark appeared, pain throbbing up his arm. His arm was let go and he cradled it, looking up into Voldemort's eyes as he grinned.
"Welcome, Severus Snape, to the Death Eaters."