I've lost her, thought Snape, I've lost her forever.
It had been a week now, and still Lily Evans avoided him. Whenever they passed in the corridor, she'd turn up her nose, or if they had to sit together in a lesson, she'd pile her books up between them. Snape had only once attempted to speak to her. It had been the previous evening, during dinner. He scribbled her a note and enchanted it to fly over to her. Lily had took one look at it, raised her eyebrow, and perished it by flame with her wand. James Potter, who was sat beside her, had howled with laughter.
Everyone else had gone to dinner now, but Snape didn't feel hungry. He was sat on his bed, alone in his dorm, staring at the only photograph he had of him and Lily together. It had been taken in their second year. Lily was beaming at the camera, a quill held in her hands. She kept transforming it into a stick insect and back. Snape was smiling crookedly, awkwardly. His robes drooped around his shoulders, far too big for him. Present day Snape grimaced.
There was suddenly a clatter of footsteps on the stairs, and Snape stuffed the photograph under his pillow. The door flew open, and Lucius Malfoy strode in. His white blonde hair gleamed and his pristine robes swished. Snape envied him.
"Severus, there you are" Lucius drawled, sitting himself down on a bed.
"How are you?" Snape asked, trying not to look as suspicious as he felt.
"I am well, thank you" Lucius pulled himself up to full height, "I come with an offer for you" He said importantly.
"From who?" Snape definitely sounded suspicious now.
"Him" Lucius said.
Snape felt a chill through his bones. He coughed slightly, "What is it he requires?" As if he didn't know.
"He still wishes you to join us. I don't think he'll let you rest until you accept" Lucius sighed.
"I'll do it" Snape announced.
Lucius looked suprised, "You will?" He said, astounded.
"You sound shocked, Lucius. I feel a little insulted" Snape said, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't. I just..." Lucius stood up abruptly, "We are to meet him at The Hogs Head tomorrow evening, at eight o'clock" He explained.
"Will we get out un-noticed?" Snape asked, standing up.
"Of course" Lucius sounded confident, "Good night, Severus" He turned on his heel, his robes swishing around the corner as he left.
Snape sat back down. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't want to do it. Lucius hadn't said what The Dark Load wanted, but Snape already knew.
But then again, why not? What did he have to loose? Nothing. Now that Lily had truly gone, there was nothing stopping him... It was Snape's only option now. His only future.
---
At precisely eight o'clock the following evening, the door to The Hogs Head flew open. The cold air from outside gushed in and caused the punters to shiver. Aberforth Dumbledore craned his neck to see who he was to serve, but the hooded figure passed the bar without even a glance. He went straight to the table in the corner, which was dimly lit and played host to two young boys. Aberforth shook his head, and turned to continue his conversation with a hag.
"Gentlemen" A cool voice spoke.
"My Lord" Snape and Lucius said together.
Tom Riddle, or, as he preferred to be known as now, Lord Voldemort, sat down to face them. From beneath his cloak he pulled out a dusty bottle. "Fire whiskey?" He offered.
"Oi! You can't drink that in here!" Aberforth yelled.
Lord Voldemort ignored him, and produced three glasses with a wave of his wand. He filled two of them, and moved on to Snapes. However, the hook nosed boy lifed his hand, "No thank you, my Lord" He said. Snape had seen what state alcohol got his father in. He had vowed never to touch it, for as long as he lived.
"Oh, don't be soft, Severus!" Lucius laughed.
"If it were a matter of being 'soft', Lucius, do you think I really would have come tonight?" Severus cut in. He was good at speaking like an adult, when it came to it. Voldemort's lips curled into a smile.
"Gentlemen, please, let us not bicker" He took a sip of his drink, still not lowering his cloak, "You understand what I want of you tonight, Severus?" He asked.
"Yes, my Lord. And I am ready" Snape promised.
"We shall see" Voldemort laughed, the sound husky and cold.
The three of them sat in silence for a while. Half way through the bottle, Lucius and Voldemort began to talk, but Snape was lost in thought. He wondered what Lily was doing right now. Probably laughing with James Potter, he thought bitterly. Oh well, he'd show them. They wouldn't think him such a loser when he walked into school with the mark...
"Severus. Come, it is time" Voldemort ordered, standing up. He cleared the table with his wand, and together they left.
Aberfoth shook his head and muttered as they passed.
Snape wondered where they were going. Not out in the open, surely? He was also a little worried about The Dark Lord's state of mind at the moment, having just consumed half a bottle of fire whiskey. But he didn't dare question his ability out loud.
"There is a small abandoned house just down here, where I have been residing with Nagini for the past month" Voldemort explained, as though he had read Snape's mind.
They stopped outside a derelict house, with only one storey. The windows were boarded up with rotting wood, and weeds sprawled over the cracked garden path. Voldemort opened the door with his wand, and lead them inside. It was lit, but only barely. There was no furniture inside, only a pile of empty glass bottles and dirty dishes in the corner of the largest room.
"Not as ceremonius as I would have hoped" Voldemort sighed.
He stood in the middle of the room, and removed his hood. Tom Riddle had once been a handsome young man, but something had gone horribly wrong. His skin was waxy, and his thick dark hair now receding. His dark eyes were tinted scarlet, and his pupils seemed to be travelling downwards. Lucius shuddered visibly.
"Does my appearance bother you, Lucius?" Voldemort asked.
"N-no my Lord" He lied.
Snape stared Voldemort right in the eye, determined not to look bothered at all.
"Your wand arm, Severus" Voldemort sounded hungry.
Snape rolled his right sleeve up, and offered his arm. Voldemort drew his wand, and Lucius looked on the verge of breaking into a tap dance.
"Morsmordre Imprenti!" Voldemort roared, and there was a vivid white flash.
Snape cried out in pain, and dropped to his knees. He clutched his arm to his chest, rocking and biting down hard on his lip. Voldemort was grinning madly, jubilant. He clutched Snape's collar and dragged him to his feet. "Let me see! Let me see!" He demanded.
Slowly, Snape removed his trembling hand from his wrist. There, still smoking, was the Dark Mark, branded deep into his skin. The area around it was red raw and the mark itself was scorching hot.
Severus Snape was a Death Eater.
---
Lucius chatted animatedly as they walked back to the castle. Snape ignored him, his eyes still transfixed on the mark. He had actually gone through with it. There was no going back. This was who he was now, until the day he died and long after that.
They reached the doors, and Lucius broke off. Snape looked up, and froze.
Lily was stood on the steps, her arms folder, a livid expression on her face, "So this is who you hang around with now, is it?" She spat.
"And whats it to you?" Lucius sneered.
"Leave it, Lucius. Come on" Snape ducked his head and Lucius followed him inside.
"Don't walk away from me, Severus Snape!" Lily yelled.
"Shut up before you wake the whole castle!" Lucius hissed.
"Damn I will!" Lily hissed back.
"Leave this with me, Lucius. I'll see you tomorrow" Snape pleaded.
"What, going to tea at Tom's, are you?" Lily taunted.
"That's The Dark Lord to you" Lucius growled.
"Lucius" Snape repeated darkly. The fellow Slytherin glared at Lily, and stormed away.
Lily stared into Snape's dark eyes for a long while.
"What do you want, Lily?" Snape said, cringing. He didn't mean to be rude, he just couldn't bear the look on her face anymore.
"I actually came to forgive you, but forget it" Lily replied.
Snape felt a pierce through his heart. Lily turned to leave. "Wait! Lily, please!" Snape cried, running after her.
"Please, Sev. Please tell me you didn't" She said suddenly.
Snape bowed his head, and she snatched at his sleeve. She gasped, falling back. Her shadow rippled along the stone walls in the amber torch light.
"Why?" She asked.
"I... I don't know" Snape looked up, "If I didn't have you, what did I have? This was my only future, Lily" He said.
He took a step forwards. She didn't back away.
"Lily, this doesn't change anything. Please give me another chance" He begged.
"Yes, it does. This changes everything. You aren't my Sev anymore. You're one of them now" Lily's eyes sparkled with tears, "We can't be friends anymore" She whispered.
"Lily" Snape begged, his voice thick.
She shook her head, and finally turned her back on him. Snape watched as she walked away, regretting what he was with every step she took away from him.