Author: Red Fiona

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Bloomsbury books and JK Rowling do. No money being made. Prunella Parkinson and Megsy Malfoy are characters I invented.

Characters: Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle senior, the Marauders, Dumbledore and Tom Riddle.

Genre: Drama

Rating: R for this part – one sex scene and some strong language.

Notes: The first of four stories in a series, all about how Snape joined the Death Eaters and then left them. Set during the Snape's schooldays. I started it before Order of the Phoenix came out so a few of the details might be a little out from what was said in that.

Summary: Slytherins are ambitious. The thing Severus Snape wants most in this world is access to books. Someone gives him this and shows him true ambition.

Fixing the last fastener on his cloak, Snape was once again forced to shove his hair out of his eyes. He'd long ago given up on it, he could wash it to his heart's content, and it would still be just as lank, greasy and dreadful. There was nothing to be done about it. It was the same with Lucius, you could touch it all you wanted, if you managed to get past the infamous Malfoy glare, but it would right itself back to its usual pale magnificence. Life was unfair like that. Quite why Lucius then spent more time in front of the bathroom mirror than the girls was beyond Snape. That was the worst of sharing a room with him, Lucius was a bathroom-hogger, and contrary to popular belief, thank you Black for that rumour, Snape did like to bathe. Of course Lucius used up all the hot water and so sometimes he didn't, but…

Actually Snape had to admit that the Slytherin rooming arrangement suited him better than the others would have done. He regularly gave thanks that he wasn't in a Gryffindor or Hufflepuff style dormitory, and much though his nature was solitary, the Ravenclaw single cells didn't allow for much socialising or, far more importantly, the cribbing of Divination answers. It was a stupid subject anyway, as though the future was written in tea leaves. Pah!

"Lucius, would you hurry up, we're going to be late."

"Don't worry. We still have plenty of time."

"No we don't. Crabbe and Goyle will undoubtedly need help with something."

"Point taken. I'll hurry up."

Nevertheless it was another five minutes before Lucius left the bathroom. However, even with that, and the time it took to sort out Goyle and Crabbe, all four of them arrived only tne minutes late to the Great Hall. This was quite good really, given that they'd plotted to be late, it just wouldn't do to be early to a party. They looked, and would more than willing say they looked, amazing.

Then Narcissa came over to join them.

Ah, Narcissa Black, the most beautiful woman ever to lay foot upon the earth, and entirely coincidentally Severus' crush for the better part of the last seven years. She was, unfortunately, arm in arm with Lucius. Severus felt he should probably be upset by this, but he couldn't see how he could be. She had chosen well. Lucius was better looking, richer and better connected. There was no better option for her.

The downside of this arrangement was that Severus would have to accompany Prunella Parkinson for the night. It wasn't that she thought him attractive or handsome, just that she felt safer with him rather than Crabbe or Goyle, or Grab and Grope as she called them.

Then the dancing began. Potter and that loathsome tart Lily were dancing, as were Lucius and Narcissa. It was then that Prunella all but shoved him onto the dance floor. He had prepared for this eventuality and had been secretly practising for weeks. Lucius, agreeing to help, had called him a prat, but that was a small price to pay for not looking like a complete and utter plonker on the dance floor.

Just as he was 'getting his groove on' or whatever the moronic phrase was, Black and Lupin had to upstage him and spoil it all by dancing together. Everyone was distracted from Snape's fancy footwork because of them, but he managed to keep his anger in check. He had a very important appointment this evening and getting into trouble would only delay him.

Confused and disappointed in their inability to get Severus to crack, the Gryffindor terrors spent the entire night trying to wind him up. They were being accidentally assisted by Prue who was going to be spewing slugs for a week if she mentioned bad breath one more time. Once he nearly hit back. He had been dancing very well when his legs went out from under him. Severus recognised a jelly legs jinx when he felt one and was about to send an outbreak of boiling pustules in Black's direction when Lucius deflected his want towards the floor.

"We have other places to be after this, better places than Dumbledore's office."

The point taken, Severus unhexed himself and carried on dancing.

Finally the festivities were done with and they could leave. Black and Potter, with Pettigrew standing behind them, like a child hiding in his mother's petticoats, came up to them.

"What are you two up to? And don't deny it, you've got that 'I'm up to something' look on your faces, and you haven't even hexed us once."

"Has it ever occurred to you that I may not wish to lower myself to your level, boys." Severus, deciding that that counted as a hit, swooped out of the hall arm in arm with Prunella, as though he owned the place.

While the rest of the children waited until the next morning to leave, Lucius has always gone home right after the Christmas ball. For the time being he would have to portkey out, but he couldn't wait until he had gained his apparating licence, then, give or take the walk to Hogsmede he could come and go as he pleased.

Ever since the second year he'd taken Severus with him.

The Malfoys were an old family, and believed the old ways were best so, rather than this new-fangled Christmas thing, they celebrated Saturnalia instead.

Of course the younger children were excluded from the more biological aspects of the feast, but Lucius and his friends had graduated to adulthood, or at least legality, two years ago, and so were fully included members.

Not that Severus had included his member in anything. No, for the past two years he'd discussed various potions and ingredients with cousin Megsy, who was a member of the Cornish branch of the Malfoy tree. This year would be different though.

It had all started at the beginning of the term. They were studying for their NEWTs and Snape had been given access to the restricted section of the library. While looking round for "Diggle on Dangerous Spells", another book caught his eye. It was one of a whole row of interesting, if illicit sounding, books. Snape couldn't resist. He grabbed one. He had forgotten to check if it was a biting book, or something of that type, so of course it was.

He couldn't stop the howl of pain that erupted, attracting the attention of Madame Pince. After she had released him from the vicious creature that called itself a book, she called Professor Dumbledore. He reset the wards that hid the books, explaining that one of the teachers must have got a book from there and not reset it. It turned out that this was the very restricted section, for the use of the teachers only, in their research.

Snape had blanched at this. Dumbledore explained he wasn't letting Severus look at the books, not being he wasn't clever, but because he wasn't ready.

This, as Severus had explained to Lucius after, had been the last straw. Wasn't ready indeed! If it had been Potter or Black, or Crabbe and Goyle, he could have understood, but himself, never. He'd actually been against allowing Crabbe and Goyle in to hear the lessons on the Unforgivable Curses, not because they would be a danger to others, but because they would be a danger to themselves. If that didn't prove a certain maturity, he didn't know what would.

So Snape spent the rest of the term trying to get past the wards. Each time he was repelled and each time Dumbledore said he wasn't ready to see the books.

On one Hogsmede weekend, Lucius convinced him to take time out from his latest plan to accompany him to Malfoy Manor. Severus was confused by the request, why would Lucius require an escort, but he was curious about it too, so he agreed.

Mr. Malfoy already had a guest, and he introduced the boys when they arrived. The guest's name was Riddle. He insisted on being called Tom, although it didn't sit well with Severus' beliefs on how you should talk to your elders, he acquiesced. If was a really great feeling, having someone as clever and as powerful as Mr. Riddle obviously was talking to you like an equal. It was far better than what Dumbledore ever did.

The next time they were allowed out Lucius took him to the Manor again. Mr. Riddle had been there once again. He had brought with him one of the books Severus could remember seeing in the very restricted section. Severus had been very grateful and poured over the book for the rest of the day. Tom had promised to come back the next time with the next volume in the series.

It was then that Black and that damned creature that called itself Lupin tried to kill him. Potter had to be the one to save him, if the rest of it wasn't bad enough; he was now forever in that Potter prig's debt. Dumbledore had, of course, done nothing. That Severus had nearly been killed meant nothing. Couldn't have any of his beloved Gryffindors expelled now, could he? In fact, Snape had a whole heap full of guilt piled high on him for going down to the Whomping Willow. Not a word of condemnation for Black who had tricked him into going. That bastard was laughing at him and he knew it.

He told Tom about it as they read through the next volume. Snape hadn't set out to tell him, Dumbledore had sworn him to secrecy, but he couldn't help it. Tom had asked him about his wounds, and he wasn't very well going to lie about it, was he? He told Tom about the dreadful Gryffindor bias and the lack of discipline. He didn't give any names though, said the Headmaster told him not to. Tom was fine with that; he said it showed how disciplined Snape was because the temptation to name and shame the disgusting creature must have been great. Tom agreed about the bias. He'd been to Hogwarts, long ago, and could see how much worse it had become since then, what with Dumbledore being in charge.

It was then that Tom first told Severus about his plan. The wizarding world was going to pot, and someone had to do something about it. So he and a group of likeminded wizards had formed a plan - to gain control of the wizarding world, no less. Severus had looked shocked at this suggestion. Tom carried on by saying that change was required, especially in Britain. He pointed out that wizarding Britain had been entrenched in the past for too long. What was the last serious innovation made by a British wizard? Severus could think of none. That was exactly Tom's point. Think of all that talent going to waste, he said. So was Severus in or out.

Snape wasn't entirely convinced, but had begun to see that change was needed, and you would grow older than Professor Binns waiting for the Ministry to sort itself out. He decided he was in.

Which was what brought him to where he was now. Snape had kept up the attacks on the library, fearing that Dumbledore would be suspicious if he didn't, but his heart wasn't in it. Promised, as he had been by Tom, that he would be allowed to read the books during the summer vac, these last two attempts had been facile in the extreme.

Malfoy Manor, if you've never been there, is quite incredible. While it is not palatial in the Blenheim manner, the rich, dark hues and mahogany furnishings gave it an old world charm. Certainly it was warmer than Snape's own home, a smaller, simpler affair in black and white. Family tradition held that it had inspired the Puritans, which Snape could easily believe.

In Malfoy Manor they were all standing around uneasily, waiting for Tom to appear. He was going to induct them personally into his group. Death Eaters, he called them, they were going to change the world so much that they would become immortal, and they would eat death. To prove their devotion to the cause they would carry a mark with them, in the same way one wore one's house colours. It sounded reasonable at the time; they would be a band of revolutionary heroes. In the years to come those who has been marked would be exalted, beloved by all for their wisdom, foresight and daring in joining the revolution.

Half of the party was going on as normal. Some people had been excluded because they weren't the right material, they were impure. A few unambitious, narrow-minded souls had been invited to join this select group but had turned it down. More fool them.

Megsy must have been one of those fools because of what he said when he pulled Severus aside just before the ceremony began.

"Joining them I see. Ah, Severus, my lad, I would have thought that you would have had more sense than that. No good will come of it, you mark my words, and you'll be such a loss to the art of potions." Severus tried to pull himself away from Megsy. "No doubt you're disbelieving me, but I know you see, cursed with second sight I am."

Obviously the man was deranged. Second sight, as if! Must have something to do with the non-Malfoy part of his bloodline, which was strong in Megsy. His hair was as dark as the main Malfoy line's was pale, and where they were all alabaster white faces, his was red and rosy. If they were marble statues, he was a roaring fire. Severus pulled himself free.

Megsy continued, "I thought you wouldn't believe me, but it hurts no-one to try." Megsy disappeared into the crowd.

Severus was unsettled but he wrote off what Megsy had said as madness. It happened to all the great houses, Snape's own Great-aunt Amelia was a little touched. Seemed quite normal, as Megsy had done, until you mentioned houseplants and then, bam! She was under the strange impression that her husband had been turned into one and insisted that her houseplants talked to her. Nonsense, geranium rarely talked and if they did it was in Greek, a language that neither Aunt Amelia nor her husband could speak.

Lucius summoned him over. "What was all that about?"

"Oh, it was nothing, something to do with complex potions and them not teaching us enough of them." It was a white lie. It made life easier. No problem meant no fuss and no fuss was always a good thing. Who would believe his word if he said a Malfoy had tried to warn him off?

The group had shut themselves into one of the smaller sitting rooms. The fire had burnt low and there was no other light in the room. A group of wizards was huddled in the centre of the room wearing masks, but that wasn't unusual at these parties-cum-orgies. The boys were ushered in and told to join the circle, the adults spreading outwards to allow them to enter.

Lucius was the first to be brought forward, looking nervous underneath his attempts to smile. The central wizard, who although he was masked Snape assumed was Tom, spoke a few words over a metal rod with a shaped end and pressed it to the flesh on his left forearm. Though Snape could not hear or see the sizzling that a poker burn brought, a mark still formed on his friend's arm. From the sounds Lucius was making it was agony. Lucius really was doing his best not to scream, his bleeding lip standing out against the now complete whiteness of his face.

When the strong hand gripping Lucius' arm and holding him up let go Lucius nearly collapsed on the floor, only the famed Malfoy stiff upper lip kept him upright.

Crabbe fared no better and Goyle, taking on look at him, promptly lost his lunch. It was decided that, since Goyle needed a breath of fresh air to settle himself, Severus would go next. He wasn't looking forward to it but it had to be done, and he was going to deal with it better than Crabbe had done.

The pain did indeed feel alarmingly similar to having a hot poker pushed into one's skin. But Severus did not buckle or blanch. This was familiar territory for him. Nevertheless he was relieved when the poker was removed.

The induction of the others passed in a blur, as Snape was concentrating on not screaming as his arm got used to this new mark on it.

Finally it was over, fifteen of them now wore a mark of excellence, a distinguishing feature, and the adults shook themselves into slightly less stern faces. Someone Severus could have sworn was Tom tapped him on the shoulder and said something about how well he'd taken it. Severus' heart fair bursted with pride.

And then Prue came over. She'd not been marked, the girls were too fragile, well except Bellatrix Black, and no one would ever describe her as fragile. She did have a stark, austere beauty about her perhaps, but only Rodolphus Lestrange saw it. She'd been the only girl inducted this time. Maybe the rest of them would toughen up and be inducted later.

"Oh Severus, you're so brave." Prue caressed his right arm, just as well since his left was still in agony. "I mean, I know Narcissa thinks she's got it made with Lucius, but I know which of you is the better wizard, and I know which one of you didn't nearly faint."

Dazed as he was, Severus let Prue lead him out onto the balcony that ran around this corner of the manor house. He had no clue as to what she wanted but a kiss to his lips gave him an idea.

"Let me reward your bravery." She pulled him in tight and set about unclasping his robes as he did the same to her. Soon his hands were full of her, roaming those interesting secret parts that he never thought he'd reach.

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yes Severus, oh yes I am." Dawn starting in the East, Severus raced the sun, feeling Prue moaning, shaking, quivering around him.

This was going to be his world now, and just look at what he could get out of it. They'd shape the world in their image and it would be great.

The end

End notes: Prunella Parkinson is Pansy's aunt, sister of Pansy's father who quite sensibly sat out the last war, mostly tuting from behind the pink pages of the Financial Prophet about how he didn't care who won, this war was destroying the country's economy.