Hello readers! How are you? For my American readers (like myself), Happy almost Thanksgiving! I'll be writing a lot this weekend because I have off for the rest of the week (this bolded part was written Tuesday) so yes! I hope you like this chapter, it took a while to put together. -Gabriel

Edit: Added chapter title

Chapter One: Decisions

Here I stand, helpless and left for dead

Close your eyes, and so many days go by

Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right

-Breaking Benjamin, "Dance With the Devil"

The once hopeful, once excited boy of 11 was gone. What stood now graduating from Hogwarts was a broken young adult, who had nothing left to look forward to other than escaping the school that he thought would bring him ultimate happiness; that same school had brought him nothing but torment. Severus Snape sat with his classmates of the graduating class of 1978. He sat with an emotionless look upon his face, and didn't glance twice at who he would be graduating with. He could care less. Lily Evans, a childhood friend and whom he believed would be by his side and his friend for the rest of his life, was no more than a distant memory full of regret. They had drifted apart in their fifth year, because of the Marauders. It was always their fault. The four boys had always attacked him, every time, whenever Severus thought he was safe. He never was. It was impossible to run from them, to hide from them. It was as if they had eyes everywhere.

Sirius Black would always be the bane of Severus's existence. He was the worst out of the four, the most pompous, spoiled, overconfident out of all of them. Remus Lupin would have been a good friend in another life, with different circumstances; he was intelligent, and close to the top of the class-but he was a bystander. He allowed his friends to taunt and torment Severus without lifting a finger. James Potter was, compared to Sirius Black, the lesser of the two evils. He was arrogant and too brave. Even Severus, who wasn't a Gryffindor, knew that there was a fine line between brave and idiotic. James Potter crossed that line. Peter Pettigrew was almost worth not mentioning, as he was also a bystander: too cowardly to join in with Black and Potter, but too cowardly to report them as well. Severus couldn't stand these four.

The minute the graduation ceremony was over, with Severus having won the award for highest OWL scores, he bolted out of the area. He didn't want to speak with any of his teachers, or classmates. He especially didn't want to stand around when his parents were the only ones not attending. Just as he was leaving to go into the castle, he felt someone grab his arm. Severus almost jumped in surprise, and he quickly turned around. Standing there was Lucius Malfoy. "Hello, Severus."

Malfoy had graduated five years prior to Severus, and he was already making large impacts on the Ministry. Malfoy, it seemed, had a permanent sneer on his face. With a continuously snide attitude, his aptitude of always getting his way, and a glint of malice in his eyes, he wasn't the most approachable person. Over the three years he was at school with Severus, Severus had gotten used to the constant 'Better-than-thee' persona Malfoy had.

"Hello."

"There's a meeting tonight. Are you attending?" Severus knew what he meant by meeting. There was a Death Eater meeting that night. The words 'Death Eater' always sent a slight shiver down Severus's spine. They were a secret order of sorts; led by a man named Voldemort. Severus didn't agree with any of their views. They were blood purist, anti-muggle, anti-muggleborn…anti-anything that wasn't up to their pureblooded, narrow-minded standards. It was the power the Death Eaters held that Severus was interested in. They were powerful, feared…everything Severus wasn't, everything Severus never thought he could be. But by joining them, he could. He could be powerful and confident, like them. He could easily be feared by many.

But by joining them, he would cut himself off from everything he held dear. He would go against Lily. Everything about Lily was what the Death Eaters feared; people like her. They feared muggleborns, and thus, retaliated against them, forming that group. He wasn't sure if he could let go of someone who cared for him…cared for him. Past tense. She no longer cared, she didn't do as much as spare him a glance these days. He had become an alien to her. She no longer cared about his endeavors. What difference would it make to her if he joined them? What would it matter to her? He would become another soldier in their legion, another dog in the pound. She would live her life, and probably never hear of him again. She wouldn't know. She would never know.

But then again, her boyfriend, James Potter. He was bound to be an Auror. Or, work for that society Dumbledore had drawn up to go against the Death Eaters. What if it was Severus himself Potter would round up? What if it was him he was arresting? On the alternative side, what if it was Potter Severus had to torture, or worse, kill? Who would tell Lily the events? Would someone tell Lily that Severus Snape, her once-upon-a-time, long-lost best friend, killed her boyfriend? Or possibly, husband?

"No, I have a prior engagement."

"Which is? Come on Severus, I've been trying to get you to go for weeks. I can't keep putting in good word for you when you never decide to show up."

"I have to clean out my parents' house so I am able to move in."

"That can be saved for another day."

Severus glanced back at the groups of people talking and laughing about the graduation. He saw Potter and co. joking around, almost knocking a table display down. That one sight was enough to determine his decision.

"I'll go."

Severus arrived at Spinner's End a few hours later. The meeting would be held later that night, so Severus didn't have to worry about it yet. He walked through the front door, and immediately his low mood was brought lower. He hated this house. Ever since his mother died…things weren't the same. His father, in a drunken rage, had left the house one night and never returned. That was one of the few good memories Severus had. When Severus set his things down in his bedroom, he immediately got to work. He first found the liquor cabinet, and took out every last bottle. He went out to his yard, got a bin and a bucket from the shed. Then, he opened each bottle, poured out its contents, and smashed each bottle into the bin. After there were no more bottles left, he took the bucket full of alcohol and took it inside the house. There, he poured every bit of it into the sink, and washed out the bucket. As long as he lived there, there would never be a trace of alcohol again.

He proceeded to clean up a bit, dusted things off. Severus soon lost motivation to clean the rest of the house, and he sat down at the kitchen table to read Most Potente Potions. Potions and Dark Arts were Severus's two favorite things, next to spell creation. Dark Arts interested him, perhaps more than it should have, but it wasn't necessarily for harm. He wanted to understand it, mostly.

A few hours later, Severus apparated to Malfoy Manor. It was where most meetings were held. He swept past the gates after lifting the wards. They were automatically placed back as he strode to the front door and knocked. Narcissa Black, soon to be Malfoy, opened the door.
"Hello Severus, I'm glad you could finally join us," Narcissa said.
"Yes…" He trailed off, and walked inside. Narcissa showed him where the meeting was taking place. Severus walked in, and immediately felt something off. He wasn't late, but he wasn't the first to arrive either. Lucius Malfoy, and other former members of the Slytherin house were present. Severus sat uneasily next to Lucius.

"Has…is…the Dark Lord here yet?" Severus asked in a low tone, careful not to let anyone else hear.

"No, but I expect he will arrive soon."

Severus sat back in his chair, slightly at ease. The room was noisy with the sound of mumbling and talking, with the scraping of chairs back and forth as others got up to be closer to the person they were conversing with. Severus looked around at all of them, almost amazed at how many people were there. What were their reasons for joining? Of course, Severus knew most of them were most likely there for the blood purity conquest, but what about those who weren't? Were some there for more power, like Severus was?

Suddenly, the room grew silent. It grew slightly colder, and that off feeling Severus had returned again. It was as if there was an immediate power imbalance. And there was.

The Dark Lord had just arrived.