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Here you go, Chapter 10! Double figures! YAY! :D

Chapter 10- The Branding

Holly didn't get home until after eleven that night, so her parents had already gone to bed instead of staying up to meet her. She was glad though. The less time spent in their company the better. She went to bed after a dinner of onion soup and elf-made bread and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her night was plagued with nightmares of men in blood-stained Death Eater Masks trying to make her wear one and, as a result, she slept in. Sun filtered in around the curtain, making her green-and-silver decorated room seem more cheerful than usual. Her house-elf apparated in seconds after she woke.

"Good morning, Mitzi." She yawned.

"It is not morning. It is lunch time." The house elf told her.

"Lunch!?" Holly screeched, leaping out of bed.

"That is what Mitzi is telling you." She began busily gathering the clothes Holly had dropped on the bed the night before.

Holly grabbed the clean clothes Mitzi had left on the end of her bed and charged to the bathroom. She got changed faster than most believed possible and sprinted to the dining room; her parents didn't like it when she was late. and stopped outside the door to compose herself and then walked in.

"Hello. Mother, Father." She nodded to them and took her usual seat in the middle of the table.

"Welcome home, daughter." Her mother said.

"We are very proud of your decision to join up." Her father told her.

Holly glared at her silver plate. "It wasn't my decision." She thought.

The food appeared on plates up and down the table, rather like at Hogwarts meal times. Holly began serving herself, eating at pace that couldn't be healthy for a teenage girl. Her parents frowned at her manners, but didn't say anything.

"I hear the Branding is tomorrow." Holly said quietly.

"Yes, how do you know?" Her fathers asked suspiciously.

"Draco Malfoy told me."

"Are you good friends?" Her mother asked eagerly.

"I think... he's probably my best friend." Holly exaggerated greatly but she thought this would give her a reason to owl him often in the holidays. She could never owl Hermione because her parents would grow suspicious.

Her parents smiled approvingly and they finished their meal in silence. When Holly was excused she raced to her room to escape the icy silence which seemed to surround her parents. She found an eagle owl waiting for her, sitting regally on a bedpost. She hesitantly untied the note from its proffered foot. She ripped it open eagerly and began reading.

Holly,

The party has just ended and I suvived, just. 'Auntie' Bellatrix turned up with a... let's just call it a gift. Severus was there and he's back to normal. He said he would owl you later. I hope you're Ok. Please reply with my owl. See you tomorrow,

Love,

Draco xx

She stared at the letter worriedly for a moment until the shrill shriek of the eagle owl inturrupted her thoughts. It was obviously impatient to get home. She gathered a quill, some ink and a sheet of parchment and began.

Draco,

I'm Ok, if a bit bored. What did Bellatrix do? Are you alright? I'm glad Severus is back to normal. See you tomorrow.

Love,

Holly

She thought it wasn't a very good reply but the worry clouding her brain stopped her thinking straight. She tied the letter to the owls foot and it flew off into the blue sky. She stood and watched it until it was just a speck on the horizon and then sat at her desk to begin the considerable stack of homework she had been set for the holidays. The afternoon dragged by slowly as she worked on a particulary difficult Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. Suddenly something dark flew into the room and shrieked, making her spill her pot of ink all over her essay.

"For Merlins sake!" Holly cried angrily and stormed over to the black bird. She retrieved the letter and began to read.

Dear Holly,

I hope you are fairing well. The party was... eventful to say the least. Bellatrix decided it would be a good idea to see how well Draco endured a Cruciatus. Don't worry, he's at Hogwarts with me right now, healing. You-Know-Who is planning to have a meeting later, your father will have to you need to do everything He tells you, Use Occlumeny, He will try to Leglimens you, but let him see some things or He will get this letter, it won't do any good for people to know we are friends. Don't reply, I'll be at the meeting and someone else might find it. I will talk to you tomorrow. Stay safe,

Sev x

She panicked when she read about Bellatrixes 'gift.' But then she realised that if he had been well enough to owl her he was ok. Still she couldn't stop the occasional flutter of fear in her chest.

Holly read the letter over again. 'Sev.' She thought it suited him. Had said they were 'friends.' Friends. And he put a kiss at the end. She lay on her bed pondering over these facts until Mitzi apparated in.

"Dinner is being served, Mistress Holly." She announced in her shrill voice and the apparated out again with crack!

Holly walked to the diningroom this time, slowly. When she entered she noticed the absence of her father and her mother was sitting up very straight at the end of the table.

"Your father was called out." Her mother said stiffly."I will be leaving after dinner."

Holly had already known both of these points. Her mother always left when her father was at Death Eater meetings. Holly didn't know where she went but it was always when her father was away. They ate in silence again and, before dessert was even on the table, her mother excused herself and left. Holly satyed at the table, not eating anything but waiting until the moment her father would floo in...

Holly woke up early the next morning, earlier than usual. She winced as she sat up and took a drink from a glass beside waiting beside her bed. She swung her legs out of the bed, trying to remember what was the reason for the air of impending doom. Then it hit her. Seven o'clock tonight, her father had told her gleefully the night before. She crawled back into bed, sobbing and stayed there until six that night, staring at the ceiling. On the third chime of the clock in the halway Mitzi apparated in, holding a green dress.

"Master is telling Mitzi to get you ready." The house-elf carefully hung the dress on the end of the bed and went and sat beside Holly on the bed. "Mitzi was hearing Master shouting last night. Is you alright?" She carefully put her small hand on Hollys forehead.

"Good as can be expected, Mitzi." She replied, sitting up.

"Is you hungry? You hasn't left your room all day!" Mitzi asked.

"I'm not hungry. I don't think I'd be able to eat even if I was." Holly sniffed, feeling the tears pooling in her eyes.

"Don't cry, Mistress Holly, everything will be alright in the end, you'll see." Mitzi wiped away the tears which had begun to dribble down her Mistresses cheeks.

"I don't want to do it. I can't." The girl sobbed.

"Let's start with getting you dressed. Mitzi will be back soon. You needs to put this dress on." Mitzi jumped off the bed and left the room.

Holly dragged herself out of bed and forced herself to put the dark green dress on. It was strapless, quite low cut, and the bottom of the skirt whispered on the ground when she walked. She sat mournfully back on the bed and waited for the return of her house-elf. When Mitzi came back she brushed Hollys hair out and left it down, the house-elf thought it looked nicer that way. The minutes ticked by too quickly for Hollys liking, and before she knew it she was standing in the fireplace with a handful of floo powder. She threw it and clearly stated her destination and the nauseating spinning began. Suddenly she was thrown out of the warm flames into the arms of Severus.

"Hello." He said, helping her regain her balance.

"Hello." She returned, guessing she shouldn't be too familiar with him in front of the rest of the Death Eaters.

She turned to see the room filled with all manner of people talking amongst themselves. It was safe for her to talk to Severus.

"Is Draco still coming? Is he alright?" Holly asked.

"Yes, to both. You-Know-Who is angry at Bellatrix but he still won't change the date of the Branding." Severus whispered.

Holly shivered at the last word. "Branding. It sound so... brutal. Not to mention painful."

Severus didn't reply and Holly took this as a bad sign.

"You look very Slytherin." He said, gesuring towards the dress.

"My father chose it. That was, not doubt, the point." Holly nodded solemnly.

"Green suits you." Severus smiled, it was a sad smile and didn't make Holly feel any better.

Someone tapped on Hollys shoulder. It was Draco.

"Hello." He greeted.

"Draco! You should have told me what happened!" Holly whispered angrily but clung to him desperately.

"I didn't want you to worry." He replied.

"Well your hinting made me more worried than the truth would have. I found out from Severus."

"I'm sorry." He said and Holly glared at him one more time for good measure.

"You-Know-Who wants us. He actually sent me to find you." Draco told both Holly and Severus.

Holly sighed and put her head on Dracos shoulder. "I'm scared." Was all she said.

"Me too." Was his reply.

Draco led them across the hall, thfought thronges of Death Eaters who stared at them as they passed. He took them through the dark corridors, twisting and turning so many times Holly lost all sense of direction. They came to a tall, dark double door.

"This is it." Dracos voice wobbled slightly.

"Remember what I told you." Severus hugged Holly briefly and then gripped Dracos shoulder.

Holly gulped as Draco knocked.

"Who is it?" The 's' was slightly hissed.

"The new recruits." Severus replied and the doors were flung open.

The room was dark, darker than the corridor, and it took awhile for Hollys eyes to adjust to the lack of light. But when they did she wished she could close them. Or run back to bed like a small child and convince herself it was all a terrible nightmare. The man, if you could call it that, was sitting in a high-backed black velvet chair. His skin was grey, as if he had never seen the sun and his nostrils were slits. There was something slightly snake-like about his whole demeamour. Hollys eyes wandered down his face to his turned-down grey lips, his sharp chin, his short neck, his black dress-robes, to the snake lying tangled at his feet.

"You are our new Death Eaters?" He hissed.

Holly felt herself nod mechanically.

"Miss Holly Evergreen and Mr Draco Malfoy, step forward." You-Know-Who continued. "Yes, you will both do perfectly." He stood up and began to walk in a circle around them. It took all of Hollys will not to grab onto Dracos hand. "Proud, healthy, handsome." He hissed and licked his lips with a quick dart of his pointed tongue. "Are you both willing to do my bidding, everything I ask of?"

"Yes, master." Draco replied and kneeled down. Holly followed suit.

You-Know-Who continued hissing, more to himself than any others in the room. This gave Holly a chance to look at her surroundings. Lining one wall, she could tell was Dracos family. Despite the fact they were wearing the masks that haunted Hollys dream it was really quite easy to tell it was the Malfoys from the silvery-blonde hair and the cold blue eyes. Bellatrix, with her white-streaked black hair and glittering black eyes, stood behind the chair her master had recently vacated, playing threateningly with her wand. Along the wall opposite the Malfoys Hollys own parents stood, eyes lowered respectfully to the ground.

"Miss Evergreen, please present your left arm." You-Know-Who instructed. Holly did so, pulling up her silver sleeve. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took hold of it in his long, cold fingers. Holly saw, out of the corner of her eye, Severus' hands clench protectively. "What is this?" You-Know-Who asked.

Holly looked at her arm. She had forgotten about the scars which criss-crossed her pale skin. And the fresh cuts and bruises from the night before.

"What is this?!" He demanded agiain.

"Father-" Holly began but was cut of by a low hiss from You-Know-Who.

"You did this?" he wheeled around, wand out and pointed at Hollys father.

"I-I-I-" Her father stuttered.

"Do not lie to me!" You-Know-Who howled.

"Yes." Her fathers shoulders slumped in defeat and his voice quivered slightly.

"When?" You-Know-Who demanded.

"Yesterday." Her father croaked.

"Not just last night! There are scars! Scars do not form overnight! When!?"

"After Meetings."

"You dare do this," He wrenched Hollys arm painfully. "To a pure-blood child? A future Death Eater? One of us? I do not think you deserve a child, never mind a daughter so beautiful... so pure."

Holly shivered. You-Know-Whos grip on her arm tightened.

"Master, if you would let me be so bold as to make a suggestion." Severus stepped forward, bowing.

"Go on, Severus." You-Know-Who hissed.

"Master, Miss Evergreen cannot be left in the care of these..." He trailed off, lost for words.

"Indeed, Severus. Arrangements shall be made for you to become her guardian." You-Know-You informed a rather pleased Severus. "But this must not let us get distracted from the real reason we are gathered here today. Let us begin the Branding!"

Bellatrix cackled gleefully and You-Know-Who raised his wand to Holly left wrist. He muttered something and Holly screwed her eyes shut. Her wrist began to feel warm... and then hot... all of a sudden white pain flashed across her eyelids. Molten heat engulfed her body and took over her senses. It took all of her strength and will not to scream. Then it was over and she fell to the ground, unconcious.

Cold hands fluttered worriedly on Hollys forehead.

"Three days." A voice said. "No Dreamless Sleep or any potion of any kind."

"We need to be patient, Severus. Draco only awoke this morning." Someone else reassured.

Holly opened her eyes but the blaring light which assulted her forced her to close them again.

"Did you see that?" The first voice said.

"What, Severus?" That was the second.

"She opened her eyes! She's waking up!" The first voice was laden with relief.

"I didn't see anything, Severus. I think you are imagining it. Maybe it's lack of sleep? You could go and lie down for a while, she will be perfectly fine with me." The second voice told the first worriedly.

"No! I saw her open her eyes! I know she did! How can I leave her when she's waking up?"

"Sev..." Holly murmered, trying to sit up with her eyes still shut tightly.

"Holly? Holly? It's me, it's Severus!" The first voice was high and panicky. The cold hands began fluttering around Hollys hair again.

"T'hurts..." Holly groaned.

"What hurts? I can get you a potion!" Severus clutched her hand.

"Everythin'..." Holly murmered.

"Can you open you eyes Holly?" Severus asked.

Holly shook her head. "T'hurts... the light..."

"I'll turn them off." The second voice said. There was a click and the room went dark.

Holly opened her eyes slowly. Something tickled her cheek and she tried to bat it away weakly. As her eyes adjusted to the light she realised it was hair. Black hair. She followed it up to it's owner.

"Sev..." Holly smiled weakly.

"Holly." He put his hand on her cheek.

"M'arigh'." Holly told him.

"No, you are not. You have slept for three days... Poppy thought you were going into a coma." Severus stroked her cheek gently and whispered something just for her ears. "I was so worried."

Hollys sleepy mind took a minute to realise why. "The meeting! The Mark! You-Know-Who!" She cried, more awake than Severus himself.

She clutched violently at her left wrist, only to find it wrapped in bandages. She began untying the knot but Severus stopped her.

"You aren't ready." Was all he said.

"Least one good thing came out of it." Holly smiled slightly.

"What?" Severus asked.

"I'm not going home again. You know, every cloud-" She was cut off by Severus.

"-has a silver lining... Yes, and this one is particularily bright." He told her, smiling.

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