A/N: Hello all, here is a special treat for you. This is probably going to turn into my longest chapter yet, since it is 5 pages front and back and even then I decided to stop writing and finish the chapter at the beginning of 15. I don't know when I will update next as Mother's Day is here, and my birthday is on the 13th. So enjoy and please review. Also IMPORTANT AT BOTTOM PLEASE READ!

Chapter 14: Dining with the Dark Lord

Hermione stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and awake for the first time in a while. She was sure she should feel nervous about meeting with the Dark Lord in a little while, but she seemed to feel a sense of calm radiating from the bracelet that Lucius had sent her.

As she continued to stare at the bracelet, trying to figure out the secrets behind it, she felt like someone was watching her. Startled she looked up, only to find the one person she didn't want near her right now.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked, checking to make sure her towel covered as much as it could.

"The M-Master requests your presence tonight for d-dinner." Peter Pettigrew said, quickly scrambling out, only pausing to drop a package onto her bed.

"Filthy rat," Hermione mumbled. She quickly walked over to her bed to look at the package. It was wrapped in plain brown paper and only had her name on it.

She was surprised at what she found when she opened it. Inside was a silver dress with a hood. Really it reminded her more of a priestess's robe than a dress. She looked for a note but didn't find anything. Guessing this was what she was to wear to dinner she began to get dressed.

She checked her watch and saw that she only had five minutes to finish getting ready before she met with Voldemort.

She quickly brushed her hair and put on some lip gloss, not having time to do anything else, before running out of her room to dine with the Dark Lord.

As Hermione approached the open door to the dining room she paused. She had to remember not to think about Lucius' advice. She quickly pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to focus on serving Voldemort and getting revenge on Harry and Ron.

When she walked into the dining room she noticed that the Dark Lord was looking down and talking to someone, or something, but she couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Nor will you Miss. Granger, unless of course you are secretly a Parseltounge. But of course not, there is nothing in your thoughts about you being one." Voldemort said, looking up at her. Hermione had seen him before, but never without his face covered by his hood.

"Does my appearance frighten you Miss. Granger?" Voldemort asked, a sadistic grin on his lips.

Hermione struggled not to shudder, and not to think about her fear.

"Answer me."

"Only if it pleases you, My Lord." Hermione said submissively. When she felt pain on her wrist she guessed that it was the wrong answer. When she looked down she saw Voldemort's hand circling her wrist and tightening. She forced herself not to cry out in pain.

"Do you think that the fear my visage produces pleases me?" he hissed.

"I'm sorry My Lord, I did not know."

"And you still don't. Do you think I enjoy this face?"

"I don't know My Lord." Hermione whispered, wincing when he tightened his grip yet again.

Suddenly he released her wrist and she felt, rather than saw, him get up.

"Congratulations Miss. Granger. You have passed. Welcome to the Dark Side." Voldemort said before leaving.

Surprised, Hermione looked at her arm, seeing something similar to the Mark.

Instead of the normal Mark, in the normal place, she saw a small snake on her wrist.

Confused, she got up and walked back to her room, hoping Lucius would be there to explain.

"Hermione, what brings you here?" Lucius asked when he saw Hermione walk into the library.

"After dinner I went to my room in hope that you would be there. When I asked the house elf where you were, he told me I could find you here. I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Why is my Mark different than yours?"

"What do you mean? All of the Marks are the same, it has always been this way."

"Look."

Lucius carefully touched her wrist to look at her Mark. What he saw concerned him. There had only ever been one Mark like it before, and it had belong to the women that caused Voldemort to be how he was today.

"Lucius?"

"Oh! I couldn't really explain this to you. I have only seen this once before, and it is not my place to tell you about it."

"Who can tell me then?"

"That I cannot really tell you either. You will have to figure that out on your own."

Hermione was confused and frustrated. Here was Lucius, telling her that, while she was finally a Death Eater, she was different. And he wouldn't even tell her why she was different.

"Can't you tell me anything Lucius?"

"I'm sorry, I can't."

Hermione sighed and, finally, sat on the couch next to him.

"Hermione, there are some things we need to discuss and since you are here we should do it now. When new people join the Death Eaters they have to choose someone to guide and train them. Have you anyone in mind?"

"Shouldn't it be obvious? You have helped me get to where I am now. I want you to help guide and train me, as you put it. Unless of course you don't want to?"

"Of course I want to. Now the other concern. You are going to have to reside in my house, or the Dark Lords, until you have finished your training. Would you be able to do that?"

Hermione just sat there, realization slowly showing on her face. She had thought she was only safe from her Stepfather for Winter Break, but now she would be safe from him for who knew how long.

"Hermione?"

""Oh, sorry. Yes I would be more than willing to do that!"

Lucius was surprised at how enthusiastic she was at leaving her family. He had always seen her with her family when she was at Diagon Alley and they always seemed happy together, what had changed?

"Are you sure your Mother and Father wouldn't be worried?"

"My Mother is too concerned with pleasing my Stepfather. She won't be concerned about me at all. I can just make something up and she will believe it."

"And your Stepfather?"

"He will be angry. He won't have anyone there to take advantage of anymore, but that's not my problem anymore." Hermione said, her clenched fists the only thing that revealed how angry she was.

"What do you mean by take advantage of?"

Hermione looked up, startled. She had not realized that she had revealed that much while explaining her situation.

"Nothing, I guess it was a bad choice of words." Hermione said, trying to cover up her mistake.

"You are lying."

"So what? Trust me you don't want to know the truth! I wish that I didn't know the truth!"

"I need to know Hermione. If there is going to be someone trying to interfere with your training I need to know."

"I...I can't say it again. No one believed me last time, why should it be any different this time?"

"I will believe you if you tell me. Or if you can't, show me." He said, rising and walking to a shelf. When he came back to Hermione he was holding a Pensieve.

Hermione sat there staring at Lucius and the Pensieve. She didn't know if she could do it. She hated having to re-live the memory of what happened, how could she allow someone else to see it.

"Hermione, you can trust me."

Deciding to try to trust someone for the first time since Cole entered her life, she put her wand to her temple and withdrew the memory of the worst night with him.

Lucius quickly placed the Pensieve on a table and peered into it, wondering what was haunting Hermione's thoughts.

A/N: Wow, okay now that my wrists are hurting, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is longer than any of my other chapters, but I felt you all deserved a treat.

Please please please review this chapter because I need your input (like I have needed it for the past couple of chapters).


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