Lucius Malfoy pressed down the pale flesh of his inner left forearm, right on the skull's mouth. Sure enough, he felt it burn within minutes, and knew he had been summoned for an audience with the Dark Lord.

He apparated instantly and appeared at the LeStrange's, the extremely foreign sensation of anxious uncertainty gnawing at him. Control yourself, Malfoy, he scolded himself. He composed himself quickly - chest up, chin up, shoulders back. You have not been Marked for this long, and you are already bringing him two new followers. If even one of them is accepted, it will have been a remarkable achievement.

He knocked on the door and it swung open on its own. He entered the hall, and his travelling cloak detached itself from his robe and hung itself on the coat rack. The Dark Lord waited for him in the living room, and Bellatrix and Rodolphus sat on either side of him. He went down on one knee and awaited permission to rise - this was the worst part. "You may rise, Malfoy," his master said, and Lucius rose slower than he wanted to, so as not to betray how much he loathed this. "My Lord," he greeted him. "Rodolphus. Bellatrix."

ll three of them nodded. "What brings you here, Malfoy? I am certain you did not disturb us without good reason."

"My Lord, I assure you, I wish only to serve you as best I can. I do not wish to prove unworthy of the Mark."

"Speak."

"I wish to bring you two more Death Eaters. Very young, but very bright, very talented. One of them is related to Bellatrix - Regulus Black. The other one is not as - as distinguished, but I can vouch for his talent."

The Dark Lord gazed intently into Lucius's eyes, and images flashed through his mind - a newly sorted child recoiling instinctively from Lucius's hand patting his shoulder only to realize that nobody is going to hit him, and sitting unnaturally stiffly through the rest of the Sorting Feast… reading third-year level potions and charms books by the end of his first year… chopping and measuring ingredients expertly, making notes in a book that is hovering in front of his eyes on its own… showing up unprompted and uninvited at the Malfoy Manor, asking to be made a Death Eater… interesting… and Regulus Black, of course, although Lucius did not know him very well, came from a very respectable family, that has already yielded him the tireless, fiercely loyal lieutenant sitting to his right. Bellatrix LeStrange indeed preferred Lord Voldemort to her own husband, she had already demonstrated the devotion he knew he would openly demand of them all, one day.

The Dark Lord finally spoke: "Severus Snape is the one of which you speak."

"He is, My Lord."

"An unusual choice, coming from you, Malfoy."

"Indeed, My Lord, but I am sure that you will find that he is -"

"A mangy, dirty half-Muggle my future brother-in-law has taken an unnatural interest in since the day he arrived at Hogwarts, My Lord!" Bellatrix announced, sounding hysterical.

"My dear Bellatrix," Lord Voldemort turned to her, and his finger stroked her cheek gently. "You are losing sight of what's important. If he is indeed half-Muggle, recruiting him will serve our cause - we can put up with one, if it makes us more palatable to the rest of the Wizarding World, can we not? Think, Bellatrix, only very few people are as pure as you. Our ascent depends on our ability to appease the masses - briefly, only briefly! Once the Ministry is in our hands, we will no longer have to pretend!"

"Yes, My Lord," Bellatrix acquiesced.

"But only, of course, if he is indeed as talented as you say. And he must prove his loyalty. Lord Voldemort does not tolerate pro-Muggle tendencies."

Lucius nodded. "Of course, My Lord."

"Now, about Mr. Black…"

This part of the conversation went by much faster.

The Dark Lord set a date for the new recruits to be Marked - if they passed the test, of course, and Lucius's plan was in motion. He would usurp that utter fool Rodolphus by the Dark Lord's side - it hardly seemed like Bellatrix would care - he would even undermine her, if possible. That I am the one to bring in Black, and not her, is excellent, excellent. And if I know Snape, he does not harbour any sympathy toward Muggle filth.

Lucius brought his two recruits to the LeStranges, and sniggered at Severus's surprise at the enchanted coat rack. He sometimes forgot Severus had been to very few proper wizarding households.

The three waited for one of them to be summoned, and sat in uncomfortable silence.

Severus went in first.

"Severus Snape," the Dark Lord greeted him. "You have bravely sought an audience with Lord Voldemort. An unusual choice for a wizard of your - ah - background, Severus. I am intrigued."

"Why is that, Sir?"

"If you prove yourself worthy of the Mark today, Severus, you will address me properly. But of course, you have promised nothing yet, and I cannot enforce rules you have not accepted. I select my Death Eaters very carefully, and I do not tolerate mediocrity or lack of discipline, but my followers will be rewarded handsomely."

The vigorous nod told Lord Voldemort that his first impression was not wrong - Severus Snape craved recognition, craved hope and promise, but not just any recognition, not just any hope - he had suffered bitter disappointment before. He longed for fairness , he desired clarity.

"If you are not Marked today, it will be because you will have proven yourself unworthy, unfaithful. It is a brave choice, for a wizard like you, to call my attention to yourself, when - correct me if I am wrong - you are, sadly, not a member of a reputable family."

"No, Sir," the hopeful Death-Eater-to-be said, barely disguising his bitterness.

"Yet you have come. The door is open. You may leave now, I will not hold it against you. But if you stay, you shall be tested, and if you fail, I shall remember you."

Severus did not look at the door. Get out of here without the promise of the Mark and you might as well break your wand and return to Spinner's End. There is nothing outside that door for you if you fail.

"I am ready."

Unbeknownst to Severus, he had just passed the first test of many. Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters were allowed to believe their position was secure, that they would know when they were being tested. Lord Voldemort allowed his followers to lead their recruits to believe that the test had involved legilimency, when legilimency was meant only to gain knowledge and power, the tools he would need to subdue and repress them, to ensure their unfailing loyalty. For a moment, he dwelled on the particularly amusing "tests" he had put his most faithful followers through - Bellatrix, who had married her equal in pedigree, who was otherwise her inferior in every way, how she despised her husband but could not admit it, opting instead to concoct ever-wilder fantasies of purifying the wizarding race - she could be controlled with a whiff of a promise of a world where she could unleash unmitigated cruelty on whomever she felt was responsible for her oppression… Barty Crouch Jr., who could not earn a speck of approval from his father no matter what he did, who in fact seemed to disgust his father more the more he sought his favor, until he finally snapped and became what his father hated the most, who could be controlled with vague threats of displeasure, and who, on top of it, had intimate knowledge of the Ministry… He could not wait to see what weapons the half-blood before him would hand him...

"Excellent, Severus. The test is simple. You shall reveal your mind to me."

It was nothing like Regulus's one fledgling attempt at legilimency. The Dark Lord was a virtuoso, and his instrument was perfectly tuned - he did not need to struggle to feel just the right emotion, he did not need to say the incantation. Images flashed through Severus's mind astonishingly quickly, jumping back and forth from his childhood to his schooldays, from Spinner's End to King's Cross to Hogwarts. Do not look away , he ordered himself, do not break eye contact, do not fail - and he maintained eye contact through it all, and he did not let pride stop him from showing Lord Voldemort everything. His father, his mother, Potter, Black, the werewolf, Dumbledore - all the horror, humiliation, and hate - he was shaking and sweating, but when it was over, and he was back in the present, Lord Voldemort had understood him, and it was intoxicating. "With me, you will be safe, you will be powerful, you will be loved, Severus Snape. You shall be Marked on the next full moon. We will meet again soon," Voldemort said, stressing the word "soon", a word that contained a thousand promises, and he continued: "Very soon… Death Eater." Severus's heart leaped in his chest. He had made it. He did not let Lucius down, and he did not fail Regulus.

I knew you'd make it, Regulus thought to himself, relieved that someone besides him was able to see Severus for the treasure that he was. Protection… power… love… for me, Severus thought, hardly able to believe it, and the weight of seven years of disappointment and denial was lifted off of Severus's shoulders instantly. Oh, Dumbledore will regret the day he let this one slip through his fingers, Lord Voldemort said to himself. He would have been perfect for the Order, with his ridiculous obsession with right and wrong. Severus Snape was a veritable feast of vulnerabilities, and at the same time - a great wizard. It was rare, very rare. Lucius knew what he was doing, indeed - he would have to be rewarded for this. He could already anticipate that his biggest problem will be keeping this one down. But Lucius had brought him another recruit, and it did not do well to keep Blacks waiting.

Regulus was summoned, and he entered.

"Regulus Black. I am honored to welcome you to our ranks."

Regulus was confused - Severus had been there for much longer than that .

"Thank you, sir, but is - is that it?"

Another one had passed the real test. Regulus both appreciated and resented the advantages his family gave him, he dreaded life without them, and he dreaded not knowing if he deserved them. Interesting. "What do you mean, Regulus? Are you surprised? You come from noble stock, why should you not be welcome here?"

Regulus thought of his brother, obviously - but also of his mother, and bitterness welled in him - recently, it felt like his family name had caused him nothing but trouble, but if he was not a Black, he was nothing.

"No, Sir. I am not surprised. I only…"

"Don't want to only be thought of as a Black, is that it?"

It was the first time somebody put it in words - even Severus could not understand - could not be expected to, given where he had come from.

"Yes, Sir. Exactly."

"You have nothing to worry about, I guarantee it. I have heard you did very well indeed on your tests, you are a terrific flier - no one in their right mind could say you are not an impressive wizard."

And yet… he was always being compared to the most disgraceful Black, had recently learned that without said comparison, even his own mother found him lacking, and he was ready to be tested like Severus was, and to see if he could pass the test on his own.

"Please, Sir, I want to be tested."

Not even I could dream it would be so easy, Lord Voldemort said to himself, but his face was understanding and appreciative, as he said he respects Regulus's integrity, and generously agreed to test him…

Countless screaming matches between his mother and his brother flashed before their eyes - there was nothing they would not fight about… His father retiring to his study to enjoy a moment's peace, as young Regulus watched and only Kreacher stayed with him… his parents doting on him and praising him at random, only for him to find out later Sirius had done something they did not approve of… That dark day when he was sorted into Gryffindor and his mother spent a week crying and shouting… His own sorting, begging "Slytherin, Slytherin, Slytherin"... making a crying Severus Snape flinch… pouring juice on his brother's head… Severus drinking Veritaserum… and Regulus looked away. This memory had been too much. Interesting, Lord Voldemort told himself. Very interesting.

"You have passed with flying colors, Regulus. You will be marked on the next full moon. You will be the pride of the Black Family Tree in the new world - your brother will be all but forgotten… You will be given every chance to prove yourself, and you will succeed."

If Regulus was not as thrilled as Severus, it was only because he was more certain of the result - but he longed for true challenge, he longed to be loved and appreciated for more than not being his brother. And I will be. In the new world. Both of us, together. Severus knew Regulus would be accepted, and in his mind he already dreamed about the marking ceremony, how wonderful it would be to finally be accepted, to belong. Lord Voldemort took mental note of the fact that Regulus samed to care a great deal about Severus, and it did not seem like the feeling was mutual.