Lucius stands to the side of his father's study, his body rigid and alert. There in front of him, a mere two feet away, was the Dark Lord. He emanated power, even in his relaxed pose. He was a tall man, taller even than Lucius, and every inch of him was tight with intensity. Most intimidating of all, however, was his eyes. They were dark chasms, a nearly burning black. They reminded Lucius of the time his father had taken him to see the Dementors at Azkaban. The ghostly forms had been hollow creatures, but the hints of their eyes were like eternal coals burning and the thought of it caused Lucius to shudder.
Filling the room was his father, Abraxas Malfoy, sitting behind his ornate desk, and a trembling witch collapsed on her knees on the floor.
Before having been invited into the room, Abraxas had pulled his son aside to impart the importance of this meeting to Lucius. "Know your place in his presence, son," he had warned Lucius firmly. "Only speak when directly referred to. Do whatever the Dark Lord asks of you, no matter what it is. We have gained a great deal of trust from Him already, but if tonight goes well… It may mean the future of our household. Do you understand, Lucius?"
"Yes, father," Lucius had said firmly, nodding his absolution.
"Good, good. This could be the making of us, Lucius. This man brings the future."
Lucius had nodded and solemnly followed his father into the room.
It was just as his father had said, and Lucius was able to observe the Dark Lord's true power first hand. There had been unfamiliar men coming and going from his father's office for the past few hours and Lucius had been allowed to observe the Dark Lord's commands. Eventually, however, the young witch had been brought in. From what Lucius could gather, the witch was a worker at the Ministry that had stood in the way of the Dark Lord attaining something he had wanted.
"Your son," the Dark Lord says, his eyes turning to Lucius to look him over. "It is time for him to prove himself to our cause, Malfoy."
Abraxas nods. "He is yours to command, my Lord. He will prove worthy."
"You have your wand, boy?" the Dark Lord asks, his voice a deep and vibrating hiss.
"Y-yes, my Lord," Lucius replies, frustrated in the slight shake of his voice. "But I'm not yet seventeen, my Lord-"
"That won't matter," the Dark Lord excuses. "The aurors won't come for you. Step forward and tell me your name, boy."
"Lucius," he replies, stepping forward. "Lucius Abraxas Malfoy."
The Dark Lord nods before gesturing at the cowering witch. "You see this witch, Lucius? She has come between our cause and what we desire. I want you to punish her. Show your willingness to the cause."
"How, my Lord?"
"You are familiar with the unforgivables?"
Lucius hesitates but then nods.
"The cruciatus will do."
Lucius sucks in a sharp breath, looking at his father. Abraxas nods firmly, encouraging his son. Hesitantly, Lucius takes out his wand, pointing it at the witch.
"Go on, boy," the Dark Lord says. "Now is the time to show your commitment. I won't tolerate weakness."
Lucius nods, resolving himself. His father had made the importance of this moment clear and it was time for him to prove his worth. He steps forward to the witch, pointing his wand at her.
"No," the witch begs, pleading with him. "Don't please, oh, please don't hurt me."
Ignoring her protests, Lucius tightens his grip on the wand. "Crucio," he says. The spell was not as strong as it could have been and Lucius knew it, but it was his first time using an unforgivable and he was uncertain in the spell. It did the job, however, and the witch began to twitch in pain.
"More," the Dark Lord urges, noticing the hesitance in Lucius's curse. "You have to mean it."
Lucius grits his teeth together and pushes the spell further, driving the pain into the witch's body. A scream rips through her body and the Dark Lord smiles at her show of pain. Looking up quickly from the witch, Lucius makes eye contact with his father. Abraxas nods approvingly and Lucius pushes the spell even further.
"Very good," the Dark Lord says after nearly five minutes of pushing the spell. "That is enough. Abraxas, your son is trainable."
Lucius can see the look of relief cross his father's face.
"Give me your arm, boy," the Dark Lord says. "It's time you truly take your place by your father's side. Our cause has need of you."
Lucius takes a proud step forward, rolling up his sleeve. His father had already shown him the mark on his own arm and Lucius knew what an important moment this was for him. He bows before the Dark Lord, lowering his head in obedience.
The Dark Lord pulls out his wand, pushing it into the skin of Lucius's forearm. "Lucius Abraxas Malfoy," he recites in his intimidating hiss. "Do you bind your soul to this cause and swear to serve it to your dying day?"
Lucius nods. "I swear it, my Lord. I will help bring this cause to glory."
"Very well," the Dark Lord says and Lucius suddenly feels a sharp pain biting out from the Dark Lord's wand and into his skin. "Welcome to the Death Eaters, young Malfoy. Welcome to the future." A green ink seeps along his skin, scaring it before settling as the tattoo emerges. There it was, the Dark Lord's mark. The black serpent stares up at Lucius with a sinister prominence. It held weight and Lucius felt changed, nearly baptized in a way.
"Deal with the witch," the Dark Lord says in dismissal and Abraxas quickly kills off the young witch, letting her body drop to the ground. The Dark Lord waves Lucius off as well and he returns back to his spot, his body tense and his arm still throbbing with the new mark.
Hours later, after the Dark Lord and all his visitors have cleared from their home, Lucius is summoned back into his father's office. Abraxas clasps Lucius in his embrace.
"You performed wonderfully," Abraxas praises Lucius, smiling encouragingly.
"Thank you, father," he says, a pride growing inside of him.
"This'll be the start for our family," Abraxas continues. "We'll see Him into the new world."
Lucius nods. As much as this evening interested and excited him, he had other news he wanted to speak to his father about. "Father," Lucius says. "There's another thing about the future of our family that I wish to discuss with you."
"Yes, Lucius?"
"I've found the girl I want to marry," Lucius says with assurance. "She'll be coming to our Christmas dinner. I want to introduce her to you. To get your approval, although I know she will exceed any expectations you may have."
A smile spreads across Abraxas's face, an unusual sight, but Abraxas was in quite the mood after the events of the evening. "And what is this young lady's name?"
"Narcissa Black."
"Ah, the Blacks…" Abraxas contemplates. "A good man. A good family. Which of his daughters is Narcissa? Not the dark haired wild one, is it?"
"No," Lucius says with a frown of disapproval. "That's Narcissa's older sister, Bellatrix. Narcissa is the youngest of the Black daughters. She's the beautiful one with the long golden hair. She's the Black's pride. A true evocation of grace of beauty."
"Hmm. I do believe I remember her. She is a fair thing, yes. Her temperament is good?"
Lucius nods. "Yes, father."
"I take it you've been dating this girl."
"Yes, father," he repeats. "Since the start of the school year. She meets all your qualifications. A true pureblood lady. A good family, good name, good standing."
"And beautiful, I'm sure," Abraxas notes with a laugh. "I'm glad you've finally decided to get serious about a girl, Lucius. You're truly coming into your own this year. Your maturity is admirable."
Lucius doesn't let it show, but he feels a pride at his father's words. He nods solemnly. "I am serious about this girl, father. And you'll be pleased with my selection. She's perfect. Father, she's perfect."
This elicits another rare smile from his father. "She's coming on Saturday?"
Lucius nods.
"I'll inform your mother. I'm sure she'll be bursting to meet this girl." Abraxas clasps Lucius's arm. "You've made me proud today, son," he says again. "You've made me proud."