The Unforgettable Fire
Notes: We're reaching a long and complicated chain of blame here. This was inspired by Dia's fic 'Dark Interlude' which was inspired by my fic, which was inspired by her other fic 'Slytherins All'. *grins* Just thought I'd clarify.
More Notes: This was not intended to be a chapter fic ... lucky me it just decided to go in that direction.
Chapter One
Severus Snape stared at the sprawling castle before him, his dark eyes taking in the ivy that crawled up the stone walls and the black carriage sitting in front of the massive doors. It was protected by magic so that passing Muggles would remember some important business meeting or a dentist appointment if they got too close to stumbling onto the grounds. The one inside couldn't afford having any Muggles in his territory, not while he was quickly rising in power, ready to take over the entire wizarding world. A smile twitched at the corners of Snape's mouth as he thought about the wizard inside. The most powerful wizard of all time. Tom Marvolo Riddle, or as his followers had come to know him, Lord Voldemort.
With his shoulders squared, Snape stepped past the wrought iron gates of the castle and began the long walk up to the house. As he passed the black carriage he ran his palm over the flank of the grey horse reigned to the front of it. The animal stared at Snape with wide brown eyes, then snorted and ducked its head, avoiding Snape's touch. He blinked, still staring at the horse, then shook off the eerie feeling the animal's avoidance had given him. He was doing the right thing, the only thing he could possibly do.
It had been six months since he had last been at Hogwarts, six months since he'd had any contact with any wizards other than his own parents. Even without the daily contact that others had, Snape knew that he didn't belong. He wasn't like the other wizards, as ridiculously cliched as that sounded he knew it was the truth. He was different in so many ways that he couldn't even begin to count them.
He was only nineteen years old and already the world had shunned him for being different. So, in turn, he would shun the world. Severus Snape would become a Death Eater and he would remain loyal to the strongest wizard in the world. When Voldemort gained power, Snape would be able to show the world that he wasn't wrong, just different.
His pale hands pushed against the heavy wooden doors and Snape found himself in a large, ornately decorated room. The walls were dark wood, carved trims rose along the doors and windows, which were covered in thick curtains. The carpet beneath his shoes was soft and thick and he could barely hear the footsteps he made as he walked through the room. A fire burned in the enormous hearth and already, Snape was too warm under the travelling cloak he was wearing.
"Severus Snape?" a voice asked from above and he glanced up the large staircase to see a young woman staring down at him. He nodded slightly and she nodded back, then gestured for him to follow her.
His shoes made no noise as he mounted the stairs and rose into the house. The woman who had called his name didn't speak another word as she led him down a dark hall and pointed to a door ahead of him. He understood what she wasn't saying and he nodded once more. She knew what he was there for and he wasn't going to pretend otherwise.
"Go ahead," she said. "He's waiting."
Snape nodded a final time, then pushed the door open and stepped into the darkened room. A fire blazed and a long, black handle stuck out from the flame. It took Snape a moment to register exactly what it was. The magical branding of Lord Voldemort's followers. The Dark Mark.
He entered a circle of men and woman, each with their faces covered by dark masks. Snape knew that some of his former classmates were among them, many of them had gone over right after graduation. The majority of the Slytherin house was probably in his midst and, he realized with a jolt, Lucius Malfoy might be one of the faces behind the masks. His heart beat quickened slightly as he thought about the man he hadn't seen in months, the man he had spent many hours with over the course of their seven years together at Hogwarts. He battled with the heated flush that rose on his cheeks as he remembered the things he and Lucius had done together, the . . . activities they had amused themselves with. What he wouldn't give to stand there all day and reminisce about the past.
"Severus Snape?"
His name broke through his thoughts for the second time in less than ten minutes and Snape turned toward the voice. A tall man melted out of the shadows and he stepped between two Death Eaters, gently squeezing the shoulder of one before he moved in the centre of the circle. He moved with the grace and fluidity of a cat, his limbs slicing through the air with a confidence Snape had never seen before.
He was a young man still, no older than thirty and as handsome as he'd been at Hogwarts. Green eyes stared out from below a fringe of black hair, his forehead was high and smooth, making him look younger than he probably was. His looks would deceive everyone
"You know who I am?" he asked.
Snape nodded. "Tom Riddle."
A ripple went through the circle of Death Eaters; it had been months since they had heard anyone use their Lord's true name. Even Tom himself seemed to stiffen at the words, but he smiled graciously and sunk into a half bow.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," he said.
Snape bowed awkwardly. "Severus Snape."
Tom's icy laugh pierced the otherwise silent room and Snape felt his muscles trying to move away, but he forced himself to remain motionless.
"So refreshing," Tom said, smiling at Snape. "It has been quite a while since I've had a man or woman think to introduce themselves. I thank you for that."
Unsure of what to say, Snape simply nodded.
"You are here, I assume, to become a Death Eater," Tom began, striding around the circle that enclosed them. "To become a follower of Lord Voldemort, the persona I have created to protect my true identity from the wizarding community. If this is what you're here to do, Severus, you must realize a few rules before offering me your arm. No one must know who or what you are. If someone from the outside discovers that you are a Death Eater I will be the first to take your life from you. Your loyalty must lie only within me, you must swear it before I give you the Dark Mark."
Snape's dark eyes met Tom's green ones. "I swear it," he said vehemently, his voice low and hard. "I swear my loyalty will remain with you forever."
"Forever?" Tom asked.
Snape nodded forcefully. "Forever, I swear it."
A smile turned up the corners of Tom's mouth and he turned toward the fire. The circle parted to let him through and his hand closed down around the handle of the branding tool. It burned brightly as he withdrew it from the fire, the end red hot and sparkling with magic.
"Fall to your knees, Severus Snape," Tom demanded, pointing to the floor with his free hand.
Snape obeyed, his knees thumping painfully against the hardwood floor.
"Give me your left arm," Tom said.
Snape rolled up the sleeve of his cloak and held out his arm.
"Watch me," Tom told him.
Snape's black eyes remained glued on the brand as it loomed above his arm, then plunged mercilessly against his skin. He wanted to scream, he wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and wince in pain, but he could do nothing but stare as his skin bubbled, then healed itself, the brand black against the pale skin. The pain was unbearable, shooting streaks of heat racing up and down his arm, across his shoulders and into his head. His temples were throbbing angrily, but he still remained motionless, watching the Dark Mark fade to an angry red, then pink until it barely stood out from his skin.
"You are one of us," Tom said, still smiling. "Congratulations."
The Death Eater who Tom had touched earlier stepped forward and held out his hands. Snape took them and stood, wavering slightly when another blast of pain pierced his temple. The hands were strong and steadying, the smooth skin unblemished and pale. Snape held them tightly, unwilling to let them go. They were a steadying comfort in the confusion that had suddenly overwhelmed him.
"Give him his robes," Tom said, his voice breaking the silence. "And make sure he knows how to Apparate to me when I call him." He waved his hand to the others. "Be off, the show is over. I will call when I need you again."
The Death Eaters began to file from the room and Tom turned, then disappeared with a soft pop. He was gone and Snape was left alone in the room with the two Death Eaters who seemed to be closest to Tom's side. They were both hooded and masked, but he could see their shining eyes through the thin material. Snape could tell by their frames that one was male and the other was obviously female. It was the woman who turned and handed him a robe and a mask.
"These are for you to wear to meetings," she said in a voice that nearly made Snape cringe. It was cold and sharp, and it seemed to bite down on him and take hold. He couldn't shake the feeling of her voice even after she stopped speaking.
"I will let my husband show you what to do when you're called," she said and Snape's eyes immediately went to the other Death Eater in the room, then back to the woman. He hadn't noticed before, but she was pregnant, one hand on her slightly bloated stomach.
With a swish of her dark robes, the woman was gone and Snape was left with the man.
Neither of them said anything for a long moment, then Snape cleared his throat uncomfortably and rolled up his sleeve to look at the Dark Mark. It was barely visible, but the other man leapt forward and snapped his hand down on Snape's arm.
"Don't do that Severus," he hissed angrily and Snape nearly stumbled backward.
"Lucius?" he murmured.
The other Death Eater sighed, then pulled off his mask and pushed the dark cloak off his shoulders. It dropped to the floor along with the mask and Snape stared, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to smile, he wanted to ask the man before him how he was doing, but he didn't dare. Not when Lucius was staring at him with a look of pure anger and fury.
"What the hell did you think you were doing, Severus?" he asked, running a hand through his blonde hair to calm it. "You can't just burst in here, become a Death Eater and expect things to go back to the way they were at Hogwarts." Lucius paused, his grey eyes cutting through Snape. "I'm married now, don't you understand? That part of my life is . . . over. It's not who I am."
Snape's eyes narrowed at this comment. "Well, it certainly was who you were every Thursday night for seven years in the astronomy tower. If it 'wasn't you', Lucius, why didn't you protest the first time it happened?" He paused, an angry grin making its way across his face. "Actually, as I recall, wasn't it you who initiated everything? Weren't you the one to kiss me?"
"Shut up, Severus," Lucius said angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about." He grabbed Snape's wrist and pushed up the cloak once more. "When he calls you the Dark Mark will turn black and it will burn. It'll hurt, but it will hurt more if you don't show up at the meeting. Just Apparate from wherever you can, you'll be taken straight to the place our Lord is waiting for us." He dropped Snape's arm and walked toward the door, his anger apparent in every step he took.
"Lucius, I didn't come here looking for you," Snape said. "It amazes me to think that you're still so self centered."
"If you say a word of my past to Narcissa, I'll kill you myself," Lucius growled, ignoring Snape's comments. "You don't want to make me angry, Severus."
End Chapter One
Notes: We're reaching a long and complicated chain of blame here. This was inspired by Dia's fic 'Dark Interlude' which was inspired by my fic, which was inspired by her other fic 'Slytherins All'. *grins* Just thought I'd clarify.
More Notes: This was not intended to be a chapter fic ... lucky me it just decided to go in that direction.
Chapter One
Severus Snape stared at the sprawling castle before him, his dark eyes taking in the ivy that crawled up the stone walls and the black carriage sitting in front of the massive doors. It was protected by magic so that passing Muggles would remember some important business meeting or a dentist appointment if they got too close to stumbling onto the grounds. The one inside couldn't afford having any Muggles in his territory, not while he was quickly rising in power, ready to take over the entire wizarding world. A smile twitched at the corners of Snape's mouth as he thought about the wizard inside. The most powerful wizard of all time. Tom Marvolo Riddle, or as his followers had come to know him, Lord Voldemort.
With his shoulders squared, Snape stepped past the wrought iron gates of the castle and began the long walk up to the house. As he passed the black carriage he ran his palm over the flank of the grey horse reigned to the front of it. The animal stared at Snape with wide brown eyes, then snorted and ducked its head, avoiding Snape's touch. He blinked, still staring at the horse, then shook off the eerie feeling the animal's avoidance had given him. He was doing the right thing, the only thing he could possibly do.
It had been six months since he had last been at Hogwarts, six months since he'd had any contact with any wizards other than his own parents. Even without the daily contact that others had, Snape knew that he didn't belong. He wasn't like the other wizards, as ridiculously cliched as that sounded he knew it was the truth. He was different in so many ways that he couldn't even begin to count them.
He was only nineteen years old and already the world had shunned him for being different. So, in turn, he would shun the world. Severus Snape would become a Death Eater and he would remain loyal to the strongest wizard in the world. When Voldemort gained power, Snape would be able to show the world that he wasn't wrong, just different.
His pale hands pushed against the heavy wooden doors and Snape found himself in a large, ornately decorated room. The walls were dark wood, carved trims rose along the doors and windows, which were covered in thick curtains. The carpet beneath his shoes was soft and thick and he could barely hear the footsteps he made as he walked through the room. A fire burned in the enormous hearth and already, Snape was too warm under the travelling cloak he was wearing.
"Severus Snape?" a voice asked from above and he glanced up the large staircase to see a young woman staring down at him. He nodded slightly and she nodded back, then gestured for him to follow her.
His shoes made no noise as he mounted the stairs and rose into the house. The woman who had called his name didn't speak another word as she led him down a dark hall and pointed to a door ahead of him. He understood what she wasn't saying and he nodded once more. She knew what he was there for and he wasn't going to pretend otherwise.
"Go ahead," she said. "He's waiting."
Snape nodded a final time, then pushed the door open and stepped into the darkened room. A fire blazed and a long, black handle stuck out from the flame. It took Snape a moment to register exactly what it was. The magical branding of Lord Voldemort's followers. The Dark Mark.
He entered a circle of men and woman, each with their faces covered by dark masks. Snape knew that some of his former classmates were among them, many of them had gone over right after graduation. The majority of the Slytherin house was probably in his midst and, he realized with a jolt, Lucius Malfoy might be one of the faces behind the masks. His heart beat quickened slightly as he thought about the man he hadn't seen in months, the man he had spent many hours with over the course of their seven years together at Hogwarts. He battled with the heated flush that rose on his cheeks as he remembered the things he and Lucius had done together, the . . . activities they had amused themselves with. What he wouldn't give to stand there all day and reminisce about the past.
"Severus Snape?"
His name broke through his thoughts for the second time in less than ten minutes and Snape turned toward the voice. A tall man melted out of the shadows and he stepped between two Death Eaters, gently squeezing the shoulder of one before he moved in the centre of the circle. He moved with the grace and fluidity of a cat, his limbs slicing through the air with a confidence Snape had never seen before.
He was a young man still, no older than thirty and as handsome as he'd been at Hogwarts. Green eyes stared out from below a fringe of black hair, his forehead was high and smooth, making him look younger than he probably was. His looks would deceive everyone
"You know who I am?" he asked.
Snape nodded. "Tom Riddle."
A ripple went through the circle of Death Eaters; it had been months since they had heard anyone use their Lord's true name. Even Tom himself seemed to stiffen at the words, but he smiled graciously and sunk into a half bow.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," he said.
Snape bowed awkwardly. "Severus Snape."
Tom's icy laugh pierced the otherwise silent room and Snape felt his muscles trying to move away, but he forced himself to remain motionless.
"So refreshing," Tom said, smiling at Snape. "It has been quite a while since I've had a man or woman think to introduce themselves. I thank you for that."
Unsure of what to say, Snape simply nodded.
"You are here, I assume, to become a Death Eater," Tom began, striding around the circle that enclosed them. "To become a follower of Lord Voldemort, the persona I have created to protect my true identity from the wizarding community. If this is what you're here to do, Severus, you must realize a few rules before offering me your arm. No one must know who or what you are. If someone from the outside discovers that you are a Death Eater I will be the first to take your life from you. Your loyalty must lie only within me, you must swear it before I give you the Dark Mark."
Snape's dark eyes met Tom's green ones. "I swear it," he said vehemently, his voice low and hard. "I swear my loyalty will remain with you forever."
"Forever?" Tom asked.
Snape nodded forcefully. "Forever, I swear it."
A smile turned up the corners of Tom's mouth and he turned toward the fire. The circle parted to let him through and his hand closed down around the handle of the branding tool. It burned brightly as he withdrew it from the fire, the end red hot and sparkling with magic.
"Fall to your knees, Severus Snape," Tom demanded, pointing to the floor with his free hand.
Snape obeyed, his knees thumping painfully against the hardwood floor.
"Give me your left arm," Tom said.
Snape rolled up the sleeve of his cloak and held out his arm.
"Watch me," Tom told him.
Snape's black eyes remained glued on the brand as it loomed above his arm, then plunged mercilessly against his skin. He wanted to scream, he wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and wince in pain, but he could do nothing but stare as his skin bubbled, then healed itself, the brand black against the pale skin. The pain was unbearable, shooting streaks of heat racing up and down his arm, across his shoulders and into his head. His temples were throbbing angrily, but he still remained motionless, watching the Dark Mark fade to an angry red, then pink until it barely stood out from his skin.
"You are one of us," Tom said, still smiling. "Congratulations."
The Death Eater who Tom had touched earlier stepped forward and held out his hands. Snape took them and stood, wavering slightly when another blast of pain pierced his temple. The hands were strong and steadying, the smooth skin unblemished and pale. Snape held them tightly, unwilling to let them go. They were a steadying comfort in the confusion that had suddenly overwhelmed him.
"Give him his robes," Tom said, his voice breaking the silence. "And make sure he knows how to Apparate to me when I call him." He waved his hand to the others. "Be off, the show is over. I will call when I need you again."
The Death Eaters began to file from the room and Tom turned, then disappeared with a soft pop. He was gone and Snape was left alone in the room with the two Death Eaters who seemed to be closest to Tom's side. They were both hooded and masked, but he could see their shining eyes through the thin material. Snape could tell by their frames that one was male and the other was obviously female. It was the woman who turned and handed him a robe and a mask.
"These are for you to wear to meetings," she said in a voice that nearly made Snape cringe. It was cold and sharp, and it seemed to bite down on him and take hold. He couldn't shake the feeling of her voice even after she stopped speaking.
"I will let my husband show you what to do when you're called," she said and Snape's eyes immediately went to the other Death Eater in the room, then back to the woman. He hadn't noticed before, but she was pregnant, one hand on her slightly bloated stomach.
With a swish of her dark robes, the woman was gone and Snape was left with the man.
Neither of them said anything for a long moment, then Snape cleared his throat uncomfortably and rolled up his sleeve to look at the Dark Mark. It was barely visible, but the other man leapt forward and snapped his hand down on Snape's arm.
"Don't do that Severus," he hissed angrily and Snape nearly stumbled backward.
"Lucius?" he murmured.
The other Death Eater sighed, then pulled off his mask and pushed the dark cloak off his shoulders. It dropped to the floor along with the mask and Snape stared, unsure of what he should do. He wanted to smile, he wanted to ask the man before him how he was doing, but he didn't dare. Not when Lucius was staring at him with a look of pure anger and fury.
"What the hell did you think you were doing, Severus?" he asked, running a hand through his blonde hair to calm it. "You can't just burst in here, become a Death Eater and expect things to go back to the way they were at Hogwarts." Lucius paused, his grey eyes cutting through Snape. "I'm married now, don't you understand? That part of my life is . . . over. It's not who I am."
Snape's eyes narrowed at this comment. "Well, it certainly was who you were every Thursday night for seven years in the astronomy tower. If it 'wasn't you', Lucius, why didn't you protest the first time it happened?" He paused, an angry grin making its way across his face. "Actually, as I recall, wasn't it you who initiated everything? Weren't you the one to kiss me?"
"Shut up, Severus," Lucius said angrily. "You don't know what you're talking about." He grabbed Snape's wrist and pushed up the cloak once more. "When he calls you the Dark Mark will turn black and it will burn. It'll hurt, but it will hurt more if you don't show up at the meeting. Just Apparate from wherever you can, you'll be taken straight to the place our Lord is waiting for us." He dropped Snape's arm and walked toward the door, his anger apparent in every step he took.
"Lucius, I didn't come here looking for you," Snape said. "It amazes me to think that you're still so self centered."
"If you say a word of my past to Narcissa, I'll kill you myself," Lucius growled, ignoring Snape's comments. "You don't want to make me angry, Severus."
End Chapter One