Chapter One:

Meetings In The Dark

Ginny lay on her bed in The Burrow, her body as stiff as a board, her breathing rapid and erratic.

So tightly were her muscles clenched, that every fiber of her screamed with a dull pain. She hated the waiting. She could bear the throbbing in her temples, the sting in her eyes… anything but that.

Ginny was a person of action, she wanted to get out, wanted to move. Claustrophobia closed in around her, as if many thickly stuffed pillows were being held over her mouth.

Apprehension swirled in her brain like a thin mist, barely covering what lay ahead. She glanced at the clock opposite her bed; she had ten minutes to go. Soon, this tattered room would be a thing of the past. Ginny knew that he would reward her… unlike her family ever could, or ever would. She had certain things to offer him; she knew they would prove useful… unlike her family. She had come to view her school, her friends, her family… as mere stepping-stones, helping her up on her way to greatness. She knew that greatness would be hers, one day. Regardless of how many sacrifices she had to make… she would attain it. Her brothers she valued the least… how they had made her life hell; over-shadowing her achievements, so they went unnoticed, and she was left, un-praised and uncared for. They thought of her as a nothing, or on good days, as target practice.

That chapter in her life was drawing to a close… Five minutes to go.... She would leave no note, no sign that she had ever lived there. Perhaps they wouldn't notice? Did she care if they didn't? She could not lie to herself, however easily she lied to everyone else. She would care. She felt the burn of guilt even now. Not for her worthless family, but for the house itself; had it not always been there for her when she needed it? When the shame of her family weighed too heavily on her shoulders? It had. And now she was leaving. She was fully aware that she had cast herself into the roll of a traitor, but she cared little. It was enough for her that she realized it, and was not rushing blindly into unknown aspects of her own personality. Her brooding came to an abrupt halt when she glimpsed at her clock; it was time.

She rose from her bed, and felt her body relax slightly. She retrieved her trunk from underneath her bed, and her wand from her desk drawer. Ginny paused at her door, realizing that leaving that way could prove hazardous, even fatal to her plan. Ginny turned to her window. For a fleeting moment, she prepared to jump. She would, if she had to. Suddenly she came back to her senses, reasoning with herself. She couldn't possibly survive that steep a jump without sustaining some sort of serious injury, or worse, waking her family. Her heart beat faster when she looked again at the clock. She had no time for reason! Deciding that she would risk the front door, she bolted out her room and down the stairs, dragging her clunking trunk behind her. To her great surprise, nobody stirred. Good. She hadn't really felt like cursing anybody; it would only create complications. Coming to the front entrance, she opened the gate as quietly as she could, and stepped outside.

Her robes brushed the grass as she ran, and the cool wind stung her face. She knew where it was… just a little further…

She came to a clump of trees and entered the woods behind her father's house. In minutes, she stopped. It should be here…she thought. And then she saw it. A silver necklace lay on the earth, covered by a few fallen leaves, shining with their own brilliance in the dark, like dead fire. Bending down to pick it up, Ginny halted. Well, I suppose there's no going back now. She laughed; as if she would go back, given the choice. No, this was right. It had been her decision; there would be no backing out now. Crouched on the ground, Ginny noticed that a black crystal hung on the chain. It caught her attention at once. It was beautiful. The black ran deep through the crystal, as if encased inside was perpetual darkness. Confidence throbbing in her heart, she grasped the crystal, and was greeted by the expected feeling of her stomach being pulled inwards. Her world swayed and stirred. Like a mass of multi-colored paints being draped over her eyes. Abruptly everything stopped. It took several moments for her to recompose herself, because her head was swimming and her eyes blurred. After she recovered, she found herself standing in a vast meadow, the overgrown grass reaching to above her knees. The moon cast a dim light overhead. Suddenly, a voice like ice cut through the night, breaking the veil of calm over her surroundings. "You're late." It hissed.

Ginny froze. The blood in her veins run upwards, and her heart sank into her throat. The voice had come from behind her. She dared not turn around. Knowing not what she should do, she uttered the sentence that had been playing about her tongue. "Lord..." she breathed, hardly managing to sound that single syllable, "I-I beg your forgiveness…my filthy family d-delayed me…"

Silence. Never before had she noticed how suffocating it could be. It strangled the air around them so that the wind made no sound, and the grass no longer rustled. He was apparently contemplating her statement. "I do not look well on tardiness. However, I am amused by your manner. There will be no punishment, this time. I do, however require you to face me. Or will you not look upon the face of your Lord?" His tone was cold and sarcastic. Ginny knew now that she had no choice. Slowly, evenly, her heels turned her body towards the voice. Her eyes were still closed when she came full circle, and she waited a moment before opening them. When she did, she was somewhat surprised; he was not alone as she had previously thought, but many others surrounded him. There were two wizards on each side of him; all robed in black, with matching white masks. There were also a number of people, whom Ginny recognized as Hogwarts students, forming a circle around them. Voldemort stood in the middle of them all. Although he was not the tallest, his presence towered above all who stood there. His red, shining eyes glinted in the moonlight. They reminded Ginny of shark's eyes; terrible and cunning. His head was bald, and his nose seemed disproportionately low on his face. His mouth was a gash near his chin and revealed tiny, white, cat-like teeth. "Do we surprise you?" Sneered a woman's voice. It came from behind the mask of the witch residing on Voldemort's immediate right. The children in the circle shuffled slightly. "Yes" Ginny admitted. "Yes, you did."

"Fool!" said the wizard on his left. "Did you think the Lord would come for you alone?"

"I did not think that there would be others-" Ginny started.

"Arrogant youth!" spat the man next to him. The fourth man was conspicuous by his silence throughout the argument.

The witch spoke again. "She doubts your supports; Lord… perhaps punishment would… reassure her…"

Voldemort held up his hand. "No, Bella. I am anxious for the proceedings to begin. Let us start." There was a malicious tint to his voice that forced Ginny to believe that what ever was coming, she wouldn't enjoy. "Join the circle, girl." He ordered, and Ginny walked slowly towards the circle of children. She placed herself in the biggest gap she could find. Casting her eyes around, she was surprised to see how many people she knew there. They all wore grey robes, the hoods pulled low over several of their faces, the only people she could see not completely shrouded by their cloaks. Amongst them, she saw many Ravenclaws, masses of Slytherins and a few Hufflepuffs. She longed to be free of the stereotype of her damned house; it would do her no good here.

On either side of her, stood two bulky figures, looking up, she saw that they were none other than Crabbe and Goyle. So, this is how Malfoy must feel. I can see why he was such an egomaniac, this could make anyone full of themselves, she thought. Where is he… he should be here… she realized. No sooner had she thought this, she spotted him. He was one person down from her, right next to Crabbe. She cocked her head, and observed him pensively. His blonde hair fell defensively over one of his eyes, acting almost as a shield. She brought her gaze to his eyes. They had the look of a lion behind the bars of a cage; trapped, though defiant not to let it show. His hands were clenched tight and his fingers dug deep into his hands. Ginny wondered why he wasn't bleeding.

Voldemort spoke. "You will come forward, one by one, and you will be initiated. A word of caution though; we do not keep the weak on our side, you would do well… not to scream." Ginny took several deep breaths to steady herself. She could do this. She knew she could. The Dark Lord nodded to the wizard who had not spoken earlier, who flicked his wand twice. Silver ropes emitted from the wand, eventually forming the words Terry Boot. A boy with dark brown hair broke from the circle and almost ran to the center. He was apparently inept at hiding his nerves. "Give me your chain." said Voldemort quietly. The boy seemed frozen for a moment, but he recomposed himself and handed Voldemort a silver chain bearing a single black crystal which looked exactly like Ginny's. The Dark Lord drew his wand from his robes and took the chain in his hand. He pressed it to the boy's chest and began to chant in low tones… "Infusco Aetatula!" he cried, and a blinding white light fill started to fill the dark crystal. The boy was looking down at his chest in horror. The light was seeping from the pendant, into him. Suddenly his screams echoed into the night, as the light bleddeeper, shrouding him completely. Ginny noticed the light begin to blacken, although it did not darken, but remained as bright as ever. Soon, the light was completely black. When this happened, the illumination retracted abruptly back into the boy. Voldemort stood in front of him, a slightly disgusted look on his face. The boy had screamed, loud, terrible screams. But now, he was silent, shaking slightly in place, the crystal still pressed to him. "You have been accepted." Stated Voldemort simply, and he placed the chain around Terry's neck. Terry bowed low, and retreated quickly back to his place.

Voldemort indicated again to the wizard, who tapped his wand again. This time, the wand vomited out the words Gregory Goyle, but Ginny had lost focus, and her mind began to wander through the terrifying possibilities of the next few hours. Would she be worthy to be recruited? She remained adamant that she had made the right decision. At least, no doubts crossed her mind to the contrary, therefore, she surmised, it must be true. Although even as she processed these thoughts, Ginny felt a cold fear rise from the base of her stomach. It churned about her navel and spread up her chest, flowing like mercury down her arms and up her neck, into her fingertips. Ginny started shaking violently. It seemed that nobody had noticed her yet. Suddenly, she felt an absence of a large bulk next to her. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Lost in its warmth, Ginny closed her eyes and let it take her, until the hand began shaking her roughly. She turned her head, and there, where Crabbe used to be, stood Malfoy. She recognized him even with the blur that hung over her eyes. "What the hell do you think you're playing at Weasley?" he franticly whispered. "Why are you even here? Are you looking to secure a quick death for yourself? Because the way you are carrying on, I wouldn't be surprised." His smugness hung a thin veil over the desperation she could hear in his voice. Ginny vaguely realized that he had changed places with Crabbe. She wondered why. Had it been to help her?

"I need.. to get… away…." She stammered. It hurt to talk. She needed to make him understand. Her knees buckled and she slumped to the ground. Draco firmly placed one hand under each arm and pulled her right. "Get up Weasley! I don't know what you think you're doing, but let's try not to involve me in it for much longer." But Ginny wasn't listening. Her arm was draped around his shoulder, and her head lulled to the side, resting there as well. She had apparently fainted. In Draco's opinion, this was getting ridiculous. He pushed her onto her feet, and pinched her hard in her side. Her eyes flashed open, and she looked murderously at Draco, who merely shrugged, nodded towards the center of the circle and said. "They're calling your name."

Ginny jumped as if she had been jolted with a live wire. She looked back at Draco. His features were twisted into a clearly terrified expression. He placed his hand on the small of Ginny's back and pushed her softly. She knew she had to go. She had no choice now, lest she sought to be killed. She took one step forward, but she hardly thought she had moved at all. Time dripped by in thick, pregnant drops. After she had taken another step, time changed its mind, and streaked past her, not waiting for her to catch her breath. She hurried to the middle, stumbling slightly when she arrived. "Ginny Weasley," she heard Voldemort's say, "I Never did expect one of your clan to join us… willingly." His voice was like steam in her ears. Why wouldn't he start? She wanted this to be over, she wanted to be accepted; she wanted to get back to Draco. "Hand me your pendant." he said at last. It was then that Ginny realized that her hand was covered in blood. In her frustration, the crystal had cut deep into her skin. She handed it to him, with it dripping in her own blood. It slid down the crystal's smooth surface and splashed with an inaudible sputter onto his outstretched hand. He looked at her suspiciously, but said nothing. He pressed the crystal between Ginny's breasts with an open palm and recited the incantation. "Infusco Aetatula!" he called. All at once, Ginny felt a white hot energy against her chest. The heat did not pain her, although she knew that it was the most intense heat she had ever experienced, and should, logically, be cooking her alive. Then it began to fill her. It shone through her skin and through her eyes. That is when she felt the pain. It was as if every beam of light inside her was extracting something she held dear. Something she knew she had all her life. She could feel it ripping every golden drop of light she kept inside her, and adding her radiance to its own. The pain she felt was not physical, but emotional. It reminded her of being a child, being denied, and screaming and shouting and stamping her feet because it meant so much more than that. Nobody could understand. She could now feel those memories lose their meaning. Even she couldn't understand them any more. None of them made sense. Those feelings were darkening, along with the light. They now meant nothing to her, though she could still remember them. The crystal was fast absorbing the black aura that surrounded her, they were disappearing into the eternal blackness of it… until the night resumed its usual shade of black and Ginny regained her senses. She could taste the copper tang of blood on her lips. Her tongue had numbed itself. The Dark Lord Spoke; "You have been accepted."

Ginny could hardly believe the pain was over. Now all she could feel was deep hollowness inside herself. It was surely just the effects of the spell… it had to be. Ginny did not think she could live with this emptiness forever. It was suffocating her. Closing in on her. There was no way she could stop it. Heart beating at a slow and somber pace, Ginny started to walk back to her place between Draco and Goyle. The walk there seemed much longer then it had before. Once she had rejoined the circle, she immediately sought Draco out. He had disappeared. She felt her breath catch in her chest. He couldn't have run away… could he? No… no now, when Ginny needed him… needed his warmth. Ginny was surprised at her own neediness. She had no prior connection with Draco. But she wanted him there, next to her. She heard Voldemort call out for what seemed the millionth time. "Infusco Aetatula!" she had no intention of turning around. Ginny had little desire to see another's youth stripped away from them. Then she heard someone cry out. Rapidly lifting her head, she was taken aback to see that it had not been the person who was being initiated, it came from the masked man at Voldemort's side, who had called out their names. She shifted her gaze to Voldemort's current victim. Her eyes widened. Her mouth became very dry. There stood Draco. He stood straight up; his head was turned to the sky. His blonde hair blew softly over his face in the light breeze. The crystal, once again, filled with light. When the light reached Draco, it filled his entire body remarkably quickly, illuminating his silhouette. It stayed in him for no longer than half a second, before darkening and retreating back into it's crystal prison, taking very little light back with it. Draco let out a breath of air. He opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings as if he had expected them to change since last he had closed his eyes. Voldemort slipped his pendant over Draco's neck. "Another Malfoy." was all he said. Draco began to walk back, when the man behind the mask stopped him, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Well done, my son. I… had my doubts." He said, before snatching back his hand, as if he thought that too much affection would corrupt his son. Draco nodded and continued walking back. He stood, silent, next to Ginny. They both felt that there was no need to say anything. Ginny closed her eyes for what seemed eternity. The night had been almost too overwhelming for her to take in all at once. When her eyes opened again, Blaise Zabini was crawling back to his place, and a strange stillness came over the crowd of fresh Death Eaters. What was to happen now? Would they just be sent back? …Except Ginny wasn't going back. Where was she going, though? She hadn't thought about that. Voldemort spoke; "Now that our… revelry is complete, we will collaborate shortly before you are all sent on your way. The crystals that now hang around your necks cannot be removed, even with the strongest of magic's. When I am passing instructions, or when I need you, they will glow white. Words will appear on the surface of the crystal, the words will burn through your skin. Should any of you decide to ignore these messages, or try, however fruitlessly, to remove your chains, the consequences will be most dire. Now, many of you will be receiving instructions very soon, so keep alert. Until then, I suggest you leave." Ginny suddenly realized that she was being forced back to her home. No… that could not be. Certainly they would make plans for those who had sacrificed their family's trust to be with them?

Voldemort disapparated with a faint pop. Apparently not. Many more pops followed his, and soon the field was as good as deserted, aside from a few stragglers and the adult wizards. Ginny slumped to the ground, letting the dirt have its way with her skin and her robes. Tears merged with the earth, creating a watery mud that smudged against her cheek. In the background, she heard three more pops. She heard soft footsteps coming her way. Someone cast a shadow across her collapsed form. "Ginny… I'm going now." said Draco. "I know it must be hell, having to go back to that place." His voice carried no spite, just sympathy. No… not sympathy. Empathy. "Just know that coming back with me would be no better."

"Draco, we're leaving now." his father said smoothly. "Leave the girl," he said, talking about her as if she wasn't there, "Although her appearance tonight was unexpected… I was not of the belief that her kin was ambitious." He turned his back and began to walk away, letting Ginny's death glare bounce off his spine and expecting Draco to follow suit. Draco looked back at Ginny, who met his gaze. They held it one second too long, and then Draco pursued his father. Ginny watched his retreating back, until they both disappeared at the point where the center of the circle had been. Ginny supposed the crystal would take her back to that house. The place she believed would be out of her life forever. She grasped her pendant. She was right. It did take her back.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Infusco Aetatula means; To darken youth well, roughly okay? o.O… The process the young Death Eaters go through is stripping them of their childish morals, thus readying them for whatever Voldemort orders them to do.