It was tonight. She was finally going to take her place. Her parents had always been silent supporters and her brother had been a rather vocal supporter. However, none of them had ever stepped up to take an active part. She was. She was finally doing something all on her own, something her parents would be proud of. She was doing something her brother or sisters hadn't done; something her parents could see just as hers.

Looking down the Slytherin table she saw two other sets of tense shoulders. They were to be initiated tonight with her. No doubt they were nervous, anxious about what was going to happen and what was to be asked of them. She wasn't nervous at all. In fact she was excited.

Pansy wanted to feel every ounce of pain she could when the dark mark was burned on to her arm by the dark Lord's very finger tips.

"Are you ready?"

Draco didn't turn as he spoke to her. It seemed almost like he hadn't spoken at all as he went about slowly buttering a piece of bread, never dropping a crumb.

"Are you?"

"I was born ready.'

She saw a slight smirk come to his face then and she allowed herself to do the same.

All Malfoys were born ready, weren't they? One day she's be a Malfoy to. She was already living up to the prestigious title by conquering her family's failure of action. One day she would make a fine Malfoy.

"Are you afraid?" She asked, sounding completely self assured.

"Why would I be?"

Pansy only smiled in response. She supposed Draco wasn't afraid of anything, except perhaps failure. Draco was a shinning beacon of the cause. He was the most prominent up and coming death eater of their age. He would well succeed his father.

Pansy could only hope to be as masterful as Draco. He knew how to cast every curse she had ever heard of, and then some. Pansy did her best but her parent's were unenthusiastic teachers, telling her that it was better simply to know of them. She knew they were simply afraid that they might fail. Why were so many pureblood families afraid of failure? The pureblood line would never fail. It was the best. Draco and she were perfect examples of the high breeding and reign of the pureblood houses.

There was one failing that Pansy knew existed in Draco. Though he had intelligence and the will to do what needed to be done sometimes he was petty. Pettiness causes mistakes. He got himself into such a state over beating that Potter boy that he messed up, choked, and looked a fool. He had to control his rage. Rage and anger were powerful allies when coupled with skill but they had to be controlled. Draco just needed to learn that and not let his anger make him continually petty.

Pansy was not petty. She enjoyed taunting others, rash Gryffindors, but she did allow her anger to get the best of her. She knew to control it and save it for later to back her when she needed it.

-

That night Draco Malfoy, Theodore Knot, Marcus Flint, and Pansy kneeled before a semicircle of 5 Death eaters. Pansy was sure Draco's father was among them. She could only imagine his pride.

The first hooded figure stepped forward and spoke: "Who do you serve?"

"Lord Voldemort." The four intoned.

"Are you prepared to lend your life to his will?"

"I am."

The figure stepped back and the second came forward.

"Stand." It was a woman's voice

They rose as one unit, silent with heads bowed.

"Do you know and accept that serving our Lord will bring pain?"

"We do." Pansy heard Theodore's voice waver.

"Crucio."

All four of them hit the ground with four identical cracks and screamed. Pansy heard her high female voice rise above those of her comrades and it hurt. However, Pansy did not mind the pain, it was worth this. Then, it stopped.

"Rise." She said.

Marcus, Draco, and she got to their feet as one, ignored the burning in their muscles. Theodore was a beat behind. Pansy could feel the fear coming from him. Theodore was not ready. Stealing a glace at the five in front of her, Pansy saw wands in the hands of the four figures behind the speaking female disappear into their robes.

"Do you pledge to be faithful?"

"I do." They spoke together again.

Theodore didn't sound as sure.

"Do you pledge to follow your Lord even if it should lead to your death?"

"I do."

"Bow to your lord and take the mark."

The four practically fell to their knees, heads almost touching the stone beneath them. Pansy could hardly contain her excitement as she saw the hem of a new figure's robes appear in front of her, just brushing the ground.

It was silent for a long time but none of them moved. Finally, he spoke.

"He is not ready, take him."

Hands reached down and seized Theodore Knot from beside her, yanking him to his feet and dragging him away into the darkness. Pansy thought she heard him whimper but he did not protest. The other three remained motionless on the ground as nothing had happened. It was not their concern.

"Rise, Draco Malfoy."

On the end Pansy heard Draco stand. She saw a flash of greenish light and heard Draco hiss slightly in pain but she could tell from where she was that he did not move away. Pansy saw another light flash, this one dimmer than the first.

"Thank you, my Lord." Draco said and Pansy could hear him step back to stand behind her and Marcus.

"Rise, Marcus Flint."

Pansy saw the light again and heard Marcus gasp, sharper than Draco had, after the flash.

"Thank you, my Lord." He said and he moved back just as Draco had.

"Rise, Pansy Parkinson."

Finally it was her turn. Pansy rose to stand before her master. She did not look straight at his face but she caught his piercing red eyes as she stood. She held out her arm with her sleeve rolled up. The dark Lord took his first two fingers and pressed them down into skin of her arm, a green flash of light issuing from the spot where his fingers lay. Pansy did not make a sound, only smiled at the spark like a knife it sent through her body. He released his fingers and sealed the mark with tap and blaze from his wand.

"Thank you, my Lord."

Pansy stepped back and felt a force her parents had never had flowing through her.