"Septimius Severus was a mighty Roman emperor. He restored order and stability to Rome. Did you know that your name carried such historical significance?"
Severus had to confess that he hadn't known. His father wasn't the type to talk about why he'd named his son what he had, and his mother tried to not be seen or heard if she could help it.
"Septimius Severus stabilized the empire again after the reign of Commodus, there were terrible civil wars after Commodus was murdered. However, Severus' reign was tarnished by the reputation of his bloodthirstiness in his seizure of power. What should we learn from this?"
"Bloodlust will stain a name and a reputation... possibly an entire family."
"Precisely, Severus, always keep your actions from reflecting on your family. Now, like your namesake, you must secure a reputation which is divorced from your common," he emphasized the word as though it left a bad taste in his mouth, "family. When you join us, we will become your new family. You will become part of a prestigious line. Death eaters are feared and respected."
No one would dare make a fool of a Death Eater. Severus narrowed his eyes. "I have no other family."
"That is what I was hoping to hear."
The initiation ceremony had been frightening and getting the Dark Mark put on his arm had hurt almost more than he could bear, but he'd stood it without making a sound and the other Death Eaters present had approved and possibly even impressed.
What Severus hadn't counted on was the nightmares. From the moment that he closed his eyes, in the early hours of that morning, exhausted, from the moment that he opened his eyes the day after. Floods of images that left him shaking.
Lucius sat reading in the chair opposite. "You'll find that they fade in time. Just try to ignore them."
Severus sat up slowly. The mark still burned on his arm. He didn't look at it. No matter how bad this was, it was better than it had been at home.
"Wash up, I'll be waiting for you downstairs, we have a lot to do tonight. The Dark Lord has a job for you."
A job, teaching potions at Hogwarts, potions had been his best subject at school, a role that Severus would keep for far longer than he ever imagined, something that he would never admit that he actually enjoyed, perhaps a little bit. From time to time he found that he could forget about the Dark Mark, but never the nightmares, there had been many things that Lucius had been right about... the nightmares wasn't one of them.