A/N – Sorry it took so long, I got caught up with school and finals, but now its summer break! Thanks so much for all the nice reviews, I hope you all like the next chapter of the story, it took me a little while to get it exactly the way I wanted. As always read and review!

Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Harry Potter universe, it all belongs to JK Rowling

The fear was palpable in the air, and it surrounded her choking the very breath out of her. She didn't dare raise her head to look up at the Dark Lord, but waited anxiously for his instruction. He knew the effect his presence had on his supporters, so he let the moments drag out, until the silence hurt the ears.

"My loyal and devoted Death Eaters," his voice echoed throughout the dome, "tonight is the night we enlarge our forces with fresh blood. Rise now, and let your new allies through."

Draco placed his hand gently on her back urging her forward. For a second she glanced back at him, the fear obvious in her eyes. He smiled at her and mouthed, "I love you". That was all she needed and she progressed to the platform where the Dark Lord stood in all his magnificence. They formed a semi-circle around him kneeling before him. Ginevra attempted to count, but lost track at fifty. Lord Voldemort was getting stronger by the day. The sight of so many people made her feel more secure about her decision, if this was wrong then why did so many support it?

She watched as one by one the new members made their way up the stone steps that led to Voldemort. Each had either a blank or a haughty expression on their face, she could pick out easily those who were there on their own volition and those who were forced. She was proud to be one of the ones who had chosen for themselves. She tried to imagine what was going through each of their minds in order to pass the time until it was her turn. A boy walked past her, his arms stiffly at his sides, his mouth set firmly closed, his eyes emotionless. She could see clearly that this wasn't what he wanted; fear had one this one over to the Dark Lord.

She was interrupted from her game when she came upon a familiar face, Angelina Draton, she was a in her year but a Hufflepuff. This took her by surprise, she didn't consider Hufflepuffs having enough guts to join the Death Eaters, but she was proven wrong. The girl did let out a small shriek when she received the mark however, she would always be a Hufflepuff at heart. It was almost her turn, her stomach started to do flip flops, but she forced herself to calm down by picturing Draco's smiling face. She tried to remember all he said about what would happen, and she found herself slowly taking steps towards the stone alter which held her new master. Gradually she made her way up, it seemed to take hours but she was finally there kneeling at his feet.

"I Ginevra Weasley solemnly swear my allegiance to you, Lord Voldemort," the words flowed out of her mouth easily, as she had practiced them many times before.

The Dark Lord paused for a second, obviously a little surprised at this new member. "Ah Ginevra, I wondered whether you would join us," his voice was smooth yet there was an almost snakelike quality to it, and it mesmerized her.

She raised her eyes to meet his red ones, holding his gaze. She studied his face, Harry always referred to it as being reptilian, and she could understand why. His eyes were slits in his forehead and they rarely blinked. His skin was a very sallow shade of green and was taught against the bones of his face. His mouth was much longer and thinner than that of a normal human being. Far from scaring her, his appearance fascinated her, and she couldn't look away. This was very dangerous, Voldemort demanded respect at all times, and this was anything but that. For some reason he seemed to ignore this show of blatant disrespect, raised his wand and muttered a spell she couldn't quite make out. Her arm was flooded with pain, but she refused to let it beat her. She kept her gaze firmly locked with Voldemort's until the pain subsided. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the Dark Lord smirk, if he was even capable of that anymore.

After she received her mark, the ceremony passed in the blink of an eye. The rest of the night was mostly a blur or meeting new people. The only part that she remembered clearly was the two people she met at this meeting.

Draco had grabbed her arm and dragged her over to where his father stood. She didn't understand why he was so anxious for them to meet, she had been hoping this meeting could be put off for a little longer; this was all still new to her.

"Father, there is someone I would like you to meet," Draco said.

Lucius Malfoy turned around and looked from Draco to Ginevra. His resemblance to Draco was striking, he had also aged quite well barely looking over thirty. The only difference was in the eyes, while Draco's were a steely gray; his were a clear shade of blue. He took a step closer to her and examined her, seemingly trying to find what it was that Draco saw in this Weasley girl. Taking his ever present cane, he used it to prop up her chin to get a closer look at her face.

"Ms. Weasley, I'm quite surprised to see you here."

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I finally realized which side was the right side to be on," she said holding his gaze with hers.

"I see, it seems you have grown up quite a lot since we last met."

Taken aback by her new found courage he nodded his head in assent and gave a pointed look in Draco's direction. Draco returned this with a small smile of his own, knowing Ginny had won this first battle against his father, but could she win the war. Taking Ginny's hand, he led her away from his father but as they turned, they ran into yet another person who both had been acquainted with many times before.

"Professor Snape," Draco said politely.

"Mr. Malfoy… Ms. Weasley?" Professor Snape said completely shocked, before he was able to mask his surprise.

Ginevra didn't know what to say, why was Professor Snape here? He was part of the Order, a supposedly loyal member of Dumbledore's army. Suddenly it clicked, and everything made sense, she finally understood Snape's role in the Order of the Phoenix. No one ever bothered to tell her what was going on, so she had only an inkling of what went on in the Order. She had always assumed Snape had connections within the Death Eaters, but not once had it crossed her mind that he might be one of them.

This new discovery changed everything; he knew she was a Death Eater. He would tell her family and he would tell Dumbledore, he would ruin everything for her. However, a new thought crossed her mind. Snape was a Death Eater, a Death Eater working for Dumbledore… this made him a traitor to the Dark Lord. Well this certainly changed things she thought, she held the Ace not Snape. She controlled whether he lived or died.

Severus watched the emotions play across her face. First bewilderment, then understanding, then fear, and finally smug satisfaction. She knew what he was now and in what position this placed her. His life rested in the delicate hands of the youngest Weasley girl. Damn it all to hell, this was not supposed to happen. What happened to the quiet little girl he had taught for the past six years. The girl, no the woman, he saw in front of him was not the same girl he once knew. She held herself now with poise and confidence, it was as if she had transformed overnight. He was also struck by her radiant beauty, her hair glowed against her porcelain skin, and her dark brown eyes were filled with mystery. How could he not have noticed her before this, he wondered?

He couldn't take his eyes off her, until he realized what he was doing and he stopped his thought process. At this point Draco had taken Ginevra's hand and was leading her away. She looked back over her shoulder and captured his eyes with hers. Her mouth hinted at a smirk. He knew they were going to have to talk, but it would have to wait for another time. Sighing he thought, what am I going to tell the Headmaster?