Once back at the Etoile Manor, the four left their newly acquired school supplies in the hall for their respected house elves to take back to their own homes or rooms. Hermione still tried desperately to prove that using the little creatures as slaves was wrong but it was to no avail and soon everyone, even her parents had learnt to tune out as soon as she began on a rant.

Hermione had changed so much over the holidays. Not only in attitude but now looks as well. Jessica had convinced her to restyle and cut her waist long hair, to shoulder length and now loose curls. And both had worked on maintaining figures. It had all been for tonight that they had done this because the annual Death Eater Ball, the only one at which Voldemort was present, was to take place that evening. This meant that each child of a trusted Death Eater would be introduced to their new Lord and then he would either accept them or order them to be gotten ridden of. Not that the latter happened often recently because of the decrease of followers due to Dumbledore and his precious Order taking them out.

It was mere hours before the ball and Jess, Hermione and Pansy where all in the East wing preparing themselves. Even though the shorter pug-faced girl was not part of the usual group she was still a friend and had been invited to Hermione's before to maintain that friendship.

Draco, Blaise and Theodore Nott were all in the west wing, belonging to Hermione's father, preparing themselves for the ball. Theo was there merely because he was to escort Pansy to the ball as Blaise was for Hermione and Draco for Jess.

The girls were frantic. Two hours to go!

"Dammit" Hermione exclaimed.

"What now Mya?" Jess said whilst fastening two tear drop diamond earrings to her ears.

"My hair is horrible and I can't find the straightening spell!"

"Is that all?" Pansy chimed as she waved her wand at Hermione's head, " There, now what else?"

"Pans if your ready why don't you go tell the boys that we'll meet them in the main hall!"

"Fine" and with that and a resounding pop she was gone.

"Finally I thought she'd never go," laughed Jess as she slipped on her white ballet slippers and headed towards the door of Hermione's room.

"Yeh. Okay lets go meet our men!"

The two laughed, joked and talked all the way down the main hall stairs where they could see Pansy and the others waiting for them at the bottom.

Blaise and Draco stood there talking. Both dressed in different respected colours to match their dates. Draco in a deep emerald green dress shirt with black tailored pants and neat Armani boots. His hair was left alone to fall gently around his face, accentuating his features and giving him the refined debonair look that his father always seemed to maintain. Blaise, on the other hand, wore a dark sapphire dress shirt with the same styled black pants as Draco and similar shoes. His own hair lay in a neat mess of chocolate curls on the top of his head and the colour of his indigo eyes set off by the shirt. Both stood stunned as the watched their friends descend the steps.

Jessica came first in a dress made in the same deep emerald colour which Draco wore. The neck dipped down into a modest V allowing her to show a little cleavage and the back was a neat array of criss-crossing elasticised straps. She had charmed white ballet slipper shoes on which tied up just above her ankles and a velvety black cloak. Her hair had been curled greatly and lay idly cascading down her back with multiple emerald gems placed neatly amongst the curls. Little make up lay upon her features and along with her tear drop earrings she had a simple silver necklace with another, slightly larger diamond hanging down upon her neck.

Presenting herself accordingly she walked into Draco's awaiting arms and placed a single finger on his chin, lifting it and closing his shamelessly open mouth.

Then there was Hermione. Her mother had picked out everything for her knowing full well that this was her first big initiation into the world of Death Eaters and that her daughter was most likely to buy a red dress and have her Gryffindor traits shine and shun her Slytherin tendencies. So instead she did the shopping and charmed all the items to be unchangeable by Hermione and the colours to set. This left Hermione gob smacked (A/n haha such a weird word) and unable to comprehend the actions straight. Nether the less she was now wearing the dress and looked beautiful.

Her gown had been a dark sapphire to match Blaise's shirt and it had a rounded neck which was just her style. Atleast her mother had taste. Then the skirts of the dress stopped just an inch above her ankles so that you could see the silver strappy heels that she had on underneath. They changed her height from five foot nothing to five eight. There was a series of silver tinted pearls draped around her neck, each looped longer than the other and all different shades. She wore pearl studded earrings to accompany it. Jess had spent half an hour after Hermione's hair, after it had been straightened by Pansy, twisting and clipping the thick mop into a neat and presentable hairstyle that sat on top of her head, allowing a few curls to drop and shape her face and brighten her almond eyes. There was an array of gems in her hair too. These mainly consisted of simple sapphires to compete with the dress and shadowed pearls to match her jewellery. There was also a similar black cloak laying upon her shoulders as was on Jessica's.

Hermione smiled brightly at her transformation as she descended the stairs and firstly walked towards Draco to hug him and then to Blaise her friend and partner for the night.

The three couples walked out the Main Hall and into the foyer where all their parents stood. Waiting for them.

Each child walked towards their family, mastering the smirks which now lay upon their features and the evil glint which seemed, almost, to be charmed into their eyes. With the once over and approval of their parents the segregated groups disappeared. Reappearing seconds later into the middle of the Malfoy Manor and splitting into pairs as they entered the ball room.

Hermione couldn't help but be nervous. This was it, she was to become a death eater, defy her friends and serve her one true enemy. She felt a hand tighten its grip around hers and two deep indigo eyes searching her for answers. The girl couldn't help but bow her head at this gesture, Hermione didn't want Blaise to see her weakness neither did she want anyone else to, for that could and would be the end of her.

He placed a reassuring hand around her waist as they entered in succession after Draco and Jess who were behind Pansy and Theo. Once all the young adults were in the room, this also included Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent, a few from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and some others from Durmstrang, everyone formed a gathered crowd in front of the looming stage. Then they all lifted their hoods, Jess indicating to Mya that she should follow by lifting her own and hiding her identity.

A figure moved onto the stage. His cloak rapped demurely around his sickenly thin figure and his red slit-like eyes peering out into the now darkened room. It was like a sick, horrible nightmare and Hermione wanted to escape, but no, Blaise's hand tightened and her parents glared at her in warning. If she left now there was no returning to her old safe world.

"Welcome my lords and ladies, welcome to Malfoy Manor," came the debonair voice of Lucius Malfoy, "I would like to introduce one man that needs no introduction, Our Lord."

Applause was heard for a few seconds before a pale hand lifted and silence resounded. "My loyal Death Eaters, and chhhhildren. Welcome to the parrrrty," he chuckled to himself, a cold, deafening chuckle. "Well now we wouldn't want our yooooung ones waiting to long would we. Come forward my new allies."

A stabbing pain went through the four's backs as they were forced forward, towards him.

"Young Master Malfoy, and Miss Zabini please come up here," he called, Mya saw Jess's face, she was scared behind those indigo eyes yet she hid it away from the world pretty well and Draco he just stood there stone faced and passive to everything that was going on. Together they walked up towards what was soon to become their Lord. "And Mr Zabini, Miss Etoile, Mr Crabbe, Mr Goyle, Miss Parkinson, Mr Nott, Mr Saladin, Miss Sharan and Miss Ho, please follow them up her to take your vows."

Within mere seconds they had all pledged themselves to the Dark Lord and now stood with their parents before them brandishing hot irons. These had the dark mark carved onto them and were used to brand it, no burn it, into the skin. Slowly the coal was placed against their cool skin and slowly, ever so slowly, each child was broken. Jess holding back tears, watching her mother for every second that the brand had pressure added to it. Blaise next to his sister, bowing his head and taking it, wishing that he had been the only one chosen and that his sister had not been dragged into it. Draco glaring at his father, keeping a straight face and warning his old man with his eyes and then lastly Hermione, her tears had not been held back but her eyes were that of stone. Her mother seemed to take pleasure in her pain and watched every excruciating second.

Then came the linking to Voldemort, his wand and was placed successively on each ones arm, a spell was murmured and a bond formed. They now could feel his call and were summoned to his placing automatically.

The time passed and congratulations was given to each of the new recruits and a smile passed around. Mr and Mrs Etoile were beaming as were the Zabini's and Malfoy's. The four children though stood alone taking in what had just happened, they couldn't comprehend the fact that they now didn't belong to themselves but to a cause that was not theirs.

Draco held Jess tightly in his arms as an attempt to stop her tears, she broke away from her boyfriend, and ran to the arms of her brother, her twin and together they slumped down onto the floor in a dark corner and sobbed. Blaise comforting his sister in the only way he knew how, singing. Softly his voice filled the void around them,

Lay down, your sweet and weary head,

Night is falling,

You have come to journey's end,

Sleep now,

Dream of the ones who came before,

They are calling,

From across the distant shore.

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see,

All of your fears will pass away,

Safe in my arms,

Your only sleeping.

What can you see?

On the horizon,

Why do the white gulls call?

Across the sea,

A pale moon rises.

The ships have come to carry you home.

And all shall turn to silver glass,

The lights on the water,

All hope fades,

Into the West.

He finished and Jessica lay there in his arms resting her eyes, her tears still streaming but for a new reason. "That was beautiful," she whispered as she lay, "You should sing more often brother."

"Yes Blaise you really should," Draco said as he scooped up the resting girl into his arms and took her away up into his quarters so she could rest accordingly.

Hermione still stood there though, stunned by the beauty of his voice and the gentleness it had even in a time like this.

"I see you liked my song," came the hushed voice from the dark.

"Very much so, it was …amazing," she breathed slowly her reply.

"I shall have to sing for you next time then"

"That you shall."

And with that Blaise stood and closed the space between them capturing her soft lips with his own in a gentle, loving kiss. The passion was there but for now all it held was love. Both leaned into each other and held onto one and another grasping for some security.

Hermione pulled back slowly a smile gracing her features. "We should go find where the others have gone," she said taking his hand in hers.

"We should Cara and we should also make this official," He pulled her into him, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course"

Blaise smiled at this and placed a gentle hand around her waist leading her up towards Draco's room where the four were staying the night and where Draco and Jessica lay together, wrapped up in each others arms on the bed, fast asleep and peacefully dreaming.

There he and Hermione took the couch, and lay together talking for what seemed like hours before falling asleep in each others arms, never noticing the set of eyes that had been watching them ever since they left the ballroom.