Chapter 4: The Dark Mark

Severus sat with his back to the tree as Viktoria lay with her head resting on his chest. He held her close to him. It was one of the last days of school. "Are you worried at all about your OWLs?" Severus asked. He felt Viktoria shake her head. She'd studied for months for them, the main cause of why they didn't get as much time together as he wished they had, but she'd finally gotten them over with, something that she was really happy about. "Have you given any thought as to whether or not you want to spend the summer with me?" he asked as he stared down at the top of her head.

She grabbed his arm and showed him the palm of his hand. 'Yes, and I would like to very much... we won't see each other in school next year, but my parents won't let me spend the summer with you.' He stared at the black letters in his palm and caressed her head softly. He knew she could talk for she'd already spoken to him before, but she wouldn't do so if anyone could hear her. She explained why it had to be that way, and he understood perfectly.

"Why don't you run away with me then? No one will find you," he said as touched her head, as it was his final year at Hogwarts, he didn't know when else he would be able to see her again, which was the reason he felt desperate to have her stay with him. She sat up and stared into his eyes like she half thought that he was crazy but the other half thought that it wasn't too bad an idea. "You're old enough to make the decision. You turned sixteen in October. You will be of age in a mere couple of months," he said as he stared at her.

Viktoria lay her head back onto his chest and instinctively he wrapped his arms around her once more. He knew that she would want sometime to think about it. Viktoria sighed and stared down at the sleeve of his arm. She guessed that he'd accidentally pushed it up a little when his arm went around her. She was about to close her eyes when she saw a faint ink marking. Viktoria furrowed her brow at this as she quickly grabbed his arm and pushed up his sleeve.

Viktoria fell away from Severus as he immediately stood up and pulled down his sleeve, but it was too late, she'd see the scull with the snake already. She stared up at him through narrowed eyes. 'What in the bloody hell is that Severus? Is that what I think it is?' Red letters floated before him as he stood up. He immediately waved his hand through them to make them go away. Instead of green words, sometimes they appeared red, but that was only when she was very angry.

"It's nothing," he said through gritted teeth as he turned away and started to walk away. Viktoria stared after him for a moment before getting up and following him, she had to jog after him as he was walking very quickly and had very long legs. She knew very well what that marking was. There was a man that seemed to be rising to power. He was getting supporters. At the moment the Ministry of Magic said not to take this man, Voldemort, very seriously. Just another pompous pure-blood trying to finish what Slytherin started, but Viktoria did not like the idea of him nevertheless. She knew it was wrong to underestimate people, especially if that person was quickly gaining support form others.

She grabbed him by the arm roughly and forced him to turn around. 'How could you not tell me about THIS? You know what the Prime Minister has said about it!' Viktoria's letter glowed for a moment before once more he brushed them away and looked around to make sure that no one was staring his way. Anyone seen carrying a Dark Mark, as they'd deemed the mark of the Dark Lord (as his supporters had to call him), were to be reported to the authorities.

"That's why you aren't going to tell anybody," he said as he grabbed her arm and yanked her into the school. He walked at a fast pace and pushed her into the closest, empty classroom he could find and closed the door behind himself. "There is nothing wrong with joining him. He's not a bad man. He only wants to keep Mudbloods out of the wizarding world, as they should be."

"What are you talking about? Everything is wrong with that! How do you think that he's going to go about doing that Severus? Through peaceful chats with everyone in power! This man is most definitely going to be one of the darkest wizards of this age! That's how all dark Wizards start out! Why do you think the minister wants to catch all those who are becoming his supporters? To have a jolly good chat with them? They know what's going to come," she said in an angry whisper, trying her best to keep her voice down, even though they were in the room alone. She didn't want her voice to be heard out in the hallway.

Severus shook his head. Her voice was simply so beautiful it made him completely forget his passion about what he felt on the subject. "I don't know how my joining the Dark Lord has anything to do with you. It was my decision to make! Besides he's the greatest wizard of this age and I happen to believe that there is nothing wrong with his ideals!" he said loudly as he stared down into her eyes.

"You don't see how it has anything to do with me? I love you Severus, how would this be none of my business? Do you think I want to be with you with the constant fear of where you are, of whether or not the ministry has caught you or not? I don't want to go through that Severus, especially if I think that everything your precious Dark Lord stands for is vile and immoral!" she said angrily as she looked at him.

"So what? Are you saying that you don't want to be with me because of a silly mark on my forearm?" he asked as he stared down at her. She swallowed something in her throat as she stared at him with trace amount of fear sparkling in her amber eyes, like she knew that this was the end.

"It's your choice Severus. Pick me or your precious mark," she said as she stared up into his eyes. She tried her best to stand up straight and make it seem like no matter what he chose it would not affect her.

"I value my life, Viktoria. If it means picking the Dark Lord over you then so be it," he said as he stared down into her eyes. She closed her eyes slowly as she looked down at her feet. She merely nodded and turned away.

"So be it, and I won't tell anyone about the Dark Mark. You can rot with it for all I care," she whispered as she opened the door and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

TBC…