The Marauder's Daughter

THE DARK MARK

josephine weasley

Four months had passed since the burning of the burrow. Since mine and Fred's wedding. Since all of it. The days were long, dragging on for what felt like forever. Still, Snape and I continued to try and get Draco out of the mess he was in.

"You need to get closer to him. Closer to Voldemort," Snape spoke to me, the two of us seated in his office opposite each other.

I nodded. "I'm trying, but it's not the easiest thing."

He let out a shaky breath. "I know a way, but it is far too dangerous."

"It's me getting the Dark Mark, isn't it?" I asked, fiddling with my thumbs.

He nodded his head. "You are married now. You are going to start a family. I can't put you in that much danger-"

"No, you can't. But I can put myself in the danger."

"No," he spoke roughly. "Absolutely not. The Death Eaters will torture you."

"I can spy," I spoke. "I can use muggle tape devices; wires, to record the meetings, and report back. I can warn Harry of when Voldemort decides his attack-"

He stood up from his chair. "I AM NOT LETTING YOU GET YOURSELF KILLED!"

"AND I AM NOT LETTING MY FAMILY GET KILLED!" I yelled back, standing from my chair and slamming my hands on the desk. "You said it yourself. I am married now, and I'm going to start a family. I'd like to get rid of the enemy as soon as possible. To keep my family safe."

A frown painted itself on his lips. "I'm not talking you out of this, am I?"

I shook my head. "I've made up my mind. I've arranged for Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson to take me to Malfoy Manor tonight to get the Dark Mark. Draco doesn't know."

"I drug you into this. I'm sorry."

A sigh escaped my lips. "You drug me into it, but I'm going to get all of us out of it."

**

The sound of my heels echoed on the ground as I walked alongside Pansy and Blaise, their hands on my arms, leading me into the manor. My heartbeat pounded in my chest at the thought of myself finally doing this. How the Weasley's would be devastated. How Lupin would react.

I didn't let those feeling pursue, though, because before I knew it we were in a dining room. The table was seated with the Malfoy family, the Parkingson's, the Black's, the Zabini's. Everyone was there, even Snape. But the most chilling of all was how Voldemort was seated at the head of the table, a snake slithering around his legs and feet.

"Good evening, Miss Black," Voldemort's voice interrupted the silence in the room, every head turning to me.

Draco's eyes met mine, his getting consumed with worry, but I just looked away from him.

"Hello, my Lord," I spoke as Blaise and Pansy let go of my arms, snaking off to their seats at the table.

"Come, my dear," he spoke, waving his hand for me to come set next to him in an empty seat.

My knees shook as I walked, but that didn't stop me from taking my seat to the left of him.

"You helped Mister Malfoy repair the Vanishing Cabinet at Hogwarts. Am I correct?"

I nodded. "You are correct, my Lord."

He smiled. It wasn't a welcoming smile. It was a sinister smile. One that would haunt me forever. In my sleep. Every time I shut my eyes. It would be there.

"I believe it is time that you receive the mark," he told me. "Come, now, with me to the dungeon."

I gulped as I stood on my feet, walking behind Voldemort down the steps in the drawing room to the dungeons.

"On your knees," he told me, standing over my figure as I dropped down against the cold floor, my knees exposed by the skirt of my dress. "If you are truly worthy of having this mark, it will not hurt terribly."

I nodded my head as he took my left arm in his hand, his skin burning mine. I looked at my arm as he pointed his wand to it, muttering words under his breath before pulling his wand away from me.

My body tensed and burned, stinging as I saw the ink drawing his mark on my arm. I shut my eyes, the pain inside my body making me want to scream, but I couldn't. It was like a thousand suns were burning inside of me, all at once, making my insides melt. The pain dripped down me, filling every organ in my body. Dripping down my rib cage. Down my arms and legs.

After a moment, I reopened my eyes, my arm still burning, but not as bad as before. I looked down at it, tracing my fingers over the tattoo on my arm.

"Thank you, my Lord," I spoke.

He let out a chuckle, something evil and horrifying, before seizing my arm in his yet again, and leading me up the stairs.

"Was she worthy?" Lucius Malfoy's voice broke through the room.

"She was," Voldemort spoke. "Not a cry exited her body. She was...exceptional."

I bowed my head down in his presence, honoring him as I felt eyes upon me from each Death Eater in the room.

Together, Voldemort and I took our seats at the table. Him at the head, and myself in the seat to the left of him, beside Blaise Zabini.

"We will invade the castle tomorrow night," Voldemort spoke. "On this journey, I choose Bellatrix, Fenrir, Yaxly, Alecto, Amycus, and Severus to meet Draco and Josephine in the castle. You know what I expect of you."

**

Chills drew up my spine as I walked the halls of Hogwarts late that night with Draco on one side, Blaise and Pansy on the other, Snape walking ahead of them.

"I never took you as the type to join," Pansy spoke to me. "You married a Blood Traitor."

I shook my head. "No, I married a pure blood, Pansy. I, myself, am a Half-Blood, which you're aware of, but I will gain blood purity as my family tree reigns on."

She scoffed and nodded. "Good for you, then."

I turned my head away from her before walking over to the staircases. "Goodnight," I spoke, before walking up the marble stairs, my heels clicking as I did so.

My mind raced with thoughts. Thoughts of how people would know I was with the Death Eaters if they saw me up on the Astronomy Tower. There was only one way to do this, and it involved lying to every person I knew. Fred knew this would happen. I told him that night we got Draco from the manor. He knew the lengths I'd go to in order to save him. But Harry didn't know that. Neither did Hermione or Ron or George or Lupin.

Ginny and Hermione were asleep when I entered the dorm, their breaths filling the room. I sighed, grabbing a sweater and a pair of pajama pants out of my trunk before making my way into the bathrooms that were connected to the dorm.

I looked at myself in the mirror, the Dark Mark inked on my forearm menacingly. After tonight, everything would be different, and tomorrow, Dumbledore would be dead.