Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
── IN WHICH MARKS ARE DENIED
. . .
THE FIRST TIME Theodore Nott saw Cerise Zabini during the summer of 1996 was in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. She looked almost the exact same - except from the purple shadows forming under her eyes and the straightened hair when he was so used to seeing it curly - whether it be great, thick waves or tiny, bouncing strands. She rarely straightened her hair, but then again, they were in a Death Eater meeting and-
He felt bile rise up in his throat.
It had all just clicked. Across the drawing room, Cerise was stood alongside Bellatrix Lestrange and her mother, Voldemort himself sitting in a chair not five feet away. That was closer than Theo had ever been.
But that wasn't all.
No, one of Cerise's sleeves was yanked up - the one that should be covering her left forearm - and the expanse of warm toned skin faced an indent, right by the freckle in the centre. Bellatrix Lestrange was jabbing her wand into the skin and Theodore could feel his heart rate rising slowly, steadily, until the noise of the various other conversations faded away and he could hear the exchange.
"Bella, you will not be putting that mark on my daughter." For once in his life, Theodore could feel grateful to Lucrezia Zabini, who had abandoned her current plaything-turned-husband to ensure her daughter's safety.
"Why not?" The Lestrange woman asked, crazed tone similiar to the cackle she let out at any given moment. "It would be an honour for a girl like her to bear my Lord's mark. It is an honour one can only dream of, and for her mother to deny such an offer for her would be cause enough for-"
"Bellatrix!" Lucrezia continued, sharp words joined by the Italian accent merging with other words in the room and as the man stood besides Theo started forwards, he had no choice but to follow, and let his eyes drift from the situation.
Lucrezia wouldn't let Cerise get the Dark Mark - she thought her to be too pretty to be tainted by such a tattoo, even though it was, like Bellatrix suggested, the highest of honours their family would face.
Instead, his eyes found a pair of boys stood behind the exchange, looks of horror hidden in the shadows over them. Blaise was staring at his mother with the knowledge the absolute last thing that Lucrezia would do was allow his sixteen year old twin to become a fully-fledged Death Eater whilst being a member of Voldemort's inner circle, and Draco Malfoy's gaze was on his girlfriend with a look of fear that translated oddly, given the burning sensation currently in the exact same position Bellatrix was threatening.
