If a Great Wave Shall Fall (Severus Snape & Lily Evans)

Chapter Seven

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"Ah, Severus, I was beginning to think that you had lost your way," the Dark Lord said as Severus came into his line of sight.

Bowing as deeply as he could, Severus replied, "No my Lord, I had a faulty guide," Severus smirked inwardly as Voldemort frowned.

"Who might this faulty guide be?" There was a hint of iciness in his voice as he rose gracefully from his elaborate chair near the equally elaborate fireplace.

"Bellatrix, my Lord, she was... rather tipsy, figuratively and literally, she must have fallen over three times on our way down here and she couldn't walk in a straight line to save her life." Severus said nonchalantly as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"She will have to walk in a straight line if she wants to live," Voldemort growled to himself loud enough for the other to hear, he began walking towards Severus, seemingly gliding over the stone floors, "I will deal with her later, but for now come over to the fireplace." He said as he placed his hand on Severus's back, near his shoulder, guiding him over to the fireplace. The Dark Lord's touch sent shivers down Severus's spine; he tried really hard to suppress all of them, but failed. Luckily for him Voldemort mistook them for shivers of excitement, "Are you excited Severus? This is every young recruit's dream..." he trailed off as he stopped just in front of the fireplace, and Severus turned to face him.

Voldemort pulled out his wand with exaggerated flourish and held up the palm of his right hand, "Your arm, Severus." Severus hurriedly undid the buttons that ran up his forearm and then pulled it up, revealing his wand holster. Taking that off and placing it along with his wand in one of his many pockets, he placed his arm in Voldemort's hand, trying to seem eager. "Do you swear to do as I say, no questioning my orders?" the Dark Lord's wand was hovering over his forearm, ready to brand him.

"I do," Severus said solemnly, keeping an iron like hold on his Occlumency shields. A white light shot out of Voldemort's wand and twisted and swirled around Severus's arm like a vapor of mist; definitely not what he expected.

"Do you swear to kill any and all people, be they wizards, Muggles, or Mud-bloods, who stand in my way to glory?"

"I do," Severus lied, hoping that Voldemort wouldn't be able to tell, a dark green light shot out of the yew wand and curled around Severus's arm like another vapor of mist; a dull pulsing pain started to build up in his arm and strangely in his chest. That one, however, felt far deeper.

"Do you swear to serve me until death?" Voldemort's eyes narrowed slightly at Severus as he asked this.

"I do," Severus managed to say through clenched teeth as the pain increased significantly and a streak of aphotic vapors wrapped around his arm, embedding in the other two which were still swirling around his arm. As soon as the lightless streak had completely disappeared, the white and green stopped over the inside of his forearm and formed a vague Mark; now swirling in that image, which was growing clearer by the second, the forming image dropped down on to his once unblemished forearm. He had to bite the inside of his mouth to stop from screaming out as he was branded with Voldemort's dark magic; even when he tasted his blood, he didn't stop biting down.

While the pain in his forearm subsided slightly - the deep pain in his chest remained, the only thing he could imagine it being was his magical core protesting the dark magic that he had just been branded with. Swallowing, Severus said, "Thank you, my Lord - are there any other potions you wish of me?" his voice was slightly hoarse.

Voldemort's eyes gleamed brightly in the dancing light, "I will have Lucius bring them to you - he will also provide you with the Floo powder and teach you to call your mask. You are excused Severus." With that, Severus bowed to his master... and walked out of the library, buttoning up his sleeve as he went, leaving Voldemort to his thoughts of how that certain dark haired Slytherin would, without doubt, climb high in his ranks.