BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE - REMUS LUPIN

76 - "AMORTENTIA"

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

"amortentia"

There were three types of Slytherins that had received the Dark Mark.

For some, it was a sense of pride to have the sign of the Dark Lord imprinted on their inner left forearm. Since so many of the sixth and seventh years that had received these had such powerful families, not much could be done if they displayed it for the entire school and its professors to see. Although it was brash and arrogant, there was no shortage.

Others that had gotten the Dark Mark tattooed had done so out of fear of what would happen if they did not and had almost instantly regretted their decision. Surprisingly, Roldolphus was among them. He cared to the furthest extent about his reputation and would let people get hurt instead of sacrificing it, but he wasn't evil. Selfish and cruel, but not evil. It was a point of shame for people like him, something that they would hide at all costs.

The third type, however, was the smartest when it came to the desired goal of scaring the living shit out of everyone at Hogwarts.

These few people would not walk into the Great Hall with their sleeves rolled up to their elbows, but they wouldn't be wearing a shirt too large on purpose like some others. They would occasionally let a tiny portion of their tattoo be shown, and so much of a small amount that you wouldn't know if it had actually been there or not. It kept people guessing and terrified, not knowing who they could trust or not. So when a small group of first year Hufflepuff girls saw Theodore, Lucius, and Yaxley walk by with a glimpse of black on their forearms, they squealed and ran, just like the purebloods wanted them to.

But then there were the two most special cases of Regulus and Hollis.

Regulus had been trying to play the part of a haughty Death Eater, but something deep down inside him just couldn't attempt to even fake that much pride in such a horrible symbol. So, he simply pretended that it wasn't there and continued his life as normal.

Hollis knew that in order for Dumbledore to trust her information, the headmaster would have to believe that she was a Death Eater. This would have been easy to just do the same as Regulus, but for the existence of Remus Lupin and the other Gryffindors drove a knife directly through the heart of that plan.

Several nights had been full of distressing dreams about the reaction Remus would have to Hollis's incredibly realistic tattoo, part of the reason for the deep purple beneath her eyes. She couldn't even confide in him that it was a fake, otherwise it would put both Regulus and her in even more danger than they were already. 

Hollis knew that Remus would feel betrayed by a person he barely knew anymore, Lily broken that she was fighting for the people so against muggleborns like her, James horrified at whoever this new person was, Marlene distrusting because of this new mark, Sirius like his boggart was taking form in Hollis, and Peter just incredibly confused at what was going on.