Painted Rose

46

"What do we do about.. Weasley?" Harry looked at Narcissa.

Currently everyone except Ginny Weasley was in the Malfoys apparating room.

"Why does it matter?" "I don't want her running loose in my house." "I told Poppy to watch over her and locked her room from the outside. She won't do anything." Narcissa nodded. "Do you just want to free all of my elves?" "Poppy? No she's just helping." "He says thank you." Lucius rolled his eyes and Harry did the same but for other reasons.
They apparated to see the Riddle Manor was already swarming with death eaters, mainly the outer circle and their off springs.

"Hm. Didn't know people were so esthetic for this." Tom rolled his eyes and showed them the way.

When they entered the ball room, Rodolphus and Bellatrix ran up, hugging Hermione.
Narcissa glanced at Harry who didn't seem to mind.

Emily somehow got out of Narcissas hold and crawled over to Harry. He looked down and smiled, picking her up.

"Excited?" "Can't you see?" Harry chuckled and hugged Hermione. "Scared?" "Scared it'll hurt." "It will." Hermione looked at her uncle who chuckled. "Just for a little bit though." "And don't scratch it that'll make it worse." "Lotion?" "Will make it feel a little weird but you can do that."
Hermione sighed and looked at Harry.
"You sure you don't wanna get the mark with us?" "Hm. Yeah I don't like the idea of being chained down like that." "Since you already are by Dumbledore." "And that I don't see the point when Tom already has me around his finger."
Tom smirked.
"Good you finally admit it." Harry rolled his eyes and Tom kissed him before walking away.

"...When did that happen?!" "Christmas dumbass." "No! But you were all "oh kill me" now your all "oh tom kiss me"." Everyone chuckled at Rabastans act. "Over a long course Harry was tired of protesting." Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled with the others.

Harry stood with Narcissa and Lucius. Narcissa squirmed uncomfortably and Harry held her hand. She looked at him and squeezed his hand.

She knew this was also nerve racking for Harry. Her son may be getting the dark mark but Harry's little sister was also getting it.
Harry knew Hermione would be ok but he couldn't help but worry about her reaction when the thrill about what is happening wears off.

Hermione was kneeing down beside Draco and Blaise. Her left sleeve rolled up like the other teenagers.
The room was silent as Tom stood from his throne like chair and pulled his wand out.

It was to late now.
None of these teenagers could turn back on their decision.

One by one Tom laid the tip of his wand on the teens forearms.
Some hissed and some groaned in pain.

Narcissa tightened her grip on Harry's hand when Tom started to get close to Draco.
She wanted to stop her lord. She wanted to hug Draco and make sure that wand never touched him...
But she couldn't. Draco was doing this for them and Hermione. She knew he wanted to help anyway he can and if that meant getting the dark mark, he would gladly kneel down and receive it with his mate, with Hermione.

Bellatrix stood beside Harry and found it hard to breath for some reason.
She hadn't wanted her children to be servants to the dark lord. She had never wanted that wand near her child, her children.. yet here Hermione was. Her youngest child kneeling and determined to get the dark mark.

"She isn't doing this out of fear." Bellatrix looked down at Harry who held a sleeping Emily. "Hermione wanted to do this. She wants to be close to you. Protect you. She lost you once and Hermione won't let that happen again. Hermione isn't one to stand on the side lines while others get hurt. She can't just watch someone be in pain. Hermione wants to be with you, Hermione wants to be with Draco.. Hermione wants to be her own person, freed by the light, freed by Dumbledore, the Grangers. She's choosing to do this.
Don't feel bad or scared. Hermiones smart and knows what actions to take to get what she wants, what she needs."
Bellatrix was stunned.

Harry Potter knew her daughter this well. Harry Potter was not stopping his best friend from getting the dark mark. Harry Potter was reasoning and comforting her.
Bellatrix smiled ever so slightly.
Harry Potter was like Harry Lestrange, her eldest, her son.

Tom reached Hermione and she looked up ever so slightly. He glanced at Harry and crouched slightly, laying the top of his wand on her forearm.

Blood and black ink surged through Hermiones veins. It felt as if snakes were moving through her veins.
It hurt, the pain was severe but that pain died down when Toms wand left her forearm.

Hermione let go of her now red lip and looked down to see a snake, a snake that looked like Nagini, the snake that slept behind the throne chair Tom had been sitting on, that snake slithered through a skull.

Hermione looked at her side to see Tom placing the dark mark on Draco.
Draco had his eyes closed and his fist clenched.

She knew it hurt and Hermione was slightly stunned by Dracos reaction to the pain.
Hermione knew Draco was never the best at pain. She didn't know that as well as Harry but she knew enough to see how much he had truly improved.

Now they were marked. Blaise, Hermione and Draco were marked.
They were followers, official followers of the dark lord.

Tom walked back to his throne after every teenager that knelt was marked. Slowly they stood and looked at each other.
The pain was still there but Radastan was right, the pain was slowly dying down.

"Our new death eaters!"

Claps and cheers chorused the room and Draco held Hermiones hand.
Hermione held the hand that had Dracos dark mark on it but she didn't mind, they were in this together after all.