Bodies lay all around him as blood trickled from various wounds on his body. Voldemort stood over him, incanting various spells, some of which he was not familiar. “Please, Master…,” he begged as blood gurgled from his mouth. The monster’s spells seemed to come stronger as he cackled at the potion master’s words.

Snape’s head snapped upwards as he pulled himself awake. He had only fallen asleep in his chair. The clock struck midnight, its sound ringing through the silent room. ‘It was merely a dream,’ Snape sighed and looked down at the forgotten book on his lap. It was now July 31. As no students were around Hogwarts in the summer, he was free to relax and study without having to supervise detentions or grade papers. He simply did not wish the trouble of returning to Spinner’s End and the memories that went with it. Snape had enough problems at that moment as it was.

It had been more than a year since Voldemort had returned now, and Snape already wished that the war was won. He was tired of playing the double agent and keeping tabs on Potter’s spawn. He feared that Voldemort would find something that he did not expect and doubt him, causing the events of his dream to occur. Snape dared not think of it, his dreams often brought this fear to the forefront of his mind.

The lanky, greasy-haired man groaned lowly in pain as his mark began to burn.

-----

Draco stood amongst a growing crowd of Death Eaters, hidden beneath a mask and thick, black robes his father had lent him. It was now after twelve and the others had been arriving steadily. He would not be marked until he graduated, but his father wished him to be present on this night to witness the present he would soon be granting the Dark Lord.

There were several other junior Death Eaters in the crowd that night, but none knew that another was there. An unwritten vow of silence reigned over such meetings, and even those who were not absolutely certain that they wished to join never said anything except that they looked forward to taking the mark.

The small bit of chatter that had been going on stopped the moment that Voldemort stepped into the room proper. He had been hidden away in one of the dark corners, just watching his followers. His giant snake Nagini followed him, flicking out her tongue out over several members boots as she passed. Each man started and scrambled back away while trying to keep their composure.

“My Death Eaters,” he began coolly before sitting upon his throne. “Tonight, in honor of Harry Potter’s birthday, we shall have a… celebration. There is a village near—“

Voldemort stopped mid-sentence as a lone figure stepped into the group. He held up his wand and spun it lazily in the figure’s direction. “You are late!”

“My lord,” the masked figure began as he stepped forward, his tone soft. “As you are well aware, there are wards preventing apparition around Hogwarts, and it takes me time to be able to sneak outside them to prevent the old fool from wondering. He knows too much, at times.” His words were silky and smooth, utter disgust for ‘old fool’ even while he seemed to be reverent of the thing he spoke to.

Voldemort seemed to roll his eyes at Snape’s words and flicked his wand towards the potion master with a muttered Crucio. “Next time be faster, Severus.” After a moment, the spell was lifted and Snape was able to move back in with the others. Someone leaned over and whispered what he had missed almost inaudibly as Voldemort began on a speech of the superiority of pure bloods and getting rid of Harry Potter.

What Snape did not know was that the whole time Draco’s eyes had been on him.