See the prologue for the disclaimer.
Afraid of the Dark
Written by LJP
Chapter 2
"Virginia Weasley."
She pushed her shoulders back, standing up as straight as she could. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"Come to me." The Dark Lord murmured, his voice soft, almost comforting ... in an oddly evil sort of way.
Virginia ... Ginny to friends and family ... felt herself being pulled toward the inner circle. She had no choice but to walk to him. The Death Eaters parted, leaving a path directly to the pedestal. The clearing was silent as she made her way to him. Ginny held her head high, confidently, though inside she was shaking.
Voldemort’s lifeless eyes shined a deep red as she approached him. They were hypnotizing. "Ah, Virginia, let me have a look at you."
Almost involuntarily, Ginny pushed the hood from her head, letting it fall onto her shoulders. She reached up to undo the clasp of her cloak, allowing it to slide down her body to the ground. She was left standing in the midst of the Death Eaters, her long red hair cascading down her back. A few pieces curled around her shoulder seductively. Her face was pale; her lips blood red. And her gown molded to her every curve. The necklace and pendant fell just to the swell of her breasts. She took a deep breath, the sapphire rising and falling with the rise and fall of her chest.
Voldemort circled around her. She shuddered. He ran an icy finger down her cheek, letting it trail past her lips and down her collarbone, coming to a final rest just above the necklace.
"I see you appreciate my gift. I thought it would match your eyes." The Dark Lord remarked, toying with the gem. "Virginia, I do have great things planned for you." His eyes flickered to the left, where Draco was standing. "For you and the young Mr. Malfoy both."
Ginny fought the urge to look at him.
"Go ahead my dear. You can turn to him." It wasn’t the first time Voldemort gave the impression that he could read minds. Slowly, Ginny turned to her right. Draco’s cold, gray eyes met hers. "Greats things are expected of you both."
Silence.
"Virginia, are you ready to take the Mark?"
She tore her eyes from Draco and nodded slowly.
"Severus, the cauldron." It was the first time Lucius hadn’t been the one to aid in the initiation. The elder Malfoy took a step forward in protest. Voldemort held up his hand. "Lucius, I want Severus this time."
Malfoy nodded, bowed his head, and returned to his place next to his son.
"My lord." Another figure shrouded completely in black stepped forward from Voldemort’s right. He lowered his hood, revealing long, greasy, black hair and a large, hooked nose. Ginny fought back the urge to gasp at the realization that her Potions Master was part of Voldemort’s allegiance. Surely Dumbledore knew—but then she was doing this, of course. She would return to Hogwarts after this ceremony, and Dumbledore would be none the wiser.
Snape brought forward the small cauldron sitting on the ground in front of Voldemort’s pedestal. Ginny bit her lip, wishing she had paid closer attention to the previous initiations.
He began the process, his voice deep and sensual, more comforting than he had ever sounded in class. "Virginia Annabel Weasley, have you come here of your own free will?"
"I have." A tremor passed through her voice as she spoke.
"Do you pledge to give your thoughts, words, and actions to Lord Voldemort now and for all time?"
"I do."
"Do you willingly accept the Dark Mark as a symbol of your loyalty to Lord Voldemort?"
"I do." The shaking of her voice began to die down.
"Do you acknowledge that, at any time, Lord Voldemort can summon you to him using the Mark?"
"I do."
"Do you acknowledge also that Lord Voldemort has the right, and the privilege, to at any time he sees fit, sever all connections between yourself, this group, and him?" There was a hint of a smile playing at Snape’s thin, pale lips.
"I do."
"Repeat after me: I, Virginia Annabel Weasley, do swear on this day, the 28th of December, to honor, obey, and follow Lord Voldemort in any and all things that he asks of me from this day forth until the day that my time here has ended."
Ginny took a deep breath. "I, Virginia Annabel Weasley, do swear on this day, the 28th of December, to honor, obey, and follow Lord Voldemort in any and all things that he asks of me from this day forth until the day that my time here has ended." By the time she had finished, her voice was no longer quivering.
The Dark Lord lowered his wand into the cauldron slowly. When he brought it back up, it was glowing red hot. "Give me your right arm." Ginny pushed the right hand sleeve of her gown up, baring the pale skin of her forearm.
"It is time to receive the Mark."
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Draco and Ginny belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Warner Bros and various other corporations. They are being used here without permission and/or affiliation with the above. None of the authors listed here make any profit from these stories.