Carpe Canem

Carpe Canem

Disclaimer: At the start of every chapter I have to write that I make no money from this; you already know that.

Voldemort was receiving the new initiates. An air of anxious excitement pervaded the room as each of them approached the dais to be introduced by their sponsor. Before accepting them as Death Eaters, Voldemort drew each young witch or wizard forward. Casting a firm Legilimens, he entered their minds and assessed each one. After they were judged, they were moved quickly into adjacent rooms.

Severus stood behind Mulciber as the line moved forwards and the room gradually emptied. Lucius Malfoy stood at his side, having graciously offered to be his sponsor. Last in the line, behind Snape, was Remus Lupin. No one stood next to him. None of the Death Eaters had offered to introduce him.

Severus could hear the werewolf muttering nervously to himself. "I'm not sure about this. What are we getting ourselves into?"

Leaning forward, Lupin put a hand on Snape's shoulder.

Severus patted the hand in reassurance. "It'll be fine, Lupin. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I don't know..."

"...Severus Snape."

Snape flinched. He had missed Lucius introducing him to Voldemort. Remus squeezed his shoulder, and Severus stepped forward. Bony fingers grasped his chin as Voldemort looked him over.

"I'm not sure if we need any half-bloods in our ranks. Are you worth having, Snape?"

Severus lifted his eyes and met the other wizard's cold gaze, resisting the urge to look away.

"You think you are worthy of a Death Eater's mask, do you?"

Severus nodded very slightly.

"If you take the Dark Mark, you will be tied to me until death. You understand that, don't you?"

Snape swallowed hard and nodded again, unflinching.

Before Severus realised what was happening, Voldemort entered his mind. With brutal force the older wizard pushed aside Snape's school learning, riffled through his early years, then hauled up the memories of Snape being bullied. He took longer examining these, before giving a mental nod and moving onward. Finally, he came to Severus's memories of Charmaine.

Severus struggled, mentally pushing him away. Subconsciously, Severus desperately wanted to keep those private. They were precious to him and not for anyone else to peruse at their leisure.

He sensed Voldemort trying to manipulate his mind in order to view the images, groping for another way to access them. Memories seeped out under the onslaught. Charmaine.

"Fascinating," murmured Voldemort as he withdrew. He released his grip, allowing Snape to slump to his knees on the floor. "Potions and Poisons. That's a dangerous combination, but with the two of you together we would be unbeatable."

He looked down at the wizard crumpled at his feet with obvious disdain. "Get up, Snape, for goodness sake. I will take you, even though you don't have the best breeding. Bring your Poisons mistress with you sometime. I would be most interested to meet her."

He motioned for Snape to move away. "Next."

Lupin stepped forward hesitantly.

"Have you no sponsor to introduce you?" Voldemort enquired with a malicious edge to his voice.

Lupin shook his head, shaggy hair flopping in his eyes.

Severus hauled himself to his feet, coming to stand next to Remus. "I will speak for him."

"Who is he, and what talents does he bring?"

"My Lord Voldemort..."

"My Lord. I like that." Voldemort smirked. "Continue, Snape."

"My Lord Voldemort, may I present Remus Lupin, the werewolf."

Remus shot him a startled look, and his mouth opened to protest.

"A werewolf? I expect your mind will be a howling void." Voldemort's mouth tightened in another smirk.

"How droll, my lord."

"Don't patronise me, Malfoy," Voldemort snapped.

Lucius appeared unruffled, despite the icy glare he received.

"I will accept the werewolf only because he could be useful in future communications with the wild werewolves. Please do not let any of the others know what you are, Lupin. They may panic, and we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Rising, he strode ahead of them into the next room, stopping just inside the doorway. Snape and Malfoy instinctively stepped to either side of him as they entered and stood slightly behind him, waiting. A susurrus of whispers rippled across the room at the sight of the blond and dark wizards flanking their leader, as if it were their rightful place.

Voldemort raised his voice slightly and, holding his arms aloft, invited the gathering to start the initiation ceremony.

Snape and Remus found themselves at the back of the line again. They watched in trepidation as the first initiate stepped forward to receive the Dark Mark. Expecting the Mark to be hot-branded on to the young wizard's forearm, they were pleasantly surprised to see Voldemort gently press his wand tip to the skin. A quiet incantation from the powerful wizard generated the tattoo, which blossomed in slowly intensifying greys through to black.

With an expanding smile and an ecstatic sigh, the initiate swooned into the waiting arms of his sponsor, who carried him gently through to yet another room. Before the door swung closed behind them, the strains of happy singing and joyous whoops seeped through to the waiting line of initiates.

"Well, that doesn't seem too bad," Remus commented.

Snape relaxed a little as the same happened with each new Death Eater.

"There's still time to back out if you're not up to it, Snape," Remus whispered as Mulciber was carried from the room. He gave Severus a feral grin.

Severus squared his shoulders and stepped up to the front. Rolling up his sleeve, he laid his bared left forearm on the table-top.

"What is this?" Voldemort hissed, touching his wand tip to the silver starburst on Snape's skin.

Pain lancing up his arm made Severus wince, and he tried to withdraw.

"No! You are mine now, young Snape, until death. We agreed. Hold him, Malfoy."

Lucius gripped hard, clamping Severus's arm to the table. Delicately, Voldemort touched Snape's forearm again with his wand and started to chant.

A tortured groan escaped Snape's lips as he writhed in agony, trying to escape Malfoy's vice-like grip and the searing pain of the growing Dark Mark.

As suddenly as it started, it was over. Severus collapsed to the floor, sweating and shaking. He cradled his left arm weakly. Remus grabbed his hand and pressed hard on the Blaze. Snape roared in pain as intense cold surged from the silver spot, through his forearm and into the new tattoo. Silvered crystals bloomed around the tattoo's edge before subsiding into a pearly grey, outlining the skull and serpent. Shudders wracked Snape's slender frame as the strange, burning cold subsided.

"Very interesting," murmured Voldemort, peering closely at the variation in the Mark. He gave Severus an appraising look. "Very interesting, indeed."

Straightening up, he smoothed his robes with long fingers. "And now, the werewolf. Stand up, Snape, if you are going to be his sponsor."

Voldemort motioned for the young wizards to approach him.

Severus held Lupin's wrist and pushed his sleeve up past the elbow with still shaking hands. He looked into Remus's warm, brown eyes as he did, with an unspoken question. Remus returned his gaze steadily and gave a small nod. "We're in this together, Severus, mate."

They turned to Voldemort, and Severus held Lupin's arm securely. As the Dark Lord started his spell, Remus yelped and pulled away. Snape's grip tightened, holding him firm.

"Severus, it hurts," Remus snarled, looking into Snape's darkening eyes. "No! Ow!" His voice rose in anguish. "Ow, ow, ow, oowowow!"

Lupin threw his head back and let out a deep-throated howl.

Voldemort finished his incantation and stepped back. Leaping away, clutching his forearm, Lupin growled a string of profanities softly to himself as he wriggled his fingers to relieve the pain.

"Show me your arm, werewolf." Voldemort held out a pale hand.

Cautiously, Remus extended his trembling arm, turning it so they could all see where Voldemort had made his brand. There was no skull, no snake, only a faint greying of the skin and a soft fuzz of fur.

Voldemort inhaled sharply before letting his breath out in a long, low hiss.

"There was always a risk it wouldn't work on the werewolf, but worth the attempt, I think. Yes, I expect it will still have some effect, though maybe not fully." He nodded to himself. "I have had enough experimentation for the night."

Looking up at the three wizards in front of him, Voldemort gave them a thin smile. "Snape, take this young man home. As I said before, I do not want the rest of my Death Eaters upset by his... differences." Turning away, he headed for the door. "Lucius, escort me. We have revels to attend."

Lupin slumped against Snape as the door closed behind the older wizards. He draped an arm around the skinny shoulders of his pallid friend.

Suddenly, the door burst open again. Mulciber stumbled through, looking flushed and intoxicated. He came to an abrupt halt, swaying slightly. "What happened to you guys? Merlin, you look terrible. I heard screaming and howling. It sounded like you'd been thrown to the wolves." He giggled.

"Lupin got a little animated by the ceremony," Snape sneered. "Lord Voldemort has asked me to escort him home."

Lupin scowled at Snape as the dark wizard grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the door.

"Let's go, Lupin, before he realises how close to the mark he is," murmured Snape.

"Owowow!" howled Mulciber behind them, staggering back through to the other room, laughing.

A/N: carpe canem = seize the dog. I apologise if the Latin is not quite right. It has been more than three decades since the dominie (complete with chalk-dust encrusted, academic gown and mortar board) asked me not to come back to the Latin class.

Thanks again to sunny33 for her beta work.