Author's Notes: Also for the Defence Against the Dark Arts class for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum.

Write about Dark wizards, preferably before or about what made them turn Dark.

All of my blind ambition left me deaf with perfect vision

-The Time Has Come-

)O(

When Rabastan told his brother that he had taken the Dark Mark, he had already fabricated a glorious fantasy of being congratulated, praised and lauded for his bravery, kissed in frenzied celebration. He should have known that he was not going to get any such joyous reaction, but he did not expect the anger and horror that broke over his brother's face.

"Don't you realize, Rab?" Rodolphus grabbed him by his shoulders too roughly. Rabastan choked on his breath, but Rodolphus paid his distress no mind and shook him violently.

"What do you think the Dark Lord is going to give you if you join him? Haven't you been paying attention to his work? Haven't you seen what happens to his Death Eaters when he decides he doesn't want them anymore? I won't be able to protect you from him – when he decides he wants you dead, there's not a thing I'll be able to do to shield you, and you should know it! This is suicide, Rabastan!"

"He won't decide he doesn't want me," Rabastan barely managed to rasp without coughing. "I'll serve him well. He'll reward me."

"What sort of rewards?" Rodolphus demanded. "What can he give you that you don't already have?"

Rabastan glared at him. He tried to look superior, but inside, he was wilting. He had so believed that Rodolphus would congratulate him, would be impressed by his decision to join the Death Eaters. It was supposed to be an honourable thing to do; that was what people said.

And his brother's approval was the only real reward he had wanted.

"Your wife–"

Rodolphus cut him off. "Her! I couldn't stop her from laying down her life for him if I wanted to – you don't really think I have the first bit of control over her, do you?"

Rabastan was about to protest that Rodolphus didn't have any control over him either, that he was adult, but it would have been a lie, and Rodolphus carried on before he could say it in any case.

"Besides, it's no matter to me if she gets herself killed! I'll hardly miss her! But Rab, if you…"

Rabastan's throat tightened. He bent forward in a fresh fit of coughing that tore at his lungs and made his vision swim. Rodolphus swore and clutched at him, pulling him down onto the couch and rocking him half-frantically back and forth as he gasped for air.

"I'm sorry, Rabastan, I'm sorry, didn't mean…" His voice thickened slightly, and he pulled Rabastan so tightly against him that his arms almost hurt around his thin waist.

Rabastan leaned his hea against Rodolphus's shoulder, resting on his broad chest. Allowing himself to melt into his brother's arms relaxed his lungs and eased the coughing.

"There, you're all right..." Rodolphus ran a hand up his side, rubbing away the stitch that formed there from the way he gasped for air when he coughed. He continued mumbling, more to himself than to Rabastan, "Shouldn't have said those things, shouldn't have gotten angry at you…"

Rabastan made a little mmm sound to indicate that he heard and forgave, and Rodolphus swore again, quietly.

"But, oh, Rab, why? Why are you putting yourself in danger like this? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Thought you would approve…" Rabastan mumbled, looking down at his hands where they were bunched in Rodolphus's shirt. "Thought you'd be proud…"

"Proud of my little brother for doing something that's going to get him killed?" Rodolphus's voice cracked. "And what am I going to do without you then?"

It was a question for which there was no answer, and both brothers were silent for a terribly long time before Rodolphus spoke with a quiet, unimpassioned certainty.

"I'll just have to join, won't I? If you're going to get killed, I'll die with you."

)O(

You have the choice now, so decide if you want in or out