A Grave Mistake

Silently, Narcissa lay on her side in bed; the events of the previous day preoccupied her mind.

"Narcissa?" his voice hissed softly. He took several menacing steps closer to her. "Have we discovered a traitor?" he said to those around him. Her defiance melted away as he backed her against the wall, and she cast her eyes down. "Look at me, girl," he commanded her icily. She willed herself to raise her eyes to look at him, and slowly she obeyed. His piercing gaze was more threatening than a wand in the face.

An arm slid around her waist, and she felt her husband move close behind her. She took comfort in his embrace, knowing that he loved her above all. Or at least above most everyone, and as much as he loved their son.

She looked past the Dark Lord and saw her husband, standing stiffly, looking petrified. She met his gaze, and he raised his chin slightly, unwilling to show his fear and desperation in front of the Dark Lord and his followers. But to her, his eyes sank in deeply and held her gaze, as though he was physically stopping her from looking away. Suddenly, though, his gaze shifted, and she looked to see what had changed.

Narcissa gently ran her hand down the arm around her waist, entwining her fingers with his when she reached his hand. He tightened his embrace slightly, holding her tightly against him. His head nestled gently over her shoulder, close enough to kiss her on the temple.

The Dark Lord had stepped away from her, his head cocked slightly, his face unreadable. He slowly brought forth his wand, holding it up thoughtfully. Her stomach churned, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Lucius take a minuscule step forward. Suddenly, before she could react, he cried "Crucio!" The world went white with blinding pain, and she knew nothing but unparalleled agony for Merlin knows how long.

When it finally ended, she lay twisted on the ground, twitching, hoarse... she must have been screaming. When she found the strength to open her eyes, she saw that the Dark Lord stood over her, unusually emotionless.

Narcissa's body tensed, remembering what happened next. Lucius felt the change, and slid his other arm around her, fully enfolding her in his embrace. She tried not to think about yesterday's events any further, but the horrible ordeal forced its way into her thoughts.

She looked over at Lucius. His face was drenched in sweat, his expression fixed. He kept his eyes fixed on her, but at the same time refused to make eye-contact with her. The Dark Lord followed her gaze, and slowly turned to face her husband. Lucius immediately tried to stand at attention, meeting his master's stare. "And you, Lucius," the snake-like figure practically whispered. "Are you also hiding your true allegiance from me?" He took a threatening step toward him, wand still at the ready.

"No, my lord," he answered immediately. Then, more slowly he added, "You are our master, my lord."

The Dark Lord stepped closer to his Death Eater, wand before him. Then suddenly his expression grew nasty. "Good." He came to Lucius's side, placing a hand on his back and walking him slightly closer to where his wife lay on the ground. "Teach your wife a lesson in obedience." The Dark Lord turned and paced a few steps away, leaving Lucius standing over Narcissa, breathing heavily and dizzily. For several moments, there was nothing. The Dark Lord leaned toward Lucius slightly, studying him expectantly. "Is there a problem, Lucius?"

Narcissa gazed up into her husband's eyes, so full of pain. The distraught man stood motionless. "My lord I... I could say the word, but... it will be useless if I do not mean it."

The dark figure moved closer to his servant again, this time his expression dangerous. "And do you not mean it, Lucius? Do you agree that I am wrong to give duties to your son? Do you deny my authority?"

Lucius fought his emotions desperately. "My lord I do not agree with my wife's statement, and I support and recognize your authority, but I cannot ... I do not want to harm her... ...please, my lord..."

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed, and he held up his wand. "Crucio!" he cried, but this time it was Lucius who fell under the curse. His knees buckled and he fell to the ground next to her, contorting in pain, screaming. Narcissa stared in horror, sitting up. She felt a sob rising in her throat, and struggled to hold it down. Lucius's torture lasted mere moments, but it was enough to sicken her. Gathering his senses, Lucius brought himself up to his knees, then stood, not looking at her even once. "I've never known you to beg, Lucius," the Dark Lord said scathingly. "Now, you claim loyalty to me. Your wife seems not to care. Will you not punish her for that?" His master's voice grew quieter... even more deadly. "Or perhaps you are a traitor after all."

Lucius turned back to her, breathing heavily, gritting his teeth. Narcissa stared up at him, looking pathetic and scared. His expression contorted, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Then, opening his eyes but not really looking at her, he shouted "Crucio!"

Agony ripped her apart. She could not see, she could not hear, there was nothing but pain... nothing but twisting, shredding, mutilating pain.

And then she lay on the ground before her husband in the fetal position, trembling, choking, and gasping. She stared at his shoes, unwilling to look up. She heard the Dark Lord laugh. "And you said you didn't mean it? Lucius, there's no need to hide anger at your wife from us." Narcissa's stomach spasmed, knowing that the remark was meant to drive them apart. But she knew her husband didn't mean it. He couldn't mean it. He couldn't...

She lifted her head to look at him, and was met with the familiar steel-gray eyes. But in those eyes she saw a world of pain, and she knew that he hadn't meant it. Not the way the Dark Lord wanted him to.

Narcissa was trembling slightly, and her husband immediately felt it. "Cissa...?" He gently guided her body around to face him. There were tears in her eyes, but they did not escape to her cheeks. "My Cissa, don't cry..." Lucius gently kissed each of her cheeks, then her lips. She scrunched her face slightly, trying with all her might not to succumb to her emotions, but the sobs came forth. She pressed her forehead against his chest, grabbing handfuls of his nightshirt. His strong arms wrapped around her protectively, and she lost herself in her tears.

The torture had not ended there. After Lucius, the Dark Lord had called forth Bellatrix, to finish the punishment. There was an unusual hesitation on her sister's part, but no refusal, and certainly no failure. When it had finally ended, Narcissa lay on the ground, ignored, for the rest of the meeting. She did not try to get back up and join in the discussion again. Never had she felt so weak in her life, both physically and emotionally. It was a clear statement to her - that neither her husband, nor her sister would stand up for her against the Dark Lord. She did not expect them to, of course - it would have meant certain death. But the warning was there.

She sobbed against Lucius's chest. Never, before last night, had she experienced the Cruciatus Curse. She'd managed to avoid it her entire life, by her obedience and deference. And now... it was too late to fight back. Lucius was right. There was nothing to do but what she'd done her whole life - avoid punishment, remain silent, and outwardly show her loyalty. The best way to protect their family was to simply do nothing.

Lucius held her firmly and protectively, kissing her hair and rubbing her back gently. She was crying so hard that she was struggling to breathe, and she nearly choked. "Narcissa," he said seriously, his mouth near her ear. "Please don't forget that I love you." She hiccuped, pulling him closer. "You and Draco are everything to me. And I won't let you die. Either of you." He reached up to her chin, tipping her head back slightly. Her face was streaked bright red with tears. "I will make sure that Draco is not endangered by the Dark Lord; you needn't stand up to him again. Do you understand me, Cissa?"

Tears continued to tumble down her cheeks, but she nodded slightly. Satisfied with this, he kissed her forehead and pulled her close again, this time with one hand cupping the back of her head.

They lay there the rest of the morning. Nothing, not even a job at the ministry, was more important than this.