A Grave Mistake

Dressed a knee-length gray skirt and a blouse, Narcissa descended the stairs of her home. She reached the foyer, and saw a soft glow of light coming from her husband's study. Knocking on the slightly-opened door, she slowly entered the room, uncertain if he wished to be alone.

He looked up from his desk, clearly exhausted. He studied her, waiting for her to speak.

She walked over to the side of his desk, looking around the study. She didn't know what to say; she only knew that she wanted to be near him.

Lucius regarded her for a few moments, before sighing softly and asking, "What is it, Cissa?"

For a moment she was at a loss for words, then lifted her eyes to his. "How are you?"

A slight smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I'm all right... just tired." He took her hand in his gently, pressing a soft kiss against her knuckles. She smiled faintly, and her gaze drifted over to the piece of parchment that lay on his desk. Quickly following her gaze, he very matter-of-fact-ly turned the page over so that she could not read it. Her expression grew a little disappointed. "I'm sorry, darling, but the Ministry has many secrets," Lucius told her smoothly.

Noting his choice of words, she nodded unemotionally. "Yes it does." She looked him in the eyes. "And does that parchment have anything to do with those secrets?"

His brow raised slightly, and a sad smirk grew on his face. "No," he said simply, knowing he was caught in his almost-lie, but that it made no difference.

Narcissa did not ask anything more on the subject, knowing that it would do no good. Instead, she went over to the chair that was against the wall a few feet away and sat down. Lucius watched her, cocking his head slightly. They stared at each other for a long moment. "Are you all right?" he asked sincerely.

It took her a few moments before she nodded. She studied her husband intently. Twenty-four hours ago, she had been on the ground at his feet. Twelve hours ago, he had un-entwined himself from her and finally gone to work. "How did you explain your lateness this afternoon?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"I just told them that you weren't feeling well this morning, and I felt obligated to remain at home until you were all right." He swiveled his chair to face her slightly. "Of course, Fudge had to inquire then if there was another Malfoy on the way. He never was very discreet, that man."

A long silence filled the room. Lucius finally sighed. "Cissa, I need to finish this."

She didn't want to leave the warm study. Her husband was the only other person in the house, besides the house elves. "May I stay?" she requested. He scrutinized her for a moment, so she added, "Please?"

He sighed again, closing his eyes. "I suppose you may." He opened his eyes and, casting one more glance her direction, swiveled his chair back to face the desk. She watched in silence as he wrote several more lines on the parchment, then waited for it to dry. He rolled up the parchment and secured it, then stood and went over to the owl cage in the corner. He attached the rolled document to the owl's leg, then fumbled in his pocket for something. Narcissa saw him pull out his wand, give it a slight flick, and then walk over to the window and release the bird. For a moment she was confused, then realized that he had cast a wordless Mufflatio so that she would not hear the location he specified.

He returned to his high-backed leather chair, sitting down a bit too heavily for propriety. Narcissa made no comment, recognizing his exhaustion. He propped his elbows on the desk, letting his face fall into his hands. Rising slowly, she stepped over to him and gently rubbed his back with one hand. A quiet sigh escaped him. He raised his head to look at her after a few moments. He slowly stood as well, his steel-gray eyes gazing at her mildly. She ran her hand over his upper arm, saying "You need to get some rest, my love."

Lucius merely smiled in reply, a tender smile that she did not often see. He tucked a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear, gently tracing the edge of her face with his fingertips. Then, running his hand through her hair so that he cupped the back of her head, he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were gentle, his movements slow. After a few moments, he drew back slightly, and she opened her eyes to meet his. For a few moments they communicated without words, merely looking into each other's eyes. Then, intoxicated with his touch and scent, she leaned in to kiss him again. Her hands moved to rest on his shoulders, pulling him closer. Their kisses and movements remained tender, yet full of underlying passion. Lucius's hands slid to either side of her waist, and he gently guided the two of them to his right, rolling the chair of their way with his foot. He lifted her up slightly and sat her on his desk. Surprised, Narcissa opened her eyes and pulled away to look at him. Lucius smiled at her expression, and began unbuttoning her blouse. She felt her cheeks blushing as he exposed her creamy skin. Being undressed in the bedroom was one thing, but being undressed on top of a desk... was something entirely different. As he undid the last button, he kissed her again, this time traveling from her mouth, along her jawline, down her neck, down her chest... he slid his hands beneath her unbuttoned shirt, caressing her stomach and back... and suddenly, he flinched, quickly drawing away from her.

Narcissa's eyes flew open. Her husband had turned his back to her. Confused and concerned, she slid forward on the desk, sliding a hand to his back. "Lucius... what is..." Her voice trailed off as he turned slightly toward her, and she saw that he was holding his left arm. Her heart sank in both disappointment and apprehension.

Her husband's expression conveyed frustration, anger, and extreme disappointment, but what sickened Narcissa was the fear she saw in his eyes. He took a moment to compose himself, then stood up straighter and faced her. He gently tipped her head forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry, my Cissa," he said in a husky voice, staring into her long-lashed eyes. "I have to go." He looked her up and down once with his eyes, clearly dismayed, before kissing her cheek and whisking out of the room.

Pausing only for a moment, Narcissa slid off the desk and followed him, pulling her blouse together as she went. "Lucius!" she called, following him up the stairs as he went to fetch his Death Eater robes. He glanced over his shoulder at her to let her know he was listening, but continued moving. "Don't go."

Lucius rounded the top of the stairs and headed down the hall toward their bedroom. "Cissa, believe me, I would love to stay and finish what we started, but I can't-"

"I don't mean that." She followed close behind, catching up. "I don't want you to get hurt. Don't go. Please don't go."

He entered their bedroom and immediately headed for the wardrobe. "I've been summoned plenty of times before-"

"Don't pretend to me that nothing has changed! Who knows what danger he'll put you in now?"

Suddenly he stopped moving and rounded on her. "And whose fault is that?" he asked sharply. Narcissa felt her stomach cramp up and her face flush with shame and guilt. He stared her down for a few moments before turning without a word and flinging open the wardrobe.

Tears stung her eyes as she watched him swiftly change into the plain black robes. "Lucius, I beg you - please don't go. You feel as I do, I can see the fear in your eyes-"

She had gone too far. He stalked over to her, grabbing her shoulders fiercely. "Did you not learn last night that defiance will bring nothing but swift, painful punishment!?" He looked into her eyes as though she were crazy. Quickly, he led her over to their bed and sat her down none too gently. "I will not argue with you about this. You calm yourself, then go to bed. I expect to find you dreaming peacefully when I return." He tilted her chin up with his hand. "Don't cry, my love," he said, softer. "I'll be back soon enough." With that, he grabbed his mask, took out his wand, and left the room.

Narcissa was left sitting on the edge of their bed, wishing with all her heart that the Dark Lord would just be defeated.