Narcissa tossed and turned in the dark master bedroom. It was very late and Draco was likely sleeping unsettled downstairs. Bellatrix didn't sleep much at night but would be stirring on the first floor of the manor. There were those others in the house but because there wasn't someone sleeping beside her, she felt very much alone. She tucked his pillows beneath the comforter and snuggled up beside as if it was him there, but it was no use. With Lucius in prison, she couldn't sleep in peace. Even if they weren't touching in the large bed, just feeling his presence helped her sleep soundly. She never complained of his snoring either, as it was a sign of his nearness. Without him there it was completely silent. It was so quiet she could hear the blood pumping in her ears. It unnerved her.

She had thought of herself as completely independent before she met Lucius, at least in regards to sleep. She thought she would prefer to sleep alone, as another person would just cut down her room to spread out. Once she began to share a bed with him, however, it made her feel completely safe and loved. In sleep as well as daylight she felt unsafe. It was dangerous to be without him. She could only imagine how he felt without her. He was in a cold, damp prison cell while she was curled up in their wedding bed. It felt like a prison of her own between the cold pillows.

What choked her more was the constant reminder of his spirit in the room. The portrait of the two of them hanging above the fireplace almost upset her. She was sitting in a green and gold chair with him standing behind her, his arms wrapped around her lovingly. Right now, she was leaning against the back of the chair, dozing, while he sat on the floor beside her with his head against her knees. She could barely see the painting in the dark, but she could see it enough to make her clutch her pillow tighter. She felt guilty being here without him, although she knew it was his choice long ago to fall into service. She tried as hard as she could not to be angry with him. Lucius would never dream of leaving her alone.

The soft light of the stars fell through the open windows and landed on the floor, casting an eerie glow on the marble. The silver veins in the stone appeared like tiny rivers eventually fading into the darkness. Once Lucius had commented on this phenomenon, telling her when his father was out of town he would come sleep at the end of his mother's bed and look at the floor in awe of its subtle beauty. Little things like that plagued her every time she was in their room. A pair of his robes was still tossed casually over the chaise; she hadn't dared to move them. It was uncertain how long he would be gone… her sister was locked up for over a decade. She felt sick thinking about losing him.

Emotionally drained, she reached into the drawer of her bedside table and pulled out a vial of sleeping potion. It was her only hope to get any sleep. She looked at the picture on her bedside table as she fell into sleep. Her and Lucius sat on a low bench in their garden, hardly more than twenty years old, he was reading to her as she rested her head against him. She imagined her pillow was him now and fell into a dreamless sleep.