Author's Note: My first Severus/Narcissa story. I hope you all like it, and the concept so far. It will become way more interesting as we go along, and the next chapter will explain more and be longer. I have been really inspired to write for this pairing lately, so I hope you all find it intriguing! Please review, I love feed back so I know what you guys are enjoying/not enjoying about my stories.

Blessings!

Sarah

Severus approached the door cautiously.

Should he knock? Should he just enter? He assumed it was safe to simply enter his own home, but he didn't want to disturb her. He didn't want to frighten her.

He knocked gently and patiently awaited a response, but none came. He sighed heavily and opened the large wooden door, stepping aside and shaking of the small bits of snow clinging to his coat. He shivered.

"Narcissa?" He called, though he couldn't stop the wavering that accompanied his voice.

There was again, no response, but he hadn't been expecting one. Why would he? He had messed up- badly. He couldn't blame her disdain of him right now. Carefully, he removed his shoes and slipped off his socks. The cold tile floor sent more shivers up his spine, but he wanted that. He wanted to feel something again.

He wanted her to accept him.

"Narcissa?" He called again, his voice echoing up the stairs.

He rubbed his eyes warily and drug his tired body up the stone steps. He shrugged off his coat as he went, his wand rolled out of it and onto the floor. The steps were quite elongated, and there were many. An old clock chimed in the background, and though it was in the Study it seemed so distant. Severus was tired- tired of it all. He shouldn't have withheld such crucial information from her. He should have been forthcoming with the fact that he was a Death Eater, though she hated them so. Narcissa had been brought up in the world of evil, and Pureblood, but still she held a burning passion against the evils Voldemort so devotedly pursued. Severus tried so hard to hide from her that he was one of them, when in reality he had just been hoping to protect Draco at Hogwarts. It had worked for awhile, being on the inner-circle, but their relationship became more intimate, and even more within their grasps when Lucius was murdered. Severus couldn't stand lying to her any longer. He rolled up his sleeve, and revealed the Dark Mark. That was last week, and she hadn't spoken to him since.

Severus had made the couch comfortable enough, and Draco shot him re-assuring glances every time he wondered downstairs and into the kitchen for a midnight snack. Severus simply grinned back, too tired to plaster on fake snarl, besides- he was fond of Draco. He acted ferocious on school grounds because he had to- he couldn't show anyone that he was a Death Eater, or that he was actually trying to keep Draco out of harm's way. So, he made an effort to keep any Slytherin out of harm's way. This helped save his skin because no one noticed how apt he was to rescue Draco from any danger, but it also presented deep questions. Why was Professor Snape so nasty to other students? Why did he view most everything as a direct threat to Slytherin House? Severus kept his calm, though, and soon he had everyone fooled…Everyone but himself. How could he live thinking that for the rest of his life he could hide this from Narcissa? So, yes, he had told her. He had willingly revealed to her his dark secret. And though things were on the rocks now, he didn't regret it. Severus was a man of his word; honor- and if he loved her the way he professed to, he had to show her that he could be forthcoming.

Severus came to stand in front of their bedroom door and raised his fist to knock. He couldn't, though. He let his arm fall limp at his side and hung his head low, defeated. If she hadn't spoken to him yet, what made him think she would? Shouldn't she have at least said something already? Severus heard the door to the left of him open, and turned his head to see Draco. He had on green sleep-pants with a black shirt, and dark bags under his eyes. He nodded towards Severus with a small smile.

"I was just-"

Severus checked his watch: 12:40 A.M. "-Grabbing a snack?"

Draco chuckled quietly. "Yes, as always."

With that, he proceeded downstairs with no further words. Severus knew that Draco wouldn't want to get involved, but couldn't he offer him some lead way? Severus sighed, and just went he was about to retreat to the shower and then the couch for the 8th night in a row, the door flung open. Narcissa stood there, arm leaning against the doorframe. Her hair was down, curls from two nights previous flattening out against her shoulders. She had on a black nightgown, and her feet were bare as were his. She offered him a mocking smile.

"Severus I do admire your ability to act with Draco as though all is well with us but my son isn't a dolt."

"I never said he was, Cissa," Severus remarked, stepping closer to her.

"You do act like it though," she quipped in a sing-song voice.

Severus smiled slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my standings, but trust me, love, I don't agree with Tom- I just needed to keep Draco safe."

Narcissa thought over his words, and nodded. "I've thought over this, Severus, and I believe you, of course. It was just rather a shock to see that mark on your arm- I just never expected it of you."

Severus sighed heavily and rested his hands on either of her shoulders.

"I'm really sorry. I know it isn't what you would have expected, but it is what happened and what I chose. I just wanted to keep Draco safe for you, and so far, we have done that together."

"I agree we have done a fairly decent job. Does Tom know that you don't necessarily," she lowered her voice. "Agree with him, or plan on supporting the Death Eaters for much longer?"

"No, and I don't plan for him to find out. You saw what he did to Lucius, and that wasn't even for dis-loyalty. I plan on keeping a low profile. All of us will have to stay in the shadows for awhile. If anything ever happened to you, it would crush me," he said softly, placing his hands on her cheeks now.

She leaned up on tip-toe, and reached his lips, kissing him fiercely in response.

"I'll follow whichever moves you make, Severus. I trust you."