Lucius sat on the edge of the bed, one hand clutching the dark silk sheets and the other raking through his rapidly thinning locks. His posture was lacking its usual strength and the way he stared at the floor was frightening. Narcissa clutched the heavy blanket to her chest and tried to hold back that single tear that was just on the edge.
"Must you go?" she asked, leaning forward slightly in anticipation of the response she knew was coming.
"I must," Lucius replied. His voice was raspy and silent, and anyone else would have missed those two words but Narcissa heard them. She had been his wife for many years, through thick and through thin and even if he had no voice at all she would know what he was saying. He sighed heavily and reached his left hand behind him, sliding it across the sheet toward his beloved.
Narcissa reached over and placed her hand over his. She cringed inwardly at the rough knuckles and worn skin, both growing ever worse with each passing day. A squeeze to his fingers and for the briefest of seconds and Narcissa was certain she saw a small bit of life reappear in those shoulders. Lucius reluctantly pulled his hand away and then rose to don his cloak and mask.
"Be careful," Narcissa whispered. They were the same two words she always whispered when Lucius was called away to do his master's bidding. They were the same two words that invaded her mind every second he was away.
Cloaked and masked, Lucius made his way to the bedroom door. His gait was laboured and he was no longer the proud peacock of a man that Narcissa had once fallen in love with. Her love for him had not grown less, perhaps it had grown stronger, but it had certainly grown different. The tired eyes that used to be so sharp and cunning were becoming dull and clouded. He now used his cane as a proper aid, rather than a sign of his status. With his every step, she feared that he would collapse and never wake again, so broken was his spirit.
With a simple nod, Lucius vacated the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Narcissa leaned back against the headboard and grabbed one of Lucius' pillows to hold close to her chest. She breathed in the familiar scent of his hair and finally allowed that tear to fall. It would be a long sleepless night without her husband, her love. As she lay alone in the cavern of an empty bedroom, she whispered aloud, "Be careful."