Leave a Mark
She slumped to the floor tiredly, hardly caring if she was sitting inappropriately for a woman of her standing. Blonde hair fell over her eyes, as she sobbed quietly, hurriedly wiping her tears from her face, before another batch coursed through, wetting her already-damp skin.
He had it.
He was going to make her receive it, as well.
Lucius, the man, who had approached her, her, Narcissa Black, hardly a beauty compared to the shadow of her sisters, and had asked her to marry him. That day, a part of her heart had been taken from her, and she was unsure if she could ever get it back, or even if she wanted to.
He had the Mark, and that tore her to pieces.
He had started changing, slight things that no-one else seemed to notice, or thought irregular. The first thing that had tipped her off was his irrational behaviour, and the way he now muttered underneath his breath to himself, hand clasped around his left forearm. She had raised eyebrows at this, but said nothing. She couldn't say anything, and so, his behaviour had continued to decline into madness.
He now laughed, or cackled, at midnight, for no reason. The sound of maniacal chuckles chilled her to shivers, as she waited for him, eyes wide, to come, stumbling, into bed.
She had snuck a look at the Mark once, when he had been heavily snoring, completely out of it. Like a child banned from seeing something, she rolled up his robes, and had locked her eyes on that Mark, the Mark that had changed her husband for worse. It was hardly a beautiful thing, like their giggling wispy-haired son. This was what he had abandoned them, his family, for? She had almost winced at the sight of it, but wasn't sure if the Dark Lord could see her, so kept her face emotionless.
It was a horrible thing, she decided, before rolling his sleeve down, and trying to sleep. His breath was hot on the exposed skin of her neck, and he smelt like whiskey. The two-day's worth of stubble coating his chin left her with sharp scratches.
That night, snakes haunted her dreams.
And that morning, she ran, her mind made up when she heard him talking to his master about her impending joining. She grabbed her son, called ahead, and left, fleeing into the blinding noon sun.
Andromeda greeted her with open arms, letting her sister sob wildly, tears coursing down to wet her shirt.
Narcissa had loved him, but her hate for the monster he had become was greater than her love from the man she knew. She didn't need him anymore.
And, as she watched her gurgling son look up at his cousin, eyes wide as she changed her hair colour radically, and felt the comforting squeeze from her sister's hand on her shoulders, Narcissa Black finally felt at home.
This was where she belonged.
He could keep that fragment of her heart.
Written for the The One-Line Lyric Challenge by sick-atxxheart found at the HPFFC. Lyrics were:"All I did is love you, now I hate the nightmare you become / I can't let you fool me, I won't need you again," by (We Are) The Fallen. Reviews are love.