A/N: Narcissa is only human, and she cannot bear with the life she has with Lucius anymore. But she must continue to play the part, if only for her son's safety. Inspired by the song 'Human' by Christina Perri. Read and Review.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the song 'Human'

Narcissa has always had to play the role of good wife to Lucius Malfoy. Narcissa learnt from a long time from her mother that a perfect pureblood wife always holds her breath and only speaks when spoken to. She learnt well and could fake a smile and force the laughter to erupt from her stomach when the situation called for it. Her motions were well rehearsed.

She noticed the signs when Lucius was slowly losing himself in the power. He defected over to the same side as her sister, the accursed side. They were both blind to the disastrous ways it corrupted their minds. But Narcissa could see. Narcissa remained on the outside of the looking glass but could do nothing to bring them back. They were too far gone, Bella especially.

When she first saw the changes, she wanted to say something, anything that may have drawn them back but she bit her tongue. She was afraid. The looks in their eyes were venomous, wanting to poison her and take her with them. So she held back.

She stood by her husband's side the entire time. She acted the part of the faithful wife. She turned on the charm, and let everyone know just how proud she was to be a Death Eaters wife. She still loved him, though the monster he had become. She held fast to the days before all this confusion and turmoil happened, when it was just her and him during their courtship.

But every time she saw the coldness in his eyes and heard the cruelty in his words, she looked away. Every night, she fell apart, close to tears. Every time he had been out, her bed was left empty and cold.

Narcissa let out another heart-racking sob. Tonight her mask had broken and she was reduced to tears. She had tried to remain strong, for her family, but now she had fallen. Lucius had just dropped the biggest bomb he could on her heart. Not only had he gone mad with power as she had expected, he wanted to take their son down with him. Her mother's teachings never prepared her for something like this.

She could still taste the blood in her mouth as her hot tears streamed down her face and into their bedsheets. When she had gone against him, begging him to leave their son's innocence, he had slammed her up against the wall which such force, her teeth bit into her tongue at the impact and her vision swam before her. Lucius didn't even flinch as the blood dribbled from the corners of his wife's mouth. Never had she been so scared of him before, but now it was obvious he had changed.

She was crashing. She was breaking. She could only take so much. But she couldn't do anything about it. However, she still had to play the part of faithful wife. She had to stay for her son, who would be led away and offered like a lamb for the slaughter. She would have to become less human and more machine for her to go on like she was fine with her life.

She pushed her head deeper into the sheets. She could still hear Lucius' words bouncing around her head, denouncing his son if he refused to follow his father. Her chest hurt as she thought about it. Draco would never go against his father for anything. She never thought Lucius would go so far, but how could she have not seen it coming?

She cried the whole night for her broken family, her husband's soul and her son's innocence.

Lucius stood outside the door to their shared room listening to his wife's sobs. He knew she did this often, he saw the pain in her eyes when she looked at him. He almost ran in there but that would be showing weakness and regret. Those were not words in his vocabulary. He walked away from the door.

She may soon come to understand.