Cold Silver

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"Oh … Lucius? Lucius, is that you?"

"Go to bed, Cissa."

"I – no! I've waited up hours for you; I'm not going to just go off to bed! Let … let me see it, Lucius."

"Narcissa …"

"Don't baby me, Lucius. Give me your arm."

"Narcissa!"

"Did that hurt? Good! I'm glad it did, Lucius, look what you've done! Look at your arm … look – look at that …"

"Go to bed, Narcissa."

"Stop telling me what to do! For Merlin's sake, stop it!"

"You're crying, Narcissa."

"Damn it, Lucius, I know! Look what you've done! I-I don't think you even understand what you've done to us … you've just ruined our lives, Lucius, we're … we're dead …"

"Don't be silly."

"You're not your own man anymore! And I'm your wife, and Draco's your son! We're all captives now! You've killed us, Lucius!"

"Don't get hysterical, Narcissa, you'll wake the baby."

"Oh, the baby! 'The baby' has a name, Lucius! Draco! Draco! And you've killed him Lucius, you've killed your son!"

"Now look what you've done, Cissa, he's crying."

"Get your – get your hands off of him! You should be ashamed, Lucius! You don't even understand!"

"You're – Cissa! Watch yourself, you're rocking him too hard."

"Oh, and you would care!"

"Blast, you know I do! I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this, Narcissa, you knew this was coming, and this is what you've grown up to, this is nothing wrong …"

"Lucius, you may be cold-hearted, but I know you don't believe that."

"Stop it! Narcissa, you're making him cry … and why should I not believe that? We all believe that!"

"Take your hands off my son! I may be a cruel person, I may have prejudices, but I would never wish this fate among them … never, Lucius, and I never thought you … you …"

"I what?"

"I never though that you would actually do it!"

"You disgust me."

"The feeling is mutual! Draco … Draco … darling, don't cry, sweetheart …"

"Are you a supporter of them, then? Those Mudbloods, those Muggles!"

"Of course not. I just –"

"I always knew you were like your sister, that dirty, betraying, little –!"

"How dare you!"

"You slapped me! How dare you raise a hand to a Malfoy, a family even more ancient, proud and pure than even yours!"

"I don't know who I've married. You're a monster! You act as though you're royalty, Malfoy, you're dirt! You're disgusting, you –!"

"Do you think I have any choice?"

"I … what?"

"Choice, Narcissa, is a luxury I don't have. My father, my mother, my uncles, my aunts were all purebloods, were all pompous, were all proud. As am I, Narcissa, as only could be expected. When my father requested I join the Death Eaters, what would you have wanted me to do? Refuse, and get killed? If not by my own flesh and blood for what they would consider treason then by the Dark Lord himself, furious at the notion that someone would refuse to join his ranks? I value my life, Narcissa, and I value this family. I couldn't leave you; I couldn't leave Draco … I couldn't end this life so soon. I may be weak, I may even be disgusting but it's the best option I have. And if you can't live with that, if you can't live with the fact I had no choice, then so be it!"

"The … the baby's stopped crying, Lucius."

"I know, Narcissa."

"I'm not going to leave, Lucius."

"I know, Narcissa."

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