Liar
Narcissa stood in her husband's dressing room, staring unblinking at the wardrobe—or more specifically, the contents within. She wasn't sure why she was surprised at what she had found, or why, despite having expected the worst, her heart had crumpled into a million tiny pieces. It was nothing new, nothing unexpected. Yet even so—she had dared to hope for something she would never have.
"Cissa? Are you in there?"
Taking a deep breath, Narcissa dragged her eyes away from the silver mask that glinted on the hook. She focused instead on the masses of black cloaks that it had been hidden behind, pushing them carefully back in place. Then, rifling through Lucius' regular dress robes, she made sure everything was as she found it and slid the doors closed.
"Cissa?"
Drawing another breath, she straightened her shoulders and walked out of the room. Lucius was waiting for her in their adjoining bedroom, his grey eyes sparkling.
"There you are," he said with smile, walking over to her.
He grasped her hands in his and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Then, seeming to notice where she had been, he asked, "What were you doing?"
Narcissa fought to keep the smile on her face, the one she always seemed to wear lately. Her lips and cheeks felt tight, unnatural, but she wasn't ready for a confrontation yet.
"You know how incompetent the house-elves are. I thought I'd put your clothes away before they tried to stake a freedom claim," she said, withdrawing her hands from Lucius' grip.
They had felt warm within his grasp, and as she had been speaking, his thumb had rubbed soothing circles over her knuckles. It was almost enough to make her forget what was wrong. Almost.
Instead, she lifted a hand to her earlobes, fiddling with the clasp of her earrings.
Lucius seemed to buy her excuse, his eyes holding no suspicion. He walked over to his side of the bed and pulled a small aquamarine box from beneath the pillow.
"Well, I hope you didn't tire yourself out too much working. I have a surprise for you," he said.
Narcissa turned away, taking her time to place her earrings into the jewellery box on her dresser. They were emerald tear-drops, another gift he had given her. The occasion, he had explained, was because she was an amazing wife and mother. In other words, he needed her to forgive him for the last time he broke his promise. She closed the lid of the mahogany box, before turning back to her husband.
"Oh? What have I done to deserve this?"
Lucius winked at her as he walked closer to her and placed the box in her hands. "I just felt like spoiling you as you spoil me."
She concentrated on the large silver bow around it, the smile becoming harder and harder to keep up. Taking off the lid, she gave a well-practiced gasp of surprise at the jewels sparkling back up at her. Inside was a diamond choker, the centerpiece a rare yellow diamond. Judging from its size and weight, it was probably at least twelve carats.
It must have been worse than she thought.
Oblivious, Lucius picked up the necklace and, without waiting for her permission, placed it around her neck. Then, leaning in towards her, he pressed a kiss to her neck.
"Do you like it?"
"It's very beautiful," Narcissa said, standing still as Lucius continued to press kisses along her neck and shoulder. She allowed him to turn her towards the dresser mirror so that she could admire her reflection.
The jewels suited her pale skin, contrasting well with her two-toned hair and grey eyes. If it had been given to her in any other circumstances, she would have left it on all night, marvelling at the way it fit so well. As it were, she reached back and took it off, placing it carefully onto the dresser's smooth surface. It was tainted, bought on a lie.
Lucius' eyebrows furrowed slightly, causing the pieces of Narcissa's heart to thud. Turning around, she gave him a quick kiss and patted his cheek. "I'm tired, Lucius—I don't want to break it by wearing it to bed."
He was still frowning, but he nodded. "Well, I suppose that's true."
"Did the meeting go well?" she asked, slipping off the robe covering her.
She managed to walk over to the bed and slide beneath the covers as she normally would. Inside, however, her heart would not stop racing. This was Lucius' chance to turn it all around, to admit that he had broken the promise he had made her. To tell her the truth she dreaded hearing.
Lucius shook off his own robes, discarding them over the bed post. His eyes no longer held their usual spark, barely hiding the disappointment he must have felt over her response. Nevertheless, he climbed in the bed after her and yawned.
"I suppose it went well," he said, rolling over to face her. The smile was back as he continued, "There are a few things that I am unhappy about, but I'm confident that everything will work out in my favour before long."
"I'm sure."
Lucius looked confused, but as Narcissa quickly forced her lips up into a smile once more, he settled further into the bed.
Narcissa fiddled with the hem of her the quilt, deciding whether or not to give him one last chance to not lie to her. Did she really have a choice, anyway?
"So… who was the meeting with today?" she asked, voice quiet.
"No one you have to worry about," he said. It was quick, rehearsed, and almost as if to confirm her suspicions, he gave her another kiss and picked up his wand. "Good night, dear," he said, "Nox."
The room was thrown into darkness, as was any last trace of hope she held. She waited until the faint sound of Lucius' snoring filled the room before her confident facade faltered. Closing her eyes, she allowed the tears to trickle down her cheeks as she went through her options.
A/N: This story was written for The Golden Snitch's 'The Great School Bake Off' competition hosted by Cheeky Slytherin Lass. I highly recommend you come and join the forum, where you can choose a school and house and participate in challenges and competitions to your heart's content.
Prompt: Black Bottom Cake: 1. Chocolate Cake (Dialogue: I have a surprise for you.") 2. Cream cheese filling and icing (Spell: Nox) 3. Chocolate chips (Object: pillow)
I had absolutely no idea how to end this, either. I was a little distracted from the plot halfway through writing, so I apologise if the ending (or body itself) was a little confusing. That being said, if it wasn't clear enough, Lucius was hiding the fact that he was a Death Eater again—not an affair. I ship Lucius and Narcissa, and although I've seen this part of their relationship explore, it fit the prompts I was given and wanted to try myself.
Thank you for reading!