I climb into bed alone once more. It's nearly two in the morning, but where is my husband? I'm cold and tired as I slowly pull the covers up over my shivering body. Then I hear the door quietly open. I do not move or even breathe for a moment. I knew it was Lucius. The sound of him quickly and yet ever so quietly undressing lulled me into a blissful daze. I was only when he got into bed that he realized I was awaked. "Sorry I woke you," he said softly kissing the back of my neck sweetly. "I was already awake," I kindly informed him. I turned myself to look at him and spoke, "Why do you bother with that bloody war?" I regretted saying those words as I spoke them and continued on, "You leave in the morning and don't come home 'till late at night. I beg you to stop this madness. Look at yourself in a mirror. You were once proud of your looks, but you no longer have them to be proud of. You also were once proud to have me as your wife and I fear that you may lose that as well." I had shocked him beyond words. Never in our marriage had I questioned the things he did and now I found myself asking a most dangerous one. I must have been showing the shock of my actions in my face just as he was, for he merely said "I love you," and he wrapped his arms around me. Nothing more was said then. We went to sleep, forehead to forehead, chest to chest. Breakfast the next morning was quiet. Neither myself nor Lucius spoke a word to each other. Draco was well aware of the tension between us and sat at the far end of the table. The house-elves had made an elegant breakfast as usual. The three of us ate off our silver plates in silence. When Lucius finished he stood up and looked at me. He had a smile on his face making him seem happy but I knew better, he was filled with disgust of me. I could fell the icy look in his eyes run over my body twice before he left the room. He headed off toward the stairs. "Mum?" I heard Draco call me. "Is everything alright?" I didn't have an answer for him. I myself wasn't sure if everything was alright. I calmly stood up, pushed in my chair and left the room with tears forming in my eyes. As I traveled aimlessly through the manor I could feel tears falling from my eyes. I was sure why I was crying. Nothing had happened. My husband and son were safe. I just couldn't stop the stream of salty liquid from running down my face. It wasn't until an incompetent servant ran into me from behind. "Dee is very sorry Mrs. Malfoy. I wasn't meaning to I swears it," the servant said apologetically as I lifted me hand and slapped it. "Owwwwww!" it cried out. Then coming to its knees the thing happened to mutter something about Lucius. "What about Lucius?!" I spat out angrily at it. "Master is wanting to see you in the study." I kicked the house-elf out of my path and angrily, yet gracefully, walked off to Lucius' study. I arrived to find Lucius sitting in a chair by a large window reading. Upon entering the room I had set aside all feelings and became emotionless. "Ah, my darling wife, we must talk," he said placing the book down. I nodded at him and moved further into the room. Motioning for me to sit in the chair opposite him I did so. There was some tea poured and he pushed a cup toward me. I picked it up and then upon a second thought I placed it back on the table softly with out taking a sip. "Something wrong?" he said. His voice sending chills down my spine. "No. You wished to talk to me?" I said as though I didn't know what he wanted to talk to me about. "Yes. Last night, those things you said, did you mean them?" he smoothly said looking out the window. My mind panicked. I could tell him yes, for he would surely throw a fit. I stood up and sat on the floor next to him. "No," I managed to say, "I was tired and worried, I didn't mean any of it." How could he believe a lie like that? I was always terribly bad at lying. As he turned to look at me it seemed to be an eternity, and I knew I shouldn't have lied. I could see the anger in his eyes. Of the few things he ever asked why did lying have to be one of them. "YOU LYING BITCH!" he shouted at me. At the same time he brought his dragon leather covered hand down to meet my face. I fell back onto the floor and tears poured from my eyes. Couldn't he tell I lied not to hurt his pride? He turned back to look outside as I got up off the floor. Once I had seated myself in the chair opposite him once more I noticed that his eyes were filled with what seemed to be tears. I picked up the green cloth napkin and moved over to him (he looked rather attractive in this state). "Why do you weep?" I asked wiping the tears away. "I do not know. You were right. I look ill and am driving you away from me," he said with his voice shaking. I sat myself on the arm of his chair and he placed his beautiful blonde head in my lap. Without words he knew that I had forgiven, as it was my duty to, and I knew he had for given me. For the next few minutes we sat there in silence together. I ran my fingers through his hair and he sat up. "Thank you." A familiar voice said with such softness that it was almost unnoticeable. "Do you wish to talk about it now?" "Not now," he pulled me off the chair's arm and into his lap and finished, "I don't believe I can tell you without frightening you." Then lack of sleep set in and I drifted off to sleep. My head resting on his perfectly shaped collar bone and arms wrapped around eachother.