Narcissa Malfoy sat in the dark on a chair in her living room, her fists clenched. Her husband, Lucius, was away with the Death Eaters. They were going to go kill a couple of blood traitors, he had claimed. It would be easy, he'd said. He'd be back by dinner he'd claimed. She'd eaten a lonely dinner. That'd been three hours ago. He was dead, she just knew it. Dobby walked into the room.
"Does Mistress Narcissa need candles?"
She glared at him. "Mistress Narcissa needs to be left alone." Then, almost as an afterthought she told the house-elf, "Yes, candles would be nice."
Dobby used his magic to light the candles then departed the room. Narcissa sighed. The little thing was just doing its job, but she didn't need company. She needed Lucius, who was no doubt dead. She placed her hands on her stomach.
…
Meanwhile, Lucius was bleeding in a garden. He could still hear shouted curses and blasts of light from the dueling going on in the house. A curse sent from Arthur Weasley had sent him flying through a window. His mask had broken into two pieces and lay on the floor of the Weasley's living room. He was bleeding from his chest. Bellatrix rushed to him, cast a healing spell on him and picked him up.
"We are getting out of here! That crazy Weasley woman is going to be the death of me!" With those prophetic words she slung him over her shoulder and apparated along with the two other Death Eaters. They didn't know it, but Molly almost died from a curse sent by Lucius. Arthur, seeing Lucius without his mask, hated him after that for casting the curse that almost killed his wife.
Bellatrix and Lucius reappeared in Narcissa's living room.
"Oh my God!" Narcissa exclaimed, rising from her seat. Bellatrix lifted up her mask.
"He's not too bad off, Cissy. He'll be fine. I need to go explain to the Dark Lord how four Death Eaters were defeated by one crazy woman and her muggle loving husband. Hope he doesn't kill me. Bye!" She apparated. Narcissa shook her head then kneeled by her husband.
"Lucius, can you stand?"
"Yes." He struggled, but stood on two feet. He sat down on the couch.
"Lucius, this has gone on long enough."
"What has?"
"This…this war, this lifestyle! You are going to get yourself killed!"
"The Dark Lord will win."
"I don't give a damn! The Dark Lord can go rot in Hell for all I care!" She roared.
"How could you say that, woman?!" Lucius shouted. "He is the savior the wizarding world needs to cleanse our blood! To make our blood pure again!"
"Our blood is pure enough!"
He had never slapped her before, but now he rose and swung out his hand. She winced as he stopped several inches from her cheek. She could see the internal struggle in his eyes. Good, proper, pureblood husbands do not strike their wives. Yet, he had a violent, angry streak.
"If you slap me Lucius they will never find your body." She grabbed his wrist and twisted. He yelped in pain and fell to his knees. She let his wrist go.
"Don't tell me you've become a blood traitor, Narcissa." Lucius said as he stood back up.
"I am no blood traitor, Lucius. I do not wish for you to die for any reason. I would not have my child grow up without his father."
Lucius's eyes widened. "Do not tell me you are with child."
"Fine. I won't tell you. You'll have to wait for nine months."
Lucius's mouth opened and closed as if he were imitating a fish. Then he suddenly swooped up his wife in a hug. She squealed and giggled like a little girl while he twirled her around the room. He finally set her down, gently as if she were a particularly breakable doll.
"Narcissa, please forgive me for almost slapping you!"
"It's alright. Do it again and I'll murder you."
Lucius, now that the shock and excitement was beginning to wear off, realized his wife's concern. "Oh dear. We agreed not to have children until after the war. Wartime is no time to raise a child…"
"It'll have to do Lucius. Fate has weaved her web."
Lucius shook his head. "If only the Dark Lord would win this war. I must help him now more than ever. Then my child will grow up in peace."
"Our child, Lucius." Narcissa corrected. "This is a war you don't have to fight. My family has magic stronger than most others. Look at Bella, look at my occlumency. We could leave the country, hide from the Dark Lord's wrath, and perhaps return when things have settled down. My family and yours are descended from Lucifer himself, cast from Heaven for even God feared his power! We are purest of the pure, elites. Why must you dirty your hands with this ignoble, though I confess necessary, work? Why beloved, why?"
"Because I believe in it, Narcissa. Haven't you ever believed in anything?" He asked her.
"Yes. I believe in us. I believe in the family we could create. Don't you?"
He hesitated. He seemed torn for a moment before he answered her with a quote from-of all things!-a muggle poem. "I could not love thee half so well loved I not honor more."
"A pureblood supremacist quoting muggles. What's the world coming to?" She asked, barely disguising the contempt in her voice.
"The poem is true." He said.
"You love honor more than me?"
"Because I love honor I love you."
She pressed herself against him. "Honor, dear one, will not keep you warm at night."
He wrapped his arms around him. "The Dark Lord will triumph, you'll see."
Tears brimmed at her eyes. "Please Lucius…please ask the Dark Lord to free you of his service."
"I will not do that, woman." He said, hardening his heart to her tears. "I am doing this for you and for our child."
"You're a cruel bastard, Lucius." Narcissa hissed. She slipped off her wedding ring and placed it on the coffee table then marched into the bedroom. Lucius didn't follow, but stood watching her, wondering if being a Death Eater had cost him what was most dear to him.
