Secrets and Lies

Disclaimer: All characters owned by J.K. Rowling and are part of theHarry Potterseries. I own nothing of this but my imagination.

A/N: I realized I needed to fill in some holes and figure out where exactly I wanted this story to go, so I apologize for the belated update (well, not so much of an update as adding an extra chapter to backtrack on).

"Divorce?" Lucius started, surprised by her declaration. "I would never agree to that," he said coldly. "Why on earth would you just decide such a thing? We're married for life, Cissa. Divorce is not something our families tolerate." Internally, he really was shocked, and hoped it was only something she said because she wanted his attention. Well, she certainly got. Narcissa only looked at him with contempt and utter disdain as he hadn't even given her room to have her say.

"Darling, if this is because I wasn't around, I can very much assure you I'm right here now. If you want me, I'm all yours." Lucius stretched his arms out, expecting Narcissa to come to him. Instead, the woman stood her ground.

"I meant exactly what I said: I. Want. A. Divorce," she repeated firmly.

"Why?" Lucius repeated.

"Because you've ruined this family," she retorted. "You nearly got me and Draco killed because of your allegiance with Voldemort! I had to stand by and watch as he and his men ran about our home, insulting us, taunting us, in the one place we were supposed to have solitude away from the war and its politics," she cried angrily. Tears poured from her eyes as she emptied out everything that had been bottled up inside her.

Lucius stood there, dumbfounded. "I came back, didn't I? For you, Cissa. I could barely live in that hellhole in the middle of the ocean, but the only thing that kept me alive was thinking of you. Not even the Dementors could take that away from me." He went to her, attempting to embrace his wife in his arms, but she immediately shoved him off and stepped back from him.

"No!" she shouted. "Don't give me that! I stood by your side back then because I loved you. But I can't live like this anymore, Lucius. You're gone for months at a time, without a word, and I don't even hear from you. I stay up at night, wondering if you're okay, hoping that you didn't get yourself mixed up in more of these Death Eater antics. It's too dangerous for all of us. You saw what happened to my sister. I can't tell if the same would happen to you!"

"Cissa, listen to yourself. You still love me," Lucius replied, hopeful and smiling.

"I do," she replied. "But I don't think you love me the same way anymore. What kind of husband leaves his wife and son without telling them anything? To expect us to still be here and act as nothing is wrong?"

"Lots of families are like that," he replied. "Soldiers from even ancient times have left their families during times of war. Many of them never came home. But I did." He wanted her to see reason, and she was thinking irrationally.

"But we're different, Lucius. Half of our world hates us, and the other half is afraid of us. The only ones who don't know anything about us is the Muggle world! Draco's trying to rebuild our reputation, and I need to do something outside of this house. I can't stand being a shut-in, and if I go out, people taunt and jeer at me because of what we've done!" Short of having rotten vegetables hurled at her, she was not used to such disrespect in public. She was the Duchess of Wiltshire, goddamn it, and people used to look at her as a perfect Pureblood daughter and wife. That had certainly changed over the years.

"I can fix this, Cissa," Lucius said. His wife scoffed, folding her arms and turning away from him. "I mean it, love. You've been wondering where I've been all this time, so let me tell you and we'll have no secrets."

A moment of silence paused between them. Lucius watched Narcissa's unwavering stance for what felt like an eternity. He needed her to believe him.

"I'm listening."

She was hooked, and he rejoiced.

"You're worried, because you're living in fear of everyone around us. That's not you, darling. Whatever happened to the beautiful, confident woman I married? We had the world at our feet and suddenly you want to hide?"

"You're not doing yourself any favors by going off on a tangent," she replied. How dare he insult her like this?

"I've been in America, Cissa," he finally admitted. "I've been building a business there, a reputable one. We could have a fresh start. You can come with me."

"This is why you left without saying anything?" She had half a mind to forgive him, but as she knew him well enough over the many years of their marriage, he was still hiding details from her. If he was doing something reputable, he should have at least had the decency to tell her. Otherwise, he was lying.

"It's not exactly ready yet. I've been checking out the market, and my men have been doing research." He was trying to speak with finesse. In his mind, nothing was wrong. He only had to convince his wife that what he was doing would solve everything.

"Your men?" she asked. "Who are they?" She had every right to be suspicious, though she had an inkling that she already knew the answer.

"Well, you know, I can't exactly work alone, and I needed people I could trust." Lucius had no other friends than those in the other Pureblood families who had associated with the Dark Lord and were still living. "I've got Yaxley, Dolohov, Avery, Nott, the rest of the crew."

"You're working with the rest of the Death Eaters?" Her voice raised to a shout. "I thought you were done with them! You said you would put an end to it all!" she argued. "What the hell are you planning, Lucius? I swear I will not take part in any of it if you're doing something illegal."

"Of course we're not doing anything illegal, darling," he said with finesse. "We're merely looking into potential business ventures that we can invest in. There are so many entrepreneurs and failing businesses out there, so we're going to help those people grow. They need money, and so we have money to give. Provided we get a percentage of their revenues, of course." It sounded reasonable enough. He was only hoping Narcissa believed him enough.

"I wouldn't have to leave the Manor permanently. It's just that I need time to sort this all out. You needn't hide in fear, my darling wife. I'm making things better for us." He went to her again and gently brushed his hands over her shoulders. "And you can be confident in me again."

Once again, Narcissa pushed away from him. "We can't leave Draco," she said. "He's living in the city now, but who knows what will happen if we're not there for him? And why all this secrecy?"

"Because a man needs time to build a business, Cissa. Sometimes that involves needing to work away from home for long periods of time. Please understand, love. I haven't abandoned our family, so please don't abandon me."

"I have to stay. For Draco, at least." She swallowed the lump in her throat. Narcissa was angry that the other men were still involved in her husband's life. The same men that tore through their house without any regard for its owners. They took part in reveling in the Malfoys' downfall, and now they were working with him? It made no sense to her. "I hate being away from you," she murmured.

"Then stay with me. Never mind those people who talk about us behind our backs. We can start a new life soon. Just trust me."

She didn't.