"Cissy!" Bellatrix called. "Cissy! Wake up!"

Narcissa woke up from a doze she was in on the couch. "Bellatrix, what is it?" she asked tiredly.

"The Dark Lord wants to see you and Draco, now," Bellatrix said urgently.

Narcissa got a cold feeling at the pit of her stomach as she followed her sister out. Draco met up with her, and they both went to the dining hall where Voldemort was. Never before has she been summoned to his prescence without her husband; she felt vulnerable, but kept her face impassive as she approached him. They stopped a few yards away from him.

"Please, sit," Voldemort said. Bellatrix sat down next to her sister who sat next to her son. Narcissa was rigid, but still impassive as the Dark Lord began to speak. "I am greatly displeased with your husband, Narcissa. He got rid of a horcrux, wasn't there to find me after I was almost killed, and failed to retrieve a simple prophecy." Narcissa kept silent, her head hanging low as the Dark Lord finished. Bellatrix seemed to be as gleeful as ever. "However," Voldermort continued after a moment of silence. "I see no need to punish all of you; but, to prove your loyalty to me, I will need to send Draco out on a mission."

Narcissa looked up immediately as did Draco. "What?" Draco asked.

"Draco, your arm, please," Voldemort said standing right behind him. He looked at his mother who nodded, then held out his arm. Voldemort placed his wand on Draco's inner forearm and made the mark. Draco tried to hold back his cries of pain to no avail. Narcissa flinched at her son's cries. When it was over, Draco moaned, but admired his new mark a little. Then he looked up at Voldemort. "What is your bidding, my master?"

"You are to kill Albus Dumbledore sometime this year at Hogwarts," Voldemort said.

Now Narcissa was scared. To kill the Headmaster at the school that he taught at was not only mental, it was suicide. He would be lucky not earn a one-ticket to Azkaban if he wasn't caught. This was something Narcissa couldn't deal with. What made her scared even more was that Draco wasn't backing down.

"I will," Draco said.

"Tell no one of this plan," Voldemort said, looking at Narcissa directly. He knew that Bellatrix, being his most loyal servant, would always follow orders, but he wasn't so sure about Narcissa. She had never been a death eater, though she let her husband become one, and supported him. But, she was always a difficult one to determine where her loyalties truly laid. "Draco, I need to speak with you alone very briefly."

Bellatrix took her sister out while Voldemort stayed with Draco. "What's wrong, Cissy?" Bellatrix asked. "You should be honored that Draco was chosen by the Dark Lord. If I had sons, I would give them to him without question."

"And that's the difference between you and me, Bella. I don't want to give up my family. Draco is all I have left."

"Quit worrying," Bellatrix said, waving her off. "I'll be teaching him all he needs to know about the Dark Arts."

That scared Narcissa even more. Bellatrix was dangerous even when she wasn't on one of her rampages. But she couldn't speak out about it. The doors open and Draco came out looking shaken. Voldemort must've told him something that hit home. She took him aside. "You don't have to do this," she said. "You can always back out."

Draco shook his head. "I can't. I have to do this."

"But why?"

Draco looked around to make sure they were alone. "He-he threatened you and father," he said quietly. He walked away, and Narcissa felt tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't let Draco do this on his own, it was too dangerous.

She turned to Bellatrix pleadingly. "The Dark Lord favors you. Can you persuade him to put Draco on a different mission?"

"You're over re-acting, Cissy," Bellatrix said. "He'll be fine."

Narcissa turned away from her and grabbed her cloak. "Where are you going?" Bellatrix demanded.

"To see Severus," Narcissa replied, as she put on her cloak.

"What? Cissy, if the Dark Lord finds out, you'll be killed."

Narcissa ignored her. It was the last chance she had to save her only child. She apparated to the forest just outside the street where Severus lived. She took a moment to compose herself, then headed toward Severus' house with quick, light strides, her cloak causing a rustling sound in the grass. There was a loud 'pop' behind her as someone else apparated behind her. Narcissa knew who it was, but chose to ignore her.

"Wait!" Bellatrix called. Something rushed out from the undergrowth behind them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of green light. Bellatrix, who was turning something over with her toe, was also in a cloak.

"Just a fox," she said, dismissively. "I thought perhaps an Auror- Cissy, wait!"

Narcissa had already turned around and was scrambling up the bank the fox had just fallen down.

"Cissy- Narcissa- listen to me-" Bellatrix caught up to her sister, seizing her arm, but Narcissa wrenched it away.

"Go back, Bella!"

"You must listen to me!"

"I've listened already. I've made my decision. Leave me alone!"

Narcissa reached the top of the bank where a line of old railings separated the river from a narrow, cobbled street. Bellatrix followed her, finally catching up. Side by side they stood looking across the road at the rows and rows of dilapidated brick houses, their windows dull and blind in the darkness.

"He lives here?" Bellatrix asked in a voice of contempt. "Here? In this Muggledunghill? We must be the first of our kind to ever set foot-"

Narcissa wasn't listening; she had slipped through a gap in the rusty railings and was already hurrying across the road when Bellatrix called to her again.

"Cissy, wait!"

Narcissa darted into an alley between two houses and into a second, almost identical street. Some of the street lams were broken; the two witches were running between patches of light and deep darkness. Bellatrix called out to her sister. "Cissy, you can't do this. You can't trust him!"

"The dark Lord trusts him."

"Th Dark Lord's mistaken."

"Sssh," Narcissa hissed, hugging the wall as a few female muggles passed them. When they were gone, Narcissa knocked on the door. Wormtail answered them, and took them to Severus.

"Run along, Wormtail," he said waving his wand, and slamming the door in his face.

When Narcissa had her glass, of wine, which Bellatrix refused. "I-I know I ought not to be here," Narcissa stuttered at first, then broke eye contact with him and looked down. "The dark Lord himself forbade me to speak of it."

"If the Dark Lord forbidden it, then you are not to speak- put it down, Bella" he said not looking at her. Bellatrix was at the mantle above the fireplace, looking at some box, and Snape hadn't taken his eyes off of Narcissa. "We mustn't touch what isn't ours."

Bellatrix seemed to pout at being caught, and she dropped it with a loud clunk.

"As it so happens, I'm aware of your situation, Narcissa, " Snape said.

"You?" Bellatrix asked, suspiciously. "The Dark Lord told you?"

Snape looked at Bellatrix for a moment. "Your sister doubts me. Understandable. Over the years I have played my part well, so well, infact I have deceived one of the greatest wizards of all time." Bellatrix made a rude noise as she walked toward Severus. "Dumbledore is a great wizard, only a fool would question it."

"I don't doubt you, Severus," Narcissa said.

"You should be honored, Cissy," Bellatrix said, as she walked back to the bookshelf, as if she couldn't stand being near Snape. "As for Draco."

Narcissa glanced at her sister, then back at Severus, her eyes filling up with tears. "He's just a boy."

"I can't change the Dark Lord's mind, " Snape said. Narcissa nodded her head in defeat, and was about to get up to leave, when Severus spoke again. "But it might be possible for me to help Draco."

Narcissa got up from her chair. "Severus..."

"Swear to it," Bellatrix ordered. Narcissa looked at her sister worriedly; she was already asking so much of him, she didn't want to get in deeper than she already was. Bellatrix ignored her. "Make the unbreakable vow." Narcissa looked back at Severus as Bellatrix stood next to her sister. "It's just empty words," she hissed, as she continued to walk forward. "He'll give it his best, definitely," she continued, circling him. "But when it matters most, he'll just slither back into his hole. Coward."

Snape had looked uncomfortable through out all of that, but he still kept his voice calm. "Take out your wand."

Bellatrix, who was already at the book case again, gasped as she turned around, not believing what she had just heard; Narcissa looked at her a little angrily, but also full of hope.

Narcissa and Severus linked their hands on each others forearms. Bellatrix took out her wand, and started to circle them as she spoke. "Will you, Severus Snape, watch over Draco Malfoy as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lords wishes?"

Snape looked scared, but he spoke confidently. "I will."

Bellatrix was behind her sister, and spoke over Narcissa's shoulder. "And, will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"I will."

Narcissa seemed to tense a little as Bellatrix moved on. Severus didn't seem to be enjoying himself either as Bellatrix reached him. "And, if Draco should fail, will you yourself, carry out the deed the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform."

Narcissa was staring at him impassively, but her eyes were pleading. Snape seemed to hesitate, but it didn't last long. "I will."

The magical rope that had been between them faded, and Narcissa was the first to release as she slipped her wrist away; her hand curled toward her as she looked at Severus. Severus still looked like he couldn't believe what he had just done. Bellatrix smiled in triumph.

Sometime later while Draco was away, Voldemort broke more Death Eaters out of Azkaban. When he returned, Lucius was among them; she ran to him, hugging him tightly. "Lucius."

"Narcissa," he whispered, returning her embrace. "How are things?"

Narcissa looked around to make sure they were alone. "Not good, Lucius. It's Draco... he's-"

"I know, Narcissa," Lucius replied, stroking her hair, before they started walking to their bed room. "I know. We'll get through this as a family."

"Is there any way I can convince you to stop being a Death Eater?"

Lucius stopped where he was and turned to his wife. "Narcissa, you know what would happen I did. I've lost favor with him, and I'm close to losing everything. That's why he has Draco on this mission. He's punishing us, particularly me. I don't think he realizes, though, that it has more of a toll on you than me."

Narcissa blinked back tears that threatened to come out. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Lucius replied regretfully, "but we'll get through this together as a family."

When they reached the bed room, Lucius closed the door behind them, then fell on the bed to rest. He hadn't gotten much in Azkaban, and what a relief it was to fall asleep without dementors watching. Narcissa fell asleep beside him, and he was completely grateful for that as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, as if he never would let go of her. Narcissa responded by accepting the embrace, and he couldn't help but notice the tears coming down her face as she slept. Lucius wiped the tears away. "I love you," he whispered, turning out the lights and falling into one of the most peaceful sleeps he'd had in awhile.

When Draco got home, he was shaken to the bone. Narcissa knew that he had not completed his task, and that Snape was forced to do it. This was the last straw for her. From now on, she was going to protect her family, no matter what the cost.