I was racked with guilt for the next week or so. Sleep was hard to come by, even when Lucius laid beside me. Sometimes, I felt terrible with the reminder of my mother-in-law being taken away so quickly, especially from her son. I felt responsible for every moment I saw him wince from the aftermath of the curse. He solely made that decision, sure, but I had been ready to take the punishment. The furthest thing from my mind was that he would take it for me. In a way, while I may have been relieved, I felt undermined in front of the Death Eaters, particularly my sister. Bellatrix was probably laughing maniacally in a corner about how Cissy had a shield from the Cruciatus Curse, because she couldn't take it herself.

Which, of course, that wasn't true.

One morning, I was surprised to see that Soory had been hauling a number of boxes to the front door from upstairs. He piled them up in the foyer, one by one. Out of curiosity, I couldn't help but peek in one of the cardboard boxes, and I was surprised to see some of Avelina's gowns among them.

"Who told you to throw these out?" I demanded. The house elf panicked for a moment, taking a step back towards the stairwell. "Young Master Malfoy, mistress."

I let out a sigh. Lucius wasn't here to neither deny nor confirm this, but I hated to see those dresses go, and I doubted he'd care what happened to them. They were probably just donations, right? Without saying anything to the servant, I had already started dissecting a couple of the boxes, keeping the gowns for myself. I took the boxes I chose to keep in one of the side rooms upstairs, tucked in a closet. I already had an idea of what to do with some of them.

I found myself needing to keep my hands busy, and so, I went out and purchased myself a sewing machine. I didn't know how to use it very well, I admit, but it took me about a week to get the hang of it. Some of the clothes I used as scrap to practice with, whereas I would save the finer dresses for something I had an idea envisioned for. I certainly had a couple of puncture wounds and cuts from the excessive use of the machine, but perhaps such was good for a woman. While I never minded someone doing work for me as a spoiled child, I much preferred being able to do things for myself.

To a degree, of course. It was nice to have Soory bring me food and drinks when I was tied up upstairs.

At last, all the hard work finally paid off. I had done something I never imagined I could or would before - I designed my own dress and even brought it to life. Lucius hadn't noticed the pile of cloth in the spare closet (that was no surprise, as he was frequently at work, technically torn between two jobs). However, one night, on the week before Halloween, I hadn't fully been paying attention to what I was doing. Maybe I was getting a little too confident in my growing experience, or maybe it was just pure foolishness. Either way, there was a sharp pinch on my finger, just past the joint by my wedding ring. At first, it didn't seem so bad, until I saw how deep the needle had punctured the flesh. It came out just as quickly as it went in, but it was enough for me to bleed all over the fabric I was working with. The pain seemed worse as I tried to tend to it, and yes, I cried.

I didn't even know my husband had come home just in time to hear the scream.

"Cissa!" he shouted from the stairs, and I could hear him hammering up to the second floor. I was in the washroom by then, washing the puncture wound as best as I could with hot water. He hadn't even known of the hobby I took up on, so I couldn't imagine what was going through his head when he saw the clean, tiny stab wound on my finger. I watched as Lucius grabbed for a potion in the cabinet; it was a clear liquid that he poured over the wound, though it gave a sharp sting as it did. I hissed at the pain, and he tutted as he would grab some bandaging to wrap it up.

"You should be more careful," he said, putting my face between his hands.

"I'm sorry, Lucius. I was being clumsy."

He kissed my forehead and pulled me close. I had to admit, it felt quite nice, being close to him. I hadn't felt much love from him since we returned on our honeymoon, though I never stopped to ask why. Between work, Death Eaters, and the loss of his mother, I tried to be patient with him and simply be supportive when I needed to be.

"I didn't know you were going to be home early," I said. "Otherwise I would have had Soory make dinner."

He smiled faintly, holding my shoulders as he pulled back a bit. "I have a much better plan."

Lucius instructed me to get changed into a nice dress, and we would go out for dinner. The suggestion surprised me, though I certainly wasn't about to deny an opportunity to get out of the mansion. I did as asked, finding this the perfect excuse to slip on the dress I had finished a few days ago. As intended, it was a perfect fit - a dark, emerald dress of silk with a touch of black tulle to flare it up some. Lucius's look of awe when I met him at the front door made it all ultimately satisfying.

We decided on a luxurious, French restaurant - one I hadn't known he had actually made reservations for. The food was delicious, and though I was a simple woman with simple tastes, I resorted to trying something new for a change. I decided on a baked crepe with mushrooms, leeks, cheeses, and a sauce - something I wasn't even confident I would like, but I was happy to discover that I did. Lucius learned that night that I spoke terrible French, and he joked me for it.

As we enjoyed dessert, Lucius explained to me his enlightened mood. I knew of an appeal running through the Ministry that fought against the slavery of house-elves, which we were both highly against. Today, it was decided that the Appeal Against House-Elf Slavery was defeated, which was good news for aristocratic families such as our own, and many others that owned slaves.

Suffice it to say, it was one of the few nights we actually spent together like this. Sure, the nights to follow would involve us having dinner at the mansion, but I was quick to realize that these moments would be a rarity, and something I couldn't take for granted.

By the end of November, my mother and father had insisted that I attend the funeral of a distant relative - one far too distant to really label. I never met Charis Black, who died at the age of 54, but by respect of my bloodline, I did what was asked of me.

It didn't exactly surprise me that Bellatrix hadn't attended, and nor had Andromeda. I imagined that Bellatrix chose not to come, though mother may have expected her to. Andromeda, being disowned from the family, probably wasn't even aware of the death in the family.

In a way, I was relieved, glad to not have to partake in anymore sibling drama... at least for a little while.

However, I did hear through gossip from attendees that Andromeda had given birth to a little girl. I made no mention of it, but it had me pondering over when Lucius and I would have our own child. He was so busy with the Ministry, it likely wasn't even a concept.

Instead of worrying about myself, when I returned to Malfoy Manor, I stayed up that night, writing. I think I must have gone through a kilogram of parchment before I finally found the right words to send out to my disowned sister.

Dear Andromeda,

I'm sorry for how things had to end so abruptly. I know I once spoke so poorly of your involvement with the man you love, but nonetheless, you will always be my sister, even if our parents do not believe it to be true. I heard through gossip that you've given birth to a baby girl. Congratulations. I'm sure she's beautiful, just like her mother. Take good care of her. The darkness in this world will only get blacker, and I fear the worst. I understand if you don't forgive me for being a better sister to you, but please believe me when I say I'm not her. You know what I mean when I say this.

I wish you and your family all of the luck in the world. Be safe.

Your ever-loving sister,

Narcissa