A/N: They will face everything together. This is dedicated to DolbyDigital.

Also a submission for:

Ultimate OTP Competition II: Round 5 - Emotion: shame

It was the early morning when she discovered her bed was empty. Her breath caught in her throat, her mind immediately going to the worst possible reason. The Dark Lord had finally decided to get rid of her husband, and it was only a matter of time before he came for Draco, and then her.

She jumped out of bed, hastily pulling on her shift as she stepped into the hallway. Maybe, if she was quick, she could get Draco somewhere safe. He could floo from fireplace to fireplace, until he was clear out of Great Britain. It may not have been the most perfect plan, but it could buy him much needed time to protect himself.

She pushed the door open to her son's room to see a tall figure standing over her sleeping son. She stepped back, wanting to remain hidden in the shadows, but then he looked up, stopping her in place. She was too late, she couldn't run, and now, she would have watch it happen before her eyes.

She shut them tightly, fighting the tears that were ready to spill. She would be strong. She would be strong. She would-

"Narcissa?" the figure asked.

She opened her eyes, forcing her heart to slow and her breathing to even as they adjusted to the darkness. Soon, she could see the dull sheen of her husband's straggly blond hair, the dim light reflecting in his hollow eyes. It was a far cry from the man she had fell in love with, but a lot had changed since then.

She stepped forward, closing the door behind her as she came to stand at his side. "Lucius, what are you doing here?"

She reached out her hand to cup his cheek, but he leaned away, his eyes filled with such sadness and shame. "Don't touch me," he said. "I don't deserve your kindness or your love."

Her mouth fell open as she tried to find the words to respond. After a moment she asked, "What are you talking about?"

His eyes drifted away from hers and fell on their son, the bedsheets tangled between his legs and his hair slicked to his forehead. She didn't want to imagine the haunting images flashing through her son's mind as he slept.

"I doomed our family to this life," her husband said. "All those years ago, I was given a decision and I chose wrong. If it wasn't for me, none of this would be happening. We wouldn't have a monster living in our home." His eyes travelled to the sickening mark on Draco's forearm. "Our son wouldn't have had to sign his life over for my mistakes."

Narcissa wrapped her arms around her husband from behind, placing her cheek flat against his back. "We made those decisions together, Lucius. At any point in time, I could have said something, I could have stopped you, but I didn't. I believed, just like you did, so I am also to blame."

She turned him slightly until he was looking down in her eyes. "But together, we will get through this. We will remain strong and we will endure, because we have each other."

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her close to whisper into her hair, "I truly don't deserve you."

She shook her head and said, "No, you deserve much more for doing the best you could in such circumstances."

She tugged his hand, pulling him out of Draco's room and back into their bedroom. Tomorrow was another day, and they would to be well-rested for whatever they would face together.