"Precisely," Lucius said, feeling a rush of relief - they understood one another, apparently. "I would do the same - for all the good it would do. The best of intentions won't save either of us if we go rushing headlong into something too we can't prevent." He made his way back to the bedside, and took her hands.
"If you had known what would happen when I went to the Department of Mysteries ... you might have spent the year in prison with me, my dear. And while the company would have been infinitely improved, I wouldn't have been able to bear it. - I can't bear it. You are one of the few things He hasn't yet tried to take away from me. Do you understand?"