Written For:

- Day 30 of 366 Days of Writing Challenge: Rules

- Chocolate Frog Cards: Lord Draben (prompts): Support, Royal, Lifetime, Connect

- Candy from the Trolley: Sugar Mice (challenge): Write about children on the move and their exasperated parent/guardian.

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/HP Locations: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour

- Word Prompt Express: connect

Pairings/Characters: Cygnus, Bellatrix, Andromeda

Word Count: 487


Daddy-Daughter Shopping Trip

Because you're young, you're wild, you're free, you're dancing circles around me.

Cygnus rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, as he followed his two older daughters through Diagon Alley. He was carrying all of their shopping bags as they briskly hopped and skipped ahead, eagerly admiring everything around him.

He had gone through a lifetime of stress, but Cygnus never thought that monitoring two preteens in a shopping district could be so exhausting. He thought that Bellatrix, who was old enough to act responsibly (in his opinion), would be a good influence on the impressionable Andromeda. Andromeda was shopping for a full set of school items, as she would be starting Hogwarts in September. Naturally, she was besides herself with excitement—and Bellatrix did nothing but encourage it.

Normally, it would be Druella's responsibility to take their children shopping. Like most of the women in the Black family, she had a distinct maternal dominance, and seemed to be much more adept at controlling them than he was. However, as Cygnus had a rare few days free of work, Druella had insisted that he take the girls to Diagon Alley. Something about trying to connect with them on a fatherly level. She always complained that Cygnus didn't spend enough time with his daughters, and she thought it would be nice to spend some one-on-one time with Narcissa.

He found traipsing through Diagon Alley to be particularly insufferable. As his presence was so unusual around such areas, he found that many people who recognised him were giving him odd looks—as though he was some kind of royal. Not that he minded such attention, but he couldn't really appreciate it while he was under such stress.

When he spotted the colourful outdoor shades of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, he almost fainted with relief. Normally he wouldn't be seen dead in such a gaudy place, but all he wanted was to rest his aching legs. Andromeda suddenly hurled into him, nearly knocking him over with such force that he had to grab on to a nearby witch for support.

After hastily brushing himself down, he shot a glare at his daughter. "Andromeda," he chastised sternly. "You mustn't run into me like that."

"Sorry, Father," she replied. He could see her cheeks were red with excitement, and her eyes flashed brightly. "Could you take us to the ice cream parlour? Please, Father?"

It was as though she had read his mind; but he wasn't going to let her think that she had won him over so easily. "Perhaps," he pondered. "Are you going to behave yourself and follow my rules?"

Andromeda grinned. "I promise!"

Cygnus, a man who rarely smiled, couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the expression on Andromeda's face. He nodded towards the ice cream parlour, and followed his daughter. He was certainly looking forward to a nice sit down.