Hey everyone!

Updating late as I have work tomorrow and felt like updating tonight rather than when I get home from work tomorrow. I'm finally managing to start getting ahead on updates, that's planning and writing... except my Lydia Chronicles as I need to figure out how to start the second one and the plot for it. Anyway enjoy this update.

Lots of love,

LM xxxxxx

Breaking Traditions-Part 5:

Narcissa needed to get out of the Manor and away from Priscilla. She loved her mother-in-law but the Manor was starting to become more suffocating and she was beginning to feel trapped. The air seemed to be thick and the blonde felt that she was struggling to breathe at times. She needed to escape… somewhere where she could blend in. The. The answer hit her. Diagon Alley. But she'd have to wait until Lucius was at the Ministry and Priscilla was occupied so she could slip out.

A couple of days later Lucius had headed to the Ministry before breakfast and Priscilla said that she would be in the library attending to some business so Narcissa took her chance and slipped out using the Floo and soon was walking out into the Alley and she instantly took a breath and began to think about what she would like to do first.

She looked around to see if there was anywhere that she really wanted to go and that was when she saw Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and she had a sudden longing for ice cream. So she headed into the ice cream parlour and looked at the flavours before deciding on toffee apple. She ordered some sprinkles and sauce, paid for it and went to sit outside. Her usual table was taken so she sat in the one next to it and smiled. Nobody seemed to identify that Narcissa Malfoy was sat amongst them. That was just the way she wanted it as she didn't want word getting back to Lucius.

She pulled out her copy of the Daily Prophet that Lucius hadn't managed to read that morning and sat quietly reading it. She heard someone mention hearing from their daughter at Hogwarts and that triggered a painful ache in Narcissa's heart as she longed for it to be Christmas already and Draco back in her arms. She instantly pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. Narcissa Malfoy would not cry in public and that was the end of it. She snorted a couple of times at pieces of news before folding up the paper and storing it back into her bag.

She wondered if she really needed anything and then she saw Twilfitt and Tatting's and decided that she'd sort her wardrobe out at some point.

Right new dresses, blouses and skirts time she thought before heading towards the shop and then inside. Of course the owner rushed forwards to greet her and Narcissa smiled and looked around.

"Word must not get back to Lucius that I have escaped his mother but I am looking to get a new wardrobe… well have a clear out of the clothes I do not wear any more," she explained.

"Rest assured Lady Malfoy I will not breathe a word to anyone about your presence here," the owner said, "now would you like to take a look at the new styles we have in?"

"Yes please. That would be very nice," Narcissa smiled politely.

She followed the owner and then smiled as she was shown the latest dresses and skirts. The witch was soon in her element as she was choosing skirts and blouses that went together and the new dresses that she just knew Lucius would love. They needed a date night soon. Maybe he'd actually take her on one now she'd have some new dresses to wear.

"Take the money from the Malfoy vault tomorrow once Lucius has seen all the new clothes," Narcissa said as she shrunk down the bags and put them in her pocket. The owner needed before Narcissa headed out of the shop and then looked around and wondered where to go next.

She decided to go and have a look in Flourish and Blotts for some new books. She needed something different to the ones that she had been reading and she began to wander around, looking at the shelves hoping that a book would stand out to her. She ran a finger along some of the books before pulling them out and looking at them, standing and reading a few pages. The ones that appealed she kept in her arms and the ones she didn't like she placed back on the shelves. She had quite a few and headed to the counter to pay, again telling the shopkeeper to take the money from the Malfoy family vault.

Once she was back outside she found the need for being a mother again and she found herself walking into the Magical Menagerie. She knew exactly what she wanted and headed straight for the cats and began to look at the kittens. She knew a kitten was what she wanted; another sign that Draco was right in that his mother needed another child. He knew that, by the time the baby went to Hogwarts, he'd almost be getting married so his mother wouldn't need another child after that.

She smiled as one kitten stood out to her and she picked up a little white kitten and held it close to her and the owner went over to her.

"Nobody has looked at that kitten. I thought a Hogwarts student might have chosen her but I'm afraid she's still here."

"Not any more. I'm taking this little one home. Can you prepare everything I will need?" Narcissa asked and the shopkeeper went off to prepare the kitten would need and shrunk it down before Narcissa placed the kitten in the carry case, telling the shopkeeper to take the money from the family vault.

She headed back to the Floo and was soon back in Malfoy Manor and headed to the parlour and ordered her house elf to make her tea and she enlarged everything so Lucius would be able to see the bags when he arrived back home.

Eventually he did and headed to the parlour and was stunned to see all the bags and then the little white kitten.

"Cissa…?" he questioned.

"Well I was going crazy here so I went to Diagon Alley and did a bit of spending," she said.

"And brought a kitten… Cissa I know you want a daughter. I will think about it OK? This is hard. I know you're worried too," he said and Narcissa nodded.

"I am Luc… but I need a daughter too," she said and Lucius sighed. This wasn't going to be easy for anyone at all. All Lucius wanted to do was the right thing, no matter how he felt. He also just wanted Narcissa happy and that was influencing his thoughts more than anything. He needed to come to a decision… and fast.