This is being cross-posted from Ao3. It was originally posted on 1 November 2020.
GaeilgeRua couldn't participate in our usual Halloween fest because we dropped out of an event, but that didn't stop us from writing fics for each other! Mine may be a day late, but I really hope you enjoy what I did with the prompt you gave me! Thank you for always reading my stories and jsut being an overall awesoem friend! Happy reading! xxDustNight
Huge thank you to starrnobella for reading this over for me, and to GaeilgeRua for allowing me the use of her Grammarly subscription to read this over. Any other mistakes are definitely my own.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. Marvel belongs to Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: The witch's familiar wasn't a black cat. + Steve Rogers/Pansy Parkinson
#31DaysOfWritingChallenge October 6th: Gift Fic
#MMFBingo20 Square N1: "We broke all our own rules for someone." - Unknown
All her life, Pansy had wanted a black cat as her familiar. She'd begged her mum and dad to get a cat when she left for Hogwarts, but they insisted it wasn't practical. Instead, she got an owl… A basic barn owl. Thankfully, Millie had brought a cat, so at least she got to spend some time with her friend's pet. It still wasn't what she wanted, and so she vowed to someday own a cat of her own.
Unfortunately, after Hogwarts, and the end of the war, Pamsy never got around to getting a cat for herself. Instead, she'd taken care of her mother as she grew ill and eventually passed. Her father did nothing to help, always locked away in his study instead of taking care of his family. Even though he'd not participated in the war, he still acted as though it was a massive injustice that Harry Potter had defeated the Dark Lord.
After her mother's funeral, Pansy had packed up her belongings and left the manor she had always called home. Not wanting to deal with the pitying looks and questions from the wizarding community in England, she ventured to the States in the hope of a fresh start for herself. The MACUSA was pleasant enough to help her find housing and even a simple desk job. It wasn't what she wanted, but it would do for the time being.
Eventually, Pansy realized that she wanted to create wizarding robes and attire. The styles were a bit different in the States than what she was used to, but she found inspiration. She showed her sketches to one of her co-workers, and they helped her find a place where she could apprentice. Over the next few years, Pansy grew in her seamstress abilities. Her new goal became to own her own wizarding dress shop, and she started to make plans to open one when the time was right.
Through all of this, Pansy never once thought to get a black cat or a pet at all. She used owls and her Patronus for communication. After working long hours at her desk job and then her evenings as an apprentice, she didn't feel the need for companionship when she got home each night. Exhausted, she would just tumble into bed and fall asleep before waking up and doing it all over the very next day.
It wasn't until she quit her desk job to open her own wizarding attire store that the thought of a companion even crossed her mind again. Her father had finally withered away and passed, leaving the Parkinson fortune to her despite not speaking for years. It was just what she needed to get started building her empire of shops. Her first one was right there in New York City. As she closed her shop after the first day, she saw a car run into an alleyway.
It got her to thinking about wanting someone special to come home to each day. She'd never taken on a flatmate despite having a spare room in her place. As she walked the few blocks home through the city, she wondered if she should get a cat. She was still working long hours even though she finally had her own business, but there was a loneliness in her heart that she hated to admit was there.
When she came to the States, she told herself her number one rule was never to feel sorry for herself or to fall in love. The first rule was a bit harder to follow than the second because she'd never found anyone she liked if she were honest. If she had a pet, then she'd be less likely to want someone to fill the empty void in her heart. As she arrived home, she decided that tomorrow she'd visit the pet store near the wizarding sector and find herself a cat.
The next morning, Pansy took the long walk to her shop so that she could stop by the magical pet store. She was sipping her coffee and not really paying attention when someone suddenly bumped into her, causing her mug to fall to the sidewalk. Jumping backwards, so the coffee didn't get on her boots, Pansy angrily met the eyes of the person she was about to give a stern talking to. Only, when her eyes met his, the world seemed to slow to a crawl.
"I'm sorry, miss," the man apologized, immediately dropping to his knee and picking up her travel mug. He stood again and handed it back to her. "It looks like it's all spilt out… I should really learn not to walk and text at the same time. I've never quite managed to get the hang of doing both at the same time."
Blinking, Pansy numbly took the mug back from the stranger and tucked it into her bag. It was probably damp and going to make everything inside that way too, but she was just astounded by the man in front of her. Clearing her throat and trying to get her mind to stop short-circuiting, she said, "It's okay. I was distracted too."
"There's a coffee shop on the corner of the next block," the man said gesturing over his shoulder. "Can I buy you a replacement coffee?"
"You would do that?" Pansy asked, cocking her head slightly. While she was used to the people in this massive city, it was rare she encountered someone willing to go out of their way like this. "You don't even know who I am."
The man smiled and offered his hand. "I'm Steve Rogers," he said, blue eyes twinkling. "You are?"
Smirking, Pansy accepted the handshake. "Pansy Parkinson. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you as well," Steve said, dropping his hold. "See, there now we know each other. Can I buy you a coffee?"
"Sure," Pansy replied, hoisting her bag higher on her shoulder and gesturing for Steve to lead the way. She didn't often shop in this area, so she wasn't exactly sure where the coffee shop was located. "I have a long day ahead and was looking forward to the caffeine boost."
Steve led the way, but he remained right by her side. "So where in England are you from, Pansy? My old friend Peggy lived in London."
"Yeah?" Pansy said, glancing his way as they walked. "I lived a bit north of the city… More toward Cambridge. My family had a manor there."
"Sounds pretty nice," Steve said as they turned a corner. "How long have you been in New York?"
"Nearly ten years now." Pansy saw the coffee shop ahead and was suddenly wishing there was more time to talk with Steve. She glanced at her watch and saw that it was half nine already. She needed to open her shop at ten, but if she still wanted to make it to the pet store, she couldn't waste too much time with Steve. "I take it you have lived here all your life?"
Scratching the back of his head, Steve said, "I grew up here; yes, but I spent a lot of time abroad, you could say. It's a rather long story…"
A long story… Pansy certainly didn't have time for a long story, but something was intriguing about Steve that made her want to keep talking. There was also something familiar about him that she couldn't quite place. Standing outside the coffee shop now, she had a choice to make. Either she could stay and talk with him for a little while longer, or say goodbye and go on her way without knowing anything else there was to know about Steve Rogers. As she decided, Pansy realized that she was possibly about to break one of her rules.
"I have to open up my shop in half an hour," she began, not quite believing the words coming out of her mouth, "but I'd love to hear more about you. Do you want to walk with me?"
"Sure," Steve replied with a smile while opening the door to the coffee shop. "Let's get you a replacement coffee and then see where the morning takes us."
The morning took them all over the place, and Pansy didn't end up opening her shop until nearly noon. Deciding it didn't matter, she got to work sewing some new designs as she thought about the coffee date she'd shared with Steve. Never having thought about dating a muggle, Pansy had found it hard not talking about her wizarding life.
At the same time, Steve appeared to be holding back from her too. Granted, it was their first time talking, so they were both probably being careful about opening up about their lives. As she got into her sketches and sewing, Pansy couldn't help but smile at the thought of seeing Steve again. If things went well tomorrow, maybe she would eventually tell him about being a witch.
After closing the shop that evening, Pansy hurried to the pet store with the hopes that there would be a black cat for her to buy. She still intended on adopting a familiar so that she didn't have to live alone anymore. Granted, the thought of Steve appeared in the back of her mind. But there were many talks and dates to go before even considering something of that nature...
As she pushed open the door, she smiled when the owner immediately came out from the back to help her. "Good evening," she said as the door shut behind her. "I'm looking for a black cat. Do you have any that are available to adopt?"
"If you'd arrived half an hour earlier," said the owner of the store with remorse, "I would have had a cat. I sold the black beauty to a girl headed off to Ilvermorny next year. I do have a few owls that are in need of a good home. Care to take a look?"
Once again, her plans for owning a cat were thwarted. Sighing heavily, Pansy was about to say no, when one of the cages caught her eye. "Is that one for sale?" she asked, pointing at the cage in question. She could use an owl of her own instead of using the ones at the MACUSA.
The owner followed her finger and smiled. "He is, actually." Leading the way over to the cage, he opened the door and invited the owl to settle onto his arm. "This beautiful eagle owl is known as Cap."
"Cap?" Pansy asked, reaching out to tentatively stroke the owl's beautiful feathers.
Laughing, the owner explained the name. "My wife thought it would be funny to have an eagle owl named after Captain America." When Pansy shook her head in confusion, he added, "Our national bird is the bald eagle, and Captain America is one of the Avengers. He still lives in the city."
"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the Avengers as much as I ought to be," Pansy admitted with a shrug. "I don't read the muggle papers or have a telly."
"Ah," the owner said, nodding. "That makes sense. Well, Captain America is a man named Steve Rogers. Essentially, he is a super-soldier who helps protect the world. It's a bit crazy to think there are other magical beings besides us, isn't it?"
Pansy merely nodded as she stood there in shock. Steve Rogers. Steve Rogers. Surely that wasn't a common name, even here in the States. Finding her voice, Pansy plastered a smile to her face and said, "I'll take Cap. I think he'll be a great familiar, and I can't wait to show him to my new friend too."
When she met up with Steve the next morning for coffee again, she decided to share a little more about herself, but first, she needed him to be honest with her too. "Good morning," she told him as he walked up to the bench she was sitting at. "Captain America."
Stopping a few feet away, Steve dropped his head forward and laughed. When he looked up again, there was a sheepish grin on his face. "You found out who I really am."
"It's a funny story really," Pansy said, patting the bench next to her. "Come have a seat while I tell you about my new familiar."
"Familiar?" Steve asked as he sat down. "Do you mean a pet?"
"When you're a witch or wizard, we tend to call them familiars," Pansy said slowly, enjoying the way Steve's eyes went wide.
"So you're not normal either?"
Laughing, Pansy shook her head. "Hell no! Now come sit down and tell me all about your life as an Avenger, and when you're done, we can talk about having dinner tonight."
"I think that sounds like a good plan to me," Steve said, getting comfortable and shooting her a dazzling smile. "As long as I get to hear all about you being a witch."
"Absolutely."
Pansy knew she was breaking one of her rules, but it was worth it. Steve Rogers was dazzling his way into her heart, and she wasn't complaining one bit. Fickle familiar be damned, at least she knew one thing was for sure, Steve was there to stay, and she wouldn't have it any other way.