Pansy finally gathers the funds and the courage to leave her job and start her own business.
FlyBoy: What are you doing tomorrow?
Baby Girl: Sitting in my flat, planning the end of the world
FlyBoy: Can you be finished with your plans in time for dinner?
Baby Girl: Depends
FlyBoy: What if you have a date?
Baby Girl: That would be nice
FlyBoy: You sound sceptical
Baby Girl: There is this bloke
FlyBoy: Really?!
Baby Girl: He flies a lot, lives across the pond
FlyBoy: Must make dates difficult
Baby Girl: It can be bloody awful
FlyBoy: So, pasta and this bloke on the other end of a phone line is not a good date?
Baby Girl: Merlin's beard, I wish you were here
FlyBoy: Me, too. Be patient
Baby Girl: I ran out of patience when you fell out of the bloody sky
FlyBoy: Baby girl …
Pansy: Help
Ginny: It is 3 in the morning
Pansy: I need to get to DC
Ginny: Get a portkey in the morning
Pansy: The witch has my schedule full for the next 10 days
Ginny: Why haven't you quit?
Pansy: I'm going to … just have to get through the next 10 days … I ask for 2 days off after the 10 days
Ginny: How much longer are you going to let that bloody witch run you into the ground and do all her work?
Pansy: Until I have enough in my vault to survive 2 years on my own and three good clients I can steal from that bloody bitch
Ginny: Are you alright?
Pansy: No
Ginny: I can be there in 2 minutes
Pansy: Bloody hell, I am not a baby. I can do this
Ginny: He is hurt and you can't get to him
Pansy: How do you do it?
Ginny: Not well when he is gone
Pansy: I need to sleep if I am going to survive tomorrow
Ginny: Please, try to sleep
Pansy: Night
Ginny: Night
Pansy placed her mobile on the bedside table, screen down. She reached up to her cheek and wiped away the tears that would not seem to stop. "Pull yourself together, Pansy. You have a client list to slay in four hours and a dragon to slay in two weeks. You are not the princess in the tower, you are the knight."
Pounding her pillow before laying her head on it, Pansy continued her pep talk. "There is no use in crying over any of this. You are barely in a long distance relationship with a bloody real-life superhero and he is going to get hurt. You cannot crumble every time he falls from the sky and you can't be there to catch him. You have a kick-arse business plan ready to launch as soon as you can turn in your notice. Now, get some sleep so you can slay a dragon or two tomorrow."
Pansy listened to the last echo of her voice fade from her bedroom as she closed her eyes. She still felt restless but her eyes stayed closed. Releasing a sigh, Pansy let sleep drag her away from her worries for a few hours
FlyBoy: Are you awake?
Baby Girl: I am now
FlyBoy: Just wanted to check in before you head to work
Baby Girl: I'm good
FlyBoy: You going to do it today?
Baby Girl: Do what?
FlyBoy: Hex your boss
Baby Girl: No, you git, I cannot hex my boss
FlyBoy: Why not?
Baby Girl: Because I need a decent reputation
FlyBoy: You can do this
Baby Girl: I hope so
Pansy looked down at the piece of parchment in her hands. This was it. Her ticket to freedom. The big question was how to handle turning it in. "One more quick read through and then I'll seal it and leave it on her desk."
Dear Madame Mafalda,
After five years of working with and learning from you, I am leaving. I have learned many things about how to run a business and treat the people who work for me from my years here. Please accept this letter as my two weeks notice.
I will continue to fulfill my obligations to the clients I have on my schedule for the next two weeks. I will also work with my fellow consultants to make sure all my clients will continue to receive the same level of service after my departure.
Sincerely,
Pansy Parkinson
Pansy took a deep breath and folded the peach of parchment. With a flick of her wrist, She affixed her wax seal to the seam of the letter and set a notification spell to let her know when Madame Mafalda opened and read the letter. All that was left to do now was put it on Madame Mafalda's desk.
"Good thing she left hours ago." Pansy muttered as she left her office. "Makes it easier to leave this on her desk where she will see it first thing tomorrow. The countdown starts now."
Pansy: It's done
Ginny: Good. Now all you have to do is survive the next two weeks
Pansy: And do a good enough job to take a client or two with me
Ginny: Just give me some of your flyers when you are ready
Pansy What are you planning?
Ginny: It is amazing what professional Quidditch players will pay to not have to shop …
Waving her wand over the box on her desk, Pansy sent the last of her personal items to her flat. She was set to turn in her office key and client list as soon as Madame Mafalda called her to the conference room. It was strange to pack up five years of her life into five boxes. The intercom on her desk crackled to life. "Ms. Parkinson, she is waiting for you."
Pansy took another deep breath and opened the door to the conference room.
Madame Mafalda sat in the chair at the head of the table in the conference room. She had three sheets of parchment and a quick quill sitting on the table. "Ms. Parkinson, I have some papers for you to sign before I collect your keys and client lists. This document is inspelled to ensure you do not tell secrets of this company to our competitors. The next document requires that you do not initiate contact with any of our clients if you choose to enter this line of work in the next five years. The final document is an acknowledgement of your separation package. Do you understand what you are signing? Do you understand what you are giving up to leave this company?"
Pansy took the quill from Madame Mafalda's outstretched hand. "Yes, ma'am. I understand what I am signing and what I am giving up. I have spent the last five years learning what works and what does not work in this business. I am choosing to step away from working for this company for my health, both physical and emotional. I have several options to consider and I am going to take my time. I appreciate the opportunities you and your company have given me."
With a flourish of the quill, Pansy ended her tenure as a consultant with Madame Mafalda. "Now that everything is signed and I no longer work for you, I have a word of caution for you. I had planned to work here for many years. But, after the way I have been treated, more as a serf than a valued consultant who knows what she is doing and knows how to get the best for her clients, I have decided I have had enough. Let this resignation be an opportunity for you to evaluate the way you treat the people who work so hard for you."
Pansy dropped her keys and client list on the desk, turned and left the room.
Baby Girl: It's done
FlyBoy: Completely done?
Baby Girl: Yes
FlyBoy: How do you feel?
Baby Girl: Bloody relieved. I was good
FlyBoy: You are always good, sweetness
Baby Girl: I didn't take out my wand and hex her
FlyBoy: Such restraint
Baby Girl: I wish I could have taken a picture of her face as I said my piece and left
FlyBoy: Please tell me you didn't curse
Baby Girl: I used my nice words to tell her she needs to take the bloody stick out of her arse and treat the people that work for her better. I thought her eyebrows were going to hit the ceiling
FlyBoy: How much time do you have off?
Baby Girl: I open the doors on my shop on Monday.
FlyBoy: I'm proud of you.
"I can't believe this is all mine." Pansy looked around the comfortable open space that was the front of her business. "Posh by Pansy is actually open. I just hope I have a client or two by then end of the afternoon."
The tinkling of the bell above the door announced the arrival of her first visitors. "Pansy! I have brought a trope of Harpies to see if you can make us beautiful. We have a trophy to claim in a week."
"Ginny Weasley, come in and have a seat. So nice of you to bring a few friends." Pansy smiled as she watched Ginny and her teammates make themselves comfortable in the overstuffed chairs and sofas she had scattered around the room. "What is this about a trophy? I thought you still had a game to play and the banquet isn't for two more weeks."
"Just seeing if you have been paying attention," Ginny laughed and threw a pillow at Pansy's head. "My fellow Harpies and I wanted to be the first people to get the royal treatment from Posh by Pansy. Think of all the ladies you could get in here if we sparkle our way through the banquet. It is not easy to find beautiful gowns that fit these amazing ladies."
"A few questions first, ladies." Pansy picks up a pad and quill from her desk. "Are we wearing team colors or are we wearing what flatters each lady's skin tone? Are we all wearing the same length? How much skin do you want to show? How much do you want to sparkle?"
Pansy could feel her smile grow as a chorus of voices threw answers back at her as well as pillows at each other. This is what she had missed working for Madame Mafalda. A place where she could make her clients comfortable and then make them feel beautiful. Today, might just be the perfect opening day.
Blaise: What is that?
Pansy: My first bloody clients
Blaise: Is that Weasley in the middle of the pile?
Pansy: She brought the entire Harpies team
Blaise: And ….
Pansy: That is our victory celebration … I found gowns for all of them to wear for their league banquet in two weeks
Blaise: That is bloody amazing
Pansy: I know. They all are coming back after the season to set up consultations and three of them signed client contract before they left, including Ginny
Blaise: Looks like you are off to a great start
Pansy: A bloody GREAT start
Blaise: So, when are you coming back to this side of the pond?
Pansy: Don't know
Blaise: It has been a while
Pansy: When I get the business off the ground, I'll come and visit
Blaise: What about Fashion week? The MACUSA has set up a crossover fashion show later this year
Pansy: It depends
Blaise: On what?
Pansy: A certain flyboy
FlyBoy: You asleep?
Baby Girl: Not yet.
FlyBoy: Just thought I'd check in
Baby Girl: I'm laying in bed but my bloody brain won't stop
FlyBoy: What happened today?
Baby Girl: I made a whole team of Harpies happy
FlyBoy: Harpies?
Baby Girl: The bloody best quidditch team ever
FlyBoy: Quidditch?
Baby Girl: Come see me and I'll take you to see my first clients play
FlyBoy: Your first clients?
Baby Girl: YES! I found dresses for the whole team for their banquet and now several of them are clients!
FlyBoy: Sweetness, that is amazing!
Baby Girl: It is FUCKING amazing!
FlyBoy: It's time to get some sleep
Baby Girl: I can't sleep
FlyBoy: The sooner you go to sleep the sooner you can have another great day
Baby Girl: I guess
FlyBoy: I'm sending you a playlist. Click on it and close your eyes
Baby Girl: It won't work
FlyBoy: Trust me
Baby Girl: Maybe
FlyBoy: For my BabyGirl
FlyBoy: Just put it on shuffle and close your eyes. Sweet dreams, Baby Girl
Baby Girl: Night, FlyBoy
A/N:
Sam's playlist: ht* * /play*list/4oJwvu*gAOlMV6R*1anXZFFN?si=4Iq*mDeLuRqmZfIG*wUgKGqQ
For My BabyGirl playlist: ht* * /play*list/7EpVK79*WX9BTDJbD1E*j69G?si=Pv5xDo*3eSw2yRmeTS0v-UQ
(Remove the * to get the playlist)
