Private Message to Lucius Malfoy
Nov. 2nd, 2013 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_pansyLucius,
You’ve shown me how effective you can be at navigating through the politics of business, and how your influence can smooth paths or make them a great deal rockier. I can see now how very unwise it was of me to not seek your help from the beginning, and how much more difficult life is without you supporting and helping me, as you’ve done selflessly for so many years. I also see that nothing we ever do happens in isolation, and that even though my goal was to try to show some independent initiative, my reputation was still wrapped up with yours, and my decision could have harmed not only myself, but your reputation as well. Believe me when I say that wasn’t my intent at all.
More importantly, through my attempts, I have damaged my relationship with you. A relationship that I cherish. It hurts my heart to feel distance between us, and countless times in the last few weeks I’ve wanted to ask you for advice or share with you my successes. I miss you horribly.
I want you to know that I am very sorry for the way in which I went about things. I can see how selfish that was of me, and how short-sighted. I suppose there was a part of me that anticipated you’d simply tell me no, and so rather than talk with you directly, I decided to take my chances. I acted in a deceptive manner, which was wrong. I know I can be willful at times, and stubborn, and I'm sorry to have caused you pain through my actions.
Even though I was not straightforward with you, which is something I am heartily sorry for, I have invested time and effort into this project. Beyond just providing funding, I’ve worked at developing budgets, advertising, packaging, and establishing product lines. I've worked hard to ensure that my investment was being put to good use. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished, and with your permission, I want a chance to develop this business further. I wish so badly that we could talk about all the good things I’ve been able to do, and all the progress that has been made, and what I’m planning for my future. I hope with all my heart that you can forgive me for my short-sightedness and deception, and give this project a chance to be successful.
I'd much rather continue with your blessing and forgiveness than attempt this without your support.
If that is something you are not prepared to do, however, were certain current impediments were to be resolved, I would be willing to remove my name from partnership and talk to Fred and George Weasley about establishing a reasonable payment plan to return my initial investment. I know that your influence means a great deal with Commerce, and that my association is hurting this business (and Molly Weasley’s by association) more than helping it at this point. I'd rather see their businesses succeed without me than have them continue to face their current struggles. And my relationship with you is something I value deeply, and although I care about this business, I care about you and your connection to me more.
Please forgive me, Lucius.
Regardless of your decision, know that I respect you, and love you, and miss you more than I can say.
Always Your
L Pansy.
You’ve shown me how effective you can be at navigating through the politics of business, and how your influence can smooth paths or make them a great deal rockier. I can see now how very unwise it was of me to not seek your help from the beginning, and how much more difficult life is without you supporting and helping me, as you’ve done selflessly for so many years. I also see that nothing we ever do happens in isolation, and that even though my goal was to try to show some independent initiative, my reputation was still wrapped up with yours, and my decision could have harmed not only myself, but your reputation as well. Believe me when I say that wasn’t my intent at all.
More importantly, through my attempts, I have damaged my relationship with you. A relationship that I cherish. It hurts my heart to feel distance between us, and countless times in the last few weeks I’ve wanted to ask you for advice or share with you my successes. I miss you horribly.
I want you to know that I am very sorry for the way in which I went about things. I can see how selfish that was of me, and how short-sighted. I suppose there was a part of me that anticipated you’d simply tell me no, and so rather than talk with you directly, I decided to take my chances. I acted in a deceptive manner, which was wrong. I know I can be willful at times, and stubborn, and I'm sorry to have caused you pain through my actions.
Even though I was not straightforward with you, which is something I am heartily sorry for, I have invested time and effort into this project. Beyond just providing funding, I’ve worked at developing budgets, advertising, packaging, and establishing product lines. I've worked hard to ensure that my investment was being put to good use. I am proud of what I’ve accomplished, and with your permission, I want a chance to develop this business further. I wish so badly that we could talk about all the good things I’ve been able to do, and all the progress that has been made, and what I’m planning for my future. I hope with all my heart that you can forgive me for my short-sightedness and deception, and give this project a chance to be successful.
I'd much rather continue with your blessing and forgiveness than attempt this without your support.
If that is something you are not prepared to do, however, were certain current impediments were to be resolved, I would be willing to remove my name from partnership and talk to Fred and George Weasley about establishing a reasonable payment plan to return my initial investment. I know that your influence means a great deal with Commerce, and that my association is hurting this business (and Molly Weasley’s by association) more than helping it at this point. I'd rather see their businesses succeed without me than have them continue to face their current struggles. And my relationship with you is something I value deeply, and although I care about this business, I care about you and your connection to me more.
Please forgive me, Lucius.
Regardless of your decision, know that I respect you, and love you, and miss you more than I can say.
Always Your
no subject
Date: 2013-11-03 05:43 pm (UTC)But as for giving up .... Why would you rush to reverse your position all of a sudden? I thought you believed in them - so much so that you have already invested heavily of your time and effort, as you have pointed out more than once. Yet you would so quickly turn your back on your commitment? Just because of a bump in the road?
Or could it be that you have begun to see the instability in that pair of delinquents and now suspect that failure is but a matter of time?
Let us leave that question unanswered for the moment.
I'm not sure why you should think your involvement is the cause of these troubles you mention, whatever they may be. You are, after all, only one young witch - why should Commerce pay them any more attention or actively conspire to harm them just because you are associated with them? I rather think you may be giving yourself too much credit, my dear.
You certainly give me more credit than necessary in assuming I can clear away any 'impediments' you and your partners are experiencing with a mere sweep of my wand. Surely you understand that whatever is happening as far as Mrs Weasley is part of the normal process Commerce has put in place to ensure that all new businesses serve the interests of the Protectorate and present healthy growth, satisfying the needs and fulfilling the proper desires of Our Lord's loyal subjects. As for whatever other obstacles your colleagues may be facing, I am sorry if you failed to anticipate how difficult it would be to gain a foothold on the market but you did say you were all learning as you go along.
Either way, it does not seem to me that you could mitigate the damage to your reputation or fortune - or their undertaking - by withdrawing now, so soon after the launch. In fact, one feels sure it would only bring about worse ramifications, as it might send a signal that you have less confidence in the venture than you have claimed heretofore. One can only imagine what might be made of that, should it become public knowledge though the trade columns.
No, as you so eloquently said in your defiant retort to me: It's only right that you start making decisions on your own about what you intend for your life. What did you call it? Part of growing up?
If I have been silent these past weeks, it is only because you made it clear you no longer wished for my opinion on this matter and wanted to stand on your own. I have acceded to that wish and have been giving you adequate room to make those decisions - and to face the consequences of those decisions. Pray do not think you are unforgiven or that I hold you in disgrace, nor that I have turned away my affection for you; rather, I have provided you that which you said you wanted most: Freedom to do as you choose.
no subject
Date: 2013-11-04 04:19 am (UTC)Even though you say I am not unforgiven, I will keep trying my best to show you how very sorry I truly am.
I do wish for your opinion. I think that one of the things your silence has taught me is how very much I depend on you, more than I thought I did, and how much I value your insights. And although I do think it's natural to want to make my own decisions, I also think that independence does not have to mean isolation. I've found my short foray down that path to be a rather lonely one, and I supposed I feared that if I let silence stretch out too long between us, I would wake up one day and not have you a part of my life any more, which would pain me greatly. And it would've been my choices that would have led to that distance, not yours.
I can also see how my tendency to worry has made me read far too much into all the little things that have been creating difficulties for us. And it is rather egotistical of me to put myself at the centre of everything, I can see that. Every forming business has its bumps in the road. I suppose you've been such a large figure in my life, and I see you as such a source of power and influence that it's only natural I should think that your displeasure would lead to trouble, and that with a wave of your hand all those troubles were to go away. You're looking out for my best interests, and this includes teaching me a rather valuable lesson about how things work in the real world -- and the real world is not that straightforward or simple.
I can see how reasonable your advice is to not be so hasty in withdrawing my partnership. You're right -- others would see it as a lack of confidence, and it might have the opposite effect from my intent. My partners also appreciated the advice of Mr Crispin, who I'm sure was looking out for our best interests by telling them to be cautious with how our products may be used or the trouble they could get in were they to be taken the wrong way -- in fact, we designed disclaimers for our products with his very warning in mind.
We have indeed had a very successful opening week, and our owl orders have taken off very steadily as a result. Hogsmeade was a rather smashing success with every goal we set, and did what it was meant to -- we sold a large quantity of our selected goods, and increased brand awareness for our owl orders.
However, it's rather frustrating -- Mr Zonko very suddenly cancelled his order for our goods just the other day. After such a profitable showing, it was quite discouraging and unexpected. We shall continue to function through owl order, of course. Fred and George have spoken to me about trying to convince him to change his mind, but seeing as his decision came with so little warning or reason, I wonder at the wisdom of associating with someone who is that inconsistent and easily swayed. Have you any idea why someone might change his mind so quickly like that? I suppose he might have seen us as competition.
The eventual plan is to open a storefront, but that's been challenging too. We are depending on Mrs Weasley's venture as a way to have a physical location, as her revenue would be needed to pay for the building rental. I'm sure you're far too busy to be kept abreast of everything, but the repopulation office received a complaint (a jealous neighbor, no doubt) about Mrs Weasley's source of revenue, one that she was told was legal, and she is now having to address it. She needs the revenue to pay for the store location, and was hoping to house other businesses besides ours as well. It's rather awkward, as her arrangement was set up for her by Director Selwyn, and she assumed it was in good faith and above board. Now that his memory is no longer in favour in the court, it's a challenge to be sure.
It's interesting, but I never gave a great deal of thought about how everything in business is so very closely linked together with the current political atmosphere. Mrs Weasley depended on a person who is no longer able to help her, and whose association with her has most likely hurt her chances through no fault of her own. It's very sad to see. And had I been less stubborn and insistent on my independence, I'm sure your advice regarding Commerce would no doubt have made this process a great deal more smooth, as you have so many insights into how they work.
Without Commerce's approval, we won't have a storefront, and were her revenue to disappear, it would be quite a blow to the Weasley family. I very much hope her next meeting is more successful. At this point, she's putting her best efforts towards pulling together all the paperwork required of her, and is keeping us informed of her progress, and all of the additional evidence she's been asked to provide regarding her finances and blood status. Have you any advice I can pass along so that she won't encounter any more unexpected challenges? I'm sure it would be appreciated.
May I just say, I feel so very relieved to be talking to you again, Lucius.