this is tradition

anastasia fawley burke. morsmordrc.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anastasia Fawley Burke

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[anyafawleyburke]

The gala had ended in such horror that Anya had swooned onto a chaise in one of Burke Manor’s drawing rooms. The sickly green glare of the Mark in the sky made her nauseous, and the disappearance of the Minister hadn’t helped matters. By the next morning, the Prophet was awash in details of the gala, but it had not proven to be the glamorous re-entry into society that she had hoped. Now the press were waiting outside the gates of the estate as if the Minister would suddenly stride through them, no worse for wear.

So when someone knocked on the massive doors to the Manor, Anya strode briskly to answer then herself, rather than ask an elf to do it, as was customary. She wrenched the doors open and fixed the person standing outside with an imperious stare.

“Yes?” She asked. “How can I help you?”

[anyafawleyburke]

Someone at Burke Manor wanted to make sure this reached you.

The envelope, when Anya spots it, is tucked neatly next to her salad plate at dinner. She opens it with a practiced expression of disinterest, sliding her finger beneath the seal and feeling the wax crack. A brief expression of horror mars her face before she regains control, slipping the mask of pureblood society hostess on as easily as she would a slipper. Inside, though, she is terrified by the mere implication that someone could possibly suspect that she had anything to do with Thoros's death. No one can know, she repeats to herself, pulse roaring in her ears. There was no trace. The Ministry didn't find anything.

She makes it through dinner on autopilot. Years of comportment lessons from her mother and governess make events like this simple for her and she doesn't need to devote much thought to what comes next - Soup, appetizer, salad, main course, dessert, mignardise. All robotic and automatic, one after the other. She makes polite conversations with those nearest her, laughs when necessary, and the entire time, she is telling herself no one can know, no one could possibly know. She makes a mental list of those who would dare insinuate something so horrid. One of her husband's former associates, perhaps? The only thing she is certain of, by the end of dinner, is that she has never wanted to succumb to the solitude of Burke Manor more than she does right now.

[sabrinaavery]

where: burke gala who: @anyafawleyburke

It didn't take Sabrina long to find Anya among the crowd. A small smile touched her lips as she approached, reaching out briefly to squeeze her friend's arm. "You look beautiful," she said simply, because there was little point pretending otherwise.

Her gaze lingered for a moment before shifting to the sea of guests surrounding them. "So," the witch mused lightly, lifting her glass, "how does it feel being the most talked-about witch in the room?" The hint of amusement in her expression softened. "And more importantly, how are you holding up?"

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya smiled and covered Sabrina's hand with her own. "Says the most beautiful witch in the room," she replied with a laugh, cheeks pinking from the compliment. She turned her gaze to the guests as Sabrina did and took a sip of her champagne.

"Hmm. It feels... Very, very tiring," she said, huffing out another laugh. She allowed her facade of confidence to slip for a moment and she bit down on her lower lip. "I'd forgotten how much work all of this is," she added with a wave of her hand at the room around them. "Balancing everyone's needs and expectations."

"How are you? Are you enjoying the evening?" She said after allowing herself a moment of silent reflection. "Some of the art is quite lovely."

[evelynfawley]

Evelyn noticed at her cousin standing next to her and offered her an affectionate smile and one arm hug, not wanting to ruin her outfit. She had always been a warm person, and she knew this was a big day for her cousin. She looked back at the portrait and nodded her head, agreeing with Anya.

"I think most of them look the same, but this one is... Merlin, it's regal", she murmured softly. "She was a beautiful woman" she then added, looking at the details of the painting. "How are you?" She then asked.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya returned Evelyn's hug with a smile, briefly resting her head on her cousin's shoulder. "She was stunning," she agreed, watching the portrait flutter her fan at their attention.

"Exhausted," she said with a sigh. "I feel like everything that's happened in the past few months has been... Perhaps more than I can bear on my own. And tonight has been more effort than I anticipated." She shrugged her shoulders. "How have you been?"

[lordlestrange]

"Anya, You've gathered quite the crowd." he remarked. It was the truth; every time he managed to politely acknowledge one Ministry official or socialite, three more seemed to drift through the door the moment his back was turned. He allowed himself a fleeting moment of hope that the room might actually settle down soon so they could finally get to the interesting part of the evening, though he already knew better.

"My deepest condolences for your loss. I'm sure it must be a difficult time," he added, his voice dropping into a smooth, practiced tone of sympathy that cost him absolutely nothing to give.

He let the door fade into background noise, focusing completely on her instead.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya dipped her chin in acknowledgement of her compliment. Aside from a few unsatisfied individuals (too much muggle art, too little muggle art, etc, etc), the whole event had been rather successful. She allowed herself a moment of pride before turning her attention to his next comment. She supposed she would be accepting people's condolences for the rest of her life, or until she married again. A frown marred her face at the thought, even though to the outside it would seem as if she were still mourning Thoros.

"Thank you," she said simply, turning to face him more completely. "I'm very grateful for everyone's support as I find my feet again." If she had learned anything in the past few months, it was that widowhood was exhausting and full of paperwork and endless meaningless platitudes. "I wouldn't be able to do this without my friends and family."

[itsluciusmalfoy]

it was always an extraordinary thing when the sacred families lost one of their own, especially in such unexpected ways. lucius didn't know the man that well and couldn't say he knew his widow even better. lucius had attended the funeral though and donated whatever funds he could to support her now that was unwed. he didn't know what was worse: a divorce or your spouse dying. either way, one would end up alone and that seemed like a lonlier number than no one at all. he shared a splitting grin with anya as she sat across from him. "and how has it been to be the host of the party? or is it the ministry's? i couldn't follow the invitation well. i am having a good time, but there are a couple things i would fix if it were my party. maybe less of an open invitation and more exclusive or at least a doorman."

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya flexed her ankle and foot under her skirts. It felt so good to sit after so long on her feet. She took another sip of her champaign and assessed Lucius coolly at his comment.

"I believe I am co-chair, if one must be technical," she said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "As if I would allow most of these people into my home." She snorted daintily and pursed her lips. "But I'm so glad you're enjoying yourself," she added, after a beat. "I must admit, some of the art is quite good. Odd staring at portraits that don't move, though."

[evelynfawley]

who: evelyn + open

where: burke gala

before her mother could get her hands on her again and force her to search for a 'fine gentleman', evelyn decided to get lost in this place. she walked around, admiring the private collection that was at display. evelyn stopped in front of one of the paintings and just contemplated it for a long time.

"absolutely magnificent..." she murmured practically breathless and to no one in particular. except that there was someone standing next to her that she failed to notice.

[anyafawleyburke]

Having escaped the clutches of her own mother, Anya decided to leave the crowded ballroom and get some air. She caught sight of someone wandering into the corridors to her private wing of the manor and hurried after them to stop them before they made it too far. Once she caught up to Evelyn and realized that it was her cousin, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It is, isn't it," she said, joining her next to the portrait. "It's Thoros's great-great-aunt once removed or something." She tilted her head to the side and appraised it. "Portraiture isn't the same as it used to be."

[lordlestrange]

The heavy, dark magic humming through Burke Manor felt like a second skin as Rodolphus drifted through the crowd with a glass of firewhisky, looking entirely in his element. He was born for rooms like this, surrounded by old money and pureblood names.

But honestly, it was an absolute chore to be here tonight. His jaw was tight as he forced himself to make the rounds, offering just enough polite nods and quick hellos to keep up appearances. Listening to the same old political gossip from the sycophants around him was exhausting.

He finally managed to untangle himself from a particularly tedious conversation about Ministry politics. Stepping into a quieter pocket of the room, he caught the eye of a familiar face standing nearby. With a weary, knowing roll of his eyes toward the crowd, he raised his glass slightly in their direction a clear, bid for some normal company to help pass the time.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya's smile felt frozen on her face as she listened some Wizengamot member blather on about what a good man her husband had been. Thoros had been many things - Sly, cunning, ambitious, but she would never venture to refer to him as 'a good man'. But she couldn't well say that out loud, and especially not to someone who her late husband had clearly been bribing for their good opinion.

She extricated herself from the conversation with as much grace as possible and made her way to the closest friendly face she saw as Rodolphus raised his glass to her. She returned the gesture with her own flute of champagne before approaching him and standing next to him to survey the crowd. "Rodolphus," she greeted. "You look like you're enjoying yourself." Her tone was teasing to hide how desperately she wanted tonight to go well.

[itsluciusmalfoy]

location: burke manor open to all!

lucius had talked to almost everyone of importance at the gala at least twice and his jaw was starting to hurt from how hard he clenched his feigned smiled. it was almost painted on at this point. he reached for his martini to relax and take a good look around the room. he couldn't believe the people were welcomed here. it was a welcome invitation and lucius could already count how many people he would remove if it were up to him. though it wasn't the perfect image yet, he and narcissa were known to host some of the best society gatherings. he could walk away from tonight knowing he was still better than whoever threw this one. lucius shook his head when he saw someone approach. "that seat is taken," he said in reference to the empty seat across from him. it wasn't reserved but he would rather not subject himself to mindless small talk. "don't-or sure, by all means. sit," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. it seemed the person wasn't going to read the room.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya's feet were starting to hurt, despite the heavy cushioning charms she'd cast on her shoes prior to the start of tonight's event. Merlin knew, the Ministry had been running her absolutely ragged the past few weeks. She'd tried, as diplomatically as possible, to avoid the inclusion of the muggle art, but had ultimately unsuccessful. Ah well. She could admit the paintings of the ballerinas were lovely, even if that Degas fellow was a muggle.

She snagged a flute of champagne off of a passing tray and sank into the seat near Lucius, choosing to ignore his bluster. "I think you'll find that it's my manor, Lucius," she said after a sip of bubbly, fixing him with a raised eyebrow. "I can seat where I please." She kicked off her heels, feet conveniently hidden under her skirt. "Having fun?"

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya Fawley Burke at the Burke Auction

[itsxrita]

"Only the best people, of course. Anyone of note will be there and there will be a standard no boring policy at the door. I think it will be a good party because other people are sad too. We need more color, we need more distractions instead of all of this fuss and noise." Rita knew she was complaining now, but it's where she did her best work. She smiled back at Anya, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "You know, it really is nice to see you smile again. I think it's a sign to ditch the dark colors. Hopefully the manor isn't just as dark...oh Merline, you've opened up a window or something at least right?"

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya laughed, bright and loud in the coffee shop. "Of course, only the best," she agreed with a grin. It was nice to feel like a whole person again, not just a shade haunting the manor. "Some color would be nice. I'm so tired of... all of this." She pulled a face and gestured at her black robes. "Everything's been black and gray for so long." Her clothes, her mood. Everything had been so dour since Thoros had died.

"Yes, I've opened the windows to let the fresh air in," she said with another laugh. "I've even had the elves working on sprucing up the garden. The Burkes had let it run wild for too long. It needed to be cut back and replanted."

[dashing-diggory]

Who : @anyafawleyburke Where: Flourish & Blotts

Amos was looking for a specific book. A new volume on Acromantulas that had recently come out. It surprised a few people but Amos liked to do his research and keep up with the newest publications when it came to work. He hated being on the back foot. And well the more he knew, the more he could put himself forward for field missions.

"Oh sorry, i'm totally in your way" Amos apologised softly once he realised he was taking up the whole aisle. He tried to hide the recognition on his face. He didn't know her on a personal level but he had seen her picture all over the Daily Prophet. He couldn't even begin to understand how she was getting through the grief. Relationships scared Amos generally. But to give someone your heart just to lose them in that way. It was beyond comprehension.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya had been visiting Flourish and Blotts for a specific book for some potions research she'd been conducting. It still felt odd to be out of the Manor after being secluded in "mourning" for so long. She had gotten used to being by herself with only occasional visits from her family for companionship. Being out among the crowds of people on the Alley felt overwhelming at times.

When Amos realized she was in the aisle behind him, she had barely been paying attention to the people around her. She'd been more focused on soaking up the sensation of being among new paper and ink and sunshine.

"Oh!" She exclaimed when he spoke to her. "Diggory, right?" She could vaguely remember him from... Somewhere. Transfiguration class, maybe? "It's fine," she added. "I was just browsing."

[unseriouslysirius]

Where: Hogsmeade's woods

Open to: anyone

Sirius laid comfortably on the grass. It's been a while since he had taken the time to simply enjoy the sun. That and he had a terrible hangover that made it impossible to apparate from the pub to his home, so he simply crashed at Aberforth's for the night. So here he was, trying to gain some energy before finally heading back home.

With the sunglasses on - that poor muggle girl must be regretting having giving them to him - he just looked up at the sky, the trees and its branches and leafs. It was peaceful, quiet. Until it wasn't and his moment was interrupted by footsteps approaching.

"What now?" He asked without even bothering to look up.

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya very nearly tripped over Sirius. She had come to Hogsmeade for lunch with her mother, which had left her irritated and needing to walk off some of her feelings. The woods had seemed like a good idea at the time - quiet and, crucially, devoid of other people. But then there was Black, laying on his grass in the sun.

"Black," she said coolly, arching a brow. "Are you injured? Why are you laying on the ground?" Then she squinted and looked at him closer. "Are those women's sunglasses?"

[beckselwyn]

beck took the seat next to her and only raised his gaze to look over her. a few times, well, most times, someone came in with a case of accidental spell mishaps and that was mostly taken care of, but something about this witch made him pull back. she looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn't place her in that moment.

"no worries, you did the right thing. since you cut it on something, it could still be infected without serious mending. may i?" beck reached for her hand and unwrapped the bandage. "do you feel any pain anywhere else? any allergies, other symptoms...sorry, routine."

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya held her hand out to Beck. "No, please do," she said, wincing as she unraveled the bandage. She felt like a fool. She had gardeners, for Merlin's sake, why had she decided she needed to be the one to work on the Manor's rose bushes?

"No allergies that I know of, no other symptoms, other than feeling like a complete idiot. Just a nasty cut with some gardening shears," she answered. She watched as he examined her palm.

[itsxrita]

"Morbidly depressing?" Rita suggested airily with a tilt of her head. Rita would like to think she supported all of her friends, and it was through that responsibility to bolster her own, like Anya, who could use a bit of a pulse after a dark period. She didn't pretend to know what it felt like to lose someone she loved, but then she wondered if Anya loved her late husband or if it was arranged. Rita decided to hold her tongue with that question.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. And you'll be the first person who I tell if I find one. If there aren't any good ones, we'll just have to throw a party ourselves, won't we? Something seasonal, something floral. I can already smell the flowers, see the pastel robes. I'll start making the invite list now."

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya laughed at Rita's suggestion, feeling better than she had in months. She could absolutely picture what Rita was proposing, and it sounded like fun. She hadn't been to a party in so long, and she felt a pang that she seemed to have missed out on the golden, post-Hogwarts years her peers were experiencing.

"And who are we inviting? More importantly, who are we not inviting," she asked, leaning across the table conspiratorially.

[sabrinaavery]

The brunette raised her brows, curiosity mixed with amusement settled on her features. "I didn't know mourning was already ending," she commented, still a tinge of sorrowfulness as she spoke of her friend's unlucky marriage. "I'm sure you'll look gorgeous with the new robes. Black looks lovely on you, but a touch of color will definitely favour your palette," Sabrina offered with a kind smile before settling comfortable in the spot across the blonde. "Ah, just went out for a cup of tea. The winter called for it, you know?"

[anyafawleyburke]

Anya shrugged her shoulders and frowned. "It's been six months. Mother says it's time for me to 'put on some colour, Anya, for Merlin's sake'," she said, her tone somewhat mocking. While Anya was aware her relationship with her mother could be much worse, she also felt like occasionally she put society's opinions over her only daughter's well-being.

She nodded and took a sip of her own brew. The chill in the air had seeped into her bones, she felt. "I'm ready for warmer weather," she said with a huff of laughter. "I miss the sun."