Why Should I Worry [ANA]

[Deleted]

Today had been a good day. Dominique had finally been partnered on a case with someone who didn’t think the world blew sunshine up their own rear end, Ana Karkaroff. Now Nikki knew the surname Karkaroff of course; being a Weasley and a Delacour how could she not have? But Nikki also knew better than most to never judge a book by its cover. James was dating a LESTRANGE for Merlins’ sake! In the times she had worked with Ana in group settings, Nikki had found her clever, resourceful and intolerant of bullshit. A standup witch if she did say so herself.

Yawning, Nikki hadn’t realized just how long that good day had been. It had been exhilarating, finally tracking down the criminal target and arresting him. Now he was in the hands of his jailers, and good riddance. He had been caught bewitching items in a Muggle womans house he lived next-door to; when persuaded he admitted he’d done so because she had turned him down for a date. Now the woman had voluntarily checked herself into a mental health clinic for a few days, and the Crime Task Force had been called in. “Scumbag,” Nikki muttered under her breath, then looked over at Ana. “Up for a celebratory drink?” she asked. She wanted to get to know her colleague better; after all she was one of the only ones she could really tolerate.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

they rush me

telling me i'm running out of time

September 2027
@dominique

Ana marveled at how many of her peers managed to get through training in one piece based on their abysmal performance in the field. Often, they were regulated to desk jobs, helping with the massive amounts of paperwork (parchment and digital) that international cases ended up with. Plus, all the translations needed to be compiled. Fortunately, there were competent faces that she was willing to work with. The names didn’t matter to her. Ana had learned early on that if she wanted people not to see her as just Karkaroff, she needed to do the same. ”After a day like this, yes.”

It had been a long year, almost a year and a half, and while Ana could sleep a little better these days, she was still trying to move on from that day. Today had been a good day, however. Catching an idiot Wizard taking revenge on some helpless muggle. Ana had worked with Weasley before. She was competent and could hold her own. She didn’t have to worry about what Weasley did when they separated to flank a target before he could apparate or portkey out of their range. But there hadn’t been much doubt in her mind. Watching the girl through her training, it had been clear she would be fine. And thankfully, she didn’t chatter away incessantly like her big-headed cousin.

”It’s always such a hassle when they try to run.” But it was also more of a challenge, which was the exhilaration of the job. And much to her brother’s dismay, she was always itching for a fight. She was ready to pull her wand on anyone who dared challenge her, but if she wanted to keep her job, she had to play nice sometimes.

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[Deleted]

Dominique was relieved Ana agreed to a drink; she could go by herself of course, but it was no fun drinking on one's own. Plus, up until this point Ana and she hadn’t hung out at all outside of work. While the number of colleagues Nikki would mingle with outside the Ministry was low, Ana was high on the list. “I know a great place,” she promised the other woman as they left the Ministry building to rejoin the bustling streets of London. Though Nikki was a Pureblooded witch, she did not have any blood purity prejudices, especially when it came to a good beverage. The tiny bar just down the street from where the Ministry’s public entrance provided excellent beverages, and was never overly crowded, though Nikki wasn’t sure why.

Walking in, Nikki saw that there were about five patrons in the bar, all seated at the counter. So she directed the two of them to a cozy corner near the windows, where they wouldn’t be overheard as much. While they would not be discussing anything that would damage the Statute of Secrecy, she didn’t care for the idea of the Muggle patrons hearing something that confused them, therefore causing them to eavesdrop even more. They had trouble minding their own business sometimes. “What can I get you? First round is on me. They make an amazing Espresso Martini if you’re up for it,” Nikki announced, glancing over at Ana to hear what her drink of choice would be to start.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

they rush me

telling me i'm running out of time

September 2027
@dominique

Her brother had told her that she needed to get out more. Though they had different definitions of what a fulfilling social life might be. Still, Ana was far less repressed than her eldest brother, not that she would ever share the details of her personal life with him. She got out enough, and she would leave it at that. Weasley was hardly a friend. They worked well together, and her competence earned Ana’s respect. As if she’d managed to make it past round one on the way to befriending the youngest Karkaroff.

The place Dominique spoke of was not far from the Ministry’s entrance, which surprised Ana. She hadn’t noticed it there before. Had it been there this whole time? Merlin, maybe she did need to get out more. It had a few patrons, but no more than that. There was nothing worse than a crowded bar. ”That sounds fine.” Such a thing as an espresso martini would have horrified her mother. Which only convinced Ana even more to try it. And with that, Weasley was off, leaving Ana alone for a few minutes. It wasn’t odd to socialize with others. It was more that typically the weaker personalities avoided her. Though she supposed, then it wasn’t worth it.

A drink was a good idea. She was tired, feeling a bit worn, and carrying things she couldn’t share. Yes, a martini would be good. Weasley returned, a drink in each hand. ”Thank you.” Ana would get the next round, she decided. At the first sip, her brain tried to understand the flavors, but it wasn’t half bad. ”Can I ask you something?” She placed her glass back down on the table, a casual question that she’d been holding for quite a while. ”Your cousin—James. Does he ever stop talking?” That boy’s incessant chatter drove her insane. Even made her happy the Order was disbanded now. But it didn’t stop him from waltzing through their offices from time to time, especially with Dominque there.

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[Deleted]

Dominique was relieved Ana was willing to try the martini; she had figured since she had agreed to have a drink at a bar with her that she did drink, but she may have just been being polite. Nikki took a long sip of her drink, savoring the flavors of coffee and chocolate. Ana spoke up first, and Nikki was surprised to hear her mention her cousin James. James was a Hitwizard, so she supposed they did know each other as well. Nikki looked at her blankly, then burst out in a fit of laughter. “I have been waiting for someone else to notice!” she managed to get out, covering her mouth with her hand as she gathered control over herself.

“To answer your question, no not really. But you learn how to live with it. He’s a good egg James, but he definitely could learn that silence is sometimes golden,” Dominique told her. Sure James annoyed her at times, what cousin doesn’t get on each others nerves, especially all being at the same school? But she would never forget the way he broke down the wall she slammed up after Ethan’s death. He didn’t overtalk then, but he made her talk about it. Which led to her feeling hungry, which meant she was feeling a little better. And little by little, day by day, Nikki rebuilt herself back to the Delacour-Weasley she had always been. “What’s been his topic of debate this week?” Nikki asked, curious.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

they rush me

telling me i'm running out of time

September 2027
@dominique

The longer Ana lived in London, the more small things about herself changed. She was not the same girl who moved immediately after graduating from Durmstrang to start her new career. Her mother loved to make a note of it whenever Ana’s presence was required at the family home. But fortunately, that was not often. The only reason the trip was worth it was to see her older brother and his son. Not that they were particularly close, but family was family. Outward displays of emotion didn’t feel natural, but slowly Ana had begun to thaw. It was all she could do to move on from the fire.

Nikki seemed amused by the question. Everybody knew of the large Potter and Weasley family. Children were bound to be loud if only to get attention. That was probably what happened to Damian, although their mother had no issue treating him as the favorite. Ana did have to silently agree with Nikki. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that James Potter had the best intentions. She’d seen it firsthand, and no doubt he’d learned that from his father. ”Nothing this week. It was just a general observation.” Ana drank more of her martini. The idea of an Espresso Martini would’ve made her mother roll over in her grave, but unfortunately, she was still among the living.

”My brother is a little like him.” But also very different. ”Loud, always has to have the last word.” And surprisingly, a similar sense of justice. Though Damian did things for Damian rather than for the benefit of others. It didn’t feel odd to talk about him so casually since he was known as an investigative journalist. Cas was the one who preferred to hide in the background like some sinister wallflower. He typically spoke to inform or lecture, while Aleksander hardly spoke. But Damian Ana felt she knew best. They were only eighteen months apart in age, after all. But she wouldn’t bore Nikki with the details.

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[Deleted]

Dominique smiled. “My brother decided to follow our uncles’ footsteps in the dragon world, so he’s off somewhere in Romania trying not to become a barbeque for the dragons at the sanctuaries,” she admitted. “Do you just have one brother?” she asked. She knew of Damian of course, but she thought there were at the very least three Karkaroff siblings. She would never pry on anything beyond the yes or no though; being part of a family so heavily involved with the final defeat of Voldemort, she understood the desire for privacy when possible. And her name was held in a much higher regard than Karkaroff, no matter what either of them may be like individually.

Nikki took another sip of her martini, and seeing that she had little left, signaled for another. “Are you hungry? Should we order something to soak this up a bit?” she asked Ana, eyeing the dessert menu. Was it right after work, and before dinner? Yes, but she was already drinking an espresso martini, so why not switch the order of courses tonight? “They make the best creme brulee here,” she commented casually, hoping she wasn’t being too obvious in the suggestion.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

they rush me

telling me i'm running out of time

September 2027
@dominique

Ana had to confess she was not up to date on what each and every Weasley was doing, but then again, who could keep up with the quantity? She was reminded of some silly television programs the interns watched in the breakrooms with far too many faces to keep track of. And Ana was good with faces and names. It was part of the job and part of her life, really. ”No, I have three.” For the Karkaroffs, it was just a number. There wasn’t any sentiment attached to that number. ”I’m the youngest.” Most were familiar with Nikki’s older sister. Now she learned of a brother.

Nikki suggested ordering food, and Ana almost declined, but the food wasn’t a bad idea after their day. Plus, even though her mother had her drinking wine very young, it never changed the rules about drinking on an empty stomach. ”I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Damian always told Ana she needed to relax and socialize more. That included not acting so nitpicky with the menu. They weren’t home where her mother hovered despite her growing insanity. And Ana was sure she’d witnessed Cas relax a time or two with a drink. It was rare, and he’d deny it, but she’d seen it. ”Do you only have one sister?” Ana asked, placing the small menu back on the table. She’d needed documents signed by the International Magical Office of Law a few days before, and she was almost surprised she’d run into another brightly-haired Weasley. A sister? Or another cousin, perhaps. ”Or do you have another cousin that works in the Ministry?”

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[Deleted]

“Better than being in the middle, let me assure you,” Nikki said with a grin. Sure there were old wives’ tales out there that middle children were the most trouble, but surely not ALL of them. Nikki had always marched to the beat of her own drum; was she trouble? Well, yes, if she admitted it to herself. She had gotten into trouble on loads of occasions. But who could blame her with perfect Victoire and kind-hearted Louis sandwiched around her!

Dominique ordered them two creme brulees and a platter of biscotti cookies; they were homemade and perfectly crunchy, plus a little more food to put in her belly with the espresso martinis. “Yes, just Victoire,” she answered, her face falling a little bit. She and Victoire were working on doing better as sisters, but the years of constant comparisons still left a bitter taste in her tongue when her sister was brought up in conversation. “I don’t really like to talk about her, you probably know more than me anyway,” she said lightly, taking another sip of her martini. “As for cousins in the Ministry…” she paused to count. “Only two others; my cousin Ondina, she’s my uncle Charlie’s daughter and in International Magical Law, and James’ brother Albus is in the Auror training program,” Nikki mentally ran through her many cousins and nodded in confirmation. “So in total four Potter-Weasleys in the Ministry,” she told her. “What about your brothers? Anyone else in the Ministry?” she asked. She did not think Ana would mind skimming over Victoire; she didn’t seem the type to pry.

anastasia marie karkaroff

[anastasia marie karkaroff]

they rush me

telling me i'm running out of time

September 2027
@dominique

Ana wasn’t sure if birth order would have affected her upbringing all that much. Perhaps only in terms of whatever a relationship with her father might have looked like. There did appear to be some correlation between time spent with the man and personality. One only needed to look at her older brothers as proof. The disparity in how Cas and Damian viewed the world made it difficult to believe they were related if only the siblings didn’t all share such strong features.

The tone regarding Nikki’s sister was familiar. But Ana was also raised to listen to such changes and flow with the conversation. It was a must among gathers with other ambition purebloods. But Ana’s only ambition was for her own agenda and her family’s. It did seem odd that only four members of such a large family chose Ministry employment. Still, she was not familiar with many except for James and mainly due to their work in the Order.

”Fortunately—no.” She responded with a smirk. That would be the day any of her brothers chose to plant such roots. Though perhaps Alek might if instructed by Cas to do more than he had by fathering the next generation. ”My oldest brother, Casimir, owns a shop but was a Cursebreaker for some time.” Ana drank more of her martini, taking her time with the small amount of liquid. ”Alek is back home, and Damian works for the Prophet.” Four very distinct careers. A testament to the distinct parts of their personalities and roles in the family.

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