December 22, 1887 - Bixby Home, North Bartonburg, Hogsmeade

There were few times during the course of the year when all of the Bixbys had the opportunity to be together. While those times were rare they were some of the times that Rufus looked forward to the most. His family was loud, boisterous, and joyful. There was always someone talking, someone joking, someone arguing about which quidditch team was truly the best (a subject that both Rufus and his father held firm and unwavering - if opposing - opinions on). These were times that Rufus looked forward to. He rarely admitted it to anyone but he certainly enjoyed having all his siblings crammed into a house together - even if they all did start fighting after a while. Christmas break was one of those times. It had always been this way, the group of them had never been to Hogwarts together, either too many of them had yet to attend, or (as the case was now) they had started to graduate. Because of that it was normal that Rufus looked toward the holidays, both winter and summer, to see his family all together.

This particular Christmas Rufus was more excited to see his siblings than usual as it had been Sloane's first year at school. Rufus and his younger sister were close, although this had likely come about since Rufus had first graduated school almost six years ago. It was the first time since then that he hadn't been able to see his sister at least weekly and he missed her. He wanted to hear all about her first months at school and the quidditch team and the hassle her other brothers were putting her through.

The day his siblings returned from Hogwarts Rufus had made his way to his parents' home for supper. Dinner had been a ruckus event, full of stories, laughter, and voices clamoring to be heard over each other. After dinner the family had dispersed to a variety of rooms as the younger siblings went to unpack their bags and settle in. Rufus found Sloane in her room and knocked on her door before peeking around the door. "Hey there trouble." He greeted her with a wink and grin.

Sloane Bixby
@'Elsie Beauregard'

  

Home! Home was lovely! School was such an adventure, but home! There really was no place like it. There was Rufus and Alvin and mum and dad. Having most of her favorite people under one roof really was therapeutic. Though she was doing well at school (at least socially), it was nice to take a break, to be babied by her parents and to share all of her adventures!

Not to mention it happened to be  Christmas!

Dinner with her family was always a spectacle, the sheer amount of them and having everybody around the table for Cook's superior meals (Hogwarts was good, but Cook was better) and it was chaotic and loud and everything it should be. It made her a little nostalgic, for all she enjoyed school itself. Once everything had calmed down, she'd skipped off to her room (she was the only one who did't ever have to share!) to unpack a few things from her trunk. Barnabas sat her her nightstand in his little bed chomping away on some seeds very content with life.

"Fussy!" She chirped happily, using his childhood nickname, as her brother knocked on the door, a wide grin spreading across her features. "I've missed youuu." She sang as she flung herself at him for a proper hug.  

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Rufus grinned as his sister sprang toward him, opening his arms to give her a big proper bear hug. He wrapped her up and swung her around in a circle the way he had when she was very little, her legs swinging out behind her. She use to call it ‘flying’, at least before he’d taught her how to fly a broom. “I’ve missed you too!” He admitted, giving her a tight squeeze before setting her back on her feet.

“Tell me all about school.” He enthusiastically demanded plopping down on her bed to listen to all her school stories, his face cheerful and interested in how her first year had been going. Letters were one thing, but actually listening to the girl’s tales was a whole different thing. The way her face brightened with excitement during a telling or the somber look in her eyes when she related something she thought quite devastating, they were all things he’d missed since she went to school.

The following 1 user Likes Rufus Bixby's post:1 user Likes Rufus Bixby's post
   Elsie Kirke

Sloane flopped down rather ungracefully and dramatically on her bed next to her brother. She took a deep breath and launched into everything that was on her mind. "Oh  my goodness, it's so big! I got lost so many times, but my roommates are so much fun, and there's Calla too, though she's in Hufflepuff, we still see each other every day! And I have a new good friend, Sisse, she's lots of fun. We go on adventures together and sometimes I get into a little bit of trouble, but I've only had one detention so far and it wasn't even that bad! Professor Skeeter had us week plots in the greenhouses which I guess some people wouldn't like, but I do, it's so messy!"

Sloane paused for a breath before launching into it again, "And I've joined flying club and club quidditch, where they let me play seeker and I hope that I get good enough to try out of the house team again next year and maybe I'll make it and oh wouldn't that be so great?!" She blew out a breath, pursing her lips to see if there was anything else she could possibly wrack her brain to tell him. None of this was really news, she tried to write home as much as she could, but it was so fun to actually talk about in person!

"How're you? The team is doing alright this year huh?" Sisse liked to follow her brother's team, what a bad sister she would be if she didn't!

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Sloane launched into her story, barely leaving time for herself to breathe but as she spoke a grin spread over Rufus’s face. If he got anything from all the words spilling over her lips it was that she was happy and that to him was the best thing. He laughed at Sloane’s enjoyment of being messy - so very different from most girls he knew and so very like the Bixby siblings in general. It didn’t surprise him that Miss Potts had found herself in adventures with his sister, nor that his sister had made a new friend. He hadn’t worried much about her, she always seemed to make friends.

Rufus nodded at the mention of quidditch and flying clubs. He knew she had been upset by not making the team her first year, but he hadn’t either. And he had indeed joined the same two teams and now look where he was. “It would be great! I’m sure you’ll beat the competition next year with all your practicing!” He encouraged.

“I’m good. The team is looking good. We’re thinking we have a chance in the playoffs this year.” Rufus was excited for the prospect. He really thought they could make it this year.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

"Oh yes! Will you have time to help me practice this summer?" Not many of her peers could say they had professional help after all! She would make the team in the autumn for sure! She'd try and try until she got it! "Or you may be too busy after winning the league this year!" She threw up her hands in triumph, only narrowly missing her brother in her enthusiasm.

Sloane flopped back in an exaggerated motion and swung her legs off the edge of the bed idly as she thought about quidditch and her year so far. Some part of her was always in motion, even if she was supposed to be still. "Everything is so wonderful! I really like Charms class, but I'm not very good at it. Herbology is lots of fun and so is Potions. Transfiguration is really hard." That one was going to require effort on her part. "History of Magic is boooooring. I feel asleep in it the other day." Whoops.

"Bus-Bus likes it too, don't you?" She eyed her now sleeping rat on her nightstand who was belly up, large ears twitching in his sleep, still clutching a little seed in his paws.

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At her enthusiasm Rufus laughed, easily ducking out of the way of her arms as they flew at his face. "Sure, I can help you practice." He told her with a grin. He loved practicing with his siblings. Sometimes they drove him nuts, but they generally seemed to have a good time when playing quidditch in the backyard.

Her summary of classes seemed much like Rufus's own experiences. There had been a time when he hadn't been sure he would make it in quidditch and that had really been the only time he had focused on his studies. "Well I'm lousy at transfiguration and I certainly can't help you with history of magic, but if you need some charms pointers let me know. Bus-bus, too." Rufus added with a glance at the rat sleeping on Sloane's nightstand.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

"Yaaaaaaaay!" Sloane all but squealed in delight when Rufus said he would practice with her this summer. She knew she could be an annoying little sister, but her brothers usually were pretty good to her anyway. "It must run in the family then! I just hope I make it to OWLs!" Those exams were a long way off for her, she had several sets of regular tests to get through first, but once they were over she could be shot of those two classes for sure.

"When do I get  to add Care of Magical Creatures, third year right?" That was too far off. That was the class Sloane was most looking forward to and she had to wait for it. "That's forever away!" There were other electives she could take as well, but that was the one she had to take. Between that and quidditch, there wasn't much else she needed at school, besides her friends, so she needed to get her tush in gear for quidditch and just hold out a little longer for creatures!

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Sloane’s excitement was enough to make sure that Rufus had absolutely no second guessing about training Sloane. Not that he had in the first place, after all, Sloane would likely end up being the best quidditch player in the family.

“It must.” Rufus agreed easily, thinking of his school records. He’d put at least some effort into his scores, at least until he’d been signed to Puddlemere. “You will. That also runs in the family.”

“Yes, third year. It’ll go faster than you expect.” He assured her.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Forever, it would take forever, no matter what Fussy said. Sloane blew a stray piece of brown hair from her eyes in an exaggerated huff. "Well, hopefully I'll have quidditch next year to help it go faster." Sloane was determined to make the house team next year. With her brother's help she would just have to! Who else on the team could say they had professional help!?

"What do you think I should go for, chaser or seeker?" Sloane tended to change subjects around in conversation with no segue and just hoped people kept up with her whims as she went. "I think I'd be a good seeker," About the only thing being so little was good for. "But I shouldn't just be able to play one position right? Or try out for one anyway." Professional players only played one position, but that was after years and years of experience. In the beginning she had to see what she was good at!

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"I bet it will." Rufus easily agreed. "I could see you as a seeker or a chaser. You're fast on a broom. Let's see how this summer goes before talking about try-outs, what do you say?" Sloane had a tendency to switch around fast and Rufus found it easy to follow as he had watched her grow up. But he wasn't going to give her a ton of advice until he saw what the past several months of practice had done for her skills. He knew she was balanced on a broom and they did have a tendency of making her a seeker in their games since she was so small, but if she didn't like the position he wasn't going to be the one to make her hone in on it.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Sloane was rather pleased when Fussy agreed with her appraisal of positions. She really would like to play seeker, but honestly though she should keep chaser as an option; clearly beater and keeper were out because of her size.

"Yes, I've been practicing, hopefully with a boost over the summer I'll be all set." It was hard to wait for, but she was so very determined! "Do you think dessert is ready?" She changed subjects as fast as lightning and hopped off the bed and scooted for the door without waiting for a reply.

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