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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Dec 5, 2011 0:30:46 GMT -5
The dreaded NEWTs were only a few weeks away, and Pyxis was seriously stressing out. The professors, obviously thinking this was their last chance to torment the seventh years, had heaped an unbelievable number of projects and tests on the already stressed seventh years, making it impossible to balance their school work with studying for the NEWTs, and sleep was pretty much out of the question.
Pyxis spent nearly waking hour (and more than a few sleeping hours) in the library. She had never been as obsessive about studying as most of her fellow Ravenclaws, but this was important. Most of the NEWTs would be easy enough for her... but that potions test was looming over her like an angry bear. If she didn't get a good score, her hopes of becoming a healer would be lost.
With all this stress going on, it was a huge relief to get an owl from her brother Bootes, asking her to meet him at the Hot Panini for a little lunch break. At that point, Pyxis didn't even care if she could afford to take the time off... if she didn't, she would surely go insane.
She arrived in Hogsmeade shortly before noon and made her way to the little cafe to wait for her brother.
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Dec 7, 2011 19:30:22 GMT -5
Before she started her 7th year, Bootes would have insisted on meeting his sister at the school. He supposed, given the state of things now, he should have still insisted on this. But she was an adult now, and as protective as he could be, he refused to be impossibly overbearing. Just mildly so.
So after waking up, and taking a shower at Lexi's place, he made his own way through Hogsmeade to the hot panini. Spotting his sister inside was easy. Maybe that was part of the job, being able to assess a crowd and pick a single person out in a matter of seconds. And the second he saw her, his whole stance seemed to soften. He was always soft around her.
He slid into the seat across from her before he said anything, nodding his hello. "You look tired, Lihi," he observed gently, using his Hawaiian nickname for her. "it's time for NEWTs, isn't it?"
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Dec 9, 2011 0:34:43 GMT -5
"Bootes! Merlin, it's good to see you..."
Pyxis smiled at the sight of her big brother. Of course, in his case "big" was a bit of an understatement. She doubted there were many other girls who had a big brother that was bigger than hers. He seemed larger than life sometimes, and yet when he was with her, he was just Bootes; not tough but soft, like a big marshmallow. Not that she would ever tell this to anyone else... it was their little secret.
At his question, she dropped her head down on the table. "You have no idea... I can't even study for the NEWTs because my evil professors have been heaping work on me like there's no tomorrow!"
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Jan 3, 2012 0:58:23 GMT -5
Bootes laughed at her response to his question, his laugh even sounding bigger than most. A couple people close to them turned to look, but in typical Bootes fashion, he didn't care. They could bugger off, in his opinion (and he would dare them to say anything).
"It's always good to see you, Pyxis. And they can't be giving you that much homework...." He wasn't really one to talk, having gotten through school on charm and good test taking skills alone. He smiled a little and relented. "Okay, maybe they are. But I'm sure you're doing great. Let's not talk about school, though, and have a stress free after noon?"
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Jan 3, 2012 1:21:25 GMT -5
Pyxis sat up and smiled at her brother. "Stress-free sounds good to me," she said brightly. She knew some of her other Ravenclaws hadn't even come up for air for the better part of a week, but Pyxis wasn't like them. Sure, she could study with the best of them when she had to, but she didn't take the same sort of manical pleasure out of it that many of them did. Zoe Stratford was apparently already studying for NEWTs, and she was only a sixth year!
No, Pyxis like to relax and have fun, too, and no one brought out that side of her like her big brother. He lived a life she didn't quite understand, but he saw and did things she could only dream about. Pyxis was far too organized to live the way he did, but sometimes she liked to live vicariously through him.
She smoothed a hand over her hair and focused on Bootes. "How is everything with you? Still working those crazy hours? Any special girls in your life?"
She actually sort of knew about the possible connection between Bootes and Lexi Oliver, but it came secondhand from Ilsa, who didn't really know the circumstances for sure. Pyxis wanted to know what he was thinking.
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Jan 3, 2012 1:59:53 GMT -5
Bootes nodded and smiled at her small barrage of questions, though the last one made him narrow his eyes playfully.
"Are you asking me that because there's a special boy in your life? You know I'll have to strike the fear of Salazar into him."
He leaned back in his chair that felt just a bit too small for him, one hand resting lazily on the table. "My shift this morning ended at 3 AM, so yes, I suppose I am still working the crazy hours. But that's the only way you get to meet the really interesting people. Life is good. And you're the only special girl in my life, Lihi." His eyebrows went up slightly, waiting to see if she had more questions for him, and the waitress chose that moment to come introduce herself to them.
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Feb 4, 2012 1:08:27 GMT -5
Pyxis laughed, probably a little more loudly than she intended. "No... You don't need to worry. There are no special boys in my life. As if I even had time to date..."
The funny part was that she knew Bootes was telling the truth. She could see the image in her head, and she knew he wouldn't even need to speak to scare a boy away. If she'd even thought about dating, any boy who met her brother would most certainly run the other direction. Bootes was built like a house, and the boys at Hogwarts... were not. And although she might have noticed that one or two of them were kind of attractive, such as Rabastan Lestrange, she was also smart enough to keep her distance from boys like that. And really, she wasn't lying when she said she didn't have time to date. She wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing, after all, and she could study with the best of them when the occasion called for it.
She turned her attention to the waitress and ordered a butterbeer to start, then asked for more time to look over the menu.
"Well, you look pretty well rested right now," Pyxis said once the waitress had gone. "I know I could never keep your kind of hours. I like my sleep."
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Feb 6, 2012 14:34:44 GMT -5
While Bootes was protective of his sister, he also loosened up a lot since she turned started her 7th year. He wouldn't scare off any boy that looked at her, as long as she was honest with him. It was, he assumed, a silent understanding between them that he trusted her to tell him if a boy wasn't treating her right. For the most part, he let her do her own thing. She was a good kid, better than him, probably.
"Eh, you work too hard. You could have time for boys. Not that I'm encouraging it, because if I had my way, you'd be single forever. But still. We haven't talked about after Hogwarts in a while. What are thinking of doing?"
He got used to the hours he kept. It was necessity, and a drive to live this lifestyle that he knew he wouldn't be able to live in even another ten years. He wanted to experience it while he could. "I woke up less than an hour ago. That was a good solid sleep." Granted, he woke up at Lexi's, but he usually managed to fin some of his clothes there anyway. He knew he had some of hers at his place.
"Hey.... I was thinking about switching careers. What do you think?" He was making light of it, but it was a decision he really was thinking about. He was not oblivious to the coming war, and he wanted to do something. He wondered if it were possible to go into the MLE or become an Auror. The security background he had must certainly be a point in his favor. He held off on telling her what profession he was thinking of... At least for the moment. It was just a thought he was entertaining anyway.
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Feb 26, 2012 1:22:58 GMT -5
"There really isn't anyone I'm interested in, anyway," Pyxis assured him. "You know what they say, girls mature faster than boys. I think I'd rather wait for them to catch up with me, you know?"
Pyxis wasn't necessarily picky or demanding when it came to men, but she did want to make sure that when she did start dating, it was with a guy who actually deserved her time. She was a smart girl, after all, and she wouldn't settle for a guy who didn't treat her right or make her feel good about herself. She had spent too much time with Bootes to know how a guy should treat a woman... and she wouldn't even dream of settling for less.
"Anyway, I do have some fun, I promise. I try not to work too much. It's just... I want to be a healer when I graduate. But I need to get a good score in my Potions NEWT, if I want to have any hope of getting accepted into the training program at St. Mungo's. And I'm terrible at Potions."
It was the only thing she was really obsessive about. She did not have a natural aptitude for potions, like some students did, so she had to work harder than they did.
She sat up a little straighter when her brother mentioned changing jobs. The truth was, she had always thought he was capable of so much more than just a bouncer or security guard. She would never tell him that, of course... but she just thought with his massive build and impressive strength, he should be able to do something really great. "Oh, really? Like what?"
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Feb 18, 2013 18:46:15 GMT -5
"Well, that's undeniably true. You're years more mature than I am. But if you wait for them to catch up, you really will be single forever."
He was unbelievably proud of her, no matter what she did. Even if she decided to graduate and live the lifestyle he did- he would still be proud because she would do it with such grace and agility and charm. "I liked Potions. I think I still remember a bit of it, too. I could try to help you?"
In fact, Bootes had an aptitude for a lot of things that made him prime to be something darker, more sinister. He had excelled in DADA, Potions, and Dueling. He was beastly and intimidating. And he supposed, had it not been for his sister, that might have been an easy path to fall into. But he stayed mostly straight for the girl sitting across from him.
He hesitated when she pressed him for information, but then shrugged. "I was thinking MLE. I definitely don't have the academic background, but I have experience, and that has to count for something. But don't get excited, Lihi. I was only just thinking about it."
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Apr 7, 2013 0:07:18 GMT -5
"Aren't big brothers supposed to be over-protective and threaten bodily injury to anyone who dares lay a finger on their little sisters?" Pyxis teased, looking adoringly at her older brother. The truth was, Bootes didn't need to threaten any boys that Pyxis might be interested in... the weak ones would be chased away by the mere sight of him. The ones that stuck around anyway, that were brave enough to fight for her, they would be the ones worth keeping.
"It doesn't matter, anyway," she added. "No one has really caught my eye yet. But believe me, if one does, I promise I won't let my studies get in the way. Or anything, for that matter."
She was like her brother in one regard... she didn't hold anything back when she wanted something. She plunged in with both feet, and if she wound up getting hurt, well, that was a lesson she'd learn.
Bootes managed to distract her then, by expressing an interest in joining the Ministry. He would fit in quite well, in the MLE, she thought. He was big and intimidating and tough enough to keep people in line. She thought it was a good idea, and she coudln't help the surge of excitement she felt at the idea.
"That's a great idea!" she said happily. "Really... you should seriously consider it. I think you'd be really good at it."
But if he decided against it, and wanted to keep doing what he was doing, that was OK with her, too. He was still her big brother and she would look up to him no matter what he did.
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Apr 15, 2013 23:21:47 GMT -5
"Do you want me to try and intimidate anyone who looks at you?" Bootes asked, eyebrows up as he regarded his sister.
He knew big brothers often were over protective- he didn't see a need. He would protect the girl with his life if he needed to, and anyone who hurt her would die painfully. And slowly. And more than once. But that was only if she needed it. Pyxis was brilliant, smarter than he was, definitely. She didn't need him shadowing her every move, and he taught her in mire ways than one how to take care of herself. Past that, he let her be her own person and make her own decisions.
When her face lit up, he sighed. "I told you not to get excited," he told her with a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. It was very possible that he'd let this be a passing fancy, and he didn't want to disappoint her if it turned out that way. "We'll see," he only repeated. But then... what could it hurt to just talk to someone in the Ministry about it? "If it requires going back to school, I refuse."
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Post by Pyxis Sampson on Jun 2, 2013 22:56:44 GMT -5
“No,” Pyxis replied with a smile. “It just sort of amuses me that I probably have the biggest big brother a girl could hope to have, and he’s encouraging me to date and not trying to intimidate all the boys who give me a second glance. Not that you have to try…”
And of course, there was also the fact that no boys had really caught Pyxis’s eyes yet. She liked boys, and she could certainly admit that there were some boys she found attractive, but she wasn’t interested in them as people. She found far too many of them to be immature, and she didn’t think she could be with a guy she didn’t respect. She suspected, in fact, that she would probably end up dating an older man—but she was not about to tell Bootes this.
“OK, fine. I won’t get too excited. I know whatever you decide to do, you’ll be great at it. And the important thing is to be happy. I won’t lie… I think you’d make a great MLE officer. But it’s your decision, and I will worship and adore you whatever you choose.”
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Post by Bootes Sampson on Jan 4, 2015 12:43:18 GMT -5
"That's exactly the point. You tell me you don't like how someone is treating you, and I'll just show up and look at them. It's a quick process." Bootes had been told that all he needed to do to look intimidating was walk into a room. It didn't even matter if he was smiling or not, the effect would be the same.
"Anyway, I trust you. You'll kick a guy to the curb before I even have time to step in."
He liked that strength about her, but chose not to say this outloud.
He shrugged at her encouragement, thanking her for the faith she put into him anyway. "I was going to go to the Ministry later today, actually, and just see if there was someone I could talk to. It's just an idea. But I'll let you know how it goes. Anyway," he made a hand gesture towards her. "How are you? What's new in your world?"
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