Christoph guided them as quickly as possible off of the property with a series of enchantments and passwords as they made their way through the gate. The sound of the front gate locking was starling in the otherwise quiet, cold, and snowy landscape. Now that Hermione has pulled herself together she began imploring them about where they should go. Ron insisted they spend Christmas at The Burrow instead, but Hermione felt bad imposing the five of them onto The Weasley's family so suddenly. Harry wanted to suggest Grimmauld Place, but was unsure whether or not Christoph knew or was aloud to know about it.
"It's an 8 hour flight at least, mate. If we go, we're going to have to disapparate, and we can not disapparate within a thirty kilometer radius of where we stand," Christoph explained.
Hermione began to scribble on various pieces of parchment, a letter to The Weasleys and a letter to Professor Lupin. Hedwig took them both and flew off into the fresh morning air.
"In the meantime, there's a place we can stay, come on." After a fifteen minute walk, and nearly frozen fingers and toes they arrived to a distinctly wizarding village. There were a few families walking down the road with bags full of what were likely last minute Christmas gifts. A small child chucked a snowball at Ron and he threw one back, sending them all into a fit of laughter. Eventually they arrived at a rather large stone building with a distinct thatched roof and purple stained glass windows.
The words Mahoydal Inn were carved into a thing rectangle sign that hung easily from a beam beneath the thatch. Christoph opened the door and encouraged them inside from the cold. Harry did not realize how cold they were until the warmth of the pub and the fireplace began to defrost him.
"To what do we owe this pleasure?" A young woman with hip length brown hair cheered, nearly gliding up to Christoph with a naughty smirk on her face. She grabbed his arm and patted his hair.
"Chantry," Christoph replied with cold indifference.
"What can we do for you McKeeley," a portly man from behind the bar asked in a friendly but businesslike way.
"We've had a change in Christmas plans. I think we may make our way to the south of Blighty instead, but not sure yet," Christoph replied distantly, watching as Chantry fussed over Jana's hair and complimented her on how beautiful she looked. Hermione tried to start a conversation with them but was clearly not enjoying it.
"Is that really Janey?" The barkeep asked to snap Christoph out of his daze.
Christoph simply nodded. They requested a room to fit the five of them just for the night. The man was nice enough to offer two rooms and Harry paid being that it was he and Jana who had a wealth of money left to them. It was the first time Harry thought about his vault at Gringotts and how he likely had been sharing it with Jana for years.
"Have a pint handsome," Chantry floated over rubbing Ron's shoulder. Ron's cheeks turned a deep shade of red as he chuckled nervously. Hermione rolled her eyes so thoroughly Harry was surprised her pupils returned to center.
"We'll be back, let me just get them settled," Christoph assured Chantry who made a practiced pout as they made their way up the stairs to the inn. As they unpacked their bags Harry noticed Jana was not among them and her hurried down the stairs suddenly to ensure she hadn't wandered off. He quickly found her giggling in a corner booth with Chantry and a very familiar face.
"Wood?" Harry called in shock. Oliver wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and looked up towards where his name had been called.
"Harry!? Merlin's Beard!" Oliver Wood, his former Quidditch captain and now Puddlemere United's keeper called joyfully, leaping from his seat to shake Harry's hand firmly.
"Jana was telling me all about your victories this autumn. The only thing that would be better is if Jana was on the team," Wood smiled. Harry took a seat beside them in the booth. The four of them were quite a Motley Crew.
"I'd love if Jana played with us but...she can't…" Harry started but stopped sensing Jana's discomfort.
"I'm certain you could at least play beater, you'd see them coming. They're hard to miss!" Wood encouraged taking the last sip from his mug.
"Fancy another pint Ollie?" Chantry asked in a flirtatious way.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Wood held back a burp.
"It's Christmas!" Chantry protested shimmying his mug over to the barkeep who promptly filled it.
"How the hell you been Potter?" Wood somewhat slurred pushing a bowl of peanuts towards him.
"Fair," Harry replied noticing the way Wood was grazing Jana's leg with his hand. Jana didn't seem to notice or she didn't seem to mind. He wasn't sure.
"How do you two know each other? Harry your boyfriend? Only natural the Gryffindor Quidditch captain would get the most beautiful girl in school!" Wood carried on, leaning in to inspect her more closely than any friend would.
"Harry isn't my boyfriend. How's Carmella?" Jana replied with a smirk.
"Ah we broke it off," Wood yawned, grabbing the fresh mug of mead from Chantry.
"Oliver?" It was Hermione, and she was just as surprised to see him. She joined them in the booth which was now becoming crowded.
"How are ya Granger?" Wood asked, raising his glass to her.
"I'm well, thanks. How do you two know each other?" Hermione asked, exchanging concerned glances with Harry.
"How do you think she learned to fly so well? Christoph insists she can't get on a broom because she's blind. To that I say Bahumbug!" Wood said loudly enough that the barkeep shouted "Bahumbug" back to him. Jana vehemently avoided their gazes.
"Is that so?" Hermione continued as if Jana's flying abilities were a well known fact. She noticed Ron approaching them.
"Oliver Wood! No way! How ya been, mate?" Ron beamed, missing his drunkenness and the way he was talking to and treating Jana.
"Ron Weasley!" Wood smiled clinking his mug into the one Ron was holding in his own hand joyfully.
"Happy Christmas!" Wood cheered. Everyone in the pub cheered it back.
"In your dreams, Wood." It was Christoph who had definitely noticed Oliver's hand caressing's Jana's leg.
"Oh come off it!" Wood sputtered, nearly spilling his mug all together, as he missed the corner of the table.
"You've had enough, haven't you?" Christoph crossed his arms. Wood was not catching the hint, so Christoph encouraged Jana away from the table.
"Oh let her stay, Chrissy. Can't she have a little fun?" Chantry giggled, pushing Wood's hand away from Jana's leg and pulling her close as if she were a lost doll.
"No, she can't. That's the problem with you lot, you're always having fun!" Christoph huffed. Chantry slid out of the booth and draped herself over Christoph's shoulder, rubbing her nose on his neck.
"You have plenty of fun, darling, I would know," Chantry giggled, pulling him towards the bar and away from the table.
"I can't drink, I've promised Jana," Christoph replied half heartedly, gently peeling Chantry off of him. Harry was somewhat surprised and impressed at this.
"You never promised me anything. Was it Katerina who you promised this to?" Jana added loud enough to be heard in the otherwise noisy pub. The color drained from Christoph's face.
"You back with that girl? I didn't know Chrissy, I'm sorry," Chantry sulked away, mildly embarrassed. Jana and Christoph were now in what appeared to be a staring contest, that eventually Jana lost.
"It's good to see you, Ollie," Jana leaned over and quietly said to Wood who gave her all of his attention.
"Where are you going you bonnie lass?" Wood smirked. Jana and Wood then began to speak to each other in a language Harry could not eavesdrop on and Jana eventually disappeared upstairs. Hermione chased after her quickly, and Harry and Ron followed suit, leaving Christoph and Wood alone at the pub, where they belonged. Once they all crowded into the small inn room, Harry slammed the door behind him and charged at Jana at full speed.
"You can fly? You lied to me. You lied to us!" Harry roared.
"You speak gaelic?" Hermione asked further.
"Oliver Wood is your boyfriend?" Ron added.
Jana winced and stood silently by the window for a moment as the three best friends seethed. She twirled her hair in her finger and scanned the room frantically as if what she should say were written somewhere.
"Come on, out with it!" Harry sighed. Jana looked up at Harry with incredible focus. The sun was setting now, and her emerald green eyes, looked like flames in the glow. Her milky white pupils had never been so clear. Anyone who saw her would have known she was nearly blind. Harry had to remind himself that just as Harry's scar should not garner him special treatment, Jana's scar, and limp and vision shouldn't either. She was just as capable as any other sixteen year old girl, and she was beautiful and very smart.
"First...Ollie is not my boyfriend. We may have kissed...a few times...but that's it!" Jana began softly. Harry's jaw dropped and he grew ill thinking about Jana being kissed by anyone.
"Does he know?" Harry checked.
"Of course not! Are you mad Harry?" Jana shrieked. Harry apologized, and tried to get the vision of Oliver Wood and his sister locking lips out of his mind.
"Yes, I speak a bit of Scottish Gaelic...and a bit of Welsh...Christoph is a monolingual creature and it's one of the only ways I can get around him," Jana continued, glancing at Hermione, "Domhail is suffocating...Christoph and Remus lie to Liam and Angharad and take me out to sometimes...they think we're going to see a healer, or to St. Mungo's...but we're actually coming here...there's a park up the road with a swimming hole…"
"That's very clever," Hermione smiled apologetically, "who speaks Welsh?"
"Remus, he's fluent," Jana explained.
"Since when? I feel like everything is a lie," Ron sighed, taking a seat on the bed, "Oliver is a lot older than you!"
"Thank you for that complex calculation," Jana snubbed. Hermione snorted as she stifled a laugh.
"Why didn't you tell me you could fly a broom?" Harry nearly begged.
"I really can't," Jana whined, "he's exaggerating. He's drunk!"
"Don't lie! Not to me!" Harry argued.
"I haven't been on a broom in years!" Jana replied, were glowing eyes extinguished by forming tears, "He took me flying, just like you, three, maybe four times. I'm telling the truth!" Harry avoided her gaze heavily.
"And how did you keep this from Christoph?" Harry finally managed to reply.
"Remus took me those times," Jana replied quickly.
"Three or four times? And you've kissed him?" Harry barked.
"I've known Ollie for years, Harry. He's always...flirting…" Jana sobbed.
"Please don't tell me you've turned Neville down because of him!" Hermione asked cautiously.
"Neville is my friend! I don't want anything else!" Jana continued as tears rolled down her cheeks, "You're all the same! Telling me where to go, what to wear, whether I am allowed to eat this or do that, who to talk to, to be friends with, to love!"
"We didn't mean to-" Harry started but Jana pointed her wand at his chest.
"Go ahead!" Jana cried, "tell me to put my wand away. Tell me to calm down. Say it!"
There was a sound of creaking hinges behind them and the figure of a man materialized in the doorway.