For the three days before they travelled to Tinworth, Quinn and Santana spent all day at Sebastian's. They arrived in the morning to eat breakfast with him – Santana noticed that his parents weren't present for breakfast on any of the days they were there. After breakfast they would check on the egg, which remained unhatched, and then watch tv. Santana found she loved tv. Her brain felt so gloriously empty as soon as it was turned on, though it always took her a while for her eyes to get used to. Her favourite show was one about vampires. She found it hilarious that muggles thought that was how vampires and werewolves were like. They would spend the day doing nothing, and after three months at Hogwarts where they were always doing something, Santana had never appreciated doing nothing more.
Eventually they left for Tinworth. Santana couldn't be too upset about it, she was excited to get to the coast and out of the city for a while, but she would miss watching the muggle shows on Sebastians tv and she was worried that with them being so much further away, they wouldn't make it on time when the Occamy egg finally did hatch.
On Christmas morning Santana woke up to Leon pouncing on her bed yelling "HAPPY CHRISTMAS SANTANA!"
Unfortunately for Leon, Santana had started sleeping with her wand under her pillow, since in her room at the Tinworth house she didn't have a bedside table. Blasting him through the door of her bedroom with the knockback jinx might have been a bit of an overreaction, but she'd panicked. It had been instinct.
That's what she'd told her mother at least. Thankfully, Leon was fine. He had a nasty bruise on his back from his hard landing, but his mum had fixed that up easy enough, chastising him the whole time about 'playing those kind of jokes on our sister' and yelling at Santana for using such a 'dangerous spell on her brother'.
Breakfast hadn't been as cheerful as it usually was on Christmas, a result of their chaotic start to the morning. Santana's mother was still angry with both of them, Leon wasn't talking to Santana, and Santana was in a bad mood from having been woken up so badly.
It was hard for this tense atmosphere to prevail through gift opening though. Even Santana's bad mood couldn't keep her from being excited when she opened one of her presents to find a quaffle. She and her dad wanted to go out and try it immediately, but they had to get ready to go to Santana's grandmother's house, so he promised to take her when they got back.
The rest of Santana's bad mood was washed away by the small pouch of galleons her grandmother gave her and Leon as a Christmas present. It seemed to make Leon forget he was mad at her, as they talked excitedly about everything they would buy with their riches. As she usually did on Christmas, Santana's grandmother had made sure to get as many sweets and deserts as could fit in her kitchen. Santana and Leon always tried to eat it all before they went home, but they were never able to.
They returned home with stomachs so full Santana could barely take a deep breath. Leon, groaning about his bursting stomach, left the house to give out some Christmas presents to some of his friends, and though she was seriously tempted to go to bed, Santana grabbed her broom and dragged her father outside to play with her new quaffle.
As soon as she was on her broom, Santana forgot all about her aching stomach. She had missed this. She'd missed the feeling of the wind in her hair, and the freedom that came with flying. She and her dad flew over the ocean for a few minutes, her dad showing off as he hung off the side of his broom, dragging both his hands through the water, then they got to it. Using his wand, Santana's dad would launch the quaffle in random directions, testing Santana's speed and agility. She caught it every time.
"Too easy dad" Santana laughed, throwing the quaffle back to him.
"Oh okay. Let's see if you get the next one."
He threw the quaffle up, and then sent it flying past Santana's head. She waited a few seconds to give it time to get far, then gripped her broom tight and sped after it. It zigged and zagged as her dad tried to keep her from getting it, but Santana managed to stay on it. She reached out, about to catch it, when her father sent it suddenly upwards.
Knowing she would lose it if she tried to regrip her broom to guide it upwards, Santana jumped up, using her leg to push the front of her broom down. It flew towards the ground as Santana managed to grasp the quaffle. She floated, suspended in air for a moment, then she was falling.
She panicked for only a split second before her brain remembered her plan. She turned so she was falling head-first, gripped the Quaffle securely to her chest with her right hand, and held out her left. She was falling fast, faster than her broom was flying. She caught up to it quickly, grabbing it in her left hand and positioning it between her legs. She pulled up just in time. The back of her broom dipped an inch into the water below before she was gaining height and stopping in front of her dad.
He looked stunned. He had his wand out, eyes wide as he stared open mouthed at Santana.
Santana grinned. She couldn't believe what she'd just done either, but it felt great to have impressed her dad so much.
"That was bloody brilliant Santana!"
"Thanks" She threw the quaffle to her dad, but he barely caught it. He was still gaping at her. "Let's do it again."
"SANTANA GET DOWN HERE NOW"
She and her dad turned to see her mother storming down the hill from their house. They were so far away she looked like a dot. In fact Santana wouldn't have even been able to know it was her mother, but for the voice. She would never mistake that voice. Her mother was mad.
"Oh dear" Her dad sighed, turning back to Santana.
"Let's pretend we didn't hear her." Santana said.
"Good idea" Her dad nodded. He threw the quaffle up, about to launch it again for Santana to catch, but as soon as it was in the air it went flying back in the direction of the shore. Santana and her dad frowned after it.
"What-"
Santana's broom jerked. Once, twice, and then she herself was pulled towards shore.
Her mother was standing at the edge of the water, quaffle in one hand, wand in the other, pointed right at Santana.
"Mum!" Santana shrieked.
"HOW DARE YOU- SO RECKLESS-SO DANGEROUS! GET OFF THAT BROOM THIS INSTANT!"
Her mother's eyes were wild. She looked like a raging animal. Afraid she might be physically removed if she didn't listen, Santana quickly touched down and climbed off. The broom flew right into her mother's hand.
"Mum-"
"You could have died. You….You aren't a professional quidditch player Santana, and your arrogance and…and STUPIDITY astound me. How dare you jump off your broom. And how dare YOU-" She rounded on Santana's dad, who was just landing beside them. "HOW DARE YOU LET HER DO THAT."
"I didn't know she was going to try that." Santana's dad frowned. "But Maribel she's fine. And did you see what she pulled off!"
"Oh I saw. I saw." Santana's mum nodded. "Clearly I can't trust either of you to be responsible when you're out there. If this is what you do every time you take her flying then I won't be allowing it."
"Maribel" Santana's dad said, now angry himself. "Santana is my daughter too, and if I want to take her flying you can't stop me."
"Oh yes I can!" Sparks flew from Maribel's wand. "She could have died. She was inches from the water. Inches! She could have broken her neck or….I mean the water isn't that deep where you were Stephen. And she fell from so far!"
"I would have caught her." Stephen threw up his hands. "I had my wand out. I just wanted to see if she could do it. And she DID. SHE'S FINE."
"By some miracle. No" Maribel shook her head. "I won't allow this to go on. You encourage her like she's one of your players but she isn't. She's eleven years old. So I am confiscating this damn broom. See how you'll go falling fifty feet without it."
"Mum" Santana cried. "You can't take my broom!"
"I don't want to hear anything from you." She pointed her wand furiously at Santana. "You're going back to Hogwarts soon anyway. Better you spend the remaining time on the ground."
Without another word, her mother marched back to the house, Santana's broom and new Quaffle in hand.
"Dad" Santana turned to her dad, feeling close to tears. "You can't let her do that."
"I can't talk to her right now." He snapped, scowling at Maribel's retreating back. "She think I can't take care of my own daughter. She thinks she's the only parent….I'm perfectly capable….We'll see…" he mounted his broom and flew off.
Santana was breathing heavily. She grabbed her wand from inside her robes and stormed off down the shore. She didn't want to go home and have to see her mother. She's just done something incredible. Something even her dad, who spent most of his time around amazing quidditch players, couldn't believe she'd done. She'd pulled off something spectacular! And her mum had managed to ruin it, worrying about what could have happened. Who cares! It didn't happen, that was the whole point. Santana had jumped clean off her broom, fallen fifty feet and made it. That's how skilled she was.
But no. All her mother cared about was her safety.
"URGGHHH" Santana screamed, kicking the ground.
Her wand burst into flames.
At least that's what she thought at first. It took her a second to realise that it was just the tip of her wand covered in light blue flames. She frowned at it. Ran her palm over it. Yup, it was real fire. Walking to where the water was washing over the sand, she dipped her wand into it and pulled it out. Still on fire. She dipped it back in and left it there, crouching as close to the surface of the water as she could. She could just make out the blue flames against the blue of the water.
"Woah" she breathed. She was about to take her wand out when she realised there was steam coming from the water around her wand. She dipped her finger in and yelped, taking it out and shaking it. The water was hot. Nearly boiling.
"What are you doing?"
Santana whirled around, hiding her wand behind her back in case it was a muggle. It was Quinn.
"Oh" she took her wand out again, but it had gone out. It was now just as ordinary as it usually was. "Trying not to explode."
"What happened?"
"My mum's mental that's what happened. She's mental and I can't deal with her anymore. She's been on my case all bloody day, like she can never just let me have a freaking moment of peace."
"That doesn't actually tell me what happened."
Sighing heavily, Santana sat down and crossed her legs. Quinn sat next to her.
"I got a quaffle for Christmas-"
"Cool"
"Yeah, so dad and I were practicing with it, and I did the most awesome move trying to catch it, and mum saw and lost her head."
"What was the move?"
"Jumped off the broom."
"Did you fall in the ocean?" Quinn laughed, looking Santana over as if to see evidence of her fall.
"No that's what was so awesome! I caught my broom again. I caught my broom and mounted it mid-air"
"Wicked!" Quinn exclaimed. So that's why she came into my house complaining about your dad trying to kill you?"
"Urgh" Santana rolled her eyes. "She's such a troll." Quinn giggled. "She is! She took my broom!"
"Well we're going back to school in a few days anyway-"
"It doesn't matter!"
"Okay" Quinn raised her hands defensively. "Sorry."
"Whatever" Santana muttered. "What are you doing out here?"
"I needed to get out of the house. I went to look for you at your house but on the way I saw you down here."
"You were walking?"
"Yeah. My dad said I'm not allowed to use Floo powder."
Santana frowned. "Why?"
Quinn shrugged, looking down to draw shapes in the sand with her finger.
"Q…"
Quinn licked her lips and shrugged again.
"What happened?" Santana turned her whole body to face Quinn, tucking her wand away in her robe. "Did he yell again?"
Quinn nodded slowly.
"What about?" Santana asked gently.
Quinn took a deep breath. "For some reason he decided Christmas is the best day to quiz me on everything I've been learning at Hogwarts."
"No" Santana groaned. "He can't be serious!"
"He was" Quinn nodded, still not looking at Santana. "After breakfast my mum left to…I don't know actually. She left, and he told me to get some of my books so he can quiz me. I only have transfiguration, defence against the dark arts and herbology books, so that's what he used. First he was mad I didn't bring all my books. He said I was being lazy and that next time he expects me to study everything."
"Why do you even have any books at all?" Santana asked.
"I just picked the first books I could reach from my table. It's not like I was actually planning to study. I just knew he'd ask."
"Good thinking. So you didn't do well on his quiz?"
"I didn't do badly." Quinn glanced up at Santana. "Until we got to Herbology."
"Rotten luck that's the book you packed."
Quinn nodded. "I didn't know some plant he asked me about. One bloody plant! And he lost it. He said that I was wasting the money he spent on books and the professor's time at Hogwarts, and if I don't want to be a witch I should say so, and he'll find me a muggle family to go live with."
Santana cringed, looking down at the sand between her legs so her hair fell over her face and hid her reaction from Quinn.
"He said if I didn't start doing better he'd pull me out of Hogwarts so I don't continue embarrassing the Fabray name."
"Bloody hell." Santana breathed, shaking her head. Quinn nodded, pulling her lips into her mouth.
They sat in silence for a moment. Santana wasn't sure what to say. She could tell by the way Quinn kept her head down that she was really shaken up by what her dad said. Santana had seen Mr Fabray lose his temper before, and she didn't envy Quinn at all. He became very scary. The shouting was so bad sometimes his voice cracked. Santana remembered that a cup had shattered, startling all of them. That was how angry he was.
"He doesn't even know what he's talking about though." Santana finally said. "Does he expect you to memorise the whole book?"
Quinn shrugged.
"And it's Christmas. Who cares about school on Christmas?"
Quinn shrugged.
"You'll get your exam marks back and he'll see."
"Yeah."
The sadness in Quinn's voice squeezed at Santana's heart. She crawled to Quinn's side and looped their arms together.
"Maybe we should run away together. Both our parents are mental."
Quinn giggled, wiping a tear that was trickling down her cheek.
"Where would we live?"
"My abuelas" Santana said nodding. "She'd feed us to bursting."
"Deal" Quinn laughed, finally looking up.
An owl came gliding towards them, dropping a letter into Santana's lap. Santana recognised it as the one that had shown up in her room the night they'd returned from Hogwarts.
She quickly opened the letter.
Dear Santana,
I know you're with Quinn. Happy Christmas to you both. THE EGG'S HATCHING. If you're at Christmas dinner or something, sorry for interrupting, but you should get here QUICK. Don't know how long it takes to hatch.
Sebastian
Quinn and Santana finished reading the letter at the same time. They looked at each other with wide eyes.
"What are we gonna do?" Quinn asked, standing up. "We have to see it!"
"We're going to." Santana looked in the direction of her house. "Are your parents home?"
"My dad left after his rage…I don't know about my mum."
"If your dads not there then it's fine .Let's go."
They ran up the hill at full speed, which wasn't easy considering it was sand, and down the road to Quinn's house. They entered the house as quietly as they could and made their way to the fireplace. Quinn faltered.
"He said I'm not allowed-"
"Forget him" Santana said, taking a hand full of floo powder. "He was wrong for yelling at you like that, and anyway he's not here."
Tentatively, Quinn joined Santana in the fireplace.
"Better take some too, in case it needs extra to go further." Santana said. Quinn took a handful of floo powder as well. "Let's say it together. On three."
"Okay"
They joined hands, holding on tight.
"One-"
The door opened to reveal their mothers. They stopped, staring at Quinn and Santana.
"Oh where are you going dea-"
"Where do you think you are going Santana!"
"Quick" Santana said, gripping Quinn's hand even tighter. "One, Two, three-"
Quinn wasn't ready. In the rush she said the address just a few seconds after Santana.