06th Flight is coming home from Christmas looking like death warmed over

[fireredspear]

PRELUDE - County of Kerry, Republic of Ireland (not necessary to read completely)

[Coming home for Christmas is always a sort of an issue in the Harada Burke family. An really, Sano enjoyed meeting his brothers and sisters for the holidays, but the rest of it? Not so much. He wasn't christian, or religious and he had always felt more Japanese than Irish, thus to him Christmas was always more about family and love. But in the last years, that had been quite a disaster. And this year was to be no exception.

Sano left Hogwarts on the morning the 24th, to drop his suitcase at his house on the coast of Kerry, and wait for his brother to arrive. Then they'd floo over to their mother's place, where his older sister would already be present, helping their mother to prepare the festive dinner. Their little brother Finn arrived sometime during the afternoon, as usual. Nessa, the youngest of them, decided not to join them this year. Japan was far, she claimed, but when Aina had offered to pick her up, she declined. Japanese didn't celebrate Christmas the same way that the Irish did, after all and Nessa... she probably didn't want to deal with their wizardy craziness. And maybe made other plans. Who knew?

Sano didn't and it upset him more than it should have. He missed his little sister a lot, but he couldn't help it, could he? Stubbornness was deeply ingrained in their blood.

In way Sano could understand why his little sister has decided not to come.

When they sat down at the table it didn't take long for the usual 'questioning', as Sano referred to it, to start. 'How have you been', 'What have you been up to?', 'Anything good happen to you lately?' and of course the ever-present 'What were your achievements this year?' Sano learned that his little brother gained a rank, which had made their mother smirk proudly, Aina had gotten raise at the ministry, which was according to their mother only natural, his big brother was preparing a tour the coming year, which had gotten him an 'at least you're good in that' and then it had been Sano's turn.

And that's when it had started to go all downhill.

Honestly, Sano loved his siblings, but between all the stars and ministry employees, a mere flying instructor and quidditch referee ('You'r enot even a proper teacher!') just couldn't measure up.

Originally, Sano had planned staying 'till Epiphany, but he hadn't even lasted 'till the end of the year.]

[It was the morning of December the 30th and his mother calling him a "failure content with his wretched existence" for a bazillionth time, that had sent him packing and in spite of Quinn's insistence, through the fireplace the same hour. He hadn't headed straight to Hogwarts though, no. He had flooed over to his place, where he had grabbed his broom and flown all the way to the castle.

Bad idea.

While it was an effective way of venting the steam off, the south coast of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands were not a 5 minute flight, no matter how fast your broom was, and there was a good reason why he had been forced to quit Quidditch. 8 hours of flight were simply just not doable anymore.]

ARRIVAL - Castle grounds, anywhere (inside, outside)

[Sano landed on the white snow ground of Hogwarts, barely even able to see. He had flown without a single stop, through the cold air, could barely feel his limbs and with some parts of his body probably frozen off. He felt faint and sick and like he was about to spit out all of his inner organs, but at least he was back. Back to the castle, back to where there was warmth and love and family. Over the year he had taught there, Hogwarts had managed to become his second home. A safe place to return to, when your own home became a pain. Not that he considered his mother's place his home.

He leaned himself on the castle wall, wheezing for air and coughing, spitting out the blood out of his mouth, staining the pristine ground red. His head was spinning, whether from fatigue, or fever, he didn't know. What he knew was, he couldn't collapse now. He was back, he was safe now, all he had to do was get back to his room.]

Smart thinking, Harada. Real smooth. Bet ya look fetching now.

[He muttered to himself. He coughed a few more times, watching as the red drops fell to the ground, thinking that he should see the nurse in the morning and supporting himself by the wall, slowly made his way to his dorm. He should still have some whiskey around, that would warm him up. That and the amazing, hearth-like covers of his bed. If he collected himself enough, he might even light up his fireplace.

He just prayed to whoever was up there, that no residue student, or teacher, who hadn't left the castle for one reason or another, wouldn't find him. It wouldn't do to see the Quidditch referee and trainer this weak.]