~Chapter 3~

Previously: "Ok, ok, Will!" Hermione laughed, trying to calm down her overexcited uncle. The two caught up for a few hours before turning in for the night. Unfortunately, Will was woken up a little while later by an ear-piercing scream. He sighed sadly as he rushed to comfort his niece, praying that his glee kids would be able to help her through this terrible time.

The next morning, Will awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. As he neared the kitchen, he heard Hermione singing softly and grinned slightly, amazed at how talented his niece was.

"Hey, Mia," he called out softly, not wanting to startle the teenager.

"Oh, hey, Will, you're out of coffee," she informed him with a small frown. He noticed, much to his relief, that her face had healed quite significantly overnight.

"We can go to the store later tonight, but for right now, we could go to the coffee shop a couple blocks away," the curly-haired man suggested, helping himself to a piece of bacon.

"Oh, you stay here. I'll go. It's about time I saw what Lima, Ohio has to offer," she teased.

"Hey! This town isn't so bad!"

"You're forgetting that I'm from London, my dear William," she replied sarcastically, dodging a piece of bacon aimed at her head. "Be back in a few!" She called out over her shoulder as the man shook his head with a smile.

A few minutes later, Hermione found herself staring at a street sign, confusion clearly written all over her face. She began muttering to herself about how only she would end up getting lost in Lima, Ohio of all places, unaware of the figure slipping up behind her.

"Need some help?" A kind male's voice sounded out, causing the brunette to spin around quickly. She looked the boy up and down, deeming him harmless enough, before opening her mouth to reply.

"Oh, um, yes, I'm trying to find a coffee shop," she told him, noticing that he was wearing what looked to be a navy blue school sweatshirt with red lettering.

"Oh, wow, you're definitely not from around here, are you?" The stranger replied with a friendly smile.

"Nope, definitely not," the brown-eyed girl answered with a laugh. "I just moved here from London to live with my uncle."

"That's awesome! Well, I can show you the way to the Lima Bean. I was headed there myself."

"Thank you so much!"

"It's not a problem—" He trailed off, sticking out his hand.

"Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Hermione Granger. My name is Blaine Anderson." Hermione grinned and shook his hand before the two made their way to the coffee shop.

After they ordered, Blaine turned to look at his female companion whose attention was blatantly devoted to the curvy barista making their drinks. He beamed before clearing his throat.

"Oh! Um, sorry about that," she stammered, trying to look like she wasn't clearly checking out the woman in front of them.

"It's fine," he laughed good-naturedly, before leaning over to her ear. "We play for the same team."

"I knew it!" She blurted out, turning a light shade of pink. "Sorry, I just pride myself on my excellent gaydar." She threw a flirtatious wink at the barista before grabbing their drinks and moving over to a table. "So, speaking of gays, how is this town with them?"

"They're not the most accepting people out there," Blaine told her with a frown. "There are some people here though that are really cool with it. The guys at my school, for example, are awesome about it."

"Oh, really? Where do you go to school?"

"Dalton Academy. Know where you're going yet?"

"Yeah, my uncle teaches at McKinley, so."

"Oh god, good luck with that," he told her sympathetically.

"Is it that bad?"

"That's what I've heard." He paused. "They do something there called slushy facials, so watch out for that."

"That's just bloody fantastic," Hermione groaned and took a sip of her cappuccino. "So, what do you for fun around here?"

"Well, I'm a part of this a capella group at my school called the Warblers," the dark-haired boy replied sheepishly.

"Really? That sounds brilliant. I wish I could do something like that."

"You sing?"

"Yeah, I'm a pretty good dancer as well. Oh, and I can play guitar, piano, and the drums," she murmured bashfully.

"If we weren't gay, I'd totally try to woo you," the Warbler informed her seriously.

"Is that so?" Hermione chuckled before looking at her watch. "Shit, I've got to go. Will's coffee is getting cold. Thanks for everything though, Blaine!"

"No problem. It was fun. We should definitely hang out again," he suggested with a grin.

"Yeah, for sure!"

"Awesome! Want me to pick you up after school on Monday?"

"That'd be great," she beamed. "Thanks again, Blaine." She walked over and gave him a quick hug before exiting the coffee shop. A few minutes later, she rushed into her new home and set down the cup before calling out to her panicking uncle. "I am so sorry! I met someone and we started talking and I just lost track of the time."

"Oh, thank god, you're alright," Will murmured, throwing his arms around her. "Whom did you meet?"

"This awesome guy named Blaine. He goes to Dalton Academy and he's really sweet. I'm hanging out with him after school on Monday if that's alright."

"Of course it is. Just let me know when you're about to leave the school. Oh, and we'll go get you a phone tomorrow."

"You're the best uncle ever!" She squealed, snuggling further into his warm embrace.