A/N: Hello, everybody! First off, I want to apologize to y'all for taking so long to update. I've been busy with work and then I moved into a new place and was without internet for a few days. Secondly, thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story! I really appreciate all of the support :)
unexpected sabotage: Why thank you! I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well!
DragonsWillFly: Haha, that is exactly the look I had in mind when I wrote that. Thanks for your kinds words :)
I Love Santana: Thank you so much!
Now that the camps I was helping to run are over with and I'm fairly settled into my new apartment, I should be able to update more frequently. Who knows, maybe your encouragement will help me update faster ;)
Anyway, onto the story! Enjoy!
~Chapter 34~
"Goooooood morning, gorgeous!" Hermione sang out cheerfully, waking up a slumbering Santana.
"Thefuckareyouon?" The Latina grumbled, throwing the blankets over her head. "Immastillsleeping."
"So charming, love," chuckled the wavy-haired girl. "I guess I'll go wake Rachel up. Hopefully she doesn't try kissing me again…"
"She better not!" Snarled the younger girl, shooting up from her spot on the couch. "Oh, fuck, I think I'm gonna be sick." She hurried to the closest bathroom and threw herself in front of the toilet.
"San," the British girl sighed sadly as she held her lover's hair back away from her face.
"Miiiiaaaa, I feel shitty," the raven-haired girl groaned, leaning her head against the wall.
"I'm so sorry, darling. Why don't I take you home and get you in bed?" The former cheerleader was about to protest before another wave of nausea hit her.
"Ok," she pouted, allowing Hermione to help her up. The older girl led her lover out to the car and gently lifted her into the passenger's seat before settling into the driver's seat herself. "Princesa, are you ok to drive? I know you're still worr—"
"I'll be fine, love, just give me a minute," the British girl replied while taking a deep breath. After a few quiet moments with Santana glancing worriedly at the other girl and rubbing her thumb over the back of her hand, Hermione backed out of the driveway and headed to the Lopez household. Once they arrived and silently made their ways up to the Latina's room, the witch got the younger girl settled in bed. "Alright, San, I'm going to go back to Rachel's, but I'll be back to check on you in a couple of hours, ok?" She assured her with a kiss on the forehead as the former cheerleader nodded sleepily.
"Hurry back to me, mi amor…" Santana murmured before burying herself into her pillow. Hermione crept out of the girl's bedroom, a large smile on her face due to Santana's words, and began walking down the stairs as quietly as she could. She had almost made it out the front door before hearing the sound of someone clearing her throat behind her. She spun around swiftly, smiling sheepishly at an amused-looking Maribel Lopez.
"Hola, Hermione," the older woman chuckled.
"Uh, hi, Mrs. Lopez," the British girl blushed, running a hand through her hair.
"What has that girl been up to now?"
"Erm, she was just really tired. We didn't get a lot of sleep last night at Rachel's slumber party."
"So you're telling me I should go put some aspirin and water on her nightstand?" Mama Lopez questioned with a smirk as Hermione nodded slowly. "I know she drinks, querida. She just doesn't know that I know, so we'll just keep it that way, alright?" The Latina said playfully, winking at the stunned Gryffindor.
"You are so bloody awesome, Mrs. Lopez," the young woman finally managed to get out. "I really need to go check on Rachel though."
"Si, go check on the girl. Don't be a stranger now," the shorter woman told her, wrapping her arms around the girl, before letting her go and shooing her out the door.
The following Monday at school, many of the members of New Directions were still suffering from the affects of Rachel's party.
"I need to close my locker and it's going to sound like a gun shot," Tina growled out, contemplating just leaving her locker open all day.
"I've had the worst hangover since Saturday and it's Monday," spoke Mercedes painfully.
"I've been dry-heaving all weekend. When my mother asked me what the sound was, I said that I was practicing bird calls," Santana groaned out. "Surprisingly, that just caused her to laugh and shake her head."
"Hey, guys!" Hermione called out happily as she approached the group.
"Jesus, Hermione, how are you functioning?" Mike asked her as he held his stomach.
"Magic?" She teased, linking her arm with Santana's.
"If I didn't like kissing you so much, I'd kill you," the Latina muttered darkly.
"Aww, thanks, baby. I love you too!" The group rounded the corner and ran into Puck, Artie, Sam, Brittany, and Quinn. "Well, blimey, I should've worn sunglasses too," the older girl chuckled.
"I've brought some Bloody Marys, y'all," Artie informed them weakly.
"Are you kidding me? The last thing I want to do is drink."
"It'll help your hangover. That's what Bloody Mary's are for," the bespectacled boy stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, pass it around then!" Hermione ordered, pouring herself a drink.
"How is she this chipper and able to drink that like it's water?" Quinn questioned the raven-haired girl.
"I have no idea," moaned the Latina as she watched Hermione down her third drink.
Several minutes later, the New Directions finished their performance of Blame It (On the Alcohol) for an overall impressed Will Schuester.
"Wow, guys, that was great! I totally believed that some of you were actually drunk!" He praised them with a smile as his niece smirked at her fellow glee clubbers. "Problem is, that song albeit as great as it is, sort of glorifies drinking. We're supposed to be singing about the dangers of alcohol at this assembly.
"Well, good luck with that one, Will. I'm all for alcohol awareness, but have you ever even heard a song promoting responsible drinking? I don't think it exists…" Hermione trailed off as Rachel interrupted her.
"Mr. Schue, first of all that vest is very cute. You are all kinds of awesome," she told him, slightly slurring her speech and stumbling over to the British girl. "But second, Hermy's right. Maybe there are no songs about the dangers of alcohol because there aren't any as long as you have a proper designated driver." She paused and began lifting the taller girl's shirt up. "Have I ever told you how awesome you are?" Hermione snickered before an angry Latina dragged her away from the drunken diva.
"Well, yes, driving drunk is dangerous. Any of you guys heard of alcohol poisoning? It kills about four hundred people every year." The sound of someone sniffling made him stop. "Santana, are you crying?"
"I'm ok, I'm ok," she choked out as an entertained Hermione wrapped her arms around her and kissed her on the cheek.
"You are such a hypocrite! You drink. Most adults do," Quinn pointed out accusingly.
"I may have a beer every now and then, but I don't get drunk."
"We're just saying this is a waste of time. We're totally aware of alcohol. We see adults drinking and having fun. Every commercial during NASCAR is for beer."
"What's NASCAR?" Hermione inquired with a tilt of her head causing Santana to stop crying and gaze at her fondly.
"Ok, ok, ok, enough, guys. Look, tomorrow, we're going to spend the entire day brainstorming about songs to perform at this assembly." The group groaned and turned their backs on him before whispering amongst themselves.
Later the night, Hermione was sitting at the table doing her homework when the door slammed open. She grabbed her wand and whipped her head up only to see an incredibly drunk Will being led in by Coach Beiste.
"Miiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaa!" He exclaimed, almost falling over.
"Whoa, easy, partner," the football coach chuckled. "You think you can handle him, Hermione?"
"Yeah, no problem, coach. Thanks for getting him home!" The teenager called out to her as she led her uncle to the living room. "I see you had a good night, Will," she teased as he collapsed onto the couch.
"Mmhmm," he mumbled sleepily.
"I'm gonna go get you some water. Stay put," she stated firmly. As soon as she was gone, Will grabbed his phone and dialed an all too familiar number.
The next morning, Hermione stood backstage with the rest of the New Directions, preparing for the assembly.
"Long night?" Santana inquired as wrapped her arms around her from behind.
"Will came home completely sloshed last night," she managed to get out before yawning as her fellow performers began to panic.
"Never fear, teammates. Now it's a Broadway tradition for nervous performers to take a shot of whiskey before going on to calm their nerves and to mask the stench of bad dental hygiene. In that tradition, I've mixed us a playful showbiz cocktail of what was left in my dads' liquor cabinet. There's some brandy and vermouth and port wine and scotch in here, and also a little bit of Kool-Aid and some crumbled up Oreos," Rachel sped out, passing around drinks.
"Oh my God, this tastes like cough syrup," the Latina coughed.
"There's also cough syrup. Cheers!" As the group drank Rachel's nasty concoction, Principal Figgins began their introduction.
"And now, performing the hit single 'Tik and also Tok' by rapper Ke-$-ha: the New Directions!"
Brittany tore open the curtains and began singing and dancing around the stage. The performance was going flawlessly until Brittany stumbled over to Hermione and vomited all over her.
"Oh, bloody hell. Um, everybody, drink responsibly!" Hermione called out before running off the stage and into the nearest bathroom, Santana following closely at her heels. When the two girls rushed off, they heard Sue yelling at the student body to stay in their seats. As soon as the British girl entered the girls' locker room, she began tearing off her clothes before hopping into the shower in her bra and underwear. When Santana rushed into the bathroom, her heart stopped.
"Oh, fuck," she groaned, staring at the dripping wet girl.
"Oh, um, hey, love," the wavy-haired girl replied, a blush adorning her cheeks. "Care to join me?" The former cheerleader didn't need to be told twice as she hastily locked the door and hurried out of her clothes and into the shower. She pushed the slightly taller girl up against the wall before crashing their lips together.
"I guess we can cross this place off on our list," Santana panted as she handed her lover a towel several minutes later.
"Um, what list?" Hermione questioned as she grabbed some of Santana's extra clothes to put on. "Do you mind if I wear these?"
"Of course not," smirked the Latina. "And, you know, the list of all the places we want to have sex in."
"I did not know such a list existed," the British girl spoke disbelievingly.
"Oh, yeah, princesa. You should see some of the places I have on it," she winked as she too threw on some clothes.
"Do I even want to know?" The older girl sighed with a small smile directed at the other girl. The raven-haired girl shrugged with a laugh.
"C'mon, let's get out of here." She grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out towards her car. "Do you need help with your Spanish homework?" The former Cheerio inquired once they were both settled in the vehicle.
"Yeah," the older girl mumbled with a frown. "Do you still need me to proofread your history paper?"
"That'd be great," beamed the younger girl. "And don't sweat it about Spanish, ok? I know you love your uncle, but the man is a lousy Spanish teacher."
"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "I just hate not being perfect at something, especially when it's academically related."
"Princesa, you are the smartest, most beautiful, kind person I know. Never doubt that, ok?"
"What did I do to deserve you?"
"Give me plenty of unbelievably great se—"
"Santana!" Hermione shrieked, smacking her upside the head.
"What? I was gonna say serenading opportunities!"
"Sure you were," the British girl deadpanned as they walked into the Latina's house.