A/N: Hello, loyal readers! I would've had this up earlier, but it was a pretty rough week. Anyways, I hope y'all like this chapter! For the song, lines "like this" are sung by Hermione.

TobiasFangor92: Thanks again for the review!

I Love Santana: Haha, yep, I told you she was going to find out eventually! Thanks for the review :)

unexpected sabotage: Thank you for the review! I hope you like Santana's reaction!

DragonsWillFly: Haha, thank you! Hopefully her reaction doesn't fail to disappoint!

Ky: Sorry! I've gotta throw a cliffhanger in there every once in a while to keep things interesting, haha. Thanks again! :)

As always, I genuinely appreciate any feedback. But enough chit-chat, enjoy the latest chapter!

~Chapter 38~

"No, no, no, that's impossible!" Santana spluttered out, quickly moving off of the bed, putting as much space between her and the older girl as possible.

"San, it's true. You know I would never lie to you. Please just sit down and let me explain," Hermione spoke rapidly and smiled slightly when the Latina sat at the foot of the bed. "When I was eleven, I got a strange letter telling me that I was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I didn't believe it at first, but someone from the school came and proved to me that magic was indeed real. I was so amazed by magic itself and Hogwarts too of course. Unfortunately, discovering that I could do magic had lots of dangerous results."

"Like what?" Santana finally spoke up with a curious expression.

"Well, long story short, the reason I could do magic despite my Muggle heritage—a Muggle is someone who possess no magical abilities—is one of the reasons why I was tortured the way that I was. In the wizarding world, Purebloods—people that have magical ancestors—believe they are so much better than witches and wizards like myself and simple Muggles. The Purebloods were the ones behind all of those terrorist attacks in London. When Harry was just a baby, he destroyed their master. Thirteen years later, however, Lord Voldemort returned and set out to cleanse the magical world and kill Harry. Being one of Harry's closest allies and his best friend led me to being targeted by Voldemort and his followers. When I was captured, Harry, Ronald, and I were trying to find these things that would help destroy Voldemort once and for all." Hermione paused to let the other girl absorb all of the information she was telling her.

"H-h-how did they torture you then? Did they use magic or other ways?" The Latina questioned softly, moving closer to the British girl.

"Both," the young witch choked out. "They used curses that made deep gashes or burns appear all over my body. They used cursed knives to cut into my skin. That's how I got this scar." Hermione waved her wand over left arm and the raven-haired girl gasped at the word that appeared there. "They also loved to use the torture curse which feels like 'one thousand white-hot knives, boring into the skin'. If used long enough, it can cause someone to lose their mind completely. They also, um, raped me," the older girl said so quietly that Santana almost didn't hear her.

"Oh, princesa," the dark-eyed girl cried out softly before wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. "I am so sorry you had to go through all of that."

"Not all magic is bad though. I don't want you to think that." Hermione waved her wand again at a tissue and Santana's jaw dropped as the object transformed into a small bird that flapped its wings and flew around them. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just didn't want to lose you," the British girl murmured shyly.

"I understand, mi amor. And I'm sorry for freaking out earlier, it's just a lot to take in," the former Cheerio chuckled. "You know I would never leave you. I mean, being a witch is just another thing that makes you the bestest girlfriend in the whole wide world."

"I love you so much," Hermione told her with a watery smile before kissing her passionately.

"I love you too," the Latina answered happily. "Can you, um, tell me more about your world then?" The young witch beamed before quickly nodding her head and going into a long-winded explanation about the different means of transportation in the wizarding world. Santana grinned at her enthusiasm, so she kissed her on the cheek and settled down to listen.

The next afternoon in glee, the students were arguing about which of their songs to use as their anthem until Mr. Schue decided to intervene.

"Guys, guys, just—just think about it. What's your favorite song of all time?"

"My Headband," Brittany stated seriously.

"Alanis Moriessete's You Oughta Know," Santana answered with a nod of her head.

"What's Going On? Marvin Gaye," Puck replied with a smirk.

"Ok, and what are all those songs about?" Will asked them.

"Headbands." The hazel-eyed man threw the dancer a puzzled look before continuing.

"All these songs come from a place of pain. The greatest songs are about hurt and that's the side of yourselves that I want you to get in touch with."

"That should be easy. Coach Sylvester tortures us for no reason and tries to get the entire school to hate us," Artie said with a sigh.

"Yesterday, she filled Brit's and my locker with dirt," the Latina growled out.

"Ok, ok, slow down, slow down," the curly-haired man muttered as he began writing things down on the board.

"Well, she literally throws sticks at me," Mercedes pointed out with a roll of her eyes, earning several looks of shock.

"Ok, what else? What else?"

"She called the Ohio Secretary of State saying she was me and that I want to legally change my name to Tina Cohen-Loser," responded Tina exasperatedly.

"Um, she's never done anything to me. Should I be worried?" Hermione spoke up fearfully.

"I don't know. She might just like you," Mike told her with an overly dramatic grimace, causing the British girl to snicker.

"Anyway, back on track, how does that make you feel?" Their teacher inquired.

"Well, at first it hurts, but then it mostly makes you want to win," Finn answered slowly, determination shining in his eyes.

"Guys, I think you may have just found your song," Mr. Schue said with a smile as he wrote Loser Like Me on the whiteboard.

"After everything you've been through, you still get nervous before a performance?" A familiar voice called out causing Hermione to spin around quickly with a large smile on her face.

"Harry! You made it!" She squealed happily as she threw her arms around the bespectacled boy.

"I promised you I would," The-Boy-Who-Lived told her with a playful roll of his eyes.

"Oi. Why does he get all of the love?"

"Sorry, Gin," the former prefect chuckled before embracing the auburn-haired girl.

"We also brought a few more people, Mione," Harry informed her with a smile beckoning the group of people to join them. When Hermione saw them, she couldn't help but jump up and down giddily.

"Luna, Fred, George, Neville, and…Cho, oh, hello," Hermione faltered before hugging each of them and settling for just wrapping an arm around the Asian girl.

"Ay dios mio. Princesa, I can't believe they let Sue coach a show choir," Santana grumbled out before hugging Hermione from behind. "Oh, Harry, Ginny, nice to see you again," she greeted them pleasantly.

"Well, I certainly see things between you two have changed," teased the youngest Weasley good-naturedly. "I'm really happy for you though. It's about time someone got our Mione to settle down and clearly you are pretty special to have accomplished such a feat."

"Oh hush," retorted the wavy-haired brunette as Santana buried her face into Hermione's neck. "By the way, love, this is Luna, Fred, George, Neville, and Cho."

"Cho—Cho—Cho…why does that name sound familiar?" The Latina whispered before her eyes went wide. "Wait, isn't she the one who had feelings for you and became really clingy after you ended things with her?" After her girlfriend nodded, the raven-haired girl tightened her hold on the taller girl before glaring at the bashful looking Asian.

"Easy there, San, you know I only have eyes for you," laughed the brown-eyed girl before spinning around and kissing her chastely on the lips. "I'll see you all after the show!" She called out over her shoulder as she dragged a triumphant looking Santana over to the rest of their team.

"Why are you so nervous, mi amor?" Santana inquired quietly as she wrapped her arms around the trembling girl. "You know you'll do great."

"I'm scared that I'll mess something up and we'll lose and then everybody will hate me," she mumbled embarrassedly.

"Mia, you know if anyone tries to lay a finger on you, I'll ends them. Besides, you're totally gonna kick ass like you did at Sectionals." She paused and after making sure the coast was clear, kissed the taller girl. "I love you. Now go on and make me fall in love with you all over again," she murmured before playfully shoving her forward.

"And now, from William McKinley High in Lima, Ohio, the New Directions!" The announcer called out as the curtain rose and Hermione walked to the middle of the stage and sat down at the piano. She took a deep breath before beginning.

"It was a stupid mistake,
I've played it over again.
I felt it starting to break,
But oh what a storm we were in.

"Leveled us both with a crash,
You sped away in the dark.
And I've only driven me mad
Replaying how we came apart –But…

"I'm gonna be happy
Without you around.
I'll figure it out.
And I'm gonna be happy,
Just give me some time,
I'm gonna be fine.

"I fell to pieces for you,
And everything we couldn't weather,
And how there was nothing we could do this time
That would make it all better.

"And I've heard a lot of good lies,
But there's one I could never quite shake:
that sorrow's some kind of good sign
I should carry with me to the grave.

"So I'm gonna be happy
Without you around.
I'll figure it out.
And I'm gonna be happy,
Just give me some time,
I'm gonna be fine.

"This is everything I hoped I'd find a way to say to you:
Darling, it's a shame I couldn't be a better place for you,
But I can't love by self-destruct.
I've gotta give it up.

"So I'm gonna be happy
Without you around.
I'll figure it out.
And I'm gonna be happy
Just give me some time,
I'm gonna be fine.

"I'm gonna be happy
Without you around.
I'll figure it out.
And I'm gonna be happy,
Just give me some time,
I'm gonna be fine."

As she belted out the last note, the audience erupted into thunderous applause. Hermione smiled bashfully and stood up to join her fellow glee club members as Artie and Mercedes moved to the front to liven up the crowd with their version of Ain't No Mountain High Enough with the rest of the group joining in on the chorus. Once again, the group was met with roaring enthusiasm as the crowd eagerly awaited the final number. As soon as Rachel started singing Loser Like Me, Hermione knew they had it in the bag as excited whispers about the original song traveled through the audience. After they sang the last note together and threw their 'slushies' into the audience, the entire group could not wipe the large smiles off of their faces as they received a standing ovation. When the curtain closed, Hermione felt familiar arms pick her up and swing her around.

"You were awesome, mi amor. I am so proud of you," Santana gushed as she peppered kisses all over her lover's face.

"No, I wasn't," blushed the British girl. "Have I ever mentioned how much I love watching you perform?"

"You may have mentioned it before," the Latina responded shyly, turning a light shade of pink.

"C'mon, guys, they're about to announce the winners!" Brittany yelled out happily as she dragged the two back over to the rest of the New Directions. As they stood next to the Warblers, Hermione couldn't help but beam at the group before wishing them luck.

"And now, to announce our winner, Lieutenant Governor Stevens' wife, Carla Turlington Stevens," the announcer spoke as the tipsy woman stumbled onto the stage.

"My husband is verbally abusive and I have been drinking since noon," the woman slurred.

"Where do they find these people?" Hermione whispered to the Latina, whose hand was firmly grasping hers. The raven-haired girl snickered and responded with a shrug as the woman started speaking again.

"I'm bored. Let's just see who won, huh? The New Directions, you're going to Nationals in New York!" The William McKinley group screamed happily before jumping up and down and hugging each other before they were handed the first place trophy. They were so caught up in their celebration that they barely noticed Sue walking over to Mrs. Stevens and punching her in the face. After getting over her shock, Hermione walked over to the Warblers and hugged each member after telling them how great they did.

Several minutes later, the wavy-haired brunette found herself being lovingly embraced by Harry.

"Mione! That was so amazing!" He praised before turning serious. "That song was kind of about Ron, wasn't it?" The green-eyed boy inquired softly to which the wavy-haired brunette nodded. "He's never going to hurt you again, you know. None of us will let that happen."

"I know. I just miss him. He was one of my closest friends and then when he…forced himself on me after I came out to him, I didn't even recognize him anymore," the former prefect whimpered.

"He what?" Santana growled. "I swear if that soulless ginger every gets close to you again, I's will ends him before he can even say 'hey'. I'll show him how it's done in Lima Heights!"

"And, clearly, Santana will also do a wonderful job of protecting you," Ginny butted in as she and the rest of the wizards backed up in fear.

"Oh, she's harmless, aren't you, love?" Hermione addressed her girlfriend who was now muttering dangerously in Spanish. "Well, to me, she is." Her statement caused the group to chuckle as the Latina pouted. "C'mon, let's go to dinner, so I can catch up with you lot! We're going to this place called BreadstiX. Coming, San?"

"Hells yeah. Let's go, woman!" The raven-haired girl called out enthusiastically as she dragged Hermione to her car while the group of wizards and witches followed closely behind, amused by the couple's antics.

"She seems really happy," a soft voice spoke up.

"She is, Cho, she really is," Harry muttered with a smile as he squeezed the Asian girl's shoulder gently before joining the two giggling glee club members.

"I never could've made her that happy," the Ravenclaw mused out loud with a frown.

"It's time to let her go, Cho. Clearly, that Santana girl is doing wonders for our girl. You should want her to be happy…" Fred began.

"…even if it's not with you." George finished.

"I know. Now that I see how great she's doing, it should be easier for me to let her go. I think I'm going to head home though," she informed the twins with a small smile before bidding Hermione farewell and walking over to an alley to apparate back to Hogsmeade.

A few days later in glee, Will stood in front of the classroom to address his students and congratulate them once again on their victory.

"Now, we all know that winning Regionals was a team effort and Nationals isn't going to be any different, but, like in sports, every winning team has a player that rises above to help carry their teammates to victory. The MVP. And I would like to start a tradition of honoring that player after every one of our competitions. So, per a unanimous vote by all of you, our Regionals MVP is…Miss Hermione Granger." Hermione stood up in shock before walking into her uncle's open arms and receiving the trophy.

"I really don't know what to say," she began as a tear trickled down her face. "I've only been here for a couple of months, but all of you have made me feel like I've known you for years. You know a lot about my past and I was beginning to lose hope that I would never allow myself to open myself up to people, especially after I lost my parents. But coming here changed all of that—you changed all of that. Each and every one of you welcomed me with open arms and gave me the one thing I was so desperately longing for—another chance at having a family. This trophy belongs to all of you for you were the ones who believed in me when I lost all hope. I guess, all I'm trying to say is thank you," the British girl finished with a watery smile as Santana rushed up to her and embraced her encouraging the rest of the New Directions to join the two girls for a group hug.

A/N, part II: Song was "Happy" by Ellery, a lovely little duo from my home town. Y'all should check them out if you get the chance!

As for Santana's reaction...I couldn't have her just run away, she loves Hermione too much to do so.

I have up to chapter 45 written and there should be 48 chapters once it's finished, so I really need to get my ass in gear and finish up this story, so I can start working on the sequel. I'm hoping to have the next update posted by next weekend, so fingers crossed that something crazy won't pop up.