A/N: Hey, guys, sorry that this is several days late. This week has been absolutely dreadful. Anyway, in the last chapter, I said that there would be 48 chapters, but there are actually going to be 50. (Math is hard.) As always, I am so grateful for any feedback!
I Love Santana: Thanks for the review!
Mummification: Great to hear from you! I'm really happy to hear that you're still enjoying the story!
unexpected sabotage: Yes, there will be a confrontation with the Weasel in the future (probably the sequel). I do love me some drama after all! And thanks again for the review :)
TobiasFangor92: Thank you! And, yes, I wish there was a way to incorporate Marley. She's definitely my favorite new character. Who knows, maybe I will ;)
DragonsWillFly: You're too sweet! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!
Ky: Aww, thank you! And it's my pleasure! I'm really looking forward to beginning the sequel in the next couple of weeks. Also, I'm glad you liked Ellery :)
maricafa: Thank you so much! That means the world to me! I'll definitely try to incorporate more magic into future updates now that Santana knows.
Alexis Nicole: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)
Enjoy!
~Chapter 39~
The New Directions sat in the choir room as their teacher wrote an equation on the whiteboard. As soon as he stepped away from the board, Hermione walked up to him.
"Uh, Will, you do know that your math is wrong, right?" The British girl informed him with a smirk as she erased it and wrote 14,000 x .25 = 3,500.
"Oh, oops. Well, now you all know why I'm not a math teacher," the curly-haired man chuckled as he walked over to the piano. The young witch rolled her eyes playfully before going to sit back down next to Santana.
"Aw, my princesa is so smart," the raven-haired girl cooed as she kissed her girlfriend's cheek.
"Anyway…after Mia's contribution from the kissing booth, we still need $3,500 to pay for our trip to Nationals in New York," Mr. Schue told them with a flourish of his arms.
"What happened to the money that we got from the Cheerios?" Quinn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It turns out Sue was hiding it in off-shore accounts in the Cayman Islands and we're having some trouble accessing some of it." He paused before continuing with a sigh. "Any of it." The hazel-eyed man turned around and picked up a piece of candy from on top of the piano. "This is saltwater taffy. When I was a student here, we paid for our entire trip to Nationals selling this. Classroom-to-classroom, door-to-door. We pushed this stuff like crack. And so will we."
"Nice, Will, nice."
"Oh, hush. As Mia pointed out, we need to sell 14,000 pieces of taffy for $.25 a piece to get all of our money."
"Wait, do you honestly think that we can sell 14,000 anythings? I mean, we won Regionals for the first time since dinosaurs roamed the planet and I still got a freakin' cherry Icee facial," the Latina growled out.
"Well, you could have gotten it from being seen talking to me," Hermione muttered with a small frown.
"It wasn't your fault, Hermione. Santana's right though. Nobody cares about us."
"I can't listen to this," Mike grumbled angrily before standing up and walking towards the door.
"Mike, you ok?" The choir director asked him, concern evident in his tone.
"No. You guys complain all the time about being mistreated but you have no idea what it's like to work your butt off for something and have everyone, even your friends, ignore you." He paused as he stared down the group. "Artie, Tina, Brittany, and I are on the Brainiacs."
"And Hermione's our coach because she's pretty much a genius on every subject," Brittany informed them, causing the British girl to turn a light hue of pink as she stood up to join the four teens.
"Isn't that the academic decathlon team?"
"Wait, we have one of those?"
"Yeah, we do, Frankenteen and they're awesome."
"Wait, you know about it?"
"Uh, duh, Puckerman. My girl's the coach and Brit's on the team. Of course I know about it. I even went to their competitions," she murmured bashfully.
"Artie, Tina, Mike, and Brittany went on The SmartyPants Show and beat Carmel High to go to the academic decathlon finals in Detroit next week."
"Wait, you guys were on TV? Well, why didn't you tell us about it?"
"We did," the five teens said at the same time, rapidly growing frustrated with their peers.
"Wait, I get the three of you being on the team…" Will began uncertainly.
"Because two of them are Asian and Artie wears glasses?"
"No... But Brittany?"
"Oh, that's really nice, William," the wavy-haired brunette scoffed. "As a matter of fact, Brittany is one of our strongest assets. Her knowledge about cat diseases tied us with Carmel and then Artie put us in the lead with his knowledge about white rappers," Hermione beamed proudly.
"Sadly, we can't afford to go to the finals, so we're going to have to forfeit," Artie informed them despondently.
"Why don't you just have your parents pay for it?"
"Because they shouldn't have to, Rach," sighed the British girl, running a hand through her hair. "Leave it up to me though, guys. I won't let you down. C'mon, San!"
"Coming, mi amor," Santana called out fondly as she dutifully followed the taller girl out of the choir room.
"Whoa, who knew Santana would get so whipped?"
"I heard that, Wheezy!" The Latina shouted from the hallway, earning quite a few snickers from the group.
Several hours later, Hermione and Santana were lying on the former's bed in each other's arms when the wavy-haired brunette shot up.
"You ok, princesa?" The former cheerleader asked her worriedly.
"Yeah, I just got a brilliant idea to raise the money for Nationals," the older girl replied with a wicked smile.
"Well, are you going to tell me or just sit there grinning like a creeper?"
"Oi, I'm totally feeling the love."
"Well, Mia, I believe I showed you just how much I loved you not too long ago," the Latina murmured huskily as she trailed her fingers up one of the other girl's legs.
"Um, well, I—I—well, you're right of course," Hermione blushed. "Anyway! My idea was a sort of benefit concert. We'd charge admission and perform and well, it's rather stupid, isn't it?"
"Are you kidding? That's perfect! A hell of a lot better than selling that damn taffy," stated Santana matter-of-factly. "How are we going to get enough people to show up though? I'm sure Sue is bound to stop people from coming."
"Good point. Well, we can invite the Warblers. They do love me over there," the brown-eyed witch smirked. "Ooh, and I can invite some people from back home! Want to see a bit more magic, love?" The raven-haired singer nodded enthusiastically as Hermione retrieved a small jar filled with powder. "Follow me, darling!" The couple went out into the living room as the British girl grabbed some of the powder and threw it into the fireplace before shouting, "Grimmauld Place!" Suddenly, she stuck her head into green flames as Santana yelped and frantically tried to pull her out. "Harry James Potter get your scrawny ass over here!"
"Huh? Oh, hey 'Mione. What can I do for you?" The green-eyed boy questioned happily.
"Well, the New Directions and I need to raise some money for Nationals and I'm going to convince Will that we should put on a concert instead of selling some weird candy he seems to be obsessed with. I was wondering if you'd like to come."
"Sure, that sounds brilliant!"
"Excellent. Can you also mention it to Ginny, Luna, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Tonks, Lupin, McGonagall, the rest of the Weasleys sans Ronald, Hannah, the Patils, Ernie, Justin, Angelina, Katie, and anyone else you can think of?"
"Whoa, slow down Hermione, my quill can only write so fast," laughed the messy-haired boy.
"I'll let you know when I have a final date. Oh! Remember to convert some of your wizarding money to American money. You all can just floo here and then we'll figure out a way to get to the show from there."
"Ok, Mione, I really can't wait to see you again. I'll talk to you soon!"
"Bye, Harry!" Hermione called out before pulling her head out of the flames.
"Oh my god, are you ok? Why the hell couldn't you just use the phone?" Santana inquired as she looked over her girlfriend for any sign of injury.
"Relax, San, it's perfectly safe. I guess it's similar to video chatting except more fun," laughed the witch, placing the jar on the mantle.
"Oh, yes, so much fun," the other girl grumbled as she continued to poke and prod Hermione, confirming that she was indeed alright. "You said they can floo over? They actually choose to travel through the fireplace?"
"Yes, it's a fairly easy way to travel, you just have to—"
"Say your destination clearly, right?"
"Precisely! You have been listening," smiled the taller girl.
"Yeah, well, I want to know as much as I can, so you don't feel like you have to hide this side of you around me," the former Cheerio murmured shyly.
"Best. Girlfriend. Ever." The wavy-haired brunette responded, kissing the Latina between each word.
The next afternoon in glee, Hermione informed her uncle about her idea which caused the curly-haired man to throw his arms around her and swing her around.
"Uh, Mr. Schue, what's going on?" Rachel asked from her seat in the front row.
"Mia has a fantastic idea to throw a benefit concert to raise the money for Nationals and the Brainiacs!" The choir director praised as he set his niece down. "You guys will perform and we'll charge admission. What do you think?"
"It's a great idea, but how are we going to get people to come? Everyone hates us," Mercedes pointed out.
"Actually that's not true. We've really grown in popularity since the beginning of the year. I mean, yeah, there's still a group of idiots who douse us in slushy, but most of the school is starting to respect us…to some degree."
"Thank you, Q. We'll probably get a group of sixty or seventy students or teachers and I plan on inviting the Warblers. Some of my friends from London were planning on taking a trip to America and they promised they'd come as well. Plus, you all can invite your families. That should get us around 185 people and if we charge $25 we'll get enough money for both teams. I will also take care of putting up flyers and organizing the event while you guys figure out what you want to sing or dance to," Hermione informed them enthusiastically, bouncing up and down.
"Jeez, Herms, take a breath!" Sam exclaimed jokingly, shaking his head at the girl.
"I'll help Hermione with the planning," Quinn spoke up with an eager smile earning a glare from the Latina.
"Excellent! Meet me in the auditorium tomorrow morning?" The hazel-eyed girl nodded while smirking at Santana. Soon the group was dismissed and Hermione left with Mercedes and Rachel, talking about various ideas. The former head cheerleader was about to exit the room, when a tanned hand grabbed her wrist.
"What exactly do you think you're doing, Fabray?" Santana snarled, spinning the other girl around to face her.
"I have no idea what you mean, Santana," the blonde answered innocently.
"You're up to something. If you even think about hurting Hermione again, I will fucking kick your ass."
"Who said I wanted to hurt her?" Quinn told her with her infamous eyebrow raise. "Besides, I figure it's only a matter of time before people start figuring out there's something going on between you and Hermione. I know you, remember? You're going to panic and run away like you always do. And I'll be there to pick up the pieces."
"Who the fuck do you think you are? You did the exact same thing not too long ago!"
"Yeah, well, things change. I've done a lot of thinking since the wedding and I realized something: I'm living with the Jones' and they are a hell of a lot more accepting than my parents ever were. I don't need to hide anymore and I don't plan to." The hazel-eyed girl ripped her arm away before walking out of the choir room, leaving behind a furious and worried Santana.
The next morning, Hermione was sitting on the stage, working on some rough drafts for the flyers when the blonde girl walked in.
"Oh, hey, Quinn, thanks for doing this," the British girl greeted her with a smile.
"Hello, Hermione," Quinn replied with a smile of her own. "Wow, those sketches are great. Is there anything you can't do?"
"I spent way too much time in a tent last year with two boys," chuckled the brown-eyed girl. "I had to have something to focus on, so I didn't kill them. Speaking of boys, how are things with Sam?"
"He's a great friend, but that's all he's ever going to be," she answered with a shrug, flipping through the sketches. "He's really interested in Mercedes, so I told him to go for it. I think they'd be better for each other than he and I would ever be."
"That's very mature of you. I'm proud of you, Q."
"Thanks," Quinn responded with a shy smile before handing the older girl three of the drawings. "I think we should clean these up a bit and use these."
"Ok, brilliant!" The two continued to work in a comfortable silence until Quinn scooted closer to Hermione.
"Listen Hermione, I made a mistake with you a couple months ago. I—"
"Buenos días, gorgeous. Tubbers," a familiar voice called out from in front of the stage causing Hermione to light up.
"San! What are you doing here?" The wavy-haired brunette beamed as she turned around to face her girlfriend.
"I wanted to surprise you," grinned the Latina as she helped the older girl off of the stage. "I brought you some coffee too."
"You're the best," murmured Hermione as she kissed her lightly.
"I know, but I'm nothing compared to you, baby girl," Santana stated while handing the young witch the coffee and throwing a smirk at the blonde glaring at the couple from the stage.
"I think we're done here," Hermione called up to the former head Cheerio. "San and I can take the final versions and make copies of them and then we'll get the rest of the club to hang them up."
"Alright, that sounds good," the hazel-eyed girl muttered as she hopped off the stage and handed the British girl the flyers.
"Thanks for all of your help, Q," the older girl smiled as she hugged the blonde before being pulled back by the Latina.
"Bye, Fabray," the raven-haired girl mocked as she linked her arms with Hermione's and led her out of the auditorium.
"San, was that really necessary?"
"What? That's just how we work."
"Yes, well, according to Brittany, you and Quinn used to be very close."
"Things change," stated the younger girl in a tone, signaling that this conversation was over.
A couple of hours later, Hermione was walking down the hallway with Tina, Mike, Mercedes, and Rachel.
"I'm totally doing Lykke Li. She's Bjork meets Florence + the Machine and a promising new talent. What about you, Mike?"
"Mike Chang Dance Dance Revolution. I'm tired of my dancing being overshadowed by all of you guys singing. It's gonna just be me and my sweet moves. Hermione, what are you thinking about doing?"
"Singing and dancing to something. I haven't really decided yet," the British girl laughed.
"Smooth," giggled Mercedes before continuing. "You are forgetting about the most neglected artist this glee club's ever seen…Aretha Franklin. See, I auditioned for this club singing Respect and she's gotten none since, so I'm doing Aretha."
"Awesome, Mercedes. Awesome, all of you guys. Those songs are great appetizers to my main course. Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. It's gonna be our finale." Mike made a noise similar to that of breaks screeching.
"That's like the biggest song of all time," Tina pointed out, raising one of her eyebrows.
"No, you don't understand. Celine isn't the neglected artist, I am," Rachel stated arrogantly, placing her hand over her heart.
"I was kinda hoping to do the closing number," Mercedes murmured dejectedly as Rachel waltzed away.
"Hey, don't worry about it, ok? Don't forget that I have the final say in the set list," Hermione told her with a comforting smile.
"Thank god for that," Mike chuckled, slinging an arm around the wavy-haired brunette's shoulders.
"Boy Chang, you best be getting your hands off my girl," Santana murmured playfully in the boy's ear as she walked up behind the group.
"Sorry, Santana, but I'm not budging. She's the perfect height to be my arm rest," the dancer laughed, ruffling the older girl's hair.
"Oi, is that all I am to you? I thought we had something special," the British girl huffed, ducking under his arm and moving to link arms with Tina. "Well, I did always like your girlfriend better than you," she teased, causing the group to laugh.
"Yeah, Mike, you might want to watch out. Hermione is rather charming," the Asian girl informed him with a wink, resting her head on the taller girl's shoulder.
"I won't go down without a fight!" The brown-eyed boy called out, puffing out his chest and flexing his muscles.
"As fun as this is," the Latina interjected with a roll of her eyes, "Hermione and I gots to go."
"Oh, calm down, love," giggled the wavy-haired brunette finally grabbing her girlfriend's hand. "Alright, guys, I'll see you tomorrow. We wouldn't want this one getting too impatient now, would we?"
"No, girl, definitely not," Mercedes responded, chuckling when the former cheerleader glared at her.
"Come on, San, let's go rehearse!" She called out happily, pulling the younger girl down the hallway and into the auditorium.
"Finally," Santana sighed, urgently pressing her lips onto the older girl's.
"Blimey, San," Hermione panted after a few moments. "I forget why we even came here in the first place."
"Well, you said something about rehearsing, but I figure there are much more important things we could practice," the raven-haired girl muttered huskily, gently nibbling on the other girl's neck. "Plus, we could then cross this place off of my list," she smirked, slipping her hands underneath the British girl's shirt.
"Now how on earth could I say no to that?" The older girl spoke up playfully before pulling out her wand.
"What're you doing?"
"Well, we don't want to be disturbed, do we?" The young witch replied with a wicked smile before waving her wand. As soon as she put the item away, the dark-eyed girl pinned her against the nearest wall.
"Mmm, I will never get tired of that," the Latina murmured happily several moments later.
"You're insatiable," Hermione pointed out as she picked up her clothes.
"Oh, please, we both know it's one of the many things you love about me," Santana answered with a wink catching the shirt that was thrown at her face.
"While that may be true, we do have some work to do. I've been working on a number and I want your honest opinion, alright?"
"Si, mi amor. Now get your fine ass up there and show me what you got," the Latina told her, gently pushing her towards the stage.
A/N, part II: Just so you know... There might be a wee bit of drama in the next couple of chapters, so hopefully y'all don't hate me for that!