GleeWarts Year 1; Chapter 1
Title: GleeWarts
Pairing: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Rating: PG for the beginning and eventually M
Summary: So, this is my story of what would happen if the Glee characters had been born into the Hogwarts setting. There will be a cameo from a Harry Potter character throughout, whether or not there will be any other HP characters is still tbd.
A/N: This is a Brittana fic. I am trying to keep all of the glee characters in character...besides for the whole magic thing, lol. There will be Unholy Trinity friendship. There will be quidditch in the place of football and cheerios. And there will eventually be a glee club. If you have read any of my other fics, then you know that I love me some character development, so I will be starting this fic in Year 1, and taking it all the way through Year 7. If you have any questions about how I plan on doing this crossover, feel free to ask away in the comments section.
A/N 2: I love Harry Potter. I have since the third book first came out when I was in middle school and Scholastic was putting on a booksale. I also love the characters of Glee. I have since the pilot episode first aired. (Notice I said characters, and not the actual show. The show and I have a love/hate relationship that tends to be more hate than love bc even their amazing moments of brillance make me hate the show bc it just gives absolutely no excuse for the crap they put out the other 95% of the time.) I love Brittana. From their background moments in the front half of season 1 to their out and proud relationship they are in now, I'm still having trouble believing they are actually real, that a couple of the same sex that has insane chemistry that I thought should be together are actually together. That like never happens on tv. It is insane.
A/N 3: And finally, I am not British. Obviously. So far, I have been extremely lucky that the characters and people I chose to write about just so happened to be southern like me. I could fully fly my y'all flag without a care, lol. But now, I can't. And I'm not going to sit here and act like I know all the british slang, because I don't. I know a couple words here and there, so I'm not going to try and force it. I will, however, attempt to hide my southern ways when it comes to writing dialect. That's the best I can promise, lol.
As always, I hope y'all enjoy, and no, these characters aren't mine. If they were...well, Glee would have to be moved to Showtime, or a channel of the same liking. And the setting is not mine. If it was, and I had wrote Harry Potter, then Harry so would've ended up with Hermione...just sayin'.
Chapter 1
+++++++++++++
A young pair of dark eyes took in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life going on outside of the black car she was currently seated in back of. A pitch black owl cooed beside her as she absentmindedly stroked its feathers. The noise of the city was always something Santana Lopez had loved. Growing up, when she was taken into the hub of the city on a shopping trip, accompanied by her nanny and her driver--and on the rare special occasion, her mother--she would make a game out of watching all the people around her, creating stories about what their lives were like and why they were in such hurries.
Her mother had never approved of such games, saying that she had no time for stories, but Santana could always count on her nanny and her driver to play along. That is, until her nanny had passed away, not one year prior.
Santana sighed as the car lurched forward once more-the light they had been waiting on finally having turned green-and pressed the button to roll her tinted window back up. There was no time for stories now, not when what was perhaps the biggest day of her life was upon her.
“Are we almost there, Brad?” Santana asked the driver of the car.
The normally somber man offered a hint of the smile that he kept reserved for the youngest member of the Lopez family through the rearview mirror, his black driver’s hat casting a shadow over his bespectacled eyes, “No more than five minutes, Sanny.”
Santana couldn’t help but smile at the use of the nickname that all of the help at the Lopez Manor had adopted for her, but which was never uttered in front of her parents, especially not after her mother had fired her father’s favorite cook for merely addressing her daughter by her first name instead of as Lady Santana Lopez.
“Are you nervous?” Brad asked before honking his horn loudly at a car that had just cut them off.
“What do I have to be nervous about?” Santana countered, coming to the decision that she was never going to get her license if it meant having to deal with all of the crazy people who believed they owned the road. “I am a Lopez. I am going to be placed in the Slytherin House. I am going to get top marks in all of my courses. I am going to make new acquaintances that will help to keep the family name at the top where it has always been. Everything has already been drawn out for me. There is nothing for me to worry about.”
“Well, not that I would know, but it seems like the first day at Hogwarts would make even the most confident witch or wizard nervous,” Brad replied.
It was true, he wouldn’t know. Brad was a squib-a person exhibiting no magical powers who was born into a magical family. Even after finishing at a Muggle university and earning a degree, Brad still chose to be a part of the wizarding world over the Muggle one, despite the fact that squibs are severely looked down upon and nobody would offer him a job. Brad’s older brother, however, had gone to Hogwarts and been close friends with Santana’s dad. So, being in need of a driver, Lord Lopez did his classmate a favor and hired Brad despite his lack of magical abilities. At least, that was the story that Santana had been told, and it was a move by her father that she was extremely grateful for since, besides her nanny, Brad was the only true confidant she had ever had.
“Going to a new place and meeting new people is always nerve-wracking, don’t you think?” Brad continued.
“If you don’t know what to expect, maybe,” Santana allowed with a shrug.
“Can one ever truly know what to expect?”
Santana grinned. These types of verbal debates with Brad were something she had always treasured. They never failed to push her and make her think. “I’ve been drilled countless times on what is expected of me.”
“Ah, what is expected of you,” he nodded. “But what about what is expected of others? And what if what is expected of others goes against what is expected of you?”
“Then I will just have to stand up taller and knock the others’ expectations aside because mine is obviously what is going to come out on top.”
“You have that Lopez drive, I see,” Brad chuckled.
“Well, that would make sense, since I am a Lopez,” Santana replied with a wry smile.
“Touché,” Brad gave a deep laugh as he pulled the car into a parking space. He turned the vehicle off before hurrying out to open Santana’s door for her. “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, holding out his hands to accept the cage containing her owl that she was gathering up.
“No,” Santana replied quickly, earning a curious look from Brad. “No, it’s alright,” she tried again, more composed this time. “He seems a bit…flustered,” she explained as the bird sat on its perch just as calm as ever. “I’ve been explaining to Blaine for weeks all about Hogwarts, and that there was nothing for him to worry about, but you know how birds are…So, I think it’s best that I hang on to him. You know, to make sure he stays calm.”
“Ah…”Brad nodding knowingly. “I think that’s an excellent idea. I will get your bags then.”
“Thank you, Brad,” Santana nodded as she slid out of her seat, clenching the handle to Blaine’s cage tightly in her hand. It was a bit heavy, and she had to lean a little towards one side in order to hold it up, but she wasn’t about to complain after having made such a fuss over carrying it herself. Brad closed the door behind her before making his way over to the boot of the car and pulling out the rest of Santana’s things.
They made their way into King’s Cross Station, and Santana kept her gaze determinedly on what was directly in front of her. Now wasn’t the time to be looking for interesting characters with stories to tell, now was the time for her to focus. She had a job to do. She had a name to uphold.
“After you,” Brad motioned to the brick column before them that had the numbers 9 and 10 situated on either side of it.
Santana took a deep breath before lifting her head and straightening her shoulders.
“You know, they say it’s best to do it at a bit of a run if you’re nervous,” Brad commented. “I mean, for Blaine’s sake of course.”
“I am a Lopez,” Santana replied. “Lopez’s never run to anyone or anything; they always wait on us.”
“You sounded eerily like your mother, just there…”
“Yes, well, my mother is a powerful woman. And so am I,” she added with a nod before strolling through the barrier with confidence. “Come along, Brad,” Santana stated calmly, her face set as her driver walked through the barrier now behind her, his own face back to its normal stoic state.
The station was crowded with children and teenagers itching to get away from their parents, and parents not quite ready to let go, but Santana had no trouble pushing her way through, coldly eyeing anyone who dared to protest. Up ahead, she noticed a set of square shoulders and a patch of thinning blonde hair that she instantly recognized, and she pushed through the crowd with even more vigor.
“Lord and Lady Fabray, how nice it is to see you,” Santana announced her presence, causing the blonde man and his pretty wife to turn in her direction.
“Santana,” Lady Fabray smiled, pulling her into a hug. “How are you dear? Aren’t you just so excited about starting Hogwarts? I know Quinny, here, has been talking about it nonstop for weeks.”
Santana smirked at the young blonde-haired girl standing across from her, knowing full well that if anyone had been talking excitedly about anything, it was Lady Fabray with her uncanny ability to put on a happy face at all times, while Quinn had probably merely nodded politely in response.
“Are your parents here today?” Lady Fabray asked, finally letting Santana out of the hug.
“No ma’am, it is just me today,” she shook her head. She did not acknowledge Brad even though he was standing right beside them, because she knew that to the Fabrays, he was nothing more than furniture. “My father is working, and my mother is…well, she is busy keeping up the manor.”
“And what a busy job that is,” Lady Fabray nodded. “Why, just the other day, I was-“
But whatever she was doing, Santana never got to find out--not that she really cared anyway--because Lord Fabray cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time since Santana’s arrival.
“It is time for the girls to board, Judy,” he noted, checking his pocket watch.
“Oh, yes, yes, of course,” his wife nodded, before pulling her daughter into a quick hug and kissing the top of her head. “Now, you have a good year, sweetheart.”
“Yes, Mummy,” Quinn replied.
“Make us proud,” her father added, before kissing her as well.
“Of course, Daddy,” Quinn smiled, earning a beaming grin in return, the likes of which seemed out of place on the man’s face, at least in Santana’s eyes.
“Have a good year, Santana,” Lord Fabray clapped her on the shoulder.
“Yes, sir,” Santana nodded before turning back to Brad to take her trunk from him. She wanted to say something, but her throat had suddenly decided to close entirely on its own accord as her eyes began to burn. She briefly wondered if she was allergic to the smoke the train next to them was huffing out. But even if she had had the ability to say something, she knew she couldn’t, not in front of the Fabrays who believed that the only time one should address their servants was when giving orders.
Brad nodded, giving a tip of his hat and a discreet wink that was more than enough to satisfy Santana. She smiled back, and stood up even taller as he handed her the trunk. She followed Quinn onto the train and down the corridor until the blonde was able to find an empty compartment that was to her liking. They helped each other lift their trunks up onto the luggage rack above the window, before sitting down with a sigh. Santana had placed Blaine up with her luggage, not wanting Quinn to note her nervous hold of the cage, so now she was left with the question of what to do with her worrying hands.
“So, Quinny, how was your summer vacation?” Santana asked, drawing up her signature smirk. Teasing Quinn about her mother’s doting ways always served as a good distraction.
“It is nice to see you as well, Santana,” Quinn replied, her voice as soft as always.
Santana knew for a fact, though, that the gentleness of her voice was in no way a representation of her personality. The girls had known each other for years-having gone to primary school together, their families becoming fast ‘friends’-and Santana knew that Quinn could be just as icy as she could, even more so at times.
“And if you call me that one more time, I’ll make sure you lose all ability to speak ever again,” Quinn continued, her voice just as pleasant.
Santana laughed, slapping her knee in a manner that she was sure her mother would scoff at. “Oh, Q, how I’ve missed you and your bitchy ways this summer.”
Quinn broke into a small, but genuine smile, which Santana knew was more emotion than the girl had probably shown over the entire break, “And how I’ve missed you and your ability to lose all signs of your proper upbringing as soon as the adults are away.”
Santana grinned. She knew they did not have the most normal of friendships. In fact, outsiders might even view what they had as the opposite of friendship seeing as they were both constantly clamoring for the same spot on top of the social ladder, but Santana knew otherwise. They both had an understanding of what it was like to come from parents of a certain power, and what it was like to be expected to not only fill their parents’ shoes, but exceed them. It was that understanding that made Quinn Fabray the only person Santana had ever truly considered her friend.
“So how was your summer in France?” she asked, not really caring about the answer, but not quite ready to settle into silence for their long journey.
The loud grinding of metal could be heard, and the train gave a slow lurch forward. Quinn quickly stood up, her spine abnormally straight, as she searched the faces outside of the window for her parents. Santana figured she must have found them because the blonde raised her arm, waving her hand politely.
Santana didn’t bother standing up as the train moved past the sea of faces waving goodbye to their children, grandchildren, or siblings. She knew there wouldn’t be anyone there waving for her with Brad having to hurry back to be at her father’s beck and call. As soon as they pulled out of the station, Quinn’s shoulders fell and returned to their normally rounded state as she sat back down.
“Smelly,” she finally replied with a wrinkle of her nose. “How was your summer in Spain?”
“Crowded,” Santana gave a smile. “I swear every time we visit, my father’s family has doubled in size.”
“Nice change from the quiet Lopez manor?”
“Yes,” she replied, before her mind drifted to the many cold baths she had been forced to take due to having to wait until it was her turn. “And at the same time, it made me even happier I am an only child.”
“Lucky,” Quinn frowned, smoothing the fabric of her cotton sundress unnecessarily. “What I wouldn’t give to not have a perfect older sister to live up to.”
“You love your sister,” Santana reminded.
Quinn shrugged, clasping her hands neatly in her lap.
Santana rolled her eyes before stretching out on her seat, lying with her hands resting behind her head. She heard Quinn snort indignantly, and she just smirked in reply, knowing that at least half a dozen remarks having to do with Santana acting classless lay baited on the tip of the other girl’s tongue. She also knew that Quinn was never one to pick a fight without reason, though, so the insults remained unspoken.
Santana closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the late summer sun coming in through their window start to lull her to sleep. Just as her last bit of active consciousness was waning away, the sound of the compartment door opening caused her to jerk awake. A Spanish curse was muttered under her breath as she sat up, rubbing her eyes, to find a tiny girl with blonde hair falling in waves all the way down her torso, walking backwards into the compartment, tugging her trunk with her. Her long socks that rose to above her knees were striped in multiple bright colors while her knit hat that sat precariously atop her head was decorated in rainbow stars.
“Excuse me?” Quinn spoke up softly.
“Oh, do you need to pass?” the intruder turned to her, her voice calmly slow, and her accent strong. “Is it motion sickness? My sister got motion sick one time on a trip to the beach. It took weeks before my mom could get the smell out of her car. The bathroom is that way I think,” she continued, pointing vaguely over her shoulder.
“I don’t need the lavatory,” Quinn shook her head in agitation.
Santana had to suppress a giggle.
“Who said anything about chemistry?” the girl asked in confusion.
“I…huh?” was all Quinn could reply. “What are you talking about?”
Santana started to countdown the seconds in her head until Quinn lost her patience and politely went off on the girl for barging into their compartment without an invitation or even so much as a knock. She watched curiously as the girl proceeded to lift her trunk up and heave it onto the luggage rack without any assistance, despite being smaller than both of the other girls. Santana raised an eyebrow half out of surprise and half out of appreciation. She turned to Quinn to find her staring at the girl with calculating eyes and a growing smirk.
“I’m Brittany,” the whimsical voice next to Santana made her jump. She had neither heard nor felt the intruder sit down next to her which completely unnerved her; at the Lopez manor, the servants always announced their presence when walking into a room, and nobody ever sat beside her without first asking permission. She turned towards the girl to find a pale hand outstretched towards her in greeting, a slightly sun-kissed nose that was dusted in light freckles, and a pair of bright blue eyes sparkling from excitement as they stared back at her.
Santana opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She turned to Quinn in exasperation, as if to ask, who is this girl?, but Quinn’s attention was still focused on the intruder, a now Cheshire-like grin on her face.
“I am Quinn Fabray,” Quinn stretched out her hand in greeting.
Brittany shook it enthusiastically.
“And my friend there who appears to be trying to catch flies in her mouth is Santana Lopez. Forgive her rudeness. Her parents tried their best, but…” Quinn motioned to Santana with an offhanded wave.
A tiny whine and the sound of nails against wood caused Santana’s eyes to turn towards the luggage rack wearily.
“You seem to be an awful long way from home,” Quinn noted. “Are you sure you’re on the right train?”
“Is this not the Hogwarts Express?” Brittany questioned, her voice speeding up ever so slightly in panic. “I told my mom not to go through that barrier because nothing good ever came from walking through walls, but she didn’t listen.”
“No, no, you’re on the right train,” Quinn chuckled. “But what is an American doing going to Hogwarts?”
The scratching grew louder.
“Um…” Santana finally found her voice. “Are you going to get that?”
“Shoot,” Brittany’s eyes widened in remembrance as she swiftly stood up from the seat.
Santana leaned towards Quinn hastily, “What are you up to, Fabray?”
“She could be useful,” Quinn shrugged.
Santana knew better than to argue with her over this because when it came to people and their uses, or rather, using people, nobody was more knowledgeable or more skillful than Quinn Fabray.
“And at the very least, she’s entertaining,” Quinn brought a hand up to cover a giggle.
Santana sat back up and followed her friend’s line of sight over to Brittany who was now pulling herself up and onto the luggage rack in one fluid motion.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Brittany apologized quickly after opening her trunk and scooping something up into her hand. "Hey cool, an owl," she smiled at Blaine as she closed her trunk and re-latched it before using her free arm to swing down from the rack, landing lightly on her feet.
"He's mine," Santana informed, her gaze moving from the midnight feathered bird up near her trunk, down to the girl standing in front of her.
"He's really pretty, although, I don't think I've ever seen an owl with eyebrows before," Brittany noted thoughtfully as she sat back down next to Santana, only this time with a tiny, grey fur ball in her hand.
“What is that?” Santana questioned.
“It’s my cat,” Brittany beamed, pushing him towards Santana’s face to give her a better look.
Santana quickly leaned away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m more of a dog person…”
Brittany’s nose wrinkled in confusion as she curled her feet up underneath her, “You look like more of a human person to me.”
Santana couldn’t help the amused smile she felt tugging at her lips.
“You locked your kitten in your trunk?” Quinn asked incredulously. To say she was a bit of an animal lover would have been a huge understatement.
“I fixed up my sweaters into a nice bed for him so he’d be comfortable,” Brittany pulled the kitten back towards her, kissing the top of its head before hugging it protectively to her chest. “And I put his litter box in there in case he had to go.”
“Why would you put a kitten in your trunk?” Quinn pressed, her eyes still wide with outrage, but her voice softening as she watched the girl coddle the tiny animal.
“It was the only way I could get him to Hogwarts,” Brittany replied, as if that had been obvious.
Quinn waited for her to continue, but seemed to lose her patience, causing her to blurt out an exasperated, “Why?”
“Well, after my other cat, Charity, died, my parents agreed to get me another one, but only if I left it at home with them while I was away at school; they didn’t trust me to take care of him on my own. So, I had to sneak him with me.”
“Why didn’t they trust you?” Quinn asked.
“I’m not sure,” Brittany admitted. “They said I had a bad track record. But when I tried telling them I had never even joined the track team, they wouldn’t listen.”
“Um…Brittany…” Santana began carefully. “How exactly did your other cat pass away?”
Brittany shifted in her seat, her eyes falling to her lap, “I didn’t feed him.”
Quinn whimpered.
“It wasn’t on purpose,” Brittany insisted, looking back and forth between the two other girls desperately. “It’s just that I’d never had a cat before, and the stuff in its litter box looked exactly like the stuff my cousin feeds her parakeet, so I figured, that’s what the cat would eat.”
Quinn shook her head as she muttered under her breath, her face falling into her hands.
“I really thought I was taking good care of him,” Brittany turned to Santana pleadingly.
Santana nodded, patting the girl’s shoulder gently, “We all make mistakes.”
Quinn’s murmurs stopped as she looked up at Santana in shock.
Santana glared back in response, letting her hand drop from Brittany’s shoulder while Brittany was busy nuzzling her nose into the kitten’s fur. So what if she had been uncharacteristically nice when dealing with a girl she didn’t know? She had enough on her mind with her impending arrival and expected take over at a school she had never even stepped foot into, and she would have never been able to settle her thoughts if Brittany had continued to look at her with those sad blue eyes the entire journey. She had done it for selfish reasons, really.
Next Chapter
Pairing: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Rating: PG for the beginning and eventually M
Summary: So, this is my story of what would happen if the Glee characters had been born into the Hogwarts setting. There will be a cameo from a Harry Potter character throughout, whether or not there will be any other HP characters is still tbd.
A/N: This is a Brittana fic. I am trying to keep all of the glee characters in character...besides for the whole magic thing, lol. There will be Unholy Trinity friendship. There will be quidditch in the place of football and cheerios. And there will eventually be a glee club. If you have read any of my other fics, then you know that I love me some character development, so I will be starting this fic in Year 1, and taking it all the way through Year 7. If you have any questions about how I plan on doing this crossover, feel free to ask away in the comments section.
A/N 2: I love Harry Potter. I have since the third book first came out when I was in middle school and Scholastic was putting on a booksale. I also love the characters of Glee. I have since the pilot episode first aired. (Notice I said characters, and not the actual show. The show and I have a love/hate relationship that tends to be more hate than love bc even their amazing moments of brillance make me hate the show bc it just gives absolutely no excuse for the crap they put out the other 95% of the time.) I love Brittana. From their background moments in the front half of season 1 to their out and proud relationship they are in now, I'm still having trouble believing they are actually real, that a couple of the same sex that has insane chemistry that I thought should be together are actually together. That like never happens on tv. It is insane.
A/N 3: And finally, I am not British. Obviously. So far, I have been extremely lucky that the characters and people I chose to write about just so happened to be southern like me. I could fully fly my y'all flag without a care, lol. But now, I can't. And I'm not going to sit here and act like I know all the british slang, because I don't. I know a couple words here and there, so I'm not going to try and force it. I will, however, attempt to hide my southern ways when it comes to writing dialect. That's the best I can promise, lol.
As always, I hope y'all enjoy, and no, these characters aren't mine. If they were...well, Glee would have to be moved to Showtime, or a channel of the same liking. And the setting is not mine. If it was, and I had wrote Harry Potter, then Harry so would've ended up with Hermione...just sayin'.
Chapter 1
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A young pair of dark eyes took in the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life going on outside of the black car she was currently seated in back of. A pitch black owl cooed beside her as she absentmindedly stroked its feathers. The noise of the city was always something Santana Lopez had loved. Growing up, when she was taken into the hub of the city on a shopping trip, accompanied by her nanny and her driver--and on the rare special occasion, her mother--she would make a game out of watching all the people around her, creating stories about what their lives were like and why they were in such hurries.
Her mother had never approved of such games, saying that she had no time for stories, but Santana could always count on her nanny and her driver to play along. That is, until her nanny had passed away, not one year prior.
Santana sighed as the car lurched forward once more-the light they had been waiting on finally having turned green-and pressed the button to roll her tinted window back up. There was no time for stories now, not when what was perhaps the biggest day of her life was upon her.
“Are we almost there, Brad?” Santana asked the driver of the car.
The normally somber man offered a hint of the smile that he kept reserved for the youngest member of the Lopez family through the rearview mirror, his black driver’s hat casting a shadow over his bespectacled eyes, “No more than five minutes, Sanny.”
Santana couldn’t help but smile at the use of the nickname that all of the help at the Lopez Manor had adopted for her, but which was never uttered in front of her parents, especially not after her mother had fired her father’s favorite cook for merely addressing her daughter by her first name instead of as Lady Santana Lopez.
“Are you nervous?” Brad asked before honking his horn loudly at a car that had just cut them off.
“What do I have to be nervous about?” Santana countered, coming to the decision that she was never going to get her license if it meant having to deal with all of the crazy people who believed they owned the road. “I am a Lopez. I am going to be placed in the Slytherin House. I am going to get top marks in all of my courses. I am going to make new acquaintances that will help to keep the family name at the top where it has always been. Everything has already been drawn out for me. There is nothing for me to worry about.”
“Well, not that I would know, but it seems like the first day at Hogwarts would make even the most confident witch or wizard nervous,” Brad replied.
It was true, he wouldn’t know. Brad was a squib-a person exhibiting no magical powers who was born into a magical family. Even after finishing at a Muggle university and earning a degree, Brad still chose to be a part of the wizarding world over the Muggle one, despite the fact that squibs are severely looked down upon and nobody would offer him a job. Brad’s older brother, however, had gone to Hogwarts and been close friends with Santana’s dad. So, being in need of a driver, Lord Lopez did his classmate a favor and hired Brad despite his lack of magical abilities. At least, that was the story that Santana had been told, and it was a move by her father that she was extremely grateful for since, besides her nanny, Brad was the only true confidant she had ever had.
“Going to a new place and meeting new people is always nerve-wracking, don’t you think?” Brad continued.
“If you don’t know what to expect, maybe,” Santana allowed with a shrug.
“Can one ever truly know what to expect?”
Santana grinned. These types of verbal debates with Brad were something she had always treasured. They never failed to push her and make her think. “I’ve been drilled countless times on what is expected of me.”
“Ah, what is expected of you,” he nodded. “But what about what is expected of others? And what if what is expected of others goes against what is expected of you?”
“Then I will just have to stand up taller and knock the others’ expectations aside because mine is obviously what is going to come out on top.”
“You have that Lopez drive, I see,” Brad chuckled.
“Well, that would make sense, since I am a Lopez,” Santana replied with a wry smile.
“Touché,” Brad gave a deep laugh as he pulled the car into a parking space. He turned the vehicle off before hurrying out to open Santana’s door for her. “Here, let me help you with that,” he offered, holding out his hands to accept the cage containing her owl that she was gathering up.
“No,” Santana replied quickly, earning a curious look from Brad. “No, it’s alright,” she tried again, more composed this time. “He seems a bit…flustered,” she explained as the bird sat on its perch just as calm as ever. “I’ve been explaining to Blaine for weeks all about Hogwarts, and that there was nothing for him to worry about, but you know how birds are…So, I think it’s best that I hang on to him. You know, to make sure he stays calm.”
“Ah…”Brad nodding knowingly. “I think that’s an excellent idea. I will get your bags then.”
“Thank you, Brad,” Santana nodded as she slid out of her seat, clenching the handle to Blaine’s cage tightly in her hand. It was a bit heavy, and she had to lean a little towards one side in order to hold it up, but she wasn’t about to complain after having made such a fuss over carrying it herself. Brad closed the door behind her before making his way over to the boot of the car and pulling out the rest of Santana’s things.
They made their way into King’s Cross Station, and Santana kept her gaze determinedly on what was directly in front of her. Now wasn’t the time to be looking for interesting characters with stories to tell, now was the time for her to focus. She had a job to do. She had a name to uphold.
“After you,” Brad motioned to the brick column before them that had the numbers 9 and 10 situated on either side of it.
Santana took a deep breath before lifting her head and straightening her shoulders.
“You know, they say it’s best to do it at a bit of a run if you’re nervous,” Brad commented. “I mean, for Blaine’s sake of course.”
“I am a Lopez,” Santana replied. “Lopez’s never run to anyone or anything; they always wait on us.”
“You sounded eerily like your mother, just there…”
“Yes, well, my mother is a powerful woman. And so am I,” she added with a nod before strolling through the barrier with confidence. “Come along, Brad,” Santana stated calmly, her face set as her driver walked through the barrier now behind her, his own face back to its normal stoic state.
The station was crowded with children and teenagers itching to get away from their parents, and parents not quite ready to let go, but Santana had no trouble pushing her way through, coldly eyeing anyone who dared to protest. Up ahead, she noticed a set of square shoulders and a patch of thinning blonde hair that she instantly recognized, and she pushed through the crowd with even more vigor.
“Lord and Lady Fabray, how nice it is to see you,” Santana announced her presence, causing the blonde man and his pretty wife to turn in her direction.
“Santana,” Lady Fabray smiled, pulling her into a hug. “How are you dear? Aren’t you just so excited about starting Hogwarts? I know Quinny, here, has been talking about it nonstop for weeks.”
Santana smirked at the young blonde-haired girl standing across from her, knowing full well that if anyone had been talking excitedly about anything, it was Lady Fabray with her uncanny ability to put on a happy face at all times, while Quinn had probably merely nodded politely in response.
“Are your parents here today?” Lady Fabray asked, finally letting Santana out of the hug.
“No ma’am, it is just me today,” she shook her head. She did not acknowledge Brad even though he was standing right beside them, because she knew that to the Fabrays, he was nothing more than furniture. “My father is working, and my mother is…well, she is busy keeping up the manor.”
“And what a busy job that is,” Lady Fabray nodded. “Why, just the other day, I was-“
But whatever she was doing, Santana never got to find out--not that she really cared anyway--because Lord Fabray cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time since Santana’s arrival.
“It is time for the girls to board, Judy,” he noted, checking his pocket watch.
“Oh, yes, yes, of course,” his wife nodded, before pulling her daughter into a quick hug and kissing the top of her head. “Now, you have a good year, sweetheart.”
“Yes, Mummy,” Quinn replied.
“Make us proud,” her father added, before kissing her as well.
“Of course, Daddy,” Quinn smiled, earning a beaming grin in return, the likes of which seemed out of place on the man’s face, at least in Santana’s eyes.
“Have a good year, Santana,” Lord Fabray clapped her on the shoulder.
“Yes, sir,” Santana nodded before turning back to Brad to take her trunk from him. She wanted to say something, but her throat had suddenly decided to close entirely on its own accord as her eyes began to burn. She briefly wondered if she was allergic to the smoke the train next to them was huffing out. But even if she had had the ability to say something, she knew she couldn’t, not in front of the Fabrays who believed that the only time one should address their servants was when giving orders.
Brad nodded, giving a tip of his hat and a discreet wink that was more than enough to satisfy Santana. She smiled back, and stood up even taller as he handed her the trunk. She followed Quinn onto the train and down the corridor until the blonde was able to find an empty compartment that was to her liking. They helped each other lift their trunks up onto the luggage rack above the window, before sitting down with a sigh. Santana had placed Blaine up with her luggage, not wanting Quinn to note her nervous hold of the cage, so now she was left with the question of what to do with her worrying hands.
“So, Quinny, how was your summer vacation?” Santana asked, drawing up her signature smirk. Teasing Quinn about her mother’s doting ways always served as a good distraction.
“It is nice to see you as well, Santana,” Quinn replied, her voice as soft as always.
Santana knew for a fact, though, that the gentleness of her voice was in no way a representation of her personality. The girls had known each other for years-having gone to primary school together, their families becoming fast ‘friends’-and Santana knew that Quinn could be just as icy as she could, even more so at times.
“And if you call me that one more time, I’ll make sure you lose all ability to speak ever again,” Quinn continued, her voice just as pleasant.
Santana laughed, slapping her knee in a manner that she was sure her mother would scoff at. “Oh, Q, how I’ve missed you and your bitchy ways this summer.”
Quinn broke into a small, but genuine smile, which Santana knew was more emotion than the girl had probably shown over the entire break, “And how I’ve missed you and your ability to lose all signs of your proper upbringing as soon as the adults are away.”
Santana grinned. She knew they did not have the most normal of friendships. In fact, outsiders might even view what they had as the opposite of friendship seeing as they were both constantly clamoring for the same spot on top of the social ladder, but Santana knew otherwise. They both had an understanding of what it was like to come from parents of a certain power, and what it was like to be expected to not only fill their parents’ shoes, but exceed them. It was that understanding that made Quinn Fabray the only person Santana had ever truly considered her friend.
“So how was your summer in France?” she asked, not really caring about the answer, but not quite ready to settle into silence for their long journey.
The loud grinding of metal could be heard, and the train gave a slow lurch forward. Quinn quickly stood up, her spine abnormally straight, as she searched the faces outside of the window for her parents. Santana figured she must have found them because the blonde raised her arm, waving her hand politely.
Santana didn’t bother standing up as the train moved past the sea of faces waving goodbye to their children, grandchildren, or siblings. She knew there wouldn’t be anyone there waving for her with Brad having to hurry back to be at her father’s beck and call. As soon as they pulled out of the station, Quinn’s shoulders fell and returned to their normally rounded state as she sat back down.
“Smelly,” she finally replied with a wrinkle of her nose. “How was your summer in Spain?”
“Crowded,” Santana gave a smile. “I swear every time we visit, my father’s family has doubled in size.”
“Nice change from the quiet Lopez manor?”
“Yes,” she replied, before her mind drifted to the many cold baths she had been forced to take due to having to wait until it was her turn. “And at the same time, it made me even happier I am an only child.”
“Lucky,” Quinn frowned, smoothing the fabric of her cotton sundress unnecessarily. “What I wouldn’t give to not have a perfect older sister to live up to.”
“You love your sister,” Santana reminded.
Quinn shrugged, clasping her hands neatly in her lap.
Santana rolled her eyes before stretching out on her seat, lying with her hands resting behind her head. She heard Quinn snort indignantly, and she just smirked in reply, knowing that at least half a dozen remarks having to do with Santana acting classless lay baited on the tip of the other girl’s tongue. She also knew that Quinn was never one to pick a fight without reason, though, so the insults remained unspoken.
Santana closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the late summer sun coming in through their window start to lull her to sleep. Just as her last bit of active consciousness was waning away, the sound of the compartment door opening caused her to jerk awake. A Spanish curse was muttered under her breath as she sat up, rubbing her eyes, to find a tiny girl with blonde hair falling in waves all the way down her torso, walking backwards into the compartment, tugging her trunk with her. Her long socks that rose to above her knees were striped in multiple bright colors while her knit hat that sat precariously atop her head was decorated in rainbow stars.
“Excuse me?” Quinn spoke up softly.
“Oh, do you need to pass?” the intruder turned to her, her voice calmly slow, and her accent strong. “Is it motion sickness? My sister got motion sick one time on a trip to the beach. It took weeks before my mom could get the smell out of her car. The bathroom is that way I think,” she continued, pointing vaguely over her shoulder.
“I don’t need the lavatory,” Quinn shook her head in agitation.
Santana had to suppress a giggle.
“Who said anything about chemistry?” the girl asked in confusion.
“I…huh?” was all Quinn could reply. “What are you talking about?”
Santana started to countdown the seconds in her head until Quinn lost her patience and politely went off on the girl for barging into their compartment without an invitation or even so much as a knock. She watched curiously as the girl proceeded to lift her trunk up and heave it onto the luggage rack without any assistance, despite being smaller than both of the other girls. Santana raised an eyebrow half out of surprise and half out of appreciation. She turned to Quinn to find her staring at the girl with calculating eyes and a growing smirk.
“I’m Brittany,” the whimsical voice next to Santana made her jump. She had neither heard nor felt the intruder sit down next to her which completely unnerved her; at the Lopez manor, the servants always announced their presence when walking into a room, and nobody ever sat beside her without first asking permission. She turned towards the girl to find a pale hand outstretched towards her in greeting, a slightly sun-kissed nose that was dusted in light freckles, and a pair of bright blue eyes sparkling from excitement as they stared back at her.
Santana opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. She turned to Quinn in exasperation, as if to ask, who is this girl?, but Quinn’s attention was still focused on the intruder, a now Cheshire-like grin on her face.
“I am Quinn Fabray,” Quinn stretched out her hand in greeting.
Brittany shook it enthusiastically.
“And my friend there who appears to be trying to catch flies in her mouth is Santana Lopez. Forgive her rudeness. Her parents tried their best, but…” Quinn motioned to Santana with an offhanded wave.
A tiny whine and the sound of nails against wood caused Santana’s eyes to turn towards the luggage rack wearily.
“You seem to be an awful long way from home,” Quinn noted. “Are you sure you’re on the right train?”
“Is this not the Hogwarts Express?” Brittany questioned, her voice speeding up ever so slightly in panic. “I told my mom not to go through that barrier because nothing good ever came from walking through walls, but she didn’t listen.”
“No, no, you’re on the right train,” Quinn chuckled. “But what is an American doing going to Hogwarts?”
The scratching grew louder.
“Um…” Santana finally found her voice. “Are you going to get that?”
“Shoot,” Brittany’s eyes widened in remembrance as she swiftly stood up from the seat.
Santana leaned towards Quinn hastily, “What are you up to, Fabray?”
“She could be useful,” Quinn shrugged.
Santana knew better than to argue with her over this because when it came to people and their uses, or rather, using people, nobody was more knowledgeable or more skillful than Quinn Fabray.
“And at the very least, she’s entertaining,” Quinn brought a hand up to cover a giggle.
Santana sat back up and followed her friend’s line of sight over to Brittany who was now pulling herself up and onto the luggage rack in one fluid motion.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Brittany apologized quickly after opening her trunk and scooping something up into her hand. "Hey cool, an owl," she smiled at Blaine as she closed her trunk and re-latched it before using her free arm to swing down from the rack, landing lightly on her feet.
"He's mine," Santana informed, her gaze moving from the midnight feathered bird up near her trunk, down to the girl standing in front of her.
"He's really pretty, although, I don't think I've ever seen an owl with eyebrows before," Brittany noted thoughtfully as she sat back down next to Santana, only this time with a tiny, grey fur ball in her hand.
“What is that?” Santana questioned.
“It’s my cat,” Brittany beamed, pushing him towards Santana’s face to give her a better look.
Santana quickly leaned away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m more of a dog person…”
Brittany’s nose wrinkled in confusion as she curled her feet up underneath her, “You look like more of a human person to me.”
Santana couldn’t help the amused smile she felt tugging at her lips.
“You locked your kitten in your trunk?” Quinn asked incredulously. To say she was a bit of an animal lover would have been a huge understatement.
“I fixed up my sweaters into a nice bed for him so he’d be comfortable,” Brittany pulled the kitten back towards her, kissing the top of its head before hugging it protectively to her chest. “And I put his litter box in there in case he had to go.”
“Why would you put a kitten in your trunk?” Quinn pressed, her eyes still wide with outrage, but her voice softening as she watched the girl coddle the tiny animal.
“It was the only way I could get him to Hogwarts,” Brittany replied, as if that had been obvious.
Quinn waited for her to continue, but seemed to lose her patience, causing her to blurt out an exasperated, “Why?”
“Well, after my other cat, Charity, died, my parents agreed to get me another one, but only if I left it at home with them while I was away at school; they didn’t trust me to take care of him on my own. So, I had to sneak him with me.”
“Why didn’t they trust you?” Quinn asked.
“I’m not sure,” Brittany admitted. “They said I had a bad track record. But when I tried telling them I had never even joined the track team, they wouldn’t listen.”
“Um…Brittany…” Santana began carefully. “How exactly did your other cat pass away?”
Brittany shifted in her seat, her eyes falling to her lap, “I didn’t feed him.”
Quinn whimpered.
“It wasn’t on purpose,” Brittany insisted, looking back and forth between the two other girls desperately. “It’s just that I’d never had a cat before, and the stuff in its litter box looked exactly like the stuff my cousin feeds her parakeet, so I figured, that’s what the cat would eat.”
Quinn shook her head as she muttered under her breath, her face falling into her hands.
“I really thought I was taking good care of him,” Brittany turned to Santana pleadingly.
Santana nodded, patting the girl’s shoulder gently, “We all make mistakes.”
Quinn’s murmurs stopped as she looked up at Santana in shock.
Santana glared back in response, letting her hand drop from Brittany’s shoulder while Brittany was busy nuzzling her nose into the kitten’s fur. So what if she had been uncharacteristically nice when dealing with a girl she didn’t know? She had enough on her mind with her impending arrival and expected take over at a school she had never even stepped foot into, and she would have never been able to settle her thoughts if Brittany had continued to look at her with those sad blue eyes the entire journey. She had done it for selfish reasons, really.
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