BEFORE THE SUMMER
"Sit," Don pointed to the seat, they were once again in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Ron sat, waiting quietly for whatever it was that Don wanted to say. "I've concluded something," he said.
"What kind of conclusion?" Ron asked, hoping it wasn't a bad one like deciding he should stay at Nacht Castle after all or something.
"I've been training you and it's gone very well, you are learning. Your naturally athletic and you've made leaps and bounds since we began. But I realized very quickly that your training is effective for close combat. You have to be close to your opponent," Don explained.
"Right," he said.
"But wizards don't fight like that, they settle in the long-range. A wand aimed right would kill very easily," Don explained.
"But I'm a wizard too, I have a wand too," Ron said, he wish he were better at defensive spells but regardless, he could do a few.
"I'm aware but I think you should have every advantage available to you. I thought for a long time what would be useful against wizards. There's quite a few that I think could be useful with enough training."
Just what he didn't want, more training again, pretty soon Ron wasn't going to have any time to himself. "A few what?" Ron asked.
Don pulled a bag onto the table he'd brought in, he dug through it and began to set objects on the table. "I thought about a gun, but bullets can only be used once so it may be a waste. I picked out four weapons that I want to train you in."
Ron eyed them all, he could recognize a whip when he saw one but the rest were all foreign to him. He picked up the small silver disc about the diameter of his headfirst and was startled when he cut himself on the sharp edge of it. He licked his finger to heal it.
"What you are holding right now is a Chaka or chakram, they originate from India. They are throwing and are sharp enough to cut through bones. I've been in contact with a talented wizard in India who will be able to create some that can shrink and enlarge."
"So I could carry them around?"
"I imagine in India, you could wear them as a necklace with how thin they are. But I think if they are like rings, you could keep them in a pouch at your belt," Don explained.
"But I can only throw them once," Ron suggested.
"They could be charmed to multiply and disappear after a certain period," Don said.
"Oh, and this?" Ron picked up a thin wire attached to a metal thing then a stylized arrow with the point on all ends like a hook.
"That is a garotte, it's meant to choke someone but with enough force, you can cut someone's head off or any other body part," Don explained. Ron swallowed then set it down "the training with that will be similar to the training with the whip, normally garottes are not so long but if we want it to be effective it's best if it is."
"So these will fix that long-range problem then? What about my wand though?" Ron asked.
"What does a wizard do when they are disarmed?" Don asked.
"It's a defeat, they can't do anything," Ron said.
"Wrong, they won't do anything because they think the wand is the greatest weapon if it's held against them," Don said. "Now you should be thinking, what do you do if your wand is knocked from your hands?"
Ron sat back "wizards think that hand to hand fighting is barbaric, it's a taboo especially for purebloods," he said.
"Exactly," Don grinned sharply resembling Sol "if monsters are what they prefer to think of us as we'll just have to prove that they don't want us as enemies."
Xxx
Four months later
"HWACK! HWACK! HWACK!" Ron's whole body burned, his forearms nearly trembling from the long excursion of cracking the whip a hundred times. His life at the Burrow had begun the summer of numbers.
A hundred cracks of a whip, fifty laps around the property, forty throws of the Chaka rings, thirty push-ups… and the list goes on and on. Enhanced strength meant he had to work even harder to make it work out. The first week, he collapsed onto the floor and no one could get him to move.
Don would meet once a week to check his progress and give him other homework with language, etiquette, and then spar with him. He also would come to deliver a shipment of blood to get him through the week.
By now the amount of blood he was consuming was probably twice the usual. Especially after the hellish workout and as much he hated it, he'd noticed the difference. He didn't need to flex to see the muscle definition.
"You sit straighter," Ginny said one day while they ate breakfast.
"What?" Ron asked, mid-sip of his metal bottle that his mother now used to store his evening meal of blood. He realized that he didn't slouch anymore, the muscles he'd been building in his back, abdominals, and shoulders ensured that.
He was almost afraid of getting a build that was too big but a talk with Don, or more like Don laughing at him, ensured him he wouldn't grow muscle horizontally unless he intended to. "You've got a build for speed and we're keeping it," Don promised.
And by keeping it, he meant that Ron was put through hell. He should consider himself lucky that he didn't have to worry about a diet with being a vampire, blood was a perfect balance as Don always told him.
He didn't usually stand in the mirror too long lest he finds just one more thing to pick at himself for. His overly prominent nose, his too-big hands, his dainty wrists, and lanky figure. He had stared at himself trying to find something he recognized, lately, it was harder.
His too thin frame was filling out with muscle and even his wrists seemed bigger in comparison. His always ears now pointed were pierced. His teeth were starkly white and his canines sharp. His cheeks had lost some baby fat, just a bit so that he looked older.
"Ron! Are you done in there?" Ginny banged on the door and he turned away from the mirror.
"Just a minute," Ron slipped on his shirt over his head and stuck his arms through. It stretched a bit uncomfortably over his arms. He'd have to get bigger size before they went back to Hogwarts. He put on his wrist cuffs and amulet and opened the door.
"Finally, I need to brush my teeth," Ginny said.
"Should have done before I got back then," Ron said moving past her to get a larger shirt that didn't make him want to rip it in half.
XXX
"Oh look who's showing off," George said. The twins always did find reasons to tease him but more so when he got results of training.
"You know the thicker he gets, the less he'll use his brain. Then we'll get him" Fred said.
Ron didn't even have to look at George to shove him off his chair and take a seat in his place. George squawked in protest and Ginny laughed. "Sorry, I didn't see you there on account of how thick my brain is," Ron said giving Fred a shove with his foot which had enough force so that both twins were on the floor.
Ron propped his feet on the empty chair "oi!" Fred said. Mum put a glass of his blood in front of him, "mum, did you see what he did?"
Ron cocked his ear as he heard a small puff and feet hit the stone fireplace. It was the sound of the floo network. "Mum, someone's here," Ron said and stood to walk into the sitting room.
He smiled when he caught sight of bushy hair and chocolate eyes. She looked pretty in tan pleated skirt and sleeveless blouse. "Hermione," he said.
"Hi Ron, did you have a good... summer?" Hermione asked setting down her trunk. Her eyes had grown impossibly larger.
"Hermione, lovely to see you dear" Mum came in next bringing her into a hug.
"You too, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.
"You want some breakfast, dear?" Mum asked.
"My parents and I went out for breakfast but I'd take some tea," Hermione said, Mum stepped away and headed into the kitchen.
"Of course, Ron will take your trunk upstairs," Mum said.
"Hm? Oh, sure" Ron said, "hang on, though, where's my hug?" Ron asked.
Hermione smiled and hugged him, she was so tiny he picked up without any trouble and spun her a bit. Hermione laughed and smacked his arm "put me down, Ron!" he set her down.
"Alright Ron, go put Hermione's trunk upstairs okay?' Mum said.
Ron sighed then picked up Hermione's trunk with so little effort he wondered if it was Hermione's considering how many books she carried. "I'll see you in a bit," he said to her.
"Alright," Hermione said and he walked up the stairs.
Hermione was seated next to Ginny at the table, Ron snuck up on her and tugged lightly on a lock of hair. Hermione jumped a bit and whirled to look at him. "Hello, no time for one of your best mates. I see how it is" Ron said.
"Ron," Hermione said in a half-hearted scolding tone.
Ron smiled "you know I think you've shrunk" he commented.
"You're just taller," Hermione said then stepped away and kept her hands on his shoulders "and bigger, just what have you been doing this summer?" Hermione had been on vacation with her parents in Australia for most of the summer.
"Oh, same old stuff with Don training me in weapon stuff. Just kicked it up a notch with how much free time I have now," Ron explained.
"I see, well are you excited for the World Cup?" Hermione asked.
"Are you kidding, it's gonna amazing and I've got my money on-" he paused at the sound of floo again. "That's got to be Harry," he stood up to go to the fireplace to see Harry stepped out of the fireplace.
Harry looked great, amazing actually since he hadn't had to stay at the Dursley's all summer as he would normally. Dressed in a tracksuit that fit him, Harry had filled out a bit rather gotten rail thin. "Look at you," he said.
"Me? Well, I had to make sure Sirius ate so we both sort of benefitted but you," Harry gestured at Ron. "You're so strong,"
"I should be with the hell I was put through," Ron said, "So tell me about summer," Ron said. Harry agreed to explain what Sirius and he had been doing while touring around Spain, Italy, and France.
And then they got to talking about the World Cup, it was the one thing that never changed between them. Harry and Ron talking about Quidditch and Hermione's exasperation.
All three of them went upstairs to talk in Ron's room "what happened?" Hermione asked staring at his bed, the post had a fair bit of scratches.
"Had a few bad dreams and I've gripped the posts with my nails a few times," he replied, he didn't mention he'd scratched himself too but Harry's look told him he suspected that.
"Your having nightmares?" Hermione asked.
"Your not?" Ron asked, he knew Harry did have nightmares especially their second year. It was havoc on Harry's mood.
"No," Hermione said "it's hard to get to sleep sometimes but it doesn't mean I don't get scared thinking about that night. What could have happened." He knew that not everyone would lose sleep over what happened. But his nightmares were different, they weren't like the giant shadowy spiders he dreamed about as a child.
They were random that didn't make sense, Harry running after a cackling witch among black tiles walls, Hermione's screams while he slammed his fists against a set of iron bars, and the scenes went on.
He'd exchanged letters with Raya about his dreams often and she had said they were more than nightmares and heed their warnings. But what warnings? How was he supposed to understand without all the pieces?
"Well, I've been having dreams too…" Harry admitted then explained that lately, his scar had been hurting worse and more often. Hermione was quick to jump on him to tell Dumbledore.
"I told Sirius and I didn't tell him it was a secret or anything. So, I'm sure Dumbledore already knows," Harry said.
"Well, maybe you ask Sirius or talk to Dumbledore next time you see him. It could be important," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I guess," Harry sounded tired so Ron changed the subject to Quidditch again.
Xxx
The next morning, Ron woke early as he had done every day since the first of summer break. He quietly changed into some shorts, a t-shirt, and his trainers then slipped out the bedroom door.
His training began very early at six am where he'd drink about half a pint of blood then start on his running laps then exercises. Those being the quietest thing he could do so early, it was best to save his whip training for last.
"Morning dear," Mum greeted him in the kitchen in her nighty, robe, and slippers.
"-Lo mum," he yawned and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He drank his blood quickly without any preamble then grabbed his exercise mat and walked outside. It was dark still but the sun was just starting to brighten things up.
He stretched for fifteen minutes as Don told him, he'd been slowly increasing his flexibility that way. Then he left the mat to do his laps. The first ten were easy going but the longer he did them, the more exhausted he got. Even after a whole summer of running like this every day didn't stop the ache.
But by now, he learned to like the burn. After his run, it was sit-ups, push-ups, squats, and other exercises. Then he threw Chaka, the small sharp rings that Don's contact had charmed to enlarge in his hands. He threw them onto a wooden board they set up with red targets.
Ron breathed deeply as he twirled one of his chakrams around his pointer finger. He snapped his wrist hard and it hit with a sharp "thunk" as it embedded itself into the wooden board.
He sighed, it hadn't hit the target so he took another. After a few months, he was only about seventy percent accuracy. It wouldn't always hit the target but at least he never missed the wooden board.
Once his fingers were sore and he'd done the defined number set for today, he plucked all of the chakras out of the board and placed them on a ring holder. He thought back to Akal who came with Don to teach him how to use the chakra
"Akal, this is my protege Ron Weasley Grey," Don introduced and Ron nodded at the tall man. He was muscular with hawks like pale blue eyes and milky brown skin. Around his head was a black and blue turban.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness," Akal said in a low deep voice that very pleasant to him with a slight accent. Something about him was calm and fierce, he felt dependable.
"Let the pleasure be mine," Ron said, he bowed at 30 degrees. "I've heard you are here to teach me so you can just call me Ron."
Akal chuckled "mm, yes I've come to like that casual attitude from the Greys, even the chosen ones."
Akal had pulled out a carved black box with the chakram he'd forged out steel, they were mostly plain steel except for carved insignia of the Grey wolf. "Isn't that a little obvious?" Ron asked.
"Maybe but it will soon very obvious anyway when they learn that the Prince of the Vampires and Harry Potter's right-hand use these very unusual weapons this side of the world," Akal replied.
"Oh, right, that's true," Ron said.
Akal instructed him for a week on how to throw them, store them, and sharpen them. "That whip of yours is a weapon with versatility but even it has distance limit. The whip gives you the option to injure or disarm with it, with the chakram, use only if you can afford to kill your opponent," he told him seriously.
Ron took out his last chakra from the board and placed them back on a ring made for storing them when they shrunk to about an inch in diameter. He took out his whip and swung it "HWACK!"
Xxx
Hermione work to the sounds of "HWACK!" She sat up groggily and after a moment decided to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt to discover the location of the sound. She found Mrs. Weasley bustling around the kitchen ignoring the sound.
"Good morning Hermione, breakfast will be ready in a little bit," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Oh, thank you," she said then looked outside.
"That's just Ron practicing, Harry's out there watching on the bench if you'd like to go," she mentioned and Hermione nodded stepping outside the door to spot Ron first then Harry watching at a distance.
She walked closer and sat next to Harry who glanced at her "I've been watching what he's been doing for a while, he didn't notice me for a while and when he did he only nodded. His focus is a little scary.
She swallowed and looked back to Ron who's eyes were slits and he didn't lose focus. "He's become the brawn huh?" Hermione mentioned.
"He thinks he needs to protect us," Harry said, "you think you need to protect me too,"
"How can we not want to protect each other? Harry, we've gotten in trouble since we were 11 and every year it gets worse and I think someday one of us could not walk away," Hermione said.
"Never, we'll never let that happen," Harry said. "HWACK!" Ron's whip seemed to sound off as if in agreement. "Do you feel like something will happen soon?"
Hermione had felt that as much as she put it out of her mind "lots of things will happen soon. Ron hasn't made any announcement about being a Prince but he'll have to. And- well, I don't what else."
"Hermione?" Ron's voice made her turn, he looked surprised to see her "since when have you been here watching?" he asked.
"Oh uh, not long," Hermione said "you done then?" she asked.
"Er yeah, sort of. I need to stretch," he said.
"Breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley called out.
"You better go eat, I'll be inside in a bit," Ron said wrapping his whip up, it was an interesting thing too. A dark red leather that faded into a black at the fluffy bit at the end of it. She wondered how exactly a whip might be useful to Ron. It was big so how would Ron have it when the time came to even use it?
Things she'd have to ask Ron about later "come on," Harry said and she went inside, glancing at Ron once to see him stretching, his back being exposed a little as he touched his toes. She flushed at the sight, he had gotten muscular.
The rest of the Weasley's including Mr. Weasley was sat at the table now. It was quiet, so very quiet and Mrs. Weasley went to Harry. "What is it?" Harry asked.
"Some news that's a bit troubling," she sighed and handed him an article and Hermione gasped at the front page. "Peter Pettigrew, the real murderer and traitor of the Potter's, escaped!"
Harry's face turned sour, Hermione stepped forward to take the article and pour over it "This is garbage, the article is acting like Pettigrew is some mastermind with how he escaped-"
"No offense but I don't care, Hermione, I guess it doesn't matter so long as Sirius is still free," Harry said and she stopped losing her traction. She decided that Harry likely wasn't in the mood and if Harry didn't want to talk about it or emote than she'd leave him be.
"I- ok," she agreed then the door opened and Ron stepped inside.
"Pettigrew escaped?" Ron stepped into the doorway.
"You heard that?" Harry asked.
"I hear everything," Ron dismissed "how, what happened?" Harry shook his head.
"I'm just gonna go-" Harry was surely going to escape into the privacy of Ron's room but-
"Sit down and eat breakfast," Mrs. Weasley told him firmly and Harry sat down "we can talk about this later, for now, Ron you need to shower then come down for a meal. You have a fun exciting day tomorrow at the Quidditch cup so let's not let things like this spoil everything hm?"
Ron nodded "alright mum," he said then walked upstairs.
Hermione ate breakfast with several thoughts in her mind, a discussion about Ron's weapons training, when Ron would have to go public with his title, Pettigrew's escape, and Harry's nightmares.
She sighed as she was unsure which to talk about first, Ron's life was quickly becoming more complicated beyond what she and Harry dealt with daily. It was getting harder to know what Ron was thinking and how he was thinking about it. He was getting smarter and stronger every day.
She was struggling with how to keep up with Ron but Harry was different too. She read his letters about how Sirius was teaching him some defensive and offense spells with permission from Dumbledore. Once she got back to Hogwarts, she'd have to kick it up a notch or two.
But what could she do? Her strengths were in research and finding spells, she wasn't amazing under pressure but maybe that was it. She had to be better under pressure. Ron hit hardest with something breathing down his neck.
Well, maybe she should ask Don for a favor. If Ron's training was pulling him away from them, she and Harry would just have to meet him there. She knew hand to hand was what Ron was doing when he trained even before weapons.
Maybe if she learned it too then it would be useful, after all, Ron couldn't be everywhere at once. She'd been protected by Sol that day and then by one of the twin vampire girls.
She could learn to protect herself even without her wand, that's what she'd need to do.