Taming The Beast

Chapter 13

Hogsmead On Friday

(A/N - I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I DO however own stock in the Coca-Cola Company...and It wouldn't surprise me if Joannie does too. This update shall be short and sweet)

Voldemort

Hermione was deep in thought. It was Wednesday and she had been unable to concentrate on school activites. Why hadn't there been any activity for the Riddle Gang over the past...well, really...nothing at all since she'd been hit by Dolohov down in London? "He's planning something," she told herself. "Something has to be going on." "You're right, of course Hermione," Harry said. "That jerk wouldn't be silent nearly as long as he has been without something big being in the works. Not that I'm looking forward to finishing him off, but I wish we could get some kind of intelligence update."

"Not looking forward to finishing him off", Hermione thought and said. "So, you are planning on killing him?"

"It seems to me that I have no choice. I'm not planning on dying at his hands, and going to his side is too laughable for words. Could you imagine wanting to be on the side of that snake? Even Stalin, Hitler, and Grindelwald had a bit of charisma about them. With Tom, it's just 'do this' and 'obey me or die' that." He grinned. "No sense of style at all!"

Style or not, he was still lethal she thought.

Ron as usual allowed more levity to slip into the conversation. "I tell you this, Harry, when you get around to killing Voldemort;" no shudder, no revulsion this time, just a simple three syllables; "you make sure he suffers for depriving us of a proper childhood!" Harry was impressed. "You got it, mate. At least I'll make sure that he's aware of our disapproval."

Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that somehow....SOMEHOW, Voldemort was involved with her own situation.

Friday night was soon upon them, and Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione made their way to the Three Broomsticks. They ordered butterbeers and Cokes(TM). Talk soon turned to an unpleasantly familiar subject.

"I HAVE decided," Hermione declared. "I AM going to tell people about me."

"A toast," Ron said. "To Hermione's openess and courage!"

"Hear Hear," said all

Hermione's felt her ears burning. Now ya did it. No way could she back out now. Fine. She'll tell Gryffindor on Monday that their prefect's a werewolf. Still, she thought, she wanted something that she would rather have before she told everyone the truth. She took Ron's hand and they excused themselves.

"Ron, walk with me." Hermione found herself arm in arm with Ron.

"Ron, I'm wondering. What were you thinking Sunday night before I started changing?"

Ron blushed, and hesitated, "I was thinking what a great friend you were, was wishing that I could somehow stop the transformation...or at least lessen the pain."

Hermione was silent for a moment, then smiled up at him.

"Was that ALL you were thinking about?"

Uh oh, Ron thought immediately. "Er, yes, I guess so."

"Ron, sweetie, if I'm down to my knickers and bra, it's perfectly natural to be wondering about more than my well-being." Hermione squeezed his arm tighter. "When my body is changing, yes there is a lot of pain, I feel my bones shifting one way or the other, muscles and tendons are growing and shifting around, but there are also other, more pleasant sensations, some like the kind you get when you kiss me..."

Ron had to admit that this was probably true.

"I'm changing Ron, and not just physically. Let's go someplace more...quiet."

As they walked towards Hogwards, Ron thought that the night couldn't possibly get any better.

He couldn't have been more wrong.