A/N: The conclusion of CoS! Next chapter will go on to PoA (FINALLY!). The PoA will be pretty long than the previous chapters (SoS and CoS) because Ron will start to show suspicions to his siblings, classmates and his friends, especially Hermione! We have a long way to go, and I'm looking forward to writing them. Thanks for the feedback! I've noticed my flaws in chapters, so I proof read this chapter to make sure there wasn't any errors. Anyways, let's get this chapter started! Towards the end is when Romione starts to rise in action!

Disclaimer: Do you really think I own Harry Potter? Hell no! The amazing J.K. Rowling owns it! No me.

Warning: Swearing

*Hermione looks at Ron, her eyebrows are furrowed to show an irritated expression to her face*

Ron: Bloody hell..

Chapter 9 ~ The Fraud

"Her-Hermione.." Ron whimpered at the state of her being. She was petrified from the bloody beast that was on the loose. It was petrifying muggle born here and there.

"Y-you promised me, dammit!" Ron spat to her angrily. "You broke my bloody promise!" He added.

"You're not suppose to be here laying hopeless.. You're suppose to be helping, Harry and I, solving this mystery and saving people's arses from the wrath of the basilisk!" Ron protested even though Hermione couldn't hear him.

"You scared the living shit out of me, Hermione. I can't bear to see you like this.. Shit." Ron mumbled to her still angry. He took a last glance at her lifeless pale face. He tried holding back all his tears with all his might. They were threatening him for them to fall.

"I miss you.." Ron whispered and disappeared into the shadows of the halls.

He knew, he had to follow the spiders.

"Bloody hell, Harry. I'll never follow those foul spiders ever again!" He exclaimed to his best friend, after their dangerous task.

"At least we survived." The messy jet black haired boy said to his flaming red haired best friend. They finally made it to the Commons to see the fireplace almost dying out.

"Admit it, you did it for Hermione.." Harry said with a smile. "Yea. I did it for her," He paused. "And the others who got petrified," Ron added. "You did great out there, mate. Without you, we wouldn't be standing here.." Ron remembered, that he had to use his superhuman strength to pull the car away from the spiders to get a head start.

"I didn't know you were that strong."

"Y-yea, me too."

"Mister Weasley! What's gotten into you?" Professor McGonagall's voice boomed throughout the whole class. Ron didn't respond, instead, he ignored her and looked at Hermione's empty desk. She briskly walked up to him, and she saw what he was looking at.

"I know Mister Weasley. It must be hard for you, but can you at least try to concentrate?" She whispered to him. He simply nodded his head still looking at the empty space. "Anyways class, try the spell! Remember, Vera Verto!" She reminded to the whole class to what they were doing. The class started trying to cast the spell with little progress.

'If Hermione were here, she would've cast the spell with a flick of her wand.' Ron said to himself still staring at her desk. Lately, Ron's been living through a living hell. His grades were poor and his heart was weak. He realized, he couldn't survive a day without her. She was his motivation. What he didn't know was, that he was also her motivation as well.

He turned to his left to see Harry trying to cast the spell on the snail.

"I miss her.." He whispered to himself and failed in casting the spell, because of his stupid broken wand.

After class, Ron and Harry were on their way to the Great Hall. They were talking about Tom Riddle and who he was. Their conversation was briefly interrupted by Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe.

"Oi Weasel, Potty! Where's the Mudblood?" Malfoy mockingly said to them. Harry held back Ron who was ready to punch him to watch him bleed.

"We heard she was petrified, poor Mudblood. She'll be petrified till the end of her!" Malfoy's goons laughed at his remark.

"LIKE HELL!" Ron's eyes flashed daggers at them, as his eyes turned completely dark blue. "Ron!" Harry yelled out trying to hold him back. All hell was unleashed.

Ron grabbed Malfoy's collar and threw him on the ground. "You bloody little fucker. Think you're so funny, eh? I'll be laughing my arse off when you beg for mercy!" Harry never knew, Ron could be so savage.

Malfoy just winced in pain in response to Ron's aggressiveness, that seemed to increase as seconds went by. Malfoy couldn't bare to see Ron's dark blue eyes. Ron had his hands in his pockets and wore his robe even tightly around his body.

Then, Harry thought of a brilliant idea to subside Ron's anger.

"Ron, if Hermione were here, she'd be really scared and worried about how you're acting right now.." Harry softly said to him. Ron turned his head towards Harry. The red haired boy's eyes softened and his eyes turned back to its crystal blue color.

"Don't you agree?" He asked. Ron took a deep breath, and his anger was replaced with guilt.

'Harry's right.. What am I even doing?' Ron walked away from the scene and went straight to the Great Hall along with his best mate.

"The Weasel will pay for this.." Malfoy mumbled to his two friends.

"You're a fraud!" Harry cried out to Gilderoy Lockhart, as he was trying to run away like a coward.

"I'll best be off now boys.." He tried to escape, but Ron pushed him back to his place. With that, the DADA professor had his wand out pointed at the both of them.

"Did you know I was brilliant with memory spells?" He asked to both of them darkly. They shook their heads for 'no'. "Did you know I could do, this?" Ron swept the wand from him and broke it in half with his strength.

This time, Harry and Ron had their wands pointed at the fraud. "People like you don't deserve so much fortune. Perhaps, you'll back off on the act and follow us to the chambers?" Ron said darkly, as his eyes grew dull.

Scared of what Ron was capable of, the professor followed the two 2nd years to the girls' loo. "Myrtle! Where are you?" Harry said. "Harry Potter? What are you doing here?" She questioned him.

"Do you remember how you died?" He questioned her. "Oh course I do! I was here at this very spot crying, because of a stupid git making fun of my glasses. So I cried and cried and cried until I heard someone enter the bathroom. He knocked on my stall for me to get out, but I didn't. Instead I-"

"Oh bloody hell, just get to the point!" Ron said impatiently. "Oh, fine ginger!" She retorted at him. "That sink over there," She pointed at one of the sinks. "I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes and when I saw it, I died!" The three of them approached the sink, and Harry saw a snake curved on the side of the faucet. "Speak Parseltongue, Harry.." Ron said to him, and he nodded his head in response.

He hissed out in Parseltongue, Open.

The sinks broke up and the top of it went up. One sink went down to make an entrance way of the tunnel leading to the unknown. "If you excuse me.." Lockhart said. "You're not going anywhere!" Ron pushed him with all his strength, as his eyes flashed dark blue at the sight of the selfish bastard.

"C'mon, Harry." The two of them were sliding down the dirty tunnel and fell on a stack of bones. "Gah! Bloody hell!" Ron said at the sight of the bones. "R-Ron.." Harry stuttered at the sight of the bones of the basilisk. "Must be over 50 feet!" Ron remarked as the sight of it. He winced at the sight of the sheded snakeskin, that was also over 50 feet.

"If Hermione were here she would've-" Before Ron could finish his sentence, Lockhart snatched his wand away from him. "Stay back!" He shouted at the both of them. "Remember when I said I was brilliant with memory spells? Yea.. I'm about to perform one right now on," He looked at Harry with a mischievous grin. "YOU!" He shouted out. "HARRY!" Ron shouted out to his best friend. "Obliviate!" The cast backfired on him and he fell straight to the cave wall. It starting shaking and stones came tumbling from the ceiling.

The two of them were separated from one another. "Ron! Stay there! Try to clear the pile of stones and boulders. Don't worry, I'll be safe.." Harry ran off to find Ginny. He was now, left with a clueless Lockhart. "Hi, who are you? Who am I? Where are we?" He blathered out questions to Ron, as the red haired boy's eyebrows starting to furrow. Ron hit him with a stone and he fell unconscious.

'That git deserved it.' Ron smirked, and he went on pushing the boulders out of the way. He felt something smooth under his feet, and he reach down to get it out of the pile of bones. It was a long vertical mirror, that was as tall as him. It said on the top,

Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

He looked into the mirror to see Hermione holding his hand even, though he was growing claws. Harry looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile. He also, saw his family, professors and classmates accepting him as the monster he is.

What Ron's heart desired was, to be accepted for what he is, a werewolf. He turned to look at Hermione and she hugged him tightly. It was almost like she was there. He started to tear up at the sight of what the mirror showed him.

"Hermione. Harry…" He whispered to himself with a smile. After moments of looking at himself in the mirror, he heard Harry and Ginny making their way back as the boulders were clearing a pathway for them. "Ron! Grab on!" They were flying on Dumbledore's phoenix!

After the DADA professor woke up, he went on to grab the phoenix tail first. It went down from Lockhart, Ron, Harry, and Ginny.

"Wicked!" I breathed out in amazement as they escaped the rubbished cave. "It's like magic," Lockhart said dreamingly.

'Bloody hell. Wait till Hermione hears about him being a fraud all this time..' Ron said to himself and grinned, as the flew back to the castle.

"I'm so glad you're here, Hermione.." Ron said to her as they headed to the Commons together, after the feast. Harry was left behind, because he was with Dumbledore at the moment.

"It's great to be back." She smiled at him, and they sat on the couch together. "It'll be best for me to burned or destroy everyone book about Lockhart. Which do you prefer, burn or rip?" She asked him. "Just burned the bloody books.." He replied. She smiled at his request, trying to change the subject.

"I can't believe it's almost the end of our 2nd year.." She whispered. "Yea, time flies, when you're worrying about your petrified friend," Ron said in a whisper. She looked at him and held onto his shoulder.

'She's touching me!' Ron squealed to himself. "You and Harry were really brave to go in the chamber. You even solved the mystery! I'm so proud of the both of you!" She said happily. It's been a while since Ron saw Hermione happy and carefree.

Seeing her happy made him forget about all these problems. Being overshadowed, a werewolf and being poor. It was like she was the only one that could truly make him happy till death.

"Anyways, is there anything else I missed out on?" She questioned to him. "Y-yea, Malfoy kept on saying you'll never wake up and.." He paused for a bit. "I lost my temper at him.. I almost made him bleed. Before you scold me, I'm sorry, I really am! He called you the bloody 'm' word and I lost it!" Ron said on the verge of tears that never came down.

"Ron, I'm glad you're very protective of my safety, but please, tone it down a bit. If one of the professors caught you, they'd surely expel or give you a life of detention for your whole year in Hogwarts." She said calmly with a hint of bossiness tone. Ron nodded his head and went to look at the fire, as he was wrapped around in his thoughts.

He then told her she was going to sleep. They waved each other goodbye and went off.

Hermione was the first muggle he was interested in. The only person who would truly capture his heart. She was the cause of this thought swirling around her, worried for her safety. Scared he might get rejected, when he confessed his true feelings for her.

'What's gotten into you, Ron? You're supposed to be a big boy. Not vulnerable to her! Never!' He refused to fancy her out of his right mind.

Ron laid down on his bed tired of thinking about.. her. He just wanted to get some rest.

'I hate growing up..' He said to myself and drifted off the sleep.

The trio had arrived at Platform 9 ¾ on time, ready to leave Hogwarts at once. Ron saw that Ginny, the twins and Percy already beating him there.

"Hurry up, Ickle Ronniekins!" The twins said in such sync.

"Bloody impatient git." Ron mumbled quietly to meet his family there. "There's my Ronnie!" The plump red haired woman said and hugged her son.

Mrs. Weasley didn't notice Hermione and Harry were present, until Ginny cleared her throat.

"Oh my! My two precious angels!" She hugged the brunette and jet black hair boy in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh, Hermione. You look stunning today sweetie. Your hair looks nice a ponytail." Mrs. Weasley said to her with a smile. "Don't you agree, Ronnie?" She turned around to see his youngest son's ears turning pink.

"Y-yea, mum.. S-sure.." He stumbled on his words. The mom checked her watch to see the train was about to head off. Steam came from the big heavy and sturdy train, waiting for passengers.

"You two should be heading off now. You'll see, very soon!" The Weasleys waved them a goodbye. Harry and Hermione were about to head off until..

"Hermione! Wait!" Ron ran up to her. "Ron, what is it?" She asked turning not to blush by his sudden appearance. "Promise to write to me over the summer." He said to her. "Of course I'll wrote to you over the summer, do you think I'm mental?" Hermione said while smiling.

"Yea." The red haired boy teased the bushy haired brunette. She chuckled softly ready to go. 'You know what they say, you only live once..' She said to herself.

Hermione held onto both of his hands. She looked straight up at Ron's crystal blue eyes, as they sparkled in the sunlight. Ron noticed those beautiful chocolate colored eyes. He missed looking at her eyes, as much as Hermione missed looking into his eyes. They both smiled in sync and softly chuckled together. Ron wanted to hug her tightly against his body, to make sure she was safe, forever in his arms. Hermione wanted to wrap her arms around Ron's neck to find enough comfort, that'll last forever.

"Oi! You two live bird are gonna make me puke!" They broke up the hug and turned to face Fred and George grinning like two idiots.

"Don't go snogging around mum, or else she'll ground ya for life!" Fred shouted out, while George burst out laughing their asres off.

"You fucking lots.." Ron growled at them. "Language, Ronald.." Hermione strictly said with a smile. "Sorry about them.." Ron mumbled to her as his ears turned pink.

"RONALD! Come on!" He heard his mother calling for him. "Bye, Hermione.." He ran off to his family, turning around to see Hermione weakly waving to him her final goodbye. He waved back and smiled shyly.