A/N: Thank you guys so much! This story finally has hit 70+ reviews! Thanks to JeanAndBilius, WeasleyIsMyKing540, Crazytulip, TinkerLi, Robbie1979 and tryntee13 for the amazing feedback. I am very very grateful! In dedication, I've decided to type up this chapter which is 4,000+ words and it's all about the Yule Ball (FINALLY)! Again, thank you so much, you don't know how happy I really am. I love you all 3 !

Like always, feedback is appreciated! :D

Warning: Swearing

Disclaimer: I must certainly do NOT own Harry Potter or any of these characters! *Cries* The words that are underlined doesn't belong to me!

Chapter 23 ~ Beauty and the Wolf

"Look at you, mate! You and your fancy arse robes. I get this old rubbish from Mum! They said it was from my Great Aunt Tessie," Ron whined at his appearance. He wore what seemed to be the most ugliest robes anyone would unfortunately dare to lay eyes on. Ron fixed his fringe and tried placing each of his locks symmetrically.

"Bloody hell, what's Hermione going to think of me now," he sighed. Ron really wanted to go out with Hermione. The girl of his dreams and fantasies. He'd fancy her since their 1st year. Ever since he saw her terrified tear stained face, when Ron came in to save the day, he made a promise to himself to always be there for her. At the thought of it, he looked like he was going to be nothing but a pathetic loser to Hermione's beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

"C'mon, mate. At least you get to see who Hermione's date is," Harry shrugged. Ron huffed in distraught and walked out.

Ron started to look around for Hermione, along with her unfortunate date, Padma Patil. He was starting to get anxious in seeing who asked her out, instead of him. Ron's werewolf instincts started to kick in, all of a sudden.

Who dares touches my mate. She's mine, not whoever the hell she's with, he thought possessively. His eyes turned a dark shade of his normal crustal blue eyes. He snapped out of his dark thoughts that started to ponder upon him, because of the sudden sound of several trumpets playing from close distance to the crowd of eager 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th years who awaited along with the professors who attended to see the four champions and their dates.

"Attention all!" Professor McGonagall called out for the attentions of the many who attended the ball. "Introducing, the Triwizard Champions!" Ron's head snapped to see the champions entering. He grinned seeing Harry enter in, barely trying not to laugh. Harry caught him and shot him a murderous glare. Before Ron could roll his eyes, it fell upon the most prettiest girl he had ever seen. His mouth gaped open and his eyes felt as if though they bulged out from their sockets.

Her curly brown hair was sleek and shiny like the stars in a dark night. Her chocolate brown eyes were sparkling with genuine excitement. The floaty periwinkle dress robe she was wearing was what stole the show. She wore the broadest smile he'd ever seen as her light pink make-up highlighted her perfect straight white teeth. Ron was practically drooling by now at the sight of her. He was so dazed that he jumped from he heard Padma talking out in shocked.

"Is that Hermione Granger? Along with Viktor Krum?" Padma said in a shocked tone.

Hermione? Ron snapped out of his trance to see that, that beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on was the one whom he fancied for quite a while. The passionate, bossy and clever girl he adored was there, looking awestruck that Malfoy was there, speechless as well. His eyes softened at the sight of how happy she looked, even carefree. It was so long he's seen Hermione so genuinely happy like that. His heart soon deflated to realize he wasn't Hermione's date. Someone else dkd.

"Im-impossible.." Ron stammered. His old and ancient robes were drenched in his sweat and he felt the hem of his robes literally choking him out.

W-what a minute. Hermione's date is THE international quidditch star, bloody Viktor Krum, Ron's eyes widened in shock. He wished this was all a dream. Well, expect for that she was completely jaw-droppingly beautiful. Ron pinched himself more than enough to leave a red mark on his shoulders, making sure this was a dream and everything happening right now was all fake.

"Mate..?" Ron mumbled in an unrecognizable deep voice. Luckily Padma wasn't paying attention to him to notice the changes in Ron's demeanor. Hermione turned around right when Ron mumbled in his deep voice. She looked around for the source of the voice, but she was dragged off onto the dance floor where the champions were dancing.

Ron eyed Hermione and Viktor, together, dancing.. His eyes narrowed, confused to why he was feeling this way. He had his fist clenched into tight fists that made his hands more paler than usual. His ears were a dangerous color of scarlet and his eyes were a shade of dark midnight blue. He felt like beating down Viktor 'told his pulp spilled from his pumpkin-shaped head.

Harry on the other hand, was feeling half of the shit Ron was feeling. There he was, waltzing around with Parvati, to soon catch Neville and Ginny dancing together. His face scowled for a brief moment, until he managed to calm down. Once he thought he was completely calmed down, he actually wasn't. Like Ron, he didn't understand why he was feeling this way. He was in love with Cho Chang, not his best mate's sister.

Or was he? So many confusing and new emotions dawned before The-Boy-Who-Lived, making an effort to shun the feelings he was new to.

Harry couldn't lay off on how beautiful Ginny's green dress was on her. Her long red hair Harry liked for some odd reason danced along with her moves as she danced with Neville. Harry silently sighed in defeat, hopefully not to feel that he fancied Ginny.

After the whole opening ceremony, Ron sat down besides Harry, as they drank butterbeer together. Ron rubbed his temples in frustration, at the sight of the girl he fancied and his all time favorite quidditch player, Viktor Krum. He groaned out, trying to relieve his frustration from getting any worse. Harry looked over to see Ron giving a murderous glare at Hermione and Viktor waltzing around. Her unrecognizable appearance made him think it was all for Viktor. He felt cautious with the feelings he was experiencing around Hermione. Ron couldn't take it anymore.

"Randy bloody pumpkin head, isn't he?" Ron asked Harry.

"Viktor?" Harry said his name.

"Yea, that buggering fuck with Hermione.." Ron gnarled. The jet black haired boy stayed silent at how Ron was over reacting to them until he remembered the countless of times Ron gave hints that he fancied Hermione.

"Harry, I need to tell you something. Promise on Merlin's life you'll ever tell anyone," Ron whispered over to Harry. He nodded his head awaiting for whatever may come from the red haired boy.

"I think Hermione's my mate. Werewolf wise," Ron admitted, feeling his body tense up from the confession and his ears turning a shade of pink.

"I can see why, though. Nothing to be ashamed of," Harry simply responded in an unusually calm tone.

"What?" Ron asked to him, confused. "I think it's absolutely abnormal to have her as my bloody mate. She's the most irritating person I've ever met, and yet were somehow friends."

It took a bit for Harry to response to Ron's thoughts of Hermione, but eventually started to form honest words, "Who was the one who managed to calm you down from going mental as a werewolf, last year?" Harry continued on, "That's right, Hermione. She was the one who understood you even when you weren't feeling like yourself. She was the one who stood up against all odds, even if she was risking her life in getting you back in your right mind."

Ron sighed and smiled up at Harry.

"I promised her for her and me to hangout out for a bit after the ball," Ron shrugged. Harry smirked at him. Before Ron could teasingly retort at his smirk, he saw and heard Hermione giggling at whatever Viktor was saying.

"Bloody wanker," Ron mumbled. Harry sighed, this is hopeless. Even after a mini prep talk for self-confidence, he goes back to whining. He saw two boys from Durmstrang asking to dance with their partners, the Patil twins, who without hesitation accepted the fournit offer.

Hermione with a smile came over to the fuming Ron and bored Harry, along with Viktor. Ron's eyes darted towards the two so-called love birds and dreaded at the sight.

"Hey!" Hermione greeted the both of them in a cheery tone.

"Hi," Harry greeted with a smile to the both of them. Ron ignored them, which made Hermione's eyes burrow.

"Anyways, Viktor these are my two best friends. Harry, which you already knew and Ron," Hermione said the flaming red-haired boy's name slowly. Viktor gave them each a handshake. Ron lazily shook his hand.

"Don't mind Ron, seems like he has his wand in a knot, currently," Hermione said in a firm tone. He grumbled something incoherently in response. He looked up at Viktor to see him smirk. Ron's eyes slyly lowered to see a handle of a knife secretly stash in his left sock, along with his wand.

Why the hell does he have that, Ron stood up, furious with suspicion, and he went to get a cup of pumpkin juice. It left Hermione, Harry and Viktor perplexed. However, Viktor smirked a bit at him going to get a cup of pumpkin juice.

"I'm gonna beat his bloody pumpkin head 'til it's pulp," he mumbled in a deep voice. Ron took a cup of pumpkin juice from the table and drank it in one go. He threw the empty cup away.

He's up to somethin'. Probably has to deal with me or some shit like that. Maybe he's a bloody werewolf hunter. Pfft, in his dreams, he thought to himself.

Suddenly, he felt his stomach turning and twisting in an erratic way. He started to feel his head getting tepid, as he felt it pounding and pounding. His fingers and toes went completely numb. Ron clumsily limped to the exit of the Great Hall, sensing Hermione's presence. He forced his aching body to position itself in a straight posture, wanting to not show any weakness.

"Ronald Weasley!" She shouted, not knowing the excruciating pain he was going through.

"Why did you act like a foul git in front of Viktor?" She said in a stern voice. Her elegant hair in a knot seemed to be falling apart the more she fumed at the red haired boy.

"Talking about Vicky, are we now?" Ron said through gritted teeth. Hermione's eyes showed Ron how much she was furious at him. Her chocolate brown eyes burned with passion, something Ron found sexy.

"Don't call him that!" She fumed at him. "Back to the situation at large, why did you act so moody around him?"

"He's way too old for you!" He yelled back, his ears were about the same shade of his hair.

"W-what? What's your point here exactly, Ronald?" She questioned him giving a look of unbelief. The both of them started to head up the stairs slowly. Their intense gazes shot daggers at each other.

"He might be a werewolf hunter! He's using you to get to me so I can become a little decoration on his wall!" Ron snapped at her. He felt his blood boiling to its limit.

"Where did that come from? What makes you think Viktor is a werewolf hunter?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"I saw em' talking to Karkaroff about their little plan about something. He started to talk about that he had everything ready! Everything ready to hunt me down! " Ron retorted.

"Oh please, Ronald. They were probably talking about the ball," Hermione rolled her eyes." So, have any more pity excuses to tell me?"

"He's from Durmstrang!" spat Ron. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You — you're —" Ron was obviously casting around for words strong enough to describe Hermione's crime, "fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"

"H-how dare you! This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them!" said Hermione hotly.

"Pfft, I bet he's got more than friendship on his bloody mind!" Ron replied with the same tone as Hermione. His eyes were completely dark blue, making Hermione flinch a bit.

"Alright, Mister I-Know-Everything, if you're so clever enough you would know the solution," Hermione retorted, as she felt her head being the possible source of a volcanic eruption. The brim of her eyes had tears threatening and begging her for them to fall.

"Oh yeah?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"

Hermione's chocolate brown eyes turned bloodshot from the crying she held up until this moment. Ron was about to run up the stairs to his dormitory so he could never make any more contact with Hermione, but the pain he was currently experiencing came in full force. His breathing pattern became more erratic.

Ron felt the beast awakening.

He ran off, leaving a crying Hermione.

Gotta get away from everybody, Ron said to himself, not realizing a bushy haired brunette was chasing him from behind.

He finally found the way up to the Astronomy Tower. He figured he could jump to the ground and land safely after he transformed. He ran up the stairs, skipping a few or a large amount of stairs along his way.

Ron was on the balcony of the tower. He crutches on his knees waiting for the worst part to come. He groaned out in a deeper voice, from his organs rearranging themselves. He grew hind legs and a head more like a canine along with razor sharp teeth.

"Ron!" He heard a voice coming from the stairs. There he saw the worried look on Hermione. She rushed to get a closer look at him.

"Hermione, listen to me.. You need to g-get away from me," he pleaded to her in his deep vocals. "Please," Hermione shook her head for no. She held onto the right hand of the werewolf to see black sharp claws growing. He started to grow out for that was as red as blood. He groan out in anguish, as he felt himself getting taller and more muscular.

Hermione clasped onto Ron's hand tighter, signaling him that she'll never leave him.

"It's my fault, isn't it? This is why you're transforming into a werewolf," Hermione looked up at the changing form of Ron. She looked at him with a sorry expression.

"Drink, Liquid Lunar," Ron said unintelligently, indicating he was almost done with his transformation.

"Sorry.." He whispered to Hermione. She just continued to wipe away the falling tears from her cheek. He helped carefully wiped away the tears falling from what he thinks, the most brilliant face he adored for years. He did it so carefully that Hermione chuckled softly from how ticklish Ron's fur could be. Ron chuckled at the sight of Hermione laughing.

His transformation was almost complete.

He hung his head low. He then leaned his head back and howled at the moon. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't realize she was still clung onto Ron's paw, making the beast aware she was here.

"Ron?" She whispered the name. The werewolf looked down upon the girl with brown eyes.

It's the girl with brown eyes, the werewolf said excitedly to himself. To make sure, he sniffed her hair, smelling the familiar coconut and vanilla scent. He panted happily as if he was ready to play fetch. Hermione started to pet the werewolf, and he growled gently at the action.

"You do remember me," Hermione said with a relieved sigh.

"'Ermione scared? Me not like when you scared of me. Me want to you be comfortable," Ron managed to say, despite being in his werewolf form.

"Yes, I'm scared of you. It's just the appearance though that sets off the grim vibe, Hermione admitted, making Ron's eyes traveled down on to the ground and his ears draped down. "But, I somehow feel safe around you," Hermione added with a smile. Ron tried making a lopsided grin with his wolf-like features and succeeded. Hermione chuckled softly at how his expression actually turned out.

Before she could pet him any more, the both of them heard someone coming up the stairs. Taking a more protective approach, Ron was in front of Hermione, in his attack stance. His eyes lowered at the level of the sound. His ears perked up in alert, as his left hind leg was behind him, ready to project himself at the potential threat. He growled menacingly, alerting that he was there to attack if the person or people were to not retreat. He sniffed the air to smell the scent of the person. The smell of vodka and expensive perfume.

Out from the corner of his dark blue orbs, he spotted a bulk figure that was cloaked completely, hiding his face with cloth and everything. His wand was from within his reach and what seemed to be a type of shooter was from within his reach, as well. Though he looked like a Death Eater, he wasn't. Ron knew exactly why the person was here and how he or she found them. The person was a Werewolf Hunter.

The muscular blood red furred werewolf let out a deep growl, seeing the figure almost flinch. Hermione's breathing pattern became more ragged, the atmosphere of the room was too intense for her liking. The werewolf could sense the change of his mate's demeanor, for it was not her cup of tea. The man slowly approached the werewolf. The wolf's eyes narrowed at the sight of him.

"Go. Away," he growled lowly. Hermione instinctively flinched from the sound of Ron's deep unrecognizable voice. Ron turned his head a little, just enough to see the terrified chocolate brown eyes ouf Hermione. His ears lowered at the sight of her. Hermione caught him looking at her, giving him the everything-will-be-all-right look. Hermione stared deeply into his dark blue eyes that slowly turned to his normal cerulean crystal blue eyes. Hermione saw from the peak of the werewolf's left arm, the mysterious man pointing his wand directly at him. Her mouth managed to form out the correct words.

"Look out!" Hermione warned Ron. In a flash, he turned around to dodge a spell the hunter casted. When he dodged the spell, he grabbed hold of Hermione near his hard muscular chest. Ron knew that in this position, he was protecting her from any upcoming spells by covering her with his strong arms and large hands. He growled out loud, giving the man his last warning. The hunter shunned his warning; he took out two daggers from the socks he was wearing. The daggers gleamed in the moonlight, showing off how sharp it was. The blades were pure silver, making Ron wary. Ron needed to do something to not get harmed severely, most importantly, to not get Hermione harmed severely instead of him. From the thoughts that over loaded his mind, he came up with a conclusion of his next move.

Without thinking, Ron dropped Hermione on the ground, to pounce on the cloaked figure. He roared at the mask of the person, sensing the person was terrified of him right now. Ron showed off his razor sharp teeth to the person and gripped onto the hem of the neck hole with his dangerously sharp claws that started to penetrate and rip his cloak. Before Ron could literally decapitate the person's head off, the hunter slashed the hard muscular chest of the werewolf. Ron instantly stood back away from him, roaring bloody murder. Hermione thought that his roar could signal the whole school they were up here.

Well, it did.

Hermione heard students from the ball coming up the stairs, due to the heels and polished pair of shoes were clicking on the cold stone stairs leading them to the scene.

"But Professor Dumbledore, it's too dangerous. We don't know what he's capable of!" Came Professor McGonagall's, warning Dumbledore of the matter at hand.

"Yes, I suppose. We could try at least. It is our job as a staff to keep our students safe from harm's way," the wise words of Dumbledore made McGonagall nod in agreement.

Hermione looked up to see Ron bleeding out from the cut. Werewolves can't effectively heal, when exposed to silver, Hermione panicked. She rushed over to Ron's side.

"Let me see the wound," Hermione said to him, as he tried to stop it bleeding by covering it with his trembling paw. Ron declined her offer, by shaking Hermione off of him.

"They're here! They found us," Hermione said in an urgent whisper. Ron's dark blue eyes widened at the warning. Hermione looked over to see the cloaked man gone, at least that's what the both of them thought.

"Miss Granger, stay away from it!" Professor McGonagall shouted out at Hermione. She turned around to see a crowd of students in their dress and robes, along with the professors. Waves of terrified faces were plastered on all of them. They looked at the werewolf who heavily breathed, afraid of its surroundings and the hundreds of eyes looking directly at him. Ron didn't have enough strength to walk or do anything as of right now.

He collapsed in front of the crowd from his wound. Ron heard the man laugh out in success. He turned around to see the cloaked figure with a satisfied smirk on his face. The cloaked man pointed his wand at the crowd.

"Bombarda Maxima!" He shouted out. Ron's eyes widened at the incarnation that was about to land at the crowd of bystanders. Using all the strength that remained of him, he painfully stood up. The red-furred werewolf took the hit just in time.

The white streak of light went towards the werewolf. Ron looked over to see Hermione yelling out in terror before he became hopelessly paralyzed.

Excruciating pain struck upon the misunderstood creature. His body was blown against the wall to it's left. He yelped out in pain from the extreme impact against the wall, that it almost cracked into smithereens. Ron's body became paralyzed for a moment, his eyes looked up at Hermione's glistening chocolate brown eyes. Hermione took his paw into her hands; she carefully because of his claws. Ron gently cupped Hermione's soft pale face, that reminded him of creamy milk. Hermione placed her hand upon the big paw he cupped her face with. Hermione stared deep into his eyes that slowly turned back to it's normal crystal blue eyes.

"'Ermione, safe?" He managed to croak out. Before Hermione could reply, she heard the cloaked figure apparating away from the scene, but she nor Ron didn't care.

"Yes, I'm all right. Thank you for asking," Hermione replied softly with a small sweet smile that made Ron feel tepid. Ron smiled and started to play with her mass of messy untamed locks of brown hair he adored. Hermione blushed.

"Miss Granger! Step aside from the werewolf!" She heard Mad-Eye demanding her. She turned around to see the crowd of people looking at the both of them in amusement.

"No, you can't make me," she replied stubbornly. Hermione grabbed onto Ron's fur, never wanting to let go of him.

"That's a werewolf. Everyone knows what they are capable of and that is eating the flesh of anything, especially humans," Moody retorted.

"Professor Moody," came the voice of Dumbledore. "Please leave them be. I know this werewolf won't cause any harm to her." Moody's magical eye started to go a little haywire at the demand, but he shortly obeyed.

"Everyone! Report to your dorms!" McGonagall ordered all the students, so they groaned out and whined.

"The werewolf is a hero!" A student chanted out and everyone talked and mumbled in agreement.

"Everyone out!" McGonagall had to push the crowd away until she spotted Harry and Ginny.

"Mister Potter and Misses Weasley! Stay here," the Transfigurations professor said to the both of them. After several minutes, that left Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Mad-Eye.

"What happened to him?" Harry and Ginny said at the same time.

Hermione looked up at them, revealing that she was about to cry out in stress. She managed to croak out in a strained voice, "H-he protected me. He s-said to m-me that someone sp-spiked the pu-pumpkin juice with Liquid Lunar."

Ron looked up at seeing his best friend and sister looking upon him. He nudged Hermione to catching her attention. He looked straight at the two teens who stood upon them. She signaled the both of them to come to Ron's side.

"Ron? Are you alright, mate?" Harry asked him. He sadly shook his head for no, and he showed everyone in the room the bleeding wound from his chest.

"Oh, Ron. Why did it have to be you out of all the people in the world to be a werewolf," Ginny cried out. Ron looked to see his baby sister bawling her tears out. She cried on Harry's shoulders at the sight of her paralyzed brother.

"We need to get him to the hospital wing and fast," Dumbledore concluded. McGonagall did the levitation spell and lifted the injuries body. Hermione was right beside Ron's severely injured body.

She saw him slowly transform back into his human form, seeing his familiar flaming red mop of hair along with his shoulder length locks. Hermione grabbed onto his hand and wrapped it up with hers. She never realized how rough yet soft Ron's hands really were. The texture made her form a small smile. Hermione's dress looked as dirty as Ron's hand-me-down shoes he ripped out of during his transformation. Her magical periwinkle dress must've accumulated all the dust and dirt from the Astronomy Tower, but Hermione didn't care. All she cared about was the severely injured boy who saved a crowd of bystanders from getting as severely injured as him, or worse dead.

"Don't worry, Ron. I've got you," Hermione whispered softly to him, hoping with all her faith Ron was going to be okay. He stirred a bit, at the soft encouragements Hermione was giving him.

I'm sorry for everything. I love you, Hermione, Ron said to himself.

After being scolded by Madam Pomfrey to go to bed, she went to her dorm and prepared for bed. Ever since that night, it made Hermione remember one of her favorite childhood muggle tales she read every night before she went to bed. As she went to bed, her thoughts replayed the tale in her head. She closed her eyes and smiled.

That tale was Beauty and the Beast.

Underlined Quotes

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 23, The Yule Ball, (pg. 421, 422, 432)