A/N: Ew, late update. Anways, this chapter contains high amounts of ROMIONE! Thanks to WeasleyIsMyKing540, JeanAndBilius, loverhr and Orange Chicken for your amazing feedback!

Like always, feedback is apppreciated! :D

Warning: Swearing! :0

Disclaimer: I DON'T own Harry Potter or any of his pals (like Ron), J.K. Rowling does! :D

Chapter 31 ~ The Werewolf and Witch

Right after the bombshelling conversation with Dumbledore himself, Ron went off to search for Harry, Ginny or Hermione. Maybe all three of them if he was lucky.

"We can't leave without, Ron," said an awfully familiar voice. Ron ran to the voice to see his best mate and little sister. They were all dressed in their jumpers.

"There you are, mate," Harry said with a smile. "We were awfully worried you weren't gonna come without telling us what you wanted."

Ron nervously laughed. "Yea.."

Ginny eyes down her older brother. "Something the matter, Ron?"

Ron looked at her sister, and slowly nodded his head up and down. He looked at the both of them, awaiting for their next move.

Ginny finally said with impatience, "Ron, just tell us. We're about to go off, and you're still looking like a drunk."

Ron's ears turned pink from her comment. He knew his locks of his red-orange hair was all over the place. His shaggy hair was unkempt. His crystal blue eyes showed how tired he really was, as well.

"Just give me a chocolate frog and a box of licorice wands," Ron finally admitted, after the awkward shift of silence.

"Alright," Ginny said to him. "What did Dumbledore say to you?

"We need to talk about it, all of us. Right after you guys come back." Ron concluded. "As in all of us, I mean you guys and Hermione."

"But, Ron - Hermione's been shunning us for the past weeks," Harry told him. Ginny nodded her hair in agreement.

"Just bring her along!" Ron snapped with impatience. He took deep breaths and realized he lost his temper over something so stupid. What was very ashaming was that he snapped at two people he cared very much about.

"Sorry," Ron apologized to them with a face full of regret. "I'll see you guys at the headquarters.."

Ron quickly walked away from their shocked and worried filled faces.

"You can 'elp 'im but in under vone condition," he said to her.

"What is it?" the girl questioned him.

"Don teel 'im," the boy said to her.

"I - I won't.."

"We're here, Ron!" Ginny called out. Ron turned around to see three people standing before him. He looked at Hermione's worried filled chocolate brown eyes. She slowly went to proceed and sit somewhere near Ron.

"What happened?" Ginny questioned him.

"You know that I'm an Abnormal Werewolf and all, right?" Ron started off. The three of them nodded their heads. "When I turn 15, I start to crave raw meat. I'll also be starting to slowly go barbaric."

"Wait," Hermione interrupted them. "So, as in raw meat, you'll start to crave for human flesh, as well?"

Ron slowly nodded his head. "Include the part where I'll start to slowly lose my sanity, and I'll be like that arsehole, Fenrir Greyback."

The gang sat there in uncomfortable silence. They were slowly trying to soak in this new abnormal information about Ron.

Then, Hermione spoke up, "Is there a solution for this? Maybe to at least lessen out the chances?"

"I knew you'd say that," Ron said with a playful grin. Uneffected by his teasing manner, Hermione's eyes narrowed in irritation.

"Anyways, there is," said Ron. "My mate.."

"Mate?" All three of them chorused together, as they looked at the young werewolf.

"I assume you guys already know what that term means," Ron shrugged. He looked up at Harry and Ginny. "Please leave me and Hermione to talk."

"Hermione and I," Hermione corrected him. Hermione could hear him incoherently mumble something under his breath, making Hermione further more irritated.

After Harry and Ginny waved them a goodbye, that left the werewolf and witch alone.

"Ron -"

"You better bloody explain yourself, Hermione," Ron beat her right to it. "You've been awfully quiet lately! Harry and Ginny have been working their arses off so they could at least talk to you!"

Hermione wilted under the booming voice of Ron. He glared at her. "You better have a good explanation for this!" He stared her down. "I know Vicky is involved with this!"

"He is not!" Hermione finally yelled back.

"Then why have you been acting like you haven't gotten a mouth?" He spat at her.

"Ron, I can't tell you," Hermione retorted, as angry tears threatened to fall. "It's too personal that I can't even tell you! I don't even want to talk about it. It'll completely crush me!"

She paused briefly but continued on, "If this is why you held me back for, then you're just wasting your t-"

"You're my mate!"

Silence..

As those words of confession from Ron himself, everything was in a rift of silence. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes widened in shock. Her mouth was slightly gaped, as her tensed body started to relax more. A single tear streamed down her pale face. Hermione looked at Ron with so shocked that she looked like she was about to faint on the spot.

"W-what?" Hermione stuttered in a whisper.

Ron's eyes softened dramatically at the sight of a bewildered Hermione. She looked like she was about to walk out and never come back again.

"Y-you're my mate," he responded with a shaky tone. Ron closed his eyes and sigjed out. He sat down and ran his fingers through his ginger hair. He grunted out in frustration. He placed his large hands on his face to cover the face of defeat.

I knew it! I bloody knew it, Ron shouted at himself. His ears turned completely red on the spot. She'll never tolerate me! I'm a bloke that's bloody poor like a rats' arse. I'm the king of prats and people are scared of me!

Hermione sniffed out loud. She wiped the tears from her face. This is really happening, isn't it, Hermione told herself. Hermione, you've been shunning him for weeks. What would you expect to happen? If you were expecting something normal out of this, you're wrong!

She plucked up all her Gryffindor courage Hermione then, went to sit next to the frustrated flaming red-orange haired werewolf.

"Ron..?" came her small voice. Ron slowly lifted up his head to see a concerned Hermione.

"Well?" Ron said with an emotionless voice.

"Well what?" Hermione questioned him.

Ron had a scowl on his face. "Aren't you going to waltz right back at ol' Vicky or somethin'?" Ron spat. "You don't like being my mate, don't you? You're thinking that I'm nothing but a regret or somethin' like that, yeah?"

"Ronald Weasley," Hermione said in a firm tone. "You need to stop being hard on yourself! I'd never think of you as a low standard daft!"

"But you don't like being thrown into this mess, do you?" Hermione was about to speak up, but Ron beat her right to it, "I saw your face, when I told you," he looked into her eyes, "That you're my mate! I knew you'd never tolerate it!"

"STOP IT!" Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs. "I'm actually glad that I'm your mate, thank you very much!" She eyed him down. "I'm happy that I'll have the chance to finally hang out with you! I'm glad that I can help you! I'm grateful that you trust me so much!"

Hermione paused to take a breather, but she quickly resumed back, "I know I've been acting strange lately, but it's for a reason!"

"What is it then? Are you ready to admit it?" Ron spat.

"I'm scared!" Hermione confessed. "I'm scared that my parents are in danger! I told you that they saw Death Eaters around the area."

"But then, there's something I don't want to fear for any longer," she breathed out.

"What is it?" Ron whispered. He knew he had lost already. He knew that ever since this row started.

"You.."

"W-what?" Ron breathed out. His whole body was alerted by her sudden confession.

"I'm fearing for you, Ron," Hermione said, as her face fell low. "You're going through so much. I'm - I'm just scared that you won't be able to take such pressure." Hermione's bottom lip wobbled a bit. "What if you can't take it anymore? What if it drives you into becoming what Voldemort wants you to be?"

Ron's foggy crystal blue eyes darted out at what she said. "Harry and Ginny told you?"

Hermione nodded her head. "What if he gets to you?"

"Hermione Granger," Ron said in a firm tone. "I won't let that foul bastard hurt any of us! He'll have to go through me!"

A small smile crept along Hermione's face. "You're such a brave git."

"One hell of a git, I am," Ron had his famous lop-sided grin on him.

"Language, Ronald," Hermione playfully rolled her eyes. Ron chuckled softly in response.

Hermione suddenly wrapped her arms around Ron's freckled neck. Ron had to crouch a little from his abnormally tall frame. His cerulean crystal blue eyes widened slightly by her sudden affection. He proudly accepted the hug, and wrapped his long arms around her waist. The both of them took their time to breath in each other. They both smiled with genuine glee.

"We'll get through this together," Hermione said in a soft whisper. "Promise?"

"Always."

Ron felt himself wake up. He looked around to see he was underwater but why though? Then, he saw Harry battling off strange looking sea creatures. He snapped out of his thoughts.

Then, their eyes met. Harry's emerald green eyes were filled with worry. Ron reached for his best mate. Though, when he went to pulled him out, angry merpeople came out to bite their asses off. One of them managed to grab Harry's hand which was containing his wand.

Harry was slowly being dragged back into the depths of the unknowns. Ron's crystal blue eyes darkened with rage. He growled out, making him remember that he was underwater, as bubble formed around his mouth. He swam as fast as he could. He felt claws starting to form on his pale hands. Ron could feel himself getting heavier from the patches of fire that started to growth on him.

Finally, he managed to grab hold of Harry's arm and drag him away from the merpeople.

Bloody merpeople, Ron scowled. Harry pointed his now free wand hand at the merpeople and stunned them. Ron felt himself transform slowly.

Not now! Shit, Ron yelled at his body. Harry seemed to see his best mate slowly turning into a werewolf. Quickly, Harry did a spell by saying, "Ascendio!"

The two friends propelled themselves up to the dock where they were welcomed to cheers and footsteps. Harry turned to see Gabrielle safe and sound and smiled. The second they got out of the water, they were given towels.

"Thank you, 'Arry and Von!" Fleur exclaimed with relief and happiness. She gave the two friends a peck on the cheeks and went back to helping her young sister

Ron's ears turned pink. He looked flustered, but quickly went back to realizing he was slowly changing into a bloody werewolf.

"H-Harry," Ron spoke out in his now low voice. "N-need, Hermione."

Harry looked around, and their eyes met. Harry signaled Hermione to come over, to only be held back by Mad-Eye Moody. Hermione swiftly went over to Ron's side. She lead him to an area away from the crowd.

"Ron, what's wrong?" Hermione said, trying not to panic. He slowly showed her his black claws. His dark crystal blue eyes pierced through her gentle chocolate brown orbs.

"Shh, it's going to be alright. Just take deep breaths," Hermione softly said to him. Ron started to take deep breaths. He grabbed onto her hand and started to squeeze it as gently possible for reassurance. He felt himself slowly turning back to normal.

"See? You're doing alright. Almost there," Hermione said with a smiled. Ron looked into her eyes. She saw his eyes slowly turning back to those recognizable crystal blue eyes.

"I don't wanna turn 15," Ron grunted out, as he stretched his tall frame out.

"We can't stop that, Ron," Hermione responded. "I'll be here, don't worry."

"Always?" he whispered to her and only her.

"Always," Hermione promised him.

What they didn't know was that a water-beetle was on Hermione's brown mane of bushy hair. It was listening to the two love birds with intent.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Have a nice day! :D