A/N: Yay! I wrote up this 3,000+ word chapter for you guys! I finally have two weeks of vacation right after this week, and I'm just so grateful. I'll finally have some time to relax and not stress about anything. Well, not until after break. I'd have final exams (UGH). Anyways, much thanks to JeanAndBilius, HeRonLove, loverhr, and ScarletProphecy14 for the amazing feedback!

As always, feedback are delightful to read!

Warning: Swearing

Disclaimer: You know the drill!

Chapter 47 ~ Bonding Time

Today was the day in which the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione had to get ready to go off to Hogwarts. As expected, they were running a bit late. Ginny was going back and forth from her room to the bathroom, where as the twins were mischievously placing edible spider hummies in Ron's jelly sandwich. Hermione was already ready, prepared to go off and acquire more knowledge.

As Ron packed up the last of his hand-me-downs and socks, he doubled check to see that he was indeed wearing the other half of the heart locket, the other being with his wonderful girlfriend. He spotted Harry across from him, having a bit of a hard time carrying the last of his luggage. Feeling like this was the chance to finally communicate with Harry, he swooped in to offer him assistance.

"You want some help with that luggage, mate?" Ron offered him with a smile.

Harry looked up at him and simply nodded his head and gave his luggage over to him, though without any of his gratification to be evident in his expression or muted words. The redhead frowned at this, making him face his best friend's dull green eyes.

"Look, you need to drop the act, Harry. Hermione and I are getting pissed off that our best mate isn't the Harry we used to know. Quite frankly, you're acting like a fucking jerk," Ron had enough of his behavior. "What I'm trying to say is, is that we just want to help you for Merlin's sake. It's weird to know that your best friend has suddenly stopped talking to you, you know."

Harry looked at him with apologetic eyes, as he left the room in undying silence. Ron sighed, feeling a bit empty at Harry's attitude now a days.

"Hey," he looked up to see the petite brunette, who was leaning against the doorway. "We're about to leave."

"I'll be there," Ron's eyes traveled to the floor, not in the mood to talk to Hermione.

She gave him an uncertain look, as she decided that it was best for him to have some time on his own.

There they sat on the prefect compartment on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione was indulged in reading a book about werewolves, which made Ron a little wary to see her finding more information about his other side as a whole. He dozed out, as he looked to the setting bright yellow-orange sun. He thought about how Voldemort mocked him like that.

Voldemort did have a point though.

It was saddening to see how his own girlfriend didn't really expect him to become a prefect. It made him rethink about how worthy he was to have someone like Hermione Granger, The Brightest Witch of Her Age. He slumped slightly, feeling encouraged to spark a conversation with her during the long train ride.

Hermione's eyes peeked over to Ron, who was to the right of her. She could see from the look in his eyes that he was in deep thinking. She hoped that he wasn't thinking of anything that might make him worry until he was mental. The brunette was also perplexed at his recent behavior. He was usually relaxed and chill backed as a person.

Feeling great concern for him, she moved her small hand onto his balled up fist. He looked down to see Hermione trying to ease out and to relax for bit. His eyes softened at the connection, shunning the thoughts he was thinking of for another day.

"I found something here," Hermione whispered over to him in soothing voice. "It says here that if a werewolf is in its primal state, which is part of the reason your eyes turn red, they will immediately sniff the scent of their mate. Though, the mate will need to be cautious when dealing with a werewolf in their primal state."

"Primal state? Bloody hell, that sounds pretty scary," Ron rubbed his freckled neck. "How does that happen?"

"Anger and the sense of your mate in danger," she responded, reading on further.

"Blimey, it fucking sucks to be an abnormal werewolf," he whined out, feeling self-hatred come to him.

"Language, please," Hermione sighed, as she flipped on to the next page.

Ron rolled his eyes and smirked, "C'mon, 'Mione, it's wonderful to swear."

"That foul use of language is utterly inappropriate and redundant," Hermione huffed.

"Well, it is coming from an immature git," Ron gave her a lopsided grin.

"Correct you are, Ron," Hermione laughed a bit.

After they shared a few laughs and conversations, the compartment fell silence. She told him that she would sleep, until they were to arrive in Hogwarts. Ron nodded his head and allowed her to lean her head on his arm. Both enjoyed the warmth that had radiated from the both of them. Ron placed his head on top of the mane of brown bushy hair. Her hair actually felt like a pillow to him, making him smile a little.

"I love you," he kissed her forehead.

"I love you too," Hermione held onto his large hard.

Sleep engulfed them in an instant.

As they walked out the train, they spotted Harry looking lonely. They went over by his side and left the train without seeing Malfoy for a change. Ahead of them was Luna Lovegood, a peculiar Ravenclaw whose father owned the Quibbler, a magazine that's about barmy creatures such as Luna's latest obsession, nargles.

"Hello," came her dreamy voice, as she went to walk along with the trio. "It's a pleasant surprise to meet the three of you."

"Uh, you too," Harry greeted back to her awkwardly. "So, what brings you here?"

"I've heard about Ronald being a werewolf. You're very lucky to have found your mate," Luna said especially to the secret couple. "Abnormal werewolves are prone to kill more than the normal werewolf."

"Thanks for the information, Luna," Hermione cut her before she could continue on making Ron feel more miserable than he already was. "We'll just be going off to change out into our robes now."

"Well, farewell to you too," the Ravenclaw waved to them a goodbye and skipped away, supposedly following a nargle.

Ron thanked Hermione by squeezing her hand gently, making her blush a bit. She smiled back in response.

During the feast Ron couldn't help but to steal a couple of glances towards his girlfriend who so happened to sit next to him. He dug into a bowl of steamy porridge down to his greedy stomach. He looked over to see Seamus looking at Hermione, making the Weasley feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Oi, keep your eyes to yourself, Seamus," Ron snarled. "Where's Lavender by the way? The girl you so happened to brag about shagging her in several occasions with that fucking smug grin."

"I can't deny, Weasley. Miss Granger here has grown to be a wonderful lady here," Seamus smirked.

"Why, you little-"

"Ron," he turned his head back to Hermione's pleading face.

His eyes averted back to his food, feeling his ears heat up even more to give it an evident pigment of scarlet red. They saw what seemed to be Minister workers observing the long tables. Ron and Hermione saw them looking specifically at them out of the Hogwarts students.

"Blimey, they're bloody creeping me out," Ron hissed, as he finished the bowl of porridge.

"Ignore them. We still need to lead the first years to the Gryffindor Commons. It's our duty as prefects," the brunette advised him.

"Thanks for pointing that out. Reminds me of Percy," he spat his older brother's name with venom.

"Ron, I didn't mean it like that. What I'm trying to say it that we have a responsibility and the first years will look up at us like role models."

"Pfft, that's what McGonagall wants. Well to you anyway," he said in a monotone like voice. "I net she wasn't expecting a rule breaker like me to be appointed at a prefect."

Hermione's lips pursed at his saying, "You need to stop thinking so low of yourself, Ron."

"But that's who I really am, and you know that it's true," Ron retorted. "Well, what can I do? You're Hermione Granger. You know everything!"

She hated to see and feel the rage erupting from her boyfriend. She'd feel miserable at all his anger was directed to her and to her only. It was cute when he looked angry, though most of the time it truly scared her. His primal form could appear anytime soon and she didn't want to be dinner to him or for him to feel guilty and regretful of his actions towards her.

Hermione sighed out, feeling her eyes glisten, "Can we ever make a day without rowing?"

Her head hung low a bit, not wanting him to see her unshed tears. She hated for him to see her so weak like this. Hermione's lips started to wobble a bit, as she went to take a sip from her glass of water. Ron felt great self-hatred stirring in his heart. He knew he couldn't leave. Being a prefect, meant that he had to show the first year Gryffindors to the Commons.

The feeling of remorse spread throughout his heart like a wildfire.

He decided to scoot a little away from Hermione, scared to the bone that he might hurt her somehow. The young Weasley always despised harming her in anyway.

Hermione seemed to notice his action, and her heart started to ache painfully.

"Ron, you didn't have to," she said in a quiet voice.

Ron just looked up at her with a sad face and shook his head slowly, resuming back to eating slowly though.

"I'm just scared. I didn't mean to burst out like that," his voice was deep and gravelly.

"Ron, I forgive you. I'll always forgive you," Hermione held his sweaty shaky palms.

"I-"

Hermione quickly gave him a peck on the lips, making his ears heat up and his cheeks blush vividly.

"Just don't worry about it," the brunette smiled towards him.

After the feast, Ron and Hermione took their responsibilities in showing the little first years to their dormitories for where they would be at after classes until the holidays.

"All first year Gryffindors, please follow us!" Hermione called them over to follow her and Ron.

The crowd of eleven and twelve year olds went to follow them with excitement. Ron couldn't help but to feel a sense of nostalgia at the innocent faces of the kids. His crystal blue eyes softened at the sight of them. When was the last time he felt like that? His childhood was taken away from him ever since the death of Cedric. He just wished the first years for a better life than the torturous life he had to deal with.

Hermione seemed to catch the sorrowful look on Ron's face and decided to greet herself, "I'm Hermione Granger and this here is Ronald Weasley. But, just call him Ron."

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley?" the first years gasped.

"The Daily Prophet always talks about you guys!" one of them said and the others agreed.

"Is it true you guys like each other? Maybe, you guys are dating?" a girl giggled out.

"Certainly not," Hermione squeaked out immediately, feeling flustered.

"Wait, isn't that red-haired guy a werewolf? My parents say that werewolves feed on human flesh and other creature. I read it in a book about them in primary school," a girl with wavy black hair stood to Hermione's taller figure. "Even in the movies, they look scary."

Hermione crouched down to the girl's eye level, "You must be a muggleborn because I'm just like you."

The girl nodded gingerly.

"Well, not all werewolves seem like savage beast. Ron here, is a nice werewolf. He protects people from the bad guys that try to make our lives miserable. He would never kill anyone, not even a fly," Hermione said it to her and made sure her voice was loud enough for the other to hear. "Once you get the know Ron, he's going to make sure your stay here in Hogwarts will be worth it."

"Let's go, shall we," Ron signalled them over to the portrait where the Fat Lady stood there, awaiting for the new arrivals.

Hermione said to the animating paint, saying, "Flipendo."

The portrait let them enter, having Hermione doing all of the elaboration, which Ron remembered to thank her later. After what seemed like a lecture they would usually get from Professor McGonagall, the first years excitedly go up to the first year dormitories. Hermione sat on the couch, sighing out exhaustedly from another day of reading, walking, and thinking in deep thoughts. Ron sat next to her, taking his hands into her's.

"What you said to those first years, I could never thank you enough," Ron kissed on her cheek.

"It was nothing, Ron. I'm sure that after that, they won't view you as a monster," Hermione whispered to him. "I couldn't leave you down at the dumps like that."

They smiled at one another, laughing a little.

"I'm positively sure that your product is going to ensure chaos to the first years," the bushy haired brunette scolded the twins, Fred and George.

Ron just stood alongside with her girlfriend, already tired from his brother's pursuing dreams.

"What's so horrible about ten-second pimple vanishers?" Fred chimed in. "They're pretty useful, yea know!"

"It's obviously irrelevant! It only vanishes pimples for ten-seconds! Why not, I don't know, an hour?" Hermione responded.

"Now that's a great idea, Miss Granger! Ronniekins, she's a keeper for sure," George winked over to his younger brother, who's ears turned beet red.

Hermione groaned out in frustration and turned around to face Ron's relieved face.

"I really feel bad for you. It must've been painful to live with them since birth," Hermione signalled for them to head over to Potions.

As the walked over towards the dungeons, they spotted a group of Gryffindors and Slytherins awaiting near the door that lead to the Potions Master known as Professor Snape. Ron's eyes narrowed at the sight of Draco Malfoy and his goons of pinheads, Goyle and Crabbe. If Ron could do it right now, he would've beat their asses up in no less than a second. That was yet another great part in being a werewolf himself.

"C'mon, I don't want Malfoy to see us," Ron mumbled over to Hermione.

She looked at him with understanding and hid in the crowd of their fellow friends. There, they saw Seamus looking at them with a welcoming smile.

"Hullo, I was wondering when you guys were about to come around here looking like a damn couple," Seamus grinned over to the both of them.

"Ugh, not now, Seamus," the brunette rolled her chocolate brown eyes.

Ron looked over their shoulders to see Harry standing there alone. Feeling great sympathy to his best mate, he excused himself from them and went over to at least get a conversation with The-Boy-Who-Lived. Seamus gave him a pat on the back, wishing him the best of luck.

"So, I've heard about Ron's issue with You-Know-Who. Is he all right?" the irish asked her.

"I hope so - w-wait a minute. How did you know about his eyes?" Hermione said with widened eyes.

"I saw his eyes flashing red for a bit and then it changed back to normal. I even remembered when my grandfather would tell me about werewolves with red eyes. It's definitely a sight for sore eyes. Though, he never told me what triggered the scary sight," Seamus responded.

"Well, when I read this book about werewolves, it's usual triggered by excessive rage or if their mate is in danger. If they do go in what it's called, the primal state, they're more likely to harm anything in it's way, so it's very significant for those to stay wary of their state," she said it as if she had copied word per word from the book she read.

"Well, you really should be careful. Merlin knows that he could harm you severely," Seamus said with grimace.

"Come in," came his stern voice.

If he could walk out of a class without anyone stopping him, he would do it right at this moment. Ron sat at the back of Harry and Hermione was next to him, taking down notes from a certain professor that wore obnoxious pink clothing and distracting plates that had moving cats and kittens at the back of her desk on the wall. A huge grandfather clock was to the left of the room, irritating Ron at how it ticked and tock nonstop. To make matters worse, Professor Umbridge's voice would shatter and break everything.

What made Ron's hatred for the teach to go on full blast, was that the old hag made Harry have detention for the whole week.

"Anyone else want a week long detention like Mister Potter here?" Umbridge said in the most annoying voice anyone could ever speak in.

Everyone just glared at her.

"I take that as a-"

"You sure are foul hag. Your teaching methods are going to be pretty fucking useless if we can't use spells!" Ron defended his best mate.

"Ah, Mister Weasley. A pleasure to have you in my class with your foul language," Umbridge went to approach to the red-hair's desk. "I've heard that you've been a real havoc in the Ministry. If you haven't noticed yet, werewolves are wizard killing creatures. They're just as dangerous as a basilisk. It's a shame you're a monster."

"You really must be an idiot, professor," Ron retorted.

"Face it. You know that being a werewolf doesn't fit the standards in being a worker in the Ministry. It's highly unlikely for you to get a job. When you have a family, which is also unlikely, you won't be able to provide them with food. They'll end up dying because of you," she sneered.

"Leave him alone," piped Hermione's irritated voice. "You people in the Ministry who believe that all werewolves are vile creatures are mental!"

"So, you're saying that the Minister is mental?" Umbridge cooed.

"Yes. Yes he is," Hermione responded.

"He'll have a grand ol' time hearing about this story once this class is over. Now class, go back to taking down notes!" the professor ended off the argument. "Twenty points from Gryffindor!"

Ron turned over to see a fuming Hermione. He held onto her soft palms, looking at her chocolate brown eyes with admiration. Hermione's eyes softened at his crystal blue eyes, shunning the thoughts of hexing Umbridge right then and there.

"You were wonderful, love," Ron whispered over to her.

"For you," Hermione smiled at him.

Harry could've swore he heard Ron calling Hermione love. He really needed to do some investigating into their current relationship.

A/N: There you have it! It's a mix of dialouge and I tried experimenting with it, especially Luna's.

Announcement: I know that you know that the Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and/or ect era is coming near! I decided to do this thing I made up called, The Five Days of Chapters in where I update RWC and FoaB from December 20-25! I better start writing then!

Anywho, have a great day!

~ Bloom