Apologies for the delay. Real life has a habit of getting in the way, sadly, and I had matters I had to attend to. Updates will be back on track, though. Sorry again! Anyone who has been reading this from the start knows that I am never late with updates - actually, I'm usually early. So enjoy the long awaited chapter!

Drawing the silvery substance from Ron and placing it into the Pensieve, Hermione and the others stared at it. Ron was looking out the window in silence.

The Ministry of Magic materialised in front of them as they found themselves drawn into Ron's memory. Witches and wizards were bustling about carrying parchments and important looking files, paper planes were flying above them of their own free will and Ron was walking rather speedily towards the Floo network with a pale, terrified expression on his face. Hermione, Harry and Ginny watched as he disappeared through the fireplace.

An odd scene materialised in front of them next. Ron was completely alone in the middle of a deserted forest, yet he appeared to be having a muttered conversation with himself. An argument, even.

"I don't care - no, I can't go home, I need to find it. I need to make sure they don't get it. No - I told you! Stop it!" Ron's face was scrunched up and he was holding onto his head as though trying to calm a headache.

The scene faded again. A much more familiar scene appeared in front of them. They were in Dirkstone again. The church lay in front of them, though Ron was nowhere to be seen. A few dodgy looking characters in the darkly familiar cloaks entered, although Hermione couldn't recognise either. Not that it was all that surprising, there was bound to be plenty of them. Hermione spotted a quick glance of Ron coming out from behind one of the houses where he appeared to be hiding before Dirkstone faded into murky whiteness.

A dark cave next. The eeriness crept over them as Hermione shuddered, watching Ron carefully and quietly walk down the small, bare narrow passage that lay in front of him, his lit wand held in front of him. He appeared to be clutching onto it for dear life, but his hand seemed quite steady.

The passage opened up and a lake appeared in front of them. Hermione felt Harry shudder beside her, and she didn't need to ask why. The scene was painfully familiar. Although there was no boat. No way to get across at all, it seemed.

Hermione watched Ron stand there looking rather bewildered. He edged closer to the water, looking down into the darkness. "Careful - careful!" he muttered, as his had drew towards the still water. On his touch, however, Ron yelped and drew back quickly, grasping onto his hand. Hermione concluded that the lake was in fact as cold as it looked. Ron was now looking over at a large rock that Hermione hadn't noticed before. It sat just in front the water, and had something messily carved into it.

"No!" Ron protested, evidently alarmed by the writing. "I c-can't!"

Hermione took a closer look. The writing read;

"For the treasure you seek,

You cannot turn back,

Across the lake you must swim,

XIII seconds you have,

Or she will come."

Hermione glanced back at the lake wide eyed. If she had understood it correctly, Ron had thirteen seconds to swim across the massive lake. Ron was shaking, though he edged closer to the ledge, discarding his cloak.

"N-no! Stop!" Hermione called after him. But it was no use. Ron's full body was engulfed by the water, causing Ron to cry out in agony. Wasting no time, however, Ron stroked towards the other side as Hermione counted cautiously.

3... 4... 5...

Ron wasn't anywhere near halfway across. The water was no longer still, and seemed to be throwing him off course as he swayed from side to side, gripping on to the water and trying to swim in a straight path.

7... 8...9...

The water was still thrashing him from side to side, although he was just past half way. He wasn't going to make it.

10... 11... 12...

Ron swam swiftly, the edge of the lake appearing closer, but-

Hermione screamed. Harry gripped onto her arm, and was gripping on to Ginny at the same time. A green skinned, long haired woman materialised from the lake. Though this didn't just look like a woman - the face was skeletal. A dress the same colour as the rest of her trailed across the lake as she glided towards Ron. She held something in her hand as she smiled wickedly down at him. Hermione let out a small cry. It was the same cloak that Ron had left on the other side of the lake.

The shock of realisation hit her. "No!" she groaned. Ron was going to die. But he wasn't, was he? He's safe now Hermione reminded herself, although this did little to calm her nerves. The woman was still gliding towards Ron, who had made it out of the lake, shakily reaching for his wand. Hermione and the others found themselves transported beside him so that they were closer to the scene.

The grey woman began to wail, clutching Ron's cloak. Ron shot several different colours of lights at her, uttering several spells in quick succession, but to no avail. Not for the first time did Hermione find herself wishing that Ron had paid attention in school. Ron collapsed, still gripping onto his wand, attempting to crawl away.

"Expelus!" Ron's mouth was open, however it wasn't him that had uttered the curse. To Hermione's bewilderment, Draco Malfoy stood in front of Ron, his wand held at the creature. Everyone, including Hermione, Harry and Ginny, pressed their hands on their ears as a painful shriek ran through the cave before the woman shrank into nothing.

Ron was breathing heavily, looking up at his unlikely saviour. He didn't look surprised, or grateful, he just grumbled "took you long enough."

"Oh, don't thank me for saving your skin or anything, Weasley." Malfoy bit back sarcastically, surveying their surroundings and sweeping back his short blond hair.

"What's going on? Ginny whispered beside her. What was that thing? And what's Malfoy doing here?"

"A banshee." Hermione breathed. This was the second time she had ever felt gratitude to Draco Malfoy in her entire life. "And I don't know - shh..."

"You should have been watching." Ron snapped, getting to his feet and following Malfoy as he strode to the back wall of the cave, where a small pool lay amongst the rocks. Below this water, something familiar was glinting up at them. Hermione peered closer, then made an automatic grasp for her chest before realising that the locket was no longer there. A sinking feeling hit her as she remembered how they had been stripped of most of their possessions as they were captured.

Malfoy made to grasp for the object, but Ron grabbed his arm before he could. A scowl was shot at him, but Ron shook his head, then simply said "flesh memory."

"What are you talking about?" Malfoy growled impatiently.

"This locket connects the first two people to touch it. It can only be me and..." Ron trailed off, and a look of longing appeared.

Malfoy sniggered. "Is wittle Wonniekins missing his girlfriend?"

"Shut it, Malfoy." Ron snapped. "And she's my fiancée. Now step back and help me figure this out. I've got a feeling it's not going to be as easy as it looks."

Hermione expected Malfoy to argue, but he just smirked and watched as Ron made an unsuccessful attempt to pull the locket out from the water. It just slipped through his fingers as though it was a hologram.

"Corpori" Ron said in quiet concentration, a violet steam of light shooting from his wand. He made a grasp for the locket again. Still nothing. Malfoy had stood up and was walking around the area, his attention seemed to focus on something that was glinting from the rocks from behind the pool of water.

"Wait- stop!" Malfoy called. Ron looked over at him hastily. "Don't try anything else."

Ron rose from the pool to join Malfoy's side as they both read something. Hermione couldn't see.

"Should have known." Ron sighed, lifting the glinting object. Hermione gasped and froze with fear. Ron held in his hand a sharp dagger.

"And what good do you think the blood of a blood traitor will do?" Malfoy growled. "Give it here, Weasley." he grabbed the dagger as they both edged closer to the small pool of water.

"I'm still a pureblood!" Ron retorted.

"It says only the purest of blood" sneered Malfoy, drawing the dagger to his skin. "Do you think I want to do this? Now - on my command, grab the locket, then we need to apparate straight away. Merlin only knows what will happen to the cave once we take the locket."

In quick succession, Malfoy sliced into his wrist and growled loudly, as Ron made a grab for the locket. The cave began to shake as the pair disappeared with a crack, appearing again in front of a mass of rubble.

"Told you." Malfoy smirked, though he was still gripping his wrist which was bleeding wildly.

Ron grabbed his wand and grumbled "Vulnerio" at the gaping wound, as the blood lessened. At the second incantation, the wound closed up and at the third, the wound seemed to clear. Hermione recognised the spell as a modified version of the spell that Snape had cast on Malfoy. Harry had told her about it previously.

Taking a seat on a large rock next to Malfoy, Ron stared intently at the locket. Malfoy scurried to his feet to stare down at Ron.

"I'll leave you to it, traitor." Although at Malfoy's harsh words, Ron snorted and Malfoy disapparated. Alone now, Ron's triumphant gaze faded, and a look of worried anticipation replaced it. The scene faded again.

"Did you do it?" Malfoy was asking. They were in a dimly lit tavern, filled to the brim with muggles. Ron nodded, nudging over to Malfoy's side.

"I had to be careful not to be seen. But I posted it through the letter box. I.. s-saw her." Ron finished weakly. Hermione expected Malfoy to mock him again, but he looked quite serious. Ron continued. "She doesn't look right. Not herself - I can't-"

"Weasley." Malfoy interrupted, his preoccupied gaze fixed seriously on Ron. "My father has been released."

Ron's eyes widened. This clearly meant something to him - something that put Ron off the subject of Hermione's misery. Something that terrified him to his very core.

"So- so the Ministry have found an excuse?" Ron asked shakily.

Malfoy nodded.

"H-how?"

"I don't know." Malfoy replied to his incomplete question. "Hornrock, I suppose. He obviously can't carry on pretending that he's taking my father in for questioning all the time. He's been given a full pardon. Showed up at the Manor earlier."

"What did you do?" Ron asked wide eyed.

"Had to pretend I was happy, didn't I?" Malfoy sneered with disgust. "Had to pretend to be interested. I asked him a bunch of questions, but he wasn't giving anything away."

The pair sat in silence for a moment as Malfoy grasped onto his pint glass. His eyes appeared quite glazed now, and he croaked. "I need to earn his trust again. It's the only way."

Ron's face was scrunched, but he did not protest. It seemed that he quite agreed with Malfoy, although he didn't voice his opinion. He simply stood up quickly. "You can't be seen with me, then. If you need me, you know what to do."

Malfoy nodded, and Ron strode out of the pub without a backwards glance. The scene faded again.

Ron was sitting alone, leaning against a tree surrounded by woodlands. He looked lost in thought and his face was scrunched up again. He let out a breath, muttering something about a hat, and how he needed to get it before they did.

"The hat..." Hermione turned to Harry. "Anala?"

Harry shrugged, though his worried gaze reflected Hermione's anxiety. Perhaps Hornrock wasn't sending them on a wild goose chase after all.

"It's in the Ministry..." Ron continued. "We need to get in-"

Ron appeared to be listening to something, but shook his head. "Too risky. I'll do it. "

It was then that Hermione put two and two together - he must be talking to Malfoy somehow. He was nowhere to be seen, however.

A crack behind them appeared to startle Ron. His wand held in front of him, he rushed to his feet and backed into the tree. A hissing noise was surrounding them now. Ron scrunched his eyes tight and disapparated.

It was dark now, and Ron was walking quietly down a near empty cobbled street, a vial of familiar looking potion held tightly in his hand. He was talking again.

"Are you sure? But how did you get- I see." He was saying. He glanced down wearily at the bottle he held in his hand. "He's out? Fine." Ron mumbled, disappearing out of sight around a dark corner for a second. Hermione, Harry and Ginny heard a spluttering sound and Hermione froze as Hornrock came out from the corner in Ron's place.

"How did they get the ingredients for Polyjuice potion?" Hermione heard Harry voice the very same question she had been asking herself.

"Malfoy Manor, I suspect." Hermione replied. Although this didn't answer their question fully. Hermione knew full well that in order to make Polyjuice potion, one must have some part of the person they want to turn into. The potion also took a month to brew. She had a feeling this memory was a bit on from when Ron and Malfoy had separated in the pub.

"I'm ready." Hornrock's gruff voice was saying as he disapparated, the apparation room in the Ministry of Magic forming before them.

As not to make my chapter lengths completely uneven, I did have to cut this one in half. I hope it was worth the wait! Thanks, as per usual, for reading. Please take the time to review, it does help me see what I'm doing right and what I can improve on. Next chapter will be up at the end of this week or start of next week.