I stared, open mouthed, at the figure standing before me. I felt hellishly confused. Even though in my mind I knew that was Ron standing there, my body was reacting the same way it always did whenever I clapped eyes on Draco. My pulse accelerated, my breath quickened and tiny butterflies took flight in my stomach.

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Bloody hell, Rosie, don't look at me like that."

I breathed, Ron's voice coming out of his mouth stopping the rush of blood going to my head.

"What the hell, Ron?!" I shrieked.

"I didn't mean to transform into Malfoy! I thought the blonde hair had belonged to that Snatcher!"

"You can't do this to him! It's too risky!" I implored, panic choking me. I was terrified that Draco could find himself in a lot of danger if word got to Voldemort that he was involved in the breaking in of Bellatrix's vault.

I looked desperately to Harry, who had gotten up from his chair, noisily throwing the last of his things into his bag, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Well, it's too late now. It'll have to do." He said not looking up from his packing.

"Well, he is Bellatrix's nephew," Hermione said in a small voice. "So it won't look that strange for him to be accompanying her."

I looked speechlessly from Hermione to Ron. Bellatrix and Draco. My torturer and my lover. This was too surreal for words.

"If this is going to be too difficult for you, Rosie," Harry said, a sternness to his voice. "Then maybe it will be best if you don't come. We can still work the plan without you."

I was shocked at his sudden coldness. He had been nothing but concerned before, when he thought I wouldn't cope with being around 'Bellatrix'.

"No- no... it's fine." I mumbled, abashed. My cheeks flushed and I turned towards the front door, deciding to wait for them outside.

As soon as I stepped on to the lawn, the door reopened behind me. I twirled around and out stepped Ron, my heart automatically contracting at the sight of Draco. The one saving grace was that Ron hadn't put on a suit for his transformation. Instead, he was wearing long billowing black robes - a look worthy of a Death Eater, but not one that Draco usually sported. It made it slightly easier.

"Rosie, I'm really sorry." Ron puffed. I looked down at the ground, trying not to look at him.

"I can't imagine how weird this must be for you." He continued, and then paused as Hermione stepped out the front door. "Although- except maybe I can..."

Bellatrix walked towards us, her wild black hair whipping around her cruel, pale face.

"Remember what we're doing this for, Rosie." She said, Hermione's kind voice reaching out to me.

Once Harry and Griphook joined us, we all walked towards the point where the Fidelius Charm stopped working, and then we each Disapparated, ready in our disguises.

***

As my feet found the pavement, outside the Leaky Cauldron, I stumbled, almost toppling over. But a pair of arms had reached out just in time to stop me.

I looked up gratefully to my saviour, and found myself staring into a pair of familiar silver grey eyes.

The world around me seemed to stop.

"Rosie, it's me, remember?"

I blinked, as Ron's voice once again brought me to my senses. I quickly stepped away from him, averting my gaze. My heart still thudding.

"I'm sorry," I breathed, feeling remarkably embarrassed. I needed to pull myself together.

"Maybe it'll be best if I walk in between you," Hermione interjected, linking my arm in hers, pulling me away from Ron.

"Hermione," I heard Harry hiss from underneath the Cloak, Griphook on his shoulders. "Drop the BFF act!"

"Oops!" Hermione said, quickly dropping my arm and trying to compose herself in a more Bellatrix like stance.

We passed through the Leaky Cauldron, all giving a curt nod to Tom, the landlord, and stepped through the brick wall into Diagon Alley.

I shuddered at how derelict and depressing this crooked, cobbled street had become. Beggars lined up in the doorways of abandoned and burnt out shops, all of whom seemed to shrink away at the sight of Bellatrix Lestrange and Draco Malfoy as we set off along the street. There were posters plastered over many windows with Harry's face glaring out, all captioned with the words Undesirable Number One.

"Why, Madam Lestrange!"

All four of us stopped in our tracks and whirled round to see a a tall, thin wizard with a crown of bushy, grey hair and a long, sharp nose striding towards us. I swallowed - I recognised him instantly as a Death Eater.

I felt Hermione hesitate besides me before drawing herself up to her fullest height and in her best Bellatrix voice said, "Travers, how are you?"

"Well, I confess I am surprised to see you out and about, Bellatrix."

"Really? Why?" Hermione asked. "Is it so strange to you that I should take my nephew with me to attend a special appointment in Gringotts?"

"Well," Travers coughed, "I heard that the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor were confined to the house, after the... ah... escape."

Before Hermione could give an answer, Travers then swivelled round to look at Ron, frowning.

"And Master Malfoy, I am highly confused as to why you are here in Diagon Alley? I am just about to leave for Hogwarts where am I due to have a meeting with yourself and the Carrow's to discuss the... ah... discipline procedures for our latest troublemakers."

My heart thudded as I willed Ron to keep his head.

"Are you questioning my aunts decision to have me accompany her to Gringotts, Travers?" Ron snarled, sounding very frighteningly like Draco.

Travers look alarmed as both Ron and Hermione gave him their best glares.

"Err... no, no of course not," He stammered quickly. "I must have been mistaken, perhaps I was thinking of young Nott instead."

But his eyes looked at each of us very suspiciously and I felt a knot of fear growing inside of me.

"And who is your friend?" Travers asked, his eyes resting questioningly on me.

"Astrid Bergström" I said trying my hardest at a Swedish accent. "Visiting cousin from Sweden." I held out a hand, willing it not to shake.

"Distant cousin?" Travers asked as he half heartedly took my hand. "I haven't heard of any Swedish relations to the Lestrange's before."

"That's because she's from my fathers side." Ron interjected quickly.

Travers looked from my charmed white blonde hair to 'Draco's' white blonde hair and this seemed to satisfy him.

"Well, nice to meet you, anyway." He nodded, then looked at his watch. "Ah, I'd better get going - time I need to leave for Hogwarts."

His eyes flicked dubiously to Ron again, as he walked on. We all waited until he was out of earshot before turning to each other.

"Shit, I've got to go and warn Draco before Travers gets to Hogwarts!" I said frantically.

"And just how are you going to do that, exactly?" Harry hissed from under his Cloak.

"I don't know - I'll go to Hogwarts myself and find him if I have to. Once Travers gets there and sees Draco, he is going to raise the alarm!"

"Rosie's right, Harry," Hermione said. "And we're going to need as much time as possible to get into Bellatrix's vault and find that Horcrux before they realise who we really are."

"But how are you going to get in to the castle to warn him?" Ron asked. "They'll be on the lookout for you and will capture you the moment you step inside."

"Not looking like this they won't." I said, waving my hand in front of my face.

I heard Harry sigh impatiently. "OK, OK. You go now, quick, Rosie. Hopefully Travers hasn't reached there yet, I swear I just saw him step into Rosa Lee's tea shop up ahead."

I hesitated, wanting to give them all parting hugs but decided against it, given that Harry was invisible with a goblin on his shoulders, Hermione was Bellatrix and Ron... well I would find it too confusing. Besides, I needed to get to the real Draco.

"Good luck guys," I said instead, before turning on the spot with a pop.

***

My feet landed awkwardly on the ground outside the gates of Hogwarts but I managed to stop myself from falling over this time.

I looked up at the magnificent castle that I had missed so much this past year. It felt like coming home, and a warm feeling flooded through me at the familiarity of the place.

Inspecting the gates, I wondered how I was to enter as there didn't seem to be any obvious way through them. I was just thinking about Apparating to Hogsmeade and entering from that way, when a squat, lumpy cloaked figure appeared suddenly by my side.

"Well lookie who we have here!" He wheezed. A lopsided leer on a pig like face was just visible under a large hood. "Rosie Carter has come out of hiding at last."

My heart stopped as he grabbed my wrists tightly. How did he recognise me?

And then I realised that my long wavy black hair had returned. There must have been something that wiped away all magical concealment when I had Apparated here.

"You're coming with me missy, the Dark Lord will be pleased."

***