Author's Note: Points to everyone who thought of Hermione's Patronus as a way to determine the "real" her. That would definitely be the fastest, easiest resolution to their current predicament. That being said, I would not have had as much fun writing it. :) Hope you don't mind a different direction. We're on the home stretch. Just 4 more chapters remaining. Happy Reading!

Chapter 16

Even after 24 hours, Ron was just as unnerved as he had been the moment he'd first laid eyes on the second Hermione. He felt as if he was in a waking nightmare.

He watched from the back of the observation room as Harry and Director Spivey pointed at the floating display of the Hermione on the left, then at the floating display of Hermione on the right. One either side of the room sat a spelled door. One was blue and the other was green.

"So it's settled then?" Harry asked, glancing back at Ron. Ron hadn't said anything. He couldn't say anything. The fear of making any decision kept his mouth glued shut.

All three had been in this room watching the two Hermione's all day long. Harry and Director Spivey speculated every action and move. The Hermione on the right with the green door did every single thing as Hermione would. She followed her normal routine, gave the typical Hermione-like huff when she felt she was in there too long, and she spent hours upon hours sitting on the couch reading the books that were left for her. She was everything that anyone expected of Hermione. She was the epitome.

And despite that, the entire day, Ron couldn't tear his eyes away from the Hermione on the left with the blue door. He was absolutely sure, Hermione or no, that they knew they were being watched. That being said, this Hermione could care less. She didn't do anything like he expected Hermione would. After she had awoken and spotted the food sitting on the table at the center of the room, she proceeded to scarf it down as if she was Ron in second year, devouring and relishing every morsel. She didn't care about the mess, didn't care about the books, was not interested in or bothered at all by what was going on. She slept for hours and hours, half-snoring and snorting at the right moments. She didn't flinch once when the healers had come in to heal some of her more severe gashes.

Ron thought back to the last thing they had said to each other.

How do I know it is really you?

How do you not?

That last sentence. It tormented him. It swirled around in his mind constantly. How could this be happening. Ron glanced down at the table where the glimmering turquoise antidote sat, taunting him.

"Earth to Ron. Are we in agreement?" Harry asked, giving him an irritated look.

"Huh?" Ron returned, rejoining the conversation.

Ron nodded though he wasn't quite sure what he was agreeing to.

"Great." Harry answered in a non-so-pleasant tone looking back to Director Spivey.

Instantly Harry apparated away, then a moment later returned with two trays of tea and biscuits, and with an oversized plum teardrop ampule with the words 'Veritaserum' etched on the side.

"I'll start with her." Harry pointed at Hermione on the right.

Hermione wasn't sure what time it was, or how long she'd been sequestered to this room, but it didn't bother her in the least. Not only was she safe (for the time being), but she had been given unlimited meals (requesting extra snacks in between), a comfortable couch to rest on and a personal bathroom. She had taken more than one long hot shower, soaking up the warmth.

"Hermione." A voice called from the door behind her.

Hermione rolled over on the couch and pulled herself up.

"Harry." She said with relief. "I knew you would be able to tell." Her heart leapt at seeing him and quickly paced over to him as he set the tray of tea and biscuits down on the table.

Before he had a chance to do anything she dove in for a hug. His smell and warmth was something that she had dreamed about. It had been so long since she had been close to another person, so long since she had an opportunity to hug someone. She felt him tense, then soften in her embrace.

"Just checking in. You know all the paperwork…" Harry trailed off uncomfortably.

"Sure." Hermione smiled. They sat down across from each other at the table as he handed her the pre-poured cup of tea.

Harry held the teacup in his hand, watching her as she drew it to her lips.

As she took a sip, she felt the warm tea roll over her tongue, and along with it a taste that didn't belong. A taste that she recognized. Immediately, her heart plummeted and she looked at him again.

He was still smiling, but his eyes were searching. Paying unusually close attention to every move she made. He was feigning relaxation.

"Oh, Harry." She said, her heart breaking. "You didn't have to lie."

Harry's eyes widened just slightly as he feigned ignorance.

"What?" He asked, taking another sip of tea.

"I recognize the taste of Veritaserum. They poured gallons of it down my throat every day. I'd know the putrid taste anywhere."

Harry shifted uncomfortably and tried to stop himself from glancing back towards the door.

Hermione felt forlorn. If Harry, her own brother, who she'd gone to battle with couldn't recognize her, how could anyone else.

"We're doing the same thing to the other Hermione." He said rubbing his hands together. "We just need to know which one of you is telling the truth."

Hermione gave him a look of pity. "Then you're not going to get it." She said matter-of-factly.

Harry looked at her confused.

"Harry, the woman in the other room is Vanya Dimitrov. She is an exceptional wizard with a genius ability to manipulate potions. She did this. And she created a counteragent to combat the Veritaserum."

Harry looked at her skeptically.

"Fine." Hermione crossed her arms. "Have you already talked with her?"

Harry nodded awkwardly. Hermione picked up the teacup and gulped down the scalding liquid. Harry remained silent, unsure what to do.

"Go ahead." Hermione offered. "Ask me what you want to know."

Harry sat up a little taller in his chair. Though they weren't always in agreement, they were never this awkward and cold to one another.

"Okay…" Harry started. "Why don't you tell me your version of what has transpired."

Hermione nodded. She started at the beginning with the flowers, then the threatening message in her apartment, Savoy and telling Ron at the wedding. She watched Harry stiffen. Though she felt sorry for keeping him in the dark, she was in no mood for offering apologies today. She then described in vague detail about her experience in the Darrow Hill Way basement. She encouraged them to check it out, and Harry glanced back at the doorway. As she went on, she became vaguer and vaguer with her descriptions. Something about describing them in detail, going through it again hurt tremendously and she didn't want her friend (no matter how annoyed she was with him) to hear exactly what she had been through.

"But how exactly did you escape Azkaban?" Harry asked, now more curious about her story than skeptical.

"I'm not allowed to say." Hermione responded, knowing that Head Elf Engelgrew had entrusted her with that special secret and she would not give it up.

Harry crossed his arms and rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"Maybe if you gave us some of your memories, we could verify." He offered.

As she watched him, she knew that he was dealing with the quandary and it sparked an anger in her that was not there before.

"Harry." Hermione said sharply, finally making up her mind. "You need to leave."

"What?" Harry looked at her in surprise, readjusting his spectacles.

"I'm not giving you my memories." Finally, she turned and went over to the couch and laid down facing the wall. It felt like the Dementors were still here with her, sucking her life away. Sucking away her relationships and hope for a happy future.

Ron watched as Harry re-entered the observation room. Harry shrugged at him, but both looked at each other in deep concern.

"We'll try the parents tomorrow." Director Spivey piped up. "In the meantime we will check out this Darrow Hill Way lead and see what we find."

Even though Ron had a desire to check out this new lead, he returned bright and early the next morning watching guard over the two. It felt a fitting punishment, because the truth of the matter was that it had been a long enough time for questioning that no matter which Hermione was the real one, she would be hurt beyond measure. He would have betrayed her beyond measure.

"In here Mr. & Mrs. Granger." He turned and stood up as he watched Hermione's parents be ushered in the room by Harry, followed by Director Spivey and Ginny. Ron was sure Harry brought her along as another person to weigh-in.

Harry was gentle in explaining the situation to the Granger's. Mr. Granger let out a few quiet sobs as Mrs. Granger stared at both monitors. They looked at each other in the same dreaded horror as Ron looked at them. How could they not tell the real one instantly?

"Maybe if we went in?" Mrs. Granger offered.

"Only if you feel comfortable with it." Director Spivey said. "It's not easy."

"I'll go in too." Ginny offered, trying to add comfort to the situation. Harry gave her an appreciative smile.

Similar to Harry, the Granger's and Ginny opted to start with the Hermione that was most recognizable to them, the one that followed the same routines and seemed somehow less angry and threatening, the one through the green door.

Ron watched as Hermione ran to them all giving them hugs, chatting amicably and getting upset in all the proper places Hermione would. Ron, again, couldn't help but turn his attention to Hermione on the left. She was sitting quietly on the floor up against the wall and staring at the bathroom across from her. She hadn't moved in nearly an hour. He imagined if she had been in Azkaban, that she would have gotten good at doing that.

"Ron." Director Spivey looked at him. "Do you see something?" Harry looked at him as well.

Ron didn't say anything. He couldn't. If he said what he felt, what his deepest of instincts told him, then he would never recover. If he admitted to himself what he had been avoiding the moment he saw her, he would surely disintegrate into nothing but self-loathing and unimaginable sorrow.

They were interrupted by the Granger's and Ginny walking in. They seemed refreshed somehow.

"Ready to try the other Hermione?" Spivey offered. They looked at the Hermione sitting with a frown on the floor and after a moment, nodded.

Ron watched as they entered. He could tell the three of them were nervous, but maybe less so that after entering the first room.

He watched the floating display, holding his breath.

"Hermione, dear." Mr. Granger offered. Hermione had jumped up at his voice and she looked at them as if she hadn't seen them in months. Ron could make out the welling of tears at the edges of her eyes. He could see that she desperately wanted to go to them, just as she had Harry. Instead, she held back and watched them carefully.

They all shifted, not leaving the doorway. Even Ginny, who could normally handle tense situations, was struck silent in the room.

"No." Hermione finally said.

"No?" Mrs. Granger asked. "Hermione, it's us. We wanted to see you."

"It's alright mom." Hermione said, resigned. "I know you can't tell."

Ginny tried to laugh, but it only came out as an awkward cough. "Hermione, really. We just want to help."

Hermione looked at her friend and Ron could see Hermione's shoulder's slump even lower.

"I know." She said, her voice cracking slightly. "And whatever happens, I just want you to know that I forgive you. I forgive you for not knowing."

Everyone stood in silence.

"Please go." She said with finality and went to the bathroom and shut the door.

Hermione stared at the clock on the wall. It was nearly midnight and she was wide awake. Her sleep schedule had gone out of control since Azkaban so she often slept most of the day while lay awake most of the night. Every once in a while she would crack open a book to read, but would close it again, and chose to stare blankly at the wall instead. That was one thing she had learned from Azkaban, how to clear her mind and let everything go.

This afternoon had been particularly hard. Seeing her parents after all this time, knowing that just like Harry, they couldn't quite be sure. She knew it wasn't their fault. She knew it wasn't anyone's fault, it just was.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tight as she sat on the floor and lay her head gently on her knees.

After a few moments she heard the familiar click of the door opening. She didn't bother looking up. She didn't want to talk to anyone else.

"Hermione." Her body tensed. She recognized the voice immediately and it sent waves of nostalgia and sadness through her. It was Ron.

"Please don't. Not you too." She said, her voice choking back a sob. "I just can't."

She hadn't put her head up, but he had ignored her. Instead opting to pull out a chair at the center table and sit down.

"I know it's really you." He said softly.

She sucked in her breath and lifted her head.

He sat there at the table looking down at her with a deep sadness.

"Don't say that if you don't mean it, Ron. I can't take it."

Ron continued to stare at her. He didn't look away in shame, he didn't shift his gaze, he remained steadfast.

Hermione watched him for a moment. It probably looked as though she was reading his expressions for any sign of deception, but in this case, she was memorizing every strand of hair, every stubble of his beard, every perfect freckle on his face. His eyes were clearly worn, as if he hadn't slept in days. He seemed just as solid as ever, his navy long-sleeve shirt covering the bare chest that she barely remembered.

After another moment she pulled herself up off the floor and sat in the chair across from him. They stared in silence at one another.

"You know it's me?" She finally started, barely above a whisper. She didn't want to put any stock in it, but the way he looked at her, with such pain and sadness, she knew it was true.

He gave a short nod, then looked down at his hands.

"Thank you." She answered, reaching her hand out slightly to the middle of the table. He glanced up slightly and saw her reaching for him. He hesitated for a moment, and then reached for her too.

His hand slid to the middle of the table and their fingertips grazed. It wasn't much, but it sparked something in her that she couldn't control. She hadn't realized how much she needed to hear someone say it. Say that they knew it was her, without a shred of actual evidence.

Large tear drops slid down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." He said, wiping his own tears away. "I didn't see it."

Hermione didn't try to make him feel better. She was too tired.

"How did you know?" She asked.

Ron looked at her. "I just did…I felt it...I couldn't let it be true…if I admitted it then I'd have to admit that all the other things that happened were true to."

Hermione tried to stop herself. "What things?"

"She...we...lived together for a while." He said, looking her dead in the eye. "I thought it was us. I thought it was you."

Hermione nodded slowly. They didn't say anything for a while. It stung Hermione, but she knew that while her cuts were mostly physical, his wounds were deeply emotional. Vanya had destroyed the trust he had in his own judgement.

"Ron." Hermione said to him. "Look at me."

Ron looked as if he was a child, scared and alone. He barely lifted his eyes up to hers.

"I forgive you." She said clearly and loudly. Then she continued, "And more importantly, you need to forgive yourself."

Ron pulled away as if burned by her words. He took one more long look at her as she watched him with love. He gave a short nod and left.

Ron barely made it through the door before he fell to the floor sobbing. Everything that had happened, that he had been a part of washed over him. He stayed there the rest of the night watching her, and dozing randomly and retching in sadness. Then there was finally a calm.

Early that morning when he awoke, he noticed Vanya pacing around the room. He knew she was irritated at being in the room another day, and his anger only grew at the fact that she still wore Hermione's face. He looked over at the Polyjuice antidote and made a decision.

"Hermione." He feigned as he walked through the green door. He watched her face light up in the very Hermione-ish way. He carried in some tea, pre-poured. "I've missed you."

Hermione gave a wide grin and glided over to the table at the center of the room and sat across from him in self-assuredness. He could tell, she thought she'd gotten away with it. It boggled him now that he was sure she was the imposter, he could see tells everywhere. He could clearly see that she was not his Hermione.

"Finally. I've missed you too, Ron." She said as she distractedly took a sip of tea. They talked for a while about nothing in particular. She berated him about the fact that she was still in this room and he said that they were almost about to close the case and everything would be taken care of.

Ron wasn't sure how long it would take, but he expected she needed to drink the entire teacup for the antidote to work. He didn't have to wait too long as she blathered on about a book she had been reading while waiting.

"Hmm." Vanya questioned. "My stomach doesn't feel right." She said looking back at him.

"Really?" He asked. She looked at him first in surprise, then in fury.

"You bastard!" She screamed, flinging the teacup at him. He leaned out of the way as it crashed on the wall behind him.

He stood up watching her slowly transform into a slightly taller woman with long flat platinum hair. If she hadn't had that hateful sneer on her face, Ron was sure that she might have been a beauty.

Without a smile or another word, he got up and left, ignoring her screams of profanity in his wake.

"Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry entered through the door later that morning. She expected Ron to return, but he had not come back.

"Uhh, yeah, hi Hermione." He said, remaining close to the door. "It's me."

Hermione stood up. "What's going on?"

Harry looked at his feet. "I'm really sorry. I just didn't know it was you." He said. He quickly rubbed his eye to prevent a tear from escaping.

"It's fine Harry. I understand."

Harry nodded, but continued looking at the floor.

"Did Ron say something?" She asked, unsure where this newfound confidence in her as the 'real' Hermione was.

"Well...more or less." He said, scuffing the floor with his shoe. "He used the antidote on Vanya earlier this morning." Hermione felt her heart lift. Not only had he believed her, but he believed in her so much that he had given the antidote to Vanya. Hermione couldn't describe the elation. She nearly ran over to Harry to hug him.

"Thank Merlin." She breathed as a smile stretched across her face.

"But…" Hermione stopped, looking at him. "Director Spivey wants to be sure there aren't any copies of you running around. He still isn't 100%. He...we" Harry looked up with his 'all business' face, "need to be sure it really is you this time."

After a moment she responded. "Head Elf Engelgrew." She said without hesitation.

Harry looked at her questioningly.

"Head Elf Engelgrew will be able to verify."

It took another day to get Head Elf Engelgrew out to see her. Engelgrew required a private audience with Hermione so no one on the other side of the door knew what was happening until they watched the Head Elf enter the observation room with Hermione following carefully behind.

"This is Hermione Jean Granger." Head Elf Engelfrew announced. Hermione watched as Director Spivey continued to look skeptical. "I'll give you my report privately." the Head Elf continued as she made for the exit with Director Spivey in tow.

After they left it was just Hermione and Harry in the room together.

"Where's Ron?"

"He was kicked off the case." Harry answered. "For giving Vanya the antidote without approval."

Hermione nodded.

"So, you'll...uh...need to come to the Auror office to provide your full statement." He said, using his Auror voice.

"No." Hermione said simply after a moment.

"No?" Harry asked. She had never seen him so unsure in his job.

"No. I will owl my report in. I...umm...need some time, Harry…to sort everything."

Harry nodded. "Just know, we all love you, Hermione."

"Love you too, Harry."

And with that, she was gone.