Pretend

by silver seraph

Pretending to be Ginny Weasley while the real one stayed in hiding with Harry Potter never seemed easier for Hermione Granger. That is, until someone recognizes her. Someone she hadn't seen since his failed attempt to kill Dumbledore, a cause of her masqu

CHAPTER 1: Of Newspaper Clippings and Polyjuice Potions

Harry Potter vs. the Ministry of Magic: Has it been Two Years Already? August 4th, 2000

Ministry Close to Capturing Harry Potter – February 2nd, 2001

The Boy who Disappeared – March 16th, 2001

Ministry Investigator Lisa Turpin Discovers Secret Potter Hideout in Croatia – June 8th, 2001

Ginny Weasley Joins the Ministry and Betrays Harry Potter – July 1st, 2001

Harry Potter Sighting in Buenos Aires – August 16th, 2001

Harry Potter Seen in Halifax – August 29th, 2001

Harry Potter's Hideout Revealed: Baghdad – September 4th, 2001

Harry Potter Attacks Muggle New York – September 11th, 2001

Ministry Struggling with the Memories of Potter's Muggle Victims in New York – September 12th, 2001

Dozens of newspaper clippings were tacked onto a peeling pink wall in The Warlock's Den, a small dingy tavern in Knockturn Alley. Above all the clippings, someone had written in graffiti: "HAVE YOU SEE THE BOY WHO FUCKED UP?" Two young hoodlums sat by the wall with a sacred bottle of Firewhiskey between them, laughing loudly over a lewd joke.

I glanced at the titles of the newspaper clippings, only to find that they were old. It's early spring of 2003 now, and apparently Harry Potter was older than last year's news. At least in this dirty old tavern anyways.

I swung my head of thick red hair around as the owner of the tavern brought me my drink, my third bottle of Firewhiskey.

It was only when I was drunk, or at least appeared to be drunk, that I had my thoughts to myself. The public would then stop staring at my Weasley-red hair and stop wondering about my being a traitor to Harry Potter by joining the Ministry just as he went into hiding. All they would then do would be to scowl at Ginny Weasley, alcoholic.

I'd laugh to myself, thinking how naïve they are. They believed that I of all people would actually betray Harry. I relished in the fact that I, the wolf, had fooled more than just three pigs; I'd tricked the entire wizarding populace into believing that Ginny Weasley had ditched the love her life, Harry Potter, to join the Ministry of Magic. Obviously because Harry is an idiot to go against the Ministry. Ha.

Of course there were some people out there who might have suspected me. Cornelius Fudge, the ex-minister, for example. But people like Cornelius were considered way too loony by the public to be taken seriously anymore. The war had done that to many people.

I chuckle to myself again, on my fourth bottle of Firewhiskey now. God they were stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. Nobody noticed my immense and growing tolerance of alcohol, a common effect of the long-term use of a simple Polyjuice potion. Not even one of those ex-Ravenclaw geniuses were able to put two and two together.

And to be honest, Ginny had never even taken an Ancient Runes class in her years at Hogwarts. But of course everyone knew she was the head of the Department of the Study of Wartime Artifacts and Game Pieces from the 4th century B.C. The ministry had reorganized its departments for optimum efficiency during the first year of the war. Ha.

Nobody remembered that loyal Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend and super-genius, was at the top of her Ancient Runes class and aced its NEWT. Hmph.

Now I was starting to reach my tolerance level. I paid for my drinks with a galleon and several sickles. Then I pretended to stumble out of The Warlock's Den.

---

I was humming to myself, trying to come up with a present for the 1st birthday of Harry and Ginny's child, Rilla.

Yes. Harry and Ginny got married. Albeit at a secret celebration right outside Grimmauld Place. But they were so happy, did it really matter?

And while Ginny raised their baby in secrecy, I worked my ass off in the Ministry, trying to discover their plans and how close they were to finding Harry Potter.

It was hard pretending to be Ginny, I'd have to admit. I, Hermione Granger, had never been the best actress. The giggling at the compliments of a certain freckled Saxton Dawdleson had been the hardest part, but I had to convince everyone that I truly was Ginevra Weasley.

So imagine my surprise as I heard someone behind me yell "GRANGER!" as I left the Leaky Cauldron and entered an almost deserted street in Muggle London.

Fuck. I thought. Did the Polyjuice potion wear off? I checked the locks of brilliant red hair. Nope, I'm still Ginny.

So I slowly turned around.

Who was tall, blonde, wore muggle jogging suits in cerulean blue and looked very out of breath?