Harry was waiting for his girlfriend to enjoy a nice lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. He was enjoying some pumpkin juice while waiting. At one time, he had to cast revealing spells for poison or love potions on his drinks. Thankfully since Hannah had taken over running the bar, he had nothing to worry about.
He just finished a sip as he spotted a redhead making her way through the crowd. He caught her brown eyes and smiled but something about the way she looked back at him had an alarm to ring in his brain. She looked like Ginny, she was even wearing the new outfit she had picked out last week. There was a momentary glint of something unusual in those chocolate orbs, and he had plenty of practice observing them. She passed out of sight as someone crossed her path and when she reappeared, she seemed normal. But Harry was on edge now, living in a Death Eater society had given him almost a sixth sense of danger.
“Hey, love.” The voice of Ginny Weasley spoke to him, but without its normal ease. Gin had been part of his life so long, as both friend and lover, their conversations flowed naturally and without any sense of force. The girl in front of him sounded like she was trying to sound normal. There was one other way to be sure. He let her approach the spot where he should be able to smell her. He grimaced as he drew his wand and pointed it at her, the scent was all wrong. Polyjuice potion could not copy the unique scent of the shampoo made by Molly Weasley for her only daughter.
“Stop, right there.”
The imposter froze for only a moment before smiling, trying to soothe him. If the scent wasn’t a dead giveaway, this surely was. Ginevra Weasley had a temper and drawing a wand on her was a capital offense. “Come on now, Harry. You’ll have plenty of time to use your wand on me later.” And she tried a wink but it was lacking the usual Weasley charm behind it.
“But, my love,” He spat with obvious distaste. “You forget to ask me the security question. To make sure I’m really me. How about I ask you instead? What’s the nickname of my godfather.”
He had never seen Ginny’s face so scared before, had this truly been his girlfriend he would be killing himself inside for this. Even as it was, he would need many cuddles from his actual girlfriend before this image would fade.
“I…” The imposter tried to run but Harry shot black ropes from the tip of his wand, capturing her mid-run. He held up his auror badge for the crowd and they began to pull back. He checked her for a wand and found two. One of them was his girlfriend’s wand but the other was unknown to him. He pocketed both and looked up at Hannah Abbot.
“Please floo to the Ministry and get Ron over here. He’s on duty today. Tell him we have someone impersonating his sister.”
Hannah nodded and headed for the hearth. Harry pointed his wand at the imposter again. “Where is Ginny.”
The imposter was pale and shaking but had to give her credit for nerve. “I’m Ginny, Harry. I cannot believe you would do this…”
“You had a possessive glint in your eyes when you first saw me. That is what gave you away. Ginny’s eyes are warm like melted chocolate. Yours are a pale imitation. Your words were forced like you haven’t known me most of your life. But finally, your scent was wrong. Ginny smells of her mother’s handmade shampoo. It’s what I smell when I smell a love potion. She refuses to use anything else since I told her that. Now, I ask you again, where is my girlfriend?”
The Ginny look-a-like whimpered. “In the bathroom.”
Harry looked over to Hannah who went over to the loo and checked it. “Harry, come in here. She’s on the floor.”
Harry dropped the prisoner and ran into the bathroom. He saw his scantly clad lover laying on the questionably clean floor, stunned. Harry pointed his wand and muttered the countercharm. Ginny’s eyes fluttered up, looking up into Harry’s worried face.
“Harry, what happened? Why am I on the floor in the loo? It’s not a holiday.”
Hannah made a gagging noise. “And I will be scrubbing that floor so hard now. You guys are gross.” But Harry thought she looked a bit wistful as she walked away.
“You got stunned, Gin. Someone took your hair and outfit and tried to impersonate you.”
Ginny pulled him into her arms and he inhaled that intoxicating scent he loved so much from her hair. “Well, that outfit will need to be burned. I’m sure Hannah has a spare cloak I can borrow so I don’t have to walk nearly starkers from the loo.”
Harry was looking at her, guilt written in his eyes. “You should be able to get lunch with your boyfriend without being attacked, Gin. I’m so sorry.”
She poked him in the chest. “And you should be able to get lunch with your girlfriend without someone trying to trick you into their bed. I know what I signed up for, Potter. I’m a lucky girl though, my man knows me so well he can detect a fake wearing my face.”
They kissed and he shuddered as he held her tight. “What if she had ambushed me and kissed me before I noticed? I hate that I could be looking at you, and it’s not you. I need the whole package, Weasley.”
She laughed and nuzzled into his chest as Hannah entered and tossed her a cloak. “Here, put this on. Your brother is arresting the floozy. He’s conflicted on whether to be gentle with her or to use the maximum allowable force to take her in.”
Ginny looked at Harry. “Do you have my wand?”
He smiled and handed it over. “Yes, here you are.”
Ginny grinned and they stepped outside. The fake trembles at the sight of an angry redhead approaching her. Ginny flicked her wand as she walked away and there was a scream as the Bat-Bogey hex did its thing.
“Never thought I’d use that on myself.” She leaned into Harry’s arm.
Harry laughed as they left, leaving the fake to be hauled in for questioning.
Hope you liked the story!
Extra:
"Ginny, why are you all tied up?" Ron called as he approached the fallen girl.
"Oh, Rob! You have to believe me! Harry just started acting weird and tied me up. I think he's under the Imperius Curse!"
"... Yep, you're not Ginny."