A/N: The epilogue has also been uploaded, so keep reading after this final chapter. It's good to have completed this fic. I've not had time to write on it since beginning my own career writing original fiction.
*****
The next morning dawned bright and cold. Harry and I quickly dressed and headed out to the front door. I'd sent an owl to Kingsley asking him to meet us for coffee and give us an update on the Sons of the Serpent. I'd applied a charm to the scroll that would turn red wherever Kingsley touched it, letting him know that it was important he meet with us as I'd asked. I hoped he'd understood Harry and I needed to see him but weren't able to tell him outright that something was wrong.
Never one to fail us, Kingsley waited on the street near the cottage, his hands deep in his pockets and his breath puffing out in large white clouds. He approached us and shook my hand.
"How about a cup of tea and a pastry?" I asked quickly, before Kingsley could ask what was going on. "The shoppe is only a few blocks across town."
He nodded and without another word we headed through the busy streets of Godric's Hollow. Muggles rushed about on their way to work or to get some early shopping finished. Their heads were down, their shoulders hunched against the cold wind that had kicked up.
Harry silently applied a privacy spell once we were seated and our tea had been served. Kingsley finally asked what was going on and we filled him in on the Locutorian in the fireplace, as well as Ron's odd behavior.
Kingsley's brow furrowed. "A Locutorian is a powerful magical object. Are you sure Ron is capable of charming one?"
Harry and I shook our heads. "Not to knock Ron's ability as a wizard but I couldn't do it," Harry said.
"I'd have difficulty with it myself," I agreed.
"I've made too many to count in my career as an Auror and even I don't find them easy to charm," Kingsley said. "It's possible that someone gave the Locutorian to Ron. It's also possible that the man you've had in your house isn't Ron at all."
Kingsley hadn't said anything that hadn't occurred to me already, and I could tell by the look on Harry's face he'd thought the same thing.
"He didn't know about the Horcruxes," I said. "That's something Ron definitely would have known."
"I need to bring him in," Kingsley said.
"If this man is an impostor, Ron will be in serious danger," Harry said. "They may kill him if they know we've got their man."
"What do you suggest?"
"Let the impostor know we're onto him and ask him what he wants in exchange for Ron's safe return," Harry said.
"That's equally as likely to get Ron killed!" I said.
"Maybe not," Kingsley said. "We won't take their man. We'll let him report back to his people and tell them that we want to negotiate. There are only two options and we've named them both. We need to get Ron back as soon as possible or they may kill him anyway, if they haven't already."
I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach at Kingsley's words. The idea that Ron might already be dead was more than I could handle.
We agreed to invite the man we believed was an impostor over and confront him about his ruse. Kingsley agreed to hide upstairs while we did it. He sent a Patronus to the Ministry and then followed Harry and me home.
When we returned to the cottage everything was quiet. Harry went to the hearth and removed the Locutorian.
"We need to speak with you," Harry said into it. "We've found your listening device. Come to the cottage…Ron."
He looked at me. Kingsley had disappeared upstairs but his presence was reassuring.
It didn't take five minutes for a knock to sound at the door. Harry opened it and Ron stood there, his face stony. He walked in and sauntered around the room, moving in ways that Ron didn't.
"So, you've figured me out," the man said. "You know I'm not Weasley."
Harry and I nodded.
"You should have played the game. Now they'll kill him," the man said.
"Who are you?"
"Ethan. Last name isn't important."
"Is Ron alive?" I asked.
Ethan smiled at me coolly. "He's alive for now. Don't know how long he's got once I report back. I'd better report back in case you have any ideas about taking me in. If I don't, it's an automatic death sentence for your mate."
"What do you want to free Ron?"
"You," Ethan said, without hesitation.
"Then I'm all yours."
"Harry!" I gasped.
"The girl, too," Ethan said.
For some reason that made me feel better. I needed to stick by Harry. I couldn't allow them to take him off alone.
"Fine," I said. "How do we know you'll release Ron alive and well?"
"You'll have to trust us."
"No deal," Harry said. "We see Ron for ourselves, and prove it's really him, or the whole thing is off."
"You'll see him dead, then?"
"You won't kill him. Not when you know Hermione and I are willing to turn ourselves over for his release."
"He's on the list too, you know," Ethan reminded us.
"Yes, he's on the list, but it's better to have me--and Hermione--than to just have Ron. I'm the one you really want. We all know it. The Ministry would bargain for me. They won't bargain for Ron alone. You know it."
Ethan nodded. "I'll send an owl by sunset to let you know the terms of the exchange."
He winked at me and then left.
Harry and I stared at one another whilst Kingsley came down the stairs. I felt myself shaking inside. Harry and I had a lot to talk about but we wouldn't do it with Kingsley in the room.
"I'll gather a team and have them back here before sunset. We'll get Ron back safe and sound," Kingsley promised.
"I know," I said.
We saw Kingsley out and then returned to the cottage. I took a seat on the couch and Harry put his arm around me.
"I won't let them hurt you. I'll die before I let that happen," Harry vowed.
"I'm not worried for myself. I'm not even worried for you. I know you can take care of yourself, Harry. I'm worried about Ron. What if he's already dead?"
"He's not. They're using Polyjuice potion to impersonate him. If he was dead the juice wouldn't work," Harry assured me.
I looked at him. "You know what this means."
Harry nodded. "Ron doesn't really know about us."
"Either he doesn't know, or they've told him to torture him," I said.
The thought of Ron sitting in some dank dungeon cell hearing that his girlfriend is screwing his best friend was almost enough to make me sick.
"He'll never forgive us," I said.
Harry sat back and sighed. "I know."
*****
Kingsley returned with five Aurors. An owl arrived an hour after they settled in, showing a small map with the location for the exchange.
"The Forest of Dean," Harry said.
"Surely they know we won't come alone," I said.
Kingsley nodded. "I'm quite sure of it. We'll go along first, feel out the area and get into position."
Kingsley put several dots on the map with his wand, showing a perimeter where he and his Aurors would wait in hiding while Harry and I met Ethan.
Thirty minutes later we left the front gate of the cottage. The trip to the exchange site was short. Harry and I Apparated together a short distance away, our wands drawn, our nerves on end. Every muscle in my body was tensed as we walked north toward the exact place marked on the map.
A middle-aged man, balding and skinny, leaned against a tree. He had watery brown eyes and his skin was dry and flaky. I cringed to think that I'd let that man kiss me on the lips whilst he impersonated Ron.
Ron himself was on his knees, his head down and his hands tied behind his back. I could see an old bruise on his shoulder, where his shirt had been torn. My heart ached at the sight of him. He was so still I thought he could be kneeling there lifeless.
"Ron?" I tentatively called.
He looked up. His face bore evidence of a severe and painful ordeal. There were more bruises and a couple of partially healed cuts. His lip had been busted at some point, probably in a physical fight with someone.
None of that held my attention for long. The look of hurt and betrayal in his eyes as he looked between Harry and me confirmed my worst fears. He knew about my relationship with Harry.
For the first time since I'd met Ron, he looked at me with hatred in his beautiful blue eyes.
"Ethan, I presume," Harry said.
Ethan bowed. "In the flesh."
"I need to confirm it's him," I said.
Ethan nodded. "Approach slowly. You didn't come alone and neither did I."
I went to Ron and knelt before him. I reached out to touch his face and he backed away.
"Don't touch me," he hissed.
"What was Voldemort's key to immortality?" I asked, speaking as low as possible, though I was sure the Sons of the Serpent had brought listening devices, and probably even had one on Ron.
"Horcruxes," Ron said.
"What Horcrux did you destroy the night you saved Harry?"
"A locket. I destroyed it with the sword of Gryffindor."
"When was our first proper snog?"
Ron swallowed hard. "The night Voldemort died. You and I went for a walk to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and sat under a tree. I cried over Fred and you held me. We snogged then."
I was certain it was Ron. I looked up at Harry and nodded.
"It's him," I said.
I used my wand to untie Ron's hands and tried to help him stand but he shoved my hands away. He looked at Harry as though he wanted to kill him.
"Kingsley!" Harry said.
Kingsley Shacklebolt emerged from the trees. He was surprisingly close and I hadn't spotted him.
"Take Ron home," Harry said.
"You're coming with us," Kingsley said.
The curses started flying at once. I was surprised by the viciousness of the assault. I pulled Ron toward the cover of a tree as Harry dueled with Ethan. He proved to be a skilled wizard but he was still no match for Harry.
Kingsley's team emerged from the trees. I was surprised to see Arthur Weasley had also come. He knelt beside Ron.
"Are you all right, son?"
"Yeah. Give me a wand," Ron said. "I want to join in the fight."
"Here's Fred's wand," Arthur said. "I give this to you."
Ron took the wand, gaining ownership over it, and without looking once at me he rushed into the fight. I ran with him. He stood between me and Harry, his wand raised, fighting a gang of at least ten dark wizards. For a few brief moments it was the three of us as a team, fighting against evil. It was just like old times.
Too bad it wouldn't remain that way for long.