"Hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive."

-Belle (Beauty and the Beast, Enchanted Christmas)


Fred closed and locked the door to the shop before flipping the sign hanging on it so that it read closed. Then, he sighed and rested his forehead on the cool glass as he closed his eyes.

"You know, you might scare people away if they walk by and see your face pressed against the door," George said from the counter where he was locking up the register.

"My head hurts like you wouldn't believe," Fred groaned, finally turning and walking over to the counter. "And I still have to go back to Scarlett's mother's house in," he glanced at his watch, "half an hour."

"We were so busy today you never got to tell me what happened this morning," George said, finishing with the register and hopping up to sit on the counter. He picked up his legs and swiveled around so he was facing the front of the shop before lowering his legs and gently kicking the counter with his heels. "What did Erica want?"

"Scarlett's mother got a letter from Umbridge this morning," Fred answered, resting his elbows on the counter and rubbing his eyes.

"And?" George prodded quietly.

"Umbridge wants Scarlett's mother to write an article praising the questioning of Muggleborns, design a wanted ad for Harry as well as for all the Muggleborns who didn't come in for questioning, and write to St. Mungo's pretending to be Scarlett to say that she's quitting her job. And then Umbridge will consider handing Scarlett over."

George was completely silent in response to Fred's news. Fred could practically hear his twin blinking in shock. He looked up and waited a few seconds longer to see if George would say anything, but he didn't.

"You're quiet," he finally pointed out, straightening up and hopping up on the counter beside his twin.

"I just…don't know what I want to say first," George whispered. "Umbridge expects Scarlett's mother to do all that? And what's up with her wanting to put Scarlett out of a job? Why is she so against Scarlett being a Healer?"

Fred shrugged. "I think she just wants to make Scarlett's life miserable. She knows how much Scarlett loves her job and how much it means to her."

"Is Scarlett's mum going to do what Umbridge wants?"

Fred shrugged a second time as he stared out across the shop. "That's what we're going to discuss tonight. It's kind of a tough decision, believe it or not."

"I do believe it," George said, leaning back on his hands. "We all want Scarlett back, but those requirements would make anyone vomit. Almost as effective as our Puking Pastils, I'd say."

"Mm," Fred agreed, nodding vaguely. He felt George turn to look at him, but he still didn't say anything more. The past twenty four hours had been a nightmare and he just wanted it all to be over.

"I'll come with you tonight," George finally said. "To Scarlett's mother's house."

Fred looked over at his twin in slight surprise. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, anything to help. Why do you look so surprised?"

"I'm not. I just—you don't have to do this."

"But I want to. And why shouldn't I? Scarlett's my friend. I'm worried about her just as much as everyone else."

Fred nodded and turned back to stare out at the shop.

"Should we head on over?" George asked, looking at his watch. "It's a little early, but sitting here isn't going to be productive, is it?"

Fred almost smiled. "Yeah, let's go," he said, sliding off the counter. "I need to keep myself occupied, even if it's by discussing how to rescue my kidnapped girlfriend."

"Hey, discussing it's a start," George reasoned. "It'll help us think things through and maybe once we do that, it'll make us feel better."

Fred shrugged. "Maybe. I certainly hope so."

"So do I," George agreed. "Now let's go form a game plan to take old toad face down."

This time, Fred did smile. "That's what I like to hear."

An hour later, after a lot of discussion, a lot of reasoning, and some raised voices, the four people in Mrs. Callaway's living room had gotten nowhere in their plan on how to get Scarlett home. Fred was irritated to say the least. They had made little progress since their discussion that morning and he detested every moment they sat arguing about what to do. He felt like they were in a maze, running into every dead end imaginable.

"Umbridge can't give these requirements and say she'll consider giving Scarlett back," Erica insisted from the armchair by the fire that she was currently curled up in. "It isn't fair. If she wants to bargain, she has to hold up her end."

"We know," Fred sighed from the couch. His elbows were resting on his knees and his chin was resting in his hands as he stared into the fire. "We've said that a million times."

"Well I'm just saying it again," Erica sniffed. "I really think we should talk to Umbridge and tell her that she needs to promise to give Scarlett back or it's no deal."

"And it's a deal if she does promise?" Fred asked, looking at Erica. "From there we can just say 'oh sure, yeah, we'll praise your stupid Muggleborn Registration Commission and make wanted ads and put Scarlett out of her job'? I don't think so. Besides, it's not that simple. Umbridge has Scarlett. If we don't quietly agree to her stupid requirements without a fight, or if we try to negotiate, who knows what she'll do? She might keep her longer, or even…." He trailed off and swallowed. "She might hurt her. Or even kill her."

"Don't say that," Mrs. Callaway whispered from the armchair on the opposite side of the fireplace from Erica. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She had been pretty quiet for the past hour and Fred knew she was torn. She didn't know what to do or what her opinion was. She wanted Scarlett back, but Umbridge's requirements weren't easy to just do. Maybe the first two could be done—in the same way a child will hold their nose while taking medicine, of course—but putting Scarlett out of a job was the one that was really messing everyone up. It felt like a betrayal to Scarlett.

"Okay, then, Fred, what do you think we should do?" Erica asked, leaning back in her chair and waiting for his answer. "Enlighten us. Tell us your genius plan."

"I don't have one!" Fred exclaimed.

"Exactly," Erica shot back, "which makes you unfit to shoot mine down."

"I just think Umbridge isn't someone who can be messed with, reasoned with or negotiated with," Fred said. "We have to think of something else."

"Like what?" Erica asked, throwing up her hands and laughing in disbelief. "Agree to Umbridge's requirements? Break into the Ministry, hold her at wand point and demand to know where Scarlett is?"

"I actually suggested the second one," George said from the other end of the couch as he looked at Fred, "but he went all rational on me."

"Because breaking into the Ministry is stupid, George," Erica said with a sigh.

"But it's still tempting, though," George shrugged.

"It is, but it's definitely unsafe," Fred said, shaking his head.

"So, what, you just want to do what Umbridge asked?" Erica asked, crossing her arms.

"Is that what I said?" Fred shot back, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, maybe not directly, but—"

"I didn't say that and I didn't imply it!" Fred said, his voice rising in frustration.

"Okay, okay, why don't we just take a little break?" George suggested, holding up his hands. He was always the one who could quickly and easily switch to mediator mode and Fred had always secretly admired that about him. "Fred, how about you and I go pick up some food from the Leaky Cauldron and bring it back here? I'm sure we're all hungry. I know I am. Having to skip lunch today to work on inventions is really starting to get to me." He smiled half-heartedly as he tried to lighten the mood. Fred could've hugged him for that attempt, even though it didn't work.

"I'm not really that hungry," Fred muttered, looking back into the fire. He should have been—he had missed lunch too, after all—but his insides were currently being occupied by anxiety, frustration, sadness and anger, leaving no room for hunger.

"You need to eat, Fred," Mrs. Callaway said quietly.

"Have you eaten today?" George asked her.

"Oh, yeah, I ate," she said, nodding, her tone nonchalant as if George shouldn't be worrying.

Erica gave her a look. "Yeah, you ate about half a carrot stick."

Mrs. Callaway blushed and looked at her hands. "Well, you didn't eat either. All you had was half an apple."

"Okay, well that settles it," George said decisively, standing up. "I'm getting us food. Fred, you're coming with me."

"I said I'm not hungry," Fred muttered, his eyes still on the fire.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you, but you can at least help me get the food. Now, come on." He grabbed Fred's arm and pulled him to his feet before looking at Mrs. Callaway and Erica. "We'll be back."

"Oh, wait, I'll give you the money to buy the food," Mrs. Callaway said, getting up from her chair.

"No, don't worry about it. I got it. You just sit," George insisted, dragging Fred from the house. Once they reached the front yard, he Apparated them to Diagon Alley before finally letting go of Fred's arm.

The two of them were quiet for a moment as they walked, but Fred could feel George looking at him. He pretended he didn't notice. He knew that George would say something eventually.

"I needed to get you out of there," George finally said. "It was getting tense."

"I know. I'm glad you got me out, actually. I needed some air." He glanced at their shop as they passed it before looking away, sighing and sticking his hands in his pockets. "It just upsets me to think that she was taken in Diagon Alley. Right near the shop. I feel like I should have heard a scream or something. I should have been able to go rescue her."

"There probably wasn't a scream to hear," George pointed out. "Whoever Umbridge sent to capture her wouldn't want anyone to come running. It's not your fault."

"She was just so close," Fred whispered, scanning the street as if there would be some sign of where exactly Scarlett had been kidnapped. "We were right down the street and unable to help her."

George gave his twin a sympathetic look. "I don't think she'll blame you."

Fred shrugged. "I would if I were her."

They reached the Leaky Cauldron and George stopped in front of the door before turning to face Fred. "We're going to get her back. I promise."

Fred didn't answer. Instead, he just stared absently at the sign above the door to the Leaky Cauldron.

George sighed before turning and pulling open the door. "Come on," he said, gesturing for Fred to go first with a tilt of his head. "By the way," he added, following Fred through the door, "I'm forcing you to eat something, even if I have to shove it down your throat. You're eating."

"Fine, mother," Fred answered, rolling his eyes.

"What do you want?" George asked.

Fred shrugged. "Pick something for me. It doesn't matter. Food is food, right?"

George stared at his twin, open-mouthed. "We really do need to get Scarlett back. You're losing your mind. Food is food. Honestly, Fred." He grinned and nudged his twin, who managed a half-smile in return. George patted his shoulder before stepping up to the counter to order.


It was the end of day two of Scarlett's imprisonment and she felt terrible. She was still being minimally fed and not getting enough sleep. She was also bored. The room she was in was completely spell proof so even though she still had her wand, she couldn't even perform any spells to amuse herself. Besides that, she had had an especially rough morning.

Umbridge had come in and roughly dragged Scarlett out into the office before roughly throwing her into a chair.

"Your mother hasn't answered my letter yet."

"What letter?" Scarlett asked. When had Umbridge sent her mother a letter? What had it said?

"I sent her a letter telling her what she could do for me to have a short of getting you back safe and sound. Like I said, measures need to be taken to keep certain people in line."

"What did you ask her to do?" Scarlett asked menacingly, gripping the arms of the chair.

Umbridge smiled. "That's not important right now. What's important is that she hasn't replied yet and I'm getting impatient."

"When did you send the letter?"

"Yesterday morning."

Scarlett snorted. "She's not going to answer you that soon. If I know anything about you, you probably asked her to do something insane." She rolled her eyes. She knew her mother would do anything to make sure Scarlett was safe, but whatever Umbridge asked her to do most likely put her in a tricky situation and Scarlett couldn't blame her mother for needing some time to figure out what to do.

"I'm getting a little tired of your attitude, Miss Callaway," Umbridge snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Are you now?" Scarlett shot back.

"Crucio!"

Scarlett had not expected to be hit with the spell and that actually made it worse. She screamed in agony and curled up in the chair she was in, hoping that it would either stop soon, or that someone would hear her screaming and come in to see what all the noise was about. Both of those options would actually be fantastic.

Finally, after what felt like entirely too long of a period of time, Umbridge lifted the curse and looked down at Scarlett. Seeming to know what she was thinking, she smiled.

"No one will hear you. I've had charms but up around my office."

"Of course you have," Scarlett groaned, resting her head against the back of the chair.

"I don't have a lot of patience, Miss Callaway. Your mother needs to complete every requirement I've given her or else she's most definitely not going to get you back. And the longer she ignores my letter, the more I'm going to torture you."

"That's not fair," Scarlett managed to gasp out. She was still trying to catch her breath.

"I'd say it is, Miss Callaway," Umbridge giggled. "You're lucky I'm not going to torture you anymore today. But I don't think you'll always be this lucky." She opened the door to the secret room behind the bookshelf and grabbed Scarlett's arm, roughly tossing her back inside. Scarlett had to wonder how such a small woman could be so strong.

"You'd better hope your mother answers my letter soon," Umbridge continued. "If she doesn't, it'll just seem as if she doesn't want you home after all."

Scarlett aimed a kick at Umbridge's ankle, but she was too weak from the Cruciatus Curse and Umbridge was too quick, so all Scarlett ended up doing was feebly kicking the door as Umbridge slammed it shut.

As much as Scarlett knew Umbridge was mean, hurtful, cruel, and untruthful, she couldn't help but replay the toad's words over and over in her mind. It'll just seem as if she doesn't want you home after all. Of course her mother wanted her home. Scarlett knew she did. But Scarlett was scared. She was becoming more and more frightened every day and was actually starting to think she might die in here. If her mother couldn't or wouldn't complete whatever ridiculous requirements Umbridge had given her, how was Scarlett ever going to escape?