"I don't want to upset anyone, especially not your mum, but i'm so tired of everyone telling me to just wait for the ministries help." Hermione sighed.

Ginny nodded. "I understand, you don't have to explain yourself to me. However, i do think we need to make nice with everyone. Tensions have been getting worse and worse and we should be leaning on each other. Not pushing each other away."

Hermione gave a small smile. "When did you get so smart?"

Her future sister in law gave her a playful slap on the arm as she finished her breakfast.

"I'm just so angry all the time." She mumbled.

Ginny gave her an understanding look. "It's ok to be angry. It's okay to be sad. It's ok to be tired. You have been strong for Harry and Ron your entire life, pushing away your emotions to help them and save the wizarding world. It's time for someone else to be strong, 'Mione."

She ran her hands through her wild brown curls and nodded but quickly deflected. "Let's touch base with Percy and see if he found anything in the ministry library."

*

Charlie was pacing back and forth in the woods, waiting for one of his friends from Romania. Chuck, another dragon tamer, had sent a worrysome patronus to Charlie and he waa both excited to know where Fred was but terrified to know that it was true.

"Oiy, Charlie?"

The oldest weasley perked up and whirled around. "Chuck? I'm here!"

A scrawny, blonde came tumbling through the woods and smiled. "Finally! About got lost in these bloody woods."

"My brother, where is he? Are you sure it was him?" Charlie asked.

Chuck nodded gravely. "It was like he was crazed mate. But come on back to my hut. I had to curse him a few times, but he's out like a light now."

Charlie started to protest but quickly shut his mouth. His brotherly instincts were fighting him, saying no one should ever curse his siblings. But Fred wasn't Fred right now, so he quietly followed behind his friend until they reached small opening in the forest with a hut in the middle. He practically sprinted inside.

"I'm sorry mate. He's not doing good, but none of my healing spells worked on him." Chuck said.

Fred was sicker than Charlie had ever seen him. His eyes were sunken in, his breathing labored, and a tinge of grey was all over his skin. And cold. Charlie tried to take his brothers hand but jumped at the chill taking over Freds body.

"I have to get him home, thank you so much Chuck. I owe you big time."

Chuck waved him off and sent them on their way through the floo.

*

Meanwhile, everyone else was gathered at the Burrow and Hermione decided to try and ease the tension. Ginny was right, they were a family and should be acting that way instead of putting walls up between themselves.

She took the lead. After a few bites of dinner, she cleared her throat and looked around at everyone. "I know things have been a little tense between us lately and I want to be the first to take responsibility for that and apologize, especially to you guys, Kingsley and Sirius. I have been completely unfair to the ministry and what you guys have been doing for us since the war ended. I shouldn't be taking my anger out on any of you, you're my family and I love you all."

There was an echo of 'im sorry' as Harry and the others added thier own apologies.

"We need to apologize too." Sirius said. "We've been treating the lot of you like children and you haven't been children in a long time. We should have respected your thoughts and your feelings on these matters more."

Narcissa nodded with him. "You are the next generation and I think we forget that it's your turn to start taking life on."

"We were just trying to protect you." Molly added.

Hermione smiled. "I know that, we all know that. We are still dumb kids and we need you guys, just maybe a little less than we used too. Besides we should all be working together to find Fred, not blaming each other for wasting time."

Just like that, everything was okay again. The tension was gone and the family was back. Everyone shared smiles and even some laughter through dinner. Afterwards, Hermione and Percy started filling everyone in on what they had learned about the box, which now was something helpful.

"The box is tricky," Percy began. "because without the magic inside its just a wooden box. It's a spell that brings the magic back and enchantments and that make the box strong enough to hold the magic. At the same time, even though it's just a wooden box, it's been tainted by holding dark magic for so long which is why we can't repair it."

"Also, we found the spell to call the dark magic back to the box, but we can't find the enchantments placed on the box to keep it inside." Hermione added.

"We're getting there." George said. "We just need Fred and some good enchantments."

Hermione could feel the hope building in the room around her and she saw the light in her family's eyes as they realized that they could do this.

"Oiy, I need you guys back at the flat!"

Everyone jerked around to see Charlie by the floo. He was was waving at his family frantically, trying to get them to hurry.

Hermione was the first to jump up and go, realizing he had to have made progress on finding Fred. She jumped through the floo and into her flat. She came out in her living room and froze. He was here. Laying on the couch, looking close to deaths door, was her Fred. She felt her knees buckle and her head was faint, she couldn't believe it, he was really here. She had the sense that everyone else was there and somehow forced herself out of the way. She watched at Arthur and Molly hovered over their son and George parked himself by his twin. The rest of the weasleys were frantically gathering around until it was just a sea of red hair.

"We know the spell to pull the magic out of him and we have him now. He'll be okay."

She looked over to see Harry next to her and nodded slightly. She rested against him while the family celebrated their small victory.

*

"You need to get some sleep." Draco ordered.

Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice and pulled herself out of her book. "I can't. We're so close. And he can't have a lot of time left, look at him."

He sighed. "You not taking care of yourself isn't going to fix him."

"But i need to try...wait...why are you up?"

"I need some peace and quiet. Blaise and Ginny are... celebrating..."

Hermiones jaw dropped. "Wait...you mean...? No. Ginny wasn't even feeling that way about Blaise."

"They've grown really close the past few weeks. Like really close." Draco laughed. "They're a good match. I think she just didn't want to tell you how good things were going because she felt guilty that she was feeling some happiness while you were miserable and her brother was missing."

"I'm happy things are going good for them. She deserves to be happy."

Draco nodded. "You do too, ya know."

She gave him a small smile and nodded but it felt like the world didn't want her to be happy.

"Anyways, i'm gonna crash on the couch..." Draco started.

"No, take my bed. I'm gonna camp out here with George to watch Fred."

The blonde boy nodded and left her to the twins. Poor George fell asleep on the floor with his head resting on the couch by Freds. She grabbed some blankets and covered both of them and curled herself up on the second couch.

'Please Merlin help me save him' she pleaded.