Lauren A. Black (my Harry Potter oc)

Desperate [A.E.](age 14)

It was time for another year at Hogwarts, but this one wouldn't be the same as other years. Marian sat alone at the Gryffindor table. Lauren's disappearance had rattled everyone. She had been gone for months and no one knew where to find her. Those closest to her hadn't even known her address after Sirius's death. Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't coming back for their 7th year and nobody blamed them. Colin had vanished practically the minute he'd stepped off the Hogwarts express at the end of last year. Rumor had it that he'd been taken too, but Marian knew he was searching for Lauren. Besides Harry, she was the person the Order was looking for the most. After Dumbledore's death she'd just disappeared. Colin, Harry, Marian, Mcgonagall, and others just weren't the same for the rest of the year. And Marian, along with everyone else, was desperate. 

Ron, Hermione, and Harry trudged down a worn path. They'd been on the run for months but they weren't anywhere near finding another horcrux. It was easy to see why, though. Not only were they impossible to locate, but the trio's heads just weren't in it. After Lauren vanished, there just wasn't any motivation. As much as Harry hated it, he found himself listening intently to the list, praying that Lauren's name would never be said. They were growing desperate.

Lauren leaned against the bars in her cell. She knew she must look awful. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were bags underneath them. Her hair was so dirty it was like old spaghetti. It had grown longer during her imprisonment. She was caked in dirt, dust, and blood. There was no more fire in her lightning eyes, but they still glimmered with hope. Hope for rescue. She was beyond desperate.

Lauren winced as she was dragged out of the cell yet again and thrown into a chair. She sighed and placed her hands on the armrests, familiar with what was coming. Frankly, in the part of Lauren they would never break, she was bored.

 Day in, day out, same old food, same old cell, same old Death Eaters, same old torture.

 It was pointless, really. She'd never talk. But that didn't stop them from trying. 

"Give up yet?" Lucius hissed. 

"Tell you what. I'll give in when you stop dying your hair." Lauren offered. There was a crack in the room as Lucius slapped her. Ignoring the pain, Lauren spat at the ground, blood from her reopened cut mixing in with the saliva. 

"Forget it Lucius." Narcissa ordered, waltzing into the room. "We have something new to try today." Lauren glanced up and blinked in surprise. She  hadn't expected this.

Draco bit his lip, trying to stop shaking, but it was impossible as he looked at her. Lauren was small for her age, but in this vulnerable state she looked even younger. She's just a child, he begged in his head. And you're torturing her. 

"Go on Draco. The Dark Lord will be so proud if you break her." Narcissa reminded him. His mother was the only reason why he did any of this, yet it was almost not worth it. Almost. She was his mother after all. Lauren stared at him as he raised his wand. That caught him off guard. Her eyes were always so bright, but now they were dark. He swallowed and looked away, thinking about what they'd done to her. 

"Crucio." he muttered. He stormed out of the room as Lauren screamed. It was killing him slowly, that sound. Sure, she'd been mean to him at school and she had hit him in the face with a book that one time, but she didn't deserve this. He hadn't exactly been the nicest either. He deserved that curse more than she did. He was desperate. Desperate for a way to redeem himself before it was too late. Then it hit him. You won't be here for much longer Lauren, he vowed in his head. I'm going to help you.