(gif is coming later tonight, struggling to resize it)

▬▬ fifteen; the truth.
⋆.｡.:* ☆:**:. 

BEING THE THIRD WHEEL WAS JUST AWKWARD. Harry and Cho walked just before her and seemed drowned in a conversation only they were a part of, Lauren could barely make out what they were saying because of the constant change in subject or whispering and blushing. Why were they acting like that? Draco was never like that with her, she thought. And then suddenly, like a cliche romantic movie she looked to her right and caught two blue eyes piercing into her soul. The girl quickly looked away and pretended to listen to the couple talking but she couldn't ignore the nerves that woke when she knew he was staring at her.

She swore she thought he'd come grab her arm and drag her in a scrub and confront her if it wasn't for Hermione and Ron running up to the three and blocking out Draco from Lauren's sight.

"Hagrid's back," Hermione said. Cho got the hint and returned back into the castle and a couple minutes later the four friends was sprinting down the hill towards Hagrid's simple living.

However, when they arrived they could hear the high-pitched voice that belonged to the pink lady they all had grown to despite, with every single bone in their bodies. Her sharp flower scent lingered around the cottage and embraced the teenagers hiding by the window like an unpleasant breeze.

"I will say this one last time," Umbridge voice spoke from the inside. "I'm ordering you to tell me where you've been."

A deep male voice responded with a familiar accent, "I told you. I've been away for me health."

"Your health?" The woman quickly repeated.

"Yeah. Bit of fresh air, you know."

"Oh, yes. As gamekeeper, fresh air must be difficult to come by," Umbridge said. Lauren grimaced at her friends at the rude lady's comment. "If I were you, I shouldn't get too used to being back. In fact, I mightn't bother unpacking at all." With a wide grin the short woman walked out and closed the wooden door behind her with a proud sigh.

Taking one sniff in the air she pulled out a pink little bottle and turned around to leave her perfume smell by the doorway. The four students waited until they saw the pink figure start walking up the path to the castle before they jumped through the cloud of Umbridge perfume and into the Hagrid's home. He looked at them with a surprised look before smiling widely.

"Does anyone want some tea?" He asked pouring water into a cup.

When the tea was finished Harry had the courage to speak up, but only to thank the half-giant for the drink. Instead, Lauren decided to break the ice, "Hagrid, where've you been?"

He dragged a hand through the beard before sighing, "This is top-secret, right?" They nodded silently. "Dumbledore sent me to parley with the giants."

"Giants?" Hermione exclaimed. Hagrid quickly hushed her and she lowered her voice, "You found them?"

"Well, they're not that hard to find, to be perfectly honest," he chuckled. "They're so big, see? I tried to convince them to join the cause. But I wasn't the only one that was trying to win them over."

"Death Eaters?" Ron cut in.

"Yes. Trying to persuade them to join You-Know-Who."

"Well, whose side they're on?" Lauren asked taking a nervous glance around at everyone in the room, including the big dog just drooling for the meat Hagrid was holding against his cuts.

"I gave them Dumbledore's message. Suppose some of them remember he was friendly to them. I suppose."

"And they did this to you?" Harry asked, referring to his scars.

"Not exactly, no," he said shaking his head. Fang started barking impatiently. "Oh, go on, you have it, then, you dozy dog," Hagrid groaned and threw the meat to the dog, who gladly started eating.

"It's changing out there," Hagrid then spoke while gazing out the window where the weather was starting to whine up into rainy clouds. "Just like last time. There's a storm coming, Harry.We'd all best be ready when she does."

That night, Lauren Diggory didn't rest at all. Her heart was beating so unevenly that her breathing was so heavy, and her hands were shaking so hard that she couldn't control them. Sweat continued to run down her forehead even though she wasn't in fact hot, she was extremely cold actually. Maybe it was the stormy weather that was putting her on edge but when it came to rough nights with nightmares or weird behavior she could never really believe that it had to do with the weather or temperature.

—

"We have confirmed that 10 high-security prisoners in the early hours of yesterday evening did escape. And of course, the Muggle prime minister has been alerted to the danger.We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban. . . notorious mass murderer Sirius Black. . . cousin of escapee Bellatrix Lestrange."

Lauren wished so deeply that she had been sleeping last night because then maybe she wouldn't be so frustrated by the Fudge voice through the radio, or the chatting in the Great Hall when she walked in to breakfast with her friends. Even the clicking of her shoes was digging a hole in the head that was aching.

"Dumbledore warned Fudge this could happen," Hermione said through gritted teeth. "He's gonna get us all killed just because he can't face the truth."

"Harry." They all stopped, halfway to the end of the table when Seamus stood up from his seat. Lauren could feel the tension twisting into a sharp line that could be cut by the simple touch of a knife.

"Seamus, whatever you're about to say you better reconsider if it's worth a broken—"

"Easy, Diggory. I wanted to apologize," he said and looked at Harry. "Now even me mum says the Prophet's Version of things don't add up. So, what I'm really trying to say is that I believe you."

"It's alright, no hard feelings," Harry responded and then nudged the brunette girl's shoulder. Apologizing was never easy for a stubborn girl like Lauren, but she did shake Seamus hand anyways and take back her threat.

"I appreciate that you care, but don't go become a murderer for me," Harry said as they sat down further down the table.

Lauren shrugged, "I was just gonna' break his. . . finger, or nose, you know. Something he'd be fine without."

"You can't breathe without a nose," Ron said.

"Voldemort can," she blurted out. Ronald choked on his food and Harry spit out his juice earning disgusted glances from students around them. Her shocked expression faded as a silence settled between them while they ate, although Lauren couldn't help but feel guilty that Harry barely touched anything that was on his plate.

Great, she made it awkward.

—

After long boring classes where Lauren just had been copying Hermione's notes and daydreaming out the window, the DA were finally back inside the secured walls of the Room of Requirement. Since Harry new how excited everyone was to start using the wands he kept the introduction short and by the next hour blue lights lightened the room and small objects were flying in the air along with laughter.

"Make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember," Harry explained the new spell. "Allow it to fill you up. Keep trying, Seamus. George, your turn now."

"Expecto Patronum," George exclaimed and a weak blue stroke left the tip of his wand.

Lauren patted his shoulder, "Perfect, Georgie!"

She moved over and followed Harry around, just listening to how happy he was while teaching others made her smile so wide that she forgot the moving stone in her stomach that was stopping her from participating.

"A full-bodied Patronus is the most difficult to produce. . . but shield forms can also be equally useful against a variety of opponents.Fantastic, Ginny!" He said as a horse formed of Ginny's patronus.

"Wow, that's so good," Lauren said as she looked over the younger girl.

"Thanks, Lauren."

"Just remember, your Patronus can only protect you for as long as you stay focused. So focus, Luna.Think of the happiest thing you can." While Harry stayed by Luna's side, Lauren walked over to Hermione and admired the small animal running around her.

"It's so cute," she said.

"Come on, Laure'. What's yours, try it," Hermione said putting her own wand away. And there dropped Lauren's smiley face and flowery aura. When her friend noticed Lauren scared eyes she reached out to rub her upper arm, "It's alright if you don't want to. Take your time, Laure'."

"Hey," she turned around and met Fred who had tapped her shoulder. "Can we talk a sec?"

Lauren looked at Hermione quick before following the tall twin to the corner of the room where they sat down on a bench by the mirror wall. If his intentions of a talk was this quiet and awkward Lauren definitely had stayed with Hermione, but now she sat here besides her friend and felt like a stranger.

"So. . ." He started, and patiently she waited for him to continue. It took him a few failures to speak before he looked up at her, "you're one of my best friends, I always have a good time with you, Bug. Also, I know when you're not havin' a good time and. . . Lately, I just, I've noticed how you've gotten off."

She looked at how he avoided meeting her eyes sometimes, and how he fiddled with his hands. She didn't recognize him behind all that anxiety. Fred Weasley was never nervous, not around strangers, not around girls, not around trouble. Still, he stumbled on his own words in front of Lauren.

"That's stupid of me, of course you have all the rights to be off after. . . everything that has happened," he said with a loud exhale. She placed her hand over his and gave him a smile

"Freddie, it's alright. Easy, it's just me."

"Yeah, that's the thing," he said and scooted closer to her. "Bug, is it wrong if I say that I want you to be with someone who deserves you, and not someone who needs you."

She tilted her head, but didn't move away from him. "What do you mean?"

"I. . . I'm trying to look better than the boy I know you want to be with."

"Fred, you asking me out?" She asked with a smirk, making him look up confused.

"Yeah, I think so. But I bet you'd say—"

He was cut off by the lights starting to flicker. The mirror wall by the entrance crashed to the ground and the brick wall behind it exploded. Lauren and Fred quickly stood up and he tried to block small rocks from hitting her. A wide hole left their secret army exposed to the group of people that had crashed down the wall.

"Get them," the woman in the front said, Professor Umbridge. Lauren looked at the group of volunteers and Mr. Filch before her eyes met Draco. He glared sternly at her and the boy who stood very close to her. She already knew what Draco was thinking had happened, why she had been avoiding him for so long, and while she was grabbed by a Slytherin girl and lead with the others to Umbridge's office—she was dying to run to the blonde boy and explain everything.

The next morning on their way to their first class, they stop to watch Mr. Filch balance on the top of the ladder.

'"Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight," Lauren read. "I got quite the sight for seeing all the way up there, don't you think?"

"Sure," Ron said. "Or you just remember the last one was Twenty-Seven."

Lauren scuffed and then turned to Hermione and noticed her depressed face expression.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"Umbridge's the new Headmaster."

"Bloody hell," Ron said.

—

Lauren felt sick just thinking about how depressed and quiet the school would be from now on. Right now, she wished she had just stayed away. She wished she had stayed in that daydream back in a house that used to be her home, where there was nothing but how it used to be. Instead, she was walking through the tree tunnel over the gorge, moving away from the castle with her friends. Her hand was burning from the torture session with Umbridge, the cruel punishment she had given them. Usually the view from here was always beautiful, but now it was covered by a thick white fog.

"You did everything you could. No one could win against that old hag," Ron said to the bitter boy walking a few steps ahead.

"Even Dumbledore didn't see this coming," Hermione said as Harry stopped to lean against the railing. "Harry, if it's anyone's fault, it's ours."

"Yeah, we talked you into it," Ron said, looking down at his feet.

"Yeah, but I agreed. I tried so hard to help, and all it's done is make things worse. Anyway, that doesn't matter anymore. Because I don't want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. And the more you care, the more you have to lose."

"Harry, stop being so stubborn!" Lauren said loudly, making them all flinch. She didn't often raise her voice like that. "Doesn't matter how much you have to lose, you should still fight for it. It's worth fighting for."

"I'm sorry, Lauren, I didn't mean it like that," Harry said and looked up at her, realizing why she was tearing up.

"Listen, I know. But just because someone comes to stand in our way doesn't mean there isn't another way around. We've met stop signs before but it's not like that has stopped us," Lauren said looking around at her saddened friends.

"Lauren's right," Hermione said.

"Thank you."

"We should take a moment and then just strike again, but smarter."

"How? What are we supposed to do? Dumbledore's gone, Umbridge is Headmaster, I'm failing all my classes! I'm worried about Hogwarts, about Voldemort being back and I'm dying to protect my friends because by having you with me I'm putting you in extreme danger and I don't wanna see you dead!"

And after that a tense silence washed past them. There was so much that Lauren wanted to say, she wanted to hug him and comfort him and lie to him how everything was going to be okay—she wanted to give him all the hope there was left inside her. But a monstrous pain in her head stopped her.

He's afraid.

She flinched and turned around, expecting to see his silhouette but there was no one behind her.

Are you scared, Lauren? Lauricella? Does that scare you?

"Shut up," she said quietly. Her actions did not go unnoticed though.

"Lauren, I'm sorry that I yelled—"

"No, no, it's not you," she said. Harry frowned, he knew how much she hated when they fought, or when someone was stressed. Hermione panicked because she knew how much Lauren hated when someone was yelling. Ronald felt his heart fall because he saw how much sorrow her eyes showed whenever she let her guard down.

They are scared of you.

The raspy voice had gotten to her head again, she knew who he was and how he loved to play with her. She tried to remember what Snape had been teaching her and Harry but she felt so weak.

Harry's eyes widened with realisation, "Block him out, Lauren. Block him out, just like we've been training."

Push me away just like you pushed your father away, and maybe I'll die too.

She could practically hear the smirk on Voldemort's face as he tortured his way through her mental walls. She didn't stand a chance against him.

Don't push your father away, Lauricella. Not your real one.

Then her body collapsed and her heart halted, and everything went black before her eyes.

▬▬ author's note ▬▬

so, guess i've got some explaining to do? I'll start by apologizing for SO slow updates, but it's summer break! i really can't say no to a day in the sun by the pool or spending all night with friends doing stupid teenage stuff. i won't promise that I'll post every day. i write when i feel like it and when i have ideas, you can't force a story that won't end well and i wouldn't enjoy that.
anyways, i really hope y'all having a good time and staying safe and being careful when you're out (if you're out). 

got an idea to do this right no, daily quote; " danger is real, fear is a voice. "
stay tuned! thank u!