Raven (Fred x oc)

2. Escaped

Halfway through the summer, I sat curled up on my bed reading, the smiling face of my father in my peripheral vision. "Valerie!" Remus shouted, rushing up the stairs and to my room.

"What's wrong?" I replied, setting aside my book and getting up.

"Valerie, you need to move. Pack your things, now," he ordered.

"What?" I panicked.

"We need to get you out of here," he insisted. "Pack your things!"

"Remus, what's going on?!" I shouted. Before he could answer, a blast rang through the house. Instantly, Remus pushed me behind him as wizards ran up the stairs and barged into the room.

"Valerie Black, we're taking you in for questioning about the escape of Sirius Black," a wizard said authoritatively.

"Remus," I said shakily, hiding behind him.

"I-It's okay, Valerie," he replied, his voice faltering slightly. "You-you need to go with them."

"Remus," I protested. "Please, don't make me do this. Don't make me do this!" I broke down in tears as I was pulled away from him.

"Don't hurt her!" Remus protested, moving forward only to be held back by another auror.

"Remus!" I screamed, trying to fight as they dragged me from the house.
............................................
"I've already told you," I said icily. "I haven't spoken to my father in twelve years. I didn't even know he had broken out until you barged in."

"You're in fifth year, correct?" the auror in front of me interrogated.

"Yes," I spat. "What does that have to do with my father?!"

"Professor Dumbledore allowed me to have a look at your school records," he remarked, opening a file before him. "Spent one year as seeker for your Quidditch team, the last three years as chaser, but frankly what concerns me more is your disciplinary record. It says here you get into quite a bit of trouble with your friends, mainly Fred and George Weasley and Lee Jordan."

"We pull pranks, so what?" I snapped.

"In one such prank, you locked a fellow student in a janitor's closet," he said. "When it became a risk to his safety, you managed to break him out in less than a minute."

"Yeah, breaking out of a closet is a hell of a lot easier than breaking out of Azkaban," I snapped.

"Yet it all shows the kind of person you've become," he countered.

Leaning forward, I flashed my blazing grey eyes at him and warned dangerously, "I'm going to say this one. more. time. I don't know why or how my father got out of Azkaban. I didn't help him and he hasn't been in contact with me. Now if that isn't good enough for you, then I suggest you get a personality check. Desperation doesn't suit you." Leaning back and crossing my arms, I finished, "I'm done talking."

"Your father only said one thing before he escaped," the auror remarked. "He first said 'He's at Hogwarts' then he said 'Then I can find my Raven.' Any idea what he meant by that?" I remained silent.

For hours, they threw questions at me, but it was at least five hours before the door suddenly opened. My eyes glanced over at the door with disinterest as another auror came in and began whispering to the other, glancing over at me. "Get up," the first one ordered. I did so, rolling my eyes. "Valerie Black, you're under arrest for assisting in the escape of Sirius Black."

"This is such bull," I hissed, wincing as handcuffs were tightened around my wrists. "I didn't do anything!"

"Escort her to Azkaban."

"What?" I cried, looking wildly between the figures in front of me. "No. No, no, no! NO! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! PLEASE! REMUS! REMUS!"

"Give her her father's cell!"

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! NO!" I screamed, beginning to sob. "You already threw one innocent Black in jail, why throw in another one!"

The cold of the metal bars seeped into my skin as I was flung into the cell. My body felt drained and weakened as the dementors moved past the cells. Weakly, I got to my feet and sat on the bed, leaning my back against the stone wall. Shivering, I wrapped myself in the blanket on the bed and leaned my head against the wall. Smiling ever so faintly, I ran my finger over the name engraved on the wall beside my head. From the oil stains, it seemed someone else had done the same multiple times.

On the wall was engraved Valerie. Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, "Dad."