Chapter 25: Paperwork

Khyana was now doing the pacing in Sirius' living room, and she knew he was getting annoyed, but there was nothing else she could think of to do. Remus was now missing too.

"Na, stop. Na, stop. Na! Stop pacing!"

Khyana barely registered Sirius' voice. She didn't acknowledge his presence until he stepped behind her and put his arms around her waist.

"Khyana," he whispered. "Stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole in my carpet."

"I don't care. I can't do anything to bring them back, Sirius, and it's driving me nuts!"

Sirius spun her around so she was facing him and put his hands on her shoulders. "We're going to find them, Na. You just have to believe that."

Kelria and Remus had a system going that seemed to be working well. They were walking in circles, pacing. It kept them from getting stiff, and also from going insane. For Kelria, auror #83, to sit still and do nothing, was complete and utter torture, more so than any amount of cursing or physical pain. Remus had nearly gone mad sitting listening to her pace, so he had joined her.

Their pacing stopped abruptly when the dungeon door opened and someone stepped in. Both instinctively dropped to the ground.

A quiet laugh came from the doorway.

"You think dropping will stop me?" the woman's voice sneered. "You're first, Song."

Kelria picked herself up from the floor, determined not to give her any chance to touch her.

The woman reached for Kelria's arm, and she pulled back, snarling. "Don't touch me."

Bellatrix Lestrange smiled evilly, grabbing Kelria's forearm forcefully.

"Believe me, filth, I would like nothing better than to never have to touch you. Unfortunately, we can't have you running away on us, can we?"

Kelria considered fighting her, but quickly decided against it. Bellatrix had a wand, something Kelria was sadly lacking, and she didn't want to test Bellatrix's short temper by forcing her to use it; Kelria had no doubt she would.

Bellatrix led Kelria down a series of winding hallways, confusing Kelria so much that she knew she would never be able to find her way back to Remus if left to her own devices. She also knew that that was exactly what the Death Eaters wanted.

Bellatrix finally stopped and threw her into a small room, where she fell on her face. She bit back a cry of pain even as the blood left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Don't go anywhere now," Bellatrix said in a mock baby voice, and she shut the door.

Kelria shifted so she was lying on her back, thinking. She had been separated from Remus in a castle in a country she was unsure of. She sighed, and shrugged. She had faced worse.

She decided to get some sleep. She hadn't had any since she'd been taken, and she wasn't sure how long she'd be left in this room. Her last thought before sleep took her was that she couldn't die. Too many people needed her…

Remus didn't mind the dark, nor did he mind being alone. There were, however, several things he didn't like about the situation he was in. He had been captured by Death Eaters, taken to a country whose name he didn't know, had been thrown in a dungeon with his fiancée, and then had had his fiancée taken again. And he didn't know where she was. And he didn't like that. That was the main thing he didn't like.

He started pacing again, but without Kelria's steady breathing to keep his own steady, he was rapidly beginning to hyperventilate.

"Stay calm, Moony," he muttered, slowing his breathing quickly and trying to lower his heart rate.

He sat in a meditative position to calm himself down. His breathing slowed and his heart rate settled back to normal.

In his calm state, Remus was able to think better. He needed sleep. He would do no one any good if the Death Eaters came for him and he was too tired to concentrate.

Sirius was frustrated. He didn't like not knowing where anyone was. He had volunteered to stay behind during the search to make sure Khyana didn't do anything stupid, but he was starting to wish he hadn't. It had been over an hour since anyone had checked in, and they were supposed to make sure someone checked in every hour, on the hour. That was the deal. And it was driving Sirius nuts that they weren't keeping up their end of the deal.

He had sent his fiancée to bed half an hour ago, when she refused to stop pacing on his carpet. He could handle many things; watching someone pace was not one of them.

He growled in his throat, impatient. Where was James?

Suddenly there was a whirling noise in the fireplace, and Sirius spun around to face his best friend.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" he hissed angrily.

James looked out of breath and was breathing heavily. "Running," he gasped.

"Why?"

James shook his head and held up two fingers. Sirius sighed impatiently and crossed his arms to wait.

"We've got a lead."

"What kind of lead?" Sirius asked, trying not to let himself get too excited. He knew how often leads fell through.

"I need Khyana."

Sirius shook his head firmly. "No. she's sleeping."

"No, she's not."

Both men spun around to see Khyana, looking determined and dangerous, standing in the doorway.

"What do you need, James?"

James hesitated and shot Sirius a look, but his friend was totally focussed on Khyana. James wondered if that was intentional…

"No."

Khyana turned her attention from James to glare at Sirius.

"He's my squad leader, Sirius. If he needs me, I go."

James felt a small thrill that Khyana trusted him enough to say that to Sirius, but then he noted Sirius' face. His friend looked terrified.

Khyana seemed to notice the look on Sirius' face, too, because her own expression changed and she smiled softly at him. She closed the distance between them in two long strides and put her hands on Sirius' chest.

"I'll be fine, Sirius, I promise," she said softly. "We'll be careful, I won't do anything unless James tells me to. This is what I'm trained for, darling."

Sirius' arms went around her in a powerful embrace and she let her head fall against his chest. His heart was in his throat.

"Be careful, baby."

"I will."

Khyana reached up and kissed him quickly, before turning and leaving with James.

Sirius watched her go, wishing there was something more he could do…

Khyana apparated with James to the place the searchers had set up their headquarters.

She looked around, surprised to see Lightfingers there.

"Lightfingers, hey!"

James looked from Khyana to the informant, then nodded to Frank behind Lightfingers, who stepped forward and motioned for the informant to follow him.

Khyana turned to James, confused.

"What's going on?"

"Lightfingers says he knows where Kel and Moony are. We just needed you to tell us that he really was who he said he was."

Khyana put her hands on her hips. "That's all you wanted me for?"

James sighed. "I can't risk you going out to the field, Khyana."

Khyana growled in her throat. "This is about the Order, James. I'm not in the Order anymore. I want to go looking for them. She's my best friend too!"

James nodded. "I know. But Sirius would have my head if you got taken."

Khyana raised an eyebrow. "I can look after myself, James."

"I know. But as your squad leader, I am forbidding you to go after Kelria and Remus. You can stay here, if you like, and organise everything."

"Paperwork," Khyana muttered darkly.

"Yes, paperwork. But it's the only involvement I'm going to allow you, Khyana."

Khyana glared at him, considering her options. She could blow James off completely and go look for her friends herself, but she had promised Sirius. Or she could stay here, far out of danger, where everyone wanted her, and do paperwork, take reports, and organise the search. At least she would be doing something…

"Alright, James, I'll do your paperwork."

James grinned. "You're a doll, Khyana, I owe you!"

"You bet you do," she muttered darkly. "I'll remember that, James."

A/N: EXAMS ARE SO OVER! Woohoo! What's going to happen to Kelria and Remus? Or Sirius and Khyana for that matter...haha, your guess is as good as mine! R&R please.