Chapter 5: Information

The next day, which was Wednesday, everyone on Kelria's squad was busy pursuing his or her respective assigned Death Eaters. Khyana and Kelria made their way to the Tonks home with optimistic outlooks.

"Are you sure Andi won't mind?" Kelria asked for the fifth time.

Khyana's patience was wearing thin. "Yes, Kelria, for the last time! She's not going to mind!"

"Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

When they reached the tiny house, they knocked loudly and were greeted by a little girl, about five, with blonde pigtails, who regarded them thoughtfully.

"Who are you?" she asked bluntly.

Khyana smothered a smile. "My name is Khyana. What's yours?"

"Nymphadora," she replied with a grimace.

Khyana looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. I don't like it, though."

Khyana smiled. "Is your mom at home?"

Nymphadora shook her head and her pigtails bounced. "Daddy's here."

"May I speak to him, please?"

Ted Tonks appeared in the hall at that moment, and when he saw who his visitors were, a large grin spread across his face.

"Khyana! You're a redhead!"

"Hello, Tonks," she replied with a grin. "Yes, that I am. And how are you?"

"Good, good. Dora here certainly keeps us on our toes."

Khyana laughed. "She seems the type to do so, yes. We actually stopped by to see Andi. When do you expect her home?"

"Any minute. Please come in."

The two auror students stepped into the small house and looked around.

"It's not much," Ted said, "And it's certainly not what Andi's used to, but she didn't want a big house."

Khyana nodded. "I can understand that. I prefer smaller homes as well."

Ted nodded. "Won't you sit?" he asked, indicating the chesterfield.

The two women sat down on the sofa, and Ted sent Dora out to play in the yard.

"But I want to stay here."

"Now, Nymphadora," Ted said sternly.

Dora left, glaring and muttering darkly, and Khyana smiled.

"Well, well, she's a Black after all," she muttered quietly.

"What?" Ted asked.

Khyana shook her head. "Nothing."

There was a whoosh from the fireplace, and Andromeda Black Tonks spun into view, carrying an armload of packages. Ted jumped up and grabbed the parcels before they could fall.

"Welcome home," he said, grinning broadly.

"Thanks," Andi said, also grinning, and then noticed her guests. "Khyana!" she cried, laughing. "Well, this is certainly a surprise, though not unwelcome. You're a redhead!"

"Yes, that I am," Khyana agreed with a grin, the same way she had done with Ted.

The two women talked for a few more moments, and Kelria felt awkward, like she was interrupting a reunion.

"Wow, I'm stupid," Khyana said suddenly. "I'm sorry, Andi, this is my best friend, Kelria Song."

Andi nodded, still grinning. "I assumed so. It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you."

Kelria flushed slightly, and shook Andi's hand. "I've heard a lot about you, too."

Andi's face suddenly lost its grin. "I know you too well, Khyana Malfoy. This isn't a social call, is it? Not in the middle of a work day, in the middle of one of the biggest assignments of your school career."

Khyana shook her head, her face becoming suddenly serious as well.

"No, Andi, it's not. We need to ask you a couple questions."

Andi sighed. "I should have expected this. You want to know about Bella and Cissy, don't you?"

Khyana nodded.

Andi looked to her husband, who took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly. Then she took a deep breath.

"Who's got Bella?"

"I do," Khyana replied.

If Andi was surprised, she didn't show it. She merely nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, I'm sure you both know that she's married Rodolphus Lestrange…"

"I've been assigned both of them," Khyana replied.

"Oh really…" Andi said, raising her eyebrows. "Interesting…well, alright then. Bella's been meeting with some people…I don't know who they are. It's a couple, a young man and a young woman, about your age I'd think. She's got brown hair, and his is a dirty blonde, but I think he dyes it. I think she's trying to recruit them, and every time they meet, the guy gives her a package of some sort. I don't know what's in it."

Khyana looked thoughtful, and was silent for a few moments before finally saying, "Thanks, Andi, that's really a big help."

"No problem," Andi replied, nodding her head in Khyana's direction before her attention to Kelria. "And you've been assigned the Malfoys."

"Yes," Kelria agreed.

"Well then," Andi said, and then looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Alright. I wouldn't worry too much about Cissy. She's too busy being a mommy, but Lucius-"

"Hang on!" Khyana cried. "What did you just say about Narcissa?"

Andi looked confused. "She's busy being a mommy…?"

"Since when do Lucius and Narcissa have a kid?" Khyana asked, trying hard not to puke.

"Um…March, I think," Andi replied.

"WHAT?! This is June!" she cried, then whirled on Kelria. "Did you know the Malfoys had a kid?"

Kelria shook her head, as shocked by the news as Khyana was. "I haven't heard anything about it."

Khyana looked completely lost. "I'm an aunt…grand! The last thing we need is Lucius reproducing…oh yuck. I'm trying very hard not to be sick right now."

Andi looked confused. "You didn't know Narcissa had a son?"

"A son? Joyous occasion. Why couldn't it have been a girl?" Khyana demanded. "A girl would have been better…"

Andi shook her head. "Then we'd have a mini Bella running around, trust me. And if it had been a girl, they would have had more. Lucius is only interested in an heir. Now that he's got it, there's no need to have any more children."

"I guess," Khyana agreed. "So tell me about my nephew…our nephew," she corrected herself.

Andi shrugged. "There's not really much to tell. His name is Draco, and he looks like Lucius. And he screams a lot."

Khyana smirked. "Lucius screamed a lot too. Mother was forever reminding him."

Andi nodded. "So, anyway. Lucius is making some sort of plan…he's been meeting with strange people too, but not the same ones as Bella and Rodolphus. He's meeting with just a man; he looks kind of like a rat, actually. What Lucius sees in him, I'll never know. He doesn't seem to be much help…except that they talk a lot, and I think the man works in the Ministry, or has friends in the Ministry; specifically in the auror department. From what I gather, he has friends working a big assignment involving Lucius…which would be you ladies."

Khyana, naturally pale as a Malfoy, looked nearly transparent, and Kelria also looked scared. Someone close to them was leaking information…?

"Thank you, Andi," Khyana managed to get out. "You've been a great help. We should probably get going, tell James what we've found and such."

Andi nodded, and the four stood. "You should come back sometime--both of you--and we'll catch up, Yana. And I'd love to get to know you better, Kelria."

Khyana nodded, too shaken to say anything more. The two women collected their things at the door and headed out into the afternoon sun, neither able to say a word.

James was absolutely furious.

"You're sure?" he demanded, for the seventh time.

Khyana nodded, too stunned still to reprimand him for yelling at her. "Definitely," she replied, same as she had six times already. "Andi wouldn't lie about this."

"Yeah, that's another thing," James continued, still fuming. "How does she know all this?"

Khyana shrugged. "She keeps good tabs on her sisters and their husbands. That's all I can say for sure."

James shook his head and pounded his hand on his desk again. "I just can't believe it. I'm calling a meeting. My office, now. Anyone not there is immediately put on probation under suspicion of leaking information. Got it?"

Kelria nodded, but Khyana looked sceptical. "That's absurd, James. People are busy doing other things, they're working on their parts of the assignment."

"Now," James repeated, in the same no-nonsense voice Ted had used on Nymphadora, and left Khyana's cubicle.

Khyana sighed. "I'm telling you, stubborn as a mule that one."

"I heard that, Khyana!"

Five minutes later, the entire team was in James' cubicle…and it was not a comfortable fit, nine people in that tiny cubicle. Kelria held her tongue, however, knowing that James was not in a good mood.

"Alright, people," James began. "I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here."

"No kidding," Frank agreed. James shot him a glare.

"No more comments from the peanut gallery, please," he said sternly.

Frank gave him a lopsided smile, but said no more.

"Alright. So. You've all been called here for a very important reason," James began again. "I've just been given some information that there is a leak in our information system. Someone's been feeding information to the Death Eaters about what we're doing. Does that sound about right, Khyana and Kelria?"

Khyana nodded. "Something like that," she agreed.

"Andi said that it wasn't someone in our group; this person had friends in our group," Kelria took up the story. "And apparently he looks like a rat…?" she finished with a confused shrug. "Who has a friend that looks like a rat?"

They all thought for a moment, and then James and Khyana paled at the same moment.

"No way," Khyana breathed, catching James' eye.

"There's no way…he wouldn't," James said softly.

A/N: Well there you go. I've had two exams so far...two to go...I had nothing to do all afternoon...my dad's home all day, so I worked on this in my room. And now it's done. And now I'm off to put up chappie 6!