Chapter 13: A Near Death Experience
As they left the restaurant, James rounded on Khyana.
"You've been seeing Cam Jones? For real?"
Khyana rolled her eyes and kept walking. "I go with Kelria to see him when he has information for me. That's it, James, stop making such a huge deal out of it!"
James glared at her. "But you haven't told Sirius?"
Khyana stopped walking and rounded to face James. "James Potter, you keep your nose out of this! It's none of your bloody damn business! It's confidential, and I can't have my current boyfriend taking out my ex simply because he gives me information about a case I'm working. So you keep your bloody great mouth shut, you hear me?"
James bristled, but nodded stiffly. The walk back to the Ministry was done in strained silence.
The rest of the week was hectic for everyone, especially Khyana and Kelria. Kelria desperately tried to catch Snape in the act of communicating with Wilkes, but had thus far been unsuccessful. Khyana was trying to decide what to do about Leanne, and finally, on the Saturday after the lunch date with Rob, she went to see her friend.
Leanne answered the door, and her face broke into a huge grin.
"Yana!"
"Hi, Leanne," Khyana said, forcing a smile. "How are you?"
"I'm great, and you?"
"I'm pretty good."
"That's good. Won't you come in?"
Khyana, all her senses alert, nodded and entered the house.
Leanne led her into the small kitchen at the back of the house, where the older girl pushed a small button, thinking Khyana wouldn't notice.
"Do you need more potion?" Leanne asked. "You haven't been around for a while."
"Yeah, I think I do," Khyana replied, changing her original answer quickly. She didn't want to get her friend in trouble.
"I thought you might," Leanne replied, smiling. "I have some in the basement, you just wait here."
The older girl left, and Khyana went over to inspect the button she had pushed. It didn't give any indication, but she knew her friend had alerted the Lestranges to her presence in the house. She would have to be on her guard.
Leanne returned quickly with a large flask of Khyana's potion and handed it to her, smiling.
"There you go."
"Thanks."
Khyana put the flask down on the table and sat in one of the chairs. Leanne sat down across from her.
"So, how have you been, Yana?"
"I'm pretty good," Khyana replied, and then decided to go out on a limb. "I've received a lot of good information for this case I'm working. It's amazing how many good informants the Ministry has. I have access to a lot more than I ever expected."
Leanne didn't flinch, but her eyes flickered to the button, and Khyana struggled to hide her smirk. So she had been right; the button triggered some sort of bug for the Lestranges to listen in on the conversation.
A moment later, her suspicion was confirmed. There was a knock at the door, and Leanne went to answer it, returning in a few moments, followed closely by her visitors.
"Miss Malfoy."
"Bellatrix," Khyana replied coolly, standing.
"Good to see you."
"Wish I could say the same."
Bellatrix's lip curled in a sneer. "Watch your tone with me, Malfoy."
Khyana's temper flared, and she pulled out her wand.
Bellatrix laughed and pulled out her own. Rodolphus and Leanne did the same. All three wands were pointed in Khyana's direction, and she was starting to wish she'd brought Kelria with her.
Kelria wasn't there, however, and even Khyana knew better than to take on two Death Eaters and an imperiused person on her own, so she spun on the spot and disapparated, but not before Bellatrix shrieked her fury, yelling at Leanne, "I thought you said she needed more potion!"
Once safely back in her own home, Khyana pulled out her weekly report and added her meeting to it, leaving nothing out--including the decorations and curtain pattern in Leanne's house.
"See how you like that, James Potter!" she muttered. "That'll show you for lecturing me!"
Saturday night, Remus picked Kelria up at her house, and they headed to the Coliseum, an Italian restaurant in London, for dinner.
"This is awfully fancy, Remus," Kelria, who had gone shopping the previous day with Khyana for a fancy muggle dress for the occasion, commented.
Remus nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, that it is."
"Any particular occasion?" Kelria asked, raising her eyebrows.
Remus shrugged, shaking his head. "Nope."
"You're lying."
Remus laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Perhaps. You will find out, won't you?"
Kelria rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Remus."
The meal was very good, and afterward, they went for a little walk in the park.
"It's a New York night," Kelria said suddenly.
Remus looked at her, one brow raised. "What?"
"It's a New York night," Kelria repeated.
"Meaning what?"
"I want to go to New York," Kelria said simply.
Remus shook his head, a small smile playing around his lips. "Alright then. Central Park, three seconds."
The two spun on the spot and appeared seconds later in Central Park, New York City.
Remus hailed a carriage, and the two got in and sat together, looking out at the stars and talking.
Suddenly, Remus leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder, who pulled on the reins and stopped the carriage. Remus jumped down and helped a very confused Kelria out of the vehicle.
"Remus, what the-?"
Remus simply shook his head and led Kelria to the edge of the bridge. There they stood for a few moments.
"Kelria, I have a question for you."
"Okay," Kelria said, still utterly lost and confused.
"Do you love me?"
Kelria looked startled. "Of course I love you, Remus."
"Then I have another question for you."
Kelria was starting to piece things together in her head. "Remus…"
Remus got down on the ground on one knee, a ring suddenly in his hand. "Kelria Song, will you marry me?"
Kelria smiled and then laughed, tears running down her face. "Of course, Remus," she said, feeling a little choked up.
Remus grinned widely, placed the ring on her finger and stood up, spinning her around and kissing her.
"I'm very glad," he murmured.
When Kelria got home, the first thing she did was call Khyana.
"You'll never guess what happened tonight, Na!"
"Well, I think you're going to tell me anyway, so I don't need to guess," Khyana said sleepily.
"Remus asked me to marry him!"
"What?!" Khyana was suddenly wide awake. "Kel, that's awesome!"
"I know! Will you be my maid of honour?"
"You bet I will! Wow, Kel, that's so cool."
Kelria nodded, realising Khyana couldn't see her, but unable to say anything.
"Hey, Kel, I'd love to stay up 'til all hours with you talking about this, but I'm really tired so I'm going to go to bed, okay?"
"Alright, I'll see you later, Yana."
"See you."
Sunday afternoon, Khyana received the tickets for her French class banquet in the mail, and quickly apparated to Sirius' house.
"Sirius!"
She heard vague noises from the bedroom, and hurried upstairs, banging on the wall and steps as she went.
"Sirius!" she called again, banging on his bedroom door.
He opened the door slowly, and peered at her through a crack.
"Yeeeeeees?"
Khyana rolled her eyes and reminded him about the dinner for her French class the following week.
"You're still coming, right?"
"Of course!" Sirius replied, looking shocked. "I wouldn't miss it!"
"Good," Khyana smiled. "I've got your ticket, so if you weren't coming, I'd have to find someone else to come with me."
"I'll be there," Sirius assured her.
"Good. Now what are you hiding from me?"
"Hiding?" Sirius repeated, opening the door fully. "Nothing. Why?"
Khyana raised one eyebrow sceptically. "Then why didn't you open the door fully before?"
Sirius shrugged. "I like to be mysterious."
Khyana rolled her eyes again, spun on the spot and apparated back to her own house.
A/N: There you go! I know it's been a long time coming, but I've been very busy. The next few shouldn't take as long to get up...But we'll have to see. R&R please!