Chapter 22: Just a Suspicion

Khyana and Kelria had had many discussions about these dreams when they had appeared in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Neither one was looking forward to having them again.

They were sitting in the ever-popular Marty's Diner and they were having a deep discussion about them, yet again.

"So you said you were just having a catnap…huh. I haven't had any yet," Khyana commented, dragging her onion ring through the sauce.

"I haven't had any since," Kelria agreed, taking a bite of her salad.

"Why do you always get a salad here?" Khyana asked suddenly.

"What? That was pretty random."

"I'm just curious."

"Why do you always get onion rings?"

"Because I'm allergic to potatoes and I can't have the fries."

Kelria sniggered. "Oh yeah."

"So how come you always get the salad? You don't have any allergies to use as an excuse."

Kelria shrugged. "I don't know. It's good and it's healthy."

"Pfft! If I wanted healthy, I'd stay home! I come to Marty's to put on some fat! And you could certainly do with putting on some fat."

Kelria laughed. "We're getting married, darling! We have to keep our figures to fit into our dresses!"

"I don't," Khyana replied, smirking. "I don't have my dress yet."

"Why are we talking about this and not the dreams?"

"Because Jonathan and Julie just walked by like five times."

"Oh."

"Gosh, Kelria! That's why you're auror 83 and I'm auror 81. I pay attention to what's going on around me."

Kelria laughed. "Whatever you say, Khyana."

Khyana grinned and stuck another onion ring in her mouth.

"So, back on topic…You haven't had any other dreams?"

Kelria shook her head. "Nope."

"Hm. So, why does Sara, who's been dead and quiet for four years, all of a sudden show up in your dreams again?"

Kelria took a drink of water. "I don't know that it's necessarily Sara."

Khyana was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't actually see Sara in the dream. It could be someone else."

Khyana raised an eyebrow. "How many other people do we both know who are dead and could be doing this?"

Kelria shrugged. "Who says it's someone we both know?"

Khyana sniggered. "Okay, let me get this straight. Someone who is dead has come back, taken up Sara's mission to save us from the Death Eaters. They appear only to you, but only once, and they show you a meeting between Lestrange and Voldemort so you can save my hide. But they don't know me. Or you."

Kelria blushed. "When you put it that way…"

Khyana shrugged. "That's why, my friend, I am auror 81."

Kelria slammed her door, very loudly. It didn't abate her anger, however.

"Stupid…number 81 my butt…and she claims she's not a Malfoy."

The mutters kept on as they came to her head. Khyana had certainly shown her Malfoy background with her little comment about why it couldn't be someone who didn't know both of them. And she kept going on and on about how she was auror number 81 and Kelria was only 83…

"Stupid…some friend…"

April and May passed in a haze, and very quickly it was summer. Khyana and Emily-Hope were still trying to track down the Lestranges, and Kelria was having no luck at all with finding the Malfoys at anything illegal. And on top of trying to find their respective Death Eaters, both girls were busy trying to plan a double wedding, with much meddling from the Potters and Longbottoms.

On this particular Saturday late in June, the two brides-to-be were to be found once again at Marty's Diner, both eating salads this time.

"I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking," Kelria teased.

Khyana shrugged and made a face. "The burger and rings are still better. And as soon as I don't ever have to fit into that dress again, that's the first thing I'm going to eat."

Kelria laughed. "Good luck with that. I think Sirius will want to take you somewhere more romantic."

Khyana made a face. "Well, he'll just have to deal with it then."

Kelria laughed and returned her attention to the fabric swatches set out on the table around their food.

"I like this one," she said, pointing to a cream and gold swatch.

Khyana nodded. "It's pretty. Whatever you like, Kel."

Kelria frowned. "It's your wedding too, Khyana."

Khyana shrugged and changed the subject. "Remus is still okay getting married on Hallowe'en?"

Kelria shrugged. "He hasn't said anything different. And he wouldn't be able to keep it from me if he had a problem with it."

Khyana nodded. "How's the search coming?"

Kelria scowled. "You Malfoys are all the same. If you don't want to be found, you're good at hiding."

Khyana nodded. "I know."

Kelria gaped. She had been expecting a flare-up about how Khyana wasn't a Malfoy…

Khyana shrugged. "You owed me."

July came and brought the hot weather with it. Khyana could be found on any given day wearing robes she had worn a few years ago when she was shorter. Everyone made fun of her, but she just shrugged and replied, "I'm not boiling."

Kelria also made fun of Khyana for another reason. Her desk was an absolute disaster.

"Oh shut up, Kelria, no one cares. No one else has to deal with it, just me. And I can handle it."

Kelria shook her head. "The rest of us are tired of waiting for you to dig through all your crap to find whatever we're asking you for. Everyone has to deal with it, Khyana, not just you."

Khyana smirked. "Alright, alright! I'll clean it up."

"When?"

Khyana shrugged. "Someday."

"Soon."

"Maybe."

The night Khyana had that conversation with Kelria, she found herself sitting in her cubicle into the wee hours of the morning, trying to figure out some information from her latest informant.

"This is going nowhere," she muttered, then looked at the clutter that was the top of her desk. "I'm going to take a break."

If anyone had told Khyana a month ago that on her break she'd be cleaning up her cubicle, she would have laughed in their faces. But she didn't have anything else to do; all her friends were on Order assignments tonight.

She started moving files around, putting them in filing cabinets and neat piles around to be put away somewhere later. She had been working for about two hours and was nearly completed when she came across a white envelope. Curious, she opened it, remembering what had been said when she had received it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Just a suspicion," Lightfingers replied.

Just a suspicion…Khyana opened the envelope, very wary and worried about what she would find. How could she have forgotten about this envelope?

She pulled the parchment from the envelope carefully, and opened it even slower. As she read the one line typed onto the page, her naturally pale face paled even more. Her friends were all in danger.

A/N: DUNH DUNH DUNH! This is a cliffhanger just for Kel, cuz I know how much she loves them! Don't you Kel! Haha. I love you sis. I can't wait for you to do my hair tomorrow, and then we're going SHOPPING! WOOT! And Shannon, you spelled "wrong" wrong in your last review...