Chapter 24: A Dream and a Flashback

Sirius had finally talked his fiancée into getting some sleep, hoping that maybe she would have one of those dreams and be able to help them find Kelria. Remus was pacing in Sirius' living room, looking haggard, and there was nothing Sirius could say to him to make him stop.

"Moony, you're wearing a hole in my carpet."

Remus glared at him and Sirius sighed. "Pacing isn't going to bring Kelria back any sooner, Remus."

"You're right," Remus agreed. "I'm going out."

"What? No, Moony-!"

"I'll see you in a bit, Padfoot."

Remus left the house and Sirius sighed. People were coming and going from his house, which had been set up as a headquarters for the search effort.

Shortly after Remus left, Khyana entered the living room, wrapped in a blanket, and sat down on the couch beside Sirius.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hi."

Sirius was shocked at the change in his fiancée in the past few hours. She really felt responsible for Kelria's disappearance, and it was taking its toll.

"How are you?" Sirius asked, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

She snuggled against his shoulder and shrugged. "Not too good."

Sirius sighed and kissed the top of her head. "Remus has gone to look for Kelria."

"He won't find her."

Sirius looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean?"

Khyana shrugged again. "I had a dream."

"Did you?" Sirius asked, smiling.

Khyana nodded. "Kelria's in a castle."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Is it yours?"

Khyana stiffened. "I don't have one."

"Is it the Malfoy Estate?" Sirius corrected.

Khyana shook her head. "No."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"I remembered something else."

"What's that?"

"Back when we first got our assignments, last June, Andi told me that Bellatrix was meeting with two people, a brunette woman and dirty blonde-haired man, but she thought he died his hair, and they were about our age. She was talking about Cam and Laura, and I didn't even realize it. I should have picked up on that."

Sirius sat her up straight and looked her right in the eye. "You had no way of knowing who Andi was talking about, Khyana. Don't blame yourself for not picking up on something as coded as the information she gave you."

"But I should have got it," she muttered.

Sirius sighed, exasperated. "How many brunette women do you know, Khyana?"

"A few."

"And how many men do you know with dyed dirty blonde hair?"

"A few."

"Exactly. Andi could have been talking about anyone! You had no way of knowing it was Cam and Laura. It is not your fault."

Khyana sighed. "I guess. But still."

"No, no 'but still', Khyana. It's not your fault."

Khyana sighed again and snuggled closer against his shoulder.

"Whatever you say, Sirius," she said sleepily, and was soon fast asleep again.

Sirius looked down at her and moved a piece of stray hair out of her face.

"I love you," he murmured, smiling down at her.

Kelria came to at the sound of another body being thrown into her dungeon, followed by an "oomph".

"Remus?" she whispered quietly.

"Kel!"

He moved toward her, and she reached out to him. She was in pain from the beating she had taken from Malfoy, but she allowed him to hold her close, trying not to wince with the pain.

"We've been so worried," Remus murmured against her hair.

Kelria relaxed against her fiancé, feeling safe finally.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was going to happen."

"I know. Yana feels horrible."

Kelria pulled away just enough to be able to see his face. "Why?"

"She received a warning about it back in April, from an informant of Cam's, but she didn't open the letter until last night, when it was too late. She feels responsible for this."

Kelria shook her head. "It's not her fault. Although, she should have cleaned up her desk sooner."

Remus nodded. "Agreed. But she already feels bad enough."

Kelria pulled away, wishing she could somehow reach her friend, let her know she wasn't to be blamed.

"There's a search party out for you, you know," Remus said.

Kelria shrugged. "I should have guessed. Who's heading it?"

"Sirius," Remus replied.

Kelria looked surprised. "Sirius Black?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "How many other Siriuses do you know?"

"None."

"Of course Sirius Black. Khyana's in no condition to lead a search party."

"What about Dumbledore?"

"I don't even know if Dumbledore knows you're missing."

Kelria looked at him in disbelief. "I'm pretty sure he probably knows I'm gone."

Remus shrugged. "We didn't tell him."

"But he'll still know."

"Okay."

Kelria sighed. "How long have I been here?"

Remus shrugged. "You'd been missing about 12 hours when I left Sirius' place. I don't know how long ago that was, though. I'd been looking for you for about two hours when they grabbed me, so I dunno."

Kelria cried out in annoyance and anger, wishing she had something breakable to throw at the wall. "I'm an auror! An auror, Remus! I'm not supposed to get taken by Death Eaters in the middle of an assignment!"

Remus nodded. "It's not your fault. They had informants."

"I bet Snape was one of them," Kelria hissed angrily.

Remus frowned. "You don't know that, Kel."

"But I can make an educated guess."

"You're starting to sound like Khyana."

Kelria whirled around. "Maybe it was Peter!"

Remus shook his head firmly, a frown in place that Kelria couldn't see in the dark.

"No. Peter wouldn't do something like that."

"You don't know that. How much time have you spent with him lately?"

Remus wouldn't admit that he hadn't spent any time with his friend in the recent past, and Kelria smirked, forgetting that her fiancé couldn't see her in the dark.

"So how do you know that he wouldn't do this?"

"Because I just do alright! It wasn't Peter I was thinking of when I said the Death Eaters had informants anyway."

"Oh no?"

"No."

"Then who were you talking about?"

"Cam Jones and Laura Masters."

Kelria heard the hurt in Remus' voice, and gaped in her disbelief.

"As in…?"

"The only Cam Jones and Laura Masters we know."

Kelria shook her head.

"I don't believe it."

"Believe it. It's the truth."

Kelria nearly passed out as she had a major flashback, and Remus had to catch her before she hit the floor.

Kelria was sitting in the library, working on an essay, when she heard a loud crash from behind her. She turned quickly, and saw Laura Masters standing there, looking down at what used to be her schoolbag, clutching her left forearm.

Kelria hurried over to help the other girl, but Laura glared at her.

"I don't need your help, Song," she spat.

Kelria straightened quickly, startled. "Excuse me?"

"I said I don't need your help. I can manage."

Kelria was shocked. She couldn't bring to mind anything she had ever done to Laura to make her so hostile.

"Kelria!"

Kelria stood up again, grabbing Remus' arm tightly.

"Ow, Kel, that hurts."

"I just had a flashback, Remus."

"I thought only Khyana had those."

"Well, I just had one. You probably don't remember this, but I was sitting in the library one day, minding my own business, and Laura was in there too. She dropped her book bag and was clutching her left forearm. When I went to help her, she snapped at me, and you told me that she was just mad because she thought Yana told you she was going to break up with you, and she was just mad at everyone who was Yana's friend! But Voldemort puts the Dark Mark on the left forearm! I bet she already had her Mark and she was being called and that's why she dropped her bag."

Remus looked doubtful. "I don't know about that, Kelria."

Kelria scowled. "Fine. I still think I'm right."

Remus smiled. "Alright, darling. You can think that."

A/N: There you go, people. It's longer than the others, kind of pointless...haha. Anyway, I don't know when the next one will be up, my internet's being kind of screwey lately...and I have to write it, so we'll have to see...I have 2 essays due this week and exams next week...so I don't know what's going to be going on there. Anyway, R&R. SCRAAAAAAAAATCH! You scratched my CD! You picked it up in clear daylight and you scratched it!