"How did it go today?" Cass asked after returning from work one day.

"Not bad," Jade said with a smile. "I lost my arm and it was painful as hell but I think I'm actually learning how to do it."

"Do it without losing limbs thoughts," Cass said with a chuckle.

"I'm improving, after that I didn't lose anything."

"Right... how much was left? Of the class?"

"About ten minutes," Jade admitted with a shrug. "And we didn't practice anymore, they kept repeating the same things and making sure I was really okay."

"It's not that hard you know, you just have to relax and concentrate."

"Easy to say especially when you haven't lost an entire leg and now an arm and who knows what else in the next couple of classes."

"You'll get it right, though."

"How do you know?"

"Well, in your third year, you fell from your broom during training, you had to rest but no, you got Draco to help you train that same night behind everyone's back. You also went into the forbidden Forest in your first year and despite being scared you didn't run like Draco..."

"That's what I told you."

"Yeah, and I know it's true. And who fought against those horrible trolls when we escaped that night with Lex? And who begged McGonagall for an hour of her time, every day for a week because you couldn't get this spell right and you wanted to get it right? You don't give up... if you want something you get it no matter how hard it is and it doesn't matter how scared you are, you don't run away."

On the second of July, after her class, Cass and Jade had lunch together, during that class she only lost a finger so she was improving. Cass' parents were busy so they weren't able to join them.

"What if I don't finish the course?" Jade asked. "I mean, tomorrow it's supposed to be my last lesson and I'm still not good at it."

"Well, you will practice all day long if you have to and if you still need some more practice then, the next day, my mother said we can delay your departure for two or three days so you can keep practicing."

"That makes me feel better."

"Uh, I wanted to tell you something."

Jade turned to look at him and he did look nervous. Jade bit her lip. Was he going to tell her about his son? It would be risky for him to do it. She could tell everyone and the marriage would be cancelled. But maybe he felt now like she owed him, so she wouldn't say anything? Maybe? What else could he say to her that was important enough to make him nervous.

"Sure, go ahead," Jade said with a small smile to assure him it was okay. "Wait... you didn't follow my brother's steps, did you?"

"No, it's not that," Cass muttered, still he looked quite nervous. "Do you remember the blond guy you saw yesterday?"

"Uh, the one talking to your mother?" Jade asked.

The day before while she was practicing, a young guy walked into the house and went looking for Mrs. Perseus. They talked for about an hour before he left again.

"Yeah, him."

"Okay, what about him?"

"His name is Xzander," Cass told Jade. "He works for the Ministry... The Muggle Ministry."

"Oh, so does the Muggle Minister know about magic?"

"He does... He and our Minister keep in touch, sort of, as some natural disasters aren't so natural, you know? But that's not why Xzander works there, I mean, not entirely."

"Why then?"

"You won't tell anyone, right? Especially your parents... and not Lexion. Promise me."

"Sure, I promise. Besides, I can't even talk to Lex at the moment."

"Xzander is a squib, Jade. He knows everything about magic but when he was about four years old they realized he didn't have magic in him. He still tried to learn but it just wouldn't work. He has a good job. He usually gets information between the Ministers, helps the Muggle one to digest things about our world."

"That's good... so who is he?"

"Jade... he is my older brother."

Jade gasped and her eyes got open wide with shock. Cass looked nervous still but not regretful or embarrassed.

To many people, having a squib in the family would be the worst, could be even considered a curse. Jade was quite surprised that they kept the boy despite his lack of magical abilities as so many people don't do that.

A squib would be a reason to disgrace a family, so if anyone found out, the Perseus Family wouldn't have such a status and Jade's parents would probably stop their engagement. That was even worse than having a son out of wedlock.

"How old is he?" Jade asked, surprising Cass as it was the question he least expected.

"Uh, he's twenty-five. They decided to have me when they got the news, they were scared that I'd be like him. He's really clever, he lives outside of London and has a beautiful wife that know a bit of our world, he told her in case they could have non-Muggle kids. They are expecting one."

"Oh, so you'll be an uncle."

"In secret..."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever heard of him before? You and Lex practically lived here before Hogwarts and did you ever hear of him? His name?" Jade shook her head. "My parents pretended he died. He was sent to a boarding school when he was seven. I was sent at first... just in case. But they got me out when I started to show I did have magic."

"Why didn't they give him up?"

"Because we all love him and in some way having him as basically a Muggle, made us more human. I think that's why my parents are so lovingly unlike yours, maybe that's why I didn't go through with the plan with Lex... maybe that's why we are all helping you now... I don't know. But I like to think Xzander made us better people, you know?"

"I'm sure he did. If he was a Lias, or a Parkinson or a Black, he would have ended up in a orphanage. Cass, why are you telling me about him?"

"You'd have found out eventually and it's better if I tell you now than later. He'll come tomorrow for dinner, he knows about you, obviously, and would like to meet you."

"Okay," Jade said with a smile. "I'd like to meet him too."

"So, you are okay with it? I mean, that my brother is a squib, you don't think of this as something that can ruin your family if we get married?"

"There are far worse things that can ruin a family," Jade said in a sincere tone, smiling a bit. "I don't mind. Actually, I'd prefer a squib brother than a Death Eater brother."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Jade said while shaking her head.

The following night, the Perseus family had two visitors, a tall man with dark blonde hair and blue eyes and a woman, she was a bit taller than Jade. He greeted everyone and then Cass introduced Jade to him.

"Xzander, this is Jade," Cass said. "Jade this is my brother Xzander and this is his wife, Alexandra."

Jade shook both their hands, Alexandra smiled in a lovingly way at her. She was a pretty girl. Taller than some girls, brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair. And she looked to be about six or seven months pregnant.

As they ate dinner, Jade couldn't understand why they were okay with a Muggle in their house. She didn't think it was bad but she knew how things worked. They were a well-known and respected Pure-Blood family, they followed the rules and degraded those who didn't.

Their son was a Slytherin, was a good student, part of the Quidditch team, friends with only other Pure-Bloods and even engaged to another respected Pure-Blood, as it had to be done. They didn't think twice about calling someone a Mud-Blood.

And there was another thing she couldn't understand... Their son was a squib and married to a Muggle, and still they loved and accepted him and his wife. No prejudices. But why was it so bad when Jade threatened Cass to tell his parents that he was messing around with a Muggle-Born?

He shouldn't haven't been so anxious and worried when Jade made the threat, after all, they should understand... right? Back then, when Jade made the threat she still didn't know Fayette and Cass had actually gone the whole way and messing up big time, so that wasn't the problem, so what was it?

Did they have double standards or something? Expected Cassius to be the perfect Pure-Blood son because the other one just couldn't be?

"Now with this baby, I think you should really take my offer. Get some help around the house, won't harm anyone," Mr. Perseus told his older son. "I know the perfect house-elf. She took care of your cousin when she was a baby so she could also help around with the baby."

"Thanks, father. But we live in a Muggle world, and we've managed without a house-elf for so long. If we do need help we can hire someone."

"Yes but you don't know if that person is trustworthy, house-elves on the other hand only obey their masters so there's nothing to worry about," he said, a little bit frustrated. "Besides, you don't know if that child will be a Muggle or not. Imagine if they show magical abilities... that person would freak out and tell other people. It's dangerous."

"The odds of that happening are slim, and you know that. And if that happens, you know that the Ministry would get involved and just erase those memories. Everything would be under control."

"Well... the offer will always be there."

Jade didn't finish on time so she stayed one more day to keep practicing, it wasn't perfect yet but she was good enough to do disapparate on her own.

She finished around 5:00 p.m. but she did finish. She went to look for Mrs. Perseus in her study, and there she found her.

"Oh Jade, hello. Are you done with the classes?"

"Yeah, the teacher said I'm okay. Not too good though," Jade told her with a half smile and a shrugh. "And I wanted to thank you, for the classes, for letting me stay, for helping me."

"No problem dear. By the way, from what I found out, you shouldn't worry about your family at the moment. They are trying to get your brother out and they are too focused on it to basically care about the things you've done. I'm sure they don't even know a thing about it, anyway. At least this summer, you are safe."

"I'm not too sure... I did something and it was probably the most stupid thing I've ever done. People saw me, if they didn't recognize me that night, they will eventually."

"Yeah, about that...like I said no need to worry. Uh, Jade I've seen or felt like you have some questions, like something else is going inside your mind. What is it?"

"It's really none of my business."

"It's about my older son, isn't it?" Jade nodded. "I'm open to questions and I think you have the right to ask."

"I don't want to intrude or make wrong questions."

"No wrong questions, I can assure you. So ask, please, Jade."

"Well... my family and many others would have just abandon a kid like that, you didn't. Still... you act like any other Pure-Blood family. Calling people Mud-Bloods, only hanging out with people of the same level, even mocking squibs and Cass always got high standards set by you, it's a bit contradictory."

"Well, I'm not going to lie to you. I did abandon my son at first. I took him to this horrible place, broke my heart. I wanted to get out of there fast but apparently didn't go out fast enough. He started to call for me. Crying. I couldn't leave him there. I brought him back. I loved him so much, you can't understand what it's like to love a child and going through anything that can mean losing them... I was weak, that's what other Pure-Bloods would call me," she said. "But I do believe in blood purity... I was brought up like that, just like Cass and you have been brought up. I think it has certain value and I was and still am in a society where all that matters. I want our name to keep being pure through Cassius. But I'm also a mother and I love my Xzander, it's hard to accept certain things but you have to, sometimes. If I hadn't accepted his wife he would have never talked to me again and I would have lost him."

"But she is nice, isn't she?"

"But she is a Muggle, Jade. I know that it would be too much to ask for a witch, and that would also mean that our little secret would be revealed, so probably getting a Muggle wife was the best for everyone. I know I'm not making any sense, like you said, it's contradictory. I believe in status and all that but i just can't unlove and forget about my son... anyway, what other questions do you have?"

"Why let me know? I've got nothing against him or his wife or all of you but you didn't know that for sure. I could just go and tell my parents and the marriage would be off. Maybe two years ago I would have told them, you know?"

"I do. That's why we told you now and not two years ago. Believe it or not, you've changed and it's not hard to see it in your face. It's like you seem more welcoming, more friendly, happier. It's hard to describe but you look nothing like you did two years ago," Amberie said with a smile. "I knew we could trust you and I wanted you to know. He is our family so it was only fair for the two of you to meet."

"But there was a risk, how were you so sure?"

"You are against what your brother did, what your parents did. You went against your beliefs and joined a club with all kind of people and pretended to be Potter's girlfriend. The Jade I knew would have sold Potter and everyone else without hesitation to get out of trouble and probably get something extra in return. But you didn't. You even got punished by your family because of it, and you knew that would happen but still, you didn't say anything. That's change... that's bravery."

"Or stupidity."

"No. You are brave, Jade. You might be here now, hiding from your parents but after what I heard, you life has been in danger and could be again, so that's not being a coward, that's being smart. Anyway, any other question?"

"So, you don't care that I hang out with Potter and Gryffindors and Blood Traitors?"

"To a minimal degree, sort of. But you now know my reality, I also hang out with Muggles and Mud-Bloods and my own son is a squib. You aren't my daughter so I can't tell you what to do. In a few years they will remember you for breaking who knows how many Quidditch records in school and not for betraying your family and hanging out with other people."

"You think?" Amberie nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Are you sure I'm safe going back to my house?"

"Yes, if it makes you feel better, one of my house-elves will go with you to keep an eye on you. She will report to me immediately if something happens."

"Okay. Thanks"

So I'm back to my extra active life. I have done at least 3 hours of exercise every day this week and my muscles are so sore. I do a racquet sport, so my arm is basically numb by now.

And my legs... they are the worst.

However, I'm scared they will start closing things again like it has happened in some European countries.

Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. What do you think of this new secret about Cass and his family?