The following day Jade went back to her house. Her parents weren't there. She went straight to her room, where she found about ten letters from Draco and the Malfoy's owl waiting by the window.

She went straight to the beautiful black owl and took the letter from him. She was going to open it when a house-elf knocked on her door and told her that Raven was back.

Jade fed the owl, which flew away, and then went down to the living room, where she saw her mother and her sister-in-law with her mother.

"Jade, it's good to see you," Raven told her. "I've owled Amberie thanking her for her help and hospitality in these harsh times for us. I think it was good you went with her and her family for a bit."

"Yeah, it was very kind of Mrs. Perseus," Jade said politely. "Uh... is it okay if I ask about Lex...?"

"We are waiting to hear his sentence. He might get less than the others as this was his first time there and he is so young. Your father is trying to do everything he can to try to fix it."

"I don't know what to say," Jade admitted. She was upset at her family's choices but she loved Lexion more than her parents, he was always sort of like her hero. So it was extremely painful for her. "I wish I could see him."

"You can go to his trial before you go to Hogwarts. Jade, as you may assume, this is hard for the family. People know and we've lost some friends. And we're all being investigated. Your father, Olisca, Odette, even you."

"Me?"

"Well, yeah. That's why we've decided that you will be away from all of this until you are at least seventeen, possibly even more. I don't know how long Lexion will be in Azkaban and I don't want both my children to be locked up. So, if you get interrogated, say you had no knowledge of it, that he is a good guy and you know he wouldn't do something like that so he might have been influenced or blackmailed to join, and that you were in school when it all happened. You know?"

"Well, that's the truth, I was in school and I didn't know anything about it," Jade told her mother. "Wait... what do you mean you've decided that I'll be away from that until I'm seventeen?"

"Well, it's a long story but the Dark Lord is getting stronger and he needs more followers, we were hoping for you to join this year, maybe in a couple of weeks or maybe at the end of the year... You'll be very valuable with your skills and cleverness but I think it's better for you to finish school, maybe get a job and then join. If I lose both my children, then what are the odds of our family to be great? To even continue? It's very probable that once you're in, you'll die there."

"Oh," Jade said shocked.

She wasn't joining Voldemort which was good, but it wasn't because her mother cared and worried about her it was because of the lineage, the status, continuing the family.

"I know it must be disappointing but it's better that way," Raven said. "I was thinking, Jade... Since your father decided to do your wedding earlier, you could maybe try having a kid and if it's a boy you can then join... that way we have the next generation and..."

"But that kid would be a Perseus not a Lias..." Jade said quickly, feeling sick at what she was listening.

"It's just a thought so you could join us... but I understand it must be scary to think about children at your age. And you're right, it would be a Perseus. Uh, anyway, how was your week with Cass and his family?"

Jade was forced to have brunch with the three women, who were more concerned about getting followers for Voldemort and making sure the Lias family didn't die than what really mattered, like the fact that a young man was in Azkaban when he should be out, enjoying his life. Like Cass was, like other people his age were doing.

It wasn't until the following day when Jade woke up that she remembered of all the letters on her desk. She sat down and noticed that twenty were from Draco, three from Ron, two from Harry, one from her cousin in Greece and one from Fayette.

She opened Ron's first.

Hello Jade,

Are you alright? You have us a little bit worried. Please let us know if you need any help, Ronald W.

Hello Jade,

I'm worried that maybe you were recognized at that place and you might be in trouble, no one's heard from you in a week. Please J, let us know if you are okay, R.W.

Jade,

H.P also wrote to you and no one's gotten a response. We are all worried. Mad-Eye ran into your father at the Ministry, he said he hadn't seen you for months and he saw it was true. If you don't send a letter soon we'll send a search party for you. R.

Then she quickly opened Harry's letters.

Jade,

I remebered our conversation before we left Hogwarts. Did you make up your mind of where to go? I know of a place where you could stay if you need to. Hope you are okay. H.P.

Jade,

Ron, some other people and I are worried. We sort of did something and the house-elves told us you weren't home and they couldn't tell us when you would be back. Hope it's a misunderstanding. Get in touch if you're okay. H.P.

Jade didn't waste time, she used the back of that last letter to write a reply to Harry and Ron. She couldn't understand why they were so worried about her.

H & R,

I'm okay, I'll tell you more when I can. Everything seems to be okay now. What did you do? Why and how did you talk to the house-elves?

I followed your advice H, and went where you told me. I'm back now, though. Is something going on? Why is everyone so worried? Did something happen? And by the way, H, I think I'm good now but maybe I could use that place you mentioned if things get ugly. Thanks. J.L.L

Jade quickly folded the letter, got her grey owl and told her to go to the Burrow, she knew Ron would tell Harry quickly about the letter if he wasn't there already.

Fayette's letter was a bit weird. She was asking her for money because Gérard was sick and apparently Cass wasn't even replying to the letters. She also asked if Cass was angry because she had told Jade about the baby.

Jade wrote her that Cass wasn't angry as he still didn't know that they had talked. She also wrote that because of that, she coudn't ask Cass for money but she was going to send her some and asked her to let her know how the little one was. She also offered to help. She might not be a healer but she knew many healing spells and potions so maybe she could help somehow but she knew babies and little kids were different to adults.

Jade still had some Muggle money hidden in her room from the time she went to France and she also had some in case she needed to use the train to visit Ron. So she sent some of that money to Fayette. She knew France didn't use Pounds but she could easily exchange it.

She knew it wasn't her responsibility but if she could help a sick baby, she would. She felt good by sending that little bit of money. If the baby wasn't recovering she would have to talk to Cass and she didn't want to do that.

At last she sat down again and opened several of Draco's letters. She could hardly understand what he wrote, his handwriting was usually neat so she could tell he was distressed. In about half of the letter he only wrote 'Need to talk to you.'

In others he demanded to know where she was and in others he seemed pretty much like Ron and Harry. Worried about her.

So, instead of writing a response, Jade got her wand and walked to the Malfoy Manor. Took her less than five minutes at her current pace. She knocked on the door and instead of seeing a house-elf, as usual, she was face to face with Narcissa Malfoy, and she froze.

"Jade, what a surprise. We haven't heard from you. Draco's been going to your house but you haven't been there."

"Yeah, my parents decided it wasn't good for me to come back yet with what happened," Jade said awkwardly. "I'm sorry about Mr. Malfoy by the way."

Narcissa Malfoy didn't look good. She was paler than usual, her eyes were puffy and her hair was a mess. She looked distraught, which was understandable but she had never seen any of the Malfoys so broken.

"It's terrible. But you know that. Any news about your brother?"

"No," Jade said sadly.

"Let's stop talking about it, come on in and I'll get Draco."

A couple of minutes later, Jade saw Draco walking down the stairs. Jade got concerned instantly. His hair was perfect, his outfit, his appearance too but his eyes showed something close to terror and despair.

"Where the hell were you?" Draco almost shouted even before he finished going down the stairs.

"Draco Malfoy! Don't talk like that!" Narcissa exclaimed.

"I apologize," he said looking at her. The blonde witch gave him a look and then turned around and left the two teenagers alone. "Uh, Jade, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. I got your letters."

"About time."

"I'm sorry. Draco, what's going on?"

"Do you know how worried I was? You disappeared at the station, you didn't come back here. And Bellatrix, who is still free, could have recognized you from the other night. I thought you were dead or taken to a place to be tortured or something!"

"I was worried about it too."

"Just so you know, my father won't tell a thing that you were there. Your brother might not say anything. The Lestranges I'm not sure..."

"How do you know your father won't tell a thing?"

"He let me know... somehow. Want to go outside?"

"Sure."

Jade and Draco walked to the back of the house and out to the extensive and beautiful backyard. The grass was so green and it was quite a hot, sunny day. Some birds were singing nearby and Jade could actually spot two squirrels by some of the trees.

"I sent a letter to Weasley, just so you know. I thought that just like last year, you had gone there but he said he hadn't seen you since school. I went to your house every single day, even yesterday. I was just on my way there when you came."

"Why were you so worried?" Draco just gave her a face as if Jade didn't have the right to ask something like that or like if she shouldn't.

"Well first, you are my girlfriend, best friend and I care about you," Draco said in a very low tone. "And second, after the idiotic thing you did with your new friends and the fact your parents could know about it, I feared the worst. Especially after finding out that your father was using Crucio on you for something that doesn't even compare to that... and third, your brother is in Azkaban, maybe they could use you as his replacement. And fourth... anything else."

"I'm sorry. My head wasn't right, I wasn't thinking straight. I was okay... I went to Cass' house."

"Uh, why?"

"I couldn't come here, Draco. And not many people invite into their houses a relative of a Death Eater. And I didn't want to bother Ro- Weasley and I knew I could trust Cass. I didn't go there to stay, I went there to maybe get an advice, to be told where to go or something like that but his mother overheard and she told me to stay so I did."

"Isn't that like a little bit wrong?"

"Yeah, I guess. But I took what I was being offered, Draco. By the way, do you know anything of what my new friends did? They said they talked to my house-elves."

"Nothing that puts you or them in a bad position. They got worried when I sent them a letter. They knew I wouldn't reach out to them if it wasn't important. Don't do that ever again." Jade nodded. "Jade... being completely serious here, are you okay?"

"I think," Jade admitted. "I haven't seen my father yet and my family is concerned about stupid stuff concerning my brother. I'm not important right now, so I think I'm good."

"What if Bellatrix goes to your house one day and says, 'Hey, Raven, guess who I saw at the Ministry along Potter and his filthy friends? Oh yeah, it was your daughter. She's the reason your son is in Azkaban.' You know that could happen, right?" Draco said, mimicking Bellatrix' voice way too well that made Jade shiver.

"As long as Lex is in Azkaban I'm like the golden child. My mother is scared of losing me now."

"Yeah but I don't think you are safe if she knows you were there that night and worse if she thinks or is told that you are the one to blame for what happened to Lexion. So, are you really okay? Safe?"

"You know I'm never safe..."

"Then let's do it, Jade. What I told you a few months ago. I think it's time. Things are bad. Worse than ever with two of our relatives in Azkaban. With our families on the spot."

"But... what about school?"

"Jade, you can't go to school if you are dead or if you join him, school won't matter. Nothing will. The time has come."

"Draco... but I'm only fifteen. I don't think I'm ready to just go."

"It's scary I know but we could make it. You don't feel safe at home, I know we aren't safe, so can we just go? Grab some stuff, pack a bag and leave when no one is around. I've got enough money to make it work for a while."

"Draco... what about our future? How would we find a job without finishing school? And you know what it means right? Running away? We would be disinherited, we wouldn't be able to come back. Ever. You wouldn't be a Malfoy and I wouldn't be a Lias anymore."

"I know... but if we stay... what are we? We can be a Malfoy and a Lias but miserable, no way out, forced to do things we don't want. Lexion is in Azkaban, do you want to end up like him? Sooner or later they'll force you to follow his steps, right? You don't want that, do you?"

"No."

"Then let's go, Jade."

"Can I think about it?"

"I would rather leave tonight," Draco said sternly.

"Just give me some time, it's a big decision."

"Don't take more than three days though."

"Why?"

"Because it might be too late," Draco said coldly.

Hello guys!

I'm sorry but I'll be away until the 23rd, I really wanted to post twice this week but too many things happened and I didn't have time.

Hope you liked the chapter! Do you think Jade will say yes or no to Draco's question? What should they do?