As Miles specified, confirmed his very worst nightmare, Cass paled, bile rising in his throat. The owl - it hadn't been Umbridge. She still knew nothing about his mother. He closed his eyes, only shaking his head at Miles question.
'No,' he said hoarsely.
Opening his eyes, he stared at the floor, trying to focus on breathing in and out. Truth was he was surprised. He'd played similar scenarios to this out in his mind a mind a million times, had nightmares about it as younger. Only it had always been a family member who'd told him then, and it always ended with him raging, punching the lights out of the guy.
He didn't feel like punching Miles. Or anyone. He felt like his life was slipping away from him, as if happiness was drained from him as efficiently as if a Dementor had stood right next to him.
'I can't,' he said helplessly. 'Not Percy, he'd see right through me. I can't lie to him.' He didn't think of the implications in those words, hadn't cared if he did. He could lie to Miles and Monty and Higgs. He could lie to anyone in the world. But he couldn't lie to Percy. Percy would see, would know.