A Love Purer Than Blood

9. Flying lessons and hollow wands

True to their word, the twins taught the dragon girl everything from how to get away with a stink bomb, how to avoid Filch and even how to make friends with Peeves.

Lily was a hit with everyone, always on hand to help and always friendly to talk to. The twins had also taught her which staircases would allow for sliding down the banister, so obviously the girl did it whenever she could, dropping a conversation just to leap onto the side, contagiously giggling as she did so.

By the time Halloween came around, Lily was on speaking terms with most of the school, their names committed to memory. Despite her kindness, many still refused to speak to her, accusing her of being fake or shallow. Lily didn't mind, she did as she was told and followed the rules... until her first flying lesson came.

Early morning, the day before Halloween, a notice arrived in the Hufflepuff common room calling half of the first year students to a morning lesson and the other half to an afternoon lesson. The dorm girls were pleased to see they would be in the afternoon class together, until they all saw Lily grimacing at the notice.

Penny scoffed, her pigtails almost getting caught in yet another lollipop as she whipped around to look at the grimacing girl. "Lily, you're a dragon, you should love flying."

"Not on a broom." Lily grumbled.

Lily's bad mood continued the entire morning, all the way up until lunch when the twins did everything they could to cheer her up, including charming a sandwich to hit Harry on the back of the head. Lily stifled a giggle as the entirety of Gryffindor attempted to start a food fight which was quickly ended by a rather stern McGonagall entering for her own lunch.

Despite Lily's desire to hide for the afternoon, the girls were on the grounds on the edge of the forest promptly, their hair all braided back ready for flight. Hannah had all but fought Lily to get hers finished, the dragon unwilling to take part of any of it, her only desire being to go back to the common room to sleep in front of the fire.

The rest of the afternoon's learners arrived which turned out to be a mixture of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs combined. Waverly scoured the field for the Ravenclaw she had taken a liking to, but it seemed only a select few were permitted to attend that afternoon. Lily was pleased the group was small that was until a familiar heartbeat echoed in her ears.

"Good afternoon class."

"Good afternoon Madam Hooch." Chorused the children, all except Lily and Draco, who silently glared at each other from across the field.

"Now, Mr Malfoy is joining me this afternoon as a demonstration of what NOT to do on a broom." She announced with a quick glance at the oblivious boy, his eyes and attention on Lily. "Take heed that I will not allow foolishness to take control while messing with something as dangerous as flight."

The dorm girls pulled Lily towards one of the school brooms and stood her next to it as madam Hooch had directed. Lily only stared at the broom on the ground next to her with a quiet tear filled anger, that she refused to show. Absentmindedly she rubbed her arm as it ached with the memory of the day it broke, the little red broom she had been riding permanently taking up mantle in the corner of her bedroom after that day.

"Miss Elizabeth." Madam Hooch approached the girl slowly, pulling her from her memories with a small gasp.

"Yes?" Lily asked before realising that every other student was on a broom and already soaring through designated hoops across the field. The only broom left on the ground being hers.

"Mr Malfoy here assumes you require extra assistance." Lily shook her head as her hand still rubbed her arm gently, she could feel the scar where bone had broken skin, the memory made her sick. "You fly using your wings, correct?" Madam Hooch assumed, her voice lower now. Lily nodded slowly. "Then what is the difference?"