A/N: I want to send a HUGE thank-you out to those who reviewed!! Your praise was very much appreciated!! ^_^ I had just about given up that anyone was even reading this story when low and behold I opened my e-mail this morning and found not one but SIX reviews!! It was such a great feeling!! I dedicate this chapter to those of you who reviewed for me! I hope I don't disappoint you with this next chapter!!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize from the original HP series.

Chapter 6: Lessons on Flying and on Life

It was now a few days later after Elle's cauldron had exploded, making it Saturday. And Elle couldn't be happier to not have school for two full days. Classes had not gone over for her very well, for she seemed to have a nasty habit of making things blow up without even trying. In Transfiguration class they were supposed to practice transforming stationary objects (such as tables and chairs) into much more elaborate looking objects of the same kind. Elle had tried to transfigure a chair into a throne, but it somehow got blown into splinters by the time she was done with it. She was sure that all the professors, and the majority of students for that matter, considered her to be nothing but an accident waiting to happen. But Ron, Harry, and Hermione all stood beside her assuring her that she would get better with practice.

However, there was one class that Elle was sure that she could handle, as it was the only class where she seemed to know what was actually being talked about. That class was Muggle Studies. They were studying muggle legends, myths, and other stories. The class was asked who Robin Hood was and Elle was the only one who knew the answer. She was quite proud of herself after she had told the class and the professor about the notorious archer, as it was her own favourite legend. But that class was about the only one she would find herself looking forward too.

Elle was now skateboarding on the paved part of the grounds out to where she was supposed to meet Draco for flying lessons. It was somewhat of a quiet morning as all the students were still in the Great Hall eating breakfast. There was to be a Quidditch match that afternoon, and from what Ron had told her about Quidditch, she was quite excited to see an actual game.

And that's the reason she promised to meet Draco for flying lessons in the morning rather than in the afternoon as she was told that he would be playing today. He had actually sounded quite conceited when he reluctantly told her that he had to help her with learning to fly and that the only time he would be able to do it was this morning. He had told her, "I am head boy you know. I am quite busy, and it takes a lot of time out of one's agenda to help someone with lessons of any sort. But that's what the professors expect of me. So I suppose I can do it on Saturday morning. Be on the Quidditch pitch at 8 o'clock sharp." And with that he walked away. She hoped that he would supply the broom because she had no idea if there was a special kind of broom that you used, or if they really did just use ordinary sweeping brooms to fly with.

Coming to the end of the paved part of the grounds, Elle kicked up her board and grabbed it with her hand. She walked out onto what Harry had earlier pointed out to be the Quidditch pitch to find a figure standing at the centre of it.

She walked up to the figure and found it to indeed be Draco. "Good morning," she smiled politely as she took off her helmet and set it on the ground beside her board.

However, Draco only replied with a small sneer and pushed a raggedy looking broom into her hands. "Here," he said through clenched teeth as though it was disgusting for him to touch her.

Elle held onto the broom and looked up at him questioningly. She saw that he held his own broom tightly and looked at her with cold features.

"Well?" he asked not bothering to hide the impatience in his voice.

"Well what?" she shot back with a confused look.

"Get flying. My patience is wearing thin," He mounted his own broom and hovered there waiting for her to do the same.

Elle raised her eyebrows at him, "Um…right. I would, but you seem to be forgetting that I don't know how to fly. Remember? That's why we're here in the first place."

"Right," he said with an ignorant sigh as he placed his feet back on the ground. "All you have to do is straddle the broom, like this," Draco paused as she did what he said. "Then you just kick off and go."

Elle watched him demonstrate and attempted to do what he had just done. But when she had kicked off, gravity pulled her back down again, just like it always had. She tried it a couple more times before she shook her head in defeat. "It's not working. Why can't I do it?"

Draco landed back on the ground again, "Probably because you're nothing but a stupid little mudblood."

Elle had never heard the term 'mudblood' before, but she was pretty sure it was an insult. "Are you always this way?" she asked with a somewhat harsh tone.

Draco sneered at her, "What way?"

"Egotistical and self-centred?" She looked at him and saw the anger growing in his eyes.

"What's it to you what I'm like?" he shot back.

"Well, I personally don't want to be around you if you're going to be like this all the time. People who are like that just aren't fun to be with at all. No offence, but it's no wonder that I hear the rest of the students talk so badly of you all the time. And I haven't been here for a full week yet!" She regretted saying those words when she saw a flicker of hurt cross through his eyes. "Hey, I'm sorry," she apologized as she placed a hand on his arm but he yanked it away.

He turned his back to her, "Who needs friends? I've got my looks, my Quidditch skills, my money, and I can get any girl into bed that I want."

Elle's face showed surprise as he said this, "So, you're one of those kind of guys."

Draco spun back around, "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.

Elle raised her hands in defence. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. But I have to say that looks, Quidditch skills, and money won't get you everything you want in life. Not to mention that those girls probably only sleep with you because you have those three things." Her voice had grown soft as she told him this, unsure as to what his reaction would be.

"It doesn't matter," he spat. "The Malfoy name is one of the most feared names in this world! We have all the money we need and people do as we say because they're afraid of what we'll do if they don't abide by what we say."

Elle looked down at the ground before meeting his cold gaze again, "You say all this…yet I can't help but feel that you don't really want people to be afraid of you."

"What are you talking about?!" Draco was right up in her face now and was slightly surprised when she still looked upon him with a soft gaze. "Everyone is afraid of me and my family!"

Elle looked him square in the eye and shook her head, "I'm not."

Draco scoffed, "That's just because you're a muggle and don't know anything of this world, or about the Malfoy name."

"I know what I sense. And I sense that you have no real friends. That you become bored with the girls you sleep with and trying to live the way you're expected to." Elle paused as she saw him looking at her with softer eyes. "But I don't understand why you don't try to change." It came out more of a question than a statement.

Draco looked down at the ground, unable to meet her eyes from the embarrassment of being so easily read. He was stunned at all she had just said. He didn't want to admit it, but she had nailed everything. He didn't know how she did it! And for the first time, he felt like a small child - wanting so badly to say how he felt, but was scared at what she would think. So, all he could say was, "You wouldn't understand."

Elle placed another hand gently on his arm, "Try me."

Draco looked at her carefully before his eyes suddenly became clouded over in hate and anger once again. He ripped away from her grasp, "I don't have to explain anything to you."

Elle's face showed slight hurt as he said that and she took a step back.

Draco gave her another hard look as he gripped his broom tighter and started to walk away, "I think that's enough practice for today."

Elle watched his retreating back until he disappeared from her sight. She couldn't help but feel pity for him. She knew what it was like to be an outcast, and although her personality was nowhere near compared to his, he was an outcast just like she always had been - just in a different way. It was true, even in just the last few days she had been here, she had seen girls attempt to fling themselves upon him whenever they could. But she also saw the look that he had on his face when this happened. It wasn't really a look of disgust, but it was more of a look of regret. But it was very hard to place, because the next morning you would always hear the girls talk about how great he is in bed. This disgusted Elle, quite frankly, but she just didn't understand why he did that kind of thing if he wasn't happy with doing it.

Elle started back up to the castle as she thought about how much she was actually intrigued by Draco. She couldn't explain why, but she wanted to get to know him…to become his friend if she could. It would probably be difficult because he seemed to have a wall built up around his heart. She had come very close today, she knew she had. But then something inside him seemed to just snap and that wall went back up. She would just have to try harder - to let him know that it's okay to let people in…that it's okay to have friends. She was determined for this to work. It seemed to her that his heart had lived in darkness for too long…

***Draco's POV***

What the hell is the matter with me? What was it that I was feeling? Did I actually think that she would want to hear about me and my pathetic little life? I can't believe I actually felt intrigued to tell her…to make her understand. I felt that she might possibly understand, somehow. The way she spoke to me…no one has ever done that before. No one has ever even shown an interest in the way I feel before. No! I can't think like this!! I can't tell her anything! My lord would not be pleased to know what had happened. That I actually became weak for any amount of time. He would not be pleased. I'm the one who is supposed to be finding out all I can about her. Not the other way around! I will have to be more cautious next time around…Things will have to go my way from here on in, or all hell is sure to break loose…