((Written by Lindsay, based around the song "Music of the Night" by the incomparable Andrew Lloyd Webber.))

Sabine stood atop the Astronomy Tower, her hands braced upon the stone rail, the curious patterns carved into the weathered granite cold and abrasive on her palms. The sky was clear and dark, stars twinkling bright as an autumn breeze blew in from the north.

Strains of music reached her ears, and while it had no place atop the lonely tower, the masculine voice that sang to her did not come as a surprise.

Strangely, neither did the pair of white, long-fingered hands that slipped around her waist, or the lips that trailed light kisses over her throat…

"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation… Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination… Silently the senses abandon their defenses…"

Sabine needed no imagination to tell whose hand it was that splayed possessively over her midriff, or whose fingertips caressed her hair as he sang softly in her ear. She would have known the smooth, even tenor anywhere…

"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor… Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender…"

He let his hands slide down her arms, drawing her hands from the cold stone, teasing the sensitive skin with his fingertips as he pulled her against him, commanding all her attention. He led her inside, away from the twilight provided by moon and stars, into the darkness.

"Turn your face away from the garish light of day; turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light… And listen to the music of the night…"

She descended the endless staircase; guided by his sure, masterful grip, and found herself in the dungeons. They had changed… The light of countless candles flickered upon the walls, and the enigmatic, sourceless music had followed them to the vaults beneath the castle.

She shut her eyes and let him hold her, listening as he sang to her, each syllable a loving caress against her mind.

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, purge your thoughts of the life you knew before… Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar… And you'll live as you've never lived before…"

Her spine tingled as his fingertips explored the planes of her back, and he smirked against her skin, kissing her neck as his touch rested heavy on her hips, holding her close, the air warm and sweet.

"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you… Hear it, feel it secretly possess you… Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness that you know you cannot fight… The darkness of the music of the night…"

And suddenly he was removed from her, at no great distance, but distant enough that her skin protested at the absence of warmth and touch in the chill hall. She looked after him, hazel eyes wondering and confused. Why had he gone?

There was music everywhere. Beautiful, hallowed music, so simple, so elegant and her fingers itched with the urge to bring it forth from an instrument, her voice and ear strained to find the tune. Severus – for of course, who else could it be? Though she had not spoken his name, had not seen his face till this moment; the delicate fire that followed his hands and lips as he drowned her in song was unmistakable. He stared at her, and, the barest of smiles playing about his lips, turned away. She followed him as he ascended a staircase; holding rich, velvet curtains aside as she passed, and the soft touch of the fabric brushed against her face, carrying with it a musky scent of age and sanctity.

"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world," he invited, "Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before… Let your soul take you where you long to be… Only then can you belong to me…"

He extended a graceful hand to her, the other held out to a small room. The curtains cast aside, the little chamber contained a piano, pristine and inviting to the hazel eyes of one who knew how to play… And also… A bed? The singer raised a brow at his spellbound companion and, warm laughter flashing in his black eyes, vanished behind the drapes. She had only to look for a moment before his presence was found again, in the form of strong hands running through her hair and over her shoulders. "Floating, falling, sweet intoxication…" He purred quietly, taking her palm and pressing it to his chest. She raised her fingers to his face, not quite sure he was real. He shut his eyes, leaning into her contact. "Touch me, trust me; savor each sensation… Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of the music that I write… The power of the music of the night…" He backed away, leading her into the chamber that held the piano and pulling her to the bench. He took her hand and ran her fingers over the keys, and suddenly the urge to join the music, to create it, was almost overwhelming.

He smiled at her. "You alone can make my song take flight… Help me make the music of the night…"