Chapter One

The rain fell heavily outside and you could hear the patter against the window as the wind blew it in different directions. Brigitte so longed she could be sitting on the patio and listening to the rain come down with a good book, some hot chocolate, and her favourite blanket. That's what she would do back home in San Francisco, but she wasn't in San Francisco, and she wasn't sitting on a porch. She was in Scotland and was sitting on a piano bench practicing for the hundredth hour since she arrived.

Brigitte Goodman was one of the youngest and best piano players in the world, so good that she was currently on tour playing all over the world at different venues. She was to be in Scotland for a month, the first two weeks was for practicing and sight seeing, the rest was for concerts. She loved playing the piano but lately she was hating it with a passion and she hated being forced to play it; it also didn't help that her instructor was quite annoying.

"No! You need to have light thumbs! Do not forcefully play that c you have to lightly glaze over it," instructed Mrs Jasper. Brigitte was sick and tired of this lady who looked very much like she could play Harry Potter's Aunt Petunia.

"Yes, Mrs Jasper," she said through gritted teeth and replayed that measure.

"Better," said Mrs Jasper still in her strict tone.

Brigitte finished the piece and looked towards Mrs Jasper.

"Very good, you are done for the day, but we will practice once more in the morning," said Mrs Jasper. Brigitte quickly gathered up her music and left he room. They were staying in a large castle for the month they were there and the piano was located in the ball room. She ran up the steps to her room, in a tower! She immediately had claimed the tower room when they arrived.

She closed her door behind her and put her music away before grabbing her book and opening the window. She could hear the rain and she smiled and sat on the window seat as she rain supplied the rhythm for the pace she was reading.

Night had fallen and the rain had let up only a little bit during dinner but was pouring now more than ever. All the windows in the ball room were open and the curtains were blowing in the wind as a soft melody from the piano was being played.

Rudolph was flying around trying to find cover. He had been out searching high and low for the Stone of Attamon, the stone his family had been searching for the past three hundred years, when the rain started coming down. There were rolling green hills as far as the eye could see until he saw a castle in the distance. It looked like either everyone was asleep or no one was home for there were no lights but as he came closer he as able to hear a piano being played. He was amazed that he was able to hear it with all the rain but smiled nonetheless and flew to where the sound was coming from.

He landed on the window sill, happy that is was open and stepped into the large, dry ball room. The swaying curtains was enough to hide him from Brigitte as she sat at the piano and played one of her favourite melodies, which she never got to play in concert.

He never heard a piano piece quite like it and he never saw someone so young play so well. He kept watching and listening and waiting for the rain to end.

Brigitte finished the piece and sighed. This was the type of piano playing she liked, something soft and beautiful, not crazy Mozart concert pieces. She turned on the piano bench to head back to bed; you know she had to get up early to practice, when she spotted a shadow behind some curtains. She walked over to it and swung the curtain aside and saw nothing there.

"Hmm, odd," she said shaking her head and turning to the door, but then she slipped on a puddle and landed flat on her back. She groaned and looked up at the ceiling her eyes went wide. There above her was a boy her age with skin as pale as the moon and eyes as red as blood.

Rudolph had to think quickly when he saw her approach and he quickly made it to the ceiling but then she fell and he knew then that he was caught. Luckily she wasn't the screaming type but he couldn't tell if she had gone into shock or not. She just laid there in the puddle with the rain coming in from the window landing on her but she didn't seem to notice, or care.

He landed next to her and her eyes followed him. He picked her up and placed her in the nearby chair that her instructor usually sat in and squatted in front of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked calmly and softly. She blinked a few times before looking down at herself before looking back up at him and nodding slowly. "Good, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, especially since it was my fault. Sorry about the puddle."

"How long had you been standing there?" she finally got out after a bit of a silence.

"A good few minutes. You're an amazing pianist," he said smiling. Her eyes opened wider and pointed to him.

"Um, I'm sorry, but what are you, and who are you, and how did you get in here?" she asked calming herself down with a deep breath before staring him down.

"Right, sorry. I'm Rudolph Sackville-bagg, and yes I am a vampire, no joke. I know it may be hard to understand but please don't freak out. It was raining really bad and I came in here to take shelter, and to enjoy the music. I never hear decent piano playing anymore, I really liked it," he said trying to keep her calm.

"A vampire?" she asked not believing it but that was the only good explanation.

"Yes," he said shrugging.

"Oh," she said still soaking it all in, "well, um, would you like a towel?" she asked. He smiled again.

"That would be great," he said. She nodded and left the room. Rudolph walked over to the piano and played a few keys before realizing he really didn't know how to play. Brigitte returned with a towel in hand, and in a different set of pyjamas since her other ones were wet from the puddle and walked over to Rudolph by the piano.

"Can you play?" she asked handing him the towel.

"No, my sister learned but I fear she has forgotten since she hasn't been able to play for the past three centuries," he said as he dried his hair.

"Wow," she said smiling and looking at him, "you really must be a vampire huh? Or you're really crazy, but you seem too young to be that crazy."

"Thanks?" asked Rudolph trying to find out if that was a compliment or not.

"Either way, I like that you are different. Here sit down," she said as she sat down on the bench and patted the bench next to her. He sat down and wrapped the towel around his shoulders as she placed her fingers on her the keys and played some scales.

"Would you, I mean if you want, would you play another piece like the one you were playing earlier?" he asked.

"Sure," she said. She positioned herself and started playing a slightly darker tune but in the end it picked up and became lighter. Rudolph closed his eyes and placed the tune with his family. His family is dark and hopefully when they find the Stone they will turn back to being humans and things will be lighter for them.

Brigitte finished and looked at him with his eyes closed and put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she asked noticing his change in demeanour.

"Yes, I'm fine," he whispered opening his eyes and giving a small smile.

"Well I am sure your family is worried about you, and I need to get some sleep. Lucky for you, the rain seems to have let up," she said nodding to the window. Rudolph nodded and they both stood up and walked to the window and handed her the towel back.

"Thanks, both for the towel and the playing," he said smiling happily.

"I am here for a month and every night, at least thus far, I will happily play for you any night," she said. She could tell he seemed lonely and her piano playing seemed to leave a strong effect on him and decided this was something he needed.

"Well then I will be back tomorrow. Good night," he said smiling.

"Oh, I'm Brigitte by the way, Brigitte Goodman," she said. He nodded not really knowing why the name sounded so familiar but it did and he flew off into the night. Brigitte watched him until he couldn't see him anymore and closed all the windows before heading off to bed.

A/n: Thank you for reading and reviews are welcomed.

-Charlotte