Disclaimer: It's not my sandbox, I only play in it.
Practicing Piano
A ten year old boy sat at the piano, staring at the silent keys. He reached a hand up and ran his fingers along the cold, white keys. His mother always made him sit and practice, every morning for an hour. He hated it, hated the whole instrument. He never wanted to take piano lessons, never wanted to learn how to play, but his mother insisted. "Every proper young man knows how to play the piano. Your father knows how and so will you," his mother said when he argued with her.
"SIRIUS! I don't hear any music coming from there!!" Walburga yelled from the next room.
Sirius raised his hands and made to bang loudly on the keys. Just as his hands were about to come down a voice spoke from behind him.
"I don't really think you should do that. Mother is angry enough as it is over Andromeda dating that muggle. You don't want to make her worse," Regulus said, scowling. "To think, our own cousin…" he trailed off and moved further into the room. He walked up to the piano and sat next to his older brother on the bench.
Sirius stared at his younger brother. He was only ten, but he already had feelings of disagreement with his family views on muggleborns. He didn't see what the big deal was about. Who cared who Andromeda dated?
"WHY ARE YOU NOT PRACTICING!" came the yell from the other room again. Sirius glared at the door.
"Sirius? Wanna play our duet?" Regulus asked, looking hopefully up at his brother. Regulus looked up to his brother, even though he'd never admit it. Being only two years apart, the two were closer than most brothers.
"Sure. Might as well play something so Mother doesn't yell again," Sirius smiled at Regulus and the two begin playing "Chopsticks," their favorite duet.
Upon finishing the piece, Sirius sighed and pulled out his piano book, staring at the music. He was supposed to be learning some stupid sonata by some old dead guy with a wig. His fingers rested on the keys. He sighed again, and began playing. Regulus sat, staring at the music, his eyes fixed on the notes. He looked down and watched Sirius's fingers fly over the keys, the music sounding so bright and happy.
When Sirius finished, Regulus looked up at him. "I wish I knew how to play that. I'm still only in the first book. I still have to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. I love my piano lessons, don't you?" Sirius looked down, seeing a difference between him and his brother that he had never really noticed.
"No," Sirius replied. "I hate these stupid lessons. You might want to get out before Mother comes in here and finds you. She'll think you're keeping me from practicing." Regulus jumped off the bench and ran to the door.
"Have fun practicing!" He said before he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.
Sirius resumed staring at the page. He flipped back a few pages and found a piece he actually liked. "Knecht Ruprecht" it was titled, but Robert Schumann. Surprisingly, Sirius liked Schumann. He had read a brief history on him in some old book of his fathers. The music was pretty neat, a lot of sixteenth notes that went by fast. Sirius liked to play fast.
He played through a couple of his other pieces and finally closed the book. Resisting the temptation throw it into the fire, he put it back in the piano bench and closed the lid. Oh how he hated practicing the piano.
AN: So I got accepted to do the 100 Quills challanged on Livejournal and I have to write 100 stories about Sirius. I'll post some here, and some I'll leave on the site. This is just a random idea. Please review!