Her Player Piano
A fic-let that involves a piano, Hermione, and some R/H fluff.
This story is a sweet little romance that kind of describes what I went through when my parents gave away my first piano…an old, retired, player piano that was used on the old radio talk-shows in Baltimore, Maryland.
"Hermione Granger you are going to take piano whether you like it or not! I don't care what you think! You must play for fifteen minutes a day or you can't go to Clarisse' house! Now sit down at that piano and play!"
"But mum! I don't want to play! It's boring and stupid and I hate it!"
"NOW!"
"NO!"
"YOU HAVE TO THE COUNT OF THREE TO GET DOWN THOSE STAIRS YOUNG LADY OR YOU'LL HAVE TO ANSWER TO YOUR FATHER!"
Hermione stomped down the stairs to her living room and sat down at the battered old player-piano's bench. She grabbed her notebook on top of it, and saw her teacher's tiny scrawl; which she could barely understand:
October 12rh
p. five in "Music Tree Golden Learner" book, "Little Dreamer".
p. six in " Music Tree "Golden Learner: Workshop Edition" book, "Little Dreamer Counting".
Work on C, D, and E scales.
Hermione groaned. She hated scales. No, hated was an understatement, she despised scales, and wanted them to die. She started to poke around on the piano.
"That doesn't sound like scales, dear!" called her mother's voice from the kitchen.
"I'm composing, mother!"
"Well, your composing minutes are over!"
Hermione reluctantly gave up the little tune playing in her head, and resigned herself to the evil scales. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. There, those painful notes must have been at least fifty minutes. She got up from the piano…
"And just what do you think you are doing?" her mother demanded.
"It's been fifteen minutes, mum!"
Her mother chuckled. "It's been thirty seconds, now go back to that piano!" she said, pointing back to the old piano in the corner.
"But…"
Mrs. Granger reinforced her point. "Now, Hermione!"
Hermione stomped back to her post. C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. She knew she'd already done that. D, E, F…that didn't sound right. D, E, F…ugh! "Something's wrong with this note, mum!" Hermione whined.
"That piano got tuned yesterday, Hermione. You and I both know you have to play the little black key above it."
Hermione moaned again and got back to work. D, E, black key, G, A, B, C, D. There, she'd done it. She looked at the Grandfather's clock on the wall, it had only been two minutes since she last checked. She knew that the E scale was impossible. E, F…not right…E, little black key, G…not right…E, little black key, another little black key, G, A, B, C…not right…E, little black key, another little black key, G, A, B, little black key, last little black key, and E again. She'd finally mastered the E scale.
"Ha, Ha…I'll teach you, you stupid little keys…"
She opened her little book to page five and started to play. G, B, A, C, B, D…and back down again. Her piano teacher had told her that the little line under the clef was a pedal key, so, she pressed down on the pedal on the right…and started to play. Her mother started to clap in the corner.
"All right, Hermione…you can go through the backyard to Clarisse's house," said Hermione's mother.
"Yay! Thanks, mum!" said Hermione with glee, and she skipped out the back door into the beautiful backyard that her parents owned. She ran to the little wooden gate at the back, unlocked the hatch, and ran into Clarisse's backyard, where Clarisse was waiting.
"Where were you?" asked Clarisse impatiently.
"Sorry! My mum made me practice piano again…for fifteen minutes! Can you believe my luck?"
"Why can't she just let you quit?" she asked, as they headed inside to her room.
"Because she thinks it'll help me along the way and when I'm older…older than she is…I'll sit down and play for my heart's content."
"No, you can come over to my house and we'll play with my beagles all day!" The two girls burst into a fit of giggles, forgetting the poor piano that sat all alone in Hermione's living room.
13 Years Later
Hermione turns seventeen
"Hermione…please sit down and play piano for me. I have to tell you something afterwards…" said Hermione's mother, sitting down in her chair in the same living room Hermione had sat in ten years ago, hating the instrument that sat before her.
"Okay, mum. But I can't play for long, you know that…"
"I know…the train leaves in two hours…but we only live thirty minutes away from the station…"
Hermione sat down at the old piano bench and started to play 'Beethoven's Fur Elise' with ease. Mrs. Granger watched Hermione's keys flutter across the old piano like she was born to. After she had finished, Hermione turned around and smiled at her mother.
"Hermione…there's something your father and I have decided to do. You and I both know you haven't had time to play for a very long time…"
"Yes mum but…"
"Let me finish, Hermione…your father and I have decided to give away the piano."
Hermione didn't say anything. She didn't say anything in the car on the way to King's Cross and she didn't say anything until her mother kissed her goodbye. Hermione met up with Ginny, Harry…and Ron, and they all found a compartment near the front of the train…and there…Hermione broke down.
"Hermione…what's wrong?" asked Ginny, patting Hermione's back, trying to look her in the face.
"Nothing…being silly…" sobbed Hermione.
"Oh, stop. You never cry for a bad reason, Hermione. What's wrong?" asked Ron.
"My…my piano…my parents are going to get rid of it…" she sobbed through her arms. Ron and Harry looked at each other, confused looks rising on their faces.
"You play?" asked Harry, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Of course I play! I've…I've played…f-for thirteen years…on a very old, r-retired player piano…I love that beautiful piece of furniture…" said Hermione shakily. Ron motioned the others out, and went to sit next to her.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I guess it'd be like me giving up my grandfather's chess set. I'd love to hear you play sometime."
"Wh-what's the p-point…I won't b-be able to p-practice anymore…"
"Well…my dad has an old piano in his shed, you know…" suggested Ron, a small smile appearing at his mouth.
Hermione smiled a bit. "Thanks, Ron…but…it won't be the same…" she said, finally looking up at him. She cried into his chest. He took her chin up to meet his.
"It's all right, Hermione. We all go through rough times. That's what I'm…we're here for…" he said a little bashfully.
"I'm g-glad you're here for me, Ron…" whispered Hermione, and a magnetic force drew her lips to his in an instant.
"I'm sorry…so sorry…" said Ron, after they broke apart.
"It's all right…we were bound to kiss sometime…" said Hermione quietly.
"Yeah…they all said it would…"
"Hey, Ron?" asked Hermione timidly.
"Yeah?"
"Well…please…"
"I won't ever make fun of your piano playing hands…or that your old player piano that sits in the corner of your heart."