Author's note: slowly getting into writing this again. wehhhhh. Sorry for such a long delay! I am definitely not giving up on this story though. And if this chapter seems weird, it's because I haven't written in a while. But I'm already working on the next one and also, thank you sooo much for being patient with me. Y'all are the best.

Oh and the lemon part to this whooooole story. Well there'll be lots of lemon parts, trust me. But it'll take a while dears! Sorry~ but trust me, I'm trying to make it all worth it~

EDIT 08/03/2013: yes this has been revised a bit too!

disclaimer: I own nothing! bluh bluh


Thursday had finally arrived and after countless calls to Lili and Feliks, Elizaveta now stood outside of Professor Edelstein's office, ready for her first piano lesson. The hallway was deserted, the practice rooms were full and she could hear the beginning measures of a Strauss waltz playing in a far-off room. She arrived as early as 2:45 PM and spent ten minutes wandering throughout the building, peeking in at classrooms through the doors' windows as she walked past.

Here she was at 2:55 PM, right outside his room. The waltz had picked up in tempo and Eliza could not resist the urge to dance. She hummed along, leading an invisible partner in a circle around the hallway. Closing her eyes, Eliza envisioned a ballroom from the 1800s, full of women in lavish gowns and men who wore cravats.

Roderich Edelstein stepped outside of his office, having grown impatient since he did not hear her knock at the door. He eyed her figure, hips swaying in time, moving gracefully in a small circle in front of him.

As the waltz came to an end, Eliza stopped, drawing her arms close to her torso and sighing wistfully; she imagined that it was Professor Edelstein who was leading her all along.

"You're quite skilled at leading," he said, interrupting her fantasy.

Elizaveta's eyes snapped open. She turned slowly to face her professor and managed to give a small bow out of embarrassment. The corner of his lip twitched at the sight of a lady bowing instead of curtsying but he made no remark.

"I'm sorry, Professor Edelstein. I was enjoying the music," she said as she picked up her bag that she had earlier set down next to his door and waited for his cue to go in.

"Yes well, even dancing has its time and place. Now let us begin our lesson." He opened his office door and Eliza quickly darted inside, desperate to hide the slight blush that was blooming on her face.

Elizaveta stood quietly by the door while he walked to his desk and gestured to the seat across from him. She slid into the chair, smoothing out her jeans and folding her hands in her lap in order to prevent herself from fidgeting. Professor Edelstein took out his own copy of his syllabus and placed it in the center of the desk.

"For this course, the university has had the secondary piano students study out of a 'group piano' book, correct?" He caught her nodding her head and continued on. "However, I've read through the book and do not find it satisfactory for what I intend on teaching you."

Eliza let out a grateful sigh. She greatly disliked the book and would delight in burning it as soon as she arrived back home. She knew Feliks would make a party out of the event.

"Based on our first class meeting the previous week, I assume you are able to read that level of piano literature?"

Elizaveta felt him studying her. She inhaled, fluttering her eyelashes as she tried to come up with an explanation while still trying to impress him.

"W-well, I learned that piece by ear. I think I can read moderately well for a secondary piano student but it depends on what I have to study."

'Please don't ask me to play it for you,' she prayed silently. He stared at her for a while longer before smiling and standing up from his desk.

"That's perfectly fine, Miss Elizaveta. Would you mind sight-reading a few Bach preludes?" He said as he headed to his bookshelf, extracting a worn out booklet of sheet music.

Eliza rose from her seat and took her place before the piano, waiting for him to adjust the height of the piano bench before she sat down.

The booklet was open and laying before her. Her fingers quivered as she arranged them on the keys of the piano. She took several deep breaths before she began but found that she did not quite have the confidence to start the piece.

Roderich stood behind her, noticing how tense her body was and her hesitation to begin. He leaned in close to her ear; his mind made note of her flowery perfume which smelled of white orchids, orange flowers, gardenias and a hint of amber.

"You're nervous. Don't be. Let me help you," he said as he pressed his chest close to her back and placed his hands over hers.

He had caught her off guard and Eliza was sure he could've heard her heartbeat falter. She was fully aware of how close they were and of how strong his hands felt on hers. Breathing in once more, she could practically taste the chocolate in his scent.

"Ready, Miss Elizaveta?" His voice was low and calm.

"Yes, Herr Edelstein," she said, her response coming out as a whisper. She did not fail to hear the small intake of breath he had made, and that alone gave her the confidence to set the tempo and begin their odd duet.


The last two weeks of August went by in the blink of an eye. With the beginning of September came a change in weather and an increase in the number of rehearsals Eliza's chamber group demanded of her. She practically lived in the practice rooms of the university, going over the literature she was studying for her three instruments.

"Ugh… why did I bring this upon myself? Oh right, because I said I could totally handle it. Stupid Lizzie," she groaned, resting her head against a music stand.

It was the second week of September and she was cooped up in the practice room. Elizaveta could hear someone banging away at the drum set that was in the room adjacent to her.

"Why me, why me, why me," she muttered while setting her clarinet down. She clutched her head. The noise did not help her already high stress levels but she also did not want to move to another room since there was a free period between classes for music students, which meant that every student in the building would try to sneak into any rooms that were available.

Eliza resigned herself since this was a fight she was not going to be able to win. She thought about getting home earlier and persuading Feliks to go out shopping with Toris, thus leaving the apartment to herself for the rest of the day for practice.

'He owes me one anyway, for that time he tried to buy a pony and bring it to the apartment.'

Glancing at the clock in room, she decided it would be best if she gave it a rest for the day and instead, join the rest of the students who were in the music lounge.

Eliza walked out of the room, lugging her clarinet and violin and headed to the lockers, stowing them away for the rest of the afternoon. She took a moment to rest her forehead against the cool metal that was the music lockers which briefly soothed her headache. From her left, she heard a hushed conversation drifting toward her from one of the classrooms.

"Roderich, why don't you play me one of your Satie pieces? You know how much I like them."

"While I would feel quite at ease playing them for anyone, playing them for you seems to trigger a response I am not at all fond of."

Elizaveta recognized the second voice to be her piano teacher but the first had a French accent to it. They used Professor Edelstein's first name, which would be highly improper if they were a student and it seemed as though he didn't have a problem with it, which implied that they were…

'A member of the faculty?'

She edged herself closer to the room, thankful that the door was slightly ajar and flattened her body against the wall to avoid being seen.

"Oh? You know, I could take you to see the opera house in Paris. It is quite lovely. And then we could go to a café, I could show you around my city and after a late dinner and some red wine, we could.."

"Francis, I do not feel comfortable with these advances of yours. I am simply not interested and implore you to cease this nonsense at once!"

Eliza heard a muffled cry, quick footsteps and the sound of some desks being moved around hastily. Her mind was racing; was he getting sexually assaulted by this faculty member? Why did that name sound so familiar to her? Is the other person handsome? Is Professor Edelstein enjoying it..?

Without realizing it, she had become envious of this 'Francis' person. And since she wasn't the one toying with him and having her way with him, it would be only right to protect him and save him from such a situation, right?

"Professor Edelstein?"

As she spoke his name, she moved from her hiding spot, opened the door and walked right into the room.

He was pressed against the left wall, his back arching away from the figure that had clamped one hand on his mouth while the other was unbuttoning his shirt with nimble fingers.

Roderich Edelstein's head looked in the direction of Elizaveta's voice. His usually slicked-back hair was a mess; his bangs partly obscured his eyes that had widened in shock at the sight of her and his skin that was already flushed, turned a deeper shade of red.

"Ah, what have we here? A beautiful maiden enters our midst?" The figure chuckled. He stepped back, ran a hand through his blonde hair and regarded Eliza, who was blushing furiously.

"Such a pretty flower in your hair, m'dear." He approached her, already a little too close for comfort and yet she could not tear herself away.

He moved toward her back, twirling a strand of her long hair between his fingers before leaning in and whispering, "Would you like to join us?"

Eliza could feel his stubbly cheek on her neck, his breath on her ear, and she could not discern whether the shiver that ran up her spine was from excitement, discomfort, or anger; perhaps all three.

"I believe I have some work that I forgot to give back to you in my office, Elizaveta. Would you mind accompanying me there?" In the time it took for the man to unnerve her senses, Roderich had already fixed his shirt and rearranged his appearance.

She nodded; the man had already taken a step away, for which she was grateful. Professor Edelstein cleared his throat and moved toward the door. He held it open, waiting for her to pass through the doorframe and cast a final dark glance at the blonde.

"Until next time then, and don't forget to bring that flower of yours!" He laughed as they left him there, heading quickly down the hallway and to Roderich's office.

He opened the door, ushered her inside, and promptly shut it tightly behind them. Roderich made a motion to move toward his desk but instead stood rooted to the spot.

"Professor, who was that man, if I may ask?" Eliza willed her voice to be smooth and show no hint to how frazzled she felt on the inside.

"I apologize that you had to witness that unfortunate scene. It was highly unprofessional, and you should not have intruded."

"I'm sorry, I thought I was—"

"Helping? No, instead you've humiliated me even further. That 'man' is Francis Bonnefoy. He teaches French literature and insists on playing these perverse games with anyone and anything that he fancies! That man has no culture, no manners, no—"

"Roderich," she said his name without a thought and placed her hand on his shoulder.

He closed his eyes, registering the warmth that she extended to him, letting it soak through and soothe him. For once, he did not feel the need to play his piano. For once, he let someone touch him, let them comfort him, if only for the moment.

But it should not be coming from her.

He knew that, she knew that.

"Roderich," she repeated. Her voice stirred certain feelings that he did not wish to acknowledge.

And even worse, it made his heart beat just a little faster.

"Miss Hedervary, you are not allowed to call me by my first name. It is improper for a student to do so. I ask that you remember that next time."

She felt him stiffen as she gently squeezed his shoulder, and withdrew her hand. That was the first time he had ever referred to her by her last name.

"Yes, of course. I am sorry, Professor Edelstein, for intruding." Eliza opened the door to his office, ready to run at breakneck speed to her car once she was safely out of eyesight from him when he caught her wrist, making her pause.

"… Thank you."

She bit her lip, desperate to hear him say more than those simple words. She looked down, mustering up some hidden strength in order to mask her feelings before turning to him and smiling at him.

"It was nothing. Goodbye, Professor."

He released his grip on her wrist, allowing her to slip out the door and shut it behind her.