A/N: Well, it's only been two months…sorry guys! I really don't have much of an excuse besides that fact that I've been busy, brain-dead, and my beta got mad at me and wouldn't read anything for a while…then the chapter got lost and…Well, here it is now so there. Please don't kill me! I have the next two chappies done already, they just have to be read and edited. Thanks!

Vagrant Candy: I'll see what I can do about having Christine making a little guest appearance, but I originally was pretending she never existed. But I'll try my best. J

Erik's Girlfriend: Lol, don't worry. Claire's like…twenty-one or something, lol. So Erik's okay…

Mrs. Opera Ghost: Sorry about the lack of Erik in the last chapter. The next two chapters should kinda make up for it. The story is progressing…

Emily Singing Reflection: Yes, Nicolette is very interesting indeed, lol. She should play an interesting part.

Surf with Music: Thanks for reading, AND reviewing. I really appreciate it.

BrokenAngel858: LOL! I love Nightmare on Elm Street, and your idea. That was great. Thanks for the review.

Immok: Well, we'll see. She will have a part to play.

Marianne Brandon: Sorry this took so long…I feel really bad, but yeah. There will be more Erik and Christine interaction for sure…tehehe…and Aubrey's coming up soon!

Camlann: I must have forgotten to mention her age. Nicolette is like, 9 or 10…maybe I'll mention in later if I forgot. Woops, lol.

Chapter Fifteen: Blind Lessons

Claire hummed quietly to herself through the dank hallways of the dormitory building. Her stomach was full from dinner, and a soft smile warmed her lips; she was content with the evening.

She was able to find her friends and sit with them at the long, grey dining table in the dining room. The room had been a large, airy one, sprinkled with dust and a handful of cobwebs that clung to the cold walls.

There were nearly fifty girls that lived in the dormitories of the opera house, and, to Claire's surprise, she found that most of them were orphans. Nicolette sat at the end of the table, nearest to the door, where she said little, and hardly touched her roasted pork.

Now, Claire could hear the little girl's footsteps behind her. She turned around to see Nicolette pacing behind her, looking down at the floor with every step. Claire opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. Perhaps the girl wanted to be left alone?

As soon as the two girls found their room, they began to undress and change into their night gowns for the evening. Claire actually missed Margaret helping her prepare for the night. She missed her father's good night wishes and kiss as well. She sighed. Claire missed a lot of things.

It was Nicolette who crawled into bed first, tucking herself so far into her sheets that Claire could only see the freckled tip of her nose and higher. "Can you turn out the lights?" the little girl asked, her words muffled under the covers.

"Of course," Claire said as she glided toward the oil lamp and pinched the tiny knob with her fingers, turning it down towards the floor, and releasing all light from the room. "Goodnight," she whispered as she crawled into her own cot. There was no reply from the little girl nearby, but Claire thought she heard another noise.

Singing.

That's what it was. After closing her heavy eyelids, Claire was almost forced to open them again. She could still hear it, but she could see nothing in the dim and black lighted room. Who's there? She asked in her mind. It wasn't Nicolette, she thought; the little girl's voice would have been clearer, for she was only feet away. No, this voice was muffled, as if from far away- and it belonged to a man.

It was him.

Claire knew it almost immediately. Not only did the voice have that certain, mystifying quality to it, but Claire recognized it as well. It was deep, calming, sincere…What is he doing? Claire asked herself. Why was this man singing now? Did he want her to hear him?

The music stopped, and Claire turned in her bed. She wanted to hear more, but couldn't tell which direction the soft melodies had been emanating from- through the wall, no doubt, but where?

"Claire…" This time the voice seemed closer. "Come to me…"

Claire's eyes widened, and her breathing increased. Looking to her right, she saw the tiny silhouette that was Nicolette's body and head. Claire licked her lips and sat up. She stepped lightly out of bed, so as not to wake her room mate.

"Why is he calling to you?" a little voice asked.

Claire spun around to see two white eyes peering at her through the darkness. "I don't know," Claire answered in an almost inaudible whisper.

"Are you frightened?" Nicolette asked, bewildered.

Claire thought for a moment, deeply considering this question. Was she frightened? "No," she answered boldly.

"Don't be…just go to him," Nicolette suggested. "He wants you."

"You…you know?"

Nicolette didn't answer this time. She rolled over, her sheets rustling with every turn, and faced the other way. "Goodnight then," Claire whispered softly before exiting the room.

She nearly flew down the hallway, searching for the path that she knew would lead to the chapel. After several minutes of swiftly searching, she found it. After entering, she looked around the room for any sign that she was not alone. "Phantom?"

"I am here," came the icy-toned reply.

"Why do you hide?"

"You are here to hear me, child, not to see me."

Claire swallowed, and took a deep breath. "It is late, Monsieur…I should be asleep, in my bed."

"We will have no time. We have now."

"And tomorrow?" She knew exactly what he wanted. They had spoken before of voice training, and for some reason, Claire knew that's why she here. She was bewildered, to an extent, but more excited than anything.

"We have tomorrow night."

"And…" Claire began. "Every night, will we be meeting like this?"

"Yes."

And so it was. Every night henceforth Claire would leave her room after making sure that she wouldn't be missed or seen by anyone, and meet with her phantom, her singing mentor.

Hours grew into nights, nights into weeks, and by the time the second month of their meeting had passed; both Claire and Erik had lost count of their lessons, and the hours they spent together. Sessions were blended together, as were their voices as they made music together every night.

Erik made it clear that he wanted no questions to be asked about him, and that Claire wasn't to mention him, or their lessons to anyone. Claire asked no further questions, and told no one what they were doing. They just sang, night after night, and for the first time in her life, Claire felt free.

Even her father was noticing her gaiety on their daily meetings at the opera house. The majority of the time, Andre spent locked up in his office, swimming in a bounty of paperwork and drowned in a sea of coughs and grunts.

And as the nights passed on, so did the days, and Claire Bonamy spent every day of the week-save Sunday which was reserved for church- practicing her ballet with Madame Giry.

"Farwell for the night, Phantom," Claire bid one night when their meeting was complete. "I'll dream of songs tonight." She smiled casually as she exited the chapel.

Hmmm, cold grey eyes watched with curiosity as the girl in the pale night gown skipped up the steps from the chapel to the dormitories. A little night owl, have we? Joseph Buquet's grin was sly and his eyes twinkled cruelly. What have we here? But I heard two voices…

Once he made certain that the girl was gone, he entered the chapel, closing the door quietly behind him. He glanced around the room suspiciously. It was dark, there was little light, save the ethereal glow of the moon that shown dimly through the stained glass window in the far side of the chapel. "Who is here?" he asked aloud, waiting for an answer. He had waited long enough, and wondered why, even though he'd heard two voices singing that night, in the chapel, only one person left the room. "You," he grumbled coldly. "Is it the opera ghost I heard?"

Silence.

A/N: Please review you guys! And I'll update sooner!

-Modesty