I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Elizabeth relaxed her fingers on the grand piano and sighed. The piece today sounded much better, she had only paused to remember the notes or to re-correct her hands five times! Usually it would be at least ten times or more. Her playing today sounded so much more fluid and calm, she could think of it as actual music rather than simply pressing keys one after the other awkwardly.

On top of opera training, Erik had gone and kept his word to teach Elizabeth how to play the piano properly. At the end of her singing lesson everyday he would take a half hour or so to teach her piano. It was much easier and tasteful to him

After many years of self teaching herself, Elizabeth's piano playing ability blossomed under his tutelage and you could really hear the difference. Now, thanks to Erik, piano had once again become...fun! She now looked forward to waking up in the morning and practicing what he had taught her.

A part of her couldn't really believe that things between them had progressed so well, it had almost been two years since the first time they met. Of course he was still cold, still stern and strict with her, still so chilling and had that dangerous feel to him every time she met with him. He still treated her like a student when she was singing, like she was nothing more than that. But at the same time, he was kinder. Sometimes he could let his guard down for a moment and show her what a tender person he could be to someone he cared about. And Elizabeth found herself wishing so desperately she could be one of those people.

Also the usage of his name became more natural. She stopped saying it for the sake of saying it because it seemed to annoy him and only said it when she needed to but it still gave her a little thrill to do so.

Elizabeth felt something was different about her when it came to Erik something had changed but she didn't know what. She stopped and clutched at where her heart was to feel it heat up. It wasn't enough, even though he opened himself up to her, it was never enough, Elizabeth wanted to know more. The more he opened up the more she wanted to know but she was too afraid. And the question that was niggling away at her was what was beneath the mask?

But she would never even dream to ask him that, he would son as kill her than to allow her that knowledge.

And that name, Christine. She couldn't stop thinking about it even though she never let on. The sadness and hopelessness in his voice, what was that?

Her heart sped up and she sighed, really, this pain in her chest wouldn't be so bad as long as she knew why it hurt, Elizabeth could deal with logic, it was emotions she had no knowledge of.

Her piano playing had gotten to the point where she could play pieces from her memory even after hearing them a few times, Elizabeth could always do that since she was young, she just didn't have the capability to play them well.

She stretched her fingers out and played that song she first sang, the one that started it all. Don Juan Triumphant.

It sounded alright, it flowed, not fluidly but it held some sort of feeling to it that not even verity could put in, but Elizabeth knew that was only a product of Erik's training.

She closed her eyes and immersed herself in her own music, relishing the feeling it gave her as she recalled the wonderful first moments when she sang to this song with Erik's voce only a whisper spurning her on...before he tried to strangle her, Elizabeth always edited that part out of memories. Not because she was scared, but because she wasn't scared and that seemed to scare her, if that made any sense? Elizabeth loved how Erik had given her this feeling, she might have gone through her entire life not knowing how much she loved music if not for him, he made her song take flight.

"Bethy! Why...why that's absolutely beautiful!"

Elizabeth stumbled on her notes at the sound of her sister's voice behind her. She turned to see Hermione standing behind her with a surprised expression as she stared at Elizabeth's hands on the piano as if it were some foreign thing.

"You..you can actually play the piano!"

"Is that such a surprise to you sister dear? You know I was the first out of all of us to take up piano" Elizabeth asked, holding in the slight feelings of hurt at Hermione's expression. She knew what she was thinking.

"Yes I know, but I didn't think you were any good at it..." then she realised what she said and gasped "Oh my, that sounded quite rude, it that you are a bad pianist, it's just that you were never up to par, I thought that's why you gave up?"

"I didn't give up, I took a short rest. I recently...heard some music that inspired me to take it up again."

Hermione smiled "well I for one am glad, you do need a hobby beside all that horrid reading you do. Really, I can enjoy a good book every once in a while like a sane person, but you take it to the point of obsession."

Elizabeth ignored Hermione's comment and chose not to take it as an insult, she did not want to start a fight with her sister.

So instead she smiled and said "if that is your opinion dear sister." He paused and asked as per usual "how is Anthony?"

Hermione did her a small kindness, she knew very well of Elizabeth's once affections towards her husband, and knew how hard her sister tried to put them aside, and she was kind enough not to gloat which in all due respect was something at least.

"Oh, he is well." She said "we are having an anniversary party in a few days" she smiled "and when we do we will have something to tell you all." Her eyes sparkled and Elizabeth smiled "Really? I'm sure I'll be glad to hear It." although inside she had a bad feeling about the whole idea, a sort of uneasiness. Elizabeth just left it down to paranoia though.

"Oh Bethy you really must tell me the name of the composer of that song, I would so love to hear more of his pieces."

Well Elizabeth was quite thrown for a loop. She had never lied to her sister before, but then against he didn't think it was right to say his name. So she had a choice and he made her decision.

"I don't know his name Mionie, I just heard this somewhere and thought it sounded good." Good didn't describe what she thought of Erik's music, it was art in itself.

Hermione's face dropped "Oh, that's a shame. Although I am finding myself with a lot to do these days, why don't you tell me the name of the piece and I'll try to find his name?"

Elizabeth held in a frown, again at a loss of what to do. Then she nodded with a smile "That's a splendid idea, do tell me his name when you find out." She said. After all, Erik had said how he wasn't a published musician, and all his music scores for the opera were burned, how lucky could Hermione be to actually stumble across his name when almost no one knew it?

"It's a song from the opera Don Juan Triumphant"

Erik sat at the organ in his chambers at the theatre composing. He was composing another song for Elizabeth, one that would suit her voice now. The keys on the piano and the sweet sounds melded together like a blacksmith tended to his iron.

He was so proud of his little student.

Yes, pride.

Elizabeth had earned that pride, she put her heart and soul into her training and not once shirked it, she embraced music like it was a friend rather than a servant like most musicians. Elizabeth was his protégée in many ways. It was the one this he could never call Christine.

A protégé was a person who felt the same way about things as you did, someone you could trust your ideals to. Christine was his love and his life, but she could never understand. She just did not understand how soulful music was. She saw music the way everyone else did and that was why no matter how beautifully she sang he always told her she wasn't ready; she still had much to learn.

But Elizabeth was different. Her voice did not have the same crisp, beautiful tones as Christine had, but she understood the music. She was the kind of person he could teach his ideals and could actually understand him. He was proud of her progress.

It was almost time for her revel. Elizabeth had to make a name for herself, and it was a good things she was an English lady already because she could make an influence, and then he would have to get her away from that ridiculous place. She would never reach her full potential in a place like that, most likely she would be restricted to singing at gatherings like a little caged bird and then forced into marriage where she would sing less and less and then finally...stop.

No!

Erik would not allow that to happen, he would not allow such talent to just stop. She would grow and become more that she could ever dream to become. She deserved that. Now he just needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Erik sometimes had trouble admitting it, but he had become incredible fond of his student. At one time he thought of her as indispensible, something he could get rid of like anyone else. But now she was different, she was important. And there was so few important people to Erik that it was surprising.

THIS IS MORE OF HER FILLER CHAPTER THAN ANYTHING. I MAY NOT BE WRITING ANYTHING FOR A WHILE BECAUSE ALL MY EXAMS ARE IN TWO MONTHS AND I HAVE TO STUDY EXTRA

BUT LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS WILL BE HAPPENING NEXT.