A New Waltz in A Minor (Savannah)

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron often came up to the Room of Requirement in the evenings, when most other students had gone back to their common rooms or wherever they went. It was the one place in the castle he could find quiet for just an hour to himself.

Tonight, as per usual, he left the door open. It was a weird habit with him, but he never liked closing the door to the Room of Requirement. Maybe it was some claustrophobic fear of being locked in. If the door could disappear from the outside, surely it could from the inside as well.

And when the silence settled around him, he sat down at a grand piano, and the rest of the world seemed to melt away. He started playing slowly, one hand only, until he really got a feel for whatever melody he was playing. Then, the second hand would join, and before he knew it, Cameron was lost in a world of color. Different sounds made him imagine different colors, and when he paid enough attention, he would play a song all in reds, or all in greens. Other times, he would play a rainbow... it just depended on his mood.

If he could stay this focused in his classes, he might have been a straight A student... he might have even qualified to be in Ravenclaw. But nothing settled him quite like music did, and so nothing got quite as much attention.

[Savannah Lyons]

Savannah was just leaving the owlery, having sent an invitation to Ryder for lunch on Saturday. After descending the high, curved steps that led back down to the seventh floor, she heard the soft, sweet notes of a piano. Pausing for a moment, she listened, trying to make sure she was not imagining things. But there it was, clear as day. And it was so lovely.

She didn't recognize the tune, but it touched her heart nonetheless. Smiling softly, she moved almost hypnotically towards the music. It was achingly beautiful, and she had to know from whence it came.

At last she reached an open door, and the music was emanating loudly from within. She stood there in the hallway for a few moments, almost afraid to look in. She almost wanted to believe that it was some sort of enchantment, like a heavenly choir, only on a piano. But curiosity got the better of her, and she took a deep breath and approached the door, taking just a single step into the room.

Imagine her shock when she saw a familiar figure sitting at a grand piano, his fingers flying over the keys with an effortless grace. Her brother's friend, Cameron. She'd had no idea he could play like that. A tear trickled down her cheek and she stared at him in a whole new light.

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron was oblivious to her presence in the room. His mind was soley focused on the keys below his fingers, and the sounds they created. For the rest of the melody he played, it was as if nothing else existed.

Slowly, his fingers came to a stop, and the last note vibrated for a moment before silence filled the room again, and Cameron opened his eyes. His back was to the door, but he could feel someone else's eyes on him. In all the time he'd been sneaking up her after dinner, no one ever walked in on him before.

He turned his head to see who it was. If it was anyone from Slytherin, he was going to have to make up a story fast. They weren't likely to let him live it down.

But it was actually the last person he ever expected to see there: Savannah, whose name spelled itself in musical notes in Cameron's head. He watched her for a moment, and then a slow, predatory grin came to his lips.

"Stalking me?"

[Savannah Lyons]

Sometime during the song, Savannah's eyes had closed, and she had become lost in the song. In the silence that followed, she didn't open them for a few moments, reluctant to break the magic that seemed to hang in the air.

But then he had to ruin it by speaking. She opened her eyes and met his for a moment, her expression communicating something that she could not bring herself to say... something to the effect of "thank you."

"Of course not," she said. "I was just returning from the owlery. I... I realize it was terribly rude of me to walk into this room uninvited, but the door was open. I beg your pardon... and I'll be taking my leave now."

[Cameron Wilder]

And there she went again. Cameron frowned. He didn't know what that look in her eyes meant, and didn't even get far enough to think it might be any kind of thanks, but he recognized that it was good.

"Savannah," he said, "Wait. You don't have to go. The door was open, after all." Not to invite anyone in, but he didn't tell her that. "It's only rude if the door had been closed." He didn't know how to make her more comfortable around him. He had been best friends with Elliot for four years now, and in all that time, he still felt like he only knew Savannah's name, and that she liked Shakespeare.

He didn't know what else to do, so he started playing again, notes that sounded like her voice to him, just hoping it would draw her back.

[Savannah Lyons]

She had turned to go, but as the music started again, she stopped. How was it possible that he could play so beautifully? It shattered her illusion of him, to know that he could do something like that. No barbarian could play something so... majestic.

Biting her lip, she turned around and walked back into the room, a little further this time. She was transfixed, and she couldn't look away. Who would have thought him capable of such beauty?

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron smiled to himself. So this was how to get to her, he realized. He should have known all along, being as prim and proper as she was.

"What does this remind you of?" he asked her, changing to a tune that seemed overall conservative, but had rebel notes and a hint of playfulness below the surface. It was Elliot to him. Because of the way he perceived things, he tended to translate the people he knew into song. He didn't go around telling this to everyone, of course, because that would be largely... weird.

[Savannah Lyons]

Although not as musically gifted as he was, Savannah loved to listen to music. Classical was her favorite. There were no words to influence the listener, so it left more room for interpretation. The songs could say different things to you on different days, depending on your mood or what had happened to you during the day.

She moved forward slowly, listening to the music he played. There was a single chair across from the piano, facing him, and she hesitantly sat down, closing her eyes to take in the song. After a while, an image of her brother came to her mind. He was laughing in his quiet way, with most of the mirth contained within his eyes.

"It reminds me of Elliot," she said softly, not sure if it was right. But it was what she saw, and how she interpreted it... so it couldn't really be wrong.

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron watched her while she listened to the music, her eyes closed. It struck him with a stunning clarity in that moment how beautiful she was when she was unguarded. Right now, for whatever reason, she wasn't stuck on being perfect and polite, and it nearly took his breath away to see the potential in her.

He smiled at her answer, not wanting to ruin that look she had on her face, or the silence between them that she seemed to feel comfortable in.

"And this one?" he asked, his fingers changing their path and playing the piece that drew her back into the room just moments ago. It was her piece... but he would have been very surprised if she guessed herself.

[Savannah Lyons]

As the song changed back to the one he'd been playing when she came in, Savannah smiled. There was something haunting about this one, sweet and sad, yet hopeful. She couldn't quite put into words what it reminded her of, but it made her want to cry.

"I don't know," she said at last. "But it's beautiful."

She opened her eyes then, and their eyes locked. For a second she couldn't breathe. "You just.. make these songs up as you go?"

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron smiled gently. Beautiful was close enough. "It's you," he told her, blushing slightly. This was exactly why he didn't tell people he played the piano. They would take him for a sentimental fool. He couldn't help it that he thought in music, though.

"Kind of," he said, answering her question. "Not always." His fingers changed their pattern again, and he was playing a well known piece by Beethoven, a muggle composer. "I just play what feels right."

He would expected her to make fun of him for it, except that this was Savannah, and she would never be so rude as to mock someone. He was safe there, at least.

[Savannah Lyons]

His words were so simple and unembellished. It's you, he'd said. The song was... inspired... by her. No wonder it affected her so deeply. She blushed deeply, unable to meet his eyes.

And then he was playing again, and changing the subject, and she looked up to meet his eyes. "Beethoven," she said of the song he was playing now. "I... I never would have taken you for a musician. Especially not classical music. You're very good. I'm impressed."

For a moment, at least, some of her guard was slipping and she was being honest with him. She was not being rude, but she certainly wasn't being super-polite or submissive.

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron laughed. "I should be offended by how surprised you are." Quickly, he added, "But I'm not, don't worry. And anyway, it's not a big deal. I don't really play that much."

Which was, of course, a lie. He played at least every night when he could sneak away. He always said he wouldn't apologize for who he was, but for some reason, he liked to keep the music something of a secret. He knew that the way he thought and perceived things wasn't exactly normal. You didn't want to advertise those kinds of things, especially when you were in Slytherin.

"Do you play?" he asked her, finding a way to switch the topic to her.

[Savannah Lyons]

She wasn't sure she believed him. It didn't seem likely to her that he could play the way he did without much practice. And the way he touched the keys, so effortless and comfortable, could only come from knowing the instrument very well. She'd never call him a liar to his face, but she suspected he was downplaying it a little. Why, she couldn't quite imagine. Did he think she would mock him for playing the piano? Was he trying to impress her by playing macho? She ws more likely to be impressed if he confessed how much he loved music.

"I can, a little," she said. "But I'm not very good. Not like you. You.... you play like you love it."

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron moved over on the piano bench. "Come here," he said, nodding his head. He wanted to hear her play. He was willing to bet that she was a million times better than she said she was.

Playing like he loved it didn't quite describe it. Yes, he loved it. It was calming for him, especially since he was usually pretty wound up. Music unwound him in a way that nothing else he knew of did. And he didn't just love it... that saying about living and breathing something you were passionate about... Cameron really did. The way people moved and spoke and reacted... it all played to a soundtrack in his head. He couldn't explain it, but it was there. He played music because it was the only thing he could ever see himself doing.

"Play something?"

[Savannah Lyons]

Savannah hesitated. She was quite certain that her own mediocre skills could not compare to his. She certainly didn't play with the sort of passion--was that the right word?--that he did. It was really better to let him play. She'd only end up looking foolish.

Still, she walked over to piano, telling herself that she was drawn to the instrument and not the boy sitting in front of it.

"I'm really not very good," she insisted again. "I really only play one piece well."

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron was smiling when she came over to sit next to him. He felt like, had the piano not been there, she would have turned her nose up at him and kept walking. Sav really didn't like him. Well, maybe that was unfair. He never sensed dislike from her, but rather, a strong disapproval. He honestly didn't think he was that bad of an influence on her brother. He never got Elliot or in any sort of danger. Sure, he'd gotten in trouble a couple of times, but it was well worth it for the fun they had. And you couldn't live your life by the rules, anyway.

"And what piece is that?" he asked, still urging her to play. He was curious... the piece was either something simple that she learned in lessons, or it was a piece that meant a lot to her, and that was the piece he was interested in. He hoped it was the latter, because he might learn something valuable about her from it. He could learn more about her through a song than she would ever tell him, since she kept herself so reserved.

[Savannah Lyons]

He was giving her a funny look, like he was trying to figure her out, and it made her stomach flutter nervously. She lowered her gaze to stare fixedly at the keys, but made no move to touch them.

"Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata," she replied softly.

It was a dark piece, probably not what he would have expected from her. And as it happened, his hope was right; it was a piece that meant something to her. But she wasn't about to volunteer that information.

[Cameron Wilder]

Cameron put a hand over his heart, and he smiled. "Now that's a piece to know," he said. If he could only know one song to play... that one really might be it. Or Fur Elise, as it was his mother's favorite. It was a toss up, really.

He gave her room to play, though he didn't leave the bench. "Go on."

Moonlight Sonada was not an easy piece that they taught you after a week in piano lessons, which further lead him to believe that this was a piece she wanted to know. He had a thousand questions he would ask her about it, but he held his tongue, waiting for her to play and wishing she would.

[Savannah Lyons]

Savannah looked at him uneasily, biting down on her bottom lip. She still wasn't entirely sure about playing, not after hearing what he could do. But he was asking her to, and Savannah didn't really know how to convincingly say no. There was also a part of her, a tiny part that she refused to acknowledge, that actually wanted to share this with him.

Taking a deep breath, she placed her fingers on the keys and began to play. It was a very quiet piece, and took a certain measure of control to touch the keys lightly enough to produce the desired effect. She remembered working at it very hard, trying to impress her mother, who had loved the piece above all others. Savannah could still remember playing it for her mother and seeing the tears in her eyes.

Until today, the last time she had played it had been at the funeral.

As she played, she closed her eyes, losing herself in the flow of notes. The music wrapped her up in its spell, and she was lost in it, picturing her mother's face as she played.