I do not own the Phantom Of The Opera or any of it's characters .

Valerie leaned against the wall, out casted by the other ballerinas as usual. She listened reluctantly to their endless chatter, staring at the hard white of the dormitory walls. Talk of the Phantom had continued through the week, though no one had seen him since their initial meeting.

"Oooh, I wonder when he's going to call you Jeanne! Everyone knows you have the best voice of the ballerinas. He's probably just preparing for you." A young ballerina chirped, brushing Jeanne's hair softly.

"Or maybe, he's watching you from the darkness right now Jeanne. He must have been captivated by your beauty!" Another chimed. Each girl giggled with delight in the thought of him watching their every move. Valerie grunted. The thought of a man watching her from the shadows was creepy, not romantic.

"I doubt he's a stalker Marie, and if he was? He would certainly not be stalking you, Jeanne." Valerie pushed off of the wall the was leaning on and walked towards the door, listening to the hateful comments thrown at her. But in a second, each voice hushed.

"Come now girls, she's just jealous because she knows she's too ugly for Erik to ever want to teach her." The girls laughed as Valerie walked down the hall. She tugged at her tutu as she walked, remembering the dream she had. She had been dancing and singing, along with a man who's voice lifted her heart right out of her chest. Valerie hummed to herself, prancing down the halls. She hated the days when all she did was wait for practice. There was nothing new in the Opera House since Erik had arrived. Practice for the upcoming show continued on as usual, there were no private lessons, no elaborate surprises. Valerie guessed it was that exact thing that made everyone so much more excited.

The young ballerina stared at her fingers. She remembered the warmth that filled them, the happy smile that laced her mouth. Valerie stood in the hall and closed her eyes, humming the tune of the song that they sang together. She continued down the hall towards Meg's room, humming cheerfully.

Erik spread the blood red lace over the black blanket, carefully draping them over his thick mattress. He had out done himself; a palace fit for a king, created in nothing but a mere week. The managers had been more that open to giving Erik some spending money. Erik appreciated their hospitality and had intended on teaching the greatest voice in the Opera house in return, but he guessed he had already found it. The young ballerina whose voice flew like angels, her beauty unfaltering. She was definitely a ballerina, for her movements were sleek and quick as she sang. Erik was determined to find this light copper skinned ballerina, though he knew it was an easy task.

Erik walked carefully up the stairs to the stage hands left. He had long since grown accustomed to walking along the shadows, and this opera house was no different. He was able to travel from place to place without a single person noticing. He found comfort in seeing, but never being seen. Darkness provided a certain homelike feeling for him, it was a place where he could always confine in.

Erik paused as he listened to voices drawing near. He drew his body deeper into the shadows, listening carefully to the chatter.

"God, I hate Valerie." One voice snarled.

"I know, she's so mean to Jeanne for no reason! And everyone else too." Another one chimed in. Erik paused, Valerie?

"You know why it is though. Her parents, they died so long ago. No one was ever around to raise her properly. But I mean, even IF they were around, her mother was black, wasn't she? They probably wouldn't have been able to do any better."

The girls erupted in laughter at the cruel joke. Erik backtracked, his curiosity rising steadily. He thought carefully about their words, and determined that this "Valerie" must have been the copper skinned girl from that night. He backed slowly down the hall, stepping swiftly without a sound. He hurried down the hall, avoiding the mob of ballerinas headed his way. He stopped at the end of the hall and knocked tensely at the door 3 times.

"Come in."

Erik turned the knob and smirked slightly.

"I have a request."

"VALERIE? VALERIE MOLYNEUX?" Jeanne shouted.

Monsieur Demers smiled nervously, not wanting to upset the eccentric ballerina.

"Yes. Monsieur Erik has requested she go down to the cellars tonight to practice singing. I'm sorry if you thought either wise."

Jeanne huffed and puffed. The ballerinas stood with their mouths wide open, filled with surprise. Each painted face was creased with amazement. The young girls were surprised, but the most amazed out of the lot of them was Valerie. She waited until there was a break in the shouting, and asked with a small voice,

"But, why me?" Jeanne snapped around and shouted at Valerie

"He OBVIOUSLY made a HUGE mistake. He must have just gotten the wrong name! Let me go speak to him.."

Monsieur Paquet raised his hand and looked Jeanne in the eye angrilly.

"No, you were not asked to see him. Valerie, please hurry to his quarters to begin practice, Jeanne, return to your rehearsal. We haven't the time to waste on this subject." Jeanne stopped in her tracks as Monsieur Paquet beckoned to Valerie. The ballerina walked hesitantly out of the crowd and was rushed down the hall with Monsieur Demers. Valerie looked back to see Jeanne's face redder than a tomato, her eyes burning like fire.

Erik prepared for his first ever student. He had planned to first see how well she could handle singing Una Voce Poco Fa by Rossini. If they got past that, he would teach her about pitch and attention to dynamics. He was nervous, he had never taught someone in person. For Christine, he was always in the shadows, always hiding from her beautiful white face. Erik picked up a red rose with his signature black velvet bow on it. He touched the delicate petals softly, remembering her. The look of her hair, the sleek of her shape. The sound of her voice....

"..Monsieur?" Erik looked up quickly, snapping out of his thoughts. The young ballerina stood out in his darkened domain. Her bright white tutu was a light in the darkness. Her hair draped over her face, tucked behind her ear on one side. It reached below her breast, which was bulging with cleavage. Erik's eyes wandered down to her legs which stood strongly, sleek and thick. They began to move closer to him hesitantly until they stood before him. A hand shot out at him, followed by a big smile that seemed to light up the whole room.

"I am Valerie. It's a pleasure, Monsieur." She curtsied and awaited for him to take her hand. Erik took her hand and kissed it, then trailed his eyes up to her's.

"My name is Erik, madame." He gestured towards his piano. "Shall we begin?"

---

They practiced for hours, what felt like only a few minutes. Her voice was like a waterfall, flowing soundly, then crashing down on you with such pressure that you have no option but to be amazed. Erik played and she sang; he never even got the chance to teach. Erik watched her face as she sang. Her expression jumped and sank, twisting and changing. He smiled at her face changes and she noticed. He watched as she turned away, trying to hide the red in her face. After they finished, Erik reached for a rose and slipped it into her hands.

"Your voice is beautiful, you have done well." Her eyes lit up; Erik could tell that praise was not something she received often. "You will come here every day until the production. Tell the managers that I request that you have the lead."

Her face dropped, and she stared at her feet. "Than.. thank you monsieur; however, I cannot take your offer. I just, I can't. I have to go now monsieur." The young ballerina pushed the rose back into Erik's hand and quickly jaunted towards the stairs. Erik watched until she was gone, then set the rose down on the table. He unbuttoned his shirt and sat down. Interesting .

Sorry for the long wait ! my computer broke down, so i can only use the family's computer, so updates will be very slow . sorry for those who were waiting !