Three Hundred and Fifty Years in Paris
Disclaimers: Despite the fact that I'm trying to be Hugo for this story, I own neither Les Misérables nor The Hunchback of Notre – Dame.
About ten months ago, a certain writer got me interested in Les Misérables, and suggested I try writing for that fandom as well. This is what I've come up with, so I hope you enjoy, especially considering I know how much you love cross – overs.
(That being said, feel free to tell me how I can improve as well.)
Gypsy.
Inspector Javert was a gypsy, although he spent most of his life pretending otherwise. Gypsies, after all were considered chaotic thieves, the worst of society. Javert always felt compelled to show he could be better than that. Over three hundred and fifty years earlier, another young gypsy, named Esmeralda, felt the prison of the same people. Jumping to conclusions, the people of Paris condemned the gypsy to death for a crime she did not commit.
Still, Esmerelda's life was in some ways better, as she had a family in the gypsies. Javert chose no family.
Lost Mothers
The vagabonds and gypsies raised Esmerelda. Still, the girl always hoped she would find her mother, perhaps with her special baby shoe. Three centuries later, a girl called Cosette also grew up without a mother. Abused, Cosette fantasied that her mother visited her in her dreams and would save her somehow. Instead, another man did, and Cosette learned to look at him as a Papa. For years, Cosette believed her Papa was all she needed. But eventually, she read a special letter and wished her mother were there again.
For all Cosette's blessings, Esmerelda met her mother before she died, while Cosette could only dream.
Shackles/Chains
A man named Jean Valjean was chained for years as he worked as a galley slave. This seemed like a living death. He tried to escape many times, but that only earned him more time in the chains, until he finally escaped for good. Three hundred and fifty years earlier, a man named Quasimodo was also chained and shackled at the pillars. This man also struggled against them as he was tormented for a couple of hours.
But even though Quasimodo was released from the chains much earlier, he died with unrequited love. Valjean died with Cosette's eternal love.
Belles of Notre Dame
Quasimodo was responsible for the bells in Notre Dame, and he loved them. He named them, spoke to them, and caressed them. Ironically, the excessive bell – ringing damaged his ears to the point of deafness, but Quasimodo still took care of the bells. More than three hundred and fifty years later, Inspector Javert also loved the bells of Notre Dame. Their ringing at precise times helped maintain order. There was no more wonderful music for either than those bells.
But one day, Javert realized order did not exist, and he couldn't enjoy the bells' ringing any longer. Nothing made sense, so he killed himself. Quasimodo loved the bells even at death.