She didn't expect any type of welcome when she got home, and she didn't get one. Her father was who knows where with the gang, and her sister was off delivering letters to old rich snobs Eponine felt a stab of pity for Azelma. sweet, nieve Azelma, so unsuited to life as they lived it. She wasn't, by normal standers 'weak', but she lacked that spark necessary for survival on the tough Paris streets. She was like a flower, mused Eponine. A broken flower.

Her mother was crouched by the fire, prodding at the flames, her tartan skirt spread out around her like a tent. Eponine muttered a 'hello.' and wandered over to the window, which was, thanks to her father, now broken. A chilly wind spat out the street, and Eponine glimpsed a familiar shabby figure turning the corner, head bowed against the onslot of cold snow. She turned, with surprise to her mother.

" Who's that there?"

Madame Thénardier joined her daughter at the window.

" Him? Oh him. He's that mans that's just moved in down h'under us. Comes from far away then, ain't 'e. Dunno 'is name. Remus summit-"

"Lupin. Remus Lupin"

" Yes. You know 'im?"

" Ran into 'im a whiles back on the street. Brought me a message. "

" Did 'e? You carry it out then?"

" Yes. 'Parnasse wanted me for summit."

" Wot?"

" Nothin' important. Jus' a favor."

" A favor?"

" Yes."

Madame Thénardier turned away from the window, and went back to whatever she was doing, making a great clattering sound, and under her breath keeping up a string of curses directed at her-thankfully-absent husband.

" That old skivin' sonuva bitch, 'oh does 'e think 'e is, givin me nothing wots i can use to git us some food, times as bad as they are, and nothing dong about-" and so on and so forth.

Eponine, however, stayed gazing dreamily out into the snow, her eyes swirling over the snowflakes and footprints. She was not thinking about the mysterious Lupin, but of the tenant next door, Marius.


Marius Pontmercy stamped his feet quickly to shake off the snow. He hung up his coat, and brushed down his tattered grey jacket. Shivering, he glanced around his tidy-yet-bare room to make sure that everything was as he'd left it. You never know what might happen with people like that next door. it was a wonder they hadn't made off with his very table and chair. Not that it would surprise him if they did. They'd had a new tenant a couple of days ago, he remembered. A tattered, tired looking man. Couldn't quite remember his name. Rellius, or Remus. Romulus maybe. Not that it mattered. As far as he was concerned, he was going to have nothing to do with any new neighbor. Trouble. All the Thenardiers have been is trouble. This new guy better not turn out to be like them. Ah well, at least this Remus didn't have a daughter. Even now he could feel Eponines eyes on him through the crack in the wall. Honestly, what filth, what ridicules, scheming, prying filth. While he was undressing! the nerve of that girl! Not that Eponine was a bad girl necessarily; with a different life she might be attractive. Maybe. But he had his beloved Cosette, and some raggedy little waif wasn't going to change that. Marius undressed whistling a revolutionary song Enjolras had taught him. He fell asleep thinking about the barricades that they were planning. 'There Is A Music Of A People Who Are Rising To The Light.' Their time would come. ….