Now, this is my first Les Mis fan fic, so it could be rubbish, to which i apologize, but give it a go. :)

Samantha Barks is Eponine, Ramin Karimloo is Enjolras, (of course), and you can use your own Marius. :)

I OWN NOTHING! Victor Hugo is the genius behind this story, characters, settings and ideas belong to him.

Five months earlier, late February...

"Grantaire! Put the bottle down!" Enjolras exclaimed, as he witnessed his friend down another half of beer. It was nearing dusk and the small cafe was filling nicely with students; the Friends of the ABC, believers in a republic, the saving the poor, of democracy, equality and justice. And then there was Grantaire; a student fond of drinks, complete with sandy brown hair and washed-out blue eyes. He was a cynical man of little beliefs or interest of their revolution, and yet, he was Enjolras' only true friend. Despite his out-spoken drunkenness and crude honesty, Grantaire was good company and hard to hate.

As Enjolras witness, what could have been mistaken as a fight, between Grantaire, Courfeyrac, a fellow student, and the bottle, Marius Pontmercy strode into the cafe. In Enjolras' opinion, Marius was a handsome boy, capable of landing any girl he so pleased, and was a good friend, although not a true friend, like Grantaire. However, similar to Enjolras, Marius' heart seemed to be set on the revolution, and not on girls, which, in the words of the now half-drunken student, "A waste of a man's brain!" A few seconds after Marius, a small, thin figure slid into the cafe, in a large trench coat, a skirt and top that looked like it had been made out of potato sack, and ripped black scruffy boots, as if she thought she wasn't allowed there, as if she wasn't welcomed to every meeting.

Eponine Thenardier; the street urchin, the daughter of well known thieves... Marius' childhood friend. Eponine could only be described as skin and bones. She barely had a figure, and yet, Enjolras knew that if she hadn't had to suffer years of malnutrition, she would be envied. She was pretty, despite her sunken cheeks, due to starvation. Her hair was in messy, chestnut brown tresses, however dirty from years of using rain storms to clean it, and it was always had a beige hat on top of it. Her eyes – and they were something beautiful – were dark brown, one of a kind, and were the only eyes that did something to Enjolras. He had been with girls before, but none had made him feel like... that.

But that was the only romantic thing Enjolras held towards her. He wasn't in love. Eponine was an example to the students of what they were trying to beat, and Enjolras pitied her. Eponine was Marius' friend, and Marius was Eponine's heart and soul... what the poor fool lived for...

Why did that hurt his hard heart so much?

Tonight was different. Most nights, Eponine would leave about half an hour before the meetings finished, with the simple excuse of, 'I need to leave now' and would leave as silently as she could. She never said where. Every time she did that, Marius would say to Enjolras, "I fear for her." If he feared for her, surely he would love her, like she loves him. Her love for him was so oblivious, yet she was oblivious to it. Enjolras often wanted to shake him and tell him the truth, but he didn't.

Tonight was different. Tonight, Eponine was so engrossed with the talks and the plans, never leaving Marius' side, but once, when he asked her to pass something over to Feuilly, the fan maker. It wasn't until a man burst through the door, and demanded to know if she was there, that Eponine realized that she had to be somewhere else, where she had forgotten to be tonight. The man was, as everyone knew, Thenardier, Eponine's vile father. His pig eyes gazed over the cafe, until he found Eponine, who gasped and cowered into a wall, as disgusting man made his way over to her. No one moved, only stood and watched, allowing Thenardier to grab and pull Eponine's hair, so she screamed in pain and whimpers escaped from her mouth. Enjolras knew Eponine was a fighter, yet she was at the hands of her cruel father, which made him mad. Before he could do anything to stop Thenardier, he started hissing in her ear, "Don't you have somewhere you need to be, dearest Eponine? Hmm?" Thenardier's voice made Enjolras' skin crawl. "LIKE WORK, you stupid kid!" he proceeded to bellow, making Eponine whimper again. Enjolras thought he saw tears escaping in her tightly shut eyes, but told himself that his eyes were tricking him.

Thenardier proceeded to drag Eponine out of the cafe, knocking over or pushing anything in his way. He stopped at the door, put his arm around Eponine's shaking shoulder, and started to whisper in her ear. Enjolras heard a mention about 'a little job'.

Everyone was silent for a moment after Thenardier had left, stunned at what they had just witnessed. The silence started crawling into their minds, getting them thinking. Work? A little job? How could a man treat his daughter like that? Surely they would want to stick together in such a situation. It was Grantaire's voice that hurried the silence away.

"Well! At least we know where Eponine disappears of too, huh?" His tone was cheery, obviously drunk, or just plain stupid. Grantaire looked at Marius, and continued, "She's safe, and at work! I say, we all need a stiff drink to knock off the shock." And stumbled towards the bar to order brandy for everyone. Everyone started moving again, talking about Eponine (and in hushed tones, her love for Marius and what he must be thinking), either getting a drink or moving back to their homes. Enjolras continued to stand there, shell-shocked. His heart ached with pain and sorrow for her. Poor Eponine... What's the matter with you, Enjolras? he thought, She's a street urchin, in love with someone else. What are you doing caring about her? "You!" Grantaire yelled at him, pushing a brandy into his hands, "You, look like you need the stiffest drink of all." He looked at the door, back at Enjolras and winked, like he knew something he didn't.

Enjolras stumbled out of the cafe, supporting a drunken Grantaire. Thank God he lives nearby, Enjolras thought. Grantaire rented a room down the road from the cafe, and they reached it quickly. Enjolras had helped him to the door, when Grantaire suddenly burst out, "You, dear Enjolras, are thinking!" He sounded like he had made a life changing discovery. "And not just about anything... About Eponine. Don't look so surprisssseeeedddd," he drew out like a child, "It's obvious you are interested, but lucky for you, not like she is about Pontmercy, which is-" then he shouted, "BLOODY OBVIOUS!" before cackling with laughter. Enjolras stayed silent, acted like he didn't know what he was saying, and said, "Goodnight Grantaire." Whilst thinking, How did he guess?

How did he know that my hard heart may feel something for a filthy street urchin? Thought Enjolras, as he proceeded to walk down a back alleyway, a shortcut back to his own rented flat. He chuckled, calm yourself, Erik. You're beginning to sound like you fath- Then he heard the scream. A woman's scream... Eponine's scream. Despite the alleyway being near a whore house, and Enjolras not wanting to go near the place ever again, he ran towards the scream, believing that Eponine was walking past innocently, and the girl's were picking a fight.

"No! Please, Madame!" Enjolras turned the corner and saw Eponine lying on the cold floor, with the horrible Madame of the girls, grabbing her ear, holding a whipping cane in her other hand. "Madame, I'm sorry! I won't be late again!"

"Let go of her!" Enjolras yelled, as he ran the alleyway.

"Ahhhhh, hungry for someone, Monsieur?" she sneered. Her teeth were rotten, falling out and a horrid sight to behold. "Well," Madame pulled Eponine off of the floor, "Have this one!" Eponine was thrown at Enjolras, and she was crying. Hearing her sobs broke his heart. "I'll let you have her tonight for a cheap price, 4 Francs, and do what you want with her. Kill her, for all I care! Ive had it with Thenardier's excuse for a daughter!" Enjolras was listening but didn't want to hear. Mixed with Madame's shrill words, Enjolras heard Eponine mutter, "Please, no. Don't Enjolras, I beg you!" She couldn't be...

"My friend is no WHORE!" He yelled, enraged at her words. "And if she is, you have no right to hurt her like that. Eponine-"

"SHUT IT!" Madame yelled. "Do you want her or not? 4 Francs, and whatever you want. Take her or piss off!" Enjolras felt Eponine shake her head, begging under her breath, but he knew what he was doing, and nodded. Eponine started sobbing, as Enjolras handed over the money, grabbed Eponine by the wrist, and pulled her in the direction of his flat. All the way there, Eponine sobbed and begged and fought back, but Enjolras held on, not letting the tears of his heart break flood his eyes.

When they arrived at his flat, Eponine had given in. They walked into the first of his two rooms, where a double book, couch, bookcase and desk were. Two doors led off of this first room, one was the pantry, where basic foods were kept, which need no heat to cook them, the other door led to a reseasonably sized bathroom, with a sink, toilet, and a running bath were included.

Eponine walked over to the bed, turned around and hissed, "I always thought you were a good man, Enjolras. I never thought of you as mean. I should have known better." Her voice broke as she sat on the bed. Enjolras offered his hand to her, and she took it obediently. He led her over to the couch, and she sat down, waiting. He knelt down in front of her, having to force himself not to shed a tear, to fight the pain in his heart. He looked at her, touched her cheek and whispered, "Oh Eponine... You could of told us..."

Any good?