A/N: So… about the Opera Populaire's fire. It won't be too bad here. Let's say here it has been only partly burned (theater and surroundings), and that the quick reconstruction (from February to late August… about six months, actually) can be explained this way.


Chapter 3

A few months later, a lot of things had changed.

First of all, the Opera Populaire had been rebuilt and reopened. A certain millionaire coming from Prussia and passionate about the supernatural had financed everything. Now, the Opera was back in business, and the hope of a glimpse of the Opera Ghost was for now on a sort of publicity for the theater, which wasn't to displease MM. Firmin and André, who actually didn't receive any notes from the Phantom since the reopening of the Opera. They were hoping that, heartbroken and not wanting to stay in a place charged with too many painful memories, he had fled towards another place, probably out of France since he was still wanted for the murders of Buquet and Piangi.

La Carlotta had left, refusing to stay any longer in the same Opera where her husband had been killed and her own life had been already risked. And, since Christine was absolutely refusing to have any sort of relationship with the Populaire, they had to find another Prima Donna. Fortunately, a young woman from Barcelona, in Spain, Ines Parilla, was given the job. She was a girl more fit for the appearances than for her singing. Yes, she was truly gorgeous, with her cat-like eyes with long lashes, but when she sang, there was simply no soul in it. Well, at least she didn't shriek like La Carlotta… But the managers and the public missed Mademoiselle Daaé, though some men said the show was better for the eyes with la señorita Parilla than with the prude and still childish Christine Daaé.

Secondly (which was pretty much obvious), Raoul married Christine. Both the bride and the groom were radiant that day, and though the entire engagement thing and the soon-to-come wedding had arrived quite abruptly, Philippe was actually quite pleased with his little brother's marriage, though Christine wasn't of his social rank. He had learned to appreciate the young Swedish girl, and even teased her from time to time.

Only Céleste seemed to stay apart from the whole family. Her relations with Christine hadn't got any better, without worsening. Mademoiselle de Chagny was still very polite, but stayed rigid and cold, refusing any warm contact and always talking about quite futile things like the weather, while Christine, at the beginning, had tried very hard to win Céleste's sympathy, at least.

"Raoul," Christine asked one night.

"What is it, my love?"

Christine took a deep breath before continuing. And even then, her soft voice shivered a bit.

"Does Céleste hate me?"

Raoul was shocked at the idea that Christine had been brought to make such a conclusion. Of course, he wasn't going to force his sister to be nice and kind with his wife, but to think that she hated her… Well, to be honest, yes, Céleste probably hated Christine. And Raoul knew a bit too well why. His sister was jealous of him.

It was true that his parents had been a lot more severe with Céleste than with him. While he had the opportunity of marrying his true love, he knew that probably wouldn't be the case with his sister. She would probably wed the man Philippe would choose for her. Raoul was confident that his brother would make sure Céleste would be happy with her husband, but… Still, he could understand how she felt, though he couldn't do much about it anyway. But Christine didn't need to know that.

"Well, just give her some time. Céleste has strong principles, especially on hierarchy, and most of all, she is stubborn. Keep on being kind with her; it's the best thing to do. But, to be honest, I don't think she'll stay here for a very long time."

"What do you mean?"

"Probably my brother will arrange a wedding for her very soon. With what she has received from our aunt after her teaching year, she has one of the richest dowries in Paris, not to say in France. And for Philippe, it is the perfect occasion to make a great alliance with a very good family. A duke as a husband could even be possible. But anyway, I think she'll want a house of her own. Céleste is quite independent, and a lot of sisters don't like having their brothers putting their noses in their things. And with us as brothers, I can understand that we can drive Céleste crazy."

With a teasing grin, he kissed Christine on her forehead, happy to see that after his little joke, he had made her smile again.


It was a bright end of summer afternoon when Céleste got out of the Chagny's house and headed towards the Champs-Élysées for a little walk. She didn't like staying at home, with Christine and Raoul just chattering around and being ridiculous, while Philippe thought they were actually quite cute. All of this was getting quite on her nerves, and she was just waiting for the day where Christine, tired of her little game, would crack up and Raoul would discover her real nature. But meanwhile, she played her role well. Until now, she had made no mistake, no failure. Could she be truly in love with Raoul? She couldn't believe such a thing, though with time, she realized it was becoming more and more obvious.

While she was lost in her thoughts, her gaze stopped on the Opera Populaire, who had re-opened for two months now. She looked at it, dreamily, and her idea of sponsoring it came back to her. She had always loved the arts, and she hoped that helping the artists could be a way of taking revenge on the fact that she could never be one. She was about to enter the Opera house when she suddenly remembered what had happened there to Christine and Raoul. Her brothers would probably go crazy if they knew she was a patron. And all of that because what had happened to Christine. Christine. Always Christine.

Anyway, it wasn't really safe, especially with the Phantom who was probably still around, and who could maybe take his revenge on Raoul by using her. All of that because of Christine. Always Christine.

"Are you looking for something, Madame?"

Céleste turned around to see a young blonde girl looking at her with a nice smile.

"No… no… not at all. I'm… I'm happy to see that the Opera Populaire is back in business."

"I am also too," answered the girl. Especially that since the fire, we have never heard anything coming from the Opera Ghost."

"Really? Does… Does it mean he's gone, now?"

"Probably. The poor creature must have been heartbroken and couldn't stand staying there. No one has received any notes of him, not even my mother, who was the one who got those most of the time. Oh, by the way, I'm Marguerite Giry."

"Meg Giry? Hurry up, or we'll be late!"

Céleste and Meg turned towards the street, and saw a middle-aged woman dressed in black waiting in a carriage.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, that's my mother waiting for me." said Meg quickly. "Well… have a nice day!"

But Mlle de Chagny was too dreamy to answer the ballerina. Turning towards the Opera Populaire, she shrugged lightly and said to herself:

"I think I'll do it."


"I must say you come in at the time we need you most, Mademoiselle de Chagny."

Erik lifted his head just by hearing that cursed name. Chagny. That was the same name as the fop who had seduced Christine and taken her far away from him, never to see her again. Could the person standing there in MM. Firmin and Andre's office be related by any way to the vicomte?

"I am happy to see so. But please, if you ever come to encounter Philippe or Raoul, please don't tell them anything about it. My brothers would probably go mad just knowing I have something to do with the Opera Populaire."

It wasn't the Chagny brothers who were going to get mad, but certainly Erik. So now, after Raoul the fop, he had now his sister in HIS Opera house? Well, he wanted to have a good look at her first, just to know if she looked like his worst enemy.

She actually did. She was just a more feminine version of Chagny, who was already quite womanly himself. Her smile had somehow something mischievous, though her eyes and posture were cold and kind of haughty. Great. Just the pride which came out of her person was already really getting in his nerves. She seemed so rigid, though she looked so young. Her blonde hair was all tied up in a severe bun, though it was so beautiful. She would look so much better if her hair was just down, floating freely on her shoulders and behind her back… Wait a minute… What was he thinking? Was he actually thinking that she was beautiful? No. No way. Well, it was quite hard to deny that the Chagny girl was… well, gorgeous, though she seemed so cold and proud.

But he had promised himself, on the night of the fire at the Opera Populaire, that he would have his revenge. And the instrument of his revenge was right below him. He had stayed silent for many months, even with Mme Giry, who had tried many times to see him. But always, the entrances she used to take to go and meet him were completely shut. Erik had succeeded in taking care of himself, though he had to be extremely careful since his head was put on price. But now, since everyone had thought he had fled the country, he could take more liberties. Now, the managers, with the fire and the twenty-three people who had been drowned, would probably be scared sick of him and do whatever he would command them. Thanks to all the secret passages he had built with time, and that he had put in place when the Opera was slowly rebuilt, he could now hear or see pretty much everything that was going on in his theater.

"Well, now," said M. Firmin, "I'm proud to say that our new patroness, Céleste de Chagny, is now in business! A toast, perhaps?"

Céleste. That was her name, then. Well, slowly, his entire plan was becoming more and more concrete. All he had to do now was to find her weakness. He knew that with her, it wouldn't be easy, since she looked quite distant. But he would find it quite soon.


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