A/N: So sorry I haven't written. I'm still here and I haven't given up on the story, just been busy and my minds been occupied with other things recently. So anyway, chapter seven :)


Chapter Seven: Silk and Parchment

Another two years passed of life at the convent. Both girls had grown up quite a lot, as they were now sixteen years of age.

On a fine Spring morning, they were having a break from lessons at the convent. The walls surrounded the outdoor space, where the grass was carefully trimmed and the flowers tended to. Delicate pink petals covered the floor from the blossoms on the trees.

Eponine and Cosette could almost be recognised as sisters now. Their skin had a healthy glow to it, although it was hidden at the time their hair was shiny and curled naturally and their eyes were bright from underneath their nun outfits. The differences between them were that Eponine's skin was a few shades darker than Cosette's porcelain pale skin tone, as Eponine's was slightly tanned from Summer days spent in the garden. Eponine's hair was a dark chesnut colour whereas Cosette's was golden. Their eyes were different colours as Eponine's were green and Cosette's were blue.

Cosette had picked up some of Eponine's curiosity, and wondered about the world. She would have left with Eponine these days to explore, if only the tree Eponine used to use to help her out of the walls had been cut down. Eponine remembered her despair after she heard Fauchelevent say the tree was diseased and needed to be taken down. When she'd told Marius he gave her his address, making her promise to write.

Cosette was more and more tired about the rules. "'Ponine, how do you think Sister Noire would react if one of us took these ridiculous head-covering things off?"

Eponine gasped. "She'll tell us off. But I would rather feel the Spring breeze in my hair, and not live my life trapped as a nun." She laughed. "If you do it with me, I'll try to see her reaction. Also I cannot stand it, the breeze really is lovely, isn't it?"

Cosette had looked doubtful, but after the breeze touched her face she smiled. Eponine had won her over.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Are you girls out of your mind?" Sister Noire exclaimed, after she saw both girl's hair as it was ruffled by the breeze.


"What did you do?" Valjean asked the girls. He was trying to sound strict.

"Took those ridiculous head cloths off." Cosette replied.

"Monsieur Papa, we displayed our hair and it was apparently sinful!" Eponine gasped in a dramatic and sarcastic way.

Valjean cracked up at this, so the girls laughed with him.

Once they finished, Cosette said timidly: "Papa?"

"Yes, dear Cosette?" He replied kindly.

"I feel like I'm wasting my life away here. Me and 'Ponine both do. We'd rather leave before becoming nuns. We'd rather live our lives freely, away from here. I feel like there's so much more to see in the world!" She blurted out. It reminded Eponine of the first time her and Cosette had become friends, all those years ago when Cosette had suddenly tried to reason with her. She smiled at the memory slightly. Cosette looked just as shocked now as she had then.

Valjean silently lit the candles in the silver candlesticks, before sitting down and pondering for a moment. Then he looked away from the candle flames with a sigh, turning to the girls. The hopeful expression in both of their eyes won him over.

"I guess you deserve more than being trapped here. I haven't thought of it that was before. Oh my, I feel selfish for making you hide away just because-" he trailed off, his deep eyes becoming shadowed.

"Because of what, Papa? What happened in your past?" Eponine had often wondered. She knew he was escaping Javert. He often spoke in his sleep of stuff she didn't understand. Things like "My name is Jean Valjean" spoken in an angry tone, or "Your child will want for nothing, dear Fantine" in a more gently tone, and "how did I allow this man?" In a stupefied tone made little sense to her, which was irritating. She was good at figuring things out, but found this impossible.

He sighed. "Some things are better unheard."

Eponine also sighed. She bit her lip to stop herself snapping back.

"I'm going into the garden." She said coldly, walking away.


The next day, Valjean went out in search for a new home. When he arrived back that evening, the girls awaited him excitedly. The disagreement with Eponine had been forgotten.

"Hello, my dearest Cosette and 'Ponine." He smiled at them.

"Bonsoir. Did you find a house?" Cosette was full of excitement.

"Yes, my dear. It is on the other side of town. Once I've got everything sorted out to leave, we shall move there. It's as good as ours now; I've paid."

Cosette embraced her father in delight. "Merci, Papa."


On their travels to the new home, Cosette gazed at the streets in wonder. Eponine did too; she'd only ever seen Paris at night.

Down one street full of shops, Valjean asked the carriage driver to stop. He paid the carriage driver extra to stay on the street for a little while and wait for them to shop.

Cosette's face lit up looking at the fancy dresses. She'd loved hearing about them from her conversations with Eponine. She'd tried drawing a few, borrowing Eponine's sketchpads and paints. Eponine was interested in artistic things as well as poetry and books.

"My Dears, I will buy you some things." Valjean looked at the girls' astonishment and wonder at this street.
"Really?" Two pairs of eyes widened.
"Papa, I would like to follow the fashions of young girls my age. Please may we shop here?" She turned towards the seamstress' shop eagerly. She then reached into a small bag she was carrying, pulling out a sketchbook that Eponine had given her a while back.

In the shop, Valjean stood there awkwardly. Eponine feigned being uninterested, although really she loved these dresses. Cosette was more excited than they'd seen her before.

"What can I do for you, Monsieur?" A woman in her twenties dressed in a white cotton gown that was both elegant and practical at the same time appeared. She had a kind smile and her auburn hair was pinned back.

Valjean looked helplessly towards Cosette, who opened the sketchpad. "*Bonjour.* We are shopping for some dresses. She returned the smile.

The woman's eyes lit up at the sketchpad. "My, Mademoiselle, you are rather talented at designing these dresses." She leafed through the pages. "They truly are lovely."

Cosette blushed. "Merci." She replied. After a moment, she added, "I think I'll choose five dresses to start me off." She turned to Eponine, who took a step back. "'Ponine, you're getting some too. You can't have less than three, come on."

Eponine sighed, trying to cover how actually happy she was.

As the dresses would take a few days to make, they said they'd go back soon and left the shop, Valjean having paid for eight dresses, two nightgowns, a vast amount of hair ribbons and one bonnet.

The girls wandered, followed by Valjean, who contently bought what they wanted. When they returned to the carriage, they owned quite a lot of new belongings.


They were exhausted as they reached the new house. The white walls and thatched roof shone in the light of the setting sun.