Chapter Eleven
It had been over a week since Hermione had rescued Clopin from the Palace of Justice. In that time, Clopin had begun to heal as much as possible, given a little boost from Hermione's magic now and then. He was still confined to his bed though, to his displeasure. Hermione had been with him every step of the way. From cleaning his wounds to helping him eat and drink. He really didn't know what he would do without her.
As much as Clopin was eager to heal, he had yet to have been given a lecture off of Hermione. Wincing, he wasn't looking forward to that at all. He had even been warned by most of the men that she was gearing up for it to be a cracker.
Sitting up, he stared down at his guard. Djali had taken it upon himself to fulfil Hermione's orders, and that meant that Clopin was to stay in bed. Eye twitching, he stared at his puppets and gave Djali a hopeful glance.
"Can I just grab my latest puppet? I'll go straight back to bed."
He couldn't believe he was trying to negotiate with a goat, but there he was. Huffing, Djali trotted over towards his table of puppets before giving Clopin a pointed look. Apparently, Clopin wasn't getting out of bed anytime soon. Sighing as he dragged a hand down his face, he pointed to his latest one.
"That one, Djali."
The goat stood up on two legs and gently took the puppet in his mouth, knowing how much they meant to Clopin. Carefully depositing it on the bed, Djali took up guard once more. Huffing, Clopin set about his task, wondering if the children were disappointed that his caravan was empty.
Over the past week, Clopin had had many visitors, Bartley and Duke being the main ones. They would joke around and remind Clopin that this house arrest was only temporary. Bartley had been able to let him know that his and Hermione's story was the current explanation for his escape. No one knew that Hermione had killed the whipping man. However, the gypsies did know that it was actually Hermione who had broken him out of the Palace. They had assumed that the man had ran away because he had failed at his job and Clopin had encouraged that theory as much as possible.
Clopin was glad that Hermione was safe from any suspicion but he worried about her. She had killed before, he knew that, but that had been during a war. She didn't believe that she should have killed the man in the Palace. Hermione even said to him that she could have simply knocked him out or erased his memory. No matter what Clopin said, she still felt the guilt. Selina and Kezia had even spoken to him, they were worried about her too.
Sighing, he tried to think of a way that could help his fiancée but couldn't come up with a single thing. He assumed that time would be the only thing that could help her get over the man's death. She had even tried to find out his name to pray for his soul but no one knew it.
His thoughts were interrupted by Hermione entering his tent. She would constantly come to check on him, and as much as he loved her for it, he was becoming annoyed with the fussing. Clopin never said anything though. He did think that Hermione knew however, since she tried to cut down her visits.
She sat down on the end of his bed, cross legged, and stared at him for some time. Knowing that it was time for his lecture, Clopin set his puppet aside and waited. Hermione continued to stare, searching for something, before she sighed.
"I think your injuries have bought you a get out of jail free card. But, don't think for a single minute that you'll get away with it so easily if you ever do something so stupid again."
Blinking, he realised that he was off the hook, despite not understanding her reference to the card. Offering a small smile, he opened his arms, to which she immediately moved into. Holding her tight, he took the moment to relish in the moment. Clopin had been terrified that he wouldn't have had another chance to hold her. He wouldn't tell her, but he had overheard Frollo say that he was probably going to be executed as an example to the other outcasts.
Nuzzling his nose into her hair, Clopin breathed in her scent. Iris', cinnamon and earth all blended together to make a scent that was purely Hermione. It was a comforting scent that reminded him that he was alive and with her. Pulling back, he gave her a charming smile.
"Are you going to tell me about your dress yet?" Rolling her eyes at him, Hermione smiled as she shook her head.
"You can ask as many times as you like, Clopin. I'm not saying a word! You can wait until the day of the wedding."
Pouting, he had been trying to get her to tell him about it ever since the day after his rescue. He did know that Selina and Kezia were helping her with it but were stubbornly tight-lipped about it. He assumed that Hermione had told them not to tell him.
"Fine, mon amour, fine. But, seriously, when can I get out of bed?" Clopin turned at Hermione's command, allowing her to look at the slashes on his back. She gently pressed her wand against them, sending a strange, cold, sweeping sensation through his body. Hearing her hum behind him, Clopin hoped for the best. She didn't put the bandages back on but helped him put his tunic back down.
"I think you'll live. You can start doing small jobs but nothing too strenuous."
Beaming, he held her tightly before practically jumping out of bed, Djali gave him an annoyed huff but stayed where he was. Smirking at the goat, he bowed to Hermione.
"Your healing skills are extraordinary, mon amour. Shall we?"
He offered her his arm, chuckling as she rolled her eyes but accepted with a warm smile.
Finally leaving his tent for the first time in over a week, Clopin took in a deep breath as his eyes took in the familiar sights. Spotting some decorations up and about, it hit him that he was going to be getting married in less than two weeks. Unable to stop the excitement from growing, Clopin was practically bouncing as he waved and greeted his people. Glancing down at Hermione's hand in his arm, he felt smug as he spotted the ring he had made her.
Leisurely walking through the square, he found himself enjoying it. He would never get tired of watching his people as they got on with their lives, but sharing it with Hermione made it seem even more special. Silently wondering if he had gotten soft, he was snapped out of it by Bartley clasping his shoulder.
"Clopin! Glad to see you've returned to the land of the living!" Clopin grinned.
"As if a few wounds would take me out!" The two men joked with one another as Hermione huffed.
"Don't go giving him any ideas, Bartley! You can take over though, I have things to do."
Hermione kissed Clopin's cheek before leaving the two men staring after her. Clopin turned to his friend with a small frown.
"What was that about?" Bartley gave him a small smirk.
"She's been taking on your duties, Clopin. Well, everything except the storytelling, obviously. Not to mention she's been fitting in dancing and sewing her wedding dress."
Clopin frowned. So, that was why Hermione had cut down her visits by so much, she was running herself ragged. He had noticed that she seemed tired but had brushed it off. Biting his lip, he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He should have checked on her. Clopin felt guilty for getting annoyed with all of her visits. Nodding, he looked up at his friend.
"I'll take over. She's got enough on her plate." He hadn't even finished before Bartley snorted loudly.
"Good luck with that, Clopin. Esmeralda won't let you do that without a fierce fight."
Grimacing, Clopin knew this to be true. He would need to fight with Hermione about her taking on too much, but also for him to start his usual tasks. Smirking slightly, he raised an eyebrow at Bartley.
"How about we just don't mention any pick-ups for a while."
The two men snorted but silently agreed with one another. Hermione had terrified Bartley before she went to rescue Clopin, and she had scared the crap out of Clopin when she was fixing him up. Bartley nudged his King towards a couple of seats and grabbed him some ale.
"So, how does it feel to get married in less than two weeks?"
Unknowingly, Clopin had adopted a sappy smile at the thought, making Bartley roll his eyes.
"I'm excited. It'll be official that she's mine." Bartley snorted.
"Don't let her hear you say that."
Clopin shuddered before checking over his shoulder, just to make sure Hermione wasn't stood behind him. Downing his beer, he shot his right-hand man a questioning glance.
"Do you think she would let us have a party later?"
The two men thought about it before quickly shaking their heads. Hermione would have probably throttled them just for thinking about it. Chuckling at each other, the two men chatted for some time before Clopin felt like he needed to get up and walk around a bit. Over a week of being stuck in bed had made him incredibly antsy. He was sure he had done Hermione's head in with how restless he had been.
Clopin grinned as he circled around the square. Beaming as the children ran up to him for a hug or just to say they were glad to see him. It touched him that they cared so much. He knew they were all practically family, but it was still nice to hear. It wasn't long before he found himself staring at Hermione's tent.
Grinning cheekily, he wondered if he could sneak in and catch a glimpse of her dress. Creeping over, he looked around to see if anyone saw him, seeing no one, he was about to step inside when someone cleared their throat behind him. Practically jumping out of his skin, he spun on his heel and stared at Kezia in fear. The older woman had her arms folded and was raising an eyebrow at him. Pouting, he shuffled away from her.
"Don't even think about it, Clopin. She would be furious and you know it."
Grimacing, he nodded. If Hermione did find out that he had caught a peek of her dress, he was sure he would be six feet under long before the wedding. Sighing, he held his arms out to the sides.
"You can't blame me for trying! Does it look good?" He hoped to get a little detail out of the older woman but wasn't sure if he would get it. He watched as she softened, a warm smile tugging on her thin lips.
"She's going to look beautiful, Clopin. Now, bugger off!"
Chuckling, he did as he was told. Circling the square once more, Clopin found himself bored. Pursing his lips, he glanced towards the exit, wondering how much trouble he would get in. Tilting his head from side to side as he debated with himself, he quickly headed towards it. It was better to beg for forgiveness than ask permission after all.
Walking through the crypts, Clopin was grateful that his back was doing a lot better than it should have been. If it wasn't for Hermione's magic, he would have probably still been stuck on bed rest. Not quite ready to sprint, he eased his way through the tunnels, careful not to be caught by his fellow gypsies. He was sure they would snitch on him.
Creeping out of the exit by Norte Dame, he cast a wistful glance at his caravan. He was glad that it hadn't been touched but knew that he would be in a lot of trouble if he started up again so soon, and not just from Hermione. Narrowly avoiding some soldiers, Clopin relaxed as he walked through the streets. Turning one corner, he froze.
In front of him, Hermione was performing her dance act with Djali doing tricks. Clopin knew he would be in trouble if she spotted him but he couldn't make himself look away. She had really taken her lessons from Selina to heart and was able to play the crowd well. Smiling as he leant against a house, he watched, arms folded, as she performed.
He had told her once before that he could never miss an opportunity to see her dance, and he had been completely truthful. She hypnotised him with each sway of her hips, turn of her torso and swing of her arms. Clopin clapped along with the crowd that had gathered around her but stayed where he was. He looked around as Hermione gathered up the coins she had earned. He was about to leave when the blasted goat caught a glimpse of him.
Not quite fast enough, he couldn't disappear from view before Djali bleated to get Hermione's attention. Spotting him, Clopin could only give a sheepish smile as Hermione strode over to him. Standing before him, the young witch folded her arms and shook her head at him with a rueful smile.
"I should have known I couldn't keep you away from the streets for long." Clopin shrugged his shoulders before slinging an arm around hers.
"I was restless. Can't be helped, mon amour.' He paused for a moment before frowning. 'Why didn't you tell me you had taken up my duties?"
Hermione blinked at him before shrugging.
"You needed to focus on recovering. Besides, it wasn't like I was doing much."
Clopin shook his head at her, disbelieving.
"Not true, amour. I thank you though." He kissed her temple in thanks, receiving a smile from her in payment.
The couple walked through the streets, still careful not to let Clopin be seen by the guards. As they entered the cemetery and climbed through the tomb, Hermione bit her lip before sighing.
"I know I can't stop you from going back up there and going back to your caravan. However, I want you to be careful. Be mindful of your back but also keep an eye out for the soldiers. Will you promise me this?"
Clopin blinked, unsure if he heard what he thought he had. As Hermione was still staring at him, beseechingly, he assumed he really had heard her correctly. Beaming down at her, he swooped in for a long, deep kiss. He could have sworn he heard Djali retch. Pulling back to cast the goat a glare, he raised his right hand up.
"I promise I will be careful to avoid the soldiers and be attentive to my back."
Hermione giggled at him but nodded in acceptance. The two strolled through the tunnels with Djali following. Once back at the Court of Miracles, the trio were greeted by Bartley.
"There you are, Clopin!' He turned to Hermione. 'How much trouble is he in now?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"None. He promised to be careful and that's all I can ask."
Hermione shrugged her shoulders and left the two men staring at her back once more. Djali followed after her, but not before giving Clopin a smirk. Feeling as though he had done something wrong, he cast his friend a questioning glance. Bartley held his hands up in surrender.
"I don't know what you've done now. Don't ask me!"
Pouting, he nodded before he caught a glimpse of Selina and Duke. Quickly making his way towards them, he called out.
"Selina!' The women looked at him in confusion but headed towards him and met Clopin halfway. 'Do you know what's wrong with Esmeralda?" Selina looked confused.
"Nothing's wrong with her, at least not when I saw her last. Why, what did you do?" Clopin raised his hands just like Bartley had.
"I only promised that I would be careful when on the surface, and that I would be wary of my back." Selina narrowed her eyes at him before folding her arms.
"Tell me her exact words."
Clopin thought about it before carefully reciting every word Hermione had said to him and what he had replied with. Selina stared at him for a full minute before smacking her forehead with her palm.
"You idiot! Esmeralda is probably doubting whether or not you'll actually respect her opinion. You're acting as though you won't listen to a word she says!"
Paling considerably, Clopin quickly rushed towards Hermione's tent, ignoring his friends, wanting to clarify that he would always listen to her. Clopin only just held back from bursting into the tent, Hermione would be furious if he managed to glance her dress. Huffing in annoyance, he tapped against the cloth before calling out to her.
"Esmeralda, do you have a minute?"
"Yes?" Hermione sounded confused but Clopin immediately entered.
Glancing around, he was slightly gutted that there was no dress to be seen but ignored it for now. He spotted Hermione stood by her chest and strode towards her before cupping her face gently. Her eyes widened in shock as he whispered to her.
"I want you to know that I do respect what you have to say, mon amour. I want to know your view on everything. I'm sorry if I made you feel as though I won't listen to you."
Hermione's eyes softened at his apology. Placing a quick kiss to her forehead, he wrapped his arms around her, glad when she reciprocated.
"It wasn't anything like that, Clopin. I just don't want to see you get hurt again. I love that you're so energetic but you could end up doing more harm than good."
Finally understanding, why she had been upset, Clopin gave her a gentle kiss before resting his forehead against hers.
"I'll be careful, chérie. I promise." Hermione smiled.
"That's all I ask."