((Well well, Chapter One is here! I'd originally intended it to be longer, but then I decided against it. Thank you SO very much to my 3 reviewers: AmZ, LesMisLoony and Tay-kun! I really appreciated your kind comments. They actually kept me going while I was writing this, because I never actually finish anything. Ever. So…we're going to have to hope for this one. In retrospect, dear 'Parnasse did seem a bit out of character…He'll be in later chapters though, so I'll see if I can fix that. In this chapter you may have notice I used the musical timeline. It just fit better for the plot. You'll see what I mean…
Adieu 3,

Shammy))

"You may kiss the bride." The priest smiled down at the two young people before him, both glowing with radiant happiness. She was a beautiful young woman and he a fine looking youth. He couldn't remember seeing a happier or finer looking couple.

Marius slowly leaned down to kiss Cosette and hesitated, as if wondering the fact that this could be real. That after all he had been put through, all the grief they suffered over each other, they were allowed to be together. The brief moment of thought passed, as he gazed into her eyes and their lips met.

The guests burst into tumultuous applause, as they watched the newlyweds smile at each other with tears of joy in their eyes. They turned to their guests, smiling, and squeezing one another's hands, his bare hand in her gloved one.

In the very back of the church sat someone who also had tears to shed, but they were not of happiness. Eponine Thenardier wiped a rogue droplet away, gazing at the couple with sadness that she could not disguise. It felt as if she'd finally died in the constant winter of her own little world.

Her gaze shifted to the couple, clutching hands, and she felt the pieces of her broken heart soften. It had not been so long ago that she had been the one holding his hands, tears of joy streaming down her face. His words still stayed with her…

"Oh Eponine...you are alive! Thank God…"

"Yes…but Monsieur Marius, you nearly died without me there to protect you!"

"It's getting better. Always better…Everything is going to work out. You'll see."

If only he had meant everything would work out for her! In her death deep pool of self pity, the girl felt the will of life leave her. Marius would be totally lost to her, and she'd be surprised if he even remembered her name. He was far too wrapped in the euphoria of his own world to even pay her a second glance.

Some may have thought it was a very rude thing for the girl to intrude on someone's wedding, but this wasn't true. She'd been invited, by the groom himself. Marius had even offered to buy her a new dress to wear, but she'd refused, and at that moment, Cosette had come for her daily visit. Even if she had changed her mind, Marius wouldn't have heard her. He never even looked at her when she was around.

Eponine could have collected all the stars in the sky and presented them to the young man, and he'd ask her to put them back because he and Cosette were going for a walk that evening.

So, it was with deepened sorrow that Eponine watched the occasion, even poorer in happiness than she was in clothing. It came with a shock that as the newlywed couple went down the aisle to the waiting fiacre outside; Marius glanced her way and gave her a grateful smile.

After the surprise and joy of that smile left her system, Eponine raised her head to the now empty church. She slowly rose and walked to the front, where Marius had stood with all the bliss of the world at his feet. Unable to stand it anymore, and knowing there was only God to witness her inner pain, she collapsed to her knees, tears of a ruined hope flowed down her cheeks harder than ever.

"Congratulations…I hope you're both very happy together!" The woman smiled kindly at the wedding couple, who were side by side, fluttering through the well wishers like a pair of butterflies in the breeze.

"Thank you madame…" Marius replied happily, nodding respectfully to the elderly female and stealing what was about his hundredth glance at Cosette in the past five minutes. She was positively glowing, and never had he seen her more perfect. This, of course, was saying a lot for him. It seemed that each second he passed by her side, she looked more like a goddess that he wanted to worship.

Marius could have gladly spent his very life kneeling at her feet, subscribing himself to her every need and whim. That glorious smile which she was blessing him at the moment was more than payment for a lifetime of labours. Nearby, he could catch a slightly rough, familiar voice…

"Excuse me...I'm just trying to get through…" He turned his head and smiled slightly to see Eponine politely trying to make her way through a crowd in which she looking so awkward among the crowd, it was tragically laughable. Lately, he'd been happy to see her, his perspective much changed after his night on the barricade.

Had he been alone, he may have noticed that her eyes were slightly red and puffy from crying. Alas, he had Cosette by his side and such tragedies were lost upon him. He greeted her with a warm smile as she stood before the pair.

"I'm so glad you came." He said sincerely, then looking over at Cosette. "You've met my friend Eponine?" The simple comment struck the broken hearted girl harder then it should have. Of course they'd met! She had come to see Marius every day once she'd found where he was healing, just as Cosette had! In fact, the other would always visit directly after her. They had met on various occasions, right before Marius's eyes.

Still, Eponine hid the hurt of the comment, knowing somehow that once again, each time Cosette had entered, she had like stopped existing. The bride nodded, smiling primly at the raggedly dressed figure before her.

"Of course," She laughed cherubically, cheeks flushed with happiness. "It's good to see you again Eponine."

I wish I could say likewise honestly…Eponine thought sourly, though she was smiling so hard it nearly made her face hurt. The conversation was just about to turn towards awkward, when the trio heard a loud ruckus by the door.

"I swear I've been invited!" cried a familiar voice. Marius and Eponine exchanged looks of amusement.

"I'll go see to him…don't worry." She made her way through the sea of strangers, glad to leave the hurtful scene behind her. With a demonstration of street style class, she nimbly did a strangely elegant swinging step around the corner to see Grantaire blocked by the doorman, who seemed to be giving him a decent amount of trouble.

"I'm sorry monsieur but I don't think-"

"I don't think you should assume things." The drunkard replied, gazing over his shoulder at Eponine, his eyes lighting up. He shoved his way past the protesting doorman and threw his arms around her in a friendly embrace.

"Was hoping you'd be here…or I might've felt out of place." He murmured in her ear. She laughed lightly, disguising the hurt she'd been feeling all day.

"Since when has that ever bothered you?" Eponine murmured, attempting to disguise the sorrow in her voice, but not doing so well. She couldn't lie to or hide from Grantaire. Many people underestimated him…Drunkard though he was, he had a knack for picking up details and figuring out people. He'd done so to her a long time ago.

Immediately, the student put an arm about her shoulders, reading her before she even got a second to think, steering her towards the door.

"Come now my pretty little gamin. We're long overdue for a gossip session." Not casting a second glance at the perplexed doorman, the pair walked outside. It was the very pit of February, and Eponine shivered a little. Not too much though. She'd become used to the bitter winter…if that was ever possible.

She gazed up at Grantaire who was staring at her with pity. She hated it when he did that. Averting her eyes, Eponine smiled sadly.

"You weren't at the ceremony." She said flatly, glancing up to him for a moment.

"I may be a drunken fool, 'Ponine, but I'm a man who knows when he's not wanted."

"Marius wanted you there! I wanted you there…" Eponine muttered softly.

"Maybe, but I do not think M. Gillenormand cares for me very much. No matter how much he cries it aloud before Marius, he really doesn't care to be bothered by revolution."

"Indeed?" The other merely nodded.

"Now let us move on to more important things. How are you coping?" He raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms over his chest, huddling against the cold.

"I'm fine…" She turned away from him at this, her back to the cold wind that had been stinging her cheeks. No one ever really got used to a Parisian winter.

"How do you really feel?"

"Like walking death." She whispered, bowing her head, shoulders trembling gently with unbidden tears. Grantaire nodded slowly. He knew this day would come, when Marius would finally leave Eponine to her heartbreak. He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Some things were just meant to be lost…some things…you have to let go." Both knew the double meaning of his words. He'd had trouble coping with the loss at the barricades. Beyond his sadness, there was only his rage to keep him alive.

"And some things…" She interjected, "slip from your grasp." Young though she was, Eponine had spoken wisely. Grantaire nodded his head in silent agreement. Suddenly he spoke up again. There followed a silence deeper than the snowfall around them.

"You're shivering. Let us go inside and have a drink…It'll warm you up." She granted him a watery smile.

"I think that is your answer for everything." He merely shrugged.

"It's probable."

Once they were inside and settled with two glasses of the finest wine the servants could offer (unwillingly, it may be noted), Grantaire and Eponine moved to a pair of unoccupied chairs in the corner. The warmth of the room seemed lost on Eponine due to the bitter stares the other guests gave to her.

Grantaire, mercifully oblivious to this, merely poured the wine. He was listening to some of the talk around him, and hoped Eponine was not doing so as well.

"…they're not here?"

"Are they upstairs? It is there wedding night…"

"It's barely seven o' clock…"

Apparently, the newlyweds had gone missing. Leaving his listening to that, he turned to Eponine, who at least seemed unaware of the talk around her. Her finger gently traced the rim of her wine glass, until; at last she glanced up at him.

Grantaire had raised his glass and spoke in a quiet undertone:

"To letting go." Nodding, Eponine silently raised her glass to his. They clinked together in a solemn toast, and their bearers both wordlessly sipped at the wine.

Eponine tasted nothing, already lost in her own thoughts.

These were interrupted by yet another loud clamour by the doorway. From where they were seated, Grantaire and Eponine saw the white clad figure of Cosette rushing up the stairs, and sobbing into her hands.

The loud slamming of a door was heard, indicating she had fled to her room. In the front hallway, Marius was now seen looking pale and quite upset. Eponine rose quickly from her chair, rushing to him.

"What's the matter? Marius?" He looked at her sadly, unable to speak for a moment, until at last the words fell from his lips.

"Monsieur Valjean is dead."