A/N: This chapter may skip through different times a lot to fit in loads of smaller details that are important to the story instead of focusing on them one at a time (as one at a time may make the story drag a lot). This is based on the book, where not much is said about Cosette's life at the convent but she is raised there for part of her life. Anyway, please read and review!
Chapter Five: Unexpected
The afternoon after, the girls stayed behind at the convent. They'd sat through a service as it was Sunday morning. All the other girls there-who were raised as nuns-gave them varied looks. A few were sorrowful, some scornful-the majority curious.
This is where they were provided with clothes for the next day. The black and white clothes of a nun. Eponine was instantly bored of this place-why couldn't they just stay with 'Monsieur Papa'-which was what she'd begun to call Valjean-and Monsieur Fauchelevent? They were much kinder.
The next day, Eponine breathed in the fresh air at the small break they had. Arithmetic lessons followed by some sort of church process followed by more arithmetic was slightly suffocating. She hated the fabric around her head, covering her hair.
Cosette stood with a cluster of other girls. She wondered where Eponine was. They'd been separated that morning, as at the convent there were two groups: the ones who had already been educated a little and the ones who were starting to learn. Eponine had already had some education.
The girls Cosette stood with talked a lot, mostly about their families before coming here. One girl asked Cosette, "What about you?"
"My Mother is dead." She replied.
"Oh." The girl said sorrowfully.
From then on, all the girls gave Cosette sympathetic looks she couldn't stand, so she stopped talking to them and made sure she found Eponine instead.
Eponine began slowly warming up to Cosette. It was when their new Papa told them he had tricked the Thenardiers' by giving them steel candlesticks instead of silver that the three of them began to feel like a real family.
Eponine sighed, the warmth of the fire glowing off her face. She realised how much nicer this small house was than the inn, although she hated the convent.
Monsieur Papa was her father now. She also began to accept Cosette as a sister.
A few winters later, they were sat by the fire again. The girls were now fourteen years old.
Eponine had become more outgoing. She knew a few ways out of the convent and onto the streets of Paris. Cosette refused to follow. She wanted to escape, but was afraid of getting into trouble and upsetting her father.
As she knew christmas was nearing, Eponine slipped onto the streets of Paris one night. She'd explored often and knew her way around.
She clutched her old doll in her hand. It was still as splendid as it had been 6 years ago, as she hadn't played with the doll much. It reminded her of the inn too much, where she used to play with Azelma.
Despite this, she still felt a tinge as she sold it. The money would buy christmas presents for Monsieur Papa (she still called Valjean this out of habit) and Cosette. She knew if she bought the actual gift it would surely show she'd been sneaking out, but if she bought materials to make gifts her father would think nothing of it.
As she walked the familiar streets, she wondered what she'd get. A small weaving loom caught her eye. It was about the size of a book.
Well...I can make some things with that. The creative side of her mind stirred as she bought the loom. Her and Cosette usually made things for Christmas. As she stepped back onto the street, a happy memory stirred.
She remembered when they'd made each other friendship bracelets. Cosette had made her one first, braiding the ribbons together as Eponine had taught her to do with hair. Eponine had been pleased by the gift, so decided to make one in return. Then both girls had thought of making one for their father but decided that bracelets were for girls, so braided two ribbons to decorate the silver candlesticks Papa had seemed to like so much.
She was stirred from her memory as she bumped into somebody. She looked up, startled, meeting a pair of hazel eyes.
"Forgive me, Mademoiselle." The young man who she'd bumped into spoke to her.
"It's okay, M'seiur." She replied, trying to step onwards awkwardly. He tried to do the same, but he had stepped the same way as her. They spent a while doing the same thing, always facing eachother and never managing to duck past the other to hide the blush that had risen on their faces for reasons they didn't know. Eventually, they gave up, laughing freely yet awkwardly with eachother.
"I do beg your pardon, Monsieur." Eponine said after she'd caught her breath.
"It's quite alright, Mademoiselle. My Grandfather always said 'Great Minds Think Alike." He chuckled slightly after that. A memory stirred in her mind...something about his freckled face seemed familiar. "Well, Mademoiselle, what is your name?" He met her eyes, causing the blush that had faded to rise again.
"My name is Eponine." She said. "What is yours?"
"My name is Marius Pontmercy." He bowed slightly. "You have a nice name, Eponine." He smirked slightly. Her heart skipped a beat.
"You know, Monsieur Marius, I do believe I've seen you somewhere before."