A/N: Thank you so much for all of you who reviewed and followed this. It makes me feel really happy. I promise I'll update A World That I Have Never Known soon
Disclamer: I do not own Les Mis
Eponine never went back to her parents. Mrs. Pontmercy absolutely adored having a girl around the house. The family soon decided that Eponine would become part of the family. Eponine said that her parents wouldn't care if she was around or not. She said that all either of them really seemed to do was drink. She doubted they'd notice she was even missing. One less mouth to feed one less body in the way.
The Pontmercys' accepted what Eponine said having only heard bad things about the adult Thenardiers. The Pontmercys' had new papers made to show that Eponine was their daughter. She soon fell into normal flow with them. Mrs. Pontmercy would teach Eponine how to sew and embroider. Eponine was not allowed to run around as she had been allowed to by Madame Thenardier. Mrs. Pontmercy said that it was unbecoming for a girl her age to run around like the boys.
Eponine learned how to read very fast. Her parents had taught her a few words, just enough to get along, but she had never learned how to read things like books. Eponine found that she enjoyed reading. She had always enjoyed listening to stories. Eponine loved learning new things too. Unlike Marius who liked to play, Eponine enjoyed staying inside or maybe sitting on a bench and reading. Eponine also had an aptitude for dancing, which she began to learn when she was about fourteen. She started the lessons right after they had moved to Paris. Eponine and Marius were staying with his grandfathers. The grounds were so big and she rarely left them.
When Marius was eighteen ( Eponine fifteen) he started going to school. Eponine was jealous she had always been the one who wanted to learn, but of course since she was a girl she wasn't allowed to go to the Parisian schools. Marius' views slowly began to alter and one day he got extremely angry with his grandfather and said he was moving out. Eponine came with him of course, they were like brother and sister she loved him and he loved her. Neither of them had romantic feelings for the other.
The flat that they moved to was much smaller that what they had been staying at before, but it was still a high class area and Marius deemed it safe for Eponine to be out and around. Marius had always been very protective of Eponine, ever since her father had beaten her that one day.
Marius and Eponine fell into an easy routine. She stayed in their flat for most of the day, and Marius would come back at around three. Eponine envied him for going to school. She would often read his old school books once he was done with them. She had taken to writing down her thoughts on the books. Marius was taking classes on law and philosophy. Eponine found herself disagreeing with many of the punishments in the law book. Many punishments were far too harsh for the crime. Eponine would write down all her thoughts before placing her notes in a box that she kept on her desk.
One day Marius came home early to find Eponine pouring over one of his books. To that point Marius had been clueless to the fact that Eponine had been reading his old school books. Marius had never thought that Eponine would do such things, but thinking about it she had always been interested in learning. " 'Ponine?" He asked careful not to startle her. Her head snapped up from the page she had been reading her eyes wide. " Salut Marius" she said smiling. " I didn't know you were interested in reading my books" he said a grin on his face " if you need anything explained I can eplain for you" Eponine shot him a look of annoyance " I'll be sure to ask" she said before going back to her reading. Marius retreated back to his room to study.
Marius and Eponine lived fairly simple lives. Eponine did the housework and read and Marius went to school. Marius began to get caught up with a group of students who called themselves 'Les Amis' they were revolutionaries. Marius very much supported their views, although he often did not have anything to add to the discussions. The men who were part of the group were brilliant. Marius began to come home later his head full of different ideas. Marius did not tell Eponine where he went for fear of her getting hurt. For all the talk of the men was brilliant they often talked of starting a rebellion and Marius couldn't even bear the thought of Eponine getting hurt.
Eponine noticed that Marius was often absent in the evenings of certain days. She did not put much thought to it at first. She generally let Marius do what he wanted. She didn't want him to get hurt, but it was not as if she could really control what happened to him. Eponine began to get curious about Marius' whereabouts for he was gone more and more often. Eponine had at first taken Marius' absence as extra time to study, but she had nearly finished all of his school books and was getting restless. She began to worry that he was spending time with a street gang or something, though she couldn't imagine why he would do that.
Eponine finally decided that she would find out what he was doing. She dressed in boys clothes and waited in her room pretending to be taking a midday nap or something of the sort. She heard Marius leave the flat through the front door and hurried to follow. She followed him in the shadows. She was sure she blended in well for she thought that she looked very much like a street boy. Marius walked closer to the slums and Eponine began to worry. As they reached the border of the slums Marius turned down a small street and they ended up in a small cafe.
Eponine tailed Marius up the stairs to a small room where several men were already sitting. She quickly slipped into a shadowed corner to watch and see what Marius was doing. He sat down at the table and began an animated conversation with one of the other men. The other was chuckled as Marius paused. Eponine wasn't quite close enough to hear what he said.
After fifteen minutes of watching Marius talking to the other men another man entered, he comanded attention. He walked to what could be considered the front of the room. He cleared his throat rather loudly and everyone turned to watch him. The room was silent for a moment before he talked.
When the man spoke his voice rang clear and strong across the room. Eponine was captivated by his words. He talked about liberating the poor. He talked about equality. He wanted a republic, a new fair country. What fascinated Eponine most was the fact that when he spoke of law reform he did not talk much about changeing the punishment. Still when he was finished Eponine was in awe. Right after he had finished his speech Eponine slipped out. She knew what Marius had come there for that. Eponine hurried to her shared flat with Marius. It could not seem like she had been gone at all. Eponine hurried into her room changeing back into one of her dresses, she then took paper and pen out and began to write about the speech the man had done.
By the time Marius got home Eponine had about a page and a half of notes written about Marius' speech giving friend. Marius seemed happy when he got home so she supposed that he either agreed with what the other man had said, or he had had something to drink with some of those friends of his. Eponine decided that from that point forward she would slip into one of those gatherings ever so often.