A/N: Thank you for the reviews on this, means a lot :) I have this whole story already written, 20+ chapters long...well, here's chapter ten.
Chapter 10: Who was that girl?
Éponine awoke. Or was she still dreaming? She must be. For Marius was cuddled up to her, breathing softly into her hair.
She heard footsteps on the stairs and then laughter. Coufeyrac. Maybe she wasn't dreaming. "Go away Coufeyrac." Marius mumbled sleepily, and held Éponine even tighter. He was still half asleep. Then he realised, and slowly slipped his arms away from around her and got up.
Her heart sank. He realised she was awake. "Sorry, 'Ponine...did I disturb you? Or maybe it was Coufeyrac." Marius glared at Coufeyrac, who chortled and went to wake Enjolras up.
Marius was fetching Éponine's clothes from where they'd dried hung over the bannister, when the door opened. "It's only me!" Gavroche strutted in. "Morning, 'Vroche." Éponine greeted him warmly. "Bonjour, 'Ponine. Have a nice sleep?" He smiled knowingly, but was still able to make Marius see that nothing was out of the ordinary.
Marius gave Éponine her clothes. They were cleaner, but some of the dirt hadn't come out. "Gavroche, can you make sure nobody walks in whilst 'Ponine is getting dressed? I'll go upstairs and make Coufeyrac shut his mouth." He turned to Gavroche.
"Of course, sir." Gavroche replied as Marius ran up the stairs. As soon as Marius was out of earshot, Gavroche turned to Éponine. "I'm surprised he doesn't see how much you cherish everything he does. It's written all over you." He said.
"Shush! He might hear!" Éponine whispered. Gavroche laughed. "Don't panic. You two last night...sweetest thing I've ever seen." He turned his back so she could get dressed.
Once Éponine was dressed, she held onto Marius' jacket, holding it close. Gavroche smirked at her. She ignored him as Marius, Enjolras and Coufeyrac came down the stairs.
"We've got work to do, things to discuss...but it would be rude to turn you out." Enjolras told her.
"It's alright. I'll go home...if I'm lucky, they'll be asleep." Despite trying to sound casual, Éponine's voice shook. "No!" Exclaimed Marius. Everyone looked at him sceptically. "I mean...it's dangerous, isn't it? Her wounds have been treated...she can't go back."
Éponine enjoyed how much he worried. It proved he liked her quite a lot. "She could stay at the theatre, sir." Gavroche volunteered. Éponine shrugged. "Alright then."
Marius looked both relieved and disappointed. "Goodbye, 'Ponine. Don't forget to meet me Saturday. You can borrow that jacket for now...I'll take it back Saturday." He noticed how attached she seemed to holding the jacket. She blushed.
"Thank you, Monsieur Marius...farewell." Her and Gavroche walked out of the door of café Musain.
"I think he likes you too." Gavroche spoke thoughtfully after they'd walked in silence for a bit. "What?" Éponine didn't believe him. "The way he acts...come on, he at least cares a little." Gavroche was certain he was right, even though Éponine wasn't so sure.
The next week dragged on slowly, like so many weeks usually did. But everyone at the theatre was kind. Dániel was there to somehow manage to put a smile on everyone's faces. Gavroche was there to keep the place alive. Everybody talked cheerfully. Nobody was harsh.
This would be a better home for Éponine than where she used to live.
When Saturday came, it didn't seem like the week had dragged so much. Éponine was cheerful as she left the theatre. Gavroche laughed as he knew exactly where she was going, and Dániel bid her goodbye.
At the park, Marius was already there. They sat by the river, at the edge of the park, out of sight from most people.
Marius gave her another bunch of flowers, to make up for what she dropped when Montparnasse had caught her on her birthday. This time they were roses.
"Roses-my favourite! Thank you, Monsieur!" She took them happily.
They both sat quietly, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight and eachothers company, the scent of the air with their own scents entwined into it, the gentle lull of the river. They spoke little, but didn't get bored. A butterfly landed on the roses, and Éponine giggled. It was bright blue. "I like butterflies. I wonder what it would be like to be one...so much freedom! Me and 'Zelma used to watch them when we were little. We thought they were made of magic and that they came from rainbows...because of their bright colours, you see. I like this one-it's blue. That is one of my favourite colours." Éponine suddenly began talking.
Marius smiled after listening to her talk. He like how she'd often burst into talking about her childhood-it sounded like a much happier time for her. It made him a little sad too, as she could still be living like that, innocent and liking most things that appeared.
He sighed when he checked the time. "Forgive me, dear 'Ponine, I need to go. They'll be wondering about me. Will you meet me on Wednesday as well as next Saturday?." Éponine nodded. "Of course, Monsieur." She replied. They embraced, not realising how it happened but feeling warm after, and he left.
"Farewell, Monsieur." Éponine gazed after Marius as he left.
On his way out of the park, Marius heard a cough. He looked at the bench he was about to go past. He saw a man with white hair-probably the source of the cough-next to a young girl. Her hair was a caramel colour, and her skin was pale like porcelain. She wore a black dress and a bonnet with a pink ribbon around it. Marius was about to pass her off as one of those rich girls him and Éponine had often talked of. That was what Éponine called them, and they laughed about it.
But then as he was about to turn, the girl met his eyes. Her eyes were an extroidinary shade of blue, and very large. They stood out against her pale face. Marius had to look away, as the man beside her was giving him a strange look. There was nothing bourgeois about her, that was for certain.
Who was that girl?