-Chapter 9-
"Enjolras! Are you even listening to me?!" Enjolras snapped out of his thoughts as Courfeyrac's hand started waving in front of his face. Irritated he looked up from his book and finally concentrated his attention on his friend.
"I'm sorry, I was too immersed in my studies" he apologised and followed Courfeyrac's gaze. His friend was staring at Èponine, who was in the middle of a conversation with Combeferre and Grantaire, who was notably sober mentioning that it was Saturday afternoon.
"I said that Èponine's mood has lightened up over the past days, don't you think?" Courfeyrac was right with his statement. Èponine seemed happier than she had been since the Rebellion. Of cause her eyes were still too serious for those of a young woman, but Enjolras couldn't hold that against her. Who knew what horrors she had already seen or even endured in her young life?
It was this gravity in her appearance, which attracted him. She wasn't as naïve as other girls he knew. She was the living proof that intelligence couldn't be bought and that intelligence was much more attractive than nice clothes and heavy-makeup. On the contrary: Enjolras had experienced that heavy-makeup was mostly used to cover lack of intelligence up.
He had actually only met four women, who weren't as shallow, perfunctory and dumb as the bigger part of the female French population. And those four were Musichetta, Èponine, Cosette and of cause is little sister Geneviève.
Suddenly Courfeyrac snatched the book out of his hands and closed it to read the title printed on the book cover.
"Pride and Prejudice?! That doesn't sound like law studies to me! Since when are you interested in romance novels? I mean, we're talking of you Enjolras, a man with a waving French Flag set where a normal man's beating heart is set!" Courfeyrac stated with an ironic, but warm smile.
Enjolras rolled his eyes at his friend's comment. "Geneviève mentioned the book in one of her letters and I promised her to read it. You know how determined Gen can become when it comes to literature." He fetched back the book, opened it and tried to find the right page again. "Besides, Gen said that the protagonist was very emancipated and I have to admit that the book demonstrates the drastic outcomes that discrimination of women brings about. The society deprives women of their right to vote, their right of inheritance. If women would be entitled to inherit, they would no longer have to marry against their will. That shows that our society forces woman through deprivation of human rights into an inability to act out of free will! The fact that marriage is still not class-independent-"
"Ok, enough, enough! It's too early for discussions like that… But it definitely sounds like a book Evie would enjoy reading!" Courfeyrac cut him off.
Enjolras flinched at the sound of Courfeyrac's pet name for his younger sister. Gen never liked pet names, he as her elder brother and Grantaire had always been the only ones who were allowed to call her by a pet name. But since her last visit in Paris he had the feeling that he wasn't the only one who had permanent contact with her through letters. And it seemed that he was also not the only one anymore who was allowed to call her by a pet name.
Geneviève was three years younger than him and Enjolras still remembered the day their parents had sent her to a private Boarding School, because their mother had been tired of arguing with her. Geneviève had always represented women's rights and that was something their parents didn't accept.
Enjolras also remembered the day Geneviève had been expelled from Boarding School because she had started provoking the teachers with the statement: I don't want to be forced into a puppet girl whose strings are in someone else's hands. The great thing about his sister was that she was so intelligent that arguing with her was almost impossible. This was also the reason why the relationship between their parents and Geneviève had always been tense. His father didn't like it when younger people were more intelligent than him especially when they were females, who should in his opinion just keep their mouths shut and look pretty. It seemed as if Enjolras senior didn't have much luck with his children because neither of them did support his political opinion.
That night when Geneviève returned home after being expelled, her father had lost control about his temper. Enjolras had heard the loud argument between his parents and his sister but he had never seen his father so enraged. He entered the living room just in time to see his father hitting Geneviève across the face and Geneviève falling to the ground with a cracked, bleeding lip After that incident both siblings decided that they couldn't live with their parents anymore. Enjolras had never really respected his father due to his political position, but the moment his father had turned violent, Enjolras had lost all his affection and respect for the man who had raised him. Geneviève had moved in with some friends in Lyon and worked as a highly sought-after seamstress. Soon she would be financially independent enough to occupy her own flat. Enjolras had never been more proud of someone and the memory of his sister made him smile slightly.
"How would you know what Geneviève enjoys reading?" Enjolras asked, emphasising his sister's name.
"Well, when I met her the last time she visited, she seemed truly emancipated and-"
"Who is truly emancipated?" Èponine's voice rang out from behind them. Enjolras tried to concentrate on his book again instead of Èponine. They hadn't talked about the kiss they had shared two nights ago. After ending the kiss she had assured him that she would be fine and he had known better than to patronise her. So he had let her leave to wherever she would find sleep.
He decided that it would be impolite to just continue reading and not take part in the conversation. He closed the book again and looked Èponine in the eye, waiting for a sign of accusation, because he had avoided her the past two days, but he found none.
"We're talking of Enjolras' younger sister" answered Courfeyrac and Èponine's eyes flashed up with amazement. She didn't know that Enjolras had a sister, but thinking of it closely it wasn't that surprising. It would explain the amount of letters, which he wrote every week and it somehow fitted to him.
"You never told me you had a sister?" she said and smiled at him, but before he could reply something Grantaire raised his voice.
"Well, he has! And I have to admit that, if she weren't his sister and if I hadn't seen her grow up, I would have already laid her!" Grantaire's comment made Combeferre and Èponine laugh out loud, while Courfeyrac looked less amused and Enjolras gave Grantaire a look that, if looks could kill, would have sent Grantaire to his grave.
"I doubt that Evie would make out with a drunkard like you! She is not as simple-minded as the other girls you have had!" To everyone's surprise it was Courfeyrac, who said this and not Enjolras, but Enjolras nodded in agreement: "Thank you for noticing and mentioning that, Courfeyrac. And next time Grantaire says something like that you are allowed to punch him in the face!" he added silently.
Èponine couldn't help but smile. "Well, but honestly, what is she like?" she asked?
"Ok, I'll try to explain. What effect does Enjolras normally have on women, even if he doesn't want to be noticed?" Combeferre finally intervened. While Courfeyrac and Grantaire were dying of laughter, Enjolras and Èponine both looked perplexed and uncomfortable.
"I-I don't know? What does it have to do with his sister?" Èponine tried to avoid the question, but Combeferre didn't let her: "C'mon 'Ponine, just answer the question!" All of Enjolras' efforts to help Èponine out of the uncomfortable situation were ignored by his friends with ostentation.
"Well… I… I guess he's pretty good looking and handsome and the way he talks attracts attention. But I guess that his behaviour is very daunting and for some women maybe even offending and what he says can sometimes be hurtful, if you don't know him well enough to understand him…" Èponine stammered and tried as hard as possible to sound factual and not personal, but the slightly red colour that appeared on her cheeks sold her out.
Enjolras knew that the part of her statement, which described his personal behaviour, was honest. Èponine spoke from her own experience. That arose from the many disagreements they had had. Before they became closer, she had thought him facile and arrogant, because he had never talked to her like he had talked to his male friends.
"So, this is exactly the way Genieviève affects guys or at least us" Combeferre ended his description of Enjolras' sister.
"So, altogether she is a female Enjolras?" Èponine asked.
"Yes and no. She has a different way of living. She, for example she has other hobbies than revolution and she doesn't refuse to have fun, but she definitely has his good looking. But you will meet her one day and you'll know what I mean" Combeferre answered.
"Ok, are you finished gossiping about my sister and me?" Enjolras intervened and he was visibly annoyed. His facial expression said clearly that he wasn't delighted about his sister having raised so much attention amongst his friends.
Èponine smiled slightly. Enjolras was for sure a perfect elder brother: sometimes a bit overprotective but reliable and loving, even if he didn't always show.
The conversation changed to other topics and Èponine tapped Grantaire on the shoulder in anticipation of learning more about Enjolras and his life. She would have never thought him a family-person…
"Something tells me that he is over-protective of her, right?" she whispered so that only Grantaire could hear her. His amused chuckle confirmed her foreboding.
"You should have seen him after she got drunk the first time. She was sixteen and it was her first visit in Paris. She wanted to see Paris' nightlife and Enjolras refused to take her out because of his studies, so I introduced her to the rest of the Amis. Well, no one intended to get her drunk, I mean: We all knew that Enjolras would kill us if something happened to her. But the petite Mademoiselle got drunk anyway. Don't ask me how she managed to get the alcohol. I still remember the bloody nose I got after bringing her back to his flat that night. I truly never saw him that angry and we're friends since early childhood!" Grantaire had difficulties not bursting out laughing and grinned boldly.
"I never knew that you two were friends since childhood! I feel rather sheepish to ask such question, but how old are you and Enjolras actually." She asked and truly felt a bit embarrassed. Yes, the Amis were students so they were in their twenties, but she had no clue about their specific ages.
"Enjolras is twenty-two and I myself am twenty-four," Grantaire answered and smiled at Èponine's shocked gaze "Yes, it is unbelievable that I am older than our marble man. He seems much more adult and responsible than I, doesn't he?" Èponine nodded with a disbelieving look and Grantaire continued: "Yes, he always kept me from getting into trouble and without him I would have dropped out of school. And without me he would have lost strands to reality, because he was always closed up and lost in his books. Gen, Enjolras and I had a very magnificent childhood!".
Yes, Èponine thought, that sounded exactly like Enjolras. When she drew her attention back to the others' conversation, she noticed that Enjolras was no more amongst them. She jumped up and told the students that she still had an errand to run and left the café.
The streets of Paris were full of busy people, beggars and children, who ran through the crowd. A typical Saturday afternoon for the capital of France. Trying to find the revolutionary, Èponine ran through the crowd of people, pickpocketing a wallet here and there. Being asleep at the switch, she didn't notice an inspector of the National Guard until he put a hand over her mouth and shoved her into a side street.
"My, my! What do we have here? A waif earning her day's wage! Tell me Missy, aren't there more legal ways for such a beauty to earn money?" with one hand the officer held both of her arms back on her spine in a rather painful grip, his other hand moved slowly away from her mouth, down her neck and rested at her décolleté. Èponine smelled his bad breath as he whispered those words and she wasn't even able to see the man's face because he was standing behind her.
"You may talk to a waif Monsieur, but I still have my pride and dignity!" she spat out, putting as much aversion into her words as possible.
"As far as I know, poor and homeless don't have pride or dignity! And you, Missy, are for sure not an exception!" he said and his grip on her tightened. Disgust and outrage filled Èponine and she tried to free her arms.
"You don't seem to know the streets and their people! If you did, you would know that you need pride and dignity to survive in such a world!" she hissed.
"If you claim to know the streets so well, I make you an offer: You will find someone's place of residence for me and I will forget about your little, illegal, pickpocketing-hobby!", his grip loosened a bit and Èponine was able to break away from him, but she was still trapped between him and the wall. She was actually surprised about his offer, but had to admit that this would be the only way to save her neck.
"Who?" was her simple reply and the officer smiled sardonically.
"René Olivier Enjolras" he said and Èponine's eyes widened for a second. A gesture, which she instantly regretted, because it proved that she was familiar with the name. Or in her case: only with the surname.
"I see you are familiar with this man. If you know him, you better help the National Guard catch him, we need to get hold of him while he's in action to judge him and the revolutionists are very good at covering their tracks. We would really benefit from your knowledge of the streets and it would be a waste to imprison such a beautiful Mademoiselle for being an accomplice of the revolutionists against the king, would it not be? " he raised his hand to stroke her face but she slapped his hand away, an act, which would have normally sent her to prison.
She almost had to smile on this pathetic attempt to blackmail her. Just a month ago two officers had threatened her life to get information about the rebellion out of her and no word had escaped her lips. And no word would escaper her lips now-
A call for help joined by other voices suddenly interrupted her thoughts. It had most likely been a woman, who had screamed and Èponine guessed that she must have been robbed back on the main street, because other voices were screaming for an officer to help them catch the thieves.
"I think those people need your help, Monsieur." She smirked, knowing that it was the man's duty to help. He looked unsure now and gave her without noticing more space and therefore more options to escape. He departed and slowly walked away from her, still eying her mistrustfully.
"So, will you do it? I'm sure that you will also be rewarded. We could offer you a new life, you wouldn't have to worry about your so called pride and dignity anymore!" he called out trying to convince her, realising that the situation had changed and he was no more on top of it.
"Go to hell!" Èponine hissed and used this moment to escape. She didn't turn around, while she was running. Her brain rattled, trying to think of a place where she could go. She didn't dare to go back to the Musain or even Enjolras' flat. She was too scared that someone would follow her.
There was only one place that crossed her mind. A church! Not because she was very religious, but rather because no one would torment her in a church and she needed time to think and a silent, cool and dark place seemed to be the best place to do that. She used as many secret paths and small alleys as she could to get to the nearest church.
As she sat down on one of the benches of a small and dark church, Èponine drew a deep breath. She needed some time to come down but before her heart found its usual rhythm again someone tapped on her shoulder from behind. She jumped and had to hold back a small scream, but realised that she knew the person sitting behind her.
Blonde, long hair, a flouncy, light blue dress and matching, sparkling eyes. Cosette!
"Èponine! What a coincidence meeting you here! Why are you so out of breath? Good God, is everything all right?" Èponine only nodded and intimated Cosette to be silent.
"I need your help. I was just attacked by an officer, who wanted information about Enjolras' whereabouts! I need you to tell him and the others to be careful. I will distance myself from the Les Amis for a while, because I don't want anyone to follow me to the meetings. The National Guard knows my name and when they are following me, I'll lead them to Enjolras and the others and I won't risk that."
Cosette's eyes widened in shock, but Èponine didn't give her a chance to speak.
"This is important Cosette! They have to know why I avoid them and you have to make clear that the National Guard is close on their heels!" Èponine finished.
"Just one thing: Since Marius and I bought a new flat, the one in the Rue Plumet is not inhabited. I want you to move in and live there for now. I thought about this for a very long time and now is the right moment! You need to go into hiding and this is the perfect place for you. The National Guard would never search for a waif in such a noble area and you won't have to worry about surviving the winter on the streets!" with those words Cosette handed Èponine the keys and kissed her on the cheek.
"Be careful!" Cosette said before leaving to inform the others.
. . . .
Hello everyone!
Please forgive me for the lack of E/È moments. I needed this chapter to somehow explain Enjolras and Grantaire's past together and to introduce Geneviève as new character.
That brings me to my next point: What do you think about her so far? I am planning on putting some Courfeyrac/Geneviève in later chapters. I am also not sure, if my English was good enough to make this understandable: Gen is Enjolras' and Grantaire's pet-name for Geneviève and Evie is Courfeyrac's pet-name for her.
Please review and tell me what you think about her, because she will appear in later chapters.
Thank you for reading and I hope you liked this chapter! Great thanks to everyone, who followed and favoured this story, and of cause for everyone, who reviewed!