The Barricade Girl (A Les Miserables FanFiction)

Chapter Forty-Three

I stand in front of the mirror in my room as Maggie helps me out of my dress.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Maggie?" I ask her, noticing the permanent smile that has been plastered across her face all night.

"Oh, I did, I really did!" She beams.

"I see you and Courf really hit it off?" I playfully raise an eyebrow.

"Oh...Courf..." She blushes. "He's a lovely gentleman..."

"Are you going to see him again?" I ask.

"Yes, I am...he says he's going to stop by tomorrow..." She tries not to smile, but she can't help it. "I'll see if I can sneak out for five minutes –"

"You can have longer than five minutes. Take as long as you want tomorrow, I'll cover for you", I place my hand on her shoulder, assuring her.

"Thank you, Juliette", she grins. "And not just for tomorrow...thank you for introducing me to Courfeyrac. You've made me truly happy. I know it's too early to say too much, but...I think...I think I really do like him", she giggles lightly. "And, I hope, he likes me too".

"I'm happy for you, Maggie...you deserve all the happiness in the world..." With Courfeyrac being literally happiness in human form, the match seemed completely natural to me, and the thought of the two of them potentially being together made my heart sing.

I went to bed feeling perfectly content. The boys had had a good night, Madame Houcheloup had enjoyed herself despite having to be accompanied by a drunken Grantaire, Gavroche was perfect at his first ball, sparks had flown between Courfeyrac and Maggie, and Eponine was on cloud nine for the entire night. Marius was going to see to it that they all got home safely, and Eponine was going to stay the night at Madame Houcheloup's. Everyone had had a good night, and that made me happy. Covering for Maggie means that I can't go to the Café Musain today, so when I answer the door to Courfeyrac, I ask him to pass the message on to Enjolras that I can't meet him and the boys today.

"It's alright...the boys – and when I say boys, I mean Grantaire – are still recovering from last night, so you won't be missing much", he jokes. Maggie rushes down the corridor, strapping a bonnet to her head as she scurries along.

"Hi...Courfeyrac..." She stops in her tracks upon seeing him, her face flushing pink, and her voice sounding almost breathless.

"Maggie..." He smiles back at her, sounding just as dumbstruck as her.

"I'll leave you two to it", I smirk, ushering Maggie out of the door before Grandfather has a chance to see. "Look after her, Courf. Take your time, Maggie. I've got it covered", I wink at them.

"Thank you, Miss – I mean, Juliette!" Maggie calls as she and Courfeyrac run away from the house, hand in hand.

I keep myself tucked away with the servants for the rest of the day, and I feel immensely happy. I help out in the kitchen, and away from the prying eyes of my Grandfather, I'm allowed to perform some of Maggie's duties in her absence. And then I hear footsteps come crashing down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"Juliette!" I hear a voice shouting me. "Juliette!" Marius comes hurtling through the doorway and towards me, his voice red with panic, his cheeks wet with tears.

"Marius, what is it?" I ask, clutching his shoulders with my hands in an attempt to make him stand still.

"She's gone, she's gone, I can't believe it, she's gone –" He says quickly, not stopping to breath, his panic rising.

"Who? Gone where? Calm down, Marius!" I tighten my grip on him, trying to calm him down.

"Cosette...she's gone..."

"What do you mean 'gone'? How do you –?" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I went to see her today...but she wasn't there. I went to her house, and she was gone. Her Father was gone. Everything was gone! There was no-one there. It's over...She's gone..." He collapses into my arms, sobbing as I wrap my arms around him and hold him. "She's gone..." He sobs.

"Marius...I'm so sorry..." I rub his back and stroke his hair, trying to comfort him.

"She didn't even say goodbye...I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She's gone...I've lost her forever..." I sit on the kitchen floor, cradling my brother in my arms as he cries. As he cries, I hear the sound of footsteps again, running down the stairs.

"Juliette! Miss! Juliette!" The voice cries.

"Maggie?" I look toward the doorway, and Maggie comes flying through. "You're back! Did you have a nice –?"

"Miss! Enjolras is upstairs!" She exclaims, tears in her own eyes, her panic matching Marius', but for different reasons.

"Enjolras?" I ask, genuinely confused, still stroking my brother's hair as he cries.

"Courfeyrac and I met him on our way back to the house – he's upstairs with Courfeyrac now. You need to go to him!" She states with fear.

"What's wrong? Has something happened?" I help Marius to his feet, supporting him with both my arms to hold him upright, his head still collapsed on my shoulder as we stand in the middle of the kitchen. I extend a hand out to Maggie, and she takes it, squeezing it tightly, a look of dread and terror in her eyes.

"It's General Lamarque's funeral tomorrow...which means..." She pauses, struggling but succeeding to hold back the tears that have formed in her eyes. "It's going to start. The revolution is going to happen..." The tears that she has been holding back so well start to fall freely, and I feel her hand shaking in mine. "Enjolras says it's time...he's come to say goodbye..."