M. Gillenormand is strolling in a pleasant residential neighborhood in Paris, possibly returning home from visiting Magnon or one of her cronies.

Courfeyrac mostly wanders along, hands tucked behind his back, in high good humor, which is not unusual, talking to Marius. "Why do we never see you anymore?"

Marius is all too happy to explain. "I met an angel. She's beautiful..." he sees the old man coming down the sidewalk and trails off.

M. Gillenormand stops under a streetlight, when he's able to see the two young men. "You blighter!"

Courfeyrac is just about to say something about it being about time, when this comes through. He glances over sharply in surprise. "Monsieur...?"

Marius is frozen to the pavement, and has apparently returned to earth with a crash. "Oh no."

M. Gillenormand walks up to Marius and takes hold of the boy's jacket. "Months and months! You've been taking my money, you stupid boy, and not even telling me that you're still alive!" He kisses his stunned grandson on the cheek.

Courfeyrac stares. He rocks a bit on his toes, tucks his hands in his pockets, starts to speak, stops. What can he say?

Marius says coldly, "I have not taken a penny of your money, Monsieur."

M. Gillenormand shakes his head. "You're a stupid boy, then, and I'll say it again."

Courfeyrac recovers his wits, if not his equilibrium. "I'll vouch for that. Both parts." A grin flashes. "Introduce us, Marius?"

Marius frowns at Courfeyrac. "This is my grandfather, M'sieur Gillenormand. Grandfather," there is no affection in the title, "this is my friend, Rene Courfeyrac."

"Anyone who agrees with me is right," the old man observes. "A pleasure to meet you, young man."

Courfeyrac bites back a chuckle, and sketches a bow. "Likewise, m'sieur." He shoots a twinkling glance at the annoyed Marius.

Marius gripes. "I'm glad you are getting along so well." He is still frowning, but he remembers a little courtesy. "I hope my aunt is well?"

M. Gillenormand shrugs. "She's never well, but she's healthy enough."

Courfeyrac watches his friend in bemusement. A grandfather /and/ an aunt? Good Lord, next the boy will be telling him he has parents.

Marius nods, though his question was not so much answered as dodged. "That's good." He pats his pocket, looking for his watch, but he no longer owns one, so he asks Courfeyrac, "What time is it?"

Courfeyrac looks. "About ten past six. Why?"

Marius tries to give him a significant look, but it does not work very well, and he ends up looking as if he's having a medical emergency. "We should be going."

M. Gillenormand catches the almost-look and smiles too broadly. "After I've just found you again, dear boy? I've missed you."

Courfeyrac raises a brow. Decisions, decisions. His better nature is prodding him to give poor Pontmercy an out, but it is always tempting to bedevil one's friend and sometime roommate. "Were we in a hurry?"

Marius glares, but has no recourse at the moment. "No."

M. Gillenormand grins, winking subtly at Courfeyrac. "Splendid! You must come home for dinner, and bring your intriguing friend."

Courfeyrac chuckles, letting the glare slide off him. "'Intriguing'? Now there's a word I don't often hear." He glances at Marius, and relents a bit. "I think we had made other arrangements for dinner, monsieur, but the offer's very kind-- Look here, Pontmercy, you never /told/ me you didn't hatch out of an egg!"

Marius says bitterly, "I thought you were intelligent enough to work that out on your own." To his grandfather, he says, "Our friends are waiting upon our arrival, m'sieur, so we ought to go."

"Your friends are waiting?" Although it isn't clear why, it is obvious that M. Gillenormand is inordinately fond of Marius. "I've been waiting for you, boy, and waiting longer than your friends will if you come to dinner. Your aunt will want to see you." This is probably not the case, but it sounds good.

Good nature gains an edge over deviltry. "I'm afraid they really are." Of course, the 'friends' are only Enjolras and Combeferre, and Enjolras won't particularly care if they never show and Combeferre will wait all night, but Courfeyrac doesn't mention this.

Marius takes advantage of this explanation to back away, hoping to get out of reach. "It was pleasant to see you, m'sieur," he says, although it wasn't. "Please send my greetings to my aunt."

M. Gillenormand expostulates, "Wretch!" but does not go charging after him. "You owe me a visit, scoundrel."

Courfeyrac's hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck. "Tell them I'm on my way," he calls after Marius. "I'll catch up to you."

Marius is quite glad to go, with or without Courfeyrac. "I shall," he calls back, then leaves as quickly as he can.

M. Gillenormand shakes his head. "Horrible boy," he comments offhandedly. "How do you ever tolerate him?"

Courfeyrac lets out a rather prodigious sigh of mingled relief and rue once Marius is out of earshot. "Ah, he means well. He's in love," he adds helpfully. He's only just discovered this himself, of course, but never let it be said he isn't quick.

M. Gillenormand raises his rather bushy eyebrows. "In love? Perhaps there's a brain in there somewhere, then."

Courfeyrac grins. "There's hope for him yet. He'll be a terror if he ever gives himself a chance." He tucks his hands behind him again.

M. Gillenormand chuckles. "Lord knows I was, at that age." Come to think of it, Courfeyrac reminds him a bit of himself. "Is he taking care of himself?"

Courfeyrac shrugs expressively. "Well enough. He dresses a damned sight better these days, at least. I take that as a good sign."

M. Gillenormand muses. "If he's actually trying to impress this girl, whomever she is, more power to her." He clucks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Silly boy."

Courfeyrac chuckles. "I fully agree, monsieur. He's a good fellow, but, well." He leaves it at that, as if to say they understand each other.

M. Gillenormand laughs. "Indeed." He takes out his own pocketwatch and checks the time. "Perhaps you should be going. Tell him I want him to come home, someday next week, and come with him."

Again the shrug, and again the engaging grin. "I'll pass that along." Marius will pay as much attention as he does to the rest of Courfeyrac's advice, but he can certainly try.

M. Gillenormand nods. "Please do." He tips his hat to the pleasant young man, and continues on his way to wherever it was he was going.

Courfeyrac sketches a bow once more. "Good evening to you, monsieur." He shakes his head slightly, and turns to head after the departed Marius. Now, darn it, why doesn't he have relatives like that?