Hawke stood in her family home in Hightown, the one that had been given to her mother but then sold by her sleezy uncle, in front of the mirror as she tried to tame her hair and sort her emotions after having another night mare.

She thought back to how because of her uncle's actions, she'd used money she'd gained from the Deep Roads Expedition to purchase her home back — but at a steep price.

Giving up on taming her the wave and spikes in her raven-black hair, she walked out of her room and looked down the balcony where her mother stood and sighed to herself. She'd lost her sister in the Deep Roads, and all because Varric's brother Bartrand had betrayed them, leaving her as her mother's last living child.

Hawke clenched her fists in anger. Her sister hadn't deserved her fate, but in a way, it might have been better. This way, Bethany would never have to worry about going to the circle.

Hawke remembered when she came home and told her mother. They were both devastated and mourned her loss. Hawke's friends had come to offer condolences, including Fenris, which had been a welcome surprise considering how he felt about mages.

That had been almost two years ago, but Hawke never once forgot Bartrand and what his betrayal had cost her.

Hawke straightened, burying her anger down once again. This moping about would have to end for the time being as there were things she needed to get done and people to see. The Viscount has called her to come speak with him regarding the Qunari who were still in the city, after three years.

After her meeting with the Viscount, she decided to pay a visit to all her friends, to check up on them since she hadn't had much time to speak with them with all the problems brewing in Kirkwall around the Qunari as well as mourning her sister and getting her family's home back.

First off came Fenris, as he was the only other one who lived in Hightown. As she came upon the mansion he "squatted" in, she couldn't help but feel butterflies flutter inside her. Last time she spoke to him was after her sister's funeral, and that had the courage to talk to him since, despite her growing feelings for him. They hadn't been able to bring Bethany's body out of the deep roads after she'd died, and when she had gone to see if she could find the body again, it was gone.

Hawke sighed to herself as she stood outside the door to Fenris's mansion before she steeled her nerves and stepped inside.

The place hadn't seemed to change much in the past three years except for some moving of some furniture and cleaning up a bit of what had been left behind by Danarius, but not much. Fenris, it seems, had been doing other things besides maintaining the mansion - not that it was his in the first place, meaning he didn't have the obligation to do so.

As she walked through the quiet mansion, she couldn't help but wonder how it felt to be in such a large space all by yourself. She'd never known what it was like to be alone as she'd lived with her family for most of her life. Even now, she still had her mother who stayed in the mansion with her.

She found Fenris in the main room that was much like her bedroom at her mansion. He was pacing a bit but stopped as she walked in. "Hawke," he greeted her, giving her a look up and down.

She gave him a nod and smiled a tad. "How are you Fenris?" she asked.

He shrugged in response. "I found out that this house wasn't owned by Danarius but by some Tevinter merchant. I assume he was encouraged to leave, or was killed. It's been three years, and there has been no sign of my former master."

She frowned at this information and placing one hand on her chin and the other across her stomach, began to pace in thought. "I see. Perhaps he's given up the chase?" she said, glancing at him. Even if she hated slavers, she didn't know what would happen if she killed a magister. Perhaps the imperium would strike back on Hawke and her friends, or perhaps they wouldn't care in the slightest.

"Perhaps. But I won't rest easy until I know that he is dead."

"Well, if we ever get more information on him, I will certainly enjoy helping you put him down," she told him. "No one should have to be enslaved."

Fenris looked at Hawke and gave her a very deep and meaningful look. "Thank you...that means a lot to me," he said with a slight smile touching his lips.

Hawke and Fenris fell silent, Hawke unsure of what to do as a small part of her began to yearn for his touch. Seeing him and standing this close in his mansion with no one else around...her gaze darted to his lips and not for the first time, she wondered how they would feel pressed against hers, how his touch would ignite her as they trailed along her skin. She bit her lip and cleared her throat, even while she felt a blush rise up her cheeks. "Right, I should probably get going. I need to check in on everyone else, maker knows they're too busy to come see me themselves," she said, excusing herself and leaving the mansion, not waiting for Fenris to respond.

Once she had exited the mansion, she leaned against a wall, resting her head against the stone and taking several deep breaths. She hadn't realized how much her affection for him had grown. She didn't know how he felt or if he would return her feelings. Maker's Breath she was in big trouble. It would be hard to be around him if her fantasies kept plaguing her everytime she was around him.

Shaking her head and slapping her cheeks to clear her head, she decided to head down to the Hanged Man, perhaps Isabella or Varric would be able to help her clear her head, even if it was via drinking.

Fenris watched Julliet Hawke silently after he'd thanked her. He hadn't really expected her to fall silent, but as she did so, he found himself taking in her appearance. Her raven black hair, smooth and yet spikey at the same time - how she managed that was a wonder to him. His gaze met her stunning blue eyes, and he couldn't help but be drawn into the ocean blue depths that stared back at him. It took him some effort to shift his gaze as he noticed the slight blush creeping up her face.

He frowned, confused at the reaction, wondering what the rouge could be thinking about that would garner such a reaction. But before he thought to bring it up, she broke the silence and left. With her back turned and her hurriedly rushing out of the room, he reached out to stop her, but then froze.

He didn't understand why he had wanted to stop her. As she left, any protests from him died as quickly as they came, he let his arm drop and turned to look at the fireplace. Why had he wanted to stop her? Sure, she was a very beautiful woman, and her fiery attitude and stubbornness was attractive to him, but it still made little sense to him.

While he stood, brooding in his thoughts, he couldn't help but think about how her hair looked, and the curves of her body. And he wondered how it would feel to caress her, to tangle his fingers in her hair, to kiss her soft lips, to-he stopped that train of thought before it went too far.

Despite him coming to realize his feelings for her that were growing every day, he knew he couldn't pursue her. At least not until he was certain Danarius was dead and he would no longer be hunted by Imperium slavers. He would never be completely free until his demons that haunted him and forced him to do things he didn't like, were gone.

He sighed and shook his head again. He would have to keep his feelings for Hawke locked up tight and hope nothing she or anyone did would let them out. He couldn't bear to hurt her if he ended up not being able to find and kill Danarius. For the time being though, he needed a drink, and not one from the cellar. He needed one from the Hanged Man.

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