Chapter 5! Yay!
So, elven - I love elven! But it's not exactly a complete language, so I have to use the information available xD
Thank you for following and reviewing! Really! Thank you! That made me really happy! And surprised, because I wasn't sure anyone would actually find this story! Pleasantly surprised, though!
It's a strange ship, isn't it? Solas/Hermione, I mean xD but I love writing Hermione, and I needed to get over my broken heart xD (Dammit, Solas)
As a last piece of information, I have already finished this story, but it needs editing xD Basically it means I won't abandon it due to lack of inspiration or anything!
Wow, that was a long author's note xD I am just so happy that someone found my story! Again, thank you!
Disclaimer: ain't mine!
-o-
Chapter 5 - Ma Serannas
She woke up with a strange feeling in her gut. Something was…wrong. Something was…off. Just off.
I'm not awake, she thought as she looked around. This is a dream.
The dream was unnervingly realistic, however, and it took Hermione a moment to realise why.
She was in the Fade.
And the Fade looked like her childhood home.
Oh, bloody hell, she thought. Am I about to meet my first demon?
She entered the living room, and heard sounds from the kitchen.
Hermione's heart froze with pain and fear as she realised that not only was she about to face a demon, she would probably be faced with a demon taking the form of someone she cared about.
Her mother, probably.
Oh, gods, she thought. Oh, gods, oh please no.
"Hermione dear, is that you?"
Hermione's knees almost buckled at the sound of her mother's voice.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione slammed up every Occlumency shield she had, locking away every feeling, every tear, everything.
"Get out," she said with an icy cold voice as she entered the kitchen. "Get out."
"Hermione, dear, what is wrong?" the demon asked, looking genuinely hurt. "What are you saying?"
"I know what you are. Get out."
The demon stared at her for a long moment, but then realised it had lost. It didn't change shape, however. "Not so easily fooled, I see. But, think about it. You can have whatever you want. I could...send you back. Or you could stay here, with your mother and father whom you so sorely miss."
Hermione's shields almost faltered, but she steeled herself. "No. I will not make a deal with you. Not now, not ever. Get out."
Everything happened rather fast after that. The demon changed shape in less than a second, and then it attacked.
"Expulso!" Hermione yelled as she flicked her wand.
And then, sliding down to the floor next to the million pieces of demon, Hermione broke down and cried.
-o-
Somewhere, in the midst of her grief-stricken mind, a small voice appeared. Solas, it said. Solas, I need you. Please be asleep, please be in the Fade, please hear me.
"Hermione?" a voice sharp with worry said, and then there was a moment of silence before the voice spoke again, softly this time. "Lethallan," it said. "Lethallan, where are we?"
She felt soft hands on her shoulders, but couldn't even find it in her to move from her position with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. "My childhood home," she managed between hiccups. "A demon – my mother – I can't – I just can't."
"Let me take you away from this place, Lethallan," Solas' soft voice said, and then she felt warm arms embrace her.
She felt as their surroundings changed. The ground was soft – grass, she realised – and the smell was different, it smelled of flowers, of summer. She felt something against her back – a tree from the feel of it – and Solas next to her, pulling her close so she could lean her head on his shoulder.
Her tears seemed to be never-ending. She wasn't sobbing any longer, but she just sat there with tears trickling down her cheeks, feeling the warmth of Solas' body.
"This is the place I come to think. My safe place, if you will," Solas said softly as he stroked her back gently. "Nothing will bother you here." He paused for a moment. "Ir abelas, da'len. I wish your first experience of the Fade had been different."
Hermione had been practically obsessed with the elven language from Dragon Age, and knew every word and phrase said in the game. "Ma melava halani, Lethallin," she whispered, and felt Solas freeze for a moment. "Sahlin emma eth. Ma serannas." You helped me, Lethallin. Now I am safe. Thank you.
The Dread Wolf was very still, for a very long moment, but then he relaxed again. "You continue to surprise me. You are from a different universe, and yet, you speak elven."
The puzzled tone in his voice was rather amusing, and some of Hermione's grief lifted, and she opened her eyes as she pulled her knees closer to her chest and relaxed with her head on Solas' shoulder. "My knowledge is very limited, believe me," she said quietly. "But it is such a beautiful language, and I have learned whatever I could of it."
"Melana en athim las enaste, da'len," Solas said quietly. Now let humility grant favour, little one.
Hermione gave him a small smile. "Ma serannas, Solas." Thank you, Solas.
"Impressive."
Hermione shook her head softly. "I'm not being humble. It's the truth. I would love to learn more, though."
"I would be honoured to teach."
Hermione had to laugh. "This is one of those moments where I wonder what is happening to the world."
"How so?"
"An ancient, elven God just told me he would be honoured to teach me. It should be the other way around."
"It should not," Solas simply said in a soft voice.
-o-
They sat in silence for a while, and Hermione's tears had finally run dry. "So, about those demons," she said dryly, "I just want to point out that they are assholes."
The surprised, but genuine laugh that came from Solas surprised Hermione just as much. Probably even more.
"Aptly put," he said with mirth in his voice. "Aptly put, Hermione." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "What did it offer you?"
Hermione sighed as she tilted her head back and looked up at the green branches. "To send me back," she said quietly, and she felt Solas' arm tighten around her. "Or to stay in the Fade, in my childhood home, with my parents. It took the shape of my mother."
"Ir abelas, Lethallan," he said, and paused for a moment. "Your parents...are they..."
"Alive?"
"Yes."
She sighed. "Yes, they are. But...they don't remember me. They don't know they have a daughter."
"What happened?"
"The short version? I'm muggle-born, which means I am a witch, but my parents are non-magical. There are three kinds of witches and wizards. Purebloods, half-bloods, and muggle-borns. The purebloods do not approve of muggle-borns, and when a pro-pureblood, evil megalomaniac decided to take over the world, I was, as you might imagine, a target. I was actually one of the top three most wanted people in the whole bloody world. Because - well, long story. Let's take that later. Anyway, I was a target, and thus, my parents were. But they wouldn't leave. Not without me. But I couldn't leave, I couldn't go into hiding, because - well, this will not sound humble - because I was crucial in the war. The evil megalomaniac would have won if not for my two best friends and I. As I said, it's a long story. But, my parents wouldn't leave, and I couldn't leave with them, nor could I stay and protect them. So...I...I erased their memories. And I...made them think that they lived on the other side of the world, and had no daughter. I was going to restore their memories after the war, but it lasted too long, and it was too late when I got to them. The memory-removal was permanent. They don't remember me. And it was all my fault."
"I'm sorry, Lethallan."
"So am I."
"It must have been difficult to decline."
She considered this for a moment, and realised she hadn't even considered taking the offer. Not even for a second. "Actually, it wasn't," she said quietly. "Because the option of accepting didn't even cross my mind."
"Not many people are able to do such a thing," Solas said in a strange voice. "Especially when the demon tries to affect your mind, to 'place a suggestion', if you will."
Hermione thought about that for a moment. Had the demon tried to affect her mind? Yes, she realised, it had tried. But she had been Occluding, and it had not succeeded. "Hm," she said, "it did try, now that I think about it."
"Try? It did not succeed?"
Hermione shook her head. "I Occluded. I used Occlumency. Which basically means I shielded my mind."
"How does it work?" Solas asked, and Hermione could hear the spark of interest in his voice.
"Can you enter someone's mind?"
"Yes."
"How about I show you?" Hermione said as she sat up and moved so she sat in front of him, cross-legged on the ground. "It would be interesting to see if I can block you."
He frowned, and Hermione inwardly cursed him for being able to make her swoon by frowning.
"As I have understood it, you do not like mind-magic."
She shrugged. "I don't. I really don't. But I trust you."
His eyes widened in surprise. "I…thank you."
She gave him a puzzled look. "Of course I trust you, Solas. Now, try."
He gazed at her for a long moment – contemplating what to do, she realised – but then, she felt it. A soft nudge in her mind. A nudge that didn't even affect her outer shield – the weakest shield – not even a little.
"You aren't really trying, are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Are you certain of this, Lethallan?" Solas asked, narrowing his eyes slightly, like he was searching for something in her expression. "Because no, I am not really trying."
"Solas," she said, sighing, "if I am to stay here, I need to know what I am capable of. I need to know if my magic will hold against the magic in this world. So, yes, I am certain. I would rather try this with you instead of the next demon that decides to visit me."
He gazed at her for another long moment, again like he was searching for something in her expression. "Very well," he said, and the soft nudge was suddenly not a soft nudge any longer. The force took her by surprise, and before she knew it, her outer shield crumbled.
She could feel Solas' emotions, she realised, because there was a wave of sadness, of worry, when her shield shattered.
Do you know I can feel what you feel? Hermione asked him in her mind, and felt a wave of surprise. You took me by surprise, thus my shield went down.
She is talking to me, she heard him say, and the confusion was audible, even in her mind, how is she talking to me?
Well, she has a visitor in her mind, and our minds are connected, thus we can speak, she replied, and felt another wave of surprise. Yes, I can hear you think, she continued. But I would rather not, because now that you know I can hear your thoughts, you will begin thinking about all the things you don't want me to hear.
She felt a flare of fear, so she pictured a sound-proof bubble around his thoughts. There. Now I can't hear you. Don't worry.
"Demons might take you by surprise."
Yes, Hermione replied in her mind. But the shield you just crumbled is just my outer shield. It's the weakest one. I have a whole lot of defence mechanisms in my mind, Solas. I'm not worried yet.
He did manage to give her second shield a run for its money, but the shield held.
Solas, she told him in her mind, I'm sorry to say, but if that's the best you got, you will never be able to do any damage in my mind at all. No offense.
"That is a good thing, if I am to judge." Solas replied, and she felt the strongest push against her shield yet.
That is a good thing, yes. What is less good, she said, and her Professor-persona took over as she continued, is that your mind is not shielded at all. The harder you push, the more you let down your guard.
The push in her mind eased, and she felt Solas' mind close down.
Well, those shields are made of paper and glass, she thought to herself. I wonder if he can learn Occlumency. Or some of the methods, at least.
Is that considered as a strong mind-defence in this world?
"Yes," he said, raising an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I would say that."
She sent him a wave of amusement, and felt a flare of surprise from him.
I wonder if you could learn Occlumency, she told him in her mind. And Legilimency.
"Legilimency?"
Yes. That would be the opposite of Occlumency. It allows me to enter your mind, and if your defences aren't strong enough, I can basically do whatever I bloody well please. Not that I would ever do such a thing, of course.
"Show me what you can do, Hermione."
Hermione couldn't help the flare of surprise that reached even him. "I'll repeat what you said earlier," she said. "Are you certain?"
"I believe you when you say you would never do such a thing, Lethallan."
She thought about it for a moment. I would like to test his defences, she thought to herself. "Alright. Let's test it."
It was Hermione's turn to worry, because The Dread Wolf's mind-defences were nothing to brag about. It was different in this world though, so he would probably not meet someone able to mess with his mind in this way.
I'm sorry, she said in her mind, and slammed up her outer shield, casting him from her mind. Legilimens, she thought next, and entered Solas' mind.
So, she said to him in his mind. If you'll allow me, I would like to find out if you can learn Occlumency. Your shield is similar to mine, but – sorry – weak.
"You have not even tried to break it."
I know, she told him. Again, sorry.
She conjured an image of herself in her mind, made the image snap her fingers, and the shield crumbled to dust.
All of Solas' emotions washed over her, and when she saw flashes of images and memories, she reacted instantly, blocking everything and slammed up a shield of her own inside his mind.
Sorry! Sorry! Hermione said in his mind, focused, and put his shield, his memories, his thoughts – without looking, hearing, or feeling – back together. Then, she lowered the shield she had placed in his mind, and withdrew.
She had never seen The Dread Wolf look so shocked before.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I did not mean to offend you in any way."
"I asked, did I not?" he eventually said as he looked at her with an almost sharp expression. "I only pray you will never switch sides in this war."
Hermione gave him a startled look. "I am going to ignore that comment," she said, giving him an annoyed look. "And I am going to forget you ever said that."
Solas gave her an equally startled look. "Forgive me. That was not what I meant - "
"I know, Solas. You are forgiven," she said, giving him a small smile. "And I think I've had enough of emotional distress for one night."
He nodded. "I understand. I will return you to sleep, if you wish. Normal sleep."
She gave him a surprised look. "No, that was not what I meant. Actually, I would like to ask you something that I've been curious about for a long time."
He gave her a puzzled-sexy-frown. "Yes?"
She cocked her head, looking at him. "You are The Dread Wolf, and the statues of you are wolves. Literal wolves. So I'm wondering; can you turn into a wolf?"
"That is something you have been curious about for a long time?" he asked, still sporting the puzzled-sexy-frown.
"Yes. So, can you?"
"Of course."
"You realise there is nothing 'of course' about this for me? So you can change into a wolf. Do you like being a wolf?"
"Yes. Yes, of course. I apologise," he said, and then he sighed before continuing in a soft voice. "I am rarely caught off-guard, Hermione. And having lived for as long as I have, being caught off-guard is not something I find easy to shake off. But I do apologise. As for the wolf, yes I can change into a wolf. And yes, I do enjoy it. It's a form of freedom in it, if that makes any sense to you. Why is this a question you have pondered?"
"Well, originally it was because I was just genuinely curious. I know little of how ancient gods work, and I am generally a curious being."
"Originally? It changed?"
Hermione shrugged. "Not changed, perhaps, but there is an addition."
"And what would that be?"
She smiled. "I'll just show you."
Hermione got up from the ground, took a step back, smiled at Solas, and smoothly, elegantly changed into her Animagus form.
A wolf.
A beautiful wolf in Hermione's honest opinion. She was light grey, almost white, soft fur, and golden eyes.
She loved her Animagus form.
And she loved being a wolf. The heightened senses, the speed she could run in, the feeling of the forest floor underneath her paws, the thrill of chasing birds – although she felt bad for the birds the times she got slightly too excited, something that resulted in death for said birds – and not to forget; howling. She loved howling. She could let out so many emotions, and the sound was so powerful that it could be heard miles away.
Being a wolf was freedom.
She met Solas' eyes. Solas' awestruck eyes. He was looking at her in shocked awe, but then his expression changed, and the shocked awe changed into something else, something that made his eyes shine and his expression open up, like he had let down his guard.
"Incredible," he whispered as he sat up and leaned forward, studying her.
She saw him lift his hand, but haltered, and lowered it again.
Being a wolf was a strange thing. Being a wolf blurred the lines, changed everything, and it most certainly changed how she interacted with people, and how they interacted with her.
Being a wolf meant that people brushed her fur, scratched her between her ears, and generally treated her as a cuddly, soft animal.
And strangely, she was fine with it.
And right now, Solas wanted to touch her, brush his hands through her fur, and probably make sure that it was, in fact, real.
But he had no idea if he was allowed to do so.
Hermione huffed, and stepped closer, nudging his arm with her snout. You're allowed, she tried to tell him. It's fine, go ahead.
He looked uncertain, but lifted a hand, and she head-butted his palm, resulting in a smile widening on Solas' face.
"Incredible," he whispered again as he brushed his hand through the thick fur between her ears. "This is why you asked if I like being a wolf, is it not?" Hermione nodded, and the smile widened even more on his face.
Hermione bounced around a bit, and Solas actually grinned at her. "I'll give you a ten second head start," he said, and Hermione realised she was about to be chased by The Dread Wolf. She stared at him, frozen in spot for a moment, and watched as Solas changed.
The Dread Wolf was magnificent. He was black, large, with piercing blue eyes, and a rather intimidating row of white, sharp teeth.
Their surroundings changed. A forest! Hermione thought, and the wolf in her took over, she growled at Solas, and ran.
A few seconds later, she heard a howl somewhere behind her as The Dread Wolf took off after her.
Being a wolf was freedom.