Chapter 11! Woop, woop!

See? I'm updating! Again, woop, woop! xD

FYI, in this fic, Hermione has a backstory as an Auror, among other things. Aurors use Unforgivables. That's canon. But the thought of Hermione using Unforgivables left and right doesn't sit well with me. Just saying xD

Anyway, thank you for reviewing, and for follows/favs! It makes me utterly happy! *hugs everyone*

Now, on with the story, and I totally don't own anything!

-o-

Chapter 11 - Maker Bless You!

"Remind me again," Evelyn said as they walked across the sandy dunes towards the place they were to meet Hawke and Stroud, "why we haven't made you Inquisitor yet?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because my answer if someone asked me why would be 'Oh, you know; I have a knack for maps and such. Need to find a landmark? I'm your person. Royal Elfroot? Let me write you a list!'" The Inquisitor laughed, and Hermione continued in a posh voice, trying to mimic one of the nobles. "And what of the former Inquisitor?' would probably be the follow-up question. And I would flippantly reply 'oh, she was just shit at map-reading. We spent fifteen minutes trying to locate a path up in the mountains in the Storm Coast once. Fifteen minutes! Merlin's knickers, can you imagine? Can't have that, can we? Scandalous."

Evelyn laughed again. "I would love to see that."

Dorian, who had just walked up beside them, snorted a laugh. "Are you joking? I would pay to see that."

Hermione gave the sassy Tevinter an amused smile. "Would be interesting to see the reaction, I must admit."

-o-

Hermione was rather nervous when they reached the Wardens and the imbecilic Tevinter Magister.

"I was wondering when the demon army would show up," The Inquisitor said, and while the Magister had his attention on Trevelyan, Hermione took a moment to study the bound mages.

She could feel the magic. It was rather powerful, and she could hear - feel - she didn't quite know how to explain it - the humming from the magical binding between the mage and the demon.

Can I break the link? Hermione thought. What spell could possibly override a binding like that? Think, Hermione, Think! she thought as she realised the dialogue was closing in on the end. It's a form of mind control, what can break mind control? A stronger type of mind control perhaps? Imperio? Legilimency?

Shit, she thought, as the combat began.

"Focus on the demons!" Hermione yelled. "Don't kill the mages! Knock them out, paralyze them, freeze them, but don't kill them! Not yet!"

Hermione stunned the two mages she had in line of sight, and then she focused on the nearest mage. "Imperio!" she yelled, putting all the force she could muster into the spell. Yes! she thought as the mage's expression turned to a blissful ignorance.

The binding was still there, however, and Hermione focused with all her power to take full control of the mage's mind. I'm battling the bloody nightmare, aren't I? she thought as she threw up a shield with her left hand, shielding herself from a demon that tried to get to her.

"Bloody nightmare!" she hissed as she closed the distance between herself and the mage. "I will break you! I am coming for you, you foul creature! Imperio! Imperio!"

The binding held for something that felt like an eternity, but then... Then, it broke. Shattered, more like it. Hermione had a brief moment where she thought she had killed the mage by severing the connection, because the mage buckled down, landing in a heap on the ground.

But then, the mage groaned, and Hermione sighed with relief.

"Look at me," she said, still having the mage under the Imperius curse. The mage looked up, and Hermione focused on him. "Tell me the truth, are you still linked to a demon?"

The mage shook his head, and Hermione lifted the spell, studying him for a moment. "Are you free of the binding?"

"Maker's breath," the mage all but whispered, "Maker bless you!"

"Yes, yes, Hermione replied. She didn't exactly have time for long conversations, considering how they were in the midst of a battle. Pointing at him, she narrowed her eyes. "Don't even look at the demons here. I have more mages to save."

Hermione ran towards the one mage she saw still awake and eagerly casting spells at her companions. "Imperio!" she yelled, and the mage's eyes muddled over. She continued running, shielding herself to the right as she realised a demon had just cast a ball of fire towards her way. A rather huge ball of fire. Would the shield hold? She wasn't about to test it.

She noticed wooden boxes to her left, and jumped up on it.

The fireball would destroy the box though, so she jumped again, landing on the ledge of the tower.

The demon cast another fireball. It began peppering her with fireballs, in fact, and Hermione moved quickly, balancing on the ledge. Fucking thing, she thought. They couldn't just make a straight path?

She was about to jump off the ledge, but then she realised her movements made it hard for the demon to hit her.

She jumped up on one of the triangle-shaped stones. "Imperio!" she yelled, strengthening the control she had on the mage. "Attack the demon!"

The mage complied instantly, and when Hawke joined in, the demon was down and dead within seconds.

Shit! she thought as the mages she had stunned began waking up. "Stupefy!" she yelled, flicking her hand at one of the mages, sending as much magic as she could, wandlessly.

The mage was knocked out cold again.

Focusing on the second mage, Hermione focused again. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The mage froze, falling like a log down on the ground.

One demon left, and her companions, alongside Stroud and Hawke of course, had the bloody thing down in less than a minute.

The two final mages began waking up. Not the two she had stunned, but two others.

SHIT! she thought as both mages focused on Hermione, practically peppering her with spells.

She shouldn't do anymore wandless magic. She had to save her strength if she was to break the connection to the Nightmare on five mages.

Although, one spell she could manage. "Vingardium Leviosa!" she yelled, lifting the wooden box on the ground. Jumping up on one of the triangle-shaped stones, she spun around so she faced them, and flung the box at them with force.

One of the mages was knocked out cold, and the second mage went down in the next moment as Dorian threw his paralyze spell.

"Oh thank the GODS!" Hermione yelled, and jumped down from the ledge, fixing her eyes on the mage she still had under the Imperius curse. "Imperio," she hissed. "Imperio!"

She stopped in front of the mage, and focusing with all her power, she forced the mage down on his knees. "Imperio!" The binding held, but not as long as last time before the mage buckled down, and Hermione sighed. "Look at me! Tell me the truth, are your binding with the demon broken? Is it gone?"

The mage nodded with vigour. "Yes."

"Thank Merlin," Hermione said as she lifted the spell, spun on her heel, and walked quickly towards the two mages she had stunned. She registered some 'Andraste bless you' calls from behind her, but then she focused on the mage she had cast stupefy on. He was about to wake up. "Imperio," she hissed, and the mage's eyes muddled over. She reached him, and pointed her wand directly at his face. "Imperio! Give it up, Nightmare! Imperio!"

-o-

"Tell me the truth," Hermione said in a shivery voice as she fixed the last mage with a piercing stare, "is the binding to the demon broken? Is it gone?"

The mage nodded. "Yes. Yes."

"Thank Merlin," Hermione whispered as she cancelled the spell, and slid down on the ground.

"Hermione!" Solas was there in the next moment, and Hermione gave him a small, exhausted smile. She could see his whole body sag in relief as he kneeled down and put a finger under her chin, tilting her head up and studying her. "Lethallan," he said in a soft, but severe voice, "are you all right?"

"I would be much better if I had something to lean on," she said in a somewhat shaky voice, "because I am pretty sure I am about five seconds from falling into a heap on the floor."

Before she knew it, she was in Solas' arms, and he lifted her bridal-style, still studying her face. "Lethallan," he said gravely, "answer me. Are you all right?"

She nodded, and he sighed in relief. "I will be all right, at least. I just need rest."

"You almost exhausted yourself, did you not? You used too much magic. Foolish woman."

She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't use too much. I am very well aware of my limits. I would never risk magical depletion. That wouldn't help much, after all. I did, however, reach the limit where I stop. Luckily, I just managed to break the last binding."

"Hermione! Are you alright?"

She gave Evelyn a lazy smile. "Yes. I'll be perfectly fine after I rest. I just used a rather excessive amount of magic. It's rather...draining." She moved her head slightly, resulting in the discovery that not only was Evelyn standing there, but Blackwall and Dorian as well. Hawke and Stroud, were closing in, looking at Hermione with curious, awestruck eyes, and behind them - seven Grey Warden mages. "Damn," Hermione said, summoning a pepper-up potion from her pouch and downing it in one go. "Solas," she continued, looking at the elf holding her, "I'm leaving. Do you want to come?"

He looked perplexed for a moment before realisation lit up his eyes. "You want to apparate. But you are already drained."

"Apparition is not a big deal. And I don't intend to go far. Just to the camp." She glanced around. "This spectacle here will drain me more, believe me."

He looked uncertain for a moment, but then he nodded. "I would like to come, yes."

"Let me down, so my feet is on the ground please. In case you get dizzy."

Solas complied, but held her firmly so she wouldn't fall. Which was probably a good idea right at this point, she realised.

Giving the Inquisitor a tired look, Hermione smiled. "I really have to get to the camp, so I'm apparating. With Solas." Evelyn just nodded, so Hermione waved lazily at the spectators, grabbed a hold of Solas, and apparated.

Solas lifted her in the air as soon as they landed, and promptly carried Hermione into the tent, proceeded up the stairs, and placed her on the bed.

Hermione vaguely registered her shoes being removed, but that was the last thing she could remember before she was lost to the world.