Chapter 33!

Since I've been so slow to update, here's another one xD

Thank you all! You're the best!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

-o-

Chapter 33 – Tis' Strange

She was sitting in Josephine's office, looking through some papers when she saw the Ambassador's eyes go all dreamy.

Here we go, she thought. She's about to ask about Solas.

Hermione had been waiting for it for a while, quite frankly, and gave Josephine an amused look. "Out with it, Josie."

Josephine gave her a startled look, but blushed. "I couldn't...I shouldn't."

"Did you know he turns into an actual wolf? A black, huge wolf, with blue, piercing eyes."

Josephine's eyes widened. "How did you know what I was thinking about?" She shook her head. "I am somewhat transparent, perhaps. I don't mean - I know he is not - well..."

Hermione laughed. "Don't worry, Josephine, I know what you mean. Solas is...something else, isn't he?"

Josephine's eyes went dreamy again. "He is," she said, and then her eyes widened. Again. "I'm not-"

Hermione laughed again. "I know you aren't. I trust you, Josie. Maker knows I don't blame you for being curious. I would be, if the roles were reversed. Having an elven god in our midst...well...it's somewhat insane, quite frankly."

"Does he truly turn into a wolf?"

Hermione gave the Ambassador an amused look. "He does. A rather magnificent one, in my opinion."

-o-

Almost an hour later, Josephine was completely enthralled, as Hermione was telling her about how The Dread Wolf did, in fact, howl at the moon, but she stopped suddenly, when she felt a familiar magical signature approach.

"What?"

Hermione looked at the puzzled Ambassador. "Solas will enter the room in approximately ten seconds."

Ten seconds was not enough for Josephine to collect herself, and Solas gave Hermione a somewhat bemused look as he entered. "What did I do now?" he asked in elven. "Or, perhaps the question should be; what did you do, vhenan?"

Hermione gave Solas a sheepish look. "Hello, love," she said before switching to elven as well. "I may or may not have told the Ambassador that you howl at the moon."

Solas rolled his eyes before looking at Josephine. "Aneth ara, da'hellathen," he said, raising an eyebrow at the swooning woman. "I have a message from the Seeker."

Josephine switched mode in a moment. "And what does Lady Cassandra say?"

Sometimes I truly understand why she is the perfect Ambassador, Hermione thought as she looked at Josephine's all-business-expression. Because that was a rather impressive switch.

-o-

Hermione was checking on some herbs in the garden when Morrigan approached her. "Hello, Morrigan," Hermione said, smiling at the witch. "What can I help you with?"

"I have decided," the witch said, rather gravely, "where my loyalties lie. I did, in fact, decide quite some time ago, but it has taken me some time to…wrap my head around this."

Hermione nodded. "Where is Kieran?"

"With his…with Fiona," Morrigan said, and then her expression softened. "I must admit…it was right, telling her. I…thank you."

"I'm just glad you decided to tell her," Hermione said before giving Morrigan an amused smile. "You aren't about to tell me you are forever in my debt as well, are you?"

Morrigan actually rolled her eyes. "Perish the thought."

Hermione laughed. "Well, thank Merlin for that."

"Thank…who?"

"Merlin. It's a long story. A story you perhaps would like to hear?"

"Very much so, in fact."

Hermione nodded. "We should probably go somewhere else, then. My quarters would be ideal."

"Lead on, oh mysterious woman."

-o-

Two hours later, Morrigan was sitting in Hermione's sofa, lost in thought.

"Tis' strange," she said, thoughtfully, "that I would believe you so easily."

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I haven't exactly given you any reason not to trust me, have I?"

"You have not."

"Exactly," Hermione said with a smile. "Now, about Flemeth..."

-o-

Late that night, in the darkness of her bedroom - again naked, joined by The Naked Dread Wolf – Hermione realised Solas was rather silent. "What's on your mind, love?"

There was a very long moment of silence before Solas spoke. "I have been thinking, vhenan," he said, quietly, "and I have realised…I don't…want to be alone any longer."

There was something about the way he said it that made Hermione pause for a moment. "You aren't alone, love," she said, softly. "You aren't alone any longer. You have me, you have…friends."

"I have, strange as it is. I have you, I have…friends. People who know who I am, and yet, they do not turn their backs on me. And I find…I would like for it to stay that way. Thus, I have decided…I am staying. If it is in my power to do so, I am staying. I will find a different way to shape the world – a less dramatic way – and perhaps I can…ask for help."

"I am quite certain," Hermione whispered as she snuggled closer to him, eyes brimming with tears, "that you will find asking for help most fruitful."

-o-

The next day, Hermione decided it was time to move out of the tent, and make a more...permanent solution for her living arrangements. Preferably somewhere Solas felt like he belonged as well.

She needed a new location, however, and after talking to the Inquisitor and the advisors, she was given free range of the area over the Undercroft. It had three floors, and practically twice the space she needed, but when they mentioned the vast amounts of books, and that a potions lab, and a research space would probably be a good idea, she agreed.

When she found the huge, circular shaped room, similar to Solas' room, she decided that – yes, this was definitely the place she would live.

She began with that room. She didn't quite know why, but she just felt like it was the right thing to do. It felt important that she began there.

She cleaned the room, cleared the walls, the floors, and in the end, she was left with a huge, empty room, light walls void of any colour but the sandy tone of the stone, and a slightly greyer tone for the floor.

Then, she went to find her wolf.

-o-

"We're…well, moving," she said, sheepishly as they were standing outside the door to the new quarters, "and I have something for you, that I thought perhaps you would like."

"We are…moving? We are moving?"

Hermione hesitated. "Well, if you are staying, and I'm staying, obviously, I thought perhaps…since we are practically living together anyway…that you would like to…well, make it more of a permanent solution?" He looked so taken aback that Hermione fidgeted. "Am I wrong? Have I gone ahead and assumed…wrongly?"

He seemed to snap out of his surprised state when he heard the insecurity in her voice. "No, vhenan," he said softly, "it's rather the opposite. I haven't dared assume…well, anything."

Hermione sighed in relief. "I'm glad. Now, they have given me three floors and an insane amount of space, but I have decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth. I have finished one room, and I hope you…like it."

-o-

"Why did you begin with this room, Lethallan?" Solas asked as he stared in awe around the room. "This is…hardly important, in the bigger picture."

"Actually, it felt like the most important thing," she said, quietly. "I want you to feel as if you belong here as well." He gave her a surprised look, and she gave him a soft look in return. "There's more. I have something for you, if you want it."

He just looked at her with puzzled eyes as she summoned paint, a blank canvas, an easel, brushes, and a palette.

"Here," she said, giving him the palette after putting some paint on it, "try painting something – something not very complicated, but something living. A tree, an animal, something like that."

-o-

The Dread Wolf painted a wolf. Not any wolf, however.

"That's…me," she whispered when she recognised the shape and colour of her wolf-form.

"Almost," he replied softly before finishing the painting by adding the golden colour of her eyes. "There. Now it's you, Lethallan."

"That's amazing," she said, breathlessly before managing to snap out of her awe. "Imagine the wolf in motion, tap the canvas with a finger, and say; Artificium Cieo."

Solas gave her a puzzled look, but did as he was told, and a moment later, they were both looking at the painted wolf as it bounced around, playfully.

"If you prefer the regular paint, I don't mind," Hermione said quietly, "but I thought perhaps you would like it."

"This is amazing, vhenan," Solas said as he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, "and I do like it. Very much so."