Chapter 38! Insane, I know!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

-o-

Chapter 38 – Do What You Must

Hermione took a shivering breath when she exited the Eluvian, and a moment later, her whole body trembled.

I'm alive, she thought, and realised that she had been considering the risk of death-by-Mythal as one of the rather legitimate outcomes of this situation.

But she was alive.

And in the next moment, she was faced with a rather distressed Dread Wolf. "Are you alright?" he said with an intense voice as he grabbed her arms. "What happened?"

She gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, love. I'm just a bit shaken."

-o-

It took approximately forever to explain what had happened, and why she had decided to let Mythal go.

"I have a feeling that there is a chance of that pretend-Archdemon being history sometime in the near future."

"We cannot trust her."

Hermione nodded. "I know, Solas. I'm not that foolish. But what I'm basically certain of is that Mythal is currently contemplating whether she should reconsider...well, everything."

"I hope you are correct."

"Me too."

-o-

A week later, Hermione was sitting at a table in the Main Hall, lost in thought.

She was so…tired. Just tired. Saving the world was an ordeal. Everything was an ordeal.

"This came for you, My Lady."

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts as a letter was held out to her, and after a moment of confusion she took the letter and nodded. "Thank you."

We are in agreement, girl – not on everything – but firstly; he must be stopped. Thus, I did as 'suggested', and his blighted creature is no more. I am certain the mighty Inquisition can find a way to confirm this, hmm?

Secondly; a life-long conviction is not undone in the blink of an eye, nor am I certain it ever will.

'Finding happiness', a ridiculous notion, is it not? A long life would suggest it is.

His creature is gone. Do what you must.

M.

Did I just receive a letter from Flemeth? Hermione thought as she re-read the letter. I think I did.

A moment later, she almost gasped. His blighted creature is no more! She has killed the dragon!

Hermione actually banged her knee in the table, and ended up more or less hopping on one leg towards the war room.

-o-

"I will put my agents on the case," Leliana said. "We need confirmation."

"What if it's true? He's mortal if it's true. If he is mortal…perhaps we shouldn't wait for him to come to us. Innocent lives could be spared."

"We must consider all options. I will send scouts right away."

Hermione nodded, and Leliana rushed out of the room.

-o-

A little while later, Hermione was in the quarters, and was rather lost in thought when Solas entered.

"How was she? Mythal? Before, I mean?"

Solas stopped, giving her a puzzled look, but then he got this thoughtful expression on his face. "She was very different. Kind. Gentle. Just. Fair. She was a dear friend. Once."

"What changed?"

Solas seemed to think about this for a moment. "It is hard to explain."

"Is it like Anders? He shared body with a Spirit of Justice, but as time passed, everything changed, leaving a Spirit of Vengeance. She was a goddess of justice, in a way, wasn't she? But when she 'merged' with Flemeth, the justice-part thwarted into something else? Something darker?"

Solas gave her a slightly surprised look. "Well...yes, perhaps. In a way."

"Do you think there is hope for her?"

"I do not know, vhenan."

"One of the things that truly caused a reaction from her," Hermione said after a long moment, "is when I suggested she should find happiness."

Solas actually chuckled. "I can imagine. The mere idea is rather absurd, I imagine, just as it was for me."

His expression changed, and Hermione shook her head. "Let go of that thought, whatever it is. You're allowed to be happy." Getting up, she walked over to him and took his hand. "Now, my dearest wolf, would you like to accompany me in the shower?"

Her dearest wolf would absolutely like that, it seemed, because a moment later said wolf picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.

-o-

"I have these moments where everything feels so surreal," Hermione said a while later as they were standing in the shower – she had finished the shower in their quarters, and the shower had three showerheads, and was big enough for them both – and probably three more people – looking at the assortment of soaps she had managed to crack the code on and recreated in her potions lab. "Like right now; I'm standing here, trying to figure out what soap I want to use. Outside, the world is coming to an end, and here I am, trying to figure out if I want to smell like lemon or strawberry."

"The strawberry, vhenan," Solas said softly as he wrapped his arms around her, "if I am to get a saying."

She smiled. "It's the little things that makes one happy, isn't it? Strawberry it is."

-o-

Later that day, Hermione stopped by Vivienne to deliver a message, and found the woman looking at herself in the mirror.

"You shouldn't worry about your age, Vivienne."

The woman spun around, and the embarrassment was clear on her face. "Pardon?"

"You shouldn't worry about your age," Hermione said after gazing at the woman for a moment, "nor should you worry about becoming irrelevant."

Vivienne's eyes narrowed. "That is private."

Hermione nodded. "I know. Still, you shouldn't worry. You do not look your age. And why in the world is your greatest fear irrelevance? Vivienne, you will never be irrelevant, if you want to. Consider a worst-case-scenario where you lose your status in your current life, what would you do?"

"I could not do anything."

Hermione shook her head. "You shouldn't base your life on other people. If you lost your current status, I would suggest that you moved, perhaps found a small country, usurp it - the current ruler would probably back down without question - and then you could rule your small country with an iron fist, people would be in awe, and as you grew older, your hair would become a shining silver, and you would look every bit of the powerful woman you were. Or, you could just let go of your fear, and say 'step aside, bitches, I can crush your skull with a snap of my fingers' and they would be too afraid to do anything else."

Vivienne actually snorted a laugh – something so unlike her that Hermione had to stop herself from staring at the lady – and shook her head. "This is Orlais, my dear. It's not quite that easy."

Hermione gave her an amused smile. "I realise that. My point is that there is always a way. There is always a way."

"If only that was true."

Hermione handed the letter to Vivienne with a smile. "It is true. Especially if you believe it is true."

-o-

On an impulse, Hermione baked cookies. Some with raisins, but mostly with chocolate chips.

Warm cookies in her bag, Hermione went in search of Sera.

Sera didn't quite like Hermione. Hermione made her nervous. Just as Cole made her nervous.

That did not, however, mean that Hermione planned to just let Sera go without actually trying to get to know her first.

-o-

"Oh, it's you," Sera said as Hermione poked her head inside the room. "What do you want?"

"Well," Hermione replied as she stepped inside the room, "first, I am going to unsettle you by reminding you how I know things I shouldn't, and then I am going to – hopefully – make you forget all about it with my peace offering."

Sera was already looking unsettled, and Hermione just opened the basket with the cookies. Sera took one look at the content in the basket, and then her eyes widened. "Oh. That's just…I don't like this."

"I know. Doesn't mean I am going to let you hate me, though. Give me a chance. Cookies on the roof."

-o-

Sera – still unsettled – sat next to Hermione on the roof, and reluctantly accepted a cookie. "If you know everything, this is a rubbish peace offering. I hate raisins."

Hermione nodded. "I know. These were just for the sake of it," she said before picking up a different cookie. "These, however, is a peace offering."

Turned out Sera loved chocolate chip cookies, and Hermione was rather pleased with herself when she exited the rogue's room a while later.

-o-

She had intended to leave the tavern, but got side-tracked by Iron Bull and the Chargers.

Two hours or so later, she was nose-deep in a rather unlikely strong drink, and had a foolish grin on her face. Said foolish grin had been a permanent fixture for the last hour, at least, but Hermione found she didn't mind at all.

"Bull," she said, grinning at him, "if I can't walk back to my quarters, can you carry me? I can sit on your shoulders and hold on to your horns."

Iron Bull laughed. "Gives the saying 'ride the Bull' a whole new meaning, doesn't it? But yeah, you can."

Hermione – very unladylike – snorted a laugh. "Thanks! You're awesome! And yes, indeed, it does give it a new meaning."

Iron Bull raised an eyebrow, but then he shook his head. "I almost forget sometimes - what you - you know what I mean."

Hermione took an unhealthy sip before nodding. "Yeah, I get it. It's a good thing you got going there, though! The whole 'give you what you need' thing. It's rather caring and gentle - in a you-need-a-safeword kind of way."

Iron Bull roared with laughter, and Hermione just giggled into her drink before giving him a grin.

"That should be awkward," Bull said, grinning back at her. "But it's not. Weird. You never make things awkward. Huh. Weird."

Hermione snorted another unladylike laugh. "I spent half my life being awkward. I got sick of it. The secret is just not to care. Be blunt, smile and wave, 'have a good day, sir!' That's the secret."

Iron Bull laughed again. "That's not bad…" He trailed off, probably because he was watching Hermione as her expression changed.

She could feel Solas magical signature. And he was walking towards the tavern.

"Huh," he said, looking at Hermione as her expression softened. "What just happened?"

"Solas is coming this way," she simply said in a voice just as soft as her expression.

"Huh," he said again, "I thought the whole 'euphoric love' thing passed after some months. That expression, though? Shit. How do you even keep your hands off each other?"

Hermione looked at Bull with a wicked expression. "By making sure to be…sated? Frequently? An hour up against the bathroom wall – a few hours ago – does help on the 'hands off' thing."

"Damn," Bull breathed. "I rarely misjudge, but that bald elf of yours? I thought he was this dry, boring, all-serious guy." He paused, giving her an amused look. "I was just dreadfully wrong, right?"

Hermione giggled. "Totally."

Solas entered the tavern, and Hermione's focus changed instantly, smiling softly at 'that bald elf of hers'. Bull paused for a moment, apparently noticing Solas. "Damn. He's just as bad. That's just…love, isn't it?"

"I recommend it," Hermione said softly just as Solas reached their table. "Hello, love."

He gave her an amused smile as he sat down across the table from her and Bull. "Hello, Lethallan." He turned to Bull. "Good evening, Bull."

Bull raised his glass. "Hey, Solas. Join us?"

"This will 'put some chest on your chest'," Hermione added, pointing at her drink, "and apparently that's a good thing."

Solas chuckled. "And how many have you had?"

Hermione grinned. "Fifty-six? Yeah. Something like that."

"How can one turn down such an offer?" The Dread Wolf said, and accepted the glass Bull was holding out to him.

-o-

"I once broke into a bank - the best protected place in the whole world - stole a piece of an evil soul, and then flew out on a completely untamed dragon."

"Damn," Bull said - again - and raised his glass. "To dragons!"

Solas chuckled. "To dragons."

When Hermione took yet another unhealthy sip, Iron Bull gave her an impressed look. "I'm beginning to think you have replaced that with water. A person three times your size would be sleeping under the table long ago."

Hermione grinned. "Well, I am totally drunk. But I'm not quite ready to sleep under the table yet. I don't usually do that. You might have to carry me home, though." She turned to Solas with a grin. "Bull promised me I could sit on his shoulders and hold onto his horns. And that is happening."

Solas gave her an amused look. "You will be quite the sight, I imagine."

Hermione raised her glass. "Hopefully!"

-o-

Solas left a while later after being told Cassandra had something she wanted to discuss, and yet another while after that, Hermione 'rode the Bull' back to her quarters.

She was a giggling mess when Bull placed her – ever so gently – on the floor. "Thanks for the ride, Bull," she said, and gave him a hug before opening the door. Looking at him over her shoulder, she grinned. "Goodnight!"

He gave her a genuine smile, and inclined his head. "Goodnight, Kadan."

He was gone before Hermione could react.