Chapter 40!
I have officially finished all the editing! I think xD So I will actually just post the entire thing today :D Thank you for reading :D
Disclaimer: Not mine.
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Chapter 40 – He Wouldn't Do That
Finally, it happened.
"I'm going insane," Hermione said one morning as they were gathered at the war table. "Honestly. I wish it would just happen soon."
"Do we know where Corypheus is now?"
There it is, Hermione thought, and her blood froze in her veins. "Yes, we do! He is here! That's the conversation! Go, go!"
-o-
The battle proceeded just as in the game. The dragon was already dead, something that made thing easier, but that did not mean it was a walk in the park.
The bloody darkspawn was too strong for Hermione's liking, and she spent half the time – or so it felt – dodging his beams of evil while trying to get in a spell or two.
Eventually, he went down.
And the orb shattered in the process.
Good riddance, Hermione thought as she got up from the ground – she had been thrown back by the blast wave of the explosion – and looked around to find out if everyone was alright.
Solas, Evelyn, Morrigan, and Iron Bull were alright.
Where's Dorian? Hermione thought, and a bad feeling clenched in her gut. "Dorian! Dorian!"
She gasped when she found him. He was lying half atop on a rock, and there was just something...wrong with the way he lay there.
"Dorian," she gasped, and fell to her knees next to him, casting a diagnostic charm.
He was alive.
Barely.
"No, no, no, no, no," she whispered as she got into action, summoning every type of healing potion from her pouch.
Dorian was...broken.
"I swear, Dorian, if you die..." her voice cracked up, and she continued in barely a whisper. "Don't die. Just don't die."
She had no idea how much time passed as she did everything in her power to save the sassy Tevinter mage. She cast every healing spell she could think of, poured an unhealthy amount of healing potions down his throat – even Essence of Dittany – and she was almost certain he would die.
His heart stopped beating for a long moment.
It didn't start beating again.
One minute went by.
He was going to die.
Two minutes.
Hermione was desperate. She was close – all too close – to exhausting herself to the point where she would just run out of magic. Forever, probably. If it could save him, however, she was willing to give up her magic. The only problem was that she couldn't really heal him without the magic.
Three minutes.
Hermione sent jolts of magic into his chest, urging his heart to start beating again.
Three and a half minutes.
Hermione sucked in a breath when she felt his heart – ever so unsteady – began beating again.
She almost couldn't see from the tears pouring down her cheeks, desperately casting the strongest healing spells she knew, again and again.
She was on the verge of passing out when something changed. His heart got stronger, steadier, and she watched as the bleeding eased, and his wounds began knitting themselves together.
He was going to survive.
The broken bones healed, and when Hermione saw some of the runes turning green on the diagnostic spell, she finally realised he was going to live. Leaning down, she pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him – tears still streaming down her face – and just murmured soft words to him.
After forever and a day, Dorian's eyelids flickered.
Hermione choked on a sob when he opened his eyes.
"What…what happened?" Dorian asked weakly, and Hermione pulled him closer.
"You died," she managed, "you died."
In the next moment, exhaustion took over, and Hermione felt herself topple over just as everything went black.
-o-
She woke up again – at some point – in the bedroom in the quarters, and expected to see Solas there.
He wasn't there. She was alone in the bedroom.
The blood froze in her veins as she replayed everything that had happened before she blacked out.
In the game, that was the point where Solas left.
She was sitting in the bed in a flash, fighting the dizziness from the quick movement.
What if he left?
What if he was gone?
He isn't, she thought, trying to believe her own thoughts. He wouldn't do that. Not now. He wouldn't.
Would he?
She tried to get out of bed, but after realising she would black out again if she tried to walk, she sat back, blood frozen in her veins, clutching the covers of the bed, trying to breathe.
She had no idea how much time had passed – an excruciating eternity, or so it felt – when she felt the familiar magical signature approach the quarters.
Hermione's blood thawed, and she…broke down and cried.
"Hermione?" warm arms embraced her. "What is wrong? Are you hurt?"
Hermione shook her head. "You weren't here," she managed, "and I…I…"
There was a moment of silence before the arms pulled her closer. "You thought I left."
"Yes."
Before she knew it, he was there, kissing her, holding her, murmuring soft words to her, and after some time, she managed to calm down.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to overreact. I'm just…tired. The last thing I remember is Dorian almost dying, and then I woke up without you…and I just lost it."
"Do not apologise, vhenan," Solas murmured. "I am sorry for not being her when you woke up."
She sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted again, and the last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep was a soft 'sleep, Lethallan. I will be here when you wake up'.