Chapter One

The Floating Apple

In a little village in England, not too far away from London, there was a house, with yellow walls and a brown roof. The house had two floors, and the blue windows were covered with flowerpots.

It was a sunny and clear day, and the light illuminated the living room. A young man was sitting on the sofa that the moving truck had just delivered earlier. He had his eyes closed and there was a smile on his face as he enjoyed a moment of peace.

He heard a sound and opened his eyes to see his wife lifting a box. He smiled again. There they were, in their new home.

"Let me help you with that -he said as he stood up and walked towards her, taking the box."

"Thanks" she said, passing her arm through her forehead.

He placed the box on the table and went to get another one. There weren't too much boxes left, as they didn't have too much things yet. When they finished, he went to seat again on the couch, inviting her.

But she stood on the door, looking nervous.

"Is everything all right, Mia?" he asked, frowning.

Mia didn't answer immediately, just stood there looking at the floor.

"Well…now that we are married, I thought I should tell you my secret" she whispered, looking the other way.

He frowned even more and stared at her.

At last, she took a deep breath and went to step in front of her husband. She looked at him in the eye and said:

"I'm a witch, Ben."

Ben didn't move. He just stared at her for a long moment.

"You're a... witch?"

Mia nodded.

"O…kay" he said after a pause.

Mia knew he was trying not to laugh. She had already known that he couldn't possibly believe her the first time, but it didn't matter. She would show him.

"All right. I know this is something weird to you but it is true. I am a witch."

Ben smiled.

"Like, those witches that can do magic and fly on brooms and make horrible brews?"

Mia made a face. Of course he was mocking her, but she had to be patient with him.

"Actually, I'm afraid of flying. And my brews are not that bad."

"Then I'll have to give them a taste one day" he said with a huge smile in his face.

Now he couldn't hold his laughing and bounced from the couch to where Mia was, carrying her to the kitchen.

Mia laughed and kissed her husband.

They had just returned from their honeymoon, and the house was still full of dust and closed boxes.

Ben kissed her again and smiled, but his smile faded when he saw Mia's face.

"Mia, love, what's wrong?" he asked.

She sighed and took one step away from him.

"Look."

Ben saw her taking out a wooden stick from her coat and pointing it at a fruit vase.

Ben frowned but then his eyes opened wide when he saw that an apple from the vase lifted and flew in his direction, floating in front of his face.

"How...how are you doing that?" Ben asked her, without taking his eyes from the apple.

Mia smiled and flicked the stick as she murmured something unintelligible, and the apple turned into a bright blue color.

"I told you. I'm a witch. I can do magic."

Ben passed a hand above and below the apple to check if there were any strings. But the apple changing from red to blue, that, he couldn't explain.

"But...witches don't exist" he said with a tiny voice and not convinced at all.

"Yes well, those things you call movies don't help at all. Most witches and wizards are not bad" Mia said to him while she placed her wand inside her coat again, "They are normal people, like you, but with a little more power"

"Sounds creepy" Ben said.

He hadn't move even when the apple had returned to the fruit vase, with its original color.

She smiled sheepishly and kissed him on the cheek, and then she went to another room to keep unpacking.

Ben had stayed in the kitchen, without moving and staring at the immensity.

"A witch? My wife's a...witch?" he thought. He had seen her levitate an apple and turn it blue with a wooden stick. "A wand?" he wondered.

Night came, and after a long day, he walked slowly up to their room. He was exhausted, but he knew he would have a lot of difficulty falling asleep.

He sat on the bed without changing his clothes and breathed loudly. Mia came in and when she saw her husband, she smiled and went to hug him.

"I know it's hard to take in."

Ben laid his head on her shoulder and let her cuddle him.

"And, um, you could, like, transform me into a...a..." Ben whispered.

"A toad? Yes, I could. But why would I turn my own husband into a toad? They are not pretty" she said with a smile as she put her arms around his neck.

She kissed him sweetly and then she looked into his eyes.

"You're not frightened, are you?"

"Shocked would be the right word."

"Well, we have plenty of time to discuss this. And don't worry. I'll be good to you" she told him with a wink.

They cuddled together in the bed, but a moment later, Ben said:

"Tell me. Are your parents... also...wizards?"

"Yup" she said, "Nervous?"

"Terrified."