Sophie was awaken from her dream-like state by the sound of a someone knocking on the door. Looking around she saw that she had dreamed the night away without swimming, for it was late into the morning.

She heard footsteps rushing down the stairs and turning to look towards the source of the sound and saw a small red-haired boy about the age of 12 running towards the door.

The noise he made was enough to wake Luna, who jumped and ran to hide from the stranger. While Sophie laughed softly at her silliness.

Sophie silently watched as the boy, or who she thought was the boy for he looked like a old man now, talked with a young girl. After she left the boy seemed to finally notice Sophie and pulled off his cloak to reveal the boy he truly was with a shocked expression.

As she stood from the chair to greet him properly. He broke out of his surprised state and addressed her, rather rudely.

"Who are? What are you doing here?" pointing at her and trying to act all tough, it was actually kind of cute.

"I am Sophie, I am the new housekeeper." Lord new this house needed one, and she couldn't say that she was moving here just because she felt like it.

"I didn't know master Howl hired a housekeeper?"

"I don't believe he did, I was under the impression I was to work for Calcifer." nodding her head towards the now awake fire demon watching the exchange thinking ' this mermaid is pretty good at making up stories at the spur of the moment .'

"Oh, well my name is Michael. I am master Howl's apprentice." offering his hand for her to shake.

"Pleased to meet you Michael," shaking his hand "and I would like to introduce you to my best friend Luna"

As she said this, Luna came out of hiding and appeared next to Sophie as if sensing Sophie's need of her. Michael looked shocked at first with the sudden appearance of the small cat, but then was excited to play with her. Just as he was about to try and do so someone knocked on the door again.

Leaving Michael to take care of who ever was at the door, Sophie began to look around for something edible for breakfast. If she was to be the housekeeper, she might as well start now. Finding some eggs and ham that were edible, she went over to the fire place with a frying pan to try and cook them.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" asked a startled Calcifer.

"Dancing the jig while juggling cooking supplies." laughed Sophie "What does it look like I'm doing, I am going to make breakfast and you are going to help."

"No Way! I don't cook, I am a scary and powerful fire demon." Stated Calcifer as he stuck out and wagged his tongue at her.

'Yes very scary when you act like a toddler who doesn't get his way' she thought.

"You know Calcifer, considering what I am and what I can do, I say I would have the advantage if you challenged me to a fight. Do you not agree?"

Sophie smirked as the now frightened Calcifer tried to think of something to say to her statement only to have a frying pan placed on top of him.

"That's a good fire." She cooed.

Sophie started cooking the ham while the disgruntled fire demon grumbled something or other about a curse.

Michael who had finished dealing with another customer, stared in astonishment as Sophie had some how gotten Calcifer to do as she asked.

At the sound of someone coming through the door, Michael turned to see that his master had returned.

"Hello Master Howl"

As if not noticing his apprentice, the Wizard Howl went straight to the fireplace where Sophie was cooking.

Luna jumped onto Sophie's shoulder as they both studied the wizard out of the corner of their eyes. On the realization that the wizard Howl was in fact the wizard they met before. They felt some resentment towards the man who had jolted them out of their peaceful life.

They pretended not to notice him as Sophie continued making breakfast, now adding the eggs to the pan.

"Calcifer, you're being so obedient." Howl mused as he observed the young woman and the fire demon cooking breakfast.

"Not on purpose! She bullied me!"

"Not just anybody can do that. I'm sorry I don't believe we have been properly introduced. My name is Howl. And you are?" Recognizing her at once as the young woman he had 'charmed' the other day he was looking forward to at last learning her name.

Reluctantly, Sophie turned to him. " My name is Sophie sir, I'm your new housekeeper. And this is my friend Luna."

"Give that to me" he stated quite rudely reaching to take the frying pan from her.

Sophie merely knocked his hand away while Luna growled at him.

"That's quite alright. It is pretty much finished, but if you could dispose of the egg shells for me please."

Howl was a little shocked that someone had spurned him off like that, but did as she asked giving the egg shells to Calcifer to eat.

"So who hired you Sophie."

"Calcifer did, and I am astonished that he did not hire someone sooner. As it is obvious that you need one desperately."

That jab towards the state of his home did not go unnoticed by Howl, but he simply shrugged it off. He supposed it was possible, but then why did Calcifer not tell him about hiring a housekeeper.

"Michael could you do me a favor and set the table. Breakfast is ready."

"Alright"

He decided he would ask about it later and went to join Sophie, Michael, and Luna at the table so they could eat.

"What? You all just eat while I do all the work?" Yelled Calcifer trying to sound undignified.

Even though Michael shoved a bunch of stuff off the table it was still disgusting. Sophie sat down dusting off what she was hoping were large crumbs.

"Which one do you want?" asked Michael as he held up three dirty utensils. "You only get one since the rest are dirty."

'If this is their version of clean then I don't even want to know what their version of dirty is. It looks like I got my work cut out for me.' Sophie thought as she took a spoon and did her best to clean it herself with the handkerchief she pulled from the pocket of her dress.

Luna thought the same thing as she bent her ears back and moaned at the sight of Michael who had begun to eat his breakfast like a pig.

Sophie noticed her expression and then followed her stare that lead to Michael.

"Michael slow down, you're not a pig so don't eat like one" she scolded.

Michael looked up in surprise, like no one had questioned his manners before. But slowed down and ate his breakfast a little more neatly.

Smiling softly Sophie returned to her breakfast, cutting up small bits of ham and giving them to Luna, who ate them quietly from atop of Sophie's shoulder.

The rest of the meal went by in a comfortable silence, as comfortable as it could be with Howl staring curiously at Sophie the entire time. He barely ate his meal and when everyone finished with theirs, gave what was left to Calcifer to munch on. He then went up the stairs pausing long enough to tell Calcifer to make some hot water for his bath.

Sophie spent the rest morning trying to clean the castle as best that she could. Sweeping, dusting, scrubbing dishes and floors, evicting all the pests and spiders. By lunch time she was at her wits end. So she decided to take a risk with the cleaning and cheat.

When she went to clean the fireplace, she used her powers. Lifting Calcifer up with her telekinesis, she then got all the ashes into a bag with a mini tornado.

Needless to say Calcifer was not comfortable with the position he was in floating in the air with nothing to hold him, but he could do nothing about it so stayed quiet and held his eyes closed shut in fear of falling.

Howl must have felt his fear somehow and rushed down the stairs just as Sophie had put Calcifer down with fresh logs in the fireplace, and was carrying the bag of ash away.

"What's going on Calcifer?" asked Howl looking for what might have frightened Calcifer only to see him safe in a clean fireplace.

"Sophie was cleaning the fireplace and I was afraid she would smother me. She didn't though, so I am alright now." trying not to reveal how she lifted him out of the fireplace and then cleaned it so quickly, Calcifer put Howl's mind to rest on why he felt his fear.

"Alright then, don't let her get too carried away with the cleaning though."

With that Howl went out the door and disappeared for the rest of the day.

With him gone all Sophie had to do was get rid of Michael so she could finish her magical spring cleaning.

"So Michael, was there anything specific you wanted me to clean when I do your room?" she asked when he came downstairs for his lunch of ham sandwiches.

"What! You can't go upstairs."

"Michael, I'm the housekeeper. It is my job to clean and take care of the entire castle, and that includes the upstairs. Now is there anything you want me to clean specifically while I am in your room?"

"No, nothing but, save my room for last OK." with that Michael ran back up the stairs to his room with his lunch.

Sophie smirked and went back to cleaning, while Calcifer laughed at the trick she pulled. She didn't see Michael again until dinner. By then the entire castle was spic and span. Having magical powers did have it's advantages.

Especially in the bathroom, talk about a toxic waste dump, luckily she didn't really have to touch anything. She most likely would have mutated if she had.

When it came to dinner there was enough edible ingredients for baked bread and vegetable soup. She would definitely have to go shopping as soon as possible.

Luna had been watching Calcifer from the chair all day trying not to get in Sophie's way. But what she found so interesting about the fire demon that would make her stare at him for hours on end, Sophie could not figure out.

Calcifer couldn't figure it out either, and tried to scare her off many times but she would not go. Not until Sophie had finished cleaning and Luna could be with her without causing trouble.

Dinner went by and Howl had yet to return. It did not look like he was going to come back anytime soon. Sophie was desperate for a swim, a soak, anything, but she was not going to risk Howl coming back and seeing her.

So she simply crawled into her new-found bed in the main room and tried to think of a way that she could go swimming in the future and not get caught by anyone. While Luna fell fast asleep in her lap.

Sometime in the middle of the night she heard Howl come home. She closed her eyes and tried to look like she was asleep. He didn't make much noise, simply came over to her bed and pull back the curtain.

He looked at her and saw that she looked even more beautiful when she was 'asleep'. He felt the strangest emotions running through him as he gazed at her angelic face. He looked at her rose-pink lips and felt the need to kiss them. He leaned down and...

"Ouch"

His hand flew up to his cheek and felt a small amount of blood running from the claw marks on his face. Luna had awakened at the sound of his approach and as if knowing precisely what he was planning, gave a reminder of who exactly he should stay away from in the future. She was now hissing and growling at him to serve as further warning against future attempts of trying to kiss her Sophie again.

Howl looked at the cat with slight anger at having marred his handsome face, then looked with slightly sad eyes at the young woman in the bed who was starting to stir at Luna's growls.

Howl closed the curtain of her bed and went back up to his own room to sleep.

Once she was sure that he was gone, Sophie sat up in bed.

"Good girl" she whispered proudly to the now purring cat who was looking quite smug.

Sophie knew for sure she would definitely have to be very careful around him in the future. Scratching Luna behind the ears and listening to her purr. Sophie knew she wouldn't have to face him alone, but tomorrow morning was definitely going to be interesting.