Lottie Morgan decided to visit her Uncle Andrew and his family at Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Little did she know that she was about to enter a magical, delectable world and capture the heart of the sweetest of men.

"All that is gold does not glitter; not all those that wander are lost."

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954

Based on the 2005 Tim Burton film, starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka.

The next morning, Willy was sitting in the Inventing Room, pondering over this formula for lollydoodles. It was so incredibility infuriating! The lollypops tasted lovely, but the candy ink would not flow evenly on paper – it started, and then stopped, and then started again. He tried to write "Willy" across a sheet of paper, but the "i" and the second "l" were not clearly written. How could he fix this?

Deep in thought, he barely noticed the Oompa-Loompa approach's until he felt a small tug on this pantleg. Looking down, Willy saw that the Oompa-Loompa was gesturing at this watch. Willy looked. 10:45! He was to meet Lottie by the chocolate waterfall at 11.

Willy gulped. He asked the Oompa-Loompa if everything was ready. The Oompa-Loompa nodded his head in agreement with a mystifying smile. The meal, the dessert, and the table were perfect.

Nodding in appreciation, Willy turned to consult once his formula, but found it singularly hard to concentrate. Why was he so nervous?

Deep in his heart, Willy had discerned why he was nervous, but was hesitant to put a name to these unfamiliar feelings that Lottie's presence brought upon him. Her misty sea-green eyes! Willy thought that those kind and lovely eyes could pierce his soul.

But how could he care so for her? After all, hadn't he only known her a few days? Why did she affect him so?

Perhaps, Willy reflected, it is neither time nor opportunity that determines intimacy– it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.

Willy glanced down at this watch. It was 10:50. He stood up and made his way to the Chocolate Room.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large chocolate factory, good fortune, and amiable yet eccentric disposition, must be in want of a wife.

At least, this was the opinion of the Bucket family. Peeking out the window of the cottage, Grandpa George watched Lottie stand by the chocolate waterfall in anticipation of her lunch with Mr. Wonka.

"Well, it's lunch now, is it?" stated Grandpa George, with a mischievous smile on his face. "I told you they liked each other!"

"George, it's only lunch for the moment, you know!" exclaimed Josephine. "No one's taking it any further."

"Well, he seems to be taken with her, isn't he!" retorted George.

"Mr. Wonka is a particularly eligible young man. I used to work for him, you know, on Cherry Street…" began Joe.

Mrs. Bucket, listening to this conversation, turned around and stated to the pair: "Meddle not in the affairs of chocolatiers, for they are quirky and apt to act bizarrely."

The two men simply stared at her in shock.

Presently, Mrs. Bucket laughed and said, "Alright! Alright! You can meddle a little bit. I just don't want you two upsetting Lottie."

Smiling at each other, Grandpa George and Joe continued their discussion…

Lottie sat in a rather majestic dining room, decorated in Regency style, with candy rococo rose-and-lily garland and draperies tinged with mauve and gold. A beautiful ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the walls were covered with creamy alabaster moldings. The table in front of her was of beautifully-polished rosewood. Lottie stared in awe.

"It's beautiful," said Lottie matter-of-factly.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Willy, unassumingly. "I never really come in here, actually."

They were dining on beef marinated and braised in red wine with mushrooms and onions. Willy distinctly remembered asking the Oompa-Loompas to provide a nice meal for himself and Lottie for lunch. He did not expect it to be a formal dinner in the great dining room. Would she think he was showing off?

He glanced over at Lottie. She seemed faintly self-conscious at the rather splendid surroundings, but did not seem upset in the slightest. Willy sighed – he truly did not want to distress her.

"I feel like I'm Alice and have just popped down a rabbit hole," Lottie mused, looking at Willy.

"Maybe you are Alice," replied Willy with a smile.

"Well then, if I'm Alice, then, what does that make you?"

Willy thought for a moment. "Um, a Dormouse?"

Lottie looked down, trying not to laugh. Her face was very red, and Willy distinctly heard a faint snort as she tried to suppress her soft giggles with her hand.

"Hey, what's so funny?" asked Willy. He was by this time very intrigued. What was going on? Why was she laughing?

Lottie peeked over at him and tried to compose herself. Should she tell him?

"You're the Mad Hatter!" she exclaimed and laughed out loud.

Willy thought for a moment in astonishment. Suddenly he began laughing as well, and for a moment they were lost to fits of amusement.

"This is a sort of fantasy land, isn't it, I suppose? I've even got hobbits," Willy said after a moment, still smiling, glancing at an Oopma Loompa who was bringing them some dessert.

"Tapioca?" said Willy

"Yes…thank you," replied Lottie. Willy noticed that Lottie was gingerly removing the raisins resting in the tapioca and placing them on her napkin.

"You don't like raisins?" he asked.

"Not really," replied Lottie.

"Why?"

"They used to be fat and juicy and now they're twisted….they had their lives stolen. They taste sweet, but really they're just humiliated grapes," Lottie said seriously.

Willy though for a minute and nodded in agreement. "Yeah - It's a shame about raisins."

Lottie glanced at the Oompa Loompa, still standing near the table, looking up at her in anticipation.

"Oh, look at you! You're so cute!" she exclaimed to the Oompa Loompa. "You are just so adorable!"

The Oompa Loompa beamed up at her with a big smile on his face.

Willy shot the Oompa Loompa a nasty look, "Oompa Loompas are not 'cute'. They happen to be invaluable members of my confectionary workforce," he explained to her.

Turning to the enchanted Oompa Loompa he said, "Um, excuse me…excuse me! Could we have our hot chocolate?"

The small man answered Willy in Oompa-Loompaish. After a moment, Willy turned to Lottie and translated, "He says here's some hot chocolate for the… ha, ha….pretty lady… ha, ha." Willy blushed and shot the Oompa-Loompa a very nasty look.

Lottie took a sip, and noticed the marshmallows – little heart-shaped marshmallows – floating around in her hot chocolate.

"Oh look! There's little hearts in mine," she exclaimed.

Willy looked down at his own hot chocolate and found that his marshmallows were of the usual type. Willy flashed the Oompa-Loompa a very, very nasty look.

The Oompa Loompa shrugged, taking the hint, and slowly walked away.

Willy smiled in self satisfaction. After a moment, he asked Lottie, "Do you enjoy being a technical writer?"

Lottie flinched and looked down. "Well," she replied, "I do enjoy writing and helping others to understand new software." She looked at Willy, spotting curiosity in his lavender eyes, and continued, "I must confess…I do get satisfaction from thinking that someone might be out there – confused and frustrated – trying to understand how to operate new software. If my talent somehow helps them to understand the system and spare them unnecessary confusion, then I am quite content with myself."

Willy nodded in understanding.

"After all, writers should be read, but neither seen nor heard…and although I would much rather write fiction, such literature does not, unfortunately, pay the bills." She stopped and glanced up at Willy. "So, you see, Mr. Wonka, I am really just a writer."

Willy's eyes bore into Lottie in astonishment. Agitated, he exclaimed, "Just a writer? What a horrible candle-snuffing word. That's like saying, 'He can't climb that mountain, he's just a man' or 'That's not a diamond, it's just a rock.' Just."

Willy and Lottie stared at each other in intensity, oblivious to both time and to the Oompa Loompa offering them more hot chocolate. The small man looked at them both, shrugged, and walked away.

Willy collected himself. "Ha, ha…I'm sorry…I don't mean to upset you."

Lottie looked down at her lap.

"You're not mad, are you…Starshine?"

Lottie peered up at him. "Why did you call me that?" she asked, much surprised.

"I…," Willy began, not exactly sure himself why he had chosen this particular endearment to call her, "I don't know."

Lottie smiled at him. Willy felt certain that the room seemed warmer and brighter. "No, Mr. Wonka, I'm not mad."

"Um, Lottie?"

"What?" she replied.

"Um, nothing," rejoined Willy.

"Um, Lottie?"

"What?" she replied.

"Um, nothing."

"Mr. Wonka, if you won't tell me what's on your mind, I'm leaving right now!"

"Willy!"

"Willy," she corrected herself.

"Um, well…" Willy was very uncomfortable, unsure how to proceed. It was not as if this was an everyday situation for the chocolatier. "Miss Morgan, I would be happy if you would join me at the theatre tomorrow night?" He looked at Lottie expectedly.

Lottie was astonished. "Why, yes, …Willy," he replied. "I'd like that very much."

Willy grinned.

"What play shall we see?"

Willy shot her a playful look.

"Peter Pan."

At breakfast the next morning, the three grandparents kept giving Lottie knowing looks. Willy walked into the cottage for breakfast.

"Good morning, Lottie," said Willy, timidly sitting down by her and across from Charlie.

"Good morning, Willy." She gave him a nervous smile. "Would you like some waffles?"

"Yes, please," he responded, taking off his hat and picking up his glass of orange juice.

Lottie put a waffle on his plate, then another one, then another one, and then another one. She then poured syrup all over the whole thing and handled him the plate. Willy, surprised, stared down at the plate in astonishment.

"How much do you think Mr. Wonka eats!" finally exclaimed Charlie.

Lottie's face was very red she realized what she'd done. Willy, realization dawning on him, gave a faint chuckle.

Lottie looked around to see everyone grinning at her, and just put her face in her hands on wished she'd disappear. Wished the table would just swallow her up. She wished she could just be typing, typing typing…

Finally, after about five minutes, she realized that her Grandpa and Joe were discussing fishing. She peeked around and realized no one was looking at her anymore, so she gathered her strength and quietly ate a waffle.

Lottie sighed. This would be a very long day.