Luna took one look at the inside of Howl's home and her fingers twitched. The ingrained OCD caused by years of living as a slave in her aunt's home made her want to grab a broom and start cleaning at the sight of the cobwebs.
After the day she just had climbing those hills, she didn't hesitate to sit down on the first chair she found that was next to the fire.
"Wow... I don't envy you girlie...that's a heck of a nasty curse," said the fire.
"Don't I know it. When I see Howl I'm giving him a piece of my mind for getting me in the middle of his bloody lover's spat with the Witch of the Wastes!" said Luna snorting.
The fire demon choked back a laugh. This girl had spunk!
"That's going to be a pain to break the curse...and from the looks of that second spell on you, you can't even tell someone that it's not your natural appearance."
"I'm going to give that Witch a tongue lashing next time I run into her. So what's your name anyway?"
"I am the great and powerful fire demon, Calcifer!" he said grandly.
"Impressive name for an impressive fire spirit. I'm Luna Potter," she said.
"You don't seem very surprised by a talking fire," he noted with interest.
"I've nearly been eaten by a three-headed dog and bitten by a basilisk before. A bound fire demon isn't going to scare me that easily," she said flatly.
"Tell you what...if you break the spell on me, I'll break the Witch's curse."
"Never trust anything you don't know where it's brain is," said Luna, paraphrasing something Mr. Weasley had said after that nightmare with the Chamber of Secrets and the diary.
"Not like you have much of a choice," said Calcifer smugly.
"Not exactly. Spells like this are usually powered by the witch or wizard who cast them. If all else fails I can simply toss that hag over a cliff or something," said Luna vindictively.
Calcifer stared at her. She was certainly no ordinary girl. And not many would be bold enough to say that they would openly push someone as terrifying as the Witch of the Wastes over a cliff to end a spell.
Feeling the kinks in her legs, she winced a bit. She hated walking up hill after losing so much practice doing just that with the moving stairs of Hogwarts. She didn't realize until the sun hit her face that she had fallen asleep in that chair. She was going to have kinks in her back from that, she just knew it!
She blinked twice when she realized Howl's face was right in front of her own, and instinct guided what she did next.
She punched him in the jaw.
"OW!"
"You complete idiot! Thanks to you that hag made an appearance where I work and now I'm stuck like this because of your lover's spat!" she growled.
Howl looked at her incredulous. He clearly didn't recognize her.
"Have we met before?"
Luna rolled her eyes and gave him an annoyed look.
"You dropped me off at the bakery yesterday when the Witch of the Wastes came stalking you with those blobs," she told him.
"What happened?" he said in shock, clearly comparing that pretty girl to the demonic looking one before him.
"That hag witch showed up at the hat shop and thought it funny to use me as her messenger is what. All because you happened to use me as a distraction!" she growled.
Calcifer was too busy laughing at the look on Howl's face. Usually the girls didn't hit him until after he did something to break their hearts! And by that time he had grown bored of them.
"I'm sorry! I didn't think she would curse you just because I happened to help you out!" he said honestly.
"You do realize that until this bloody thing is broken I can't go back to work don't you? The last thing I need is to be chased out of town because I came in looking like this!"
Seeing Howl wince as that had probably not occurred to him, he agreed to let her stay.
"Master Howl, what's going on?" asked the young apprentice.
Luna rolled her eyes.
"The Witch of the Wastes was probably jealous because Howl helped me earlier and thought it amusing to try and get me kicked out of town. I only came looking for Howl because being out in the wastes would making finding that hag easier and because it's partly his fault I'm like this at the moment," she explained to him.
"Oh."
The boy's stomach rumbled. Clearly he wanted breakfast but the scene earlier had distracted him.
Seeing the pans with distaste, she found the cleanest one of the lot and started making breakfast, to Calcifer's protest.
"May all your bacon burn," he growled.
"Try it and I'll dump water on you," she countered.
"Hey!"
Once she finished cooking, they sat down for something to eat. Howl seemed to be avoiding one side of his face though...she had given him a good bruise with her punch.
"What's that in your pocket?" asked Howl.
Luna blinked. She didn't have any...oh that hag did not leave something in her pocket!
Seeing the red paper burn up on contact with Howl's skin, Luna's features became a scowl. She was so making that witch pay for this.
"Master Howl! What does it say?" asked Markel.
"You who swallowed a falling star, oh heartless man, your heart shall soon belong to me," he said.
"Falling star? You can't swallow a falling star," said Luna in confusion. Suddenly her eyes fell on Calcifer...surely he wasn't...
"That can't be good for the table," he said, clearing it off.
His appetite ruined, he fed what was left of his breakfast to Calcifer before he vanished.
"Lazy old hag. When I get my hands on her..." growled Luna.
Markel was watching in open disbelief and horror. Luna was crazy! The moment breakfast was finished she became a possessed woman, grabbing the first broom she could get her hands on and began waging war with the house.
"Has that idiot never heard of a cleaning spell before? I've heard of lazy wizards but this is ridiculous!" she said, clearing cobwebs.
"Luna, help!" said Calcifer, almost drowning in soot.
Luna took pity on the fire demon and cleared the fireplace out before laying several logs down on the fireplace...and a small pile so he could grab them himself.
She then drowned the floor and began to mop it until the place shined.
Once she finished the dishes, she gave Markel an evil look.
"You have five minutes before I go upstairs," she warned him.
His eyes widened.
"Leave my room for last!" he called out, dashing upstairs.
She snorted. Then cast a look around the house.
"Anyone watching?" she asked the demon.
"Who would be watching the house?" he asked in confusion.
She pulled out a stick, exactly eleven inches, and cast an all-around disinfectant spell on the room.
"There! Now the place really is clean," she said pleased.
"You're a..." said Calcifer staring at her.
"I didn't make it to the Wastes without a few tricks... and that pest Sullivan can kiss the hem of my dress for all I care," she said flatly.
She started making her way upstairs to tackle that mess.
Looking outside to get some fresh air after all that work cleaning the downstairs, she was impressed. This castle couldn't be easy to move!
"Calcifer, are you the one powering the castle?" she asked.
"Of course! Who do you think keeps the place warm and the water hot? Howl certainly won't lift a hand to keeping this place going!" he called back.
"Wow! Talk about a first rate fire demon! I am deeply impressed!" she said to him honestly.
Calcifer puffed up with pride.