Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Diana Wynne Jones. I just like playing with her characters and putting them into odd situations. That's all...

A/n: Has anyone got one of those really nagging ideas on fan fics that just simply won't go away? Instead of just letting the idea bloom and wither in my head, I decided to type it down. Enjoy!



Requirements for Calcifersgrl's Challenge

1. Sophie cannot wind up running away or leaving the Moving Castle to get away from Howl - and this must be Sophie/Howl really. And must be a little fluff in it!

2. Must be beta-read.

(Er.... I need a beta reader. Anyone up for it?)

WHAT YOU MUST INCLUDE:

1. A goat must appear in the story.

2. Sophie must, accidentally or otherwise, hit Howl with a frying pan.

3. Someone should discover a unique talent.

4. There must be something, be it a single line or a whole sonnet, from Shakespeare.

5. Something must happen to an article of Howl's clothing.

***

Chapter 1: In which Sophie gets annoyed with Howl with dismal results

It was perhaps a little after sunup when Sophie awoke. The strands of ginger hanging in front of her face had her dumbfounded for a moment. Various thoughts started flittering back in her head. The Witch of the Waste, Miss Angorian, a scarecrow with a turnip for a head, the curse...

She scrunched her eyes tight for a moment. "It might have just been a dream," she muttered, just in case it really was. She could have been dreaming that the curse had been taken off her. "When I get up, I'll be an old woman again."

It seemed too real to be a dream. Sophie looked at her hands. There was smooth skin in place of liver-spotted, wrinkled hide and long fingers with trim nails replaced the old knotty ones. Jumping out of the bed, she headed for the mirror. Clear blue eyes stared back at her with obvious delight. She wasn't dreaming. The spell had really been taken off her. The old crone's face was gone, and she was young again.

Yesterday's events had been chaotic after the Witch of the Waste was vanquished. Her family had rushed up to hug her and offer congratulations for having the spell taken off. Prince Justin headed back to the castle. The Royal Wizard Suliman had asked Lettie to be his pupil, and Mrs. Fairfax and Fanny had went back to he harrowing job of spider squashing. And Calcifer came back. Everyone seemed glad that he did return. Although Sophie didn't quite trust Calcifer, she too felt glad that he had returned. She remembered giving Martha a one armed hug, and having some difficulty doing so, because Howl had been holding her other hand...

Of course, Howl got his heart back! Sophie had managed to break the contract between Howl and Calcifer. As snippets of their conversation filled her head, she couldn't help squirming rather uncomfortably.

"I think we ought to live happily ever after."

"It isn't true," she said slowly, determined to quash the flush rising in her cheeks. "Howl's just grateful that he got his heart back. It would have ruined him and Calcifer in the long run." After all, that was the truth. Everything would go back to normal soon enough. All it took was for her to get used to things again.

"All poppycock," she remarked to he mirror. "Howl probably said it in the spur of the moment. He was probably lightheaded after walking around heartless for a time. Besides, he was drunk for most of the day!" she paused for a second to glower fiercely at her reflection. "And I'll be a saphead to believe anything he says. He's a slither outer he is!"

Her reflection glared back reproachfully at her. She gave up and headed to the bathroom. Howl's words kept echoing back and forth in her head as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. It still lingered as she put on the new pale yellow dress that Fanny brought for her. She couldn't help thinking if Howl would say that yellow suited her.

"Oh, confound it all," she exclaimed as she tugged at the bodice of her dress crossly. "I refuse to think more of this!" She stopped short and raked her fingers through her hair. Howl was very far from being the perfect match.

"He's vain, fickle minded and spendthrift," she declared to no one in particular. "Besides," she said in an afterthought. "He's dishonest. He probably didn't mean a word he said yesterday..."

She stopped short at that again. Howl might have a hundred and one faults, but all of a sudden she didn't seem to mind them so much anymore. The words 'happily ever after' rang in her head like a choir of church bells.

"Oh bother," she said. The strangest thing was, she hoped that he meant it too.

***

It felt rather queer to not see Calcifer in the fireplace. Michael, who obviously thought so as well was peering curiously in the grate as Sophie came in. He jumped upon seeing her, and bumped his head. He was staring at her in a kind of wordless confusion which made her nervous.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked.

Michael blinked as realization seemed to sink in. His confusion melted away to crossness as he remembered that the spell was taken off her and she was young again. "Don't do that," he said crossly as he rubbed his head. "You gave me a shock."

She shrugged unrepentantly and went to the larder to get some bread and cheese. She had no intention of trying to light a fire in the fireplace. The castle looked strangely dull without the familiar blue flames flicking in the hearth. It seemed as if something wasn't right with Calcifer there. Michael joined her. There was a tentative pause as they munched.

"So, how does it feel to be young again?" he asked after a while in an attempt to make conversation.

How did it feel? she wondered. "My joints don't creak anymore," she replied. "It'll be easier to collect flowers later."

"Flowers? But I thought–Howl...." he trailed off uncomfortably as if he just remembered something.

Sophie was about to ask him what it was, when there was a sudden whoosh that came from the fireplace. A bright blue spark appeared and bloomed out into a wicked, pointed face with green eyes and an orange tuft of flames for hair. The dullness that hung around the castle seemed to lift like a fog as familiar blue light flickered across the walls. Calcifer leaned out from the grate and leered at Sophie. "Well, well, well. Didn't know you were still here."

"Seems like the damp in Market Chipping hasn't affected you," Sophie said sarcastically.

Michael stuffed the last bit of bread and cheese in his mouth and got up. "I'm going off now," he said, his mouth full. "It's Lettie's day off. I'd promised that I'll go over and see her today." With that he dashed off shouting that he wouldn't be back for lunch.

Sophie stared after him. "At this time of the morning? And he's still calling her Lettie. I wonder if Martha's told him her real name yet. Really, after all this."

"People do queer things when they're in love," Calcifer said as he grinned wickedly. "Take Howl for example. Dashing off to rescue a certain someone from the Witch."

"That has nothing to do with it," she snapped back. She didn't like the fact that her cheeks were burning. The castle felt curiously empty despite Calcifer's flickering. "Where is Howl by the way?"

"Off to Kingsbury," Calcifer said. "Left for about a few hours already."

"Oh." It was silly really to feel disappointed. She shouldn't have expected anything more than that from Howl.

Calcifer leaned forward and looked inquisitively at her. "So why are you still here by the way? If I were you, I would have took off with your stepmother last night."

Fanny had tried persuading Sophie to go back to the Vale End with her and meet Mr. Smith but she had refused. It was very silly now that she thought of it. She could have been living in the lap of luxury with servants and footmen waiting upon her if she had followed Fanny. In the castle, she was the cleaning woman. It seemed ridiculous to turn down the offer to live comfortably in order to go on being a cleaning woman. Why didn't she left the castle yet? After all, she'd been trying to leave when she had the curse on her hadn't she? And after going through all that difficulty to leave as well! She just mumbled something to Calcifer about the flowers and went to the door and turned it purple down and stepped into the steamy fragrant fog of flowers. It had always soothed her whenever she felt fidgety.

To her annoyance, the steamy, sweet scent of the flowers couldn't calm her down either.

***

Michael did not return when she came back loaded with the flowers. She had to make garlands, arrange and sell the flowers by herself at the shop. Most of the customers who were expecting to see Aunt Jenkins had rather a bit of a shock when they saw Sophie instead.

"Good gracious Sophie! Your mother said you went missing!"

"What happened to you?"

"They say you managed to make your fortune. Is it true?"

"So, what was that all that noise coming from here yesterday?"

It took some time for Sophie to explain briefly what had happened. After that, she had to explain it again to a new batch of customers who wanted to ask her about the Witch. They came in hordes, all clamoring to hear her story. Custom had increased greatly. It was close to midday before she managed to untangle herself from the old ladies who insisted she repeated her whole tale again, word for word. By then, there was still no sign of either Michael or Howl. Calcifer wasn't much company, dashing in and out of the castle. He claimed he was making up for the time he spent bound to the hearth.

"I swear," Sophie said grumpily. "He's becoming exactly like Michael! I wouldn't be surprised if he had met another fire demon on those jaunts of his and fallen in love with her!" She promptly took out her frustration by scrubbing the floor, (although it didn't need it) wishing, for some reason, it was Howl's face.

It wasn't until late afternoon when the door clicked to red-down and Howl came in. Sophie had looked up from scouring the pots and pans, expecting to see Michael and ready to give him a piece of her mind about helping in the flower shop before running off to see Martha when Howl strolled in, carrying a number of packages. He was dressed even more flamboyantly in a green and gold suit. He shut the door and gave Sophie a dazzling smile.

"Well," he said. "I'm back now."

The sight of Howl looking so nonchalantly strolling in irritated her more than ever. She just responded by snorting loudly and scrubbing the pot even harder. However, she couldn't help sneaking a glance at Howl from behind a few strands of ginger hair that had escaped from her hairdo. He strode to the center of the room and struck a elegant pose.

"Well, what do you think of my new suit?"

Sophie pointedly ignored him, and pretended to be busy scouring the pot. Secretly, she thought that the green made his eyes stand out more. Howl looked injured.

"Sophie.." he wheedled.

"Where have you been?" she snapped back in response. She hoped that Howl didn't know that she thought he was good looking. His vanity would expand if he knew!

"Out in Kingsbury," he said. "As you can see, I needed a new suit. I would have been mortified if I had to face the King later in tattered black rags."

Although his answer was reasonable, Sophie felt more irritated than ever. "And what are those parcels for then?" she asked.

Howl shrugged. "More suits. I needed more clothes anyway." He glanced at her. "So, have you been cleaning the whole day? Really, and I thought you would be through with all that."

She responded by viciously scrubbing a frying pan.

"What's wrong with you today Sophie?" he asked in that injured tone. "You should be glad that awful spell's been taken off you."

"I am happy!" she shouted back.

Howl looked at her and sighed resignedly. "And I thought you'd look prettier when you're young and sweet tempered."

That was the last straw. With a sort of stifled screech, Sophie swung the frying pan at Howl. He didn't dodge in time which resulted in a huge clop on the head. Howl landed on the floor with a thump and parcels of clothes flew in all directions. Sophie gasped, and dropped the frying pan with a clatter. She had just realized the seriousness of her actions.

She rushed up, and helped Howl get into a sitting position. "Are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned," he groaned as he clutched his head. "I think I'm beginning to see double." Sophie could see he had the beginnings of a bruise forming on his forehead.

"Can you get up?" she had to put her arm around Howl's waist to help him stand up. Or at least that was what she thought she was doing. Howl had used this opportunity to pull her closer. Next thing she knew, his arms were around her waist.

"Howl!" she protested half embarrassed, and half liking it very much.

"You hit me with a frying pan," he said, as if he was trying to justify his actions.

"That doesn't mean–" she spluttered. "You deliberately–"

Howl made an impatient noise and kissed her. It wasn't all too bad, Sophie thought. Actually she rather enjoyed it.

There was an amused coughing from the fireplace.

Sophie broke the kiss and whirled around. Calcifer was leaning out from the fireplace looking interested. Michael, on the other hand, was standing at the doorway with a look of horror on his face.

"Oh, don't let us stop you," Calcifer said pleasantly. "Do get on with whatever you were doing."

Howl let go of Sophie and glared at the both of them. "The both of you have impeccable timing don't you?" he asked caustically.

"Sorry–we–I didn't mean to–" Michael faltered out under Howl's glare.

Calcifer just looked smug.

Sophie however, was mortified. "The cheek of the both of you!" she stammered. "Barging in like that when we were..."

Howl raised an eyebrow at her statement. Sophie blushed furiously. She didn't know which sounded better, for her to melt into a puddle or to brain Michael and Calcifer with a frying pan. She absent mindedly recalled that Calcifer was a fire demon and couldn't be brained.

"So you do admit you enjoyed that," Howl swooped in while Calcifer said; "Well, why not? The both of you looked as if you were having fun." Michael just stood rooted at the doorway and gaped like a fish.

"Gah!" she said, her embarrassment fading into irritation and a healthy dose of wrath. "That's it! I have to get out of here!" She stomped off towards the door and twisted the knob crossly.

"Really," she remarked angrily to the door. "You'd think a person was entitled to more privacy in this castle. Apparently not."

"Sophie–" Howl called out anxiously.

"I'd like a place without the lot of them," she said, ignoring Howl once more. "No more interfering fire demons, apprentices, and especially," she turned around and gave Howl a Look. "Wizards." With that she wrenched the door open and stepped past into the grey mist...

Slamming the door behind her, Sophie had to blink once or twice to clear the mist. The first thing she saw were odd tables and chairs. There was a familiar wavy glass door at the front of the hall. Wait, she thought frantically. This isn't the way to Market Chipping!

She turned around and opened the door behind her. With a sense of dread, she reached out and tried to put her hand through the grey nothingness that hung in the doorway. Her hand met with an invisible brick wall.

"Oh no," she said, feeling doomed. She had spoken to the door earlier and had, by mistake sealed herself in Wales. Simply due to the fact that Sophie forgot to register the doorknob that pointed black down...

~*~

A/n 2: Forgive me if the fluff in here sounds too bad. Writing fluff isn't exactly my forte!