A Magical Addition

Chapter 6

Hello. Thanks so much for all the great reviews, the last chapter was quite sad and dramatic but maybe things will brighten up again soon. Anyway enjoy chapter 6.

'She's not coming back Calcifer.' Howl groaned in a quiet tone as he sat in front of the hearth. He was dirty and unshaven wrapped in huge brown quilt which stretched out over the surrounding floor, most of it sitting in a puddle of slime from an earlier tantrum.

'It's only been a week Howl, give her time.'

The depressed wizard slumped forwards letting his head fall into his hands.

'But I don't have time, she's carrying my child! Every day that passes I'm missing things!' The fire demon rolled his eyes at the hot mess Howl had become. 'Why won't you just let me go after her?' Howl whined looking up at him pleadingly.

'Because Howl, you are renowned for making bad situations even worse. This is the first time you've pissed off a girl and actually wanted her back! Do you even know what you'd say?'

The door suddenly opened, a beam of light hitting Howl causing him to wince and pull the blanket even further over his head as if the light was burning him. It was only Markl.

The young boy closed the door and approached the miserable wizard slowly with his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

'How is he?' He asked Calcifer in his babyish voice.

Calcifer sighed.

'Objectionable as usual.'

Markl stopped a few feet away from him, just outside the puddle perimeter. There was nobody to mop therefore the castle was turning into a snail's lair.

'Master Howl?' The boy said quietly bending slightly to try and see his face through the small whole at the front of the quilt.

'Please Calcifer…' His voice groaned once again 'I can't go on like this…if you don't let me out I'll me forced to tear the castle to pieces.'

Markl's eyes widened as he glanced worriedly at the unperturbed flame.

'Fine Howl,' He finally gave in 'But you must tidy yourself up first. If she sees you like that she definitely won't want you back.'

Howl was suddenly alive with energy. He sprung off the chair, the quilt falling off his shoulders and settling around the gloopy chair. He then flew up the stairs with a clatter, his feet echoing off the wooden flooring upstairs as doors banged and boards creaked.

'Hot water Calcifer!' He croaked loudly.

2 hours later…

He eventually emerged from upstairs smelling and looking beautiful once more. His hair was perfectly quaffed, his signature puffy shirt pristine white. He grabbed a cream and purple jacket from the coat closet and swung it over his head and around his shoulders.

'Satisfactory?' He asked sourly glaring at Calcifer.

'Touchy touchy!' Howl surpassed his comment and headed eagerly for the door. However as he tried to open it Calcifer still had it locked. 'Please Howl, don't do anything stupid. Keep in mind that she is pregnant and all her emotions are multiplied by a hundred.' Howl nodded and smiled weakly.

'Thanks Calcifer.' He said as he opened the door and headed out into Kingsbury. He had never actually been to Sophie's mother's house but Calcifer had given him basic directions.

He hailed a car jumping in the passenger's side and transferring the directions to the driver who, to Howl's fortune, seemed to know exactly where he was going. He sat in silence the whole way, trying to think of what he could possibly say to her but he knew in the end he would end up saying the first thing that popped into his head.

They eventually pulled up outside a rather large mansion. When Sophie said her stepfather was filthy rich she wasn't lying. The wizard dropped a few coins into the driver's hand and nodded appreciatively, he then turned back to face the large sandstone building that stood in front of him. He took a deep breath and pulled his jacket a little further up around his shoulders. He then marched on confidently, the water fountain seeming to flow harder as he passed, most likely something to do with the vibe he was emitting. However as he got progressively closer towards the large royal blue door, his coolness began to die off and fear took its place. Lucky he had magic if things got ugly.

He courteously rapped the shiny gold door knocker several times and took a step back, trying to look as dashing as possible for whoever might open the door. He waited patiently to begin with, but after what must have been five minutes he began to worry. Just as he raised his arm once more towards the knocker, the door opened just a crack and then the whole way to reveal a tall, white haired man dressed in black tails. They stared at each other for several moments until the man finally spoke up.

'Can I help you?' He asked in his solemn tone. Howl gulped, bowing slightly.

'Indeed kind sir, is this the temporaryresidence of Miss Sophie Hatter?' He replied with extra emphasis on the "temporary".

The man cleared his throat and nodded once slowly.

'Do come in.' He said opening the door a little wider and stepping to the side. Howl didn't hesitate upon entering taking a few steps into the spacious marble foyer, his eyes scanning over the elaborate staircase and balconies. The floor was covered in a deep green velvet carpet, matching drapes hanging on the tall, narrow windows. 'Your name sir?'

Howl's attention snapped off his new surroundings and focused on the butler's pale, wrinkly face.

'Howl Pendragon.' He responded simply. The man turned to walk off but paused, his eyes widening.

'W-Wizard Howl?' He repeated in a surprised, slightly worried tone.

Howl had planted himself on a long white leather bench, spreading his arms out over the back and crossing one long nimble leg over the other. He stared at the baffled man through his jet black bangs and raised an eyebrow.

The man hesitated for a little longer and then gulped, continuing across the room and disappearing through a small door in the far left corner. He listened as the footsteps got further and further away until they were inaudible. There was then an uncomfortable silence. Almost afraid to breathe, Howl let his head fall back against the wall behind him, his hair falling out of his eyes and hanging down the back of his neck.

This is the first time you've pissed off a girl and actually wanted her back! Do you even know what you'd say? Calcifer's words echoed in his head. What was he going to say?

After about five minutes of painful waiting, another door on the left hand side of the staircase opened and a tall woman with sapphire blue eyes and sandy coloured hair appeared. She wore a long navy blue dress that had been taken in drastically around the waste making her top half look a lot larger than it actually was. She immediately caught site of Howl, her cheeks reddening slightly. The bang of the door closing after her snapped the wizard's train of thought, his eyes opening suddenly.

'Good day to you Howl, how are you doing?' She asked gently clasping her hands in front of her and approaching him slowly. Howl jumped up as soon as she began to speak and took a small bow.

'Well Mrs Harrison, if you want me to be completely truthful, this past week has been hideous.'

She brushed past him and sat herself down on the white bench dusting off her dress and glancing up at him.

'Well I can assure you mine has been much the same. In fact I've barely slept at all.'

Howl's throat began to get very dry. He hadn't been sure what to expect as Sophie's stubborn nature usually made her quite emotionless but he feared the pregnancy may have changed things, and it obviously had.

'How is she?' He asked solemnly as he folded his arms and began to pace back and forth.

Fanny sighed, her weary eyes dropping to where her hands sat on her lap.

'Howl do you have any idea how much she loves you?' Howl stopped pacing to stare at the woman.

'Of course I do, Mrs Harrison I would never do anything to hurt your daughter, I thought I was doing the right thing.'

She nodded and smiled a sweet motherly smile at him.

'I know dear, she just loves you so much that she's questioning your love for her. I guess she thinks she isn't good enough for you or something silly.'

Howl heaved an exasperated sigh.

'She's always been like that, she constantly puts herself down…'

There was a moment's silence.

'She prays for you Howl.' Fanny spoke up. Howl's gazed was dragged up off the floor to connect with hers. 'Every night. I can hear her through the wall. She prays for you to change. She cries and wails, she won't eat, she won't sleep…she can barely string a sentence together. When she arrived here, well I didn't know what to think, I was beginning to think you'd died or something the way she was getting on.'

Howl began to feel physically sick. The room began to spin and he was getting very unstable.

'She's pregnant Mrs Harrison…you do now that don't you?'

The woman's eyes grew larger and larger, her jaw dropped slightly and her hands slid off her lap to sit limply on the bench either side of her.

'She…sh-she's what?' She almost screamed.

Howl took a few uneasy steps backwards, his arm clinging onto a nearby pillar for support.

'She didn't tell me…' She muttered to herself obviously slightly offended. 'No wonder she's so sensitive.'

Howl was beginning to wonder about Sophie's version of the argument that she had told her mother, obviously excluding the part were she found out she was pregnant.

'But that means her emotions are all out of balance right?' Howl asked her pleasantly trying to lift the mood.

'That doesn't mean she can't feel pain Howl.' Fanny replied softly.

'HOWL?' A familiar voice suddenly called from upstairs. They both froze, a worried glance exchanged. A pale blue figure came rushing down the large staircase in a terrible hurry, her short silver hair tousled and flying out behind her. Howl wasn't sure whether to be happy or scared as she came running towards him. 'Howl!' She squeaked as she threw her arms around his middle, her head resting on his chest.

The bewildered wizard stared down at her for a moment before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in closer.

'Howl I'm so sorry, I blew things way out of proportion, I didn't even give you a chance to explain! I understand now that you were only trying to fix things for my sake and I was stupid to accuse you otherwise. Let's never fight again 'kay?' She blurted out in one long rambling sentence that was quite hard understand, but Howl didn't care. She was back in his arms, his strange, stubborn, irritating, beautiful, loving girlfriend.

'It's okay.' He cooed stroking the back of her head gently as she sobbed into his shirt. He dipped slightly to let his lips brush over her hair, tears welling in his own eyes.

Fanny watched from a few feet away, chuckling to herself at the drama over the couple being apart for a mere seven days.

'What took you s-so long?' Sophie snivelled lifting her head to gaze up into those eyes she had missed so terribly. Howl smirked lifting a hand to brush the tears of her flushed cheeks.

'Calcifer locked me in!'

Thanks for reading, and also thanks to everybody that's been favouriting and alerting. Please please please keep reviewing, it gives me motivation. More to come soon.