HMCFanfic:TheAftermath +Ch.16+

DISCLAIMER: ALL MAIN CHARACTERS BELOW TO DIANA WYNNE JONES, AUTHOR OF HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE. The fanfic is based upon the BOOK, NOT the movie.

Howl's Moving Castle: The Aftermath

Chapter 16: In Which Time Blurs

In the quiet town of Merriwell, the smells of dinner stewing on stoked fires mingled with the smell of burning leaves, and oncoming dusk. The air was still clutching to its summer warmth, but already wives were readying heavy down blankets for the oncoming cool nights. Living by the sea extended their summer months by a few weeks; but sadly all too soon summer was coming to an end for Merriwell. The quiet townspeople had another reason to lament the close of summer, for every year at this time; he came to occupy the house on the hill. Though large enough to be a mansion, it was named House Merriwell since the time that the old nobility had stayed there in splendor. To this day, the townspeople would've been under the protection of the Merriwell line, but nearly fifty years ago, on an early fall night, the entire family had disappeared without a trace. Not truly dependent on the household since the end of the Black Wars, the townspeople were not entirely hindered. All the same, the abrupt vanishment of their source of security left the town uneasy, and prone to xenophobic tendencies. It was also most unhelpful when lights could be seen from the supposedly vacant house at night, flickering faintly from an upstairs window. The house was haunted indeed, and even the curious children known for the troublesome tendencies kept their distance. Thankfully, the sightings happened only in the early fall, and later on, they stopped completely.

As the years past, the house stayed silent, and the town was left at peace to continue its simple life. The current Mayor at the time even discussed selling the house—as it had been left to no one—in order to gather money for a school, and a proper church bell. No sooner had it been mentioned at a town meeting, rumors spread through travelers—who were too tired or indifferent of the town's inhospitable behavior to forego spending a night or two at the makeshift inn—and soon enough those who appeared of higher stature and heavier purses trickled in to take a look at the possible investment. The Mayor had turned his house, by then, into a proper inn. However, once the news of the house's past inevitably came to light, potential buyers politely took their leave. To the town's luck though, a mysterious and quiet young man arrived into town at dusk one night, and insisted on buying the house on the hill immediately.

"No tour," he said, "is necessary." Slightly perturbed, the Mayor could only shrug, and put the heavily laden coffers into the town's fund. And every year, the stranger would come more or less at the same time; sometimes alone, but sometimes with company. Though distant, he was congenial with the town's citizens on his rare visits to the town itself. Throughout his stays, he remained sequestered for the majority of the time within the house. And lately, there were strange sounds at night coming from the mansion. Ever wary, the town remained at a distance, and as long as they were left to their ignorant peace, whatever went on in that house was none of their concern.

The night had fallen, and the town's houses glowed with firelight as tired fishermen and tradesmen finished their warm dinners, and started to settle down for the night. The women shared their speculation with their husbands about the recent arrival of him just the day before, and of the young girl who'd accompanied him, her face seen peeking out of the carriage windows with shining eyes.

"That sweet dear looking girl. He's never brought a lady before, has he? Well for all that it is I wouldn't let my Tess cavort with that man in that big empty house no matter how rich he is," a wife remarked to her husband, who merely grunted his assent, staring blankly out the window as he smoked heavily on his pipe. His gaze did not see the house on the hill before him, as he lost himself in his own thoughts to drown out his life mate.

The house itself was busy, servants still cleaning a year's dust away, and preparing a later dinner for their Master and Mistress. And Mistress she was, being the Master's specifically special guest. He had sent word through the Butler, Sebastian, that he expected only the best in everything for his guest, and he would not tolerate any mishaps in anything. Including behavior. That he even needed to tell them was an insult to their profession, but it was rare for their Master to demand anything but privacy. The maids giggled to themselves, wondering if their Master intended to marry this lady, and if he was nervous.

The lady in question sat in her room, staring out of her window glumly, her chin propped up on her hand, which in turn was propped up on the windowsill. Her silken red-gold hair was falling out of its careful braid, and her feet lay unshod, free of pinching shoes. Sophie had spent the day on a tour with Edward, seeing the different parts of the house, and then the private path down to a secluded beach front where he let her happily collect different colored shells. It was fun. He was the perfect gentleman, not letting the carriage ride the day before get awkward in its length—although she did happen to fall asleep—and he'd given her enough space for herself. Even when he'd apologetically told her that his friends had canceled on the trip, (due to the fact that the two had gone in the rain, and caught the flu), she'd felt only a slight twinge of embarrassment at being alone with him, but he made her feel so comfortable. And now, she sat in her room, supposedly getting ready for dinner as the spell began to wear off, and she could feel her revulsion at her behavior.

The very night of the dance, the night of the kiss, she had gone home and stayed up till the wee hours of the morning, preparing the spell in the dark seclusion of the hives. She kept Howl's hair in a safe place with her—magically attached inside of a locket—that she instructed herself to wear at night. She'd discovered that she remembered her plans, and her instructions, and that she was free of the spell with it on and it was a relief to give herself a respite once in a while. She would wear it at night, before she slept, to remind herself. It was also a relief that she did not lose her memory of what she did outside of the spell. The only thing that was affected was her love for Howl. With the spell, her thoughts turned to Edward constantly. She found herself roaming his face unawares…and that she liked what she saw.

The spell itself was simple, and she could feel her eyes glazed as she remembered how surprisingly easy it had been…

Gazing at the pocket watch held in her trembling hand, it showed the time to be nearly one in the morning. At her side lay a laden sack, full of the items she required. The locket with Howl's hair was secure around her neck, and she fingered it as she snapped shut the watch. Standing up with a sigh from her desk, she stretched, running her fingers through loose hair. She only felt pure determination, wanting to erase the memory of that chaste kiss from her mind. When she heard that low howl, she could feel Edward's smirk against her lips, and she cursed herself for her lack of reaction. She had plenty of time to dodge that kiss, and it would be silly of her to think Howl wouldn't have been watching. She was proud of her following actions though. She'd managed a shy, embarrassed look, had refrained from slapping the teeth out of that man, had managed to look very tired, and was given a ride home from the same coachmen who'd taken her to the dance. It was nice to see the familiar face of the kind footman again. She'd also feigned fatigue for Mrs. Fairfax, easily dodging her curious inquiries, (that no doubt would be brought up the next morning at breakfast), and had stayed up since then, furiously studying the spell book, and double checking all she needed.

Sticking her head out of doorway, she could easily hear Mrs. Fairfax none too ladylike snores. With a soft smile at her friend, she closed her door quietly, and strapped the sack to her back. She hadn't donned her nightgown, and was instead in a plain cleaning dress. From her window was a beeline path to the hives, and, with a smile at the pun, she clambered out of it, wincing slightly when she banged her knee against the frame. Pausing slightly, she perked her ears for any noise, and when hearing nothing suspicious, continued out of the window. She fell with a soft plop onto the nearby grass, and shut her window until it was only a crack. Twisting her hair into a makeshift bun at the base of her neck, she trudged into the darkness, knowing the paths nearly as well as Mrs. Fairfax did.

There was a clear circle, a little way from the last hive, which would serve her purpose. Laying down her sack, she took out her white paint first, and began to draw the pentagram. It took a while, especially since she was trying to make it even, and her hair kept falling in her face. Slightly red in the face, and huffing, she managed to finally complete the lines, and stood back to inspect it. It wiggled in some places, but overall, it would have to do. She turned back to her sack, and with shaking hands, took out the knife. It was Mrs. Fairfax's, although she wasn't sure if Mrs. Fairfax remembered it for she'd found it dusty and thrown haphazardly in a corner in the attic. It was made out of obsidian, and lazy swirls of magic shone near the edge. Slowly, she unbuttoned the front of her dress, and let her left sleeve slide down, exposing her pale skin in wavering moonlight. Clutching the knife with her right hand, she bit her lip, and looked down as she touched the tip to her skin. Immediately, a pearl of blood emerged. Slowly, she traced out the pattern, gasping out in pain as the thin red lines swirled, and dripped down onto her dress. Quickly though, she cast the knife aside, and stepped into the pentagram's center, leaning over and shaking her hands a bit so that blood dropped onto the paint. She knelt slowly, ignoring the throb on her chest, and entwined her fingers together, letting her hands subconsciously form a prayer position. The blood made her hands slick, and she clutched them together tightly.

Taking a few deep breaths, she thought of the plea she had made up. She was never good at rimes, and knew it wouldn't even compare to the lowliest of nursery verses, but it was all she could do. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth, and started, concentrating on those she intended in her spell, her voice cracking a bit after staying silent in the dark.

"I ask those, in this nightly hour
who are endowed more than I
to supplicate me with their power
to grant this humble rime.

Turn my love for another
in the direction of one I loathe
So that I might save my lover
And save a dear friend too.

She touched her hands to the locket on her chest, enclosing it in her sticky hands for the next part of the rime.

I ask that this love remain
Hidden in my heart
And when I see my love again
That my love for him restart.

Until then, please let me see
My enemy with kind eyes
And let me regain my memory
When the effect of this spell dies.

She then raised her clasped hands to the sky in her plea, releasing the necklace, her eyes closed and faced upward. A slight wind gathered, ruffling her hair that had stubbornly fallen out again. Beneath her eyelids, she could see the light gathering at the periphery. A breath escaped her in mild surprise, and it was caught up in the falsely conjured air, which swirled relentlessly around her kneeling form.

And then it died. With it, the light disappeared as suddenly, ironically blinding Sophie with its absence. Blearily opening her eyes, she adjusted to the dark, noticing that the pentagram had also disappeared, as well as the blood on herself. Shakily rising to her feet, she stumbled to her back, and put away her supplies, noticing the blood on the knife had also disappeared.

The next day, she tested herself. With the necklace on, the love she felt for Howl was near painful. When she took it off, it slowly disappeared, and she began to think of what Edward's kiss may mean. Then she put it back on, and slowly, her love for Howl returned, though not as concentrated, but she remembered. With it on, she remembered her purpose, her real love, and her plans. With it off, she wanted to be with Edward so badly she had to smack herself from getting distracted. All she knew was that she must be with him, because not only did she want to, but for some reason, it would help Calcifer. And she would always help a friend. She knew the necklace needed to be put on at night, to remind herself of something. That was all.

She almost found herself looking forward to taking the necklace off, so that her burdens were lessened, and she could enjoy being carefree again. No matter that when she put it back on again she would hate herself a little more. Any release would be fine.

Edward visited her often at Mrs. Fairfax's and she always made sure to keep the necklace in her room. At night, she only put it on briefly, to remind herself. She didn't want to wear out the spell, and secretly, she didn't want to wear out her bliss. She knew inside that she'd get a worse awakening when she saw Howl himself, and she was giving herself a break.

And she didn't wear it in the carriage. She didn't wear it when they unpacked, or had a very early supper. She only put it on the night before bed, and now…

A loud knock on her door startled Sophie out of her reminiscing.

"Mistress Sophie, Master Edward awaits your company."

"Oh yes, I'm coming."

She hastily stood up from her relaxed position, and wiggled out of her day dress, pulling on the green one she'd set out before slumping by the window. She warned herself to be careful tonight, as she would not have the protection of the necklace. During his visits, and during this current trip, she noticed and remembered the heated looks he'd given her when he thought she was unaware, and it made her nervous. Howl had given her the same look many times on their date. The thought of Howl didn't make her keen, as it usually did, as the spell's hold on her was getting stronger at resisting the effects of Howl's single hair. It worried her a little, but not enough to give her wizard a visit to steal more of him.

Giving up on making her hair cooperate into a braid, or bun, she opted to let it loose, and tucked a few strands behind her ears. With a deep breath, she unclipped the locket from around her neck, and laid it carefully on the bedside table. As soon as she released the talisman, she felt her excitement to see Edward peak, and she brushed her skirt nervously before opening the door, and allowing herself to be escorted to the dining room by Sebastian.

The way took her down a long hallway, and two staircases. The walls were tastefully papered, and had paintings lining them every two feet. Some paintings were portraits, while others were landscapes. A few were battle scenes, and others were of pacing lions, or battling griffons. The day before, Sebastian had politely informed her that Edward was a great collector of art, and had pointed out his favorite, which was of Aphrodite and Ares, staring longingly at each other with an abyss separating them. Sophie had giggled politely.

With a bow, Sebastian presented Sophie into the dining room. The table had been altered so that it was only five feet long, but that was as short as it would go. It was meant to hold many more leaves, and many more people. Edward was standing near the fireplace, with a pensive look on his face. When Sophie arrived, he turned to her, and smiled softly, before striding towards her to take her hand.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Sophie," he said, lightly brushing her knuckles with his lips. Sophie blushed and let him steer her to the table, helping her push in her chair as she sat down. As soon as he was satisfied she was comfortable, he moved to the other side of the table, and sat down. Sitting across from him allowed her a view of his face nigh perfectly, and she took in his dark, sleepy eyes, and his tousled hair. More than once had she imagined running her fingers through it.

Suddenly, Sebastian arrived with two covered platters in each hand, without seeming to have been summoned. He placed the first in front of Sophie, uncovering it, and then to his Master. It was a red, thick looking soup that still had steam curling from it. Having not eaten since the late morning, Sophie felt her stomach gurgle slightly, and blushed, hoping Edward didn't hear. He bowed his head to her, and Sophie blushed again as he was clearly waiting for her to start. Taking the spoon she hoped was for soup, she ladled a bit, and placed it in her mouth. It was perfectly warm, and perfectly spiced, and it warmed her quickly as she ate more.

"Is it to your liking?" he asked.

"Oh, yes thank you. It is very good."

She looked up at him as she answered, and was mesmerized by how soft and warm his lips looked. Blushing, she looked back down at her soup.

The dinner was relatively quiet, as they moved through the next few courses, and Edward asked of her opinion of the food, and made light conversation of the day's activities. He told her a bit more about the house, and the town, and of the rarity of the fish, (local to the parts), they were eating. Sophie loved his voice, how soft and low it was, and she imagined it whispering in her ear. Shuddering with delight and silliness at her girlish thoughts, she placed a small piece of fish in her mouth so that she'd think of the food, and not her host.

Edward invited her to coffee on the terrace, which overlooked the ocean, and she accepted. Sipping the bitter, but warm liquid, she gazed at the stars above them.

"Sophie? May I ask you something?"

She turned to Edward, a small smile curving at her lips. She felt more comfortable around him, now that she was thoroughly fed.

"That depends what it is."

He smirked lightly, before letting his smile turn gentle. "It may be personal."

Sophie would tell him anything. "Go ahead, it's quite alright."

He nodded, shifting closer to where she leaned against the balcony rail. "I was wondering…what is your friend Howl to you?"

Howl?

Howl. Her friend…yes. They dated once.

"He's an old friend of mine, you know that. We had a little thing going, but it didn't go anywhere. I hadn't talked to him in a while, and it was a surprise to see him at the dance."

"So, you have no intention of being with him?"

Was Edward asking if she was available? She laughed inwardly. He did kiss her, didn't he?

"No, I haven't thought of it at all."

Edward moved closer, their arms touching, and she could feel his light chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I must sound silly. It's just that he seemed…very possessive of you. You two did live together during your ensorcellement."

Sophie laughed, and some part of her prompted her to say something that was ridiculous. But she wanted Edward to be jealous. You minx, she thought.

"Well, I don't think he's let me go yet. He was rather…upset that you had invited me to your ball, and insinuated improper things. He's a jealous man, but then, he always was. But you don't have to worry," she smiled up at him. "You have nothing to worry about."

He smiled again. Bless him, she loved his smile. "And…you are not uncomfortable being so unsupervised here? With me?"

He was teasing her. He might've been serious, but Sophie was no fool, and that was definite teasing. The thought made her giddy, because he wanted to be alone with her. Not for the first time did she wonder what really happened with his friends.

"I'm very comfortable with you. You're a gentleman. And besides," she said, gesturing to the butler who stood a polite distance away. "We've got Sebastian to make sure you don't sully me."

He laughed, and leaned in close to her face. "What if I want to sully you?"

Sophie let out a breath, and looked at him as he drew closer, her face turning warm. He closed his eyes for a second, and Sophie was sure he would kiss her, but he turned away at the last minute, pacing, and a swirl of cool air replaced him.

"I'm sorry Sophie. My questions did have reason, however silly they seemed." He turned to look at her, his eyes burning strangely.

"I needed to make sure that you were free to consider what I wanted to ask you tonight."

Sophie merely stared at him, wondering what in the world he was going on about. He strode towards her, and kneeled beside her, gently grasping her right hand.

"Sophie, I know we've only known each other briefly, but I feel that I have met the woman who I wish to spend the rest of my life with. I would like you in my life Sophie, and I want to keep you with me in every way possible. Sophie Hatter, will you marry me?"

Her jaw nearly dropped. She knew Edward was fond of her, but that he wanted to marry her? She swallowed hard, and stared at his beautiful, yearning face. They'd only known each other for perhaps two months. But, did that matter? Would she be here, alone with him, if she didn't expect a future for them? She imagined herself walking down the aisle to him, holding his children, being his bride…

She wanted that.

She looked down again where he waited, patience in his posture, but his eyes were anxious and tense.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I will marry you."

His smile was jubilant and victorious as he gently pushed the ring onto her finger, and he embraced her to him as he stood up.

"Oh Sophie, you don't know how happy you've made me," he said, muffled in her hair. He leaned back from her, his eyes shining with a glint Sophie couldn't place, and he pressed his lips to hers. At that point, her thoughts fled her mind, and she focused on his caressing warmth, and the hands that dug into her hair as she clutched to his lapels. When she returned his kiss, she nearly melted at the virile growl that was prompted from his throat, and she swore she'd never be able to fix her hair properly again.

Later that night, as she pulled on her nightgown, and washed her still red cheeks, she sighed, and mindlessly put on her locket as she settled on the edge of her bed. Her warm, fuzzy feelings faded away, and the tingle of her lips made her eyes widen with the shocked and recognition of what she did.

"Dear God. I said yes."

Tears slipped unheeded down her face, as she stared out of the window where her candle flickered into the night. It may have been part of the plan, but she couldn't hold back the misery. The misery of her choice, and the misery that she didn't hate Edward as much as she should.