A/N: For the record, yes, I am aware this has nearly no point at all...but I've gotten past that and I hope you can too ^^

Disclaimer: It's never mine.

In Which Distractions Abound

Sophie Hatter was locked in the broom cupboard.

It was not the ideal spot to be sure – her back was crushed against her abounding cleaning supplies, she was losing feeling in both of her legs, and Howl's precious spiders were dangling from the broom handles, their intricate webs tickling her face. Yet the cupboard was also dark and quiet, lending it an almost peaceful atmosphere. The silence pleased Sophie the most.

She was there by choice of course.

Yes, Sophie had searched long and hard for a quiet place – not an easy task when you live in a moving castle inhabited by two wizards and a fire demon – and could now at long last hear herself think.

Shifting to her right, Sophie grabbed the mop bucket and overturned it. Next she dug through her pocket for the dingy candle that she had pilfered off Howl's workbench. Finding it, Sophie placed it atop a pile of papers she had brought with her. With her makeshift desk in place, she paused, choosing her next words carefully.

"What a bright candle you are!" she murmured to the darkness. Surely enough, the old candle began to glow, lighting the cupboard. "Just don't burn anything else," Sophie added hastily, "Howl will skin me alive if I incinerate his spiders' coven." The candle glowed brighter in agreement. Pleased, Sophie prepared to begin her work.

Ever since Howl had begrudgingly agreed to teach her magic (thanks to her deadly weed killer coupled with the threat of her moving back in with Fanny), Sophie had been trying her best to master every lesson, no matter how small. Having never been particularly gifted at anything besides making hats and growing flowers and cleaning (and how exciting where any of those things really?), magic seemed to Sophie like the most thrilling thing in the world.

This loops us nicely back to the broom cupboard. Why was Sophie locked there you ask? The truth is that lately Sophie had been having trouble concentrating, and magic is a difficult enough subject without your mind rebelling against you on top of everything else. Sophie's mind had taken to wondering: What might Howl be up to? I hope Michael isn't making a mess in the shop. I suppose I shall have to clean again today. Perhaps I should visit Fanny. What is Howl thinking? That I look pretty? I acknowledge Howl looks very dashing himself so he ought to return the favor. Does he lo–

ENOUGH! thought Sophie. She had had to take matters into her own hands. And that was what had led her to the closet: the hope of a silent reprieve from everything, most especially herself. She had gathered up her things quietly and left the castle's main chamber. She doubted Howl had even noticed.

Sophie let out a deep sigh.

"Come on Sophie, let's work some magic!" She never had quite gotten over her old woman habit of talking to herself.

Sophie stared intently at one of her many sheets of paper. After Howl had gotten over his initial aversion to teaching her magic, he had gotten rather enthusiastic about it. He had become so intent on "passing on his wisdom" that he had begun giving Sophie a packet of assigned spells each day at breakfast to perform. Occasionally Howl would be struck with a brilliant idea midday, which always meant Sophie was to expect another spell at supper. Sophie would have found it cute, if it wasn't at the same time slightly vexing. She was sure Michael never had to do so much work as Howl's apprentice, but she daren't voice her concerns aloud, especially if Martha was present.

Sophie gave herself a jerk – she had nearly fallen asleep (another bad habit picked up from her days of being old). She stared at the page again…and realized it was blank. Mightily confused, Sophie ruffled through her other papers, which she found to be blank as well. Just when Sophie was about to give up hope and burn the lot of them, she saw a mysterious script appear on the page, as if someone was writing on it.

'Answer me these questions three – 'ere the spell's end you'll see…'

Sophie scratched her head with her quill. She wondered what Howl could be up to.

'First – Teach me to hear my mermaid singing or to keep off damn envy's stinging,'

The spell had Sophie's full attention now.

'Second – And find What wind Serves to advance a distracted mind,'

Sophie stared at the sheet dumbfounded. Was the spell mocking her?

'Lastly – tell me where I might find my woman true and fair.'

Sophie stood straight up in the cupboard, knocking about brooms, spiders, and her enchanted candle in the process (which, thanks to her rare foresight, did not burn a thing). However, Sophie did not even notice. Her mind was on the spell. Or rather the joke of a spell Howl had given her. It was that blasted poem again! Or very nearly so. Wanting to know the meaning behind this rubbish, Sophie stormed out of her sanctuary.

She stormed down the hallway leaving the contents of the cupboard in her wake ("I'll have to clean that up later," Sophie mumbled to herself). She continued to storm loudly down the stairs, for a tiny voice in her head told her it would be nice to give Howl a bit of a warning for what was coming next.

Sophie stormed into the castle's main chamber – and halted mid-stomp.

Howl had not budged an inch from the workbench at her arrival. No slight turn of the head to acknowledge her presence. Nothing.

"Ahem!" Sophie announced her presence.

Slowly, Howl turned around with a wide grin on his face.

"Yes, dear?" he crooned.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sophie waved the spell in the air.

"Oh! My poem? Did you like it Sophie? I was hoping you would," Howl babbled.

"Howl," Sophie said while fighting the urge to be soft on him, "answer the question."

Under Sophie's withering stare he cracked.

"Alright! Alright! I was bored Sophie! I've been trying to work on that spell – you know, the important one for the King of Ingary – but then you suddenly left the room and ran off somewhere! I waited patiently for a few moments, but you didn't come back. I kept wondering where you were and what you were doing. Do you know how hard it is to work if you aren't in the room? I'm always worrying what you've gotten yourself into. I suppose I could've sent a search-spell out, but this way seemed so much more fun, don't you think?"

Somewhere in the middle of this miraculous speech Sophie had gone from being mad to disapproving to quite pleased. She gave Howl a smile and a kiss on the cheek, then made room for herself at his workbench.

"Here's your real spell," Howl said with a wry grin, and he placed the paper in front of her.

The two got back to work, and the castle chamber was unusually quiet until Howl voiced his thoughts aloud.

"It seems I can't work properly without a distraction."

Sophie merely rolled her eyes, and refocused on the spell before her, finally able to concentrate.

A/N:

ME: I hope they weren't too bored by this…

ME AGAIN: A mini HowlxSophie argument is never boring!

ME: But still…

Okay I know this isn't my best work, but I need a pair of fresh eyes on this. Please send your thoughts my way, especially on what you didn't like/what to improve on. Your comments mean a lot!

I hope to update more HowlxSophie related fics before winter break is up. *hint hint, nudge nudge* So stay tuned!

~YIEQ