Dabbling in a new fandom. This is what comes from watching movies when you should be working.

"Find me in the future!"

Brilliant instructions, those were, when he hadn't been able to make out the face that went with the voice. Howl sighed as he wandered back up to the house, silently staring at the flickering light in his hands. It almost seemed like the little fire was sleeping. Well, it didn't have any fuel just then. He had better hurry.

Sophie.

And she had called his name, and Calcifer's, which was strange because Howl had just learned Calcifer's name himself and he did not think anyone else could have heard it, they had been speaking so softly.

Obviously, this Sophie was a witch. She could hear things carried on the slightest breeze. And she could move herself with magic. That was why she had suddenly disappeared before his eyes. Well, Howl wasn't one to be bested. He would show Miss Witch a thing or two.

"Sophie," he whispered as he closed the cottage door behind him, already searching for firewood.

~…~

"I'm telling you, it's one of the stupidest things I've heard from you yet. And I've heard some stupid things from you, Howl."

"She is real, Calcifer. And I think I've found her."

"The Witch of the Waste is old. The kind of old that makes even demons like me blink. She can't be this girl you think we saw."

"She's also powerful," Howl pointed out, examining his fingernails and staring at some dirt until it disappeared in fright. "I've already explained this to you, I think, a dozen times. Powerful enough to jump through space, which means powerful enough to change her appearance. If she has any enemies, or is just a proper witch at all, she will have aliases. 'Sophie' must be a special one. A message, for me."

"She's still old."

"She was old when we first saw her. Must I keep reminding you? She had silver hair, even then. A little bit of magic to hide the weathering effects of age, and-"

"Howl, what does a man like you want with a hag like her?"

"Calcifer," Howl answered with a smirk, "the real question is what does a woman like her want with a man like me?"

"How should I know?" Calcifer grumbled, settling among his logs and sparking slightly. "I don't get out much, you know."

"Hmmmm?" It seemed that Howl was not paying attention.

~…~

"Howl." The voice was attempting to be a purr, but it had been far too long since its mistress had put a purr to proper use. Howl swallowed slightly, but inclined his head with a smile.

"Yes?"

"Why did you ask me about a 'Sophie' when we first met?"

"You remind me of one I knew once," he lied prettily. Much more prettily than she had purred. This was not his Sophie. Even in the vaguest of his memories, he had never been frightened of the Sophie that had appeared for a brief moment that night. There had been confusion, but no fear. There had even been, dare he think it, a spark of attraction. That was why he had pursued the Witch of the Waste. The rumors of her power had been attractive to him.

She was anything but attractive.

"Oh, Howl. You flatter me. Was she a beauty, your Sophie?"

Not my Sophie, not really. And how should I know if she was a beauty? Hag. "She was a one of a kind experience."

The witch smiled. "Well, and how am I to take that, young man?"

Yes, it was definitely time to run.

~…~

"Good girl," he complimented as he released the small hand that had trembled ever so slightly in his. The brown eyes were shining, but more in a dazed way, he felt, as he drifted to the ground and became invisible. She was impressed by the novelty of his magic, the little mouse girl. He would have to try and find her again. To make sure that she understood all of his manifold charms.

But first, he needed to finish dabbling in this war. He was making the world safe for the sake of young ladies like her, after all.

Sophie.

The thought crossed his mind briefly, as it did from time to time, a little more sharply than usual though.

He was making this world safer for her too, wherever she was. Whoever she was. How far into the future was he going to have to wait to meet her? How was he supposed to find her with only the name "Sophie?"

~…~

He did not need Calcifer telling him the transformation was dangerous. He knew. Knew it in his bones, in his blood. He was running out of time.

It wasn't often that he was jealous of old people, but his new cleaning lady made him a bit envious. Old age wasn't something he could plan on anymore, and while he would miss his good looks, he was starting to feel the weight of all the time he didn't have.

And there was that spell he could feel on her.

Lecher.

He could almost hear Calcifer say it as he pulled back the curtain to check on their new houseguest. He didn't have any intentions towards their new cleaning lady, but given his track record with the Witch, and how Calcifer still teased him about it, it was a small wonder that the demon was staring at Howl's back just then, probably with an evil grin.

Sophie.

He was not prepared to the little mouse he had left at the bakery. The magic all made sense to him now. Grandma Sophie. He had wondered, just a little, if it was her. So he had let her stay. But he had not been prepared for this.

A hot bath. He needed to think.

He was turning the knobs, his mind in a whirl.

"The Witch," he almost hissed, rubbing his face with his hand. She had done this. He knew the flavor of her magic like a poison that he could never escape. She had done something to Sophie.

"My magic," he groaned, sinking into the water until it was up to his nose. He had given the Witch her name, had dragged her into this chase, had cast magic near her. Just a little, but even if it had only been witnessed by the Witch's henchmen, that would have been enough.

"But how?" If she was really this young now, how could she, powerless Grandma Sophie, have found him in the past? But she was old too…

Sophie.

His Sophie.

Howl groaned.

~…~

"This charm will guarantee your safe return."

He didn't add "too me." He thought, hoped, she knew that it was implied. It was a little harder to be romantic with Grandma Sophie, because she was an old woman and Howl was still a young man.

But he could see beneath the magic now, just a little. And she was looking younger and stronger every day.

"Summon Calcifer with your heart," he told her later. And suddenly, he knew how she would find him. This Sophie wasn't his Sophie because she hadn't really found him yet. But she would. Because summoning Calcifer was almost the same as summoning him. And she did it so easily. Found him, exposed him. His cowardice. And his bravery.

He was going to have to be brave for her.

~…~

Fire and smoke and rain and darkness. A ravine. He vaguely remembered the ravine. He was searching. Searching for Sophie.

"Find me in the future."

He knew where all his years were kept, somewhere, in the part of his mind that wasn't a buzzing blackness.

A warm touch. Wind, all around him.

Stillness, and then a dull thud. He blinked open his eyes. Hair like starlight.

Sophie.

Thanks to Will, my beta, for helping me look this over. I hope you all enjoyed it.