So, I decided to not make this a one-shot after all. It will probably have about 3 or 4 chapters, tops. Enjoy!

1.

The night breeze swirled across the Wastes, leaving the leaves on trees and blades of grass quivering like taught bows. The soft wind rustled the checkered curtains that hung across Sophie's window sill. Already on the verge of consciousness, she stirred, sat up. Her ears pricked up at the noises of the night – crickets chirping, Calcifer crackling quietly in his hearth in the parlor, and the creaking castle settling. Sophie shuffled into her warm slippers and crept out of her room. She couldn't hear any sound from upstairs indicating whether or not Howl was home, but he surely would be at this hour of the night. Her cheeks grew warm at the thought of him sleeping quietly in his massive four-poster bed, safe in her protection. She sighed and ran suddenly shaky fingers through her silvery locks. She knew that this was flawed logic – she always wanted to think of him as being her charge, her responsibility - the one she had to make sure was safe. But she knew, truly, that she would always be indebted to Howl for taking her in, understanding her, teaching her to be proud in herself and her accomplishments. It was ridiculous, really – how much sharing his world had taught her about herself.

"Something interesting, doll?" Calcifer sparked groggily. Sophie realized that she'd been staring at the floorboards with a wistful smile on her face.

"Oh! Nothing, Calcifer. Not really." There was a pause, and she sat down at the wooden chair facing the fireplace. The plum cushion was threadbare and its brass fasteners rusted, but the dark wood had grown smooth as silk with age and use.

"What are you doing up, Calcifer? I hope I didn't wake you."

"Believe it or not, Sophie, I sometimes happen to wake up early without your help."

Sophie smiled. She'd known all along that he hadn't woken up because of her. She stretched her fingers towards the flames. Despite his guff, Calcifer brightened obligingly to warm them.

She smiled.

"Thank you, Calcifer. I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Darned if I know. Howl wants me to move the castle 30 miles to the east. Who knows, we may actually be able to see a town by the time I get there! Haven't seen one of those in awhile…"

Sophie chuckled. "Well, towns aren't everything. Still, there's always something to do in town."

There was a silence while the embers sputtered.

"Calcifer, how long has it been since Howl visited a town? Not in disguise, I mean, but as himself."

"I don't know. If I had to narrow it down, the last time Howl went out in public without any crazy disguise was…when he first met you."

Sophie gasped.

"He told you about that?"

"He tells me everything – the guy's got no filter! If you ask me, he needs to find a girlfriend or something to listen to all his stories. There's too many for me to keep track."

Sophie blushed at the word girlfriend, and was immediately swept away thinking about what it would be like to be on Howl's arm. Magical was the word that came to mind. To be his, and his alone, would be nothing short of magical.

The castle creaked and moaned as Calcifer burned brighter, moving its iron legs into a proper walking rhythm. After a few moments the jostling steadied, and Sophie yawned in spite of herself.

"You go ahead and sleep, Sophie." Calcifer murmured. "Until we stop this afternoon, there's nothing that needs doing."

Sophie rubbed her eyes blearily. There was always something that needed doing…but the plush couch in the corner looked so warm and inviting. Maybe if she closed her eyes for just a moment…

Sophie woke up later to a soft rocking motion. At first she thought it was Calcifer moving the castle beneath her, but then realized that she was cocooned in warmth with steady breaths blowing her bangs across her forehead, tickling the sensitive skin. She squirmed and tried to unclose her heavy lids.

"Howl?"

"Yes, Sophie?" he voice reverberated through his broad chest; through her, by consequence. He sounded so nonchalant that she had to open her eyes. He wasn't looking at her, but ahead, with a light smile on his face. It seemed Howl was always smiling about something, these days. It filled Sophie with joy to see him so at peace.

Sophie realized the rocking motion she'd felt was him carrying her to her room.

"Oh, Howl, you don't have to do that – I can walk." She stuttered, and shifted in his grasp.

"Relax, Sophie. And don't move, or I'll drop you." There was laughter in his voice. Sophie sighed and leaned back into his chest. She allowed him to gently lower her on to her mattress, and then pulled the covers over herself. Her breaths were coming quick and shallow – she hoped he didn't notice. She only looked up at him again when he took her hand in his and kissed it.

"My lady." He winked flirtatiously, then turned to leave. Sophie rolled her eyes a let out an unsteady sigh. If he only knew the effect he had on her… She would certainly never hear the end of it. She turned her face to the wall and curled into a comfortable position on the bed, and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Suddenly she noticed that Howl hadn't left the room at all, but was standing halfway across the threshold, staring at her. Immediately she grew anxious.

"What is it?" She sat up slightly in bed. His iridescent blue eyes were unreadable in the dim light of dawn filtering through her curtains

"Sophie…do you like music?"

Sophie paused, completely baffled by his question.

"I…"

He was staring at her intensely, as if her answer was of vital importance.

"I do. Like music, I mean."

His entire posture relaxed.

"Good. Would you like to accompany me somewhere?" He smiled hopefully. Sophie blinked. How could she deny such a face? She didn't want to, anyways.

"Yes, of course."

"Tonight?" Howl asked as he backed away. He seemed suddenly in a hurry to leave her alone in her room.

"Ok." Sophie called after him just before the door closed. She shook her head in disbelief, and listened to the rumblings of the iron legs pumping below. Then she stretched her arms over her head and fell back on the cushions.
"Yes!"

Later that night, after the castle was resting peacefully on a hillside, Sophie stepped out of her room to silence. Calcifer was crackling quietly in the hearth, and Sophie had tucked Markl into bed an hour before. She wondered where Howl was. Thinking he might be upstairs, she nimbly crept up to the castle's balcony. Carefully she opened and shut the door behind her, before turning and running right into Howl's broad chest.

"Ah!" She gasped. "Howl! I'm so sorry I-I was looking for you."

Howl chuckled.

"It's no problem, Sophie."

She felt a finger beneath her chin, slowly raising her face up until it was bathed in moonlight. "Now that's better." He murmured

The stars seemed to reflect off of Howl's blue eyes, making Sophie go weak in the knees as she stared up at him. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but doubted that he could see it.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes. Oh!" Sophie squealed as Howl wrapped an arm around her waist and leapt off the balcony into the starry night sky. Then they were flying, over fields, hills, and patches of summer flowers, their blossoms closed and bowed in sleep. A cow looked up and mooed at them both as they ghosted by. Sophie gasped as suddenly a bustling town appeared over the subsequent hill, full of light and sounds, looking so enchanting against the backdrop of the black mountains in the distance.

"Here we go." Howl's low voice was tinged with eagerness. Sophie looked up at him, smiling in the moonlight. He looked back and met her eyes, while simultaneously increasing their speed. Sophie hung on tight as street corners, burning lanterns, and shingled rooftops passed in blur, before Howl suddenly stopped and lowered her, then himself, down to a balcony. The balcony jutted out of a closed restaurant, just a few feet above street level, but was well-lit by the glow of a street lantern. It was fringed with an intricate iron railing, decorated with metal rose blossoms.

"Look." Howl turned her towards the town's square, which could be seen perfectly from their balcony. A small band of traveling musicians had gathered for a performance, as well as thirty or so townspeople.

"A dance?" Sophie asked quizzically.

"I saw them coming up the road a few days ago. Musicians always stop in the large towns they pass through and have at least one night of dancing, just to try and make some money from whatever rich aristocrats happen to attend." He smirked at the crowd, though they noticed neither the wizard nor the young woman crouched in their secluded corner, watching them. The lone violinist, a tall, stringy man in a snug-fitting Victorian suit, assumed his position at the head of the party. He struck a single, poignant note, at which the crowd instantly quieted, and Sophie held her breath. The other instruments – an accordion, snare drum, and cowbell quickly joined in, breaking apart the note into exciting fragments sewn together with rhythm and action. The people burst upon the cobblestoned square like a dam collapsing and within seconds the circle filled with men and women of all shapes, ages, and colors twirling like falling autumn leaves in the twilight. Sophie laughed with joy and clapped her hands along to the upbeat foxtrot rhythm as the bystanders surrounding the dancers swayed from side to side with the melody.

"May I?"

Sophie looked to Howl and was shocked to see him bow gracefully and extend his hand to her.

"But Howl," she protested, "do you want anybody to see you? Somebody might recognize you as Pendragon, and another as Jenkins. Or one of the king's men may be present, or –" Howl placed a gloved hand over her mouth to stop any further protestations.

"Hmmmmhhmmhmph!" Sophie tugged at his hand in annoyance, but Howl kept it firmly there, while with his other hand he lifted her up and over the railing and floated them both gently down to the town square. At the outskirts of the merry crowd he lowered her feet to the cobblestones and removed his hand from her mouth, but kept the other around her waist as he moved determinedly towards the inner circle.

"Wait, Howl, please?" Sophie looked up desperately as they approached the center, "I never was a very good dancer, and you might be discovered, the city guards –"

"Have no idea who I am or what I am." Howl finished. He pulled her gently into the circle of his arms and began the waltz, leisurely-paced and even. Sophie's skin tingled through her pale yellow dress where he touched her, and despite her anxieties she slowly relaxed as he confidently led her amidst the swirling skirts and colorful trousers of her countrymen. Howl's swagger was infectious, she had to admit – though it sometimes landed them both in trouble.

Sophie and Howl melted into the throng, blending perfectly into the crowd and easing her mind completely. She could stop worrying that they were being watched and focus on how embarrassing it was to feel Howl's brilliant blue eyes trained on her. She peeked up at him from beneath her lashes as they spun in time with the melody. He flashed a shy, yet stunningly white smile. She smiled back. A delicious light-headedness washed over her, and it suddenly felt like Howl's strong arms were the only thing holding her up. She didn't mind – she trusted him with her life. It felt like only seconds before the tempo of the music morphed and aged into a poignant ballad. The dancers leaned closer to one another like drooping flowers as they swayed more softly, gently, intimately to the music. Sophie laid her head on Howl's shoulder, unembarrassed despite their being in public. She felt his chin brush against her hair.

"Sophie," he murmured tenderly, "You –"

"Howl!"

Howl's head snapped up, and Sophie followed his gaze as a young woman burst through the outskirts of the crowd in excitement. She was gorgeous – an image of glittering perfection. She wore a golden ball gown adorned with sparkling lace at the collar and wrists. Her shining strawberry blonde hair was twisted into a spiraling halo atop her head, and the lantern light reflected off of a pair of dazzling green eyes. Sophie's jaw dropped audibly.

A few dancers had frozen at the woman's loud exclamation and were looking around in confusion for the source of the shrill voice. Quivering with anticipation, the specter took a step towards where Howl stood frozen on the cobblestones, with Sophie clutching his wrist protectively.

"Howl Jenkins! Don't you remember me?"