A/N: Hello and welcome to yet another of my fanfics! I've had this idea in my head for a while and I have finally had the time to put pen to paper (so to speak) so I will try to spill my creative juices so they form this story. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own it. None of it. Zilch. Nill. Zero. Not even one character. They belong to word Master Diana Wynne Jones (RIP) and the wonderful team at Studio Ghibli. I thank them for letting me use their masterpieces in my own work.

Chapter 1 - Alone

Howl was sitting at his cluttered workbench sifting through the many spell books and trinkets and other detritus that he had left there. Usually, the table would have been spotless due to the impenetrable force that was Sophie Hatter. The reason that the table (and much of the rest of the castle for that matter) had been allowed to slowly accumulate such rubbish was due to one simple explanation. Sophie wasn't there.

Sophie had gone to spend a week with her sisters, plus to put her mother's mind at rest as she wasn't too keen on the idea of her daughter spending and living with a man when they weren't even married. Although Sophie had argued to her mother about this subject for a considerable time, they had eventually come to the decision where they would compensate; meaning Sophie should spend some time with the family, away from Howl.

Howl wasn't very happy with the idea at first. He still wasn't happy with the arrangement at present, but as he had no chance of changing Honey's mind he just had to sit pretty and busy himself while Sophie was gone. Which he had tried to do at first, but wizard business was very slow at the moment leaving Howl with little to nothing to do. Also, now that Calcifer was free to do and go as he pleased and Markl kept going into market Chipping, Howl was left with nobody to talk to. This displeased him greatly as everyone knew him to be one who liked to be the centre of attention.

This time alone did give him time to think deeply though. At first his thoughts were about how unfair his life was. 'Why does Sophie's mother object to me? What did I do?' and 'How come Markl gets to go out and have fun? Calcifer just ups and leaves whenever he wants. Some friend he is.'

After a day of moping about the castle trying furiously to keep himself busy/entertained, hence the mess, his thoughts of anger changed to those of upset and, well... Sophie.

His missed her starlight coloured hair and the way it glistened and shined, the ways she smiled whenever she saw him and made his heart flutter uncontrollably, her busybody attitude and the fact she was never short of something to clean or tidy and how she would always get her way either through her beauty and politeness or through her cold stare that could freeze water. She had even bullied Calcifer, the self-proclaimed 'Scary and powerful' fire demon into cooking for her. Howl would have loved to be there to have seen that.

This then lead to another trail of thoughts. What could she have said to make Calcifer do as she had said? This question had been niggling at his head for some time now and it had seriously peaked his curiosity. He had already asked Calcifer but he refused, it either being a secret or he was too embarrassed to admit it. After this dead end he went back to his thinking web.

He wondered if he could find out.

No, he would have had to have been there.

Could he be there?

Once again, no. That could lead to all sorts of problems. (A/N: Wibbley Wobbley Timey Wimey Stuff. LOL I love Dr WhoJ)

If he couldn't be there at the time maybe his conscience could!

A mischievous grin crept onto his face. He just had to find a spell which meant he could be in other people's memories but be oblivious to the people in it. It just so happens that Howl knew a spell that did just that. It was in one of those books... red... leather...beaten up...

The floor was littered with books that fit his description, but Howl carried on unperturbed. He was a man on a mission.

Mission Impossible.

Howl didn't know the meaning of the word.

A/N: So Howls got a plan. Hopefully it will go to plan. But where would the fun be in that? *grin* don't get annoyed if I switch between book and film during this story, it's just that some bits fit in better than others. Also I am sorry for using Dr Who quote. I don't own it but it can't stop me from loving it! WHOVIAN ALL THE WAY! Anyhow umm, please review, I like to talk to people and may even reply to you lovely people if I have time. Stay tuned for chapter 2.