Melting Wax
Challenge Eighteen: March Madness Redux
Title: Melting Wax
Author: velvetcandy
Wizard/Witch: Terry Boot/Millicent Bulstrode
Rating/Warnings: G/PG
Genre: Romance/Whimsy
Word count: Exactly 500
Prompt: #11, Beeswax candles
Summary: Terry is slightly disturbed during his first date with Millicent, but soon learns she has a hidden talent.
Terry leaned closer to the burning candle, his eyes transfixed on the images.
‘What’s this?’ he asked Millicent, still eyeing the candle with scrutiny.
Turning to see to what he was enquiring, she quickly turned back to arranging the table.
‘Beeswax candles. They give off a lovely fragrance, especially in Spring?’ she answered, flicking her wand to move the centrepiece just an inch to the left.
Terry looked closer at the candle, trying to make out the images.
‘No, I mean this,’ he said, pointing to the wax dripping in an elaborate pattern.
Millicent turned again to see where he was pointing.
‘Oh, that!’ she responded with a slightly embarrassed giggle. ‘That’s a spell Pansy and I created back at Hogwarts to make the candles Dumbledore stuck us with slightly more interesting. I was just playing with it earlier whilst she and I were conversing on the Floo network.’
Terry bent even closer to see the wax. Up close, he clearly saw the streams of molten wax forming the mascots of the Hogwarts houses - the snake of Slytherin House duelling the Gryffindor lion, biting the head of the Hufflepuff badger, and swallowing whole the bird of Ravenclaw. Worried, he looked back to Millicent.
‘Does this mean this date doesn’t stand a chance?’ he asked.
‘What?’ Millicent responded off-hand, trying to make the tulips sit perfectly within the vase.
‘Well, I assume if you and Pansy are still harbouring sour feelings towards us....’ he trailed off.
‘What?’ she asked again, and then turned to give Terry her full attention.
‘Aren’t you listening, Millicent? I mean, if you and Pansy still dislike us -‘
‘Oh no! I’m so sorry! No, Pansy was just reminding me how to do the spell, and this was one of hers and Draco’s favourites, so that was the first one, and I merely forgot to change it. No, please look at the others,’ she said, walking across the dining room to show him another candle.
Terry followed her to the next set of candles. Looking closely, he saw the wax forming lovely shapes - hearts, diamonds, flowers. He looked at the next set and saw the molten wax transform itself into tiny stars that seemed to sparkle like the night sky.
‘See?’ Millicent asked, showing him yet another set that created the London skyline.
‘That’s incredible! How do you do that?’ he asked.
‘Crema Cera Forma,’ Millicent said as she flicked her wand. Terry watched in wonder as the shapes in the wax began to change to shape.
‘Beautiful,’ he said as his hand sneaked around her waist to pull her in. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and whispered in her ear, ‘Just like you.’
Millicent smiled and turned in his embrace, melting like the wax.
‘Are we ready for dinner? It’s our first date, and I can’t leave you hungry,’ she said, taking his hand to lead him back to the table.
‘The best first date ever,’ Terry replied, happily following her lead.
Author's Notes: A very special thanks to seaislewitch for offering to proof at deadline and putting up with insane schedule. You are a good, true, and rare friend indeed, and I don’t know what I’d do with you.
Proof-reader:seaislewitch