The Light

Cedric slowly stirred from his sleep as birds sang early morning melodies outside and the sun trickled in through the relatively small, nearby window that did its best to brighten the tower. He opened his groggy eyes and was greeted by the sight of his lovely wife still in a tranquil sleep. She was facing him and it provided him the ability to lie there admiring her.

How she had come to be his, he still couldn't wrap his mind around. He had never done anything to deserve her. He'd almost hurt her time and again before mending his ways. When he first realized he loved her, he could only imagine his love would go unrequited. Yet, here she was beside him. Sofia was his now. She had been for several months.

He watched her with adoring eyes, mesmerized by the rhythmic movement of her shoulder and the coverlet. Instinctively a closed smile spread across his face. He carefully moved his hand toward her and ever so gently pushed back a stray curl lying across her left eye. He then let his fingers whisper traces across her soft face. Her beautiful, wonderful, perfect...young face.

Cedric's mood slowly fell and he recoiled his hand as if the touch of Sofia's skin had burned him, a reprimand for getting too close to some forbidden flame. He moved his hand to his own face instead, tracing the lines that reminded him of the age-worn contrast. Why had she married him? Why had he allowed it?

She was young and brilliant, like a flower at the height of its bloom. He wasn't yet what he would call old, at least not by sorcerer standards, but he was getting there faster than he cared to admit and he lacked all of the marks which might make the marriage less unscrupulous. He was far from being handsome enough, wise enough, or even of noble enough birth to warrant as amiable and young a wife as Sofia. Or so he often convinced himself.

Cedric closed his eyes and in doing so missed the studious eye that Sofia opened to look at him. He missed the gentle shake of her head as she watched him trace his face a few more times and then let his hand fall in despair. However, he opened his eyes again when he felt the distinctive touch of her soft, cool hand cupping his cheek. He looked down at her to see her eyes were closed, but that a thin smile played on her lips. For a fleeting moment all of his doubt faded and he could only selfishly bless whatever lucky star had intertwined their fates.

At last she opened her eyes to meet his gaze and against all logic that he could conceive, Sofia's eyes sparkled at the sight of him. Without hesitation or word, she propped herself up and pulled him closer until their lips met with the same lingering softness of a hazy morning. It had all the intensity of sweetness, long and purposeful in relaying the pureness of her heart for him.

As she pulled away a content sigh escaped her lips and it occurred to him that she knew exactly where his mind had wandered. With all her delicate charm she was admonishing him.

"I love you, Cedric," she whispered before settling back down onto the pillow. She lovingly threaded the fingers of her left hand with his right and closed her eyes for a little more lazy rest.

No other words were said, but no long and preachy speech was needed to draw him back to the truth he'd strayed from. With the brevity of a single breath she dispelled all of the fears and feelings of inadequacy which clouded his reason and blinded him from the love she so willingly offered without intention of ever taking back.

He gave himself a quick inward reprimand for distrusting her right to love him. She had chosen him in spite of the disparities that lay between them and he knew better than to think he could ever deny that right. Cedric loved her too hopelessly to push her away even when his darkest feelings told him he didn't deserve her and she loved him too perfectly to let that darkness ever linger longer than it should.

Suddenly, as if by some magic far greater than anything he could ever conjure, a bright ray of sun passed wholly through the window and kissed Sofia's face like it belonged there. Cedric watched in a drunken state as her closed eyes squinted at the brightness and her smile widened in welcome of it. If there was any darkness still lingering somewhere inside him, it certainly fled at the sight and he closed his own eyes in peaceful acceptance of the gift he'd been given. For she was the window in a dark tower. She was the radiant morning sun.

She was his light.

Author Note: I know it's easy to imagine all kinds of ways Cedric could be once they're a couple, but this is based off of my most unwavering headcanon that -given their development as characters so far- once Cedric allows himself to fall for Sofia, it would be such a hard, desperate fall in which he simultaneously adores/wants/needs her and yet also has to sometimes combat those nasty insecurities he seems to have.

Halfway into it, I realized it was heading towards a place where it would be loosely inspired by Sara Bareilles' "The Light" - which is one of my favorite songs that also happens to remind me of Cedric's need for Sofia. So that's where the title and thematic element comes from.