His Favorite Time of Day
Sofia hummed happily as she ascended the stairs to her sorcerer's tower. She'd just gotten back to the castle after spending the day in Dunwiddie with her family. It had been a pleasant day, and now the princess was eager to tell Cedric all about it. Reaching the workshop door, she knocked and waited.
When no response came, Sofia stood there debating whether to knock again or just open the door. Deciding on the latter, she reached out to try the handle. Finding the door unlocked, she pushed it open and peered inside.
Cedric was hunched over his caldron with his back to her. Sofia bit her tongue to keep from calling out to him and quietly moved forward. When she was closer, she could see that he was holding a vial over the contents of the caldron, a look of deep concentration on his face as he silently counted each drop that fell from the vial. Finally, after what felt like hours, the sorcerer set the vial aside and stirred the mixture. The concoction turned a silver color with hints of blue, making him sigh in relief.
"Ooh! That looks so beautiful," the princess gushed, causing the poor sorcerer to jump.
"Sofia? When did you get here?" he asked, placing one hand to his chest in an attempt to calm his racing heart.
"A few minutes ago." She smiled sweetly. "I knocked, but you didn't answer, so I just came in."
Cedric gave her a pointed look. "I'm glad you didn't just barge in like you did when you were younger." He then smirked. "Although you still like to sneak up on me."
"Of course! It's fun seeing you jump." She snickered when he deadpanned. "I'm just joking. Calm down. So, what were you making?"
"A potion that will make the castle look as if it was made of ice. Your father has decided to try to impress some visiting royals next week." He rolled his eyes as he picked up his wand off the table. A single wave of the wand caused the liquid to float out of the caldron and into an empty bottle on the table. After capping the bottle, he turned to the princess. "I believe I'm done working for the day. Would you care for some hot chocolate with me?"
"Sure," she enthused. "Don't forget the marshmallows."
"I could never forget the marshmallows," he said sarcastically. He waved his wand, conjuring two steaming mugs of the desired beverage, both heaped with a small pile of marshmallows. "Here you are, my love."
Sofia took one of the hovering mugs and took a careful sip, humming in delight. "Mmm… Don't tell anyone, but your hot chocolate is the best in Enchancia."
"It helps when magic is an ingredient," he said proudly as he twirled his wand, smirking when she giggled. He plucked the remaining mug out of the air and waved his wand once again; this time conjuring a small sofa by the window. "Come. Let's sit down. I'm sure you want to tell me all about your trip to the village."
The young woman smiled enthusiastically and followed him to the sofa. She sat down carefully, still holding her drink, and tucked her legs underneath her. Cedric sat down beside her and sipped his hot chocolate, sighing in relaxation as he leaned back and listened as Sofia started her tale.
"So, you've probably heard about the new sweet shop in Dunwiddie. It's called Chocolate for Life. Dad was asked to give an opening speech. Of course, James had to go since chocolate was involved, so we decided to go as a family…"
An amused smile formed on the sorcerer's face as he listened to her talk. Truly, this was his favorite time of day. He cherished the evenings when his princess came to see him and they would sit there together enjoying one another's company. By the time the winter sun had set, both of their mugs were empty, and Cedric and Sofia were both sound asleep; her head resting on his chest while he held one of her hands in both of his.
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! I know I've been gone a while, but I was writing stories for the STFSAW Sweetheart's Day Special , which is today. I hope you enjoyed my story for the Chocolate prompt.