Gwen
Before I could say anything else, Cedric slipped his arms under me and lifted me up in one smooth, unhesitating motion.
A small surprised sound escaped me before I could stop it, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, fingers gripping the back of his shoulder. He carried me as though I weighed absolutely nothing, moving through the apartment with quiet, unhurried steps. The only sounds were our soft breathing and the faint pad of his bare feet against the floor, the rest of the world completely absent from the room.
He set me down gently on the closed toilet seat and crossed to the shower, turning the water on and adjusting it with careful attention until the temperature was exactly right. Then he stepped in first and held his hand back out to me, patient and steady,
