February 2009, London, UK
Emma Watson felt like she was finally free after such a long time. As much as she loved the [Harry Potter] world, it was high time that she moved on. Her time at Oxford University had been some of the best of her life so far. That was another reason she was happy to leave [Harry Potter] behind. She had taken a year off from her education to finish the last movie, and now she could finally do what she wanted to.
The grand ballroom sparkled with chandeliers and gold-trimmed walls, filled with laughter, music, and clinking glasses. Waiters moved gracefully with trays of champagne, weaving between clusters of cast, crew, and guests.
Emma blinked in confusion. Was she even at the right address?
"Emma, darling! You look fabulous tonight!" Kathy Kloves hugged her tight the moment she saw her, her elegant floor-length gown looked fabulous on the older lady. "I wish I could be young and rebellious like you."
"Thanks Kathy," Emma replied with a hint of embarrassment spreading across her face. She didn't even feel angry at the woman because Emma knew that Kathy was being sincere, and it was not a jab at her lack of a proper dress.
Kathy stepped back, giving her a fond, almost motherly look. "It feels a little sad to know that all the kids have grown up now. Troy, Evan, you, and Jamie. Everyone will have their own separate careers and lives now, far away from [Harry Potter]. I still remember the day I caught you and Troy together in his room."
Emma blushed, her cheeks heating at the memory of one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. Kathy had told her parents about her budding relationship with Troy, and they had grilled her relentlessly about it. The worst part was that since her parents had divorced, she had to go through the Spanish Inquisition twice.
"Is Scarlett here?" Emma asked quickly, eager to steer the conversation away from herself. "I have wanted to meet her for a while."
Kathy considered the question, then shook her head. "No, she's shooting for her next film in New York. She's a very dedicated young lady."
"Well, another time maybe," Emma said with a small smile.
Before the conversation could continue, Jamie Bell came striding over. His tie was loose around his neck, and he looked as though he had already enjoyed more than one glass of champagne.
"Emma!" he greeted, pulling her into a tight hug before releasing her with a grin. "Ran out of your tears already?"
Emma smacked him hard on the shoulder. "Screw you, Jamie."
"Ouch." He rubbed the spot dramatically.
Kathy's brows lifted as she looked between them. "What am I missing?"
Jamie's grin widened, though he wisely put some space between them. "When the shooting ended, Emma bawled her eyes out and didn't stop crying for nearly an hour. Troy and I felt a little emotional too, but Emma took it to another level."
Emma folded her arms across her chest, lifting her chin. "Just because I have an emotional range larger than you two doesn't make me any less."
"Of course it doesn't," Kathy said quickly, coming to her defense. "You know how it is, love. Boys will be boys, always trying to suppress their emotions, being all macho. That's why they need a good girl in their life to balance them out." Her eyes flicked across the room where Evan stood chatting with Jonathan Groff, his laugh carrying above the music. "Or a gay guy."
Emma laughed at Kathy's humor, feeling once again how much she adored Troy's family. Steve, Kathy, and later Evan had welcomed her from the very first day and had made her feel like she belonged. That was the only sad part about the end of Harry Potter. As much as people talk about keeping in contact, she knew it was inevitable for them to drift apart.
"You kids go enjoy the party," Kathy said suddenly with a gentle wave of her hand. "Don't let me hog all your time."
Emma understood the dismissal for what it was. Like a good hostess, Kathy was moving through the room, greeting guests with effortless grace. The wrap party for [Harry Potter] hardly looked like a typical celebration. With its exquisite décor, overflowing buffet tables, and the sheer number of recognizable faces from the film industry, it was one of the most luxurious events Emma had ever attended in her life.
Wherever she looked, the place screamed of wealth. The chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling sparkled with hundreds of crystals, scattering light across the polished marble floor. In one corner stood a towering pyramid of wine glasses, stacked so precariously it looked as though the faintest touch would send them tumbling. Nearby, Emma's eyes widened at the sight of one of the tallest Harry Potter-themed cakes she had ever seen, its tiers decorated with owls, broomsticks, golden snitches, and even the Deathly Hallows.
The food and drink stalls offered cuisines from every corner of the world. Even from a distance, Emma could tell the dishes were the work of master chefs, the kind whose services must have cost a fortune to secure. The air carried the delicious aromas of roasted meats, spiced curries, freshly baked bread, and rich chocolate desserts.
The entire party hall felt as if it had been lifted straight out of Cinderella's ball. Women swirled past her in gowns of silk and satin, paired with expensive jewels, while the men stood tall in perfectly tailored tuxedos.
Emma glanced down at her own casual blouse paired with a skirt and felt massively underdressed. Compared to the sea of luxury around her, her outfit felt plain and ordinary.
She quickly turned on Jamie, who stood beside her in a sleek black tuxedo, and elbowed him furiously. "Why the heck didn't you tell me it was a formal event? I would have dressed accordingly."
"Will you stop hitting me, for God's sake?" Jamie protested, stepping back with a laugh. "And I didn't tell you because it was mentioned in the invitation card. You didn't get it?"
Emma closed her eyes and sighed. "My mother got it because that's the address listed with the production team. She must have forgotten to tell me about it."
Jamie shrugged, unfazed. "It's okay. You look good as is."
Emma gritted her teeth but chose not to say anything else.
Noticing her mood, Jamie quickly changed the subject. "You know why this party feels so upscale when usually most wrap parties are low-key and private for the cast and crew?"
Emma raised an eyebrow, intrigued. That thought had been nagging at her as well. It was the reason she had come dressed casually in the first place; she hadn't wanted to appear like a spoiled rich girl flaunting her status, especially if some of the crew were expected to attend in simpler clothes.
Jamie leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Because Troy and Steve invited basically everyone in Britain who also happens to be an Oscar voter. Just look around and see."
Emma's gaze swept across the hall. Now that he had said it, she noticed familiar faces: directors, producers, critics, and industry veterans mingling with the cast. It didn't take her long to connect the dots. Normally, award contenders were forbidden from directly swaying voters, but since this was technically a "wrap party," just executed on a grander scale, no one could fault them. Especially not when the studio behind it all was Warner, the same one that had produced [The Dark Knight] for which Troy was as good as locked for a win this year.
"Can you help me understand something?" Emma asked, curiosity getting the better of her. "Why was Troy nominated at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, and SAG Awards as lead actor, but went supporting at the BAFTAs and the Oscars? It was a little confusing to me."
"I'll tell you that," a third voice cut in.
Both Emma and Jamie turned toward the sound and saw Evan approaching, a glass of champagne in his hand.
"Troy wanted to go for lead all the way through," Evan explained, his tone casual yet precise. "That's how the promotion was carried out initially. Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and SAG all announced their nominations in December. Seeing the momentum, we dialed things down a bit, and Troy got busy wrapping up [Harry Potter]. By then, someone started running a campaign against him in the US, arguing that he should be supporting since it was a Batman movie, not a Joker movie. The BAFTA and Oscar nominations came out only after that shift in narrative."
"Who started that smear campaign?" Jamie asked curiously.
Evan shook his head. "I won't say here when anyone could listen, especially since we don't have solid proof."
Emma nodded in understanding before asking, "And Troy is okay with being pushed into the supporting actor category?"
"Oh, he's furious," Evan said with a grin. "He just knows better than to show it here in front of everyone." Then he took a step back, his eyes scanning the crowded room. "As much as I'd like to talk to you guys, Steve wants me to make connections tonight. You two should as well."
And then he was gone, slipping into the throng of high-class guests.
"Award shows are so messed up," Emma muttered, summing up the situation.
Jamie chuckled. "Of course they are. Maybe one day you and I will have to do something similar. Not hosting a party that probably cost millions of pounds, but definitely the campaigns and the groveling."
"Groveling?" Emma repeated. "Do you really think Troy is capable of that?"
Jamie snorted. "You're right about that. Speaking of the guy, where is he?"
"How would I know? I just got here," Emma shot back.
As if summoned by their words, she spotted Troy across the hall. He was speaking to Beth, one of the makeup artists from the films. Emma motioned for Jamie to follow, and together they crossed the marble floor toward him. She found it odd that in a room filled with producers, directors, and actors, Troy was giving his attention to a crew member, that too a minor one.
"—I don't know when I'll get the chance to work with you again," Troy was saying warmly, "but I just wanted to let you know that you did a great job on the series. We couldn't have hired a better person for the role."
Beth's eyes shimmered as she shook her head. "Thank you so much, Troy, but you didn't have to do this in person. Steve already gave me my wrap-up bonus."
"Of course I had to," Troy insisted. His voice carried the kind of sincerity that silenced the surrounding chatter. "Like I said, I don't know when we'll work together again, if ever. So just in case I don't get to say it: you are awesome."
Beth sniffled and dabbed her eyes, and Troy gently patted her shoulder before stepping away.
Emma had no words to describe what she was seeing. Her heart gave a small, reluctant twist. "And then the idiot wonders why I still love him," she muttered under her breath. Jamie shifted beside her, and from the way he shuffled his feet, she suspected he had heard.
"Jamie! Emma!" Troy greeted them with a wide smile, pulling each of them into a hug one-by-one. "So good to see you two. Your tattoos healed up nicely?"
Troy pulled back the sleeve of his suit to show the 'HP' symbol with a lightning bolt and glasses on the side of his forearm. Jamie followed his action and presented his own arm, while Emma simply raised her bare wrist. The trio had exactly the same tattoo engraved on their skins. It was Troy's idea to have a permanent memory of the decade that will probably define the rest of their lives.
"I love this," Jamie muttered. "Thank you for this suggestion, Troy."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a smile before changing the topic. "Tonight is the big night, guys. If you want to move up the food chain, go mingle and make some connections. Everyone of note in the British film industry is here tonight."
"I will definitely do that," Jamie said with certainty.
"Good," Troy replied with a nod. "Now, if you don't mind, I have more people to greet."
Emma gave a silent nod as Troy moved gracefully across the hall. He approached Dame Helen Mirren and Liam Neeson, slipping into their conversation with ease, exchanging hugs and kisses as if he had always belonged among them. The confidence with which he introduced himself to two of the most respected actors alive left Emma quietly stunned.
"Emma," Jamie said softly, drawing her out of her thoughts. "You want to come with me to meet other bigwigs of the industry?"
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure. I just saw Jo Rowling talking to Chris Columbus. It's been so long! Come let's meet them."
(Break)
The party seemed to be a success from what I could gather. I didn't have even a single moment free to myself all night, but in the end, I thought it was worth it.
The sting, however, came when I learned I had been nominated in the supporting actor category at the Oscars. If the party hadn't already been planned before the nominations were announced, I might have skipped the spectacle entirely and settled for a private gathering with just the cast and crew. Spending so much money for an award I already had didn't feel worth it. Best Leading Actor was something else entirely, but supporting no longer did it for me.
[The Dark Knight] had also been snubbed in the Best Picture category, despite everything I had done to sway the odds in our favor. The only consolation was that Christopher Nolan had received his first nomination for Best Director.
As soon as the nominations came out, my first call had been to Robert Meuller, my head of security and the former director of the FBI, to help me trace where things went wrong.
"I can't say for sure who did it," Meuller explained in his calm, measured voice, "but someone definitely paid off multiple journalists and columnists to push stories about category fraud. They mentioned two names in particular: you and Kate Winslet. Kate went from supporting at the Golden Globes to lead at the Oscars, while yours was the opposite."
He had paused before delivering the more damning detail. "However, I've made subtle inquiries with some Academy voters, and a few indicated that Harvey Weinstein personally urged them to vote for you in supporting."
Harvey fucking Weinstein. The asshole. The molester. The wolf in Hollywood's tailored suit who made my blood boil with just the mention of his name. Now he had crossed me personally, and that gave me the excuse I needed. Until this moment, I had no reason to go after him directly. Now I did.
What didn't make sense was why he had sabotaged me in the first place. None of the actors from his films had even been nominated in Best Actor. His interference served no purpose that I could see. Still, I vowed that I would have my revenge and make sure he went down long before he did in the original timeline.
"The party's mostly over," Evan noted as he came to stand beside me. The once-bustling ballroom was quieter now, with only a few clusters of guests still lingering by the buffet tables or sipping their last glasses of champagne.
"It is," I agreed, glancing around at the fading festivities. "It feels a little bittersweet, wrapping up [Harry Potter] with no clear sight of the future."
"Eh, you'll find something," Evan said easily, waving off my concern. "Maybe you'll land another billion-dollar franchise after Twilight and Marvel."
"Neither of them has grossed a billion yet," I pointed out.
"But they will," he said with conviction. "Twilight could do it as soon as next week after [New Moon]'s premiere. Same with Marvel. The next film in the franchise, [Iron Man 2], will take it beyond a billion for sure."
I shook my head. "Dude, I'm stepping back from producing films where I'm not acting, and I don't plan to jump into another franchise so soon after ending this one."
Evan nodded in understanding. "Makes sense. So when are we working together on a movie?"
"You're the director," I reminded him. "I'm all free. Find me a good script, and I'll do it. You know I have no other major project planned right now."
"Except taking a break in New York of all places. Really, who takes a break in New York, the busiest city in the world?"
"The one whose girlfriend is working there," I retorted. "And didn't you say you'd go too since Jonathan was doing a play on Broadway?"
"Yeah, but it's different for me. I'm not taking a break, I'll be researching different plays to see if I could adapt something into a movie."
I laughed at his defensive tone. "Of course you are doing 'research'. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Before Evan could shoot back, an older guy approached us, his gaze settling on me with deliberate weight.
Evan's eyes widened the moment he recognized the newcomer.
________________________
AN: Visit my personal website to read ahead, or check out my second Hollywood story set in the 80s.
Link: www(dot)fablefic(dot)com