Surprisingly, my parents didn't create as big of a se as I expected them to. One day after my birthday, they sat me down, and we had a frank discussion about my retionship with Emma.

  "I love her," I said with utmost seriousness. "A lot." It felt a little strange saying it out to my parents, but it was true. "It doesn't matter what you have to say, I won't stop dating her because of that."

  "Troy," Dad said in a serious tone. "You're both very young. We don't want you or Emma to get heartbroken or worse, do something you'll regret for the rest of your lives."

  "We're not having sex," I said with absolute certainty. "And we won't for years. I told her very clearly that we won't cross that threshold yet. As fettibroken, we 't stop loving people for the fear of gettibroken, or there would be no more retionships in the world."

  Dad waue more, I could se, but Mum held his hand and squeezed lightly which stopped him in his tracks.

  "Fine," Mum said. "You tiing her." I smiled at that. "But, we have a few ditions." Of course. How could there not be?

  "First of all, don't take her to your room at all."

  "That's not fair!" I pined.

  "This is a dition pced by Emma's parents," Mum said. "If you don't follow it, they won't send her here."

  That's ahing that I didn't like about the situation. My parents had told Emma's parents about our little affair. As any sane person could guess, they weren't very happy about it. Emma being Emma, she was equally insistent about tinuing to see me, so they had id out a few ditions of their own.

  "Fine!" I grumbled. "What else?"

  Mum looked at Dad worriedly before he took over, "We 't ighe fact that the two of you aren't some random kids. You're world famous, and if any outsider gets even a hint of this information, it won't take time for it to bee iional news. You know how bad it bee, right?" At my nod, he tinued, "Until Emma turns 16, we ot let this news e out or there will be all sorts of nasty rumors. As soon as the produ begins, we will get the entire crew to sign fresh NDAs. Whoever refuses, we'll repce them with someone else."

  "What about the cast and their ente?" I asked. "You ot repce them as well, you?"

  "No, we 't," Dad agreed. "That's why you have to be careful about who you share this information with. Also, you have to…"

  That lecture tinued for a few hours. I felt tired aionally drained afterward. The worst part about the whole versation was the realization that I would have to tinue being careful about my love life for the rest of my life. Or at least as long as I'm an actor. Sdals are very on iertai circle, and the ohat are exposed are only the tip of the iceberg. I also khat it would be almost impossible to keep this retionship under a lid for three years.

  After that loure, I was in desperate need of some sleep. I walked towards my room with that singur thought. After all, the winter break would end in a week and the shooting foblet of Fire] would begin. Then I'd hardly have any time for things like an afternoon nap.

  Right as I plopped down on my bed, my phone beeped indig a message. I wao ig, but I also knew who the most likely sender was. Now that I was in the UK, we didn't have to rely on emails to talk.

  Em: Are you ok?

  I sighed before typing a reply.

  Me: I'll live. Wbu? Ur parents aren't too angry, are they?

  Em: Mum cried whe the call from Kathy. Dad was angry. But they'll be fine in a few days. Let's talk about something else.

  Em: That film you're doi. Do you think I py a part in it?

  And that was my only regret about pursuing [Perks] as my film. I loved the film, but it was also likely that due to my involvement, the film would not feature Emma. To pensate for it, I had decided early on that I'd reend her for anreat role iure.

  Me: Didn't you say st week that you'd rather focus on being normal for a few years after [GOF]?

  Em: But U'll be away from me for months!

  Me: The only good female roles iory are all much older than you. I don't think this film will suit you.

  Em: :( Ok

  Before I could end our versation, I got an email notification. I opened up the email, expeg it to be one of the few fans I ied with frequently, only to see that the sender was someone I had almost fotten about.

  From: Tobias O'Brien

  Hi Troy,

  I don't know if you remember me, but we met o of [David Letterman] when you were doing press rounds for [Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]. I was the assistant assigo you personally, and ter on in your ging room, you gave me your card about a job with you.

  I know it has been quite a long time sihen, and I don't even know if you have this email active now, but just in case you do, and you remember me, I wao see if you still have a job open with you. Because of some personal reasons, I don't wish to work in New York for the foreseeable future. My other options were all mostly tered around Los Angeles until I remembered your offer. I'd be gd to work as your assistant, manager, or in any other capacity that you wao. I'm very dedicated to my job, and Mr. Letterman would be happy to give me a reendation.

  Hoping to hear from you soon.

  Tobias

  xxx-xxx-xxx

  I remembered him. It was more than two years ago, but I remember the i and the circumstances under which I offered him a job. I didn't think he would tact me at all given he had retly joined with [Letterman], and w for me meant shifting tries. At that time, I was pting hiring someo had dropped the idea ter on. Now that I am venturing into produ as well, I'd definitely need someoher than my mother to oversee my affairs.

  Enough of that, I o rest right now. I'll tact him ter.

  (Break)

  The shooting foblet of Fire] began soon after the winter break. Some of the old crew members who had been with us from the first day left the set because they refused to sign an NDA. To crify, they weren't fired; instead, they were put on some other film by Warhe number of people who left was in the single digits, so it didn't impact the produ that much.

  Dad and his team had made up a story that someone in the crew was selling information about kids to the media, that's why they needed everyoo sign on this. On paper, the excuse was very good and most people agreed in the name of child prote.

  As soon as I reached the set and ged, I was escorted to the pce where our training would begin. By "we," I mean the four actors who would py the roles of the four champions of the Triwizard Tour, and by "training," I meant training for the sed task where we will have to shoot most of the part uer.

  I still have nightmares from my time shooting uer ses for [Artificial Intelligence], but it is unavoidable for the good of the film.

  As I greeted my fellow actors, I couldn't help but feel that my presence had ged the casting once again. The actor for Viktor Krum was the same, Stanisv Ianevski, but the actress for Fleur Decour was being pyed by a geous girl by the name of Lea Seydoux. I don't recall the name of the inal actress, but I know her face, and this was not her.

  The biggest ge in the casting was the tall boy pying the role of Cedric Diggory, who yed by her than future Superman (at least in an alternate universe) by the name of Henry Cavill. Henry was only 19 at the moment, so perfect to py the role of Cedric. When he was cast in the film, the shooting of [Prisoner of Azkaban] was going on, so he was called on to make a cameo in that film as well. The se where dementors attack me while pying Quidditch. I felt a little bad for Robert Pattinson and his massive global fanbase, but some things were just beyond my trol.

  "It's good you're all here early," our diving instructor, Bernie, said. "The script requires you to aderwater without even a single bubble released for taking a breath. This is called free diving, and it is the most difficult sort of diving where you don't have any equipment to breathe. Troy and Henry here have dived before, so their training would be a little different from Lea and Sta's get you all geared up."

  The four of us were already in our skintight wetsuits, and soon Henry and I were fitted with a heavy der ead so began our diving practi the huge diving room they had set up for us. Warner Bros had set up this huge pool at the Leavesden Studios where all the uer ses would be shot, and we were using the same spot for our training as well.

  The schedule of [Goblet] was the worst as of yet. For us four champions, the day began at the crack of dawn at 5 AM when we had to reach the set. Then we would practice diving nonstop for three hours. Because I was the protagonist and had the most diving ses in the movie, I was given a lot more attention thaher three. Then after a big breakfast, I would go back to the set proper, and the regur shooting would begin. Then, in the evening, we would do some more diving practice. By the time I got home, I just wao pass out. I barely had any time left to talk to Emma when we were not shooting together, and we didn't even have that many ses with each other in this film initially. Just like this se that we were shooting.

  I stood in the room hesitantly as the three Triwizard champions were looking in my dire. I didn't know what to do or say because the situation retty awkward.

  "What is it?" Lea said in a French at. "Do zey want us ba ze Hall?"

  Suddenly, there was a otion behind me as I slowly turned in that dire. When I saw that the three headmasters, a few professors, and ministry officials came into the room, I fully turned in that dire without answering Lea's question as suddenly Michael Gambon came running up to me and held my shoulders. He calmly pushed me back against some tris pced in the room. Then he asked me equally calmly while shaking me from head to toe, "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry?"

  I couldn't help myself anymore. I broke my character and started ughing hysterically. Michael Gambon joined in on the fun and started ughing as well. Behind him, I could see some of the other actors also ughing at us.

  "Sorry," I said while turning in the dire where Alfonso was standing. "He shook me too wildly. I couldn't help myself."

  "It's okay," Alfonso grinned. "It's only the first take. Let's get it right on the one."

  As Gambon separated from me, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I knew I could have asked to ge this se to be more accurate to the book description, but if they had dohat, the iic meme would have been lost. Overall, it didn't impact the film that much, and I was haviirely too much fun to include this while no one else knew why.

  After a couple of more takes, we were successful iing the right shot as per Alfonso's vision and moved on to the se. The wait time betweewo ses was around 20 minutes, so I decided to stay o during that time. Before I could take out my phoo text Emma, someone came and stood beside me.

  "Man," Henry Cavill said as he stood o me. "Is it always this hecti this set?"

  "Yes," I said emphatically. "But you're probably feeling it more than others because of the diving practice. The first three films were retively tame as pared to this one."

  He nodded in acceptance before whispering to me, "Hey, do you think you help me out a little?"

  Surprised, I whispered back, "That depends on what you need help with. And why the hell are we whispering?"

  Henry turned a little embarrassed at my question but answered heless, " you help me out with Lea? She's… so hot."

  I stared at him to see if he was serious, and when he didn't break out in ughter, I got to know that he was.

  "Why 't you be a man, go up to her, and ask for her number?" I offered. "How could I help you out, anyway? I'm just 14."

  "Are you kidding me?" He asked incredulously. "You're the world's biggest superstar right now. You probably do anything, and date anyone. As soon as you turn 16, girls would be throwing themselves at you. I could ask her number, but I don't want to e across as a try-hard, you know? Please do this for me. All you have to do is go up to her and start some small talk. Then, sometime ter, I would walk by and you include me. Then, you make some excuse, get out, a me do the rest."

  Essentially he wanted me to be his wingman.

  "Okay," I said, "I'll help you, bro. But if you two go on a date, you have to treat me to a good meal."

  "Done," he agreed easily.

  Bidding him farewell, I walked up to Lea and waved, "Hey Lea, how're you doing?"

  I could see that Lea was a little surprised that I approached her. I could guess the reason easily. Henry was corre saying that Lea was hot, and I was a hormone-filled teenage boy with a beautiful girlfriend. Emma would kill me if she even suspected some wrongdoing on my end. So it's better to stay away from Lea. It's not like we had many ses together that our chemistry would suffer.

  "I'm good," she smiled at me. "Tell me."

  "What?" I asked, genuinely fused.

  "Tell me what you and Henry were saying about me," she said mischievously.

  I stood there, shocked for a few seds befaining my posure, "We weren't. I like talking to all my co-actors." I lied through my teeth.

  She gave me a disbelieving look. "I read lips," she said. "At least in French, I . So I know he said my name. I didn't get the rest, and suddenly you walked up to me. So tell me, or I'll ask Henry."

  I would be the worst wingman in the history of wingmen for what I said .

  "Fine, we were talking about you. Mostly how Henry thinks you're the most beautiful girl in the whole world and he wao ask you out. But he's scared that you'll say no. That's why he seo test the waters, so to speak."

  She sent her beautiful smile at me, "And how do the waters look?"

  "That depends, are you single?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you like Henry?"

  Covertly, she looked behi where Henry must be standing and then nodded, "I do."

  "Then it's decided," I announced before turning to Henry and motioning him to e forth, which he did, surprise evident on his face.

  "Henry, why don't you talk to Lea? I have to use the restroom." And with that pathetic excuse, I ran off, leaving Henry to his fate.

  _____________________________________

  AN: I have a new poll on Pat reon about Troy's Marvel Superhero debut. Go vote on it if you haven't already.

  Link: (dot)pat reon(dot)/fableweaver