[Third Person POV]
November 14, 2001
"Hurry! We'll be late for the premiere!" shouted an excited girl, jumping on her feet. She was wearing an emerald dress, her blonde hair had been let loose—she looked like a princess out of a fantasy novel.
She was looking at the boy slightly taller than her. He was wearing a black suit with emerald highlights. The suit fit him perfectly, and his messy hair made him look playful. His baby fat had been nowhere to be seen, sharp facial features made him look elegant.
"Say that again, to them," he said, pointing towards two ladies who were constantly clicking their pictures.
"Matt, turn to your side and hug Cara—and you, my princess, smile more," instructed professional photographer Aunt Pandora. She isn't.
Both women looked stunning, especially Eva, who was wearing a long black dress shining in the light. They were not world-class beauties, but enough to turn a few heads.
I looked at my mother, who was looking excited too. In front of me stood little Cara, looking at me with her shining eyes. She's too cute. She always invoked my protective instincts.
"Last picture!" I told them and obliged.
"Perfect! My babies look so good. You should have auditioned, Matt! You would have been perfect Draco Malfoy," said Pandora with a smile.
"No, aunty, I want to be a footballer," I said to the woman probably the hundredth time.
'Yes, we are going to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. If I remember correctly, the premiere happened before 9/11 in my last life. Well, then again, Cara wasn't in the movie back then. I was the reason the movie got delayed.'
'Cara had auditioned for Hermione but got cast as Daphne Greengrass. She had limited scenes in this movie. In her contract there were four movies, which promised more screen time.'
What he didn't know was Cara's acting had impressed Rowling so much that she had added scenes for her.
Hearing the boy, Pandora shook her head with a smile. She knew it was pointless to convince him, but she couldn't help herself—he just looked that cute.
"Eva, Pandora, the car is waiting outside. Get going," said a man wearing a tracksuit. He was looking at the kids with pity.
Daniel was happy that he didn't have to go to a kids' movie premiere. He was not a fan of the books either. His brother had gone to a meeting in America, where a lot of things were happening due to the attack.
"Alright, let's hurry, kids," said Eva, putting down the camera and adjusting her dress one last time, giving her husband a smirk as she walked away with the kids.
'I'm not sleeping tonight, am I,' thought Matt's father, watching his wife get into the car.
The drive to Odeon Leicester Square was a short one. Cara was beyond excited to see herself on the big screen, and the older ladies felt the same.
Matt absentmindedly looked at the scenery of people going around. He had missed today's school and training for this movie premiere.
"I know, but he's like that—stubborn little brat," said Eva to Pandora.
"Hmm, I'll talk to some people. They will definitely get him some role in the future," said Pandora. She had made it her personal goal to see both kids in a movie together.
"He'd be furious," said Eva with a smile.
"Let him be. I'll handle his tantrums. I'm his aunt after all—just watch me," said Pandora with a smirk.
"Hey, Matt," said Pandora, making him take his eyes off the window.
"You know Cara has to walk in front with the other actors, right?" she said, to which Matt nodded.
"Well, you will have to go with her. They will not allow more than one person," she shook her head with disappointment.
"Then you or Mom can go. I won't," he said with conviction.
"We can't. It's only for children and their siblings. Adults are not allowed," said Pandora.
"That has to be a lie. How can they do that?!" exclaimed Matt.
"They did, dear. I don't want Cara to go alone—she's so little," there was genuine worry in her voice.
"I'm little too," mumbled Matt.
"But you're smart, and you will protect your little sister," she said with a smile.
'This is a trap, Matt. It has to be. Look at Mom, trying to look concerned, but…'
He turned his head and looked at the girl.
"Okay," he said, defeated.
'No! I'm getting soft! These women are manipulating me,' he thought, rubbing his forehead with frustration.
'Hehehe, he's so sweet. My daughter is lucky to have a brother as caring as him,' thought Pandora, looking at the aggrieved face of little Matt.
She glanced at Eva, who had a surprised expression on her face. This was rare for Matt.
'My baby is growing up,' she thought with an emotional face.
Meanwhile, Matt, oblivious, was thinking about how to get through this ordeal.
After a while, they stepped out of the car and made their way toward the security check-in.
The air felt heavier. The atmosphere was electric—the sound of snapping photos and the crowd was overwhelming.
As they walked in after confirmation from security, guards greeted them. Inside was filled with people wearing earpieces, talking, and giving instructions.
A man wearing a security vest approached them.
"Excuse me, are you from the cast?" he said in a formal tone.
"Yes, my daughter is. Here is the invitation," said Pandora, handing him the letter.
"Oh, Ms. Delevingne! Pleasure to meet you. I am Eric. Now, are you guys walking the carpet or want to enter discreetly?" he asked.
It was mandatory protocol. Handling child actors came with a great deal of procedures and policies—to the man's liking.
"Well, my daughter is excited to be on the carpet," said Pandora.
"Great! This way, Ms. Delevingne. Please tell us the names of the members, and this will be your pass," he said, handing her two dark blue ribbons.
"Oh, no, this young man will be accompanying her. We are going in directly," she said, pointing toward Eva.
"Oh, sure," said Eric without much thought.
"Do we have to do this?!" Matt felt this was a really bad idea.
"Don't worry, dear. You look great! Just don't leave her side. Also, don't talk to Emma, Dan, or Rupert—they are the main leads. And most importantly, enjoy," said Pandora, making sure his clothes looked good.
"We are going to meet you inside. Have fun, potato," said Eva, kissing his and Cara's cheeks.
. . .
"Did Aunty tell you what to say if they interview you?" I said to Cara, who was fidgeting and looked nervous.
"Umu, I practiced for 2 hours… but I don't remember anything," she said and started to panic.
"Hey, it'll be fine. Just be honest, kind, and polite—and I know you are," he said, grabbing her hand.
That seemed to have worked.
'What 10-year-old talks like that?' thought the technical controller standing behind them.
Both of them were standing behind a cardboard wall, waiting for their names to be called.
Daniel, Rupert, and the other main cast had been there not long ago. Cara had talked to them briefly before returning to his side.
"In 30 seconds, Cara Delevingne and her companion. Get ready…" said a guy with a mic near them, prompting them to walk toward the gate.
"3, 2, 1… Welcome Cara Delevingne as Daphne Greengrass."
I straightened my posture and walked beside a little shaky Cara—but smiling.
And as we exited, there was mayhem. Cameras clicking pictures, the crowd, flashing lights...
'Kanye, I get you, man,' thought Matt as they slowly started walking away.
"Cara! Autograph, please!"
"One photo!"
"Look here!"
"Miss, walk a little forward!"
"What role do you play?"
The media was going wild.
'She's just a nine-year-old for fuck's sake,' he thought, taking her hand and walking with a little more pace.
She was smiling, waving at the crowd. It was going fine for a few minutes, until—
"Hi, I'm Kit Bowen, Hollywood.com. Would you mind giving us a few minutes?" said a woman with short brown hair. Beside her was a cameraman who had a huge camera on his shoulder.
Cara excitedly nodded. Gone was the nervousness; she had started to like all the attention she was getting.
--
"After Daniel, Rupert, Tom, and Emma, we have here Miss Cara Delevingne, who plays Daphne Greengrass in the film.
So, how are you feeling tonight?" she said with energy.
"Great, but nervous—there are so many people here," said Cara with a squeal, which made her look adorable.
"Yes! So, we heard that you impressed Ms. Rowling and the director so much that he had to extend shooting for your scenes. Is that correct?" asked the reporter.
"I don't know. I just loved the books. And Ms. Rowling is very nice. I'm her biggest fan," said Cara with childish innocence.
"Well, I don't know about you being the biggest," said the reporter, making Cara pout.
--
While the interview was going on, Matt stood in the back, out of the camera's view. He didn't approach. This was her big moment, and he didn't want to disturb or distract her.
Soon, the interview was over, and they made their way toward the hall gate.
'That's Tom Felton and Daniel Radcliffe? What the hell? Emma Watson was carrying a fur boa—she looked like a peacock,' thought Matt, trying to disappear.
"Cara dear, you look beautiful," came a voice from behind.
In a classic black dress stood Maggie Smith, smiling.
"You too, Maggie!" said Cara, running toward her and stopping just in front of her.
Maggie then looked at Matt and then asked Cara, "Who is this young man?"
Matt, who was flabbergasted, hurriedly introduced himself.
"Matthew Delevingne. I'm her cousin," he said, pointing at Cara.
"Oh, she talks a lot about you—the football maniac cousin. So you're Matt. It's nice to meet you," she said with a smile.
Matt looked at Cara, who looked away sheepishly.
"It's nice to meet you too, my lady," he said with a cheeky smile, which made Maggie laugh.
"You two are having fun?" she asked.
"Yes!" replied Cara.
"Good. Don't go outside that gate," she said, pointing toward an exit. They both nodded at the caring lady.
As they were talking, a big group was forming in front of the photographers.
Daniel stood in the center, flanked by Emma and Rupert. J.K. Rowling stood behind Daniel, her hands on his shoulders, accompanied by Richard Harris and Tom Felton.
"Maggie! Cara! Come here for the photo!" shouted J.K. Rowling.
Many heads turned toward them.
Maggie looked conflicted, but before she could say anything, Matt hurried them away.
"You guys should go. Mom said it's bad to make people wait."
With a sigh, Maggie took Cara's hand and went away with her, leaving the boy behind.
--
After snapping pictures, everyone started to talk. Cara went to Emma and Rupert; Tom and Harry were giving interviews.
"Hey Maggie, who was that boy there?" said a woman dressed in an expensive gown.
"That's Cara's cousin," said Maggie, looking at the boy.
The woman looked at the boy more carefully. There was a certain intensity to her gaze, which made Maggie curious.
"Are you alright, Joanne?"
"Oh yes, Maggie. Just thought of something," said the woman and walked away.
Later, Cara and Matt met his mother and aunt, watched the whole movie.
Cara was laughing, watching herself on the screen, while his mom gushed.
There was an after-party, which the lot didn't attend, as it was getting pretty late—and Matt had school and training.
[POV End]