Chapter 77
Jake hesitated for only a moment before approaching the small fire. His steps were quiet, cautious, but the crunch of sand still gave him away.
The girl turned.
Emma Watson looked up from her steaming cup of cocoa and blinked, surprised but not alarmed. Even in the dim firelight, her expression shifted quickly to recognition.
"Wait..." she said with a soft smile, brushing a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear. "Are you Jake Harper?"
Jake gave a modest shrug. "Guilty."
She laughed lightly. "Thought so. I have one of your phones."
She held it up—a gleaming FacePhone with a soft-pink shell. Jake grinned.
"Great taste."
"So not only did you build FaceWorld and FacePhone," she said, shifting to make room on the blanket, "you also somehow made them both actually work."
Jake sat down slowly beside her. The warmth of the fire and the quiet rhythm of the ocean was a much-needed contrast to the circus he'd just escaped from.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked.
"Filming break," she said casually. "Harry Potter. We're shooting the fifth movie. My parents rented a house down the beach so we could have our first warm Christmas away from cold, rainy England."
Jake raised a brow. "So you're telling me Hermione Granger is spending Christmas two blocks from my uncle's house?"
"Looks like it," Emma said, grinning. "And you're telling me you're the real-life genius who made FaceWorld, FacePhone, and already earned a PhD at thirteen?"
Jake smirked. "Wow. You know a lot about me. You're not a stalker, are you?"
Emma blushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "No. You're just on the news every day."
Jake leaned back on his hands. "I'm trying to slow down a little. Kinda forgot what peace and quiet feels like."
Emma tilted her head, watching him closely. "Sounds like you've had a rough Christmas."
Jake smirked. "Let's just say I needed a break from the people I'm genetically obligated to love."
That made her laugh. They sat in silence for a bit, sipping cocoa and listening to the waves.
After a while, Emma asked, "Do you ever get time to just... be a kid?"
Jake glanced sideways at her, thoughtful. "Sometimes. Rarely. I guess moments like this count."
"Well," she said, nudging his shoulder, "you're not at a board meeting or saving the internet right now. You're just a guy, sitting on a beach, next to a girl."
"A really smart, charming, British girl," Jake added with a grin.
"Flattery?" she teased.
"Observation," he replied smoothly.
They stayed there a long time—talking about movies, tech, life, school, family. Jake found himself completely at ease. Emma was sharp, grounded, funny. Every time she laughed, he found himself leaning in just a little more.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't building or negotiating or solving a global-scale problem. He was just being.
Eventually, the fire began to burn lower, and the air turned colder. Emma pulled her coat tighter and glanced at the stars.
"I should probably head back."
Jake nodded, standing with her. "Yeah. Same."
They walked in step for a while before splitting off toward their respective houses. Just before they separated, Jake paused.
"Hey... before you go," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I know this is probably the craziest time to ask this, but... would you want to go out sometime? Maybe after the holidays?"
Emma blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly. "I'd like that."
Jake handed her his FacePhone. "Can I get your number?"
She took it, typed quickly, and handed it back.
"Don't prank call me," she said, half-joking.
"Only if it's really clever," he replied with a wink.
She laughed again and began walking backward toward her house.
"Goodnight, Dr. Harper."
Jake smirked. "Goodnight, Miss Watson."
As he watched her disappear into the dark, Jake's heart felt lighter. And a little warmer.
Maybe this Christmas wasn't such a disaster after all.
By the time Jake made it back to Charlie's beach house, the sun had dipped fully below the horizon, leaving only the orange haze of the last light behind him. His walk along the beach had left sand caked to his shoes and a strange lightness in his chest—one he hadn't felt in a while.
He stepped through the back door just as Judith appeared at the hallway entrance, purse slung over her shoulder and keys in hand.
"There you are," she said. "Grab your bag—we're heading out."
Jake nodded. "Yeah, I know. I didn't lose track of time."
Judith gave him a look but said nothing. Herb popped into view behind her, arms full of small gift bags.
Hey, Jake. Hope you're ready for a long drive. My parents are big on holiday games."
Jake gave a faint, polite smile. "Sounds… festive."
He headed to his room, grabbed his overnight bag—which he'd packed earlier, of course—and rejoined them at the front door.
As they stepped out into the cool night air, Jake gave one last glance toward the beach. Just for a second.
Then he climbed into the car.
He didn't check his FacePhone.
He didn't text her.
Not yet.
Tomorrow, he thought.
Tonight, he had a part to play.
One week had passed since that Christmas Eve walk on the beach. Since the firelight. Since Emma.
Jake sat in his office at the Brentwood house, FacePhone in hand, rereading the messages they'd exchanged since that night. Their texts had evolved from casual and funny to thoughtful and sincere. The more they talked, the more Jake realized how rare it was to meet someone who made him forget he was a thirteen-year-old CEO of a tech empire.
He tapped out a message:
Jake: "Hey, this might be crazy, but any chance I could see you again?"
The response came quickly.
Emma: "Not crazy at all. Come visit the set tomorrow. We're filming some scenes at the Warner Bros. lot. I'll sneak you in. ;D"
Jake stared at the screen for a moment. His pulse ticked up slightly.
Jake: "Sneak me in? That sounds illegal."
Emma: "Only if you get caught."
The next morning, Jake arrived at Warner Bros. under a low profile. No entourage. No press. Just a hoodie, sunglasses, and a quietly amused driver who agreed to wait near the backlot.
Emma met him by one of the side entrances, dressed in a puffy coat over her wardrobe robes.
"You made it," she grinned.
"You weren't joking about sneaking me in, huh?"
"Not even a little. Come on."
They slipped through the lot with ease, Emma flashing a quick nod at the occasional crewmember who recognized her. She brought him to a quiet corner behind Stage 12, where some of the castle interior sets were located.
"We're between takes," she whispered. "So you might even catch the trio together."
As they turned the corner into a larger open set, Jake found himself looking at a stone corridor lined with glowing torches—straight out of Hogwarts.
And then he saw them.
Daniel Radcliffe stood by craft services, sipping something from a paper cup. Rupert Grint was tossing a snack into the air and catching it in his mouth. They looked up as Emma approached, followed by the unfamiliar figure in her wake.
"Hey guys," Emma said casually. "This is Jake. A friend."
Daniel blinked, then smiled. "Wait... are you the FaceWorld kid?"
Jake hesitated, then nodded. "Guilty."
Rupert grinned. "That site's everywhere right now. Didn't you also make that new phone everyone's raving about?"
Jake pulled his from his pocket and held it up. "FacePhone."
Daniel laughed. "Looks better than mine."
"And doesn't brick during calls," Rupert added.
Emma rolled her eyes playfully. "Anyway, Jake wanted to see the magic up close."
"You picked a weird day," Daniel said. "We're doing a bunch of walking-and-talking scenes. Lots of robes swooshing. Very dramatic."
Rupert chimed in. "And a little broom flying later, if the rigs behave."
Jake smiled, soaking it all in. "You guys mind if I hang around for a bit?"
"Not at all," Daniel said. "Just don't start pitching sequels."
Emma gave Jake a tour of the set while the others went back to filming. He saw the Great Hall, or at least what parts of it were constructed on that stage. The floating candles were added later, she explained, and the enchanted ceiling was green screen magic.
They passed racks of wardrobe items—robes, scarves, even a section labeled "Weasley Sweaters."
"It's weird seeing it all like this," Jake said.
"Movie magic," Emma replied. "It's mostly tape, patience, and long hours."
They sat in a corner near the edge of the set, sipping cocoa from the cart.
"So..." Emma began, glancing at him. "Still trying to take a break from ruling the internet?"
Jake laughed. "Yeah. Honestly, this—being here—feels more unreal than anything I've built."
"That's because most of what you build has terms of service."
"Touché."
Emma looked at him, serious now. "You know, I wasn't sure if you'd actually come."
"Why?"
"Because you're busy. Important. I didn't think you'd have time to meet some actress on a break from filming."
Jake leaned forward, elbows on knees. "You're not just 'some actress.' You're smart. Real. You talk to me like I'm not a headline. That… matters more than you know."
Emma smiled.
He continued, more quietly. "Besides, I could use a little magic in my life."
She blushed. "Well, Hogwarts is a good place to start."
As filming resumed, Jake was allowed to observe from a corner out of frame. He watched Daniel and Rupert act out a scene where Harry and Ron walked through a corridor deep in discussion. The precision, the retakes, the blocking—it was a whole different world from Jake's usual domain.
Between takes, Emma returned to his side.
"See anything you want to steal for your next app?"
Jake grinned. "Thinking of building a spell-casting feature. FaceWand."
Emma groaned. "Please don't."
"Too late."
They watched in silence for a while, then Jake glanced over. "This might be the most fun I've had in months."
"Same," she said.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of laughter, snacks, behind-the-scenes banter, and the occasional loud yell from a frazzled assistant director. Jake met a few other cast members, all friendly, some curious about him. He gave a quick demo of the FacePhone to one of the producers, who asked if the studio could talk to his team.
Jake politely declined. "Just here as a tourist."
By late afternoon, the crew was wrapping for the day. Emma walked Jake back toward the studio gate.
"You know," she said as they reached the corner of the lot, "I'm glad you came. This job can be so... scripted. It was nice to have something real today."
Jake nodded. "Same here."
She looked up at him. "Text me later?"
"Absolutely."
She leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Bye, Jake."
He watched her walk back toward the set, the sun casting a golden glow on the lot. Then he turned, pulled his hoodie back up, and slipped through the gate.
As his driver pulled away from Warner Bros., Jake opened his FacePhone and looked at the home screen.
He smiled.
Magic was real. Just not always the kind with wands.