Duality [H.S.]

Chapter Five

*A/N: Trigger Warning: Some reference to eating disorders.

Tuesday, 6th April 2021 (continued)

A squeeze of her hand, a loaded look, and a fond scrunch of his nose are enough for Harry to successfully distract Eloise as they step into the bustling boardroom.

He'd swear blind that the surreptitious cheeky pinch of her bum was to help abate his own nerves, too.

Regardless, it works.

Grinning and giggling, they're both too focused on each other to notice all the curious gazes immediately zeroing in on them.

With everyone congregated around the tea and coffee stations set up along the back wall, it's already busy enough, but not yet packed to the rafters, as it will be by the time Barbara kicks off proceedings.

Arms outstretched, a beaming Christopher Nolan is the first to greet them.

Outside, Harry's long-time assistant had swooped Eloise straight into a tight hug. Hoping she was feeling better after such a rough few days, she'd so felt for her, losing out on those precious final free days with the twins.

So when Christopher surprises her with a tender hug, too, whispering that he's so glad she's feeling better, Eloise cuts her eyes accusingly to Harry.

But it turns out it was her agent, Charles, that had given them a head's up that she had been unwell, just in case she hadn't rallied in time. "That never would have happened", she insists. "There's no way I would have missed a minute of this; I'm so excited".

And she really is... As much as she's already pining for Dylan and Freya, she absolutely appreciates the enormity of this role, this production, and this opportunity.

Coming in hot, Jack's greeting is a little less low-key. "Oh, you beautiful bastard!", he plants his hands either side of Harry's sharp jaw and smacks a kiss to his forehead. "Just admit it... You missed me, didn't you?".

"More like I didn't want to miss my wife!", Harry scoffs with a jovial shove.

"Sure, sure, whatever...", Jack shoots a wink to a grinning Eloise for effect. "Either way, I'll happily make a career out of letting you do the hard work at the box office for all my movies... Even if you do totally fuck with the schedule at the eleventh hour", he can't resist throwing a little shade, alluding to how they'd had to push back a couple of the foreign shooting blocks, to film as much as possible with Harry before he needs to head to LA in mid-August for tour rehearsals.

Meanwhile, Phoebe collars Eloise in an even tighter embrace, before dragging her away to some of the existing cast members, conscious she hasn't met them all yet.

>

Soon finding herself chatting with Ralph Fiennes and Colin Firth (or, as she keeps pinching herself, Voldemort and Mr Darcy), it's not long before the more than thirty-year age gap becomes apparent.

Nodding over her shoulder, Ralph nudges Colin. "So he's the superstar singer, hmm?".

Eyeing him curiously, Eloise tries to suss out whether he's pulling her leg. At least the pointed look Colin shoots him reassures her his finger might be a little more on the pulse.

But Ralph prattles on, unaware. "Well, he's obviously got the look and seems charming enough, but it will be interesting to see if he's worthy of the hype, or whether they've been blinded by dollar signs and drunk the Kool-Aid...".

Making a play of twisting around to where Harry stands, now catching up with Phoebe, Eloise struggles to keep a straight face. "Well, don't ask me...", she turns back to the older men, grimacing playfully. "That charm is quite something... I never stood a chance!". Lifting her left hand, she waggles her rings. "I've been drinking that particular flavour Kool-Aid for, ooh, about six years now", with a grin, she twists again to beckon him over.