#erik is 5'6 here while rye is newly 6'1

[carewyncromwell]

“There's a strange exhilaration in such total detestation... It's so pure, so strong! Though I do admit it came on fast, Still, I do believe that it can last, And I will be loathing, loathing you My whole life long!”

~“What is This Feeling?” from Wicked

x~x~x~x

Oh my GOD, you guys, I’ve had this project in mind for a while, wanting to draw something to celebrate this character dynamic properly...and now, after so much procrastination, it’s finally done! This is Carewyn Cromwell’s son “ward,” my HPMA Sour Patch Kid Erik Apollo, with his schoolboy archrival, Azariah “Rye” Steele! @cursebreakerfarrier​ 💚❤️

Okay, so a few things you should know about these boys right off the bat -- 

Erik Apollo is the son of a deceased Muggle banker and his wife who, during the Second Wizarding War, was hunted down by the Muggle-Born Registration Commission before he could properly start his first year at Hogwarts. Erik’s arrest was very traumatic, not only resulting in Erik being kidnapped and getting badly scarred when Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle used a whip made out of Dark magical flames to bind him around the neck like an animal, but also in the death of Erik’s mother, which officially made Erik an orphan. Fortunately tiny, but hot-tempered and foul-mouthed Erik was rescued from Ministry captivity by Carewyn Cromwell and put into hiding, and after the War was over, Carewyn went looking for Erik and fought to become his official legal guardian. Out of love for his deceased parents, Erik never calls Carewyn his mother and Carewyn, out of respect for Erik, doesn’t call him her son, but the two do love each other like parent and child and would do anything to protect one other. Erik has a fund at Gringotts set up in his name that contains all of the assets his parents left behind, but otherwise Carewyn provides for Erik’s needs solely with her own salary as a lawyer for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Erik’s also one of the very rare examples of a Muggle-born who was Sorted into Slytherin house, but given his intense pride, dislike of authority figures, vengeful streak, relentlessness sometimes to the point of brutality, and deep-seeded ambition to become an Auror, it truly was his proper place. Beware if you say anything negative toward his blood or especially his family, though -- there are few things in the world Erik hates more than blood purists, and he can get down-right vindictive toward anyone who ascribes to or shows any sympathy toward such beliefs. If you’re lucky, you’ll simply get off with being called a “pompous twat who thinks you deserve a fucking crown when your head’s only real hat should be your own arse.” If you’re not, you can expect Erik to skip settling your dispute on the dueling grounds and just send you straight to the Hospital Wing with teeth so overgrown that your jaw has become painfully dislocated. (“That should keep you from running your gob off, you son of a bitch.”) 

Azariah “Rye” Steele, on the other hand, is the sociable oldest son of a well-regarded magical family and a descendent of Godric Gryffindor. He’s well-liked by his classmates at large for his intellect, strong work ethic, and talent in wizard dueling, and he even eventually earned the position of Gryffindor Prefect in his fifth year, despite not being particularly attuned to the rules. And when this reckless, arrogant, playful Gryffindor collided with the surly, swearing, fiercely independent Slytherin, Rye found Erik (and his overly hostile reactions toward Rye ribbing him) absolutely hysterical. Rye’s amusement only served to insult Erik’s pride more and make him angrier, which made Rye tease him more, and the cycle continued ad infinitum from there. In short, these two became their generation’s James Potter/Severus Snape or Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy...only this time, the Slytherin never flirted with Death Eater rhetoric, and once these two become adults, they do actually bury the hatchet enough to work together as coworkers, when Erik becomes an Auror and Rye becomes a Hitwizard. (Though Erik never stops taking every opportunity to sass Rye’s face off whenever they collide.) 

Although just about all of you who are familiar with Erik know him as being very tall, that sadly is only when he’s an adult. Erik followed Ben Copper’s trajectory in that he was small for most of his school career, before he shot up like a friggin’ beanstalk over the summer prior to his fifth year. And this means, just like with a lot of things, Rye got his growth spurt before Erik...and the Gryffindor very much enjoyed ribbing Erik about it, in their fourth year. (Enjoy it while you can, Rye -- once you start your fifth year, Erik will be exactly your height. 😏) I daresay this pose was done just before Erik yanked his wand out of his back pocket and hexed this smug git right in the face. Yes, I see these two kicking each other’s arses on the dueling field constantly. 

Hope you like it, darling! xoxo