A/N: I know Teddy Lupin's name is Edward Remus Lupin. I know it. But Edward makes me think of Twilight, so we're gonna pretend Teddy's full name is Theodore Remus Lupin because Teddy should not be short for Edward, it makes no sense

can we check out What Is Love? by watersigns111 because it's only got like 3 or 4 chapters right now but the style of writing is fantastic and i love it

this might be the longest oneshot I've ever written tbh it took me forever and it's not something i would usually write but i really enjoyed writing it

update: it definitely is my longest oneshot it's 13,000 words exactly

warnings: this story contains graphic descriptions of burning, one mention of a minor character suicide, lots of fire, murder, and dark!drarry 

this story is not meant to romanticize murder. it is meant to depict a fictional telling of Draco and Harry's rise to power, and Harry's mental descent as power and Draco's influence change the way he thinks. Near the end, more so, they're more sexually attracted to each other, but don't mistake that for love. They both just like sex and fire.

These two are fucking insane, and it's told from Draco's POV, so it's him trying to justify every choice they make, not me. I do not recommend committing murder and arson. 0/10 on the Nyx Do Or Don't List.

Their world was corrupt.

Draco would be quite content to watch it burn, but he was mildly annoyed that the Ministry had decided to sentence his mother to the Kiss, and his father was only to stay in Azkaban.

The Ministry had made more bad decisions than Draco could count. They had allowed many of the Death Eaters to live, so they could "get more information about the escaped ones". They had refused to locate Granger's parents for her. They had refused to pay for reparations of the war. They had seized the Burrow after Molly Weasley, in the grief of losing her son, missed a payment. They had left orphans of the war to die on the streets without government help. They had burned down the Malfoy Manor. They had raised taxes to fund new programs in the Ministry Auror Department, some for new uniforms, some for better training rooms.

And, the most damning, the one that pushed Harry Potter over the edge and caused the inevitable downfall of the Ministry and the world, they had taken Theodore Lupin away from Potter.

Potter was a legal adult now, but he was classified by the Ministry as "unfit for parenting", and they sent Theodore to the foster system. They had a similar ruling for Andromeda.

She killed herself two days after they decided that.

And now Potter was holding his fist in the air, refraining from banging on Draco's door again as he tiredly opened it.

"Hello, Potter. Are you aware that it's two in the morning?"

Potter punched him in the mouth.

"Ow," Draco said through a mouthful of blood, and turned around to grab his wand off the coffee table in his living room to heal his mouth. "I'd rather you didn't do that."

Potter stared at him from the doorway. "You-"

Draco continued to stare at him, and Potter's face became enraged again. He shot a Stinging Hex at Draco and slammed Draco's door shut.

"Potter," Draco started, healing his arm where the Stinging Hex had landed. "Hurt me again, and I'm going to have to deeply consider asking you to leave."

"Deeply consider- asking-" Potter's mouth was opening and closing, and finally, he shot a spell at the bar, exploding several glasses. "Why aren't you fighting me back?"

"Why should I?" Draco kept his voice calm. Potter was obviously reaching the breaking point of his sanity, and Draco didn't want to be there when he reached it.

"Because I punched you, because you hate me, because everything is going to shit and I need something fucking familiar, and now fighting you isn't even that, because you're being a passive bitch!"

"Ah." Draco cast a spell to repair the glasses on his bar. "Want a drink?"

Potter stared at him. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Where's the Draco Malfoy I once knew?"

"I am the Draco Malfoy you once knew, but I had to be more of an asshole, because my father had eyes on me everywhere, and I wasn't down for dying." Draco poured some Firewhiskey into two glasses, and handed one out to Potter. "Drink."

Potter stared at him for a long, suspicious moment, but finally grabbed the glass and downed it.

"Not that I care, but do you want to talk about it?"

"Everything is going to shit. The Ministry is corrupt, and I thought I had ended evil when I killed Voldemort, but a new one just sprung up." Potter ran his hand through his hair roughly, setting the glass on the bar. "More."

Draco obligingly poured him another glass, and Potter drained it just as fast. "So you're upset because you aren't stopping them?"

Potter's eyes were wide and angry. "They won't let me do anything to stop it, why can't I stop this?"

"Isn't it obvious, Potter?" Draco sipped his drink, his lips stained blood-red from Potter's punch. "You don't have enough power, enough money."

Potter scoffed. "That can't be it. I've got plenty of influence, loads of money."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You have Lily and James Potter's money. You have a good influence. The problem, Potter, is that you need a bad influence. You need power that you don't have. You need people to be afraid of you."

Potter's lips parted, possibly to protest. Draco didn't allow him to.

"You destroyed Voldemort, yes, but no one is afraid of you. You're a hero in their eyes, you can do no wrong. They know you're a good person, and that's why you don't get what you want. You need more money than everyone else. You need to be the kind of powerful that will crush anyone in your path to get what you need. You need fear.  You don't have it."

"You want me to be a second Voldemort," Potter whispered, horrified. Draco glared.

"I never said I wanted you in power, I'm just giving you the answer to your question. And I never said you had to commit massacres."

Potter looked out the window at the glowing lights of the distant Ministry building. Draco hid his smirk as he watched the exact moment Potter's eyes hardened.

"How do I get it?"

"Get what?" Draco asked innocently, lifting his glass to his lips.

"That kind of power."

"Numbers. Voldemort didn't take over the world on his own, did he? He had his team of killers. You need people willing to do anything for you, or at least to end this. And you need one person who would be willing to burn the world down for you to have flat ground to walk on."

Potter swallowed as he registered Draco's words. "I need a Bellatrix."

Draco's eyes followed the lines of Potter's throat. "You need a Bellatrix."

"But I don't have someone that devoted to me who would be willing to do such a thing."

Draco laughed, a chilling sound that he hadn't heard in years. His bottom lip split, still wounded, and Draco tasted blood as he replied "You don't need a devotee, Potter. You need a sociopath."

***************

It was three days later when Potter approached him again in a crowded bar. 

"Hello, Potter. How may I be of assistance?" Draco lifted his bitter drink to his lips, taking a sip and doing his best not to wince at the taste.

"I don't know any sociopaths."

Draco snorted. "Every person I was friends with in Slytherin is a sociopath, Potter. Just because you don't realize someone is, doesn't mean they aren't one."

"What about you?" Potter sat next to him, green eyes piercing into where Draco's soul should be.

"Hm?"

"Are you a sociopath?"

"No." He watched in delight as Potter's shoulders slumped, meaning his plan was working. "I'm far worse than a sociopath."

"How so?" Potter was leaning away from him now, looking a bit scared.

Draco grinned wickedly. "I'm a psychopath."

"Isn't that, like, the same thing?"

"Nah. Sociopaths get angry real easily. They can feel some level of empathy, and they can get close to a couple people. Psychopaths are more dangerous, because they're the ones with the high intelligence and the incapacity for love. They're the ones who manipulate you, and you don't realize it until it's too late." Draco raised his eyebrows, leaning closer. "They're the snakes that strike when you least expect it."

Potter shuddered, leaning away from him. "Are you sure you're not just insane?"

"Maybe a little." Draco downed his drink in one go, perfectly aware that Potter was watching him do so.

"So... in theory, would it be better to have a sociopath or a psychopath by your side?"

Draco's plan was working wonderfully. 

"Normally I would say sociopath. Easy anger and capability for attachment is usually good. It's why Bellatrix was so dangerous. But for you, I would say psychopath. You need someone who's good at manipulation, at giving the impression of being a good person until you don't want them to be anymore, someone who won't fall in love with you and let it affect their judgment, someone level-headed and intelligent enough to help you, but detached enough to not care about hurting your feelings when they tell you your plan is stupid. Because you don't want to take over the world. You want enough power to stop other people from doing so."

Draco had handed Potter his choice on a silver platter, and he waited for Potter to confirm it.

"Malfoy, I think you would be good at that."

Draco didn't allow himself to smile. He waved the bartender for another drink. "I would."

"Will you be my Bellatrix?"

"What do I get from it?" Draco flashed a smirk at the bartender as he brought him the drink, and the poor boy almost dropped it, blue eyes widened with lust. He turned back to Potter, who was watching the whole exchange with calculating eyes.

"What do you want?"

Draco knew what he wanted before Potter finished asking his question. It had been in the back of his mind since he was six years old and capable of considering such things.

"I want my father's head on a platter."

Potter's eyes widened comically. "You want me to kill him? I can't kill anyone."

"I never said you had to personally. I just said I wanted it to happen."

Potter frowned at him, but Draco knew he had won the argument when Potter's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Fine. You help me rise into power, and I'll make sure your father dies."

"Not just dies. I had specifications, Potter. I want his head on a platter. Preferably silver."

Potter swallowed, distaste written across his features. "You're insane."

"No more so than you."

*****************

The easiest and most reliable option was to get Potter to be the Minister of Magic, so he could change things. To do this, Potter needed a team to help his campaign.

Draco was his second in command, always by his side to help him make decisions and tell him which ideas he should propose to the public, and which ones they should keep for later. 

When Potter had first announced his campaign, he was met with a lot of positivity from the public, but there were a fair few who doubted his abilities, and that was where Draco came in, giving Potter exact words that he should and shouldn't say, how he should act, how to quell any doubts and keep the praise in the spotlight. Unfortunately, this had the side effect of people noticing Draco with Potter all the time, and rumors started to fly that Draco was Imperiusing Potter, that he was somehow going to harm the election.

Draco told Potter he had an idea, and told him to just trust him. They called for a press conference, and Potter promised answers to any question people had for him

And now they stood on the stage, thousands of cameras and lights directed at them. Potter stood in the front, Sonorus charm on his voice so everyone could hear his answers.

The reporters continued to ask questions that Potter answered smoothly and carefully, each word chosen to persuade the public that he had nothing but the best of intentions.

To be fair, he did.

Draco didn't.

Draco stared at him like he was the most beautiful person in the world, making sure his expression was lovestruck and on display for the world to see.

"Mr. Potter!" one of the reporters shouted. "Can you address the rumors that you and Mr. Malfoy are in a relationship?"

Draco knew there were no such rumors. There would be, after this, but the reporter had seen Draco and wanted answers. Making Potter think other people thought the same thing was a persuasion tactic to get him to reveal more than he had planned. Draco wondered vaguely if the reporter had psychopathic tendencies, before deciding that most of them did.

He allowed his eyes to widen, and wordlessly, wandlessly, cast a spell to turn his own cheeks a light pink. It was a spell he had perfected after years of seducing people into his bed. Play the innocent, blushing sweetheart, and the world will never suspect a thing.

"We're not in a relationship," Potter replied, frowning. He clearly had no idea where the reporter had gotten that idea, because he hadn't looked at Draco to see what he was doing.

Draco put on a dejected face, biting his lip and turning away from the crowd, wiping under his eyes before turning back around, a very fake smile on his face. He made sure to rub his eye once for good measure, but otherwise put on a face that would suggest he was poorly hiding a crush on one Harry James Potter.

The questions after that returned to political ideals, although Draco knew eyes were on him, seeing how he was reacting to every question. Every once in a while, he would let his eyes go soft as he looked at Potter before he froze and put his calm face back on.

When they returned to their new office in the building Draco had bought specifically for the campaign after the conference, Potter frowned. "That one question was weird," he sighed, pulling a bottle of amber-colored alcohol out of his desk drawer, along with a glass. "Want some?"

Draco nodded, and Potter pulled out a second glass, pouring them each some before sliding one to Draco. "What question?"

"The one about us being in a relationship."

"Oh, you'll see why tomorrow." Draco sipped his drink.

Potter frowned. "Draco, what did you do?"

"You'll see tomorrow." Draco drained his glass, standing with a grin. "See you."

He stepped out of the office, Potter's confused shouts ringing after him.

*******************

"What is this?" Potter slammed the newspaper down in front of Draco, his hand covering half the picture and a lot of the words. Draco could still read the headline.

Draco Malfoy, Nefarious Death Eater Or Hopeless Romantic?

Draco moved Potter's hand out of the way, skimming some of the words before settling his eyes on the picture. They had chosen the one right before the reporter had asked Harry about their relationship, the one where Draco was looking at Potter with a simply enchanted look, like Potter was the only person in the world.

"It's working," he murmured, allowing a smirk to cross his lips.

"What's working?" Potter was impatient.

"They thought I was working with you to bring down the Ministry. Now they think I'm working with you because I'm in love with you. We're eliminating any traces of anything wrong with your campaign, any doubt they could have."

Potter raised his eyebrows. "That's... actually really smart. But you know they'll never leave us alone now, right?"

Draco grinned wickedly. "I'm counting on it."

Potter rolled his eyes, but didn't comment.

"Speaking of news..." Draco shuffled some papers around on his desk. "I know we're halfway into making a lobby on the first floor, but I was thinking we could make the second floor into another office space. I've found some people for your campaign, media managers and undercover reporters and people to manage money and a dozen others. Everything to give you the perfect image."

Potter looked impressed. "Whatever you think is best, you're the politics genius."

"I'm not a politics genius, I'm a psychopath," Draco reminded him. "I'm good at knowing how to alter people's perceptions. You're going to need to meet with them all, I've got the first few coming in a few minutes, and the rest are coming tomorrow."

Potter nodded. "Send them to my office?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm not your damn secretary. Fine."

Potter shot him a grin and went into his own office. Draco watched him type away at his computer for a couple seconds before the elevator dinged and a tall woman wearing black heels and a short black dress stepped through, glasses low on her nose and a fur coat draped around her elbows.

"Pansy, darling." Draco stood from his desk and hugged her. "I'll take you to him."

He walked Pansy over to Potter's office and opened the door. "Pansy Parkinson. Anonymous reporter for the Political Press newspaper. Very influential, very stunning. Don't upset her, Potter, she's violent when angry."

Pansy flashed Potter a dangerous smile, and Potter returned with one of his own, something Draco hadn't seen before and was slightly surprised to see.

"Sit, Ms. Parkinson. We have much to discuss." Potter's eyes were alight with mischief and Draco relaxed, now knowing Potter wouldn't be prejudiced against Pansy for her actions during the war. Draco shut the door and walked back to his own desk.

The rise to power was beginning. 

*******************

Their campaign team consisted of eight ex-Slytherins, two ex-Ravenclaws, four ex-Hufflepuffs, and Hermione Granger.

The competition never stood a chance.

Lovegood was greatly enjoying working reception, although Draco suspected it was because she got to work it with Abbott, and the two seemed quite interested in one another. Draco had been concerned that she would become bored sitting at a desk all day, but Lovegood assured him that she enjoyed seeing the people who came in inquiring to speak to future Minister Harry Potter about topics they thought he should address.

Potter, of course, didn't care about a single one of their problems, but he listened to them anyways and promised to do everything he could.

Granger, Chang, and Daphne were the entire researching department, something that had concerned Draco for all of a day before Daphne approached him with a printed list of previously successful tactics used by previous Ministers, Chang had brought up new topics Potter could address in press conferences, and Granger told him she was looking into prior transgressions of the competitors.

Pansy and Blaise had become a tag-team for ruining the reputations of the other candidates for Minister. Blaise would Polyjuice himself to hide his identity, and hit on the candidates wherever he saw them, Pansy following in the shadows with her camera. Three of the candidates were married. All of them fell for Blaise's charm. All of them were shredded to pieces by the media and their wives. 

Bones, Millicent, and Terence worked on the other end of the media, shooting Potter in the best light they could to improve public perception of him. This often included private interviews with only the good parts cut in.

Theo, Macmillan, and Cassius worked on finances. While Cassius and Macmillan worked on setting up ways for people to send in money for support, Theo worked on the distribution of money; homeless shelters, orphanages, various charities, anything to make Potter look good, even if all he did was sign off on the ideas Theo came up with.

Astoria and Smith arranged the press conferences and spread the word to get as much media attention as possible. On occasion, they would have their own private interviews with reporters to talk about the "joys of working for Harry Potter".

Draco worked on making sure Potter didn't fuck up his lines, keeping the other departments running smoothly, approving and discarding ideas, and slowly building his own public image, all while feeding the media with longing gazes at Potter and soft smiles.

They set the stage, and Potter stood on it to answer questions and smile brightly at the reporters as he promised the Ministry's corruption would come to an end with him in office.

He didn't realize it yet, but Draco had no intention of ending the Ministry's corruption.

He was planning to make this world burn.

*******************

"Potter, imagine we're in a play."

Potter stared at Draco for a long moment. "Excuse me?"

"I'm hopelessly in love with you and you're a clueless bastard who doesn't even realize he's in love with me too."

Before Potter could ask any questions, Draco slammed his hands down on the table, drawing eyes from all over the restaurant, and stood from their table, glaring at Potter.

"Because I'm in love with you, that's why!" he shouted, his voice ringing throughout the now-silent restaurant.

Potter finally registered Draco's previous words and played into his new role of clueless bastard. He stared at Draco with wide eyes.

"What?" he whispered breathlessly, but in the deathly quiet restaurant, his voice carried across the room. Draco knew this, because people were starting to pull out cameras and previously-disguised reporters were frantically scribbling things down.

Draco sighed irritably, grabbing the front of Potter's shirt and dragging him up and out of his chair for a bruising kiss. He then pulled away with wide, terrified eyes, and twisted on the spot, Apparating away.

He landed in the office, stumbling a bit from the dizzying experience of Apparation, and waited for Potter to show.

It wasn't even thirty seconds later when a crack rang through the room and Potter ended up across the room.

"What did you do when I left?" Draco asked.

Potter put on a face of shock, and his hand slowly came up to touch his lips. He looked awed, confused, and surprised all at once. After several seconds of standing there, he dropped the face and his hand and grinned. "Then I grabbed a handful of Galleons and shoved them on the table for our meal and Apparated away."

"Perfect. I think we'll have a four-day period where I've completely vanished and you go everywhere alone and look real sad and lonely, and then we'll have some big, semi-public reunion."

Potter frowned. "You're uncomfortably good at this."

"Do you want your power or not?"

Potter swallowed and nodded.

"Good. Perfect relationships aren't believable, so we need something more plausible, like me kissing you and disappearing out of fear, and you trying to come to terms with your own feelings."

Potter nodded. "Fine. Where should I go?"

"Tomorrow, don't go anywhere. Stay home. Day after, go shopping and come home. Day after that, go to a cafe, order a coffee and just stare out the window for like, an hour or so. Plan your speech in your head or something. Fourth day, stay home and I'll come back on the fifth day."

"So this is why I've got a psychopath instead of a sociopath," Potter mumbled.

"You don't have anything, Potter. I'm not yours."

"You could be." 

Draco stared at him. Potter shifted, a shy grin taking over his features.

"How much does an engagement affect ratings?"

Draco's face split into a brilliant smile. "Potter, you ingenious bastard. I knew there was a reason you'd do good in power."

"It can't be anytime soon," Potter said, already looking like he was thinking over the options. "Too unrealistic. I think if I get elected, it should be at the reception party."

"It would keep public opinion up, keep people paying attention to your romantic relationship and a little less attention to how you're running this place until you've got enough control that public opinion doesn't matter anyways. It's brilliant, really."

Potter looked absolutely delighted that he had come up with a good plan, before Draco realized something.

"But what if you fall in love with someone else? You obviously don't actually love me, so what if someone catches your eye that you actually do love?"

Potter stared at him in surprise for a long moment before he spoke. "I suppose I've never told you. I'm aromantic."

Draco's smile was dangerously delighted.

Neither of them could love the other.

They were going to be the most powerful couple in the world.

******************

Four days passed, and Draco read the newspapers with delight. Headlines ranged everywhere from Draco running away to France, to Potter realizing Draco was the love of his life, to questions of whether the "Golden Couple", as the media was now calling them, would ever stand a chance, or if the relationship would burn before it had a chance to fly (Their words, not Draco's).

So when Draco was spotted in a cafe five days after kissing Potter, the media went wild.

Draco was good at waiting without looking like he was waiting. He sat alone at a table, a cup half-full of coffee resting in his hands, pretending he didn't know five of the "customers" in the cafe were actually reporters waiting for him to do something.

Thirty-seven minutes after Draco sat down, there was a crack outside, and Potter rushed into the cafe, eyes wide and hair messy.

Well, his hair was always messy, but Draco knew for a fact that Potter had messed up his hair more, because Draco was the one that suggested he do it.

"Draco," Potter said, in a perfectly practiced shocked voice, and Draco looked up, feigning being startled. He dropped his cup, angling his thumbs slightly so the coffee spilled away from him instead of on his clothes.

"Harry. I'm-"

Draco didn't get to finish that sentence, because Potter grabbed Draco's wrist, pulling him up so their faces were just an inch apart.

There was a moment of silence, in which everyone in the cafe froze with their eyes on Potter and Draco. Potter's eyes searched Draco's, his hands came up to cup Draco's face, and then he kissed him.

Draco let his whole body tense for a moment before his arms wound around Potter's waist and Potter's hands slid from his jaw to his shoulders, and his arms rested around Draco's neck, wrists crossed behind Draco's back.

The reporters started shouting, and Draco broke away from the kiss to stare at Potter with wide eyes.

Potter broke into a soft laugh, and Draco followed, never breaking contact with his green eyes. Potter took Draco's left hand and pulled forward slightly, resting his forehead against Draco's and whispering "I love you" just loud enough for the reporter sitting closest to them to hear. She gasped and started scribbling, while the other reporters looked furious that they had missed what Potter had said.

"Show me how much," Draco replied in a soft voice, and Potter lifted the hand that was holding Draco's above their heads. Draco spun as though they were dancing, and used the momentum of his spin to Apparate, pulling Potter along with him by their joined hands.

They landed by Draco's desk with matching grins.

"I think that went well," Draco said. Potter nodded, eyes catching on Hermione's. She raised one eyebrow at their joined hands, but set a few papers on Draco's desk and stepped into the elevator to go back to the second floor without words.

"Do you think they should know it's for show?" Potter asked, letting Draco's hand go.

"It would only make things more complicated. Let them think we're together," Draco replied, shrugging. By complicated, he meant annoying, but Potter didn't need to know that.

Because he knew something about Potter that Potter didn't realize yet, and Draco was waiting for the right moment to strike. Isolating Potter from his friends by having him keep secrets was only one part of his plan.

Potter only shrugged, unaware of Draco's easy manipulation of him. "Alright. I've gotta work on signing off some donation papers Zabini wanted. I was thinking that tomorrow morning, I should Apparate into your flat so I can walk out of your building. Reporters will no doubt be there, and I want them to see me leaving your flat."

"Genius," Draco said, and Potter lit up like he always did when receiving praise, and went off to his office to do his work.

Draco bit his lip, grinning as he grabbed the papers Hermione had dropped off. Rising to power was far too easy.

*********************

Newspapers seemed unsure of what they wanted to post more; the picture of Potter kissing Draco, the picture of them with their heads resting together staring into each other's eyes, the picture of Potter twirling Draco, or the picture of Potter leaving Draco's flat with messy hair, a shirt that he definitely wasn't wearing before, and lovebites up and down his throat.

The media was having a field day, and Draco was having a great time watching it.

Nothing ignited such satisfaction in him as chaos, and he couldn't wait to see just how much chaos he could cause.

********************

The media was more chaotic today than anything, because today was the day they would find out Potter was going to be the Minister.

Of course, nobody knew for sure, but Draco was almost certain. With all of the effort they had gone through, Potter's only real competition was Ginevra, who fought violently for her spot as Minister, but was inevitably charmed by the stunningly good looks of one Blaise Zabini (without Polyjuice, surprisingly), and spent a day (that she was supposed to be having a press conference on) in Blaise's bed.

So when it was announced that Potter was the new Minister of Magic, Draco only gave a cool smile as the people around him screamed and cheered.

"We've done it," Potter said, slinging a carefree arm around Draco's shoulders, watching the crowd cheer and his competitors accept their defeats in a variety of emotional ranges.

"Indeed we have. Ready for your reception performance?"

"Ring's in my pocket," Potter replied in a low voice. "I'll do it during my speech."

Draco nodded and kissed him on the cheek. Then Potter returned to cheering with his team as Draco stared across the room at Ginevra.

She looked absolutely livid, cold brown eyes staring directly into where Draco's soul should have been. Draco met this expression with a look of cool detachment, aware that cameras were on him. He tilted his head once in a show of good sportsmanship, because politics was a game that he had won, and Ginevra met him with an ugly, twisted scowl. Draco hid his satisfied smile, perfectly aware that the cameras had caught her expression. Instead, he gave her a hurt look and turned away to smile at his team.

He hoped the media would bash Ginevra Weasley for her terrible manners. Truly an abomination.

For now, however, none of that mattered. Potter and he had a performance to put on.

********************

Potter stood on the stage, ending his speech by calling each member of his team up and thanking them. He had a little row of them behind him, each smiling and waving delicately at the camera. A Sonorus charm made his gratitude known to everyone in the huge room.

Draco knew eyes were on him, waiting to see his reaction when he was called up, so he maintained his lovestruck, proud expression the whole time he stared at Potter.

"Next, I'd like to call up Theodore Nott, one of my financial analysts, because without him and my other two financial analysts, I probably wouldn't have a platform to stand on or a leadership to be celebrating." Potter smiled as Theodore came up and shook his hand, moving to stand next to Granger. 

"And finally, a person I'm sure many of you know. The person who was here with me from the very start, who first supported my dream to become Minister, the man I've come to fall in love with over the course of my campaign and the months we've been together. Draco Malfoy."

Draco's smile grew, and he walked up the stairs and held out his hand, as though he was waiting for Potter to shake it as he had with the others. 

Potter took his hand, and in a move they had practiced endlessly in Draco's apartment living room, sank to one knee gracefully, pressing a kiss to the back of Draco's hand. Draco's free hand flew to his mouth, both to give the appearance of shock, and to hide the yawn he gave to make his eyes water. 

"Draco Malfoy, you've made my life better from the minute you waltzed back into it eight months ago. We always had something strong between us. In school, I channeled my strong feelings toward to into my hatred, as did you. But we've grown up, and those feelings have grown with us into love."

Potter pulled the ring out of his pocket, holding it out with the hand that wasn't holding Draco's. Draco willed the hand over his mouth to shake slightly.

"Draco." It was said with practiced reverence, soft but powerful, a trait they had had to practice quite a bit to nail down. "Will you marry me?"

Draco's shaking hand slowly came to wrap around Potter's wrist, fingers curling delicately around the skin.

"Yes," he breathed, so softly that the people in the room straining to hear clearly couldn't, and they held their breaths until Potter's face lit up and he stood, kissing Draco hard. Draco smiled through the kiss, and he was glad people chalked it up to happiness and not satisfaction that the plan had worked perfectly.

Cheers went up around them, and Draco pulled back, shining eyes meeting Potter's as he smiled. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Granger was clapping and was relieved that she didn't plan on interfering with them. The last thing he needed was someone trying to undermine him.

Potter slid the ring onto Draco's ring finger and they kissed again, and then the reception began and they split up to mingle with people and accept congratulations.

Granger came out of nowhere, wrapping Draco in a tight hug. "I'm really happy for you, Draco," she whispered, and Draco's eyes went wide, although she couldn't see his face. It was the first time she had called him by his first name since they had started working together. "You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I'm so glad you make Harry happy."

Draco pulled back with a smile. "Thank you... Hermione. Your support means the world to me and Harry. I was worried you would be upset."

"Never," she said, and hugged him one last time before rushing off, presumably to find Potter.

Draco accepted congratulations from what felt like thousands of people before he found Potter again. The second Draco was close enough, Potter's arm wrapped around his waist, a habit he had started a while back to maintain their charade. Draco kissed his cheek and half-listened as Potter continued to talk to Abbott.

Suddenly, Ginevra was in front of them, a scowl tainting her features. Draco took note of three reporters near him, none of them looking at them. Yet.

"Blaise is on your team." The words weren't a question; they were an accusation, one Ginevra already knew the answer to. Abbott took one look between then and walked away. She was never good with confrontation.

"He is. How do you know Blaise?" Draco asked before Potter could get a chance to speak.

"You sent him to distract me from the press conference I had that day! I could have won, if you hadn't!"

Draco frowned. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Blaise does whatever he wants. I didn't send him to do anything."

It wasn't a complete lie. Potter had been the one to physically tell Blaise to distract Ginevra, even if Draco was the one to give him the idea.

"You're a damn liar, Draco Malfoy." Ginevra whipped her wand out. Draco had to resist a grin, because she was behaving even better than he had planned.

Although he knew perfectly well that Ginevra's wand wasn't pointed at Potter, Draco yelled and shoved Potter behind him, backing away. People started to turn, and the reporters turned on their cameras faster than they had when Potter had kissed Draco in the cafe.

"Don't you fucking dare threaten my fiancé, Ginevra," Draco said in a voice normal enough for an angry conversation, but loud enough for the people around to hear. "Why can't you just accept your loss, like the other politicians? They were plenty civil about it, some of them even came and congratulated Harry. There's no need for violence, and if you don't put your wand away from my Harry right now, I will have you arrested."

She glared at him. "You're fucking insane, Malfoy. I could kill-"

Draco didn't let her finish her sentence, furthering the people's suspicions around him that she wanted to murder Potter. "Ginevra, I don't want to resort to violence. We can be civil about this. Please put your wand down, and we can talk. I don't want to have you arrested."

 "You don't have that kind of power." She still only had her eyes on Draco, her fury giving her tunnel vision. She hadn't registered the people around her. 

"He might not yet, but I do." Potter grabbed Draco's hand, moving from behind him to beside him. "Ginevra Weasley, you're under arrest for harassing the Minister of Magic and his fiancé with death threats, as well as endangering the lives of everyone in this room."

Two of the Aurors walking around the area grabbed Ginevra and Apparated away. Draco turned to Potter, faux concern on his face.

"Love, are you alright? I know she was your friend."

Draco knew very well that Ginevra and Potter hadn't spoken in three years. Luckily for him, the media didn't.

Potter met him with wide eyes. Only Draco, who was right in front of him, could see that there was no fear in them. Potter buried his face in Draco's shoulder, and Draco wrapped him in a tight hug, pulling him away into a corner of the room to "console" him.

"You did wonderfully," he murmured once they were away from the others. 

"Thank you. I know you exaggerated it to make her look bad, but she did point her wand at you, and who knows what she would have done. I may not love you, but I've gotten used to having you around, and it would be quite boring without you."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." Draco noticed one of the reporters looking at them out of the corner of his eye, and leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Potter's. "I love you," he said, enunciating each word carefully so the reporter could see what he was mouthing. Draco kissed Potter softly, and Potter smiled at him. 

"You're eerily good at this," he commented.

"So you've told me a million times," Draco sighed, grinning. "It's becoming tiresome."

"Shut up. Let's dance, before people start thinking the Minister is weak."

"Let's. Stand up and ask me. One of the reporters is looking at us."

Potter obligingly stood, smiling at Draco and extending his hand. "Dance with me?"

Draco gave him the most lovestruck smile he could, the one that made other people feel like it was so intimate that they shouldn't be looking, and took Potter's hand, allowing him to lead Draco to the dance floor.

A life of power and fame was a happy man's life indeed.

*********************

"I think we should have a private wedding," Draco said suddenly.

Potter looked up from the website of adoption agencies, where he had been looking for Theodore's name for over an hour. "Why?"

"If we make everything in our lives public like our first kiss and our engagement, it will seem like our relationship is for show. If we make some things private, it will make it seem more real. It's been three weeks since we announced our engagement, excitement has toned down a bit."

"That's smart. How private are we thinking?"

"Just us."

Potter gaped at him. "Damn. What about your friends? What about Hermione?"

Draco noticed the only one of Potter's friends that Potter had brought up was Granger, which meant Draco had successfully pulled him away from his other friends. He was slightly irritated that Potter was still so attached to Granger, though.

"My friends are around for entertainment. Psychopath, remember? And if no one else is coming, I don't see why Granger should."

Potter shrugged easily. "Alright. Wanna do it tomorrow?"

"Sure." Draco was surprised. "Are you upset that I don't want Granger there?"

"Nah. She can deal with it." Potter seemed bored of the topic already, returning back to the laptop. Draco grinned. Maybe he was less attached than Draco had thought.

"What are you gonna do when you find Theodore?"

"Adopt him, obviously."

Ice flowed through Draco's veins. "That's sweet. The public will love him, as long as he's not a bratty little two-year-old."

"He's three, dumbass."

"Sorry. I haven't been in contact with that side of the family in forever, and Andromeda..." Draco let his voice trail off. "Isn't exactly around to talk to."

He waited for Potter to get upset at the mention of Andromeda's death, but he just nodded, eyes not leaving the screen. "Yeah, I know. I'm just messin' with you."

Draco grinned. "It's midnight. You should go to bed. We don't need the Minister looking like a tired wreck."

"You're right. As always." Potter sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes and shutting his laptop. "You know, you should probably just move in. We're gonna be married tomorrow, and it looks weird that you don't live here."

It wasn't a request, not really. It wasn't a question either. Just a statement, and that made Draco smirk. "Yeah, alright, I'll grab my stuff tonight and bring it over."

Potter shot him a finger gun and went to his room. Draco waited ten minutes, and then approached the laptop on the dining room table.

He scrolled through agencies for two hours before he saw him.

Theodore Remus Lupin
Age: Three years, two months
Sex: Male
Hair Color: N/A
Eye Color: Most commonly blue
Additional Notes: Metamorphmagus

Draco stared at the picture of the child Potter planned to bring in to ruin his life.

"Hello, Theodore," he murmured, before shutting the laptop and Apparating.

He landed outside of the orphanage, eyes cold as he wandlessly unlocked the door and stepped inside.

It was empty, but it was midnight, so it was to be expected. Draco walked down the hall, reading each name on the doors until he paused at one and silently opened it.

The small boy was curled up on his sheets, staring at Draco with wide eyes.

"Hello, Theodore," Draco murmured.

"M' name is Teddy," the boy whispered, curling in an even tighter ball.

"Hello, Teddy. I wanna show you something cool."

Theodore frowned, staring at Draco, but he eventually climbed out of his bed and held his arms up to Draco. Draco sighed heavily, but lifted the boy up and Apparated away.

"Where are we?" Theodore whispered into his shoulder.

"Huntington, New York."

"Where is that?" Theodore asked, and Draco rolled his eyes. He hated children.

He double-checked that the sign above the building mentioned that it was an orphanage, before he set Theodore down and carefully cast the spell on him.

"Your name is Scorpius Abraxas Evans, and you are a normal boy. Magic isn't real. You are three years old. Magic isn't real. Your hair is light brown, and your eyes are blue. Magic isn't real. You don't remember anything before today. Magic isn't real. You don't know what happened to your parents."

Theodore's eyes glowed a hazy yellow before he fell over. Draco let him fall onto the porch of the orphanage and banged on the door twice before Apparating to his flat.

He gathered anything he needed before he Apparated back to Potter's- well, it was his now too- flat.

"Draco? What are you doing?" Potter wandered out of his room, rubbing his eye. 

"I was getting my stuff, dumbass. I told you I would." Draco rolled his eyes. "Are we sleeping in the same bed, or do I have a separate room?"

"Together, I guess, just in case someone stops by unexpectedly." Potter's eyes were tired. "I'm awake now, I guess I should keep looking for Teddy."

"Potter, Theodore isn't going anywhere. You've gotten, like, two hours of sleep. Go to bed."

Potter nodded without thinking much of it. "Alright, yeah. G'night."

"Night."

Potter returned to his room, and Draco went to work on his laptop to change the website.

*****************

Potter yawned as he came out into the living room to see Draco messing with the television remote. He had really only just started to understand it.

"Morning," Potter mumbled. "I thought I told you we were sharing a room?"

"I know, but I didn't want to put my stuff in there while you were sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you by getting into bed. You need to look your best, you're getting married today, after all." Draco cracked a grin. Potter reciprocated it and took the weak excuse.

"I'll make breakfast. Waffles?"

"Sure." Draco followed Potter into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. "I was thinking that we could go to the Ministry around eleven and get the legal documents, and then we could go out and get rings, then maybe get lunch somewhere public. Let the public catch on before the Ministry makes it official."

"Alright. I'm working on some documents to shut down parts of the Ministry that I think are useless and stop some of the funding projects, so I might have to grab those too."

"Sounds good." Draco pulled the coffee pot out as Potter took the first waffle out and poured more batter in. Draco poured two cups of coffee and added peppermint creamer to his own and hazelnut creamer to Potter's.

"Thanks." Potter took a sip and his eyes rolled back. "Damn. I always forget how amazing the first sip is."

Draco grabbed the waffle Potter had set down and put it on his own plate, drenching it in syrup before sitting on the counter to watch Potter cook.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching you."

"Why? It's creepy."

"Is it creepy because you know I'm a psychopath, or is it just creepy in general?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Point."

Draco finished his waffle and grabbed the next one Potter set out, ignoring Potter's slightly annoyed look as he ate.

"Don't look at me like that. You're making more."

"You know, for someone who integrates so well in society, you're a real asshole."

"Thank you."

"Arrghh!" Potter spun around. "It pisses me off that you never yell back or try to fight me. You just accept things. It's fucking irritating."

"You know what Potter, you fucking asshole? I've done nothing but try to help you reach the top, and I've been nothing but fucking generous toward you, and you're just an ungrateful piece of fucking shit who thinks he's entitled to everything because he couldn't fucking die! Just because Mommy and Daddy died for you, doesn't mean everyone else will. You're not the fucking king of the world, jackass, so step off your high fucking horse and shut the fuck up!" Draco took a slow bite of his waffle as Potter's eyes widened in fury. "How was that?"

Potter gritted his teeth together before dropping his resolve. The plate in Draco's hand shattered, and Potter's fist collided with Draco's jaw.

Draco winced, rubbing his face as Potter's expression turned to one of slight panic. "Feel better?"

Potter bit his lip. "A bit, yeah."

"Know any healing spells?"

Potter waved his hand in front of Draco's face, and Draco felt the bruise forming on his jaw fade away.

"Why couldn't you just grab your wand and do it?" Potter asked, still looking a bit confused about his own actions.

Draco held out his hands, bloodied and cut from the shards of plate. "It would hurt."

"Fuck, I'm sorry Draco," Potter muttered, healing Draco's hands.

"Nah, you're not. But I don't care." Draco wiggled his fingers and grinned when there was no pain. He wandlessly repaired and Summoned the plate to himself, too lazy to hop off the counter and grab it.

"What are you talking about?" Potter's eyes were cautious. Draco knew any minute now, the waffle in the waffle iron would burn, but he was far more interested in the topic at hand.

"You're not sorry for hurting me. You're not capable of feeling remorse. Guilt, maybe. In extreme circumstances. But remorse? No."

"Why do you think that?" Potter's voice was slow and warning, but Draco knew he was understanding what Draco was saying as he was saying it.

"I think that because I'm a psychopath and you're a sociopath, and this world is going to burn in our hands and neither of us have the capability to care."

Potter stumbled back. "I'm not a- I don't- I'm not like you!"

"No, you're not. Because I'm a psychopath. You're a sociopath."

"I'm not a sociopath." But even as he said it, Draco could see Potter considering it. "I've felt remorse before, during the war and when I cursed you in the bathroom."

"Because you weren't sociopathic then." At Potter's look, Draco grinned. "Don't you know one of the fundamentals of psychopath versus sociopath? Psychopaths are born psychopaths."

Draco leaned forward, fingers hooking on the underside of the counter as he leaned close to Potter.

"Sociopaths are made."

Potter's lips parted, his eyes wide.

"You know I'm right. You've known for a while, you just haven't really known."

"You're insane."

"Lack of remorse." Draco hopped off of the counter. "Low empathy levels, if any at all. Attachment to few people." He poked himself in the chest. "You've grown attached to me."

"Stop talking."

"Difficulty forming emotional bonds, such as romantic relationships." Draco raised one eyebrow coldly. "Some might even mistake it for being aromantic."

The blood drained from Potter's face.

"Manipulative when they have something to gain from it." Another step forward. Potter stepped backward. "Impulsivity and risky behavior." Another step forward. Potter's back hit the counter. "Hostile and vengeful when provoked." Another step forward. "Hot-headed and quick to anger." Another step, and now their lips were just an inch apart. "Willing to do anything, and cut anyone down who tries to get in their way."

Potter tilted his head up, eyes alight with anger, before they widened. Draco could practically see him thinking about every time he had shown the signs and hadn't put it together.

"Admit it to yourself, Potter, before you get pissed off and punch me again, because the next time you punch me, I'm going to kill you and tell the world it was self-defense, and you bet your ass I won't feel the slightest bit bad about it." Draco stepped back as the smell of burning filled the room. He didn't move to stop it.

Potter's lips were moving, and it took Draco a moment to realize he was whispering something.

"What was that?" he asked, a bit annoyed with how fast he was getting bored with this conversation.

"You're not my Bellatrix," Potter repeated quietly. "I'm yours."

Draco only grinned in confirmation.

"You were never the one who would 'be willing to burn the world down for me to have flat ground to walk on', as you put it. I wasn't using you to rise to power, you weren't my Bellatrix making me more powerful in the eyes of the public." Potter's breathing was coming faster as a million pieces clicked together at once. "I was the one who would do anything, who would push anyone aside. I was the one helping you rise to power, I was the one building your reputation and making you perfect in the eyes of the world. You told me I didn't need a devotee, I needed a sociopath. You knew that because you weren't talking to me. You needed a sociopath to manipulate into getting you your spotlight. I was your Bellatrix, and I didn't even realize."

Draco grinned. "Very smart, Mr. Potter. By the way, do you think you should change your name to Malfoy, or should I change mine to Potter?"

Potter let out a strangled yell, launching himself toward Draco with fury in his eyes, but Draco hit him with a wandless Stupefy, sending Potter crashing into the cabinets.

"Potter, I thought we agreed on this. The next time you punch me, I will kill you. Don't make that time now." Draco leaned against the counter, grinning. "I'm getting married today."

Potter glared at him as he climbed down from the counter he had climbed on. "You used me, Malfoy."

"And if I felt things like guilt, I probably would feel very guilty. But I don't. If it helps, Potter, I never had any intent to kill you. You don't piss me off, I wouldn't have objected to being with you for the rest of my life."

Potter froze. "You weren't planning on killing me?"

"Is that what you thought? That I was gonna use you to get to the top and then kill you off? Lord no. You're fun to have around, when you want to be. Besides, I'm grateful for you gifting me with so much power. Killing you would bring me no satisfaction."

"What are you going to do, Malfoy? Why do you want this power?"

Draco smirked. "I'm glad you asked. You see, I feel annoyed that my mother was Kissed and my father only got Azkaban, and I think the world should pay for that. Also, I hate society and I love to watch things burn. Seems fun."

"You're insane."

"You enjoy saying that a lot for someone who doesn't give a shit whether the world burns."

"I give a shit!" Potter protested half-heartedly.

Draco snorted. "Wonderful acting, Potter. This is why I'm the manipulator and you're the power."

Potter sighed. "Will you keep Hermione and Teddy alive? I'm rather attached to them as well."

"I was already planning on sparing Granger. She made a good impression on me at the reception. As for Theodore, if it's really all that important to you, I won't kill the brat, although you will keep in mind I won't care for him either. He will be your child in all regards except public, where I'll play the caring guardian." The lies spilled off Draco's tongue with ease; Potter was never going to see Theodore again. "I don't have the capacity to care for a child. Neither do you, really, but if you have such an attachment, you better hope you don't get bored with him."

Potter scowled, but sighed heavily. "Fine."

"Lovely." Draco grinned. "Let's get married, baby!"

********************

When the pair returned home, Draco was already ready for Potter's inevitable rage. He was making steak as Potter scrolled through the adoption agency forums, waiting for the moment Potter would see it.

A smile crossed his face. After this, Potter would never argue with Draco about burning the world down again. In fact, Draco would probably have the boy's blessing. Maybe even willing involvement.

It wasn't long.

"Draco," Potter said, his voice low and dangerous.

Draco stayed by the pan, watching the butter and garlic and steak pieces sizzle. "What?"

"Draco."

"What?" When there was no response, Draco counted to three in his head before sighing heavily and entering the dining room. "What?"

Potter was staring at his laptop screen, his body completely frozen.

"Are you having some sort of episode?" Draco took two steps forward. "You look insane."

"Draco." Potter whispered this time, but it was filled with fury.

"That's my name, have you forgotten every other word?" Draco moved to stand behind Potter, reading the screen even though he knew every word. After all, he was the one who had altered it.

Theodore Remus Lupin (ADOPTION OFFERS REVOKED DUE TO DEATH OF INDIVIDUAL) 
Age: Three years, two months
Sex: Male
Hair Color: N/A
Eye Color: Most commonly blue
Additional Notes: Metamorphmagus
(DECEASED)

Draco paused before he spoke, his voice low and shocked. "There's only one way children that young in the Magical Care System die."

Potter's hands were shaking. One of the glasses on the table was rattling. "What is that?"

Draco allowed another pause. "Neglect."

Potter gripped his fists so tight that Draco was sure his nails were breaking skin on his palm. The glass shattered. Draco calmly repaired it and went into the kitchen, setting it on the counter before coming back to Potter. He froze.

Potter was standing up now, eyes filled with fury, the coldest fury Draco had ever seen in him. One of the lights shattered. Quietly, Draco repaired it.

"Neglect." Potter's voice was detached. 

"Yes." Draco kept his voice impassive. 

"They neglected a three-year-old child."

"I'm afraid so." Draco quietly closed the laptop. 

There was a long silence before Potter's eyes met Draco's again.

"Burn it down."

"The orphanage?" Draco clarified, keeping a calm expression on his face despite the glee inside him.

"The orphanage. Every building near it with people that could have done something and didn't. The people who neglected Teddy. The city. The country. The world for letting this happen. Burn it down, burn it all down, Draco."

Draco didn't bother to hide the way he knew his eyes lit up. "With pleasure," he hissed. He opened the lid of the laptop, pretending to check the location of the orphanage, before shutting it and grabbing Potter's hand. Potter jumped at the sudden contact, and Draco Apparated them away. 

They landed in front of the orphanage, and Draco was struck with a sense of deja vu before he wandlessly exploded the door and stepped inside, hand still woven with Potter's.

Actually, Draco thought. He's given me what I want, I may as well do him the decency of calling him Harry.

Draco pulled Harry along the hallways until they finally found a room with three men in it, sitting in front of monitors. On one of the monitors was a playroom filled with children.

"Can I help you?" one of them asked, looking bored and annoyed, and Draco was filled with glee that they didn't seem to recognize Harry, or at least it wasn't registering yet.

"You let my godson die," Harry growled, and his voice seemed to reverberate around the room.

The man stared at him, horrified. "Excuse me?"

Harry turned to Draco. "Do it."

Draco only tilted his head, smiling at Harry. Harry frowned.

"Do it, Draco."

"No." Draco bit his lip. "I want to see you do it. It's only fair."

Harry looked surprised. Not surprised at Draco's suggestion, but at his own complete willingness to do so, and Draco saw the exact moment Harry accept the fact that he was a sociopath.

"What are you doing?" another man asked, eyes wide in horror. "Who are you people?"

Harry grinned, a maniacal mixture of hate and anger and wrath spread into a smile that looked displaced on his face. "I'm Harry Potter and this is my husband, and we're going to burn down this orphanage and then the world."

"Why?" the third man asked desperately, horrified.

Draco laughed. "Because I'm a psychopath and he's a sociopath and the world gave us the power to do what we want."

With that dramatic statement, Potter shouted "Incendio!", and the room caught fire. The men started yelling, and Draco pulled Harry back out of the room and slammed the door shut, shouting several locking spells at it. Harry's eyes couldn't move away from the fire. It glinted in his eyes through the window in the door as they watched the men pound on the glass and scream for help. Draco could see the chaos and the power and the fire in Harry's eyes, and it was like a drug, and for the first time that he ever just genuinely wanted to, Draco pulled Harry in for a kiss.

After a second, Harry pulled back, surprised. His green eyes searched Draco's for a long moment.

"You're addicted to chaos," he whispered, and Draco just laughed in agreement.

Another scream drew a smile to Harry's lips. "Then let's cause some motherfucking chaos, baby."

Draco whooped, and they ran down the halls, high on adrenaline and chaos and each other, and then Harry stopped moving, and Draco did too, because he was still holding Harry's hand.

Harry's fingers trailed lightly over Teddy's name on the door, and he opened it slowly. Upon seeing its emptiness, a scowl crossed his face and he set fire to the room before slamming the door shut and running down the hall again. Draco cheered as he followed, before pausing. Harry gave him a confused look.

"I may be a heartless bastard, but I don't kill children," Draco decided, and his eyes scanned the rooms before they landed on one labeled PLAYROOM. He yanked the door open.

"FIRE!" he screamed, and then he and Harry ran.  He heard childlike screams and pounding of feet and he grinned because there was nothing more chaotic than children, and he was unleashing them among the world.

He was laughing by the time they were outside, and Harry was too, breathless, overwhelmed laughter, and then Draco looked up at the dark sky and felt cold drops hit his face.

"It's raining!" he laughed. "It's raining and those bastards are burning to death in the rain!"

Harry was laughing still, and children were screaming and running out of the building, and Draco couldn't stop fucking laughing.

Harry lifted the hand he had joined with Draco above their heads, and for a moment Draco thought he was going to do the spin-Apparation thing Draco had done in the cafe months ago, but instead, Harry just spun before pulling Draco in and swaying his hips.

"We're dancing in the rain, Harry," Draco said dryly, although the smile on his face wasn't gone. "How cliche is that?"

"We're dancing in rain and smoke in the firelight of the burning men we killed," Harry corrected. "A bit less cliche."

Draco twirled, a grin still on his face, and he finally accepted that he was goddamn insane, he was crazy and maybe a little crazy about Potter, even if he couldn't love him and didn't particularly want to.

They danced in the rain and the smoke and the firelight until more people started running out of buildings screaming and trying to help, and then Harry shot an Incendio at one more building before they Apparated away.

When they came home, the steak was burnt. They ate it anyway.

Harry mentioned that it tasted like the burning home had smelled, and Draco stood up and dragged Harry to the bedroom and they had sex for the first time.

*******************

Draco was a little addicted to fire and chaos and sex, but such was the life of a pyromaniacal nihilistic psychopath with far too much power.

People knew. They knew Draco and Harry had lit the orphanage and the bakery across the street on fire, because several people had seen them leaving.

Neither of them cared.

When they Apparated to Harry's office in the Ministry, they were met with their campaign team standing outside the office.

Draco and Harry made eye contact for a moment before Draco nodded fractionally and Harry pulled the door open.

"You're insane," Abbott whispered. 

"Psychopaths," Chang added, eyes horrified. 

"Actually," Harry cut in. "He's the psychopath. I'm a sociopath."

This was met with stares. Well, except for Lovegood, who was just smiling dreamily at them.

"Your fire was beautiful, and I admire that you let the children out," she said sweetly.

"I don't kill children," Draco replied. He didn't let any coldness seep into his voice; Lovegood was playing nice for now, and he would do the same.

"But you'll kill innocent men?" Macmillan bit out.

"They let Teddy die," Harry growled at the same time Draco shrugged and said "Yeah, probably."

"They killed Teddy?" Granger breathed, eyes watery. Harry clenched his jaw and nodded.

"So you think you can just go around burning buildings down?" Cassius screeched. "Are you insane?"

"Yes," both boys answered together. 

"And the plan isn't to burn down buildings," Harry said.

"The plan is to burn down the world," Draco finished.

Pansy's eyes were alight with something dangerous. "I can't wait."

Blaise and Astoria were also grinning, which was met with many horrified looks from other people in their group.

"Told you they're sociopaths," Draco murmured in Harry's ear. Harry grinned.

"We'll stop you," Bones said firmly, pulling out her wand.

"Then you'll burn," Harry replied simply, making no move to grab his wand.

Theo bit his lip as though deciding, and seemed to settle for shrugging easily. "Can't say I've grown that attached to anyone in the world. Don't know if burning it would be my first choice, but if that's what we're doing, alright."

"Theo!" Daphne hissed. "Do not join them, they're insane!"

"Who isn't?" Theo replied with another shrug. "I helped them get this position of power, and I'm gonna stand by my choice."

Harry looked delighted. "Thank you, Theo! You always were one of my favorites."

Draco growled possessively, and Harry rolled his eyes. "I said one, idiot. You know you're my favorite."

Smith swallowed, giving them a disgusted look. "I can't believe I had a part in getting you to this place. I regret everything."

Millicent nodded, looking quite pale. Terence shrugged and leaned into Theo, making his choice clear without words.

"Well, now that we've all decided we either hate society or hate me, I have to go do some paperwork," Harry said brightly. "I think I'm gonna start with burning all the paperwork. Then maybe I'll burn down the Auror department."

"Stop it!" Chang shouted. "Harry, this isn't you!"

Harry faced her with cold eyes. "Isn't it?"

Abbott stepped forward. "There's no way you can do this, Harry. You've got, like, six people backing you up, against the world."

"Seven."

Abbott whipped around to stare. "What?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Seven. They've got seven people backing them up. I can't say I want the world burned, but I'd rather destroy the world than be destroyed."

She paused for a second before turning to face Harry, who was already smiling. "Will you help me find my parents?"

"Ask Draco," Harry said, shrugging. "He's in charge, I just like fire and sex."

Macmillan made a horrified noise, and Hermione's pleading eyes met Draco's. Draco shrugged.

"If they don't try to stop me, they won't be killed," he relented. Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "I'm surprised, Hermione, that you haven't inquired to the safety of your boyfriend."

Hermione tensed. "When he found out I was on the campaign team against his sister, he... wasn't happy." Her hand came up to her own throat, face pale before it hardened into anger. "I have no care for what happens to him."

"He hurt you?" Harry choked out, anger seeping into his words.

"He will burn," Draco said decisively. Hermione bit her lip.

"Can I watch him burn?" she asked, fingers tapping against her thigh incessantly, a nervous habit.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You can light him on fire yourself for all I care."

"Hermione... I've never known you to enjoy the suffering of someone else," Harry breathed.

Her jaw clenched. "I was pregnant a year ago, Harry."

Harry frowned. "You never told me."

"I only told one person," she whispered. "I told one person, three months into my pregnancy, and he kicked the shit out of me."

Harry's lips parted in shock, and a light across the room shattered.

"Harry," Draco said firmly, and Harry swallowed hard, closing his eyes to calm himself.

"Burn him to the fucking ground, Hermione, and don't leave a trace of him to be buried."

"Harry!" Bones yelled. "People are horrible, yes, but no one deserves to burn, and burning down everything? That's insane!"

"I thought we've established that I'm insane, Susan," Harry bit back coldly. "And I have no remorse, either, so I don't particularly care what happens."

"You're a monster," Millicent whispered.

"Perhaps." Harry opened the door to his office. "Incendio."

The papers caught fire first, and then it spread to the desk, and soon, the whole room was on fire. Alarms were screeching, but Harry had that dangerous smile and the glint of fire in his eyes again, and Draco kissed him.

"I'll kill you," Smith growled, pointing his wand at Harry, and Draco reacted on instinct, shoving Smith into the burning room. He sneered at the panicked boy and slammed the door shut, locking it.

Screaming rang from the room, but Draco didn't blink. Harry's arm wound itself around his waist. Hermione swallowed hard, but otherwise showed no signs of regretting her decision. Pansy looked a little turned on. Theo looked bored.

"Come on, team!" Draco cheered in an overly-cheerful rendition of a teacher taking children on an adventure. "Field trip!"

Pansy and Luna cheered, skipping ahead. Blaise pulled Astoria along, and Terence and Theo quietly walked behind them. After a moment, Hermione followed.

Abbott, Chang, Macmillan, Bones, Daphne, Cassius, and Millicent stayed where they were, some looking horrified, others scared, others angry and disgusted.

"This is your last chance," Draco said, turning to face them. He reached out, a habit of searching for support, and Harry held his hand, as he always did when he knew Draco needed him.

There was a long pause, and Millicent bowed her head and walked past Draco and Harry, following the others down the hall.

"Millie!" Daphne shrieked. "You're no better than them, you bitch!"

"I want to live," Millicent bit out, spinning to face Daphne. "I want to fucking live, and I want to be something other than the ugly fat Slytherin girl, and if that thing is a cold-blooded murderer, then I'm fine with that."

"You're not the ugly fat Slytherin girl," Daphne pleaded. "Stay with us, and you can be a hero."

"Ugly fat Slytherin girl was all you called me in school, so you don't get to pretend you care now," Millicent growled. "I've made my decision. Make yours."

"Daphne!" Astoria shrieked, running down the hall and stopping next to Draco. "Daphne, come on, I can't leave you."

"I'm staying here," Daphne said coldly. "Help me stop them from burning the world."

Astoria gave her a desperate look, shaking her head sadly. "Sorry, Daphne. I like to watch things burn."

"That's where you and me are different," Daphne said coolly, although she blinked a few times and her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Astoria let out a shuddering breath, and Blaise came back, gently taking her hand. They went back after the others. Astoria didn't look back, not even when Daphne screamed for her to look at her, to turn around, to come back.

"Have the rest of you decided to die?" Draco asked calmly, turning back to the group in front of him.

"I'm sorry we have morals." Chang looked angry.

"Me too," Draco replied, shrugging. "Incendio."

Chang screamed, a horrible sound that tore through the air as every part of her body twisted to escape the fire surrounding it. After several long minutes of her screaming and begging them to just kill her already, she fell to the floor, small pieces of her clothes still burning off her charred body.

Macmillan vomited on the floor. Bones wrapped her arms tightly around her tiny body, bracelet glinting in the warm light of the fire, and walked past Draco and Harry without a word, following after the others.

Harry's eyes were curious; not quite excited, but interested, like Chang was something they would study in Potions.

"Can I try the next one?" he asked in the same way a five-year-old would ask to try an ice cream. Draco nodded once.

"Incendio!" Harry shouted, and this time Daphne screamed, and the doors banged as Astoria ran out of the room.

Daphne's scream was higher than Chang's, but she didn't beg for them to kill her. Instead, she crumbled to the ground, unable to stop screaming and thrashing as her body burned.

Before she was even fully dead, Draco pointed his wand at Abbott and hissed Incendio, and he and Harry took turns burning the defiant people until Draco finished burning Cassius and delicately took Harry's hand, meeting the others on the deck the door at the end of the hall opened up to.

"Apparate there," Draco said, pointing to the roof of a nearby building. "One by one, so we don't end up Splinching ourselves trying to Apparate to the same exact spot."

Pansy was first, and waved cheerfully from her spot. Luna followed, then Blaise and Hermione and Astoria and Terence and Millicent and Theo. Then Bones disappeared with a crack, only she didn't appear on the roof.

Draco sighed. "I should have figured." He pulled his wand out of his pocket. "Accio Susan Bones' bracelet."

Harry gave him a curious look, but waited. After a whole minute (Bones must have Apparated halfway across the world), there was a sound, and then Susan Bones was dragged through the air by the gold circlet tightly wound around her left wrist. She was tugging on it desperately to no avail, and she landed at Draco's feet.

"Malfoy-" she gasped, and Draco cast an Incendio on her without a second thought. Her screams rang through the morning air.

"I don't appreciate attempts to undermine me, Bones," he growled, and Apparated to the roof. Harry followed after a few seconds of watching Bones burn.

"Now what?" Pansy asked cheerfully.

"Now we burn the Ministry to the fucking ground."

No one said a word against him, so Draco lifted his wand and aimed an Incendio at the fourth-story window. Pansy followed with a shot at the balcony of the sixth story, and soon each member of their little group was lighting the Ministry on fire. When screams rang out and people were Apparating onto the street like crazy, Millicent, Hermione, and Terence stopped setting fires and just sat back. The rest of them continued to ignite the building until the whole thing was on fire.

Draco turned toward Harry, knowing exactly what he would see, and he wasn't disappointed.

Harry's eyes glowed in the light of the fire, and Draco pulled him in for a kiss without a second thought.

****************************

"I got you a present," Harry said one day, laying on Draco's bed as he recovered from his climax.

Draco scanned Harry's naked body up and down. "This wasn't my present?"

"Of course not." Harry rolled his eyes. "We have sex every time we burn something down. This is a real present."

Draco grinned at Harry rolled off the bed and Apparated from the room.

After about a minute, he returned, a gift box in hand. "Happy birthday, Draco."

"Thank you." Draco untied the ribbon and took the lid off the box carefully. He gasped.

Inside the box was Lucius Malfoy's head on a silver platter.

"I figured I'd finally pull through with my promise," Harry said lightly. "Are you pleased?"

"If I set it on fire, will you be upset?" Draco asked, eyes locked on the head with maniacal glee.

"If you set something on fire I'm more likely to be horny than anything, so I give you my blessing."

With that, Draco grinned and set Lucius Malfoy's head on fire. Harry sucked in a harsh breath.

"God, I forgot how hot it is when you do that. Pun not intended."

Draco turned toward Harry with a grin, ready to tell him off for his stupid joke, but the words died on his lips at the fire's reflection in Harry's eyes.

And so, for what felt like the hundredth time, Draco leaned forward and kissed Harry in the firelight.

*********************

"It's just for a couple days. Hermione wants help finding her parents. She's got a general area."

"I said no."

"You aren't the boss of me, Draco."

"What if I get bored and you're not here to entertain me?"

"Glad to know all I am is your entertainment." God, Harry was so fucking stubborn.

"That's all anyone is to me. Entertainment. You just happen to also give me sex."

"You're a bastard, Draco."

"You already know that, Potter." Draco was annoyed now. "I'm a-"

"Tell me you're a fucking psychopath again and I'll Incendio you right here."

"Kinky, baby," Draco groaned. He wondered if he would like it. 

"Stop it! I'm trying to fucking talk to you, we can fuck later." Harry's hands were balled into fists at his sides.

"I don't want to talk. This conversation is over. I said no."

"You son of a bitch." Harry was furious now, his hot temper coming out to play. "You think you're so fucking fantastic because you're a detached little bitch."

"Keep calling me names, baby," Draco drawled, winking. Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say, because Harry's fist collided with Draco's nose.

Both of them froze.

Draco slowly lifted his wand to his nose, healing it, and then Petrified Harry before the other man could say anything.

"Do you remember what I said I would do if you punched me again?" Draco said coldly. Harry's eyes widened. He remembered. "I said I would fucking kill you."

Draco held out his wand, pointing it directly at Harry. "You should have kept your fucking mouth shut, baby."

He removed the Petrificus and replaced it with an Incendio.

Harry's lips opened in a wordless scream as flames rippled up his body. "I thought you said you didn't want to kill me," he choked out before a scream tore itself from his mouth. Despite his clear agony, Harry was smiling... and hard.

"I lied," Draco replied coldly. "I lied because I need a partner to seem more powerful, and now I've got a team. Maybe I'll make Pansy my new Bellatrix. She's crazy enough."

Harry's eyes were wide and angry and betrayed, and one last scream escaped him before he fell to the ground.

Draco delicately stepped over Harry, feeling inconvenienced by the thought that he would have to clean that later.

He should have known that a relationship between a sociopath and a psychopath was doomed.

No matter. He had a world to burn.