Mythas Lester peered at the breathless Harry Potter. He raised an eyebrow at him, curious at the sight. "Why are you so out of breath?"

Draco watched as Harry stumbled to come up with an excuse. "Ur... I um, was exercising! Gotta keep in shape!"

Draco almost snorted, knowing that after the war Harry's perfect abs had somewhat dissolved into a considerable amount of flab. Not enough to be called fat of course, but he was indeed in need of some exercising. Not that Draco ever paid attention to Harry's muscles. That would be weird and no, he did not do that at all.

Of course Draco knew Harry was too stubborn to admit it, which was partly the reason he needed to work out in the first place. Draco found that things often went in circles with Potter. Not that he noticed that either. He definitely didn't like thinking about Potter.

Said Harry leaned against the door, trying to appear casual. "What's up?"

Lester rolled his eyes, shoving past Harry and into his apartment. "Where's your, ahem, friend-who-is-more-than-a-friend?"

Harry choked, "Oh, he's urm, at Diagon Alley, buying who knows what. In to potions that one is."

"How intriguing." Mythas said, flicking the dust off the wall and flicking it in Draco's direction.

Draco watched the dust land on the cloak, turning invisible. His and Mythas' eyes met for one split second, and Draco would've sworn that Lester could see him, or sense him somehow. But just as Draco began to worry, Lester's gaze drifted to Harry. "I've been doing some studying on Draco Malfoy. You went to school together, yes?"

Harry nodded, eyes darting to where he knew Draco stood for a second before focusing back on Mythas. He seemed to take note of it, surveying the place where Draco hid for a moment. "The Malfoys have always had an interest in potions, and as it appears, the Malfoy heir has an interest in you as well."

Harry shrugged, "Really? Well, we were enemies. Hated each other, still do if I knew where he were that is, which I don't. Obviously."

Draco wanted to smack Harry- the guy was terrible at lying. How he'd managed so much mischief at school, he had no idea. He watched as Mythas nodded, looking at Draco's hiding spot again, "And of course you don't know where he is."

Harry shook his head. "Of course. If I did this mission would be over by now and I'd be out if you hair. Ha ha... haha."

"You see, Tom Riddle, as it seems, looks very similar to Malfoy."

"You don't say. He is um, he likes to wear glamours, he's actually uhm, ur... Got his face ruined in the war! Yeah. Too many hexes and his face just, hasn't been the same. All... snake like. Lost his nose too. Tom just... lost himself yeah. So he wears glamours to try and hide the damage. He changes it often so maybe he saw a picture of that pureblooded bastard. But he's definitely not, you know, a Malfoy. That's loony. I hate them Malfoys, very annoying he was in school."

"Potter?" Lester's eyes surveryed the room.

"Yes?" Harry said breathlessly.

"Shut up. I need to think and your incessant banter is muddling my brain."

Draco really wanted to smack him now. That was the stupidest lie he'd ever heard. Face burned off? Where did Harry get such idiotic ideas? Mythas must know it's a lie as well.

But why was Lester so interested in him in the first place? Something was very fishy. Draco narrowed his eyes at the two; he wanted answers. And soon.

Harry leaned against the wall causally, clearing his throat. "Anyway, why are you here?"

Mythas seemed to sense that Harry wanted him to leave. "I want you outside my office promptly at six tomorrow morning, Potter. I am your superior in this case, remember. I will not tolerate tardiness."

Harry mock saluted. "Yes, Professor."

Lester's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything, dark robes swishing as he walked to the front door. "Good day, Potter. And remember, I'm watching you. And your friend-more-than-friend as well."

Harry collapsed against the door as it closed behind Mythas. Draco tore the invisibility cloak, glaring at Harry. "Oh you're in for it Potter. WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME DID YOU DO?!"

Wincing, Harry smiled sheepishly, "The Ministry began an investigation on you."

Draco exploded. "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?! YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST FUCKING KISS ME WHILE THAT WAS ALL GOING DOWN, HUH!? I'M DONE! FOR REAL THIS TIME!"

Draco stormed through the door despite Harry crying out for him to stop, running after him. Harry chased the more athletic boy down all the steps of his flat building, finally catching up with him. "Draco, wait!"

"Why? I could be living under my bridge right now in peace!" Draco turned on him, face red, white hair flying, "this is ALL your fault."

"I know!" Harry wilted, hands raised in surrender. "But please, let me help!"

"I think you've helped enough." Draco shook his head, wishing he could give Harry is stupid Gryffindor sweater back except he was wearing it, and he was comfortable.

"You'll end up in Azkaban if you stay out there. You don't have a wand, don't have any defenses!" he reached for his arm only to have Draco push him away.

"Leave me alone, Potter."

"Please, don't, don't go!" Harry fell to his knees, desperate. "Stay with me and I'll, I'll...I'll buy you a wand, I'll do whatever you want just, just don't go."

Draco bit his lip, sighing in exasperation. "Why do you care so much? I'm a goddamn Death Eater! Aren't you scared of me?" Draco took a step toward Harry, bending down to meet his eyes, "aren't you afraid I might try and kill you in your sleep? Steal your wand? Ruin your career? Tarnish that perfect image you made for yourself? You don't really want me, you just want another reason to feel good about yourself."

"No," Harry whispered, "I'm not scared of you. You're not that person anymore."

Draco stiffened, narrowing his eyes as Harry slowly lifted up Draco's sleeve, peering down at his Dark Mark. "This doesn't define you."

Draco almost felt something real for a moment. For the first time living on the lamb, something stirred inside of him. Some strange emotion he'd never felt before. He watched in horror as Harry brought Draco's forearm to his face, pressing his lips to the black symbol. His eyes lifted up to meet Draco's. "I'm not scared. I don't hate you. For the first time in my life I think I'm feeling something real. You don't care about who I am," Harry stood up, "so no, I'm not scared."

"Also," Harry reddened, "I'm not used to sleeping alone. We both could use a little company, we don't have to be friends-more-than-friends or anything. Sound like a deal?"

Draco bit his lip, about to say yes when something caught his eye. The wand sticking out of Harry's pocket made Draco's blood boil. He stood, grabbing Harry's arm and yanking him to so they stood chest to chest. "On one condition, Potty Head."

Harry broke into a grin, looking like an over excited child. "Anything!"

Draco rolled his eyes "Get me a wand."

-_-_-_-

Mythas started organizing his files, making sure everything was kept in perfect order for when his guest arrived. He carefully lifted his vile of poly juice, watching the mixture swish. Tonight everything would start falling into place.

Absentmindedly, he scratched at his forearm. The Dark Mark he gave himself, it wasn't a real one, but in his mind, Mythas pretended it was one. He pretended that stupid Harry Potter hadn't destroyed his only chances of having power, of making people notice him. Now, Mythas has nothing left, no status, no friends, just a dead end job working with the very person he hated most: Harry Potter.

As a child, Mythas heard the stories of Voldemort. But they didn't strike terror in him as it did for his peers. It set off a flame inside of him, a burning desire. He wanted to be like him, yet his chances of making it in the ranks of the Death Eaters ended the moment Potter got in the way.

Yet Potter was also the answer to Mythas' greatest wish: power.

Wizards wanted a hero, they wanted someone to look up to in times of doubt. Yet in order to have a hero, one must have a villain.

Having read every book there was to find in the War and on Harry Potter and on Voldemort, Mythas knew what he had to do. The only person similar enough to Voldemort that could possibly replace him was clear in Mythas' mind.

He needed to turn Harry Potter into the next Voldemort.

And to do that, he needed to find Draco Malfoy. If anyone knew how to bring out Potter's dark side, it was him.

A knock sounded at the door, pulling Mythas out of his thoughts. He walked to the front of his office, plastering a smile on his face as he opened it for the witch on the other side. "Why hello, Hermione," he said with a devilish grin.