The Other Potter (Draco Malfoy Endgame)

Burn the World Down

Chapter 15

As the couple stood to leave Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Mr. Riddle, would you stay a moment?" Alexis looked at Mattheo before continuing, he gave her a small nod before sitting back down. Alexis headed to the door leaving the two alone. "Was there something else Professor?" Mattheo questioned feeling very nervous.

"I need to impress upon you the dire importance that Tom never finds out the truth of who Alexis is. I do hope you are never in the position where he could get this information from you but I believe we need to be realistic about it. There is a very strong chance that he will get to you at some point and you must be strong enough to keep her identity safe. I don't know that Harry would have the strength to allow his sister to be lost should it come down to his life or hers. To that same point would you be strong enough to allow what may have to happen to her to keep the rest of the world safe?"

Mattheo sat shocked, he could not fathom what Dumbledore was asking of him. "Sir, are you telling me that if I'm faced with the choice that I have to sacrifice the girl I love for her brother?" Dumbledore didn't say anything but the look he gave Mattheo spoke volumes, the small lift of his eyebrow as he stared unblinking into his eyes. "She has never wanted anything more than to be someone's first choice. To be seen by anyone as more important than Harry," the flames began to flicker in his eyes as his anger flared. "And you are going to stand here and ask me, the only person who sees her as more important than the chosen one, to prioritize Harry's life over hers! I will always choose her. I would burn down the world for her! If every single person in the world has to die for her to live, that's the choice I will make." he stormed out of Dumbeldores office without another word.

Dumbledore stood staring after Mattheo as one of the portraits piped up, "Are you sure that is the best way to motivate the boy, Albus?" He let out a heavy sigh as he dropped into his seat, "He has to be motivated to place her above anyone else. The best way to be sure of that, with a boy like Mr. Riddle, is to tell him he must do the opposite. When the time comes he must allow his father to kill Harry. That is the only way we can win."

Mattheo stormed out of the office seeing Alexis standing with Professor Umbridge being interrogated as to what business she had in the headmaster's office. Mattheo saw the pain in her eyes because of the vise-like grip the toad had on her wrist. Flames began to flicker at Mattheo's fingertips as he strode forward shaving himself between them.

"Let her go," he bellowed. He was losing his will to hold his dark impulses at bay. Delores opened her mouth to say something to the boy but her words died on her lips as she saw the terrifying sight in front of her. She involuntarily took a couple of steps back muttering about how this wasn't over before hurrying off.

Alexis could feel him shaking, his anger at a boiling point. She gently placed a hand on his bicep, whispering his name in a barely audible sound. He turned slowly to face her. She could see the battle raging inside him, one she knew all too well. She pulled him to a secluded hallway placing a hand on each side of his face, "Focus on me, it's just you and me. I love you, Matty, forget everyone and everything else and just focus on me. Release the anger and remember how much you love me."

As her words broke through, her calm bled through and he felt the anger slowly recede into him. The flames slowly dissipated as his body relaxed into hers. He laid his head on her shoulder. "What did Dumbledore say to you? You came down already furious so I know it couldn't have just been the toad."

"It doesn't matter, only you matter. I would protect you to my last breath and if that poor excuse for a woman ever puts a hand on you again I won't hesitate to kill her," Mattheo spat as his anger tried to rise again. Alexis looked desperately into his eyes, she loved the way he made her feel like the only person in the world that mattered.

He backed her up against the nearest wall pouring every ounce of love into that kiss. He knew no matter what he would protect her, hell he would light the match himself to set the world aflame if it would keep her safe. She was his and nothing would ever change that, not his father, not her brother. He would put her safety above anything else, no one would ever hurt her again.

The rest of that day Mattheo never broke contact with her. Some part of him was always touching her, through meals, walking in the halls, studying in the library, and he had her firmly grasped in his lap as they sat in the common room with their friends. If the others noticed his fierce possessiveness that day they didn't feel the need to comment. They all had seen Mattheo on a normal bad day and none of them wanted to take the chance of getting on a supercharged Mattheo's bad side. With classes fixing to start back up they just wanted to laugh and have one last night of fun before the pressure of their O.W.Ls took back over their lives.