D.R.A.R.R.Y Supremacy

27 - Going In Deep

Harry undressed himself in front of President Snow, trying not to think that he was in a very odd position. Nobody's ever seen him naked besides Draco.

Snow took a dip inside the jacuzzi and positioned himself comfortably. Harry followed suit, relieved that the water was deep enough to cover half their torsos. The less we see, the better.

"After what you just witnessed, you must have a lot of questions," Snow began warmly. "Go ahead, ask away."

"Well, I do have one," Harry replied. "I don't mean to intrude, but you seem to despise that woman. I was wondering why you would marry someone you can't stand."

Snow chuckled. "Anyone in their right mind would wonder the same, Harry. Though I must admit, the fact that people do wonder, is a mystery to me. It seems that my ideas are not commonly shared by others."

Harry looked confused. "I don't quite catch what you're talking about, Coriolanus."

Snow smiled. "I'm marrying Livia Cardew not in spite of despising her. I'm marrying her because I despise her."

Harry thought Snow was joking. What kind of absurd logic is that? "Why- Why would—"

"In order for a man to succeed and maintain greatness, he must never have a weakness, a loose end. I once had a kryptonite. Being in love reduced a clever man into my caricature — jealous, irrational, vulnerable. No one is ever worth losing your sanity. Being in love is like having a metaphorical dagger aimed at your heart, and you will never find peace until you eventually meet your inevitable fate. It's the things we love most that destroy us."

Harry fell silent as he processed Snow's words. These ideas were new to him, and were the total opposite of Harry's idea of romance — but he couldn't help but notice that Snow seemed like a wise, mature man who knew what he was doing despite being centuries younger than him. He was reminded of Draco and wondered if Harry was the only one who didn't realize the cold, bitter truth about what love really was. Perhaps the horcrux didn't immortalize my brain cells.

"I see," was all Harry could muster.

"Anyway," Snow diverted, noticing Harry's discomfort. "Let's talk about the upcoming Hunger Games. Since this is the first Games with me as President, I want to make a bold statement. Something new, something worth remembering even beyond the days of my presidency — not that I'll ever stop ruling Panem, thanks to your genius immortalization procedure. I want something extra gory, extra intimidating, to show all of Panem that Snow lands on top. Any ideas?"

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A/N

You guys get to decide what the next Hunger Games will be! Share your crazy ideas in the comments and I'll be incorporating multiple ideas from multiple comments as I see fit :))) I'm excited to see where this will go!