Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter and any of its characters and much to my…displeasure…never will. I assure you though, the plot is entirely my own.

Chapter 2 – Prefect Problem

Harry and Hermione stood outside the Heads Dorm waiting for the Prefects to arrive. Ron ran up to them with a book in his hand.

"Look what I found in the library" he said, panting.

"You were in the library?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. Ron ignored her and continued.

"The Complete History of Quidditch!" he remarked, holding the book out to Harry.

"This is great!" Harry said, flicking the pages. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked over the banister at the moving stairs, listening to her two best friends (well one was her boyfriend) saying how brilliant the book was. Hermione turned round as she heard one of them slam the book closed.

"Anyway, that's not the main reason I came" Ron said. "I wanted to check what time our meeting with Dumbledore is."

"How many times do I have to tell you Ronald that it's at 12:30?" Hermione answered.

"Alright, I was just checking," he replied, defensively before turning to Harry. "What about Quidditch practise?"

"Do you not listen to anything, anyone says?" Hermione interrupted.

"4 o'clock, Ron" Harry answered his question.

"You just be careful with your arm an' all, don't want injuries" Ron warned, pointing at Harry's arm. Hermione winced and looked away. Harry glared at Ron.

"Did you have to bring that up" he hissed. Ron shrugged apologetically as Harry walked up to Hermione and swivelled her round to face him.

"Hermione…" he started.

"It is my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid and realised that it-"

"Hermione, would you stop blaming yourself for God's sake. It isn't your fault. It's none of our fault. You didn't know any more than I did about what Voldemort was planning to do" Harry explained, wiping a tear from her cheek. When she still didn't meet his gaze he put his hand under her chin and turned her head to face him.

"It's not your fault" he repeated before kissing her lightly.

"Oh come on Potter, you must be able to do better than that!" a voice retorted behind them. Harry pulled away and turned round to face the four Slytherins in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked, looking at Blaise and Draco. "It's a prefect meeting."

"We were escorting our friends here, do you have a problem with that?" Draco sneered.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do"

"Well," Blaise said. "You and your filthy mudblood girlfriend-"

"Don't call her that" Harry hissed through gritted teeth. Hermione's eyes snapped down to his arm as the snake started to glow faintly.

"I think you should stop now Blaise" Hermione warned, not taking her eyes off Harry's arm. Ron looked round too and bit his lip.

"What'll you do if I don't?" Blaise teased, walking towards Hermione.

"It's not what I'll do that I'm afraid of" she muttered under her breath. Blaise drew his wand, still advancing on Hermione. She stopped walking backwards and stared at him before her eyes darted to Harry. The snake continued to glow and she bit her lip.

"Draco…" she warned. The blond haired Slytherin looked Hermione. She indicated Harry and Draco frowned.

"M-maybe we should go" he said.

"Why would we want to do that?" Blaise replied. "I'm having fun."

"No, I really do think we should go"

"Oh come on Draco" Blaise pleaded. He stood in front of Hermione and placed the tip of his wand on her neck.

"Just one spell, Potter's not going to do anything" Blaise continued, walking round Hermione, not once taking his wand away from her neck. Hermione closed her eyes before opening them again and looking worriedly at Harry.

"Blaise…" Ron said. "Please stop it."

"Weasel-bee's right" Draco added. "Stop." The Slytherins all looked at him in disbelief before Blaise smiled.

"No." Hermione closed her eyes again.

"Blaise" she whispered.

"Shut up Mudblood" he spat. Harry's eyes closed this time and Ron, Hermione and Draco all shouted Blaise's name at the same time before Harry darted forward and grabbed his arm. Hermione quickly twisted out of the way and Ron caught her as she tripped. Harry threw Blaise's wand across the corridor and slammed him up against the wall.

"Don't touch her" he hissed. Blaise struggled, trying to get Harry's hand away from his throat.

"Did you hear me?" Harry continued. "Don't touch her, got it?"

Blaise laughed. "I don't take my orders from you!" he spat back. Harry's eyes glazed over slightly and turned faintly yellow. Hermione panicked.

"H-harry, stop" she pleaded. Harry let go of Blaise and spun round to look at her. Blaise took advantage of the moment to punch Harry in the back of his head. Harry slammed into the floor and rolled over before jumping up and lifting up his fist to punch Blaise back. Hermione knew how much damage it would do. So did Ron. They looked on in horror as Harry's fist fell down towards Blaise, who quickly darted out of the way, laughing. The punch landed on the wall and a small crack appeared. Harry turned to face Blaise again and punched a few more times before there was no where left for Blaise to run. Just as Harry's punch was about to land in Blaise's face Hermione jumped up.

"Harry no!" she screamed. He yelled in pain and the glow suddenly disappeared from his body and he fell back against the wall. Hermione was instantly at his side. The other house prefects had arrived and were all staring at the scene before them.

"Harry, are you ok?" Hermione asked. He looked up at her and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry" he whispered. A few tears escaped her eyes and she hugged him.

"It's not your fault" she replied. Blaise picked up his wand and pointed it at Harry and Hermione, smiling. They both stared at him.

"Expelliamus!" Blaise's wand flew out of his hand and clattered against the wall. His eyes followed it for a moment before he looked round at the caster.

"What the hell are you doing?" Blaise shouted.

"That's enough" Draco replied, putting his wand back into his robes and walking towards Harry. Hermione watched him uncertainly and he stared back at her before grabbing Harry's arm and put it around his back. Everyone was staring at him now but he took no notice.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Draco asked, looking at Ron who quickly ran forward and took Harry's other arm. Hermione opened the door to the Heads dorm and the two boys sat Harry down on the sofa. Hermione brought him a glass of water and he thanked her before drinking it all.

"I'm fine now" he finally said, looking up.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. Let's get on with this meeting." The prefects all sat down on chairs and Ron, Draco and Blaise left.

"Right, so, Professor Dumbledore said that we could have a Halloween dance" Hermione started.

"Yeah, that's a great idea" one of the Ravenclaw prefects replied.

"Good, so does anyone have any ideas?"

------------------------------------------------------

Draco stormed into the Slytherin Common Room. Blaise followed close behind him and stopped suddenly when Draco turned to face him.

"Do you realise how much damage you could have done?" he shouted in Blaise's face. "Did you not listen to me when I told you what had happened to him?"

"Of course I did. I wanted to see what would happen"

"You stupid, stupid idiot. You could have been killed. How did you know that wouldn't happen? Huh? You didn't?" Draco kicked the table and threw himself onto the sofa.

"You've changed Malfoy" Blaise whispered before walking up to his room.