Four years later the school had managed to get over their surprise at Harry being a Slytherin and he had managed to settle down in the house. He was on the quidditch team as the seeker and Draco had also joined it as a chaser. Harry was best friends with Blaise and they were always together.

Ron was proving a little trickier. Not in his friendship, he was Harry's other best friend, but in maintaining that friendship. They had to keep it hidden from Draco that Harry was friends with Ron and Blaise was often lookout for them to be able to spend time together.

Ron had accepted Hermione as a friend after she had covered for him on the work front and Ron knew all about Harry's crush on her. Ron wanted to do something about it but wasn't sure how to go about it. He talked to Blaise about it. These two were friendly with each other and Blaise turned out to be the second brightest student in the year so he could help the others with work when Hermione got angry with Ron.

Ron and Blaise couldn't see what Harry saw in Hermione but they both knew that if Harry went out with her things would go bad. They were already keeping one inter house friendship secret from the school, but they didn't think they could maintain a second one.

"Actually it might work. I mean I'm dating someone in another house."

Ron stared at Blaise. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah I'm dating Padma Patil."

"Good call." Ron said admiringly. He was favouring the other twin, Parvati…at the moment. "So, could Harry go out with Hermione?"

"Would be very tricky but not impossible. Slytherin/Ravenclaw relationship is alright, frowned on, but accepted. Slytherin/Gryffindor relationship is out of the question. We'd have to keep it secret. Draco would kill Harry if it came out. And it doesn't help that she's muggle-born."

"Malfoy seriously needs to get over that."

Blaise sniggered and earned himself his seventh glare from Madam Pince. "He really does. But does Hermione like Harry?"

"She doesn't say so, but I think she does. I'll try and find out. What if she does?"

"We set them up. Like, I tell Harry I'm giving him an extra tutoring session on hexes but we put Hermione there instead. Keep giving him opportunities to tell her and ask her out."

"I don't know if he can be that brave. I mean, I know he's a hero and all, but he's shit round girls." Ron snorted.

"Aren't we all?"

Ron thought about it for a moment. "Fair point, that." He said grudgingly.

Blaise thought he saw someone watching them through the bookshelves and seized a book and chucked it at Ron before grabbing one for himself. Neville came around the corner and stared at the strange study partners.

"Ron? What's going on?"

"Nothing Nev, we were just studying."

"But he's a Slytherin!"

"Yeah, and they aren't all bad. Sure, Malfoy hexes you on a regular basis but Blaise and Harry get him back for it every time."

"Yeah, did he tell you what we did last time? We slipped a dead ferret into his bed. Made the dorm reek for a few days but it was so worth it! The look on his face when he found it was priceless. I don't think I'll ever forget it." Blaise laughed and Ron sniggered. Madame Pince stormed towards them and they all grabbed a book quickly and pretended to read.

Neville looked confused. "Why doesn't Malfoy like ferrets?"

"When he was little he got attacked by ferrets and his dad used to turn him into one when he disobeyed him. He now has a phobia of them. If you want I can teach you that spell so you can get him back yourself." Blaise offered.

"There's a spell for that?" Neville asked while Ron snorted with laughter again.

"Yeah. There's a spell for most things."

A whistle came floating into the library from outside and Blaise snatched his bag and rushed out, with a brief explanation that it was Harry and that was the warning whistle. It meant Malfoy was on his way.

Ron and Neville went off to find a book they needed for Potions and came face to face with Hermione. She looked like she usually did when she had PMS.

"Hi Mione."

"Don't give me that Ronald. I want an explanation."

"For what?" Ron tried not to quail under her livid face.

"Since when are you friends with Slytherins?"

"You've never spoken to them. Not properly anyway. Harry and Blaise are decent. Look we have to partner up in potions next week, why don't you partner Harry? He's alright at potions. I'm partnering Blaise."

"THEY'RE SLYTHERINS!!" Hermione shouted and Madam Pince ushered them out of her precious library.

Outside they met Harry and Blaise chatting to Pansy Parkinson about quidditch. Ron joined in and Hermione rolled her eyes.

Pansy and Blaise both nudged Harry and he went over to talk to Neville.

"Hey Neville. I know you've been having problems in Defence Against the Dark Arts. D'you want me to help you? You don't want to get another bad mark. Your grandmother wouldn't be pleased with you if that happened. From what I've heard she can be a bit of a battleaxe."

"No arguments there." Neville laughed. "Alright. If you think you can help me then I guess that'd be okay."

"Oh trust me he will." Pansy put in. It seemed they had been eavesdropping. "Harry's a great teacher. He's helped me no end."

"What with?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Potions, Defence, Charms, defence in general."

"I'm brighter than I look."

Hermione looked surprised and a little pleased.

"Bring out the big guns now." Blaise hissed in Ron's ear. Ron nodded.

"Mione, didn't you say you had a problem with something in Defence?"

"Yeah. I just said that Lupin made a mistake with what he said about vampires and garlic."

"Yeah, he said it had magical properties against them, but I reckon they just don't like the smell." Harry said and the Slytherins and Neville laughed.

"I thought that too." Hermione chuckled. "This is so weird, I never thought I'd ever agree with a Slytherin."

"We're not all bad." Pansy said defensively. "The three of us are actually decent."

"There's no need to sound so surprised about it." Blaise rounded on her.

Ginny Weasley came round the corner at the end of the corridor. "Neville," she called, "I've just been looking for you. Sprout was trying to find you. Said the seeds have hatched?" she looked confused.

"Yeah, we invented a new plant. And we've been waiting weeks for them to hatch."

"You have such an interesting life." Harry said sarcastically. Ron hit him.

"Anyway." Ginny said pointedly as Neville walked off, not having noticed the sarcasm. "Have you heard? Alicia Spinnet is dating Malfoy!"

"What!?" everyone shouted.

"I thought she was with George Weasley?" Pansy said confused.

"Draco never even told us. An older woman!"

"George dumped her when he found out she was two timing him with Malfoy. They had a huge fight in the middle of Hogsmede yesterday."

"So THAT was what that was about." Pansy said as comprehension dawned.

"Poor George." Harry said.

"This isn't right. Draco would never date a Gryffindor." Blaise looked really stumped.

"How long's it been going on?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Since the beginning of this year."

"Ooh!" the Slytherins said slowly together.

"THAT'S where he's been sneaking off too every night."

"How's George?" Harry asked.

"Taking it hard. We have to cheer him up somehow."

They were all quiet for a while as they thought how they could cheer him up.

Harry clicked his fingers suddenly as the idea came to him. "I've got it! Slytherins, we have work to do."

"Can't you tell us what you're going to do?" Ron asked him beseechingly.

"Sorry mate, we're gonna give you a surprise. And usually surprises aren't told beforehand. Slytherin work needs to be done on one of our own."

"Don't do anything too horrible to him." Hermione said.

"He called you a mudblood again yesterday, along with a very cruel imitation of you." Harry said.

"Forget what I said. Get the bastard. Get him hard."

"Will do, precious." Harry smirked and Hermione couldn't help thinking how sexy he was…wait…he's a Slytherin…was he flirting with me?

"Hey girls, while they plot this, why don't we go gossip somewhere? I can tell you lots of Slytherin secrets if you will let me in on Gryffindor's." Pansy suggested as Harry and Blaise went back into the library.

"Sure. See you later Ron."

Ron noticed that Hermione was holding Ginny's hand as they walked off with Pansy. What was that all about?