Disclaimer: The usual I don't own Harry Potter^^.

X-x-x-x-x-x- chapter 7 – Back again x-x-x-x-x-x

The early morning of September the first started sunny and quietly. Harry had been awake for hours and had just finished packing lunch box, notebooks, pen and a book about mobile telephones into his satchel and the other books into his trunk when Jay – his staff – deemed it necessary to tap him on the head.

"I haven't forgotten you...no need to be pushy." He grumbled, but strapped his wand holster on his forearm. Taking it as cue, the staff shrank so Harry could fit it into the holster. He might not need his wand any more except for new spells and anything that required more power or precision, but Jay was miffed quickly should he forget it. Once it had appeared at the Burrow to hit him over the head while he had been visiting Hermione and Ron – forgetting his wand at home. It had not been pleased much to the amusement of his friends.

Jay was only quiet and immobile when lying in his holster or being in company otherwise it often floated near him.

"Are you coming home for Christmas, Master Harry?" Emerald asked curiously.

"I don't know yet, Emmy. It depends on the plans of my friends. But don't worry. Dobby and Winky will take good care of you and if I can figure out and convert the mobile phone system to a wizarding one I'll be back without doubt."

"Master Harry, you should leave soon if you want to avoid the masses." Winky quipped and levitated his trunk and satchel next to him.

"I have added drinks for you and your friends, Master Harry. One of your school robes is in the satchel, so you don't have to unshrink your trunk on the train. Have a good term." She bowed.

"All right, see you, have a good time while I'm at Hogwarts." He shrunk his trunk and walked outside to apparate.

*.*

Harry appeared at the Apparition point around half past nine. It was quite early but the Hogwarts Express stood there waiting for the students and some teachers of Hogwarts. Just a handful of students had already arrived and were buzzing around with their parents or friends. So he was mostly ignored while he stepped over to the train.

Harry's eyes swept over the red and black steam train. It would be the last time he mounted it as student. The Hogwarts Express had always been the start of the best and at the same time the worst times of his childhood. Fondly he remembered his first arrival at the platform and his first meeting with the Weasleys. Harry smiled. This time he had no trouble mounting the train as his heavy trunk had a feather light charm on it and was shrunk.

Slowly he walked through the train and chose an empty compartment near the end of the train. He let his wand out of his holster and cast a few charms on the door. He did not want to be noticed by anyone but his friends. His summer had been almost fan-free, but he had spent his days at home or with his friends only going into public wizarding areas when he had been not able to avoid it, but the muggle world had a lot to offer so he had not lost any freedom over this stupid fame. Pulling out his book, he settled down and filled his time with reading before the rest of his friends arrived.

An hour later Neville arrived with Luna.

"Hello Harry, have a good summer?" She greeted him dreamingly.

"Hey Harry, how long have you been here? The platform is teeming with reporters and as they are still there I would guess they missed you?" Neville grinned to which Harry responded with a grin himself. Since his victory over Voldemort there had been several articles in the Daily Prophet about his victory, his life, how he had set a foundation for later charities and new inventions and one lonely interview at the begin of the summer he had given on Lucius' advise. Thanks to the goblins at Gringotts and his law team they could only speculate and nothing had been hurtful for his image.

"Around half past nine. It's a good thing that I have never been this early at the train. No pointer for reporters that I could be here already. But I'm sure that they will get Hermione and Ron, the Weasleys are never early."

Ten minutes later Dean and Seamus arrived and five to eleven the rest of them. Ginny greeted Dean with a kiss before sitting down beside him.

The trip was pleasant. They talked about their summer and their plans in and after school. Around noon Harry served his picnic basket and earned a few heartfelt compliments – well, they said compliments to the house-elves as they knew he had two in his home, his friends were surprised as he told them that he had cooked. At some point Harry and Hermione had to do their jobs as head boy and girl and instructed the prefects, gave them their passwords and the duties and rules of a prefect.

*.*

"You should have seen him. It's good he wants to go into politics. Everyone had listened to him with rapt attention. Maybe he should teach, too. Judging after the way they looked at him, he could even teach history and gain the best statistics." Hermione giggled later at the Welcoming Feast to Ron and Neville. Luna and Ginny had been made prefects themselves and had been in the meeting. Harry shot her a dark look.

"You're just jealous, because they did not listen to you when you had started the meeting." He muttered teasingly. The starstruck looks he had earned and still earned annoyed him, but at least no one seemed keen on getting an autograph or something else from him...yet.

"For someone who does not like public speeches you were quite good. How come?" Ginny interrupted his train of thoughts.

"I was trained the whole holidays by Lucius and Andromeda. Every other day they had me giving a short speech or something to recite including prepared and impromptu ones." Harry shrugged. Their conservation was closed down by the entering of the new first years.

After the sorting and the feast, Harry and Hermione had supervised the prefects so that no one was left behind before they followed their year mates into their new dorm. Quite a few first years tried to stay behind to get another glimpse of the saviour of the magical world but they were herded to their dorms quickly by the prefects.

*.*

Behind the portrait everyone was already waiting for them. Dumbledore himself stood in the middle and beamed at them.

"Now that we are complete I will inform you about your dorms. Harry and Miss Granger as head boy and girl your rooms are on the first floor and your rooms have additional doors in the common room which lead next to every house entrance and the great hall. It's part of your duties to be approachable any time for every student. I won't bore you with endless reciting of the dorm lists. On the doors you will find name tags. Please take note that your room-mate can not be changed. Every room is equipped with desks for studying, so you can get enough quiet study time in preparation for your NEWTs. Your timetables and your trunks are in your rooms. Good night and have a successful new term." The headmaster shooed them along and left them alone.

Harry looked at his friends and shrugged. His and Hermione's rooms were found quickly. On his door was only his name and on the other...

"With Malfoy? How the hell did you end up with Malfoy?" Ron exclaimed loudly. He looked shocked into the surprised eyes of his girlfriend. Harry had the bad feeling that this was the end of their relationship. They were both registered for sexual magic classes and he did not think that they would accept different bed partners even for classes in their relationship. Well, with classes and Hermione you would never know, but Ron definitely not.

Ron was teamed together with Pansy Parkinson, another couple he had not guessed.

Neville shared his dorm with Dean and Seamus with Blaise.

"Oh dear, I don't think that this ends well." Dean pointed towards the quartet. Malfoy and Parkinson did not show any emotions about their determined partners but Ron and Hermione had warded a corner and talked.

Harry sighed and walked up to the Slytherins. They were the partners of his best friends and to make it easier to them he extended his hand in friendship towards the blond boy and the raven girl.

"We will probably spend much time together now. Truce?"

Draco Malfoy looked at the offered hand before taking it. His parents had made peace with the snake in lion's clothes so could he. He had met the other wizard over the summer quite often and they had come to an understanding. Pansy followed his lead and looked a bit longingly over to Ron and Hermione. Harry followed her look.

"Does she fancy Ron?" Harry asked the other wizard quietly who nodded hardly noticeable.

"And you?" He looked hard at Draco. The blond wizard gained a bit of colour on his cheeks.

"I assume you know that we are enrolled..." Draco trailed off, but he did not need to continue as Harry had already nodded. Obviously Malfoy's new facial colour was a hint of the sexual classes.

"I'm enrolled too, but I have no other name on my door..." The raven-haired teen offered in exchange.

"Then you're lucky and gained an older partner. Greetings of my parents by the way."

"You have your work cut out with my best friends. They have been in a relationship..."

Draco walked ahead towards his room and opened the door.

"Draco, you have winding stairs in your room...aren't Pansy and Ron's room right above you?"

Pansy and Draco blinked and looked inside the room without entering it. Harry turned around and got his discussing friends to join them.

"Don't end your relationship just yet I think you need to see something..." Harry dragged his best friends off to their rooms.

Harry was right. The rooms were connected with a bedroom on the upper floor and bigger bedroom on the other floor. Clueless the quartet stared at each other and Harry burst out laughing.

"A foursome... the soul crystal made a freaking foursome." The large bed in the bigger bedroom gave enough room for the four of them. It looked a bit like a playing field with its space.

"HARRY!" four scandalised voices cried out shocked.

"You have no reason to laugh, Harry James Rhys Evan Potter-Black-Flamel-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell! You have not even met your partner. How long will you leave him waiting?" Hermione hissed.

"Ouch! Full name..." Ron chuckled at Harry's annoyed grimace.

"Him? Potter is matched with an older guy?" Pansy smirked teasingly. "Someone who can take care of our saviour?"

"Potter-Black-Flamel-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Peverell? Merlin, have you developed a habit of collecting names during summer while no one was looking?" Draco chocked. They were quite loaded names.

"I was at Gringotts and got a full inheritance test...because I could not sign any contracts that needed my full name...I had assumed I had a third name that no one beside my parents knew about... and now I hate it when I have to sign it...Please don't blaze it abroad. It's bad enough that I gained the moniker like "The-boy-who-saved-us-all", "The Saviour" or "The man-who-survives-all-odds". No need to add "the boy-who-lived-to-gain-too-many-names." Harry explained sheepishly.

"You forgot, "The teen-who-defeated-he-who-must-not-be-named", Phoenix." Luna pointed out dreamingly. Neville was beside her, obviously he had let her in and no one from the Gryffindors really wondered why she was able to enter the seventh year dorms. Luna had always been a bit odd. Blaise, Seamus and Dean followed them.

"Nice rooms. It's quite obvious that you four are in sexual magic. As are Seamus and Blaise. Neville and I are not registered." Dean commented carelessly, not watching his tongue in front of Luna.

"How is she able to come into our dorms without attending the information evening?" Pansy wondered pointing at Luna.

"Well, as you are partners with our friends I would say: Welcome to the fold. You're getting used to it." Neville commented awkwardly.

"Screw that, why are you able to spill the beans about this and why could you go into our rooms that easily? I thought there are spells to protect us?" Draco snarled.

"You left the door open and did you not listen to the explanations? Inside of our tower we can talk freely about sexual magic classes just not outside." Blaise smirked.

"Aww, but I'm more interested in our little saviour's partner. An older man, you have to have a high compatibility with each other if he's already done with school. Are you getting married to your unknown partner? Our hero is getting his happy ending, how romantic." Pansy teased giggling.

Harry shot her a dark look which lost its effect due to the blush that graced his cheeks. Luna looked expressionless at everyone till her eyes settled on Harry.

"Go, Phoenix... everything will be all right you will see." Luna shooed Harry out of the door.

The others stared at the closed door where Harry just had disappeared.

"You should not mock him about it." The Ravenclaw chided but did not address someone specifically.

"OK...why should we not mock him and what is this phoenix business?" Pansy sighed.

"Because it's cruel to tease someone about love who grew up without. It's obvious that his room mate will be either his soulmate or at least has a very high compatibility with him." Neville explained.

"As if. Potter is the hero of the wizarding world. He had to be pampered rotten." Draco snorted not believing for a single second that the other teen had grown up without the love of family.

"Harry won't like it, but as you will be hanging around us more in future, it will be better we tell you about the real Harry and not the image others see. You see, Harry has become an animagus just before Voldemort's attack. He is a storm phoenix. Hence Luna's favourite nickname for him." With this Hermione started the long version of Harry's life or what they knew about. Admittedly Hermione's explanation was not in the correct chronological order but she explained pressing questions first. Harry's short version had been "I grew up with magic hating muggles." Hermione's version contained his years at Hogwarts, Dumbledore's intentions and his plans as well. Sometimes Ron pitched in with an observation or tale of events Hermione only had vague knowledge of like the rescue mission before their second year or the nearly chronic nightmares.

The Slytherins in their group had not even imagined what Harry had had to confront every year till the death of Voldemort.

After this the others had left the foursome alone, not only to sort out their new relationship status but their view about Harry as well. They had to admit that they had needed this to prevent bad blood.

"I've never thought that being the boy-who-lived could be that bad. Sure he had a mad man on his case but he has always been so popular and protected." Draco leant back on the couch and stared into the fire. He understood now the – in his eyes- sudden loyalty of his parents towards Harry.

"Protected only by few. The headmaster was playing favourites to sweeten his non existent childhood and as he thought early death. Harry had been furious for weeks. A wrong word and he had to escape into the chamber of secrets to release his magic or he would have accidentally hexed someone pretty badly, even with his low energy levels due to his constant training. You probably noticed that he's still not on speaking terms with Dumbledore." Hermione sighed and joined them on the couch.

"And don't forget that almost every year the school turned on him. Publicity and fame are fickle. Never wondered why he hid all summer in his new home? He's only waiting for the public to turn against him again." Ron shook his head.

The four teens stared at each other awkwardly. Each of them unsure what to do or to say after they had discussed Harry's life enough. They knew they had their own problems and it was a miracle itself that they could sit together like this.

Draco cleared his throat.

"We should explore our rooms and decide our desks and places..."

"I'm more interested in the spells on these rooms. Why did we just spill the beans and told you nearly everything? We were not even neutral acquaintances till we entered the rooms and yet we unveiled some information we never told anyone." Hermione frowned not liking the fact that they told Slytherins so much about Harry and their adventures. He would have a fit when he heard about it.

"Not to forget that we are civil to each other as if the past six years have never happened." Pansy added thoughtfully.

"Do you think it's an accident that we are four?" Ron asked uncertainly.

"I guess we won't know for sure. Let's check out our rooms." Draco sighed and got up. The other three followed his example.

Soon they walked through the rooms waving their wands, identification spells on the tongues and curious hands and eyes in every corner of the rooms.

"Here I found a list." Hermione's voice echoed through the room. They met again in their second study/common room. She had a book about basic sexual magic class in her hands.

"With registration for sexual magic classes the participants agreed to following charms on their rooms:

Silencing spells

Secrecy spells

Compulsion spells in order to be more open with each other and prevention of fights.

Vanishing spell on the bed

Calming charms

Please note that the spells are only mild ones to speed up the starting process. Most spells are going to wear off after the Christmas holidays.

The list and strength of spells vary depending on the rate of compatibility, former relationship and soul-magic-body ratio."

"Well at least there are no compulsion spells that force us to have sex right away." Ron commented dryly.

x-x-x-x-x-x Chapter 7 end x-x-x-x-x-x

AN: Well... will the four stay together or will they break of into pairs? To my defence to this strange group: Somehow I did not want a Ron/Hermione pairing, but I did not want to split them so soon either^^ Maybe they pull through together maybe not^^ only time will tell ;)